Nanocellulose (CNC) seems to be a promising surfactant, which, together with expandable graphite (EG), forms the essence of an effective natural-based fire retardant wood coating. In our research, the most suitable composition of the mixture was tested concerning good solubility, dispersion, and consistency. Favorable results were achieved with the formulation composed of a 4% CNC alkaline solution with 80 wt.% of selected EG. Subsequently, six different EG were used to prepare these wood fire retardant coatings. The effectiveness of treatments was verified using a test with a radiant heat source, where the test samples' relative weight loss, relative burning rate, and surface temperature during 600 sec were evaluated. All prepared formulations can be characterized as more or less equally effective. However, the best results were obtained with EG of GG 200 – 100 N, where the mass loss of the sample was 8.10 ± 1.24%. Very good results were also achieved by graphite 25 E + 180 HPH (8.70 ± 0.89%), which is similar to the previous one, even according to the microscopic assessment of the coating as well as the expanded layer. Graphite type 25 K + 180 (8.86 ± 0.65 %) shows the expanded layer's best cohesion, coating uniformity, and ease of application. The results of this work confirmed that the CNC coating itself has significant retardation effects.

The increasing environmental awareness and carbon-storing capability of wood have amplified its relevance as a building material. The demand for high-quality wood species necessitates exploring alternative, underutilized wood sources due to limited forest areas and premium wood volume. Consequently, the veneer-based industry is considering lower-value hardwood species like grey alder, black alder, and aspen as substitutes for high-quality birch. Initially less appealing due to their lower density and mechanical properties, these species show promise through densification, which enhances their density, strength, and hardness. This study aims to enhance plywood screw withdrawal capacity and surface hardness by densifying low-density wood species and using them in plywood face veneer layers or all layers. The relationship between wood density, surface hardness, and screw withdrawal capacity of plywoods made of low-value species like aspen and black alder is examined. Experimental work with a pilot-scale veneer and plywood production line demonstrates improved surface hardness (65% and 93% for aspen and black alder, respectively) and screw withdrawal capacity (16% and 35% for aspen and black alder, respectively) in face veneer densified low-value hardwood plywood. This research highlights the potential of densified low-value wood species to meet construction requirements, expanding their practical applications.

No matter where we reside, the issue of greenhouse gas emissions impacts us all. Their influence has a disastrous effect on the earth's climate, producing global warming and many other irreversible environmental impacts, even though it is occasionally invisible to the independent eye. Phase change materials (PCMs) can store and release heat when it is abundant during the day (e.g., from solar radiation), for use at night, or on chilly days when the building needs to be heated. As a consequence, buildings use less energy to heat and cool, which lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, research on thermally active medium-density fiberboard (MDF) with PCMs is presented in this work. MDF is useful for interior design and furniture manufacturing. The boards were created using pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and spruce (Picea abies L.) fibers, urea-formaldehyde resin, and PCM powder, with a phase transition temperature of 22 oC, density of 785 kg m−3, the latent heat capacity of 160 kJ kg−1, the volumetric heat capacity of 126 MJ m−3, the specific heat capacity of 2.2 kJ kgK−1, the thermal conductivity of 0.18 W mK−1, and a maximum operating temperature of 200 °C. Five variants of MDF with PCM additive were developed: 0%, 5%, 10%, 30%, and 50%. According to the study, scores at the MOR, MOE, IB, and Screw Withdrawal Resistance (SWR) tests decreased when PCM content was added. However, the results of the thickness swelling and water absorption tests indicate that the PCM particles do not exhibit a substantial capacity to absorb water, retaining the dimensional stability of the MDF boards. The panel's thermal characteristics improved with increasing PCM concentration, according to the data. The density profiles of all the variations under consideration had a somewhat U-shaped appearance; however, the version with a 50% PCM content had a flatter form and no obvious layer compaction on the panel surface. Therefore, certain of the mechanical and physical characteristics of the manufactured panels can be enhanced by a well-chosen PCM addition.

Estimating Forest growing stock volume (GSV) is crucial for forest growth and resource management, as it reflects forest productivity. National measurements are laborious and costly, however integrating satellite data such as optical, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) with National Forest Inventory (NFI) data and machine learning (ML) methods has transformed forest management. In this study, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) were used to predict GSV using Estonian NFI data, Sentinel-2 imagery, and ALS point cloud data. Four variable combinations were tested: CO1 (vegetation indices and LiDAR), CO2 (vegetation indices and individual band reflectance), CO3 (LiDAR and individual band reflectance), and CO4 (a combination of vegetation indices, individual band reflectance, and LiDAR). Across Estonia's geographical regions, RF consistently delivered the best performance. In the northwest (NW), RF achieved an R² of 0.63 and an RMSE of 125.39 m³/plot. In the southwest (SW), it achieved an R² of 0.73 and an RMSE of 128.86 m³/plot. In the northeast (NE), RF achieved an R² of 0.64 and an RMSE of 133.77 m³/plot, and an R² of 0.70 and an RMSE of 120.72 m³/plot was achieved in the southeast (SE). These results underscore RF's precision in predicting GSV across diverse environments, though refining variable selection and improving tree species data could further enhance accuracy.

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

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

Enormous quantities of softwood and hardwood tree bark are generated yearly in the pulp and woodworking industry. Chemical compounds which can be found in bark extracts have important biological properties and therefore a high potential for using in the production of special formulations. In the present study, extraction of Picea abies bark with organosolv solvents was investigated to achieve a high yield of desirable compounds. For the extraction four different solvent ratios of ethanol and water were applied. The temperature range of extraction was set between 40 and 100 °C and stirring velocity of 400 rpm. Extractions were performed with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:20. Yields of phenolics, flavonoids and tannins were determined using gallic acid for total phenolic content (TPC), quercetin for total flavonoid content (TFC) and tannic acid for total tannins content (TTC) as calibration compounds. Qualitative analysis of phenolic constituents was performed after their derivatization, by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry identification. The total yield of bark extract of 14.75 wt.% was achieved by using an ethanol/water ratio of 50% (v/v) and a temperature of 100 °C. Gas chromatography results show 9 aromatic carboxylic acids as phenolic acids and quercetin and (+)-catechin as flavonoid compounds. Highest concentrations of TPC = 3.21 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, TCF = 0.62 mg quercetin equivalent/g and TTC = 0.84 tannic acid equivalent/g were determined at the same process conditions by photometric method. This study determined the conditions for organosolv extraction of useful compounds and suggests that some of extractives, e.g., taxifolin and rhamnetin presented in the spruce bark extracts, have antiviral (SARS-CoV-2) effects. Therefore, this warrants further evaluation of the antiviral properties of spruce bark constituents.

High level of noise is a disturbance to the human environment. Noise in industries is also an occupational hazard because of its attendant effects on workers’ health. Noise presents health and social problems in industrial operations, and the source is related to the machineries used in the industries. One of the unique features of the noise associated with wood machinery is the level of exposure and duration. Equipment used in a factory can be extremely loud. They can produce noise at decibels high enough to cause environmental health and safety concerns. The mechanically driven transport and handling equipment, cutting, milling, shaping and dust extractor installations in the wood industry generate noise. The sources of noise pollution have increased due to non-compliance with basic safety practices. The increased use of locally fabricated machine in the industry has increased the level of noise and vibration. The effects of industrial noise pollution as discussed include: increase in blood pressure; increased stress; fatigue; vertigo; headaches; sleep disturbance; annoyance; speech problems; dysgraphia, which means reading/learning impairment; aggression; anxiety and withdrawal. As presented in this paper, noise control techniques include; sound insulation, sound absorption, vibration damping and Vibration isolation.

The silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is among the most valuable conifers in Europe for ecological and economic reasons. In the course of history, primarily in the 20th century, its share in stands has been declining due to ill-suited management practices, especially clear-cut management, air pollution, and wildlife-induced damage. Based on recent knowledge of fir ecology and population dynamics, small-scale shelterwood and selection management have been introduced in fir stands, which have also stabilized them. Fir is an essential species for maintaining high stability and biodiversity, especially on planosols and in waterlogged habitats. Due to its shade tolerance and environmental flexibility, particularly at higher altitudes, it can coexist very well with many tree species in mixtures, which can increase the productive potential of stands. It can form stands of heterogeneous structure, ranging from single to multi-layer to selection. For its successful natural regeneration, it is essential to reduce cloven-hoofed game and thus prevent bud browsing damage. On the other hand, fir is a species relatively resistant to bark stripping and the spread of secondary rot compared to Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). During global climate change, fir is expected to shift to higher elevations with sufficient precipitation, while in the southern part of its natural range or at lower elevations, outside water-influenced habitats, it is likely to decline. This paper essentially reviews the description and distribution of the species, its ecological requirements, threats and diseases, habitat and stand conditions, and close-to-nature forest management practices with emphasis on ongoing climate change.

This article challenges the assumption that journals and peer review are essential for developing, evaluating and disseminating scientific and other academic knowledge. It suggests a more flexible ecosystem, and examines some of the possibilities this might facilitate. The market for academic outputs should be opened up by encouraging the separation of the dissemination service from the evaluation service. Publishing research in subject-specific journals encourages compartmentalising research into rigid categories. The dissemination of knowledge would be better served by an open access, web-based repository system encompassing all disciplines. There would then be a role for organisations to assess the items in this repository to help users find relevant, high-quality work. There could be a variety of such organisations which could enable reviews from peers to be supplemented with evaluation by non-peers from a variety of different perspectives: user reviews, statistical reviews, reviews from the perspective of different disciplines, and so on. This should reduce the inevitably conservative influence of relying on two or three peers, and make the evaluation system more critical, multi-dimensional and responsive to the requirements of different audience groups, changing circumstances, and new ideas. Non-peer review might make it easier to challenge dominant paradigms, and expanding the potential audience beyond a narrow group of peers might encourage the criterion of simplicity to be taken more seriously - which is essential if human knowledge is to continue to progress.

We assume that poetic devices have an implicit goal: producing an overall sound scheme that will induce the reader to associate intended and expressed meaning to the sound of the poem. Sounds may be organized into categories and assigned presumed meaning as suggested by traditional literary studies. In my work, I have extracted automatically the sound grids of all the sonnets by William Shakespeare and have combined them with the themes expressed by their contents. In a first experiment I have computed lexically and semantically based sentiment analysis obtaining an 80% of agreement. In a second experiment sentiment analysis has been substituted by Appraisal Theory thus obtaining a more fine-grained interpretation which in some cases contradicts the first one. The computation for the second poet - regarded by many critics the best of last century - includes both vowels and consonants. In addition, it combines automatic semantically and lexically based sentiment analysis with sound grids. The results produce visual maps that clearly separate poems into three clusters: negative harmony, positive harmony and disharmony where the latter instantiates the need by the poet to encompass the opposites in a desperate attempt to reconcile them.

Upholstery nonwoven fabric is a waste product mainly generated during upholstered furniture production. The polyester composition makes it problematic to recycle and reuse this product. This study examined the manufacturing process of nonwoven fabric-reinforced plywood composites and their selected mechanical and physical properties. Nonwoven fabric was integrated between veneers bound with urea-formaldehyde resin to improve standard layered composites' mechanical and physical properties. Several board variants were produced, differing in the position of the nonwoven layers in the composite structure. The composites were evaluated for modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and screw withdrawal resistance, among others. The results showed that the addition of nonwoven fabric significantly improved some properties. Variants with strategically placed nonwoven layers showed the highest performance increases. The results underscore the potential of nonwoven fabric as an effective reinforcing material, offering a path to developing high-performance plywood composites suitable for demanding applications. Another, environmental profit is that the nonwoven fabric waste, that was used in tested plywood production, has not been subjected burning nor landfilling, but, by incorporation to plywood structure, have positively contributed to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) policy. The findings advocate for a circular economy approach, where industrial waste is effectively repurposed, contributing to the development of green materials in the wood-based composite industry.

Recycling upholstery textiles is challenging due to the complexity of materials, which often include a mix of fabrics, foams, and adhesives that are difficult to separate. The intricate designs and layers in upholstered furniture make it labor-intensive and costly to dismantle for recycling. Additionally, contaminants like stains, finishes, and flame retardants complicate recycling. Despite these difficulties, recycling upholstery textiles is crucial to reducing landfill waste and conserving resources by reusing valuable materials. It also helps mitigate environmental pollution and carbon emissions associated with producing new textiles from virgin resources. The presented research aimed to establish the feasibility of incorporating textile fibers from waste artificial leather fibers from the upholstery furniture industry into the structure of high-density fiberboards. This approach positively contributes to carbon capture and storage (CCS) policy and mitigates the problem of such waste being sent to landfills. The research shows that while selected mechanical and physical parameters of the panels decrease with a rising content of recycled textile fibers, it is possible to meet proper European standard requirements by adjusting technological parameters such as nominal density.

This study investigates the impact of specimen size on the mechanical properties of wood, specifically focusing on compression strength, elastic modulus, and Poisson's ratio. Compression tests were conducted using three different specimen sizes (20mm×20mm×30mm, 40mm×40mm×60mm, 60mm×90mm×90mm) in the longitudinal, radial, and tangential directions. Mechanical parameters, failure mechanisms, load-displacement curves, and stress-strain relationships were systematically analyzed for each size. The study also evaluated the influence of specimen size on the accuracy of finite element numerical simulations by utilizing the obtained mechanical parameters. The results reveal a significant correlation between compressive strength and specimen size, indicating a decrease in compressive strength with increasing specimen size. Conversely, elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio exhibit less sensitivity to variations in specimen size. Notably, parameters derived from small-sized specimens (20mm×20mm×30mm) exhibited substantial errors, while those obtained from medium-sized (40mm×40mm×60mm) and large-sized specimens (60mm×90mm×90mm) demonstrated greater reliability, providing precise results in finite element numerical simulations.

In order to harness the potential of mobile technologies to enhance the quality of clinical research, it is critical to first understand how to engage patients and research sites when planning and conducting mobile clinical trials. The Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative has developed the first comprehensive, evidence-based set of recommendations for incorporating patient and site perspectives in mobile clinical trials, which can aid in engaging stakeholders, addressing site challenges, and maximizing value for participants.

Due to the accumulation of pesticides in the environment, the development of efficient strategies for their removal is of utmost importance. Activated carbons are currently seen as excellent candidates for adsorptive pesticide removal based on several beneficial properties, like a large surface area, developed porosity, and low price. However, a deep link between materials' properties and performance is still elusive. Here we focus on the kinetics of three organophosphate pesticides removal, aliphatic dimethoate and malathion and aromatic chlorpyrifos, using a series of carefully prepared activated carbon fibers. Used adsorbents have a wide range of specific surface areas, pore size distributions, and elemental content, allowing the establishment of the link between physicochemical properties and their performance as adsorbents. We use data analysis tools to link these properties and discuss their different roles in the removal of three structurally different yet extremely dangerous pesticides. The obtained results can guide the synthesis of novel adsorbents or rationally select adsorbents for specific target pollutants based on the physicochemical properties of adsorbents and the chemical structure of pollutants.

Recently, the concept of participatory democracy developed in the early 1970s has come back into fashion to revitalize the public involvement in political decision-making processes. Public par-ticipation in forest policy has been fully conceptualized by the scientific community in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in many contexts the practical application remains unfulfilled. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze the participatory techniques used in literature to increase knowledge and facilitate its transferability into forest policies and strategies. A literature review was carried out to offer an overview of the participatory techniques adopted in the deci-sion-making process. At the end of literature review, 25 participatory techniques were identified based on over 2,000 publications. Afterwards, the participatory techniques were assessed using seven indicators (degree of participation, type and number of participants, time scale, cost, po-tential influence on policy). The results showed that the type of actors involved in the participa-tory technique is a key variable for the complexity and usefulness of the process, while the number of participants influences how information is disseminated. The Principal Component Analysis highlighted that the participatory techniques can be divided in three groups: the first group includes those techniques with a high degree of participation and a contextual high po-tential influence on policies, the second one includes techniques with a costs in terms of re-sources, while the third one consists of those with a large number of participants and reduced time requirements.

Autonomous weapons systems (AWS), sometimes referred to as “killer robots”, are receiving evermore attention, both in public discourse as well as by scholars and policymakers. Much of this interest is connected with emerging ethical and legal problems linked to increasing autonomy in weapons systems, but there is a general underappreciation for the ways in which existing law might impact on these new technologies. In this paper, we argue that as AWS become more sophisticated and increasingly more capable than flesh-and-blood soldiers, it will increasingly be the case that such soldiers are “in the power” of those AWS which fight against them. This implies that such soldiers ought to be considered hors de combat, and not targeted. In arguing for this point, we draw out a broader conclusion regarding hors de combat status, namely that it must be viewed contextually, with close reference to the capabilities of combatants on both sides of any discreet engagement. Given this point, and the fact that AWS may come in many shapes and sizes, and can be made for many different missions, we argue that each particular AWS will likely need its own standard for when enemy soldiers are deemed hors de combat. We conclude by examining how these nuanced views of hors de combat status might impact on meaningful human control of AWS.

The peptide hormone kisspeptin attenuates liver steatosis, metabolic dysfunction-associated stea-tohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis in mouse models, by signaling via the kisspeptin 1 receptor (KISS1R). However, whether kisspeptin impacts fibrogenesis in the human liver is not known. We investigated the impact of a potent kisspeptin analog (KPA) on fibrogenesis using human precision cut liver slices (hPCLS) from fibrotic livers from male patients, in human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), LX-2 and in primary mouse HSCs. In hPCLS, 48 h and 72 h of KPA (3 nM, 100 nM) treatment decreased collagen secretion, and lowered expression of fibrogenic and inflammatory markers. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that KISS1R is expressed and localized to HSCs in MASH/fibrotic livers. In HSCs, KPA treatment reduced transforming growth factor beta (TGFb)-induced expression of fibrogenic and inflammatory markers, in addition to decreasing TGFb induced collagen secretion, cell migration, proliferation and colony formation. Mechanistically, KISS1R signaling downregulated TGFb signaling by decreasing SMAD2/3 phosphorylation, via activation of protein-phosphatases PP2A, that dehosphorylates SMAD 2/3. This study revealed for the first time that kisspeptin reverses human hepatic fibrogenesis thus identifying it as a new therapeutic target to treat hepatic fibrosis.

Finishing coatings in the wood-based composites industry not only influence the final appearance of the product but also serve to protect against fungi, and molds, and reduce the release of harmful substances, particularly formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carbon-rich materials, such as those derived from birch bark extraction, specifically suberin acids, can fulfil this role. Previous research has demonstrated that adding suberin acid residues (SAR) at 20% and 50% by weight significantly enhances the gas barrier properties of surface finishing materials based on poly(lactide) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), particularly in terms of Total VOC (TVOC) and formaldehyde emissions. This study aims to explore whether these properties can be further improved through the incorporation of nano-zinc oxide (nano-ZnO). Previous research has shown that these nanoparticles possess strong resistance to biological factors and can positively affect the characteristics of nanofilms applied as surface protection. The study employed PLA and PCL finishing layers blended with SAR powder at 10% w/w and included 2% and 4% nano-zinc oxide nanoparticles. The resulting blends were milled to create a powder, which was subsequently pressed into 1 mm thick films. These films were then applied to raw particleboard surfaces. TVOC and formaldehyde emission tests were conducted. Additionally, the fungal resistance of the coated surfaces was assessed. The results showed that PLA/SAR and PCL/SAR composites with the addition of nano-zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved barrier properties, offering a promising avenue for developing biodegradable, formaldehyde-free coatings in the furniture industry with enhanced features. Furthermore, by utilizing SAR as a post-extraction residue, this project aligns perfectly with the concept of upcycling.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin D’s effect on risk health outcomes is often evaluated using prospective cohort studies. Risk ratios (RRs; e.g., hazard ratios or odds ratios) are determined for incidence for participants with baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations below or above specified values. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations vary over time, thereby diluting the effect of 25(OH)D for long follow-up periods. Inverse relationships between RR and follow-up period have been reported for all-cause mortality rate and cancer incidence rates. Here I evaluate the effect for neurological outcomes. Methods: I analyzed how follow-up period affected results from 10 cohort studies of all-cause dementia, 6 studies of Alzheimer’s disease, and 9 for cognitive impairment with respect to vitamin D deficiency. Results: For all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive impairment, respectively, the linear regression fits are RR = 2.9 – 0.14 × years, r = 0.73, p = 0.02; RR = 2.9 – 0.14 × years, r = 0.69, p = 0.13; and RR = 1.8 – 0.066 × years, r = 0.72, p = 0.03. The regression fit to RR for the shortest follow-up period for each outcome is considered the best estimate of vitamin D deficiency’s effect on risk. Those values are approximately twice that found by averaging all RRs without considering the effect of follow-up period. Conclusions: Vitamin D’s effect on risk of neurological conditions should be determined with relatively short follow-up periods after repeated 25(OH)D measurements as warranted during follow-up.

Abstract: This article reports the results of an ecological study of cancer incidence rates by state in the US for the period 2016-2020. The goals of this study were to determine the extent to which solar UVB doses still reduced cancer risk compared to findings reported in 2006 for cancer mortality rates for the periods 1950–1969 and 1970-1794 as well as cancer incidence rates for the period 1998–2002 and to determine which factors were recently associated with cancer risk. The cancer data for non-Hispanic white (European American) men and women were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indices were obtained for solar UVB at the surface for July 1992, and alcohol consumption, and diabetes and obesity prevalence near the 2016–2020 period. Lung cancer incidence rates were also used in the analyses as a surrogate for smoking, diet, and air pollution. The cancers for which solar UVB is significantly associated with reduced incidence are bladder, brain (males), breast, corpus uteri, esophageal, gastric, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, pancreatic, and renal cancer. Lung cancer was significantly associated with colorectal, laryngeal, and renal cancer. Diabetes was also significantly associated with breast, liver, and lung cancer. Obesity prevalence was significantly associated with breast, colorectal and renal cancer. Alcohol consumption was associated with bladder and esophageal cancer. Thus diet has become a very important driver of cancer incidence rates. The role of solar UVB in reducing risk of cancer has been reduced due to people spending less time outdoors, wearing sunscreen that blocks UVB but not UVA radiation, and population increases in overweight and obesity, which lowers 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and generates systemic inflammation, a risk factor for cancer. The dietary approach that would reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, lung cancer, and, therefore cancer, would be one based mostly on whole-plants and restrictions on red and processed meats and ultraprocessed foods. Solar UVB exposure for a few minutes before applying sunscreen and taking vitamin D supplements would also help reduce risk of cancer.Keywords: alcohol consumption; cancer incidence;

Sterile alpha motif domain-containing protein 9 (SAMD9) is a regulatory protein centrally involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Mapped to 7p21.1, variants in SAMD9 have been reported in <50 pediatric cases worldwide, typically with early lethality. Germline gain-of-function SAMD9 variants are associated with MIRAGE Syndrome (myelodysplasia, infection, restricted growth, adrenal hypoplasia, genital anomalies, and enteropathy). Spalt like transcription factor 1 (SALL1) is a zinc finger transcriptional repressor located at 16q12.1 where only two transcript variants in SALL1 are known. RUNX2 (6p21.1) encodes a nuclear protein with a Runt DNA-binding domain critical for osteoblastic differentiation, skeletal morphogenesis, and serves as a scaffold for nucleic acids and regulatory factors involved in skeletal gene expression. RUNX2 and SALL1 are thus both ‘master regulators’ of tissue organization and embryo development. Here, we describe exome sequencing and copy number variants in two previously unknown mutations—R824Q in SAMD9, and Q253H in SALL1. A new multiexon 3’ terminal duplication in RUNX2 is also reported. This is the first known phenotype characterization for the intersection of all three variants in a healthy 46,XX adult. Focusing on developmental progress, ultrastructural renal anatomy, and selected reproductive aspects, we describe this unique genotype diagnosed incidentally during Covid-19 illness. Individual disruption in SAMD9, RUNX2, or SALL1 would be expected to give a bleak prognosis. However, the convergence discovered here appears to dampen severe pathology, perhaps by cross-gene silencing of effects normally deleterious when such changes occur alone.

Recent advancements in vascular organoid (VO) and vessel-on-chip (VoC) technologies have revolutionized our approach to studying cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), offering unprecedented insights through more physiologically relevant models. VOs generated from human pluripotent stem cells exhibit remarkable self-organization capabilities, forming complex three-dimensional structures that closely mimic human blood vessel architecture and function, while VoCs engineered with groundbreaking microfluidic systems that meticulously recreate the physical and functional attributes of blood vessels. These innovative constructs serve as powerful tools for investigating vascular development, disease progression, and therapeutic efficacy. By enabling the creation of patient-specific VOs and VoCs, they pave the way for personalized medicine approaches, allowing researchers to delve into genetic variations, intricate cellular interactions, and dynamic processes with exceptional resolution. The synergy between VOs and VoCs with cutting-edge technologies such as single-cell sequencing and high-resolution imaging has further amplified their potential, unveiling novel mechanisms underlying CVDs and identifying promising therapeutic targets. Herein, we summarize different types of VOs and VoCs and present an extensive overview on the generation and applications of VOs and VoCs in CVDs. We will also highlight clinical and translational challenges and future perspectives around VOs and VoCs.

The first published description of intraovarian platelet-rich plasma (PRP) appeared in mid-2016, when a new experimental technique was successfully used in adult human ovaries to correct the reduced fertility potential accompanying advanced maternal age. Considering the potential therapeutic scope of intraovarian activated PRP and/or condensed platelet cytokines would likely cover both menopause treatment and infertility, the mainstream response has ranged from skeptical disbelief to welcome astonishment. Indeed, reports of restored menses in menopause (as an alternative to conventional hormone replacement therapy) and healthy term livebirths for infertility patients (either with IVF or as unassisted conceptions) after intraovarian PRP injection continue to draw notice. Yet any proper criticism of ovarian PRP applications will be difficult to rebut given the heterogenous patient screening, varied sample preparations, wide differences in platelet incubation and activation protocols, surgical/anesthesia techniques, and delivery methods. Notwithstanding these features, no adverse events have been reported thus far and ovarian PRP appears well tolerated by patients. Here, early research guiding the transition of ‘ovarian rejuvenation’ from experimental to clinical is outlined. Likely mechanisms are presented to explain results observed in both veterinary and human ovarian PRP research. Current and future challenges for intraovarian cytokine treatment are also discussed.

The rapid growth of the global wearable technologies market is projected to reach $61.30 billion by 2030 which reflects a shift towards personalised health monitoring embedded in everyday activities. This paper explores the potential of embroidered interdigitated transducer (IDT)-based sensors for non-invasive, continuous monitoring of human biomarkers, particularly glucose levels, in human sweat. The study employs innovative embroidery techniques to create flexible fabric-based sensors with gold-coated IDTs. Experimental results demonstrate the sensor’s capability to detect water droplets and glucose concentrations, showcasing promising applications for health monitoring. The embroidered IDT-based sensors offer a unique approach for seamless integration into clothing, paving the way for personalised, continuous health data capture.

Involving local people in natural area management is very important to address the complexity of environmental management issues for sustainable use of local resources. Participatory methods require the contribution of local stakeholders in decision making. Mapping the environmental views of local communities allows for detecting aspects that could facilitate management efforts. This research – in the frame of the Skyros LIFE project and the PAMNATURA project - measures local acceptability of the conservation actions proposed by the LIFE project in Skyros Island (Greece) in relation with recording local people’s environmental orientation using the 15-item revised New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale. The research was carried out by means of questionnaires. The LIFE project proposed actions were grouped into three categories according to their theme, i.e. promoting (a) Nature protection, (b) Agro-pastoralism and (c) Ecotourism. The sample seems to largely agree with the LIFE project proposals, while the results showed high scores for most of the NEP scale items, implying pro-environmental beliefs, though there appears disagreement or neutrality regarding a few items. Local acceptability of the proposed actions was found to correlate to local people’s environmental concern measured through the NEP scale. Drawing on the results, implementation of actions related directly or indirectly to economic activities, preservation of traditional activities, as well as environmental education, interactive informing and consultation could enhance local participation. Skyros island seems to offer an appropriate social background for applying participatory and adaptive management and implementing conservation programs.

Understanding maturation stress and wood properties of poplar tension wood are critical for improving lumber yields and utilization ratio. In this study, Released Longitudinal Maturation Strains (RLMS), anatomical features, physical and mechanical properties, and nano-mechanical properties of the cell wall were analyzed at different peripheral positions and heights in nine inclined, 12-year-old poplar (Populus×euramericana ‘Zhonglin46’) trees. The correlations between RLMS and wood properties were determined. The results showed that there were mixed effects of artificial inclination on wood quality and properties. The upper sides of inclined stems had higher RLMS, proportion of G-layer, bending modulus of elasticity, and elastic modulus of cell wall but lower microfibril angle than the lower sides. At heights between 0.7 m and 2.2 m, only the double wall thickness increased with height, RLMS and other wood properties such as fiber length and basic density fluctuated or changed little with height. RLMS was a good indicator of wood properties in the tension wood area and at heights between 0.7 m and 1.5 m. The results of this study present opportunities to identify and select better quality wood in poplar trees.

Covid-19 has caused infections and deaths worldwide. While research in the field of Data Science has contributed good predictions of positive Covid-19 case numbers, this study's review of literature shows there is little research in the use of variants of the virus in predictions. We set out to define and evaluate novel variant features. We find that features relating to variant trends, thresholds and amino acid substitutions are especially powerful in two tasks. In the first task, predicting Covid-19 case numbers, accuracy improved from 71.53% without variant features to 82.12% with variant features. In the second task, predicting transmission severity of variants between two classes, we created a method to build some variable ensembles through selecting appropriate models that are generated with variant features. The test results showed that our ensembles are more accurate and reliable. One particular ensemble of 14 models correctly classified 90.91% of variants, outperforming other models including the popular Random Forest ensemble. In addition, as the variant features have represented more underlying information about Covid-19 pathophysiology, our ensemble methods use only a few data samples to achieve an accurate prediction. The ensemble of 14 models uses only 50 cases of each variant, an ability that could be exploited for early detection of highly infectious variants. These research findings may benefit public health professionals, policy makers, and the research community in the collective efforts to overcome this disease.

Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) is a type of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology that builds parts in a layer-by-layer fashion out of a bed of metal powder via the selective melting action of a laser or electron beam heat source. The technology has become widespread, however the demand is growing for closed loop process monitoring and control in PBF systems to replace the open loop architectures that exist today. This paper demonstrates the simulated efficacy of applying closed-loop state estimation to the problem of monitoring temperature fields within parts during the PBF build process. A simplified LTI model of PBF thermal physics with the properties of stability, controllability and observability is presented. An Ensemble Kalman Filter is applied to the model. The accuracy of this filters’ predictions are assessed in simulation studies of the temperature evolution of various test parts when subjected to simulated laser heat input. The significant result of this study is that the filter supplied predictions that were about 2.5x more accurate than the open loop model in these simulation studies.

Simple Summary: 200 words Will biology, including humans, benefit or harm from new developments in information such as artificial intelligence (AI). First, are biology and information different? Life is an ordered form that can reproduce, maybe with variation; and any ordered arrangement, biological or not, potentially contains information. There have been ordered forms since earth was just a ball of chemicals, and some such chemicals can reproduce. So biological and non-biological information might be components of a unified process, ‘PanEvolution’ or ‘Pan-Evo’, based on the same four operations for living or non-living entities - Innovation; Transmission and replication; Adaptation; and Movement. This can produce separate groups called ‘species’. In a current Panspeciation event, information held in biology - especially our brains - is moving into its own environment. Harm to biology might be minimal if humans and AI both behave intelligently, because vastly different environments are optimal for humans and machines containing AI. This would be the first speciation-like event involving humans for millennia, but will not be particularly hostile to humans, if humans learn how to evaluate information and cooperate, to minimize the effect of both human stupidity and artificial simulated stupidity (ASS – a failure of AI). Abstract: 200 words Many people wonder whether biology, including humans, will benefit or harm from new developments in information such as artificial intelligence (AI). Biological and non-biological information might be components of a unified process, ‘Pan-Evolution’ or ‘Pan-Evo’, based on four basic operations – Innovation, Transmission, Adaptation, and Movement. Pan-Evo contains many types of variable objects, from molecules to ecosystems. Biological innovation includes mutations and behavioural changes; non-biological innovation includes naturally-occuring physical innovations, and innovation in software. Replication is commonplace in and outside biology, including autocatalytic chemicals, and autonomous software replication. Adaptation includes biological selection, autocatalytic chemicals and ‘evolutionary programming’ used in AI. Extension of biological speciation to non-biological information, creates a concept called ‘Panspeciation’. Panevolution might benefit or harm biology, but harm might be minimal if AI and the humans behave intelligently, because humans, and the machines in which AI resides, might split to the vastly different environments that suit them. That is a possible example of panspeciation, and would be the first speciation event involving humans for thousands of years. This event will not be particularly hostile to humans, if humans learn to evaluate information and cooperate better, to minimize both human stupidity and artificial simulated stupidity (ASS – a failure of AI).

The study findings revealed significant variability in various wood properties among different genetic families, although the static modulus of elasticity did not exhibit significant differences between the chosen genetic families. All measured wood properties decreased from the bottom to the top of the model trees. Wood hardness displayed a moderately negative correlation with wood density and weak correlations with MOE and MOR. Given the weak correlations between wood hardness and other wood mechanical properties, it is suggested that the MOEdyn would be a more suitable trait for genetic studies.

With the increasing use of data-driven modeling methods new approaches to complex problems in the field of wind energy can be addressed. Topics reviewed through literature include wake modeling, performance monitoring and controls applications, condition monitoring and fault detection, and other data-driven research. Literature shows the advantages of data-driven methods reduce computational expense or complexity, particularly in the cases of wake modeling and controls, as well as various data-driven methodologies’ aptitude for predictive modeling and classification, as in the cases of fault detection and diagnosis. Significant work exists for fault detection while less work is found for controls applications. A methodology for creating data-driven wind turbine models for arbitrary performance parameters is proposed. Results are presented utilizing the methodology to create wind turbine models relating active adaptive twist to steady-state rotor thrust as a performance parameter of interest. Resulting models are evaluated by comparing root-mean-square-error (RMSE) on both the training and validation data sets, with Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), deemed an accurate model for this application. The resulting model undergoes particle swarm optimization to determine the optimal aerostructure twist shape at a given wind speed with respect to the modeled performance parameter, aerodynamic thrust load. The optimization process shows an improvement of 3.15% in thrust loading for the 10 MW reference turbine, and 2.66% for the 15 MW reference turbine.

Fusarium species are agriculturally important fungi with a broad host range and can be found as endophytic, pathogenic, or opportunistic parasites in many crop plants. This study aimed to identify Fusarium species in bare-rooted, dormant plants in Turkish grapevine nurseries using molecular identification methods and assess their pathogenicity. Asymptomatic dormant plants were sampled from grapevine nurseries (43) in different regions of the country, and fungi were isolated from plant roots and internal basal tissues. The Fusarium isolates were identified by performing gene sequencing (TEF1-α, RPB2) and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests were carried out by inoculating mycelial agar pieces of isolates onto the stem or conidial suspensions into the rhizosphere of vines (1103 Paulsen rootstock). Laboratory tests revealed that Fusarium species were highly prevalent in Turkish grapevine nurseries (41 out of 43). Gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses unraveled that 12 Fusarium species (F. annulatum, F. brachygibbosum, F. clavum, F. curvatum, F. falciforme, F. fredkrugeri, F. glycines, F. nanum, F. nematophilum, F. nirenbergiae, F. solani, and Fusarium spp.) existed in the ready-to-sale plants. Some of these species (F. annulatum, F. curvatum and F. nirenbergiae) consistently caused wood necrosis of seedling stems, rotting of the basal zone and roots, and reduced root biomass. Although the other nine species also caused some root rot and root reduction, their virulence was not as severe as the pathogenic ones, and they were considered opportunistic parasites or endophytic species. This study is the first detailed investigation of Fusarium species in grapevine nurseries in Türkiye and emphasizes the need to consider pathogenic species in producing healthy grapevine seedlings.

The increasing demand for large-scale, high-frequency environmental monitoring has driven the adoption of satellite-based technologies for effective forest management, especially in the context of climate change. This study explores the potential of SAR for estimating the mass of harvesting residues, a significant component of forest ecosystems that impacts nutrient cycling, fire risk, and bioenergy production. The research hypothesizes that while the spatial distribution of residues remains stable, changes in moisture content—reflected in variations in the dielectric properties of the woody material—can be detected through SAR techniques. Two models, generalized linear model (GLM) and random forest (RF), were used to predict the mass of residues using interfer-ometric variables (phase, amplitude and coherence) as well as the backscatter signal from several acquisition pairs. The models provided encouraging results (R2 of 0.48 for GLM and 0.13 for RF), with acceptable bias and RMSE. We concluded that SAR data are feasible to predict the mass of harvesting residues and the findings could lead to improved monitoring and management of forest residues, contributing to sustainable forestry practices and enhanced bioenergy resource utilization.

Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) actuators are smart materials that adapt and switch shape in response to environmental conditions, allowing controlled and dynamic building systems. The integrated SMP strip enabled the adaptive facade shading system to operate independently and with flexibility under certain thermoresponsive conditions to regulate building performance. This study aims to improve adaptive façade performance in a hot-humid climate by determining optimal thermal activation factors for the shape memory polymer. This was achieved by comprehensively examining and analysing the impact of various SMP activation parameters on energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and visual comfort. In addition, dynamic IES-VE building energy simulation was used to evaluate the thermal performance of the adaptable facade. The results were validated using a multicriteria approach to compare with the existing glass façade of a high-rise apartment. The results showed that the coactivation technique, which combines solar radiation and air temperature triggers, proved to be the most efficient strategy to improve the performance of the adaptive façade. This strategy minimised heat gain, lowered indoor temperatures, reduced glare, and enhanced daylight comfort, resulting in notable energy savings through reduced cooling consumption. The study concluded that the utilisation of SMP actuators with fine-tuning activation parameters significantly optimised adaptive façade performance, promoting functionality, efficiency, and sustainability in buildings.

This review critically examines the various ways in which the mechanical properties of wood have been understood. Despite the immense global importance of wood in construction, most understanding of its elastic and inelastic properties is based on models developed for other materials. Such models neglect wood’s cellular and fibrous nature. This review thus questions how well models that were originally developed for homogeneous and effectively continuous materials can describe wood’s mechanical properties. For example, the elastic moduli of wood have been found by many authors to depend on the size of the test specimen. Such observations are incompatible with classical elasticity theory. There is also much uncertainty about how well elastic moduli can be defined for wood. An analysis of different models for size effects of various inelastic properties of wood shows that these models only approximate the observed behaviour, and do not predict or explain the scatter in the results. A more complete understanding of wood’s mechanical properties must take account of it being in some sense intermediate between a material and a structure.

CO2 emission activity of xylotrophic fungi response to an increase in temperature in the range of 10-30 °C on the example of pure dikaryotic cultures of Fomes fomentarius s. str., F. inzengae, Fomitopsis betulina, F. pinicola, Phellinus igniarius was analyzed. Emission activity was assessed by the difference in CO2 concentration in 0.5-liter exposure chambers with Petri dishes with mycelium growing on agar at the beginning of exposure and an hour later using a Gasmet DX-4030 FTIR spectrometer (Gasmet Technologies Oy, Finland), error measurements ±50 ppm. Specific (μg CO2/cm2/h) and total (μg CO2/h) emission activity and its relationship with temperature and size (area) of the mycelium were assessed. It has been shown that in the range of 10-30 °C, the specific and total CO2 emission activity of the mycelium is closely and positively related to temperature. Specific emission, which is an indicator of the respiratory activity of the mycelium, does not depend on its size; its only driver is temperature, the relationship with which is linear: an increase in temperature by 10 °C causes an increase in the specific emission activity of the mycelium by 1.7 times. The total CO2 emission activity, which is an indicator of the total amount of CO2 emitted, is directly proportional to the specific emission activity and the size of the mycelium. In the range of 10-30 °C, an increase in temperature causes an almost equal increase in both the specific emission activity of the mycelium (Q10 1.7) and its growth (Q10 1.5) and causes an exponential increase in the total emission of CO2. This must be taken into account when predicting CO2 emissions from woody debris under climate change, as it could potentially contribute to accelerating climate change.

Public key encryption methods are often used to create a digital signature, and where Bob has a public key and a private key. In order to prove his identity, he will encrypt something related to the message with his private key, and which can then be checked with his public key. The main current methods of public-key encryption include RSA and ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography), and which involve computationally difficult operations. But these operations have not been proven to be hard in an era of quantum computers. One well-known hard problem is the solving of quadratic equations with $m$ equations with $n$ variables. This is a known NP-hard problem, even in a world of quantum computers. These can be used as post-quantum signature schemes and which involve multivariate equations. In order to understand these methods, this paper outlines a simple example of implementing the oil and vinegar method, and where we have a number of unknown oil variables and a number of known vinegar variables, and where the vinegar variables help convert the hard problem into an easy one.

Based on the perspective of complex directed weighted network analysis, this paper constructs a static resilience evaluation framework for trade networks from two dimensions: structural resilience and node resilience. It studies the evolution of static resilience in the upstream, midstream, downstream, and recycling trade networks of global wood forest products from 2002 to 2021. The study finds that the total trade volume of global wood forest products has increased by 58.0%, 77.3%, 71.2%, and 77.2% in the upstream, midstream, downstream, and recycling sectors, respectively. The downstream trade network exhibits efficient information transmission and resource mobility capabilities. All four types of trade networks exhibit scale-free characteristics, with core countries such as China, the United States, and Germany playing a dominant role in the network and playing a crucial role in network robustness, but also increasing network vulnerability. In terms of unweighted assortativity, all four networks exhibit the characteristic of "small countries relying on hubs," while the weighted assortativity of the downstream network is positive, indicating enhanced network resilience. In terms of node resilience, countries exhibit significant differences and dynamic changes. China demonstrates strong resilience and adaptability, while the United States maintains its core position. China's influence in the downstream network has significantly increased, and India has rapidly emerged in the recycling network. To enhance network resilience, it is necessary to increase diversity and redundancy, establish effective emergency response mechanisms, and promote the diversification and green transformation of the supply chain.

This brief review highlights some current issues in Galactic stellar nucleosynthesis, and some recent laboratory studies by the Wisconsin atomic physics group that have direct application to stellar spectroscopy, in order to advance our understanding of the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. The relevant publication history of the lab studies are summarized, and investigations into the abundances of neutron-capture and iron-peak elements in low metallicity stars are described. Finally, new initatives in near-infrared spectroscopy are briefly explored.

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

Scientific studies on the impact of wood species on solid fuel production, performance, and sustainability are grossly inadequate. The knowledge of this is imperative as users of solid fuels are increasing rapidly, especially in Africa. On this note, it becomes necessary to explore measures that will improve its efficiency and sustainability as an energy source. This study investigates some properties of selected wood species used as an energy source in Nigeria and their pelleting potential. Nine (9) samples were characterized and assessed for suitability of pelleting following four wood pellet quality standards. The findings revealed Anogeissus leiocarpus as the species with the best rating score in terms of fuel properties while Vitellaria paradoxa as the lowest. However, in terms of conformity with the four wood pellets standards, Khaya senegalensis, Parkia biglobosa and Anogeissus leiocarpus having presented density, calorific value, sulfur, arsenic, cadmium, and lead within the limits of the wood pellet quality standards were considered the best wood species in terms of fuel suitability and pelleting potential. The findings therefore suggest that not all wood species are suitable as fuel. Thus, for species that do not meet the standard wood pellet requirements, alternatives such as the use of biomass blends, additives, or process adjustments can be employed to adapt the quality to the standards or by using the fuels in improved cookstoves.

The companion paper (Rice 2020) found that the centromeric repeats of the Western European house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) have unusual structure: i) despite moderate pairwise sequence divergence (average = 5.9%), no monomer sequence was common and many hundreds of monomer sequences were observed, ii) local sequence divergence among neighboring monomers was nearly as high as genome-wide divergence, and iii) matching sequences were rare between side-by-side monomers. Here I integrate information from many published studies to formulate a hypothesis for the evolution of this structure. Non-matching sequences of neighboring centromeric monomers is hypothesized to be selectively favored in the context of molecular drive because it reduces the rate of monomer deletion during repair of double strand breaks (DSBs) via the Single Strand Annealing (SSA) pathway. The foundation for the hypothesis is the observation that centromeres of most populations of M. m. domestics reside close to the telomere, i.e., all their chromosomes are telocentrics. This proximity influences repair of centromeric DSBs because it places at least part of the centromere within the Telomere-Affected Repair Region (TARR; a location with increased concentrations of the shelterin-complex proteins that bind telomeres, especially TRF2). Shelterin proteins increase the level of 5’→3’ end resection at DSBs and thereby: i) decrease the frequency of repair via the c- NHEJ pathway, and ii) increase the frequency of homology-directed repair (HD-repair) –including the SSA repair pathway. It is hypothesized that certain ‘trigger’ events (e.g., sub-telomeric deletions) occur in local populations that increase the influence of TARR on the centromere. This increase elevates the occurrence of SSA repair of centromeric DSBs to a level that causes centromeres to begin to gradually shrink. Chronic shrinkage leads to coevolution between centromere size and karyotype number. Once centromeres shrink to a size below a critical minimum (that causes substantially reduced kinetochore size), fusions between non- homologous telocentrics with undersized centromeres produces metacentrics with an expanded centromere size (and a corresponding ‘quantum-jump’ in kinetochore size). These metacentrics: i) accumulate to fixation because they are favored by centromere drive, and ii) are released from the influence of TARR and thereby gradually recover larger centromere size. Fission of metacentrics with enlarged centromeres can next plausibly regenerate pairs of telocentrics with sufficiently large centromeres (which recruit normal-sized kinetochores) to be favored by centromere drive and accumulate to fixation. This fixation completes a cycle of coevolution within genomes that oscillate between two extremes: i) high karyotype number (2N = 40; all telocentrics) with larger centromeres, and ii) low karyotype number (2N << 40; mainly metacentrics) with initially small centromeres that gradually increase in size.

When animals evolve sufficient intelligence and dexterity to be able to learn to fabricate utility products (UPs) like tools, the UP's they produce become part of an induced-reproduction system that intrinsically shares many life-like traits with biological organisms, including genome-like fabrication and operation information that is physically-encoded in the animal fabricator’s neural networks. When this set of life- like traits includes a sufficient capacity for system-improving cultural evolution (UP-evolvability), the UPs become ‘para-alive’, i.e., nearly alive, or a form of non-biological UP-paralife that is equivalent to the life- status of biological viruses, plasmids, and transposons. In the companion paper I focus on the evolution of UP-paralife in the context of modern, language-capable humans and its predicted evolution going forward in time (Rice 2022). Here I look backward in time and focus on the origin of UP-paralife and its subsequent coevolution with human intelligence. I begin by determining the pathways leading to the evolution of large brains in the rare lineages of biological life that have sufficient intelligence to learn to fabricate tools –a critical first step in the evolution of UP-paralife. The simplest forms of these learning- based UPs, made by species like chimpanzees and New Caledonian crows, represent only proto-UP- paralife because they lack sufficient UP-evolvability. Expanded UP-evolvability required a combination of three attributes that enabled continuous niche-expansion of the animal fabricator via a new and advanced form of UP-mediated teamwork (TW): i) self-domestication that facilitated TW among low-related individuals, ii) learned volitional words (protolanguage) that represent ephemeral UPs that coordinate TW, and iii) learned fabrication of simple flaked-stone tools with cutting and chopping capabilities (a UP to make other structural UPs) that expanded teammate phenotypes and TW capabilities. This specific triad of attributes is synergistic because each one acts as a TW-enhancer that can gradually erode different components of the three major constraints on TW operation and expansion: too much selfishness, insufficient coordination signals, and insufficient physical traits of teammates. The increase in UP- evolvability was transformative and marked the origin of UP-paralife and the initiation of coevolution between UP-paralife (cultural evolution) and the intelligence of its hominin/human symbiont (genetic evolution) that fostered 2.5 million years of: i) continuous brain size increase and niche-expansion within the genus Homo, and ii) parallel advances in the diversity, complexity and uses of UP-paralife. This coevolution also fostered evolutionary expansion of word-based communication, and eventually language, that acted in a catalyst-like manner to facilitate the evolution of increasingly complex forms of imagination, reasoning, mentalizing, and UP-generating technology. I next focus on the evolution of creativity in the human lineage –in the form of divergent thinking and creative imagination. I conclude that the evolution of this advanced cognitive feature required a preadaptation of sufficient intelligence and is the component of human cognition that was the major causal factor generating the greatly expanded diversity and complexity of UP-paralife currently associated with modern humans. Lastly, I apply my findings to the issue of the prevalence of extraterrestrial intelligent life. I conclude that any exoplanets with detected chemical life will very rarely (e.g., probability ~10-5 for a planet closely matching Earth’s characteristics) have evolved intelligence equalling or exceeding that of humans.

Centromeres are among the fastest evolving genomic regions in a diverse array of organisms. The evolutionary process driving this rapid evolution has not been unambiguously established. Here I integrate diverse information to motivate a model in which centromeres evolve rapidly because of their intrinsic molecular phenotype: they tightly bind centromeric proteins throughout the cell cycle. DNA-bound proteins have been shown to cause stalling and collapse of DNA replication forks in many genomic regions, including centromeres. Collapsed replication forks generate one-sided double strand breaks (DSBs) that are repaired by the Break-Induced Repair (BIR) pathway. Here I show why this repair is expected to generate tandem repeat structure and three key features at centromeres: i) increased nucleotide substitution mutation rates, ii) out-of- register re-initiation of replication that leads to indels spanning one or more repeat units, and iii) elevated rates of large and small transpositions within centromeres and between genomic regions. These phenotypes lead to: i) a rapid rate of nucleotide substitutions within a clade of centromeric sequences, ii) continual turnover of monomers within centromeres that fosters molecular-drift and molecular-drive, and iii) recurrent quantum leaps in centromere sequence due to the formation of mosaic monomers and new sequences transposed into non-homologous centromeres. These features are plausibly the major reason centromeres evolve so rapidly. I also speculate on how the DNA sequence of centromeres might perpetually coevolve with the protein sequence of histone CENH3 –the major epigenetic mark of centromeres.

Here I describe an overlooked form of non-biological paralife (i.e., near-life) that has been evolving on Earth for millions of years, and is currently in the final stages of transitioning into a new form of life. Any consideration of non-biological life or paralife is complicated by the fact that there is no consensus among biologists for the definition of life. This ambiguity has caused disagreement about whether subcellular reproduction systems like viruses are a form of life, despite having genomes, mutations, heritable phenotypes and system-improving evolution. To resolve this problem, I develop a definition of life that is entirely functional and independent of any of the structural idiosyncrasies of biological life on Earth: an order-generating system controlled by internally-encoded information that perpetuates itself by functioning to counteract its entropic decay. Using this definition, subcellular transposons, plasmids, and viruses are paralife because they match the definition of life in all ways except that they induce their order-generating functioning by a living host rather through their own self-sustaining production system. Using this functional definition of life, I show that utility- products (UPs) like fabricated hand tools are part of induced-reproduction systems that have features equivalent to biological genomes, mutations, heritable phenotypes, and a process of system-improving evolution. The perceived benefit of utility-products causes them to induce their reproduction by a biological life-form (humans). For these reasons, human utility products are functionally just as close to being a form of life as subcellular transposons, plasmids, and viruses, i.e., they are Utility-Product paralife (UP-parlife). I also show that some forms of UP-paralife are currently evolving into mechanical life that is capable of both self- sustaining reproduction and system-improving evolution without outside assistance. This transition requires the development of a high level of factory and/or UP automation and artificial intelligence (AI) that is capable of complex reasoning, imagination and creativity. Finally, I consider the influence of UP-life and UP-paralife on the development of the level of structural complexity in the universe, and I briefly speculate about how these non-biological forms of life and paralife will influence the expansion of scientific knowledge about the universe.

Japanese plum tree (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is mainly cultivated in temperate areas of China and some European countries. Certain amounts of wood (from pruning works) are generated every year from this crop of worldwide commercial significance. The main objective of this work was to value this agricultural woody residue, for which the chemical composition of pruning wood extracts from six Japanese plum cultivars was investigated, and the antiproliferative activity of extracts and pure phenolics present in those extracts was measured. For the chemical characterization, total phenolic content and DPPH radical-scavenging assays and HPLC‒DAD/ESI‒MS analyses were performed, the procyanidin (‒)-ent-epicatechin-(2α→O→7,4α→8)-epicatechin (5) and the propelargonidin (+)-epiafzelechin-(2β→O→7,4β→8)-epicatechin (7) being the major components of the wood extracts. Some quantitative differences were found among plum cultivars, and the content of proanthocyanidins ranged from 1.50 (cv. ‘Fortune’) to 4.44 (cv. ‘Showtime’) mg/g of dry wood. Regarding the antitumoral activiy, eight wood extracts and four phenolic compounds were evaluated in MCF-7 cells after 48 h of induction, showing the wood extract from cv. ‘Songold’ and (‒)-annphenone (3) the best antiproliferative activity (IC50: 424 ppm and 405 ppm, respectively).

The North American Monsoon (NAM) in southern Arizona continues to be a topic of interest to ecologists, climatologists, and citizens as well as the triggers and characteristics of plant growth and reproduction in relation to the onset of the monsoon. In researching the onset of the North American Monsoon (NAM) in south-central Arizona relative to the phenology of Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) and other Sonoran Desert species we identified interesting and previously unreported features in the NAM rainfall data. We present preliminary descriptive analyses of (1) monsoon onset as measured by the first day after June 1 with precipitation ≥10 mm (1990-2022), (2) first day of year warming of Sea Surface temperatures (SST) in the Gulf of California to ≥29º C measured across five open-sea blocks (mean 9452 km2), and (3) El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) anomaly with a threshold of +/- 0.5º C for the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) in the Niño 3.4 region (5ºN-5ºS, 120º-170ºW). Three patterns emerge from our analyses: (1) The day of the year of monsoon onset occurs approximately 12 days earlier in the year from 1990-2022 in south-central Arizona. (2) There appears to be a signal in the rainfall onset data very roughly approximating cycles of ENSO Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) anomalies in Niño region 3.4. (3) Gulf of California sea surface temperature (SST) and monsoon onset data support an expected link between the timing of SST warming and monsoon rainfall onset.

Sexual Issues played a significant role in Judaism’s engagement with its Greco-Roman world. This paper will examine that engagement in the Hellenistic Greco-Roman era to the end of the first century CE. In part sexual issues were a key element of demarcation between Jews and the wider community, alongside such matters as circumcision, food laws, sabbath keeping and idolatry. Jewish writers, such as Philo of Alexandria, make much of the alleged sexual profligacy of their Gentile contemporaries, not least in association with wild drunken parties, same-sex relations and pederasty. Jews, including the emerging Christian movement, claimed the moral high ground. In part, however, matters of sexuality were also areas where intercultural influence is evident, such as in the shift in Jewish tradition from polygyny to monogyny, but also in the way Jewish and Christian writers adapted the suspicion and sometimes rejection of passions characteristic of some popular philosophies of their day, seeing them as allies in their moral crusade.

Transporting water from one side of a valley or gorge to the other requires construction of an aqueduct bridge or elevated aqueduct. These features are striking elements on cultural landscapes. Unlike previous research that emphasized architecture or design and relied on documentary sources and published works, this study focuses on details of construction and first-hand observation. Roman and Medieval elevated aqueducts in Spain were subjected to rigorous field examination. Marked variations were found to exist between structures of each age. No two aqueduct bridges are alike indicating the absence of standard designs. Locally available materials were used. Construction seems to have been overseen and carried out by individuals who possessed inconsistent degrees of skill. Roman treatises discussed aqueduct bridges, but not how to build them. Many palaces were clearly designed and built by highly skilled personnel during Medieval times, but more mundane public works projects such as aqueducts appear to have been carried out by less-skilled individuals. These findings have implications regarding the construction of elevated aqueducts by Spaniards in the Americas during the 16th century.

We review our theory of interdependence applied to autonomous human-machine teams, with which we have made several generalizations based on theory that have led to new discoveries, compared to social science which is struggling to break free of its validation crisis, but also has no generalizations to new discoveries with human teams, let alone to human-machine teams. In this invited article, based around the stability of a team, of our discoveries, we review the uncertainty between a team's structure and its performance, our first finding. We generalize that finding to deception, vulnerability, innovation and fittedness. From there, our next generalization is to the quantum likeness of interdependence and quantum mechanics; we move on to Shannon holes, knowledge, and conclude with the value of debate and the need for boundaries to contain debate, to reduce interference, and to protect states of interdependence. After the introduction, we extend our model in Section 2 to energy and time, and we close with a brief review of innovation and future plans.

A novel method of investigating the temperature dependent variation of aspects of the complex refractive index n* in samples in the THz range using continuous, non-polarised, synchrotron radiation is presented. The method relies on the use of ATR apparatus, and retains the advantage of minimal sample preparation, which is a feature of ATR techniques. The method demonstrates the viability of rapidly monitoring temperature reflectance whilst continuously heating or cooling samples by using a temperature variable Thermal Sample Stage. The method remains useful when the refractive index of the sample precludes attenuated total reflection study. This is demonstrated with the water reflectance experiments. The temperature dependent ATR reflectance of tissue-representative fats (lard and Lurpak® butter) was investigated with the novel approach. Both are within the ATR range of the diamond crystal in a “true” ATR mode. Lard showed no clear temperature variation between -15 0C and 24 0C at 0.7 to 1.15 THz or 1.70 to 2.25 THz. Lard can be regarded as having invariable, constant, dielectric properties within mixtures when biological substances are being assessed for temperature dependent dielectric variation within the stated THz ranges. Lurpak® butter (water content 14.7%) displayed temperature dependent reflectance features with a steady decline in reflectivity with increasing temperature. This is in line with the temperature-dependent behaviour of liquid water. There is no rapid change in reflectance, even at -20 0C, suggesting that emulsified water retains liquid-water-like THz properties at freezing temperatures.

: Greenhouse plants are usually grown in containers filled with growing media. Peat is the main component of the growing media used in greenhouses. However, peat substrate is made from peat from drained peatlands, which is a limited resource. Wood fiber can be an alternative to use as a growing media for controlled-climate crops. The chemical properties of the growing media interact and change continuously due to the small volume of the growing media, which is limited by the vegetative container. Therefore, this study aims to gain new knowledge on the impact of nutrient changes in the microbial degradation of carbon compounds in wood fiber and mixtures with peat substrate on the content and uptake of nutrients required by plants. Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) were cultivated in growing media of peat substrate and wood fiber: (1) peat substrate (PS); (2) wood fiber (WF); (3) wood fiber and peat substrate 50/50 v/v (WF/PS 50/50); (4) wood fiber and peat substrate 25/75 v/v (WF/PS 25/75). The rates of fertilization were the following: (1) conventional fertilization (CF); (2) N13; (3) N23; (4) N30. Fertilization of cucumbers with different rates of nitrogen influenced the nutrient uptake. Plants grown in WF/PS 50/50 and WF/PS 25/75 growing media had the best Cu uptake when fertilized with N23. When the plants grown in the wood fiber media and the 50/50 media were fertilized with N13, N23, and N30, the Mn content in the growing media at the end of the growing season was significantly lower than the Mn content in the media with conventional fertilization. Thus, nitrogen improved the uptake of Mn by plants grown not only in the wood fiber but also in combinations with peat substrate. Growing plants in wood fiber and fertilizing them with N13 can result in optimum uptake of micronutrients. The number and mass of cucumber fruits per plant were influenced by the amount of wood fiber in the growing media and the application of nitrogen fertilizer. The highest number of fruits and mass of fruits per plant was obtained significantly higher when cucumbers were grown on WF/PS 50/50 growing media with additional N13 fertilization.

Polyamide 11 (PA11) is a plant-based nylon made from castor beans. Powder bed fusion laser sintering (PBF-LS) is an additive manufacturing process used for PA11 which allows the reuse of the unsintered powder. The unsintered powder is mixed with virgin powders at different refresh rates which has been studied extensively for most semi-crystalline polyamides. However, there is lack of information on the effect of using 100% reused PA11 powder and the number of times it is reused on its own during powder bed fusion laser sintering. This paper investigates the effect of reusing PA11 powder in PBF-LS and number of times it is reused on the dimensional accuracy, density, thermal and tensile properties. From 100% virgin powder to 3rd use of the powder, there is a decrease in powder wastage, decrease in crystallinity and tensile strength. These was associated with the polymerisation and cross-linking process of polymer chains, upon exposure to high temperature. This results in a higher molecular weight and hence density. From the 4th use to 10th reuse, the opposite was observed which was associated to an increase in high-viscosity and un-molten particles which resulted in defects in the PBF-LS parts.

We develop new theory from a broad case-study approach to explore a better understanding of what constitutes knowledge and its value as identifiable to human-machine teams. From past research, this trail of exploration will lead to these initial questions: What is the value of debate in the furtherance of knowledge? Will machines with AI be able to contribute to a debate if we humans cannot define it or determine its value sufficiently for a machine’s understanding, contribution, exploration and identification? Like humans, as teammates, machines must be able to determine with AI what constitutes the usable knowledge that contributes to a team’s success in the field (e.g., testing "knowledge" in the field, identifying new knowledge, using knowledge to develop innovation) or its failure (viz., trouble shooting; identifying weaknesses; discovering vulnerabilities, hiding by deception). It matters not whether a debate is public, private or unexpressed by an individual human or machine agent alone; we speculate in this exploration that the process advances the science of autonomous human-machine teams and assists in interpretable machine learning. We conclude with questions and a speculation: How does a human become aware or express its awareness of knowledge? Can a machine be as expressive as its human teammates? And how does a human-machine teammate become aware that its teammates possess sufficient knowledge to perform a task? We speculate that the structure of “knowledge," once found, is resistant to alternatives (i.e., it is ordered); that its functional utility is generalizable; and that its applications are multifaceted (akin to maximum entropy production). The complexity of the team is taken into consideration in our search for knowledge, which can also be used as an information metric.

The continuous and precise mapping of glacier calving fronts is essential for monitoring and understanding rapid glacier changes in Antarctica and Greenland, which have the potential for significant sea level rise within the current century. This effort has been mostly restricted to the slow and painstaking manual digitalization of the calving front positions in thousands of satellite imagery products. Here, we have developed a machine learning toolkit to robustly and automatically detect glacier calving front margins in satellite imagery. The toolkit is based on semantic image segmentation using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) with a modified U-Net architecture to isolate the calving fronts from satellite images after having been trained with a dataset of images and their corresponding manually-determined calving fronts. As a case study we train our neural network on a varied set Landsat images with lowered resolutions from Jakobshavn, Sverdrup, and Kangerlussuaq glaciers, Greenland and test the results on novel images from Helheim glacier, Greenland to evaluate the performance of the approach. The neural network is able to identify the calving front in new images with a mean deviation of 96.3 m from the true fronts, equivalent to 1.97 pixels on average, while the corresponding error for manually-determined fronts on the same resolution images is 92.5 m. We find that the trained neural network significantly outperforms common edge detection techniques, and can be used to continuously map out calving-ice fronts with a variety of data products.

Equine-assisted services (EAS) are being increasingly used as complementary interventions for military veterans who have experienced trauma. However, there is limited evidence of benefit for this population and almost no literature describing desired potential outcomes and possible mechanisms of action. The aim of this article is to address these gaps by reviewing the extant literature of animal-assisted interventions in general, and equine-assisted services in particular, with the goal of providing guidance for future investigations in the field. Currently, the field is in the early stage of scientific development, but published results are promising. Interventions that enhance treatment compliance and/or outcomes could benefit this population. Preliminary results, reviewed herein, indicate that EAS interventions might benefit the military veteran population by enhancing treatment engagement and therapeutic alliance, as well as contributing to symptom reduction and resulting in various transdiagnostic benefits. It is recommended that future studies include exploration of potential beneficial outcomes discussed herein as well as investigate suggested mechanisms of action.

Mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa remains unacceptably high, and disproportionately affecting economically disadvantaged communities. And healthcare delivery which is considered a major contributor to this is challenged by the limited resources and high service costs, prompting many patients to opt for outpatient department services. This study addresses the need for a data-driven approach to healthcare policy formulation by proposing a model for the implementation of a data warehousing system that integrates outpatients into the national healthcare framework. By leveraging data warehousing, healthcare delivery can be made more efficient through a robust repository that supports decision-making and policy formulation. The research focuses on the outpatient department in resource-scarce settings, proposing a novel multidimensional data model and practical framework implementation. The benefits include improved patient experiences, cost-effective service delivery, and enhanced patient management through electronic health records. Additionally, mobile apps are explored for patient navigation and reminders to enhance treatment adherence. The study’s results indicate that data warehousing can significantly improve healthcare delivery by consolidating critical data and facilitating better planning, resource allocation, and policy formulation. Ultimately, this approach offers valuable insights for optimizing healthcare systems in resource-constrained environments, enabling data-driven policies, and improving health outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to this study, approximately half of Africa's forests are utilized primarily or partially for the production of wood and non-wood commodities. Aims to evaluate Africa's forestry and forest products, namely Wood Forest Products (WFPs) and Non-wood Forest Products (NWFPs) in the sixteen (16) West African countries. While adhering to the following guidelines: wood extraction and preparation, analyzing wood primarily used as an energy source in Africa, identifying non-wood forest products in Africa, the state of export, trade, and customs procedures in West Africa, and examining the role of forests and forest stakeholders in Africa's low-carbon economy transition. An exploratory literature review of selected wood forest products and non-wood forest products (plants and animals) in West Africa identifying the country, the natural land area with the natural habitat issues of the forest, the species most harvested and traded in the West African sub-region. The study reemphasized some government legislation, policies, and market trade failures and limitations while also stating that trees may help in the low-carbon revolution through interventions aimed at maintaining, improving, and restoring natural capital have demonstrated that high environmental requirements of sustainable forest management (SFM) may be met in both natural and planted forests. The study identified a systematic assessment of the most common forest products (wood and non-wood forest products) considering the available data on the national forest reserves of the selected countries in West Africa. The study also revealed the need for biodiversity conservation of the available forest reserves to help mitigate the impact of global warming targeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 13- Climate Action. Which is focused on integrating climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning signs into the national policies, improving forest planning and management education, awareness-raising, and institutional capacity within the sub-region.

The ultimate analysis parameters including carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O) content in biomass was rarely found to be predicted by nondestructive tests until to date. In this research, we developed partial least squares regression (PLSR) models to predict the ultimate analysis parameters of chip biomass using near infrared (NIR) raw spectra of non-wood and wood samples from fast growing tree and agricultural residue and nine different traditional spectral preprocessing techniques. These techniques include first derivative (sd1), second derivative (sd2), constant offset, standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), vector normalization, min-max normalization, mean centering, sd1 + vector normalization, and sd1 + MSC. Additionally, we employed a genetic algorithm (GA), successive projection algorithm (SPA), multi-preprocessing (MP) 5−range, and MP 3−range to develop a PLSR model for rapid prediction. A dataset consisting of 120 chip biomass samples was utilized for model development in which the samples was non-wood samples of 65-67% and wood samples was 33-35%, and the model performance were evaluated and compared. The selection of the optimum performing model was mainly based on criteria such as the coefficient of determination in the prediction set (R2P), root mean square error of the prediction set (RMSEP), and the ratio of prediction to deviation values (RPD). The optimal model for weight percentage (wt.%) of C was obtained using GA−PLSR, yielding R2P, RMSEP, and RPD values of 0.6954, 1.1252 wt.%, and 1.8, respectively. Similarly, for wt.% of O, the most effective model was obtained using the multi-preprocessing PLSR−5 range method with R2P of 0.7150, RMSEP of 1.3088 wt.%, and RPD of 1.9. For wt.% of N, the optimal model was obtained using the MP PLSR−3 range method, resulting in R2P, RMSEP, and RPD values of 0.6073, 0.1008 wt.%, and 1.6, respectively. However, wt.% of H model provided R2P, RMSEP, and RPD values of 0.5162, 0.2322 wt.%, and 1.5, respectively. Notably, the limit of quantification (LOQ) values for C, H, and O were lower than the minimum reference values used during model development, indicating a high level of sensitivity. However, the LOQ for N, exceeded the minimum reference value, implying the samples to be predicted by the model must be in the range of reference range in calibration set. By scatter plot analysis, the effect of combined non-wood and wood spectra of biomass chips on rapid prediction of ultimate analysis parameters using NIR spectroscopy was investigated. To include different species in a model, the species have to be not only in the different values of the constituents to make a wider range for robust model but also they must provide their trend line characteristics in the scatter plot i.e. correlation coefficient (R), slope and intercept (same slope and slope approached to 1 and intercept is same (no gap) and approached zero, high R approached to 1). The effect of the R, slope and intercept to obtain the better optimized model were studied. The results show that the different species affected model performance of each parameter prediction in a different manner and by scatter plot analysis which of these species were affecting the model negatively and how the model could be improved was indicated. This is the first time of the effect is studied by the principle of scatter plot.

This work analyzes the severity and risk associated with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) message drop out in Detect and Avoid (DAA) function of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Performance assessment of the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) ADS-B message implies that in some cases ADS-B fails to update within a specified update interval, which is referred to as drop out in this work. ADS-B is a fundamental surveillance sensor for both class 1 and class 2 DAA systems. Message loss or drop out has been found as one of the common limitations of the ADS-B system. The key feature of this study is incorporating the update rate of real ADS-B data transmitted from the manned aircraft. The data were received from the Grand Forks International Airport, North Dakota. Monte Carlo method has been adopted to resolve encounter scenarios in the presence of drop out. The change in the alert triggered by the UAS DAA in the presence of ADS-B drop out has been investigated. Furthermore, the risk matrices are created to quantify the associated risk with drop out affected alerts. Simulation results depict that both the duration of drop out and DAA look-ahead time affect the alert-triggering function of UAS. With a small look- ahead window and longer duration of drop out, the number of warning alerts increases. Also, alerts are affected more during an overtaking encounter than that of a head-to-head encounter. A system-level analysis is also carried out to recognize the potential reasons behind the ADS-B drop out.

This article aims to determine the different factors that are associated with anxiety symptoms among Filipino farmers in Central Luzon. Eligible participants were screened for anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), while the Data Collection Tool for Factors Associated with Anxiety Symptoms (DCFAAS) was constructed and validated to determine the exposure of these factors. Among the 113 eligible farmers, only 19 (16.8%) experienced anxiety symptoms, with excessive worrying (39.8%) being the most frequent anxiety symptom. The mental health of Filipino farmers was significantly affected by the presence of physical illness (OR = 10.70 [1.367, 83.773]) and having relatives affecting work completion (OR = 6.45 [1.346, 30.896]). Therefore, policies must be focused on tackling these issues to address the mental health issues faced by farmers. The low prevalence of anxiety symptoms may stem from existing perceptions and barriers encountered in confiding psychological issues, and the Filipino’s religiosity and resiliency. Keywords: Farmers, Agriculture, Central Luzon, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD-7

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased substantially over the past two decades with current research unable to fully account for this dramatic increase in prevalence. One explanation proposes that both intrinsic (e.g., genetic) and extrinsic (e.g., environmental) risk factors may be involved in the etiology of ASD. The goal of this review paper is to explore modifiable pathways for intervention in children at risk for ASD, specifically examining how early social experience may be correlated with epigenetic change in genes associated with autism. We present an innovative model which proposes that polygenic risk and social experience (via epigenetic mechanisms) may both contribute to the observed ASD phenotype. Previous research on genetic, environmental, and epigenetic mechanisms implicated in the etiology of ASD will be reviewed, with an emphasis on the oxytocin receptor gene, which is epigenetically altered by early social experience, plays a crucial role in mammalian social and cognitive development, and is associated with both genetic and epigenetic risk for ASD. Identifying intrinsic (e.g., genetic) and extrinsic (e.g., social experience) risk markers for ASD, a combination of which has not previously been examined, would transform our understanding of this condition, facilitate earlier identification of ASD risk, and guide early intervention efforts. This may have a far-reaching impact on individuals with ASD, their families, and society.

No major breakthroughs have entered mainstream clinical fertility practice since egg donation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection decades ago, and oocyte deficits secondary to advanced age continue as the main manifestation of diminished ovarian reserve. In the meantime, several unproven IVF ‘accessories’ have emerged including so-called ovarian rejuvenation which entails placing fresh autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) directly into ovarian tissue. Among cellular responses attributed to this intervention are reduced oxidative stress, slowed apoptosis, and improved metabolism. Besides impacting the existing follicle pool, platelet growth factors might also facilitate de novo oocyte recruitment by specified gene upregulation targeting uncommitted ovarian stem cells. Because disordered activity at mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been shown to exacerbate or accelerate ovarian aging, PRP-discharged plasma cytokines combined with mTOR suppression by pulsed/cyclic rapamycin represents a novel fusion technique to enhance ovarian function. While beneficial effects have already been observed experimentally in oocytes and embryos with mTOR inhibition alone, this is the first discussion of intraovarian platelet cytokines followed by low-dose, phased rapamycin. For refractory cases, this investigational, tailored approach could amplify or sustain ovarian capacity sufficient to permit retrieval of competent oocytes via distinct but complementary pathways—thus reducing dependency on oocyte donation.

The objective of this study is to preliminarily evaluate a new CT-biopsy guidance device, an origami needle guide. The device is created by laser cutting the structure from a sheet of cardboard, 3D printing two radiocontrast agent grids on to the surface and folding the structure into a rectangular prism with a viewing window. An abdominal imaging phantom was used to evaluate the device through CT imaging and the targeting of lesions for needle insertion. The lesion targeting trials resulted in a mean targeting error of 1.88 mm with a standard deviation of 0.73 mm. The device attaches to the patient and is rigid enough to adequately support standard biopsy needles, reducing the effect of gravity and the risk of laceration by the needles, making it potentially advantageous for biopsy of superficial lesions and lesions approached from a horizontal orientation. The device supports insertion of multiple needles at once, making it particularly suitable for composite ablation using multiple needles. Another advantage of the device is that it can guide off-axial needle insertion. The low-cost and disposability of the device make it well-suited for the minimally invasive image guided therapy environment.

Castanopsis hystrix, a precious tree species in Southeast Asia, has the advantages of rapid growth and high-quality wood materials. However, there are problems such as long breeding cycle, time-consuming and low efficiency, which greatly restricts the industrial development of C. hystrix. To perform the genome selection (GS) for growth and wood traits and the early selection of superior progeny have great significance for the rapid breeding of new superior varieties of C. hystrix. The 226 clones in the main distribution and 479 progenies within 23 half-sib families were used as experimental materials in this study. Genotyping datasets were obtained by high-throughput re-sequencing technology, and GS studies were conducted on the growth (tree height (H), diameter at breast height (DBH)) and wood (wood density (WD), fiber length (FL), and fiber length-width ratio (LWR)) traits. The coefficient of variation (CV) of five phenotypic traits ranged from 10.1% to 22.73%, the average CV of growth traits was 19.93%, and the average CV of wood traits was 9.72%. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the five traits were almost significantly positive. Based on the Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP) model, the broad-sense heritabilities of growth traits were higher than those of wood quality traits, and the different number of SNPs had little effect on the heritability estimation. GS prediction accuracy first increased and then reached a plateau around 3K SNPs for all five traits. The broad-sense heritability of these five traits was significantly positively correlated with their GS predictive ability (r=0.564, P

The world’s population is growing at a rapid pace, thus increasing the need for shelter, which, because of increased carbon emissions, is making our planet less inhabitable. Thus, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are used to reduce the embodied carbon emissions in the building sector. Wood ash, as a replacement for cement in soil treatment, seems to be a promising material. In this study, we considered the strength, stiffness, and microstructural behavior of marine clay treated with cement and wood ash as a cement replacement. Since clay is abundant in nature, it could help stabilize waste to improve the mechanical behavior of produced composites. Portland cement (7%, 10%, and 13%) was replaced with various amount of wood ash (5% and 10%) with two different dry densities (1400 and 1600 kg/m3) and three distinct curing periods (7, 28, and 60 days). Unconfined compressive strength, direct shear, porosity, pulse velocity, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy tests were performed on selected specimens to evaluate the structural and microstructural effect of clay–wood ash–cement interaction. The results revealed that the replacement of cement with 5% of wood ash yielded superior performance. The microstructure investigation of wood ash–cement–clay blends further showed the formation of a densified matrix with stable bonds. Furthermore, the porosity and strength properties of blends developed unique relationships, which were further confirmed by other supplementary materials and soils.

The basis for computation in the brain is the quantum threshold of the ‘soliton’ accompanying the ion changes of the action potential and the refractory membrane at convergences. We provide a logical explanation from the action potential to a neuronal model of the coding and computation of the retina and have explained how the visual cortex operates by quantum phase processing. In the small world network parallel frequencies collide into definable patterns of distinct objects. Elsewhere we have shown how many sensory cells are mean sampled to a single neuron and that convergences of neurons are common. We have also demonstrated, using the threshold and refractory period of a quantum phase pulse, that action potentials diffract across a neural network due to the annulment of parallel collisions in phase ternary computation (PTC). Thus, PTC applied to neuron convergences results in collective mean sampled frequency and is the only mathematical solution within the constraints of brain neural networks (BNN). In the retina and other sensory areas, we discuss how this information is coded and then understood in terms of network abstracts within the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and visual cortex. First by defined neural patterning within a neural network, and then in terms of contextual networks, we demonstrate that the output of frequencies from the visual cortex contain information amounting to abstract representations of objects in increasing detail. We show that nerve tracts from the LGN provide time synchronisation to the neocortex (defined as the location of the combination of connections of the visual cortex, motor cortex, auditory cortex, etc). The full image is therefore combined in the neocortex with other sensory modalities so that it receives information about the object from the eye, and all abstracts that make up the object. Spatial patterns in the visual cortex are formed from individual patterns illuminating the retina and memory is encoded by reverberatory loops of computational actions potentials (CAPs). We demonstrate that a similar process of PTC may take place in the cochlea and associated ganglia, as well as ascending information from the spinal cord, and that this function should be considered universal where convergences of neurons occur.

The horizontal storm structure surrounding lightning ignited wildfires is examined using Vaisala’s National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), NCEP’s Stage IV gauge corrected radar precipitation mosaic, and the US Forest Service’s Fire Occurrence Database. Though lightning flash density peaks strongly around fire ignitions on the instantaneous 1 km scale, on the hourly 10 km scale both the lightning and precipitation peaks are typically offset from fire ignitions. Lightning density is higher and precipitation lower around ignition points compared to non-ignition points. Both regression and horizontal distributions are consistent with the claim that positive flashes have a stronger association with ignition than negative flashes, but the statistical significance remains ambiguous

This article explores the use of vegetation indices (VIs) in remote sensing for estimating standing wood volume and volume increments in forest ecosystems. The study investigates the correlations between various VIs and wood volume across different forest stand age classes, focusing on the effectiveness of commonly used indices such as Squared Ratio Simple Red Edge (SQSR) and Red-Edge Ratio Vegetation Index (RERVI), as well as other typical indicators including Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Red-Edge EVI (RE-EVI), and Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI). Additionally, the analysis considers a pair of indicators based on blue and near-infrared channels, resembling the Blue-normalized Difference Vegetation Index (BNDVI). The research reveals that quadratic and power-law models of SQSR and RERVI demonstrate higher correlations (>0.40) with wood volume, especially in younger forest stands (>0.80). Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of NDII and NDWI indices for estimating volume increments in certain classes of forest stands (0.70). However, correlations vary across different forest stand classes, suggesting the need for further investigation into the reliability of VIs for monitoring wood volume and volume increments in forest ecosystems. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of the applicability of VIs in remote sensing for forest management and ecosystem monitoring.

The purpose of this work is to analyze heat-treated ash wood at temperature of 185 ºC, in order to analyze its dimensional stability. For comparison, native ash/ not thermally treated wood, was be used. In order to analyze heat-treated ash wood, some main properties such as water absorption, swelling in thickness, roughness, Brinell hardness, modulus of rupture and elasticity, color change toward black with CIELab space, and many others properties were determined and processed. The results obtained after processing the experimental data have showed that heat-treated ash wood had good physical properties as absorption and swelling in thickness, and the slight increase in elasticity offers new fields of use. As a general conclusion of the work, it was established that the ash wood can be properly thermally treated, the dimensional stability characteristics being very good, and the decrease in bending resistance being almost imperceptible.

To investigate this suitability of Black Mustard (Brassica Nigra L.) and Camelina (Camelina Sativa L.) for pulp manufacturing the nitrate-alkaline method was used. The non-wood plants were characterized by chemical analysis, especially lignin, cellulose, ash, extractives and alpha-, beta-, gamma-cellulose. The pulp was cooked in 6% nitric acid and then underwent the extraction by 5% sodium-hydroxide and neutralized by 1% acetic acid. The cooked pulp was characterized by delignification degree – Kappa number. The laboratory sheets were made from this cooked pulp and they were characterized by tensile index, breaking length, smoothness and compared with commonly available papers.

Background: Many risk-modifying factors affect cancer incidence and mortality rates. Solar UVB reduces cancer risk by producing vitamin D, which has many mechanisms to reduce risk of cancer incidence, progression, and metastasis. Obesity increases cancer risk through several mechanisms, including increased inflammation. Method and Materials. We present an ecological study (a type of observational study) of incidence and/or mortality rates for cancers during 2007–2016 of 17 anatomical sites with respect to solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) doses and obesity prevalence. Data were averaged for 12 geographical regions. Results: Solar UVB doses were significantly inversely correlated with incidence rates for three types of cancer for males. They were inversely correlated with mortality rates for five cancers for males and four for females. Obesity prevalence was directly correlated with mortality rates for three cancers for males and seven for females. Discussion: The ecological approach has certain limitations, such as its sensitivity only to regional variations in relation to specific risk-modifying factors. In this study, these limitations include numerous factors influencing cancer risk and the fact that the data are averaged across entire regional populations, which may not reflect individual risks. Despite this, the study reveals important correlations. Specifically, it found that solar UVB exposure is linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, while obesity is associated with an increased risk of some cancers in France. These findings are consistent with results from a similar study in the United States on cancer rates between 2016 and 2020. The association between obesity and cancer risk aligns with other observational studies. However, it is uncertain to what extent higher solar UVB exposure or elevated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels might mitigate the impact of obesity on cancer risk. Reducing cancer mortality in France may be achievable through vitamin D supplementation and efforts to lower obesity prevalence.

Snow crab replaced groundfish fisheries as the primary focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) fishing industry in the mid-1990s. Over the past three decades, management philosophies in this male-only fishery have shifted from promoting industry expansion to promoting industry rationalization to implementing Precautionary Approach (PA) management. Until the mid-2010s, there were regionalized management strategies characterized by higher exploitation rates in northern than southern sub-stock units along the NL marine shelves. However, in the late 2010s, exploitation rates were permitted to elevate to high levels across the entire stock range in association with a large resource decline and evidence of biological harm through fishing emerged in chronically depleted areas. In 2019, when stock and fishery productivity were near historic lows, a multi-indicator PA system was informally introduced into management of the resource. This event coincided with anticipated improvements in stock and fishery performance. This paper examines the extent to which the multi-indicator PA management system, focused on promotion of both biological protection and maximization of fishing efficiency, may have contributed to recent improvements in stock and fishery status. A suite of indicators from areas implementing PA guidance into management in 2019 prior to formal adoption of the PA system in 2023 suggest the system has been highly beneficial in promoting rapid recovery, improving stock and fishery performance metrics to levels matching or exceeding historic levels under similar conditions. We discuss capacity of the system to better safeguard biological aspects of resource and fisheries productivity moving forward under a scenario of an expectant resource decline.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of duodenal origin are an unusual subset among all NETs, comprising only about 3% of this neoplasm class. In general, NETs are characterized by overexpression of somatostatin receptors and carry an excellent prognosis with early diagnosis and intervention. Chromogranin A (CgA), a protein originating in secretory vesicles of neurons and endocrine cells, has gained wide usage in NET diagnosis and surveillance. Lanreotide is a synthetic octapeptide somatostatin analog with potent anti-proliferative action which has been approved by the FDA (U.S.) and EMA (E.U.) for NET treatment. It is known for its inhibitory effects on growth hormone, serotonin, CgA, and other markers. Here we describe a 56yr-old female with functional NET of duodenal origin, where serum CgA was successfully reduced from 3636 to <100 ng/mL after multidose lanreotide within five months. Of note, no metastatic spread was identified on positron emission tomography/computed tomography with 64Cu-labeled somatostatin analog tracer. Surgical resection of distal antrum, pylorus, and proximal duodenum followed without complication. Histology revealed several foci of well-differentiated tumor cells with characteristic neuroendocrine features and clear surgical margins; low proliferation index (2%) was noted on Ki-67 staining. While select laboratory and imaging modalities are available for diagnosis and monitoring of duodenal NET, this is the first reported therapeutic use of lanreotide in this NET setting. The observed serum CgA attenuation, even before surgery, supports its effectiveness in management of primary nonmetastatic duodenal NET.

Toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems are used primarily to inhibit phage, reduce metabolic activity during stress, and maintain genetic elements. Given the extreme toxicity of some of the toxins of these TA systems, we were curious how the cell silences toxins, if the antitoxin is inactivated or when toxins are obtained without antitoxins via horizontal gene transfer. Here we find that the RalR (type I), MqsR (type II), GhoT (type V), and Hha (type VII) toxins are inactivated primarily by a mutation that inactivates the toxin promoter or via the chromosomal mutations iraM and mhpR.

An analysis of the performance of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data received from the Grand Forks, North Dakota International Airport was carried out in this study. The purpose was to understand the vulnerabilities of Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) ADS-B system and recognize the effects on present and future Air Traffic Control (ATC) operation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated all the General Aviation aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B. The aircraft flying within United States and below the transition altitude (18,000 feet) are more likely to install an UAT ADS-B. At present unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and autonomous air traffic control (ATC) towers are being integrated into the aviation industry and UAT ADS-B is a basic sensor for both class 1 and class 2 Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems. As a fundamental component of future surveillance system, the anomalies and vulnerabilities of ADS-B system need to be identified to enable a fully utilized airspace with enhanced situational awareness. The data received was archived in GDL-90 format, which was parsed into readable data. The anomaly detection of ADS-B messages was based on the FAA ADS-B performance assessment report. The data investigation revealed ADS-B message suffered from different anomalies including drop out; missing payload; data jump; low confident data and altitude discrepancy. Among those studied, the most severe was drop out and 32.49% of messages suffered from this anomaly. Dropout is an incident where ADS-B failed to update within a specified rate. Considering the potential danger being imposed, an in-depth analysis was carried out to characterize message dropout. Three flight parameters were selected to investigate their effect on drop out. Statistical analysis was carried out and Friedman Statistical Test identified that altitude affected drop out more than any other flight parameters.

Globally, humans are struggling with the double threat of communicable and non-communicable diseases, which are presenting new challenges to public health. Public health problems are generally studied and addressed at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Most effective results are seen with primary interventions. Public health is becoming more aware of the importance of environment-gene interactions in the ontology of health and disease using epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of altered gene expression without change in base pairs. Be it physical, social, behavioral, or economic factors; they all influence quality of life and health of individuals and populations. That environments are changing the human health phenotype and these changed phenotypes are heritable is of concern for the future of the human race. Knowing the causes of non-communicable human diseases using epigenetics will contribute to the development of new policies to encourage prevention using primary public health initiatives. Research and application of epigenetics shows great promise for improving population health. Continued advances in epigenetics will enhance how we understand and address the way environments are affecting the human health phenotype. For some time, health systems have been and continue to be tertiary in nature. Epigenetic changes can provide information necessary to better understand how social determinants of health can be used to build societies focused on equitable health for all people, rather than continuing to focus on treatment of diseases in the tertiary phase that leads to health disparities. Understanding mechanisms of social determinants of disease, will allow society to evolve in a health-oriented rather than a disease-oriented world. For this reason, we must enhance and apply epigenetics (physical, social, behavioral, economic) research to policy development. We will discuss how bringing social determinants together with biology can be used as new tools for public health policy.

This study examines the impact of chainsaw chain type and tree species on the concen-tration of inhalable wood dust generated during motor-manual harvesting in forested areas. The chainsaw chain is a critical component, contributing not only to productivity but also to the oper-ator's health and safety. Wood dust creation during harvesting operations poses significant risks and necessitates careful attention due to its potential health effects. We investigated the effects by conducting real-world measurements of inhalable dust within the operator's breathing zone during forestry work. Two different chain types were evaluated: the commonly used 3/8" pitch chain (conventional chain) and the 0.325" pitch chain. Additionally, measurements were taken for three tree species: beech, oak, and pine (including both live and standing dead trees after a fire). Results showed that, overall, using the conventional 3/8" chain type yielded the highest concentration of wood dust for all three tree species. Notably, the highest wood dust concentration was observed in the burned Pinus brutia cluster, also with the 3/8" chain pitch. These findings emphasize the im-portance of understanding how chain type and tree species contribute to wood dust levels and provide valuable insights for enhancing operator health and safety during motor-manual har-vesting operations

Background: The Davidson Airway Function &amp; Nasal Evaluation (DAFNE) Scoring System was developed as an intuitive and research-based scoring system that could be validated through beta testing and easily introduced to healthcare providers of several subspecialties who treat nasal obstruction and breathing disorders (MDs, PAs, PTs, APRNs, DDSs, and DCs). This scoring system was shown to increase the knowledge of airway function, nasal measurement parameters, and identification of proper treatment options for sleep and breathing disorders. The basis for the DAFNE score was developed from a systematic review of nasal measurement data. Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE Cochrane Library, and Scopus of publications between 1988-2022 were used to identify studies validating nasal function measurement parameters to create the algorithm for the DAFNE Score™. The systematic review was accomplished using the 2020 ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews’ (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. Primary outcomes measurements demonstrated reliability, repeatability and validity of the DAFNE measurement technologies, data and output. Conclusions: The data analysis and systematic review uncovered a need and framework to develop and validate a web-based software algorithm for global access to improve the understanding of data interpretation of nasal measurements from three nasal measurement technologies. DAFNE Scoring should be used as an adjunct tool in routine clinical practice and research to further understand the technology data output and how to collaborate with other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes.

In a continuation and extension of an earlier publication, the calculation of the refractivity and polarizability of organic molecules at standard conditions is presented, applying a commonly applicable computer algorithm based on an atom-group additivity method, where the molecules are broken down into their constituting atoms, these again being further characterized by their immediate neighbor atoms. The calculation of their group contributions, carried out by means of a fast Gauss–Seidel fitting calculus, used the experimental data of 5988 molecules from literature. An immediate subsequent ten-fold cross-validation test confirmed the extraordinary accuracy of the prediction of the molar refractivity, indicated by a correlation coefficient R^2 and a cross-validated analog Q^2 of 0.9997, a standard deviation σ of 0.38, a cross-validated analog S of 0.41, and a mean absolute deviation of 0.76%. The high reliability of the predictions has been exemplified with three classes of molecules: ionic liquids, silicon- and boron-containing compounds. The corresponding molecular polarizabilities have been calculated indirectly from the refractivity using the inverse Lorentz-Lorenz relation. In addition, it could be shown that there is a close relationship between the "true" volume and the refractivity of a molecule, revealing an excellent correlation coefficient R^2 of 0.9645 and a mean absolute deviation of 7.53%.

Money launderers prefer to use financial services as the ideal medium to launder. The study aimed to provide an overview of the global AML/CFT regulations, application and how they should evolve in this dynamic environment. To gather more insight, a qualitative study was undertaken with relevant documents analysed. The main findings were: country implementation of the global AML/CFT regulations differed due to political and economic factors amongst others. While the various AML/CFT enforcements done by sampled countries were mainly cease and desist orders and monetary penalties which were publicized; and drawbacks of global AML/CFT regulations centered on application of these regulations and emerging trends. These include among other definitions of money laundering, reference to the three stage of money laundering, link between penalty and violations, technological innovations and regulations paradigm shift, cyber-attacks and data privacy. The study contributes to application and growing body of knowledge in that the advent of technology has resulted in better consumer experiences, new payment platforms, products, and services. However, these innovations have broadened emerging money laundering risks and risks in general to the financial system. Hence the need to conduct research based FATF Recommendations as risk is dynamic and not static.

Two pilot scale desalination system employing carbon modified nano-sized, zero valent metals (n-ZVM) were maufactured and tested to determine (1) the degree to which high salt water (20 to 130 mS) could be desalinated and (2) if this degree of desalination could be maintained throughout an extended treatment period. Two pilot systems were tested (referred to as Generation 1 and Generation 2) consisting of parallel lines of 4 individual reactors in series, a settling tank and an activated carbon cell at the end of each reactor line. The system capacity was 300 gal in Generation 1 and 600 gal in Generation 2 total with a total hydraulic residence time of 6 hours per reactor line (one hour per cell/tank). A slurry of n-ZVM was introduced in the first reactor on each line to yield approximately 5 to 45 grams of nano-metal per 100 L of influent salt water. The n-ZVM slurry was made from mixing tea extract with metal salts (eg ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride) to produce the carbon modified metal slurry. Initial runs focused on dosing required to achieve maximum salt removal at each of three influent salt contents, 28 mS, 44 mS and 123 mS. Once dosing was set, continuous runs (14 days, 23 days and 9 days) were carried out to (1) examine the ability of the pilot to maintain the removal efficiency over an extended period, (2) to determine the weaknesses inherent in the pilot systems, and (3) to begin to develop CAPEX and OPEX estimates for the pilot and pre-design full scale mobile desalination unit (MDU) system. Results demonstrated that maximum removal occurred with 10 g/100L of salt for the 30 mS salt solution,16 g/100 L of salt for the 40 mS influent water and 40 g/100 L for the 130 mS influent. Salt removal (expressed as Na and Cl removed) approached 78% for the 30 mS influent and 41 mS influent respectively while removal for the highest salt influent (130 mS) approached 81 %. Addition of greater amounts of carbon modified slurry than those described resulted in a pH less than 6 which inhibits continued salt removal and would require addition of calcium or magnesium oxides/hydroxides or bicarbonate solutions at the influent side to achieve greater salt removal and of course greater cost per gallon. Continuous operation over the extended time-period showed no significant decrease in salt removal with typical day to day variation of no more than 10% suggesting that this approach to desalination could rapidly provide usable water from saline aquifers, seawater or even produced water. Treatment of saline waters at 30 mS or less yields effluent water in the range necessary for irrigation use of many crops while treatment of seawater or produced water levels of salt (40 mS or higher) yields effluent in the range of 8 to 10 mS a range ideal for RO influent that would prevent the production of large volumes of brine. Pilot testing continues with seawater extracted from Puget Sound, Seattle WA and higher levels of salt to better represent produced water.

Arguments have been made that violation of the CHSH and similar inequalities shows that reality at the quantum level must be non-local. The derivation of Bell inequality is re-examined and it is shown that violations of these inequalities merely demonstrates the existence of contextuality - they say nothing about the causal influences underlying such contextuality. It is argued that contextual systems do not possess enduring (propositional) properties, merely contingent properties. An example is presented of a classical situation, a two player co-operative game, whose random variables are consistently connected in the sense of Dzhafarov, and which is contextual, violating the CHSH inequality. In fact it also violates the Tsierl'son bound. The key is that this system is generated and its properties are disposed, not determined.

The virtually complete loss of intestinal worms, known as helminths, from Western society has resulted in elimination of a range of helminth-induced morbidities. Unfortunately, that loss has also led to inflammation-associated deficiencies in immune function, ultimately contributing to widespread pandemics of allergies, autoimmunity, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Several socio-medical studies have examined the effects of intentional reworming, or self-treatment with helminths, on a variety of inflammation-related disorders. In this study, the latest results from ongoing socio-medical studies are described. The results point toward two important factors that appear to be overlooked in some if not most clinical trials. Specifically, (a) the method of preparation of the helminth can have a profound effect on its therapeutic efficacy, and (b) variation between individuals in the effective therapeutic dosage apparently covers a 10-fold range, regardless of the helminth used. These results highlight current limits in our understanding of the biology of both hosts and helminths, and suggest that information from self-treatment may be critical for clinical evaluation of the benefits and limits of helminth therapy.

Arterial wall remodeling underlies increased pulmonary vascular resistance and right heart failure in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). None of the established vasodilator drug therapies for PAH prevents or reverses established arterial wall thickening, stiffening and hypercontractility. Therefore, new approaches are needed to achieve long-acting prevention and reversal of occlusive pulmonary vascular remodeling. Several promising new drug classes are emerging from better understanding of pulmonary vascular gene expression programs. In this review potential epigenetic targets for small molecules and oligonucleotides will be described. Most are in preclinical studies aimed at modifying growth of vascular wall cells in vitro or normalizing vascular remodeling in PAH animal models. Initial success with lung-directed delivery of oligonucleotides targeting microRNAs suggests other epigenetic mechanisms might also be suitable drug targets. Those targets include DNA methylation, proteins of the chromatin remodeling machinery and long noncoding RNAs, all of which act as epigenetic regulators of vascular wall structure and function. Progress in testing small molecules and oligonucleotide-based drugs in PAH models is summarized.

The Process Algebra model has been shown to provide an alternative mathematical framework for non-relativistic quantum mechanics (NRQM). It reproduces the wave functions of non-relativistic quantum mechanics to a high degree of accuracy. It posits a fundamental level of finite, discrete events upon which the usual entities of NRQM supervene. It has been suggested that the Process Algebra model provides a true completion of NRQM, free of divergences and paradoxes, with causally local information propagation, contextuality and realism. Arguments in support of these claims have been mathematical. Missing has been an ontology of this fundamental level from which the formalism naturally emerges. In this paper it is argued that information and information flow provides this ontology. Higher level constructs such as energy, momentum, mass, spacetime, are all emergent from this fundamental level.

The calculation of the standard enthalpies of vaporization, sublimation and solvation of organic molecules is presented using a common computer algorithm on the basis of a group-additivity method. The same algorithm is also shown to enable the calculation of their entropy of fusion as well as the total phase-change entropy of liquid crystals. The present method is based on the complete break-down of the molecules into their constituting atoms and their immediate neighbourhood; the respective calculations of the contribution of the atomic groups by means of the Gauss-Seidel fitting method is based on experimental data collected from literature. The feasibility of the calculations for each of the mentioned descriptors was verified by means of a 10-fold cross-validation procedure proving the good to high quality of the predicted values for the three mentioned enthalpies and for the entropy of fusion, whereas the predictive quality for the total phase-change entropy of liquid crystals was poor. The goodness of fit (Q²) and the standard deviation (σ) of the cross-validation calculations for the five descriptors was as follows: 0.9641 and 4.56 kJ/mol (N=3386 test molecules) for the enthalpy of vaporization, 0.8657 and 11.39 kJ/mol (N=1791) for the enthalpy of sublimation, 0.9546 and 4.34 kJ/mol (N=373) for the enthalpy of solvation, 0.8727 and 17.93 J/mol/K (N=2637) for the entropy of fusion and 0.5804 and 32.79 J/mol/K (N=2643) for the total phase-change entropy of liquid crystals. The large discrepancy between the results of the two closely related entropies is discussed in detail. Molecules, for which both the standard enthalpies of vaporization and sublimation were calculable, enabled the estimation of their standard enthalpy of fusion by simple subtraction of the former from the latter enthalpy. For 990 of them the experimental enthalpy-of-fusion values are also known, allowing their comparison with predictions, yielding a correlation coefficient R² of 0.6066.

Abstract: Background: The diagnosis of nasal airway disorders relies on questionnaires, subjective data, and objective data. Interpretation of objective data obtained from measurement technology is not well understood by providers and researchers who use the equipment to test nasal airway function, justifying the need to cre-ate a new clinical tool. The Davidson Airway Function & Nasal Evaluation (DAFNE) Scoring System is a web-based scoring system that allows healthcare providers (MDs, PAs, PTs, APRNs, DMDs, DDSs, SLPs, and DCs) and researchers who treat nasal obstruction and breathing disorders to make more accurate diagnostic decisions, select the appropriate treatment for individualized patient care, monitor treatment progression and outcomes, and show how to approach a collaborative care model with other healthcare professionals. The current technologies, such as 4-phase rhinomanometry, use a simple approach that relies on a measurement tracing intersecting a color-coded y-axis on a four-quadrant graph with diagnostic numeric data output de-scribing nasal airflow and resistance. This is a good source of biofeedback demonstrating abnormal nasal breathing patterns but lacks interpretation guidelines to describe the severity of disease. The more sophisti-cated proprietary DAFNE approach uses multiple parameters which include airflow restriction, speed, vol-ume, and patient characteristics to identify patients’ disease progression much more accurately. Additionally, it explains how to segregate patients into appropriate treatment options which minimizes risks and compli-cations associated with sleep and breathing disorders while improving patient outcomes. Methods: Electronic searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE Cochrane Library, and Scopus of publications between 1988-2022 were necessary to identify studies which determined the ranges of nasal function measurement parameters among three airway measurement technologies used in writing the DAFNE Score algorithm. The performance of DAFNE was evaluated compared to the research data and patient demographics used in previous studies. Results: By using primary outcome measurements from the literature, we were able to create a reliable, re-peatable, and validated tool to facilitate patient identification, treatment stratification, and collaboration for sleep and nasal breathing dysfunction. Subsequently, we found DAFNE could be used to identify the appro-priateness of a sleep study. Conclusions: DAFNE Scoring System has demonstrated the ability to detect high risk patients in the pediatric and adult populations susceptible of sleep apnea and breathing dysfunction needing a sleep study and treatment to improve nasal airway function and sleep. DAFNE Scoring System should be used as an adjunct tool in routine clinical practice and research to further understand the technol-ogy data output, identify patients at risk, stratify treatment options, progress, and stabilization after treatment, and how to collaborate with other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes.

The calculation of the vapour pressure of organic molecules at 298.15K is presented using a commonly applicable computer algorithm based on the group-additivity method. The basic principle of this method rests on the complete breakdown of the molecules into their constituting atoms, further characterized by their immediate neighbour atoms. The group contributions are calculated by means of a fast Gauss-Seidel fitting algorithm using the experimental data of 2036 molecules from literature. A ten-fold cross-validation procedure has been carried out to test the applicability of this method, which confirmed excellent quality for the prediction of the vapour pressure, expressed in log(pa), with a cross-validated correlation coefficient Q2 of 0.9938 and a standard deviation  of 0.26. Based on these data, the molecules' standard Gibbs free energy G°vap has been calculated. Furthermore, using their enthalpies of vaporization, predicted by an analogous group-additivity approach published earlier, the standard entropy of vaporization S°vap has been determined and compared with experimental data of 1129 molecules, exhibiting excellent conformance with a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.9598, a standard error  of 8.14 J/mol/K and a medium absolute deviation of 4.68%.

Although several carbon sequestration methods have been proposed according to theories from various disciplines, it is not known which method is the best. This study evaluated and summarized the advantage and disadvantages of several major carbon sequestration methods, including carbon capture and sequestration, ocean alkalinization, algal cultivation, and wood burial, based on the first principles, namely, sequestration scale and time, elemental stoichiometry, and energy use efficiency. This study suggested that, at present, wood burial may be a leading candidate for carbon sequestration because it can be implemented immediately on a large scale, is cost-effective and efficient, has a long sequestration time, has low technical requirements, and has a relatively low impact on agriculture. This study also discussed the implementation of wood burial from the perspective of nutrient requirements. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the present study proposed a 25-year project starting in 2025 with an average sequestration rate of 3 Pg C per year, which includes burying 1.5 Pg of dead wood carbon and the creation of 9.7 × 10⁶ ha woodland.

The current Global Climate Change, the 2030 Agenda and the Planetary boundaries have driven new development strategies, such as the circular economy, bioeconomy and biorefineries. In this framework, this study analyzes the potential availability and sustainability of the wood supply chain for a small-scale biorefinery aiming at producing 280–300 L of bioethanol per ton dry biomass, consuming 30,000 t of dry biomass per year harvested in a 50 km radius. This wood production goal was assessed from Eucalyptus grandis stands planted for solid wood in northeastern Uruguay. Moreover, to understand the environmental performance of this biomass supply chain, the energy return on investment (EROI), carbon footprint (CF) and potential soil erosion were also assessed. The results showed that the potential wood production would supply an average of 81,800 t of dry mass per year, maintaining the soil erosion below the upper threshold recommended, an EROI of 2.3 and annual CF of 1.22 kg CO_2-eq m^–3 (2.6 g CO_2-eq MJ^–1). Combined with the environmental performance of the bioethanol biorefinery facility, these results would show acceptable values of sustainability according to EU Directive 2009/28/ec because the bioethanol CF becomes 1.7% of this petrol’s CF.

Oriental lacquer, a natural and renewable polymeric coating, comes from the sap produced by lacquer trees. For practical application, oriental lacquer must be refined to reduce excess water and enhance its quality. In this study, drying oils were blended with oriental lacquer during the refining process to prepare an oil-modified refined lacquer (OMRL). The type and adding amount (0, 10, and 20% by wt.) of drying oils for wood coatings utilization were evaluated. Rhus succedanea oriental lacquer is composed of 54.1% urushiols, 34.3% water, 7.2% plant gum, and 4.4% nitrogenous compounds, and drying oils, including tung oil (TO), linseed oil (LO), and dehydrated castor oil (DCO) were used as materials in this study. The results show that the drying oil acts as a diluent, which reduces the viscosity and enhances the workability and could shorten the touch-free drying time and speed up the hardened drying of the OMRL. The results also indicate that the hardness, mass retention, Tg, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and lightfastness of OMRL films decrease as more drying oils are blended. Conversely, the bending resistance, elongation at break, impact resistance increase, and particularly, the gloss, is greatly improved through the blending of more drying oils. In conclusion, the LO-modified refined lacquer (RL) has the highest film gloss and the DCO-modified RL has the shortest drying time for coating; otherwise, the film properties are similar among the three types of drying oil.

Objective: To compare the incidence of skin abrasions caused by traditional straight edge flip flop straps versus rolled inner seam (RIS) designs in a controlled laboratory setting using preserved fetal pig skin as a proxy for human skin.Methods: This study utilized a custom-built apparatus to apply friction from two flip flop strap designs to preserved fetal pig skin samples. Three trials were conducted for each strap design to determine the time to initial abrasion onset. A paired t-test was employed for statistical analysis.Results: The RIS design demonstrated a statistically significant delay in abrasion onset compared to the standard design across all trials (p < 0.05), indicating a gentler interaction with the skin.Conclusion: The RIS strap design may offer a beneficial alternative to traditional straps by reducing the friction that can lead to skin abrasions, suggesting a potential to decrease the risk of dorsal foot ulcers. Further studies involving human subjects are warranted to validate these findings in a real-world context.Keywords: Flip flop strap design, skin abrasions, dorsal foot ulcers, footwear design, developing countries, diabetic foot care.

Imagination is more important than knowledge, but if intellect does not provide the needed logical structures, capacities for envisioning new possibilities are overly constrained. The sustainability problems we face today cannot be solved with the same kind of thinking that created them, but clarity on what counts as a new kind of thinking is sorely lacking. This article proposes methodical, model-based ways of heeding Bateson's warning about the negative consequences for the ecology of mind that follow from ignoring the contexts of relationships. Informed by S. L. Star's sense of boundary objects, a sequence of increasingly complex logical types distinguishes and interconnects qualitatively different kinds of thinking in ways that liberate imaginative new possibilities for life. The economy of thought instantiated at each level of complexity is only as meaningful, useful, beautiful, ethical, and efficient as the standards informing local adaptive improvisations. Standards mediating the general and specific, global and local, universally transcendent and embodied particulars enable meaningful negotiations, agreements, and communications. Attending to the differences between levels of discourse sets up new possibilities for creative and imaginative entrepreneurial approaches to viable, feasible, and desirable goals for measuring and managing sustainable development.

The life and work of Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J. is of radical vision, and revolutionary change. His dynamic life and works accompanied El Salvador and the Universidad Centroamericana through perhaps the most tumultuous years of the country’s history, yet there has been limited work done to examine his contributions. This paper shows how Ellacuría viewed the role of a Christian intellectual, and a Christian university within his philosophical and theological framework. I argue that Ignacio Ellacuría held, similarly to his soteriological views, that the intellectual must also be willing to sacrifice all for the sake of his/her work in a pattern of discipleship/martyrdom prefigured by his exemplars Christ and Socrates. It was this dedication to praxis and theory that western theology and philosophy had respectfully lost since their foundations which he sought to restore to a central role. In conclusion, the Christian intellectual and institution, according to Ellacuría, must use its voice and life in service of the people even to the point of martyrdom; he would argue, the implicit reason for Christian martyrdom and the crucifixion of Christ himself.

Pulmonary infections with Mycobacterium avium occur in susceptible individuals following exposure to the bacterium in the environment, where it often persists in biofilms. Many methods have been used to generate biofilms of M. avium, and it is unknown whether different approaches generate similar structures and cell phenotypes. To make a parallel comparison of in vitro biofilm ultrastructure, extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, and drug susceptibility of biofilm resident bacteria, we used two published methods to generate M. avium biofilms: four week incubation in M63 medium or 24 hour exposure to dithiothreitol (DTT). Scanning electron microscopy revealed differences in biofilm ultrastructure between the two methods, including variation in appearance of ECM materials and morphology of resident cells, while light microscopy and staining with calcofluor white indicated that both biofilms contained polysaccharides characteristic of cellulose. Measuring susceptibility of biofilms to degradation by enzymes suggested differences in structurally important ECM molecules, with DTT biofilms having important protein and, to a lesser extent, cellulose components, and M63 biofilms having moderate protein, cellulose, and DNA components. Both biofilms conferred resistance to the bactericidal effects of amikacin and clarithromycin, with resident cells being killed at &gt;10-fold lower rates than planktonic cells at almost all concentrations. Though these comparisons indicate differences in biofilm responses by M. avium under differing conditions, they also suggest common features of biofilm formation including cellulose production and antimicrobial resistance.

A survey of the trends in metal-ligand coordination and hydrogen bonding has been carried out on complexes of singly deprotonated cyanuric acid CY− and alkaline earth metals, synthesised from aqueous solution and characterised by X-ray crystallography. Involvement of cyanurate in the metal coordination increases from Mg through Ca and Sr to Ba relative to coordination by water, in parallel with the increasing ionic radius and coordination number. The incidence of bridging of metal centres by both water and cyanurate also increases in this series. The Mg complex contains hexaaqua-coordinated cations, uncoordinated CY− anions, and additional water molecules. Ca and Sr complexes feature polymeric chains of coordinated metal ions, the Ca complex with uncoordinated anions and the Sr complex with all potential ligands coordinated. The Ba complex has a two-dimensional coordination network. Extensive hydrogen bonding plays a key role in generating a three-dimensional network in all four structures. The competition between cyanurate and water for coordination to the alkaline earth metal cations, and that between coordination and hydrogen bonding propensities of the cyanurate anion, appear to be finely balanced, with the structural outcomes depending on the relative sizes and degrees of hardness of the four cations of the group.

The calculation of the surface tension of ordinary organic and ionic liquids, based on a computer algorithm applying a refined group-additivity method, is presented. The refinement consists of a complete breakdown of the molecules into their constituting atoms, further distinguishing them by their immediate neighbour atoms and bond constitution. The evaluation of the atom-groups’ contributions was carried out by means of a fast Gauss-Seidel fitting method founded upon the experimental data of 1895 compounds from literature. The result has been tested for plausibility using a 10-fold cross-validation (cv) procedure. The direct calculation and the cv test proved the applicability of the present method by the close similarity and excellent goodness of fit R2 and Q2 of 0.9023 and 0.8821, respectively. The respective standard deviations are ±2.01 and ±2.16 dyn/cm. Some correlation peculiarities have been observed in a series of ordinary and ionic liquids with homologous alkyl chains which are illustrated and discussed in detail, exhibiting the limit of the present method.