The Asia-Pacific region contains almost half of the planet’s coastal carbon-sequestering (blue carbon) environments (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses). These habitats are highly valuable to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, but are under threat throughout the region, due in significant part to an insufficient policy environment to protect, restore, or create new coastal wetlands/blue carbon environments. Using a systematic evidence synthesis we reviewed the existing literature on blue carbon policy, and found that gaps and challenges fall under three themes, “Land Tenure and Ownership”, “Funding and Protecting Blue Carbon Habitat”, and “Conflicting Priorities and Jurisdictions”, with two overarching issues, the inconsistent recognition of rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and women, and sea-level rise. This study makes recommendations to ensure high-quality blue carbon projects through improving equitable outcomes, particularly for women and IPLCs, and to reduce barriers to implementing blue carbon projects. These recommendations include gender sensitive and participatory mapping along with a registry of ownership with extensive gender equitable IPLC consultation to resolve ownership uncertainties. Recommendations for community level and gender equitable benefits beyond individual land owners are important to address the inequity of land ownership. Where land ownership changes under sea-level rise and intentional barrier removal, carbon rights should be retained by the landowner; otherwise, there is little incentive to undertake blue carbon projects. Due to the limited income that results from some carbon credit payments, other crediting and non-market methods can be considered to supplement landowners’ incomes and encourage habitat protection. Conflicting priorities between authorities responsible for managing coastal wetlands can be resolved through systematic restructuring/streamlining and collaborative workshops. Some will require changes to policies and amending delegated legislation.

The artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT can answer questions and solve tasks posed by the user within seconds. Using an exemplary task, this study investigates the reliability and con-sistency of the answers given by ChatGPT. For this purpose, it was analyzed whether the an-swers differ when a question is asked repeatedly and whether selected content categories and associated word combinations coincide with those from scientific literature. ChatGPT was asked 400 times, how the connectedness between humans and nature can be increased. The responses were classified into a categorization system and the most frequently occurring word combina-tions for each category were extracted. These word combinations were used for a search of re-lated scientific literature. In addition, the Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) between the 400 individual responses was calculated. The results show that the phrases used by ChatGPT within the categories are also found in the scientific literature, however, the number of mentions between scientific literature and ChatGPT differs. In addition, the NMI suggested that there are large differences between the categories mentioned in the individual answers. These results in-dicate that ChatGPT currently still has difficulties in answering complex questions and cannot yet replace scientific literature research or academic writing.

: This Systematic Review focused on the use of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium breve in neurodegenerative diseases. The study of metabolomics has demonstrated the relationship between dysbiosis and neuronal death. The modulation of the gut microbiota in the intervention of these pathologies has become a promising area of study, showing beneficial results such as the improvement of synaptic function, the reduction of neuroinflammation, as well as the improvement of associated neuropsychiatric symptoms. Several studies have addressed the administration of Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium breve, alone, in conjunction or in combination with other strains, in the intervention of neurodegenerative diseases. This Systematic Review includes the results of 17 research articles (n=5 in humans and n=12 in animal models) and the main result was that the use of these Bifidobacterium strains, alone, in conjunction or in combination with other strains, produced improvements in neurodegenerative disease-related symptomatology and degenerative cellular processes. However, some studies shown neutral results in certain variables. These data suggest that the use of these probiotics has a neuroprotective effect that may delay the progression of the disease. This research provides relevant and updated information on the use of these Bifidobacterium strains in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

The NP method was used to elucidate the contributions of vehicles and coal combustion to seasonal and long-term atmospheric PM-bound Pyr and 1-NP concentrations in Kanazawa, Kitakyushu, Shenyang, and Shanghai in the Western Pacific region from 1997 to 2021. Among the four cities, Kanazawa demonstrated the lowest Pyr concentration. The contribution of vehicles to Pyr before and after 2010 were 35% and 5%, respectively. The 1-NP concentration reduced by a factor of more than 1/10. These changes can be attributed to the emission control from vehicles. Kitakyushu revealed the second lowest Pyr and the lowest 1-NP concentrations. Coal combustion was found to be the main contributor to Pyr, while its contribution to 1-NP increased from 9% to 19%. The large contribution of coal combustion is attributed to iron manufactures. Shenyang demonstrated the highest atmospheric Pyr concentration with its largest seasonal change. Vehicles are the largest contributors to 1-NP. However, coal combustion, including winter coal heating, contributed 97% or more to Pyr and more than 14% to 1-NP. Shanghai revealed the second highest Pyr and 1-NP concentrations, but the former was substantially lower than in Shenyang. Coal combustion was the major contributor, but the contribution of vehicles to Pyr was larger before 2010 similar to Kanazawa.

Spectral characteristics of CDOM in water column are a key parameter for bio-optical modeling. Knowledge of CDOM optical properties and spatial discrepancy based on the relationship between water quality and spectral parameters in Yinma River watershed with in situ data collected highly-polluted waters are exhibited in this study. Seasonal field data sets collected over a period of 2 months in 2015 in Yinma River Watershed. Based on the comprehensive index method, the riverine waters showed serious contamination, especially the COD, Fe, Mn, Hg and DO were out of range contamination warning. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total suspended matter (TSM) with prominent non-homogenizing were significantly high in the riverine waters, but chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was opposite. Ternary phase diagram showed that non-algal paritcles absorption played an important role in total non-water light absorption (>50%) in most sampling locations, and mean contribution of CDOM were 13% and 22% in summer and autumn respectively. Analysis of ratio of absorption at 250-365 nm (E_250:365) and spectral slope (S_275-295) indicated that CDOM had higher aromaticity and molecular weight in autumn than in summer, is consistent with the results of water quality and relative contribution. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables OSM had a strong correlation with CDOM absorption, followed by heavy metal, e.g., Mn, Hg and Cr⁶⁺. However, for the specific UV absorbance (SUVA₂₅₄), the seasonal values showed opposite results compared with the reported literature. The potential reasons were the more UDOM (uncolored Dissolved Organic Matter) from human source (wastewater effluent) existed in waters. Terrigenous inputs simultaneously are in relation to the a_CDOM(440)-DOC relationship with the correlation coefficient was 0.90 in summer (2-tailed, p<0.01), and 0.58 in autumn (2-tailed, p<0.05). Spatial distribution of CDOM parameters exhibited that the downstream regions focused on dry land have high CDOM molecular weight and aromatic hydrocarbon. Partial sampling locations around the cities or countries generally showed abnormal values due to terrigenous inputs. As a bio-optical model parameter, spectral characteristic of CDOM is helpful in adjusting the derived algorithms in highly-polluted environments. The study on organic carbon and pollutants in highly-polluted waters had an important contribution to global carbon balance estimation and water environment protection.

Mangrove forests provide a wide range of goods and services that sustain communities around the world. This paper explores utilization patterns of extractable mangrove resources by communities within the proposed Kenya – Tanzania Transboundary Conservation Area (TBCA). Some 152 household surveys and 12 Nominal Group Technique discussions were carried out. At least 16 direct use products were reported to be extracted from the mangroves, with 90% of households found to use mangrove products. Changing patterns of mangrove use in the areas and accessibility point towards unsustainable utilization and promote illegal activities. Overharvesting of mangrove wood products was reported to be the major threat facing the forests. Patterns of mangrove use in the study site reveal a high level of mangrove-dependence by communities for their livelihood. There is a need to address the problems of open access through capacity building and awareness creation, development and implementation of harvest plans as well as introduction of alternative livelihood options to the communities in the area.

Monitoring the status and dynamics of desertification is one of the most important parts of combating desertification. In this study, 30m high-resolution information on land desertification and restoration in the HRB was extracted from the land cover database. The results indicate that land desertification coexists with land restoration in the HRB. At different periods, the area of land restoration is much larger than the area of land desertification in the HRB, and the HRB has been in a process of land restoration. Upstream of the HRB, there is a continuing trend of increasing land desertification associated with overgrazing in a context where climate change favors desertification reversal. In the middle and lower reaches, although both climate variability and human activities favor land desertification, the process of land desertification in the middle and lower reaches is still being reversed and land restoration dominates. The implementation of the Eco-Environmental Protection Project and desertification control measures, especially the EWDP, is contributing to the reversal of desertification in the middle and lower reaches of the HRB. However, the EWDP has indirectly led to the lowering of the water table in the middle reaches, resulting in local vegetation degradation. Therefore, there is therefore an urgent need to transform the economic structure of the middle reaches to cope with water scarcity and land desertification.

Off-grid electrification planning increasingly recognizes the importance of productive use of electricity (PUE) to promote community value creation and (financial) project sustainability. To ensure a sustainable and efficient integration in the community and energy system, PUE assets must carefully be evaluated to match both the community needs and the residential electricity demand patterns. We propose a novel methodology interlinking qualitative interviews, statistical analysis, and energy system modelling to optimize decision-making for PUE integration in off-grid energy systems in rural Madagascar by aligning relevant PUE effectively with anticipated residential electricity demand patterns based on socio-economic determinants of the community. We find that a possible contribution of the PUE to reducing the electricity costs depends signifi-cantly on three factors: 1. the residential electricity consumption patterns that are influenced by the socio-economic composition of the community, 2. the degree of flexibility of i) PUE assets and ii) operational preferences of the PUE user, and 3. the capacity of community members to finance and operate PUE assets. Our study demonstrates that significant cost reductions for PUE-integrated off-grid energy systems can be achieved by applying our proposed methodology. When matching PUE and residential consumption patterns, the integration of PUE assets in residential community energy system can reduce the financial risk of operators, provided the PUE enterprise operates reliably and sustainably. We highlight that the consideration of local value chains and co-creation approaches are essential to ensure the energy system is addressing the community’s needs, creates value for the community, enhances the project´s financial sustainability, and is achieving the overall objectives of decentralized energy system planning.

Protein degradation is a biological phenomena essential for cellular homeostasis and survivor. Selective protein degradation is performed by the ubiquitination system which selectively target proteins that need to be eliminated and lead them to proteasome degradation. In this review, we focus on the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 O (UBE2O) and highlight the role of UBE2O in many biological and physiological process. We further discuss the UBE2O implications in various human diseases, particularly in leukemias and solid cancers and suggest how UBE2O targeting could be novel strategy in the treatment of different human neoplasia.

Despite Low Power Wide Area Networks’ ability to offer an extended range, it might still encounter challenges with coverage blind spots in the network. This article proposes an innovative energy-efficient nature-inspired relay selection algorithm for LoRa-based LPWAN networks, serving as a solution for challenges related to poor signal range in areas with limited coverage. A behavior swarm-inspired approach has been utilized to select the relays’ localization in the network, providing network energy efficiency and radio signal extension. These relays help bridge communication gaps, significantly reducing the impact of coverage blind spots by forwarding signals from devices with poor direct connectivity with the gateway. The proposed algorithm considers critical factors for the LoRa standard, such as the Spreading Factor or device energy budget analysis. The simulation experiments validate the proposed scheme’s effectiveness in terms of energy efficiency under diverse multi-gateway topology scenarios involving thousands of devices. Specifically, it has been verified that the proposed approach outperforms the reference method in preventing the battery depletion of relays, which is vital for battery-powered IoT devices. Furthermore, for some large-scale problems, the proposed heuristic method achieves over twice the speed of the exact method with a negligible accuracy loss of less than 2%.

Oncomelania Hupensis is the exclusive intermediary host of Schistosoma japonicum in China. The alteration of its habitat and population distribution directly affects the safety of millions of individuals residing in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), and the ecological stability. Therefore, it is crucial to analyse the influence of climate change on the distribution of O. Hupensis in order to achieve accurate control over its population. This study utilised the MaxENT model to forecast possible snail habitats by utilising snail distribution data obtained from historical literature. The subsequent outcomes were achieved: The primary ecological factors influencing the distribution of O. Hupensis are elevation, minimum temperature of coldest month, and precipitation of wettest month; Furthermore, future climate scenarios indicate a decrease in the distribution area and a northward shift of the distribution centre for O. hupensis; Specifically, those in the upstream will move northeast, while those in the midstream and downstream will move northwest; These changes in suitable habitat area, the average migration distance of distribution centers across different climate scenarios, time periods, and sub-basins within the YREB, resulting in uncertainty. This study offers theoretical justification for the prevention and control of O. hupensis along the YREB.

Human induced climate change led to the recognition of Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) as one of the remedies in building adaptive capacity and resilience of communities. It recognizes the agency of communities in shaping the optimal strategy. CBA interventions are vital in addressing community needs and contextual specificities, enable participatory and inclusive engagement and thereby facilitate more profound adaptation impacts. Agent-based modelling (ABM) has the potential to be an invaluable approach in developing tailored adaptation strategies considering capacities, resources, skills, priorities, needs and the cultural context of local communities. ABM allows to capture the complex relationships among various components within community decision making on CBA actions, the CBA actions themselves and the environment, however available tools provide for various degrees of freedom in agent definition, sensitivity analysis, scalability, experiment design and output analysis to name a few. This article assesses all available ABM modelling and simulation tools for its application in the context of CBA. NetLogo emerges as the most suitable tool for incorporating and handling the special features of CBA. It is closely followed by GAMA and Envision. The article provides insights and guidance to researchers and practitioners in selecting ABM tools aligned with the specific requirements of their CBA simulations and projects.

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

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory condition which significantly affects quality of life in both patients and their caregivers. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) are a class of immunosuppressive drugs predominantly inhibiting T cell mediated immune processes. CNI form complex by binding with immunophilins and in turn inhibit calcineurin and suppress downstream inflammatory pathway. Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are topical CNI approved for the treatment of mild to severe AD in both children and adults. Application site reactions are frequently seen. They have been issued with black box warning towards increased risk of malignancies but supportive evidence is lacking. Cyclosporine, though highly effective, is used off-label for AD management. It is used for controlling acute flares of AD due to its very rapid onset of action. Nephrotoxicity and hypertension are its serious complications. CNI have not been reported with teratogenicity and may be used conditionally during pregnancy and lactation.

New setting is introduced to study chromatic number. vital chromatic number and n-vital chromatic number are proposed in this way, some results are obtained. Classes of neutrosophic graphs are used to obtains these numbers and the representatives of the colors. Using colors to assign to the vertices of neutrosophic graphs is applied. Some questions and problems are posed concerning ways to do further studies on this topic. Using vital edge from connectedness to define the relation amid vertices which implies having different colors amid them and as consequences, choosing one vertex as a representative of each color to use them in a set of representatives and finally, using neutrosophic cardinality of this set to compute vital chromatic number. This specific relation amid edges is necessary to compute both vital chromatic number concerning the number of representative in the set of representatives and n-vital chromatic number concerning neutrosophic cardinality of set of representatives. If two vertices have no vital edge, then they can be assigned to same color even they’ve common edge. Basic familiarities with neutrosophic graph theory and graph theory are proposed for this article.

This paper investigates the efficacy of YOLOv8 variants for vehicle detection and license plate detection within smart parking applications, emphasizing performance under varying ambient lighting conditions. The proposed system is to seize full video frames, extracts regions of interest containing vehicles, and feeds them into separate, pre-trained YOLOv8 models – one dedicated to vehicle detection and another for license plate detection. Four YOLOv8 variants, nano, small, medium, and large, are evaluated. As a pre-processing step, the images are processed with the help of OpenCV and Pillow libraries to adjust the luminosity and increase the images’ DPI so that they would be easy to perceive by the Tesseract OCR engine. Sixteen potential combinations arise from pairing the four YOLOv8 models for vehicle and license plate detection tasks. To identify the most suitable combinations, we employ the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making method, specifically Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) analysis. This analysis considers 4 critical metrics: Precision, mean average precision at 95% Intersection of Union threshold, Recall and Total Inference Time. The objective is to achieve an optimal balance between high accuracy and real-time processing. Following the selection of optimal YOLOv8 combinations through TOPSIS analysis, we assess their performance under varying ambient light intensity (measured in lux). This evaluation aims to identify the most robust model combinations that ensure accurate vehicle and license plate recognition across the diverse lighting conditions encountered in real-world environment.

This article touched upon various issues regarding vulnerability, disparities amongst community settings, and the effect of air pollution on the populace (low-income communities). Furthermore, the paper emphasized environmental ethics approaches like anthropocentric, nature-centric, and deep-ecological approaches. More so, it addresses the importance of handling these disparities, particularly from the geopolitical dimension, and recommends cross-border cooperation and accountability in promoting environmental justice in India.

Biopolymer gels have gained tremendous potential for therapeutic applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to adsorb and bind biological fluids, making them attractive for drug delivery and therapy. The versatility of biopolymer gels in theranostic backgrounds, with a focus on integrating imaging features and facilitating real-time monitoring of drug delivery. Different methods of delivery are explored imaging agents into biopolymer gels, including encapsulation, surface functionalization, nanoparticle encapsulation and layer-by-layer assembly techniques. Integration of Agents and Real-Time Monitoring Drug Delivery We summarize the synthesis methods, general properties, and mechanisms of biopolymer gels functionality, demonstrating their broad applications as multimodal systems for imaging-based therapeutics. These techniques not only enable multiple imaging but also provide signal enhancement and imaging a targeted facilitates, increasing the diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy. In addition, current techniques for incorporating imaging agents into biopolymer gels are discussed, and their role in precise drug delivery and monitoring.

Evaluation of market connectedness and asymmetric volatility spillover has recently seen a surge in financial risk analytics and portfolio diversification. We carried out a meta-literature review on connectedness and spillovers, providing solid insight into the research field and robust guidelines for future investigation. The review consists of a quantitative bibliometric analysis of 594 papers and a qualitative content analysis of 77 papers covering 1991 to 2021. The results of the meta-citation analysis shows that Diebold's Spillover index (2007) is the predominant method in most works as far as market connectedness and spillover is concerned. With an extensive review, we answered the following objectives (1) Analyze the most influential authors, journals, and publications, (2) Understand the research streams and most studied streams, (3) Understand the theme structure and thematic evolution, and keyword trends, (4) Examine the pattern of collaboration, and most productive affiliations, (5) Explore future research directions and untapped areas. The content analysis revealed the following important research streams in the current literature (1) Asymmetries in the market connectedness, (2) Influence of Macro Factors in the market connectedness and spillover, (3) the Role of Oil in market spillovers and hedging portfolios, (4) Dynamic cross-market connectedness and spillovers. The ongoing financial turmoil and market advancements make market connectedness a vital research topic; thus, our work would significantly contribute to macroeconomic policymakers, researchers and hedging investors.

The extent of access to energy of displaced populations in settlements and camps in Africa is largely 14 unknown. A multitude of contextual factors, such as the location and the characteristics of housing, 15 the legal status, the socio-cultural background, and the availability of humanitarian and public ser- 16 vices impact the living conditions and the needed energy services. Limitations in accessing energy 17 services have direct, multilayered, and far-reaching implications, including impacts on health, nu- 18 trition, education, protection, and livelihood. The objective of this article is to contribute to a more 19 comprehensive overview of the current state of energy access in displacement contexts on the Afri- 20 can continent by identifying and utilizing existing data. After a screening of the vast and various 21 available information, setting up of a database, consolidating the gathered data as well as assessing 22 the quality through a quality assessment method, the currently available information is visualized 23 and discussed. Considerable differences in the access to electricity for displaced persons across the 24 countries are found. For both electricity and clean cooking, the availability for displaced persons 25 ranges from nearly no access at all up to an access rate of 100%. More strikingly, the results also 26 show that besides South Africa and countries in the Maghreb region, the access to both clean cook- 27 ing and electricity for displaced persons is very low. At the same time, the fragmented data availa- 28 bility, the poor data quality, and the questionable expediency of available data allows neither solid 29 theoretical conclusions nor planning of effective practical implementation measures. Novel inter- 30 disciplinary research, conceptual frameworks and indicators are needed for the purpose of compa- 31 rability and consistency. Future research has the potential to more comprehensively capture the 32 current state of access to energy in displacements contexts and in a next step to examine how energy 33 is interwoven in the lives of displaced people to derive a set of more detailed context-sensitive en- 34 ergy indicators. It is essential that the concerned persons, the displaced persons themselves are in- 35 cluded in the research in a meaningful way.

The realization of a perfect absorber A = 1 with transmittance and reflectance T=R=0 by a thin metasurface is one of the hot topics in recent nanophotonics prompted by energy harvesting and sensor applications (A + R + T =1 is the energy conservation). Here we tested optical properties of over 400 structures of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) metasurfaces for a range of variation in thickness of insulator, the diameter of a disc and intra-disc distance experimentally and numerically. Conditions of a near-perfect absorption A > 95% with simultaneously occurring anti-reflection property (R < 5%) were experimentally determined. Differences between the bulk vs. nano-thin film properties at mid-IR of the used materials can be of interest for plasmonic multi-metal alloys and high entropy metals.

New setting is introduced to study the alliances. Alliances are about a set of vertices which are applied into the setting of neutrosophic graphs. Neighborhood has the key role to define these notions. Also, neighborhood is defined based on the edges, strong edges and some edges which are coming from connectedness. These three types of edges get a framework as neighborhood and after that, too close vertices have key role to define offensive alliance, defensive alliance, t-offensive alliance, and t-defensive alliance based on three types of edges, common edges, strong edges and some edges which are coming from connectedness. The structure of set is studied and general results are obtained. Also, some classes of neutrosophic graphs containing complete, empty, path, cycle, bipartite, t-partite, star and wheel are investigated in the terms of set, minimal set, number, and neutrosophic number. In this study, there’s an open way to extend these results into the family of these classes of neutrosophic graphs. The family of neutrosophic graphs aren’t study but it seems that analogous results are determined. There’s a question. How can be related to each other, two sets partitioning the vertex set of a graph? The ideas of neighborhood and neighbors based on different edges illustrate open way to get results. A set is alliance when two sets partitioning vertex set have uniform structure. All members of set have different amount of neighbors in the set and out of set. It leads us to the notion of offensive and defensive. New ideas, offensive alliance, defensive alliance, t-offensive alliance, t-defensive alliance, strong offensive alliance, strong defensive alliance, strong t-offensive alliance, strong t-defensive alliance, connected offensive alliance, connected defensive alliance, connected t-offensive alliance, and connected t-defensive alliance are introduced. Two numbers concerning cardinality and neutrosophic cardinality of alliances are introduced. A set is alliance when its complement make a relation in the terms of neighborhood. Different edges make different neighborhoods. Three types of edges are applied to define three styles of neighborhoods. General edges, strong edges and connected edges are used where connected edges are the edges arising from connectedness amid two endpoints of the edges. These notions are applied into neutrosophic graphs as individuals and family of them. Independent set as an alliance is a special set which has no neighbor inside and it implies some drawbacks for this notions. Finding special sets which are well-known, is an open way to purse this study. Special set which its members have only one neighbor inside, characterize the connected components where the cardinality of its complement is the number of connected components. Some problems are proposed to pursue this study. Basic familiarities with graph theory and neutrosophic graph theory are proposed for this article.

In recent years, bioengineered and biotechnological products have gained tremendous attention to identify unique biologic features associated with oncology. To overwhelm the complexity of tumor personalized medicines (PM) or vaccines could be a promising way-out to be considered. Cancer is a heterogeneous disease. This characteristic variability of cancer provides itself to the emergent era of PM i.e., precision oncology. The prime objective of PM is merely to deliver the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. For instance, imatinib was effectively targeted chronic myeloid leukemia. To date, attainment in using PM approaches to cancer treatment have been mixed. The next-generation sequencing (NGS), and the use of several biomarkers (e.g., HER2, BRAF, ALK, etc.), to drive precise cancer treatment through a timely and cost-effective manner. In current review, author summarizes the advancement in the field of PM such as CRISPR-Cas9, NGS, pharmacogenomics, and the benefits of machine learning techniques. The precise communication between healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies, and patients is essential to translate advances in PM into immense benefits for patients with cancer globally.

The search of DNA polymorphisms useful for the genetic improvement of dairy farm animals lasts more than 40 years with relevant findings in cattle for milk traits, where the best combination of alleles for dairy processing have been found in casein genes and in the DGAT1. Nowadays, similar results are not reached yet in river buffaloes despite advanced genomic technologies and accurate phenotype records are available. The aim of the present study was to investigate and validate in a larger buffalo population the effect on six milk traits of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the CSN1S1, CSN3, SCD and LPL genes, previously reported to be associated with or affect dairy traits in smaller populations often belonging to one farm. A total of 800 buffaloes were genotyped. Daily milk yield (dMY, kg), protein yield (dPY, kg) and fat yields (dFY, kg), fat and protein contents (dFP, % and dPP, %), somatic cell count (SCC, 103cell/ml) and urea (mg/dl) were individually recorded in each month for the whole lactation from 2010 to 2021. A total of 15,742 individual milk test day records (2,496 lactations) were available on 680 buffalo cows with 3.6±1.7 parity (from 1 to 13) and 6.1±1.2 test day records per lactation on average. Three out four SNP in CSN1S1, CSN3 and LPL were associated with at least one of analyzed traits. In particular, the CSN1S1 (AJ005430:c.578C&gt;T) gave favorable associations with all yield traits (dMY, p=0.022; dPY, p=0.014 ; dFY, p=0.029) and SCS (p=0.032), whereas the CSN3 (HQ677596: c.536C&gt;T) positively associated with SCS (p=0.005) and milk urea (p=0.04). Favorable effect on dMY (p=0.028), dFP (p=0.027) and dPP (p=0.050) were observed for the LPL. Conversely, SCD did not show any association with milk traits. This is the first example of confirmation study carried out in the Mediterranean river buffalo for genes of economic interest in dairy field and it represents a very important indication for the preselection of young bulls destined to breeding programs in the view of a more sustainable dairy production.

Accurate determination of the concentration of alcohols and their metabolites is important in forensics and in several life science areas. A new method has been developed to quantify alcohols and their oxidative products using a headspace gas chromatography- mass spectrometer and isotope-labelled internal standards. This work demonstrates the application of this method, specifically in quantifying the concentration of oxidative products of alcohol and other minor alcohols found in hand sanitizers, which have become an essential household item since the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from the major component, the minor alcohols found in hand sanitizers include methanol, isopropanol, and n-propanol. In ethanol-based hand sanitizers, a significant amount of acetaldehyde was observed as an oxidation product, while in isopropanol-based hand sanitizers, acetone was observed. The concentration of acetaldehyde in ethanol-based hand sanitizers significantly increased with storage time and temperature, whereas no such increase of acetone concentration was observed in isopropanol-based hand sanitizers with storage time and temperature.

Senna rugosa is a species found in the Cerrado and used in folk medicine as a vermifuge and in the treatment of poisonous snakebites accidents. In this work, we identified the main secondary metabolites present in ethanolic extracts of the leaves (ELSR) and roots (ERSR) of S. rugosa and evaluated the potential cytoprotective effect against cellular macromolecular damage, as well as the cytotoxic properties of the extracts on the K562 and Jurkat leukemic cell lines. The identification of metabolites was done by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activities were investigated by direct ABTS•+ and DPPH• radical scavenging methods, protection against oxidative damage in proteins and DNA. The cytotoxic properties were investigated against healthy cells, isolated from human peripheral blood (PBMC) and leukemic cell lines. The leaf extract contains catechin, rutin, epigallocatechin derivatives, kaempferol glycosides, luteolin, and dimeric and trimeric procyanidins, while the root extract profile shows obtusichromoneside derivatives, 2-methoxystypandrone, stilbene derivatives, naphthopyranones, and flavanone derivatives. The extracts showed antioxidant activity, with IC50 of 4.86 ± 0.51 µg/mL and 8.33 ± 0.90 µg/mL in the ABTS assay for ELSR and ERSR, respectively. And in the DPPH• assay, the IC50 was 19.98 ± 1.96 µg/mL for ELSR and 13.37 ± 1.05 µg/mL for ERSR. The extracts protected macromolecules against oxidative damage at concentrations of 5 µg/mL. The cytotoxicity test against leukemic strains was observed after 24 and 48 hours of treatment. After 48 h, results against the K562 cell line demonstrate IC50 of 242.54 ± 2.38 µg/mL and 223.00 ± 2.34 µg/mL for ELSR and ERSR , respectively. While against the Jurkat cell line, these extracts showed IC50 of 171.45 ± 2.25 µg/mL and 189.30 ± 2.27 µg/mL, respectively Results on PBMC viability, demonstrate that the extracts showed selectivity for the leukemic cell lines. Together, our results reveal that the leaves and roots of S. rugosa have completely distinct and complex chemical compositions. This study expands the repertoire of identified chemical compounds and underscores their significant pharmacological potential in conditions related to oxidative stress and leukemia.

Antibacterial bone cements (ABCs), such as antibiotic-loaded bone cements (ALBCs), have been widely utilized in clinical treatments. Currently, bone cements loaded with vancomycin, gentamicin, tobramycin, or clindamycin are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, traditional ALBCs exhibit drawbacks like burst release and bacterial resistance. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of antibacterial bone cements containing novel agents. In this review, we summarize the latest advancements in ABCs. More importantly, we provide an overview and outlook on novel antibacterial agent-loaded bone cements, including metallic antibacterial agents, pH-switchable antibacterial agents, cationic polymers, N-halamines, non-leaching acrylic monomers, antimicrobial peptides, etc. Offering novel perspectives for designing ABCs and treating bone infections.

The pervasive use of plastic for milk packaging has raised significant health concerns, despite its advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, convenience, and durability. The potential correlation between cancer and plastic packaging is one of these concerns. This mini-review examines the health implications of plastic materials used in milk packaging, with a particular emphasis on their carcinogenic hazards. This work endeavors to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the influence of plastic components on human health and underscore the importance of ongoing research in this field by utilizing insights from a comprehensive review article. Harmful chemicals have been observed to leach into milk from plastics used in milk packaging, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), particularly under conditions of protracted storage and heat. Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and styrene are among the most prevalent leachates. These chemicals have been associated with a variety of health issues, such as an elevated risk of cancer, and are recognized for their endocrine-disrupting properties. BPA and phthalates, in particular, have the potential to disrupt hormone function, which may result in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other hormone-related malignancies.This review emphasizes the significance of comprehending the precise components of plastics utilized in milk packaging and their potential health consequences. It advocates for more rigorous research to completely elucidate the long-term health impacts of these materials by emphasizing the current state of knowledge and regulatory initiatives. Additionally, it underscores the necessity of innovative packaging technologies to guarantee consumer protection and mitigate the risk of exposure to carcinogenic substances.

We interviewed 48 people including local communities, ex hunters and protected area management professionals. The purpose of the interviews was to understand the motivations for, and the nature of, illegal hunting of prey species of iconic predators - tigers and leopards - in the northern section of Bardia National Park. Participants reported that hunting of prey species occurs mostly in spring and autumn and is less common during the summer. In the past, hunting was primarily for the purposes of obtaining meat for household consumption. Since the introduction of a road network in the region, opportunities to sell wild meat at ad-hoc ‘highway markets’ have developed. The purported medicinal properties of wild meat was also cited as a driver for illegal hunting. Mostly, locally hand-made guns are used for hunting and the use of dogs in hunting was often reported. Protected area managers informed that illegal hunting problems in the study area are associated with a lack of presence of park authorities, remoteness and underdevelopment and poverty of the community. Our study suggested that skills development training for local community members might reduce dependency on wild meat for household consumption and earning thereby reducing illegal hunting.

In the process of sewage coagulation treatment, quartz sand is often used as a heavy medium to accelerate the settling rate of flocs, but it will adversely affect the removal efficiency of pollutants. The factors that affect the coagulation effect and can be controlled manually include the quartz sand dosage, coagulant dosage, sewage pH, stirring time, settling time, etc, their reasonable setting is critical to. This paper was to study the optimal conditions of quartz sand enhanced coagulation(QSEC), first, single-factor tests were conducted to preliminarily explore the optimal range of influencing factors, and then response surface methodology（RSM）tests were performed to accurately determine the optimums of significant factors. The results showed that the addition of quartz sand can’t improve the water quality of coagulation treatment, but it can significantly accelerate the coagulation settlement process, the quartz sand dosage, the coagulant dosage and sewage pH all impacted significantly on its coagulation effect, and existed inflection points. A model that could guide QSEC was obtained by RSM tests. The model optimization and experimental validation showed that the optimal QSEC conditions for treating domestic sewage were as follows: the polyaluminum chloride(PAC) dosage, cationic polyacrylamide(CPAM) dosage, the sewage pH, quartz sand dosage, stirring time and settling time were 0.97 g·L-1, 2.25 mg·L-1, 7.22, 2 g·L-1, 5 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively, and the turbidity of treated sewage was reduced to 1.15 NTU.

Aiming to improve medical diagnosis and treatment, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformational force in the healthcare industry. In this article, we examine how AI is increasingly being used to improve healthcare, with an emphasis on how it is changing medical diagnosis and treatment. We explore the opportunities, threats, and ethical concerns of incorporating AI into healthcare practice. In addition, we feature important AI applications in radiology, pathology, cardiology, and cancer. AI has great potential to improve patient outcomes, diagnostic accuracy, and the ability to provide individualized treatment plans in the future if it is used and refined with care.

Several recent studies have indicated that miR-30a plays critical roles in various biological processes and diseases. However, the mechanism of miR-30a participation in the regulation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is ambiguous. Our previous study demonstrated that miR-30a may function as a novel therapeutic target for lung fibrosis by blocking mitochondrial fission, which is dependent on dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp-1). However, the regulatory mechanism between miR-30a and Drp-1 has yet to be investigated. In addition, whether miR-30a can act as a potential therapeutic has not been verified in vivo. In this study, the miR-30a expression in IPF patients was evaluated. Computational analysis and a dual luciferase reporter system assay were used to identify the target gene of miR-30a, and cell transfection was used to confirm this relationship. Ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was validated as a direct target of miR-30a, and the transfection of miR-30a mimic/inhibitor significantly reduced/increased the expression of TET1 protein. Further experiment verified that the interference on TET1(siRNA) could inhibit the hydroxymethlation of the Drp-1 promoter. Finally, miR-30a agomir was designed and applied to identify and validate the therapeutic effect of miR-30a in vivo. Our study demonstrated that miR-30a could inhibit the TET1 expression by base pairing with complementary sites in the 3′ untranslated region to regulate the hydroxymethlation of the Drp-1 promoter. Furthermore, miR-30a could act as a potential therapeutic target for IPF.

(1) This study aimed to examine the prevalence of depression and its correlation with acculturative Stress and Social Connectedness among domestic and overseas students in Japan International University. (2) Methods: A Web-based survey was distributed among students of International University, which resulted in 263 responses. On the survey together with socio-demographic data, a nine-item tool from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), was used to measure the prevalence of Depression and its relationship with socio-demographic data, Social Connectedness Scale was used to measure Social Connectedness, and Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS) was used to measured acculturative stress. (3) Results: Depression was significantly high in international and domestic students (37.81% and 29.85% respectively). English language proficiency and students age (20 years old) showed a significant correlation with depression among domestic students (β=-1.63, p=0.038 and β=2.24, p=0.048). Stay length (third year) also displayed a significant correlation with depression among international students (β=1.08, p=0.032). Among international and domestic students statistically significant positive correlation between depression and acculturative stress, negative associations of social connectedness with depression and acculturative stress were also found. Suicidal or self-hurting ideation thoughts are found among around 20% of all students. (4) Conclusions: These findings indicate a relatively high prevalence of depression among students of International University, and overseas students are more affected. Depression, Acculturation stress and Social Connectedness show statistically strong intercorrelation, which highlights the need of host University to recognise the role of Acculturation and Social Connectedness in the development of Depression among students.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which joints are gradually de-stroyed, and early diagnosis and treatment before joint deformation or destruction is im-portant. The detection of novel RA biomarkers in saliva may facilitate the early detection of RA before the onset of disease. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive proteomic analysis of salivary proteins from RA model mice. Proteins were identified by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum, saliva, and ankle joints from DBA/1JJmsSlc mice, a model of rheumatoid arthritis. Ankle joints and submandibular glands were hematoxylin and eosin stained and immunostained, and the results were compared with those of control mice. Citrullinated α1 antitrypsin (A1AT, 46 kDa) was commonly detected in saliva, serum, and ankle joints of severe RA model mice, and was confirmed by proteome analysis. Western blotting detected a band corresponding to 46 kDa in serum, saliva and ankle joints, and immunostaining of ankle joints with A1AT an-tibody showed a strong positive signal in the synovium. In DBA/1JJmsSlc mice, not only cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies but also A1AT may be involved in protein citrulli-nation and contribute to the development and severity of RA.

We analyze the upside and downside risk connectedness among international stock markets. We characterize the connectedness among international stock returns using the Diebold and Yilmaz spillover index approach and compute the upside and downside value-at-risk. We document that the connectedness level of the downside risk is higher than that of the upside risk and that stock markets are more sensitive when the stock market declines. We also find that specific periods (e.g., the global financial crisis, the European debt crisis, and the COVID-19 turmoil) intensify the spillover effects across international stock markets. Our results demonstrate that the EU, Ger-many, and the US acted as net transmitters of dynamic connectedness; however, Japan (JP), China (CH), and India (IN) acted as net receivers of dynamic connectedness during the sample period. These findings provide significant new information to policymakers and market participants.

Carpels are a reproductive feature restricted to angiosperms, therefore they are a focus of many botanical studies. However, there are controversies over the nature of carpels. A reason underly-ing these controversies is mixing implications given by conflicting interpretations on fossil carpels in early fossil angiosperms from the Cretaceous. These controversies hinder a clear understanding of angiosperm evolution and systematics. A key to these questions is older fossil fruits bearing concerned information. Here we report a new fossil fruit, Xenofructus dabuensis gen. et sp. nov, from the Middle Jurassic of Liaoning, China. Unlike previously reported fruits of early angio-sperms that were interpreted as bearing seeds either on adaxial or abaxial margin by various au-thors, our fossil demonstrates clearly that the seeds in Xenofructus are neither borne on the adaxial nor abaxial margin of the fruit, instead the seeds of Xenofructus are borne on an axis positioned between two margins. This new feature implies that a placenta in carpels is an ovule/seed-bearing axis, a carpel is a composite organ comprising an enclosing leaf (fruit wall) and an axis (placenta). The adaxial or abaxial position of ovules/seeds frequently seen in fossil and extant angiosperms is a consequence derived through long time evolution (coalescence of placenta with either margin of fruits). Carpels can be taken as foliar structures enclosing their associated ovulate branches.

Biochar is a carbonaceous material derived from the thermochemical conversion of biomass under oxygen-lean conditions. Its properties render it many applications in agriculture, environmental remediation, and catalysis. Commonly produced by pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere, the biochar composition is influenced mainly by residence time, heating rate, and process temperature. The existing literature primarily assesses biochar properties, such as ultimate, proximate, calorific, porosity, and combustibility, generated under various thermo-conversion conditions. However, there is a notable lack of sufficient investigation and attention given to the practical application of biochar. This article seeks to bridge that gap by enhancing the comprehension of the necessary experimental assessment for specific biochar applications and proposing process optimization methods using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). By delving into these aspects, the study offers a concise overview of biochar production and presents a comprehensive panorama based on articles and patents. Additionally, the research explores the physicochemical characterization techniques associated with biochar and its various applications in conjunction with MCDA. This comprehensive approach aims to uncover valuable insights that could further advance the practical and sustainable utilization of biochar in a wide range of fields.

The human landscape transforming activity contributes to the global change of vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We are investigating the vegetation dynamics over several years in in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). One important background factor is changes in precipitation and temperature. The novelty of our present study lies in the fact that the observation takes place with continuous disturbance, where the human influence is very large. Our results confirm that the weed infestation be detectable at bait sites over a long period, and the interannual changes were typical in every year, according to the fact that in August, more weed species are usually present with a greater cover at the bait sites. The main meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. There was a higher proportion of vegetation regeneration in wetter years, while dry periods do not favor successional processes. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. A more precise understanding of vulnerable systems and careful planning of treatment interventions is necessary.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a major cause of severe respiratory disease in infants and young children worldwide. Two vaccines targeting the elderly and pregnant women have been recently approved employing the prefusion form of the RSV-fusion protein (F). However, there are currently no vaccines for infants. Studies have shown a fusion-inactive prefusogenic F form is significantly more immunogenic and produces higher antibody titers to both the prefusion and postfusion structures of the F protein. Here we have developed RSV virus-like particles (RSV-VLPs) consisting of prefusogenic F, RSV glycoprotein and matrix proteins, produced them using the baculovirus expression system, and studied their protective efficacy in Balb/c mice. Morphology and successful assembly of VLPs were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and western blot. Mice immunized with VLPs developed high levels of serum IgG and neutralizing antibodies as compared with mice immunized with inactivated virus. The VLP vaccine also induced higher levels of IFNγ and IL4, elicited limited proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells but higher cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte responses. VLP immunization abolished lung pathology in the mice after RSV challenge. Overall, our results indicate that RSV-VLPs consisting of prefusogenic F, glycoprotein and matrix proteins are a potential vaccine candidate against RSV.

Integrated crop-livestock production (ILP) is an interesting alternative for more sustainable soil use. However, more studies are needed to analyze soil pore properties under ILP at the micrometer scale. Thus, this study proposes a detailed analysis of soil pore architecture at the micrometer scale in three dimensions. For this purpose, samples of an Oxisol under ILP subjected to minimum tillage (MT) and no-tillage (NT) with ryegrass as cover crop (C) and silage (S) were investigated. The soil micromorphological properties of the soil were analyzed using X-ray microtomography. The MT(C) system showed the highest values of porosity (c. 20.4%), connectivity (c. 32.8×103), volume (c. 26%), and number of pores (c. 32%) in a rod-like shape. On the other hand, the MT(S), NT(C), and NT(S) systems showed higher tortuosities (c. 2.2, c. 2.0, and c. 2.1) and lower pore connectivities (c. 8.3×103, c. 6.9×103, and c. 6.2×103), especially in S use. Ellipsoidal and rod-shaped pores predominated over spheroidal and disc-shaped pores in all treatments. The results of this study show that the use of ryegrass as a cover crop improves soil physical properties, especially in MT. For S use, the type of soil management (MT or NT) did not show any differences.

Biodiversity loss and nature degradation are pressing issues with huge impacts on our society and economy. Businesses, investors, and regulators focus on corporate efforts to support biodiversity and nature positive actions. This review provides a comprehensive overview about the importance of biodiversity in businesses, the materiality of biodiversity and the role of mandatory and non-mandatory regulations on corporate environmental reporting and sustainability disclosure frameworks. The review also discusses descriptive information on the evolution of sustainability frameworks with a comparison of most prominent sustainability frameworks with a key focus on the materiality approach and biodiversity-related disclosure recommendations. Further, we provide suggestions for more holistic approaches to improve the future sustainability frameworks focusing on the biodiversity impact while showing the necessity of more focus on the decision-making paradigm. Further research on measuring biodiversity impact and innovative trends in sustainability reporting are required to better reflect nature-positive outcomes in corporate sector businesses.

Nature has always been a source of inspiration for the development of novel materials and devices. In particular, polymer actuators that mimic the movements and functions of natural organisms have been of great interest due to their potential applications in various fields, such as biomedical engineering, soft robotics, and energy harvesting. During recent years, the development and actuation performance of electrospun fibrous meshes with the advantages of high permeability, surface area and easy functional modification, has received extensive attention from researchers. This review covers the recent progress in the state-of-the-art electrospun actuators based on commonly used polymers such as stimuli-sensitive hydrogels, shape-memory polymers (SMPs), and electroactive polymers. The design strategies inspired by nature such as hierarchical systems, layered structures, responsive interfaces to enhance the performance, and functionality of these actuators including the role of biomimicry to create devices that mimic the behavior of natural organism are discussed. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the field, with a focus on the development of more efficient and versatile electrospun polymer actuators that can be used in a wide range of applications, are addressed. The insights gained from this review can contribute to the development of advanced and multifunctional actuators with improved performance and expanded application possibilities.

This paper examines interlinkages and hedging opportunities between nine major cryptocurrencies for the period between 30 September 2015 and 4 June 2020, which notably includes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak lasting from early 2020 through the end of the sample period. The results of dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) analysis using a minimum connectedness approach show a high degree of correlation between cryptocurrencies throughout the sample period. However, the correlations reach their minimum values during the COVID-19 pandemic, which indicates that cryptocurrencies acted as a hedge or safe haven during the stressful period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The weight of cryptocurrencies was significantly reduced and their hedging effectiveness varied greatly during the pandemic, which indicates that investors’ preferences changed during the COVID-19 period.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) can help to achieve multiple Water-Ecosystem-Food Nexus Do-main Objectives & Nexus Resilience Qualities, facilitating the transition to more resilient agrifood systems and providing an evidence base for a broader Nexus policy dialogue. This paper de-scribes the stepwise methodology developed in the EU-funded LENSES project to carry out a comprehensive analysis of NBSs in 6 pilot areas in 5 Mediterranean countries, and presents the results of NBSs implementation in 4 pilot areas, highlighting obstacles and opportunities. The methodology includes the development of an analytical evaluation framework and of a com-prehensive catalogue of Nexus-related NBSs, whose suitability needs to be assessed at the local level to achieve better use of protected/natural ecosystems, increase the sustainability and mul-tifunctionality of managed ecosystems and design and manage novel ecosystems. Subsequently, in a collective learning process which supported the operationalisation of the WEF Nexus, NBSs were identified that address specific contextual vulnerabilities, improve water distribution and enhance food security, while preserving ecosystems and supporting adaptation to climate change. The added value of the proposed methodology lies in the multi-stakeholder participatory approach to gain in-depth knowledge of local agri-food systems, including their main WEF-related challenges, and to facilitate overcoming barriers to NBS implementation.

Complicated grief (CG) predicts decreased mental health over time. Furthermore, feeling connected to nature (CN) is positively associated with beneficial mental health outcomes, such as psychological wellbeing and perceived psychological resilience. Thus, we hypothesized that CN moderates the association between general grief or CG and negative mental health for bereaved people. Further, we hypothesized that one’s physical exposure to nature—that is, estimated time spent in nature and greenness (i.e., vegetation) surrounding one’s residential area—might moderate the association between general grief or CG and negative mental health for bereaved people. To test these hypotheses, we sampled 153 participants who experienced the death of a close other by COVID-19 infection. Participants reported CG, general grief, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, CN, estimated time spent in nature, and residential area postal code via a single online survey. We estimated greenness surrounding participants’ residential areas using their self-reported 5-digit U.S. postal code. Cross-sectional analyses indicated that, as predicted, CN attenuated the association between CG and depression, but only trended toward moderating the association between CG and anxiety and did not moderate the associations between general grief and depression or anxiety. Other variables related to the experience of nature—the estimated time an individual spends in nature and the greenness surrounding one’s residential area—did not moderate the association between general grief or CG and depression or anxiety. We thus conclude that a sense of feeling connected to nature—not simply spending more time in nature or being surrounded by nature—may serve an important role in the mental health status of people experiencing complicated grief, perhaps because CN replenishes general belonging when someone significant has passed away.

Why are simple, regular, and symmetric shapes common in nature? Many natural shapes arise as solutions to energy minimisation or other optimisation problems, but is there a general relation between optima and simple, regular shapes and geometries? Here we argue from algorithmic information theory that for objective functions common in nature --- based on physics and engineering laws --- optimal geometries will be simple, regular, and symmetric. Further, we derive a null model prediction that if a given geometry is an optimal solution for one natural objective function, then it is a priori more likely to be optimal or close to optimal for another objective function.

Malassezia is a lipid-dependent genus of yeasts known for being an important part of the skin mycobiota. These yeasts have been associated in the development of skin disorders and cataloged as a causal agent of systemic infections under specific conditions, making them opportunistic pathogens. Little is known about the host-microbe interaction of Malassezia spp., and unraveling this implies the implementation of infection models. In this mini review we present different models that have been implemented in the fungal infections study with greater attention in Malassezia spp. infections. These models range from in vitro (cell cultures and ex vivo tissue), to in vivo (murine models, rabbits, guinea pigs, insects, nematodes, and amoebas). We additionally highlight the alternative models that reduce the use of mammals as model organisms, which have been gaining importance in the study of fungal host-microbe interactions. This is due to the fact that these systems have shown to have reliable results, which correlate with those obtained from mammalian models. Example of alternative models are Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Tenebrio molitor, and Galleria mellonella. These are invertebrates that have been implemented in the study of Malassezia spp. infections in order to identify differences in virulence between Malassezia species.

This paper introduces LUNARMINERS framework and applies it for lunar water-ice extraction in Shackleton Crater at the lunar South Pole. The LUNARMINERS combines artificial intelligence swarm robotics with biomimetic swarm behavior. In the proposed framework, the foraging behavior of ants, the light attraction behavior of fireflies, and the migratory flight strategy of wild geese have been comprehensively analyzed and applied to robotic swarms for lunar mining. This research takes into consideration important aspects of the lunar environment, such as permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) and communication limitations in lunar craters, by simulating them in Robot Operating System (ROS). The LUNARMINERS framework has advantages over other methods in that it allows for the survey of an area of 0.025 km2 per day while achieving 100% water-ice deposition effectiveness. Studies show that by applying the LUNARMINER framework, the exploration of the entire Shackleton Crater can be completed in 3.75 Earth years via 15 robots. Simulations of the implementation of the proposed LUNARMINERS framework have demonstrated reliable high-levels of extraction efficiency, with the framework producing 12.9 metric tons of water-ice per day, which potentially can support up to 1,990 people per day based on astronaut’s daily water requirements from NASA's Human Integrated Design Handbook (HIDH) and thus, establishing a sustainable benchmark for lunar habitation. The results from this study show that the advances in the proposed LUNARMINERS framework can contribute to future lunar exploration and ISRU, setting new standards for sustainable off-Earth mining.

This manuscript reviews three case studies from Brazil, Panama, and Portugal that illustrate Nature-based Solutions. The Tijuca Forest in Rio de Janeiro is a remarkable story of centuries of forest management that today is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Panama Canal Watershed produces water for Canal operations, electricity generation, and drinking water for half the country´s population. Traditional windmills and weirs near streams in the Alentejo Region, Portugal, have largely been abandoned due to the damming of the Guadiana River. Yet today, weirs are increasingly recognized for their important contribution to water provisioning in this dry region. All have a primary goal related to water provisioning, yet their ecosystem benefits are multiple. The cases offer important lessons for adaptation to climate change, cultural benefits from traditional human activities, and concerns about social equity.

The 70/30 copper–nickel alloy is mainly used in critical parts with more demanding conditions in marine settings. There is a need for innovative methods that offer fast production and cost-effectiveness to supplement current copper–nickel alloy manufacturing processes. In this study, we employ wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) to fabricate the 70/30 copper–nickel alloy. The as-built microstructure is characterized by columnar grains with prominent dendrites and chemical segregation in the inter-dendritic area. The aspect ratio of the columnar grain increases with increasing travel speed (TS) at the same wire feed speed (WFS). This is in contrast to an equiaxed grain structure with a more random orientation of conventional sample. The sample built with a WFS of 8 m/min, TS of 1000 mm/min, and a track distance of 3.85 mm exhibits superior corrosion properties in the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution compared to the conventional one, as evidenced by a higher film resistance and breakdown potential, along with a lower passive current density of the WAAM sample. The corrosion morphology reveals the critical roles played by the nickel element unevenly distributed between the dendrite core and inter-dendritic area.

The quest for youthful, healthy skin and full, vibrant hair has long been a driving force in the dermocosmetics field. However, traditional approaches often struggle to address the underlying causes of aging, damage, and hair loss. Regenerative cosmetics, powered by skin tissue engineering, offer a transformative alternative. This review explores the emerging field of using engineered skin tissues for cosmetic purposes, focusing specifically on their potential for anti-aging, repair, and hair restoration applications. We discuss how these technologies aim to rejuvenate aging skin by promoting collagen production, reducing wrinkles, and improving overall skin function. Additionally, the use of engineered skin for wound healing and scar reduction is examined, highlighting their potential to improve the appearance and functionality of damaged skin. Finally, we advance the exciting prospects of utilizing skin tissue engineering techniques to regenerate hair follicles, potentially offering solutions for hair loss and promoting denser hair growth.

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol found in various plants and fruits such as blackberries, blueberries, currants, strawberries, peanuts, and most especially in grapes. It is also present in red wine, although its content varies greatly depending on its origin. It is a phytoalexin produced by plants in response to stress, aggression from pathogens such as bacteria or fungi, or physical damage such as injury. In addition to its involvement in plant defence responses, resveratrol has been the subject of research interest due to its potential health benefits, including antioxidant properties and potential positive effects on the cardiovascular system, among others. Initial interest in its research stemmed from the so-called 'French paradox', in certain regions of France, where despite high intakes of saturated fats there was a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease. Science wondered the factor that might be protecting the French from inflammation, vascular damage and playing a role in their longer lifespan. Thus, in the 1990s, it was hypothesized that a component of wine could be the key element. Epidemiological studies began to suggest that moderate consumption of wine, especially red wine, was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. In vitro laboratory research supported this idea, demonstrating that resveratrol could inhibit processes involved in the development of atherosclerosis or the formation of arterial plaques, such as platelet aggregation in blood vessels and oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol. A plausible mechanism for heart protection thus emerged. Since then, an increasing number of in vitro and in vivo studies have been carried out to unravel the mechanism by which resveratrol can slow down the aging process.

Prunus armeniaca L. is the native species of cultivated apricot, which is important information for studying the origin, succession pattern, pest control, sustainable development of biodiversity of economic tree species of the genus Apricot, etc. However, with global climate change and increasingly intense human activities, the survival environment of Prunus armeniaca L. is under serious stress, and exploring the potential survival space of Prunus armeniaca L. is an important way to protect the health and development of Prunus armeniaca L.. Exploring the potential living space of Prunus armeniaca L. is an important way to protect the healthy development of Prunus armeniaca L. The Yili River Valley is a typical distribution area of Prunus armeniaca L. . Exploring the potential distribution suitable area of Prunus armeniaca L. in the Yili River Valley and analyzing its future change trend can provide scientific guidance for the protection, development, and utilization of Prunus armeniaca L.. Based on the Geographic Information System software platform combined with the MaxEnt Model, we simulated the potential distribution areas and the degree of adaptation of Prunus armeniaca L. in the Yili River Valley, and predicted the potential distribution changes of Prunus armeniaca L. in the future under different situations. Based on the above methods, the following results were obtained: (1) The MaxEnt Model simulated the geographic distribution of Prunus armeniaca L. with high accuracy and an AUC value of 0.969, and the area of the currently suitable area for Prunus armeniaca L. in the Yili River Valley was about 10407.77 km2, accounting for about 18.45% of the overall land area of the Yili River Valley; the area of the highly suitable area was about 1380.9 km², accounting for about 13.26%, the area of the medium suitable zone is about 2830.15km², and the area of low suitable zone is about 6196.05km². (2) The maximum increase in the total area of the suitable zone under the future low-radiation forcing scenario is 11.49%, and the minimum increase under the future medium-high forcing scenario is 4.94%. (3) The overall migration was in the southwest direction, with the largest migration angle under the SSP245 scenario and the largest migration distance under the SSP585 scenario. Under the background of future climate change, there is a tendency for the potential habitat of Prunus armeniaca L. in the Yili River Valley to expand from low altitude to high altitude, and altitude is the dominant geographic factor influencing the distribution of Prunus armeniaca L.. By simulating and studying the potential geographic distribution of Prunus armeniaca L. in the Yili River Valley under the background of climate change, we can reveal the response mechanism between the geographic distribution of Prunus armeniaca L. and the natural environment, which can provide scientific guidance and data support for the exploitation and protection of Prunus armeniaca L. in the future.

This paper applies a theoretical model to analyze the ways that widespread use of generative AIs (GAIs) in education and, more broadly, in contributing to and reflecting the collective intelligence of our species, can and will change us. The model extends Brian Arthur’s insights into the nature of technologies as the orchestration of phenomena to our use by explaining the nature of humans participation in their enactment, whether as part of the orchestration (hard technique, where our roles must be performed correctly) or as orchestrators of phenomena (soft technique performed creatively or idiosyncratically). Education may be seen as a technological process for developing the soft and hard techniques of humans to participate in the technologies and thus the collective intelligence of our cultures. Unlike all earlier technologies, by embodying that collective intelli-gence themselves, GAIs can closely emulate and implement not only the hard technique but also the soft that, until now, was humanity’s sole domain: the very things that technologies enabled us to do can now be done by the technologies themselves. The consequences for what, how, and even whether we learn are profound. The paper explores some of these consequences and concludes with theoretically informed approaches that may help us to avert some dangers while benefiting from the strengths of generative AIs.

The needs for environmental reporting to include positive outcomes considering differences between creation of less harm, benefits and net benefits are explored. To become mainstream, nature-positive development needs positive messaging, measures and metrics to guide, plan and assess urban outcomes. With the accelerating climate crisis and negative messages getting the upper-hand, it’s important to avoid paralysis by bad news. Whilst striving for a nature-positive world, more effort should be on moving beyond zero to qualify and quantify benefits, gains, and regenerative outcomes instead of oscillating around damage and loss sticking points. Life Cycle Benefit Assessment (LCBA) is a method to measure gains in accelerating restoration and climate security. It enables a good news focus as its reach is to quantify and show positive gains beyond the negative and zero loss outcomes. The paper aims to clarify concepts, challenges and quantitative methods then review real-world third-party-certified case studies. Climate security, human wellness and resource viability gains inside safe operating space within planetary boundaries are quantified as positive benefits. Contrary to conventional Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) LCBA assigns damage and loss as negative debts and benefit as positive gains. It concludes that LCBA offers business and design a new environment assessment tool, with research needed on economic and other outcomes.

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

Objective To explore the endoscopic anatomical structures of lumbar surgery. Methods A total of 290 patients who underwent lumbar endoscopic surgery due to lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation from September 2020 to September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed in our hospital,179 patients had complete surgical video recordings, including 108 males and 71 females, aged from 19 to 65 years, with an average age of 41±16 years. The endoscopic structures through the intervertebral foramen and interlaminar space were independently identified by 3 doctors with more than 3 years of related surgery experience. When there were differences of opinions, the three doctors would discuss and come to a consensus. The probability, location, and neighboring structures of each specific structures were statistically analyzed. Results The anatomical structures observed through the lumbar foramen under endoscopy include muscles and ligaments attached to the superior articular process (SAP), main blood vessels inside the intervertebral foramen, blood vessels on the surface of IVD, and blood vessels on the surface of the dural sac and nerve root. The major anatomical structures observed through interlaminar space are multifidus, the conjugated ligament of ligament flavum and capsule ligament (capsule part of flavum ligaments), edges of the lamina, specific vessel bundle to facet with exit nerve root. Conclusion The anatomical structures under spinal endoscopy have certain characteristics, which are grossly different from those under open surgery. Familiarity with these anatomical structures has important clinical significance.

Origin, mechanics and properties of the Solar System are analysed in the framework of the Complete Relativity theory (by the same author). According to Complete Relativity, everything is relative. Any apparent absolutism (notably invariance to scale of dimensional constants, absolute elementariness, invariance to time) is an illusion stemming from limits imposed by [or on] polarized observers that will inevitably lead to misinterpretation of phenomena (another illusion) occurring on non-directly observable scales or even on observable but distant scales in space or time. If everything is relative, reference frames will exist where particles are planets and where planets are living beings. Earth is, therefore, analysed here in more detail, both as a particle and, as a living evolving being (of, hypothesized, extremely introverted intelligence). The analysis confirms the postulates and hypotheses of the theory (ie. existence of discrete vertical energy levels) with a significant degree of confidence. During the analysis, some new hypotheses have emerged. These are discussed and confirmed with various degrees of confidence. To increase confidence or refute some hypotheses, experimental verification is necessary. Main conclusions that stem from my research and are further confirmed in this paper are: universes are, indeed, completely relative; Solar System is a scaled (inflated, in some interpretations) Carbon isotope with a nucleus in a condensed (bosonic) state and components in various vertically excited states; life is common everywhere, albeit extroverted complex forms are present on planetary surfaces only during planetary neurogenesis; anthropogenic climate change is only a part (trigger from one perspective) of bigger global changes; major extinction events on a surface of a planet are relative extinctions, a regular part of transformation and transfer of life in the process of planetary neurogenesis.

There is growing awareness that “Nature-based Solutions” (NbS) can help to protect us from climate change impacts whilst slowing further warming, supporting biodiversity and securing ecosystem services. However, the potential of NbS to provide the intended benefits has not been rigorously assessed. There are concerns over their reliability and cost-effectiveness compared to engineered alternatives, and their resilience to climate change. Trade-offs can arise if climate mitigation policy encourages NbS with low biodiversity value, such as afforestation with non-native monocultures. This can result in maladaptation, especially in a rapidly changing world where biodiversity-based resilience and multifunctional landscapes are key. Here we highlight the rise of NbS in climate policy—focussing on their potential for climate change adaptation as well as mitigation—and discuss barriers to their evidence-based implementation. We outline the major financial and governance challenges to implementing NbS at scale, highlighting avenues for further research. As climate policy turns increasingly towards greenhouse gas removal approaches such as afforestation, we stress the urgent need for natural and social scientists to engage with policymakers. They must ensure that NbS can achieve their potential to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crisis while also contributing to sustainable development. This will require systemic change in the way we conduct research and run our institutions.

A new approach was presented in this study to simulate a stable atom along with subatomic particles in it. Subatomic particles in an atom are treated as conventional particles, exhibiting attraction and repulsion between them, giving a stable atom simulation. This new approach leads to developing new potentials for subatomic particles to simulate a stable atom. Subatomic particle dynamics (SPD) simulations were developed for within-atom simulations that give a stable atom structure for infinite time and provide many insights into electron trajectories and atom properties like energies and radius of the atom. The effect of protons and neutrons movement in the nucleus on electron trajectories was captured in SPD. Hydrogen and Carbon atom SPD were reported in this study. The Pilot-wave theory was implemented in this study to simulate the wave nature of subatomic particles in an atom. Electrons motion was guided by the interference pattern produced by the electron’s aether medium waves in SPD. SPD was implemented on molecules, resulting in a stable molecular structure giving insights into electron trajectories shared by multiple atoms.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is an important deciduous species in western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands (&lt;0.09 ha or 30 m²), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. We assessed the annual phenology of aspen in the Southern Rockies and leveraged the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2 to create ecologically relevant seasonal composites. Additionally, we derived spectral indices and radar textural features targeting the canopy structure, moisture, and chlorophyll content. Using spatial block cross-validation and Random Forests, we assessed the accuracy of different scenarios and selected the best performing set of features for classification. Comparisons were then made with existing landcover products across the study region. The resulting map improves on existing landcover products in both accuracy (average F1-score = 93.1%) and detection of smaller forest patches. These methods enable accurate mapping at spatial and temporal scales relevant to forest management for one of the most widely distributed tree species in North America.

This paper discusses devastating urban floods in the year 2019 that caused human and socioeconomic losses in many countries, including Iran. The main question addressed by this paper is the choice between two flood management models, namely, the optimal and nature-based flood management or the existing hazardous situation that damage the ecosystem and natural resources. The analysis of this paper will find the main responsible factors in the mentioned floods in Iran. For this reason, it examines the impacts of the existing flood management that neglects the ecosystems, environmental components, and nature. The method of this research includes theoretical studies, case studies with the help of structured interviews, and observations. A benchmarking technique compares the two alternatives. The comparisons use seven indicators abstracted from successful global experiences and local knowledge. Finally, this research presents a model for optimal flood management that is applicable everywhere in the world.

The relationship between pangolin-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 has been a subject of debate. Further evidence of a special relationship between the two viruses can be found by the fact that all known COVID-19 viruses have abnormally hard outer shell (low M disorder; i.e., low content of intrinsically disordered residues in the membrane (M) protein) that so far was found in CoVs associated with burrowing animals, such as rabbits and pangolins, in which transmission involves virus remaining in buried feces for a long time. While a hard outer shell is necessary for viral survival, a harder inner shell could also help. For this reason, the N disorder range of pangolin-CoVs, not bat-CoVs, more closely matches that of SARS-CoV-2 especially when Omicron is included. The low N disorder (i.e., low content of intrinsically disordered residues in the nucleocapsid (N) protein), first observed in pangolin-CoV-2017 amd later in Omicron, is associated with attenuation according to the Shell-Disorder-Model. Our experimental study revealed that pangolin-CoV-2017 and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (XBB.1.16 subvariant) show similar attenuations with respect to viral growth and plaque formation. Subtle differences have been observed that are consistent with disorder-centric computational analysis.

Sample size using prevalence has been one of the most important medical research methodologies and has been used in original articles more often than any other statistical tool available. The simple formula consists of variables interdependent and it is as important to understand how they influence each other as it is to learn to use the formula to calculate the sample size. With the choice of different amounts of precision and levels of confidence available to a medical researcher, it should be of paramount importance to understand what a slight change in choosing the parameter would mean at the end of the research. Understanding of different Z values, Levels of precision, and ranging Prevalence is required to understand the effect on the sample size and subsequently on the research. Topological representation using parameter ranges can be used to demonstrate this relationship.

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

Abstract — Game development using technology was started in 1950 around the first video game created Tennis for Two by Higginbotham as a fun diversion, to show the power of technology. The advanced development of Artificial intelligence (AI), has turned out to be the heart of game development technology and AI has revolutionized gaming and brought so many features to life.in reality, it isn't easy to give a definition and meaning to it even though games are becoming a part of human survival. It is difficult to define the real meaning of a game but it is part of human survival as it usually refers to the cleverness of the way the human being involvement in the characters of the game. As a part of game development, many technologies were used to create a game for the players with creativity, complex design, variety of levels, and aspects for the player to use choices effectively and efficiently to interact with the character in the game and enhance the experience to the next levels. This paper initially gives the importance of game development and need for the technology usage to enhance the current state of games. Then analyzes the history and present state of Artificial intelligence in game development. Finally, it explains the highlights of potential changes in game development and the impact and influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning models in the future development of games.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have rapidly been gaining traction across the research, policy, and practice spheres, touted as transformative actions to jointly address biodiversity loss and climate change. However, there are multiple, alternative ways to imagine NbS in those three spheres. To inform the NbS discourses across these three spheres, we critically reflect on the prevailing framing of NbS and consider the potential of a different framing of NbS to support transformations towards regenerative relationships between humans and nature. Such reflection is urgently needed to ensure that research, policy, and practice delivers on the transformative ambitions of NbS. We propose a novel “core framing” of NbS, charting two pathways for how such a framing can support a human value-based transformation – first through influencing individual beliefs and values, and second through the communication and application of the NbS concept in research, policy, and practice. We argue that for NbS to support transformation, it must support a reframing of human-nature relationships, one where the interdependencies between people and nature are recognized as essential for social and environmental well-being. We elaborate on how such a framing is key to support inclusivity and collaboration between diverse research perspectives, policy objectives across scales, and implementation practices, to deliver successful NbS.

Emission trading schemes (ETSs) have become vital tools in striving toward global emission reduction objectives and promoting a sustainable economy. This paper empirically investigates the impact of market conditions on interconnectedness within precious metals, clean energy, green bonds, and carbon markets, focusing on China and the EU ETSs as the study subjects. A TVP-VAR-based asymmetric connectedness approach is adopted to capture the evolving relationships between the variables of interest in the time–frequency domain. The empirical findings reveal that: First, time-varying asymmetric connectedness and spillover effects among clean energy, precious metals, green bonds, and carbon markets are identified in both time and frequency domains under diverse market conditions, with long-term connectedness asymmetry being particularly sensitive, although spillovers exhibit variations. Second, the role and intensity of net transmitters or receivers vary across market conditions and frequency domains, indicating the complex and nuanced nature of market interactions. The EU ETS demonstrates a higher level of connectivity with global markets for clean energy, precious metals, and green bonds when compared to the Chinese ETS. However, it also shows greater susceptibility to fluctuations in market conditions. These results have significant implications for both investors striving to build sustainable diversified portfolios and regulators endeavoring to craft effective policies for risk regulation and sustainable development.

This article introduces a novel nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm called Frilled Lizard Optimization (FLO), which emulates the hunting behavior of frilled lizards in their natural habitat. FLO draws in-spiration from the sit-and-wait strategy observed in frilled lizards during hunting. The underlying theory of FLO is presented and mathematically formulated in two phases: (i) an exploration phase, simulating the frilled lizard's attack towards prey, and (ii) an exploitation phase, simulating the lizard's retreat to the top of the tree after feeding. To assess FLO's efficacy in solving optimization problems, the algorithm's performance is evaluated across fifty-two standard benchmark functions, encompassing unimodal, high-dimensional multimodal, fixed-dimensional multimodal, and the CEC 2017 test suite. Comparative analyses with twelve existing metaheuristic algorithms are conducted. The simulation results reveal that FLO, distinguished by its adeptness in exploration, exploitation, and balancing them during search process, outperforms competing algorithms. Additionally, FLO is implemented on twenty-two constrained optimization problems from the CEC 2011 test suite and four engineering design problems, demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing real-world optimization applications.

In the context of global changes, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) increasingly draw attention as a possible way to reduce disaster risk associated with extreme hydro-meteorological events while providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits at the same time. The PHUSICOS platform is dedicated to gather and analyse relevant NBSs used to reduce disaster risk associated with extreme hydro-meteorological events in mountainous and hilly lands. To design the platform, an in-depth review of 11 existing platforms has been performed. The platform currently references 152 literature NBS cases and is continuously enriched with demonstrator sites through the contribution of NBS community. The platform also proposes a qualitative assessment of the NBSs collected according to 15 criteria related with five ambits: disaster risk reduction, technical and economical feasibility, environment, society and local economy. This paper presents the structure of the platform and a first analysis of its content.

A variant of the von Neumann-Wigner Interpretation is proposed. Problems arising from the quantum Zeno effect are addressed as we have described previously. We do, however, offer some new, and perhaps unexpected observations. We are accustomed to thinking of wave function collapse as occurring consequent to laboratory measurements. We speculate that, whatever physical correlate of consciousness exists within the brain, it is quantum mechanical in the sense that a brain, left to itself, would eventually decohere into a state no longer compatible with its conscious functioning. Wave function collapse returns it to a state compatible with consciousness. Indeed, this may be its important reason for occurring. A universe without it simply could not play host to conscious brains. The fact that it also prevents us from encountering "absurd" situations in the laboratory is merely a fortunate dividend. Whenever a quantum measurement is made the universe's future history splits into a number of possibilities. This number may be very large or infinite. And we believe consciousness plays a vital role in this happening. A "conscious" universe where quantum measurements are being made allows for an enormous number of equally acceptable world-histories. An "unconscious" one, always evolving in a unitary fashion, allows for only one. If we assume that the decision as to which worldhistory is the real one (i.e. this one) is made at random we see that the universe is overwhelmingly more likely to be "conscious" than not.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer death and can be realized through the phenomenon of tumor cell fusion. The fusion of tumor cells with other tumor or normal cells leads to the appearance of tumor hybrid cells (THCs) exhibiting novel properties such as increased proliferation and migration, drug resistance, decreased apoptosis rate and avoiding immune surveillance. Experimental studies showed the association of THCs with a high frequency of cancer metastasis; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Many other questions also remain to be answered: the role of genetic alterations in tumor cell fusion, the molecular landscape of cells after fusion, the lifetime and fate of different THCs, and the specific markers of THCs, and their correlation with various cancers and clinicopathological parameters. In this review, we discuss the factors and potential mechanisms involved in the occurrence of THCs, the types of THCs, and their role in cancer drug resistance and metastasis, as well as potential therapeutic approaches for the prevention and targeting of tumor cell fusion. In conclusion, we emphasize the current knowledge gaps in the biology of THCs that should be addressed to develop highly effective therapeutics and strategies for metastasis suppression.

The present manuscript describes the use of natural fibers as natural and sustainable reinforcement agents for advanced biobased composite materials for strategic sectors, such as construction. The characterization carried up have shown the potential of both hemp and linseed natural fibers and their composites to be used as insulation materials. Nevertheless, linseed shows better mechanical performance and hemp a higher fire resistance. Demonstrating that although natural fibers have similar properties each of them should be used specifically for a purpose. Besides the work also evaluates the use of bio matrixes in composites, demonstrating their feasibility and how they impact the properties of the final material, our bio resin enhances fire resistance and decrease the water absorption capacity of the natural fibers. Enabling the use of such composites as a final product. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture a biocomposite with non woven natural fibers. In fact, for properties such as thermal conductivity, they are able to compete with current materials. Proving that biomaterials are a suitable solution for developing sustainable products fulfilling the requirements of the end user applications.

The aerospace industry demands high-performance materials that can withstand extreme conditions and maintain efficiency in a variety of applications. Bio-inspired polymer coatings have emerged as a promising approach to meet these demands, by drawing inspiration from natural systems to develop new coatings that exhibit enhanced properties, such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, thermal management, and corrosion resistance. In this review, recent developments in the field of bio-inspired polymer coatings for aerospace applications are presented, covering a range of coatings and their respective properties. We discuss the recent developments and applications of bio-inspired coatings, with a focus on their advantages and challenges in aerospace applications. We also highlight the potential for future research and development in this field, including the integration of advanced technologies such as nanotechnology and additive manufacturing. The review aims to provide insights into the current state-of-the-art of bio-inspired polymer coatings for aerospace applications and to inspire further research in this rapidly growing field.

Ecosystems are not merely vulnerable to climate change but, if sustainably restored and protected, are a major source of human resilience. Not only is the evidence-base for the importance of these “Nature-based Solutions” (NbS) growing rapidly, but NbS are featuring with increasing prominence in global climate change policy. Here we report on the prominence of NbS in the 141 adaptation components of the 167 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that were submitted to UNFCCC by all signatories of the Paris Agreement. In total, 103 nations include NbS in the adaptation component of their NDC, 76 nations include them in both their adaptation and mitigation component, and an additional 27 include them as part of their mitigation plans only. In other words, 130 nations—or 66% of all signatories to the Paris Agreement—have articulated intentions of working with ecosystems, in one form or another, to address the causes and consequences of climate change. However, commitments rarely translate into robust science-based targets. As climate pledges are revised in 2020, we urge the ecosystem science community to work closely with policymakers to identify meaningful adaptation targets that benefit both people and the ecosystems on which they depend.

Biosolids from stabilized sludge presents a high fertilization potential due to its rich content of nutrients and organic matter. Three formulas of organo-mineral fertilizers based on biosolids were manufactured having at least 2 % N, 2 % P2O5, and 2 % K2O and characterized by classical and advanced methods. The content of N and P in the final formula was measured using specific reactants combined with VIS-nearIR spectroscopy. Additionally, all three formulas were characterized by advanced 1H NMR relaxometry, double-quantum and FT-IR spectroscopy. Structural characterization was performed using SEM, EDX and X-ray diffraction. Four dynamical components were identified in the T2-distribution showing that the rigid component is into a percentage larger than 90 %. In order to evaluate the release properties of organo-mineral fertilizers dynamic measurements of electric conductivity and pH were performed, by placing 0.25 g of formulas (V1, V2 and V3) in 200 ml of distillate water. It was found that V3 present the smallest release velocity, but release the largest amount of fertilizers. Two release mechanisms were also observed.

Urbanization and climate change have increased the need for stormwater management and nature-based solutions. Decisions made at project level impact the emergence of systemic traits of the stormwater network and the functionality of the catchment areas in urban planning. To that end, it is vital to introduce the decision-making tools for analyzing both the utilities and amenities of nature-based solutions (NBS) to increase their adoption to reduce the peak loads in the stormwater system, and to that end, mitigate the impacts of climate change. This paper demonstrates a workflow using drone-based photogrammetry, 3D modeling, and simulation software to generate visual and functional models assisting in informed decision-making in the design of stormwater systems as functional landscape architecture. Using aerial data from drones and modeled design solutions, the proposed workflow simulates rain events, infiltration, evaporation, water flow, and accumulation of stormwater in a way that allows the visual and quantified analysis of detailed landscape architecture designs. The paper provides an example of a rooftop site simulation demonstrating the infiltration and flow of water to the drainage. The visual decision-making method provided can aid in investment decisions for functional landscape design in support of stormwater management.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) - working with and enhancing nature to address societal challenges - are increasingly being featured in climate change adaptation policy and plans. While there is growing evidence that NbS can reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts in general, there is a lack of understanding on the mechanisms through which this can be achieved, particularly in the Global South. To address this, we analyse 85 nature-based interventions in rural areas across the Global South, and factors mediating their effectiveness, based on a systematic map of peer-reviewed studies encompassing a wide diversity of ecosystems, climate impacts, and intervention types. We develop and apply an analytical framework of people’s social-ecological vulnerability to climate change, in terms of six pathways of vulnerability reduction: social and ecological exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Most cases (95%) report a reduction in vulnerability, primarily by lowering ecosystem sensitivity to climate impacts (73% of interventions), followed by reducing social sensitivity (52%), reducing ecological exposure (36%), increasing social adaptive capacity (31%), increasing ecological adaptive capacity (19%) and/or reducing social exposure (14%). An analysis of mediating factors shows that social dimensions are equally important as technical factors in NbS to achieving equitable and effective outcomes. Attention to the distinct social and ecological pathways through which vulnerability is reduced helps to harness the multiple benefits of working with nature in a warming world.

Owing to their extensive biological potential, essential oils (EOs) and their bioactive phytochemicals have gained attention from the scientific community. Within this domain, Terpinen-4-ol (T-4-ol), a bioactive monoterpene alcohol and the major constituent of tea tree oil (TTO), has made its way into translational research. Recent literature on T-4-ol strongly indicates its diverse pharmacological properties, including but not limited to antimicrobial, antivirulent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, and anti-cancer effects. Hence, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted biological activities exhibited by T-4-ol, emphasizing its medicinal potential for widescale application. The antibacterial and antifungal effectiveness of T-4-ol has been discussed encompassing its role in combating a broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal pathogens, respectively. The review delves into the antivirulent prospects of T-4-ol, shedding light on its ability to attenuate virulence and mitigate bacterial pathogenesis. Scientific literature on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of T-4-ol highlighting its role in neutralizing reactive oxygen species and modulating inflammatory pathways has also been collated. Furthermore, the review elaborates on the cardioprotective and anti-hypertensive properties of T-4-ol and augments literature on its anti-cancer mechanism against various cancer cell lines. Overall, this review consolidates the existing knowledge on T-4-ol, providing a holistic understanding of its pharmacological abilities. The exploration of these diverse attributes positions T-4-ol as a promising candidate for further research and therapeutic repurposing in various biomedical applications.

The current focus on afforestation in climate policy runs the risk of compromising both longterm carbon storage and human adaptation. It also works against efforts to stem the tide of biodiversity loss. We outline why an emphasis on diverse, intact natural ecosystems—as opposed to tree plantations with fast-growing exotic species—will help nations deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement and much more.

This paper addresses the Hubble tension in cosmology by exploring dynamic dark energy models, specifically focusing on quintessence scalar fields. We develop a comprehensive theoretical framework for these models, examining various potential forms and their implications for the universe's evolution. We elaborate on the effects of dynamic dark energy on cosmological perturbations, analyzing its influence on the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies and the formation of large-scale structures. By integrating the theoretical models with observational data, including Type Ia supernovae, CMB observations, and large-scale structure surveys, we investigate the potential of dynamic dark energy to resolve the discrepancies in measurements of the Hubble constant. Our findings suggest that dynamic dark energy models resolve the Hubble tension and have broader implications for our understanding of cosmic evolution and the universe's fate. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse in cosmology, providing a new perspective on dark energy and its role in the expanding cosmos.

There are unsolved problems related to inflation, gravity, dark matter, dark energy, missing antimatter, and the birth of the universe. Some of them can be better answered by assuming the existence of aether and hypoatoms. Both were created during the inflation in the very early universe. While aether forms vacuum, hypoatoms, composed of both matter and antimatter and believed to be neutrinos, form all observable matter. In vacuum, aether exists between the particle-antiparticle dark matter form and the dark energy form in a dynamic equilibrium: A + A-bar = gamma + gamma. The same reaction stabilizes hypoatoms and generates a 3-dimensional sink flow of aether that causes gravity. Based on the hypoatom structure, the singularity does not exist inside a black hole; the core of the black hole is a hypoatom star or neutrino star. By gaining enough mass, ca. 3 X 10²² M_sun, to exceed neutrino degeneracy pressure, the black hole collapses or annihilates into the singularity, thus turning itself into a white hole or a Big Bang. The universe is anisotropic. Its center, or where the Big Bang happened, is at 0.66^+0.03_-0.01 times the radius of the observable universe at Galactic coordinates (l, b) = (286⁺¹⁰_-10, -43⁺⁷_-6). If we look from the Local Group to the center of the universe, the universe is rotating clockwise.

It has been a challenge to visualize in nature some concepts from abstract subjects such as mathematics and philosophy. Irrationality is certainly among the least comprehensive. This essay aimed to propose that irrationality is simply an illusion resulting from the human inability to grasp the full nature of reality, rather than actual continuity flaws in the fabric of existence. There are three major arguments: (1) human senses have limitations and these are likely to be extended to the intellect, (2) there are no observable existential discontinuities in everyday experience, and (3) some rational phenomena have irrational components. These arguments point towards the existence of a physical existence of irrational quantities or distances, visible to the human eye but not fully comprehended through arithmetic abstraction.

Social connectedness connection is a core dimension of health and wellness among all populations, yet the experience of moving to, and living in, a new country makes social and community-level influences particularly salient for immigrants. We interviewed 38 Latino immigrants living in a nontraditional migration area to explore the social and community foundations of health and wellness. Illustrated in a model of socioecological connectednesssocial connection, Using hybrid (inductive/deductive) qualitative analysis, we identified seven themesdomains of social connection from the perspective of the interviewed participants: 1) Lens of the individual is a filter for the social world; 2) Immigrant experience colors everything; 3) Interpersonal support enhances quality of life; 4) Community belonging fosters a sense of connectedness; 5) Community capital boosts security; 6) Community navigation promotes integration; and 7) Social acceptance strengthens inclusion. In the healthcare field, we lack conceptual clarity of the distinct connectedness domains that drive positive health outcomes in immigrant populations. Social connection domains generated by participants are consistent with the scientific literature, but this study identifies the specific social factors that immigrants describe as most salient to their own health and wellness. Our community-generated understanding of socioecological connectednesssocial connection can be used by healthcare providers to reduce risks and build on assets that will improve the health of immigrants living in nontraditional migration areas. health. Additionally, our model of socioecological connectednessthese results might serve as a foundation for a quantitative measure that can be used by providers to more accurately and comprehensively assess connectedness social connection of their patients and by researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of community-level interventions for immigrants.

The high mutation rate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) plays a major role in treatment resistance from the development of vaccines to long-lasting drugs. In addressing the crux of the issue, various attempts to estimate the mutation rate of HIV-1 resulted in a large range of 10-5 - 10-3 errors/bp/cycle due to the use of different types of investigation methods. In this review, we discuss the different assay methods, their findings on the mutation rates of HIV-1 and how the location of these mutations can be further analyzed for their potential allosteric effects to reveal potentially new inhibitors with different pharmacodynamics that can be used to circumvent fast occurring HIV drug resistance. Given that HIV is one of the fastest mutating viruses, it is a good model for comprehensive study of its mutations that can give rise to much horizontal understanding towards overall viral drug resistance as well as emerging viral diseases.

Therapeutics antibodies have increasingly shifted the paradigm of disease treatments, from small molecules to biologics, especially in cancer therapy. Despite the increasing number of antibody candidates, much remains unknown about the antibody and how its various regions interact. In fact, the constant region can govern effects that might be useful in reducing the unwanted consequences resulted from systemic circulation. For this reason, apart from the commonly used IgG isotypes, IgA antibodies are promising therapeutics drugs, given its localized mucosal effects. While the antibody Fc effector cell activity has been well explored, recent research has shown evidences that the constant region of the antibody can also influence antigen binding, challenging the conventional idea of region-specific antibody functions. To further investigate this, we analyzed the IgA antibody constant and its allosteric effects onto the antigen binding regions, using recombinant Pertuzumab IgA1 and IgA2 variants. We found mutations in the C-region to reduce Her2 binding, and our computational structural analysis showed that such allosteric communications were highly dependent on the antibody hinge, providing the evidence to consider antibodies as a whole protein rather than a sum of functional regions.

Approximately 20% of the world's population resides in coastal areas at risk of rising sea levels due to climate change. This could lead to severe weather events and ecological impact on critical infrastructure. To combat the effects of water-based environmental forces on the land, hard engineering methods such as seawalls have been utilized. However, a more sustainable solution is emerging in nature-based engineering, which involves growing vegetation. This approach can help extend the lifespan of existing technology and provide climate change adaptation and resilience for coastal and riverine communities. The following paper will review seaweed farms as an advanced nature-based mitigation approach. The paper also outlines the findings of experiments at RWTH Aachen University's hydraulic laboratory. These tests involved using seaweed as a natural solution to dampen waves in a model system to test a hypothesis. One result involving a system with two lines of seaweed revealed 15 percent wave damping. Using seaweed as a nature-based solution, a gentle engineering approach to designing future vegetated protection systems can extend the design life of existing coastal infrastructure. This can also provide protection against climate-induced sea level rise, promote coastal risk mitigation, restore ecosystems, and foster blue bio-economic development.

HIV treatment strategies against viral enzymes are continuously hampered by viral drug resistance. Recent findings show that viral substrate Gag contributes to HIV-1 Protease Inhibitor (PI) resistance, leading to demands for new strategies in HIV treatment where Gag is recognized as a drug target. To successfully target Gag, there is a need of in-depth understanding of the Gag polyprotein and the effects of Gag mutations. Here, we propose new strategies in designing novel Gag inhibitors against existing and novel emerging Gag mutations via a structural understanding of the Gag-Protease relationship in PI resistance. In this review, we discuss the role of both novel and previously reported mutations, revealing insights to how they aid in PI resistance, and how new Gag inhibitors can be designed.

The purpose of this work is to describe and explain the characteristics of pedagogy as a science of education, as an object, concepts and research method. The methodology assumed was the review of the history of pedagogy, especially the classics of pedagogy, those who built it with their experiences in laboratory schools. Here are listed the main concepts of pedagogy, its laws and principles; she establishes the opposition that exists between teaching-learning and education as formation of the personality; she also delimits the fields of the pedagogical method, of didactics or teaching-learning, and the methodology of educational labor that organizes the process and the educational context, the regime and the lifestyle, such as those experienced in the "colonies" or "communes" of children and adolescents, organized and directed by Neill and Makarenko. Since the present article does not derive from a primary source or from field work, as an empirical or experimental research, the results constitute the content of the article, as conclusions.

This study presents an innovative approach to interdisciplinary education by integrating principles of biology, engineering and art to foster holistic learning experiences for children. The focus lies on assembling mycelium bricks as engineered living materials with promising applications in sustainable construction. Through a collaborative group task, children engage in the hands-on creation of these bricks, gaining insights into mycology, biomaterials engineering and artistic expression. The curriculum introduces fundamental concepts of mycelial growth and its potential in sustainable material development. Children actively participate in fabricating 3D forms (negative and positive) using mycelium bricks, thereby gaining practical knowledge in shaping and moulding living materials. This hands-on experience enhances their understanding of biological processes and cultivates an appreciation for sustainable design principles. The group task encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity as children collaboratively compose structures using mycelium bricks. Integrating art into the activity adds a creative dimension, allowing participants to explore aesthetic aspects while reinforcing the project’s interdisciplinary nature. Conversations about the material’s end of life and decomposition are framed within the broader context of Nature’s cycles, facilitating an understanding of sustainability. This interdisciplinary pedagogical approach provides a model for educators seeking to integrate diverse fields of knowledge into a cohesive and engaging learning experience. The study contributes to the emerging field of biomimetics education, illustrating the potential of integrating living materials and 3D understanding activities to nurture a holistic understanding of science, engineering and artistic expression in young learners.

In the context of the era of New Quality Productive Forces, technological innovation has become the core force to promote the development of social productivity, which is closely linked with vocational education, and together create a strong demand for high-quality technical and skilled personnel. In order to meet this demand, vocational education must synchronize with the development of the New Quality Productive Forces and form a mechanism of mutual promotion. The key to promoting the high-quality development of vocational education lies in taking technological innovation as the guide, and comprehensively improving the quality of education through measures such as innovating the education model, deepening the integration of industry and education, and enhancing the adaptability of specialties. To this end, vocational education should actively build bridges for the integration of industry and education, enhance the flexibility and adaptability of the education system, innovate the mechanism of talent cultivation, and establish a comprehensive quality assurance system. Together, these efforts will promote vocational education to enter a new stage of high-quality development and provide a solid talent guarantee for the sustainable development of the social economy.

The Universe is treated as an unbound thermodynamic system in which two forces of Nature compete: Attractive gravity loss and repulsive entropic gain. Entropic gain, although not presently considered a force of Nature, is otherwise well known and can be expressed with the gas laws. The Universe at the time of last scattering was all gas. Its instant gain is expressed as gas pressure. When the Gibbs equation is properly applied to this unbound gas, the resulting atomic Hubble parameter is found to be exclusively dependent on baryon density, giving a constant and perpetual two-to-one gain/loss ratio. Instant loss to gravity cannot offset gas pressure in this “thermal equation”. By contrast, the Friedmann equation, a ΛCDM foundation, treats baryon mass as accreted, having little if any entropic gain. These two equations are actually equivalent. Expanding accreted matter at its comoving critical density is herein shown to behave exactly like a freely expanding gas. However, neither equation includes all of today’s Universal kinetic energy, and cannot by themselves fully account for observed stellar movement. The present paper proposes the plausible existence of highly energetic or “suprathermal” free electrons which comprise about half of the intergalactic medium’s kinetic total. It is this suprathermal energy which Λ expresses. The fluid equation, another ΛCDM foundation, eliminates entropic gain from the Gibbs equation. Additionally, rest mass’s Einstein energy E=Mc² is treated as a thermal variable. These two assumptions, isoentropy and energy conflation, led astronomers to populate Λ as they followed the prior art.

Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum (PXE) is an inherited disease characterized by elastic fibers calcification in the eyes, the skin and the cardiovascular system. PXE results from mutations ABCC6 that encodes an ABC transporter primarily expressed in liver and kidneys. It took nearly 15 years after identifying the gene to better understand the etiology of PXE. the ABCC6 functions facilitates the efflux of ATP (and other nucleotides) which is sequentially hydrolyzed by the ectonucleotidases ENPP1 and CD73 into pyrophosphate (PPi) and adenosine, both inhibitors of calcification. PXE, together with General Arterial Calcification of Infancy (GACI caused by ENPP1 mutations) as well as Calcification of Joints and Arteries (CALJA caused by NT5E/CD73 mutations) form a disease continuum with overlapping phenotypes and sharing steps of the same molecular pathway. The explanation of these phenotypes places ABCC6 as an upstream regulator of a purinergic pathway (ABCC6 → ENPP1 → CD73) that notably inhibits mineralization by maintaining a physiological Pi/PPi ratio in connective tissues. Based on a review of the literature and our recent experimental data, we suggest that PXE (and GACI/CALJA) be considered as an authentic “purinergic disease”. In this article, we recapitulate the pathobiology of PXE, review molecular and physiological data showing that, beyond PPi deficiency and ectopic calcification, PXE is associated with wide and complex alterations of purinergic systems. Finally, we speculate on future prospects regarding purinergic signaling and other aspects of this disease.

A wide variety of bacteria, fungi and plants can produce bioactive secondary metabolites, which are often referred to as natural products. With the rapid development of DNA sequencing technology and bioinformatics, a large number of putative biosynthetic gene clusters have been reported. However, only a few natural products can be detected when isolated species are grown under conventional laboratory conditions, as most biosynthetic gene clusters are not expressed or are expressed at extremely low levels at these conditions. With the rapid development of synthetic biology, advanced genome mining and modification strategies have been reported, and they provide new opportunities for discovery of natural products. This review discusses advances in recent years that can accelerate the design, build, test, and learn (DBTL) cycle of natural product discovery, and prospects trends and key challenges for future research directions.

Planck’s constant and the gravitational constant are comprised of more fundamental quantities of length, mass, and time. Reformulating traditional equations in terms of these fundamental units offers a more granular view of the physical transformations encoded in the equations of physics. The composite structure of h and G conceals a simple model in which maximum unit potentials are reduced by dimensionless proportionality operators. Natural symmetries correlate the three unit dimensions, yielding predictable quantities of physical dynamics. Insights are organized into a New Foundations Model of physics that reformulates traditional constants and equations in elementary form. The New Foundations Model offers a common language for describing quantum mechanical, gravitational, and electromagnetic phenomena.

How, if at all, consciousness can be part of the physical universe remains a baffling problem. This article outlines a new, developing philosophical theory of how it could do so, and offers a preliminary mathematical formulation of a physical grounding for key aspects of the theory. Because the philosophical side has radical elements, so does the physical-theory side. The philosophical side is radical, first, in proposing that the productivity or dynamism in the universe that many believe to be responsible for its systematic regularities is actually itself a physical constituent of the universe, along with more familiar entities. Indeed, it proposes that instances of dynamism can themselves take part in physical interactions with other entities, this interaction then being “meta-dynamism” (a type of meta-causation). Secondly, the theory is radical, and unique, in arguing that consciousness is necessarily partly constituted of meta-dynamic auto-sensitivity, in other words it must react via meta-dynamism to its own dynamism, and also in conjecturing that some specific form of this sensitivity is sufficient for and indeed constitutive of consciousness. The article proposes a way for physical laws to be modified to accommodate meta-dynamism, via the radical step of including elements that explicitly refer to dynamism itself. Additionally, laws become, explicitly, temporally non-local in referring directly to quantity values holding at times prior to a given instant of application of the law. The approach therefore implicitly brings in considerations about what information determines states. Because of the temporal non-locality, and also because of the deep connections between dynamism and time-flow, the approach also implicitly connects to the topic of entropy insofar as this is related to time.

Stress has been identified as a prominent contributor to the development and advancement of bowel cancer, however its specific involvement is intricate and diverse. This abstract tries to offer a concise summary of the correlation between stress and bowel cancer, consolidating significant discoveries from several research fields. The investigation commences by studying the molecular pathways by which chronic stress impacts the development of colon cancer. Chronic stress causes disruption in the functioning of neuroendocrine, immunological, and inflammatory pathways, leading to the development of a microenvironment within the gastrointestinal system that promotes the growth of tumours. Furthermore, changes in the composition of gut microbiota, variations in epigenetics, and alterations in immune function caused by stress also have a role in increasing the risk and advancing the advancement of cancer. Psychological aspects, including how one perceives stress, the tactics they use to cope with it, and the level of psychosocial support they receive, are crucial in determining a person's susceptibility to bowel cancer and impacting the effectiveness of treatment. Stress management therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction, have demonstrated potential in enhancing patient well-being and promoting adherence to treatment. Moreover, epidemiological studies and clinical trials offer vital knowledge regarding the correlation between stress and the risk, prognosis, and treatment results of bowel cancer. Although the evidence is inconclusive, it is essential to continue researching the intricate relationship between stress and bowel cancer. This will help us understand the connection better and create specific strategies to reduce its impact on patient outcomes.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a public health problem exacerbated by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics and an inadequate capacity of laboratories to conduct AMR surveillance. This study assessed the capacity of laboratories in seven faith-based hospitals to conduct bacteriology, AMR testing and surveillance in Zambia. This multi-facility, cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted from February 2024 to April 2024. We collected and analysed data using the self-scoring Laboratory Assessment of Antibiotic Resistance Testing Capacity (LAARC) tool. This study found an overall score of 39%, indicating a low capacity of laboratories to conduct AMR surveillance. The highest capacity score was 47%, while the lowest was 25%. Only one hospital had full capacity (100%) to utilise a Laboratory Information System (LIS). Three hospitals had good capacity to perform data management with scores of 83%, 85%, and 95%. Only one hospital had full capacity (100%) to process specimens, and only one hospital had good safety requirements for a microbiology laboratory, with a score of 89%. This study demonstrates that all the assessed hospitals have a low capacity to conduct AMR surveillance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strengthen the microbiology capacity of laboratories to enhance surveillance in faith-based hospitals in Zambia.

This paper investigates women’s empowerment and their active involvement in governance aimed at promoting sustainable development. The study focuses on examining the roles and processes of co-creation of nature-based solutions (NBS) for water management in Milan. Three research directions were explored: 1) to determine gender-based roles within local governance; 2) to detect semantic groups of NBS based on stakeholders' gender; c) to analyze gender-based linguistic and conceptual patterns of NBS. To achieve our objectives, we converted a sample of audio-video interviews of local stakeholders into textual data along with metadata indicating speakers' roles and gender. Descriptive statistics were applied to explore the governance's roles. We employed a combination of textual analysis and network analysis to identify thematic groups of NBS, and applied a word embedding approach to uncover linguistic patterns indicative of semantic sub-structures. The findings revealed significant demographic diversity. Male stakeholders perceive sustainable development as a process driven by the circular economy and the coordination of territorial authorities, while female stakeholders envision a transformative approach rooted in science, culture, and collaboration. The semantic sub-structure analysis highlighted a tendency among male governance to emphasize specialized skills, whereas female governance placed greater emphasis on problem definition rather than resolution.

A new type of artificial block is proposed by modifying the traditional block. Based on the physical model experiment, the wave reflection and run-up characteristics of the new ecological blocks under regular waves were examined, and the influence of the height of the "planting trough" border on the hydrodynamic properties was analyzed. The results indicate that the wave reflection and run-up would decrease with a decrease in the breakwater slope. As wave height increases, wave run-up increases, and the reflection coefficient falls. Wave reflection and run-up increase with an increasing wave period. The relative depth of the water has a smaller impact on the wave reflection than the wave run-up. The reflection coefficient of the new ecological blocks is consistently lower than that of the conventional and continues to decrease as the border of the "planting trough" is raised. The raised borders prevent water loss in the trough, resulting in no significant improvement in the wave run-up performance of the new blocks. The reflection coefficient and the relative run-up R/H gradually increase with the average wave breaking parameter ξ increase. The crude permeability coefficients for the new blocks, New Heights 1 and New Heights 2, are 0.53, 0.53, and 0.54, respectively.