Plastics, primarily microplastics, are among the greatest pollutants in aquatic environments. Their removal and/or degradation in these environments are crucial to ensure an optimal future of the ecosystems. In this work MnO2 particles were synthesized and characterized for the removal polystyrene microplastics as a model. MnO2 catalyzes the peroxide reaction, resulting in the formation of oxygen bubbles that propel the pollutants to the surface, achieving removal efficiencies of up to 80%. To achieve this, hydrothermal synthesis was employed using various methods. Parameters such as MnO2, microplastics and H2O2 concentrations were varied to determine the optimal conditions for microplastics recovering. The ideal conditions for a low microplastic concentrations of microplastics (10 g L-1) are 0.2 g L-1 MnO2, 1.6% of H2O2 and 0.01 triton as a surfactant. In these conditions the micromotors can recover approximately of 80% 300 nm sized polystyrene microplastic within 40 min.

The paradigm shift has revealed a need among industrial designers to have entrepreneurial capabilities. Being the most effective modality to exercise discipline today. The implementation of this approach requires reviewing the discursive scaffolding that the design has been using to set immovable high standards of complexity and quality, reducing the field of professional action and limiting the intervention alternatives. This article considers the dynamics and trends in people's lifestyles, explores possible strategies and specific content for the entrepreneurial training required by design.

First, an introductory essay is carried out to build a historical, economic-productive and legal theoretical framework of the origin and formation of Secondary Technical Schools in Europe, North America and the Argentine Republic. Then a normative introduction to Technical Education is carried out at the Technical School No. 2 “Independencia” of Concordia, Entre Ríos, Argentine Republic. Its regulations and Laws that govern technical education. We continue analyzing the development of five (5) case studies generated in the E.E.T. No. 2 “Independence” of the city of Concordia, Province of Entre Ríos, Argentine Republic. Case study No. 1: Face masks for Covid-19, designed with CAD-STL software and printed in polylactic acid (PLA) with 3D printers, for protection from SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) or Covid-19. Case study No. 2: TURBO: air extractor/blower for environments contaminated by COVID-19. Case study No. 3: ROBOT-T2: Educational Robot Made by Students and Teachers of the Technical School No. 2 (E.E.T. No. 2) “Independencia”, Concordia, Entre Ríos, Argentine Republic. Case study No. 4: Self-construction EcoBlock, for social housing. Case study No. 5: Relationships of all sciences with abductive thinking, creativity, design, art and the main relationships between Social Sciences (philosophy, logic, hermeneutic research methodology, etc.) with Exact and Natural Sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, genetics), other sciences and disciplines such as engineering, medicine, etc. We obtain the conclusions of the development. Bibliography.

High efficiency and safety are critical factors in ensuring optimal performance and reliability of systems and equipment across various industries. Fault Monitoring (FM) techniques play a pivotal role in this regard by continuously monitoring system performance and identifying the presence of faults or abnormalities. However, traditional FM methods face limitations in fully capturing the complex interactions within a system and providing real-time monitoring capabilities. To overcome these challenges, Digital Twin (DT) technology has emerged as a promising solution to enhance existing FM practices. By creating a virtual replica or digital copy of a physical equipment or system, DT offers the potential to revolutionize fault monitoring approaches. This paper aims to explore and discuss the diverse range of predictive methods utilized in DT and their implementations in FM across industries. Furthermore, it will showcase successful implementations of DT in FM across a wide array of industries, including manufacturing, energy, transportation, and healthcare The utilization of DT in FM enables a comprehensive understanding of system behavior and performance by leveraging real-time data, advanced analytics, and machine learning algorithms. By integrating physical and virtual components, DT facilitates the monitoring and prediction of faults, providing valuable insights into the system’s health and enabling proactive maintenance and decision-making.

Infectious diseases are one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of 5 with 60% of those deaths preventable with prophylaxis. Vaccinations prove to be the most succesfull and effective public health tool of infectious dieases preventions. Poland first implemented a program of mandatory childhood vaccinations in 1960. The program is updated each year and provides parents with a clear schedule to follow. The program includes vaccinations against 12 diseases (tuberculosis, hepatitis B, rotaviral disease, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps and rubella) mandatory for all children and funded by the government. It also includes recommended vaccinations which costs are covered by a patient. Immunization rates are monitored nationwide and reported to the Chief Sanitary Inspector. With recent outbreaks of infectious diseases among young children the obligation lies on the government to provide childhood immunizations, and largely on the physicians to provide reliable education about infectious diseases in children and safety of vaccinations to the parents.

Supramolecular structures with specific applications are a pillar in several areas of science. Thus, from a contemporary point of view, there are several reasons to feel inclined to cover a systematic, or historic critique of the supramolecular concept itself. First, the idea of a supramolecular material seems more secure now than it was decades ago. Second, updating the interacting of MOFs and supramolecular chemical and conversely, supramolecularity to assemble MOFs and to make ef-ficient complex systems in multiple cutting-edge applications. Third, we should here simply confine to a consideration of how workers in this field have tried to correlate the notion of the idea of supramolecular systems linking self-assembly considerations. Thereby, this is clearly an ad-vantage that optimized geometries obtained on the conductive bases described that undoubtedly, some of these systems have substantial applications and create a significant practical interest. The outline of this review encompasses a general introduction to MOFs and supramolecularity, the key unit of the study presented here, followed by a survey of recent advances in supramolecular chemistry in confined space, relationships of MOFs with the supramolecular chemistry, electro-chemical synthesis of MOFs, and switchable MOFs. Finally, some discussion on possible future perspectives of this field is given.

International basins are divided into sub-basins that are managed at the national and local levels, within the territory of each country, before reaching the level of international concern. The management of international basins could be developed using an integrated water management, based on multi-level governance model in which many actors are involved, from local to international scale. However, in the La Plata River Basin this model is not working, even with international agreements such as the La Plata Basin Treaty, which was signed in 1969. The understanding of political interests behind the law helps to explain its inefficiency. Therefore, considering the lack of a systemic view in an international watershed, it could be possible to have accumulating effects caused by the transformations of watercourses in the sub-basins. Then, the 2014 water crisis in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, is an example of the possible consequences arising from the lack of an integrated water management in the La Plata River Basin. Finally, this article demonstrates that the only way to have water resources utilization efficiency in an international basin is considering it as an integrated ecosystem, in order that any local problem may affect the whole basin.

Ascites is a term that describes a pathological accumulation of fluid in a peritoneal cavity. It is generally a rare occurrence in a pediatric population and is most commonly associated with liver failure and cirrhosis. In that case, a diuretic treatment is usually implemented to relieve the ascites as it forms in the mechanism of water retention and water leakage from the portal venous system due to portal hypertension. It is important to note however that many other issues may cause ascites in children. Those require a catered approach suited to the pathomechanism of ascites formation in those underlying conditions. That is why a complex diagnostic process ought to be run in pediatric patients with ascites to correctly identify a condition causing it and provide the patient with adequate and thorough care.

Histamine intolerance is defined as disequilibrium of accumulated histamine and the capacity for histamine degradation. This clinical term addresses a non-immunologically mediated pathology when histamine ingested with food is not particularly high, but its degradation is decreased. Clinical picture of histamine intolerance in children is similar to that observed in adults apart from male predominance found in paediatric patients. Both in children and adults, histamine-free diet seems to be the treatment of choice. Diamine oxidase supplementation offers another treatment option. There is no symptom and\or test pathognomonic for histamine intolerance. Nevertheless, manifestations of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, measurement of diamine oxidase deficits, positive results of histamine provocation tests and improvement of symptoms with histamine-free diet greatly increase the probability of histamine intolerance diagnosis. These factors have been included in the proposed in this paper diagnostic algorithm for histamine intolerance. In children histamine intolerance probably co-occur with allergies and bowel diseases, which creates an additional diagnostic challenge. As the evidence for children is weak, further research is needed the establish epidemiology, validate diagnostic algorithms and establish possible treatment options regarding histamine intolerance.

Mastocytosis is characterized by pathological accumulation of mast cells (MC) in various organs. In these patients, MC may degranulate and thereby contribute to clinical symptoms, especially when a concomitant allergy is present. However, MC activation can not only be induced by high-affinity receptors for IgE, but also by anaphylatoxins, neuropeptides, IgG immune complexes, complement-components, drugs, products of bacteria or parasites, as well as physical factors such as heat, cold, vibration, stress, sun, or physical effort. Symptoms due to mediators released by activated MC may develop in adults suffering from systemic mastocytosis, but also evolve in children who usually have cutaneous mastocytosis (CM). Clinically, CM is otherwise characterized by typical brown, maculopapular skin lesions or mastocytoma associated with a positive Darier’s sign. Pruritus and flushing are common and blistering may also be recorded, especially in diffuse CM (DCM). Pediatric patients with mastocytosis may also have gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurologic complaints. Although anaphylaxis is not a typical finding, pediatric patients with massive skin involvement and high tryptase levels have a relatively high risk to develop anaphylaxis. This paper reviews MC mediator-related symptoms and anaphylaxis in children with mastocytosis, with special emphasis on risk factors, triggers, and management.

Disease, trauma, and aging account for a significant number of clinical disorders. Regenerative medicine is emerging as a very promising therapeutic option. The design and development of new cell-customized biomaterials able to mimic ECM functionalities represent one of the major strategy to control the cell fate and stimulate tissue regeneration. Recently, hydrogels have received a considerable interest for their use in the modulation and control of cell fate during regeneration processes. Several synthetic bioresponsive hydrogels are being developed in order to facilitate cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. In this review new strategies and future perspectives of such synthetic cell microenvironment will be highlighted.

This study investigated the effects of fish oil (FO) treatment, particularly enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), on obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The investigation focused on elucidating the impact of FO on epigenetic modifications in white adipose tissue (WAT) and the involvement of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). C57BL/6j mice were submitted to a control diet or a HFD for 16 weeks, treated (or not) with FO for the last 8 weeks. WAT was removed for RNA and protein extraction, while ASCs were isolated, cultured, and treated with Leptin. All samples were analyzed using functional genomics tools, including PCR-array, RT-PCR and Western Blot assays. Mice receiving HFD displayed increased body mass, fat accumulation, and altered gene expression associated with WAT inflammation and dysfunction. FO supplementation attenuated these effects, a potential protective role against HFD-induced obesity. Analysis of H3K27 revealed HFD-induced changes in histone, which were partially reversed by FO treatment. The study further explored leptin signaling in ASCs, suggesting a potential mechanism for ASC dysfunction in the leptin-rich environment of obese WAT. Overall, FO supplementation demonstrated efficacy in mitigating HFD-induced obesity, influencing epigenetic and molecular pathways, and shedding light on the role of ASCs and leptin signaling in WAT dysfunction associated with obesity.

Previous bio-mapping studies of pork processing facilities have indicated a need for mitigation strategies in trim and ground products due to Salmonella prevalence. Lymph nodes have been identified as a source of Salmonella in pork products. The objective of this study was to determine if the removal of glands and lymph nodes in pork would reduce Salmonella and indicator organisms in comminuted products. Samples from a commercial pork facility were divided into three treatment groups; 1) untreated control, 2) topical glands removed before final processing, and 3) topical, jowl, and internal lymph nodes and glands removed before final processing. Samples were evaluated for indicator organisms and quantity of Salmonella using the BioMérieux TEMPO® system and BAX® System Real-Time Salmonella SalQuant™ methodology, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the removal of the topical, internal, and jowl lymph nodes was effective at significantly (P > 0.05) reducing the prevalence of both Salmonella and indicator organisms. Salmonella was reduced from 2.5-Log CFU/Sample and 3.8-Log CFU/Sample of Salmonella in control group ground and trim samples, to less than 1-Log CFU/sample in both matrices from treatment 3. These data indicate that samples from treatment 3 had an average of a 3-Log reduction, and treatment 2 had a 2.5-Log reduction, of Salmonella when compared to the control samples. This indicates that the physical removal of glands and lymph nodes can influence Salmonella and indicator organism prevalence in the final product.

This work has the purpose to demonstrate that if an adequate melt treatment is applied, it is pos-sible to obtain recycled aluminium alloy AlSi10MnMg(Fe) with as good metal cleanliness than primary AlSi10MnMg alloy. The melt quality is assessed by the thermal analysis, density index, macro- and micro-inclusions tests, of one primary and two secondary alloys, before and after the melt treatment. The melt treatment is based on deoxidation, degassing and skimming with de-tailed procedure described in this article. The different analysis are: Thermal analysis to compare the variables of the solidification cooling curve (Al primary temperature and its undercooling; Al-Si eutectic temperature and its recalescence); Density index is used to evaluate the hydrogen gas content in the melt; Macroinclusions level is analysed after solidifying the melt under vacuum of 5 mbar, favouring inclusion floatation to the sample surface; Microinclusion level is evaluate with porous disc filtration apparatus (similar to PoDFA).

Biomarkers have the potential to aid in the study of Alzheimer’s disease (AD); unfortunately, AD biomarker values often have a high degree of overlap between healthy and AD individuals. This study investigates the potential utility of a series of novel AD biomarkers, the sixty second ¹²⁹Xe retention time, and the xenon washout parameter, based on the washout of hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe from the brain of AD participants following inhalation. The xenon washout parameter is influenced by cerebral perfusion, T1 relaxation of xenon, and the xenon partition coefficient, all factors influenced by AD. Participants with Alzheimer’s disease (n=4) and healthy volunteers (n=4) were imaged using hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to determine the amount of retain xenon in the brain. At 60 sec post breath hold, AD patients retained significantly higher amounts of ¹²⁹Xe compared to healthy controls. Data was fit to a pharmacokinetic model and the xenon washout parameter was extracted. Xenon washout in white and grey matter occurs at a slower rate in Alzheimer’s participants (¹²⁹Xe half-life time of 42s and 43s, respectively) relative to controls (20s and 16s, respectively). Following larger scale clinical trials for validation, the xenon washout parameter has the potential to become a useful biomarker for the support of an AD diagnosis.

Background: The objectives were to evaluate: the safety and immunogenicity of nonavalent human papillomavirus (nHPV) vaccine in adult Spanish women living with HIV (WLHIV); the prevalence of anal and cervical dysplasia and nHPV vaccine genotypes in anus and cervix; and risk factors for high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection in anal mucosa. Methods In this single-center, open-arm, non-randomized clinical trial, nHPV vaccine was administered at 0, 2, and 6 months to WLHIV enrolled between February 2020 and November 2023, measuring vaccine antibody titers pre-vaccination and at 2, 6, and 7 months after the first dose. Cervical and anal cytology and HPV PCR genotyping studies were performed. Women with abnormal cytology and/or anal or cervical HPV infection at baseline underwent high-resolution anoscopy and/or colposcopy. Results: 122 participants were included with mean age of 49.6 years: 52.5% smoked; 10.7% had anal-genital condylomatosis; 38.5% infection by HR-HPV in anus and 25.4% in cervix, most frequently HPV-16; 19.1% had AIN1 and 3.1% CIN1 and CIN2. Vaccine administration did not modify viral-immunological status (CD4 [809±226.8 cells/uL vs. 792.35 ±349.95; p=0.357]) or plasma HIV load (3.38±4.41 vs. 1.62±2.55 cop/uL [log]; p=0.125). Anti-HPV antibodies ([IQR: 0-0] vs. 7.63 nm [IQR: 3.46-19.7]; p=0.0001) and seroconversion rate (8.2% vs. 96.7% [p=0.0001]) were increased at 7 versus 0 months. There were no severe vaccine-related adverse reactions; injection-site pain was reported by around half of participants. HR-HPV infection in anus was solely associated with concomitant cervix infection (HR 5.027; 95% CI: 1.009-25.042). Conclusions: nHPV vaccine in adult WLHIV is immunogenic and safe.

Gastric cancer is an aggressive disease with increasing global incidence in recent years. Human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in approximately 10-20% of gastric cancers. The implementation of targeted therapy against HER2 as part of the standard of care treatment in metastatic disease has improved the prognosis of this subset of patients. However, gastric cancer still has high mortality rates and urgently requires new treatment strategies. The combination of immunotherapy with HER2-targeted therapies has shown synergistic effects in preclinical models, being the rationale behind exploring this combination in clinical trials in locally advanced and metastatic settings. Additionally, the irruption of antibody-drug conjugates and other novel HER2-targeted agents has led to the development of numerous clinical trials showing promising results. This review presents the molecular mechanisms supporting the use of HER2-targeted drugs in combination with immunotherapy and provides an overview of the therapeutic scenario of HER2-positive disease. We focus on the role of immunotherapy but also summarize emerging therapies and combinations under clinical research that may change the standard treatment in HER-2 positive disease in the future.

Injury to the peritoneum during surgery is followed by a healing process that frequently results in the attachment of adjacent organs by a fibrous mass, referred to commonly as adhesions. Because injuries to the peritoneum during surgery are inevitable, one must understand the mechanisms of adhesion formation to prevent its occurrence. This requires a thorough understanding of the molecular sequence that results in the attachment of injured peritoneum and the development of fibrous tissue. Recent data show that fibroblasts from the injured peritoneum may play a critical role in forming adhesion tissues. Therefore, identifying changes in gene expression patterns in the peritoneal fibroblasts during the process may provide clues to the mechanisms by which adhesion develops. This review presents many papers discussing genes implied in peritoneal adhesion.

Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are under-represented, and women are also less likely than men to be in leadership positions generally. Little is known about the intersection of these areas: women in leadership in STEM. To determine what sort of barriers and assistance female STEM leaders have encountered, a survey was developed asking women who are in academic leadership positions in STEM about their experiences. The main barriers were similar in the STEM area and in leadership: balancing work/home life, devaluing of achievements, and imposter syndrome. The main two types of assistance in both STEM and leadership were support from spouse/partner, and encouragement from peers. The main barriers women encounter are cultural and will take time to overcome. The main assistance women have had comes from people, not training or institutional structures.

Background: The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) combines standardized terminology with a classification system for imaging findings in patients with HCC, therefore rendering diagnostic biopsy unnecessary in many cases. This retrospective study included 23 patients with a biopsy diagnosis of HCC, performed either before or after local interventional procedures, in order to evaluate the histopathologic changes induced by previous procedures and their potential influence on the response to immune therapy. Material and Methods: The study encompassed a cohort of patients diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Diagnosis was established through contrast-enhanced computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging that identified LI-RADS-5 nodules in conjunction with historical liver disease and elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, or through histological examination confirming positivity for glypican3, heat shock protein70, and glutamine synthetase. The study detailed the liver disease etiology, LI-RADS scores, characteristics and dimensions of HCC nodules, serum AFP concentrations, Edmondson-Steiner grading, and the expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in the tumor cells. Results: Among the study's cohort of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) patients, a portion had not received any prior treatments, while the remainder experienced local HCC recurrence following trans-arterial chemoembolization or radiofrequency ablation. Observations indicated elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in those who had not undergone any previous interventions, showing statistical significance. The Edmondson-Steiner classification predominantly identified grade III differentiation across patients, irrespective of their treatment history. Furthermore, an increase in intra-tumoral programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was noted in patients who had not been subjected to previous therapies. Conclusion: Liver biopsy offers valuable insights for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), assisting in the tailoring of immune therapy strategies, particularly in cases of recurrence following prior local interventions.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge for the whole world and it had major secondary effects on humans and environmental health. The viral infection induced, in many situations, secondary bacterial infections, especially enteric infections by destabilizing the balance of the gastrointestinal microbiota. The large-scale use of antibiotics and biocides both for curative and preventive purposes has determined an increase in bacterial resistance and at the same time the possibility of pathogenic microorganisms’ multiplication and their dissemination to natural environments. Wastewater is the main vector of faecal microorganisms that favour their dissemination into natural aquatic ecosystems. The present paper aimed to analyze the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the microbiological quality of wastewater from sewage treatment plants in Romania and its impact on receiving rivers. In order to highlight different and important areas of Romania, 3 cities from the east, center and west were selected for a microbiological evaluation of their WWTPs influent and effluent between ante-Covid-19 and Covid-19 pandemic peak period, when the Covid-19 pandemic had a direct impact on WWTPs microbial composition. Our study showed a higher contamination with fecal bacteria linked to a higher Covid-19 incidence. The increased usage of pharmaceutical compounds, at their turn, increased the number of resistant bacteria reaching the environment via WWTP effluents.

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially those on hemodialysis. Recently, our group described that a new oral nutritional supplement (ONS) for malnourished (or at-risk) hemodialysis patients with a "similar to the Mediterranean diet" model, improved caloric and protein intake, nutritional status and inflammation and oxidation biomarkers. Our aim in this study was to evaluate whether the new ONS, including probiotics, may produce changes in miRNAs expression and its target genes in malnourished hemodialysis patients, compared to individualized diet recommendations. We conducted a randomized, multicenter, parallel-group study in malnourished hemodialysis patients divided in 3 groups (1: Control -C- individualized diet 2: Oral nutritional supplement -ONS- + placebo -ONS-PL- and 3: ONS + probiotics -ONS-PR). Study registration: NCT03924089. The trial was open to the ONS diet or individual dietary advice, but double-blind for the intake of probiotics supplements. MiRNAs and gene expression levels were analyzed by RT-qPCR at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. We observed that the expression of miR-29a and miR-29b increased significantly in patients with ONS-PR at 3 months in comparison with baseline, stabilizing at the sixth month. Moreover, we observed differences between studied groups, where miR-29b expression levels were elevated in patients receiving ONS-PR compared to the control group in the third month. Regarding the gene expression levels, we observed a decrease in the ONS-PR group compared to the control group in the third month for RUNX2 and TNFα. TGFB1 expression was decreased in the ONS-PR group compared to baseline in the third month. PTEN gene expression was significantly elevated in the ONS-PR group at 3-months in comparison with baseline. LEPTIN expression was significantly increased in ONS-PL group at 3-month intervention compared to baseline. The new Oral Nutritional Supplement associated with probiotics; increases the expression levels of miR-29a and miR-29b after 3 months of intervention, modifying the expression of target genes with anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic actions. This study highlights the potential benefit of this Oral Nutritional Supplement, especially associated with probiotics, in malnourished patients with chronic renal disease on hemodialysis.

Epigenetic changes are changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the basic DNA sequence. These changes lead to establishing a so-called epigenetic code that dictates which and when genes are activated, thus orchestrating gene regulation and playing a central role in development, health, and disease. The brain, being for the most formed by cells that do not undergo a renewal process through life, is highly prone to the risk of alterations leading to neuronal death and neurodegenerative disorders, mainly at late age. Here we review the main epigenetic modifications that have been described in the brain, with particular attention to those related to the onset of developmental anomalies or neurodegenerative conditions and/or occurring in old age. DNA methylation and several types of histone modifications (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, lactylation, and crotonylation) are major players in these processes. They are directly or indirectly involved in the onset of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, this review briefly describes the role of these epigenetic changes in the mechanisms of brain development, maturation, and aging and some of the most important factors dynamically regulating or contributing to these changes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

The biology of aging is focused on the identification of novel pathways that regulate the underlying processes of aging to develop interventions aimed at delaying the onset and progression of chronic diseases to extend lifespan. However, the research on the aging field has been conducted mainly in animal models, yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans and cell culture. Thus, it is unclear to what extent this knowledge is transferable to humans since they might not reflect the complexity of aging in people. Organoid culture is an in vitro 3D cell-culture technology that reproduces the physiological and cellular composition of the tissues and/or organs. This technology is being used in the cancer field to predict the response of a patient-derived tumor to a certain drug or treatment serving as patient stratification and drug-guidance approaches. Modeling aging with patient-derived organoids has a tremendous potential as a preclinical model tool to discover new biomarkers of aging, to predict adverse outcomes during aging and to design personalized approaches for prevention and treatment of aging-related diseases and geriatric syndromes. This could represent a novel approach to study chronological and/or biological aging paving the way to personalized interventions targeting the biology of aging.

Reproductive coercion and abuse is a hidden and poorly recognised form of violence against women. It refers broadly to behaviours that interfere with or undermine a person’s reproductive autonomy, specifically to promote or prevent pregnancy. Reproductive coercion and abuse can involve physical, sexual, financial or psychological abuse in order to achieve these aims, and is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men against women. As an emerging field of scholarship, conceptual understanding of reproductive coercion and abuse is still in its infancy; however, it is often described as being linked to coercive control. In this article, we seek to highlight the complexity of this relationship through qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 30 victim/survivors in Australia recruited from the community, focusing on their perceptions of the perpetrator’s motivations. Our analysis suggests that perpetrator motivations can range from entitlement and self-interest to a deep desire for domination and entrapment. Pregnancy preventing behaviour was more likely to be linked with entitlement and self-interest, whereas pregnancy promoting behaviour tended to be described by participants in relationships where there was a broader pattern of ongoing control and entrapment. Thus, we suggest that coercive control is a motivating factor for some, but not all men who perpetrate reproductive coercion and abuse. A greater understanding perpetrator motivations may be important for practitioners, particularly those working in sexual and reproductive health services, since it could be relevant to women’s level of risk for coercive controlling behaviour or more extreme forms of physical or sexual violence.

The assessment of existing bridges constitutes a serious challenge for the researchers since their safety evaluation is a complex task due to several sources of uncertainty affecting the parameters identified in the knowledge process. In particular, a high level of uncertainties may arise in the case of prestressing systems requiring special investigation strategies and experimental technologies. The paper aims to investigate how the knowledge uncertainties influence the safety assessment of existing post-tensioned bridges. The semi-probabilistic approach is used, and uncertainties related to the knowledge process are described considering the number of tests, the confidence level assumed for the estimation of the problem parameters, and the measurement errors of in-situ tests. Results concerning a typical post-tensioned bridge are reported and the variability of the outcomes is discussed and compared with a reference case of “perfect knowledge”. The main results of the study confirm the general robustness of the semi-probabilistic Eurocodes safety format and provide an overview of dispersion due to different choices about the number of tests and confidence level. The measurement errors may lead to significant under-estimation of the computed structural capacity with respect to the reference one.

Psoriasis is considered an immune-mediated disease involving the innate and adaptative immune system triggered by environmental risk factors in genetically susceptible individuals. However, its physiopathology is not fully understood yet. Recent technological advances, specially genome and epigenome-wide studies, have allowed a more sensitive study of the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, allowing an enhanced understanding of its physiopathology and facilitating the development of new drugs. In this review, we aim to summarize the current evidence on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of psoriasis.

This study aimed to investigate the venom sac extracts (VSE) of the European hornet (EH) Vespa crabro (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), focusing on the differences between stinging females, gynes (G) and workers (W), at the protein level. Using a quantitative “Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Fragment Ion Mass Spectra” (SWATH-MS) analysis, we identified and quantified a total of 240 proteins. Notably, within the group, 45.8 % (n = 110) showed significant differential expression between VSE-G and VSE-W. In this set, 57.3 % (n = 63) were upregulated and 42.7 % (n = 47) downregulated in the G. Additionally, the 200 quantified proteins from the class Insecta belong to 16 different species, six of them to the Hymenoptera/Apidae lineage, comprising seven proteins with known potential allergenicity. Thus, phospholipase A1 (Vesp v 1), phospholipase A1 verutoxin 2b (VT-2b), hyaluronidase A (Vesp v 2A), hyaluronidase B (Vesp v 2B), and venom allergen 5 (Vesp v 5) were significantly downregulated in the G, and vitellogenin (Vesp v 6) was upregulated. Overall, 46 % of the VSE proteins showed differential expression, with a majority being upregulated in G. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD047955. These findings shed light on the proteomic differences in VSE between EH castes, potentially contributing to our understanding of their behavior and offering insights for allergy research.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrinopathies, estimated to affect about 5.4% of the world's population around 2025. It is thought that nearly a third of diabetic patients have some type of skin condition. Frequently, the cutaneous effects of this heterogeneous syndrome are ac-curately detected late in the progressive form of the disease. The main objective of the present study was to identify the main cellular characteristics of the cutaneous microenvironment in exper- imentally induced diabetes mellitus. Skin fragments were harvested from adult white Wistar rats of both sexes, with the weight of 200 g, 12 weeks after streptozotocin diabetes was induced. In parallel with histopathological diagnosis by using hematoxylin and eosine staining, samples were processed by transmission electron microscopy technique and examined with a Philips CM100 microscope. In the apparently macroscopically unchanged tegument, photon microscopy revealed both progres ive thinning of the epidermis in the early stages of diabetes and a significant process of fibrosis and collagen hyalinization in the dermis. In addition, in the early stages, the electron microscopic study provided ultrastructural details characteristic of a senescent phenotype with reduced cell proliferation. The morphological changes in the skin may be the first signs of disruption of carbohydrate metabolism and in the case of established diabetes may reflect its progression and the efficacy of therapy.

Background: Reproductive coercion and abuse (RCA) is a hidden form of violence against women. It includes behaviours intended to control or dictate a woman’s reproductive autonomy, for the purpose of either preventing or promoting pregnancy. Main text: In this commentary, we argue that there is a lack of conceptual clarity around RCA that is a barrier to developing a robust evidence base. Furthermore, we suggest that there is a poor understanding of the way that RCA intersects with other types of violence (intimate partner violence; sexual violence) and – as a result – inconsistent definition and measurement in research and practice. To address this, we propose a new way of understanding RCA that centres perpetrator intent and the presence of fear and control. Recommendations for future research are also discussed. Conclusion: We suggest that IPV and SV are the mechanisms through which RCA is perpetrated. In other words, RCA cannot exist without some other form of co-occurring violence in a relationship. This has important implications for research, policy and practice including for screening and identification of women in reproductive healthcare settings.

Indoor crop cultivation systems such as vertical farms or plant factories necessitate artificial lighting. Light spectral quality can affect plant growth and metabolism and, consequently, the amount of biomass produced and the value of the produce. Conflicting results on the effects of light spectrum in different plant species and cultivars make it critical to implement a singular lighting solution. In this study we explored the response of green and red leaf lettuce cultivars (’Aquino’, CVg, or ‘Barlach’, CVr, respectively) to long-term blue-enriched light application (WB). Plants were grown for 30 days in a growth chamber with optimal environmental condi-tions (temperature: 20°C, relative humidity: 60%, ambient CO2, Photon Flux Density (PFD) of 260 µmol m-2 s-1 over an 18-h photoperiod). At 15 days after sowing (DAS) white spectrum LEDs (WW) were compared to WB (λPeak = 423 nm) maintaining the same PFD of 260 µmol m-2 s-1. At 30 DAS, both lettuce cultivars resulted adapted to the blue light variant, though the adaptive re-sponse was specific to the variety. Rosette weight, light use efficiency and maximum operating efficiency of PSII photochemistry in the light, Fv/Fm’, were comparable between the two light treatments. Significant light quality effect was detected on stomatal density and conductance (20% and 17% increase under WB, respectively, in CVg) and, on the modified anthocyanin re-flectance index (mARI) (40% increase under WB, in CVr). Net photosynthesis response was gen-erally stronger in CVg compared to CVr; e.g. net photosynthetic rate, Pn, at 1000 µmol m-2 s-1 PPFD increased from WW to WB by 23% in CVg, compared to 18% in CVr. Results obtained suggest the occurrence of distinct physiological adaptive strategies in green and red pigmented lettuce cultivars to adapt to the higher proportion of blue light environment.

Block copolymers are a class of materials particularly interesting for their ability to self-assemble into ordered structures. In this context, the coupling between environment and dynamics is particularly relevant, given that movements at the molecular level influence various properties of macromolecules. Mixing the polymer with a second macromolecule appears to be an easy way to study these relationships. In this work, we studied a system based on two diblock copolymers of methyl methacrylate as first block and 3-methyl-4-[6-(methylacryloyloxy)-hexyloxy]-4’-pentyloxy azobenzene as second block and their blends with PMMA. The relaxational properties of these systems were investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy sensitive to nanometric length-scales. The results of the study on the blends were related to the dynamic behavior of the copolymer. The study evidenced the presence of fast and slow molecular sites for the molecular reorientation at nanoscale, modulated by the ability of block copolymer to form supramolecular structures. For blends, the heterogeneities at nanoscale are still detected. However it was found that the presence of the PMMA as the major component of the blends modified their dynamic behaviour.

Sixteen crossbred rabbits (New Zealand white x Thai native breed) were randomly divided into two groups of eight to determine the effects of daily oral administration of crude extracts from the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) from weaning (at 35 days) to slaughter (at 90 days). Effects on phagocytic activity of blood polymorphoneuclear leukocytes, serum biochemistry, meat quality, muscular lipid peroxidation, apparent digestibility, and gut histology were studied. The results revealed that the phagocytic function of circulating leukocytes (75 and 90 days) and alveolar macrophages (90 days) did not differ between the two groups. At slaughter, treated rabbits had lower blood urea nitrogen concentrations and higher liver weight than control rabbits (p < 0.05). After chilling at 4°C for 24 hours, lower meat pH and alteration of meat color (a brighter, less yellow, Hue angle and color saturation) were observed in the treated group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, lipid peroxidation (measured at 3, 5 and 7 storage days) in the meat of treated rabbits was lower than in controls (p < 0.05). Apparent digestibility (analyzed at 46 days for four days) revealed improved organic matter and ether extracts in the treated group (p < 0.05), whereas gut histology was unaffected. In conclusion, butterfly pea extract supplementation did not affect phagocytic function but led to a modification in meat color, delayed lipid peroxidation, and improved digestibility.

Ever since pharmacy has become a profession, pharmacist's role has been continuously subjected to changes due to specific influences from historical, socio-economic, political, and scientific context. Nowadays the classic perception of pharmaceutical profession in Community Pharmacy is facing worldwide extinction due to many factors. Modern services, such as online, mail-order, and telephone-order pharmacies are increasingly gaining ground thanks to their ability to facilitate customer demand. However, at the same time, they are endangering “face-to-face” contact, affecting the building of customer loyalty based on direct “human” interaction, and consequently reducing pharmacists to mere commercial figures. Communication is in fact emphasized as the essential element to build a solid and appropriate interpersonal relationship with the client, to make the consultancy process effective, and to strengthen pharmacist's professionalism in community pharmacy. The aim of this work is to analyze pharmacist’s role in modern society by pinpointing the factors affecting pharmacy profession practice. Specific purpose will be improving both the academic training of future professionals and their capacity to approach public relations through a deepened study and practice of behavioral, communication, educational, and sociological methodologies and techniques that would allow the development of more effective communication skills useful for providing an efficient consultancy service.

Factors responsible of species distribution were intensively investigated in the past, including response at different spatial scales. The aim of the present research is to review the most relevant factors explaining chironomid species distribution focusing to factors operating at different spatial scales, such as latitude, longitude, altitude, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients acting at regional, country, water basin extension. Data including chironomid species abundances from different lentic and lotic waters from Italy and other surrounding countries were analyzed with different multivariate methods: partial canonical correspondence analysis and multiple discriminant analysis. Spatial analysis included univariate Moran’I correlograms, multivariate Mantel correlograms and Moran’s Eigenvectors Maps (MEM) calculation. The results confirmed previous conclusions, that is habitat type including different running waters reaches (kryal, krenal, rhthral, potamal) and different lake types is the most significant factor in separating chironomid assemblages and spatial factors act only as indirect influencers..

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

A considerable body of research exists on women in leadership and likewise on women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. However, the intersection of the two is terra incognita: women in leadership in STEM. At the most fundamental level, we don’t even have a solid idea of how many women hold leadership positions in STEM. This study determined the proportion of women in leadership positions in several academic STEM areas via a sampling of institutions across the United States and other countries. In every area studied, women held fewer leadership positions than the proportion of female PhDs in those fields. The proportion of women in non-STEM specific top academic leadership roles was also examined to see what proportion of those individuals leading academic institutions might have background in a STEM discipline and how that compares to men in the same positions. This study opens the door to exploring the experiences of women who lead in STEM, which is likely to promote women’s participation in these fields.

Multimedia materials represent a promising approach for the Geoheritage promotion. Despite Geology is normally associated with natural environments, new tendencies are projected towards a better knowledge of the “geological reason” for the location and the development of urban settlements. The urban environment is, in fact, a perfect “laboratory” for opening the scientific topics to a broad audience. In this paper the experience of a geological exhibition organized in the town of Perugia city (Umbria, central Italy) is illustrated, highlighting the SECRET (SEe and CREaTe) for an effective dissemination activity. Panels, interactive tools, laboratories and trekking tours outside the museum represent the main activities, which counted more than eight thousand visitors in a few months. Moreover, the exhibition was the starting point for ongoing projects on geotourism in the city with important consequences in terms of visibility and financial return.

In the context of circular economy that recommends the most efficient use of waste, algae wastes have a huge potential for valorisation. In this study, algae wastes obtained after alkaline extraction of active compounds from two types of marine algae (green algae – Ulva sp. and red algae – Callithamnion sp.), were used as biosorbents to remove metal ions from aqueous effluents. Their efficiency in the biosorption processes was tested for Zn(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) ions, considered technologically valuable metal ions. The batch mono-component experiments performed under optimal conditions (pH = 5.0; 4.0 g biosorbent/L; 22 ± 1C), showed that more than 75 % of the metal ions are removed when their initial concentration is less than 1.25 mmol/L. The very good fit of the experimental data with the pseudo-second order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, and the high values obtained for the maximum biosorption capacity (qmax: Cu(II) (0.52 mmol/g) > Zn(II) (0.41 mmol/g) > Co(II) (0.39 mmol/g) for G-AWB, and qmax: Cu(II) (1.78 mmol/g) > Zn(II) (1.72 mmol/g) > Co(II) (1.66 mmol/g) for R-AWB) highlights the potential use of these biosorbents to remove such technologically valuable metal ions from industrial wastewater. This possibility was tested using industrial wastewater samples obtained from the metal coating industry. Quantitative removal (> 91 %) of Zn(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) ions was obtained when their initial concentration was adjusted to 50 mg/L. Also, the rapid and efficient desorption of these metal ions from loaded-biosorbents, by simple treatment with small volumes of HNO3 (10-1 mol/L), further emphasizes the possibility of their recovery and reuse in the technological circuit. The results included in this study indicate that algae wastes have the potential to be used in industrial effluents decontamination processes and opens new perspectives for the implementation of circular economy principles.

Computer extended Descriptive Geometry (CeDG) is a new approach to solve and build computer models of three dimensional (3D) geometrical systems through descriptive geometry procedures that have demonstrated reliability and accuracy. CeDG may calculate a parametric algebraic exact form for the spatial curves generated in the intersection of two surfaces, as well as of the flattened pattern of any developable surface involved in those encounters. This study presents first the theoretical foundations and methodology to calculate those parametric algebraic curves. Secondly, a compound hopper is defined and modelled through CeDG (implemented in GeoGebra) and CAD (Solid Edge 2023) approaches to evaluate the advantages of CeDG against CAD. The results demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the CeDG technique for surfaces intersection and flattening and the advantages of CeDG against Solid Edge 2023 in solving the hopper case study.

Cancer is often characterised by the presence of hypoxia and inflammation. Paramount to the mechanisms controlling cellular responses under such stress stimuli, are the transcription factor families of Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF) and Nuclear Factor of kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-кB). Although, a detailed understating of how these transcription factors respond to their cognate stimulus is well established, it is now appreciated that HIF and NF-кB undergo extensive crosstalk, in particular in pathological situations such as cancer. Here, we focus on the current knowledge on how HIF is activated by inflammation and how NF-кB is modulated by hypoxia. We summarise the evidence for the possible mechanism behind this activation and how HIF and NF-кB function impacts cancer, focusing on colorectal, breast and lung cancer. We discuss possible new points of therapeutic intervention aiming to harness the current understanding of the HIF-NF-кB crosstalk.

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition that involves a progressive decline in muscle mass and function, leading to increased risks of falls, frailty, and mortality. Although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, aging-related processes like inflammation, oxidative stress, reduced mitochondrial capacity, and cell apoptosis contribute to this decline. Disruption of the circadian system with age may initiate these pathways in skeletal muscle, preceding the onset of sarcopenia. At present, there is no pharmacological treatment for sarcopenia, only resistance exercise and proper nutrition may delay its onset. Melatonin, derived from tryptophan, emerges as an exceptional candidate for treating sarcopenia due to its chronobiotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Its impact on mitochondria, organelle where it is synthesized and crucial in aging skeletal muscle, further highlights its potential. In this review, we discuss the influence of clock genes in muscular aging, with special reference to peripheral clock genes in the skeletal muscle, as well as their relationship with melatonin, which is proposed as a potential therapy against sarcopenia.

Inflammatory allergic and nonallergic respiratory pathologies often co-exist. The root cause is not clear. This paper demonstrates that it is ascribable to protons (H⁺) released into cells by exogenous and endogenous acids. The hypothesis of acids as the common cause stems from two considerations: a) it has long been known that exogenous acids present in air pollutants can induce the irritation of epithelial surfaces, particularly the airways, inflammation and bronchospasm; b) according to recent articles, endogenous acids, generated in cells by phospholipases, play a key role in the biochemical mechanisms of initiation and progression of allergic responses. Therefore, the intracellular acidification and consequent Ca²⁺ increase, induced by protons generated by either acid pollutants or endogenous phospholipases, may be the causal mechanism of the multimorbidity of these diseases, and environmental acidity may contribute to their spread.

The COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in global vaccine coverage and disrupted routine childhood vaccination practices worldwide. While there is ample evidence of vaccination declines experienced during the pandemic, it is less clear how low-income countries were affected. We executed a systematic review to synthesize the current literature on impacts to routine childhood vaccinations in low-income countries from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2023. We collected data using an extraction form on Covidence and assessed the quality of studies included in the review using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Effect estimates for changes in vaccination during the pandemic were reported and summarized. Factors that influenced changes were grouped into descriptive themes. Thirteen studies, encompassing 18 low-income countries and evaluating 15 vaccines at varying doses, were included in the final review. We found that routine childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic varied considerably by vaccine type, location, and phase of the pandemic. Nine different themes were identified as factors that influenced changes in vaccination. Documenting past experiences and lessons learned is crucial for informing preparedness efforts in anticipation of future public health emergencies. Failure to effectively address these things in the next public health emergency could result in a recurrence of declining routine childhood vaccinations.

We aimed at developing and validating a scale on the beliefs and attitudes of mental health professionals towards services users’ rights in order to provide a valid evaluation instrument for training activities with heterogeneous mental health professional groups. Items were extracted from a review of previous instruments, as well as from several focus groups which have been conducted with different mental health stakeholders, including mental health service users. The preliminary scale consisted of 44 items and was administered to 480 mental health professionals. After eliminating non-discriminant and low weighting items, a final scale of 25 items was obtained. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses produced a four-factor solution consisting of the following four dimensions; system criticism/justifying beliefs, freedom/coercion, empowerment/paternalism, and tolerance/discrimination. The scale shows high concordance with our theoretical model as well as adequate parameters of explained variance, model fit, and internal reliability. Additional work is required to assess the cultural equivalence and psychometrics of this tool in other settings and populations, including health students.

Due to their unique properties, perfluorinated substances (PFAS) are widely used in multiple industrial and commercial applications, but they are toxic for animals, humans included. This review presents some available data on the PFAS environmental distribution in the world, and in particular in Europe and in Veneto region of Italy, where it has become a serious problem for human health. The consumption of contaminated food and drinking water is considered one of the major source of exposure for humans. Worldwide epidemiological studies report the negative effects that PFAS have on human health, due to environmental pollution, including infertility, steroid hormone perturbation, thyroid, liver and kidney disorders and metabolic disfunctions. In vitro and in vivo researches correlated PFAS exposure to oxidative stress effects (in mammals as well as in other vertebrates of human interest), produced by a PFAS-induced increase of reactive oxygen species formation. The cellular antioxidant defense system is activated by PFAS, but it is only partially able to avoid the oxidative damage to biomolecules.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and osteoporosis are two of the most widespread metabolic disease in the world. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of DM among patients affected by osteoporosis and fragility fractures, and to search differences in clinical features. Methods: 713 patients belonging to CTO Bone Unit because of osteoporosis and fragility fractures were divided into two groups, according to the diagnosis of DM. The clinical and bone characteristics of patients were compared. Results: Prevalence of DM was 10.8%. When compared to patients without DM, the median age at the time of first fracture was similar (72 years ± 14 IQR vs 71 years ± 12 IQR); prevalence of combination of vertebral and hip fractures was higher (p=0.039), as well as prevalence of males, although not significantly (p=0.051). Bone mineral density (BMD) at all sites was higher in DM group; Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), instead, was significantly lower (p<0.001). Conclusions: Patients with fragility fractures and DM more frequently show combination of major fractures with higher BMD levels. In these patients, TBS could be a better indicator of bone health than BMD and therefore should be used as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice.

Food and Agricultural Organisation estimates from 2014 suggest 64% of the high seas migratory stocks are either overfished or undergoing overfishing. Illegal fishing exacerbates the damage to marine ecosystems, human rights, and food security, and is yet to be included in the recent United Nations (UN) draft agreement to protect high seas biodiversity. We used catch data from the Sea Around Us Project to determine trends in fishing gear use and the catches of countries fishing in the high seas. Using Two-way ANOVA, Principal Coordinates Analysis, and SIMPER Test, we found that Spain, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and Ecuador had the highest catches in 2004-2014. Each decade, only 1 in 10 countries (10.8%) caught over 500,000 tonnes, leaving the remaining 90% of countries catching less than 500,000 tonnes. Further analysis showed the mean high seas catch per fishery decreased 55% between the 2000s and the 2010s. Purse seine and longline were increasingly used towards the 2010s. Catch from purse seine and longline accounted for 70.5% and 78.4% of total high seas catch in 1950-2014 and 2004-2014, respectively. Discards were unreported throughout 1950-2014, and the reporting levels of landings varied greatly between countries and gears. We call for immediate action and recommend (1) including international, overarching high seas governance to end illegal and unsustainable fishing in the high seas in the UN draft agreement, and (2) using large mobile marine protected areas in high seas fisheries management through the UN draft agreement.

Background: Military pilots show high visuo-spatial skills. Previous studies demonstrate that they are better in mental rotating a target, in taking different perspectives, in estimating distances, in travel planning and in topographic memory. Here, we compared navigational cognitive styles between military pilots and people without flight experience. Pilots were expected to be more survey users than non-pilots, showing higher navigational strategies. Method: 106 jet military pilots of Italian Air Force and 92 non-pilots were enrolled in order to investigate group differences in navigational styles. Participants were asked to perform a reduced version of the Spatial Cognitive Style Test – SCST, consisting of six tasks that allow to distinguish individuals in landmark (people orient themselves by using a figurative memory for environmental objects), route (people use an egocentric representation of the space) and survey (people have a map-like representation of the space) users. Results: In line with our hypothesis, military pilots mainly adopt a survey style, whereas non-pilots mainly adopt the route style. In addition, pilots outperformed non pilots in both the 3D-Rotation task and Map Description Task. Conclusion: Military flight expertise influences some aspects of the spatial ability, leading to enhance human navigation. Although, it must be considered that they are a population whose navigational skills were already high at the time of selection at the academy before formal training began.

Novel genetic risk markers have helped to advance the field of cardiovascular epidemiology and refine our current understanding and risk stratification paradigms. Discovery and analysis of variants can help to tailor prognostication and management. However, populations underrepresented in cardiovascular epidemiology and cardiogenetics research may experience inequities in care if prediction tools are not applicable to them clinically. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to outline the barriers that underrepresented populations can face in participating in genetics research, describe current efforts to diversify cardiogenetics research, and outline strategies that researchers in cardiovascular epidemiology can implement to include underrepresented populations. Mistrust, a lack of diverse research teams, improper use of sensitive biodata, and constraints of genetic analyses are all barriers for including diverse populations in genetics studies. Current work is beginning to address the paucity of ethnically diverse genetics research and has already begun to shed light on the potential benefits of including underrepresented and diverse populations. Reducing barriers for individuals, utilizing community-driven research processes, adopting novel recruitment strategies, and pushing for organizational support for diverse genetics research are key steps that clinicians and researchers can take to develop equitable risk stratification tools and improve patient care.

Madrid Nuevo Norte (Madrid New North) is an urban redevelopment program applied in the city of Madrid in Spain. In relevance with this, the aim of this paper is twofold: firstly, the project examines if Nuevo Norte project is aligned with the principles of sustainability. Secondly, the paper investigates the impact of Nuevo Norte on the application of city marketing strategies in Madrid. For that purposes, questionnaires were distributed through Internet in 122 urban developers and planners located in the Spanish capital. The results indicated that overall, Nuevo Norte contributes in the sustainable development of Madrid; however, concerns were identified regarding the budget and the timeline of the project. In addition, NNMP provides significant opportunities to local authorities to implement sustainable city marketing strategies, aiming to improve the competitiveness and the quality of life in the city of Madrid. To this end, it seems that city marketing, through the construction of Mega projects, should sift to sustainability, ensuring a better life for local residents and communities in general. The research is expected to assist local authorities in Spain to harness the potential of mega projects, such as Nuevo Norte, in designing city marketing strategies and to promote Madrid in an international context as a city that gives emphasis in urban sustainability.

A Smart Home is characterized by the presence of a huge number of small, low power devices, along with more classical devices. According to the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, all of them are expected to be always connected to the Internet in order to provide enhanced services. In this scenario, an attacker can undermine both the network security and the user’s security/privacy. Traditional security measures are not sufficient, because they are too difficult to setup and are either too weak to effectively protect the user or too limiting for the new services effectiveness. The paper suggests to dynamically adapt the security level of the smart home network according to the user perceived risk level what we have called network sentiment analysis. The security level is not fixed, established by a central system (usually by the Internet Service Provider) but can be changed with the users cooperation. The security of the smart home network is improved by a distributed firewalling and Intrusion Detection Systems both to the smart home side as to the Internet Service Provider side. These two parts must cooperate and integrate their actions for reacting dynamically to new and ongoing threats. Moreover, the level of network sentiment detected can be propagate to nearby home networks (e.g. the smart home networks of the apartments inside a building) to increase/decrease their level of security, thus creating a true in-line Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). The paper also presents a test bed for Smart Home to detect and counteract to different attacks against the IoT devices,,Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections .

The North-Marchean Apennines (central Italy) host an extraordinary geological and geomor-phological heritage, significant for its richness, diversity, rarity, scientific interest, aesthetic ap-peal, naturalistic, cultural, and educational values. The area, which covers 600 square kilometres and includes numerous spectacular geosites, embraces 18 municipalities in the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino and Ancona. These municipalities are distributed along the ridge that includes the peaks of Mts. Strega, Catria, Acuto, Petrano, Tenetra and Nerone and covers the parallel ridge of Mts. Paganuccio-Pietralata, together with the spectacular Furlo Gorge. It is a real geological museum outdoors, which, with its continuous stratigraphic succession of 200 million years, its geosites, and a vast system of karstic caves, is distinctive for geologists all over the world. This study aims to analyse the environmental heritage of the North-Marchean Apennines through the integrated study and description of the geo-environmental aspects of 7 geosites, se-lected from a list of 44, presented here and localized. These 7 geosites were chosen as being par-ticularly significant from a scientific, naturalistic as well as aesthetic, and cultural point of view. The richness of its geological and geomorphological heritage and the great wealth of its naturalistic, historical, and cultural aspects make it an area with high educational, tourist and recreational potential.

Background: By 2025, road traffic injuries are projected to rank third in the global burden of disease, posing a significant challenge that affects health, social well-being, and economic aspects. According to data from the Romanian Police National Statistics Center, there has been an average of 342 traffic accidents per year involving pediatric patients over the past 10 years. Materials and Methods: A retrospective research study was conducted, encompassing 358 cases of road traffic accidents identified for the study. Data collection was conducted at "St. Mary’s" Emergency Hospital for Children in Iasi, Romania, from January 2015 to December 2022. To facilitate statistical analyses, participants were categorized into three specific age groups, correlating between the anatomical region affected and different types of accidents was examined, and the classification of injury types was determined based on the characteristics of the harm inflicted. Results: An oscillating trend is observed from 2015 to 2020, with its lowest value recorded in 2017 at around 6.8% and its peak in 2019 at 20.1%. Notably, post-pandemic (Covid-19), the cases underwent a substantial decline of approximately 50%. At least 78.7% of those who did not undergo orthopedic reduction required surgery, whereas among those who underwent orthopedic reduction, only 23.4% needed surgery. Regarding the frequency of complications 7,9% of the total cases experienced complications. Conclusion: The increased frequency of pediatric traffic accidents is attributed to the extensive services provided by "St. Mary’s" Emergency Hospital for Children, Iasi, to a significant number of patients from both rural and urban areas across the seven counties of the Moldova, Romania.

Context: Anomaly detection in a data center is a challenging task, having to consider different services on various resources. Current literature shows the application of artificial intelligence techniques to either log files or monitoring data: the former created by services at run time, while the latter produced by specific sensors directly on the physical or virtual machine. Objectives: We propose a model that exploits information both in log files and monitoring data to identify patterns and detect anomalies over time. Methods: The key idea is to use on one side natural language processing solutions to detect problems at service level, extracting words that represent anomalies. Clustering and topic modeling techniques have been used to identify patterns and group them with respect to topics. On the other side time series anomaly detection technique has been applied to sensors data in order to combine problems found in the log files with problems stored in the monitoring data. Results: We have tested our approach on a real data center equipped with log files and monitoring data that can characterize the behaviour of physical and virtual resources in production. We have observed a correspondence between anomalies in log files and monitoring data, e.g. an increase in memory usage or machine load. The results are extremely promising. Conclusion: Our model requires to integrate site administrators' expertise in order to consider all critical scenario in the data center and understand results properly.

3D metal nanostructures are often the basis of several applications such as in catalysis, plasmonics, medical diagnosis, therapy, drug screening, ophthalmologic, and biomedical applications. Porous gold nanoparticles (PGNs) are intensively investigated due to their outstanding morphological as well as advantageous optical properties. Unfortunately, the thermal stability of these open-porous structures is poor, i.e. even as a result of low-temperature annealing (150$^\circ$C in air), their porosity disappears and they lose their favorable optical properties. In order to preserve their beneficial properties, a thin metal oxide coating can be applied. Changing the coating's thickness and/or composition, the optical response of the PGNs can also be tuned in a wide wavelength region. Moreover, these nanoparticles can be synthesized also in support-free form, which makes them more attractive from an application point of view. This review article summarizes some of the preparation modes of these complex nanostructures (fixed and support-free), as well as their thermal stability and optical responses.

The photosystem I (PSI) of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii associates with 10 light-harvesting proteins (LHCI) to form the PSI-LHCI complex. Binding of LHCII to PSI may also occur and is controlled by a process called state transitions. Hereby, two LHCII trimers bind to the PSAL, PSAH and PSAO side of PSI to produce the PSI-LHCI-LHCII complex. In this work, we took advantage of chemical crosslinking of proteins in conjunction with mass spectrometry to identify protein-protein interactions between the light-harvesting proteins of PSI and PSII. We detected binding of LHCBM proteins to the LHCA1-PSAG side of PSI and identified protein-protein interactions of LHCSR3 with LHCA5 and LHCA3. Our data indicate that the binding of LHCII to PSI is more versatile as anticipated and reveal that LHCSR3 likely regulates excitation energy transfer to the PSI core via LHCA5/LHCA3.

Optical properties of the cornea are responsible for correct vision, ultrastructure allows optical transparency and biomechanical properties governs the shape, elasticity or stiffness of the cor-nea affecting ocular integrity and intraocular pressure. Therefore, optical aberrations, corneal transparency, structure and biomechanics play a fundamental role in the optical quality of hu-man vision, ocular health and refractive surgery outcomes. However, the convergence of those properties is not yet reported at macroscopic scale within the hierarchical structure of the cornea. This work explores the relationships between biomechanics, structure and optical properties (corneal aberrations and optical density) at macrostructural level of the cornea through dual Placido-Scheimpflug imaging and air-puff tonometry systems in a healthy young adult popula-tion. Results showed convergence between optical transparency, corneal macrostructure and biomechanics.

Bacteria can colonize and develop biofilm on a large variety of biotic and abiotic materials, it is accountable for nosocomial infections and chronic illness and consequently, it is a serious economic and public health problem. Staphylococcus epidermidis, thanks to its ability to form biofilm and colonize biomaterials, represents the most frequent causative agent involved in bio-film-associated infections of medical devices. Due to the biofilm presence, S. epidermidis infections are extremely difficult to treat and the research of new molecules able to interfere with its biofilm formation has a remarkable interest. In the present work, the attention was focused on Pseudomonas sp. TAE6080, an Antarctic marine bacterium able to produce and secrete an effective antibiofilm compound. The molecule responsible for this activity was purified by an activity-guided approach and it resulted to be a periplasmic protein, named Cold-Azurin. The Cold-Azurin was recombinantly produced in E. coli and purified. The recombinant protein was able to impair S. epidermidis attachment to the polystyrene surface and effectively prevent biofilm formation.

Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite with the ability to infect various warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. This infection poses significant risks, leading to severe complications in immunocompromised individuals and potentially affecting the fetus through congenital transmission. A comprehensive understanding of the intricate molecular interactions between T. gondii and its host is pivotal for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. This review emphasizes the crucial role of proteomics in T. gondii research, with a specific focus on host-parasite interactions, post-translational modifications (PTMs), PTM crosstalk, and ongoing efforts in drug discovery. Additionally, we provide an overview of recent advancements in proteomics techniques, encompassing interactome sample preparation methods such as BioID, APEX, and Y2H, as well as various proteomics approaches, including single-cell analysis, DIA, targeted, top-down, and plasma proteomics. Furthermore, we discuss the integration of proteomics with other omics technologies, highlighting its potential in unraveling the intricate mechanisms of T. gondii pathogenesis and identifying novel therapeutic targets.

School meals can have a key function in promoting children’s health. However, simply providing a free school meal is not a guarantee that pupils will actually eat the food. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes in Oslo The study has a qualitative research design, inspired by grounded theory. Data were collected through interviews with pupils, teachers and parents, and participant observations in two schools participating in a pilot project funded by Oslo Municipality. Line-by-line coding, memo writing and a constant comparative technique were used to analyse the data. One primary school and one lower-secondary school in different districts in Oslo that were implementing two different free school meal models. 39 pupils (5th–10th grade), 15 parents and 12 school employees were included. Four main factors related to pupils’ participation to free school meals emerged from the analysis: the popularity of the food served, the attraction to the nearby shopping centre, social aspects and predictability. To promote pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes, schools need to solve the challenges of balancing between healthy food and popular but often unhealthy food. Children and parents involvement, regularity of the meals provision, a good flow of information and the creation of a friendly eating environment are recommended

The cornea is the optical window to the brain. Its optical and structural properties are responsible for optical transparency and vision. The shape, elasticity, rigidity or stiffness are given by its biomechanical properties, whose stability results in ocular integrity and intraocular pressure dynamics. Here, we report in vivo observation of structural changes and biomechanical alterations of the human cornea induced by acoustic wave pressure within the frequency range of 50-350 Hz and 90 dB of sound pressure level. Central corneal thickness (CCT) and eccentricity (e2) were measured using Scheimpflug imaging and biomechanical properties [corneal hysteresis (CH) and intraocular pressure (IOP] were assessed with air-puff tonometry in 6 young healthy subjects. At the specific 150 Hz acoustic frequency, the variation in CCT and e2 were of 0.058 and 7.33 µm, respectively. Biomechanical alterations were also observed in both IOP (decrease of 3.60 mmHg) and CH that showed an increase of 0.40 mmHg.

NF-κB is a central mediator of inflammation, response to DNA damage and oxidative stress. As a result of its central role in so many important cellular processes, NF-κB dysregulation has been implicated in the pathology of important human diseases. NF-κB activation causes inappropriate inflammatory responses in diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, modulation of NF-κB signaling is being widely investigated as an approach to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmunity and cancer. The emergence of COVID-19 in late 2019, the subsequent pandemic and the huge clinical burden of patients with life-threatening SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia led to a massive scramble to repurpose existing medicines to treat lung inflammation in a wide range of healthcare systems. These efforts continue and these efforts continue to be con-troversial. Drug repurposing strategies are a promising alternative to de-novo drug development, as they minimize drug development timelines and reduce the risk of failure due to unexpected side effects. Different experimental approaches have been applied to identify existing medicines which inhibit NF-κB that could be repurposed as anti-inflammatory drugs.

This paper aims to provide the reader with an organic view of the eyewear sector considering both market and quality aspects and evaluating the role of Industry 4.0 in process and product innovation for managing consumer health, analyzing a case study of a leading multinational company in the eyewear and ophthalmic lenses sector. The research has been developed with a qualitative approach. The study is a conceptual development and it uses an exploratory interview to create a single case study. The case study was developed with the realization by the researcher of a semi-structured interview. The selected interlocutor was the Innovation Manager of Alpha Optics. it has been decided to focus the attention on this figure, as it was responsible for the realization and introduction into the company of Industry 4.0 enabling technologies for developing health innovations. From this case study it was possible to observe how the connection with the trends that influence the demand for eyeglasses is a driving factor for product innovation. Products increasingly adapted to the needs of young people and the use of digital devices seem to be the ones on which the greatest number of innovations are concentrated.

Abstract Psychiatric care in Spain has experienced relevant changes both in the legislative and conceptual frameworks. This new approach advocates for the combination of carrying out mental health promotion, prevention of alterations and early diagnosis and treatment, enhancing actions against stigma and emphasising the attention on the most vulnerable groups, like childhood and youth. For that, it has seen fit to perform a nursing intervention on Education and Promotion of mental health for teachers and counsellors of a secondary school located in Valencia, with the general objective of assessing their impact on stigma. Non-randomised clinical trial in which a nursing intervention on Education and Promotion of mental health was performed. Pre-intervention tools: multiple choice test validated by a group of experts; pre and post-intervention: AQ-27 (stigma attribution); in order to check its acceptance, satisfaction surveys were used. The inferential analysis included the Wilcoxon Test (pre and post AQ-27) and the Pearson Correlation Test for the quantitative variables of interest. Sample (n=22): women aged 47.96 ± 10.12 years with 18.64 ± 10.34 years of work experience. The predominant stigmatising attitude before and after intervention was “Coercion”. The ones with lower score were “Segregation” and “Anger”. The p-values obtained in the Wilcoxon Test were statistically significant (p-value <0.05) except for “pre and post Responsibility” and “pre and post Pity”. The following constructs of interest were faced: “Age” vs “Fear” (r= -0.48, moderate), “Professional experience” and “Fear” (r= -0.46, moderate) and “Help” and “Psychosis test” (r= 0.51, severe). The overall satisfaction score was 9/10. Despite the scores obtained in “Coercion” and “Psychosis”, the intervention was useful for reducing stigma in the sample.

This paper presents a study about the integration of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems (PE-EHS) in building envelopes for powering Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, enabling efficient and low-consumption monitoring with the objective to leverage Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The research includes preliminary tests conducted in a real environment to validate the PE-EHS when fully integrated into the façade, capturing mechanical vibrations generated mainly by wind loads. Based on these activities, the final configuration of PE-EHS is defined to provide a complete system for façade monitoring. This integrated system includes the Piezoelectric Generator (PEG), Supercapacitor (SC), Power Conditioner Circuit (PCC), Fibre Optic Sensing (FOS) Interrogator, and the IoT Gateway trans-mitting measurement data within an Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring platform. This configuration is tailored to address the challenges related to the structural integrity of building envelopes. Results demonstrate a potential for a stand-alone solution in the façade sector, but, raising issues for certain limitations, requiring further investigation. In particular, the study emphasizes constraints related to the energy production of PE-EHS for façade integration. It highlights the necessity to carefully consider these limitations within the broader context of their applicability, providing insights for the informed deployment of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting technology in building envelope monitoring.

Cranberries are rich in bioactive constituents reported to influence a variety of health benefits, ranging from improved immune function and decreased infections to reduced cardiovascular disease and more recently cancer inhibition. A review of cranberry research targeting cancer revealed positive effects of cranberries or cranberry derived constituents against 17 different cancers utilizing a variety of in vitro techniques; whereas, in vivo studies supported the inhibitory action of cranberries toward cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, bladder, prostate, glioblastoma and lymphoma. Mechanisms of cranberry-linked cancer inhibition include cellular death induction via apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy; reduction of cellular proliferation; alterations in reactive oxygen species; and modification of cytokine and signal transduction pathways. Given the emerging positive preclinical effects of cranberries, future clinical directions targeting cancer or premalignancy will be considered

This paper details the comprehensive activities conducted in a laboratory setting to assess the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of prefabricated building envelopes. Aimed at enhancing the structural evaluation of buildings, the focus of this research lies in employing nondestructive sensors for SHM with the objective to advance in the understanding and assessment of facade conditions. The paper outlines the methodologies employed, starting with a modal analysis to define the structural vibration's modal frequency. Subsequently, tests were defined and executed to validate building envelope compliance in case of stress typical of high-rise building. Throughout these tests, continuous monitoring of the façade was conducted using both conventional (accelerometers, extensimeter washers) and non-conventional sensors (Fiber Optic Sensing) The gathered data underwent thorough processing and analysis to provide an overall perspective on the structure's behavior during the stress test. The investigation aimed to identify whether specific physical phenomena correlate with distinct signals and to evaluate if continuous façade monitoring over the building's lifespan aids in preventing potential structural damage. Moreover, two modal analyses were conducted to compare final data and frequencies with earlier data, enabling the detection of any structural alterations. The results from compliance testing and structural analysis yielded noteworthy insights contributing to the evolving field of structural health monitoring, offering valuable findings that advance our ability to proactively manage and maintain the integrity of building structures.

In the dynamic interplay between people and their physical environments, the Global South stands as a mosaic undergoing a multitude of transformative influences in architecture and urbanism where examining social sustainability becomes imperative. While prevailing attention remains on environmental and economic sustainability, this study addresses a persistent gap in the urban literature by focusing on the dynamic and manifold nature of social sustainability. Positioning itself within the context of sustainable development, the study links the pursuit of social aspects of sustainability with selected unique urban contexts from the Global South. Five cases that include Alexandria (Egypt), Tripoli (Libya), Basra (Iraq), Lilongwe (Malawi), and Accra (Ghana) are discussed through multi-layered investigations that involve attitude surveys, interviews, focus groups, participatory systematic observations, and behavioral mapping, engaging directly with inhabitants and stakeholders. Uncovering people-place narratives in the identified contexts, the cases are developed into five knowledge typologies that serve as practical tools for planning and design decision-making, policy formulation, and academic discourse. Discussions are conceived to demonstrate the transformative role people-place narratives play in fostering a more sustainable and equitable urban future. Conclusions are drawn to offer practical insights for stakeholders involved in various capacities in shaping the urban landscape of the Global South.

Paenibacillus dendritiformis UJA2219 isolated from carrot produces broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of partially-purified cell-culture extracts of strain UJA2219 on the microbial load and bacterial diversity of a home-made vegetable puree. The puree was challenged with an overnight culture of strain UJA2219 or with cultured broth extracts partially purified by cation exchange (CE) chromatog-raphy or reversed-phase (RP) chromatography and incubated for 7 days at temperatures of 4 °C or 25 °C. Best results were obtained at 25 °C with the RP extract, decreasing counts of presump-tive Enterobacteriaceae below detectable levels. The bacterial diversity of control and treated puree was studied by Illumina paired-end sequencing using DNA extracted from the puree samples incubated at 25 °C for 24 h. The controls and the puree inoculated with the UJA2219 strain showed an almost-identical bacterial diversity profile, with Proteobacteria (mainly Fam. Pseudo-monadaceae -gen. Pseudomonas- and Enterobacteriace as most abundant groups). Greatest differences in bacterial diversity were obtained in the puree treated with RP extract, showing a decrease in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (especially gen. Pseudomonas) and an increase of Firmicutes (mainly of the genera Bacillus, Enterococcus and Lactococcus). Results from the study suggest that the antimicrobial preparations from strain UJA2219 have a potential for application in food bio-preservation.

In recent years, the production of renewable energy represents one of the main challenges of modern and future society. The new cultivation method called Agrivoltaic (hereafter AV), combines and associates agricultural production and renewable energy (photovoltaic) production in a collaborative synergy from which both benefit. In this study, the dry matter and essential oils yield of six medicinal species (Salvia officinalis L., Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lavendula angustifolia L., Thymus citriodorus L. and Mentha spicata L.) grown underneath a dynamic AV system in comparison to those in full sun (T), were evaluated. In particular, below the dynamic AV system, due to the rotation of the panels, two plot areas on the ground were distinguished: one always covered by the panels (UP), and another one covered alternatively (BP). During the aromatic crop cycles, the solar radiation, infrared leaf temperature and air temperatures in UP, BP and T plot, were measured. In addition, at harvest time, weed survey was carried out. The results showed that, in general, the solar radiation and infrared leaf temperature were lower in UP plot than in either the BP and T plots, while the air temperatures were similar in all compared plots. Also the weed cover percentage was lower in the UP plot than other ones. The essential oils yield in the sage, thyme, mint and rosemary plants were higher in both UP and BP plots than for T plot. Thus, shading and/or less weed infestation may have been the main factors favorably influencing the performance of medicinal crops under a dynamic AV system.

In the construction sector, the integration of biobased materials has emerged as a pivotal aspect of EU policies, aimed at promoting sustainable practices throughout the value chain to mitigate resource consumption and carbon emissions. This paper explores the development and validation activities of a bio-based façade system within the Basajaun H2020 project, focusing on enhancing the utilization of biobased components within building envelopes to replace conventional solutions with eco-friendly alternatives. This paper reports the methodologies employed to detect requirements and outline the testing protocols undertaken to validate the façade system design devised within the project focusing on the original façade components as the bio composite profile. Vision and opaque façade modules are prototyped and tested following curtain wall standards standard for performance and acoustic assessments, to showcase the efficacy of the developed solution. The conducted tests demonstrate the feasibility of integrating bio-based components into building envelopes, aligning with project expectations, and prevailing standards for curtain wall façade solutions. Notably, the designed façade system meets technical conditions and project objectives. Nevertheless, the research underscores the need for further refinements to facilitate solution industrialization and explore broader market applicability. Future efforts will focus on addressing these improvements and assessing the scalability of the solution.

This study investigated the presence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of extend-ed-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a dairy herd located in Northern Italy. A questionnaire was administered, and the feces of clinically healthy pre-weaned dairy calves, their mothers, and the cows treated for mastitis, waste milk, water, and environmental samples, were collected and inoculated on Chromagar ESBL™ medium. The questionnaire identi-fied several risk factors including administration of waste milk to male calves, lack of routine cleaning of calf feeding and housing equipment, and blanket dry cow therapy. Escherichia coli was identified by MALDI-TOF MS in the feces of 28 of 37 (75.67%) calves, 2 of 3 (66.67%) treated cows, 8 of 14 (57.15%) environmental samples, and the waste milk. Six of 14 (42.85%) environmental samples were also positive for ESBL Acinetobacter baumannii, while all fecal samples were negative. ESBL production was confirmed for all E. coli isolates based on the double disk susceptibility test (DDST), while none were carbapenemase producers. Upon minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis, all of them showed multiple resistances and were categorized as multi-drug resistant (MDR). This study confirms the widespread presence of MDR, ESBL-E. coli in dairy calves and highlights their diffusion in the farm environment.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ensures successful fermentation in winemaking, although the persistent use of commercial strains lead the loss of aroma complexity of wines. Hence, the research of indigenous S. cerevisiae with proper oenological features and well adapted to specific wine-growing area become of great interest for winemakers. Here, 206 S. cerevisiae strains were isolated from two wineries during two-year sampling campaign and bio-typed with the aim to evaluate the occurrence and persistence of S. cerevisiae wild population linked to each winery. Both wineries belonging to the same Verdicchio DOC wine area (Castelli di Jesi), and never used commercial yeasts during fermentation. Results showed a specific and varied population of S. cerevisiae in each winery without cross-contamination each other and with commercial starter strains. Moreover, inside each winery it was observed a persistent of some dominant biotypes over the time, indicating a sort of “winery-effect”. The evaluation of S. cerevisiae populations for the oenological characters showed a proper and well distinct aromatic imprinting on the resulted wines confirming the “winery effect”.

The pandemic has accentuated the power that influencers have to influence their followers. Various scientific approaches highlight the lack of moral and ethical responsibility of these creators when disseminating content under highly sensitive tags such as health. This article presents a correlational statistical study of 443 Instagram accounts with more than one million followers belonging to health-related categories. This study aims to describe the content of these profiles and their authors and to determine whether they promote health as accounts that disseminate health-related content, identifying predictive factors of their content topics. In addition, it aims to portray their followers and establish correlations between the gender of the self-described health influencers, the characteristics of their audience and the messages that these prescribers share. Health promotion is not the predominant narrative among these influencers, who tend to promote beauty and normative bodies over health matters. A correlation is observed between posting health content, the gender of the influencers and the average age of their audiences. The study concludes with a discussion on the role of public media education and the improvement of ethical protocols on social networks to limit the impact of misleading and false content on sensitive topics, increasing the influence of real health prescribers.

This paper describes the early-stage prototyping process developed to probe into the socio-cultural dimensions of the Co-Drive project, which is a new service concept for traveling and socializing by car between a real driver on a semi-automated car and a remote passenger connected via virtual reality from home. By focusing on the intertwining journeys of the two actors of the experience, the driver and the remote passenger, three key interactions have been isolated and addressed as separate prototyping interventions in the wild. Such a seamful prototyping strategy enabled the users to experiment the whole service although the technology was not yet completely developed, and more specifically it allowed them to accommodate and appropriate each part of the experience into their everyday activities, revealing initial evidences of the potential social impact drawn by a future deployment of the service.

This paper aims to contribute to refining the e-values for testing precise hypotheses, especially when dealing with nuisance parameters, leveraging the effectiveness of asymptotic expansions of the posterior. The proposed approach offers the advantage of bypassing the need for elicitation of priors and reference functions for the nuisance parameters and the multidimensional integration step. For this purpose, starting from a Laplace approximation, a posterior distribution for the parameter of interest only is considered and then a suitable objective matching prior is introduced, ensuring that the posterior mode aligns with an equivariant frequentist estimator. Consequently, both Highest Probability Density credible sets and the e-value remain invariant. Some targeted and challenging examples are discussed.

This paper presents and discusses the pedagogical implication of teaching Shared Value, presenting a case study about a contamination lab namely the case of the Shared Value Living Lab (SVLL) which took place at the University of Torino (UniTO) in Italy. The paper analyzes the pedagogical side of CSV (arguments, topics, learning methodologies, etc.) in the framework of recent theories and approaches of teaching sustainability in business school and in the cooperation between industry and academia, as well. Our research methodology relies on the analysis and comparison of one case study under an intrinsic as it enables researchers to find “interactivity” and connectedness between the individuals participating. The SVLL case is an interesting example of co-creation of social value between academia and its stakeholders. First, it represents an inclusive project linking society and business; second, SVLL acted as a hub putting in contact different interlocutors; third, SVLL training stimulated the acquisition of soft skill in students (interviews, managing relations, represents the project outside university, explaining the project to people, research curiosity) through contamination activities. With our study, we demonstrate the change in students participating in the SVLL may not only be cognitive but also affective, making students feel hopeful, empowered and liberated, and ready to contribute to a more profound change towards the vast array of pro-sustainability behaviors.

We propose a novel credit risk measurement model for Corporate Default Swap spreads, that combines vector autoregressive regression with correlation networks. We focus on the sovereign CDS spreads of a collection of countries, that can be regarded as idiosyncratic measures of credit risk. We model them by means of a vector autoregressive regression model, composed by a time dependent country specific component, and by a contemporaneous component that describes contagion effects among countries. To disentangle the two components, we employ correlation networks, derived from the correlation matrix between the reduced form residuals. The proposed model is applied to ten countries that are representative of the recent financial crisis: top borrowing/lending countries, and peripheral European countries. The empirical findings show that the proposed model is a good predictor of CDS spreads movements, and that the contemporaneous component decreases prediction errors with respect to a simpler autoregressive model. From an applied viewpoint, core countries appear to import risk, as contagion increases their CDS spread, whereas peripheral countries appear as exporters of risk. Greece is an unfortunate exception, as its spreads seem to increase for both idiosyncratic factors and contagion effects.

Alcoholic fermentations were performed adapting the technology to exploit the residual thermal energy (hot water at 83-85°C) of a cogeneration plant and to valorize agricultural wastes. Substrates were apple, kiwifruit and peaches wastes and Corn Threshing Residue (CTR). Saccharomyces bayanus was chosen as biocatalyst. The fruits, fresh or blanched, were mashed; CTR was gelatinized and liquefied by adding Liquozyme® SC DS (Novozyme); saccharification simultaneous to fermentation was carried out using the enzyme Spirizyme® Ultra (Novozyme). Lab-scale static fermentations were carried out at 28°C and 35°C, using raw fruits, blanched fruits and CTR, monitoring the ethanol production. The highest ethanol production was reached with CTR (10,22%9 and among fruits with apple (8,71%). Distillations at low temperatures and under vacuum, to exploit warm water from cogeneration plant, were tested; distillation at 80°C and 200 mbar or 400 mbar allowed to recover 93,35 and 89,59 % of ethanol respectively. These results support a fermentation process coupled to a cogeneration plant, fed with apple wastes and with CTR when apple wastes are not available, where hot water from cogeneration plant is used in blanching and distillation phases. The scale up in a pilot plant was also carried out.

Graphene is a remarkable material with numerous applications. Due to its thin and lightweight design, it is ideal for a variety of applications. The synthesis of high-quality graphene in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner continues to be a significant challenge. Chemical reduction is considered to be the most advantageous method for preparing reduced graphene oxide (rGO). However, this process necessitates the use of toxic and harmful substances, which can have a detrimental effect on the environment and human health. Thus, to accomplish the objective, the green synthesis principle has prompted researchers worldwide to develop a simple method for green reduction of graphene oxide (GO), which is readily accessible, sustainable, economical, renewable, and environmentally friendly in nature. For example, the use of natural materials such as plants is generally considered safe. Furthermore, plants contain reducing and capping agents. The current review will focus on the discovery and application of rGO synthesis using extracts from a variety of different parts of the plant. The review aims to aid current and future researchers in their search for a novel plant extract that acts as a reductant in the green synthesis of rGO. The review aims to assist current and future researchers in their research for a novel plant extract that acts as a reductant in the green synthesis of rGO as well as their potential applications in a variety of industries.

The attention to sustainable-related issues has grown fast in recent decades. The experience gained with these themes reveals the importance of considering this topic in the construction industry, which represents an important sector in the world. This work consists on conducting a multicriteria analysis of four cement powders, with the objective of calculating and analysing the environmental, human health and socio-economic effects of their production processes. The economic, technical, environmental and safety performances of the examined powders result from official, both internal and public, documents prepared by the producers. The Analytic Hierarchy Process permitted to consider several indicators (i.e. environmental, human health related and socio-economic parameters) and to conduct comprehensive and unbiased analyses which gave the best, most sustainable cement powder. As assumed in this study, the contribution of each considered parameter to the overall sustainability has a different incidence, therefore the procedure could be used to support on-going sustainability efforts under different conditions. The results also prove that it is incorrect to consider only one parameter to select the ‘best’ cement powder, but several impact categories should be considered and analysed if there is an interest for pursuing different, often conflicting interests.

Abstract: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a rare disorder of glucose metabolism and is the most common cause of severe and persistent hypoglycemia (hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, HH) in the neonatal period and childhood. Most cases are caused by mutations in the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes that encode the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP). We present the correlation between genetic heterogeneity and the variable phenotype in patients with early-onset hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia caused by ABCC8 gene mutations. In the first patients, which presented persistent severe hypoglycemia since the first day of life, molecular genetic testing revealed the presence of a homozygous mutation in the ABCC8 gene [deletion in the ABCC8 gene c.(2390+1_2391-1)_(3329+1_3330- 1)del] correlated with a diffuse form of hyperinsulinism (the parents being healthy heterozygous carriers). In the second patient, the onset was on the third day of life with severe hypoglycemia, and genetic testing identified a heterozygous mutation in the ABCC8 gene c.1792C&gt;T (p.Arg598*) inherited on the paternal line, which led to the diagnosis of focal form of hyperinsulinism. To locate the focal lesions, (18)F-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]fluoro-L-phenylalanine) PET/CT was recommended (an investigation that cannot be carried out in the country), but the parents refused to carry out the investigation abroad. In this case, early surgical treatment could have been curative. In addition, the second child also presented secondary adrenal insufficiency requiring replacement therapy. At the same time, she developed early recurrent seizures that required antiepileptic treatment. We emphasize the importance and of molecular genetic testing for diagnosis, management and genetic counseling in patients with HH.

Necroptosis is a caspases-independent form of programmed cell death exhibiting intermediate features between necrosis and apoptosis. Albeit some physiological roles during embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and innate immune response are documented, necroptosis is mainly considered a pro-inflammatory cell death. Key actors of necroptosis are the receptor-interacting-protein-kinases, RIPK1 and RIPK3, and their target, the mixed-lineage-kinase-domain-like protein, MLKL. The intestinal epithelium has one of the highest rates of cellular turnover in a process that is tightly regulated. Altered necroptosis at the intestinal epithelium leads to uncontrolled microbial translocation and deleterious inflammation. Indeed, necroptosis has been associated to chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. Drugs that inhibit necroptosis could, therefore, be used therapeutically for the treatment of these diseases, and researches to develop such inhibitors are already underway. In this Review, we outline pathways for necroptosis and its role in chronic inflammation and cancer. We also discuss current and developing therapies that target necroptosis machinery.

The participation of civil society is essential for environmental health policies to be effective. The objective of this study was to know the perceptions of government officials, members of civil society, and academics about environmental health problems and its governance in Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area, Colombia. In the region there is a strong citizen movement that defends the moorland ecosystem (paramo) as source of drinking water, of large-scale mining projects. A multi-method study was carried out including the review of newspaper and scientific articles, a citizen survey, and interviews and focus groups with identified key stakeholders. The findings indicate that government officials prioritize their actions on issues related to air and water pollution and environmental education. In contrast, citizens prioritize water availability from the moorland ecosystem. There are some advances in the management of environmental health, mainly related to greater citizen awareness. The participation of civil society in the environmental health governance must be enforced to broaden the issues of interest and prioritize the activities in the short- and long-term policy planning. An experience between high school students and the academy that measures air pollutants can be the first meeting point with government officials in the pathway to improve the environmental governance in the territory.

The paper proposes a methodological way to compensate the imbalance between energy generation and consumption using the battery block of electric vehicles as energy reservoir through the well-known Vehicle to Grid system (V2G). The method is based on a simulation process developed by the authors that take into consideration the daily fluctuations of energy consumption as well as the power level generated by an energy source, either conventional, renewable or hybrid. The study shows that for very large electric vehicle fleet the system renders non-viable, since the remaining energy in the battery block to let the electric vehicle usable for running during daytime avoids to compensating for the energy grid imbalance, only allowing to cover a percentage of the energy imbalance, which the proposed methodology may optimize. The analysis of the proposed methodology also shows the viability of the system when being applied to a small fleet of electric vehicles, not only compensating for the energy imbalance but also preserving the required energy in the battery of the electric vehicle to make it run. The method allows predicting the optimum size of electric vehicle battery, which depends on the energy generation level, coverage factor of the energy imbalance and size of the electric vehicle fleet.

The study aimed to review the management of pediatric digestive duplications (DD) with regards to clinical presentation, operative procedures and complications in a single institution in Bucharest, Romania. A retrospective analysis was performed using patient records from ‘Grigore Alexandrescu’ Emergency Children’s Hospital from 2013 to 2023. All patients with a postoperative diagnosis of DD were selected. A total of 39 children (19 boys, 20 girls) with DD have been treated in our hospital in the past 10 years. Only N=5 of them have been diagnosed antenatally. In N=22 cases patients were referred to our hospital for tumors, while N=17 cases involved an acute setting. Comorbidities were encountered in N=16 patients. Duplications involved several parts of the digestive tract: ileal (N=19), colonic (N=10), esophageal (N=2), jejunal (N=2), gastric (N=2), duodenal (N=1), ileocecal (N=1), esogastric (N=1) and rectal (N=1). Two of the duplications were intraluminal, while the rest were cystic. There were N=28 open interventions and N=11 laparoscopies. Conversion was needed in N=2 cases due to (a) overdistended bowel and (b) dense adhesions between the ileum and the tumor. The tumor was resected in N=17 cases, while intestinal resection was required in N=22 cases. A drain was used in N=21 patients. The average hospital stay for open procedures was 10 days and for laparoscopic procedures 8 days. Complications arose in N=7 patients who had an open procedure and N=1 patient who had a laparoscopic procedure. There were no mortalities. With a low rate of antenatal diagnosis (12.82%), 43.58% of DD appeared in an acute setting. Open procedures were favored in acute cases and patients with comorbidities, but required a longer hospital stay. Laparoscopic management had a 18.18% conversion rate and a low rate of complications (9.09%).

The purpose of this study was to identify potential causes of violence and crime in informal settlements and residents’ strategies for response and prevention to these issues, as perceived by women living in Mathare informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. A total of 55 in-depth interviews were conducted with women living in the informal settlement in 2015-2016. A modified grounded theory approach was used to guide data collection and analysis. The most common contributor to violence and crime identified by women in Mathare informal settlement was idle youth, but leadership and government challenges, corruption and/or inadequacy of police, community barriers, tribalism, and lack of protective infrastructure also emerged as contributing factors. Despite facing many economic, environmental, and day-to-day challenges, women in Mathare identified violence and crime as predominant issues; thus, developing effective response and prevention strategies to these issues in informal settlements is paramount. Women suggest there are many strategies and initiatives to reduce and prevent violence and crime in informal settlements, but also identified barriers to implementing them. Findings suggest there is a need for trust-building between formal and informal organizations and institutions, systems of accountability, and long-term investment to foster sustainable and effective violence and crime response and interventions in these settlements.

Consumers often cite cognitive improvements as reasons for making dietary changes or using dietary supplements, a motivation that if leveraged could greatly enhance public health. However, rarely is it considered whether standardized cognitive tests that are used in nutrition research are aligned to outcomes of interest to the consumer. This knowledge gap presents a challenge to the scientific substantiation of nutrition-based cognitive health benefits. Here we combined qualitative consumer research and expert group methodology to (1) understand how consumers comprehend the potential benefits of nutrition for brain health, and (2) determine the alignment between consumers' articulated brain benefits and validated tests and tools. We derived a ‘Consumer Taxonomy of Cognitive and Affective Health in Nutrition Research’ which describes the cognitive and affective structure from the consumers' perspective. Experts agreed that validated tests exist for some consumer benefits including focused attention, sustained attention, episodic memory, energy levels, and anxiety. Prospective memory, flow, and presence represented novel benefits that require the development and validation of new tests and tools. Closing the gap between science and consumers, and fostering co-creative approaches to nutrition research, are critical to the development of products and dietary recommendations that support realizable cognitive benefits that benefit public health.

Plant male sterility refers to the failure in the production of fertile pollen. It occurs spontaneously in natural populations and may be caused by genes encoded in the nuclear (genic male sterility; GMS) or mitochondrial (cytoplasmic male sterility; CMS) genomes. This feature has great agronomic value for the production of hybrid seeds and has been widely used in crops, such as corn, rice, wheat, citrus, and several species of the family Solanaceae. Mitochondrial genes determining CMS have been uncovered in a wide range of plant species. The modes of action of CMS have been classified in terms of the effect they produce in the cell, which ultimately leads to a failure in the production of pollen. Male fertility can be restored by nuclear-encoded genes, termed restorer-of-fertility (Rf) factors. CMS from wild plants has been transferred to species of agronomic interest through somatic hybridization. Somatic hybrids have also been produced to generate CMS de novo upon recombination of the mitochondrial genomes of two parental plants or by separating the CMS cytoplasm from the nuclear Rf alleles

Ideas about Artificial Intelligence appeared about half a century ago, but only now is it becoming an essential element of everyday life. The data provided is getting bigger and bigger and, in this case, we need artificial intelligence that helps us with superhuman powers. The interaction with medicine is getting closer and closer, medicine being a field that continues to be perfected. Machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, computer vision are some of the mechanisms that are already applied in medicine, becoming a trend in healthcare worldwide. Artificial intelligence will be the thing that will change contemporary medicine. Developed countries such as Japan, France, Germany have already implemented artificial intelligence in their medical systems. The help is in medical diagnosis, patient monitoring, personalized therapy, and workflow optimization. Artificial intelligence will help surgeons to perfect their skills, to standardize techniques, to choose the best surgical technique. The goal is to predict complications, reduce diagnostic time, diagnose complex pathologies, guide the surgeon intraoperatively and reduce medical errors. We are at the beginning but the potential is enormous.

Authors such as Schnoebelen (2012: 12) suggest that in some languages (cf. Navajo) certain dependent clauses are frequently used independently to “mark emotional evaluation and background information”. Evans (2007) uses the term insubordination to refer to this phenomenon. Our study focuses on a particular insubordinate construction introduced by the sequence ni que in Spanish, as in the example [¡Una carta cada día!] Ni que yo fuese Umbral. (CORPES 100), used as an independent clause with a sociopragmatic meaning which is different from that of its subordinate counterpart (cf. No escribiría una carta cada día ni que yo fuese Umbral). Our research questions ask about the potential for ni que to be used as a discourse marker fulfilling an expressive function when it introduces this type of construction, and the derived hypothesis is then oriented to test whether Schnoebelen's (2012) observation about insubordinate constructions applies also to this Spanish construction. In order to test this hypothesis, we performed a functional-discourse analysis of more than 2000 concordances (and their extended contexts) in Mark Davies' Corpus del Español and the Real Academia CORPES XXI. Our findings show that the insubordinate construction differs in function and meaning from its subordinate counterpart, the former fulfilling a stronger emotive function, often combined with other discourse-pragmatic functions, such as evaluation or the organization of discourse.

Failure to adapt to climate change is currently considered one of the major threats affecting humanity. Hence, much effort is being put into discussing adaptation approaches. While many adaptation options have been identified, the academic literature does not present a simple process that local councils and community members can use to rank adaptation options. In this context, community members participating on planning processes are presented with many adaptation options, but with no objective approach for selection, which adds challenge to the planning process. With the objective of addressing this issue, this work proposes a simple equation that allows calculating the applicability level of adaptation options. Results can then be plotted into graphs that allow correlating adaptation options and applicability level, which can be easily understood by community members. To develop such equation, this work built on existing sophisticated models from where the indicators used on the equation were identified, as well as the relationship between them. A scale was proposed to help on identifying adaptation options that should be implemented on the short, medium and long term, and options that should only be implemented if the circumstance change.

Corneal biomechanics is a hot topic in ophthalmology. The biomechanical properties of the cornea (BMPs) have important implications in the management and diagnosis of corneal diseases such as ectasia and keratoconus. In addition, the characterization of BMPs is crucial to model the predictability of a corneal surgery intervention, the outcomes of refractive surgery or follow-up of corneal diseases. The biomechanical behavior of the cornea is governed by viscoelastic properties that allow, among other structural implications, the damping of excess of intraocular pressure and reduce damage to the optic nerve. Currently, the most versatile and complete methods to measure corneal viscoelasticity are based on air-puff corneal applanation. However, those methods lack the ability to directly measure corneal viscosity. The aim of this work is to propose a new methodology based on the analysis of corneal air-puff measurements through the Standard Linear Solid model (SLSM) to provide analytical expressions to separately calculate the elastic and time-dependent (corneal retardation time and viscosity) properties. The results shown the mean values of elasticity (E), viscosity (Ƞ) and corneal retardation time (τ) in a sample of 200 young and healthy subjects. The influence of elasticity and viscosity on viscoelasticity, high-order corneal aberrations and optical transparency is investigated. Finally, the SLSM fed back from experimental E and Ƞ values was employed to compare the creep-relaxation response between normal, an ocular hypertension patient and Ortho-K user.

The mosaic disease in maize is caused by Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), a member of the Potyviridae family. The best strategy to cope with viral infections is the use of disease-resistant maize lines. To better understand the resistance response to SCMV, we analyzed differentially expressed genes among a resistant line (CI-RL1), a susceptible line (B73), and the F1 progeny from a cross between both lines using RNA-Seq data. We also analyzed transcript expression pattern clustering to allocate previously reported resistance candidate genes. GO enrichment analysis of biological processes highlighted a strong regulation in ROS detoxification in both the susceptible and resistant lines. The enrichment of cellular components led to the identification of an integral component of the plasma membrane in the RL line. Transcript expression patterns provide evidence of the importance of host translation in virus response, showing the diverse and complex behavior of eIF4E homologs and the presence of eleven eEF1α factors in maize. In addition, we identified two genes putatively implied in long-distance movement: ZmPiezo and ZmPVIP1. Finally, we propose an ABC transporter to be associated with viral resistance.

Fermented food matrices, including beverages, can be defined as the result of the activity of complex microbial ecosystems where different microorganisms interact according to different biotic and abiotic factors. Certainly, in industrial production the technological processes aim to control the fermentation to place safe foods on the market. Therefore, if food safety is the essential prerogative, consumers are increasingly oriented towards a healthy and conscious diet driving the production and consequently the applied research towards natural processes. In this regard, the aim to guarantee safety, quality and diversify of products should be reached limiting or avoiding the addition of antimicrobials or synthetic additives using the biological approach. In this paper, following the recent re-evaluation of non-Saccharomyces yeasts (NSYs) has been re-viewed the bio-protectant and biocontrol activity with a particular focus on their antimicrobial power, probiotic features and promoting functional aspects. In this review, the authors would underline the contribution of NSYs in all food production chain and its role in the technological and fermentative features for their practical and useful use as biocontrol agent in food preparations.

This paper addresses the development of knowledge and assessment-centered learning approaches within a reflective learning framework in a first year physics class in a university faculty. The quality of students’ reflections was scored using a Self-reporting Reflective Learning Appraisal Questionnaire at the end of each learning approach. The results showed the differences between the approaches based on reflections on the learning control through self-knowledge, by connecting experience and knowledge, as well as through self-reflection and self-regulation. Assessment-centered activities fundamentally help students identify aspects of their attitudes towards, as well as regulate, their sustainability learning education.

Keywords: standing water bodies, glacial lakes, freshwater biodiversity, eutrophication; nature conservation network

State Forest Management Organizations (SFMOs) play a crucial role in the European forest sector, managing almost half the forests in the region. SFMOs are often managed for timber production only whereas, being publicly owned, they should play an important role in providing a vast range of public goods (e.g. soil protection, biodiversity conservation). Their management goals depend on the history and current conditions of the forest sector at a national level, as well as different challenges and the potential for development. Although there is a lack of knowledge about the current performance of SFMOs, there have been recent changes to their management goals and practices in response to the new demands expressed by society (e.g. transparency, social inclusion). The main purpose of this study is to analyse the current situation of SFMOs by clustering them according to indicators that reflect three pillars of the common understanding of sustainable forest management (SFM) concept. With the help of Principal Component Analysis (PCA), we grouped countries according to common characteristics of the forest sector at the national level. Results show three main clusters of SFMOs in Europe. The first cluster has rather small but commercially-oriented forestry unit together with other business activities and a strong focus on public services. The second sees itself as the protector of public interest, rather than commercially-oriented organisations. The third is mainly profit-seeking. The existence of diverse SFMO clusters shows the possibility of different approaches for SFM with a focus on different goals (e.g. profit gaining, public service delivery).

Phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) and SH2-containing-inositol-5’-phosphatase 2 (SHIP2) are structurally and functionally similar. They both consist of a Phosphastase (Ptase) domain and an adjacent C2 domain, and both proteins dephosphorylate phosphoinositol-tri(3,4,5)phosphate, PI(3,4,5)P3; PTEN at the 3-phophate and SHIP2 at the 5-phosphate. Therefore, they play pivotal roles in the PI3K/Akt pathway. Here, we investigate the role of the C2 domain in membrane interactions of PTEN and SHIP2, using molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations. It is generally accepted that for PTEN the C2 domain interacts strongly with anionic lipids and therefore significantly contributes to membrane recruitment. In contrast, for the C2 domain in SHIP2 we previously found much weaker binding affinity for anionic membranes. Our simulations confirm the membrane anchor role of the C2 domain in PTEN, as well as its necessity for the Ptase domain in gaining its productive membrane binding conformation. In contrast, we identified that the C2 domain in SHIP2 undertakes neither of these roles, which are generally proposed for C2 domains. Our data support a model in which the main role of the C2 domain in SHIP2 is to introduce allosteric interdomain changes that enhance catalytic activity of the Ptase domain.