Background: The control of energy metabolism is fundamental for cell growth and function, and anomalies are implicated in complex diseases and ageing. It is important for cells to carefully tune metabolic pathways to optimize their function in response to different nutrient or physiological conditions. Metabolism in yeast cells can be easily manipulated by supplying different carbon sources: on glucose yeast rapidly proliferates by fermentation, analogous to tumour cells growing by aerobic glycolysis, whereas on non-fermentable carbon sources metabolism shifts towards respiration. Results: We screened deletion libraries of fission yeast to identify over 200 genes required for respiratory growth. The growth medium and auxotrophic mutants strongly influenced respiratory metabolism. Most genes uncovered in the mutant screens have not been implicated in respiration in budding yeast. We applied gene expression profiling approaches to compare steady-state fermentative and respiratory growth and to analyse the dynamic adaptation to respiratory growth. The transcript levels of most genes functioning in key energy metabolism pathways were coherently tuned, reflecting anticipated differences in metabolic flows between fermenting and respiring cells. We show that the acetyl-CoA synthase, rather than the citrate lyase, is essential for acetyl-CoA synthesis in fission yeast. We also investigated the transcriptional response to mitochondrial damage by genetic or chemical perturbations, defining a retrograde response that involves the concerted regulation of distinct groups of nuclear genes that may avert harm from mitochondrial malfunction. Conclusions: These systematic and targeted analyses provide a rich framework of the genetic and regulatory basis of fundamental metabolic states to guide future studies on energy metabolism in fission yeast and beyond. Our study pinpoints weaknesses of commonly used auxotroph mutants for investigating energy metabolism. As a model for cellular energy regulation, fission yeast provides an attractive and complementary system to budding yeast.

A proportion of osteoarthritis (OA) patients are unsatisfied with post-operative outcomes following total joint replacement surgery (TJR), with insufficient pain relief or poor functional improvement. Predicting those will have poor outcomes would be beneficial for patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between baseline anthropometric data and the concentration of pre-operative serum and peri-operative synovial fluid (SF) cytokines with 7-month post-operative outcomes in a cohort of knee and hip OA patients. 160 OA patients were recruited who were scheduled for TJR. The concentration of 24 cytokines were measured in blood and SF by multiplex assay. EQ5Dindex health status was assessed pre-operatively and at 7-months post-operatively. 13% of patients were identified as non-responders based on EQ5Dindex. Compared to responders, non-responders were of higher BMI, had greater waist and hip circumference and had higher levels of SF leptin but lower levels of SF Resistin (p<0.05). Linear regression analysis found a significant relationship between pre-operative body weight and post-operative response (ΔEQ5Dindex; r=0.222, p=0.049). The combination of body weight with SF amphiregulin and SF IL-6 provided an improved predictive model of post-operative response (r=0.470, p=0.035).

Integrating a grid-connected battery into a Renewable Energy Community boosts Collective-Self-Consumption of photovoltaic produced energy and allow to perform Energy Arbitrage in the day-ahead and intraday electricity market. However, is it a cost-effective investment? The proposed analysis relay on Net Present Value assessment. Ageing affects are integrated and sensitivity analyses are conducted: considering community customers number, electricity mar-ket prices, battery cost, size and the decision to engage in energy arbitrage. Each scenario under-goes a 20-year hourly simulation using an ageing aware rolling-horizon 24-hours-looking-ahead scheduling, optimized with Mixed-integer linear Programming. Forecast errors, provid-ing of ancillary services, real time control and grid constrains are not taken into account. Simulations conducted on the Italian market indicates that a battery dedicated solely to collec-tive self-consumption is not economically appealing. However, integrating Energy Arbitrage, despite impact on battery lifespan, halves the payback period and enhances the attractiveness of larger battery investments. The Net Present Value is contingent upon battery size, customer number and market prices. However, if battery cost does not exceed 200 €/kWh the investment become cost-effective across all scenarios.

Age-related diseases place an intense and growing stress on healthcare systems. Numerous theories of ageing exist. Yet prediction, prevention and treatment limitations of age-related disease persist because we lack a complete aetiological understanding of their origins. Here we propose a new theory that aims to provide a blueprint-type understanding of ageing and disease aetiology, working across multiple scientific disciplines. Supported by specific examples, we demonstrate that the primary driver of much of age-related diseases is the futile triggering of specific molecular pathways in a pathological manner, which we term patho-pathways. Patho-pathways induce pathological cell, tissue and system changes in the form of hyperactivity (undesirable increased and new biological activities that are typical of age related disease). As part of patho-pathways, all wild-type (normal) genes have the potential to contribute to age-related diseases (though specific risk varies and can be formularised). In a domino-style effect, one patho-pathway typically triggers others, resulting in complex, but traceable, cascades. Utility, in terms of changing clinical and scientific practice, is derived from mapping these cascades to create Blueprint Maps that allow identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets far upstream in the causal chain of events. Finally, our theory provides testable hypotheses concerning predictions of links between otherwise seemingly disparate diseases as well as new interventions into ageing.

The emphasis in the automotive industry towards sustainable mobility has led to a significant interest in hybrid-electric propulsion systems with high energy density batteries. Addressing the needs of this strategy, the battery market is exploring new technologies to improve the safety and lifespan of electric vehicles. To this end, there is a focus on the all-solid-state battery (ASSB) technology for its cycle capabilities. Filling the current void in the literature pertaining to accurate ageing models for ASSBs, in this work, we present an enhanced version of the numerical ageing model, originally developed for liquid electrolyte based batteries, to forecast the development of the solid electrolyte interface layer that is the major cause of battery capacity fading. The model has been tested on prototype batteries and reveals an accuracy of 99%. The capacity fade in ASSBs has been investigated under different conditions, and the enhanced ageing model has been validated using experimental data from these batteries. The findings suggest that there is potential for solid-state batteries to be commercialized, although significant work is needed to match the manufacturing level of lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes.

In this study the effects of three different main preparatory tillage operations [ploughing at 0.4 m (P40) and 0.20 m (P20) depth and minimum tillage at 0.20 m depth (MT) each of them carried out at two different soil water contents (WC) [low, 58% (LH) and high, 80% (HH) of field capacity] were investigated. The results obtained in this research show high values of soil strength in term of Penetration resistance (CI) and shear strength (SS) particularly in deeper soil layers at lower water content. Fossil-fuel energy requirements both for P40 LH and P20 LH were 25 and 35% higher with respect to the HH treatments and tractor slip were very high (P40 LH = 32.4%) with respect to the P40 HH treatment (16%). Therefore soil water content had significantly influenced tractor performance during soil ploughing, particularly at 0.40 m depth while MT was not influenced at all. A significant correlation between grain yield and soil penetration resistance was found highlighting how soil strength may be good indicator of its productivity. Obtained results during these field tests allowed considering MT and P20 treatments more suitable for this type of soil in climate change scenarios.

Oilseed plants of the Brassicaceae plant family are cultivated for food, feed and industrial purposes on large-scale in Europe. This review gives an overview of current market-oriented applications of new genomic techniques (NGTs) in relevant Brassicaceae oilseed crops based on a literature survey. In this respect, changes in oil quality, yield, growth and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress are goals in oilseed rape (B. napus) and camelina (C. sativa). Environmental risk assessment scenarios are developed for specific NGT applications in Brassicaceae oilseed crops with either a changed oil composition or with fitness related traits. In case of a changed oil composition an increase or decrease of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) demonstrates risks for health and survival of pollinators. In case of fitness related traits other risks were identified, i. e. an increased risk of spread and persistence of NGT plants. Furthermore, there are indications for potential disturbance of interactions with the environment, involving signalling pathways and reaction to stress conditions. It is shown that for a comprehensive risk assessment the technological potential of NGTs, the plants’ biology and the scale of releases have to be considered in combination. Therefore, the release of NGT plants into the environment for agricultural purposes will require risk assessment and monitoring of single traits as well as of combinatorial and long-term cumulative effects. In addition, risk management should develop concepts and measures to control and potentially restrict the scale of releases. This is especially relevant for NGT Brassicaceae in Europe which is a centre of diversity of this plant family.

This article provides a literature review on tubal carcinoma to offer an updated insight into its preventative strategies, diagnosis, treatment, and oncological surveillance. In addition to the search string utilized, the authors' focus extended to key scientific studies, consensus statements, guidelines, and relevant case reports essential for the proper clinical management of the disease, providing a methodologically well-structured literature review combined with the practical expertise in the oncological field. The article also includes two emblematic clinical cases that emphasize the importance of understanding the physiopathology and the current state of the art in the anatomopathological advancements of tubal/ovarian/peritoneal carcinoma, often assimilated into a single clinical entity.

Vitamin A, or retinol, is one of the most effective anti-ageing molecules, but it presents issues with photo-sensitivity and irritation. Retinol-like alternatives are emerging, but have so far been less effective. Here, we present a Silibum marianum extract (SME) as a retinol-like ingredient providing both safety and efficacy. SME was compared to the reference compound, retinol, and to the main alternative, bakuchiol. In ex vivo tests, skin explants from a 58-year-old donor were treated with pure retinol (0.1%), bakuchiol (0.2%) or SME (0.8%). After 5 days, collagen and hyaluronic acid levels were analysed. A placebo-controlled study involving 57 volunteers (ages 45-73 years) was also conducted, with products applied twice-daily for 56 days. Results were measured by AEVA-HE and VISA. Levels of collagen III were significantly increased by SME, by 23% and 16% compared to bakuchiol and retinol, respectively. Compared to bakuchiol, SME treatment increased hyaluronic acid production by 36%. In clinical tests, SME had a significantly stronger anti-wrinkle effect than bakuchiol – reducing the number of wrinkles on the forehead by 21%, and their circumference by 17% – producing effects similar to retinol, and better than bakuchiol. In the self-assessment, 43% of volunteers reported discomfort while using retinol, as compared to 0% for the SME formulation. By enhancing levels of collagen III – the youth collagen – and hyaluronic acid in the skin, SME paves the way for the maturation of collagen I fibrils and skin plumping. With its stronger efficacy compared to bakuchiol and enhanced safety profile compared to retinol, SME may be the next-generation of natural alternatives to retinoids.

The Mara River basin (MRB) has a world-famous ecosystem, but the vegetation has been damaged due to economic development in recent years, and there is little known about the area that will experience severe vegetation damage in the future. Based on the vegetation vulnerability system, principal component analysis, and three CMIP6 scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5), vegetation vulnerability was calculated in the base period (2010-2019), near-term period (2020-2059) and long-term period (2060-2099) in the MRB. The spatial cluster of vegetation vulnerability was revealed by spatial correlation analysis, and the transition of vegetation vulnerability of different periods was analyzed by stochastic matrix. The results showed that in all periods, the vulnerability showed a high-high cluster in the east, and a low-low cluster midstream and downstream. From the stochastic matrix, the area of high vulnerability increased the least under the SSP1-2.6, while it increased the most under the SSP5-8.5. The vegetation vulnerability upstream increased the most from the base period to the near-term period and long-term period in the MRB. By comparing the vegetation vulnerability under different scenarios, and pointing out the areas with the highest vulnerability increase, this study can better provide comprehensive decision-making for vegetation protection in the MRB.

The age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is referred to as “sarcopenia”. The combined effect of sarcopenia and osteoporosis is a devastating threat to the old adult, accounting for reduced mobility, risk for falls and subsequent fractures. In previous studies, we observed a high degree of inter-individual variability of paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration, one most relevant index of muscle wasting. This aspect solicited us to develop a computerized method to quantitatively characterize muscle fatty infiltration in aging and diseases. Magnetic resonance images of paraspinal muscles from 58 women of different age (age range 23-85 years) and physio-pathological status (healthy young, pre-menopause, post-menopause, and os-teoporosis), were used to set up the method. It is based on fractal analysis of lean muscle area (contractile muscle) to estimate muscle fatty infiltration. In particular, lacunarity was computed by parameter β from our hyperbola model function, used to fit the GBA (gliding box algorithm) curvilinear plot. Succolarity was estimated by parameter µ, for the four main directions, through an algorithm implemented on purpose. Results show that fractal lacunarity, by quantifying muscle fatty infiltration, can discriminate be-tween osteoporosis and healthy aging while succolarity can separate the other three groups showing similar lacunarity. Therefore, fractal features of contractile muscle, by measuring fatty infiltration, can represent good indices of sarcopenia in aging and disease.

Background: CCL11 (eotaxin) is a chemokine with an important role in allergic conditions. Recent evidence indicates that CCL11 plays a role in brain disorders as well. Aims: This paper reviews the associations between CCL11 and aging, neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory and neuropsychiatric disorders.Methods: Electronic databases were searched for original articles examining CCL11 in neuropsychiatric disorders.Results: CCL11 is rapidly transported from the blood to the brain through the brain-blood barrier. Age-related increases in CCL11 are associated with cognitive impairments in executive functions, episodic and semantic memory and, therefore, this chemokine was described as an “endogenous cognition deteriorating chemokine” (ECDC) or “accelerated brain-aging chemokine” (ABAC). In schizophrenia, increased CCL11 is not only associated with impairments in cognitive functions, but also with key symptoms including formal thought disorders. Some patients with mood disorders and premenstrual syndrome show increased plasma CCL11 levels. In diseases of old age, CCL11 is associated with lowered neurogenesis and neurodegenerative processes and, as a consequence, increased CCL11 increases risk towards Alzheimer's Disease. Polymorphisms in the CCL11 gene are associated with stroke. Increased CCL11 also plays a role in neuroinflammatory disease including multiple sclerosis. In animal models, neutralization of CCL11 may protect against nigrostriatal neurodegeneration. Increased production of CCL11 may be attenuated by glucocorticoids, minocycline, resveratrol and anti-CCL11 antibodies.Conclusion: Increased CCL11 production during inflammatory conditions may play a role in human disease including age-related cognitive decline, schizophrenia, mood disorders and neurodegenerative disorders. Increased CCL11 production is a new drug target in the treatment and prevention of those disorders.

The understanding of spatiotemporal variations in reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and its long-term trends is of paramount importance for water cycle studies, modeling, and water resource management, especially in the context of climate change. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to critically evaluate the performance of various CMIP5 global climate models in simulating the Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration and its associated climate variables (maximum and minimum air temperature, incident solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed). This evaluation is based on data from nine climate models and 33 automatic meteorological stations (EMA) in the state of Mato Grosso, spanning the period 2007-2020. The statistical metrics used for evaluation include Bias, root mean square error, and Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. The projections of the most accurate model were then used to analyze the spatial and temporal changes and trends in ETo under the RCP 2.6, 4.5, and RCP 8.5 scenarios from 2007 to 2100. The HadGEM2-ES model projections indicate static averages similar to current conditions until the end of the century in the RCP 2.6 scenario. However, in the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, there is a continuous increase in ETo, with the most significant increase occurring during the dry period (May to September). The areas of the Amazon biome in the north of Mato Grosso exhibit the largest increases in ETo when comparing the observed (2007-2020) and projected (2020-2100) averages. The trend analysis reveals significant changes in ETo and its variables across the state of Mato Grosso in the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. In the RCP 2.6 scenario, significant trends in ETo are observed only in the northern Amazon areas. Despite not being observed in all AWSs, the trend analysis of the observed data demonstrates more intense changes in ETo and the existence of the evapotranspiration paradox with an increase in the Cerrado areas and reductions in the Pantanal and southern Amazon areas.

(1) Background: The aim of the work was to characterize the climatic evolution and change based on the Multi Criteria Classification through the dynamics of bioclimatic indices in viticulture across Italy and its regional administrative boundaries, focusing on latitudes and elevations. (2) Methods: The impact of climate change on viticulture in Italy was analysed and spatialized with reference to historical data from 1991 to 2021 and to the Future Scenarios up to 2080 assumed by SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, taking into account 13 GCMs. (3) Results: The bioclimatic indices have all shown a significant trend in the historical period, with an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation, reflecting their effects on the entire Italian territory with respect to HI, up to 44°N for CI and up to 46°N for DI, regardless of altitude. The Future Scenarios highlighted a shift towards the warmer classes of the two temperature-based indices (HI and CI) for both SSPs, especially for altitudes up to 900 m a.s.l.. The DI-based classification based on DI remained relatively stable in Italy over time, although DI values will become increasingly negative in the near future. (4) Conclusions: The climate in Italy is warming, especially in the south and in the coastal regions. By 2080, more areas will be “Very Hot” with “Warm Nights.” Drought will also increase and have a negative impact on viticulture. The importance of higher latitudes and altitudes in mitigating the effects of climate change justifies the continuing trend towards the relocation of vineyards as a medium-term solution and as an alternative to targeted cultivation methods that must be adopted in the short-term to safeguard the suitability of an area to quality viticulture.

This study introduces a novel algorithm tailored for the precise detection of lower outliers in univariate datasets, particularly suited for scenarios with a single cluster. The approach leverages a combination of transformative techniques and advanced filtration methods to efficiently segregate anomalies from normal values. Notably, the algorithm emphasizes high precision, ensuring minimal false positives, and requires only a few parameters for configuration. Its unsupervised nature enables robust anomaly filtering without the need for extensive manual intervention. To validate its efficacy, the algorithm is rigorously tested using real-world data obtained from photovoltaic (PV) module strings with similar DC capacities, containing various anomalies. Results demonstrate the algorithm's capability to accurately identify lower outliers while maintaining computational efficiency and reliability in practical applications.

Acute inflammation is a physiological response to injury or infection, with a cascade of steps that ultimately leads to recruitment of immune cells to clear invading pathogens and heal wounds. However, chronic inflammation arising from continued presence of the initial trigger, or dysfunction of signalling and/or effector pathways, is harmful to health. While successful ageing in older adults including centenarians is associated with low levels of inflammation, elevated inflammation increases the risk of poor health and death [1–3]. Hence inflammation has been described as one of seven pillars of ageing. Age-associated sterile, chronic, and low-grade inflammation is commonly termed inflammageing - it is not simply a consequence of increasing chronological age, but is also a marker of biological ageing, multimorbidity and mortality risk. While inflammageing was initially thought to be caused by “continuous antigenic load and stress”, reports from the last two decades describe a much more complex phenomenon also involving cellular senescence and ageing of the immune system. In this review, we explore the sources and consequences of inflammageing and highlight potential interventions. In particular, we assess the contribution of cellular senescence to age-associated inflammation, identify patterns of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers characteristic of inflammageing, describe alterations in the ageing immune system that lead to elevated inflammation, and finally assess the ways that diet, exercise and pharmacological interventions can reduce inflammageing and thus improve later life health.

In this paper, the authors seek to discuss some of the complexities involved in cross-cultural working in relation to the communication and management of pain in older people. Specifically, the paper addresses the culture construction of ageing and how pain is often constructed as a natural part of ageing. The authors also suggests that with the rise of the ideology of active-ageing many older people who are disabled or living in chronic pain, may feel a moral imperative to hide pain and ill-health. The discussion extends into looking at the impact of culture and the communication of pain, including specific idioms of distress, somaticize and the lay-management of pain through stoicism.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are usually used to predict current species’ geographic distributions and to forecast the impact of climate change, with different aims, such as conservation, and biodiversity management. SDMs use has been increasing in the last decades, however, they are vulnerable to parametrization and data quality input. Thus, inappropriate input can lead to potential unreliability in results. In this context, the most used data and methodologies in SDM, and putative deviations from the consensual best practices, were identified, by analysing recent literature (2018 to 2022). Results show that the parameters presented more consistently are the chosen algorithm (MaxEnt was used in 98% of the studies), the accuracy measures, and the time windows. Many papers fail to specify other parameters, limiting the reproducibility of the studies. Some papers also fail to provide information about the target species: only a fraction of the species' range is considered, or no justification for including specific variables in the model is provided. These options can decrease reliability in predictions under future scenarios since data provided to the model is inaccurate from the start or there is insufficient information for outputs discussion.

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.

This research paper examines a cosmological model in flat space-time via $f(R,G)$ gravity where $R$ and $G$ are respectively the Ricci scalar and Gauss-Bonnet invariant. Our model assumes that $f(R,G)$ is an exponential function of $G$ combined with a linear combination of $R$. We scrutinize the observational limitations under a power law cosmology that relies on two parameters - $H_0$, the Hubble constant, and $q$, the deceleration parameter, utilizing the 57-point $H(z)$ data, 8-point BAO data, 1048-point Pantheon data, joint data of $H(z)$ + Pantheon, and joint data of $H(z)$ + BAO + Pantheon. The outcomes for $H_0$ and $q$ are realistic within observational ranges. We have also addressed Energy Conditions, $Om(z)$ analysis and cosmographical parameters like Jerk, Lerk and Snap. Our estimate of $H_0$ is remarkably consistent with various recent Planck Collaboration studies that utilize the $\Lambda$CDM model. According to our study, the power law cosmology within the context of $f(R,G)$ gravity provides the most comprehensive explanation for the important aspects of cosmic evolution.

The Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) combines the concepts of bioeconomy and circular economy. As an alternative concept to the current fossil-based, linear economy, it de-scribes an economy based on the efficient valorization of biomass. It is regional in nature and aims to improve sustainability. An analysis of the transition process, by identifying its success criteria and assessing its impacts through the modelling of technology-specific scenarios is necessary to ensure that CBE concepts are sustainable. However, a compre-hensive consideration of regional influences on both is lacking. Based on extensive literature research and an expert survey, we (i) present a compre-hensive catalog of CBE success criteria and discuss their region-specific character and (ii) develop a methodology based on evaluation matrices that enable to match CBE technolo-gies with regions. The matrices support the evaluation of technological and regional characteristics influencing the successful CBE implementation. The results show that the success criteria "biomass resources", "technological", and "social" are perceived as highly important, and that most of the success criteria are both region- and technology-specific, highlighting the relevance of developing matrices to match them. We describe such matrices indicatively for the two broadest and most im-portant success criteria clusters “social acceptance” and “biomass supply chain”. With this, we substantiate the regional nature of CBE and raise the awareness on the importance of considering regional conditions in CBE transition processes. Furthermore, we provide practical guidance on how regional conditions can be reflected in the selection of technologies, e.g. in regional CBE technology scenarios.

The valorization of aquaculture/fisheries processing by-products, as well as unavoidable/unwanted catches and discards in Greece is currently an underutilized activity despite the fact that there are several best practices in Northern Europe and overseas. One of the main challenges is to determine whether the available quantities for processing are sufficient to warrant valorization of discards and fish side streams. This is the first attempt to systematically record and analyze the available quantities of fish by-products and discards in Greece in a spatial and temporal way in an effort to create a national exploitation Master Plan for the valorization of this unavoidable and unwanted biomass. A thorough survey conducted within the VIOAXIOPIO project unveiled a substantial biomass of around 19,000 tonnes annually that could be harnessed for valorization. Furthermore, the production of various High Added Value Biomolecules (HAVB) was investigated, and experimental trials were conducted to assess the potential yields and the collected data were used to formulate four valorization scenarios.

This study presents the utilization of the Microwave InfraRed Thermography (MIRT) technique to identify and analyze the defects in the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite rein-forcement of concrete specimens. At first, a set of the numerical models was created, comprising of the broadband pyramidal horn antenna and the analyzed specimen. The utilization the system operating at a power of 1000W in a continuous mode, operating at frequency of 2.45 GHz was analyzed. The specimen under examination comprised a compact concrete slab that was covered with an adhesive layer, thereafter, topped with a layer of CFRP. An air gap represented a defect at the interface between the concrete and CFRP within the adhesive layer. In the modelling stage the study investigated three separate scenarios: a sample with no defects, a sample with a defect located at the center, and a sample with a numerous additional random defects located at the rim of the CFRP matte, to analyze the effect of the natural reinforcement degradation in this area. The next phase of the study involved conducting experiments to confirm the results obtained from nu-merical modeling. In the experiments the concrete sample aged for 10 years with the defect in the center and naturally developed defects at the CFRP rim was used. The study employed numerical modeling to explore the phenomenon of microwave heating in complex structures. The aim was to assess the chosen antenna design and identify the most effective experimental setup. These con-clusions were subsequently confirmed through experimentation. The observations made during the heating process were particularly remarkable, since they deviated from earlier studies that solely conducted measurements of the sample post-heating phase. The findings demonstrate that MIRT has the capacity to be employed as a technique for detecting flaws in concrete structures reinforced with CFRP.

Understanding mechanisms of ageing remains a complex challenge for biogerontologists, but recent adaptations of evolutionary ageing theories offer a compelling lens in which to view both age-related molecular and physiological deterioration. Ageing is commonly associated with a progressive loss of biochemical processes and degeneration of molecular material, however, the mechanisms of diminishing function are not simply a result of aberrant expression of these pathways. Natural selection pressures are at their highest in youthful periods to select genes advantageous to maximising reproductive capacity. After sexual maturation, selective pressure diminishes, subjecting individuals to maladaptive pleiotropic gene function once beneficial for developmental growth, but pathogenic later in life. Due to this selective ‘shadowing’ in ageing, mechanisms to counter hyperfunctional genes are unlikely to evolve within a given species. These genetic ‘run-on’ programmes are not dysfunctional per se and, in fact, remain highly robust. Thus, interventions capable of optimising gene function during the ageing process represent as attractive therapeutic modalities. Caenorhabditis elegans offers a unique model to explore high-throughput screening of interventions to combat hyperfunctional pathways involved in ageing. However, the majority of research to date employ whole-life vs late-life pathway manipulation of developmental/growth-related systems to claim ageing attenuation, despite significant impairments in early-life fitness and discordance with healthspan. Here, we discuss data supporting hyperfunctional changes at a global molecular and functional level in C. elegans, and how classical lifespan-extension mutants alter these dynamics. We later discuss the relevance of such mutant models for exploring mechanisms of ageing, highlighting that post-reproductive gene manipulation represents a far more translatable approach for C. elegans research not routed within pleiotropic constraints. More so, lifespan has become a routine readout for quantifying ‘ageing’, however, we make the argument that a compression of gerospan vs lifespan extension is a more meaningful goal for anti-ageing regimes with current knowledge. Similarly, mechanisms governing lifespan are distinct from those regulating health, and slowing senescent pathology accumulation appears more applicable for the abstraction to human ageing.

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life. The World Health Organization assumed this as a process for increasing and maintaining an individual’s participation in activities to enhance his/her quality of life. In this survey, the authors addressed the following question: “Is assistive technology (AT) for mobility contributing to enhancement of lifelong capacity and performance?”. From June 2015 until February 2016, 96 community dwelling adults, AT users for mobility (powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, lower limb prostheses, walkers, crutches and canes), aged 45-97, mean 67.02 +/- 14.24 years old, 56.3% female, were interviewed using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (P-PIADS), the Activities and Participation Profile related to Mobility (APPM) and demographics, clinical and questions about AT use and training. The participants’ profiles revealed moderate limitation and restrictions in participation, measured by the APPM (2.03). Most participants showed positive impact of AT; average scores obtained from the P-PIADS subscales were: Self-esteem 0.62, Competency 1.11 and Adaptability 1.10. P-PIADS total was 0.96, with the powered wheelchair users scoring the highest (1.53) and the walker users scoring the lowest (0.73). All subscales and P-PIADS total were positively correlated with the activities and participation profile. There was no relation between age and the psychosocial impact of AT or activities and participation profile. These results encourage the authors to follow these participants up for a lifelong intervention. To accomplish that aim, currently, the protocol is implemented at the AT prescribing centers in Coimbra, Portugal in order to assess the impact of AT on participation in society, one of the domains of the Active Ageing Index, a new analytical tool to help policy makers in developing policies for active and healthy ageing.

Type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a chronic condition with increasing prevalence worldwide among the older population. T2DM condition increases the risk of micro and macro-vascular complications as well as the risk of geriatric syndromes as falls, fractures and cognitive impairment. The management of T2DM in the older population represents a challenge for the cli-nician, and a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment should always be prioritized, in order to tailor the glycate haemoglobin target according to functional and cognitive status comorbidities, life ex-pectancy and type of therapy. According to the most recent guidelines, older adults with T2DM should be cathegorized in three groups: healthy patients with good functional status, patients with complications and reduced functionality and patients at the end of life; for each group the target for the glycemic control is different, also according to the type of treatment drug. The therapeutic ap-proach should always begin with lifestyle changes; after that, several lines of therapies are available, with different mechanism of action and potential effect other than glucose level reduction. Partic-ular interest is growing around sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, due to their effect on the cardiovascular system. In this review we evaluate the therapeutic options available for the treat-ment of older diabetic patients, to ensure a correct treatment approach

The normal ageing process significantly affects resistance arteries, leading to various biological and physiological consequences. Systolic hypertension is a common occurrence in ageing individuals, accompanied by increased large artery stiffening, heightened pulsatility, small artery remodeling, and damage to critical microvascular structures. Starting from young adulthood, there is a progressive elevation in mean arterial pressure, supported by clinical and epidemiological evidence as well as findings from animal models. The myogenic response, a protective mechanism for the microcirculation, may face disruptions during ageing. Dysregulation of calcium entry channels (T-type, L-type, TRP channels), dysfunction in intracellular calcium storage and extrusion mechanisms, altered expression of potassium channels, and a change in smooth muscle calcium sensitization may contribute to age-related dysregulation of myogenic tone. Flow-mediated vasodilatation, a hallmark of endothelial function, is compromised in ageing. This result of endothelial dysfunction is related to oxidative stress, lower nitric oxide bioavailability and a low-grade inflammatory response, further exacerbating vascular dysfunction. Resistance artery remodeling in ageing emerges as a hypertrophic response of the vessel wall, often seen in conjunction with outward remodeling (in normotension), but can also present as inward hypertrophic remodeling (in hypertension). The remodeling process involves oxidative stress, inflammation, reorganization of extracellular matrix fiber proteins and actin cytoskeletal components. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling and chronic low-grade inflammation, often referred to as "inflammaging”, play substantial roles in age-related vascular dysfunction. Due to its role in regulation of vascular tone as well as structural proteins, the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway becomes a new target in age-related vascular dysfunction and associated diseases. Understanding the intricate interplay of these factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions to mitigate the consequences of ageing on resistance arteries and enhance overall vascular health.

In situations of uncertainty, scenarios serve as input for evidence-based decision making. However, past experience shows that not all scenarios are treated equally, and we hypothise that only those based ion a world view shared by decision makers are perceived as credible and receive full attention. While intuitively plausible, this hypothesis has not been analysed by quantitative correlation analyses, so instead of drawing on quantitative data the paper analyses the archetypical scenarios developed in the ALARM project to substantiate the plausibility by a comparative analysis of world views, value systems and policy orientations. Shock scenarios are identified as a means to explore the possibility space of future developments beyond the linear developments models and most scenario storylines suggest. The analysis shows that the typical scenarios are based on mutually exclusive assumptions. In conclusion, a comparison of storyline and empirical data can reveal misperceptions, policy failures and the need to rethink world views as a necessary step to open up to new challenges. Deeply held beliefs will make this a transition unlikely to happen without severs crises, if not dedicated efforts to reveal the role of world views for scenarios and policies are undertaken.

Tomato leaf curl disease (TLCD) is the most common viral disease in the tomato plant. It is caused by begomoviruses, which are viruses that cause plant development to be slowed. Many of the traditional disease management methods are still in use. They are, however, ineffective and out of date. Modern biotechnology is being used to detect illness in tomato plants as early as possible, thus reducing damage to the plants. Through genetic engineering, the spread of viruses may be controlled or prevented entirely. Here reviewed many methods for decreasing or eliminating the viral influence on crop growth through biotechnology and genomics. We also investigated the possibility of genetic engineering to reduce or remove the virus TLCD impact on tomato crop development.

Background: Learning arrangements in health care profession education are increasingly taking place in digital environments. VR in nursing education, as one of the digital elements, is the subject of controversial debate. On the one hand it supports the authenticity of case studies by adding realistic perspectives and information. On the other hand, the costs of developing and maintaining software and hardware hinder long-term implementation. Methods: In this paper, we describe our findings and insights from two different research projects focused on the incorporation of digital tools, particularly virtual reality (VR), into nursing education. Based on the German context, our aim is to promote the adoption of innovative digital methods in nursing education and to offer invaluable experiences from the field. Results: Starting with a brief recapitulation of the projects, we then elucidate the pedagogical strategies for embedding VR-driven scenarios in nursing education. Based on our experiences during the projects we identify various positive aspects, such as change of perspective and simulating acute situations. Key findings: Although potential drawbacks remain, we advocate long-term implementation and specific use of VR at the interface between theory and practice. Nevertheless it is crucial to establish regular evaluation observing the value of digitalisation, especially VR; for nursing education.

Sensory processing is a crucial function of the nervous system that significantly affects a large portion of the population, particularly older individuals who may be dealing with different forms of dementia. The global population of people aged 65 or older has reached a substantial count of around 703 million, representing approximately 9% of the total global population. Within this demographic, an estimated 5-8% of those aged 60, highlighting the growing need to address sensory modulation challenges for healthy aging. Sensory diet, derived from sensory integration theory, provide a tailored approach to modulating sensory experiences and triggering neuroplastic changes in the brain. Recent neuroimaging studies have revealed intricate structural and functional alterations in the brain associated with the implementation of sensory diets. Furthermore, the integration of the Metaverse, augmented reality, and virtual reality has opened up personalized experiences, fostering cognitive stimulation and emotional well-being for individuals during aging. This article offers a comprehensive exploration of the effectiveness of sensory diets in enhancing attentional control, self-regulation, and alleviating sensory-related distress among the healthy aging and dementia population. By employing precise quantitative evaluations such as sensory processing scales and advanced neuroimaging methodologies, it presents solid evidence of the tangible impact of these interventions. Emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and leveraging technological advancements, the article underscores the crucial need for customized sensory diets to optimize sensory processing and improve the overall well-being of older individuals contending with sensory modulation challenges and dementia.

Astringency is an important sensory characteristic of food and beverages containing polyphenols. However, astringency perception in elderly people has not been documented. The aim of the present work was to evaluate sensitivity to astringency as a function of age and salivary flow. Fifty-four panellists, including 30 elderly people (age=75±4.2 years) and 24 young people (age=29.4±3.8 years), participated in this study. Astringency sensitivity was evaluated by the 2-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) procedure using tannic acid solutions. Whole saliva was collected for 5 min before and after sensory tests. The results showed that the astringency threshold was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the young group. Moreover, a negative correlation between salivary flow and threshold was observed in the young group only. These results showed a difference in oral astringency perception as a function of age for the first time. This difference can be linked to salivary properties that differ as a function of age.

The dysregulation of cellular metabolism is a hallmark of ageing. To understand the metabolic changes that occur as a consequence of the ageing process and to find biomarkers for age-related diseases, we conducted a metabolomic analysis of brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen in young (9-10 weeks) and old (96-104 weeks) wild type (mixed genetic background of 129/J and C57BL/6) mice using NMR spectroscopy. We found differences in metabolic fingerprints of all tissues and identified several metabolites to be altered in most tissues, suggesting that they may be universal biomarkers of ageing. In addition, we found distinct tissue-clustered sets of metabolites throughout the organism. The associated metabolic changes may reveal novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ageing and age-related diseases. Moreover, the identified metabolite biomarkers could provide a sensitive molecular read-out to age determine the age of biologic tissues and to validate the effectiveness and potential off-target effects of senolytic drug candidates on both a systemic and tissue-specific level.

Flanders (Belgium) is ageing at a rapid pace. Elderly people will continue to live at home in large numbers, partly because this is encouraged by the government. However, many homes are not adapted to reduced mobility. For example, it is not possible to circulate with a wheelchair. But also the living environment poses challenges for the elderly. Flanders is known for a far-reaching spread of housing and facilities, with the result that daily facilities can often only be reached by car. As a result of this spatial fragmentation, the elderly themselves often live for care providers in unreachable places. This ensures, among other things, that the in-home help travels several car kilometers. And research shows that so-called informal care is not self-evident either. Because what about the elderly who don't have children living nearby? Or with the residents who only see their next neighbor hundreds of meters away, who is also often a little mobile peer? The (untouched) appropriateness of the home, the presence or absence of facilities or neighbors, all of which belongs to what we can call the spatial capital of an environment. If this is not present, an autonomous life for a less mobile elderly person is not possible. The argument is that without sufficient spatial capital, the policy options are to allow the elderly to live in their homes for as long as possible or caring neighborhoods dead ends.

In the last two centuries, land use change (LUC) has been the most important direct changes driver for terrestrial ecosystems. To contrast the consequent ecosystems degradation, forward-looking spatial policies and target landscape and land-use planning processes, promoting a sustainable land use change, are needed. The present paper proposes a framework of action including different landscape planning and ecological approaches: from the spatial modelling to recognize the LUC and build different scenarios, to the ecosystem services (ESs) assessment to evaluate the possible environmental impacts. Three different scenarios were built: Trend, No-Tillage and Energy crops. The Sediment Delivery Ratio and Carbon Storage and Sequestration ESs were assessed and compared for each scenario. The aim of the paper is to support decision-makers and local communities into the landscape planning process. Results show that a regional development in line with past trend could lead to further land degradation. Instead, the two scenarios proposed in compliance with EU policies, could bring benefits only if related to moderate LUCs and respecting the naturally grass-vegetated land. From the local to global scale, a guided and shared LUC management allows implementing sustainable development, basing on a deep knowledge of physical-environmental but also social and economic issues.

In the article, the results of research on a NiTi alloy with a high nickel content (51.7 at.%), produced using the additive technology SLM method and subjected to isothermal aging after so-lution annealing, are presented. The study involved the determination of the sequence of phase transformations occurring using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the determination of the temperature range of these transformations. In parallel, the phase composition was determined using the XRD method; hardness and the Young’s modulus were also determined. The analysis of the DSC results obtained indicates the following characteristic features of the NiTi alloy, which change with ageing time: (1) during cooling (from +1500C to -500C), the type of transformation changes from a one-step transformation after solution annealing to a two-step transformation after the ageing process over 1, 20 and 100 hours at 500°C; (2) during heating (from -500C to +1500C) for all the samples, regardless of the ageing time, only a one-step transformation from martensite M(B19’) to austenite A(B2) is observed; (3) the temperature at which the transformation starts increases with the ageing time, (4) the width of the total temperature range of the transformation M(B19’)  A(B2) during heating changes from large (∆T=49,7°C), after solution annealing, to narrow (∆T=19.3°C and ∆T=17.9°C after 20 h and 100 h of ageing) and, most importantly, (5) a comparison with literature data shows that, irrespective of the composition of the NiTi alloy and the manufacturing technology of the alloy samples (regardless of the fact whether this was traditional or additive technology), a sufficiently long ageing process period leads to the occurrence of the martensite  austenite transformation in the same temperature range.

The population’s mobility in urban areas is a necessary variable in the modeling of risk scenarios caused by atmospheric contamination. The inclusion of this concept makes static models more dynamic while considering people within a city to be an entity with complex mobility processes. We propose a conceptual and methodological tool to make the representation of the social, economic and territorial components, as well as the patterns in the population´s mobility to delimitate risk areas for human health by exposure of contaminants. In the volatile organic compounds (VOC), benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene (BTEX) are amongst the most dominant substances in fugitive vapor emissions in gas stations (GS). In urban areas, the exposure to BTEX by residential proximity and proximity to other facilities, which cause intra-urban agglomeration, can impact and affect human health. This model seeks to facilitate the focalization, identification and prioritization of risk areas by BTEX environmental contamination. This article goes beyond de conceptual framework. It suggests methodological and instrumental aspects to be applied in other cities. The government agencies must consider these results when establishing rules, permissions and procedures to reduce environmental pollution for managing the risk in a complex urban environment.

Once considered relatively benign, superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) of the lower limbs is often linked to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Treatment goals include alleviating local symptoms and preventing SVT from recurring or extending into DVT or PE. Fondaparinux 2.5 mg once daily for 45 days is the treatment of choice for most patients with SVT. Potential alternatives include intermediate-dose low-molecular-weight heparin or the direct oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban. Despite these treatment options, significant gaps remain, including the role of systemic or topical anti-inflammatory agents alone or combined with anticoagulants, and the optimal duration of anticoagulation for patients at varying risk levels. Additionally, the efficacy and safety of factor Xa inhibitors other than rivaroxaban, management of upper extremity SVT, and optimal treatment for SVT near the sapheno-femoral or sapheno-popliteal junctions are not well understood. This narrative review aims to summarize current evidence on anticoagulant treatment for SVT, highlight key unmet needs in current approaches, and discuss how ongoing studies may address these gaps.

This work examines drought and wet events based on Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) over Kenya from 1981 to 2016. Spatiotemporal analysis of dry and wet events is conducted for 3 and 12-month SPEI. The drought incidences were observed during the period 1984, 1987, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2015, and 2016 for SPEI-3 whilst the SPEI-12 demonstrated the manifestation of drought during the year 2000 and 2006. SPEI clearly shows that the wettest period, 1997 and 1998 that coincide with the El Nino event in both time steps. SPEI -3 shows a reduction in moderate drought events while severe and extreme cases were on increase towards the end of the twentieth century. Conversely, SPEI-12 depicts an overall increase in severe drought occurrence over the study location with observed intensity of -1.54 and cumulative frequency of 64 months during the study period. The trend of wet events is upwards in the western and central highlands while the rest of the regions show increase in dry events during the study period. Moreover, moderate dry/wet events predominate whilst extreme events occur least frequent across all grid cells. It is apparent that the study area experiences mild extreme dry events in both categories although moderately severe dry events dominate most parts of the study area. High intensity and frequency of drought is noted in SPEI-3 while least occurrences of extreme events are recorded in SPEI-12. Although drought event prevails across the study area, there is evidence of extreme flood conditions over the recent decades. These findings form a good basis for next step of research that will look at projection of droughts over the study area based on regional climate models.

Sea level rise due to global warming is a continuing and, disappointingly, accelerating process, which has already affected and will further impact coastal lowlands and the social and economic activities in these areas. Delos Island, situated in the middle of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea, was considered the most sacred of all islands in ancient Greek culture and a trading hub for the entire eastern Mediterranean. Uninhabited since the 7th century AD, and consistently the focus of research and touristic attention, the island is designated as an archaeological site and inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. Previous studies on the relative sea level (rsl) changes suggest a steadily rsl rise during the last 6,300 years, starting from a sea level at -4.80±0.20m in the Late Neolithic. The seafront of the ancient city of Delos is subject to the effects of the rsl rise, which have caused significant coastline retreat and exposure to the northerly winds and waves, whereas parts of the coastal lowland where the remains of the ancient city lie are inundated, forming extended wetlands. The future impacts of rsl rise on the seafront of ancient Delos are illustrated on very high-resolution digital surface models, evaluating both the flooding risk under different climatic projections, as provided by the IPCC AR6 report, and the ongoing land subsidence, as recorded by GNSS data. An rsl rise ranging from 87cm (SSP1-2.6 scenario) to 148cm (SSP5-8.5 scenario) is anticipated by 2150, requiring both resilience strategies and adaptation solutions as well as mitigation policies to cope with the effects of climate change.

Despite the extensive literature on missing data theory and cautionary articles emphasizing the importance of realistic analysis for healthcare data, a critical gap persists in incorporating domain knowledge into missing data problem formulation, assumption specification, and method development. In this paper, we highlight the gap particularly for observational data from healthcare facilities. We address this gap by identifying ten fundamental missingness scenarios arising during data measurement, recording, and pre-processing in observational health data, influenced by physicians, patients, healthcare facilities, and data scientists. We analyze the effect of scenarios on estimand formulation, missing data identification, estimation, and sensitivity analysis. To emphasize how domain-informed analysis can improve method reliability, we conduct simulation studies under the influence of various missingness scenarios. We compare the results of three common methods in medical data analysis (complete-case analysis, Missforest imputation, and inverse probability weighting estimation) for two estimands (variable mean estimation and classification accuracy). We advocate for our analysis approach as a reference for the analysis of observational health data. Furthermore, we posit that the proposed analysis framework is applicable to other medical domains, including medical wearable data analysis.

This paper presents an efficient topology optimization approach considering fail-safe requirements in the framework of the solid isotropic material with penalization method. Existing methods either are computationally extremely expensive or do not consider fail-safe requirements in the optimization. The current approach not only obtains the fail-safe optimization structure, but also significantly improves the computational efficiency of fail-safe topology optimization. In this method, the worst-case compliance is considered to minimize as the optimization objective, using the Kreisselmeier–Steinhauser function to approximate the non-differentiable max-operator. The sensitivity is derived by the adjoint method, and a general fail-safe optimality criteria method is developed to update design variables. The damage scenarios greatly reduces in the process of failsafe strategy optimization by employing the density-based filter method. Finally, the effectiveness and computational efficiency of this method for fail-safe optimization is verified by several numerical examples.

The effects of post-treatment temperature-based methods on 1D single PLA filaments after FFF have been studied. This lets to decouple the variables related to the 3D structure (layer height, raster angle, infill density, and others) from the variables solely related to the material (molecular weight, molecular orientation, crystallinity, and others). PLA 1D filaments have been aged at 20, 39, 42, 51, 65, 75 and 80 ºC in a water-bath-inspired process in which the hydrolytic degradation of the PLA has been minimised for the ageing temperatures of interest. The evolution of the thermal and mechanical properties of the PLA filaments at different temperatures was recorded. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to evaluate thermal and physical properties, in which the glass transition, enthalpic relaxation, crystallisation and melting reactions were analysed. Tensile tests were performed to evaluate the tensile strength and elastic modulus. The flow-induced molecular orientation, the degradation, the logistic fitting and the so-called summer effect –stabilisation of properties at higher temperatures– are discussed for assessing the safeness of accelerating ageing.

Ambrosia trifida is a kind of malignant invasive plant, which has very high reproductive and en-vironmental adaptability. Through strong resource acquisition ability and allelopathy, it could inhibit the growth and reproduction of surrounding plants, destroy the stability of an invasive ecosystem. It is very important to predict the change of suitable distribution area of Ambrosia trifida with climate change before implementing scientific control measures. Based on 106 Ambrosia trifida distribution data and 14 environmental data, the optimal parameter combination (RM = 0.1, FC = LQ) was obtained by using the MaxEnt model optimized by Kuenm package, the potential suit-able areas of Ambrosia trifida in Northeast China under three different climate scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP8.5) with different emission intensities in the future (2050,2070) were predicted. The changes of Ambrosia trifida suitable area in Northeast China under three climate scenarios were compared, and the relationship between the change of suitable area and emission intensity was analyzed. In general, the suitable area of Ambrosia trifida in Northeast China will expand gradually in the future, and the area of its highly suitable area will also increase with the increasing emission intensity, which is unfavorable to the control of Ambrosia trifida.

Historical legacy of Eastern European and Balkans’ health systems was mutually interdependent and shaped by local socioeconomic circumstances. Three distinctive systems of risk sharing and health financing to develop since the late XIX century were the Bismarck, Beveridge, and Semashko systems. Modern day healthcare systems in these countries are challenged by population ageing, accelerated innovation in medical technology, growing purchasing power and rising demand for healthcare services. Supply side changes contribute to demand side efficiency bottlenecks in financing, driving the costs of the already expensive medical care up. All of the nations have a large share of citizens experiencing difficulty with affordability and access to medical care, particularly in rural and remote areas. Network of Health technology assessment agencies have mushroomed over the past three decades. Principles of health economics theory and cost-effective resource allocation are slowly gaining ground in governing authorities’ mindset and decision-making process. For many years to come, pharmaceuticals and medical services will remain dependent on out-of-pocket spending. Currently accelerating and spreading 4.0 Industrial Revolution, together with the Belt and Road Initiative, are likely to substantially impact the further economic development of this vast region. Post-Pandemic ‘Green’ Recovery strategies adopted by many of the Eastern European governments shall also make this transition towards sustainable development more difficult and challenging given the large dependency of all these economies upon traditional carbon fuels.

We analyze the Covid-19 mortality scenario in India and compare it with those in other large-population regions such as Asia-excluding-China, Africa, European Union, South America, and USA. We compare existing fatality data and offer an interpretation for low fatality based on immunity due to endemic malaria and TB. We identify the hot climate in the past summer as a possible cause for low death count in southern-hemisphere countries without endemic malaria and TB. We also make India-specific observations for easing the lockdown and estimations for the time required to attain herd immunity. Whatever optimism we present should be viewed as a guarded optimism. There should not be room for complacency.

Seed quality is crucial for the success of crop production, as it affects germination capacity, emergence potential, and seedling growth. This study investigated the impact of extended stor-age on the germination capacity, oleoresin and essential oil contents of black cumin seeds from three black cumin varieties in Ethiopia: "Aden", "Dershaye", and "Darbera". Seeds were stored for up to three years, and germination studies were conducted using a Completely Randomized De-sign. Results showed that storage period significantly affected various germination parameters, with a decrease in germination percentage observed with increasing storage period. However, variety and the interaction between storage period and variety had no statistically significant effect on germination percentage. The study also provides valuable insights into the correlations between different germination indices. Additionally, as black cumin seeds age, their oleoresin and essential oil contents decrease across all three varieties. Proper seed storage practices are essential in maintaining the germination potential of black cumin seeds, particularly over ex-tended storage periods. Overall, this study provides insights into the impact of extended seed storage on black cumin seed quality and germination potential, highlighting the importance of proper seed management practices to support sustainable crop production.

A new intervention model for promoting healthy ageing grounded on integrated value-based care was developed and tested in the city of Valencia (Spain). Its implementation raised relevant barriers for older adults in their access to health, health promotion, and health self-management linked with their health and digital literacy. This new intervention model included several aspects. On the one hand, researchers together with older adults and their informal caregivers participating in the study, designed personalised care plans, based on older adults’ specific needs, to be implemented with the support of a digital solution. On the other hand, researchers and health and social professionals implemented a series of six workshops in different locations of the city to encourage the sense of community among participants, reinforcing their trust in the new care model and increasing their adherence. Social activities were at the core of the workshops to understand older people’s interaction with the health and social services provided in the neighbourhood. Qualitative and quantitative methods were combined to extract information from older participants on how to engage them as active actors of their own health and understanding their values and preferences. Qualitative results show that after a post-pandemic situation, they were more concerned about social isolation and desired face-to-face contact with their professional care team; however, feelings of loneliness and/or sadness were not considered amongst the reasons to visit health professionals. Some of the conclusions reveal that the use of technology as a supportive tool is well received but with a stress on its role as “supportive”, and not replacing the close contact with healthcare professionals. Professionals recognised the benefits of this new approach but required more time and incentives to dedicate the effort needed.

Recently, many independent research project focus on the study of the molecular basis of aging processes. I parallel, the different progression of many diseaes between sex is a hot topic research area. These studies require many data, models and tools for inferring aging and sex specific molecular machinaries. Among the others, the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database is one of the preminent resources for the analysis of expression data related to tissues, sex and age. The current version of the database has a lot of querying interface that enable many analysis centered on the expression of genes on tissues. Despite this the database lacks on the analysis at sex/age level, thus the researcher has to download data and then write queries by hand. Nevertheless it lacks on the integration with existing protein interaction data. Therefore, the need for the introduction of tools enabling easy access and powerful analysis capabilities (i.e. state of the art network based analysis and integration), arises. We here present NOMA-DB a framework for the analysis of age related genes based on the GTEx database that enable easy querying at sex/age level, network based analysis. The framework is based on wrapping the GTEx database and on building an application logic level on top of existing data. The current version enables the analysis of genes by tissue, gene and age, thus it may be used in potentially future directions of analysis towards better comprehension of aging/sex-related molecular machineries based on the analysis of expression dat

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) encompass a group of biobased technologies capable of directly converting organic matter into electricity. In these systems, which are derived from conventional electrochemical systems, the ion exchange membrane represents a key element because of its influence on the economic feasibility and on the performance of BES. This study examines the impact of long-term operation of a BES on the mechanical, chemical and electrochemical properties of five different kind of cation exchange membranes (Nafion-117, CMI-7001, Zirfon UTP 500, FKE and FKB) through several techniques: (i) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to assess the changes on the membranes surface, (ii) thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to evaluate the structural stability of the membranes, and (iii) ion exchange capacity (IEC) to monitor any change in their electrochemical properties. Results confirmed that there is not an ideal membrane for BES. While Nafion and CMI-7000 exhibited the strongest chemical structure, they also underwent the highest fouling as revealed by a fast increase in surface roughness.

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

Portugal, in line with the European Union, is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 (Net 1 Zero), which implies a transition to sustainable energy sources. Climate change is all too evident, extreme weather periods are occurring in a cyclical manner, with greater brevity to such an extent that the grid operator must deal with production scenarios where it can no longer rely on hydroelectric production given the recurring drought situation. This situation increases dependence on thermal production using natural gas and imports. This has significant economic implications. Portugal has exploited its onshore wind potential, reaching an installed capacity of 5.671 MW by 2022. However, the expansion of onshore wind energy is limited to reinforcing existing infrastructure. To overcome these challenges, it is necessary to expand the exploitation of offshore wind potential that is already underway. This article proposes the location of offshore wind production platforms along the Portuguese coast. This allows for an analysis of offshore production and its optimization according to the minimum cost per MWh in the face of extreme scenarios, i.e., in periods of extreme drought where hydroelectric production capacity is practically non-existent. The model is fed by using market price indications and the amount of energy needed for the following day. Using forecast data, the model adapts offshore wind production for the following day according to the minimization of the average market price. The results of the simulations allow us to conclude that despite the high cost of offshore technology (in deep waters), in extreme climate scenarios, it enables cost reduction and a clear decrease in imports.

In this paper we investigate how the Reionization process is affected by early galaxy formation in different cosmological scenarios. We use a semi-analytic model with suppressed initial power spectra to obtain the UV Luminosity Function in thermal Warm Dark Matter and sterile neutrino cosmologies. We retrace the ionization history of intergalactic medium with hot stellar emission only, exploiting fixed and variable photons escape fraction models ( fesc). For each cosmology, we find an upper limit to fixed fesc, which guarantees the completion of the process at z <6.7. The analysis is tested with two limit hypothesis on high-z ionized hydrogen volume fraction, comparing our predictions with observational results.

Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAC) is a ubiquitous polymer in various industrial applications, including paints and adhesives. While extensive research has focused on understanding the degradation mechanisms of PVAC-based paint, under different environmental conditions, limited attention has been paid to the long-term stability of PVAC-based white glues, especially when used in artworks. This study investigates the accelerated degradation of a commercial PVAC-based white glue considered as representive of this class of materials as used in contemporary artworks, to predict its durability and assess its behavior in art objects. Through accelerated aging experiments and comparison with natural aging observed in artworks, the study reveals the formation of chromophores and the release of plasticizer as key degradation processes. Despite minimal structural modifications in PVAC, the loss of plasticizer leads to an increase in glass transition temperature, affecting the adhesive's cohesive strength and contributing to detachment of materials in artworks. The findings underscore the importance of preventive conservation measures to mitigate degradation issues in PVAC-based artworks.

In the present work, the effects of ageing treatment on the microstructures of a near-β Ti alloy (TC18) are studied. The influence of ageing treatment on the tensile properties and failure mechanisms are systematically analyzed. It is found that the size and morphology of the primary α (αp) phases are insensitive to ageing temperature and time. Furthermore, the ageing temperature and time dramatically influence the precipitation of the secondary α (αs) phases. Massive αs phases precipitate and gradually coarsen, and finally weave together with increasing the ageing temperature or extending the ageing time. The thickness of αs phases is responsible for the material strengths, while the content of α phases can enhance the material ductility. The ductile characteristics of the alloy with coarser αs phases are more obvious than those with thinner αs phases. Therefore, the ageing treatment is helpful for the precipitation and homogeneous distribution of αs phases, which is essential for balancing the strengths and ductility of the studied Ti alloy.

Introduction: The primary objective of researchers in the biology of ageing is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ageing process while developing practical solutions that can enhance the quality of life for older individuals. This involves a continuous effort to bridge the gap between fundamental biological research and its real-world applications. Purpose: In this narrative review, we attempt to link research findings concerning the hormetic relationship between neurons and germ cells, and translate these findings into clinically relevant concepts. Methods: We conducted a literature search using PubMed, Embase, PLOS, Digital Commons Network, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library from 2000 to 2023, analyzing studies dealing with the relationship between hormetic, cognitive, and reproductive aspects of human ageing. Results: The process of hormesis serves as a bridge between the biology of neuron-germ cell interactions on one hand, and the clinical relevance of these interactions on the other. Details concerning these processes are discussed here, emphasizing new research which strengthens the overall concept. Conclusions: This review presents a scientifically and clinically relevant argument, claiming that maintaining a cognitively active lifestyle may decrease age-related degeneration, and improve overall health in ageing.

Standard evolutionary theory, supported by mathematical modelling of outbred, dispersed populations predicts that ageing is not an adaptation. We recently argued that in clonal, viscous populations, programmed organismal death could promote fitness through social benefits and has, in some organisms (e.g. Caenorhabditis elegans), evolved to shorten lifespan. Here we review previous adaptive death theory, including consumer sacrifice, biomass sacrifice, and defensive sacrifice types of altruistic adaptive death. In addition we discuss possible adaptive death in semelparous fish, coevolution of reproductive and adaptive death, and adaptive reproductive senescence in C. elegans. We also describe findings from recent tests for the existence of adaptive death in C. elegans using computer modelling. Such models have provided new insights into how trade-offs between fitness at the individual and colony levels mean that senescent changes can be selected traits. Exploring further the relationship between adaptive death and social interactions, we consider examples where adaptive death results more from action of kin than from self-destructive mechanisms and, to describe this, introduce the term adaptive killing of kin.

Coastal zones experience increasing climatic and human pressures, which lead to growing risks and tipping points (TPs) under future scenarios and natural resource scarcity. To avoid crossing TPs with irreversible coastal losses, this paper proposes the development of adaptation pathways based on advanced coastal oceanography and engineering knowledge that enables an objective assessment of evolving coastal risks. These pathways feature sequential interventions, combining conventional engineering works with nature-based solutions (NbS), steered by simulations and observations as a function of available coastal resources (space and sediment) and risks for infrastructure and socioeconomic assets. Such an adaptation has been developed for urban and peri-urban Mediterranean beaches, considering conventional coastal engineering together with NbS. Both types of interventions are assessed in terms of key physical variables, which serve to evaluate performance and estimate TPs. This analysis supports the new coastal protection and management plan promoted by the local government and the coastal adaptation plan of the central government. The approach and results illustrate the potential of adaptation pathways for beach sustainability, enhancing the compatibility between short/long-term coastal protection objectives under present/future climate and management scenarios. The adaptation pathways development underpins an increasing stakeholder cooperation to achieve shared decisions for coastal sustainability.

Factory safety inspections are crucial for ensuring safe production. However, manual inspections present issues such as low efficiency and high workload. Inspection robots provide an efficient and reliable solution for completing patrol tasks. The development of robot localization and path planning technologies provides guarantees for factory inspection robots to autonomously complete inspection tasks in complex environments. This paper studies mapping and localization, as well as path planning methods for robots in order to meet the application requirements of factory inspections. Two SLAM application systems based on multiple-line laser radar and vision are designed for different scenarios in consideration of the limitations of cameras and laser sensors in terms of their own characteristics and applicability in different environments. To address the issue of low efficiency in inspection tasks, a hybrid path planning algorithm that integrates the A-star algorithm and time elasticity band algorithm is proposed. This algorithm effectively solves the problem of path planning in complex environments that is prone to falling into local optimal solutions, thereby improving the inspection efficiency of robots. Experimental tests show that the designed SLAM and path planning methods can meet the needs of robot inspection in complex scenes and have good reliability and stability. The code used in this article is open source and can be accessed at https://github.com/Mxiii99/RSPP_CS.git.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is enforcing increasingly stringent regulations on ship carbon emissions, The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been implementing progressively strict regulations on ship carbon emissions, leading to the adoption of the virtual arrival (VA) method by many vessels to reduce their carbon footprint. However, the effectiveness of the traditional VA method often varies in busy ports with complex traffic organization scenarios. To address this, our study presents a novel, comprehensive model that integrates vessel scheduling with the VA approach. This model is designed to achieve a dual objective: reducing carbon emissions through Virtual Arrival and simultaneously minimizing vessel waiting times. In addition to these goals, it incorporates essential aspects of safety, efficiency, and fairness in port management, utilizing the NSGA-2 algorithm to find optimal solutions. This model has been tested and validated through a case study at Ningbo-Zhoushan port, employing its dataset. The results demonstrate that our innovative model and algorithm significantly outperform traditional scheduling methods, such as First-Come-First-Serve (FCFS) and Virtual-Arrival Last-Serve (VALS), particularly in terms of operational efficiency and reduction in vessel carbon emissions.

This paper presents a scenario evolution model for maritime accidents using Bayesian networks (BN) to predict the most likely causes of specific types of maritime incidents. The BN nodes encompass accident type, life loss contingency, accident severity, the quarter and time period of the accident, and the type and gross tonnage of the ships involved. We analyzed 5,660 global maritime accidents from 2005 to 2020. Using Netica software, we constructed a Tree Augmented Network (TAN) model, accounting for interdependencies among risk influencing factors. We validated the results through sensitivity analysis and historical accident records. Forward causal inference and reverse diagnostic inference were then performed on each node variable to investigate the accident development trend and evolution process under predetermined conditions. The findings indicate that the model can effectively predict the likelihood of various accident scenarios under specific conditions, as well as the extrapolation of accident consequences. Forward causal reasoning reveals that general cargo ships with a gross tonnage of 1-18,500 t are most likely to experience collision, grounding, and stranding accidents in the first quarter. Reverse diagnostic reasoning indicates that during early morning hours, container ships, general cargo ships, and chemical ships with a tonnage of 1-18,500 t are less likely to involve life loss in the event of collision accidents.

Nowadays, hydropower is the principal renewable; however, climate change increases extreme events such as floods, droughts, erosion, and sedimentation of rivers that produce uncertainty in hydroelectric generation. Thus, this document aims to analyze the climate change projections in the hydropower systems of Ecuador based on data from 14 projects studying the scenarios ac-cording to the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The study period starts from 2010 to 2020 with historical data, collects the tendency, defines a database year, and then projects the scenarios to 2050. The quantitative methodology uses a statistic on Ecuador's hydropower obtained inflow time series to calculate the deviation over the last years and develop a model to simulate future generation. The results show that the hydropower in Ecuador is expected to decrease considerably through 2050 due to meteorological changes. In this calculation of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, the selected scenarios show a reduction in SSP5 of 11.5%, SP2 of 16.2%, and SSP4 of 18.2% to 2050, concluding that the oppor-tunities for hydroelectric production facing climate change are variable, but the challenges are broad. In Ecuador, the projections of hydropower plants represent a sensitive issue of their re-ductions, especially knowing that the country had an energy grid in 2020 that depended on 87% of hydroelectric production.

The RMA11 water quality model, which has been previously calibrated and validated, was coupled with the RMA10 3D hydrodynamic model to evaluate sanitation scenarios in Buenaventura Bay. The bay receives direct discharge of untreated wastewater from 500,000 people through 695 outlets along the coast. Five different effluent reduction scenarios were proposed and compared based on fecal coliform concentration as an indicator. The areas where values exceed the standard for primary contact were also used to evaluate the scenarios. The model results indicate poor water quality in the bay and how that the situation will become even more severe if immediate action is not taken. The proposed reduction in discharges in stages will have temporarily more severe effects than the current situation, but these will end when the treatment plant becomes operational. However, even with the plant in operation, complete sanitation of the bay cannot be achieved, and further measures must be considered.

Quantum computers are machines that are designed to use quantum mechanics in order to improve upon classical computers by running quantum algorithms. One of the main applications of quantum computing is solving optimization problems. For addressing optimization problems, we can use linear programming. Linear programming is a method to obtain the best possible outcome in a special case of mathematical programming. Application areas of this problem consist of resource allocation, production scheduling, parameter estimation, etc. In our study, we look at quantum speedup ratios of HHL Algorithm for different scenarios of linear programming. In a first scenario we look quantum speedup ratio (S(N)) as a function of phase transition and the ratio (κ) between the greatest and smallest eigenvalues of the matrix in linear equation system. As a second scenario, we investigate the changes in S(N) as a function of κ and s, which is the coefficient for defining the matrix as s-sparse.

Silver in different forms is used for medical purposes from ancient times. It is not yet well known, which form of silver is more biocompatible and less toxic. Here we considered silver nanoparticles and silver citrate. Also, the relationships of neurotoxicity of silver compaunds with ageing factor is not yet described. To assess the role of nanoform in neurotoxicity of silver and role of ageing a long-term experiment was conducted. We had four control groups of intact mice and four experimental groups which were exposed to silver nanoparticles and silver citrate for two months. Four groups of mice were introduced into the experiment since the age of five months to assess ageing factors. It was shown that the nanoform does play a certain role in neurotoxicity of silver. Silver citrate seems to be a more preferable silver compound. Ageing can be regarded as a positive factor that neutralizes toxic action of silver compounds. It may be due to the development of physiological/cognitive functions with the age as well as adaptation to unnatural content in the individual cages that is definitely stressful for mice.

The main purpose of this work is to contribute to understanding the mechanism of oxidation of the polymeric components of common disposable masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic to offer the chemical basis to predict their long-term behaviour under typical environmental conditions. Artificial ageing of representative mask layers under isothermal conditions (110℃) or accelerated photoageing showed that all the PP-made components underwent a fast oxidation process, following the typical hydrocarbon oxidation mechanism. In particular, yellowing and the melting temperature drop are early indicators of their diffusion-limited oxidation. Morphology changes also induced a loss of mechanical properties, observable as embrittlement of the fabric fibres. Results were validated through preliminary outdoor ageing of masks, which allows us to predict they will suffer fast and extensive oxidation only in the case of contemporary exposure to sunlight and relatively high environmental temperature, leading to their extensive breakdown in the form of microfiber fragments, i.e., microplastics.

The objective was to estimate the monetary loss of potato producers up to the year 2100 as a result of temperature and precipitation impacts, taking into account the A2 and B2 scenarios of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). The Pooled Production Panel Model was used, whose database was prepared taking into account climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) and agricultural variables (production, harvested area, farm-gate price) for the period 1996 - 2020, which form the independent variables of the study. The estimations used 60 observations and a total of 38 estimations were run in the econometric software EViews8, of which Equation 05 of the Production Pooled Panel Model was chosen as the best. The model obtained used temperature and precipitation forecasts from Brazil's INPE (National Institute for Space Research), validated for the study area. The results indicate a concave function between potato production (t/ha), temperature and precipitation. Finally, based on the A2 climate scenario, which is the most pessimistic and using the period 2021 - 2100, a loss for potato producers of approximately 8'927,521.48 million soles was estimated.

Social networks have become the scenario with the greatest potential for the circulation of disinformation, hence there is a growing interest in understanding how this type of information is spread, especially in relation to the mechanisms used by disinformation agents such as bots, trolls, among others. In this scenario, the potential of bots to facilitate the spread of disinformation is recognised, however, the analysis of how they do this is still in its initial stages. Taking into consideration what was previously stated, this paper aimed to model and simulate scenarios of disinformation propagation in social networks caused by bots based on the dynamics of this mechanism documented in the literature. For achieving the purpose, System dynamics was used as the main modelling technique. The results present a mathematical model, as far as disinformation by this mechanism is concerned, and the simulations carried out against the increase in the rate of activation and deactivation of bots. Thus, the preponderant role of social networks in controlling disinformation through this mechanism, and the potential of bots to affect citizens, is recognised.

Followed by the aspect of respect for rights 20, the social and environmental issue has a score of 19.9, the dialogue issue is 19. In short, the proximity plan indicates that the policies used regarding the issue of generating employment and economic growth (Empresa Mantaro Perú SAC), continue to be the strategic variables in the first instance, but they are far from the social actors (rural communities of Aco, Vico, Cruz Pampa and others) and environmental (Junín environmental dialogue table) and Ombudsman's Office (rights) that are currently closer together. The actor from the Archbishop of Huancayo referred to communication is one of the driving variables of power. The proximity plan shows us that the policies used regarding the issue of generating employment and economic growth (Empresa Mantaro Perú SAC), continue to be the strategic variables in the first instance, but that they are far from the social actors (Rural Communities of Aco , Vico, Cruz Pampa and others) and environmental (Junín Environmental Dialogue Table) and Ombudsman's Office (rights) that are currently closer together. The actor from the Archbishop of Huancayo referred to communication is one of the driving variables of power. The proximity plan shows us that the policies used regarding the issue of generating employment and economic growth (Empresa Mantaro Perú SAC), continue to be the strategic variables in the first instance, but that they are far from the social actors (Rural Communities of Aco , Vico, Cruz Pampa and others) and environmental (Junín Environmental Dialogue Table) and Ombudsman's Office (rights) that are currently closer together. The actor from the Archbishop of Huancayo referred to communication is one of the driving variables of power. but they are far from the social actors (rural communities of Aco, Vico, Cruz Pampa and others) and environmental (Junín Environmental Dialogue Table) and the Ombudsman's Office (rights) that are closer together today. The actor from the Archbishopric of Huancayo referred to communication, is within the driving variables of power. but they are far from the social actors (rural communities of Aco, Vico, Cruz Pampa and others) and environmental (Junín Environmental Dialogue Table) and the Ombudsman's Office (rights) that are currently closer together. The actor of the Archbishopric of Huancayo referred to communication, is within the driving variables of power.

As the global aging trend continues to intensify, there will inevitably be more complex and diverse aging problems in the future. There is no doubt that designers have the responsibility to explore the possibilities of the future and solve the problems that will be faced in the future. Based on the Future Cone, the Double Diamond Model and the IDEO Method Cards, this study proposes a new model to guide the design practice of future aging issues in the context of aging. With the aim of validating and refining the framework, an ageing designer workshop was held where participants were asked to imagine, explore and express ideas about future ageing issues. The workshop was used to refine the proposed model. More specifically, the model includes a future concept, a design guidance process based on the Double Diamond Model, and tools that can be applied at all stages of design, which can help designers generate ideas and solutions for future aging problems, and collectively lead society to a more desirable future. Moreover, this study also explores broader directions for the development of the model and provides a reference for continued research on this topic in the future.

Driver’s distractions are more prone to occur with automated driving vehicles, which might turn into cancelling some of their advantages. Traffic reports, naturalistic observations and in-lab tests are carried out to determine the influence of driver’s distractions in car crashes and to develop technology to detect and prevent them from happening. One of the best strategies to cope with this problem is education. In this work we propose a simulation environment to design laboratory experiments to study driver’s distractions as well as simple games to train drivers to take over the control of the vehicle when required. The result framework enables drivers to experience driving highly automated cars in their neighborhoods or in places of their choice with different levels of events to check their ability in taking over the control when required.

We have modelled the energy consumption of prototype and real buildings under present and future climatic conditions with the EnergyPlus model to develop a better understanding of the relationship between changing climate conditions and energy demand. We have produced detailed meteorological information with 50 meters of spatial resolution through dynamical downscaling process combining regional, urban and computational fluid dynamics models which include the effects of the buildings on urban wind patterns. The city of Madrid has been chosen for our experiment. The impact on energy demand and their respective economic cost are calculated for year 2100 versus 2011 based on two IPCC climate scenarios, RCP 4.5 (stabilization of emissions) and RCP 8.5 (not reduction of emissions). Findings show that climate change will have a significant impact on the energy demand for buildings. Space heating demand will be increased by the RCP 4.5 and cooling demand will be increased for the RCP 8.5 in the analysed buildings.

A numerical approach for generating a limited number of water demand scenarios and estimating their occurrence probabilities in a Water Distribution Network (WDN) is proposed. This approach makes use of the demand scaling laws in order to consider the natural variability and spatial correlation of nodal consumptions. The scaling laws are employed to determine the statistics of nodal consumption as a function of the number of users and the main statistical features of the unitary user's demand. Besides, consumption at each node is considered to follow a Gamma probability distribution. A high number of groups of cross-correlated demands, i.e., scenarios, for the entire network were generated using Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) and the numerical procedure proposed by Iman and Conover. The Kantorovich distance is used to reduce the number of scenarios and estimate their corresponding probabilities, while keeping the statistical information on nodal consumptions. By hydraulic simulation, the whole number of generated demand scenarios was used to obtain a corresponding number of pressure scenarios on which the same reduction procedure was applied. The probabilities of the reduced scenarios of pressure were compared with the corresponding probabilities of demand.

Present experimental study assesses the mechanical properties of glass/carbon/glass hybrid composite laminates after exposure to moisture and elevated temperatures for extended periods. The top and bottom layers of the hybrid laminates are glass fiber reinforced and the middle layer is carbon fiber reinforced with the matrix specified as a polymer material. The hybrid laminates were manufactured using the resin transfer molding method and their compressive and tensile properties were determined using a tensile testing machine. The material parameters such as the storage modulus, the loss modulus, and the damping factors of the laminates were identified using dynamic mechanical analysis as a function of the temperature and the vibration frequency. The experimental results on compressive and tensile properties revealed slight variations when the hybrid laminates were kept at low temperatures for extended periods. This might occur due to the increasing molecular cross-linking of the polymer network. As the temperature increased, compressive, tensile, storage modules, loss modulus, and damping factors decreased. This might occur due to the increasing mobility of the binder material. Particularly, the highest stiffness parameters were obtained on -80°C/GCG (Glass/Carbon/Glass) laminates due to the presence of beta transition on the glassy region. The relationships between the glass transitions and the targeted frequencies were characterized. The values of the glass transition shift towards higher temperatures as the frequency increases. This might occur due to a reduction in the gaps between the crosslinking of the epoxy network when the frequency increases. The accuracy of the storage modulus results was compared with the empirical models. The model based on the Arrhenius law provided the closest correlation. Meanwhile, another model was observed that was not accurate enough to predict when gamma and beta relaxations occur under a glassy state.

In recent years, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has received attention in the Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) field due to its ability to acquire images both day and night, combined with the superior resolution offered by the latest sensors. However, despite advances, there remains a deficiency in dataset quality and quantity. This has necessitated the use of simulated data to overcome challenges associated with obtaining large quantities of high-quality images of targets and their subsequent labeling. In this study, we trained a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) using a simulated dataset, subsequently employing it to classify real images from the MSTAR dataset. Traditional training methodologies often struggle with generalization when confronted with domain disparities between simulated and real data. To mitigate this, we exploited Margin Disparity Discrepancy (MDD), a domain adaptation technique not previously explored in SAR context. Findings from this study showcased a 13% increase in classification accuracy and improved generalization using MDD. Through Explainable AI (XAI) techniques such as t-SNE and other metrics like Kullback Leibler Divergence (KLD), we revealed a more distinct alignment of feature spaces between the two domains after domain adaptation, emphasizing MDD’s role in enhancing model accuracy and generalization.

Disassembly is a pivotal technology to enable the circularity of electric vehicle batteries by applying circular economy strategies that extend the life cycle of their components, like remanufacturing and repurposing, or by using efficient recycling to reintegrate the gained materials in producing new battery systems. This paper aims to develop a multi-method self-configuring simulation model for investigating disassembly scenarios while considering the battery design as well as the configuration and layout of the disassembly station. We demonstrate the developed model in a case study using a battery of Mercedes-Benz and the automated disassembly station of the project DeMoBat at Fraunhofer IPA. Furthermore, we introduce two disassembly scenarios, the component-oriented and the accessibility-oriented disassembly, and compare them using the simulation model to determine several indicators, such as the frequency of tool change, the number and distribution of robot routes, the tool utilization, and the disassembly time.

This paper proposes a model to evaluate business projects to get into an incubator, allowing to rank them in order of selection priority. The model combines the Momentum method to build prospective scenarios and the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method TOPSIS-2N to rank the alternatives. Six business projects were evaluated to be incubated. The Momentum method made it possible for us to create an initial core of criteria for the evaluation of incubation projects. The TOPSIS-2N method supported the decision to choose the company to be incubated by ranking the alternatives in order of relevance. Our evaluation model has improved the existing models used by incubators. This model can be used and / or adapted by any incubator to evaluate the business projects to be incubated. The set of criteria for the evaluation of incubation projects is original and the use of prospective scenarios with a MCDM method to evaluate companies to be incubated does not exist in the literature.

This article aims to serve as a guide for the construction of supply chain simulation models designed with a lean approach, using Promodel software. To achieve this, a supply chain was designed for a fictitious company located in the City of Celaya, Guanajuato and a set of suppliers located in different cities within the same State. It was used as a google tool to define the distances between each of the companies. As a final result, a representative model of a supply chain was obtained, as well as a methodology that allows the construction of lean supply chains regardless of the number of companies that comprise it. The effect of the variability in the delivery times between suppliers was incorporated into the simulation model, as well as an equation that calculates the pollution emissions of the vehicles that integrate the network that moves the products between the companies. With this work it is possible to represent networks of supply chains of real world companies, where the variability and contamination factor is included, to facilitate the decision making regarding the number of vehicles, inventory levels, quantities to be shipped, frequency in the shipments, etc. with the purpose of contaminating as little as possible and at the same time preventing interruptions in the supply chain using the least amount of resources possible.

The widespread use of renewable energy sources has considerably expanded distributed generation. An unbalanced load on distribution cables may also result from the recent increase in novel appliances and electric vehicles, the reverse power flow may create short-term overloads. These transient overloads increase the temperature for a short time beyond the limit, which causes degradation. However, the temperature distribution on the cable is not even. Therefore, the cable components are not degraded evenly and similarly. This publication describes the change in electrical properties of low-voltage cables caused by short-term cyclic artificial ageing to track the impact of these brief temperature rises. This study examines how cable structure affects the dielectric characteristics of cable specimens. Four cable samples, each measuring 50 cm in length (SZAMKAM 0.6/1 kV 16 mm2× 4 manufactured by Prysmian MKM Kft, Hungary) put through an accelerated ageing test in a temperature-controlled oven after changing their structures by removing their layers. Three rounds, each of six hours, accelerated thermal ageing were applied. After each round of ageing, the dielectric parameter tanδ and capacitance were measured by Dirana Dielectric Response Analyzer in the laboratory at room temperature 24±0.5∘C. Furthermore, the polarization and depolarization currents were also studied. The results show that changing the cable structure impacts the dielectric parameters, especially the effect of belting layer is significant. From point of view of aging the PVC belting layer protects the diffusion of plasticizers of inner structure.

Although pollination is one of the most crucial biological processes that ensures plant reproduction, its mechanisms are poorly understood. Especially in insect-mediated pollination, a pollen undergoes several attachment and detachment cycles when being transfered from anther to insect and from insect to stigma. The influence of the surface properties of pollen, insect and floral surfaces on the adhesion forces that mediate pollen transfer are poorly studied. Here, we investigate the adhesive properties of Hypochaeris radicata pollen and their dependence on pollen ageing by quantifying the pull-off forces from glass slides using centrifugation and atomic force microscopy. We found that the properties of the pollenkitt – the viscous, lipid liquid on the surface of most pollen grains – influences the forces necessary to detach a pollen from hydrophilic surfaces. Our results show that aged H. radicata pollen form weaker adhesions to hydrophilic glass than fresh ones. On the other hand, when a pollen grain ages in contact with glass, the adhesion between the two surfaces increases over time. This study shows for the first time the pollen ageing effect on the pollination mechanism.

Beginning with navigation system design, this paper presents a comprehensive strategy for enhancing the search and rescue capabilities of agile mobile robots. Towards this, the autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) utilizes surface classification to determine and prioritize the terrain it is traversing. Our developed system design incorporates real-time terrain data with task objectives at a high level, ensuring that the robot can effectively navigate complex and ever-changing environments. This design, in conjunction with the introduction of a novel lightweight surface classification model, forms the basis of our adaptive terrain perception and decision-making systems, enabling robots such as Jackal to adapt rapidly and make the decisions necessary to complete the task. Subsequently, we exhaustively validated these systems through a series of extensive experiments in a variety of terrains, including normal and mixed terrains, demonstrating their robustness and efficacy in real-life situations.

The importance of frailty in older people is getting constant recognition as an important aspect both in terms of public health, as well in personal level for the appropriate management of an older person health condition. This is reflected by the continuously increasing number of research studies carried out in several settings across different countries. Sometimes this is very solid, but in other cases there is a considerable gap in terms of accurate and well grounded documentation of frailty status. This is the case in Greece, where we are missing clinically validated tools to approach frailty. We are missing frailty screening tools, such as for instance PRISMA 7, the gold standard tool of Fried criteria is somehow problematic since the question referring to physical activity originates from a questionnaire that has not been translated and validated, while Clinical Frailty Scale has been validated for the translation but not for the capacity to detect frailty. Aim of this study is to validate these tools for their accuracy to detect frailty by using a measurable index of frailty, previously proposed for use in clinical studies: the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). 74 male and female participants have been evaluated for their frailty status using different tools. We observed that PRISMA 7 translation detects frailty only when one question is removed at a cut-off of ≥ 2 and indicated a sensitivity of 88.1%, and specificity of 99.9% with a good correlation with SPPB measurements (r = 0.858; p &lt; 0.001). When CFS was validated using SPPB it demonstrated a very good correlation (r = -0.838; p &lt; 0.001 respectively) as it was the case for the modified Fried Criteria (r = -0.725; p &lt; 0.001). All items demonstrated a good correlation between them. We can here propose that we can accurately assess frailty status in the community setting by using a modified version of Fried criteria, Clinical Frailty Scale translation in Greek and we can screen for frailty by using the Greek translation of PRISMA 7 only after removing the item 6 of the questionnaire.

Address parsing is a crucial task in natural language processing, particularly for Chinese addresses. The complex structure and semantic features of Chinese addresses present challenges due to their inherent ambiguity. Additionally, different task scenarios require varying levels of granularity in address components, further complicating the parsing process. To address these challenges and adapt to low-resource environments, we propose CapICL, a novel Chinese address parsing model based on the In-Context Learning (ICL) framework. CapICL leverages a sequence generator, regular expression matching, BERT semantic similarity computation, and GPT modeling to enhance parsing accuracy by incorporating contextual information. We construct the sequence generator using a small annotated dataset, capturing distribution patterns and boundary features of address types to model address structure and semantics, mitigating interference from unnecessary variations. We introduce the REB-KNN algorithm, which selects similar samples for ICL-based parsing using regular expression matching and BERT semantic similarity computation. The selected samples, raw text, and explanatory text are combined to form prompts, and inputted into the GPT model for prediction and address parsing. Experimental results demonstrate significant achievements of CapICL in low-resource environments, reducing dependency on annotated data and computational resources. Our model's effectiveness, adaptability, and broad application potential are validated, showcasing its positive impact in natural language processing and geographical information systems.

Malaria is a constant reminder of the climate change impacts on health. Many studies have investigated the influence of climatic parameters on the of malaria transmission. Climate conditions can modulate malaria transmission through increased temperature, which reduces the duration of the parasite's reproductive cycle inside the mosquito. The intensity and frequency of the rainfall modulate the development of the mosquito population. In this study, the Liverpool Malaria Model (LMM) is used to simulate the spatio-temporal variation of the malaria incidence in Senegal. The simulations are based on the WATCH Forcing Data applied to ERA-Interim data (WFDEI) used as a point of reference, and biased-corrected CMIP6 models, separating historical and projections for 3 Shared Socio-economic Pathways scenarios (SSP126, SSP245 and SSP585). Our results highlight a strong increase in temperatures, especially towards eastern Senegal under the SSP245 but mainly the SSP585 scenarios. The ability of the LMM model to simulate the seasonality of malaria incidence is assessed. The model reveals a period of high malaria transmission between September and November with a maximum reached in October. Results indicate a decrease in malaria incidence in certain regions of the country for the far future and for the extreme scenario. This study is importance for the planning, prioritization, and implementation of control activities in Senegal.

Accessing energy in the world is crucial nowadays. Energy is an essential factor to achieve other SDGs including SDG7. However, the determination and evaluation of the relationship between different energy scenarios to achieve SDG 7 and other SDGs have not done yet. This paper seeks to fill this gap by investigating how energy seniors can contribute to achieving SDG 7 and other SDGs. Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Scopus databases were utilized for conduction a systematic review. A total finial 25 from 249 papers were filtered from 2015 to December 2020 via inclusion and exclusion criteria. This review involves six seniors of energy which primary linked to achieving the SDG 7 and other SDGs: modern energy 20% (n = 5/25), energy access 16% (n = 4/20), energy efficiency 8% (n= 2/16), renewable energy 28% (n= 7/14), energy services 8% (n= 2/7), and miscellaneous energy 20% (n= 5/5). This systematic review explores the opportunities, constraints and limitations, recommendations, and new directions. The results show that different energy scenarios contribute to achieving mainly (SDG7) and other SDGs. The outcomes from this systematic review provide a sense of direction for future researchers for future studies in this domain.

The Philippines is both a biodiversity hotspot and a megadiverse country. The country also has experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation in Southeast Asia and is among the first countries to introduce a massive reforestation program to address the country’s rapid biodiversity and forest loss. Drawing upon an empirical study from the Leyte island and other relevant case studies from the Philippines, in this chapter, we demonstrate that recovering secondary forests following shifting cultivation, locally known as kaingin have the high potentials for biodiversity and carbon co-benefits. Based on our empirical study, we also found that secondary forest regrowing after kaingin use can potentially be used as a cost-effective reforestation measure with multiple benefits to people and the environment in upland areas of the Philippines. We also discuss measures that are essential for such programs to be successful.

Switzerland, a wealthy country, has a cutting-edge healthcare system, yet per capita, it emits over one ton of CO2, ranking among the world's most polluting healthcare systems. To estimate the carbon footprint of the healthcare system of Geneva’s canton, we collected raw data on the activities of its stakeholders. Our analysis shows that when excluding medicines and medical devices hospitals are the main greenhouse gas emitter by far, accounting for 48% of the healthcare system’s emission, followed by nursing homes (20%), private practice (18%), analysis laboratories (7%), dispensing pharmacies (4%), the homecare institution (3%) and the ambulance services (

Background: Availability of large longitudinal population health and aging studies, such as the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing, hold many opportunities for the examination of the development of Frailty over time. Lacking are psychometrically robust longitudinal measurement of the concepts of frailty required for accurate and reliable estimates and identification of frail individuals. Objectives. Development of a psychometrically robust longitudinal research tool of Frailty. The tool is to be easy to replicate for future use in health and aging research. Participants/Measurements. Data comes from four waves of ELSA (2014-2017); N=39,528. Six domains of health status deficits that may measure frailty were used: Mobility, Daily Function, Self-rated general health, Self-rated pain, Depression, Self-report doctor diagnoses of health. Design. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of common-self-reported deficits available across four waves of longitudinal data were compared to determine which deficits were a best fit for a research-based frailty index. Standardized regression factor scores were calculated to represent individual’s placement in factors identified from EFA. Cross-sectional validation and reliability are reported. Results. Five-Factors of Frailty found were consistent across ELSA waves. Mobility/Severe Pain, Planning/Self Care, Depression, Moderate Pain/Movement/Arthritis and Cardio-Metabolic. The variable make-up of each factor differed between males and females. Psychometric properties of the five factor frailty model were taken into account at each stage of development (factorability/sampling adequacy, cross-sectional replicability, internal consistency, low interdeterminacy, relations with age).Conclusions. Five distinct factors of an accumulation of deficits approach to frailty were found. Use and development of the five factors of frailty research tool are outlined. This research tool will aid researchers in determining the complex risk factors and outcomes of empirically derived components of frailty in ELSA.

Background: Active ageing is a multidimensional, relative, and context-dependent concept with different paths and outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore personal active ageing strategies in a specific context. Method: Following a directed content analyze procedure, we conduct semi structured individual interview with 39 elder (men and women) between the ages of 60-97 years that selected with purposeful sampling .data collection and analysis were concurrent. We analyzed the data from interviews, written narratives, and field notes using directed content analyze. The Reliability of data was fulfilled in accordance Lincoln and Guba criteria. We stopped data collection when no new concept was added and data saturation occurred. Results: Based on the experience of elders, we identified 5 categories: 1) Preventive 2) Coping 3) Internal self-control 4) Coherence maintenance strategies 5) Opportunity exploiting strategies. These described the active ageing strategies when encountering with age related change. Utilizing these strategies, the elder accompanied the life time. Conclusion: The finding suggests that active ageing is a continuous process in confronting age related change. The identified strategies can help to promote active ageing by familiarizing older with opportunities of life and training them in how to use these strategies.

Advanced paternal age increases the risk of transmitting de novo germline mutations, particularly missense mutations activating the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathway, exemplified by the FGFR3 mutation linked to achondroplasia (ACH). This risk is attributed to the expansion of spermatogonial stem cells carrying the mutation, forming sub-clonal clusters in the ageing testis, thereby increasing the frequency of mutant sperm and the number of affected offspring from older fathers. While prior studies proposed a correlation between sub-clonal cluster expansion in the testis and elevated mutant sperm production in older donors, limited data exist on the universality of this phenomenon. Our study addresses this gap by examining the testis expansion patterns, as well as increases of mutations in sperm for two FGFR3 variants: c.1138G>A (p.G380R) and c.1948A>G (p.K650E)- associated with ACH or thanatophoric dysplasia (TDII), respectively. Unlike the ACH mutation, which showed sub-clonal expansion events in an aged testis and a significant increase of mutant sperm with the donor’s age, the TDII mutation formed sub-clonal clusters, but exhibited reduced transmission into sperm and no significant age-related increase. The mechanism behind this divergence remains unclear, suggesting potential pleiotropic effects of aberrant RTK signaling in the male germline, possibly hindering differentiation requiring meiosis. This study provides further insights into transmission risks of micro-mosaics associated with advanced paternal age in the male germline.

Aluminium bronzes possess a unique combination of high strength and wear and corrosion resistance in aggressive environments; thus, these alloys find wide application in marine, shipbuilding, aviation, railway, offshore platform applications and other fields. Iron-aluminium bronzes (IABs) are the cheapest and most widely used. When the aluminium content is above 9.4 wt%, IAB is biphasic (i.e. it undergoes -transformation) and can be subjected to all heat-treatment types depending on the desired operating behaviour of the bronze component. This article presents correlations (mathematical models) between the primary mechanical characteristics (yield limit, tensile strength, elongation, hardness and impact toughness) and the ageing temperature and time of quench at 920°C in water Cu-11Al-6Fe bronze, obtained using the centrifugal casting method. The microstructure evolution was evaluated depending on the ageing temperature and time changes. Overall, the research was conducted in three successive inter-related stages: a one-factor-at-a-time study, planned experiment, and optimisations. Four optimisation tasks, which have the greatest importance for practice, were formulated and solved. The defined multiobjective optimisation tasks were solved by searching for the Pareto-optimal solution approach. The decisions were made through a nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) using QstatLab. The optimisation results were verified experimentally. Additional samples were made for this purpose, quenched at 920°C in water and subjected to subsequent ageing with the optimal values of the governing factors (ageing temperature and time) for the corresponding optimisation task. The comparison of the results for the mechanical characteristics with the theoretical optimisation results presents good agreement.

The prevention, mitigation and treatment of movement impairments, ideally, requires early diagnosis or identification. As the human movement system has physiological and functional redundancy, movement limitations do not promptly arise at the onset of physical decline. A such, prediction of movement limitations is complex: it is unclear how much decline can be tolerated before movement limitations start and how humans select compensatory movement strategies for a task. Adding to the challenge is the lack of general applicable and consensus terminology on movement limitations. Currently, the term ‘homeostatic reserve’ or ‘physiological reserve’ is used to refer to the redundancy of the human biological system, but this does not describe the redundancy in the muscle architecture of the human body. This article therefore proposes CaReMoOC, a framework incorporating neuromusculoskeletal capacity (accumulation of neuromusculoskeletal resources over the lifespan), reserve (task-specific difference between capacity and task demand), movement objectives (considerations made to plan a movement), and compensation (use of NMSK resources to respond to the task demand). Two forms of compensation are Compensation for Capacity, when capacity does not meet the task demands, and Compensation for Movement Objectives, when the movement is changed due to for example a fear of falling. This article demonstrates the framework for healthy ageing, providing an overview of age-related capacity decline (neural, skeletal, muscular system) and shifted weighting of movement objectives (energy, pain, stability, speed) relevant for experimental and modelling research in biomechanics and motor control. CaReMoOC provides a means to communicate hypotheses and theories on movement impairments and limitations. To predict movement limitations, we need to find ways to quantify NMSK reserve.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a promising technology for sensing and monitoring the environment to reduce disaster impact. Energy is one of the major concerns for IoT devices, as sensors used in IoT devices are battery-operated. Thus, it is important to reduce energy consumption, especially during data transmission in disaster-adverse situations. Clustering-based communication helps reduce a node’s energy decay during data transmission and enhances the network’s lifetime. Many hybrid combination algorithms are proposed for clustering and the routing protocol to improve the network lifetime in disaster scenarios. However, the performance of these protocols is widely varied based on the underlying network configuration and the optimisation parameters considered. In this research, we have used the clustering parameters that are most relevant to disaster scenarios, such as the node’s residual energy, distance to sink, and network coverage. Then, we proposed a bio-inspired hybrid (BAO-PSO) algorithm where the Butterfly Optimisation Algorithm (BOA) is used for clustering and Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) is used for the routing protocol. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with the benchmark protocols LEACH, DEEC, PSO, PSO-GA, and PSO-HAS. Residual energy, network throughput, and network lifetime are considered performance matrices. The simulation result showed that the proposed algorithm increases network lifetime by 10%-20% by comparison with the benchmark algorithm.

This study is a two-phase hybrid study on the behavioral activities of undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. A questionnaire survey of students during the whole school period and a semistructured interviews with 13 undergraduates of different majors were conducted. First, we found that compared with primary and secondary school students, undergraduates showed many problems with self-time management. Second, the behavior of undergraduates at home may result from multiple factors, such as past experience, professional identity and behavioral habits. When secondary school provided a relatively relaxed learning environment or secondary school teachers placed more emphasis on continuous effort, and when students had a strong sense of the social value of their undergraduate major, students worked harder and achieved more during the pandemic. Otherwise, it was easier for students to slack off and be passive during the pandemic. Altogether, this study deepens our understanding of undergraduates' self-management of free time, and the differences in the values underlying different behaviors and the formation process of various behaviors.

To validate the accuracy and reliability of onboard sensors for object detection and localization in driver assistance, as well as autonomous driving applications under realistic conditions (indoors and outdoors), a novel tracking system is presented. This tracking system is developed to determine the position and orientation of a slow-moving vehicle (e.g. car during parking maneuvers), independent of the onboard sensors, during test maneuvers within a reference environment. One requirement is a 6 degree of freedom (DoF) pose with a position uncertainty below 5 mm (3σ), an orientation uncertainty below 0.3° (3σ) at a frequency higher than 20 Hz, and a latency smaller than 500 ms. To compare the results from the reference system with the vehicle’s onboard system, a synchronization via Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and a system interoperability to Robot Operating System (ROS) is implemented. The developed system combines motion capture cameras mounted in a 360° panorama view set-up on the vehicle with robotic total stations. A point cloud of the test site serves as a digital twin of the environment, in which the movement of the vehicle is simulated. Results have shown that the fused measurements of these sensors complement each other, so that the accuracy requirements for the 6 DoF pose can be met, while allowing a flexible installation in different environments.

In this article we present a deployment of 11 nodes using the three different SUN (Smart Utility Network) modulation schemes, as defined in the IEEE 802.15.4-2015 standard. The nodes were deployed in a 110.044 m2 warehouse for 99 days, and the resulting dataset contains a total of 10.710.868 measurements with RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), CCA (Clear Channel Assessment) and PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio) values. The analyzed results show a high variability in average RSSI (i.e., between -82.1 dBm and -101.7 dBm) and CCA (i.e., between -111.2 dBm and -119.9 dBm) values, which are caused by the effects of multi-path propagation and external interference. Despite being above the sensitivity limit for each modulation, this values result in poor average PDR values (i.e., from 65.9% to 87.4%), indicating that additional schemes are required for low-power wireless communications to meet the dependability requirements of industrial applications. For that purpose, we also introduce the concept of modulation diversity, which can be combined with packet repetition to meet such requirements (i.e., PDR>99%) while minimizing the energy expenditure of nodes and meeting regulatory constraints.

This study builds on our previous Systematic Literature Review (SLR) that assessed the applications and performance of zk-SNARK, zk-STARK, and Bulletproof Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Proof (NIZKP) protocols. To address identified research gaps, we designed and implemented a benchmark comparing these three protocols using a dynamic MiMC hash application. We evaluated performance across four general-purpose programming libraries and two programming languages. Our results show that zk-SNARK produced the smallest proofs, while zk-STARK generated the largest. In terms of proof generation and verification times, zk-STARK was the fastest, and Bulletproof the slowest. Interestingly, zk-SNARK proofs verified marginally faster than zk-STARK, contrary to other findings. These insights enhance our understanding of the functionality, security, and performance of NIZKP protocols, providing valuable guidance for selecting the most suitable protocol for specific applications.

This study reports the likely real-world effects of fleet replacement with electric vehicles (EVs) and higher efficiency EURO6 vehicles on the exhaust emissions of NOx, PM, and CO2 in the seven boroughs of the West Midlands (WM) region, UK. National fleet composition data, local EURO distributions and traffic compositions were used to project vehicle fleet compositions for different roads in each borough. A large dataset of real-world emission factors including over 90,000 remote-sensing measurements, obtained from remote sensing campaigns in five UK cities, was used to parameterise the emission profiles of the studied scenarios. Results show that adoption of the fleet electrification approach would have the highest emission reduction potential on urban roads in WM boroughs. It would result in maximum reductions ranging from 35.0-37.9%, 44.3-48.3%, 46.9-50.3% for NOx, PM, and CO2, respectively. In comparison, the EURO6 replacement fleet scenario would lead to reductions ranging from 10.0-10.4%, 4.0-4.2%, and 6.0-6.4% for NOx, PM, and CO2, respectively. The studied mitigation scenarios have higher efficacies on motorways than on rural and urban roads because of the differences in traffic fleet composition. The findings presented will help policymakers choose climate and air quality mitigation strategies.

Dirofilaria immitis infection is one of the most severe parasitic diseases of dogs. Prevention is achieved by the administration of drugs containing macrocyclic lactones (MLs). These products are very safe and highly effective, targeting the third and fourth larval stages (L3, L4) of the parasite. Until 2011, claims of ineffectiveness of MLs, reported as “Lack of Efficacy” (LOE), were generally attributed to owners’ non-compliance, or other reason for inadequate preventative coverage. There was solid argumentation that a resistance problem is not likely to occur because of i) the great extent of refugia, ii) the complexity of resistance development to MLs, and iii) the possible big number of genes involved in resistance selection. Nevertheless, today it is unequivocally proven that ML resistant D. immitis strains exist, at least in the Lower Mississippi region, USA. Accordingly, tools have been developed, to evaluate and confirm the susceptibility status of D. immitis strains. A simple, in-clinic, microfilariae suppression test, 14-28 days after ML administration, and a “decision tree” (algorithm), including compliance and preventatives’ purchase history, and testing gaps, may be applied for assessing any resistant nature of the parasite. On the molecular level, specific SNPs may be used as markers of ML resistance, offering a basis for validation of clinically suspected resistant strains. In Europe, no LOE/resistance claims have been reported so far, and the existing conditions (stray dogs, rich wildlife, majority of owned dogs not on preventive MLs treatment) do not favor selection pressure on the parasites. Considering the genetic basis of resistance and the epizootiological characteristics of D. immitis, ML resistance neither establishes easily nor spreads quickly, a fact confirmed by the current known dispersion of the problem, which is limited. Nevertheless, ML resistance may propagate from an initial geographical point, via animal and vector mobility, to other regions, while it can also emerge as an independent evolutionary process in a new area. For these reasons and considering the current chemoprophylaxis recommendations and increasing use of ML endectoparasiticides as a potential selection pressure, it is important to remain vigilant for timely detection of any ML LOE/resistance, in all continents where D. immitis is enzootic.

In ageing tissues, long-lived extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins are susceptible to the accumulation of structural damage due to diverse mechanisms including glycation, oxidation and protease cleavage. Peptide location fingerprinting (PLF) is a new mass spectrometry (MS) analysis technique capable of identifying proteins exhibiting structural differences in complex proteomes. PLF applied to published young and aged intervertebral disc (IVD) MS datasets (posterior, lateral and anterior regions of the annulus fibrosus), identified 268 proteins with age-related structural differences. For several ECM assemblies (collagens I, II and V and aggrecan), these differences were markedly conserved between degeneration-prone (posterior and lateral) and resistant (anterior) regions. Significant differences in peptide yields, observed within collagen I, II and V α-chains (COL1A2, COL2A1, COL5A1), were located within their triple helical regions and/or cleaved C-terminal propeptides, indicating potential accumulation of damage and impaired maintenance in ageing. Several proteins (COL5A1, COL2A1 and aggrecan) also exhibited tissue region (lateral)-specific differences in structure between aged and young, suggesting that some ageing mechanisms may act locally within tissues. This study not only provides evidence of age-related changes in ECM protein structures which are tissue-region specific, but also highlights the ability of PLF to identify potential protein biomarkers of localised tissue remodelling.