This book review essay looks at Tim Marshall’s “Prisoners of Geography” and its in-depth examination of the interplay between geography and international politics. The aim is to highlight the book's key themes, including geopolitics, borders, trade routes, geopolitical conflict and colonial legacies. Through insightful analysis and engaging text, Marshall uncovers the central role that geography plays in shaping our world. The book’s continuing relevance is underlined by its links to significant global events and the author’s forward-looking questions. By recognising the practical factors that influence decision-making, rather than the purely ideological, the book offers a fresh perspective on current political and economic turmoil. The examination of the influence of geography and the call for increased international cooperation makes it a valuable resource for students of geography and anyone interested in political geography and globalisation.

This book review addresses the contribution of Tim Marshall’s “The Power of Geography”. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the significant role of geography in shaping political landscapes, alliances, and global affairs through the book review. What is new about this essay is its accessible presentation of complex geopolitical concepts, making it a valuable resource for students of geography and readers interested in global politics. Through the analysis of case studies and historical background, the book illuminates the interplay between physical landscapes, territoriality, and power dynamics. The findings highlight the continuing influence of geography on nations, regional identities, and the evolving global order.

Daniel Yergin’s “The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations” is a remarkable and groundbreaking work that addresses the ever-changing global energy landscape and its profound geopolitical implications. In this modest book review, we aim to offer a fresh perspective by re-examining the core issues from the standpoint of political geography. The aim of this article is twofold: to enrich the existing literature on political geography and to provide valuable insights to students of geography to broaden their knowledge in this field.

We propose a class of stochastic models for a dynamics of limit order book with different type of liquidities. Within this class of models we study the one where a spread decreases uniformly, belonging to the class of processes known as a population processes with uniform catastrophes. The law of large numbers (LLN), central limit theorem (CLT) and large deviations (LD) are proved for our model with uniform catastrophes. Our results allow us to satisfactorily explain the volatility and local trends in the prices, relevant empirical characteristics that are observed in this type of markets. Furthermore, it shows us how these local trends and volatility are determined by the typical values of the bid-ask spread. In addition, we use our model to show how large deviations occur in the spread and prices, such as those observed in flash crashes.

To have a better protection, strong toughness and good flexibility, all lives and plants must have skins, similarly, all books should have covers. In this paper, considering interlayer friction as a perturbation, we formulate a hardcover-book-like laminated plates with internal friction. For a quasi-static problem, detail analysis on the bending response and energy dissipation are carried out for a three-point-supported plates. Our numerical investigations show that the hardcover is more essential than the core layers in terms of bending response, and the energy dissipation within per loading-unloading cycle can be made to vary by a considerable amount. The central goal of studying is not only to predict the bending deformation of the book-like-plates, but also as a representative case to help finding some clue on the universal behaviours of multilayered architectures with internal friction.

The landscape of medical education has witnessed significant transformations over the past decades, particularly with the advent of active teaching methodologies. However, despite these advancements, the traditional theoretical assessment methods have remained largely unchanged. This lack of evolution in assessment systems poses a challenge, as it is crucial for assessment methods to evolve in tandem with teaching approaches to ensure a comprehensive and effective learning process in medical education. This paper reviews the integration and effectiveness of open-book examinations (OBEs) in medical education, reflecting their growing significance. An integrative review of the literature was conducted, drawing from a range of relevant publications over the last decade, sourced from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC. The inclusion criteria focused on full-text articles in English, with search terms including "medicine," "assessment," "open book examination," "open book exam," and "open book assessment," combined using Boolean operators. Thirteen publications were selected and critically appraised using The Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist. The analysis identified three primary thematic categories: ' Teaching Strategy for Pandemic and Challenging Conditions,” Tool of Learning & Educational Impact” and “Operational Challenges & Future Directions”. These themes were explored to understand the role and impact of OBEs in medical education. The findings indicate that open-book examinations are a crucial component in the evolving landscape of medical education. While certain reservations remain, OBEs have shown significant potential in fostering critical thinking, argumentation skills, and lifelong learning among medical students. They reflect the ongoing evolution of knowledge in the medical field and contribute to the development of professionals’ adept at navigating and applying complex information. Further research is recommended to solidify these findings and to expand the understanding of OBEs in medical education.

This research used an experimental study design in which 60 subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental (image e-book guidance) group or a control (text guidance) group after meeting the admission conditions and agreeing to participate in the study. It was proven that providing image e-book guidance before surgery significantly changed the behavior of patients and promoted relief of urinary catheter discomfort through self-efficacy to reduce urinary catheter pain after surgery. It was found that providing image e-book guidance can shorten the time for health education and provide patients with repeated medical education and familiarity with health guidance, which can help to address the important clinical service demand issue and the shortage of nursing staff.

Memory is probably one of the most complex cognitive functions of the human, and in many years, thousands of studies have helped us to better recognize this brain function. One of the reference textbooks in neuroscience, which has also elaborated on the memory function, is written by Prof. Kandel and his colleagues. In this book, I encountered a number of ambiguities when it was explaining the memory system. Here, I am sharing those points, either to find an answer for them, or to let them be a suggestion for our future works. Prof. Kandel has spent most of his meritorious lifetime on studying the memory system; however, the brain is extremely complex, and as a result, we still have many years to comprehensively understand the neural mechanisms of brain functions.

This paper proposes a forecast-centric adaptive learning model that engages with the past studies on the order book and high-frequency data, with applications to hypothesis testing. In line with the past literature, we produce brackets of summaries of statistics from the high-frequency bid and ask data in the CSI 300 Index Futures market and aim to forecast the one-step-ahead prices. Traditional time series issues, e.g. ARIMA order selection, stationarity, together with potential financial applications are covered in the exploratory data analysis, which pave paths to the adaptive learning model. By designing and running the learning model, we found it to perform well compared to the top fixed models, and some could improve the forecasting accuracy by being more stable and resilient to non-stationarity. Applications to hypothesis testing are shown with a rolling window, and further potential applications to finance and statistics are outlined.

Mediterranean Diet (MD), rich in minimally processed plant foods and in monounsaturated fats, but low in saturated fats, meat and dairy products, represents one of the most studied diets for cardiovascular health. It has been shown, from both observational and randomized controlled trials, that MD reduces body weight, improves cardiovascular disease surrogates such as waist-to-hip ratio, lipids, and inflammation markers, and even prevents the development of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. However, it is unclear whether it offers cardiovascular benefits from its individual components or as a whole. Furthermore, limitations in the methodology of studies and meta-analyses have raised some concerns on its potential cardiovascular benefits. MD is also associated with characteristic changes in the intestinal microbiota, mediated through its constituents. These include increased growth of species producing short-chain fatty acids, such as Clostridium leptum and Eubacterium rectale, increased growth of Bifidobacteria, Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii species, and reduced growth of Firmicutes and Blautia species. Such changes are known to be favorably associated with inflammation, oxidative status, and overall metabolic health. This review will focus on the effects of MD on cardiovascular health through its action on gut microbioma.

To stabilize the Earth’s climate a large-scale transition is needed to non-carbon emitting renewable energy technologies like wind and solar energy. Although these renewable energy sources are now lower-cost than fossil fuels, their inherent intermittency make them unable to supply a constant load without storage. To address these challenges rechargeable electric batteries are currently the most promising option; however, their high capital costs limit current deployment velocities. To both reduce the cost as well as improve performance 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution. This literature review provides the state-of-the-art enhancements of battery properties with 3D printing including efficiency, mechanical stability, energy and power density, customizability and sizing, production process efficiency, material conservation and environmental sustainability as well as the progress in solid-state batteries. The principles, advantages, limitations, and recent advancements associated with the most common types of 3D printing are reviewed focusing on their contributions to the battery field. 3D printing batteries offer design flexibility, material flexibility, reduces pack weight, minimizes material waste, increases the range of applications and has the potential to reduce costs. As 3D printing technologies become more accessible, the prospect of cost-effective production for customized batteries is extremely promising.

Lake sediment records are of great importance for understanding the evolution of watershed environments. Various studies have been carried out to constrain the depositional ages of lake sediments and examine their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, aiming to construct historical vegetation, environment and climate patterns in Chinese lake watersheds. In this study, we obtained relevant literature on lake sediment records by searching the key word 'age-depth' from the databases – Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, the largest Chinese academic database). We analyzed the literature based on its type (published in a Chinese/English journal or as a Master’s/PhD thesis), period of publication, journal (if published in a journal), key authors, study area, dating scale, and main aims. The results suggest that the lakes in the plateau regions are the most popular research topic typically covering 100–200 years (short-term) and 500–30,000 years (long-term). The literature focuses on a wide range of topics, from past environmental evolution in the watershed to lake ecology, and provides a solid foundation for better understanding regional climate change and the preservation of lake environments and ecosystems. In the future, resulting data from environmental reconstruction with lake sediments will be needed to integrate with emerging information processing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and meta-analysis), to disentangle the complex interplay between Earth surface processes and global climate change; furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration will deepen our comprehension of man-land relationship and promote the sustainable management of lake ecosystems in the context of global climate change.

Wearable Biosensor Technology (WBT) has emerged as a transformative tool in the educational system over the past decade. This systematic review encompasses a comprehensive analysis of WBT utilization in educational settings over a 10-year span (2012-2022), highlighting both the evolution of this field and its integration to address challenges in education by integrating technology to solve specific educational challenges, such as enhancing student engagement, monitoring stress and cognitive load, improving learning experiences, and providing real-time feedback for both students and educators. By exploring these aspects, the review sheds light on the potential implications of WBT for the future of learning. A rigorous and systematic search of major academic databases, including Google Scholar and Scopus, was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Relevant studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles selected were assessed for methodological quality and bias using established tools. The process of data extraction and synthesis followed a structured framework. Key findings include the shift from theoretical exploration to practical implementation with the EEG being the predominant measurement, aiming to explore mental states, physiological constructs, and teaching effectiveness. Wearable biosensors are significantly impacting the educational field, serving as an important resource for educators and a tool for students. Their application has the potential to transform and optimize academic practices through sensors that capture biometric data, enabling the implementation of metrics and models to understand the development and performance of students and professors in an academic environment, as well as to gain insights into the learning process.

The concept of vulnerable carotid plaques is pivotal in understanding the pathophysiology of is-chemic stroke secondary to large-artery atherosclerosis. At the macroscopic evaluation, vulnera-ble plaques are characterized by one or more of the following features: microcalcification, neo-vascularization, lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), thin fibrous caps, plaque surface ulceration, huge dimension determining stenosis, and plaque rupture. Recognizing these macroscopic characteristics is crucial to estimating the risk of cerebrovascular events, also in case of non-significant (less than 50%) stenosis. Inflammatory biomarkers, such as cytokines and adhesion molecules, lipid-related markers like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and proteolytic enzymes capable of degrading extracellular matrix components are among the key molecules that will be scrutinized for their associative roles in plaque instability. Through their quantification and evaluation, these biomarkers reveal intricate molecular cross-talking govern-ing plaque inflammation, rupture potential, and thrombogenicity. Current evidence demonstrates that plaque vulnerability phenotypes are multiple and heterogeneous and are associated with as many highly complex molecular pathways that determine the activation of an immune-mediated cascade that culminates in thromboinflammation. This narrative review provides a comprehen-sive analysis of current knowledge on molecular biomarkers expressed by symptomatic carotid plaques. It explores the association of these biomarkers with the structural and compositional at-tributes that characterize vulnerable plaques

This review aims to explore the intricate relationship between epigenetic mechanisms, stress, and affective disorders, focusing on how early life experiences and coping mechanisms contribute to susceptibility to mood disorders. Epigenetic factors play a crucial role in regulating gene expression without altering the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequence, and recent research has revealed associations between epigenetic changes and maladaptive responses to stress or psychiatric disorders. A scoping review of 33 studies employing the PRISMA-S (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses – Statement) guidelines investigates the role of stress-induced epigenetic mechanisms and coping strategies in affective disorders' occurrence, development, and progression. The analysis encompasses various stress factors, including childhood trauma, work-related stress, and dietary deficiencies, alongside epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation and altered gene expression. Findings indicate that specific stress-related genes frequently exhibit epigenetic changes associated with affective disorders. Moreover, the review examines coping mechanisms in patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, revealing mixed associations between coping strategies and symptom severity. While active coping is correlated with better outcomes, emotion-focused coping may exacerbate depressive or manic episodes. Overall, this review underscores the complex interplay between genetic predisposition, environmental stressors, coping mechanisms, and affective disorders. Understanding these interactions is essential for developing targeted interventions and personalized treatment strategies for individuals with mood disorders. However, further research is needed to elucidate specific genomic loci involved in affective disorders and the clinical implications of coping strategies in therapeutic settings.

Due to resource constraints, most Diamond Open Access journals publish less than 25 articles per year, and 75% of journals are not able to provide their content in XML and HTML, primarily providing only PDFs (Bosman et al., 2021, p. 7-8). In order to keep up with larger commercial publishers, a high degree of automation and streamlining of processes is necessary. The Open Source Academic Publishing Suite (OS-APS) project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research aims to achieve this. OS-APS automatically extracts the underlying XML from Word manuscripts and offers optimization and export options in various formats (PDF, HTML, EPUB). The professional corporate design, e.g., of the PDFs, is managed automatically by using templates or creating one's own using a Template Development Kit. OS-APS will also connect to scholarly-led and community-driven publishing platforms such as Open Journal Systems (OJS), Open Monograph Press (OMP), and DSpace: the software will be able to be integrated into a wide range of publication processes, whether at small, low-resource commercial Open Access Publishers, or institutional and Diamond Open Access Publishers. References: Bosman, J., Frantsvåg, J. E., Kramer, B., Langlais, P.‑C., & Proudman, V. (2021). Oa Diamond Journals Study. Part 1: Findings. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4558703

The Eurasian grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is the most widely grown horticultural crop in the world and is important for the economy of many countries. In the wine production chain, grape varieties play an important role as they directly influence the authenticity and classification of the product. Identifying the different grape varieties is therefore fundamental for quality control and inspection activities, as well as for regulating production. Currently, ampelography and molecular analysis are the main approaches to identifying grape varieties. However, both methods have limitations. Ampelography is subjective and prone to errors and is experiencing enormous difficulties as ampelographers are increasingly scarce. On the other hand, molecular analyses are very demanding in terms of cost and time. In this scenario, Deep Learning (DL) and Machine Learning (ML) methods have emerged as a classification alternative to deal with the scarcity of ampelographs and avoid molecular analyses. In this study, the most recent and current methods for identifying grapevine varieties using DL classification-based approaches are presented through a systematic literature review. The classification pipeline of the 31 studies found in the literature was described, highlighting its pros and cons. Most of the studies used DL-based models trained with leaf images acquired in a controlled environment at a maximum distance of 1.2 metres to classify grape varieties. In addition, there is a large gap between practical applications and the datasets used: a great lack of varieties, limited data acquired in the field and a lack of tests on plants under adverse conditions. Potential directions for improving this area of research were also presented.

Cultural tourism in Tanzania presents a diverse tapestry of traditions, varied ethnic groups, and historical accounts. This article aims to pinpoint areas for further exploration in the cultural tourism sector of Tanzania and analyze their potential impacts. The study conducted a systematic review of the literature following established inclusion criteria as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-analysis guidelines. A total of 21 articles focused on Tanzania Cultural Heritage Tourism from sources such as Google Scholar and web databases were examined, revealing several research gaps, including theoretical, contextual and methodological aspects. Furthermore, the research offers insights into theoretical implications and recommends avenues for future studies that could advance the field by addressing these knowledge gaps providing valuable direction to new researchers interested in exploring these specific areas as well as practitioners seeking a comprehensive understanding of various aspects related to Tanzania's cultural heritage tourism

The application of smartphone-based color evaluation of passive sampling devices for gases has only been sparsely reported. The present review aims to compile available publications with respect to the configuration of the passive samplers, conditions of smartphone photographing, analytical procedure for color detection and quantification (including calibration processes), and their application to different target gases. The performance of the methods - whenever available - is presented regarding the analytical specifications selectivity, sensitivity, and limit of detection in comparison with other color evaluation methods of passive samplers. Practical aspects like requirements of instrumentation and ease of use will be outlined in view of the potential employment in education and citizen science projects. In one section of the review the inconsistent terminology of passive and diffusive sampling is discussed in order to clarify the distinction of information obtained from the uptake of the passive samplers between gas-phase concentration and the accumulated deposition flux of gaseous analytes. Colorimetric gas sensors are included in the review when applied in passive sampling configurations and evaluation is performed with smartphone-based color evaluation. Differences in the analytical procedures employed after the passive sampling step and prior to the detection of the colored compounds are also presented.

Critically ill patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) can present many abdominal conditions that need a prompt diagnosis and timely treatment because of their general frailty. Clinical evaluation and diagnostic tools like ultrasound or CT scan are not reliable or feasible in these patients. Bedside laparoscopy (BSL) is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to assess the abdominal cavity directly in the ICU, thus avoiding unnecessary exploratory laparotomy or incidence related to intra-hospital transfer. We conducted a review of the literature to summarize the state-of-the-art of BSL. Medline, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Scopus databases were utilized to identify all relevant publications. Indications, contraindications, technical aspects, and outcomes are discussed. The procedure is safe, feasible, and effective. When other diagnostic tools fail to diagnose or exclude an intra-abdominal condition in ICU patients, BSL should be preferred over exploratory laparotomy.

This study aimed to review the dietary risk factors for root caries prevalence in older adults, from socially active people to frail patients. A comprehensive search strategy was used to select studies from PubMed and Scopus databases. Two evalua-tors performed data extraction, screening, and quality assessment independently. Only studies written in English were included. Caries is very common in the elderly, as there are several aggravating factors such as the decrease of the ability to self-care and, by extension, insufficient oral hygiene, a carious diet, limited exposure to fluoride, xero-stomia, gingival recession, limited access to dental care. Root caries is prevalent in the elderly due to gingival recession and root exposure to the oral environment. Dietary risk factors significantly affect root caries prevalence in older adults, including high intake of sugars and an alteration of their composition preference in this age group. Caries risk appears more significant in frail, standardized patients who feed with even softer food or supplements.

Introduction Blunt carotid injuries (BCI) in pediatric trauma are quite rare. Due to the low number of cases, only a few reports and studies have been conducted on this topic. This review will discuss how frequent BCI/ BCVI on pediatric patients after blunt trauma is, what routine diagnostics look like, if a CT/ CTA scan on pediatric patients after blunt trauma is always necessary and if there are any negative health effects? Methods This literature review includes reviews, systematic reviews, case reports and original studies in english language between 1999 and 2020 that have dealt with pediatric blunt trauma and the diagnostics of BCI and BCVI. Furthermore, publications on the risk of radiation exposure on children were included in the study. For literature research, Medline (PubMed) and the Cochrane library were used. Results Pediatric BCI/ BCVI, shows an overall incidence between 0.03 – 0.5% of confirmed BCI/ BCVI cases due to pediatric blunt trauma. 1.1 – 3.5% of pediatric blunt trauma patients underwent CTA to detect BCI. Only 0.17 – 1.2% of all CTA scans shows a positive diagnosis for BCI. In children, the median volume CT dose index on a non-contrast head CT is 33 milligray, a computed tomography angiography needs at least 138 mGy. A cumulative doses of about 50 mGy almost triples the risk of leukemia, and doses of about 60 mGy triples the risk of brain cancer. Discussion Knowing that a BCI could have extensive neurologic consequences for children, it is necessary to evaluate routine pediatric diagnostics after blunt trauma. Computed tomography scans (CT) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are mostly used in routine BCI diagnostics. However, since radiation exposure in children should be as low as reasonably achievable, it should be asked if other diagnostic methods could be used to identify risk groups. Trauma guidelines and clinical scores like the McGovern score are reflect established BCI screening options, as well as using duplex ultrasound.

In the dynamic landscape of the telecommunications industry, understanding and mitigating customer churn is paramount for maintaining competitive advantage and sustaining revenue streams. This comprehensive literature review delves into the intricacies of customer churn prediction, a crucial aspect in fortifying the bond between telecom businesses and their customers. The review methodically analyzes 11 articles published between 2000 and March 2024, spotlighting the strategic role of Customer Relationship Management and the prevalence of high churn rates that necessitate a shift from customer acquisition to retention strategies. Furthermore, the review navigates through the challenges inherent in churn prediction, including the complexities of managing large, imbalanced, and noisy datasets and the intricacies involved in model selection and optimization. Despite these challenges, the paper highlights the superior capability of machine learning techniques in handling complex datasets to provide accurate predictions, albeit acknowledging their practical complexities. The main aim of the study is to provide an overview, serving as a knowledge base for researchers interested in machine learning techniques within the realm of telecommunications.

Continuous technological progress places significant demands on the materials used in increasingly modern devices. An important parameter is often the long-term thermal resistance of the material. The use of heat-resistant polymer materials worked well in technologically advanced products. An economically justified direction in searching for new materials is the area of polymer nanocomposite materials. It is necessary to appropriately select both the polymer matrix and the nanofillers best able to demonstrate the synergistic effect. A promising area of exploration for such nanocomposites is the use of organosilicon polymers, which results from the unique properties of these polymers related to their structure. This review presents the results of the analysis of the most important literature reports regarding organosilicon polymer nanocomposites with increased thermal resistance. Particular attention was paid to modification methods of silicone nanocomposites focused on the increase of their thermal resistance related to the modification of siloxane molecular structure and by making nanocomposites using inorganic additives, carbon nanomaterials. Attention was also paid to such important issues as the influence of the dispersion of additives in the polymer matrix on the thermal resistance of silicone nanocomposites and the possibility of modifying the polymer matrix and permanently introducing nanofillers thanks to the presence of various reactive groups. The thermal stability mechanism of these nanocomposites was also analysed.

Meat serves as a vital component of the human diet, offering a rich source of protein and essential trace elements. China stands as both a significant producer and consumer of meat on a global scale, leading the world in terms of total meat production and consumption. As the standard of living within the country continues to rise, there is a growing emphasis on the nutritional value and safety of meat consumption. The tenderness of meat is a critical factor influencing its overall quality. Traditionally, tenderness has been assessed through shear force testing, a method that is inherently destructive, inefficient, and results in considerable sample wastage. In light of these drawbacks, non-destructive testing techniques have emerged as a preferred alternative, promising greater accuracy, efficiency, and convenience without compromising the integrity of the samples. This paper delves into the application of five advanced non-destructive testing technologies in the realm of meat tenderness assessment. These include near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, airflow optical fusion detection, and nuclear magnetic resonance detection. Each technology is scrutinized for its respective strengths and limitations, providing a comprehensive overview of their current utility and potential for future development. Moreover, the integration of these techniques with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology is explored. The fusion of AI with non-destructive testing offers a promising avenue for the development of more sophisticated, rapid, and intelligent systems for meat tenderness evaluation. This integration is anticipated to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of quality assessment in the meat industry, ensuring a higher standard of safety and nutritional value for consumers. The paper concludes with a set of technical recommendations aimed at guiding the future direction of non-destructive, AI-enhanced meat tenderness detection, thereby contributing to the ongoing improvement of the meat industry in China and beyond.

Multi-rotor drones, a kind of unmanned equipment which is widely used in military, commercial consumption and other fields, has been developed very rapidly in recent years. However, their short flight time has hindered the expansion of their application range. This can be addressed by utilizing hydrogen fuel cells, which exhibit high energy density, strong adaptability to ambient temperature, and no pollution emissions, as the power source. Accordingly, the application of hydrogen fuel cells as the power source in multi-rotor drones is a promising technology that has attracted significant research attention. This paper summarizes the development process of hydrogen fuel cell mul-ti-rotor drones and analyzes the key obstacles that need to be addressed for the further development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones, including structural lightweight, hydrogen storage methods, energy management strategies. Additionally, prospects for the future development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones are presented.

Cotton is the most ubiquitous and profitable fiber with diverse industrial and domestic applications. Grown in over 100 countries, it has a global market value of about $40 billion and employs over 350 million people from fields to textile mills, contributing about 7% of total labor-force recruitment in developing economies. Cotton has an indeterminate growth habit and an extensive tap root system affected by soil physicochemical and environmental conditions. There is a consensus among experts that conventional cotton cultivation still has a long way to attain sustainability, which is essential if cotton will maintain its competitive edge over other natural and synthetic fibers like hemp, polyesters, and rayon. Despite several efforts already committed to growing cotton sustainably, sustainability has eluded cotton cultivation globally because of the intense farm inputs (freshwater, pesticides, and heavy-duty equipment) needs, especially in developing economies. Some of the technological advancements towards achieving the goal of sustainable cotton cultivation include the development of new varieties, improved irrigation and mulching and precision agriculture techniques, application of remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) combined with image processing, and the introduction of autonomous and multi-purpose robotic platforms for growing and harvesting cotton. This review attempts to evaluate the successes already achieved by stakeholders in moving cotton towards sustainable production and identify areas where efforts are still needed to reach sustainable production and improved profitability goals for cotton with projections for future research directions.

Heterometallic rare-earth clusters have garnered much attention because of their interest-ing solid-state structures and versatile applications in catalysis and material and polymer chemistry over the last four decades. Particular interest is rare earth–transition metal co-ordination compounds that behave as single-molecule magnets (SMMs) because of their potential use in information storage, spintronic devices, and magnetic refrigeration sys-tems. Another implementation involves using lanthanide clusters in luminescent-based sensing for environmental protection and security screening or in photocatalytic energy conversion reactions. Heterometallic rare earth complexes offer the promise of catalytic performance of many organic reactions due to their high oxygenophilicity, Lewis acidity, high coordination numbers, and ability to change the coordination environment quickly. Therefore, they are commonly applied as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis, oxidation re-actions, and CO2 conversions or as initiators in ring-opening polymerization and copoly-merization of cyclic monomers. They are also attractive single-source molecular precur-sors for functional inorganic materials. This review focused on the unique features and properties of the heterometallic rare earth complexes, which are closely correlated with their molecular structure. Our summary is a valuable resource, providing researchers with an insightful exploration of the heterometallic rare-earth complexes that demonstrated multimetallic synergy and cooperativity effects in various applications.

Agriculture is an industry that heavily relies on the environment. The increasing frequency of ex-treme disasters attributable to climate change has adversely affected agricultural land and dis-rupted the stability of the supply of agricultural products. Therefore, we implemented a research program focused on current strategies for adapting to agricultural meteorological disasters. The primary goal was to actively promote disaster prevention information and techniques through information platforms and applications and to provide refined forecasting and an early warning system to enhance preparedness for and recovery from agricultural disasters. This initiative can transform passive mitigation into dynamic action by disseminating crucial information to farmers. We integrated meteorological data and crop characteristics to develop disaster prevention strate-gies for the predisaster, during-disaster, and postdisaster stages to empower farmers to implement autonomous disaster prevention, ensuring their profitability and minimizing the impact of disas-ters. This paper presents an agricultural disaster prevention system involving cross-disciplinary collaboration to establish an early warning system for crop disasters. However, the effectiveness of the early warning system relies on the availability of complete meteorological and crop infor-mation, necessitating high-density agricultural meteorological stations, refined weather forecast services, historical crop damage data, and ongoing research and development on disaster preven-tion technology. In the system, a diversified social media interface is used to provide local farmers with weather forecast information. When impending disasters are identified, the platform acti-vates disaster prevention measures to reduce agricultural losses. This article paper introduces Taiwan’s agricultural disaster prevention system as a complete disaster prevention strategy.

Pregnancy is a complex biological process which is associated with significant metabolic and hemodynamic changes of the maternal body which allow a normal fetal growth. The inability to adapt to these changes can affect the cardiovascular health. During pregnancy, women may experience mood swings, anxiety and emotional ambivalence. These symptoms can lead to stress and have a negative impact on the mental well-being of expectant mothers. It is crucial to know the aspects that can influence the development of cardiovascular problems among pregnant women in order to manage these cases properly. The current narrative review explores and summarizes the evidence regarding the impact of stress and anxiety on cardiovascular health in pregnant women. Understanding the physiological adaptations that the body undergoes throughout pregnancy is crucial for educating and supporting individuals as well as healthcare professionals. This enables them to recognize any risk factors or pathological conditions that may exacerbate pregnant women's health. In order to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease, a psychological and cardiovascular risk factor screening that is done either before or during pregnancy may be able to identify situations that call for particular medical and/or psychological therapies.

Infection with the malaria parasite Plasmodium, remains a major cause of illness and death world-wide. The development of evasion strategies by the parasite from host immunity and its adaptability to antimalarial drugs has raised the urgency for developing new strategies to combat this disease. One promising avenue is targeting telomeres – sequences found at chromosome termini– and telomerase – the enzyme that catalysis synthesis of telomeres using an intrinsic RNA template. As telomeres shorten critically, cells undergo replicative senescence or apoptosis. Plasmodium, lacking telomerase activity in its human stages, exploits alternative mechanisms, accelerating telomere shortening, aging, and immune evasion. Chemical telomerase inhibitors show promise as antimalarials. In this review, we examine the potential of targeting this system in malaria therapy, with telomerase inhibitors offering a novel approach. A systematic search on PubMed using Boolean techniques identified 246 relevant articles from 1985 to March 31, 2024. After filtering, 43 articles met inclusion criteria, supplemented by snowball sampling. The telomerase inhibitor drug strategy is widely applicable against cancer. However, given the drugability of telomerase and the absolute requirement for active telomere maintenance in the vast majority of parasites including plasmodium, telomerase and telomere maintenance could well represent the Achilles heel of the parasite

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is not only associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as T2DM and obesity, but it is also an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. MASLD has been shown to be independently related to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. MASLD is characterized by a chronic proinflammatory response that, in turn, may induce a prothrombotic state. Several mechanisms such as endothelial and platelet dysfunction, changes in the coagulation cascade, decreased fibrinolytic activity can contribute to induce the prothrombotic state. Platelets are players and addresses of metabolic dysregulation; obesity and insulin resistance are related to platelet hyperactivation. Furthermore, platelets can exert a direct effect on liver cells, particularly through the release of mediators from granules. Growing data in literature support the use of antiplatelet agent as a treatment for MASLD. The use of antiplatelets drugs seems to have potential clinical implication for the prevention of HCC patients with MASLD, since platelets contribute to fibrosis progression and cancer development. This review aims to summarize the main data on the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of MAFLD and its main complications such as cardiovascular events and the development of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, we will examine the role of antiplatelet therapy not only in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular events but also as a possible anti-fibrotic and anti-tumor agent.

With the increasing interest in CM as a potential source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, there arises a necessity to delve into methods for its processing and drying. Over recent decades, a significant amount of research has been conducted on the chemical composition of CM and its potential health benefits. Consequently, this study is directed towards examining CM drying technology, including an analysis of the influence of different drying methods on its chemical composition and nutri-tional properties. The objective of this review is to systematically summarize the available literature on CM drying processes and their impact on its chemical composition. Special attention is devoted to comparing various drying methods such as freeze-drying, spray drying, and freeze-drying, as well as investigating factors affecting the quality of dried CM. To achieve this goal, we scrutinize a series of studies published between 2003 and 2022 to identify optimal drying methods that promote the maximum preservation of CM's nutritional components and bioactive compounds. Additionally, we explore possibilities for reducing drying time to enhance production efficiency. This research is grounded in the analysis of data from diverse scientific research databases, including Scopus and Google Scholar, encompassing a systematic review of scientific literature and a comparative analysis of the obtained results.

Ti and its alloys are the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications. However, bacterial infection after implant placement is still one of the significant rising complications. Therefore, the application of the antimicrobial agents into implant surfaces to prevent implant-associated infection has attracted lots of attention. Scientific papers have shown that inorganic antibacterial metal element (e.g. Ag, Cu, Zn) can be introduced to implant surfaces with the addition of metal nanoparticles or metallic compounds into electrolyte via micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology. In this review, the effects of the composition and concentration of electrolyte and process parameters (e.g. voltage, current density, oxidation time) on morphological characteristics (e.g. surface morphology, bonding strength), antibacterial ability and biocompatibility of MAO antimicrobial coating were discussed in detail. Anti-infection and osseo-integration can be simultaneously accomplished with the selection of the proper antibacterial elements and operating parameters. Besides, MAO assisted by magnetron sputtering (MS) to endow Ti-based implant materials with superior antibacterial ability and biocompatibility was also discussed. Finally, the development trend of MAO technology in the future was forecasted.

Tumid Lupus Erythematosus has been the subject of heated debate as to its correct nosographic classification. In particular, its definition has changed over time, depending on the different studies performed. In this review we address the initial definition of TLE, the changes that have taken place in the understanding and placement within the classification of Lupus Erythematosus (LE), and focus on clinical, histopathological, immunophenotypical and differential diagnosis aspects.

Elizabethkingia anophelis is an opportunistic pathogen causing lifethreatening infections in humans, particularly in immunocompromised patients, neonates and elderly. Infections caused by this species are exceptionally challenging to treat due to its multiresistance to antimicrobials. We report a case of central line-associated bloodstream infection by E. anophelis in a 2.5-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia successfully treated with a combination of piperacillin/tazobactam and amikacin. The literature was also reviewed on paediatric infections caused by E. anophelis. Accurate identification with MALDI-TOF, or using molecular techniques, is crucial because of varying susceptibilities among species. Early, accurate diagnosis and prompt effective treatment optimize outcomes.

In this comprehensive review, we delve into the realm of intention recognition within the context of digital forensics and cybercrime. The rise of cybercrime has become a major concern for individuals, organizations, and governments worldwide. Digital forensics is a field that deals with the investigation and analysis of digital evidence in order to identify, preserve, and analyze information that can be used as evidence in a court of law. Whereas, Intention recognition is a subfield of artificial intelligence that deals with the identification of agents’ intentions based on their actions and change of states. In the context of cybercrime, intention recognition can be used to identify the intentions of cybercriminals and even to predict their future actions. Employing a meticulous six-step systematic review approach, we curated research articles from reputable journals and categorized them into three distinct modeling approaches: logic-based, classical machine learning-based, and deep learning-based. Notably, intention recognition has transcended its historical confinement to network security, now addressing critical challenges across various subdomains, including social engineering attacks, AI black box vulnerabilities, and physical security. While deep learning emerges as the dominant paradigm, its inherent lack of transparency poses unique challenges in the digital forensics landscape. We advocate for hybrid solutions that blend deep learning’s power with interpretability. Furthermore, we propose the creation of a comprehensive taxonomy to precisely define intention recognition, paving the way for future advancements in this pivotal field.

Introduction Livestock abortigenic agents, which are microorganisms that lead to premature foetal death and expulsion before completion of the gestation period, are common in Africa and Asia. Abortion events cause economic losses by lowering reproduction (and hence herd/flock sizes) and effects on milk production. Despite the importance of livestock production for food security and livelihoods of millions of the world’s poorest communities, very little is known about the scale, magnitude or causes of livestock abortion in Africa. The aim of this review was to determine the current status of the burden of livestock abortion and surveillance measures adopted for livestock abortigenic pathogens in Africa and Asia, and to explore feasible surveillance technologies. Methodology A systematic literature search was conducted using Preferred Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in four databases for studies published between 1 Jan 1990 and 31 July 2021 that reported epidemiological surveys of livestock abortigenic pathogens in cattle, goats and sheep in Africa and Asia including; Brucella spp., Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, Rift valley fever virus, Coxiella burnetii, Chlamydia, Leptospira and Bovine viral Diarrhoea Virus. A meta-analysis was used to estimate the species-specific prevalence of the abortigenic diseases and the region where they were detected. Results In the systematic literature search, 48 full papers were included which in total included 50 species-specific surveillance reports from Africa and 19 from Asia. Adjusted median seroprevalence calculations estimated Brucella at 6.85% (range 1.2-11.6) of 9071 sheep, 3.35% (range 0.90-5.40) of 17,007 goats, 8.95% (range 0.50-63.60) of 171,733 cattle, Neospora at 6.80% (range 6.80 -6.80) of 555 sheep, 10.80 (range 10.80-10.80) of 185 goats, 12.65% (range 3.40- 25.60) of 3775 cattle, Toxoplasma at 27.50% (range 1.40 – 75.90) of 2284 sheep, 32.0% (range 20.00- 64.80) of 1226 goats, 7.50% (range 7.50 - 7.50) of 174 cattle, Coxiella at 9.20 (range 9.20 – 9.20) of 184 sheep, 24.20% (range 24.20-24.20) of 91 goats, 13.80% (range 13.80-13.80) of 217 cattle, Rift valley fever virus at 7.70 (2.40-40.00) of 874 sheep, 20.95 (range 2.50-40.00) of 547 goats, 7.45% (range 3.60-11.30) of 309 cattle, Bovine viral diarrhea virus at 78.90 (range 78.90 – 78.90) of 398 cattle, Leptospira at 70.50 (range 70.50 – 70.50) of 373 cattle and Chlamydia at 6.60 (6.60-6.60) of 803 sheep. We found that most studies, 45 (89%) used serological surveys, 1 (2%) used molecular and 1 (2%) reported to have used Mobile-phone based surveillance approach. Three studies (6.25%) of the 48 included were embedded in the national surveillance programs of the respective countries they were conducted, majority 89% were stand-alone cross-sectional studies. Conclusion In conclusion, livestock abortigenic pathogens are still a burden in many African and Asian countries.

Introduction: Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is the most common congenital face anomaly in the world of multifactorial etiology. Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of cleft palate. To identify associated risk factors to guide prevention and/or prenatal detection for early intervention and better health outcomes. To assess the rehabilitation protocols after operations in cleft palate. Design: Retrospective descriptive and clinical study. Patients: One hundred and three children with cleft palate treated in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery Clinic for Children and Young Adults, Department of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Warmia and Mazury, were included in the study. Methods: Records evaluation was conducted regarding sex, cleft type, mother occupation, parents education, histories of cleft in any of parents. The data were analyzed using R (R core team 2021) and the ordinal logistic regression analyses. Results: Children of stressed mothers during pregnancy had 9.4 times higher odds of having bilateral cleft. While there was no evidence that children sex, order of birth, and body mass as well as risk of maternal toxicity at work or reporting infections or drugs toxicity had a significant effect on the dependent variable. Conclusions: Children of parents with cleft history and having low educated mothers had higher probability of bilateral cleft palate. Children of stressed mothers during pregnancy had higher odds of having bilateral cleft. In literature, there is a lack of reports about rehabilitation in different operations methods in children with cleft palates.

In recent decades, as eutrophication in inland and coastal waters (ICWs) has increased due to anthropogenic activities and global warming, so has the need for timely monitoring. Compared with traditional sampling and laboratory analysis methods, satellite remote sensing technology can provide macro-scale, low-cost, and near real-time water quality monitoring services. The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), integrated onboard the Communication Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) from the Republic of Korea, was the first geostationary ocean color observation satellite and was operational from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2021. Over ten years, GOCI has observed oceans, coastal waters, and inland waters within its 2,500 km×2,500 km target area centered on the Korean Peninsula. The most attractive feature of GOCI, compared with other commonly used watercolor sensors, was its high temporal resolution (1h, eight times daily from 0 UTC to 7 UTC), providing the opportunity to monitor the quality of ICWs, where optical properties can change rapidly throughout the day. This systematic review aims to comprehensively review GOCI features and applications in ICWs, analyzing progress in atmospheric correction algorithms and water quality monitoring. Analyzing 123 articles from the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) through a bibliometric quantitative approach, we examined GOCI’s strength and performance with different processing methods. These articles reveal that GOCI played an essential role in monitoring the ecological health of ICWs in its observation area in East Asia. GOCI has led the way to a new era of geostationary ocean satellites, providing new technical means for monitoring water quality in oceans, coastal zones, and inland lakes. We also discuss the challenges encountered by geostationary satellites in monitoring water quality and provide suggestions for improvements.

Gene regulation is vital for cellular function and homeostasis, involving diverse mechanisms controlling specific gene products and contributing to tissue-specific gene expression. Dysregulation leads to diseases, emphasizing the need for understanding these mechanisms. Non-coding regions, notably enhancers and super-enhancers (SEs), act as crucial gene regulators, orchestrating transcriptional activity via transcription factors (TFs). SEs, with high activity, are pivotal in cell identity and disease progression. Current computational approaches focus on individual regulators like TFs and miRNAs, neglecting SE interactions. We emphasize incorporating SEs into models to enhance understanding. Experimental studies have recently linked miRNAs and TFs to SEs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq) provides valuable SE information. In this review, we categorize computational methods leveraging TF and miRNA data into three areas and explore challenges integrating enhancers/SEs. These include unraveling indirect regulatory networks, identifying network motifs, and enriching pathway identification by dissecting gene regulators, including SEs. We hypothesize that addressing these challenges will enhance our understanding of gene regulation, aiding in identifying therapeutic targets and disease biomarkers. We believe that understanding the role of ChIP-Seq data in predicting the effect of miRNA on gene regulation is crucial to construct statistical/computational model that would tackle these challenges.

Depressive disorder in childhood and adolescence is a highly prevalent mood disorder that tends to recur throughout life. Untreated mood disorders can adversely impact a patient's quality of life and cause socioeconomic loss. Thus, an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial. However, until now, diagnoses and treatments are conducted according to clinical symptoms. Objective and biological validation are lacking. This may result in a poor outcome for patients with depressive disorder. Research has been conducted to identify the biomarkers that are related to depressive disorder. Cumulative evidence has revealed that certain immunologic biomarkers in-cluding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokines, gastrointestinal biomarkers, hormones, oxidative stress, and certain hypothalamus-pituitary axis biomarkers are associated with depressive disorder. This article reviews the biomarkers related to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric depressive disorders. To date, clinical biomarker tests are not yet available for diagnosis or for the prediction of treatment prognosis. However, cytokines such as Interleukin-2, interfer-on-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and BDNF have shown significant results in previous studies of pediatric depressive disorder. These biomarkers have the potential to be used for diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and group screening for those at high risk.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder that affects women of reproductive age representing the primary cause of anovulatory infertility. The nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in cognitive, emotional, and reproductive functions in human beings. Oxytocin receptors are expressed in several body parts including the ovaries. Despite this, the possible role played by oxytocin in symptoms of PCOS is not clear. The present systematic review aimed at understanding, the presence of possible oxytocin level alterations in PCOS, the connection between alterations of OT levels and the symptoms of PCOS, and the effect of oxytocin administration in PCOS. After a systematic search in the principal databases, seven studies, five human and two animal, were included. Most of the studies highlighted the role played by oxytocin in fertility issues related to PCOS. Studies that analyzed oxytocin basal levels in PCOS women agreed that PCOS is associated with a reduction in the serum level of oxytocin. Two studies found that in PCOS the serum levels of oxytocin were lower than healthy controls. One human and one animal study agreed about lower levels of PCOS, confirming a possible implication of a dysfunction of OT, in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

We have carried out a systematic review of the scientific literature published on PM and, more specifically, on its presence in fish and seafood of interest to the population from Mediterranean area. Given its preference and wide acceptability in the scientific community, we followed the PRISMA. The potential functional and clinical toxicity in humans due to MP in fish must be considered by the chemical composition of the microplastics the presence of PM and its additives, associated contaminants and pathogens in fish and shellfish, as well as the possible effects on human health, requires improving legislation on evaluation and providing a basis for consumer protection.

Hybrid materials are a recent addition in the field of Restorative Dentistry for computer-assisted design/ computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) indirect restorations. The long–term clinical success of modern dental restorative materials follows a multifactorial pattern. Among the characteristics, affecting the longevity of a restoration, mechanical properties and physicο – chemical interactions are of utmost importance. While numerous researchers constantly evaluate the mechanical properties, the biological background of resin–based CAD/CAM biomaterials is scarcely investigated and, therefore, less described in the literature. This review aims to analyze the biofilm formation on the surfaces of novel hybrid, resin–based CAD/CAM materials and evaluate the methodological protocols followed to assess microbial growth. It is demonstrated that the surface structure, the composition and the finishing and polishing procedures on the surface of a dental restorative material influence the initial bacterial adhesion; however most studies focus on in vitro protocols, whereas in vivo and/or in situ research of microbiomics in CAD/CAM restorative materials is lacking, obstructing in that manner the accurate understanding of the bioadhesion phenomenon in the oral cavity.

Most research on colostrum quality and colostrum management focuses on maternal IgG transfer to the newborn calf. However, in addition to being a source of antibodies, colostrum has other components that influence passive immune transfer, nutrition, gut maturation, and thermoregulation. In this review, the constituents in the bovine colostrum, as well as their variation, are explored and it is discussed the biological role of colostrum on the newborn calf. Protein is the nutrient in higher concentration and fat is the nutrient with the most variation. There is a pronounced amplitude in the total solids content of colostrum, but the average concentration does not vary much between studies (24.7%). Bovine colostrum major components can vary with several factors, such as the region, season, breed, dry period length, and nutritional aspects of the dam. Bioactive components, cells, and microbiome variability are less understood, besides IgG. Regardless, they play crucial distinct roles in the physiological development of the newborn. However, a multi-interactive effect between these components, cells, and microorganisms is more likely to occur. Recently researched components in colostrum like miRNA, nucleo(t)sides, the milk fat globule membrane, oligosaccharides, minor proteins, and the microbiome are examples of promising interest areas of study.

Recent years have witnessed significant advances in reinforcement learning (RL), which has registered remarkable success in solving various sequential decision-making problems in machine learning. Most of the successful RL applications, e.g., the games of Go and Poker, robotics, and autonomous driving, involve the participation of more than one single agent, which naturally fall into the realm of multi-agent RL (MARL), a domain with a relatively long history, and has recently re-emerged due to advances in single-agent RL techniques. Although, typically, the communication protocol between agents is manually specified and not altered during training, recently, some papers have shown signs of trying to emerge a communication between agents on the one hand and, on the other hand, to understand what is exchanged between agents. So, there is a growing body of literature on this topic which includes qualitative and quantitative studies and the ones that apply mixed methods. This study presents the scoping review of the methodological strategies undertaken in a total of 16 research articles. The results present the critical appraisal of quantitative methods in terms of validity and reliability and for qualitative methods considering four trustworthiness factors. In the end, relevant insights are further explored with implications and reflections on how they can benefit one's research in the field.

This paper presents a review on numerical and experimental methods to predict fracture of ad-vanced high strength steels (AHSS). AHSS are widely processed through sheet metal forming processes. Although being an excellent choice when lightweight, high strength and ductility are critical factors, their multi-phase microstructure accentuates forming challenges. To accurately model forming behavior, necking based failure criteria as well as direct fracture models require improvements. As a necking based failure model, the conventional forming limit diagram/curve (FLD/FLC) presents limitations such as in estimating direct fracture (surface cracks, edge cracks, shear cracks), as well as deformation histories under nonlinear strain paths. Thus, significant re-search efforts are being made towards the needs of advanced fracture constitutive models capa-ble of predicting fracture scenarios without necking, more frequently observed in the realm of AHSS. Scientific community research is divided into several directions aiming at improving the forming and fracture behavior accuracy of parts subjected to sheet metal forming operations. In this review paper, a comprehensive overview on ductile fracture modeling is presented. Firstly, the FLD/FLC limitations modeling fracture behavior in sheet metal forming operations are stud-ied. Followed by the recent trends in constitutive material modeling. Afterwards, material char-acterization methods advancements to cover a broad range of stress states are comprised. Final-ly, damage and fracture models predicting failure in AHSS are investigated. This review paper supplies relevant information on the current issues the sheet metal forming community is chal-lenged with due to the trend towards AHSS employment in the automotive industry.

Waste glycerol can be subjected to various processing operations, including purification and re-fining, to obtain glycerol of appropriate purity. In addition, alternative methods of utilising waste glycerol are also being sought, e.g. by converting it into other valuable chemical products or biofuels. Therefore, various technologies are being developed to utilise this type of waste effectively and sustainably. The production of value-added products from waste glycerol is an important issue that determines the improvement of the economic viability of biofuel production and corresponds to the model of a waste-free and emission-free circular economy. This paper characterised the mechanisms and evaluated the efficiency of existing methods of microbiological utilisation of waste glycerol into liquid biofuels, including biodiesel, bioethanol and biobutanol, and identified further directions for the production of value-added products. In addition, a bibliographical analysis of publications re-lated to the production of liquid fuels and economically valuable products from glycerol was carried out, the progress of research and application work was assessed and directions for future research were identified.

Conventional cancer clinical trials can be time-consuming and expensive, often yielding results with limited applicability to real-world scenarios and presenting challenges for patient participation. Real-world data (RWD) studies offer a promising solution to address evidence gaps and provide essential information about the effects of cancer treatments in real-world settings. Defining RWD based on its original intent, which is the collection of data at the point of care for clinical purposes, can distinguish it from conventional clinical trial data. RWD can be generated using experimental designs that resemble those used in conventional clinical trials, but with several advantages, such as improved efficiency and a better balance between internal and external validity. RWD can support pharmacovigilance, insights into disease progression, and the development of external control groups. Prospective RWD collection enables evidence generation based on pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) that support randomized study designs and expand clinical research to the point of care. To ensure the quality of real-world studies, it is crucial to implement auditable data abstraction methods and develop new incentives to capture clinically relevant data electronically at the point of care. The treatment landscape is constantly evolving, with the integration of front-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, affecting subsequent treatment lines. Real-world effectiveness and safety in underrepresented populations, such as the elderly, patients with poor performance status (PS), hepatitis, or human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, are still largely unexplored. Similarly, the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of these innovative agents are important considerations in the real world.

Keywords: mHealth; peritoneal dialysis; functionality; usability

Health and well-being are a major concern for the elderly who experienced evacuation due to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power accident. This study examined the feasibility of a picture sound book with Ninja-essence to maintain or improve exercise habits and physical and mental conditions of the elderly affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant accident. We conducted a pre–post intervention study to evaluate a picture sound book with Ninja-essence for returnees and evacuees post lifting evacuation restrictions. In total, 29 people participated in this study. Residents in two groups, returnees and evacuees, were provided with the tool. Results of the pre–post changes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, i.e., Fisher’s exact test and t-test, and a significant difference was observed in both groups of participants between their left and right hand-grip strength, the maximum phonation time in the participants of the group that regularly engaged in exercise, and in the questions regarding swallowing exercises and singing songs or practicing words (p < 0.013 and 0.033); 16 of 29 participants reportedly enjoyed the program. The results demonstrated the future possibility of determining the improved outcome of this program in larger samples.

Abstract: Rice is one of the most important food crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Climate change, variability, and economic globalization threaten to disrupt rice value chains across the subcontinent, undermining their important role in economic development, food security, and poverty reduction. This paper maps existing research on the vulnerability of rice value chains, synthesizes the evidence and the risks posed by climate change and economic globalization, and discusses agriculture and rural development policies and their relevance for the vulnerability of rice value chains in sub-Saharan Africa. Important avenues for future research are identified. These include the impacts of multiple, simultaneous pressures on rice value chains, the effects of climate change and variability on parts of the value chain other than production, and the forms and extent to which different development policies hinder or enhance the resilience of rice value chains in the face of climatic and other pressures.

Over the past couple of decades, Global positioning system (GPS) technology has been utilized to collect large-scale data from travel surveys. As the precise spatiotemporal characteristics of travel could be provided by GPS devices, the issues of traditional travel survey, such as misreporting and non-response, could be addressed. Considering the defects of dedicated GPS devices (e.g., need much money to buy devices, forget to take devices to collect data, limit the simple size because of the number of devices, etc.), and the phenomenon that the smartphone is becoming one of necessities of life, there is a great chance for the smartphone to replace dedicated GPS devices. Although, several general reviews have been done about smartphone-based GPS travel survey in the literature review section in some articles, a systematic review from smartphone-based GPS data collection to travel mode detection has none. The included studies were searched from six databases. The purpose of this review is to critically assess the current literature on the existing methodologies of travel mode detection based on GPS raw data collected by smartphones. Meanwhile, according to the systematic comparison among different methods from data-preprocessing to travel mode detection, this paper could carefully provide the Strengths and Weaknesses of existing methods. Furthermore, it is the crucial step to develop the methodologies and applications of GPS raw data collected by smartphones.

Brain is the most complex organ in the human body and it is divided into two hemispheres - left and right hemispheres. Left hemisphere is responsible for control of right side of our body whereas right hemisphere is responsible for control of left side of our body. Brain image segmentation from different neuroimaging modalities is one of the important parts in clinical diagnostic tools. Neuroimaging based digital imagery generally contain noise, inhomogeneity, aliasing artifacts, and orientational deviations. Therefore, accurate segmentation of brain images is a very difficult task. However, the development of accurate segmentation of brain images is very important and crucial for a correct diagnosis of any brain related diseases. One of the fundamental segmentation tasks is to identify and segment inter-hemispheric fissure/mid-sagittal plane, which separate the two hemispheres of the brain. Moreover, the symmetric/asymmetric analyses of left and right hemispheres of brain structures are important for radiologists to analyze diseases such as Alzheimer's, Autism, Schizophrenia, Lesions and Epilepsy. Therefore, in this paper we have analyzed the existing computational techniques used to find brain symmetric/asymmetric analysis in various neuroimaging techniques (MRI/CT/PET/SPECT), which are utilized for detecting various brain related disorders.

The term Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) refers generically to a class of positional and geometric conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Among the isomers of linoleic acid cis9, trans11-CLA (c9, t11-CLA) and trans10, cis12-CLA (t10, c12-CLA) are found to be bio-logically active isomers, and they occur naturally in milk, dairy products and meat from ruminants. In addition, some vegetables and some sea-foods have also been reported to contain CLA. Although the CLA levels in these natural sources are insufficient to confer the essential health benefits, anti-carcinogenic or anti-cancer effects are of current interest. In the rumen, CLA is an intermediate of isomerization and the biohydrogenation process of linoleic acid to stearic acid conducted by ruminal microorganisms. In addition to rumen bacteria, some other bacteria, such as Propionibacterium, Bifidobacterium and some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are also capable of producing CLA. In this regard, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) has demon-strated the ability to produce CLA isomers from linoleic acid by multiple enzymatic activi-ties, including hydration, dehydration, and isomerization. L. plantarum is one of the most versatile species of LAB and the bacterium is widely used in the food industry as a micro-bial food culture. The studies reviewed in this article reveal how, in the production of some fermented foods, the use of appropriate strains of L. plantarum, as a starter or additional culture, can be considered a critical factor in the design of new CLA-enriched functional foods.

The review explores the therapeutic potential of mangrove plants as sources of bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on their anti-inflammatory properties. Mangroves, found in tropical and sub-tropical tidal coasts, exhibit unique ecological and biological activities. The review compiles and examines 136 research findings published between 1982 and 2018, with 41 studies specifically addressing the anti-inflammatory properties of mangroves in Indian coastal regions, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It summarizes the chemical structures, molecular weights, formulas, solvents, and biological activities of these mangroves, as reported by various researchers over time. The data underscore the significant potential of tropical Indian mangroves in anti-inflammatory applications. However, a notable research gap exists regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from mangrove species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands compared to other regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Puducherry. Overall, the compilation provides valuable insights into mangrove-based studies for drug discovery research, emphasizing the need for further exploration and exploitation of these natural resources.

Food allergies have increased significantly in recent decades, with shellfish being a leading cause of food allergy and anaphylaxis worldwide, affecting both children and adults. The prevalence of shellfish allergies is estimated to be approximately 0.5-2.5% of the general population, varying significantly by geographical location, age, and consumption habits. Although mollusk consumption has risen, the prevalence of mollusk allergies remains unknown. While extensive research has focused on crustacean allergies, mollusk allergies, particularly those related to gastropods, have received comparatively less attention. Clinical manifestations of shellfish allergy range from localized symptoms to life-threatening systemic reactions, such as anaphylaxis. Notably, severe bronchospasm is a predominant clinical feature in cases involving gastropods. Several allergens have been identified in mollusks, including paramyosin, tropomyosin, and sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein. In gastropods, documented allergens include tropomyosin, paramyosin, the heavy chain of myosin, and Der p 4 amylase. Diagnosis typically involves a thorough clinical history, skin testing, in vitro quantification of immunoglobulin (Ig) E, and confirmation through oral challenge, although the latter is reserved for selected cases. This review highlights the limited research on gastropod allergy, the identified allergens to date, and the necessity for further investigations to better understand the implications of shellfish allergy within this class.

Hydrogen has a leading role in accomplishing a net zero green-house gas emission future. Today’s challenge is producing green hydrogen to cover the fuel demand of transportation and industry, to gain independence from fossil fuels. This review’s goal is to demonstrate critically the existing methods of biomass treatment and assess their ability to scale up. Biomass is an excellent hydrogen carrier and biomass-derived processes are the main target for hydrogen production as it is an innovative pathway to green hydrogen production. Comparing the existing processes, thermochemical treatment is found to be far more evolved than biological or electrochemical treatment especially with regard to scaling prospects.

Fungal infections caused by Candida spp. are responsible for high hospital morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is a continuous search for new antifungal medicines, particularly ones with anti-Candida activity. This review analyzed articles published between 2002 and 2023 considering the anti-Candida activity of chemical compounds identified or isolated in plants of the Anacardiaceae family. In addition, the in-silico prediction of the isolated compounds described was performed. The analysis of 35 studies showed that extracts, essential oils, and compounds from the anti-Candida activity were frequently determined in vitro using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The most commonly tested species were Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. guilliermondii, respectively. Essential oils were the most used form (37% of the studies). The isolated compounds with antifungal effects include cardanol, estragole, trans-anethole, β-caryophyllene, myrcene, catechin-3-o-rhamnoside, β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, 24Z-isomasticadienolic acid, oleanolic acid, and oleanolic aldehyde. The in-silico evaluation of those isolated compounds revealed the compounds' drug-likeness and possible antifungal activity. However, some of them showed high toxicity. In conclusion, compounds from the Anacardiaceae family show promise for developing new therapeutic antifungal drugs, especially in combination with conventional antifungals.

Compressed carbon dioxide energy storage (CCES) offers several benefits over other existing energy storage systems, including ease of liquefaction, high energy storage density, and environmental friendliness. As a result, the research progress, economic and technological feasibility, and system operation of the CCES system are all discussed in depth in this study. The system evaluation method is summarized and the compressed carbon dioxide storage is analyzed, and the performance optimization direction of the compressed carbon dioxide energy storage technology is discussed. When the overall performance of a transcritical CCES system, a supercritical CCES system and a liquid CCES system are compared, it is discovered that the supercritical CCES system has better thermodynamic characteristics and a simpler system configuration, making it suitable for large-scale development and use. The goal of the CCES system's future development is to create a design with an optimum compression and expansion ratio, a more precise analysis and system model, and multi-field coupling. This review's discussion serves as a guide for the best design and use of the CCES system.

Timely and accurate information on tree species is crucial for the sustainable management of natural resources, forest inventory, biodiversity detection, and carbon stock calculation. The advancement of remote sensing technology and artificial intelligence has facilitated the acquisition and analysis of remote sensing data, resulting in more precise and effective classification of tree species. Multimodal remote sensing data and deep learning seem to be the current tree species classification research mainstream, whether or not. The current review on the remote sensing data and deep learning tree species classification methods perspectives to analyze the unimodal and multimodal remote sensing data and classification methods in this realm is missing. To bridge the gap, we search for major trends in the remote sensing data and tree species classification methods, provide a detailed overview of classic deep learning-based methods for tree species classification, and discuss the limitations.

Over the years, the need for autonomous systems such as drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has significantly increased in popularity across several industries, including the military. The Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) represents a modern technological advancement that significantly enhances the operational efficacy of defense systems. It establishes an integrated military force by connecting individuals to intelligent technology in drones, radios, equipment, antennas and ground stations. This is achieved through the utilization of cloud and edge computing, sensors, mobile devices, embedded systems, and IoT-based systems. However, IoBT security is significantly compromised by enemies that exploit the vulnerabilities and malicious intrusions that specifically target the external environment or to obtain sensitive data. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of cyberattacks and countermeasures is essential for assuring the security of IoBT. On the other hand, as cyber threats get more complicated, trust becomes increasingly important for the security of digital systems. Within this context, the zero trust architecture contends that the security of a complex network is inherently vulnerable to internal and external threats. In defense, UAV security system applications, for example, the primary purpose of the zero trust architecture is to limit the vulnerability of military UAV systems to cyberattacks, hence reducing the possibility of data breaches and illegal entry. This study conducts a systematic review aimed at identifying different aspects of cybersecurity strategies for protecting UAV systems within the IoBT domain. Furthermore, zero trust architecture is presented in the study as an effective prospective solution to the security issues that develop in defense UAV systems.

Due to environmental concerns, natural refrigerants and their use in refrigeration and air conditioning systems are receiving more attention from manufacturers, end users and the scientific community. The study of heat transfer and pressure drop is essential for accurate design and more energy efficient cycles using natural refrigerants. The aim of this work is to provide an overview of the latest outcomes related to heat transfer and pressure drop correlations for ammonia, propane, isobutane and propylene and to investigate the current state of the art in terms of operating conditions. Available data on the existing correlations of heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop for natural refrigerants have been collected through a systematic search. Whenever possible, validity intervals are given for each correlation and the error is quantified. It is the intention of the authors that this could be a valuable support for researchers and an aid to design, with particular reference to heat pumps. A procedure based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was adopted, and the Scopus database was used to query the relevant literature. A total of 135 publications qualified for inclusion in the survey; 34 articles report experimental investigations for not usual geometric conditions. Of the 101 selected papers related to usual geometric conditions, N = 50 deal only with HTC, N = 16 deal only with pressure drop and the remainder (N = 35) analyse both HTC and pressure drop. Among the 85 HTC papers (N = 53) deal with the evaporating condition, N = 30 with condensation and only N = 2 with the heat transfer correlations under both conditions. Most of the 101 articles concern propane and isobutane. The high temperatures are less widely investigated.

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest pollutants and generator of toxic solvent resi-dues for the environment and human beings. In the last decade, there has been a huge evolution in the design and development of new environmentally friendly products and processes, in re-sponse to the global environmental concern and the growing demand for products with quality ingredients and manufacturing processes aimed at achieving sustainability. Consumers are looking for products with the benefits of natural products, with sustainable and environmentally friendly formulations with few synthetic molecules as possible. Thus, based on the origins of the pharmaceutical industry, it is important to return to Nature and enjoy the benefits that natural products bring to us. Deep eutectic solvents appear as an alternative to toxic solvents commonly used to extract bioactive compounds. These solvents are considered green solvents because they are made up of natural compounds such as sugars, amino acids, and carboxylic acids. In addition, they are simple to prepare, with an atomic economy of 100%, with attractive physicochemical properties. This paper is a comprehensive review in which is described the main properties, characteristics, and production methods of deep eutectic solvents as well as its application to extract from natural sources bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical interest.

Monitoring of clients living with HIV encompasses a specific array of activities that routinely check on various aspects of ART following its initiation depending on the availability of resources in that particular state, among other factors as per guidelines from the World Health Organisation. This is a significant practice as it promotes positive health outcomes for patients and efficient utilisation of ART regimens to reduce resistance to the medication – hence it is a measure to guard avoidable costs. It also forms a basis on which decisions are made from. It can be done clinically by assessing for signs e.g., skin rash and symptoms e.g., nausea and vomiting, checking vital organ function and measuring weights across all populations, or can be also be done by assessing specimens for their respective viral loads, white blood cell count, pregnancy status or other infections such as hepatitis B. There have not been any special indications required for one to be eligible for monitoring during ART in developing countries; all qualify for routine monitoring even though some may be more frequent than others in cases of comorbidities such as renal failure where medications can be attributed to exacerbating the condition.

Background: Mental capacity is a fundamental aspect that enables patients to fully par-ticipate in various healthcare procedures. To assist healthcare professionals (HCPs) in assessing patients' capacity, especially in the mental health field, several standardized tools have been developed. These tools include the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T), the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research (MacCAT-CR), and the Competence Assessment Tool for Psychiatric Advance Directives (CAT-PAD). The core dimensions explored by these tools include Understanding, Appreciation, Reasoning, and Expression of a choice. Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate potential differences in deci-sion-making capacity within the healthcare context among groups of patients with bi-polar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD). Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Medline/Pubmed, and Scopus. Addi-tionally, Google Scholar was manually inspected, and a manual search of emerging re-views and reference lists of the retrieved papers was performed. Eligible studies were specifically cross-sectional, utilizing standardized assessment tools, and involving pa-tients diagnosed with BD and SSD. Data from the studies were independently extracted and pooled using random-effect models. Hedges g was used as a measure for outcomes. Results: Six studies were identified, with three studies using the MacCAT-CR, two studies the MacCAT-T, and one the CAT-PAD. The participants included 189 individuals with BD and 324 individuals with SSD. The meta-analysis revealed that patients with BD performed slightly better, and the difference was statistically significant, compared to patients with SSD, particularly in the domain of Appreciation (ES=0.23, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.04, p=0.037). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for Understanding (ES=0.09, 95% CI: - 0.10 to 0.27, p=0.352), Reasoning (ES=0.18, 95% CI: - 0.12 to 0.47, p=0.074), and Expression of a choice (ES = 0.23, 95% CI: - 0.01 to 0.48, p=0.60). In the sensitivity analysis, furthermore, when considering only studies involving patients in symptomatic remission, the difference for Appreciation also resulted in non-significant (ES=0.21, 95% CI: -0.04 to 0.46, p=0.102). (ES=0.21, 95% CI: -0.04 to 0.46, p=0.102). Conclusions: These findings indicate that there are no significant differences between patients with BD and SSD during remission phases, while differences are minimal during acute phases. The usefulness of standardized assessment of capacity at any stage of the illness should be considered, both for diagnostic-therapeutic phases and for research and advance directives. Further studies are necessary to understand the reasons for the overlap in capacity between the two diagnostic categories compared in this study.

Preschoolers with disabilities and their caregivers have been neglected in health and social service provision in most low-income countries and arguably too in low resourced areas of more affluent nations. Yet as this rapid review of published literature identifies, there are low-cost, evidence-based strategies to address their needs that can be implemented in communities by local people. Five key features of the necessary supports are examined. First the leadership functions required to create and implement the support services. Second, the family-centred, home-based support provided to caregivers and the personnel undertaking this form of support. Third, providing opportunities for peer support to flourish and encouraging the formation of advocacy groups across families. Fourth, mobilizing the support of significant groups within the community; notably traditional healers and leaders; health services and poverty alleviation initiatives. Fifth, devising ways in which preschool educational opportunities can be offered to children as a prelude to their inclusion in primary schools. The review serves a further purpose. It provides an example of how public health researchers and academics could achieve more rapid implementation of evidence-based knowledge into existing and new support services through dissemination to community practitioners.

The development of plant-based meat analogues has become a significant challenge for the food industry in recent years due to the increasing demand for sustainable and healthier proteins in the context of a global protein transition. Plant-based meat analogues imitate the visual, textural, and chemical properties of traditional meat products and are required to closely resemble meat to appeal to consumers. In addition, consumers demand natural, clean-label, and nutritional and healthy products. To address these challenges, the food industry must develop highly healthy, nutritious, and E-number-free meat analogue products. Understanding the functionality of each ingredient and its role in the food matrix is crucial to being a key player in the innovation of the meat analogues market. This review provides updated information on the primary ingredients utilized for the development of plant-based burger meat alternatives and their functionality. The key components of meat analogue burgers are outlined, including plant proteins, binding agents, fats and oils, flavorings, colorings, preservatives, fortificants, and clean-label considerations.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a persistent neurodevelopment disorder frequently co-occurring with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and behavior-related disorders. While behavioral therapy is the first-line option to manage ASD core symptoms, pharmacological therapy is sometimes needed to treat acute problems, such as agitation and aggressive behaviors. Recent guidelines recommend neuroleptics to reduce psychomotor agitation in people with ASD. However, since children with ASD are often drug-resistant, alternative treatments are often justified. Reports from literature showed that intra-venous valproate (IV-VPA) can be effective in reducing agitation in psychiatric patients, with lower frequency of adverse events compared to convention-al treatments. However, since findings are occasionally inconsistent, IV-VPA is not an approved option in clinical psychiatry. We aim at improving the knowledge on the IV-VPA treatment option in emergency psychiatry in the pediatric age. Methods: We report the case of a 11-year-old boy suffering from a complex neurodevelopmental condition, who experienced a psychotic episode with severe aggressive and disruptive behaviors, successfully treated with IV-VPA. Besides, we conducted an up-dated literature review on this topic. Conclusion: In our case, first-line therapies proved to be ineffective. On the contrary, IV-VPA led to a safe and prompt clinical success, in line with other reports. Based on our literature review, IV-VPA can be highly effective and can reduce the risk of adverse events that frequently occur with the use of high-dose standard medications in emergency psychiatry.

Children are inherently curious about everything they encounter, making the early years a perfect time for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) investigations. An outdoor learning environment can influence STEAM concept formation of preschoolers with intentional design that offer STEAM learning affordances. Despite the rising interest in early STEAM education, there is still limited literature on how the outdoor environment may influence STEAM learning behaviors of preschoolers (3-5 years old). This scoping review intends to evaluate the existing knowledge regarding the physical factors that contribute to STEAM learning affordances in an outdoor environment for children aged 3 to 5. The review included studies from the last twenty years. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). For this scoping review, 843 citations were discovered across four databases (JSTOR, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science), ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and 31 articles were considered eligible for inclusion. Through the synthesis of information from those 31 studies, a list of STEAM learning behaviors of children and STEAM activity-supportive settings were identified that may positively influence preschoolers' STEAM concept development.

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

Depression is the commonest mental disorder worldwide. Both antidepressants and psychotherapy are effective in treating depression, but response to these treatments is often incomplete. Yoga-based interventions (YBIs) have emerged as a promising adjunctive treatment for depression. Recent research has attempted to identify the biological mechanisms associated with the antidepressant actions of YBIs. In this scoping review, conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the PubMed and Scopus databases were searched to retrieve research on biomarkers of response to YBIs in patients with depression. Eleven studies were included in the review. Based on these studies, YBIs may improve depression through beneficial effects on systemic inflammation, stress axis regulation, cardiac autonomic functioning, and possibly reductions in oxidative stress-related cellular damage. Increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may represent a final common pathway upon which these processes converge. Though these results are theoretically plausible, they should be interpreted with caution due to certain methodological limitations in the existing research. Replication of these results and improvements in study methodology, and the evaluation of other biomarkers relevant to the pathophysiology of depression, could further elucidate the mechanism of action of YBIs in this disorder, and identify which patients would benefit most from this treatment approach.

Thermaikos Gulf (TG) is a semi-enclosed, river-influenced, marine system situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, sustaining both urban coastal regions and ecologically preserved natural areas. Facing a plethora of environmental and anthropogenic pressures, the TG serves as a critical nexus where human activities intersect with marine ecosystems. The second largest city of Greece, Thessaloniki, is located in the northern part of the gulf, while a large environmentally protected zone with multiple river deltas is lying along its western coasts. The quality and health of the TG’s marine environment are tightly linked to the socioeconomic activities of the coastal communities comprising approximately 1.5 million inhabitants. The main features of TG’s environmental dynamics and ecological status have been scrutinized by dedicated research endeavours during the last 50 years. This review synthesizes the seminal findings of these investigations, offering an evaluation of their contribution to research, their present collective impact, and their trajectory toward the future. A severe deterioration of the TG’s environmental quality was detected in the 1970s and 1980s when treatment of urban wastewater was completely absent. A steady trend of recovery was observed after the 1990s, however without achieving, so far, the goal of a “good environmental state”, mandated by national legislation and European directives. The most important research gaps and uncertainties are also discussed and specific recommendations for the improvement of monitoring and understanding about the physical, biochemical, and ecological state of the gulf are provided. The most significant discrepancy is related to the fragmentary monitoring of the TG in both space (partial coverage) and time (temporal gaps), which has been intensified after 2010 due to the reduced funding for environmental research and protection under the severe Greek economic recession. This review aspires to highlight the importance of bolstering monitoring initiatives that can provide continuous observations and further understanding on the TG's ecological and physicochemical conditions. Targeted recommendations, aimed at ameliorating the fragmented monitoring processes, are also provided, advocating for a holistic approach that can safeguard the ecological integrity of the Thermaikos Gulf and uphold its role as a crucial link to marine biodiversity and sustainability in the Mediterranean basin.

Proteins need to be located in appropriate spatiotemporal contexts to carry out their diverse biological functions. Mislocalized proteins may lead to a broad range of diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing where a target protein resides within a cell will give insights into tailored drug design for a disease. As the gold validation standard, the conventional wet lab uses fluorescent microscopy imaging, immunoelectron microscopy, and fluorescent biomarker tags for protein subcellular location identification. However, the booming era of proteomics and high-throughput sequencing generates tons of newly discovered proteins, making protein subcel-lular localization by wet-lab experiments a mission impossible. To tackle this concern, in the past decades, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), especially deep learning methods, have made significant progress in this research area. In this article, we review the latest advances in AI-based method development in three typical types of approaches, including sequence-based, knowledge-based, and image-based methods. We also elaborately discuss existing challenges and future directions in AI-based method development in this research field.

Abstract: A. baumannii exhibits resilience in harsh environments and progressively develops resistance to diverse antibacterial agents over time. This adaptability poses a significant challenge in treating an infection caused by this bacterium within healthcare settings. The presence of peptidoglycan, a crucial precursor for cell wall synthesis, contributes to this challenge. Peptidoglycan serves not only as a structural support in bacterial cells but also provides protection against adverse environmental conditions. The synthesis of the peptidoglycan layer involves a group of substrates such as N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), within a three-partitioned process occurring in the membrane, periplasmic space, and cytoplasm of each bacterium. Initiated in the cytoplasm and extending to the inner cell membrane, this synthesis starts with the production of nucleotide precursors. The first step involves the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc, orchestrated by Glm (GlmS, GlmM, and GlmU) enzymes using fructose-6-phosphate. Subsequently, enzymes from the Mur family, namely MurB, MurA, MurD, MurC, MurI, MurF, and MurE, synthesize UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide (UDP-Mpp) from UDP-GlcNAc. Concurrently, on the cytosolic side, the production of membrane-surrounded undecaprenyl phosphate occurs, involving membrane-side proteins MraY and MurG in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan. This review emphasizes updated information on Mur family proteins, encompassing physicochemical properties, nature of binding site, number and type of binding site residues, functional domain details, three-dimensional structural aspects, and their functions within bacterial cells. Special attention is directed towards their enzymatic role in peptidoglycan biosynthesis due to the limited availability of precursors in the market. Additionally, the review provides a comprehensive summary of existing inhibitors and ongoing efforts in identifying new targeted inhibitors, recognizing these enzymes as potential candidates for antibacterial drug design and discovery.

A review of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) models of L. monocytogenes in produce was carried out, with the objective of appraising and contrasting the effectiveness of the control strategies placed along the food chains. Despite nine of the thirteen QRA models recovered focused on fresh or RTE leafy greens, none of them represented important factors or sources of contamination in the primary production, such as type of cultivation, water, fertilisers or irrigation method/practices. Cross-contamination at processing and during consumer’s handling was modelled using transfer rates, which were shown to moderately drive the final risk of listeriosis; highlighting therefore the importance of accurately representing the transfer coefficient parameters. Many QRA models coincided in the fact that temperature fluctuations at retail or temperature abuse at home were key factors contributing to increasing the risk of listeriosis. In addition to a primary module that could help assess current on-farm practices and potential control measures, future QRA models for minimally-processed produce should also contain a refined sanitisation module able to estimate the effectiveness of various sanitisers as a function of type, concentration and exposure time. Finally, L. monocytogenes growth in the products down the supply chain should be estimated by using realistic time-temperature trajectories, and validated microbial kinetic parameters, both of them currently available in the literature.

Abstract: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid and worldwide devel-opment and investigation of multiple vaccines. While most side effects of these vaccines are mild and transient, potentially severe adverse events may occur and involve the endocrine system. This narrative review aims to explore the current knowledge on potential endocrine adverse effects following COVID-19 vaccination, with thyroid disorders being the most common. Data about pi-tuitary, adrenal, diabetes, and gonadal events will also be reviewed. This review also provides a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of endocrine disorders associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. A PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase database (Elsevier), and Google Scholar research were performed. Case reports case series, original studies, and reviews written in English and published online up to 31 August 2023 were selected and reviewed. Data on endocrine adverse events of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is accumulating. However, their causal relationship with COVID-19 vaccines is not strong enough to make a definite conclusion, and further studies are needed to clarify the pathogenesis mechanisms of endocrine disorders linked to COVID-19 vac-cines.

Natural language Processing (NLP) has significantly transformed in the last decade, especially in the field of Language Modeling. Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved SOTA performances on Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Natural Language Generation (NLG) tasks by learning language representation in self-supervised ways. This paper provides a comprehensive survey to capture the progression of advances in Language Models. In this paper, we examine the different aspects of Language Models, which started with a few million parameters but have reached the size of a trillion in a very short time. We also look at how these LLMs transitioned from task-specific to task-independent to task-and-language-independent architectures. This paper extensively discusses different pre-training objectives, benchmarks, and transfer learning methods used in LLMs. It also examines different fine-tuning and In-Context learning techniques used in downstream tasks. It also explores how LLMs can perform well across many domains and datasets if sufficiently trained on a large and diverse dataset. Next, it discusses how, over time, the availability of cheap computational power and large datasets have improved LLM’s capabilities and raised new challenges. As part of our study, we also inspect LLMs from the lens of scalability to see how their performance is affected by the model’s depth, width, and data size. Lastly, we provide an empirical comparison of existing trends and techniques and a comprehensive analysis of where the field of LLM currently stand.

The aging of the global population has increased the prevalence of neurodegenerative conditions. Bacopa monnieri (BM), an herb with active compounds, such as bacosides A and B, betulinic acid, loliolide, asiatic acid, and quercetin, demonstrates the potential for brain health. Limited research has been conducted on the therapeutic applications of BM in neurodegenerative conditions. This systematic review aims to project BM's beneficial role in brain disorders. BM has anti-apoptotic and antioxidant actions and can repair damaged neurons, stimulate kinase activity, restore synaptic function, improve nerve transmission, and increase neuroprotection. The included twenty-two clinical trials demonstrated that BM can reduce Nuclear Factor-κB phosphorylation, improve emotional function, cognitive functions, anhedonia, hyperactivity, sleep routine, depression, attention deficit, learning problems, memory retention, impulsivity, and psychiatric problems. Moreover, BM can reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress. Here, we highlight that BM provides notable therapeutic benefits and can serve as a complementary approach for the care of patients with neurodegenerative conditions associated with brain disorders. This review adds to the growing interest in natural products and their potential therapeutic applications by improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive function and neurodegeneration and informing the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.

In Brazil, Brazilian borreliosis (BB), characterized molecularly, exhibits symptoms akin to Lyme disease (LD) but presents unique epidemiological, clinical, and morphological features. This study explores the incidence, diagnostic challenges, and awareness initiatives regarding this disease in Brazil. Employing a narrative review methodology, data were sourced from Pubmed, Ebsco, Google Scholar, and Web of Science without temporal constraints. Results reveal diagnostic complexities in Brazil due to the low sensitivity of conventional tests and the use of North American B. burgdorferi antigens. Despite challenges, epidemiological studies indicate an upswing in cases in humans and animals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to define new biomarkers, molecular strategies, or new antigenic targets to advance the development of vaccines and diagnostics. Early and accurate pathogen identification is crucial for active surveillance to comprehend and manage this zoonosis.

This paper undertakes a comprehensive review to underscore the central role of sustainability in the evaluation and innovation of jet grouting technologies. It meticulously traces the evolution of evaluation methodologies, emphasizing the imperative of sustainable practices throughout history. Traditional evaluation paradigms are examined alongside contemporary trends, with a particular focus on sustainability metrics and visualization techniques. Through an examination of innovative jet grouting technologies, this paper illustrates how sustainability principles have driven advancements aimed at improving the efficiency and environmental impact of jet grouting methods. Central to this review is an assessment of sustainability across multiple dimensions, including method applicability, installation and operational compatibility, and the performance of the resulting jet grouted piles. By emphasizing sustainability considerations, the paper highlights the intrinsic link between environmental integrity and technological innovation in the field of jet grouting. In addition, it discusses analytical evaluation methods designed to proactively address sustainability concerns prior to construction, thereby promoting a more environmentally responsible approach. Finally, this paper presents a pioneering evaluation framework that integrates real-time monitoring and visualization tools, allowing stakeholders to track sustainability milestones throughout the construction process. By emphasizing sustainability as a guiding principle, this review advocates for a paradigm shift toward more ecologically sound and resilient jet grouting practices.

Peptides, both natural and synthetic, are well suited for a wide range of purposes and offer versa-tile applications in different fields such as biocatalysts, injectable hydrogels, tumor treatment, and drug delivery. The rising prominence of therapeutic peptides encompasses anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-neurodegenerative properties. The metals Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, and Mo are ten of the twenty elements that are considered essential for life. Crucial for under-standing the biological role of metals is the exploration of metal-bound proteins and peptides. Aside from essential metals, there are other, non-essential metals that also interact biologically, exhibiting either therapeutic or toxic effects. Irregularities in metal binding contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s, neurodegenerative disorders, Wilson's, and Menkes disease. Certain metal com-plexes have potential applications as radiopharmaceuticals. The examination of these complexes was done by preforming UV-Vis, IR, EPR, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray analysis.

Background and Objectives Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1 MIM # 162200), also known as von Recklinghausen disease, is among the most common autosomal dominantly transmitted disorders characterized mainly by neurocutaneous manifestations such as café au lait spots, intertriginous freckling, various types of neurofibromas (cutaneous neurofibromas or plexiform tumors), neurological manifestations, and bone abnormalities. It occurs with an incidence of 1:3000–1:4000 cases. Cone-rod dystrophies belong to the large group of retinal dystrophies, a highly heterogeneous group of disorders clinically manifested mainly by damage to cone and rod cells and have a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Many genes are involved in their etiology, with more than 100 currently identified, including the CRX gene responsible for the autosomal dominant form of cone-rod dystrophy (ad CORD). Materials and Methods: The authors present an intriguing case of a patient diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) as an infant and ocular involvement (myopia and astigmatism onset at age 15), which yielded a surprising molecular testing result. Results: Molecular DNA analysis identified a rare occurrence of two mutational variants, including a pathogenic variant in the NF1 gene, c.3871-2A, and a likely pathogenic variant in the CRX gene c.119G>A. Conclusions: The authors present this case to highlight the surprises offered by molecular testing in a condition where the diagnosis is usually based on clinical criteria, thus providing patients with competent genetic advice.

Vancomycin is one of the ‘last-line’ classes of antibiotics used in the treatment of life-threatening infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Even though vancomycin was discovered in 1950s it was widely used after 1980s for the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococci as prevalence of such strains were increased. However, currently it is evident that vancomycin resistant Staphylococcusaureusandvancomycin-resistant Enterococci have been developed as a result of various reasons including use of avaparcin, which is an analog of vancomycin, as feed additive in livestock. In present day context, more attention should be paid on prevention of emergence of resistance for the antibiotics in order to keep antibiotics effective. In order to prevent emergence of resistance, proper guidance for the responsible use of antimicrobials is indispensable. Therefore, almost all stakeholders who use antibiotics should have in depth understanding on the antibiotic they use. As such, it is imperative to be aware of the important aspects of vancomycin. In the present review, efforts have been made to discussthe pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, indications, emergence of resistance, control of resistance, adverse effects and alternative therapy for vancomycin.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty procedure is of major importance, given the significant increasing aging population and higher number of orthopedic procedures related to vertebral compression fractures. Vertebroplasty is a complex technique involving injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) into the compressed vertebral body for mechanical stabilization of the fracture. Our understanding and ability to modify these mechanisms through alterations in cement material is rapidly evolving. However, the rate of cardiac complications secondary to PMMA injection and subsequent cement leakage has increased with time. The following review considers the main features of PMMA bone cement on the heart, and the extent of influence of materials on cardiac embolism. Clinically, cement leakage results in life-threatening cardiac injury. The convolution of this outcome through an appropriate balance of complex material properties is highlighted via clinical case report.

Cortex Periplocae, as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been widely used for autoimmune diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis. Due to its potential pharmaceutical values, more studies about the biological activities of Cortex Periplocae have been conducted recently. Meanwhile, the adverse reaction of Cortex Periplocae is not a negligible problem in clinic. In this article, we reviewed a series of articles and summarized the recent studies of Cortex Periplocae in the areas of phytochemistry and pharmacology. More than 100 constituents have been isolated and identified from Cortex Periplocae, including steroids, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, and fatty acid compounds. The crude extracts of Cortex Periplocae and its active compounds exhibit various biological activities, such as cardiotonic effect, anticancer action, and anti-inflammatory effect. This paper aims to provide an overall review on the bioactive ingredients, pharmacological effect, and toxicity of this plant. Furthermore, this review suggests investigating and developing new clinical usages according to the above pharmacological effects.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a stealthy and progressive neurological disorder that is a leading cause of dementia in the global elderly population, imposing a significant burden on both the elderly and society. Currently, the condition is treated with medications that alleviate symptoms. Nonetheless, these drugs may not consistently produce the desired results and can cause serious side effects. Hence, there is a vigorous pursuit of alternative options to enhance the quality of life for patients. Ginkgo biloba (GB), an herb with historical use in traditional medicine, contains bioactive compounds such as terpenoids (Ginkgolides A, B, and C), polyphenols, organic acids, and flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin). These compounds are associated with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, making them valuable for cognitive health. A systematic search across three databases using specific keywords GB in AD and dementia yielded 1702 documents, leading to the selection of 15 clinical trials for synthesis. In eleven studies, GB extract/EGb 761® was shown to improve cognitive function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and functional abilities in both dementia types. In four studies, however, there were no significant differences between the GB-treated and placebo groups. Significant improvements were observed in scores obtained from the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Short Cognitive Performance Test (SKT), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). While the majority of synthesized clinical trials show Ginkgo biloba has promising potential in these conditions, more research is needed to determine optimal dosages, effective delivery methods, and appropriate pharmaceutical formulations. Furthermore, a thorough assessment of adverse effects, exploration of long-term use implications, and investigation into potential drug interactions are critical aspects that must be carefully evaluated in future studies.

Abstract: Lipidic carriers employed for the entrapment, encapsulation and precise targeting the bioactive compounds offer significant advantages to the biomedical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries. These lipid and phospholipid-based vesicles can improve the solubility, permeation, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and bioavailability of the encapsulated material. As a matter of fact, nano-sized phospholipid vesicles have attained the highest success rate in commercialization among the available drug encapsulation technologies. Nevertheless, developing industrially acceptable products still remains a challenge. Among the main disadvantages of conventional lipidic carriers are their instability in the biological environments, and their sensitivity to changes in the pH, temperature and enzymes. To overcome these problems, the new generation of phospho/lipid-based carrier systems was developed using ingredients from microorganisms living in extremely harsh environments (i.e., archeaeobacteria). The present entry aims to review unique features of archaeolipids and recent developments in their application for the encapsulation of genetic material as well as their role and function as adjuvants and vaccine candidates.

Technology has transformed aeroponics, providing numerous advantages over traditional soil-based agriculture. However, there remains a need for comprehensive information on the types of technology employed in aeroponics and their impact on the growing process. This paper presents a literature review of 47 studies published between 2012 and 2023 in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. As a result, it identifies the status and tendencies in the usage of technology in aeroponics as well as the main opportunities and challenges. Furthermore, this paper introduces the Technology Adoption and Integration in Sustainable Agriculture (TAISA) model. TAISA is a model that identifies the degree of technology integration in any sustainable agriculture system to determine how technology affects production and quality. Overall, the systematic review suggests that technology can play a vital role in improving the efficiency and sustainability of aeroponic farming. However, careful consideration must be given to the costs and technical requirements associated with using these technologies. Moreover, the TAISA model reveals that technology has primarily been employed in creating new processes that are not possible to implement without the help of technology. Therefore, we conclude that technology use has taken root in aeroponics and can be promoted to improve sustainable agriculture.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health threat, necessitating innovative strategies for control and prevention. This comprehensive review explores the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lysine Exporter (LysE) gene, unveiling its multifaceted roles and potential uses in controlling and preventing tuberculosis (TB). As a pivotal player in eliminating excess L-lysine and L-arginine, LysE contributes to the survival and virulence of M. tuberculosis. This review synthesizes findings from different electronic databases and includes 13 studies focused on the LysE of M. tuberculosis. The research unveils that LysE can be a potential drug target, a diagnostic marker for TB, and a promising candidate for vaccine development. The absence of LysE in the widely used BCG vaccine underscores its uniqueness and positions it as a novel area for TB prevention. In conclusion, this review underscores the significance of LysE in TB pathogenesis and its potential as a drug target, diagnostic marker, and vaccine candidate. The multifaceted nature of LysE positions it at the forefront of innovative approaches to combat TB, calling for sustained research efforts to harness its full potential in the global fight against this infectious disease.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a significant challenge to global health, with its prevalence projected to rise dramatically by 2045. This narrative review explores the bidirectional relationship between periodontitis (PD) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), focusing on cellular and molecular mechanisms derived by the interplay between oral microbiota and the host immune response. A comprehensive search of literature published between 2008 and 2023 was conducted to elucidate the association between these two diseases. Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship, with individuals with T1DM exhibiting heightened susceptibility to periodontitis, and vice versa. The review includes recent findings from human clinical studies, revealing variations in oral microbiota composition in T1DM patients, including increases in certain pathogenic species such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, along with shifts in microbial diversity and abundance. Molecular mechanisms underlying this association involve oxidative stress and dysregulated host immune responses, mediated by inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, and MMPs. Furthermore, disruptions in bone turnover markers, such as RANKL and OPG, contribute to periodontal complications in T1DM patients. While preventive measures to manage periodontal complications in T1DM patients may improve overall health outcomes, further research is needed to understand the intricate interactions between oral microbiota, host response, periodontal disease, and systemic health in this population.

Tumor to stroma ratio is a highly debated prognostic factor in the management of several solid tumors and there is no universal agreement on its practicality. In our study we proposed to confirm or dismiss the hypothesis that a simple measurement of stroma quantity is an easy-to-use and strong prognostic tool. We have included 74 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer who underwent primary curative abdominal surgery. The tumors have been grouped into stroma-poor (stroma &lt;10%), medium-stroma (between 10 and 50%) and stroma-rich (over 50%). The proportion of tumor stroma ranged from 5% to 70% with a median of 25%. Very few, only 6.8% of patients had stroma-rich tumors, 4% stroma-poor tumors and 89.2%tumors with a medium quantity of stroma. The proportion of stroma, at any cut-off, had no statistically significant influence on the disease specific survival. This can be explained by the low proportion of stroma-rich tumors in our patient group and the inverse correlation of stroma proportion with tumor grade. The real-life proportion of stroma-rich tumors and the complex nature of the stroma-tumor interaction has to be further elucidated.

Owing to the nondiffracting, self-accelerating, and self-healing properties, Airy beams of different nature have become a subject of immense interest in the past decade. Their interesting properties have opened doors to many diverse applications. Consequently, the questions of how to properly design spatial manipulation of Airy beams or how to implement them in different setups have become important and timely in the development of various optical devices. Here, based on our previous work, we present a short review on the spatial control of Airy beams, including the interactions of Airy beams in nonlinear media, beam propagation in harmonic potential, and the dynamics of abruptly autofocusing Airy beams in the presence of a dynamic linear potential. We demonstrate that under the guidance of nonlinearity and external potential, the trajectory, acceleration, structure, and even the basic properties of Airy beams can be adjusted to suit specific needs. We describe other fascinating phenomena observed with Airy beams, such as self-Fourier transformation, periodic inversion of Airy beams, and the appearance of spatial solitons in the presence of nonlinearity. These results have promoted the development of Airy beams, and have been utilized in various applications, including particle manipulation, self-trapping, and electronic matter waves.

In order to foster a more sustainable and eco-friendly trajectory for the construction industry, while concurrently mitigating environmental pollution and energy inefficiency, it is imperative to cultivate an environmentally conscious building and urban environment. Under the background of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, green building evaluation system (GBRS) has become a research hotspot in the field of green building. This paper systematically summarizes the current research progress based on GBRS, focuses on the current weight and indicators setting, analyzes it with Cite Space software, and puts forward its future development direction. The results show that the weight setting method of green building evaluation system is determined by multidimensional and multi-method. From the perspective of environment, society and economy, the scope of indicators setting is expanding. The green building evaluation system will play a guiding role in green building design, and the evaluation process will continue to be optimized and developed in the direction of intelligence and automation.

Opossums, native to the Americas, are unique marsupials with over 100 species. The Common Opossum and Virginia Opossum are notable species. They are nocturnal, omnivorous, and adapt to various habitats. Their reproduction involves a short gestation and marsupial pouch development. Despite their ecological benefits like seed dispersal and insect control, their proximity to human habitats exposes them to pathogens, posing public health risks. These include protozoa, helminths, and arthropods that can spread zoonotic parasites and vector-borne diseases. The marsupial immune system, including opossums, is complex, rivaling eutherian mammals. Key immune genes were identified in the grey short-tailed opossum genome. CD1 protein and VpreB surrogate light chain were also found. Marsupials are proposed as ideal models for studying developmental immunology. A West Indian opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) was found and examined. Blood tests revealed abnormalities, including a low white blood cell count and signs of anemia. The results contribute to understanding the species’ health and adaptability in the wild.

To fulfil a need of limitation automotive emissions the reduction of vehicle weight is widely recommended and achieved in many ways, both by the construction of individual elements of the vehicle, and by the selection of light materials including Al alloys. Connecting these elements with each other and with elements made of iron alloys can be realized, inter alia, by welding or stir welding. However, the quality of the welds obtained varies widely and depends on many design, operational and environmental factors. The present study focused on a review of various welding technics used to joint both similar and dissimilar Al alloys utilized in automotive industry, the effect of various process parameters on welds quality, and phenomena appeared in such welds..

Microwave radiation diagnosis technology can detect thermal changes in skin tissue earlier than anatomical changes, but its detection accuracy is limited by non-target radiation interference in the measurement environment, additional measurement errors of system units, and energy scattering and transmission between skin tissues. This paper aims to address the scientific challenges of analyzing the forward and inversion modelling detection mechanism of layered accurate temperature measurement of human skin tissue based on multi-band. The study focuses on the construction of a pencil beam antenna optimization system, the optimization strategy of high-sensitivity correlated radiometer architecture, and the high-precision multi-band forward and inversion modelling detection algorithm. The key technologies include: (1) A new method of integrated modeling and multi-index optimization of antenna with high directivity and small aperture is proposed, and a priori knowledge-guided neural network of pencil beam distribution is constructed to realize the inversion model of antenna structural parameters; (2) The influence mechanism of high sensitivity correlated radiometer architecture error is analyzed, and a periodic phase shift error correction algorithm based on uniform polar circle is designed; (3) Combining deep learning theory and hyperparameter optimization framework, an iterative model is established, and the objective function modified by the penalty factor is defined to realize a new detection method combining forward and inversion. This paper presents a theoretical foundation for the industrialization of microwave radiation diagnostic technology.

Although the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia explains the effects of all the available antipsychotics in clinical use, there is an increasing need for developing new drugs for the treatment of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of chronic psychoses. Xanomeline-trospium (KarXT) is a drug combination that is based on the essential role played by acetylcholine in the regulation of cognitive processes and the interactions between this neurotransmitter and other signaling pathways in the central nervous system, with a potential role in the onset of schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and substance use disorders. A systematic literature review that included four electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Clarivate/Web of Science, and Google Scholar) and the US National Library of Medicine database for clinical trials detected 21 sources referring to 14 studies focused on KarXT, out of which only four have published results. Based on the results of these trials, the short-term efficacy and tolerability of xanomeline-trospium are good, but more data is needed before this drug combination may be recommended for clinical use. However, on a theoretical level, the exploration of KarXT is useful for increasing the interest of researchers in finding new, non-dopaminergic, antipsychotics that could be used either as monotherapy or as add-on drugs.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been prescribed for neuropathic pain for several years. This study is mainly addressed to summarize what has been published on the topic in the last decades, and how appropriate the numerous prescriptions are. Among others, it examines the innovative EquiPEA^® patent, which aims to address obstacles encountered with conventional PEA formulations. EquiPEA^® seems to partially ameliorate the bioavailability and the targeted distribution. It seems to introduce novel advancements that have the potential to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of PEA in terms of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic properties. The deep literature analysis aims to examine the potential advantages of this innovative formulation, in the context of several pathological conditions that may benefit from this molecule. In particular, it investigates the potential enhanced bioavailability and targeted delivery system of EquiPEA^®. Also, it tries to understand if it can modernize the field of therapy based on PEA, thus offering a better treatment option for individuals with long-term inflammation, oxidative stress, and neuropathic or mixed pain with a neuropathic component. The study examines the possible impact of EquiPEA^® on personalized medicine strategies and its potential for translation into clinical practice. It analyses the possibilities that EquiPEA^® has in enhancing patient outcomes in a range of central nervous system and inflammatory conditions. This narrative review makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing comprehension of PEA therapy. It establishes a foundation for further exploration in research and potential uses in clinical settings.