In this paper, dual-rotor counter-rotating (CR) configurations of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) are briefly inspected and divided into three types. This investigation was focused on one of these types – the CR-VAWT with co-axial rotors, in which two equal rotors are placed on the same shaft, displaced from each other along it and rotate in opposite directions. For this CR-VAWT with three-blade H-Darrieus rotors, the properties of the design in terms of aerodynamics, mechanical transmission and electric generator, as well as control system are analyzed. A new direct-driven dual-rotor (DR) permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) was proposed, in which two built-in low-power PM electric machines have been added. They perform two functions – start-up and overclocking of the rotors to the angular velocity at which the lifting force of the blades is generated and stabilizing the CR-VAWT work as wind gusts act on the two rotors. Detailed in this paper is the evaluation of aerodynamic performance of the CR-VAWT via 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The evaluation was conducted using the CONVERGE CFD software with the inclusion of the actuator line model for the rotor aerodynamics, which significantly reduces the computational effort. Obtained results show that both rotors, while they rotate in opposite directions, had a positive impact on each other: the power coefficients of the upper and lower rotors in the CR-VAWT increased by 5.5% and 13.3% respectively compared to the single-rotor VAWT at the optimal distance between the rotors of 0.3 from a rotor height.

After proving, in a purely categorial way, that the inclusion functor InAlg(Σ) from Alg(Σ), the category of many-sorted Σ-algebras, to PAlg(Σ), the category of many-sorted partial Σ-algebras, has a left adjoint FΣ, the (absolutely) free completion functor, we recall, in connection with the functor FΣ, the generalized recursion theorem of Schmidt, which we will also call the Schmidt construction. Next we define a category Cmpl(Σ), of Σ-completions, and prove that FΣ, labeled with its domain category and the unit of the adjunction of which it is a part, is a weakly initial object in it. Following this we associate to an ordered pair (α,f), where α=(K,γ,α) is a morphism of Σ-completions from F=(C,F,η) to G=(D,G,ρ) and f a homomorphism in D from the partial Σ-algebra A to the partial Σ-algebra B, a homomorphism ΥαG,0(f):Schα(f)B. We then prove that there exists an endofunctor, ΥαG,0, of Mortw(D), the twisted morphism category of D, thus showing the naturalness of the previous construction. Afterwards we prove that, for every Σ-completion G=(D,G,ρ), there exists a functor ΥG from the comma category (Cmpl(Σ)↓G) to End(Mortw(D)), the category of endofunctors of Mortw(D), such that ΥG,0, the object mapping of ΥG, sends a morphism of Σ-completion in Cmpl(Σ) with codomain G, to the endofunctor ΥαG,0.

The adoption of Machine Learning (ML) for building emulators for complex physical processes has seen an exponential rise in the recent years. While neural networks are good function approximators, optimizing the hyper-parameters of the network to reach a global minimum is not trivial, and often needs human knowl- edge and expertise. In this light, automatic ML or autoML methods have gained large interest as they automate the process of network hyper-parameter tuning. In addition, Neural Architecture Search (NAS) has shown promising outcomes for improving model performance. While autoML methods have grown in popularity for image, text and other applications, their effectiveness for high-dimensional, complex scientific datasets remains to be investigated. In this work, a data driven emulator for turbulence closure terms in the context of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models is trained using Artificial Neural Networks and an autoML frame- work based on Bayesian Optimization, incorporating priors to jointly optimize the hyper-parameters as well as conduct a full neural network architecture search to converge to a global minima, is proposed. Additionally, we compare the effect of using different network weight initializations and optimizers such as ADAM, SGDM and RMSProp, to explore the best performing setting. Weight and function space similarities during the optimization trajectory are investigated, and critical differences in the learning process evolution are noted and compared to theory. We observe ADAM optimizer and Glorot initialization consistently performs better, while RMSProp outperforms SGDM as the latter appears to have been stuck at a local minima. Therefore, this autoML BayesOpt framework provides a means to choose the best hyper-parameter settings for a given dataset.

We developed and applied a method for characterizing bacterial promoters genome-wide by in vitro transcription coupled to transcriptome sequencing specific for native 5’-ends of transcripts. This method called ROSE (Run-Off transcription/RNA-SEquencing), only requires chromosomal DNA, ribonucleotides, RNA polymerase (RNAP) core enzyme, and a specific sigma factor, recognizing the corresponding promoters, which have to be analyzed. ROSE was performed on E. coli K-12 MG1655 genomic DNA using E. coli RNAP holoenzyme (including σ70) and yielded 3,226 transcription start sites, 2,167 of which were also identified in in vivo studies, and 598 were new. Many new promoters not yet identified by in vivo experiments might be repressed under the tested conditions. Complementary in vivo experiments with E. coli K-12 strain BW25113 and isogenic transcription factor gene knockout mutants of fis, fur, and hns were used to test this hypothesis. Comparative transcriptome analysis demonstrated that ROSE could identify bona fide promoters that were apparently repressed in vivo. In this sense, ROSE is well-suited as a bottom-up approach for characterizing transcriptional networks in bacteria and ideally complementary to top-down in vivo transcriptome studies.

Secondary and tertiary prevention strategies targeting people with disabilities to improve their health and wellbeing is important. In Sweden, >95% of all children with cerebral palsy (CP) participate in a follow-up program, where one of the goals is the prevention of hip dislocations. We reviewed the incidence of hip dislocations from 2010 to 2019 and the number of children who underwent different types of hip surgeries. The number of hip dislocations was reduced from 8.8% before introduction of the program to 0.3-0.4% up to 2015, followed by a gradual increase to 0.8% in 2019. The proportion of children who underwent adductor-psoas lengthening as their primary preventive surgery decreased from 50% in 2017 to 37% in 2019 with a corresponding increase of children undergoing femoral osteotomy, indicating more children underwent surgery at a later stage. Reasons for the increased number of children with hip dislocation may be that more children have moved to Sweden in recent years without corresponding compensation in health care resources and increased waiting times for surgery due to, among other things, a shortage of nurses. The results highlight the importance of constantly monitoring follow-up programs.

Technical components should be produced sustainably and are subject to growing demands in terms of durability and reliability. To meet these expectations, the development of thermochemical processes is auspicious. Titanium alloys, which have a comparatively high gas solubility, allow temporary hydrogen (H) loading, often called thermo hydrogen treatment (THT). THT causes lattice deformation and reduces the β transformation temperature. These effects enable an adjustment of the microstructure, which improves the mechanical properties as compared to those produced conventionally. Furthermore, the process is applicable to complex geometries that cannot be surface hardened by mechanical surface treatment techniques. The investigation presented intends to realize a local microstructure gradient in additively via laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) manufactured cylindrical Ti–6Al–4V specimens by changing the distribution and morphology of strengthening precipitates as well as the β grain size depending on the distance to the surface, which should improve the material fatigue properties. To evaluate the mechanical properties of such THT-induced microstructure gradients, the resulting change in fatigue life in the LCF and HCF range was determined by stress-controlled cyclic deformation tests. Besides, the resulting microstructure was characterized by means of XRD and TEM. In addition to the additively manufactured and thermo hydrogen treated cylindrical specimens, conventionally produced tube-like specimens were thermo hydrogen treated and examined. For the THT-induced microstructure gradients, numerically simulated H concentration profiles as well as experimentally determined hardness profiles were used for the evaluation of the THT process. The study shows that H-loading at 500°C and H-degassing at 750°C, followed by aging at 550°C, allows the establishment of a microstructure gradient that shows an 8% improvement in fatigue properties compared to a reference condition without THT. The reason for this improvement is an increased volume fraction secondary alpha phase in the near-surface area of the specimens. Moreover, the results show that the process is applicable a tube-like specimen with varying wall thicknesses.

Background: The dairy industry heavily relies on fermentation processes driven in high proportion by Lactococcus lactis. The fermentation process can be perturbed or even stopped by bacteriophage activity leading to complete loss of fermentation batch or decreased quality product. Monitoring of the phage diversity and dynamics in the process allows to implement protective measures (e.g. starter rotation) in order to maintain unperturbed production.; Methods: Universal primers were used to amplify sequences of the 936, c2, and P335 Lactococcus phage types. The amplicons were sequences with Sanger method and obtained degenerate sequences were analyzed using simple bioinformatic pipeline in R environment.; Results: The most prevalent phage type is 936, followed by P335, whereas c2 type is less frequent.; Conclusions: Curd cheeses prepared on non-pasteurized milk based on native milk microbiota had higher diversity of phages distinct of these found in dairy plants. Sanger sequencing of heterogenous amplicons generated on metagenome DNA can be used to asses low-complexity microbiota diversity.

Reducing under-five mortality is a key indicator of a country's overall development, yet in Angola, understanding the factors contributing to hospital deaths in this vulnerable demographic remains incomplete despite improvements in healthcare infrastructure and public health policies. With one of the highest under-five mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa, Angola grapples with significant challenges, including malaria, malnutrition, pneumonia, neonatal conditions, and intestinal infectious diseases, as leading causes of death among children. This study aimed to identify factors associated with these hospital deaths in children aged 28 days to five years admitted to DBPH in Luanda between May 2022 and June 2023. Utilizing a hospital-based case-control design, a total of 1020 children were studied, with 340 cases of hospital deaths. Notably, distal and intermediate determinants emerged as primary predictors of hospital mortality, revealing significant associations with maternal education status, maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, short hospital stays (≤24h), poor nutritional status, short interbirth intervals, maternal age ≤19 years, and maternal age ≥35 years. These findings underscore the preventable nature of most under-five hospital deaths and emphasize the urgent need to address social inequities and enhance the quality of primary healthcare services to effectively mitigate child mortality.

Pain is a natural bioassay for detecting and quantifying biological activities of venoms. The painfulness of stings delivered by ants, wasps, and bees can be easily measured in the field or lab using the stinging insect pain scale that rates the pain intensity from 1 to 4, with 1 being minor pain, and 4 being extreme, debilitating, excruciating pain. The painfulness of stings of 96 species of stinging insects and the lethalities of the venoms of 90 species was determined and utilized for pinpointing future promising directions for investigating venoms having pharmaceutically active principles that could benefit humanity. The findings suggest several under- or unexplored insect venoms worthy of future investigations, including: those that have exceedingly painful venoms, yet with extremely low lethality – tarantula hawk wasps (Pepsis) and velvet ants (Mutillidae); those that have extremely lethal venoms, yet induce very little pain – the ants, Daceton and Tetraponera; and those that have venomous stings and are both painful and lethal – the ants Pogonomyrmex, Paraponera, Myrmecia, Neoponera, and the social wasps Synoeca, Agelaia, and Brachygastra. Taken together, and separately, sting pain and venom lethality point to promising directions for mining of pharmaceutically active components derived from insect venoms.

Using of the organic base tetramethylammonium hydroxides (TMAH) is a viable, cheap and fast route, for the MgZnAl-LDH type materials synthesis by both co-precipitation and mechano-chemical methods. TMAH provided several advantages as smaller quantity of water required in the washing step compared to the use of inorganic alkalis, prevention of LDH contamination with alkali cations, acting as template molecule in texture tailoring along with disadvantages as its presence in small quantities in the resulting layered materials. Regardless the use of organic / inorganic bases and co-precipitation / mechano-chemical methods, zincite stable phase was found in all the synthesized solids. The basicity of catalysts followed the trend: mixed oxides > reconstructed > parent LDH. The memory effect of LDH is supported only by the presence of Mg and Al cations, while Zn remains as zincite stable phase. The catalytic activities for Claisen-Schmidt condensation of benzaldehyde with cyclohexanone provided values higher than 90% after 2h, with a total selectivity in 2,6-dibenzylidenecyclohexanone, while in self-condensation of cyclohexanone no more than 7.29% after 5h. These behaviors depended on catalysts basicity as well as the planar rigidity of the compound.

Disputes on authorships or the order of authors on publications are among the most common conflicts in science, particularly where multi-author papers have become the norm. Here, I propose an adaptable and generalizable method to rationalize and democratize decisions about authorships, which can be applied in diverse scientific areas. In the process, the authors of a manuscript collect, discuss, score, and weight their contributions to the final manuscript. The decision process is assisted by a simple spreadsheet-based “authorship matrix”, which helps to break down the complexity of different contributions and their importance. The matrix generates a score s describing the percentage of the author’s total contributions and can be used to determine authorship and their order. The transparency and simplicity score s can reduce conflicts and thus increase productivity in collaborations.

The ability to self-direct a research program determines graduate degree completion. Yet, research on incompletion of graduate physics programs assume students’ present level of self-direction adequate and neglects to recognize a lack of self-directed learning as key. One theoretical mathematical physicist focused on changing this challenge of physics graduate education by promoting self-directed learning through the type research flow that has been found to bring the greatest satisfaction to researchers with respect to their insights. This he provided through his space, time, open mindedness and theoretical contributions with his students and in collaboration with his colleagues. A self-directed learner himself, David J. Rowe developed methods of mentoring for encouraging physics graduate students to recognize symmetry as valuable in identifying solutions to problems quickly—helping these students take the lead in finding insightful resolutions to complex, multidimensional, mathematical physics uncertainties. How Rowe set about supporting self-directed learning in his graduate physics education interactions will be examined with the use of narrative research to interpret the texts and conversations with the author he made available. His techniques will be presented and recommendations made regarding how Rowe’s work in this regard can be modeled to improve self-direction in STEM graduate education.

Aim: Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza H1N1 virus are common organisms associated with human infections. These infections could play a significant role in immune regulation. The study was performed to analyse the genome sequences of these organisms with human genome and study its functional significance. Methods: The study was performed to analyse the overlapping of genome sequences in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Influenza (H1N1) virus against human genome sequences by BLASTn sequence analysis. The alignments are studied against the corresponding genes for their functional significance with DAVID and NDEx software.Results: Several hits or overlapping nucleotide segments were identified. Between streptococcus and homo sapiens 287 overlaps were identified, and among influenza and homo sapiens 124 hits were identified. A wide range of functional significance of these genes were identified, and the results are presented in this study. The results show insights into functional pathways and biological activities associated with the respective vaccinations or infections by these microorganisms. Conclusion: The common organisms like Streptococcus pneumoniae and Influenza H1N1 virus actively interact with the immune system and result in a wide range of immune regulations.

Cognitive impairment is a condition which affects aging patient populations and is becoming more prevalent as the geriatric population expands. It is categorized by the extent of cognitive decline, memory loss, functional abilities, and the capability to perform daily tasks. Based on the degree of impairment, it is classified as mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Considering the debilitating nature of cognitive decline and its impact on quality of life, prevention is key. In addition, given the gradual progression of the underlying causes of cognitive decline, early diagnosis and appropriate management has the potential to offer clinical advantages and better patient outcomes. Management options discussed vary from pharmaceutical regimens to neurosurgical interventions, with differing outcomes based on etiology of cognitive impairment.

AGI could arise within the next decades, promising a decisive strategic advantage. This paper discusses risks, associated with the development of AGI: destabilizing effects on strategic balance, underestimating risks in the interest of victory in the race, egoistically exploiting the huge benefits by a tiny minority. Further: Developed AGI could be beyond human control. Human goals could not be implemented and an intelligence explosion to superintelligence could take place leading to a total loss of control and power. If competition for AGI is non-transparent, secret, uncontrolled and not regulated, it’s possible that risks could not be managed and would lead to catastrophic consequences. The danger corresponds to that of nuclear weapons. It is crucial that the key actors of a possible AI Race agree at an early stage on the prevention and transparent regulation of a possible AI Race - similar to measures to secure strategic stability, on arms control measures, disarmament, and prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The realization that an uncontrolled AI race can lead to the extinction of humanity - this time even independent of human will – requires analogous measures to contain, prevent, regulate and secure an AI race within the framework of AGI development.

Printed oral splints are a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of functional disorders. Their mechanical properties are crucial to their clinical success and their performance can vary depending on cleaning, post-polymerization, or build orientation. This in vitro study aimed to compare the biaxial flexural strength of the chosen materials depending on the aforementioned parameters. 720 discs (n = 15 per group, 16 mm x 2 mm) were printed from splint materials. Printing was performed under 90°, 45°, or 0° orientation to the building platform with supporting structures. Specimens were either automatically or manually cleaned with isopropanol. Post-polymerization was performed with LED- or Xenon-light. Biaxial flexural strength (BFS) was determined with a piston-on-3-ball test after 24 hours or 60 days water storage (37°C). Test specimens were preloaded with 0.5 N and the load was applied by a piston of 1.6 mm in diameter at 1 mm/min crosshead speed. Statistics were performed by using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and Levene-tests. Mean BFS after 24 hours of storage varied between 79 MPa and 157 MPa. After 60 hours the BFS significantly decreased and revealed values ranging from 72-127 MPa (mean24 113 MPa, mean60 97 MPa; p<0.001). No significant differences could be determined between the materials (p=0.103) or between the different cleaning procedures (p=0.321). Post-polymerization yielded higher means with LED- (P1: 115 MPa) than with Xenon-light (P2: 95 MPa; p<0.001). Regarding position, the mean values ranged from 101 MPa for 0°, 102 MPa for 45°, and 115 MPa for 90°, which was significantly different (p<0.001). Build orientation of 90° and post-polymerization with LED-light provided significantly higher biaxial flexural strength and should be used to guarantee optimal strength of splint materials. Aging decreased the biaxial flexural strength of the tested specimens.

This paper systematically discusses the application of reinforcement learning in automatic driving system. Reinforcement learning frameworks show significant advantages in optimizing decision making, predictive perception, path planning, and controller design, exceeding the limitations of traditional supervised learning methods. The paper highlights the critical role of components such as scene understanding, positioning, and map making in autonomous driving systems, which provide reliable environmental awareness through deep learning and sensor fusion technologies to support intelligent decision-making in complex urban environments. In addition, the paper discusses innovative approaches to safety reinforcement learning to reduce risk in autonomous driving and ensure that systems adhere strictly to safety constraints while maximizing expected rewards. These findings provide an important theoretical and practical basis for further improving algorithm robustness, managing multi-agent interactions, and integrating ethical considerations in the future.

Despite their relatively low incidence globally, CNS tumors remain amongst the most lethal cancers, with only a few other malignancies surpassing them in 5-year mortality rates. Treatment decisions for brain tumors heavily rely on histopathological analysis, particularly intraoperatively, to guide surgical interventions and optimize patient outcomes. Frozen sectioning has emerged as a vital intraoperative technique, allowing for highly accurate, rapid analysis of tissue samples, although it poses challenges regarding interpretive errors and tissue distortion. Raman histology, based on Raman spectroscopy, has shown great promise in providing label-free, molecular information for accurate intraoperative diagnosis, aiding in tumor resection and identification of neurodegenerative disease. Techniques including Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS), Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), and Tip-Enhanced Raman Scattering (TERS) have profoundly enhanced the speed and resolution of Raman imaging. Similarly, Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (CLE) allows for real-time imaging and rapid intraoperative histologic evaluation of specimens. While CLE is primarily utilized in gastrointestinal procedures, its application in neurosurgery is promising, particularly in the context of gliomas and meningiomas. This review focuses on discussing the immense progress in intraoperative histology within neurosurgery and provides insight into the impact of these advancements on enhancing patient outcomes..

Gut microbiota is considered a key player modulating the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The study investigated the association between response to the anti-PD-1 therapy and the baseline gut microbiome in the Polish cohort of melanoma patients, alongside selected agents modifying the microbiome. Sixty-four melanoma patients enrolled for the anti-PD-1 therapy and 10 healthy subjects were recruited. Response to the treatment was assessed according to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, and patients were classified as responders or non-responders. The association between selected extrinsic factors and response was investigated using questionnaire-based analysis, and metataxonomics of the microbiota. The Bacteroidota to Firmicutes ratio was higher, and the richness was decreased in the responders. The abundance of Prevotella copri and Bacteroides uniformis was related to the response, whereas non-responder gut microbiota was enriched with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Desulfovibrio intestinalis, and some unclassified Firmicutes. Dietary patterns, including plant, dairy, and fat consumption, but also gastrointestinal tract functioning were significantly associated with the therapeutic effects of the therapy. The specific gut microbiota alongside diet were found associated with response to the therapy in the Polish population of melanoma patients.

The pandemic is fast moving, accelerating rapid changes that lead to new challenges and making organizations suffer an impact. A big mark has been left on the workplaces - places where we do business, because an ongoing change to remote work challenges the role of the office. It is highly possible that as the change is progressing, it is not only the workplace that will change its design, but also the way in which work will be planned, organized, done and controlled. However, as the restrictions ease up questions appear: What is the potential of office sustainability? How has the perception of flexible office space changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? This paper used an online survey as a quantitative research method. In this paper, we looked at the employer’s vision of the office. We investigated employers’ perspectives of where and in what settings the work will be done in the post-pandemic time. Specifically, we discussed the changes employers will apply in terms of work environment and office layout. The findings suggest that an increasing mobile workforce and expansion of the new workstyle will not mean an office exodus, but will certainly have an impact on office utilization.

A 47-year-old physician suddenly noticed a persistent difficulty maintaining attention. He was awake, alert, and oriented. After two hours he developed fever, ageusia, and anosmia. He denied any previous history of psychiatric illness and was hydrated at the time of the subjective attention impairment. On admission, the patient remained oriented. He reported the persistence of attention problems, anosmia, and mild fatigue. The oxygen saturation 99% while he was breathing ambient air. Laboratory tests were unremarkable. A high-resolution computed tomography of the chest was normal. Nasopharyngeal and throat swabs specimens on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis tested positive for SARS-CoV2. On illness day 3, the examination was unchanged, but he continued to complain of difficulties to stay focused. Then, he performed an objective attention test. The test demonstrated a moderate attentional impairment. On day 6, the patient reported a subjective worse in his concentration and performed a second test. Although his physical examination remained normal, the attention performance was worse as compared to day 3. Eight hours after worsening of attention impairment, the patient’s oxygen saturation dropped to 94%. From illness days 9 to 14, the patient evolved with clinical improvement. On day 10, a third objective attention test indicated a mild deficit. On day 16, he did not report any other symptom and the attention test was completely normal. Then, the patient returned to work. Neurological symptoms had been previously described in COVID- 19 patients. However, no previous research had investigated early cognitive deficits preceding the traditional symptoms.

The naturally occurring dipeptide carnosine (β alanyl L histidine) specifically attenuates tumor growth. Here, we asked whether other small imidazole containing compounds also affect viability of tumor cells without affecting non-malignant cells, and whether formation of histamine is involved. Patient-derived fibroblasts and glioblastoma cells were treated with carnosine, L alanyl L histidine (LA-LH), ß alanyl L alanine, L histidine, histamine, imidazole, β alanine and L alanine. Cell viability was assessed by cell-based assays and microscopy. The intracellular release of L histidine and formation of histamine was investigated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled Mass Spectrometry. Whereas carnosine and LA LH inhibited tumor cell growth with minor effects on fibroblasts, L-histidine, histamine and imidazole affected viability in both cell types. Compounds without imidazole moiety did not diminish viability. In the presence of LA LH but not in the presence of carnosine a significant rise of intracellular amounts of histidine was detected in all cells. Formation of histamine was not detectable in the presence of carnosine, LA LH or histidine. In conclusion, the imidazole moiety of carnosine contributes to its anti-neoplastic effect, which is also seen in the presence of histidine and LA LH. Despite histamine had a strong effect on cell viability, formation of histamine is not responsible for the effects on cell viability of carnosine, LA LH and histidine.

In order to investigate the coordination chemistry of O-alkyl N-aryl thiocarbamate ligands, BiI3 has been reacted with two equivalents of MeOC(=S)N(H)Ph in MeCN solution to afford the dinuclear title compound complexes [{I2Bi(μ2-I)2BiI2}{1-MeOC(=S)N(H)Ph}4] 1. Compound 1 has been characterized by IR, UV and NMR spectroscopy, the dinuclear framework has be ascertained by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study performed at 100 K.

(1) Background: Neurologic and musculoskeletal diseases represent a considerable portion of the underlying etiologies responsible for the widely prevalent symptoms of pain, weakens, numbness, and paresthesia. Because of the subjective and often nonspecific nature of these symptoms, different diagnostic modalities have been explored and utilized.; (2) Methods: Literature review; (3) Results: Nerve and muscle biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosing many of the responsible neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. However, the need for invasive tissue sampling is diminishing as more investigations explore alternative diagnostic modalities. Because of this, it is important to explore the current role of neurosurgical intervention for nerve and muscle biopsies and its current relevance in the diagnostic landscape of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. With consideration of the role of nerve and muscle biopsy, it is also important to explore innovations and emerging techniques for conducting these procedures. This review explores the indications and emerging techniques for neurological intervention for nerve and muscle biopsies; (4) Conclusions: The role of neurosurgical intervention for nerve and muscle biopsy remains relevant in diagnosing many neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. Biopsy is especially relevant as a supportive point of evidence for diagnosis in atypical cases. Additionally, emerging techniques have been explored to guide diagnostics and biopsy, conduct less invasive biopsies, and reduce risks of worsening neurologic function and other symptoms secondary to biopsy.

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness, which favors cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases. Besides, it evidentially affects mental health. Considering the WHO PA guidelines, CrossFit® represents a versatile exercise program, combining aerobic and resistance training with mobility and could help lowering disease incidences among sedentary people. Yet, long-term CrossFit research is sparse. We conducted a nine-months intervention (≥ 2 CrossFit workouts/week) in sixteen beginners (14 males, 35  6.8 years, 180  8.6 cm, 85. 5  19.1 kg). As primary endpoint, VO2max was assessed at baseline, after four, and nine months. A repeated-measures ANOVA and pearson correlation were conducted. Well-being was investigated by WHO-5-index pre- and post-intervention. For exploratory purpose, body composition was tracked. Main outcome was an 11.5 % VO2max improvement with large effect (p < .01, η_p^2 = .27). Strong negative correlations between baseline VO2max and its progression after nine months (p = .006, r = -.654) were found. Well-being increased by 8.7 % (p = .024, d = .51). Body composition improved without statistical significance. Resting metabolic rate increased by 2.2 % (p = .042). This study reveals the potential of CrossFit to enhance physiological and psychological health in beginners. For more robust results, bigger sample sizes with higher proportion of women are needed.

Trypanosome brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, harbours a highly ordered, subpellicular microtubule cytoskeleton that defines many aspects of morphology, motility and virulence. This array of microtubules is associated with a large number of proteins involved in its regulation. Employing proximity-dependent biotinylation assay (BioID) using the well characterized cytoskeleton-associated protein CAP5.5 as a probe we identified CAP50 (Tb927.11.2610). This protein colocalizes with the subpellicular cytoskeleton microtubules but not with the flagellum. Depletion by RNAi results in defects in cytokinesis, morphology and partial disorganization of microtubule arrays. Published proteomics data indicate a possible association of CAP50 with two other, yet uncharacterized, cytoskeletal proteins, CAP52 (Tb927.6.5070) and CAP42 (Tb927.4.1300), which were therefore included in our analysis. We show that their depletion causes phenotypes similar to those described for CAP50 and that they are essential for cellular integrity.

Reduced nutrient mineralization rates under minimum tillage are usually compensated by mineral fertilizer application. These cannot be applied in organic farming systems, however. We hypothesized that organic minimum tillage based on frequent cover cropping and application of dead mulch will improve soil fertility and can compensate for the potential negative effects of minimum tillage. Two long-term field experiments were set up in 2010 and 2011 comparing plough versus minimum tillage including application of transferred mulch. As second factor, the application of compost versus mineral potassium and phosphorus was compared. In 2019, soils were analyzed for soil pH, organic carbon, macro-, micronutrients, microbial biomass, microbial activity and total nematode abundance. In addition, performance of pea in the same soils was determined under greenhouse conditions. Across both experiments, macronutrients (+52%), micronutrients (+11%), microbial biomass (+51%), microbial activity (+86%), and bacterivorous nematodes (+112%) increased in minimum tillage compared with the plough-based system. In the greenhouse, pea biomass was 45% higher in the soil that had been subjected to minimum tillage compared to the plough. In conclusion, soil fertility can be improved in organic minimum tillage systems by intensive cover cropping and application of dead mulch to levels higher than in a plough-based system.

The research field of two dimensional (2D) materials strongly relies on optical microscopy characterization tools to identify atomically thin materials and to determine their number of layers. Moreover, optical microscopy-based techniques also opened the door to study the optical properties of these nanomaterials. We present a comprehensive study of the differential reflectance spectra of 2D semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), MoS₂, MoSe₂, WS₂ and WSe₂, with thickness ranging from one layer up to six layers. We analyze the thickness-dependent energy of the different excitonic features, indicating the change in the band structure of the different TMDC materials with the number of layers. Our work provides a route to employ differential reflectance spectroscopy for determining the number of layers of MoS₂, MoSe₂, WS₂ and WSe₂.

Quantum gravity theories rely on a minimal measurable length for their formulations, which clashes with the classical formulation of the uncertainty principle and with Lorentz invariance from general relativity. These incompatibilities led to the development of the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) from string theories and its various modifications. GUP and covariant formulations of the uncertainty principle are discussed, together with implications for space-time quantization.

In the transition towards sustainable energy sources, hydrogen has emerged as the predominant alternative after fossil fuels. This comprehensive literature review delves into the evolving landscape of hydrogen launching strategies within the energy market. Numerous countries have strategically initiated efforts to introduce products based on hydrogen, underscoring the global acknowledgment of the potential inherent in hydrogen. Despite witnessing significant growth in the adoption of hydrogen energy worldwide, impediments to its widespread commercialization persist. This review identifies key barriers, including cost structures, technical complexities, and marketing challenges, hindering the establishment of a robust hydrogen energy market. The article critically examines the actions already undertaken to harness hydrogen energy for commercial purposes, leveraging scientific insights and statistical data. By carefully examining the current state of hydrogen energy initiatives, the review highlights gaps in existing strategies that require thoughtful consideration. Insights derived from scientific and statistical analyses inform the identification of barriers and contribute to a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced in the journey towards hydrogen energy commercialization. Ultimately, the article presents a strategic proposal outlining marketing actions geared towards expediting the commercialization and widespread adoption of hydrogen energy. Grounded in a thorough review of existing literature and supported by scientific and statistical evidence, this comprehensive analysis offers valuable insights for stakeholders seeking to navigate the intricate landscape of hydrogen energy in the global energy market.

In MBSE there is yet no converged terminology. The term ’system model’ is used in different contexts in literature. In this study we elaborated the definitions and usages of the term ’system model’, to find a common definition. 104 publications have been analyzed in depth for their usage and definition as well as their meta-data e.g., the publication year and publication background to find some common patterns. While the term is gaining more interest in recent years it is used in a broad range of contexts for both analytical and synthetic use cases. Based on this three categories of system models have been defined and integrated into a more precise definition.

With increasing power and speed of laser welding, in-process monitoring has become even more crucial to ensure process stability and weld quality. Due to its low cost and installation flexibility, acoustic process monitoring is a promising method and has demonstrated its effectiveness. Since its feasibility has been the focus of existing studies, the temporal resolution of acoustic emissions (AE) has not yet been addressed despite its utmost importance for realizing real-time systems. Aiming to provide a benchmark for further development, this study investigates the relationship between duration and informativeness of AE signals during high power (3.5kW) and high speed (12m/min) laser beam butt welding. Specifically, the informativeness of AE signals is evaluated based on the accuracy of detecting and quantifying joint gaps for various time windows of signals, yielding numerical comparison. The obtained results show that signals can be shortened up to a certain point without sacrificing their informativeness, encouraging to optimize the signal duration. Our results also suggest that large gaps (> 0.3mm) induce unique signal characteristics in AE, which are clearly identifiable from 1 ms signal segments, equivalent to 0.2mm weld seam.

Abstract: Plasma hemopexin (HPX) is the key antioxidant protein of the endogenous clearance pathway that limits the deleterious effects of heme released from hemoglobin and myoglobin. During intra-vascular hemolysis, heme partitioning to protein and lipid increases as the plasma concentration of HPX declines. Therefore, the development of HPX as a replacement therapy during high heme stress could be a relevant intervention for hemolytic disorders. A logical approach to enhance HPX yield involves recombinant production strategies from human cell lines. The present study focuses on a biophysical assessment of heme binding to recombinant human HPX (rhHPX) produced in the Expi293FTM (HEK293) cell system. In this report, we examine rhHPX in comparison with plasma HPX using a systematic analysis of protein structural and functional characteristics related to heme binding. Analysis of rhHPX by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), SEC-HPLC and catalase-like activity demonstrated a similarity to HPX fractionated from plasma. In particular, the titration of HPX apo-protein(s) with heme was performed for the first time using a wide range of heme concentrations to model HPX-heme interactions to approximate physiological conditions (from extremely low to more than 2-fold heme excess). The CD titration data showed an induced bisignate CD Soret band pattern typical for plasma and rhHPX versions at low heme-to-protein molar ratios and demonstrated that further titration is dependent on the amount of protein-bound heme to the extent that the arising opposite CD couplet results in a complete inversion of the observed CD pattern. The data generated in this study suggests more than one binding site in both plasma and rhHPX. Further, our study provides a useful analytical platform for detailed characterization of HPX-heme interactions and potentially, novel HPX fusion constructs.

Cesiumtrifluoroacetate (CsTFA) is a key chemical for RNA-based stable isotope analyses to link the structure and function of microbial communities. We report a protocol to easily synthesize CsTFA from Cesiumcarbonate (Cs₂CO₃₎ and Trifluoroacetate (TFA) and show that self-synthesized CsTFA behaves similar to commercial CsTFA in the separation of isotopically labelled and unlabelled E. coli RNA.

Since the first published genome sequence of Trypanosoma cruzi in 2005, there has been tremendous technological advance in genomics, reverse genetics, and assay development for this elusive pathogen. However, there is still an unmet need for new and better drugs to treat Chagas disease. Here we introduce a T. cruzi assay strain that is useful for drug research as well as basic studies in host-pathogen interaction. Trypanosoma cruzi STIB980 is a strain of discrete typing unit TcI that grows well in culture as axenic epimastigotes or intracellular amastigotes. We have evaluated the optimal parameters for genetic transfection and constructed derivatives of T. cruzi STIB980 that express reporter genes for fluorescence- or bioluminescence-based drug efficacy testing, as well as a Cas9-expressing line for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. The genome of T. cruzi STIB980 was sequenced by combining short-read Illumina with long-read Oxford Nanopore technologies. The latter served for the primary assembly, the former to correct mistakes and fill the gaps. This resulted in a high-quality nuclear haplotype assembly of 28 Mb in 400 contigs, containing 10,043 open-reading frames with a median length of 1077 bp. We believe that T. cruzi STIB980 is a useful addition to the antichagasic toolbox, and propose that it can serve as a DTU TcI reference strain for drug efficacy testing.

As part of our research for new leads against human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), we report on a 3D-QSAR study for antitrypanosomal activity and cytotoxicity of aminosteroid-type alkaloids recently isolated from the African medicinal plant Holarrhena africana A. DC. (Apocynaceae), some of which are strong trypanocides against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (Tbr) with low toxicity against mammalian cells. Fully optimized 3D molecular models of seventeen congeneric Holarrhena alkaloids were subjected to a comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). CoMFA models were obtained for both, the anti-Tbr and cytotoxic activity data. Model performance was assessed in terms of statistical characteristics (R², Q² and P² for partial least squares (PLS) regression, internal cross-validation (leave-one-out) and external predictions (test set), respectively, as well as the corresponding SDEP and F-values). With R²=0.99, Q²=0.83 and P²=0.79 for anti-Tbr activity and R²=0.94, Q²=0.64, P²=0.59 for cytotoxicity against L6 rat skeletal myoblasts, both models were of good internal and external predictive power. The regression coefficients of the models representing the most prominent steric and electrostatic effects on anti-Tbr and for L6 cytotoxic activity were translated into contour maps and analyzed visually, allowing suggestions for possible modification of the aminosteroids to further increase the antitrypanosomal potency and selectivity. Very interestingly, the 3D-QSAR model established with the Holarrhena alkaloids also applied to the antitrypanosomal activity of two aminocycloartane-type compounds recently isolated by our group from Buxus sempervirens L. (Buxaceae), which indicates that these structurally similar natural products share a common SAR and, possibly, mechanism of action with the Holarrhena steroids. This 3D-QSAR study has thus resulted in plausible structural explanations of the antitrypanosomal activity and selectivity of aminosteroid- and aminocycloartane-type alkaloids as an interesting new class of trypanocides and may represent a starting point for lead optimization.

Residual stresses in fiber metal laminates (FML) inevitably develop during the manufacturing process. The main contributor to these stresses is the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between fibers and metal in combination with high process temperatures. To quantify these stresses, the use of specimens with an asymmetric layup is an easily adaptable method. The curvature that develops after the manufacturing of flat laminates with an asymmetrical layer stack is a measure of the level of residual stresses evolving during cure. However, the accuracy of the curvature evaluation is highly dependent on specimen design and other influencing parameters. In this work a large set of FML specimens is investigated to identify relevant influencing parameters and derive conclusions about specimen design and evaluation techniques. For certain layups and process parameters, there is a good correlation between the curvature and the stress-free temperature, which is further covered by analytical solutions for bimetals. This correlation is the basis to transfer curvature into a stress-free temperature that can consequently be used for the quantification of residual stress levels in more complex FMLs. The transfer is validated by in-situ strain measurements during cure using a strain gage technique. Based on the results, the application of asymmetric specimens for residual stress characterization in more complex laminates is presented in the form of a workflow.

Background: The thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) is thought to play a role in the development of LBP, but it is not yet clear which factor of TLF changes is a cause and which is an effect. Therefore, some studies used the cross-correlation function (CCR) to reveal time-dependent relationships between biomechanical and neuromotor factors. Methods: Ten patients with acute low back pain (aLBP) were matched to healthy controls. Simultaneous recording of surface electromyography (sEMG) of the erector spinae muscle (ES) and dynamic ultrasound (US) images of TLF deformation were performed during trunk extension. CCR functions and Granger causality were used to describe the relationship between the two measures. Results: CCR time lags were significant higher in the aLBP group (p = 0.04). Granger causality (GC) showed a direct effect of TLF deformation on ES activation only in the aLBP group (p &lt; 0.03). Conclusions: The results suggest that in aLBP, ES activity is significantly affected by TLF, whereas this relation-ship is completely random in healthy subjects studied with CCR and GC comparisons of dynamic US imaging and sEMG data signals. Fascia-related disturbances in neuromotor control, particularly due to altered muscle spindle functions, are suspected as a possible mechanism behind this.

Heavy and light quarks produced in high-pT partonic collisions radiate differently. Heavy quarks regenerate their color field, stripped-off in the hard reaction, much faster than the light ones and radiate a significantly smaller fraction of the initial quark energy. This peculiar feature of heavy-quark jets leads to a specific shape of the fragmentation functions observed in e+e− annihilation. Differently from light flavors, the heavy quark fragmentation function strongly peaks at large fractional momentum z, i.e. the produced heavy-light mesons, B or D, carry the main fraction of the jet momentum. This is a clear evidence of the dead-cone effect, and of a short production time of a heavy-light mesons. Contrary to propagation of a small qq¯ dipole, which survives in the medium due to color transparency, a heavy-light Qq¯ dipole promptly expands to a large size. Such a big dipole has no chance to remain intact in a dense medium produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions. On the other hand, a breakup of such a dipole does not affect much the production rate of Qq¯ mesons, differently from the case of light qq¯ meson production.

Technological advances in the last decades have led to the realization of the concept of a smart environment. A significant part of this development is decentralized ledger technology and its variant, a blockchain. The blockchain database is immutable, open to all stakeholders, secure by architecture and robust. Applying a blockchain in water supply sanitary control creates opportunities for optimization, higher quality of service, cost reduction, better sanitary standards and public control. Physical, chemical, and biological water supply contamination is a great source of public health hazards. Implementation of a blockchain for water supply IoT, from the source point to the consumption point, enables effective response to changing environments, possible cross-contamination, stormwater management or disaster and emergency action. The chapter encompasses all fundamental elements and principles of water collection, distribution and consumption, with a focus on the health hazards and sanitary requirements for potable water. The chapter listed the main contaminants, methods of their registration and elimination, and requirements for drinking water in accordance with WHO, EU Drinking Water Directive and EPA standards. Blockchain technology solutions are described for smart water supply, including smart supply management, smart contracts, tokenization, smart compliance systems, and, most importantly, effective utilization of distributed ledger technologies for sanitary monitoring of water sources, water treatment, and water distribution systems.

To understand forest dynamics under today’s changing environmental conditions, it is important to analyze the state of forests at large scales. Forest inventories are not available for all regions, so it is important to use other additional sources of information, e.g. remote sensing observations. Increasingly, remotely sensed data based on optical instruments and airborne LIDAR are becoming widely available for forests. There is great potential in analyzing these measurements and gaining an understanding of forests state. In this work, we combine the new generation radiative transfer model mScope with the individual-based forest model FORMIND to generate reflectance spectra for forests. Combining the two models allows us to account for species diversity at different height layers in the forest. We compare the generated reflectances for forest stands in Finland, in the region of North Karelia, with Sentinel-2 measurements. We investigate which level of forest representation gives the best results. For the majority of the forest stands, we generated good reflectances with all levels forest representation compared to the measured reflectance. Good correlations were also found for the vegetation indices (especially NDVI with R²=0.62). This work provides a forward modelling tool for relating forest reflectance to forest characteristics. With this tool it is possible to generate a large set of forest stands with corresponding reflectances. This opens the possibility to understand how reflectance is related to succession and different forest conditions.

Mallios and Zafiris emphasize that adjoint functors or adjunctions are not only "ubiquitous" in category theory but characterize the naturality of their approach to physical geometry. Hence in this paper, the history and theory of adjoint functors is investigated. Where do adjoint functors come from mathematically and how did the concepts develop historically?

Cellular biomolecular condensates termed ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules often are enriched in messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules relative to the surrounding cytoplasm. Yet, the spatial localization and diffusion of mRNAs in close proximity to phase separated RNP granules is not well understood. In this study, we performed single molecule fluorescence imaging experiments of mRNAs in live cells in the presence of two types of RNP granules, stress granules (SG) and processing bodies (PB), which are distinct in their molecular composition and function. We developed a photobleaching- and noise-corrected colocalization imaging algorithm that was employed to determine the accurate positions of individual mRNAs relative to the granule’s boundaries. We found that mRNAs are often localized at granule boundaries, an observation consistent with recently published data. We suggest that mRNA molecules become spontaneously confined at the RNP granule boundary similar to the adsorption of polymer molecules at liquid-liquid interfaces, which is observed in various technological and biological processes. We also suggest that this confinement could be due to a combination of intermolecular interactions associated with, first, the screening of a portion of the RNP granule interface by the polymer and, second, electrostatic interactions due to a strong electric field induced by a Donnan potential generated across the thin interface.

To fully appreciate genetics, one must understand the link between genotype (DNA sequence) and phenotype (observable characteristics). Advances in high-throughput genomic sequencing technologies and applications, so-called “-omics”, have made genetic sequencing readily available across fields in biology from applications in non-traditional study organisms to precision medicine. Thus, understanding these tools is critical for any biologist, especially those early in their career. This comprehensive review discusses the chronological development of different sequencing methods, the bioinformatics steps to analyzing this data, and social and ethical issues raised by these techniques that must be discussed and evaluated.

Trends such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 have increased the need to use powerfull network technologies in industrial automation. The growing communication in industrial automation is harnessing the productivity and efficiency of manufacturing and process automation with minimum human intervention. Due to the ongoing evolution of industrial networks from Fieldbus technologies to Ethernet, the new opportunity has emerged to integrate the Software Defined Networking (SDN) technique. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of SDN in the domain of industrial automation. We propose a network architecture called Software Defined Industrial Automation Network (SDIAN), with the objective of improving network scalability and efficiency. To match the specific considerations and requirements of having a deterministic system in an industrial network, we propose two solutions for flow creation: Pro-active Flow Installation Scheme (PFIS) and Hybrid Flow-Installation Scheme (HFIS). We analytically quantify the proposed solutions in alleviating the overhead incurred from the flow setup cost. The analytical model is verified through monte carlo simulations. We also evaluate the SDIAN architecture and analyze the network performance of the modified topology using an emulator called Mininet. We further list and motivate SDIAN features and in particular report on an experimental food processing plant demonstration featuring Raspberry PIs (RPIs) instead of traditional Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). Our demonstration exemplifies the characteristics of SDIAN.

Natural host defensins, also sometimes termed antimicrobial peptides, are evolutionarily conserved. They have been studied as antimicrobials, but some pharmaceutical properties, undesirable for clinical use, led to the development of synthetic molecules with constructed peptide arrangements and/or peptides not found in nature. The leading development currently is synthetic small molecule nonpeptide mimetics, whose physical properties capture the characteristics of the natural molecules, and share their biological attributes. We studied brilacidin, an arylamide of this type, for its activity in vitro against fungi (40 clinical isolates, 20 species) that the World Health Organization has highlighted as problem human pathogens. We find antifungal activity at low concentrations for many pathogens, which indicates further screening for activity, particularly in vivo, is justified to evaluate this compound, and other mimetics, as attractive leads for development of effective antifungal agents.

For 80 years high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been a significant area for medical research. It is a non-invasive procedure which causes cell death in a highly localised area at a defined distance from the transducer. Since 2000, the clinical indications have broadened considerable as the technology has improved. This review looks back at the history of HIFU and the current clinical indications.

Logical information theory is the quantitative version of the logic of partitions just as logical probability theory is the quantitative version of the dual Boolean logic of subsets. The resulting notion of information is about distinctions, differences, and distinguishability, and is formalized using the distinctions (`dits') of a partition (a pair of points distinguished by the partition). All the definitions of simple, joint, conditional, and mutual entropy of Shannon information theory are derived by a uniform transformation from the corresponding definitions at the logical level. The purpose of this paper is to give the direct generalization to quantum logical information theory that similarly focuses on the pairs of eigenstates distinguished by an observable, i.e., qudits of an observable. The fundamental theorem for quantum logical entropy and measurement establishes a direct quantitative connection between the increase in quantum logical entropy due to a projective measurement and the eigenstates (cohered together in the pure superposition state being measured) that are distinguished by the measurement (decohered in the post-measurement mixed state). Both the classical and quantum versions of logical entropy have simple interpretations as "two-draw" probabilities for distinctions. The conclusion is that quantum logical entropy is the simple and natural notion of information for quantum information theory focusing on the distinguishing of quantum states.

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of using airborne acoustic emission in laser beam butt welding for the development of an automated classification system based on neural networks. The focus was on monitoring the formation of joint gaps during the welding process. To simulate various sizes of butt joint gaps, controlled welding experiments were conducted, and the emitted acoustic signals were captured using audible to ultrasonic microphones. To implement an automated monitoring system, a method based on short-time Fourier transformation was developed to extract audio features, and a convolutional neural network architecture with data augmentation was utilized. The results demonstrated that this non-destructive and non-invasive approach was highly effective in detecting joint gap formations, achieving an accuracy of 98%. Furthermore, the system exhibited promising potential for low latency monitoring of the welding process. The classification accuracy for various gap sizes reached up to 90%, providing valuable insights for characterizing and categorizing joint gaps accurately. Additionally, increasing the quantity of training data with quality annotations could potentially improve the classifier model's performance further. This suggests that there is room for future enhancements in the study.

Proposed fundamental laws of biology and a model of health and disease underscore the importance of the lymphatic system. The lymphatics are responsible for two of the laws of biology and the fulcrum of health and disease balancing proliferation with regeneration through the immune system. It is responsible for protection from the environment and repair of senile and damaged tissue. Life is constantly bombarded by forces that increase entropy. Lymphatics provide negative entropy to maintain health. Lymphatics help maintain cellular homeostasis removing products of metabolism. Using these principles, the role of lymphatics is investigated in salt sensitivity hypertension, cardiorenal system, the new pillar of heart failure and kidney disease - Sodium-Glucose Transport Protein 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors, and brain diseases. The realization of organ lymphatics in maintenance of health and disease opens the avenue to new therapeutics. This is the unrealized potential of lymphatic study.

The chemical graph theory is a subfield of mathematical chemistry which applies classic graph theory to chemical entities and phenomena. Chemical graphs are main data structures to represent chemical structures in cheminformatics. Computable properties of graphs lay the foundation for (quantitative) structure activity and structure property predictions - a core discipline of cheminformatics. It has a historic relevance for natural sciences, such as chemistry, biochemistry and biology, and is in the heart of modern disciplines, such as cheminformatics and bioinformatics. This review first covers the history of chemical graph theory, then provides an overview of its various techniques and applications for CASE, and finally summarises modern tools using chemical graph theory for CASE.

The improvement of energy efficiency of hydraulic systems remains to be an essential challenge for the industry, and the demand for more sustainable solutions is increasing. A main focus in this endeavor is the ability to eliminate or strongly reduce the use of throttle control valves which have been the preferred control element in industrial hydraulic systems for decades. Components have been subject to continuous evolution, and current industrial grade hydraulic pumps and motors are both efficient and reliable. Even though few percentages of energy efficiency can still be achieved, the main achievements in terms of efficiency is associated with novel system designs rather than further development of components. An area subject to increasing attention is the field of variable-speed displacement control, allowing to avoid the main control valve throttle losses. Systems using this technology are, however, mainly developed as standalone drive systems, necessitating maximum force, speed and power installed in each axis, with limited hydraulic power distribution capability as compared to valve controlled systems. An emerging field addressing this challenge is so-called electro-hydraulic variable-speed drive networks which allow to completely eliminate the use of control valves and enables power sharing both electrically and hydraulically, potentially reducing the necessary installed power in many cases. The idea of such a technology was first proposed in 2022, and so far developments reported in literature have mainly been of theoretical nature. This article presents the first ever experimental results for a dual cylinder electro-hydraulic variable-speed drive network prototype. The prototype has been developed for an industrial application, but has initially been implemented in a laboratory testbench. Extensive data acquisition has been conducted while subject to the associated industrial motion cycle, under different load conditions. The data is further used in combination with models to predict the total efficiency of the drive network prototype under higher loads than what could be achieved in the laboratory, suggesting a total efficiency from the electric supply to the cylinder pistons of 68 %. Re-configuring the prototype to a known standalone drive system structure implies comparable efficiencies. Finally, the drive network is theoretically compared to a valve drive solution, generally suggesting the prototype drive network to provide efficiency improvements of at least 40 % in comparison.

Airborne wind energy (AWE) systems use tethered flying devices to harvest higher-altitude winds to produce electricity. For a successful deployment of these systems, it is crucial to understand how the public perceives them. If public concerns about the technology are not taken seriously, implementation could be delayed or, in some cases, prevented, resulting in increased costs for project developers and a lower contribution of the sector to renewable energy targets. This literature review assessed the current state of knowledge on public responses to AWE. An exhaustive literature search led to the identification of 40 relevant publications that were reviewed. The literature assumed that the safety, visibility, acoustic emissions, ecological impacts, and the siting of AWE systems shape public responses to the technology. The reviewed literature views people’s responses to AWE very optimistically but lacks scientific evidence to back up its claims. It seems to overlook that the influence of AWE’s characteristics (e.g., visibility) on public responses will also depend on a range of situational and psychological factors (e.g., people’s general attitude towards AWE, the public’s trust in project developers). Therefore, empirical social scientific research is needed to increase the field’s understanding of public responses to AWE and thereby facilitate deployment.

Background: This study assessed the nature of healthcare services offered in the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences health clinic and students' disposition to access the facility. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of students in accessing healthcare services in the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences health clinic.Methods: Used cross-sectional design, a structured questionnaire of a five-point Likert scale as a veritable instrument for collecting the data from 50 student respondents. The questionnaire is made up of four key sections comprising student’s demographic parameters, knowledge, attitude and practice of both students and the clinic staff. Data collected was analyzed in a table of descriptive statistics to determine the total, range, mean and median, which were used to ascertain students’ utilization/accessibility disposition, perception of barriers to accessing healthcare service and overall viability of the clinic.Results: The mean value outcome of knowledge of students falls between 3.1 and 3.9, the mean value for attitude of students falls between 2.5 to 3.4 and 4.0, while the practice of students falls between mean values 2.6 and 3.1. Most of these outcomes represent poor or weak weight factor which requires several levels of intervention.Conclusion: This study highlights the overriding importance of the university healthcare clinic in maintaining a healthy study season among students of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and their health-seeking behaviour. This helps to promote health, attract higher intakes and retain them in the institution till graduation.

Field of ResearchThis research study investigates the role of distributed leadership and culture within small enterprises in Malta, an area in which there has been very limited research. It focuses on the interaction between these two elements and their impact on organizational behaviour and effectiveness. Several studies (Jardon et al 2019; Cope et al., 2011; de Oliveira et al., 2015; Mohanty et al., 2012;) suggest that effective leadership and culture are vital elements in the successful endeavours of small organizations. Schein (2006) further asserts that they are two different faces on the same coin and the dyadic interaction characterizes “how leaders create culture and how culture defines and creates leaders”. Distributed Leadership is a systematic practice of interactions and synergies between leaders, followers, and the situation (Spillane 2013). It is different from traditional leadership, which involves top-down management because it tends to be more democratic and participatory, whereby influence and decision-making are shared among multiple individuals rather than being controlled by a single leader. (Xhemajli et al. 2022) MethodologyAdopting a naturalistic approach and guided by an interpretivist, constructivist epistemological stance, this research delves into the intricate interplay between leadership and culture within small businesses. The chosen research methodology employs Grounded Theory, recognized for its robust and systematic process facilitating the observation of patterns through intensive iterative and highly analytical procedures (Charmaz, 2015).In the initial stages of field research, characterized by 'responsive interviewing' (Rubin and Rubin, 2012), data sampling commenced with convenience sampling. This initial phase gradually evolved into a refined strategy incorporating selective sampling and theoretical sampling (Corbin and Strauss, 2015). The shift in sampling approaches reflects a deliberate focus on collecting data based on its specific contribution to the development and comprehension of the dimensions, properties, and characteristics of key concepts.The induction of theory is a product of successive comparative analyses, involving the systematic comparison of data points to identify both similarities and variations. Abductive reasoning is integral throughout the analytical process, with particular emphasis during constant comparative analysis of categories, leading to theoretical integration (Charmaz, 2006). This meticulous approach aligns with the assertion of Strauss and Corbin (2015) that grounding theory in data enhances the likelihood of deriving theories that authentically reflect reality.The key advantage of using this approach is that the analysis carried out goes beyond deep exploration and rich description and actually develops a framework that explains the phenomena observed (Parker and Roffey, 1997, p.218). This is very important if the findings are to contribute to the knowledge enhancement of any field of practiceThe culmination of this research effort is the presentation of a set of interconnected concepts, intricately woven together into an emergent parsimonious model (Corbin and Strauss, 2015). This model serves to explain the dynamic interplay between leadership and culture, elucidating its tangible impact on the effectiveness of small enterprises. Research Contribution:Implications for PracticeThis research contributes to the literature on leadership and organizational culture in small enterprises, particularly in the context of Malta where such studies are scarce. By providing an initial exploration of these phenomena and their impact on organizational behavior, this paper lays the groundwork for further inquiry into this important area. Furthermore, the study offers practical insights for leaders of small enterprises by elucidating leadership behaviors observed in established organizations. Through applied cases, it demonstrates how the abstract concept of culture can be translated into a practical instrument that supports leadership and organizational development. This not only enriches the understanding of leadership dynamics but also provides tangible strategies for implementation. Moreover, the research contributes empirical evidence on the development of leadership functions within small enterprises, emphasizing the potential of shared and distributed leadership models. By grounding its findings in data, the study equips leaders with a deeper understanding of how these leadership approaches can shape organizational development, fostering more effective management practices in small businesses. Methodologically, the adoption of Grounded Theory methodology showcases its efficacy in exploring complex management phenomena. By employing this approach, the researchers were able to gather rich descriptions and develop an explanatory framework, highlighting its applicability in studying nuanced organizational dynamics. Implications for Policy and TheoryThis research also holds significant implications for policymakers, academic researchers and institutions involved in supporting small businesses. By providing insights into distributed leadership and cultural influences on organizational effectiveness, it offers a basis for informed policy formulation and support mechanisms. The conceptual model emerging from this study serves as a foundation for designing more targeted policies that cater to the unique needs of small enterprises. By understanding the intricacies of leadership dynamics and cultural contexts, policymakers can develop interventions that foster a conducive environment for small business growth and sustainability. Additionally, academic researchers can use these findings to further refine theoretical frameworks and empirical studies in the field, contributing to ongoing scholarly dialogue and knowledge advancement.

The new logic of partitions is dual to the usual Boolean logic of subsets (usually presented only in the special case to the logic of propositions) in the sense that partitions and subsets are category-theoretic duals. The new information measure of logical entropy is just the normalized quantitative version of partitions. The new approach to interpreting quantum mechanics (QM) is showing that the mathematics (not the physics) of QM is the Hilbert space version of the mathematics of partitions. Or putting it the other way around, the math of partitions is a skeletal version of the math of QM. The key concepts throughout this progression from logic to information theory to quantum theory are distinctions versus indistinctions, definiteness versus indefiniteness, or distinguishability versus indistinguishability. The distinctions of a partitions are the ordered pairs of elements from the underlying set that are in different blocks of the partition. Logical entropy is defined (initially) as the normalized number of distinctions. The cognate notions of definiteness and distinguishability run through the math of QM, e.g., in the key non-classical notion of superposition (= ontic indefiniteness) and in the Feynman rules for adding amplitudes (indistinguishable alternatives) versus adding probabilities (distinguishable alternatives).

Education outside the classroom (EOtC) can be beneficial for students. The relationship between biological stress markers and sedentary behavior (SB) plus physical activity (PA) is insufficiently evaluated in school settings. This exploratory study aims to evaluate the association between students’ cortisol, plus circulating cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) levels, and their SB, light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) during outdoor and indoor classes in different seasons. We assessed data from an education outside the classroom (EOtC) program (n = 48; intervention group [IG], n = 37; control group [CG], n = 11). We sampled data on 3 school-days in three seasons (fall, spring, and summer) in normal teaching indoors (CG) and outdoor lessons (IG) in the forest. SB and PA were evaluated by accelerometry, and cortisol and cfDNA levels by saliva samples. The compositional data analysis approach analyzed SB and PA. Fitted Bayesian hierarchical linear models evaluated the association between cortisol and cfDNA, and SB/LPA/MVPA. A steady decline of cortisol in the outdoor setting is associated with relatively high levels of LPA. SB and MVPA tended to exhibit a similar effect in the indoor setting. CfDNA is positively associated with a relatively high amount of SB in the IG, the same association is likely for LPA and MVPA in both groups. LPA seems to support a healthy cortisol decrease in children during outdoor lessons. The relevance of SB/PA as a composition in relation to students stress response in school should be emphasized. This study facilitates the formulation of straightforward and directed hypotheses for further research.

Knowledge of the temperature evolution is crucial to understand and control laser beam welding of low-melting materials. Existing temperature determination approaches are restricted to i) one-dimensional temperature information (e.g. ratio-pyrometers), ii) a priori knowledge of the emissivity (e.g. thermography) and iii) high temperature regions (e.g. two-wavelength imaging). In this paper, a ratio-based two-color-thermography approach is developed that allows for two-dimensional temperature determination in low-melting temperature ranges (< 1200 K). For static measurement situations it is demonstrated, that temperature can be determined despite variation in signal intensity and emissivity with high accuracy. The two-color-thermography set-up is further transferred into a commercial laser beam welding machine and experiments are conducted for varying process parameters. The direct application of the developed two-color-thermography system in dynamic process situations is limited as image artifacts presumably caused by internal reflections inside the optical beam path are present.

The rowing technique is a key factor in the overall rowing performance. Nowadays the athletes’ performance is so advanced that even small differences in technique can have an impact on sport competitions. To further improve the athletes’ performance, individualized rowing is necessary. This can be achieved by intelligent measurement technology that provides direct feedback. To address this issue, we developed a novel wireless rowing measurement system (WiRMS) that acquires rowing movement and measures muscle activity using electromyography (EMG). Our measurement system is able to measure several parameters simultaneously: the rowing forces, the pressure distribution on the scull, the oar angles, the seat displacement and the boat acceleration. WiRMS was evaluated in a proof-of-concept study with seven experienced athletes performing a training on water. Evaluation results showed that WiRMS is able to assess the rower’s performance by recording the rower’s movement and force applied to the scull. We found significant correlations (p&lt;0.001) between stroke rate and drive-to-recovery ratio. By incorporating EMG data, a precise temporal assignment of the activated muscles and their contribution to the rowing motion was possible. Furthermore, we were able to show that the rower applies the force to the scull mainly with the index and middle fingers.

There are potentially promising mitigation activities for epidemic and pandemic scenarios that are not currently the subject of significant research effort. Large epidemics and pandemics pose risks that are important to mitigate, even if the likelihood of the events is low and uncertain. While some efforts are the subject of extensive funding and consideration, other approaches are neglected. Here, we consider such neglected interventions which could significantly reduce the impact of such an epidemic or large-scale pandemic. These are identified via a narrative literature review of extant literature reviews and overviews of mitigations in epidemic and pandemic situations, followed by consideration of the economic value of information of further study of heretofore neglected interventions and approaches.Based on that analysis, we considered several classes of mitigations, and conducted more exploratory reviews of each. Those discussed include mitigations for (1) reducing transmission, such as personal protective equipment and encouraging improved hygiene, (2) reducing exposure by changing norms and targeted changes for high-risk or critical professions and activities, (3) reducing impact for those infected, and (4) increasing large scale resilience using disaster and infrastructure continuity planning.Some proposed mitigations are found to be of low marginal value. Other mitigations are likely to be valuable, but the concepts or applications are underdeveloped. In those cases, further research, resources, or preparation are valuable for mitigating both routine and extreme disease outbreak events. Still more areas of research are identified as having uncertain value based on specific but resolvable uncertainties. In both of the latter cases, there is no guarantee that mitigations identified as worthy of further consideration will be valuable, but the argument for further research is clear.

Quasi-solid composited electrolytes were produced by LiFSI initiated polymerized poly-(Dioxolane) (PDOL) with garnet-LLZO (Li7La2Zr3O12) nanofibers and used in lithium-metal batteries. Linear sweep voltammetry shows that the initial oxidation voltage of 4.6 V for Gel-10% (G10, 10% wt. LLZO in PDOL) vs Li/Li+. EIS test of stainless steel// stainless steel symmetric cells for Gel-1% (G1), Gel-5% (G5) and Gel-10% (G10) show ion conductivity (5*10-5 S/cm). Li/G10/Li symmetric cells have stable stripping-plating cycling performance over 1300 hours continuously with the current density of 0.1 mA/cm2 at 25 oC, indicating a good interface contact and stable lithium-ion transport pathway through the composite electrolytes. LFP/G10/Li batteries have stable charge-discharge plateau, low polarization voltage of 0.07-volt, energy efficiency of 95% and coulombic efficiency of ~99% at current density of 26.3 mA/g at 25 oC for over 100 cycles.

Deep learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks (CNN), generative adversarial networks (GAN), and graph neural networks (GNN), have over the past decade changed the ac-curacy of prediction in many diverse fields. In recent years, the application of deep learning tech-niques in computer vision tasks in pathology demonstrated extraordinary potential in assisting clinicians, automating diagnosis, and reducing costs for patients. Formerly unknown pathologi-cal evidence, such as morphological features related to specific biomarkers, copy number varia-tions, and other molecular features, were also able to be captured by deep learning models. In this paper, we review popular deep learning methods and some recent publications about their appli-cations in pathology.

Blood gas analysis plays a central role in modern medicine. Advances in technology have expanded the range of available parameters and increased the complexity of their interpretation. By applying user-centered design principles, it is possible to reduce the cognitive load associated with interpreting blood gas analysis. In this international, multicenter study, we explored anesthesiologists' perspectives on Visual Blood, a novel visualization technique for presenting blood gas analysis results. We conducted interviews with participants following two computer-based simulation studies: the first utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) (50 participants) and the second without VR (70 participants). Employing the template approach, we identified key themes in the interview responses and formulated six statements, which were rated using Likert scales: from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) in an online questionnaire. The most frequently mentioned theme was the positive usability features of Visual Blood. The online survey revealed that participants found Visual Blood to be an intuitive method for interpreting blood gas analysis (median 4, IQR 4-4, p<0.001). Participants noted that minimal training was required to effectively learn how to interpret Visual Blood (median 4, IQR 4-4, p<0.001). However, adjustments are necessary to reduce visual overload (median 4, IQR 2-4, p<0.001). Overall, Visual Blood received a favorable response. The strengths and weaknesses derived from these data will help optimize future versions of Visual Blood to improve the presentation of blood gas analysis results.

New innovative green concepts in electrified vertical take-off and landing vehicles currently emerge as a revolution to urban mobility going into the third dimension (vertically). The high population density of cities makes the market share highly attractive while posing an extraordinary challenge for community acceptance due to the increasing and possibly noisier commuter traffic. In addition to passenger transport, package deliveries to customers by drones may enter the market. The new challenges associated with this increasing transportation need in urban, rural and populated areas pose challenges for established companies and startups to deliver low-noise emission products. The article's objective is to revisit the benefits and drawbacks of an affordable acoustic measurement campaign focused on early prototyping. In the very early phase of product development, often considerably limited resources are available. With this in mind, the article discusses the sound power results using the enveloping surface method in a typically available low-reflection room with a reflecting floor according to DIN EN ISO 3744:2011-02. The method is applied to a subsonic electric ducted fan (EDF) unit of a 1:2 scaled electrified vertical take-off and landing vehicle. The results show that considerable information at low costs can be gained for the early prototyping stage, despite this easy-to-use, easy-to-realize, and not fine-tuned measurement setup. Furthermore, the limitations and improvements to a possible experimental setup are presented to discuss a potentially more ideal measurement environment. Measurements at discrete operating points and transient measurements across the total operating range were conducted to provide complete information on the EDF's acoustic behavior. The rotor-self noise and the rotor-stator interaction were identified as primary tonal sound sources, along with the highest broadband noise sources located on the rotor. Based on engineering experience, a first acoustic improvement treatment is also quantified with a sound power level reduction of 4dB(A). In conclusion, the presented method is a beneficial first measurement campaign to quantify the acoustic properties of an electric ducted fan unit at minimal resources in a reasonable time of several weeks when starting from scratch.

We propose a pricing formula for a defaultable zero-coupon bond with imperfect information under a regime-switching model using a structural form of credit risk modelling. While the value of the firm’s equity is observed continuously, we assume that the total value of the firm is only observed at discrete times, such as the dates of the release of the firm’s annual reports, or quarterly reports. This uncertainty about the true value of the firm results in credit spreads that do not approach zero as the debt approaches maturity, which is a problem with many structural models. The firm’s value is typically defined as its equity and debt; however, we consider the asset-to-equity ratio, an accounting ratio used to examine a firm’s financial well-being. A dependent regime-switching process models the components of this ratio, and the Markov chain represents the states of the economy. The main contribution is to study this problem when the dynamics of a firm’s assets have different parameters with regime changes.

The oviparous blow fly Calliphora vicina has shown potential as a managed pollination species to support honeybee (Apis mellifera) usage in Australian horticulture. This blow fly species lays eggs onto carrion soon after death and the resultant larvae that hatch are necrophagous and feed on the decomposing tissues of the dead animal. Newly hatched larvae of this fly were provided with plant-based meals (soya bean and canola) and compared with animal-derived meatmeal to determine if plant-based meal could be used to mass rear this blow fly species. Both soyabean and canola meal media did not support the survival of any larvae through to adult eclosion. The addition of only 10% whole egg powder to the plant-based meals enabled survival to eclosion of 39% and 13% on soyabean and canola based medias respectively compared with 76% on animal-based meatmeal with 10% whole egg powder. Larvae fed livestock meatmeal with 10% whole dried egg powder had the fastest development to the pupal stage, the highest pupation rate, the heaviest pupae and the highest subsequent adult eclosion. This study concluded that the use of plant-based meals in the mass rearing of the blow fly C. vicina was neither viable, nor economically viable.

Companies are increasingly focusing on sustainable business practices. Internal and external stakeholders’ expectations manifest in legal requirements, national and international standards, and market and customer expectations, among other things, must be considered. In addition to profit maximization as the usual target for corporate management, management must consider environmental sustainability aspects such as resource efficiency, greenhouse gas intensity, and a company's emissions behavior. In addition, social aspects relating to the company's employees, the immediate urban environment, the situation in the supply chain, and effects on the market environment must increasingly be considered. Specifically, companies are faced with the chal-lenge of dealing with conflicting objectives regarding the various aspects of sustainability and, if necessary, weighing them up against each other. These trade-offs must be made against the company's socio-economic and ecological environment, corporate strategy, and sustainability goals. This paper provides an overview of current approaches and research gaps on this topic through a literature review. It shows a lack of methods and frameworks to specifically deal with trade-offs and conflicts of goals.

The tetracyclic pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole olivacine and four of its oxygenated derivatives have been synthesized by a late-stage palladium-catalyzed Heck-type cyclization of the pyrrole ring as key step. In a test for inhibition of the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 9-methoxyolivacine showed the most significant inhibiting activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with an MIC₉₀ value of 1.5 μM.

Reducing GHG emissions is a crucial challenge in urban areas, characterized by high energy consumption and reduced exposure to nature. In this context, the urban green system could play a pivotal role. In the literature, scholars analyzed both the ability of species-specific and layout-specific green infrastructures to increase carbon sequestration and the best location sites of new green infrastructures, to increase the provision of overall ecosystem services. There is a lack of studies helping green urban planners and designers choose where and which green infrastructure to implement, based on vegetation species-specific performance and local carbon emissions of city components. This paper uses tree inventory data from a medium-sized city in central Italy (Perugia) to develop a spatial analysis of the urban parks' performance in carbon sequestration. Then, the method evaluates the carbon emission of a public city building to generate a spatialized balance between buildings’ demand and trees’ supply, to support local decisions about the best locations for new green infrastructures and the choice between species. The paper contributes to GIS-based tools that vary the recommended location sites and species for new green infrastructures based on the demanded ecosystem service.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are common in middle aged and elderly individuals. DM may accelerate the aging process, and the age-related declines in the estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), can pose a challenge to diagnose diabetic kidney disease (DKD) using standard diagnostic criteria especially with absence of severe albuminuria among the elderly. In the presence of CKD and DM, elderly patients may need multidisciplinary care due to susceptibility to various health issues e.g., cognitive decline, auditory or visual impairment, various comorbidities, complex medical regimens, and increased sensitivity to medication adverse effects. As a result, it can be challenging to apply recent therapeutic advancements for the general population to the elderly. We review the evidence that the benefits from these newer therapies apply equally to elderly and non-elderly patients and propose a framework for the management of DKD by discussing the nonpharmacological measures and pharmacological management with renin angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi), Sodium Glucose Co-Transporter two inhibitors (SGLT2i), non-steroidal mineralocorticoids receptor antagonists (MRAs), and Glucagon Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists (GLP1-RAs).

Abiogenic hydrocarbons are fundamentally important for understanding the deep microbial communities and the origin of life. The generation of abiogenic hydrocarbons was proposed to be limited to ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems, fueled by the serpentinization product H₂. Here, we present the discharge of short-chain alkanes from an andesitic rock-hosted Lutao geothermal field in the north Luzon arc, carrying abiotic chemical and isotopic signals. These abiogenic hydrocarbons were generated from CO₂-H₂O-rich fluid inclusions, where the long-term storage since Lutao volcanism (~ 1.3 Ma) allowed overcoming the sluggish kinetics of CO₂ to CH₄ reduction at temperatures of 174 - 206 ^oC. Natural abiogenic production of hydrocarbons, therefore, can be more ubiquitous than previously thought. The hypothesis regarding the origin of methane in Earth’s early atmosphere and its implication to the origin of life may require reconsideration.

Carbonaceous materials have gained significant attention in recent years for their various applications in the field of medicine and biotechnology. This comprehensive review explores the synthesis and characterization of carbon-based materials and their potentials in various medical applications. The paper delves into the methods of fabrication of carbon-based nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes, biochar, and graphene, while highlighting their unique properties. Characterization techniques, such as microscopy, spectroscopy, and surface analysis, are discussed to provide insights into the chemical and structural properties of these materials. Furthermore, the review examined their wide-ranging medical applications, encompassing tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensing, and imaging, showcasing the versatility and promising contributions of carbonaceous materials in the healthcare industry. The review outlines the current challenges and prospects in the field, emphasizing the growing significance of carbon-based materials as valuable tools in advancing medical science and technology, as well as public health.

Plant diseases cause losses of approximately 16% globally. Thus, management measures must be implemented to mitigate losses and guarantee food production. In addition to traditional management measures, resistance induction and biological control have gained ground in agriculture due to their enormous potential. Endophytic fungi colonize plant tissues internally and have the potential to act as biological control agents, as elicitors in the process of resistance induction and in attenuating abiotic stresses. In this review, we list the action of this group of microorganisms as potential agents which can act in controlling plant diseases and describe several examples in which endophytes were able to reduce the damage caused by pathogens and adverse conditions. This is due to their arsenal of molecules generated during the interaction by which they form a kind of biological shield in the plant. Studies on these microorganisms have grown due to the existing diversity and the multiple benefits they can offer. Finally, considering that endophytic fungi can be an important tool in managing diseases due to the large amount of biologically active substances produced, bioprospecting this class of microorganisms is tending to increase and generate valuable products.

Keywords: Spine surgery 1; Metastatic spinal cord compression 2; Spinal metastasis 3; Cancer treatment.

Industrial fires at facilities including waste management sites, warehouses, factories, chemical works and fuel storage depots are relatively frequent occurrences. Often, these fires occur adjacent to urban communities and result in ground-level airborne pollutant concentrations that are well above guideline values. Land, water, livestock and crops may also be contaminated by the emissions and by firefighting activities. Moreover, impacted communities tend to have a higher proportion of minority ethnic populations, individuals with underlying health vulnerabilities, as well as those of lower socio-economic status. Nevertheless, this is an aspect of air quality that is under-researched, and so this review aims to highlight the public health hazards associated with industrial fires and the need for an effective, coordinated, public health response. We also review the range of monitoring techniques that have been utilised in such fires and highlight the role of dispersion modelling in predicting plume trajectories and in estimating population exposure. We recommend establishing 1-h guideline values for particulate matter to facilitate timely public health interventions and we highlight the need to review regulatory and technical controls for sites prone to fires, particularly in the waste sector.

Among hearing aid (HA) users, there is a considerable variability in word-recognition scores (WRS). This variability is most pronounced among individuals with moderately severe to severe hearing loss. The variability cannot be adequately explained by factors such as the pure-tone audiogram, audiogram type, or age. This prospective study was designed to investigate the relationship between tone decay (TD) and WRS in a group of HA users with corresponding pure-tone hearing loss. The study population included 22 patients with hearing loss between 50 and 80 dB HL. Aided WRS, unaided WRS and TD were assessed for both ears. TD was found to be frequency-dependent. TD and WRS were correlated, with up to R=–0.66. The TD test was revealed as a feasible method for explaining the variability in WRS among HA users with hearing loss below 80 dB. This may contribute to improved differential diagnostics. The TD test may thus offer a better understanding of the limitations of HA use in the context of cochlear implant candidacy assessment for HA users.

Transportation tasks in nursing are common and shorten the time for direct patient care in times of nursing shortage and an aging society. There is a lack of research on transportation needs, with most studies focusing on overall nursing task analysis without a deeper analysis of transportation tasks. In July and September 2023, we conducted weekly observations of nurses to assess clinical transportation needs. We aim to understand the economic impact and the methods nurses use for transportation tasks. We conducted a participant observation using a standardized app-based form over a seven-day observation period in two rural clinics. N=1,830 transports were made by nurses and examined by descriptive analysis. Non-medical supplies account for 27.05 % (n=495) of all transports, followed by medical supplies at 17.32 % (n=317), pharmacotherapy at 14.10 % (n=258) and other other categories like meals or drinks contributing 12.68 % (n=232). Most transports had a factual transport time of under a minute, with patient transport and lab samples displaying more variability. In total, 77.15 % of all transports were made by hand. Requirements to collect items or connect transports with patient care were included in 5 % of all transports. Our economic evaluation spotlighted meals as the most costly transport, with 9,596.16€ p.a. in the observed clinics. Budget-friendly robots would amortize over one year by transporting meals. We support understanding nurses’ transportation needs via further research on assistive robots to validate our findings and determine the feasibility of transport robots.

Tropical forest and savanna biomes are pivotal in the functioning of the Earth system. Tropical forests are one of the largest terrestrial biosphere carbon pools, whereas savannas exchange carbon between the biosphere and atmosphere via frequent and extensive landscape fires. Both are biodiverse and under increasing threat due to land clearing and anthropogenic climate change. Reliable mapping of tropical forest and savanna is essential to provide understanding of how anthropogenic impacts are affecting the extent of these biomes. Using Google Maps satellite imagery, we manually classified 24,239 random points as forest, savanna, or anthropogenic landscapes within the tropics. Because fire and climate are correlated, we developed separate geospatial models to rank the importance of climate, topography, and human influence on vegetation present. This modelling confirmed that those areas with more fires had lower probabilities of tropical forest, that forest was most likely in areas with high mean annual rainfall with little seasonal variation in precipitation, and that anthropogenic factors disrupt this environmental predictability. We found there were environments where tropical forest and savanna were equally probable are geographically restricted. These relationships suggest that future drier climates projected under anthropogenic climate change, combined with clearing and burning that have reduced tropical forest extent to a subset of its theoretical distribution, will lead to irreversible loss of tropical forests. Our modelling provides global mapping that can be used track further changes to distribution of rainforests.

Studies have shown that STK11 mutation plays a critical role in affecting the lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumor immune environment. By training an Inception-Resnet-v2 deep convolutional neural network model, we were able to classify STK11-mutated and wild type LUAD tumor histopathology images with a promising accuracy (per slide AUROC=0.795). Dimensional reduction of the activation maps before the output layer of the test set images revealed that fewer immune cells were accumulated around cancer cells in STK11-mutation cases. Our study demonstrated that deep convolutional network model can automatically identify STK11 mutations based on histopathology slides and confirmed that the immune cell density was the main feature used by the model to distinguish STK11-mutated cases.

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, is a rare and inherited vascular disorder, characterized by the development of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in various organs and telangiectasia (small AVM) in the mucocutaneous. The majority of HHT patients have haploinsufficiency of genes involved in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway, including endoglin (ENG), activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1, also known as ACVRL1), or SMAD4. Active angiogenesis is also required for telangiectasia and AVM development. Anti-angiogenic strategies have been tested in patients and animal models extensively. However, the exact mechanisms for telangiectasia and AVM development remain unclear. In this review, we discuss recent advances in identifying disease mechanisms, and potential therapeutic targets.

Most neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracerebral hemorrhage are associated with inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine that regulates cerebral infarction in stroke pathology, and its action is influenced by the bioavailability of its membrane-bound receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, and microglial activation. During the initial onset of these diseases, the soluble variant of the cytokine presents with prolonged and excessive activation of TNFR1, resulting in cell death and long-term neurological impairments. Therapeutic interventions for neurodegenerative diseases have targeted TNF to limit the onset of neuroinflammation. First-generation therapeutics have been demonstrated to inhibit membrane-bound TNF to TNFR2 receptor binding, resulting in severe side effects such as infections and cancer. As such, second-generation drugs, including XPro1595, have been developed to selectively inhibit soluble TNF and impede the effects of TNFR1 while still allowing for TNFR2 activation. Early results in murine TBI models demonstrate reduced glial reactivity by 50%, reduced dendritic degeneration by 30%, increased plasticity by 15%, and improved functional outcomes by 20% post-TBI. This scoping review of TNF receptors in various neurodegenerative diseases seeks to evaluate current and future therapeutic strategies as well as highlight potential strategies to eliminate confounding variables present in the current literature.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) has almost 190 million tonnes produced in 2023. Tomato fruit suffer losses of up to 50% during harvest and transport, which causes financial hardship, reduces the amount of food available and causes environmental harm. Calcium plays an important role in cell wall strength. This work assessed the use of a calcium transport stimulants (MCAS) to increase the firmness of tomato fruit in the laboratory and the foliar application to tomato plants. Then handling damage was simulated. In the laboratory, the calcium with MCAS significantly increased the fruit firmness compared to the untreated and calcium without MCAS, which were not significantly different. When calcium with MCAS was applied to tomato plants foliarly before harvest, the calcium with MCAS treated fruit were significantly firmer than the untreated or calcium without MCAS treated fruit for up to 10 weeks after harvest, and this was achieved by applying only 0.91 kg ha-1 calcium. Finally, when fruit were exposed to a simulated drop, the calcium with MCAS treated fruit remained firmer than the undamaged fruit or dropped fruit with calcium without MCAS. Calcium with MCAS could significantly increase the fruit firmness and increase the shelf-life of tomatoes while applying less calcium.

Background. The Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ) is widely used to measure functional ability in persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The instrument was developed with limited involvement from persons with RA, and their perception of the instrument has not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to explore how persons with RA experience the use of the HAQ in care. Methods. Forty persons with RA were purposefully recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were then analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Results. The participants questioned the relevance of the HAQ but nevertheless experienced that the instrument had a profound effect on their understanding of health and how care is delivered. The analysis resulted in three themes: Problems with individual items, meaning of the summative score, and effects on care and health perceptions. Conclusions. To make the HAQ relevant to persons with RA, it needs to be revised or to include an option to select items most meaningful to the respondent. To ensure relevance, the HAQ update should preferably be co-created by researchers, clinicians and persons with RA.

Historical analysis of Australian bushfire data spanning 170 years addresses whether the strength of recent fire events has been exacerbated by human-induced climate change. The question of “cause” looks at the characteristics of a wider range of natural hazards. Fire characteristics are compared with earthquake hazard characteristics: (1) energy – termed “magnitude”; (2) severity – termed “intensity”; and (3) resultant damage to people and structures – termed “impact”.Published global, Northern and Southern hemisphere temperature data are shown to vary consistently in phase over 170 years, but vary in amplitude with statistical significance. CO₂ levels north and south of the Equator have tracked quite consistently. Thus, Southern Hemisphere bushfire magnitude and intensity is compared with the Southern Hemisphere climate record, rather than a global data set.28 major bushfires and associated droughts since 1850 show neither apparent drought extent, nor area burned, nor bushfire intensity, correlates with changes in Southern Hemisphere climate. Average rainfall from 1900 shows a wetter, rather than drier trend. Cyclone energy shows no significant trend with climate. Planet-wide “greening”, through CO₂ fertilisation, is an insignificant contributor to bushfire magnitude. Combustion theory shows recorded “global warming” could have had no significant influence on bushfire magnitude or intensity. Any increase in Australian bushfire impact, as judged by lives lost, similarly, shows no correlation with bushfire magnitude, nor indeed, any observed Southern Hemisphere global warming.Thus, bushfire magnitude seems much more likely driven by fuel load and any anomalous bushfire intensity is likely driven by anomalous ground level fuel load. The evidence suggests that any CO₂ emissions reduction will have no impact on future bushfire “severity.

The structure and physicochemical properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA/glycerol films have been investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and advanced scanning probe microscopy (SPM). In the pure PVA films, SPM allowed us to observe ribbon-shaped domains with a different frictional and elastic contrast, which apparently originated from a correlated growth or assembly of PVA crystalline nuclei located within individual PVA clusters. The incorporation of 1.0 wt.% glycerol led to modification in shape of those domains from ribbon-like in pure PVA to rounded in PVA/glycerol 1.0 wt.% films; changes in the relative intensities of the XRD peaks and a decrease of the amorphous halo in the XRD pattern were also detected, while the DTA peak corresponding to the melting point remained at almost the same temperature. For higher glycerol content, FT-IR revealed additional glycerol-characteristic peaks presumably related to the formation of glycerol aggregates, and XRD, FT-IR, and DTA all indicated a reduction in crystallinity. For more than 2.0 wt.% glycerol, the plasticization of the films complicated the acquisition of SPM images without tip-induced surface modification. Our study contributes to the understanding of crystallinity in PVA and how it is altered by a plasticizer such as glycerol.

Lipoproteins are important cardiovascular (CV) risk biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate the associations of lipoprotein subclasses with micro- and macrovascular biomarkers to better understand how these subclasses relate to atherosclerotic CV diseases. One hundred fifty-eight serum samples from the EXAMIN AGE study, consisting of healthy individuals and CV risk patients, were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to quantify lipoprotein subclasses. Microvascular health was quantified by measuring retinal arteriolar and venular diameters. Macrovascular health was quantified by measuring carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Nineteen lipoprotein subclasses showed statistically significant associations with retinal vessel diameters and nine with PWV. These lipoprotein subclasses together explained up to 26% of variation (R²=0.26, F(29,121)=2.80, p<0.001) in micro- and 12% (R²=0.12, F(29,124)=1.70, p=0.025) of variation in macrovascular health. High-density (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as triglycerides together explained up to 13% (R²=0.13, F(3,143)=8.42, p<0.001) of micro and 8% (R²=0.08, F(3,145)=5.46, p=0.001) of macrovascular variation. Lipoprotein subclasses seem to reflect micro- and macrovascular end organ damage more precisely as compared to only measuring HDL-C, LDL-C and triglycerides. Further studies are needed to analyse how the additional quantification of lipoprotein subclasses can improve CV risk stratification and CV disease prediction.

Estimates by the World Health Authority suggest that 1 billion people do not have access to the assistive technologies they require. Over the past decade, the design of products that empower people with a disability has shifted from specialised and dedicated products designed only for those with a disability to features and functions integrated into cost-effective consumer technologies for the benefit of all. The opportunity for expansion of the availability of such technologies is at risk of being ignored as a result of models of delivery that are founded in medical devices and which have failed to reflect trends in our understanding of technology and the choices and preferences expressed by persons with a disability. This research undertaken suggests that the opportunities of such expansion offer significant benefits to people with a disability and better both economic and social return on investment for authorities.

The Carnot cycle and the attendant notions of reversibility and entropy are examined. It is shown how the modern view of these concepts still correspond to the ideas Clausius laid down in the nineteenth century. As such, they reflect the outmoded idea current at the time that heat is motion. It is shown how this view of heat led Clausius to develop the entropy of a body based on the work that could be done in a reversible process rather than the work that was actually done. In consequence, Clausius built into entropy a conflict with energy conservation, which is concerned with actual changes in energy. In this paper, a macroscopic formulation of internal mechanisms of damping based on rate equations for the distribution of energy within a gas. It is shown that work processes involving a step-change in external pressure, however small, are intrinsically irreversible. However, under idealised conditions of zero damping the gas inside a piston expands and traces out a trajectory through the space of equilibrium states. Therefore, the entropy change due to heat flow from the reservoir matches the entropy change of the equilibrium states. This trajectory can traced out in reverse as the piston reverses direction, but if the external conditions are adjusted appro-priately, the gas can be made to trace out a Carnot cycle in P-V space. The cycle is dynamic as opposed to quasi-static as the piston has kinetic energy equal in difference to the work done in-ternally and externally.

We review a theory that predicts the onset of thermalization in a quantum mechanical coupled non-linear oscillator system, which models the vibrational degrees of freedom of a molecule. A system of N non-linear oscillators perturbed by cubic anharmonic interactions exhibits a many-body localization (MBL) transition in the vibrational state space (VSS) of the molecule. This transition can occur at rather high energy in a sizable molecule because the density of states coupled by cubic anharmonic terms scales as ~ N3, in marked contrast to the total density of states, which scales as exp(aN), where a is a constant. The emergence of a MBL transition in the VSS is seen by analysis of a random matrix ensemble that captures the locality of coupling in the VSS, referred to as local random matrix theory (LRMT). Upon introducing higher order anharmonicity, the location of the MBL transition of even a sizable molecule, such as an organic molecule with tens of atoms, still lies at an energy that may exceed the energy to surmount a barrier to reaction, such as a barrier to conformational change. Illustrative calculations are provided, and some recent work on the influence of thermalization on thermal conduction in molecular junctions is also discussed.

1. Background: The global COVID-19 lockdowns are unique psychological factors, requiring adjustment and coping. This illustrative, South African case study investigated the influence the COVID-19 lockdown context would have on meditation and physical activity. As these were lifestyle patterns the null hypothesis was of no change. 2. Method: The methodology consisted of quantitative and qualitative phases. The quantitative phase was an empirical, case study review of data from the author’s HeartMath and Fitbit electronic devices, as from 9 November 2019 to 31 July 2021. This consisted of coherence and achievement data from the HeartMath Inner Balance application (app), as well as distance and activity data from the Fitbit app. The qualitative phase consisted of the selection and illustration of meditation sessions documented over lockdown. 3. Results: The highly significant increases in physical activity and meditation coherence and achievement collectively indicated significant health promotion over the COVID-19 Lockdown period. Subtle energetic, experiential descriptions of meditation apprehensions resonated and supported these quantitative findings. 4. Conclusions: COVID-19 lockdown has meant transformation, humility, and reordering of priorities. The meditation descriptions amplified information from the HeartMath and Fitbit electronic devices, together co-creating conscious, embodied, relationship science for discussion, instruction, and further research.

Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) consists of short hooked steel fibres randomly distributed and oriented within the cementitious matrix. The contribution of fibre in bridging cracks to provide the stress transfer required relies upon the orientation of the fibre in the concrete. Bridging fibre aligned with a crack are less effective than those inclined to it. Therefore, understanding the pull-out behaviour of misaligned fibre is a key factor to quantify and optimize the design of SFRC in the structural applications. In the laboratory a single oriented fibre embedded in a solid cylinder of concrete is subjected to a pull-out test where the axis of a tensile force is aligned with the axis of the cylinder. Based upon the observed behaviour this paper presents a new analytical bounding approach to capture the pull-out response of misaligned hooked-end steel fibre embedded in a concrete matrix. The analysis is based upon a transversely isotropic condition assumed for the plasticity that occurs in the cold drawn fibre. The model accounts for the influence of fibre diameter and the combined strengths of the steel and concrete. The model predictions have also been compared with other experimental results published in the literature. The results showed that the model can predict pull-out loads reasonably for different fibre orientations between bounds of failure derived from the strengths of the two constituents. A critical orientation is observed at maximum strength. Therein, an understanding of the pull-out behaviour of misaligned, hooked-end fibres is necessary to optimize the strength of concrete from this method of reinforcement.

Background: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is thought to alter fluid dynamics in human soft tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of IASTM on the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) on the water content of the lumbar myofascial tissue. Methods: 21 healthy volunteers were treated with IASTM. Before and after the procedure and 5 and 10 minutes later, lumbar bioimpedance was measured by bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and TLF stiffness by indentometry. Tissue temperature was recorded at the measurement time points using an infrared thermometer. Results: Bioimpedance increased significantly from 58.3 to 60.4 Ω (p < 0.001) at 10-minute follow-up after the treatment. Temperature increased significantly from 36.3 to 36.6° Celsius from 5 to 10 minutes after treatment (p = 0.029), while lumbar myofascial stiffness did not change significantly (p = 0.84). Conclusions: After the IASTM intervention, there was a significant increase in bioimpedance, likely due to a decrease in water content in myofascial lumbar tissue. Further studies in a randomized control trial design are needed to extrapolate the results in healthy subjects to a symptomatic population as well and to confirm the reliability of BIA in myofascial tissue.

Planck's constant plays an important role in quantum mechanics but has little physical meaning apart from its contribution to the formulas. Evaluating each of the constant's unit dimensions gives a more granular account of the physical phenomena described by the equations. These formulas show how classical and quantum mechanical equations are related, and they give consistent descriptions of phenomena like momentum and energy in classical and quantum systems.

The number of engineers who are transitioning into environmental sustainability careers is growing, though a gap still exists between supply and demand. This presents an opportunity for undergraduate engineering students to fulfill the demand as environmental sustainability professionals. This qualitative exploratory study investigated environmental sustainability learning experiences and future career interests in environmental sustainability. The social cognitive theory (SCCT) was utilized as a theoretical lens, exploring undergraduate students’ environmental sustainability interests, related learning experiences and their interest in pursuing a future career in environmental sustainability. Twenty-five undergraduate engineering students in various engineering disciplines were interviewed for this study. Data were analyzed to (1) identify students’ interest in pursuing a career in environmental sustainability, (2) determine if students’ interests have changed since they began their undergraduate studies, and (3) explore how learning experiences have impacted students’ future career choice. The findings posit that exposure to environmental sustainability learning experiences is impactful and plays an important role, impacting students' interests in pursuing careers in sustainability. Results reveal that elements such as personal beliefs and salary considerations inspire career choices. This research contributes to addressing the demand for additional working professionals who are prepared to tackle environmental sustainability issues, highlighting the role of learning experiences in shaping students' career interests.

A non-negligible fraction of quasars are red at optical wavelengths, indicating (in the vast majority of cases) that the accretion disc is obscured by a column of dust which extinguishes the shorter-wavelength blue emission. In this paper we summarise recent work by our group, where we find fundamental differences in the radio properties of SDSS optically selected red quasars. We also present new analyses, using a consistent colour-selected quasar parent sample matched to four radio surveys (FIRST, VLA Stripe 82, VLA COSMOS 3 GHz and LoTSS DR1) across a frequency range 150 MHz-3 GHz and four orders of magnitude in radio flux. We show this enhancement is driven by systems with small-scale radio emission (∼kpc) and peaks around the radio-quiet threshold (defined as the ratio of 1.4 GHz luminosity to 6μm luminosity) across the four radio samples. Exploring the potential mechanisms behind this enhancement, we rule out star-formation and propose either small-scale jets or dusty winds interacting with the interstellar medium; this will be tested in detail using new multi-band uGMRT data. Overall our results cannot be explained with a simple viewing angle hypothesis, and so may point towards red quasars representing a key phase in the evolution of galaxies.

As a derivative of graphene, graphene oxide (GO) was initially developed by chemists to emulate some of the key properties of graphene, but it was soon recognized as a unique material in its own right, addressing an application space that is not accessible to chemical vapor deposition based materials. Over the past decade, GO has emerged as a new frontier material with tremendous advances in its material fabrication and quality control over its properties. These in turn have led to rapid progress in GO based photonics, electronics, and optoelectronics concepts and devices, evoking new science and paving the way for many technological breakthroughs with exceptional performance. Here, we review the unique fundamental characteristics of GO, its thin film fabrication methods, patterning techniques, and mechanisms for tuning its material properties. This latter capability in particular has enabled novel advanced functional photonic, electronic, and optoelectronic devices. Understanding these insights is essential for designing and tailoring GO properties for state-of-the-art applications including solar energy harvesting, energy storage, medical diagnosis, image displays, and optical communications. We conclude by discussing the open challenges and exciting opportunities of this field, together with future prospects for major technological advancements and breakthroughs.

226Ra and 228Ra are typically monitored for groundwater and surface water compliance at legacy U mining and milling sites. Groundwater monitoring results for combined Ra (226Ra+228Ra) reported by the existing contract laboratory at a former U mine and mill Site (Wyoming, USA) have been highly variable and with increasing trends at the Site compliance and background wells since the method was changed in 2005. Sample reanalysis has indicated poor reproducibility and significant analytical error in 228Ra measurements. An interlaboratory comparison was conducted to evaluate the potential causes of the high variability and analytical error. Two different methods were used for 226Ra (M903.0 and M903.1) and 228Ra (M904.0 and Ra-05). 226Ra results were less variable compared to 228Ra, and 228Ra data from the existing laboratory were qualified as estimated with high bias due to detection of 228Ra in the field blank. Compliance with the 226Ra+228Ra groundwater standard was either met or not met, depending on which laboratory conducted the analyses. Specific laboratory techniques, rather than the analytical method, are contributing to elevated 228Ra values being reported. It was recommended that samples whose 226Ra+228Ra results exceed the Site standard in the future be reanalyzed by the existing laboratory with a sample split also being sent to an outside laboratory for confirmatory analysis.

How much is religion quantitatively involved in global climate politics? After assessing the role of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from a normative perspective, this descriptive, transdisciplinary and unconventional study offers the first comprehensive quantitative examination of religious nongovernmental organizations that formally participate in its annual meetings, the largest attempts to solve the climate crisis through global governance. This study finds that although their numbers are growing, only about 3 percent of registered nongovernmental organizations accredited to participate in the conference are overtly religious in nature — and that more than 80 percent of those faith-based groups are Christian. Additionally, this study finds that religious nongovernmental organizations that participate in the conference are mostly from the Global North. The results call for greater participation of religious institutions in the international climate negotiations in order for society to address the planetary emergency of climate change.

Dispersal represents a key life-history trait with several implications for the fitness of organisms, population dynamics and resilience, local adaptation, meta-population dynamics, range shifting and biological invasions. Plastic and evolutionary changes of dispersal traits have been intensively studied over the past decades in entomology, in particular in wing-dimorphic insects for which literature reviews are available. Importantly, dispersal polymorphism also exists in wing-monomorphic and wingless insects, and except for butterflies, fewer syntheses are available. In this perspective, by integrating the very last research in the fast moving field of insect dispersal ecology, this review article provides an overview of our current knowledge of dispersal polymorphism in insects. After having provided a definition of the main terms characterising insects’ movements, some of the most often used experimental methodologies for the separation of dispersers and residents in wing-monomorphic and wingless insects are presented. The existing knowledge on the morphological and life-history trait differences between resident and disperser phenotypes is then synthetized. The fourth part examines the effects of range expansion on dispersal traits and performance, in particular for insects from range edges and invasion fronts. Finally, some research perspectives are proposed in the last part of the review.

This paper introduces LUNARMINERS framework and applies it for lunar water-ice extraction in Shackleton Crater at the lunar South Pole. The LUNARMINERS combines artificial intelligence swarm robotics with biomimetic swarm behavior. In the proposed framework, the foraging behavior of ants, the light attraction behavior of fireflies, and the migratory flight strategy of wild geese have been comprehensively analyzed and applied to robotic swarms for lunar mining. This research takes into consideration important aspects of the lunar environment, such as permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and communication limitations in lunar craters, by simulating them in Robot Operating System (ROS). The LUNARMINERS framework has advantages over other methods in that it allows for the survey of an area of 0.025 km2 per day while achieving 100% water-ice deposition effectiveness. Studies show that by applying the LUNARMINER framework, the exploration of the entire Shackleton Crater can be completed in 3.75 Earth years via 15 robots. Simulations of the implementation of the proposed LUNARMINERS framework have demonstrated reliable high-levels of extraction efficiency, with the framework producing 12.9 metric tons of water-ice per day, which potentially can support up to 1,990 people per day based on astronaut’s daily water requirements from NASA's Human Integrated Design Handbook (HIDH) and thus, establishing a sustainable benchmark for lunar habitation. The results from this study show that the advances in the proposed LUNARMINERS framework can contribute to future lunar exploration and ISRU, setting new standards for sustainable off-Earth mining.