Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a rather new technology in the production of personalized dosage forms. Melting and printing of polymer–active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) – mixtures can be used to produce oral dosage forms with different dosage as well as release behavior. This process is utilized to increase the bioavailability of pharmaceutically relevant active ingredients that are poorly soluble in physiological medium by transforming them into solid amorphous dispersions (ASD). Release from such ASDs is expected to be faster and higher compared to the raw materials and thus enhance bioavailability. Printing directly from powder while forming ASDs was realized. Different techniques to change release patterns as well as a non-destructive way for determination of API distribution were shown. By measuring the melt viscosities of mixtures printed a rheological model for the printer used is proposed.

Gliomas are solid tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that originated from different glial cells. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified these tumors into four groups (I-IV) with increasing malignancy. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor classified as a grade IV. GBM are resistant to conventional therapies with poor prognosis after diagnosis even when the Stupp protocol that combines surgery and radiochemotherapy is applied. Nowadays, few novel therapeutic strategies have been used to improve GBM treatment, looking for higher efficiency and lower side effects, but with relatively modest results. The circadian timing system temporally organizes the physiology and behavior of most organisms and daily regulates several cellular processes in organs, tissues, and even in individual cells, including tumor cells. The potentiality of the function of the circadian clock on cancer cells modulation as a new target for novel treatments with a chronobiological basis offers a different challenge that needs to be considered in further detail. The present review will discuss state of the art regarding GBM biology, the role of the circadian clock in tumor progression, and new chrono-chemotherapeutic strategies applied for GBM treatment.

Background: Ongoing molecular profiling studies enabled by advances in biomedical technologies are producing vast amounts of ‘omic’ data for early detection, monitoring, and prognosis of diverse diseases. A major common limitation is the scarcity of biological samples, necessitating integrative modeling frameworks that can make optimal use of available data for disease classification tasks. Related data sets are often available from different studies, but may have been generated using different technology platforms. Thus, there is a critical need for flexible modeling methods that can handle data from diverse sources to facilitate the discovery of robust biomarkers that underlie disease regulatory processes. Results: In this paper, we introduce a novel framework called Knowledge Augmented Rule Learning (KARL), which incorporates two sources of knowledge, domain, and data, for pattern discovery from small and high-dimensional datasets, such as transcriptomic data. We propose KARL as a transfer rule learning framework in which knowledge of the domain is transferred to the learning process on data in order to 1) improve the reliability of the discovered patterns, and 2) study the knowledge of the domain when used along with data for modeling. In this work, we generated KARL models on gene expression datasets for five types of cancer, including brain, breast, colon, lung, and prostate. As our knowledge of the domain, we used the Ingenuity Knowledge Base (IKB) to extract genes related to hallmarks of cancer and annotated these prior relationships before learning classifiers from these datasets. Conclusions: Our results show that KARL produces, on average, rule models that are more robust classifiers than the baseline without such background knowledge, for our tasks of cancer prediction using 25 publicly available gene expression datasets. Moreover, KARL helped us learn insights about previously known relationships in these gene expression datasets, along with new relationships not input as known, to enable informed biomarker discovery for cancer prediction tasks. KARL can be applied to modeling similar data from any other domain and classification task. Future work would involve extensions to KARL to handle hierarchical knowledge to derive more general hypotheses to drive biomedicine.

Keywords: head-and-neck cancer; chemoradiation; cisplatin; carboplatin; loco-regional control; metastases-free survival; overall survival; toxicity.

Although evolutionary transitions of individuality have been extensively theorized, little attention has been paid to the origin of levels of organization within organisms. How and why do specialized cells become organized into specialized tissues or organs? What spurs a transition in organizational level in cases where the function is already present in constituent cell types? We propose a model for this kind of evolutionary transition in terms of two key features of cellular self-maintenance: metabolic constraints on functional performance and the capacity for metabolic complementation between parenchymal and supporting cells. These features suggest a scenario whereby pre-existing specialized cell types are integrated into tissues when changes to the internal or external environment favor offloading metabolic burdens from a primary specialized cell type onto supporting cells. We illustrate this process of “supra-functionalization” using the nervous system and the pancreas as examples. The model reveals distinctive concerns for explaining this kind of evolutionary transition—instead of the suppression of “cheating” by components, the issue is how a tissue comes under modular genetic control as a distinct body part—and also points to a novel form of evolutionary complexity-increasing ratchet.

40 years of cloud observations are available globally from satellites allowing derivation of climate data records (CDRs) for climate change studies. The aim of this study is to investigate how stable these cloud CDRs are and whether they qualify stability requirements recommended by the WMO’s Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). We also investigate robust trends in global total cloud amount (CA) and cloud top temperature (CTT) that are significant and common across all CDRs. The latest versions of four global cloud CDRs, namely CLARA-A3, ESA Cloud CCI, PATMOS-x and ISCCP-HGM, are analysed. This assessment finds that all three AVHRR based cloud CDRs satisfy even the strictest GCOS stability requirements for CA and CTT when averaged globally. While CLARA-A3 is most stable in global averages, PATMOS-x offers the most stable CDR spatially. While we find these results highly encouraging, there however remain large spatial differences in the stability of and across the CDRs. All four CDRs continue to agree on the statistically significant decrease in global cloud amount over the last four decades, although this decrease is now weaker compared to the previous assessments. This decreasing trend is stabilizing or even reversing in the last two decades; the latter is seen also in MODIS-Aqua and CALIPSO GEWEX datasets. Statistically significant trends in CTT are observed in global averages in the AVHRR-based CDRs, but the spatial agreement in the sign and the magnitude of the trends is weaker compared to those in CA. We also present maps of Common Stability Coverage and Common Trend Coverage that could provide a valuable metric to carry out an ensemble-based analysis of the CDRs.

The end of life and circularity of products is an increasingly important issue, driven by concerns over their environmental impact and emerging regulations. Natural materials such as leather should be an obvious choice in the design of sustainable, circular products. Several ‘trendy’ alternative materials have been developed that are presented as sustainable alternatives to leather. This research compares the potential for leather and ‘trendy’ materials in composting conditions. The capacity of a material to biodegrade at the end of its life will influence its potential to be part of a circular economic model. The results show that most of the alternatives are poorly compostable. A notable exception was Piñatex® which showed 65.25% disintegration and 59.84% biodegradability while leather largely showed good disintegration and biodegradability. Plants grown in vegetable tanned leather compost produced 74% more top leaf growth than the blank. Vegetable tanned and chromium-free leather produce compost with an ecotoxicology profile that is favourable for use in agriculture. The results show that through its capacity to produce composts, leather has the potential to contribute to the circular economy. In contrast, trendy alternatives had a very limited capacity for biodegradation and would create waste issues at the end of their life.

Background: Night-migratory birds sense the Earth´s magnetic field by an unknown molecular mechanism. Theoretical and experimental evidence support the hypothesis that light-induced formation of a radical-pair in European robin cryptochrome 4a, ErCry4a, is the primary signalling step in the retina of the bird. In the present work, we investigated a possible route of cryptochrome signalling involving the α-subunit of the cone specific heterotrimeric G protein from European robin. Methods: Protein-protein interaction studies include surface plasmon resonance, pulldown affinity binding and Förster resonance energy transfer. Results: Surface plasmon resonance studies showed direct interaction revealing high to moderate affinity for binding of non-myristoylated and myristoylated G protein to ErCry4a, respectively. Pulldown affinity experiments confirmed this complex formation in solution. We validated these in vitro data by monitoring the interaction between ErCry4a and G protein in a transiently transfected neuroretinal cell line using Förster resonance energy transfer. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ErCry4a and the G protein also interact in vivo and might constitute the first biochemical signalling step in radical-pair-based magnetoreception.

Abstract: The internationally accepted goals of eliminating climate gas emissions implies substantial investments in renewable energy (RE) facilities. This will inevitably lead to major impacts on landscapes. Landscape concerns linked to RE facilities are already leading to controversies in many local communities. In this article, we focus on the question of landscape democracy related to the establishment of RE facilities. Based on recommendations from the European Landscape Convention, an analytical framework is presented identifying three main dimensions of landscape democracy, followed by an overview of arrangements, procedures and methods that are or may be used to encourage democracy. The procedures and methods are analysed based on examples from Denmark and Norway. This is followed by an analysis of decision levels with a special focus on the principle of subsidiarity. Finally, recommendations are presented to strengthen landscape democracy in relation to the installation of RE-facilities.

Heat emitters constitute the primary devices used in space heating and cover a fundamental role in the energy efficient use of buildings. In the search for an optimized design, heating devices should be compared with a benchmark emitter with maximum heat emission efficiency. However, such an ideal heater still needs to be defined. In this paper we perform an analysis of heat transfer in a European reference room, considering room side effects of thermal radiation and computing the induced operative temperature both analytically and numerically. By means of functional optimization, we analyse trends such as the variation of operative temperature with radiator panel dimensions, finding optimal configurations. In order to make our definitions as general as possible, we address panel radiators, convectors, underfloor (UFH) and ceiling heater. We obtain analytical formulas for the operative temperature induced by panel radiators and identify the 10-type as our ideal radiator, while the UFH provides the best performance overall. Regarding specifically UFH and ceiling heaters, we find optimal sizes that identify the according ideal emitters. The analytical method and quantitative results reported in this paper can be generalized and adopted in most studies concerning the efficiency of different heat emitter types in building enclosures.

The G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER; G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 30, also known as GPR30) is a novel estrogen receptor and has emerged as a promising target for ovarian cancer. GPER, a seven-transmembrane receptor, suppresses cellular viability and migration in studied ovarian cancer cells. However, its impact on the fallopian tube, which is the potential origin of high-grade serous (HGSC) ovarian cancer, has not been addressed. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of GPER, ovarian cancer subtypes, i.e., high-grade serous cell lines (OV90 and OVCAR420), as well as potential HGSC ovarian cancer origin (i.e., the fallopian tube cell line FT190). The selective ligand assessed here is the agonist G-1, which was utilized in an in vitro study to characterize its effects on cellular viability and migration. As a result, this study has addressed the effect of a specific GPER antagonist in combination with an agonist on cell viability, providing a better understanding of the effects of these compounds on our diverse group of studied cell lines. Strikingly, attenuated cell proliferation and migration behaviors were observed in the presence of G-1. Thus, our in vitro study reveals the impact of the origin of HGSC ovarian cancers and highlights the GPER agonist G-1 as a potential therapy for ovarian cancer.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recommends that the most recent 30-year period, i.e. 1991-2020, shall be used to compute climate normals of geophysical variables. A unique aspect this recent 30-year period is that the satellite-based observations of many different essential climate variables are available during this period, thus opening up new possibilities to provide a robust, global basis for the 30-year reference period in order to allow climate monitoring and climate change studies. Here, using the satellite-based climate data record of cloud and radiation properties, CLARA-A3, for the month of January between 1981 to 2020, we illustrate the difference between climate normal, as defined by guidelines from WMO on calculations of 30-yr climate normals, and climatology. It is shown that this difference is strongly dependent on the climate variable in question. We discuss the impacts of the nature and availability of satellite observations, variable definition, retrieval algorithm and programmatic configuration. It is shown that the satellite-based climate data records show enormous promise in providing climate normal for the recent 30-year period (1991-2020) globally. We finally argue that the holistic perspectives from the global satellite community should be increasingly considered while formulating the future WMO guidelines on computing climate normals.

Why do the eyes remain comparatively large whereas the cornea is reduced in most troglobiont mysids? Are there any important organ size-dependent functions served by non-visual eye rudiments? This issue was approached by measuring eye structures in five troglobiont species of Mysida and two Stygiomysida compared with 14 troglophile and 49 trogloxene Mysida species. The Organ of Bellonci (OB) was found in all Mysida and as first records also in Stygiomysida. The length of OBs increased with individual body length and eye length in four examined species: from postnauplioid larvae to adult stage in a troglophile and a trogloxene mysid species examined; and from juveniles to adults in a troglobiont mysid and a troglobiont stygiomysid. At the interspecific level, eye length was on average 26% shorter at a given body length while the OB was 40% longer at a given body length and 54% longer at a given eye length, respectively, in adult troglobionts compared with trogloxene mysids. The OB is clearly proliferating while the cornea is reduced in troglobionts. This points to sensory functions (possibly together with other functions). The sensory pore organ was found in all 15 Mysida species whose eyes were mounted on slides, and a first record of this organ was also found in Stygiomysida.

Introduction. Few studies have compared the dependence to different tobacco and nicotine products. Besides how dependence may vary between tobacco products there is even less known how it relates to other common drugs, e.g. caffeine. In this study degree of dependence was compared between snus, cigarettes, nicotine replacement (NR), electronic cigarettes and coffee. Methods. An internet panel was used to obtain a representative sample of 3001 Swedes. The responders were asked among other related things about their use of snus, NR, traditional cigarette or e-cigarette use and coffee consumption. The indicators of dependence used were: A. the Heavy Smoking Index, B. The proportions that used within 30 min after raising in the morning, C. rating the first use in the morning as the most important and D. Stating that it would be very hard to give up entirely. Results. Significantly fewer among coffee drinkers started use within 30 minutes of awakening compared with all other products. The first use of the day was found to be more important for snus users compared with other products. On HSI there was no difference between snus and cigarettes. Snus and cigarettes were rated as being more difficult to give up than NR and coffee. Conclusion. Dependence to traditional cigarettes and snus seem to be relatively similar while NR was rated lower and coffee lowest. Since the prevalence of caffeine use in all forms is so much more prevalent than nicotine use there might be more persons in the society heavily dependent on caffeine. Implication. Tobacco products are likely more dependence forming that NR products and coffee. The addiction to coffee or caffeine is seldom discussed in the society. But if there are more individuals heavily dependent on coffee than nicotine and some nicotine containing products like snus and even more so NR are not that much more harmful than coffee how problematic is the addiction?

We review some semantical aspects of probability bounds from Boole’s “conditions on possible experience” violated by quantum mechanics. We also speculate about emerging space-time categories as an epiphenomenon of quantization and the resulting breakdown of relativity theory by non-unitary and non-linear processes.

Predicting how a genetic change affects a given character is a major challenge in biology, and being able to tackle this problem relies on our ability to develop realistic models of gene networks. However, such models are rarely tractable mathematically. In this paper, we propose a mathematical analysis of the sigmoid variant of the Wagner gene-network model. By considering the simplest case, that is, one unique self-regulating gene, we show that numerical simulations are not the only tool available to study such models: theoretical studies can be done too, by mathematical analysis of discrete dynamical systems. It is first shown that the particular sigmoid function can be theoretically investigated. Secondly, we provide an illustration on how to apply such investigations in the case of the dynamical system representing the one self-regulating gene.

Estimating heat emission losses of heating systems is an important task of energy efficiency assessments in buildings. To this aim, the present international standards contain tabulated values for different emitter and control system configurations, without however explaining how to compute the effect of increased setpoint temperatures on the system losses. Moreover, the effects of each component are treated as independent, while e.g. vertical stratification and temperature control of the system are cross-related. In this paper we attempt to fill this gap by proposing a calculation method to calculate the product category specific setpoint variations for space heating emitters, accounting for the overall heat balance in the enclosure and including the cross-correlations of each component as well. The emission losses of a heating system are computed using a temperature setpoint variation method that is imposed on annual energy calculations. This complements the procedure presented in the Standard EN15316-2, also providing the possibility to use product-specific values of setpoint variations instead of tabulated values. As the main finding of the study, the calculation process is defined for a European Reference Room, namely for a specific enclosure that allows an accurate and transparent evaluation of the total setpoint variation. The product-specific values of setpoint variations are calculated from measured vertical stratification and control parameters with an annual simulation model of the European Reference Room. The total setpoint variations were simulated for a set of heat emitters and controllers in order to quantify and compare the energy performance of a new and an old type building located in Strasbourg. We find that the total setpoint variation required to overcome emission losses is up to 2.00 °C in the old building and 1.20 °C in the new building, corresponding respectively to an increase in total heating energy usage of up to 22% and 20%.

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of oral hygiene (OH) and hand hygiene (HH) behaviour among school adolescents in three Caribbean countries. In all, 7,476 school adolescents (median age 14 years), from Dominican Republic, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago responded the cross-sectional “Global School-based Student Health Survey” (GSHS) in 2016-2017. The prevalence poor OH (tooth brushing <2 times/day) was 16.9%, poor HH (not always before meals) was 68.2%, poor HH (not always after toilet) was 28.4% and poor HH (not always with soap) was 52.7%. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, current cannabis use, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, poor mental health and low parental support increased the odds for poor OH. Rarely or sometimes experiencing hunger, trouble from alcohol use, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, poor mental health, and low parental support were associated with poor HH (before meals, and/or after toilet, and/or with soap). The survey showed poor OH and HH behaviour practices. Several sociodemographic factors, health risk behaviours, poor mental health and low parental support were found associated with poor OH and/or HH behaviour that can assist with tailoring OH and HH health promotion.

We provide representations for the generalized Drazin inverse of an anti-triangular matrix of the form $\left( \begin{array}{cc} a&b\\ 1&0 \end{array} \right)$ in a Banach algebra $\mathcal{A}$, under the condition that $ab=ba$. Specifically, we present the representation of Drazin inverse for these types of anti-triangular matrices in Banach algebras.

This study aims to investigate the microphysical properties of Arctic, tropospheric aerosol in the transition from the Arctic Haze in spring towards the summer season in 2021. A special focus lies on the hygroscopicity of the aerosol. Therefore, a one-parameter growth curve model is applied to lidar data from the Koldewey Aerosol Raman Lidar (AWIPEV in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard) and simultaneous radiosonde measurements. Hygroscopic growth depends on different factors like aerosol diameter and chemical composition. To detangle this dependency, three trends in hygroscopicity are additionally investigated by classifying the aerosol first by its color ratio, and then by its season and altitude. Furthermore, two special days are discussed using Mie-theory. They show on the one side the complexity of analyzing hygroscopic growth by means of lidar data, but on the other side demonstrate that it is in fact measurable with this approach. For these two case studies we calculated, that the aerosol effective radius increased from 0.16 μm (dry) to 0.18 μm (wet), and from 0.28 μm to 0.32 μm for the second case. Generally, we found two different modes of stronger or weaker hygroscopic particles and a complex altitude dependence with the least hygroscopic particles in the middle free troposphere.

This comprehensive review delves into cancer's complexity, focusing on adhesion, metastasis, and inhibition. It explores the pivotal role of these factors in disease progression and therapeutic strategies. This review covers cancer cell migration, invasion, and colonization of distant organs, emphasizing the significance of cell adhesion and the intricate metastasis process. Inhibition approaches targeting adhesion molecules, such as integrins and cadherins, are discussed. Overall, this review contributes significantly to advancing cancer research and developing targeted therapies, holding promise for improving patient outcomes worldwide. Exploring different inhibition strategies revealed promising therapeutic targets to alleviate adhesion and metastasis of cancer cells. The effectiveness of integrin-blocking antibodies, small molecule inhibitors targeting FAK and the TGF-β pathway, and combination therapies underscores their potential to disrupt focal adhesions and control epithelial-mesenchymal transition processes. The identification of as FAK, Src, β-catenin and SMAD4 offers valuable starting points for further research and the development of targeted therapies. The complex interrelationships between adhesion and metastatic signaling networks will be relevant to the development of new treatment approaches.

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among adults in Iraq. Data from a 2015 nationally representative cross-sectional survey of 3,916 persons 18 years and older were analysed that responded to a questionnaire, physical and biochemical measures. Multinomial logistic regression was utilized to predict determinants of overweight and obesity relative to under or normal weight. Results indicate that 3.6% of the participants were underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m²), 30.8% had normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m²), 31.8% were overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m²), and 33.9% had obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m²). In adjusted multinomial logistic regression, aged 40-49 years (Adjusted Relative Risk Ratio-ARRR: 4.47, Confidence Interval-CI: 3.39-5.91), urban residence (ARRR: 1.28, CI: 1.14-2.18), hypertension (ARRR: 3.13, CI: 2.36-4.17) were positively, and male sex (ARRR: 0.47, CI: 0.33-0.68), having more than primary education (ARRR: 0.69, CI: 0.50-0.94), and larger household size (≥5 members) (ARRR: 0.45, CI: 0.33-0.60) were negativey associated with obesity. About two in three adult participants were overweight/obese, and sociodemographic and health risk factors were found that can be utilized in targeting interventions.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and its correlates of infrequent and frequent bullying victimization (=BV) among school-going adolescents in five “Association of Southeast Asian Nations” (ASEAN) member states. The cross-sectional sample comprised 33,184 school adolescents (14.6 years mean age) from five ASEAN countries of the “Global School-based Student Health Survey” (GSHS) in 2015. Results indicate that 30.6% of participants reported any past-month BV, 33.9% in boys and 27.5 in girls, ranging from 11.8% in Laos to 48.7% in the Philippines. In the adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis, students from the Philippines and Thailand, experience of hunger, sedentary behaviour, attending physical education classes, being underweight, being overweight or obese, ever amphetamine use, physically assaulted, school truancy, participation in a physical fight, injury, low peer support and psychological distress were associated with BV. Almost one in three adolescents were bullied and several associated variables were identified which can assist in targeting the strategies of intervention.

TThe number of supermarkets offering a grocery delivery has been increasing during the last years. Many studies deduce CO₂ emission savings using this concept. Since the delivery of groceries also consumes energy and produces emissions, break-even points can be calculated, from where the delivery has environmental advantages compared to the customer pickup. In this paper, influences of differing vehicle use on break-even points for savings of energy and CO₂ emissions are analyzed for the case of Haidhausen Süd, a city district of Munich in Germany. Internal combustion engine and electric vehicles are investigated to depict current as well as future trends. After an introduction to the used methodology, the potential to save energy and CO₂ emissions related to the delivery of groceries in the chosen district of Munich is evaluated. Afterwards, influences on the break even points are presented and discussed. As the results show, a delivery of groceries leads to energy and carbon dioxide savings in a wide range of private vehicle use for grocery shopping trips. Nevertheless, if the complete customer vehicle fleet is electrified, the use of delivery vehicles with an internal combustion engine can cause an additional environmental impact at the current modal split for shopping trips in Germany.

Since the outbreak of SARS CoV-2 infection (Covid-19), healthcare professionals worldwide have been trying to find disease management and control alternatives to encourage immunotherapies. Immunotherapy is an efficient therapeutic option used against comparable viral contaminations such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. The aim of the current study is to assess the existing knowledge associated with SARS-CoV-2 immunotherapy. Information available in published articles and their quality highlights the importance of following strict scientific rules for clinical outcomes. Thus, these studies have shown enough data to confirm that immunomodulation is the main topic investigated in research about Covid-19 therapy. Therefore, it is possible saying that immunotherapy is certainly the appropriate option against this virus.

Background: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among middle school students in Sierra Leone. Method: Data from 2,798 adolescents (15 years of median age) that responded to the cross-sectional “2017 Sierra Leone Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)” were analysed. Results: The prevalence of past 12-month suicidal ideation was 14.2%, suicide plans 16.0%, and suicide attempts 19.1%. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, worry-induced sleep disturbance (Adjusted Odds Ratio-AOR: 1.84, 95% Confidence Interval-CI: 1.32-2.57), bullied (AOR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.77-4.74), trouble from alcohol use (AOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.03-3.50), and leisure-time sedentary behaviour (AOR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.18-4.98) were associated with suicidal ideation. Bullied (AOR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.46-3.95) and current cannabis use (AOR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.51-4.09) were associated with suicide plans in the past 12 months. No close friends (AOR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.46-4.72) loneliness (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.08-2.66), bullied (AOR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.66-3.28), trouble from alcohol use (AOR: 4.01, 95% CI: 2.25-7.13) and current cannabis use (AOR: 2.93, 95% CI: 1.37-6.25) were positively and school attendance (AOR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.42-0.92) negatively associated with suicide attempts in the past 12 months. Conclusion: Almost one in five students had made suicide attempts in the past 12 months and several associated variables were discovered that can assist in designing interventions.

Two welcome extensions of evolutionary thinking have come to prominence over the last thirty years: the so-called “extended evolutionary synthesis” (EES) and debate about biological kinds and individuals. These two agendas have, however, remained orthogonal to one another. The EES has mostly restricted itself to widening the explanations of adaptation offered by the preceding “modern evolutionary synthesis” by including additional mechanisms of inheritance and variation; while discussion of biological kinds has turned toward philosophical questions of essential vs. contingent properties of life forms and realist vs. epistemological approaches to categorization and classification. Here we attempt to broaden the explanatory scope of evolutionary theory by linking these two agendas. We expand on the mechanistic orientation of the EES, using new understandings of networked systems of components in order to engage the distinct intellectual challenge of the origination of historical kinds. With this phrase we designate a subset of natural kinds that acquires, through evolutionary processes, a quasi-independent lineage-history. Such kinds emerge in both biology and culture, and we enlarge the limited number of historical kinds that have thus far been recognized in evolutionary biology in a series of paradigmatic exemplars, from genes and cell types to rituals and music. For each exemplar we discern specific mechanisms by which it arose and persists; comparing these, we suggest a general unity in the ways in which diverse historical kinds originate.

Since its inception, evolutionary theory has experienced a number of extensions. The most important of these took the forms of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis (MES), embracing genetics and population biology in the early 20^th century, and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) of the last thirty years, embracing, among other factors, non-genetic forms of inheritance. While we appreciate the motivation for this recent extension, we argue that it does not go far enough, since it restricts itself to widening explanations of adaptation by adding mechanisms of inheritance and variation. A more thoroughgoing extension is needed, one that widens the explanatory scope of evolutionary theory. In addition to adaptation and its various mechanisms, evolutionary theory must recognize as a distinct intellectual challenge the origin of what we call “historical kinds.” Under historical kinds we include any process that acquires a quasi-independent and traceable lineage-history in biological and cultural evolution. We develop the notion of a historical kind in a series of paradigmatic exemplars, from genes and homologues to rituals and music, and we propose a preliminary characterization.

The modeling of tilting-pad journal and thrust bearings presents a level of complexity beyond that of bearings of fixed-arc geometry, particularly with regard to dynamic influences. With tilting-pad bearings, the theory surrounding the fluid film must be complemented with representative modeling of the pad dynamics. What has been recognized in recent decades has been the significance of the pad support, in particular the flexibility of the pivot region of the pad. The typical model for including the stiffness of the pivot has been based on Hertzian contact theory. Some researchers have been noting that the Hertzian theory does not permit sufficient flexibility in the pivot region. It is suggested that the contact mechanics at the pivot would be better represented as a pairing of rough surfaces. The modeling used here is based on a statistical asperity micro-contact theory for rough-surface line contact that has been extended to include contact stiffness. This model has been applied to the determination of the effective dynamic properties of tilting-pad bearings. The results show that pivot stiffness can be as low as one-third the stiffness determined by Hertzian theory. Comparison to published experimental results confirms the significance of the rough-surface modeling, particularly for the line contacts associated with rocker-back tilting pads.

Cancer/testis (CT) antigens exhibit selective expression predominantly in immunoprivileged tissues in non-pathological contexts but are aberrantly expressed in diverse cancers. Because of their expression pattern, they have historically been attractive targets for immunotherapies. The investigation of mechanistic roles of CT antigens in promoting oncogenesis has historically been a prominent research question, and a growing number of studies implicate CT antigens in promoting almost all the hallmarks of cancer. This suggests that CT antigens may act as cancer drivers. CT antigens are expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, although their role in the pathogenesis, prognostication, and treatment for this family of cancers remains poorly studied. Given that CT antigens hold intriguing potential as therapeutic targets and as biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic response and that they can provide novel insights into oncogenic mechanisms, their further study in the context of head and squamous cell carcinoma is warranted.

A quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) modelling approach is introduced to mimic transverse mixing of an inflow into a river from one of its banks, either an industrial outfall or a tributary. The concentrations of determinands in the inflow vary greatly from those in the river, leading to very long mixing lengths in the river downstream of the inflow location. Ideally, a two-dimensional (2D) model would be used on a small scale to capture the mixing of the two flow streams. However, for large-scale applications of several hundreds of kilometres of river length, such an approach demands too many computational resources and too much computational time, especially if the application will at some point require ensemble input from climate-change scenario data. However, a one-dimensional (1D) model with variables varying in the longitudinal flow direction but averaged across the cross-sections is too simple of an approach to capture the lateral mixing between different flow streams within the river. Hence, a quasi-2D method is proposed in which a simplified 1D solver is still applied but the discretisation of the model setup can be carried out in such a way as to enable a 2D representation of the model domain. The quasi-2D model setup also allows secondary channels and side lakes in floodplains to be incorporated into the discretisation. To show proof-of-concept, the approach has been tested on a stretch of the lower Athabasca River in Canada flowing through the oil sands region between Fort McMurray and Fort MacKay. A dye tracer and suspended sediments are the constituents modelled in this test case.

Counting in terms of cycles allows modeling many processes of Nature. We make use of a slight numerical incongruence within the numbering system to find a translational mechanism which connects sequential ↔ commutative properties of assemblies. The algorithms allow picturing the logical syntax Nature uses when reading the DNA. Ordering a collection on two different properties of its members will impose two differing sequences on the members. The coordinates of a point on a plane of which the axes are the two sorting orders sidestep the logical contradiction arising from the different linear assignments. During a reorder, elements aggregate into cycles. Using an etalon collection of simple logical symbols (which are pairs of natural numbers), which we reorder, we see typical movement patterns along the path of the string of elements that are members of the same cycle. We split the {value, position} descriptions of a natural number and observe the places the unit occupies at specific instances of time among its peers, while being a member of a cycle, under different orders prevailing. Which places elements occupy among their peers, under specific order conditions, is determined by numeric properties of the natural numbers that make up the element. The model presented is therefore tautologic, and can be compared to a hybrid of sudokus with the ultimate form of Rubik‘s cube. It is necessary for the reader to do some self-education on the matter of cycles as a prerequisite to understanding the working principle of the model. The contraption being a new development, it can’t have references in literature.One cannot lose a bet on the idea that sorting and ordering a collection of elementary logical elements will turn up typical patterns and that these archetypes of patterns will be of interest to Theoretical Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Information Theory, and some other fields, too.

The Householder transformation, allowing a rewrite of probabilities into expectations of dichotomic observables, is generalized in terms of its spectral decomposition. Dichotomy is modulated by allowing more than one negative eigenvalues, or by abandoning it altogether, yielding generalized operator valued arguments for contextuality. We also discuss a form of state-dependent contextuality by variation of the functional relations of the operators; in particular, by additivity.

In this speculative analysis, interdimensionality is introduced as the (co)existence of universes embedded into larger ones. These interdimensional universes may be isolated or intertwined, suggesting a variety of interdimensional intrinsic phenomena that can only be understood in terms of the outer, extrinsic reality.

Durability of concrete requires a dense microstructure which can be achieved by using self-compacting concrete (SCC). Both calcined clay (CC) and rice husk ash (RHA) are promising supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) that can partially replace cement, but their use in SCC is critical due to their higher water demand and specific surface area (SSA) compared to cement. Empirical method of SCC design was adopted considering the physical properties of both CC and RHA. The influence of partially substituting cement at 20 vol-% with binary and ternary blends of CC and RHA were investigated. The fresh properties of SCC were investigated using a variety of tests. The time dependent workability was monitored by plunger method and flow resistance determined based on the rheological measurements of SCC. The evolution of the hydrate phases of the binder in SCC was determined by thermogravimetric analysis, while the durability was evaluated by rapid chloride migration test. Cement partial replacement with 20 vol-% CC has no significant effect on SCC fresh, time dependent, compressive strength and durability properties. 20 vol-% RHA on the other hand requires higher dosage of SP to achieve self-compactability and increased the viscosity of SCC. Its workability retention is only up to 30 min after mixing and exhibited higher flow resistance. It consumes more CH and improves compressive strength and chloride resistance of SCC. The ternary blending with CC and RHA yielded better fresh SCC properties compared to the binary blend with RHA, while an improved chloride penetration resistance could be achieved compared to binary CC blend.

In a generalized topological space Tg = (Ω, Tg), ordinary interior and ordinary closure operators intg, clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, are defined in terms of ordinary sets. In order to let these operators be as general and unified a manner as possible, and so to prove as many generalized forms of some of the most important theorems in generalized topological spaces as possible, thereby attaining desirable and interesting results, the present au- thors have defined the notions of generalized interior and generalized closure operators g-Intg, g-Clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, in terms of a new class of generalized sets which they studied earlier and studied their essen- tial properties and commutativity. The outstanding result to which the study has led to is: g-Intg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) is finer (or, larger, stronger) than intg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) and g-Clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) is coarser (or, smal ler, weaker) than clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω). The elements supporting this fact are reported therein as a source of inspiration for more generalized operations.

Background: Monk healers provide an accessible and popular service in Southeast Asia, but little is known on the substance use status of their clients. This investigation intended to assess and compare the rate and correlates of substance use disorders in two different treatment settings (monk healers=MH and primary health care=PHC) in Thailand. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 1024 patients (591 of MH and 613 of PHC) responded to screening measures of the “World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test Lite”, and two common mental disorders (major depression and generalized anxiety disorder) from November 2018 to February 2019. Logistic regression was used to estimate the determinants of any substance use disorder in the MH and PHC setting. Results: The prevalence of substance use disorder was higher in MH clients than PHC patients: any substance use disorder 11.7% (95% Confidence Interval-CI: 9.3%-14.5%) vs 5.4% (95% CI: 3.9%-7.5%), tobacco use disorder 7.6% (95% CI: 5.7%-9.9%) vs 2.5% (95% CI: 1.5%-4.0%), alcohol use disorder 10.0% (95% CI: 8.4%-13.6%) vs 4.3% (95% CI: 3.0%-6.3%), any drug use disorder 4.2% (95% CI: 2.8%-6.1%) vs 0.3% (95% CI: 0.08%-1.3%), and any past three months drug use 8.2% (95% CI: 6.2%-10.7%) vs 1.5%, 95% CI: 0.8%-2.8%). In adjusted logistic regression analysis, among MH clients, male sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio-AOR: 9.52, 95% Confidence Interval-CI: 5.06-17.92) was positively, and were married (AOR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.16-0.61) and high social support (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16-0.99) were negatively associated with any substance use disorder. Among PHC patients, male sex (AOR: 7.05, 95% CI: 2.99-16.63) was positively and age (AOR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) was negatively associated with any substance use disorder. Conclusion: The proportion of substance use disorders among MH attendees was more than twice that of PHC attenders in Thailand, calling for collaboration in controlling substance use disorders between the two treatment systems.

Psychological distress (PD) may be common among adolescents. The study aimed to estimate population-based rates of PD among adolescents in South Africa. National cross-sectional data were analysed from 2,240 adolescents (17 years median age) that participated in a community-based population survey, the “2012 South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES-1).” Results indicated that 16.0% of the adolescents had PD, 13.1% among boys and 18.5% among girls. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, increasing age, girls, belonging to the Black African population group, having experienced two or more traumatic life events, poor self-rated health status, having activity limitations, perceived body overweight, fast food and snack consumption were associated with PD. Almost one in six adolescents in South Africa reported PD and several associated factors were identified.

The goal of the study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress (=PD) among adolescent school children in Bhutan. Nationally representative cross-sectional data were analysed from 7,576 adolescents (16 years median age) that took part in the “2016 Bhutan Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS).” PD was assessed with a 2-item screening measure (BMC Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02888-3). Results indicate that the prevalence of PD was 15.8%, 12.8% among males and 18.4% among females. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, female sex, having no close friends, older age, bullying victimization, infrequently physically attacked, parental emotional neglect, parents never check home work, passive smoking trouble from alcohol use, ever had sex, high sedentary behaviour and having sustained a single or multiple serious injuries (past year) were associated with PD. In addition, adequate fruit and vegetable consumptions was protective against PD. Almost one in six students reported PD and several associated factors were identified which can aid prevention and control strategies.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of heavy episodic drinking (HED) among adults in Ecuador. In the national cross-sectional 2018 Ecuador STEPS survey, 4,638 persons (median age=39 years, range 18-69 years) responded to a questionnaire, physical measures, and biomedical tests. Results indicate that 24.1% had past month HED, 36.7% among men, and 12.0% of women; 40.6% past month HED among past 12-month drinkers. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, male sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio=AOR: 3.12, 95% Confidence Interval=CI: 2.50-3.89), past smoking (AOR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09-1.76), and current smoking (AOR: 2.83, 95% CI: 2.15-3.83) were positively and persons aged 50-69 years (AOR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.38-0.66) and having underweight (AOR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.89) were negatively associated with HED. In addition, in sex-stratified analyses, among men, being African Ecuadorean or Mulato (AOR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.10-2.91), and high physical activity (AOR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01-1.99) were positively associated with HED, and among women, being Montubia (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.93) was negatively and obesity (AOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.44) was positively associated with HED. Almost one in four participants engaged in HED, and several sociodemographic and health indicators were identified that may facilitate public health interventions for reducing HED.

The rapidly expanding corona pandemic in 2020 brought the world to virtual economic stagna-tion. While the impact on the environment from suspended air traffic, idle industry and economic lockdown has been considerable, so have the economic and social consequences of the crisis. To make matters worse, the resulting state of stagnation is neither economically nor socially sustaina-ble. Nevertheless, we need to ask ourselves what we can learn from the situation in order to ex-plore the benefits of globalization, intercept similar crisis situations more effectively in the future and move towards more sustainable development on an ecological, economic and social level. This paper identifies the areas of expanded externality management needed to further improve environmental quality, digitalization, network expansion and basic income. These central issues need to be addressed both during and after the crisis in order to deal with problems of inequality and climate change mitigation for current and future generations. Concrete concepts will be put forward and discussed in the paper.

In a generalized topological space T_g = (Ω, T_g) (T_g-space), the g-topology T_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) can be characterized in the generalized sense by specifying the generalized open, generalized closed sets (g-T_g-open, g-T_g-closed sets), generalized interior, generalized closure operators g-Intg, g-Cl_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) (g-T_g-interior, g-T_g-closure operators), or generalized derived, generalized coderived operators g-Der_g, g-Cod_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) (g-T_g-derived, g-T_g-coderived operators), respectively. For very many T_g-spaces, the δ^th-iterates g-Der_g^(δ), g-Cod_g^(δ) : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) of g-Der_g, g-Cod_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, defined by transfinite recursion on the class of successor ordinals are also themselves g-T_g-derived, g-T_g-coderived operators for new g-topologies in the generalized sense on Ω. Thus, the use of novel definitions of g-T_g-derived, g-T_g-coderived operators g-Der_g, g-Cod_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, based on a very clever construction, together with their δ^th-iterates g-T_g-operators g-Der_g^(δ), g-Cod_g^(δ) : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), defined by transfinite recursion on the class of successor ordinals, will give rise to novel generalized g-topologies on Ω. The present authors have been actively engaged in the study of g-T_g-operators in T_g-spaces. The study of the essential properties and the commutativity of novel definitions of g-T_g-interior and g-T_g-closure operators g-Int_g, g-Cl_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, in T_g has formed the first part, and the study of the essential properties and sets of consistent, independent axioms of novel definitions of g-T_g-exterior and g-T_g-frontier operators g-Ext_g, g-Fr_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, has formed the second part. In this work, which forms the last part on the theory of g-T_g-operators in T_g-spaces, the present authors propose to present novel definitions and the study of the essential properties of g-T_g-derived and g-T_g-coderived operators g-Der_g, g-Cod_g : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, and their δ^th-iterates, and the notions of g-T_g-open and g-T_g-closed sets of ranks δ in T_g-spaces.

Empirical models for intensive or extensive margins of trade that relate measures of exports to firm characteristics are usually estimated by variants of (generalized) linear models. Usually, the firm characteristics that explain these export margins enter the empirical model in linear form, sometimes augmented by quadratic terms or higher order polynomials, or interaction terms, to take care or test for non-linear relationships. If these non-linear relationships do matter and if they are ignored in the specification of the empirical model this leads to biased results. Researchers, however, can never be sure that all possible non-linear relationships are taken care of in their chosen specifications. This note uses for the first time the Kernel-Regularized Least Squares (KRLS) estimator to deal with this issue in empirical models for margins of exports. KRLS is a machine learning method that learns the functional form from the data. Empirical examples show that it is easy to apply and works well. Therefore, it is considered as a useful addition to the box of tools of empirical trade economists.

Long COVID, also referred to as post-COVID-19 condition, describes the lingering after-effects of COVID-19 infection. This complex syndrome encompasses a range of symptoms affecting physical well-being, cognitive function, and mental health. The widespread impact of long COVID extends beyond individual sufferers, placing significant strain on healthcare systems and causing far-reaching socioeconomic consequences. The scale of this multifaceted health crisis is unparalleled in recent history, affecting millions globally and challenging our understanding of post-viral conditions. This study aimed to explore the possibility of targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) signaling pathway-related genes as therapeutics for long COVID using computational analysis. Targeting GPCRs and their signaling pathways holds significant promise for long COVID therapeutics, as these receptors are involved in crucial physiological processes including immune regulation, inflammation control, and neurotransmission. All of these are implicated in the diverse and persistent symptoms of long COVID, potentially offering a versatile approach to addressing multiple aspects of the condition simultaneously. This study identified 21 genes associated with GPCRs for further exploration as potential targets. Notably, GPCR genes such as HRAS, KRAS, GNAQ, and GNA11 were determined to be possible therapeutic targets for the pathophysiological mechanisms of long COVID. FDA-approved drugs targeting these genes were identified, including Binimetinib, Cabozantinib, Selumetinib, Panitumumab, Cetuximab, Adagrasib, Tipifarnib, and Sotorasib. Additionally, Naltrexone and Tipifarnib have emerged as potential new treatment options for long COVID. SARS-CoV-2 may hijack GPCR signaling pathways to dysregulate lung ion and fluid transport, contributing to the pathophysiology of pulmonary edema in patients with COVID-19. Further research is required to translate the findings into the development of therapeutics and to investigate the relationship between viral infection and GPCR signalling.

In a generalized topological space Tg = (Ω, Tg), generalized interior and generalized closure operators g-Intg, g-Clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, are merely two of a number of generalized primitive operators which may be employed to topologize the underlying set Ω in the generalized sense. Generalized exterior and generalized frontier operators g-Extg, g-Frg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, are other generalized primitive operators by means of which characterizations of generalized operations under g-Intg, g-Clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) can be given without even realizing generalized interior and generalized closure operations first in order to topologize Ω in the generalized sense. In a recent work, the present authors have defined novel types of generalized interior and generalized closure operators g-Intg, g-Clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, in Tg and studied their essential properties and commutativity. In this work, they propose to present novel definitions of generalized exterior and generalized frontier operators g-Extg, g-Frg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω), respectively, a set of consistent, independent axioms after studying their essential properties, and established further characterizations of generalized operations under g-Intg, g-Clg : P (Ω) −→ P (Ω) in Tg.

In recent years, many libraries and archives have started digitizing their collections thus making maps by Indigenous peoples more easily available for scholars to study. While a number of these maps were discussed by G. Malcolm Lewis in the History of Cartography series (volume 2, book 3, Chapter 4: 1984), more have since been found and disseminated. These maps are critical in understanding the historic and current land tenure of Indigenous groups. Further, Indigenous claims to land can be seen in their connections via toponymy. European concepts of territory and political boundaries did not coincide with First Nation/American Indian views resulting in the mistaken view that Natives did not have formal concepts of their territories. Further, Tribes/First Nations with cross-border territory have special jurisdictional problems. This paper will illustrate how many Native residents were very spatially cognizant of their own lands, as well as neighboring nations’ lands, overlaps between groups, hunting territories, populations, and trade networks. Currently, the Sinixt First Nation provides a perfect example of how an Aboriginal people are inputting and using a GIS representation of their territory with proper toponymy and use areas.

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of cervical and breast cancer screening among women in the general population in Jordan. Nationally representative cross-sectional data were analysed from 14,689 women (34 years median age, range 15-49) that took part in the “2017-18 Jordan Population and Family Health Survey”. Information about cancer screening uptake included Pap smear, clinical breast examination, and mammography. Results indicate that the prevalence of ever Pap smear cancer screening was 15.3%, clinical breast examination in the past 12 months 13.9% and ever mammography 8.7%. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, older age, higher wealth, greater media exposure and tobacco use were positively and being Syrian, and living in the southern region were negatively associated with ever Pap smear, clinical breast examination in the past 12 months, and ever mammography. In addition, high decision-making power was associated with the uptake of Pap smear and higher education was associated with ever mammography. The study showed a low cancer screening uptake, and several factors were identified that can assist in promoting cancer screening in Jordan.

The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of hazardous, harmful or dependent alcohol use (HHDA) and drug use among persons 15 years and older in South Africa. In a national cross-sectional 2017 survey, 39,210 persons 15 years and older (Median=34 years) responded to a questionnaire on substance and health variables. Logistic regression was used to assess the determinants of HHDA and any drug use. Results indicate that (10.3%) engaged HHDA, 16.5% among males and 4.6% among females, and past 3-month drug use was 8.6%, 13.3% among males and 4.1% among females. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, among men, middle age (25-34 year olds), higher education, urban residence, drug use, and psychological distress were positively and Indian or Asian and White population groups were negatively associated with HHDA. Among women, middle age (25-34 year olds), Coloureds, residing on rural farms and urban areas, drug use and psychological distress were positively and older age (55 years and older), and Indians or Asians were negatively associated with HHDA. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, among men, having Grade 8-11 education, Coloureds, being unemployed, and HHDA were positively and middle and older age (25 years and older) and being a student or learner were negatively associated with past 3-month any drug use. Among women, Coloureds, Indians or Asians, and HHDA were positively and older age (45 years and older) was negatively associated with past 3-month and drug use. About one in ten participants engaged HHDA and any drug use, and several sociodemographic and health indicators were identified associated with HHDA and any drug use.

The climate crisis is developing to a life-changing event on a global level. Health promotion with the aim to increase the health status of individuals, independent from the present health status has been developed on scientific basis at least for the last eight decades and follows. There are some basic principles, which are prerequisites for both, health promotion and climate protection. Those principles include (1) sustainability, (2) orientation on determinants, and (3) requirement of in-dividual as well as community approaches. People are generally aiming to protect their lifestyle habits (e.g. traveling, consumer habits) and personal properties (e.g. car, house) by easy solution with as little effort as possible, and this can affect both, health and climate. To reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to protect our environment, changes towards a sustainable lifestyle have to be embed into everybody’s mind. Examples for domains, that need to be addressed in health promotion as well as in climate protection include education/ knowledge/ (health) literacy, physical activity, nutrition and dietary habits, mental health, and social capital. If health promo-tion fails to tackle those domains, this will continue to drive climate crisis. And climate change, in turn, will affect health. On the other hand, developing and promoting health resources in the domains mentioned could again help to mitigate the health-damaging effects of climate change.

(1) Background: Second Victims are health care workers negatively affected by adverse events and are prone to developing dysfunctional coping strategies compromising not only their own, but also patient safety. An effective way to address this issue is the implementation of peer support programs. This paper reports on the effectiveness of a peer support program at the Austrian Hietzing Clinic (KHI). (2) Methods: Telephone interviews were carried out after peer support sessions using a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was carried out reporting frequencies and proportions for nominal variables, means with standard deviations for ordinal and interval-scaled variables. (3) Results: So far, 45 peer supporters have completed telephone interviews after a peer support session. The main reasons for the session were bad news from the private sphere and death of a patient. The peer supporters rated the helpfulness of the sessions for their colleagues as very high while not feeling very burdened themselves afterwards. (4) Conclusions: Underutilization of the program is probable. However, the high rating of helpfulness of the carried-out sessions by the peer supporters in combination with them not feeling very burdened, shows that the program is safe for the peer supporters and an upscaling is warranted.

Biological function depends on the composition as well as structure of the organism, that is the organization of interactions between its parts. In multicellular organisms, the complex communication between cells is crucial for the coordination of cellular functions (growth, differentiation, apoptosis), compartmentalization of cellular processes within the organism, and the integration of cells into functioning higher levels of structural organization. Here we focus on the interaction among cells, as the basic level of biological organization, capable of a remarkable degree of autonomy and self-maintenance. While a wealth of data on putative cell interactions has recently become available, its biological interpretation depends on expectations we have for the structure of these interaction networks. This contribution is an attempt at formulating basic questions we may ask about cell interaction data. We build on the understanding that cells fulfill two general functions: the integrity-maintaining and the organismal service function. We derive the expected patterns of cell interactions considering two intertwined aspects: the immediate functional and the evolutionary. Based on these, we propose several guidelines for analysis and interpretation of transcriptional cell-interactome data.

A body plan is a stable configuration of characters for a major taxonomic group, such as chordates or arthropods. Despite widespread casual reliance on the concept for guiding comparisons within and between groups, the nature of body plans as well as the biological causes underlying their evolution have remained elusive. This paper proposes an abstract mechanistic model of body plan identity. We hypothesize that body plans are an evolutionary phenomenon that only applies to a relatively small subset of major clades, rather than being associated with each and every so-called “phylum.” Body plans arise in evolution by stepwise accretion, and require a level of developmental complexity that is only found in some animal clades. Further, we suggest that, parallel to the developmental mechanisms controlling character identity, there are “body plan identity mechanisms” (BpIMs) that maintain entire configurations of characters while possessing a mechanistic architecture that is itself stable and traceable through evolutionary change. These BpIMs, we suggest, are entrenched intercellular signaling networks operating between transient embryonic structures that are destined to differentiate into distinct individualized characters. The activity of a BpIM results in a transient long-range integration of the embryo that is highly sensitive to genetic and environmental perturbations, and that can be detected morphologically as a conserved phylotypic stage. This model is illustrated with detailed interpretations of the notochord signaling system and the segment polarity network as candidate BpIMs in vertebrates and arthropods, respectively. We conclude by contrasting the proposed developmental-mechanistic conception of body plans with the phylogenetic notion of ground plans, and sketch the general outlines of an empirical research program on body plan evolution.

Embryo implantation is a hallmark of the female reproductive biology of eutherian (placental) mammals and does not exist in a sustainable form in any other vertebrate group. Implantation is the initial process that leads to a sustained fetal-maternal unit engendering a complex functional relationship between the mother and the embryo/fetus. The nature of this relationship is often portrayed as one of conflict between an aggressive embryo and a passive or defensive maternal organism. Recent progress in elucidating the evolutionary origin of eutherian pregnancy leads to a different picture. The emerging scenario suggests that the very initial stages in the evolution of embryo implantation require evolutionary changes to the maternal physiology, which modified an ancestral generic mucosal inflammation in response to the presence of the embryo into an active embedding process. This “female-first” evolutionary scenario also explains the role of endometrial receptivity in human pregnancy. On the marsupial side, where in most animals the fetal-maternal interaction is short and does not lead to a long term sustainable placentation, the relationship is mutual. In these mammals uterine inflammation is followed by parturition in short order. The inflammatory signaling pathways, however, are cooperative, i.e. they are performed by both the fetus and the mother and therefore we call this relationship “cooperative inflammation.” Based on these discoveries we reconceive the narrative of the maternal-fetal relationship.

Deploying Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) devices in urban and remote areas faces significant energy efficiency challenges. This is especially true for Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices, which are expected to function on a single charge for up to 10 years while transmitting small amounts of data daily. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced energy-saving mechanisms in Releases 13 to 16, including Early Data Transmission (EDT) and Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR). These mechanisms extend battery life and reduce latency by enabling data transmission without an active Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection or Random Access Procedure (RAP). This paper examines these mechanisms using the LENA-NB simulator in the ns-3 environment, which is a comprehensive framework for studying various aspects of NB-IoT. The LENA-NB has been extended with PUR, and our analysis shows that PUR significantly enhances battery life and latency efficiency, particularly in high-density environments. Compared to the default RAP method, PUR reduces energy consumption by more than 2.5 times and increases battery life by 1.6 times. Additionally, PUR achieves latency reductions of 2.5-3.5 times. The improvements with PUR are most notable for packets up to 125 bytes. Our findings highlight PUR’s potential to enable more efficient and effective CIoT deployments across various scenarios. This study represents a detailed analysis of latency and energy consumption in a simulated environment, advancing the understanding of PUR’s benefits.

In the proposed article, the issues of increasing the synchronizing ability of the system of coordinated rotation of asynchronous motors are considered. Based on the T-shaped equivalent circuit, electromechanical relationships were obtained with changes in the value of the total rotor resistance and the supply voltage of individual motors. An algorithm for calculating the torques, stator and rotor currents of the motors of the system has been compiled. Based on the calculations obtained, the mechanical characteristics of the system asynchronous motors are constructed for various values of total resistance, supply voltages and rotor positions. The obtained data and graphs confirm the adequacy of the theory obtained in an analytical way. Functional and structural diagrams in small scales have been compiled, which allow simulating transient operation modes of multi-motor asynchronous electric drives in the Matlab application package. Multi-motor asynchronous electric drives with adjustable supply voltages, as well as with preliminary synchronization and synchronous braking, have been developed. Compilation of a program for the stability of a nonlinear system of a multi-motor asynchronous electric drive (MAEDs) with a thyristor voltage converter (TVC) in Matlab. Also, the modes of soft start, load shedding and surge on the motor shaft are simulated, confirming the stability of the system.

There is a continuous growth of heat pump installations in residential buildings in Germany. The heat pumps were not only used for space heating and domestic hot water consumption but also to offer flexibility to the grid. the high coefficient of performance and the low cost of heat storages made the heat pumps an optimal candidate for the power to heat applications. Thus, several questions are raised about the optimal integration and control of the heat pump system with buffer storages to maximize its operation efficiency and minimize the operation costs. In this paper, an experimental investigation is performed to study the performance of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) with a combi-storage under several configurations and control factors. The experiments were performed on an innovative modular testbed that is capable of emulating a ground source to provide the heat pump with different temperature levels at different times of the day. Moreover, it can emulate the different building loads such as the space heating load and the domestic hot water consumption in real-time. The data gathered from the testbed and different experimental studies were used to develop a simulation model based on Modelica that can accurately simulate the dynamics of a GSHP in a building. The model was validated based on different metrics. Energetically, the difference between the developed model and the measured values was only 3.08\% and 4.18\% for the heat generation and electricity consumption, respectively.

We discuss a remote sensing system that is used to simultaneously detect range-resolved differential absorption LIDAR (light detection and ranging; DIAL) signals and integrated path DIAL signals (IP-DIAL) from aerosol targets for ranges up to 22 km. The DIAL/IP-DIAL frequency converter consists of an OPO pumped at 1064 nm to produce light at 1.6 μm and operates at 100 Hz pulse repetition frequency. The probe light is free space coupled to a movable platform that contains one transmitter and two receiver telescopes. Hybrid photon counting/current systems increase the dynamic range for detection by two orders of magnitude. Range resolved and column integrated dry-air CO2 and CH4 mixing ratios are obtained from line shape fits of CO2 and CH4 centered at 1602.2 nm and 1645.5 nm, respectively and measured at 10 different frequencies over ≈ 1.5 cm-1 bandwidth. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of the IP-DIAL returns from cloud aerosols approach 1000:1 and the uncertainties in the mixing ratios weighted according to the integrated counts over the cloud segments range from 0.1 % to 1 %. The range averaged DIAL mixing ratios are in good agreement with the IP-DIAL mixing ratios at the 1 % to 2 % level for both CO2 and CH4. These results can serve as a validation method for future active and passive satellite observational systems.

The extent to which projects are established as an organizational form in society to cope with various challenges has been analyzed extensively in research under the term ‘projectification.’ However, it remains unclear how the projectification at the level of society begins and which actors are involved in its institutionalization. Drawing on an explanatory case study in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, responses are provided to these questions and propositions for further research. The country is undertaking reforms as part of its ongoing transformation, which includes professional implementation of projects, particularly in the public sector. These activities are, to some extent, based on the developments in project management in neighboring Kazakhstan, where a presidential decree also constituted a first step towards the institutionalization of projectification. It later found its way into relevant sectors and to key actors via the presidential administration, primarily through regulative and normative institutions. Due to increased international cooperation, the number and importance of projects in Kyrgyzstan will continue to increase in the coming years, requiring greater emphasis on projectification. The results are informative for research into projectification and for those involved in countries with comparable situations.

This paper discusses how Marsascala, a coastal town in Malta, has been urbanized over the years, with particular attention to the development of the tourist industry. In this regard, Bruce Young’s (1983) “general model of the process of ‘touristization’ and landscape change” is engaged with in conjunction with other conceptualisations of tourism and urban development. This paper contributes to the following sustainable development goals respectively, 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing); 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities); 14 (Life Below Water); and 15 (Life on Land), in particular with respect to quality of life, urbanization and respective social, environmental, and economic impacts, and through respective recommendations for a sustainable tourism in Marsascala and similar localities.

In a bid to resolve lingering problems in cosmology, more focus is being tilted towards cosmological models in which physical constants of nature are not necessarily real constants, but varying with cosmic time. In this paper we have study cosmology in nonlinear electrodynamics with the Newton's gravitational constant $G$ not a constant but vary in form of power-law of the scale factor of the universe. The evolution of the scale factor $a (t)$ is studied in this model which depends on nonlinear electrodynamics fine tuning term of $\alpha$. Then we check the stability of the model using the speed of sound.

G-quadruplexes are noncanonical nucleic acid structures formed from stacked guanine tetrads. They are frequently used as building blocks and functional elements in fields such as synthetic biology and also thought to play widespread biological roles. G-quadruplexes are often studied as monomers but can also form a variety of higher-order structures. This increases the structural and functional diversity of G-quadruplexes, and recent evidence suggests that it could also be biologically important. In this review we describe the types of multimeric topologies adopted by G-quadruplexes and highlight what is known about their sequence requirements. We also summarize the limited information available about potential biological roles of multimeric G-quadruplexes and suggest new approaches that could facilitate future studies of these structures.

This paper presents a) the novel hybrid learning method to train the type-1 non-singleton interval type-3 (IT3) fuzzy logic systems (IT3 NSFLS-1) and b) the novel method named enhanced Wagner-Hagras (EWH) IT3 NSFLS-1 fuzzy systems which includes the level alpha 0 output to calculate the output y alpha using the average of the outputs y alpha k instead of their weighted average. The development of the proposed methodology uses the orthogonal least square (OLS) method to train the consequent parameters and the back propagation (BP) method to train the antecedent parameters. This proposal dynamically changes the parameters of only the level alpha 0 minimizing some criterion function as new information becomes available to each level alpha k. The antecedent sets are type-2 fuzzy sets, the consequent sets are fuzzy centroids, the inputs are type-1 non-singleton fuzzy numbers with uncertain standard deviations, and the secondary membership functions are modeled as two Gaussians with uncertain standard deviation and the same mean. Based on the firing set of the level alpha 0, the proposed methodology calculates each firing set of each level alpha k to dynamically construct and update the EWH IT3 NSFLS-1 (OLS-BP) system. The algorithm was tested in a hot strip mill facility to predict the transfer bar surface temperature showing its superior capability to obtain the industrial pyrometer’s knowledge uncertainty for tuning and its better performance when compared with IT2 SFLS, IT2 NSFLS-1, GT2 SFLS, GT2 NSFLS-1, IT3 SFLS, and IT3 NSFLS-1 trained with the BP-BP algorithm.

We study the μ-μ45-T phase diagram of the 2+1-dimensional Gross-Neveu model, where μ denotes the ordinary chemical potential, μ45 the chiral chemical potential and T the temperature. We use the mean-field approximation and two different lattice regularizations with naive chiral fermions. An inhomogeneous phase at finite lattice spacing is found for one of the two regularizations. Our results suggest that there is no inhomogeneous phase in the continuum limit. We show that a chiral chemical potential is equivalent to an isospin chemical potential. Thus, all results presented in this work can also be interpreted in the context of isospin imbalance.

Morphological and phylogenetic (45S nrDNA+RPB1 gene) analyses of three glomoid spore-producing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi revealed the presence of two new species be-longing to the genus Glomus in the family Glomeraceae. In the field, Glomus highlandensis sp. nov. was found in a saltmarsh of the Scottish Highlands and in maritime sand dunes of the Baltic Sea in Poland, both saline environments, while G. mongioie sp. nov. originates from the Italian Alps. Phylogenetic placement analysis using environmental sequences indicated that G. highlandensis could have likely worldwide distribution while G. mongioie seems to be a rare species in the world. The molecular and phylogenetic analysis provided important insights about the presence of ribosomal variants in Glomus, with potential negative implication in phylogeny and species recognition.

Extracellular vesicles represent a large heterogeneous class of near and long-distance intercellular communication mediators, released by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Specifically, the scientific community has shown a growing interest in exosomes, which are nano-sized vesicles with an endosomal origin. Not so long ago, the physiological goal of exosome generation was largely unknown and required more investigation; at first, it was hypothesized that exosomes are able to remove excess, rejects and unnecessary constituents from cells to preserve cellular homeostasis. However, thanks to recent studies, the central role of exosomes in regulating cellular dialogue has emerged. Exosomes act as vectors on cell-cell signaling by their cargo, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and influence physiological and pathological processes. The findings on exosomes are widespread in a large spectrum of biomedical applications from diagnosis and prognosis to thera-pies. In this review, we describe exosome biogenesis and the current methods for their isolation and characterization, emphasizing the role of their cargo in female reproductive processes, from gametogenesis to implantation, and the potential involvement in human female disorders.

This paper proposes and demonstrates, in full scale, a novel type of energy geostructure (“the Climate Road”) that combines a ground source heat pump (GSHP) with a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) by utilizing the gravel roadbed simultaneously as energy source and rainwater retarding basin. The Climate Road measures 50m x 8m x 1m (length, width, depth) and has 800 m of geothermal piping embedded in the roadbed, serving as the heat collector for a GSHP that supplies a nearby kindergarten with domestic hot water and space heating. Model analysis of operational data from 2018-2021 indicates sustainable annual heat production levels around 0.6 MWh per meter road, with a COP of 2.9-3.1. The continued infiltration of rainwater to the roadbed increases the amount of extractable heat by an estimated 17% compared to the case of zero infiltration. Using the developed model for scenario analysis we find that draining rainwater from three single family houses and storing 30% of the annual heating consumption in the roadbed, increases the predicted extractable energy by 56% compared to zero infiltration with no seasonal energy storage. The Climate Road is capable of supplying three single family houses with heating, cooling and rainwater management year-round.

Several specific types of generalized compactness of generalized topological spaces have been defined, investigated and related to compactness in ordinary topological spaces from time to time in the literature of topological spaces. Our recent research in the field of a new class of generalized compactness in a generalized topological space is reported herein as a starting point for more generalized classes.

Several specific types of ordinary and generalized connectedness in a generalized topological space have been defined and investigated for various purposes from time to time in the literature of topological spaces. Our recent research in the field of a new type of generalized connectedness in a generalized topological space is reported herein as a starting point for more generalized types.

Several specific types of generalized maps of a generalized topological space have been defined and investigated for various purposes from time to time in the literature of topological spaces. Our recent research in the field of a new class of generalized maps of a generalized topological space is reported herein as a starting point for more generalized classes.

Several specific types of generalized sets of a generalized topological space have been defined and investigated for various purposes from time to time in the literature of topological spaces. Our recent research in the field of a new class of generalized sets of a generalized topological space is reported herein as a starting point for more generalized classes.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor prognosis and displays resistance to immunotherapy. A better understanding of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) effects on immune responses might contribute to improved immunotherapy. EVs derived from Capan-2 and BxPC-3 PC cells isolated by ultracentrifugation were characterized by atomic force microscopy, western blot (WB), nanoparticle tracking analysis and label-free proteomics. Fresh PBMCs from healthy donors were treated with PC- or control-derived heterologous EVs followed by flow cytometry analysis of CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes. Proteomics of lymphocytes sorted from EV-treated, or -untreated PBMCs was performed and IFN-γ concentration was measured by ELISA. Notably, most of the proteins identified in Capan-2 and BxPC-3 EVs by proteomic analysis were connected in a single functional network (p=1x10-16) and were involved in “Immune System” (FDR: 1.10x10-24 and 3.69x10-19, respectively). Interestingly, treatment of healthy donor-derived PBMCs with Capan-2 EVs, but not with BxPC-3 EVs or heterologous control EVs induced early activation of CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes. Proteomics of lymphocytes sorted from EV-treated PBMCs was consistent with their activation by Capan-2 EVs, indicating IFN-γ among major upstream regulators, as confirmed by ELISA. Proteomic and functional analyses indicate that PC-EVs have pleiotropic effects, and some may activate early immune response, which might be relevant for the development of highly needed immunotherapeutic strategies in this immune-cold tumor.

Abiotic stress is responsible for significant reduction in crop plant productivity worldwide. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a natural component of sunlight and a permanent environmental stimulus. This study investigated the distinct responses of young wheat and einkorn plants to excessive UV-B radiation (180 min at λmax 312 nm) following foliar pretreatment with 1 µM synthetic cytokinin 4PU-30. Results demonstrated that UV radiation significantly amplified hydrogen peroxide levels in both wheat and einkorn, with einkorn exhibiting more pronounced increase compared to wheat. This elevation indicated the induction of oxidative stress by UV radiation in the two genotypes. Intensified antioxidant enzyme activities and increased accumulation of typical stress markers and non-enzyme protectants were evidenced. Transcriptional activity of genes encoding key antioxidant enzymes was also investigated aiming to elucidate the genetic regulation of the antioxidant systems in both wheat and einkorn seedlings. Our results suggested a role for POX1 and POX7 genes in the UV-B tolerance of the two wheat species as well as a cytokinin stimulated UV-B stress response in einkorn mediated through upregulation of the tau subfamily gene GSTU6. Based on these findings it could be concluded that 4PU-30 had the potential of alleviating oxidative stress by attenuating the symptoms of superfluous UV-B illumination in the two examined plant species.

(1) Background: The study of microbiome is being crucial for his role in major systemic diseases, in particular the oral and gut microbiota. In the last years the study of microorganism correlated for example with neurodegenerative disease is increasing the prospective of a possible link between gut microbiota and brain. Here we report a new case report about a patient evaluated genetically firstly for dementia and late-onset dyskinesia, and then tested with 16S metagenomics sequencing. (2) Methods: Starting from buccal swab, we extracted bacterial DNA and then we performed a NGS metagenomics sequencing based on the amplification of hypervariable regions of the 16S in bacteria. (3) Results: The sequencing revealed the presence of Spirochaetes Phylum, a pathogenic bacterium generally known to be able to migrate to the Central Nervous System and not only. (4) Conclusions: Oral infections as our results shows could be possible contributing factors to various neurodegenerative conditions.

Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) are ubiquitous in industrial-11 ized environments due to the continuous use of electrical devices. Our previous studies demon-12 strated ELF-EMF affects muscle cells by modulating oxidative stress and enhancing myo-genesis. 13 This pilot study investigated these effects on skeletal muscles of sedentary adult mice, assessing 14 physiological responses to ELF-EMF exposure and potential modulation by antioxidant supplemen-15 tation. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to ELF-EMF (0.1 or 1.0 mT) 1 hour/day up to 5 weeks, and 16 fed a standard diet without or with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). Results showed transient increases in 17 muscle strength (after 2-weeks’ exposure at 1.0 mT), potentially linked to muscle fiber recruitment 18 and activation, revealed by higher PAX7 and MyH expression levels. After ELF-EMF exposure, ox-19 idative status assessment revealed transient increases in expression levels of SOD1 and catalase en-20 zymes, in total antioxidant capacity and in protein carbonyl levels, marker of oxidative damage. 21 These effects were partially reduced by NAC. In conclusion, ELF-EMF exposure affects skeletal 22 muscle physiology and NAC supplementation partially mitigates these effects, highlighting the 23 complex interactions between ELF-EMF and antioxidant pathways in vivo. Further investigations 24 on ELF-EMF as a therapeutic modality for muscle health are necessary.

In the Brazilian Amazon, rural settlements are increasingly isolated by large-scale production farms, jeopardizing their sustainability and the good living of family farmers. Works were carried out in settlements to measure sustainability. However, the majority does not consider the participation and the collectively of those involved. In this way, we propose to evaluate, in a collective and participatory way, the sustainability and good living of the SDP São Paulo Rural Settlement, of the northern Amazon of Mato Grosso. We used the didactic-pedagogical method Circle of Sustainability, developed from five points: 1st - circle of investigation of generating themes; 2nd - circle of the history of the subject world; 3rd - circle of diagnosis of rural settlements; 4th - circle of exchange of knowledge; and 5th - circle of sustainable perceptions and narratives. The historical, socioeconomic and cultural characterization of the settlement allowed us to understand how sustainability and good living are being built in the settlement history process. Sustainability and good living are dialectical processes, are under construction, in movement.

The present study comprises the second part of our previous work that dealt mainly with the phytochemical and physicochemical characterization of green coffee, clove, cinnamon/clove and nutmeg ethanolic extracts of grape origin. In the present study, we focused on producing a discriminating model concerning green coffee, clove, cinnamon, cinnamon and clove, and nutmeg fine powders based on multivariate analysis of variance and supervised learning on data of volatile compounds analysis, carried out with solid phase dynamic extraction in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results showed that 7 volatile compounds namely ethylene, methanol, 3-methylpentane, ethyl acetate, 9-hexadecen-1-ol, toluene, and methyl acetate could differentiate the investigated samples resulting in a 100% classification rate using the cross-validation method of linear discriminant analysis. Results were further confirmed using partial least squares regression analysis. The study contributes to the typification of green coffee, cinnamon, clove, cinnamon and clove and nutmeg, based on selected volatile compounds, and provides further support to the literature by means of possible adulteration given the statistical models developed.

This paper describes the design and implementation of an ultrasonic non-contact air-coupled technique (UNCACT) using antisymmetric Lamb waves (ALW) for NDT assessment in novel composite sandwich plates of the car body shell. This technique is complemented with a C-Scan image implementation using this kind of guided waves. The finite element method using Comsol 6.1 is developed for the interpretation of the several wave modes presented in the experiments, including the ALW mode. The phase velocity method (PVM) is applied for the verification of the ALW mode in the portion of the RF signal necessary in the C-Scan image.

Recent studies have demonstrated an important role for vitamin C in the epigenetic regulation of cancer-related genes via DNA demethylation by the ten-eleven translocation (TET) methylcytosine dioxygenase enzymes. DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) reverses this, increasing DNA methylation and decreasing gene expression. Dual oxidase (DUOX) enzymes produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in normal pancreatic tissue but are silenced in pancreatic cancer (PDAC). Treatment of PDAC with pharmacologic ascorbate (P-AscH-, intravenous, high dose vitamin C) increases DUOX expression. We hypothesized that inhibiting DNMT may act synergistically with P-AscH- to further increase DUOX expression and cytotoxicity of PDAC. PDAC cells demonstrated dose-dependent increases in DUOX mRNA and protein expression when treated with DNMT inhibitors. PDAC cells treated with P-AscH- + DNMT inhibitors demonstrated increased DUOX expression, increased intracellular oxidation, and increased cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo compared to either treatment alone. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic, epigenetic mechanism to treat PDAC.

Hereditary cancer syndromes caused by germline mutations account for 5-10% of all cancers. The finding of a genetic mutation could have far-reaching consequences for pharmaceutical therapy, personalized prevention strategies, and cascade testing. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s (NCCN) and the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) guidelines, unaffected family members should be tested only if the affected one is unavailable. This article explores whether germline genetic testing may be offered to high-risk families for hereditary cancer even if a living affected relative is missing. A retrospective study was carried out on 103 healthy subjects tested from 2017 to 2023. We enrolled all subjects with at least two first or second-degree relatives affected by breast, ovarian, pancreatic, gastric, prostate, or colorectal cancer. All subjects were tested by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) multi-gene panel of 27 cancer-associated genes. In the study population, 5 (about 5%) pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) were found while 40 (42%) had a Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS). This study highlights the importance of genetic testing for individuals with a strong family history of hereditary malignancies. This approach would allow women who tested positive to receive tailored treatment and prevention strategies based on their personal mutation status.

In this paper glass crystallization behavior of 50ZnO:47B2O3:3Nb2O3:0.5Eu2O3 (G-0h) glass has been investigated in detail by DSC, XRD and TEM analysis. The luminescent properties of resulted glass-ceramics were also investigated. By XRD and TEM analysis crystallization of several crystalline phases have been proved (α-Zn3B2O6, β-Zn3B2O6 and ZnNb2O6). By calculating of crystal parameters it was found that europium ions are successfully incorporated in the β-Zn3B2O6. Photo-luminescent spectra show an increased emission in the resulting glass-ceramic samples as compared with the parent glass sample because of the higher asymmetry of Eu3+ ions in the crystalline phases obtained. It was established that the optimum emission intensity is registered for glass-ceramic sample obtained after 25 hours heat treatment of the parent glass.

Heating systems such as heat pump and combined heat and power cycle systems (CHP) are representing a key component in the future smart grid. Their capability to couple the electricity and heat sector promises a massive potential to the energy transition. Hence, these systems are continuously studied numerical and experimental to quantify their potential and develop optimal control methods. Although numerical simulations provide time and cost-effective solution for system development and optimization, they are exposed to several uncertainties. Hardware in the loop (HiL) system enables system validation and evaluation under different real-life dynamic constraints and boundary conditions. In this paper, a HiL system of heat pump testbed is presented. This system is used to present two case studies. In the first case, the conventional heat pump testbed operation method is compared to the HiL operation method. Energetic and dynamic analyses are performed to quantify the added value of the HiL and its necessity for dynamics analysis. The second case, the HiL testbed is used to validate the heat pump operation in a single family house participating in a local energy market. It enables not only the dynamics of the heat pump and the space heating circuit to be validated but also the building room temperature. The energetic analysis indicated a deviation of 2% and 5% for heat generation and electricity consumption of the heat pump, respectively. The model dynamics emphasized the model capability to present the dynamics of a real system with a temporal distortion of 3%.

Previous reviews have investigated machine learning (ML) models used to predict the risk of developing preeclampsia but have not described how the ML models are intended to be deployed throughout pregnancy or feature performance. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the existing ML models and their intended deployment patterns and performance along with identified features of high importance. This review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Engineering Village, and the Association for Computing Machinery were searched between January and February 2024. A total of 86 studies were found of which 14 were included. Out of 12 studies, eight showed the intent to use the ML model as a single-use, two intended a dual-use, and two intended multiple-use. A total of seven studies listed the features of the highest importance. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were listed along with mean arterial pressure to be of high importance. Out of four studies intending to use the ML model more than a single-use, three of them were conducted in the years 2023 and 2024, whereas the remaining study is from 2011. No ML model emerged as superior across the subgroups of PE. Utilizing body mass index and either mean arterial pressure or diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure may benefit the performance. The deployment patterns are mainly single use being within the gestation weeks 11+0 to 14+1.

Conversational spoken dialogue systems that interact with the user rather than merely reading text can be equipped with hesitations to manage the dialogue flow and the users' attention. Based on a series of empirical studies, we built an elaborated hesitation synthesis strategy for dialogue systems that inserts hesitations of scalable extent wherever needed in the ongoing utterance. So far, evaluations of hesitating systems have shown that synthesis quality is affected negatively by hesitations, but that there is improvement in interaction quality. We argue that due to its conversational nature, hesitation synthesis needs interactive evaluation rather than traditional MOS-based questionnaires. To prove this point, we dually evaluate our system’s speech synthesis component: on the one hand, linked to the dialogue system evaluation, on the other hand, in the traditional MOS way. This way we are able to analyze and discuss differences that arise due to the evaluation methodology. Our results suggest that MOS scales are not sufficient to assess speech synthesis quality, which has implications for future research that are discussed in this paper. Furthermore, our results indicate that hesitations work well to increase task performance and that an elaborated strategy is necessary to avoid likability issues.

As the demand of heating and air conditioning is increasing day by day due to getting a comfortable life, for that reason, the market for heat pump and air conditioning systems or both, is seeing a steady increase in low global warming potential. All researchers on heat pump and air conditioning systems are searching for environmentally friendly refrigerants. However, a significant number of contemporary refrigerants (HCFCs) have the potential to cause global warming and ozone depletion, such as those found in heat pump air conditioning systems. Using more environmentally friendly refrigerants, including hydrocarbon and blend refrigerant mixtures, is one way to lower GWP and Ozone depletion potential. This study examines the performance of several alternative refrigerants, including R32, R134A, R410A, R22, and R290. In order to examine the performance of R290, theoretical and simulation results are compared on various refrigerants while taking into account a number of performance parameters, including the refrigerant energy efficiency ratio, mass flow rate, coefficient of performance, cooling capacity, and compressor work for one ton of refrigeration (1TR) air conditioners. One player with a very low GWP is R290. However, the only drawback is that it can catch fire and is hazardous to use in split-type commercial heat pump air conditioning applications. The environmental and thermo physical properties of HC-290 are significantly better than those of other materials, according to theoretical and simulation studies utilizing Cool Pack software, hence it is a viable replacement.

Human urinary bladder cancer has similar development that invasive urothelial cancer that happens spontaneously in dogs. Then, research of these malignant tumors associated with the advances of new treatment drive to the specific fight of the urothelial tumor cell, is highly valuably related to efficiency and reduction of side effects of treatments, even extrapolating to humans. Thus, a review of the most important aspects on new advances on canine bladder cancer was achieved. Many forms of therapies are being reported; one of them, of highly promising feature is the treatment with immunomodulators. The resemblance between spontaneous urothelial cancer in canines and urinary bladder cancer in humans makes this canine tumor relevant animal model to research and advances of treatment that may be more efficient in management of tumor with less unfavorable effects. Immunomodulators exhibit important outcomes when used in the therapy of bladder cancer in dogs. Nanomaterials that are possible carriers of some kinds of drugs to the target tumor significantly raise the efficiently of the therapy. Therefore, the advancement of immunomodulator combined with nanoparticles can disrupt the therapy of bladder cancer in dogs and thereafter in humans.

Klippel-Feil disease is a condition characterized by a defect in the spine, consisting in the fusion or non-separation of two or more vertebrae of the cervical tract. It usually affects 1 every 50.000 newborns, and the pathogenesis remains unknown to date, although the role of certain genes deputed in segmentation processes is being studied. A single case of gene Myosin Heavy Chain 3 (MYH3) mutation is described by researchers. Affected patients are often characterized by a relatively short neck and, therefore, poor mobility, a low hairline and obesity and may have other health problems of different nature. The frequent presence of comorbidities worsens the quality of life of these young patients. The following case describes the synergistic effect of Incobotulinum toxin type A and physiotherapy in a small patient with MYH3 mutation-related Klippel-Feil Syndrome (KFS) complicated by bilateral paraplegia, to improve the spasticity condition of the lower limbs. To assess improvements over time, the patient underwent rating scales to determine spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale: MAS), the neck’s range of motion (ROM), and muscle tone by using MyotonProÒ. Specifically, measurements were taken on the day of the first medical examination (T0), the month after the injection and the startup of therapeutic exercise (T1), at three months (T2), and then once a month for a total of 6 months (T3, T4 and T5). This therapeutic approach led to entirely satisfactory results with the child’s well-being, prolonged until the sixth month and with a total absence of any side effects.

Several specific types of ordinary and generalized separation axioms of a generalized topological space have been defined and investigated for various purposes from time to time in the literature of topological spaces. Our recent research in the field of a new class of generalized separation axioms of a generalized topological space is reported herein as a starting point for more generalized classes.

This review paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on the contamination of water systems by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs, organic contaminants characterized by two or more fused aromatic rings, are notably problematic due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and significant health risks. The review commences with an examination of various sources of PAHs in aquatic environments, encompassing both anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharges, urban runoff, and oil spills, and natural phenomena including volcanic eruptions and wildfires. Subsequently, the discussion shifts to the distribution patterns of PAHs within different aquatic ecosystems, with an analysis of factors that influence their transport. Considerable focus is placed on the entry mechanisms of PAHs into water systems and their interactions with diverse environmental matrices. Additionally, the ecotoxicological effects of PAHs on aquatic life are scrutinized, with particular emphasis on molecular, individual, and ecosystemic impacts. This includes an exploration of PAH bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms and their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic consequences. The review further addresses the challenges associated with detecting and quantifying PAHs in aquatic settings, reflecting on the advancements in analytical methodologies and the complexities introduced by their varied physicochemical properties. The paper concludes with a summary of existing regulatory frameworks and guidelines governing PAH contamination in water systems, underscoring the imperative for global collaboration in the monitoring and management of PAH pollution.

Although all isolates of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes are considered to be pathogenic, epidemiological evidence indicates that certain serovar 4b lineages are more likely to cause severe invasive (neuromeningeal, maternal-fetal) listeriosis. Recently described as L. monocytogenes “hypervirulent” clones, no distinctive bacterial trait has been identified so far that could account for the differential pathogenicity of these strains. Here we discuss some preliminary observations in experimentally infected mice suggesting that serovar 4b hypervirulent strains may have a hitherto unrecognized capacity for prolonged in vivo survival. We propose the hypothesis that protracted survivability in primary infection foci in liver and spleen –first target organs after intestinal translocation– may cause L. monocytogenes serovar 4b hypervirulent clones to have a higher probability of secondary dissemination to brain and placenta.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, with notable advantages in safety, energy density, and longevity, yet the environmental implications of their lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal, remain a critical concern. This review paper examines the environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and end-of-life management of SSBs, starting with the extraction and processing of raw materials which highlights significant natural resource consumption, energy use, and emissions. A comparative analysis with traditional battery manufacturing underscores the environmental hazards of novel materials specific to SSBs. The review also assesses the operational environmental impact of SSBs by evaluating their energy efficiency and carbon footprint in comparison to conventional batteries, followed by an exploration of end-of-life challenges including disposal risks, regulatory frameworks, and the shortcomings of existing waste management practices. A significant focus is placed on recycling and reuse strategies, reviewing current methodologies like mechanical, pyrometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical processes, along with emerging technologies that aim to overcome recycling barriers, while also analyzing the economic and technological challenges of these processes. Additionally, real-world case studies are presented, serving as benchmarks for best practices and highlighting lessons learned in the field. In conclusion, the paper identifies research gaps and future directions for reducing the environmental footprint of SSBs, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to advance sustainable SSB technologies and contribute to balancing technological advancements with environmental stewardship, thereby supporting the transition to a more sustainable energy future.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SAC) is a leading cause of mortality. In recent years, though, many lives have been saved through the use of defibrillators by random bystanders. As a result, defibrillators have been popping up in various locations. In this work we propose a state mandate demanding the presence of a defibrillator at every pharmacy store and argue that it could greatly enhance and augment the impact of the defibrillator network. We support our claim via detailed calculations of the immediate (a defibrillator readily available) and partial (a defibrillator available at a reasonable distance) population coverage achievable by the implementation of our proposal, taking the Argolis area in Peloponnese Greece as a case study. Our findings indicate that, in addition to other benefits, the use of pharmacies to establish a defibrillator network could bring an eight-fold increase in the immediate population coverage of defibrillators and would provide immediate / partial access to a defibrillator to 18 / 24 incidents of SCA per year that would otherwise lead to death, potentially leading to the saving of numerous lives. Alternative scenaria are also discussed.

The importance of zinc for male fertility only emerged recently, propelled in part by consumer interest in nutritional supplements containing ionic trace minerals. Here, we review the properties, biological roles and cellular mechanisms that are relevant to zinc function in the male reproductive system, survey available peer-reviewed data on nutritional zinc supplementation for fertility improvement in livestock animals and infertility therapy in men, and discuss recently discovered signaling pathways involving zinc in sperm maturation and fertilization. Emphasis is on the zinc-interacting sperm proteome and its involvement in the regulation of sperm structure and function, from spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation to sperm interactions with the female reproductive tract, capacitation, fertilization and embryo development. Merits of dietary zinc supplementation and zinc inclusion into semen processing media are considered with livestock artificial insemination (AI) and human assisted reproductive therapy (ART) in mind. Collectively, the currently available data underline the importance of zinc ions for male fertility, which could be harnessed to improve human reproductive health and reproductive efficiency in agriculturally important livestock species. Further research will advance the field of sperm and fertilization biology, provide new research tools, and ultimately optimize semen processing procedures for human infertility therapy and livestock AI.

Background: Current management of COPD is predominantly focused on respiratory aspects. A multidimensional assessment including nutritional assessment, quality of life and disability provides a more reliable perspective of the true complexity of COPD patients. Methods: Prospective observational study of 120 elderly COPD patients at high risk of acute exacerbations. The Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was administered in addition to the usual respiratory assessment. The primary outcome was a composite of moderate or severe acute exacerbations during 52 weeks of follow-up. Results: The median MNA Short Form (SF) score was 11 (8-12), 39 participants (32.50%) had normal nutritional status, 57 (47.5%) were at risk of malnutrition and 24 (20%) were malnourished. Our multivariate linear logistic models showed that the MNA score was associated with dyspnea and respiratory symptoms severity assessed by the Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, with spirometric variables, in particular with the severity of airflow limitation based on the value of FEV1 and with poorer QoL as assessed by the EQ-5D-3 questionnaire. Cox regression analysis according to nutritional status based on the MNA score showed that COPD participants "at risk of malnutrition" and "malnourished" had a higher risk of moderate to severe acute exacerbations with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.54 (p=0.002) and 8.20 (p=0.0001), respectively. Conclusion: Our study confirms the importance of assessing nutritional status in elderly COPD patients and its prognostic value.

Solar power innately has issues with weather, grid demand and time of day, which for the case of concentrating solar power (CSP) can be mitigated through use of thermal energy storage. Nuclear reactors, including lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs), can load follow, but have high fixed and low operating costs which can make this economically unattractive. We investigate potential synergies through coupling CSP and LFR together in a single supercritical CO$_2$ Brayton cycle and/or using the same thermal energy storage. Combining these cycles allows for the LFR to thermally charge the salt storage in the CSP cycle during low demand periods to be dispatched when grid demand increases. The LFR/CSP coupling into one cycle is modeled to find the preferred location of the LFR heat exchanger, CSP heat exchanger, sCO$_2$-to-salt heat exchanger (C2S), turbines, and recuperators within the supercritical CO$_2$ Brayton cycle. Three cycle configurations have been studied: two-cycle configuration, which uses CSP and LFR heat for dedicated turbocompressors, has the highest efficiencies but with less component synergies; a combined cycle with CSP and LFR heat sources in parallel is the simplest with the lowest efficiencies; and a combined cycle with separate high temperature recuperators for both the CSP and LFR is a compromise between efficiency and component synergies. Additionally, four thermal energy storage charging techniques are studied: the turbine positioned before C2S, requiring a high LFR outlet temperature for viability; the turbine after the C2S, reducing turbine inlet temperature and therefore power; the turbine parallel to the C2S producing moderate efficiency; and a dedicated circulator loop. While all configurations have pros and cons, use of a single cycle offers component synergies with limited efficiency penalty. Using a turbine in parallel with the C2S heat exchanger is feasible but results in a low charging efficiency, while a dedicated circulator loop offers flexibility and near perfect heat storage efficiency but increasing cost with additional cycle components.

Condition monitoring of bearings is an open issue. The use of the stator current to monitor induction motors has been validated as a very advantageous and practical way to detect several types of faults. Nevertheless, for bearing faults the use of vibrations or sound generally offers better results in the accuracy of the detection although with some disadvantages related to the sensors used for monitoring. To improve the performance of bearing monitoring, it is proposed to take advantage of more information available in the current spectra, beyond the usually employed, incorporating the amplitude of a significant number of sidebands around the first eleven harmonics, growing exponentially the number of fault signatures. This is especially interesting for inverter-fed motors. But, in turn, this leads to the problem of overfitting when applying a classifier to perform the fault diagnosis. To overcome this problem, and still exploit all the useful information available in the spectra, it is proposed to use shrinkage methods, which have been lately proposed in machine learning to solve the overfitting issue when the problem has much more variables than examples to classify. A case study with a motor is shown to prove the validity of the proposal

The study attempts, above all, to provide a summary, with a strictly scientific basis, about the strategies of conservation of autochthonous agrobiodiversity followed in Italy. A special focus is dedicated on vegetables and, therefore, could represent a contribution to improve the national strategy for the safeguarding of its agrobiodiversity in general. The paper offers also an outlook on the most critical factors of the ex situ conservation and some actions which need to be taken. Some examples of ‘novel’ recovered neglected crops are also given. Finally a case study is proposed: ‘Mugnolicchio’, a neglected race of Brassica oleracea L., cultivated in Altamura (Ba) in southern Italy. ‘Mugnolicchio’ might be considered as an early step in the evolution of broccoli (B. oleracea L. var. italica Plenck) like ‘Mugnoli’ another neglected race described from Salento (Apulia).

Dendritic cell (DC) cancer vaccines are a promising therapeutic approach, leveraging the immune system to fight tumors. These vaccines utilize DCs' ability to present tumor-associated antigens to T cells, triggering a robust immune response. DC vaccine development has progressed through three generations. The first generation involved priming DCs with tumor-associated antigens or messenger RNA outside the body, showing limited clinical success. The second generation improved efficacy by using cytokine mixtures and specialized DC subsets to enhance immunogenicity. The third generation uses blood-derived DCs to elicit a stronger immune response. Clinical trials indicate that cancer vaccines have lower toxicity than traditional cytotoxic treatments. However, achieving significant clinical responses with DC immunotherapy remains challenging. Combining DC vaccines with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte Antigen 4 and anti-programmed Death-1 antibodies has shown promise by enhancing T cell responses and improving clinical outcomes. These combinations can transform non-inflamed tumors into inflamed ones, boosting ICIs' efficacy. Current research is exploring new checkpoint targets like LAG-3, TIM-3, and TIGIT, considering their potential with DC vaccines. Additionally, engineering T cells with chimeric antigen receptors or T cell receptors could further augment the anti-tumor response. This comprehensive strategy aims to enhance cancer immunotherapy, focusing on increased efficacy and improved patient survival rates.

Heart failure (HF) is a growing issue in developed countries and most patients present with a reduced ejection fraction. This condition significantly impairs quality of life and represents a threat not only for patients, but also for the entire healthcare system due to its high management cost. In the last decade, new medical treatments and devices have been developed to reduce HF hospitalizations and improve prognosis, while reducing the overall mortality rate. Medical therapy does not achieve the same results in all patients and, whenever it fails, technology comes in handy: novel devices for the management of HF have reduced symptoms. They have also improved the treatment of fluid retention and life threatening arrhythmias. The present review article gives to the readers a comprehensive overview of the most recent and important findings that need to be considered in HF with reduced ejection fraction patients. Both novel medical treatments and devices have been presented and discussed.

This work explores the use of Kuhn verdazyl radicals as building blocks in multifunctional molecular materials in an exemplary study, focusing on the magnetic and the electron transfer (ET) characteristics, but also addressing the question whether chemical modification by cross-coupling is possible. The ET in solution is studied spectroscopically whereas solid state measurements afford information about the magnetic susceptibility or the conductivity of the given samples. The observed results are rationalized based on the chemical structures of the molecules, which have been obtained by X-ray crystallography. The crystallographically observed molecular structures as well as the interpretation based on the spectroscopic and physical measurements are backed up by DFT calculations. The measurements indicate that only weak, antiferromagnetic coupling is observed in Kuhn verdazyls owed to the low tendency to form face-to-face stacks, but also that steric reasons alone are not sufficient to explain this behavior. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that ET reactions proceed rapidly in verdazyls/verdazylium redox couples and that Kuhn verdazyls are suited as donor molecules in ET reactions.

We study the efficient computation of power indices for weighted voting games with precoalitions amongst subsets of players (reflecting, e.g., ideological proximity) using the paradigm of dynamic programming. Starting from the state-of-the-art algorithms for computing the Banzhaf and Shapley-Shubik indices for weighted voting games we present a framework for fast algorithms for the three most common power indices with precoalitions, i.e. the Owen index, the Banzhaf-Owen index and the Symmetric Coalitional Banzhaf index, and point out why our new algorithms are applicable for large numbers of players. We discuss implementations of our algorithms for the three power indices with precoalitions in C++ and review computing times as well as storage requirements.