Data4HumanRights training materials have been developed as open-source and tailored to limited resource settings where community data collectors often live and work. An overview of how the training material was developed together with community data collectors in Nigeria and Kenya is provided. The paper gives insights into the fundamental principles (i.e., inclusiveness, adaptive, limited resources, gender- and incentive-sensitive) and the structure of the open-access training materials. This resulted in 28 modules designed to be delivered in a face-to-face format in less than one day by a local trainer. To maximize adaptivity, the training modules can be mixed and matched (e.g., as individual modules or a learning path of several modules around a specific training need). The individual modules cover a range of methods and tools that are useful to human rights work, for example, documenting evictions, performing rapid needs assessments after acute crises, community profiling, and monitoring community development indicators. The training materials contain instructions for the facilitator(s) of the training and all necessary training materials to conduct the training. To maximize inclusivity, the training covers basic to advanced topics. Most training modules address basic training topics that can be optimally followed with a mobile phone (to avoid using a computer and printing handouts). The training was developed and implemented with local community groups in Nigeria and Kenya. The material is free to use, adapt, and translate into different contexts and languages.

Undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies such as anemia are considered significant public health challenges in Bangladesh, which enhancing fish consumption is a well-established food-based intervention to address these. This paper documents the establishment of community-based fish chutney production and reports the impact of its consumption on mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels among targeted 150 pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in rural Bangladesh. A fish chutney was developed using locally available ingredients followed by a series of laboratory tests, including nutrient composition, shelf-life and food safety. A community-based fish chutney production process was designed to: 1) supply locally available ingredients for processing; 2) establish two fish drying sites; 3) initiate a community-based production site, and 4) distribute fish chutney to PLW by six women nutrition field facilitators for one year. Then a pre- and post-intervention study was designed for a selected 150 PLW to receive 30g of fish chutney daily for 12 months. Differences in mean mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels pre- and post-consumption were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Consumption of 30g of fish-chutney resulted in significant increases of the mean values of Hb levels and MUAC among the targeted PLW.

Neurological involvement following COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) is thought to have a neuroinflammatory etiology. Co-ultraPEALut (an antiinflammatory molecule) and luteolin (an antioxidant) yielded promising results as neuroinflammation antagonists. This study aimed at describing cognitive impairment in post-COVID patient treated with co-ultraPEALut. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Prospective-Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and a subjective evaluation were administered at baseline and after 10 months. Co-ultraPEALut-treated patients were retrospectively compared with controls. 26 co-ultraPEALut-treated patients showed significant improvement in PRMQ (T0: 51.94±10.55, T1: 39.67±13.02, p

This paper has two objectives: the first, to analyze the mediating effect of teacher empowerment between innovation culture and innovation capacity, and between inclusive leadership and innovation capacity; the second, to analyze the moderating effects of the school context on the innovation capacity. Data were collected in a representative sample of secondary schools in Valencia, Spain. The research model adopted is structural equation modeling, using the partial least squares (PLS) technique. The model has confirmed that teacher empowerment mediates between innovation culture and innovation capacity and between inclusive leadership and the innovation capacity. It is found that the educational context does not moderate the relationships in the proposed analysis model. This paper emphasizes the role of teacher empowerment in educational innovation and extends the knowledge of culture and leadership in the school organization.

This study examines the differential impact of proactive and reactive job crafting behaviors on job well-being, drawing from the perspective of boundary theory. The increasing popularity of work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) after work has attracted widespread attention from scholars on the relationship between WCBA and employee well-being. One view suggests that the impact of WCBA is negative, while another view suggests it is positive. Obviously, the impact of (WCBA) on well-being at work is still contradictory. To clarify the complexity of the impact of WCBA on well-being at work, based on boundary theory, we divided WCBA into proactive WCBA (PC) and reactive WCBA (RC), and examined the double-edged sword effect of WCBA on well-being at work, as well as the mediating mechanisms of job control and work-to-home conflict, and the moderated effects of boundary segmentation preferences. This study uses empirical sampling method to collect data from 125 employees for a period of five days for quantitative research. The results show that, first, PC has an inverted U-shaped effect on job control, and job control is negatively related to well-being at work. Thus the mediating effect of job control is significant. Second, RC has a negative impact on job control, and there is also a negative relationship between job control and well-being at work. Therefore, the mediating effect of job control is significant. Third, PC and RC are positively correlated with work-to-home conflict, and work-to-home conflict has a significant positive impact on well-being at work. Therefore, the mediating effect of work-family conflict is significant. Fourth, the study also found that integration preference moderates the relationship between work-to-home conflict and PC on well-being at work, that is, the mediating effect of work-to-home conflict is stronger for employees with low integration preference. This study enriches our understanding of WCBA, PC and RC from the perspective of proactive and passive employee behaviors. The study also provides a new interpretation of the impact of WCBA on well-being at work and offers valuable insights for the sustainable development in digital social transformation and the application of boundary theory and the theory of empowerment-subjugation in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the study deepens our understanding of the heterogeneous regulatory role played by work-family integration preferences in influencing well-being at work under different types of WCBA.

The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) indices are used to assess the indoor environment in terms of human thermal comfort-discomfort. In this study, an experimental combined objective and subjective investigation of thermal comfort perception has been performed in students between 16-18 years old, in a non-air-conditioned school building. The objective approach included instrumentation measurements and data processing according to ISO 7730, whereas, the subjective one was based on answers collection following ISO 10551. The study is mainly devoted to the verification of Fanger’s approach in a building, in free running conditions, under a mild (moderate) climate.The comparison between instrumentation data and questionnaire results presented an underestimation of the mean vote, predicting a cooler sensation than the actual one.

Background: Vestibular Neuritis (VN) induces Acute Vestibular Syndrome (AVS). This study aimed to identify predictive factors of VN recovery by healing and/or compensation. Methods: In this longitudinal and prospective study, 40 patients were included. The first assessment (T0) included medical history taking (general and specific), for cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), a battery of diagnostic tests, bithermal caloric test (BCT), video Head Impulse Test (VHIT) and skull vibration induced nystagmus (SVIN). All patients also completed a Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). All assessments were repeated 90±15 days (T3) later. Subjective criteria compensation were based on DHI total score and objective criteria compensation on the instrumental test results. Four groups of patients (A, B, C, D) were delineated by combining patients with normal vs abnormal vestibular tests and patients with normal vs abnormal DH. Results: CVRFs were associated with a poorer recovery of symptoms but not the age or BMI. Vestibular tests mainly BCT (canal paresis %), VHIT (lateral semicircular canal gain) and SVINT (nystagmus slow phase velocity) recovered within normal values in 20%, 20%, 26% of cases respectively at T3 for the 40-patient group. Conclusions: Vascular risk factors (hypercholesterolemia) are correlated with patients who do not recover their symptoms either by healing or compensation. The evolution did not show any significant difference between high or low frequency vestibular tests in patients recovering from their symptoms. However, some patients with objective recovery may continue to show persisting subjective symptoms.

With the advancement of the economy and society, policymakers acknowledge the significance of improving rural households' well-being as a crucial factor in promoting sustainable economic and social development. Based on the matching data of China Household Finance Survey and Digital Rural County Index, this study empirically examines the effect and mechanisms of digital village construction on subjective well-being of rural households. The results revealed that digital village construction has a significant improvement in their subjective well-being. The impact of digital village construction is particularly significant in rural areas located in the western regions of China, as well as among households possessing higher levels of human capital. The process through which digital village construction enhances the subjective well-being of rural households involves the augmentation of household income, the promotion of non-farm employment opportunities, and the enhancement of rural governance. This study provides robust micro-empirical evidence highlighting the positive welfare effects of digital rural construction. This study provides insights into the digital village construction within the happiness economy framework, offering a new perspective. The imperative to strengthen rural digital infrastructure and improve farmers' proficiency in modern information skills is a strategic policy aimed at enhancing well-being of rural households.

Despite concepts of human flourishing, a term connected to empowerment that acts as an archi-tectural structure within the development and sustainability discourse, tensions remain between exponential economic growth, planetary health and community empowerment. Scholars argue that the development agenda is maldevelopment due to the unrequested interventions delivered to communities, mainly in the Global South (Shiva, 1999). A current state of disorientation grips the modern world, and despite sophisticated global frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), internal approaches are side-lined. This research article repositions empowerment and compassion at the centre of the sustainable development discourse by drawing on the Inner Development Framework, particularly goal one – Being – ‘Relationship to Self’ and goal three – Relating – ‘Caring for others and the World’ as a guiding theoretical underpinning. Accordingly, this research article presents a qualitative interpretative study that examines the lived experience of women and their journeys to empowerment. The key findings indicate an intricate relationship between wellbeing and empowerment and the realisation of inner development as a tool to re-imagine alternative futures. The Machiavellian tendency to the sustainability agenda is deeply embedded in the profiteering of the misery of affected communities.

Entrepreneurship education in South Africa holds significant promise in empowering the youth and fostering economic growth. This article explores the impact of entrepreneurship education on youth empowerment, focusing on case studies of successful young entrepreneurs, evaluation of entrepreneurial skills development, and analysis of employment and economic outcomes. While effective models of entrepreneurship education emphasize experiential learning and collaboration with local businesses, resource constraints and infrastructure gaps pose challenges. Moreover, socio-cultural perceptions and gender disparities influence youth's willingness to engage in entrepreneurship, hindering inclusivity. Evaluating the long-term impact remains challenging, requiring robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The article concludes with recommendations to enhance the impact of entrepreneurship education, including increasing funding, challenging stereotypes, fostering collaboration, and developing evaluation mechanisms to support South Africa's youth in realizing their entrepreneurial potential.

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is a possible earliest detectable sign of dementia, but we do not know what mental processes lead to elevated concern. We summarize the previous literature on the biomarkers and functional neuroanatomy of SCD. To extend the current most-popular theory of SCD, compensatory hyperactivition, we introduce a new model: breakdown of homeostasis in the prediction error minimization system. A cognitive prediction error is a discrepancy between an implicit cognitive predictions and the corresponding outcome. Experiencing frequent prediction errors may be a primary source of elevated subjective concern. Our homeostasis breakdown model explains the progression both from normal cognition to SCD and from SCD to advanced dementia stages.

Somatosensory tactile experience is a key aspect of our interaction with the environment. It is involved in object manipulation, in the planning and control of actions and, in its affective components, in the relationships with other individuals. It is also a foundational component of body awareness. An intriguing aspect of sensory perception in general and tactile perception in particular is the way in which stimulation comes to consciousness. Indeed, although being aware of something seems a rather self-evident and monolithic aspect of our mental states, sensory awareness may be in fact modulated by many different processes that impact on the mere stimulation of the skin, including the way in which we perceive our bodies as belonging to us. In this review, we first took into consideration the pathological conditions of absence of phenomenal experience of touch, in the presence of implicit processing, as initial models for understanding the neural bases of conscious tactile experience. Subsequently, we discussed cases of tactile illusions both in normal subjects and in brain-damaged patients which help to understand which high order processes impact tactile awareness. Finally, we discussed the observations reported in the review in light of some influential models of touch and body representation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Hapo ms, a passive upper limbs exoskeleton developed to assist workers for tasks with arms in front of the body. Twelve participants had to perform a static task, a manual handling task and a load carrying task two times: with and without the exoskeleton. In all cases subjective (perceived effort in arm and back areas, comfort) and objective (muscular activity, postural balance) criteria were evaluated. Results have shown a decrease in anterior deltoid (-12 to -18% depending of the task) and in biceps brachii (-19% to -33% depending of the task) muscular activity. No significant difference was pointed out in back muscle and postural balance was not significantly perturbed due to the wear of the exoskeleton. Finally, perceived effort reduction was observed during the three tasks (except in back area for task 1). To conclude, the Hapo ms seems well adapted to assist upper arms during tasks with arms in front of the body.

This research provides an in-depth analysis of drought impacts in West Pokot, Kenya, utilizing both remote sensing surveys and focus group discussions. The study commenced by assessing the impact of drought on vegetation health via spatial sensors. It then utilized surveys and focus group discussions (FGDs) to engage farmers from the most drought-affected areas in Kacheliba and Sigor sub-counties. The analysis of remote sensing data from 1990 to 2022 highlighted that Sigor and Kacheliba experienced significant drought events during the years 1995, 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2009, and 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2019, respectively. This study delves into both the meteorological and socio-economic effects on local communities. Using the Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) model with the glm function, the research uncovered the impacts of so-cio-economic factors and agricultural practices on household livestock production. Additionally, the study employed Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to explore the dynamics between livestock production, community resilience, and crop production. The findings underscore the urgent need for tailored interventions to enhance community resilience in the face of increasing climatic extremes, serving as a blueprint for similar arid and semi-arid regions worldwide.

Transdisciplinary research approach requires that different scientists with their discipline-specific theories, concepts and methods find ways to work together with other societal players to solve a real-life problem. In order to put this into practice, Trans-disciplinary Action Research (TDR) approach was applied in this study using Push pull technology (PPT) as a boundary object. The study was conducted in Bako Tibe, Jimma arjo and Yayu Woredas (Districts) in the Oromia region of Ethiopia from August 2014 to April 2015. PPT is a biological based mechanism developed by researchers for stemborer pest control in maize. It involves inter-cropping maize with a stemborer moth-repellent silverleaf or Greenleaf Desmodium (push), and planting an attractive trap crop, Napier or Brachiaria grass (pull), around the maize crop. On farm PPT implementation was used to provide an opportunity for collaboration, interaction and learning among heterogeneous set of stakeholders comprising of researchers from Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural research and the practitioners from the ministry of agriculture and smallholder farmers/traders. The data was collected using mixed methods approach comprising of key informant interviews, Focus Group discussions, workshops, on-farm practical demonstrations and participant observations. The findings shows that; collaborative leadership provides a chance for the stakeholders to participate in the technology learning and decision making by enabling them to jointly contribute skills towards development, refinement and adaptation of PPT. In situations where there are conflicts, they are embraced and become opportunities for in-depth learning, finding solutions and adaptation rather than being sources of contradictions or misunderstandings. Leadership roles taken by farmers play a key role in terms of ability to reflect on their own practices and drawing on scientific explanations from researchers. It also enables them take lead in new technology implementation and information sharing in free and easy manner with fellow farmers and other stakeholders. Although PPT perennial nature of cropping provides opportunities for continuous stakeholder interaction and learning, it requires a personally committed leadership and formal institutional engagements for the sustainability of its activities spanning over several cropping seasons. Market forces and the involvement of private sector players also has a role to achieve this as shown from the involvement of individual farmers and traders in Desmodium and Brachiaria seed production, collection and distribution.

Sleep disturbances very common in children with autism. That is why it requires instruments that facilitate its evaluation. Goals: Perform the evaluation of sleep from a subjective prospect in a group of children with primary autism and compare to a control group, using the Sleep Habits in Children Survey (CSHQ), In order to determine sleep disturbances, according to the sub-scales results. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study of the sample was carried out. A group with primary Autism n = 21 was selected. For the assessment of the dream we chose (CSHQ). The differences between independent groups were calculated by applying a Mann Whitney U test (p <0.05). Results: The group of children with autism showed the highest values of the total scale (mean = 48.00) wish is congruent with a greate disfuntion of sleep, compared to the control group (mean = 36.47) for p = 0.00. Significant differences were found for all sub scales p = 0.00, with the exception of sub-scale number 7. Conclusions: There is a high presence of sleep disturbances in children with primary autism, which are related to multifactorial causes, with the exception of sleep breathing disorders that did not show statistically significant differences between groups.

The well-being in the people is a key aspect of the field of psychology. Hence, it is important to an-alyse the variables that are related to life satisfaction and happiness as perceived by individuals and that, therefore, increase their overall well-being. The main objective of this study was to ana-lyse the predictive capacity of emotional intelligence and perceived social support on both the level of life satisfaction and perceived happiness. A total of 380 psychology students completed the Trait Meta Mood Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. The results show that both emotional intelligence and social support are related to and predictive of subjective happiness and life satisfaction. The importance of developing the components of emotional intelligence and promoting an adequate social network in young people is highlighted.

In 2018, the state of Himachal Pradesh in north India launched an initiative to convert all its farmers to natural farming (NF), an agroecological approach. The aim was to address multiple challenges related to rural livelihoods, high input costs, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. This paper is based on a qualitative case study of the state programme to transition farmers to NF. It seeks to understand how its mechanisms support and empower small and marginal women farmers. In addition to identifying mechanisms that facilitate the effective uptake of NF, the case study sought women's views on whether these increased spaces for decision-making and developed capabilities and autonomy. Framed within the vision of reclaiming food sovereignty, various mechanisms such as training in villages, participating in NF groups and networks, visits to model farms and adopting leadership roles offered new pathways for women farmers to gain confidence and capabilities. Women began to participate in spaces that had been culturally and structurally denied to them. This case study illustrates how agroecology efforts with a specific focus on gender have the potential to provide women with creative outlets and a variety of decision-making and income-generating roles, spaces for community learning and knowledge needed for sustainable ecosystems.

ChatGPT, a freely-accessible AI language model designed to generate human-like text responses to users, has been utilized in several areas, such as healthcare industry, to facilitate interactive dissemination of information. Academic advising has been an important factor in promoting success among university students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unfortunately, however, student advising has been marred with problems, with the availability and accessibility of advisors being among the hurdles. The current study explores how ChatGPT might serve to make academic advising more accessible, efficient, and even effective. Researchers compiled a list of questions frequently asked by current and prospective students in a teacher education Bachelor’s degree program in the United States. Then, the questions were typed into the free version of ChatGPT and the answers generated were evaluated for their content and delivery. ChatGPT generated surprisingly high-quality answers, written in an authoritative yet supportive tone, and it was particularly adept at addressing general career-related questions comprehensively, such as career outlook. We argue that ChatGPT may complement, but not replace, human academic advisors and it may very well promote educational equity through empowering students from a wide range of backgrounds with the means to access effective advising.

As a potential motivation, psychological empowerment stimulates employees' work behaviors, and it determines the degree of effort and duration of employees' work. Only when employees are psychologically empowered, will they have an impact on their behavior when they believe that they are trusted. This paper chose to set the independent variable as the employee's perceived trust and the dependent variable as the company's work performance, and explored the mediating role of psychological empowerment in the two. The psychological empowerment of employees had a positive impact on work performance. Employees with high psychological empowerment tended to be proactive in their work, and had more input in the work, which in turn encouraged employees to have higher work performance. The four dimensions of psychological empowerment can positively affect employee task performance, and the ability and influence of psychological empowerment had a positive impact on relationship performance. Psychological empowerment as a whole perception played a part of the mediating role between the perception of superior dependency and task performance, and it played a part of the mediating role between perception of superior dependency and relationship performance. As a whole perception, psychological empowerment played a part of mediating role between perceived information disclosure and task performance, and part of mediating role between perceived information disclosure and relationship performance. In the study of perceived trust and work performance, this article focused on the mediating role of psychological empowerment, and further understood the internal mechanism of perceived trust.

In 2013, thirty-eight treadle pumps (TPs) were installed as low-cost technology introduction for small-scale irrigation in eastern Ethiopia. This pilot project also trained six farmers on tube well excavation, installation and maintenance of pumps. In June 2015, researchers visited nine of the 38 TP villages, and found only two functional TPs. The rest were replaced with a new technology developed by the trained farmers. Adopters of the new technology stated that the limited water output and high labor demand of the conventional TP did not optimally fulfil their irrigation water requirements. The new technology had spread quickly to more than one hundred households due to three key factors. First, farmers’ innovative modifications of the initial excavation technique addressed the discharge limitations of the conventional TP by excavating boreholes with wider diameter. Second, local ownership of the new technology, including skills used in well drilling and manufacturing excavation implement, made the new irrigation technology affordable and accessible to the majority of households. Third, this innovation spread organically without any external support, confirming its sustainability. Farmers, empowered by training, gained more control in developing technology options tailored to local needs and conditions of their communities.

Empowering women and promoting gender equality is crucial for accelerating sustainable development in fragile countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, there is scarce existing knowledge or understanding of the factors determining women’s empowerment in these contexts. We aimed to assess women's empowerment and determine its associated factors in Kinshasa, DRC. We analyzed data from the 2021 Performance Monitoring Assessment (PMA) survey. A sample of 1,365 women of childbearing age was retained for this study. Twenty empowerment items related to household decision-making, contraception use, and husband/partner influence were considered. We calculated the average women’s empowerment index (aWEI), identified the women empowerment variables using principal component analysis (PCA), and determined the associated factors for the first three principal components through the performance of multivariate binary logistic regression. In Kinshasa, the overall aWEI was estimated at 0.65. It was low for household decision-making (0.34) and high for husband/partner influence domains (0.93), respectively. Three principal components were identified and named, including the absence of threats, control of sexuality, and participation in decision-making. The factors associated with these components were having internet access, being in free union with a partner, being aged 40-49 years, and residing in a non-slum area. Increasing access to information would enable women in Kinshasa to make strategic decisions about their lives, benefiting themselves and others.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) exert significant burdens on individuals and society, underscoring the importance of accurate predictions using advanced machine learning (ML) algorithms. Leveraging electronic health records (EHRs) and survey data, these algorithms offer potential in forecasting such mental health conditions. Yet, the precision of these predictions can be compromised by biases or inaccuracies inherent in subjective survey responses. In this research, we assess the reliability of four prominent ML algorithms—Random Forest, XGBoost, Logistic Regression, and Naïve Bayesian—in predicting MDD and GAD. Our dataset encompasses a rich array of information, from biomedical metrics and demographic details to self-reported survey insights. A focal point of our investigation is the algorithms' performance under scenarios with varying degrees of subjective response inaccuracies, such as memory recall biases or subjective interpretation. Our findings reveal that while all algorithms exhibit commendable accuracy with pristine survey data, their performance diverges when faced with erroneous or biased responses. Notably, XGBoost remains stable and excels in identifying true positive cases, even in the presence of such noise. These observations underscore the criticality of algorithmic resilience in mental health prediction, especially when relying on subjective data. The robustness of certain algorithms to noisy inputs positions them as more reliable choices for predicting mental health conditions based on self-reported data, emphasizing the need for careful algorithm selection in such contexts.

Moral identity can promote people’s well-being, but existing research has paid little attention to the mechanism of the link between the two. The current study proposed that the eudaimonic identity function is a critical mechanism that links moral identity and well-being. Specifically, the quality of identity commitment mediates the link between subjective well-being and the two dimensions of moral identity, namely, internalization and symbolization. We examined these hypotheses in 419 participants, who completed the Self-importance of Moral Identity Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-being. Results from the obtained data confirmed our hypotheses: There is a significant correlation between moral identity and subjective well-being. Both the internalization and symbolization dimensions of moral identity promote subjective well-being through the mediating role of identity commitment quality. We discussed these findings with respect to implications and proposed research suggestions for future studies.

The relationship between the street environment and the health, education, mobility, and criminal behaviors of its citizens has long been investigated by economists, sociologists and urban planners. Home buyers were found to pay a premium for better street appearance. Prior studies considering streetscapes mainly focus on objective measures such as the number of nearby trees, the tree canopy area, or the view index of physical features such as greenery, sky or building. However, subjective perceptions may have complex or subtle relationships to physical features, individual physical features or simply summing them up do not capture people’s comprehensive perception. In contrast, this study proposed a new approach for the urban-scale application to quantify both subjectively and objectively measured streetscape scores for six important perception qualities, namely Greenness, Walkability, Safety, Imageability, Enclosure, and Complexity. Built on prior quantitative studies in urban design quality and emerging applications in deep learning and open source street view imagery for urban perceptions, we integrated existing frameworks to (1) effectively collect and evaluate both subjectively and objectively- measured perceptions; (2) investigate the coherence and divergence in ML-predicted subjective scores and formula-derived objective scores; and (3) compare their effects in affecting house prices taking Shanghai as a case study using a large-scale dataset on home transactions. The results implied: first, the percentage increase in sales price attributable to street scores is significant for both subjective and objective measurements. In general subjective scores explained more variance over structural attributes and objective scores in hedonic price model. Particularly, objective Greenness, subjective Safety and Imageability scores positively affected house prices. Second, for Greenness and Imageability scores, the subjective and objective measures exhibited opposite signs in affecting house prices, which implied that there might be mechanisms related to the psychological, social-demographical characteristics of street users that have not been fully incorporated by objective measures that taking view indices or recombination of them. In addition, certain objective measure might outperform subjective counterpart when the connotation of the perception is self-evident and not complicated, for example the Greenness. For those concepts were not familiar to the average person, subjective framework exhibits better performance. This is the first study comprehensively expanding hedonic price method with both subjectively and objectively measured streetscape qualities. It suggested that city authorities could levy a street environment tax to compensate the public budget invested in street environment where developers secured benefits from a price premium. This study enriches our understanding of the economic values of the subjective and objective measures street qualities. It sheds light on promising future study areas where the coherence and divergence of the two measurements should be further stressed.

In an era driven by technology and connectivity, where the sphere of learning goes beyond conventional classrooms, e-Service-Learning (e-SL) merges the possibilities of technology with the principles of experiential education in a powerful blend [1]. Service-learning (SL) is an educational proposal that has been cited by UNESCO [2] as an innovative educational tool through which to address the complex challenges of our society. The Sustainable Development Goals [3] provide a framework around which to structure the SL projects and thus develop the skills needed to act on the full range of goals. Embedding digital means open a debate on the intricate relationship between technology, education, and societal impact [4]. By analyzing two focus groups involving faculty, students and community partners, this contribution aims to explore the potential of combining SL and digital empowerment (DE). The focus group participants discussed the opportunities for innovation, the expected impact on them and the society at large, their needs and the pre-conditions needed to make SL and DE successful, and limitations. The results are presented according to the six principles of sustainability education in the university environment, highlighting the transformative potential of combining these principles within SL and DE.

Psychedelics are drugs capable of eliciting profound alterations in the subjective experience of the users, sometimes with long-lasting consequences. Because of this, psychedelic research tends to focus on human subjects, given their capacity to construct detailed narratives about the contents of their consciousness experiences. In spite of its relevance, the interaction between serotonergic psychedelics and language production is comparatively understudied in the recent literature. This review is focused on two aspects of this interaction: how the acute effects of psychedelic drugs impact on speech organization regardless of its semantic content, and how to characterize the subjective effects of psychedelic drugs by analyzing the semantic content of written retrospective reports. We show that the computational characterization of language production is an emergent powerful tool to predict the therapeutic outcome of individual experiences, relate the effects elicited by psychedelics with those associated with other altered states of consciousness, draw comparisons between the psychedelic state and the symptomatology of certain psychiatric disorders, and investigate the neurochemical profile and mechanism of action of different psychedelic drugs. We conclude that researchers studying psychedelics can considerably expand the range of their potential scientific conclusions by analyzing brief interviews obtained before, during and after the acute effects. Finally, we list a series of questions and open problems that should be addressed to further consolidate this approach.

It was once thought that high QoS (Quality of Service) performance solves recurrent problems of low-quality multimedia services. Since then, solutions have been proposed to ensure a high level of QoE (Quality of Experience). In this document, the authors attempt to outline their understanding of an accurate meaning of quality of multimedia services. Starting from QoS and passing through generalised QoE, the authors focus on aspects of subjective and objective quality modelling and optimisation of visual performance for TRV (Target Recognition Video) applications (such as video surveillance), outlining the path of ITU-T standardisation in this area. The authors revised the ITU-T Recommendation P.912 to reflect improved subjective test techniques developed since this Recommendation was approved. The authors also attempt to predict at least some existing errors of reasoning, which are likely to become evident for the industry in the next decade.

In the contemporary era, the movement for women empowerment is not merely a social cause but a transformative force reshaping societies across the globe. The article "Breaking Barriers: Women Empowerment Transforming Societies in Modern Times Building a Better Future" delves into the multifaceted impact of empowering women, highlighting how it transcends individual upliftment and fosters widespread societal progress. It also delves into the transformative impact of women’s empowerment on societies, highlighting successful initiatives, case studies, and personal narratives that illustrate the journey towards gender parity. It examines the challenges and opportunities in this ongoing struggle, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy, education, and policy reform. By fostering an environment where women can thrive, societies can unlock unprecedented potential and build a better, more prosperous future for all. By examining key areas such as education, economic participation, political representation, and social inclusion, the article elucidates how empowering women leads to more equitable, prosperous, and resilient communities. It underscores the importance of dismantling historical and cultural barriers that have long hindered women's potential, while celebrating the strides made towards gender equality. Furthermore, the narrative showcases inspiring stories of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who are spearheading efforts to build a better future for all. This exploration not only emphasizes the moral imperative of gender equality but also its critical role in driving sustainable development and global advancement.

Intensive care unit discharge is an important transition which impacts on patient wellbeing. Nurses can play an essential role in this scenario, potentiating patient empowerment. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA Statement. Embase, PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were evaluated in May 2021. Two independent reviewers analyzed the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of evidence. Quality of the studies included was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Of the 273 articles initially identified, eight randomized controlled trials reported nursing interventions mainly focused on patients’ ICU discharge preparation through information and education. The creation of ICU Nurse-Led and nurses’ involvement in critical care multidisciplinary teams also aimed to support patients during ICU discharge. This systematic review provides an update on clinical practice aimed at improving the patient experience during ICU discharge. The main nursing interventions were based on information and education, as well as the development of new nursing roles. Understanding transitional needs and patient empowerment are key to making the transition easier.

Collaborative robots (cobots) have largely replaced conventional industrial robots in today’s workplaces, particularly in manufacturing setups due to their improved performance and intelligent design. In the framework of Industry 5.0, humans are working alongside cobots to accomplish the required level of automation. However, human-robot interaction has brought up concerns regarding human factors (HF) and ergonomics. A human worker may experience cognitive stress as a result of cobots' irresponsive nature in unpredictably occurring situations, which adversely affects productivity. Therefore, there is a necessity to measure stress to enhance a human worker’s performance in a human-robot collaborative environment. In this study, factory workers’ mental workload has been assessed using physiological, behavioural, and subjective measures. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signals have been collected to acquire brain signals and track hemodynamic activity, respectively. The effect of task complexity, cobot’s movement speed, and cobot’s payload capacity on the mental stress of a human worker have been observed, for a task designed in the context of a smart factory. Task complexity and cobot’s speed have proved to be more impactful. As physiological measures are unbiased and more authentic means to estimate stress, eventually, they may replace the other conventional measures if they prove to correlate with the results of traditional ones. Here, regression and artificial neural networks (ANN) have been utilised to determine the correlation between physiological data and subjective and behavioural measures. Regression has performed better for most of the targets and the best correlation (rsq-adj = 0.654146) has been achieved for predicting missed beeps, behavioural measure, using a combination of multiple EEG and fNIRS predictors. The k-nearest neighbours (KNN) algorithm has been used to evaluate the accuracy of correlation between traditional measures and physiological variables, with highest accuracy of 77.8% achieved for missed beeps as the target. Results show that physiological measures can be more insightful and have the tendency to replace other biased parameters.

Subjective paranormal experience (SPE) has been a notable part of the human historical narrative. Alleged miracles, telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, witchcraft, spiritualism, monsters and ghosts have received a supernatural interpretation. The incidence and prevalence of reported SPE remains at high levels in all populations investigated to date. Previous research on SPE has focused on the cognitive and social factors that facilitate paranormal beliefs and experiences. I consider here developmental factors in the brain’s responses to trauma that appear to predispose certain individuals towards SPE. The theory draws upon the established mechanisms of dissociation and fantasy generation to describe and explain the origins of paranormal experience. The theory hypothesizes that childhood abuse and victimization trigger autonomic responses of dissociation, depersonalization and compartmentalization. Freezing and associated releases of fantasy serve as a survival strategy in the homeostatic regaining of safety and control. The predictions from the homeostasis theory are consistent with the findings of multiple studies and falsifying evidence has yet to be identified.

The excitation of the visual system increases with increasing retinal illumination. At the same time, the sensitivity of the system decreases (light adaptation). Higher excitation automatically results in a lower sensitivity. This study investigates whether this parallelism between the excitation and the sensitivity also applies in the dynamic case, that is, during the transition to a higher excitation level after an increase in the retinal illuminance. For this purpose, the courses of the subjective and the electroretinographic threshold during the transitional phase after a step of the adaptation illumination was determined by means of a special light-stimulation apparatus. As a measure of the course of the excitation during this time, the response ERG on the adaptation step was recorded with a special amplifier. The threshold curve always has an overswing, which shows subjectively very strong differences. It can be concluded that the glare caused by a sudden increase in illuminance is subjectively very different. The comparison between the response ERG on the adaptation step and the course of the electroretinographic increment threshold during this time shows a broad agreement between the two courses. It can thus be assumed that the sensitivity of the visual system follows the course of the excitation also in the dynamic case. In addition, the investigation shows that the glare experienced after a step in the illuminance clearly shows great subjective differences.

We investigate the relationship between social isolation and subjective health, considering that this relationship is potentially affected by endogeneity due to the presence of self-reported measures. Thus, if an increase in social isolation may impact the perception on health, alternative paths of causality may also be hypothesized. Using data from round 7 of the European Social Survey, we estimate an instrumental variable model in which isolation is explained as being a member of an ethnic minority and having experienced some serious family conflicts in the past. Our results confirm that changes in social isolation influence subjective general health. In particular, greater isolation produces a strong and significant deterioration of the perceived health status. With respect to the literature on social isolation and health, we try to advance it by supporting a path of causality running from social isolation to subjective health.

This study addresses the gap in methodological guidelines for Neuroergonomic attention assessment in safety-critical tasks, focusing on validating EEG indices including the Engagement Index (EI) and Beta/Alpha ratio alongside subjective ratings. A novel task-embedded reaction time paradigm was developed to evaluate the sensitivity of these metrics to dynamic attentional demands in a more naturalistic multitasking context. By manipulating attention levels through varying secondary tasks in the NASA MATB-II task while maintaining a consistent primary reaction-time task, the study successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the paradigm. Results indicate that both Beta/Alpha ratio and EI are sensitive to changes in attentional demands, with Beta/Alpha being more responsive to dynamic variations in attention, and EI reflecting more the overall effort required to sustain performance, especially in conditions where maintaining attention is challenging. The potential for predicting the attention lapses through integration of performance metrics, EEG measures, and subjective assessments was demonstrated, providing a more nuanced understanding of dynamic fluctuations of attention in multitasking scenarios, mimicking those in real-world safety-critical tasks. These findings provide a foundation for advancing methods to accurately monitor attention fluctuations and mitigate risks in critical scenarios, such as train-driving or automated vehicle operation, where maintaining high attention level is crucial.

International research has highlighted the relationship between the physical environment of schools and the perceived well-being of different actors in the educational community. Although these studies pointed out a relationship between these variables, there is little research that delves into the nature and quality of this relationship. The present study aimed to analyse the mediating effect of the perception of the physical environment of the classroom (considering aspects such as lighting, acoustics, visibility, size, order, and aesthetic features) on the perception of school climate and subjective well-being of students in state-funded schools in Chile. A total of 19.567 students (48,77% female) between fifth and eighth grade from 425 vulnerable schools in Chile participated. Through a simple statistical mediation model, it was identified that the perception of the physical environment mediates about 50% of the total effect on subjective well-being and school climate (c' = 0.09 (0.01); p < 0.001). There is an urgent need to incorporate indicators and evaluations addressing the perceptions of the infrastructure and physical environment in schools, especially when this has been expressed as an explicit and historical demand of the Chilean student movements. This type of approach, including multiple factors, could favour a more articulated vision of the quality of the educational environment, contributing to the academic and emotional development of students.

Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, marked variations in individuals' resilience and vulnerability have emerged. This eight-month longitudinal study engaged 535 community adults (58% female, M_age = 43.97) to explore the nuanced aspects of coping and personal growth during the challenging period. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the research examines the influence of autonomy support from close others—manifested through active listening and providing choices—on psychological need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), integrative regulation of emotions; posttraumatic growth; and subjective well-being (positive affect and life satisfaction). Structural equation modeling revealed that, over time, the experience of psychological need satisfaction was intricately related to integrative regulation, posttraumatic growth, positive affect, and life satisfaction. Notably, the impact was partially mediated by autonomy support. These findings shed light on the pivotal role that autonomy supported relationships play in fostering personal growth and meaning making during life's difficult junctures. The study underscores the practical significance of purposeful support from close others and paves the way for future research endeavors.

Relatives play an important role in mental health service users’ care. Interventions directed either at service users or their relatives may influence the other person as well. The project Activa’t per la salut mental (Get active for mental health) consisted of a series of four interventions addressed at people diagnosed with mental disorders and their relatives to help them in their recovery process, increasing their agency and quality of life. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the interaction of the participation of service users on their relatives’ outcomes and vice versa. The impact of the project was evaluated within an RCT. The treatment group had access to all the circuit interventions while the control group received treatment as usual and could only access one of the interventions. All participants were evaluated at baseline, six months, and twelve months after the end of the first intervention. Service users were evaluated with the Stages of recovery questionnaire, and relatives with the Family Burden Interview Schedule II and the Duke-UNC-11 questionnaires. The interaction between service users and their relatives was analysed by means of correlational analyses within the intervention group. Service users baseline characteristics influenced in the level of participation of relatives and vice versa. The results also indicated an interaction between service users’ recovery score changes on the change of care burden of relatives. Service users’ participation levels interacted with the decrease of relatives’ burden. These results can be extremely helpful in fostering interactive benefits in future projects addressing the wellbeing of mental health service users and their relatives. Future studies could use specific designs to explore the directionality of the causality of these effects.

This study investigated the effects of flamenco dance on mood and subjective well-being in older women. In a broader context, the question was raised about how participation in dance activities could influence the emotional well-being of this demographic group. Thirty-four older women, aged between 62 and 79 years, with a mean age of 70.11 years (SD = 5.13), voluntarily participated in the study after providing informed consent. All of them were enrolled in a 12-week flamenco dance workshop conducted by the Autoestima Flamenca Association, with one two-hour session per week. Mood measurements (sadness, anxiety, anger, and joy) were taken biweekly before and after each session, and subjective well-being assessments were conducted before and after the intervention. The results revealed significant improvements in the overall mood of the participants, as well as an increase in their subjective well-being. These improvements were observed at both the individual and group levels. In conclusion, participation in flamenco dance demonstrated a positive impact on the mood and subjective well-being of older women. These findings support the idea that physical and artistic activities, such as flamenco dance, can play an important role in promoting emotional well-being in this age group.

Carbon fiber insole (CFI), which is lightweight and stiff to reduce energy loss and help wearers perform better in sports, has recently been introduced. However, there are scarce reports on the effects of CFI on sports performance, muscle fatigue and wearing comfort. This study investigat-ed the short-term effects of CFI on sports performance, lower extremity muscle activity, and sub-jective comfort. Thirty young healthy males performed various sports tasks and treadmill runs with wearable sensors under two experimental insole conditions (benchmark insole as a baseline, CFI). The results showed that compared to the benchmark insole, CFI significantly improved sports performance in terms of power generation and agility. However, it activated more of the Tibialis Anterior and Gastrocnemius Medialis muscles and was perceived stiffer, and less com-fortable. These findings suggested that CFI can improve sports performance, but it could cause more lower extremity muscle fatigue and subjective discomfort.

The betel nut chewing habit of taxi drivers has shown that can promote companionship, relaxation, and emotional stability at work. 19.3% of betel nut behaviors are instigated by an invitation among drivers to engage in the habit. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of social learning, subjective norm, and self-efficacy on betel nut chewing in taxi drivers in Taiwan. We conducted a cross-sectional study on taxis’ driver of betel nut behaviour and measured their evaluations of its consequences using a self-report questionnaire. Other variables include socio-demographic characteristics and chewing-related experience. The overall variance is 44.5% in socio-demographic variable, social learning, self-efficacy, and subjective norm. Results show that the variables of affected betel nut chewing behavior, driving years has the strongest influence, followed by learning about betel nut from the media, relatives, and friends, and education level, which positively affect betel nut chewing behavior. Findings indicated that education related to quitting betel nut chewing, significant others, and rules of the taxi fleet are adopted to design a plan for quitting betel chewing to reduce the positive expectations of taxi drivers for betel nut chewing and decrease their betel nut chewing behavior.

This narrative review explores the utilization of psychedelic states in therapeutic contexts, deliberately shifting the focus from psychedelic substances back to the experiential phenomena they induce, in alignment with the original meaning of the term "mind-manifesting." The review provides an overview of various psychedelic substances used in modern therapeutic settings and ritualistic indigenous contexts, as well as non-pharmacological methods that can arguably induce psychedelic states, including breathwork, meditation, and sensory deprivation. While the occurrence of mystical experiences in psychedelic states seems to be the strongest predictor of positive outcomes, the literature of the field yields several other psychological processes, such as awe, perspective shifts, insight, emotional breakthrough, acceptance, re-experiencing of memories, and certain aspects of challenging experiences, that are significantly associated with positive change. We additionally discuss in detail mystical experience related changes in metaphysical as well as self-related beliefs and their respective contributions to observed outcomes. We conclude that a purely medical and neurobiological perspective on psychological health is reductive and should not overshadow the significance of phenomenological experiences in understanding and treating psychological issues that manifest in subjective realities of human individuals.

Views of aging include peoples’ assessment of their own aging process and their subjective age. Positive aging views relate to good psychological well-being which predicts better physical and mental health. While these were substantially studied, the moderating roles of self-aging attitudes and psychological well-being in the subjective age-age discrimination connection have been much less explored. The current study used a convenience sample of 568 participants (mean = 66.21y, SD = 11.95, age range 50-95), 55.8% women, 67.1% employed. In line with the hypotheses, young subjective age and psychological well-being were connected to less age discrimination in the workplace and higher psychological well-being mitigated the subjective age-age discrimination at work connection. When the perception of old age as a period of loss was added to the model, adults who perceived old age as a period of loss and reported lower levels of psychological well-being, demonstrated the strongest relationship between an increase in subjective age and an increase in age-related discrimination at work. The findings emphasize the importance of the psychological well-being of older employees as a resource for improving their attitudes to their last years at work.

Introduction and Background: Bangladesh as a country could prove its development potential over the past several years with its thriving economic growth and also with a significant level of positive changes made possible in its significantly important health and social indicators including MMR, IMR, Child nutrition, fertility regulation, child survival and Infectious disease prevalence. ^1,2,3 The country could make a commendable contribution in achieving Global development goal (MDG) at a significant level and also aiming to continue its effort to sustain that status quo and also making progressive changes consistently to be contributory to SDG goals and indicators towards positive development.^2,3 Purpose: This lyrical critic is an attempt to uphold the facts and evidences embedded in social development reality where the implementations are in constant challenge with urgency, need and continuity. Methodology: A quick and intensive desk review and web search made to capture the insights from secondary data facts, stories, evidences, news features and the findings blended with personal insights and experiences. Finally, compilation of insights and views through a laid over narrative analytics and described in a descriptive lyrical format. Purposefully ignored the figure and quantity data reflection in the write up as this write up is considered more as a social development lyric rather than a scientific write up. Conclusion: Our diversified marginalized community people are of vital importance from a social inclusion and exclusion point of view, to look into this more deeply whether they are socially, epidemiologically, statistically, economic indicator wise fall into the embracing practice of our democracy and inclusion culture of addressing the marginalized. This posed our country in a very challenging situation, a dilemma in between morality vs reality, emotion vs equity, social response vs political standpoint and so on. With a long end history of community responsive and socially sensitive works within /among our generalized poor, poverty stricken and marginalized people group, where the sustainable and ethically driven, gender sensitive social empowerment is still a far cry! The diversity in nature always claims to add on beauty, tranquility and completeness towards the sense of Equity management, but it’s very true that this diversity word has a very opposite and different connotation while it is relevant to diversity in marginalization and appears in a more critical and complex dynamics to seek solution. Therefore, the ultimate empowerment of community specially the marginalized people remain entrapped into the social development process of enduring response in embracing urgency in community care where the right response may not get right weightage into the community development priority response and also the development actors priority agenda.

It is unclear which noise exposure time window and noise characteristics during nighttime are most detrimental for sleep quality in real life settings. We have conducted a field study with 105 volunteers wearing a wrist actimeter to record their sleep during seven days, together with concurrent outdoor noise measurements at their bedroom window. Actimetry recorded sleep latency increased by 5.6 minutes (95% confidence interval: 1.6 to 9.6 minutes) per 10 dB(A) increase in noise exposure during the first hour after bedtime. Actimetry assessed sleep efficiency was significantly reduced by 2-3 percent per 10 dB(A) increase in measured outdoor noise (Leq, 1h) for the last three hours of sleep. For subjectively reported sleepiness, noise exposure during the last hour prior to wake up was most crucial with an increase in the sleepiness score of 0.31 units (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.54) per 10 dB(A) Leq,1h. Associations for estimated indoor noise were not more pronounced than for outdoor noise. Considering noise events in addition to equivalent sound pressure levels (Leq) only marginally improved the statistical models. Our study provides evidence that matching the nighttime noise exposure time window to the individual’s diurnal sleep-wake pattern results in a better estimate of detrimental nighttime noise effects on sleep. We found that noise exposure at the beginning and the end of the sleep is most crucial for sleep quality.

Women's empowerment represents a process in which they are recognized as subjects of rights. Despite advances in women's rights, inequalities persist in various areas. This study aims to validate a psychometric scale of 31 items in seven factors: Participatory Empowerment, Temerity, External Influences, Independence, Social Satisfaction and Equality. The objective is to measure the empowerment of women in the university context. The research was carried out in a transversal and non-experimental manner, with the participants' voluntary collaboration, including the participation of 1,478 university students from four Higher Education Institutions in Zone 4 of Ecuador. The data was analyzed through inferential statistics, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicated that the instrument for measuring empowerment can be made up of 24 items grouped into six factors, and this model showed a good fit.

Background: There is a significant role for mind in health and disease. Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important indicator of a person’s psychological status beyond the traditional anxiety and depression. Shell and core (S&C) model of SWB is new modular framework has placeholders for various forms of positive feeling that can be adopted as an assessment tool in clinical settings.Method: 416 subjects recruited using social media platforms to complete an anonymous online survey probing into their demographic information, financial status, several well-being attributes, and personality traits. The obtained information was analyzed and the factors that most closely correlated with the sense of overall SWB were included in the model.Results: Overall, 73% of the subjects indicated that they are happy and the overall sense of SWB did not depend on gender or household income. Only those psychological traits with significant correlation with SWB were used to construct the proposed S&C model. The model comprises three main components—the shell of happiness that represents experiential happiness, i.e., positive feelings as a result of one’s experiences with their environment. The core of happiness represents inner happiness. The interface layer, between the shell and core of happiness consists of a set of coping and defense mechanisms that protects the core of happiness denoted as a happiness suit of armor (HSOA).Conclusion: The S&C model is a comprehensive model of SWB that is used as a framework to capture various aspects of happiness under a unifying umbrella. It can thus be used as an assessment tools at both personal and population level. It could also be adopted to identify the personality traits and coping mechanisms that are important for the overall sense of well-being, which could then be targeted as a part of psychological interventions aimed at individuals with different medical conditions.

Indonesian crypto asset owners are expanding despite the government's ban. Crypto assets are too risky for Indonesian investors. This study uses the Theory of Planned Behavior and exogenous variables like financial literacy, trust, and government regulation to determine the causes of the intention to invest in crypto assets. Exogenous variables and behavioral intentions were moderated by gender. The study employs a quantitative approach, collecting data through a questionnaire survey of 149 adults over the age of 17 who have invested in non-crypto assets. SmartPLS was used to analyze research data. Financial literacy and trust, according to the study's findings, have an impact on the intention to invest in crypto assets. Gender can moderate the relationship between belief and behavioral intention. Women are more likely than men to invest in crypto assets due to the block chain system's security, transparency, and ease of use. This research is expected to help the government address the risks associated with investing in crypto assets by increasing transaction security with futures clearing and monitoring by using third parties as depositors. It also governs the laws governing crypto exchanges' liability to their investors.

Target 9.c of the 2015 United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) specifically addresses increasing access to information and communication technology (ICT) resources, and striving for universal access to the internet by 2020. The present study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the youth related national strategies implemented in this regard by a select number of countries in the Middle East region. The study does so, by relying on a spatial bivariate copula regression analysis of data on youth respondents from five countries, extracted from the 2018 Program for international students’ assessment (PISA). Focusing specifically on evaluating the availability of ICT resources to the youth population, and also identifying the impact of ICT resources on youth subjective well-being in the region, we find that except for the UAE and Qatar that have above OECD average youth performance on the ICT resource index, youth from the remaining countries reported below OECD level average access to ICT resources. The within region cross-country comparative analysis of ICT resources availability to the youth population at home, also highlighted significant heterogeneity across the five countries, post 2015 SDG adoption by UN country members. Furthermore, looking at the impact of ICT resources on youth well-being, controlling for not only cross-country spatial correlations, and factors such as home educational resources, cultural possessions at home, parental occupation status, youth expected occupation status, economic and socio-cultural status, age, gender, and grade level in school; we found that every standard deviation increase in ICT resources to the youth population in the region raises their self-expressed sense of belonging in school by 1.88% standard deviations. Given the empowering nature of ICT resources to youth, and the potential of both to support national as well as regional economic development initiatives, a concerted effort to ease ICT resources diffusion by member countries in the middle east region could assist not only each country in its own development path, but also the region as a whole to live up to its growth potential by the 2030.

The research objectives were (1) to examine the determinants of community empowerment towards the revegetation of Arjuna mount forests; (2) assessing the influence of geography and soil conditions on the revegetation of Arjuna mount forests; (3) reviewing the effect of Arjuna mount forest revegetation on the preservation of spring water sources and (4) formulate a model of community empowerment around the forest based on revegetation of Arjuna mount and preservation of the area around the springs. The method used was descriptive method. While based on the techniques and tools used to research, the author uses the survey method to obtain facts that occur in the research area, namely in the area around the spring of the Kedunglarangan and Gumandar Prigen watersheds, Pasuruan Regency. Data obtained in the field are then processed and analyzed using GIS, ArcView 3.3 and Google Earth programs. The study population covering the community around the forest and springs, who lived in three villages, namely Leduk, Jatiarjo and Dayurejo village, Pasuruan, East Java-Indonesia. Data obtained from respondents with questionnaires and analyzed using SEM (structural equation modeling), to find out a general description of respondents' responses about community participation in the preservation of Arjuna mount forest. The results showed that (1) human resources, economic, social, local institutional factors, facilities and infrastructure had a very significant effect on forest revegetation; (2) geography and land variables have a significant effect on forest revegetation; (3) forest revegetation variables have a significant effect on the preservation of springs; and (4) The development of human resources, economic, local institutional, facilities and infrastructure in the community around the forest was a relevant model for the success of forest revegetation and the preservation of springs in Arjuna mount.

1). As on-the-ground projects come into existence and continue to expand to adapt to climate change and empower women, it is important to understand their location within TANs. Using the Bhungroo technology as a case study, we aim to assess the potential of TANs to increase the scope and scale of local projects as well as the ability of similar and emerging projects to create social change at local levels. 2). We do so by analyzing interview and earned media hits data from the UNFCCC Momentum for Change. 3). We find that while TANs may help increase the scale and scope of projects, increasing their ability to effectively reach more people and areas is still up for debate 4). We conclude by considering how women’s political participation may be enhanced by similar projects.

This study investigates the relationship between authentic leadership and socially responsible behavior among employees in Saudi Arabia's service sector. Utilizing social cognitive theory as the theoretical framework, the research proposes that authentic leadership indirectly influences socially responsible behavior through psychological empowerment and psychological capital as parallel and serial mediators. Additionally, the study examines the moderating effect of CSR perceptions on these relationships. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 349 professionals from the service sector. The results, analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), revealed that authentic leadership does not directly impact SRB. Instead, the relationship is fully mediated by psychological empowerment and psychological capital. Moreover, CSR perceptions significantly moderate the relationship between authentic leadership and psychological empowerment, as well as the indirect effects of authentic leadership on SRB through psychological empowerment and psychological capital. The findings highlight the importance of fostering an authentic leadership style and how psychological resources of empowerment, and psychological capital carry forward this effect to promote SRB in the service sector. Additionally, the study underscores the role of CSR perceptions in strengthening the impact of authentic leadership on employee outcomes. The research contributes to the literature on leadership, CSR, and employee behavior, and offers practical implications for organizations aiming to enhance their social responsibility initiatives.

Urban spatial perception critically influences human behavior and emotional reactions, emphasizing the necessity of aligning urban spaces with human needs for enhanced urban living. However, functionality-based categorization of urban architecture is prone to biases, stemming from disparities between objective mapping and subjective perception. These biases can result in urban planning and designs that fail to cater adequately to the needs and preferences of city residents, negatively impacting their quality of life and the city's overall functionality. In this study, we apply machine learning to elucidate these biases within urban spatial perception research, utilizing a three-step methodology: objective mapping, subjective perception analysis, and perception deviation assessment. Our findings reveal that machine learning can expose hidden patterns within this research field, bearing substantial implications for urban planning and design. Of particular note, the study revealed significant discrepancies in the distribution centroids between commercial buildings and residential or public buildings. This result illuminates the spatial organization characteristics of urban architectural functions, serving as a valuable reference for urban planning and development. Moreover, it uncovers the advantages and disadvantages of different data sources and techniques in interpreting urban spatial perception, paving the way for a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. These findings underscore the importance of integrating both objective mapping and subjective perspectives in urban architectural functionality classification.

Children—Dependents in Social Construction Theory—are assessed within democracies regarding their ability to self-direct their behavior concerning their associated society. In this regard, childhood represents a lack of self-direction, a life period when people require the guidance and protection of adults. The assumed necessity of adults supervising children in democracies requires substantial social resources, reducing the self-direction of those charged with overseeing children. Given that self-direction defines the optimal experience of people within democratic society, finding ways to increase the self-direction of children is an individual and a social benefit. In this regard, smartphones have improved self-direction in children. How children have become empowered to self-direct their lives with smartphone use considering Social Construction Theory—as Advantaged, Contenders, or Deviants—is the focus of a scoping review conducted on “children, empowerment, smartphones” of the following databases: OVID, JSTOR, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The result is that children permitted to self-direct their activities aided by smartphone technology have comparable social behavior to adults positioned as Advantaged, Contenders, or Deviants and, as such they should be encouraged to utilize smartphone technology to improve their self-direction, as doing so will augment individual and caregiver self-direction, providing increased social benefit.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that often causes progressive complications in the elderly. Along with the decline in cognitive function in the elderly, it causes dependence on disciplined management of diabetes mellitus. This dependence causes a very important mentoring role to be given. The purpose of this study is to provide knowledge, attitudes, and family skills to care for the elderly with diabetes mellitus at home through the empowerment of elderly cadres in Lampung. This research method is a quasi-experimental research with a control group design with a total of 64 elderly respondents and 64 families selected by simple random sampling technique. The assessment used an instrument for assessing family abilities that the researcher developed included aspects of knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The results of the dependent t-test analysis showed a significant increase in the knowledge and skills variable in the intervention group (0.000) but decreased in the attitude variable with p 0.198. Meanwhile, the increase in value also occurred in the attitude and skill variables in the control group. So that the results of the independent t-test only showed a significant difference in the attitude score (0.000) with the highest score in the control group. So that there is no significant increase in the ability of the family after the implementation of elderly cadres empowerment.

Loneliness, as a well-established risk factor of mental health, has been strongly associated with low subjective well-being (SWB). However, less is known about potential boundary conditions that may ameliorate this ‘dark side’ of loneliness. Social connections are critical to well-being from the standpoint that the lack of belonging was detrimental to human survival in the evolutionary past. We thus hypothesized that loneliness would exert a more pronounced influence on people’s SWB when the need for others (social resource) is perceived to be high–the presence of environmental harshness. With a particular focus on urban (i.e., Seoul) residents who are presumed to be more vulnerable to loneliness, two studies examined whether feeling lonely matters less to SWB under favorable environmental conditions. As expected, loneliness was less harmful to the SWB of individuals who perceived their surroundings as relatively secure and favorable (Study 1). We then experimentally replicated the results by exposing people to cues of either a harsh (e.g., images of scarcity) or a favorable environment (Study 2).

Assessment of the percentage of disease infected lung volume using computed tomography (CT) images can play an important role to detect lung diseases and predict disease severity. However, manual segmentation of disease infected regions from many CT image slices is tedious and not feasible in clinical practice. To help solve this clinical challenge, this study aims to investigate a new strategy to automatically segment disease infected regions and predict disease severity. We employed a public dataset acquired from 20 COVID-19 patients, which includes manually annotated lung and infections masks, to train a new ensembled deep learning (DL) model that combines the five customized residual attention UNet models to segment disease infected regions followed by a Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) model to classify severity stage of COVID-19 infection. To test potentially clinical utility of new model, we first gathered and processed another set of CT images acquired from 80 Covid-19 patients. Next, we asked two chest radiologists to read CT images of each patient and report the estimated percentage of infected lung volume and disease severity level. Additionally, we asked radiologists to rate acceptance of DL model-generated segmentation results using a 5-scale rating method. Data analysis results show that agreement between disease severity classification is &gt;90% in 45 testing cases. Furthermore, &gt;73% of cases received the high rating score from two radiologists (scored more than 4). This study demonstrates feasibility of developing a new DL-model to efficiently provide quantitative assessment of disease severity based on the automated segmentation of the disease infected regions to support improving efficacy of radiologists in disease diagnosis.

In the last decade, sub-Saharan African countries have taken various measures to plan for and adapt to floods in order to reduce exposure and its impacts on human health, livelihoods and infrastructure. Measuring the effects of such initiatives on social resilience is challenging as it requires to combine multiple variables and indicators that embrace thematic, spatial and temporal dimensions inherent to the resilience thinking and concept. In this research, we apply a before-after-control-intervention (BACI) evaluation to empirically measure the impacts of the “Live with Water” (LWW) project on suburban households in Dakar, Senegal. We developed a resilience index that combines anticipatory, adaptive and absorptive capacity – considered as structural dimensions – with the concept of transformative capacity – considered as a temporal reconfiguration of the first three dimensions. Our finding let us estimate that the project increased the absorptive and the anticipatory capacities by 10.61% and 4.61%, respectively. However, adaptive capacity remained unchanged. This may be explained by the fact that the programme was more successful in building drainage and physical infrastructures, rather than improving multi-level organisations and strategies to cope with existing flood events. Further flood resilience program should better combine engineering approaches with institutional change and livelihood support to poor urban dwellers.

The aim of this article has been to evaluate the impact of a physical-sport education programme, based on the pedagogical model of Sport Education within the framework of quality Physical Education and approached from the field of social and emotional learning, on a set of psychological variables: subjective well-being (quality of life related to health, positive affect and negative affect); trait emotional intelligence and social anxiety. A total number of 113 Compulsory Secondary Education students were involved, aged 12 to 15 years old, 44 of whom belonged to the control group (CG) and 69 to the experimental group (EG). A quasiexperimental design of repeated pretest and posttest measures with the CG was used. The results obtained in this investigation revealed that the intervention programme caused significant improvements in the subjective well-being and the trait emotional intelligence for the EG. These findings reinforce the pedagogical efficiency of the programme with regards to the aim that has been set. Likewise, the findings also highlight the suitability and appropriateness in terms of innovative teaching proposals. In the same way, the results showed relevant empirical contributions in this given school context due to its psychological benefits and the encouragement of healthy living.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the impact of family-centered empowerment on Jordanian adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), focusing on their HbA1c levels, self-efficacy, and quality of life (QOL). Background: Poor glycemic management in adolescents with type 1 diabetes increases complications. Improved control is linked to various variables, but few studies focus on Middle Eastern populations. Methods: An experimental study involved 68 adolescents with T1DM visiting Jordanian Royal Medical Services' clinics. Two sets of participants were created: control (n = 34) and intervention (n = 34). Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and medical records. Results: The study found significant differences in self-efficacy scores between the intervention and control groups, with the intervention group experiencing a significant decrease in HbA1c readings and a significant difference in QOL between pre-program and post-program phases. Discussion: Family empowerment can significantly improve the lives of Jordanian teenagers with type 1 diabetes. This strategy leads to improved glycemic management, increased self-efficacy, and improved quality of life. Future treatments and health policies should recognize and value the critical role families play in the care of this population. Conclusion: The study suggests that patients with T1DM should receive continuous care education sessions, including self-care training, to improve their health. Nurses should also incorporate these training into treatment plans and educational programs for adolescents to enhance their QOL.

Recent evidence suggests that among behavioral-lifestyle factors, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern such as the Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is linked not only to better psychological health and mental positive status but also to increased subjective well-being (SWB). Nevertheless, this association has been unexplored among individuals with excessive weight. This study explored whether adherence to the MedDiet and the intake of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables (FV) are associated with increased happiness and life satisfaction among Spanish adults with overweight or obesity when weight, body image, and body satisfaction are also considered. A convenience sample of adult individuals with excessive weight completed self-reports on the study variables, and weight and BMI were measured by bioimpedance. No evidence of a relationship with SWB indicators was obtained for MedDiet global indicators, probably due to the low adherence to a healthy diet by these individuals. In contrast, FV intake, as a powerful indicator of healthy eating, was associated with life satisfaction when BMI and body image dimensions were considered, among which body satisfaction also had a key role. Moreover, life satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between FV consumption and happiness. Our findings are expected to make a relevant contribution to knowledge on the positive correlates or protective factors for overall well-being in obesity, including dietary habits and body appreciation. Our results may inform obesity management actions focused on inclusive, positive aesthetic models and promoting a healthy lifestyle for happiness in obesity.

The present study discusses how adopting cryptos affects financial inclusion in developing economies. Primary constructs like Financial Inclusion (FI), Perceived Economic Empowerment (PEE), Trust in Financial Institutions (TFI), User Satisfaction (US), and Cryptocurrency Adoption (CA) were tested through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results indicated that CA significantly and positively influenced FI, US, TFI, and PEE. These relationships extend to the interaction effects: US, TFI, and PEE all positively related to FI. It is a reflection of cryptocurrencies as an opportunity to redress most of the afflictions characteristic of traditional finance systems and to promote financial inclusion and economic empowerment in developing countries. Future research should also investigate whether digital literacy and regulatory environments support cryptocurrency access.

In the context of digital empowerment, the digital literacy level of tea farmers has a significant impact on the intelligent development and transformation of the tea industry. This study extends the original model of UTAUT theory by introducing Personal innovativeness theory and Self-efficacy theory, and constructs a new model to explore the influencing factors of moderate scale tea farmers' digital literacy improvement behavior. There are a total of 22 research hypotheses. Using structural equation modeling and collecting questionnaire data for analysis, the following research results were obtained: (1) Performance expectancy, social influence, effort expectancy, personal innovativeness and self-efficacy all significantly positively affect the willingness of tea farmers to improve their digital literacy, and then according to the path coefficient, in descending order, social influence (0.226)>self-efficacy (0.224)>effort expectancy (0.178)>performance expectancy (0.157)> personal innovativeness (0.155); (2) Facilitating condition and willingness to improve digital literacy have a significant positive impact on tea farmers' digital literacy improvement behavior，and then from the size of the path coefficient, the willingness to improve (0.271)>facilitating condition (0.106); (3) The willingness of tea farmers to improve their digital literacy plays a complete mediating role between personal innovativeness and self-efficacy on their digital literacy improvement behavior, and partially mediates between performance expectancy, social influence, and effort expectancy on their digital literacy improvement behavior, and according to the proportion of indirect effects, the order is effort expectancy (27%), performance expectancy (47%), and social influence (49%); (4) The gender and age of tea farmers have a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of performance expectancy on the willingness to improve digital literacy; age and experience have a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of effort expectancy on the willingness to improve digital literacy; the age of tea farmers has a significant positive moderating effect on the improvement of digital literacy behavior through facilitating condition. This study extends the applicability of the UTAUT theoretical model and proposes strategies to improve the digital literacy of tea farmers, providing practical guidance for tea farmers to improve their digital literacy and providing reference for research related to farmers' digital literacy.

Background: The tsunami and earthquake occurred in 1927 and 2018 made life quality of Da’a Tribe women in refugee camps was affected by violence. It affects on women reproductive health in various aspects of life as high maternal mortality rate of 450 per 100 thousand live births and half of women victims of natural disasters have reproductive health problems such as anemia and malnutrition during pregnancy. The study objective is to explore the health quality of women related to the couple violence during the humanitarian crisis at refugees’ camps. Method: The population was 798 cases of violence. The 90 samples were selected by simple random sampling and calculated by Slovin method. Data analysis was done by descriptive qualitative and cross tabulation. The research location was Palu City. Results: The research findings showed that health quality of Da’a Tribe women after the couple violence is influenced by three factors, namely economic by 40%, psychological by 7%, violence during pregnancy 59.3%. Conclusion: Social life and women violence handling can be done by symbolizing the threat of criminal law for male perpetrators in accordance with applicable laws in Indonesia and improving the life quality of population, especially women in education and skills through empowering the family economy and increasing gender equality justice.

Neurofilament light chain (Nf-L) is a well-known biomarker for axonal damage, however the corresponding circulating Nf-L analyte in CSF is poorly characterized. We, therefore, isolated new monoclonal antibodies against synthetic peptides, and these monoclonals were characterized for their specificity on brain-specific intermediate filament proteins. Two highly specific antibodies, ADx206 and ADx209, were analytically validated for CSF applications according to well-established criteria. Interestingly, using three different sources of purified Nf-L proteins, a significant impact on interpolated concentrations was observed. With a lower limit of analytical sensitivity of 100 pg/ml using bovine Nf-L as the calibrator, we were able to quantify the Nf-L analyte in each sample and these Nf-L concentrations were highly correlated to the Uman diagnostics assay (Spearman rho= 0.97, P<0.001). In the clinical diagnostic groups, the new Nf-L ELISA could discriminate patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD, n=20) from frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD, n=20) and control samples with subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n=20). Henceforth, this novel Nf-L ELISA with well-defined specificity and epitopes can be used to enhance our understanding of harmonizing the use of Nf-L as a clinically relevant marker for neurodegeneration in CSF.

Chia seed, high in dietary-fiber and protein, may have potential to increase satiety. However, previous studies are confounded by differences in energy intake, and none investigated doses &lt;7g. We compared the subjective appetite and glycaemic responses elicited by 30g cookies containing 0, 3, 5 or 7g chia seed (CS0, CS3, CS5 or CS7, respectively, 140-150kcal, 7-8g fat, 4g protein, 0-2g dietary-fiber, 16g available-carbohydrate) using a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design. Overnight-fasted heathy adults (24 males, 22 females; mean±SD age 37±13y; BMI 27.4±3.9kg/m²) consumed test-cookies and had appetite and plasma-glucose measured before and intermittently for 3h after eating. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with Tukey’s test to adjust for multiple comparisons; the criterion for significance was 2-tailed p&lt;0.025 for the primary endpoints of total area under the curve (tAUC0-3h) for hunger and fullness. Hunger tAUC0-3h was similar among treatments (p=0.49) but fullness differed (p=0.019) with tAUC0-3h after CS3&gt;CS7 (mean±SEM) (140±9 vs 122±10mm×h, p&lt;0.025). Mean incremental glucose AUC0-2h after CS3, CS5 and CS7, respectively, were 22%, 23% and 30% less than CS0 (p&lt;0.05). Thus, although chia reduced glycemic responses, we were unable to demonstrate a significant effect of ≤7g chia seed on the primary endpoints of hunger or fullness tAUC0-3h versus control.

Technological advances in game-mediated robotics provide an opportunity to engage children with cerebral palsy (CP) and other neuromotor disabilities in more frequent and intensive therapy by making personalized, programmed interventions available 24/7 in children’s homes. Though shown to be clinically effective and feasible to produce, little is known of the subjective factors impacting acceptance of what we term assistive/rehabilitative (A/R) gamebots by their target populations. This research describes the conceptualization phase of an effort to develop a valid and reliable instrument to guide the design of A/R gamebots. We conducted in-depth interviews with 8 children with CP and their families who had trialed an exemplar A/R gamebot, PedBotHome, for 28 days in their homes. The goal was to understand how existing theories and instruments were either appropriate or inappropriate for measuring the subjective experience of A/R gamebots. Key findings were the importance of differentiating the use case of therapy from that of assistance in rehabilitative technology assessment, the need to incorporate the differing perspectives of children with CP and those of their parents into A/R gamebot evaluation, and the potential conflict between the goals of preserving the quality of the experience of game play for the child while also optimizing the intensity and duration of therapy provided during play.

Background: Early diagnosis of postoperative complications is an urgent task, allowing timely prescribing of appropriate therapy and reducing the cost of patient treatment. Prognostic models based on various data could help in the early diagnosis of postoperative complications after cardiac surgery. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine whether an integrated approach based on clinical data along with metabolites and biomarkers had greater predictive value than the models built on less data. Methods: The study included patients (n=62) admitted for planned cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass), who were retrospectively divided into two groups depending on the presence (n=26) or absence (n=36) of postoperative complications of all types. Clinical and laboratory data on the first day after surgery were analyzed. Additionally, patients' blood samples were collected before and on the first day after surgery to determine biomarkers (interleukin-6, procalcitonin, NT-proBNP, high-sensitivity troponin T) and metabolites (8 aromatic and 2 dicarboxylic acids were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Results: Patients before surgery, compared with healthy donors, differed in the concentration of metabolites (p &lt; 0.05), and had concentrations of a number of biomarkers exceeding the corresponding reference values. Multivariate PLS-DA models, predicting the presence or absence of postoperative complications, were built using clinical data (ROC-AUC=0.71), concentrations of metabolites and biomarkers (ROC-AUC=0.60), and the entire data set (ROC-AUC=0.75). For comparison we built univariate models using the EuroScore2 (ROC-AUC=0.59) and SOFA (ROC-AUC=0.76) scales; concentrations of lactate (ROC-AUC=0.71), the dynamic changes of 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (ROC-AUC=0.69), and the sum of three sepsis-associated metabolites (ROC-AUC=0.70). The proposed complex model using entire data set was comparable to the SOFA scale, which confirms the expediency of searching for new predictive models based on a variety of factors.

Milk serves as a crucial source of natural bioactive compounds essential for human nutrition and health. The gastrointestinal digestion of milk proteins releases various biologically active peptides that positively impact human health and enhance physiological performance. With the growing production of cheese, Greek yogurt, and other dairy products, the volume of unutilized acid whey is significantly increasing. Acid whey, containing almost all whey proteins and approximately one-quarter of casein, presents a valuable raw material for generating peptides with potential health benefits. These peptides exhibit properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, opioid, mineral-binding, and growth-stimulating activities, contributing to improved human immunity and the treatment of chronic diseases. Enzymatic hydrolysis of milk proteins has been developed as a method to produce these peptides, facilitating their use in food fortification. To incorporate whey into functional beverages, it undergoes fermentation by lactic acid bacteria with proteolytic activity. To specifically enrich these beverages with peptides exhibiting targeted bioactivities, it is essential to select lactic acid bacteria strains possessing the requisite protease profiles. Additionally, the sensory properties of the final product can be enhanced using starter cultures with diverse metabolic capabilities, even in the absence of added flavoring agents. Given the imperative to develop waste-free technologies and enhance the profitability of the dairy industry, there is a growing need to efficiently utilize and transform acid whey into a broad spectrum of valuable products and food additives. This approach is justified not only by the nutritional benefits of the bioactive components in whey but also by the commercial potential of safe and health-enhancing products.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

The impact of interaction SS with MJO on rainfall along Java Island to East Nusa Tenggara has been studied using daily rainfall observation data from 2140 weather observation stations, which are also equipped with GSMaP, OLR, and ERA5 data. There were 61 SS events found, 17 during active MJO and 44 in inactive MJO. Rainfall increases more in the western study area when the active MJO and more in the eastern study area when the inactive MJO is due to SS. SS reduces rainfall in the Jakarta region, regardless of the activity or inactivity of the MJO. SS causes extreme rainfall to only occur in a small part of certain areas, so it tends to significantly reduce the possibility of extreme rainfall. In the southern part of the IMC, SS predominates over MJO in supporting increased water vapor transport. Large-scale synoptic circulations like the monsoon, SS, and MJO can interact with local land-sea wind circulation to produce spatiotemporal variability in rainfall on Java Island. Rainfall mostly increases in the afternoon and decreases in the morning when SS occurs, whether there is MJO or not. Convective instability analysis indicates that SS increases precipitation, most likely by lowering CIN and raising VIMFC.

In order to shorten the detection time and improve the average precision on embedded devices, A lightweight and high accuracy model is proposed for passion fruit in complex environments (backlight, occlusion, overlap, sunny, cloudy, rainy). Firstly, replacing the backbone network of YOLOv5 with a lightweight GhostNet model reduces the number of parameters and computation while improving detection speed. Secondly, a new feature branch is added to the GhostNet network, and the feature fusion layer in the neck network is reconstructed to effectively combine the lower-level and higher-level features, which not only improves the accuracy of the model but also maintains its lightweight. Finally, the knowledge distillation methods are used to transfer the knowledge from the more capable teacher model to the less capable student model, which significantly improving the detection accuracy. The improved model is denoted as G-YOLO-NK. The average accuracy of the G-YOLO-NK network is 96.00%, which is 1.00% higher than the original YOLOv5s model. Furthermore, the improved model size is 7.14MB, reduced to half of the original model, and the real-time detection frame rate is 11.25 FPS on the Jetson Nano. Compared to the state-of-the-art model, the proposed model outperforms them in terms of average precision and detection performance. The present work provides an effective model for real-time detection of passion fruits in complex orchard scenes, which can provide valuable technical support for the development of orchard picking robots and greatly improve the intelligence level of orchards.

The Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) scanner is an easy and portable Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data acquisition device. Its main output is a 3D point cloud covering the scanned scene. Regarding the importance of accuracy in the survey domain, this paper aims to assess the accuracy of two SLAM scanners: the NavVis VLX and the BLK2GO Scanner. This assessment is conducted for both outdoor and indoor environments. In this context, two types of reference data are used: the Total Station (TS) and the static scanner Z+F Imager 5016. To carry out the assessment, four comparisons are tested: cloud to cloud, cloud to mesh, mesh to mesh, and edge detection board assessment. However, the results of the assessments confirm that the accuracy of indoor SLAM scanner measurements (5 mm) is greater than that of outdoor ones (between 10 mm and 60 mm). Moreover, the comparison of cloud to cloud provides the best accuracy regarding direct accuracy measurement without manipulations. Finally, based on the high accuracy, scanning speed, flexibility, and the accuracy differences between tested cases, it is confirmed that SLAM scanners are effective tools for data acquisition.

In recent years, electroencephalogram (EEG) emotion recognition has emerged as a research hotspot in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Despite advancements in EEG-based emotion recognition, room for enhancing performance persists due to EEG signal redundancy and limitations in feature extraction, leading to inefficient models and emotional information loss. To fully utilize EEG's emotional information and improve recognition accuracy while reducing computational costs, this paper proposes a Convolutional-Recurrent Hybrid Network with a dual-stream adaptive approach and an attention mechanism (CSA-SA-CRTNN). Firstly, the model utilizes a CSAM module to assign corresponding weights to EEG channels. Then, an adaptive dual-stream convolutional-recurrent network (SA-CRNN and MHSA-CRNN) is applied to extract local spatial-temporal features. After that, the extracted local features are concatenated and fed into a temporal convolutional network with a multi-head self-attention mechanism (MHSA-TCN) to capture global information. Finally, the extracted EEG information is used for emotion classification. We conducted binary and ternary classification experiments on the DEAP dataset, achieving 99.26% and 99.15% accuracy for arousal and valence in binary classification, and 97.69% and 98.05% in ternary classification, surpassing relevant algorithms. Additionally, the model's efficiency is significantly higher than other models, achieving better accuracy with lower resource consumption.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Superior fiber quality is one of the most important objectives in cotton breeding. To detect the genetic basis underlying fiber quality, an F2 population containing 413 plants was constructed by crossing Jifeng 914 and Jifeng 173, both of which have superior fiber quality, with Jifeng 173 being better. Five fiber quality traits were investigated in the F2, F2:3, F2:4, and F2:5 populations. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was conducted based on a high-density genetic map containing 11,488 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and spanning 4,202.12 cM in length. Transgressive segregation patterns and complex correlations in the five tested traits were observed. A total of 108 QTLs were found, including 27 for fiber length (FL), 16 for fiber strength (FS), 24 for micronaire (MC), 17 for fiber uniformity (FU), and 24 for fiber elongation rate (FE). Chromosome A7 contained 12 QTL, ranking the first. No QTL was found on chromosome D1 and D11. Each QTL contributed 1.98%–21.45% to the phenotypic variation (PV), including 13 major effect QTLs that contributed more than 10% toward PV. Two QTLs could be repeatedly detected in three populations, including qFL-D3-2 in F2, F2:4, and F2:5 with 9.18%–21.45% of PV, qFS-A11-1 in F2:3, F2:4 and F2:5 with 6.05%–10.41% of PV. Another seven stable QTLs could be detected in two populations, including four major effect QTLs: qFL-A12-3, qFS-D10-2, qMC-D6-2, and qMC-D8-1. Fourteen QTL-overlapping regions were found, which might explain the complex correlations among the five phenotypic traits. Four regions on chromosome A11, D3, D6, and D10 covered by both stable and major effect QTLs are promising for further fine mapping. The genomic regions of the two QTLs detected in three populations and the four major effect QTLs contain 810 genes. Gene functional analysis revealed that the annotated genes are mainly involved in protein binding and metabolic pathways. Fifteen candidate genes in the qFL-D3-2 region are highly expressed in fiber or ovules during fiber initiation, elongation, secondary cell wall thickening, or maturation stages. qRT-PCR revealed that Ghir_D03G005440.1 and Ghir_D03G011310.1 may play a role in promoting fiber initiation, Ghir_D03G006470.1 may be beneficial for promoting fiber elongation. This study provides more information for revealing the molecular genetic basis underlying cotton fiber quality.

Currently there are fewer depth models applied to pepper picking detection, while the existing generalized neural networks have problems such as large model parameters, long training time, and low model accuracy.In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a Yolo-chili target detection algorithm for chili pepper detection. First, the classical target detection algorithm yolov5 is used as a benchmark model, and an adaptive spatial feature pyramid structure combining the attention mechanism and the idea of multi-scale prediction is introduced to improve the model's detection effect on occluded peppers and small target peppers. Secondly, a three-channel attention mechanism module is introduced to improve the algorithm's long-distance recognition ability and reduce the interference of redundant testers. Finally, the quantized pruning method is used to reduce the model parameters and realize the lightweight processing of the model. Applying the method to the homemade chili pepper dataset, the AP value of chili pepper reaches 93.11%; the accuracy rate is 93.51% and the recall rate is 92.55%.The experimental results show that yolo-chili is able to achieve accurate and real-time pepper detection under complex orchards.

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical outcomes of treating isolated surgical neck fractures of the humerus using either the intramedullary nail or the MIROS (Minimally Invasive Reduction and Osteosynthesis System®) system. The study included 42 patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Polyclinic from January 2014 to June 2020. The results indicated that both treatments were effective; however, the MIROS system exhibited a higher complication rate. Intramedullary nailing was more reliable, thus recommended as the primary treatment method. This study underscores the importance of selecting the appropriate fixation technique to minimize complications and enhance patient outcomes.

Aiming at the problems of inaccurate segmentation of long object and information loss of small object in real-time semantic segmentation algorithm, this paper proposes a lightweight multi-branch real-time semantic segmentation network based on BiseNetV2. The new auxiliary branch makes full use of spatial details and context information to cover the long object in the field of view. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the inference speed of the model, the asymmetric convolution is used in each stage of the auxiliary branch to design a structure with low computational complexity. In the multi-branch fusion stage, the alignment and fusion module is designed to provide guidance information for deep and shallow feature mapping, so as to make up for the problem of feature misalignment in the fusion of information at different scales, and thus reduce the loss of small target information. In order to further improve the model’s awareness of key information, a global context module is designed to capture the most important features in the input data. The proposed network uses NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU experiment, on the road street view data set Cityscapes and CamVid average occurring simultaneously ratio reached 77.1% and 78.4% respectively, with running speed of 127 frames/s respectively and 112 frames/s. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve real-time segmentation and improve the accuracy significantly, showing good semantic segmentation performance

Excess nitrogen in agricultural drainage poses a serious threat to the water quality safety of the Yellow River basin. Utilizing aquatic plants to modify the rhizosphere microbial community structure and facilitate nitrogen transformation is a crucial strategy for mitigating regional water eutrophication. Our results revealed that the denitrification rate (DR), dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium rate (DNRAR) and nitrogen fixation rate (NFR) of rhizosphere sediments exhibited a significant increase in artificially cultivated ditch. Compared with those in natural ditches, the richness of the bacterial community and the relative abundances of Bacteroidota, Verrucomicrobiota, Firmicutes, Anaeromyxobacter and Geobacter, which are involved mainly in the nitrogen cycle, in the rhizosphere sediments of artificially cultivated ditch were significantly greater due to improvements in environmental conditions. In artificially cultivated ditch, the dominant functional genes affecting DRNARs in the rhizosphere sediments of P. australis were nrfC and nrfA, while DRs were driven mainly by norB and napA, which were influenced by the nitrogen and carbon levels; and the dominant functional genes affecting NFRs in the rhizosphere sediments of T. orientalis were nifD, nifK and nifH. Our results provide a scientific basis for the use of aquatic plants for mitigating excess nitrogen levels in agricultural drainage.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

In this paper we study a class of impulsive delayed neural networks with parameter uncertainties and reaction-diffusion terms. Using the properties of M-matrices and some inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the global exponential stability of the given system. The results obtained are presented by simple algebraic inequalities, which are certainly more concise than previous methods. Finally, the validity and usefulness of our results are illustrated by arithmetic examples.

Pyrops candelaria is one of the common pests of fruit trees, but the research on the pathogenic microorganisms it may carry is very limited. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the pathogenic microbes it carries and their potential hazards. This study found a new virus from the transcriptome of P. candelaria, which was first reported in P. candelaria and named as PyCaV (Pyrops candelaria associated virus). RACE and bioinformatics assay revealed that the full-length of PyCaV is 10855 bp with the polyA tail, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3171 amino acid (aa). The virus has a typical Iflavirus structure, including two rhv domains, a RNA helicase domain (HEL), a 3C cysteine protease domain (Pro), and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRp). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus belongs to family Iflaviridae and sequence alignements analysis suggedted PyCaV is new member in unassigned genus of family Iflaviridae. Further in-depth analysis of virus-infection-part showed that PyCaV is distributing in the whole longan lanternfly, including its head, chest, and abdomen, but more PyCaV was identified in the chest. The distribution of PyCaV in different parts of P. candelaria was further explored, which showed that more PyCaV were detected in its piercing-sucking mouthparts and chest viscera. Statistical analysis showed that the PyCaV infection was affected by time and locations.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

Our previous studies demonstrated a tight connection between simvastatin (SIM) inhibition of B16.F10 murine melanoma cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro and strong suppression of the subunit α of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) (HIF-1 α) production in these cancer cells. Since the translation of HIF-1α is modulated by signaling pathways coordinated by Akt, SIM effects on the link between these two regulatory factors and cancer cell metabolism under normoxia was investigated, which to our knowledge have never been described before. To achieve the proposed aim, SIM effects on cell metabolism were analysed at mRNA (via RNA-seq and RT-qPCR) as well as protein level (via western blot and catalytic activity of the key enzymes) Our data suggested that SIM might orientate glucose transport and metabolism to ensure replenishment of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity. Moreover, it seems that SIM enhanced biosynthetic role of TCA over its energy role to further support synthesis of lipid-derived signaling molecules. Thus, under normoxia SIM treatment orientated lipid metabolism to stimulate isoprenoid and prostaglandin synthesis which might favor melanoma cell survival and aggressiveness.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

In this paper, we extend the KdVSKR equations in (1+1)-dimension and (2+1)-dimension to fractional KdVSKR equations with modified Riemann-Liouville derivative. The (2+1)-dimensional KdVSKR equation, which is a recent extension of (1+1)-dimensional KdVSKR equation, can model the resonances of solitons in shallow water. By means of the Hirota bilinear method, finite symmetry group method and consistent Riccati expansion method, many new interaction solutions have been derived. Soliton-cnoidal interaction solution of the (1+1)-dimensional fractional KdVSKR equation has been derived for the first time. For the (2+1)-dimensional frac-tional KdVSKR equation, two-wave interaction solutions and three-wave interaction solutions, including dark-soliton-sine interaction solution, bright-soliton-elliptic interaction solution, and lump-hyperbolic-sine interaction solution, have been derived. Impact of the fractional order on the shapes of these solutions has been illustrated by figures. Three-wave interaction solutions of fractional systems have not been reported in the existing references. The research idea in this paper can be applied to other fractional differential equations.

With the burgeoning growth of online retail, the issue of counterfeit products has become a significant threat to both consumer trust and brand integrity, posing challenges to sustainable market practices. Online retail platforms are promoted to redesign their channel structures and enhance brand traceability to tackle counterfeits using blockchain technology. To investigate the interactions between blockchain technology and the channel structures of online retail platforms, we design a game theory model incorporating a manufacturer with(out) blockchain participation selling products via an online retail platform that operates an agency channel and/or a reselling channel. We show that the critical trade-off of blockchain participation comprises the brand assurance effect of the blockchain, the channel competition intensification effect, and the blockchain adoption cost. The platform is capable of strategically designing the channel structure to encourage (while discouraging) blockchain participation by the manufacturer. Our analysis highlights the complementarity between blockchain participation and the channel structure. Furthermore, the effect of the consumer’s belief in the reselling channel, the commission fee in the agency channel, and the substitutability between channels are investigated in depth. The research provides valuable insights for online retail platforms and policymakers seeking to foster a sustainable and trustworthy e-commerce ecosystem.

Antimicrobial peptides represent a promising alternative to traditional drugs in relation to cost, toxicity and, primarily, the growing problem of drug resistance. Here we report on the activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2 of a previously described wide-spectrum synthetic decapeptide, Killer Peptide (KP). As determined by plaque reduction assays, treatment with KP at 100 μg/mL resulted in a reduction in the viral yield titer of 3.5 Logs for HSV-1 and 4.1 Logs for HSV-2. Further evaluation of KP antiviral activity focused on the early stages of virus replicative cycle, including the determination of the residual infectivity of viral suspensions treated with KP. A direct effect of the peptide on viral particles, impairing virus absorption and penetration, was shown. The toxicity profile proved to be extremely good with a selectivity index of 29.6 for HSV-1 and 156 for HSV-2. KP was also active against an acyclovir (ACV)-resistant HSV-1 strain, while HSV-1 subcultures in the presence of sub-inhibitory doses of KP did not lead to the emergence of resistant strains. Finally, the antiviral action of KP proved to be synergistic with that of ACV. Overall, these results demonstrate that KP could represent an interesting addition/alternative to acyclovir for antiviral treatment.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

As the world population grows, fulfilling the need for biomaterials in the healthcare system becomes increasingly important. Biomaterials, which include metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, play an important role in the creation of medical devices that improve people's lives. The European Society for Biomaterials described biomaterials as non-biological materials used in medical devices to interact with biological systems. This definition has developed to encompass materials that treat, assess, or replace tissues or bodily functions. Biocompatibility, as defined by the FDA, is a key feature of biomaterials, as is the requirement to fulfil design requirements such as mechanical performance, geometry, and electrical control. Over the last decade, advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have boosted biomaterials' usage in medical applications dramatically. Despite its promise, scientists, engineers, and physicians continue to face significant challenges due to the complexity of biomaterials. Biomaterials have various benefits, including biodegradability, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, making them extremely useful for replacing, sustaining, or improving biological activities in damaged tissues. They are used in a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering implants, human tissue healing and regeneration, medication delivery systems, and biosensors. This study gives insights into the fundamental characteristics, case studies, and ethical issues associated with the usage and use of biomaterials, further examining their potential and significance in healthcare and medicine.

The paper describes the new method for image compression based on coordinated group signal transformation. The algorithm is a type of difference coding. Coordinated processing significantly simplifies the difference signal conversion scheme using a single group codec for all signals. The described method considers color channels as correlated signals of a multi-channel communication system. The specifics of the processed data required modification of the coordinated group processing algorithm. First, we changed how to calculate the difference signals to prevent data loss. Secondly, the group codec was supplemented with a neural network to improve the quality of reconstructed images. We considered the following types of neural networks: fully connected, recurrent, convolution, and convolution in the Fourier space. Based on the simulation results, it is best to use fully connected neural networks if the goal is to minimize processing delay time. These networks have a response time of 13 ms. On the other hand, if the priority is to improve quality in cases where delays are not critical, then convolution neural networks in the Fourier space should be used. These networks have a response time of 140 ms and are of significant interest.

In electromagnetic ultrasonic testing, it is difficult to recognize small-size bottom cracks by time of flight (ToF), and the lift-off fluctuation of the probe affects the accuracy and consistency of the inspection results. In order to overcome the difficulty, a novel EMAT (electromagnetic acoustic transducer)-PEC (pulse eddy current) composite sensor is designed. We use amplitude of bottom echo recorded by EMAT to identify the tiny bottom crack as well as the amplitude of PEC signals picked up by the integrated symmetric coils to measure the average lift-off of the probe in real time. Firstly, the effects of lift-off and bottom cracks on amplitude of bottom echo are distinguished combining the theoretical analysis and finite element method (FEM). And then an amplitude correction method based on the fusion of EMAT and PEC signals is proposed to reduce the impact of lift-off on the defect signal. The experimental results demonstrate that the designed composite sensor can effectively detect the bottom crack as small as 0.1mm* 0.3mm. The signal fusion method can accurately correct the amplitude of defect signal and the relative error is less than ±8%.

The studied solar pot is a recent invention, which gained a utility model protection in 2021 from the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office under patent number 5489. The device is made for environmentally friendly cooking or heating (by utilizing solar energy) of foods and liquids. Its structure is similar to a double pipe heat exchanger, it has an outer mantle and an inner cooking tank. The goals of the paper are proposing a new physically-based mathematical model describing the solar pot and carrying out computer experiments with it, assembling an experimental system of the pot connected with a solar collector and performing measurements on it. Based on the results, the solar pot can successfully be used for cooking or sterilizing foods or liquids during the studied time period, in Hungary.

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Abstract: Transcription factors are crucial pre-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that can modulate the expression of downstream genes by binding to their promoter regions. DOF (DNA binding with One Finger) proteins are a unique class of transcription factors with extensive roles in plant growth and development. Our previous research indicated a decrease in iron content in chlorotic bamboo leaves. However, to our knowledge, genes related to iron metabolism pathways in bamboo species have not yet been studied. Therefore, in the current study, we identified iron metabolism-related (IMR) genes in bamboo and determined the transcription factors that significantly influence them. Among these, DOFs were found to have widespread effects and potentially significant impacts on their expression. We identified specific DOF members in Dendrocalamus latiflorus with binding abilities through homology with Arabidopsis DOF proteins, and established connections between some of these members and IMR genes using RNA-seq data. Additionally, molecular docking confirmed the binding interactions between these DlDOFs and the DOF binding sites in the promoter regions of IMR genes. The co-expression relationship between the two gene sets was further validated using q-PCR experiments. This study paves the way for research into iron metabolism pathways in bamboo and lays the foundation for understanding the role of DOF transcription factors in D. latiflorus.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a major concern in public healthcare, leading to increased morbidity, pro-longed hospital stays length, and significant economic costs. Understanding the epidemiology and risk fac-tors of SSIs is crucial for developing effective prevention and management strategies. In the last century, CDC ‘s HICPAC improved a bundle for prevention of HAIs based on the use of aseptic procedures, disin-fection of the skin and correct use of antibiotics for SSIs. In our country, Gelli-Bianco law introduced the national health guidelines system that include the prophylaxis antibiotic therapy pre- and post-surgery. The aim of our study is to evaluate adherence and appropriateness of the use of antibiotic-preoperative prophylaxis in a province of southern Italy and to identify risk factors that may influence the development of an SSI. The study found many statistically significant associations among the factors examined, i.e. the timing of administration adherent to guidelines, with 47% of the analyzed files administering antibiotics within 60 min before the intervention and 62.7% using intravenous administration.