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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This study explores the evolution of price-to-book (P/B) ratios among European banks from 2005 to 2020, period where the majority of banks in different countries had a P/B ratio below 1. By dissecting banks' accounting equity into investor contributions and earnings-derived components, the research aims to evaluate how each component of equity affects these ratios and investigates whether their dynamics shifted during the period. We address a gap in prior research that has not extensively examined how individual equity components affect the overall P/B ratio. This aspect is crucial, especially in scenarios where the increase of specific components compensates for declines in others, thereby stabilizing total equity values. Our methodology involves regression analyses using a panel data model with random effects. The findings reveal that earnings-related equity components significantly influence P/B ratios. In contrast, investor contributions; which strengthen the solvency of the entity, appear to have a minimal impact. Additionally, our analysis highlights a significant quadratic relationship between the P/B ratios and both the profit or loss reported on Income Statements and distributed dividends.

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

Abstract: Background/Objectives: There are indications that the microbial composition of the maternal mucosal surfaces is associated with adverse events during pregnancy. The aim of this review is to investigate the link between vaginal microbiome alterations and gestational com-plications risk. Methods: This comprehensive literature review was performed using Medline and Scopus databases. The following search algorithm was used "Pregnancy Complications"[Mesh] AND (Vagin*) and after literature screening 44 studies were included in the final review. Results: The studies that were included investigated the association between vaginal microbial composi-tion and preterm birth, miscarriage, preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, chorioamnionitis and preterm premature rupture of membranes. In most of the studies, it was well established that increased microbial diversity is associated with these conditions. Also, the depletion of Lactobacillus species is linked to most of the gestational complication, while the increased relative abundance and especially L. crispatus may exerts a protective effect in favor of the pregnant woman. Several pathogenic taxa including Gardnerella, Prevotella, Sneathia, Bac-terial Vaginosis-Associated Bacteria-2, Atopobium and Megasphera seem to be correlated to higher maternal morbidity. Conclusions: Vaginal microbiome aberrations seem to have an as-sociation with pregnancy related adverse events, but more high-quality homogenous studies are necessary to reliably verify this link.

An efficient cooling system is necessary for the reliability and safety of the modern microchips for longer life. As microchips become smaller and more powerful, the heat flux generated by these chips per unit area also rises sharply. Traditional cooling techniques are inadequate to meet the recent cooling requirements of microchips. To meet the current cooling demand of Microelectromechanical devices (MEMS) devices and microchips, microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) technology is the latest invention that can dissipate a significant amount of heat because of its high surface area to volume ratio. This study provides a concise summary of design, material selection, and performance parameters of MCHS that are developed over the last few decades. The limitations and challenges associated with different techniques employed by researchers over time to enhance the thermal efficiency of microchannel heat sinks are discussed. The effects on the thermal enhancement factor, Nusselt number, and pressure drop at different Reynold numbers, in passive techniques (flow obstruction) i.e. ribs, grooves, dimples, and cavities change in curvature of MCHS are discussed. This study also discusses the increase in heat transfer using nanofluids and how change in coolant type also significantly affects the thermal performance of MCHS by obstructing flow. This study provides trends and useful guidelines for researchers to design more effective MCHS to keep up with the cooling demands of power electronics.

Gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs) encompass a spectrum of conditions characterized by abnormal trophoblastic cell growth, ranging from benign molar pregnancies to malignant trophoblastic neoplasms. This systematic review explores the molecular underpinnings of GTDs, focusing on genetic and epigenetic factors that influence disease progression and clinical outcomes. Based on 65 studies identified through systematic search and selection criteria, key findings include dysregulations in tumor suppressor genes such as p53, aberrant apoptotic pathways involving BCL-2, and altered expression of growth factor receptors and microRNAs. These molecular alterations not only differentiate molar pregnancies from normal placental development but also contribute to their clinical behavior, from benign moles to potentially malignant forms. The review synthesizes insights from immunohistochemical studies and molecular analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of GTD pathogenesis and implications for personalized care strategies.

In tropical developing regions, typhoid fever and malaria often co-occur, posing serious health risks. The two illnesses have similar symptoms, which makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Through a thorough analysis of existing literature on typhoid fever, malaria, and co-infection, including research articles, case studies, and review papers, this review seeks to understand the dynamic interactions between typhoid fever and malaria co-infection. The review highlights important problems with co-infection between typhoid and malaria, such as higher morbidity and death, diagnostics-related challenges, and antibiotic resistance. Overlapping symptoms and limitations in current diagnostic tests impede accuracy. Treatment plans are made more difficult by the advent of typhoid strains that are resistant to drugs. The analysis concludes by highlighting the necessity of developing more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods in order to accurately diagnose co-infections. Going forward, the review emphasizes the need for more investigation into the immunological connections between malaria and typhoid illnesses. Essentially, this paper offers a thorough summary of the difficulties and possibilities related to co-infection between typhoid and malaria. It provides a framework for upcoming studies and initiatives that seek to improve public health and patient outcomes in the face of these intricately linked health problems.

As the global population faces an increasing prevalence of physical disabilities, the challenge of motor rehabilitation has become increasingly urgent. Considering that approximately 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability, with a significant number having motor disa-bilities that greatly impact their quality of life, the integration of robotic technologies into rehabili-tation processes offers an opportunity for significant improvement in functional recovery and pa-tient autonomy. This analysis aims to evaluate the progress and challenges encountered in imple-menting robotic technology for the rehabilitation of patients with physical disabilities, highlighting the potential of emerging technologies such as exoskeletons, assisted training devices, and brain-computer interface systems in facilitating motor recovery. By examining relevant clinical studies, the analysis demonstrates the varied effectiveness of robotic therapies compared to traditional re-habilitation methods, while also highlighting the need for ongoing research to optimize care prac-tices and address challenges related to cost, accessibility, and treatment personalization. In con-clusion, robotic technologies represent a promising direction in motor rehabilitation, with the po-tential to revolutionize the care of patients with physical disabilities, significantly improving quali-ty of life and social integration.

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

The world is struggling with the increasing rate at which water bodies are constantly polluted due to rapid modernization and industrialization. The different types of water contaminants include both anthropogenic and natural contaminants. Environmentalists are mainly concerned about heavy metals such as cadmium ions, as they are considered poisonous and carcinogenic even if they are present at a minimum concentration, and they are considered an immediate concern, according to the World Health Organization. Recently, many methods, such as solvent extraction, ion exchange, electrochemical precipitation, and reverse osmosis, have been developed to remove heavy metals from wastewater. These methods have been reported to be expensive and inefficient; hence, more cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative strategies are needed. Amidst these challenges, a ray of hope emerges in the form of biosorbents. These abundant, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient materials have shown promise as an alternative method for removing heavy metals from wastewater. They are equipped with functional groups that can effectively absorb metal ions onto their surfaces, offering a potential solution to our water contamination woes. This review is significant as it delves into the potential use of several biosorbents to decontaminate cadmium ions from wastewater. This review is significant as it delves into the potential use of several biosorbents to decontaminate cadmium ions from wastewater

Introduction Cochlear implants are a modern approach for the treatment of multiple cases of profound sensorineural hearing loss. Factors such as the ethiology of hearing loss and the potential for achieving good postoperative outcomes are considered in cochlear implantation. Additionally, surgical strategies, protocols, the experience of the surgeon and audiologist, and the presence of postoperative issues and risks that may require revision surgery should also be taken into account. The surgeon specialized in cochlear implantation must inform the patient and his relatives not only about the surgical technique but also about possible complications. The literature shows different rates of complications evaluated both in adults and in children. An evaluation of adverse events in order to prevent complications can be made if the definition of medical complications and mistakes is strictly approached based on the CLAVIEN-DINDO classification system. The rate of complications can be compared with existing literature. Studies demonstrate the need for preoperative vaccination for pneumococcus, which can prevent complications, especially in patients with inner ear malformations who present an increased postoperative risk Relevant Sections This review is structured around the collection of specialized literature from PubMed, organized into subchapters related to intraoperative complications such as Gusher syndrome, foreign body reaction, endocochlear inflammation phenomena, issues related to electrode positioning and associated complications, vestibular phenomena related to cochlear implantation, as well as late complications related to the surgical wound and cochlear implant extrusion. The important sections in this review are: Inner Ear Malformations and Gusher Syndrome: Intraoperative Complication Risks, Electrode Insertion and Positioning Issues, Intracochlear Inflammation, Foreign Body Reaction, and Intracochlear Fibrosis: Phenomena That Can Occur with Cochlear Implantation, Vestibular Disorders, Tardive Postoperative Complications: Wound Injuries and Cochlear Implant Extrusion and Otitis Media and Cholesteatoma as Complications of Cochlear Implantation Conclusions: Postoperative complications, although considered quite rare. The surgical limits and long-term evolution of cochlear implants cannot be concretely established, despite the fact that this intervention is considered safe in the medium and long term. Future directions Given that cochlear implants represent the most modern surgical technique for auditory rehabilitation in adults and children, with massive implications for quality of life, there is a tendency to extend surgical indications in the future, and especially to inform doctors in related specialties about the benefits of this medical device. Surgeons must be knowledgeable about cochlear implantation methods, as well as the methods for managing complications that can arise immediately postoperatively, as well as in the medium and long term.

Food waste is a common issue arising from grinding of food by experimental animals, leading to excessive food scraps falling into cages. In the wild, animals grind food by gnawing vegetation and seeds, potentially damaging the ecological environment. However, limited ecology studies have focused on food grinding behavior since the last century, with even fewer on rodent food grinding, particularly recently. Although food grinding function is partially understood, biological purposes remain under-investigated and driving factors unclear. This review aims to explain potential causes of animal food grinding, identify influencing factors, and discuss contexts and limitations. Specifically, we emphasize recent progress on gut microbiota significance for food grinding. Moreover, we show abnormal food grinding is determined by degree of excess normal behavior, emphasizing food grinding is not meaningless. Findings from this review promote comprehensive research on the myriad factors, multifaceted roles, and intricate evolution underlying food grinding behavior, benefiting laboratory animal husbandry and ecological environment protection, and identifying potential physiological benefits yet undiscovered.

(1) Background: In a society with an advancing aging rate, medical systems are coming under pressure due to an increasing flow of elderly patients with multiple somatic diseases, exacerbated by their fragile psychological and sociological backgrounds. We aimed to investigate the relationship be-tween frailty and loneliness in elderly people. Our research question was “Is there a link between the loneliness and frailty in elderly people?” (2) Methods: To assess the link between loneliness and frailty, we conducted a search accessing Index Medicus and PubMed; the timeframe of our research was from 2013 till 2023. Data regarding the study population, as well as loneliness and fragility assessments and approaches, were extracted. (3) Results: A positive relationship between loneliness and the appearance and progression of frailty in elderly people is argued for. (4) Conclusions: Maintaining a balance in the body’s functionality for as long as possible requires the diagnosis and periodic assessment of health status at any age and, due to the various socio-financial and emotional implications, is particularly imperative for elderly patients. Frailty can be prevented, and it appears that it could even be reversed if early diagnosis and appropriate interventions are made. Therefore, knowledge of relevant risk factors—most likely including loneliness—is an absolute necessity to slow down, stop, and even reverse the frailty process.

Nanomaterials have shown significant promise for enhancing the performance of composite materials and increasing their functionality for various industrial applications. This review explores the unique properties of nanomaterials, particularly carbon-based nanomaterials, and provides key findings in utilizing them to enhance composite performance. It highlights specific nano-based composite materials and their significant potential in advancing the field of nanocomposites. Challenges associated with nanocomposite production and utilization are also discussed, along with possible solutions to address them. Finally, the study provides recommendations for continued research and innovation in nanocomposites to fully unlock the benefits of these advanced materials for broader future applications.

Athlete’s heart is characterised by structural, functional, and electrical remodelling. During an exercise session, the heart increases the use of oxygen, which is associated with decreased vascular resistance in the lungs’ circulation. Left ventricular hypertrophy is an echocardiographic modification especially met in endurance athlete’s heart. Moreover, left atrial dilatation represents another important characteristic of endurance athletes. Electrical modulation in the athletic heart induces neurological modifications leading to sinus arrhythmia, bradycardia, early repolarisation, and first-grade atrioventricular (AV) blocks. Athletes' nutritional status involves the assimilation of macronutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Depending on the duration of physical exercise, ATP can be obtained in aerobic or anaerobic conditions. This systematic review aims to find correlations between different evaluative methods of cardiac adaptation and present the metabolism in performance athletes.

High-precision displacement sensing has been widely used across from both scientific researches and industrial applications. The recent interests in developing micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) have given rise to an excellent platform for miniaturized displacement sensors. Advancement in this field during past years is now yielding integrated high-precision sensors which show great potential in applications ranging from photoacoustic spectroscopy to high-precision positioning and automation. In this review, we briefly summarize different techniques for high-precision displacement sensing based on MOEMS, and discuss the challenges for future improvement.

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

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

Ti-Al based alloys, particularly TiAl and Ti3Al two-phase alloys, have garnered significant attention as potential replacements for various high-temperature structural materials due to their exceptional properties, including low density, oxidation resistance, and high strength at elevated temperatures. Despite these advantages, experimental studies on the microstructure evolution of Ti-Al based alloys under complex conditions remain challenging to observe and characterize. This review article examines the current research on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Ti-Al based alloys, focusing on two-phase Ti-Al alloys, Ti-Al amorphous alloys, Ti-Al composite materials, and the welding and multi-layer/film applications of Ti-Al alloys. The review highlights the unique capabilities of MD simulations in predicting the behavior of Ti-Al based alloys and addresses existing scientific challenges. Furthermore, the article discusses future research directions and development prospects in this field.

Introduction: A plethora of biological molecules regulate chondrogenesis in the epiphyseal growth plate. Disruptions of quantity and function of these molecules can manifest clinically as stature abnormalities of various etiologies. Traditionally, the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) axis represents the etiological center of final stature attainment. Of note, little is known about the molecular events that dominate the growth of the craniofacial complex and its correlation with somatic stature. Aim: Given the paucity of the relevant data, this review discusses available information regarding potential applications of lateral cephalometric radiography as a potential clinical indicator of genetic short stature in children. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed electronic database using the key words: cephalometric analysis and short stature; cephalometric analysis and achondroplasia; cephalometric analysis and hypochondroplasia; cephalometric analysis and skeletal abnormalities; cephalometr* and SHOX; cephalometr* and CNP; cephalometr* and ACAN; cephalometr* and CNVs; cephalometr* and IHH; cephalometr* and FGFR3; cephalometr* and Noonan syndrome; cephalometr* and “Turner syndrome”; cephalometr* and achondroplasia. Results: In individuals with genetic syndromes causing short stature, linear growth of the craniofacial complex is confined, following the pattern of somatic short stature regardless of its etiology. The angular cephalometric measurements differ from the average height normal individuals and are suggestive of a posterior placement of the jaws and a vertical growth pattern of the face. Conclusion: The greater part of the existing literature regarding cephalometric measurements in short statured children with genetic syndromes provides qualitative data. Furthermore, cephalometric data for individuals affected with specific rare genetic conditions causing short stature, should be the focus of future studies. These quantitative data are required to potentially establish cut-off values to refer for genetic testing based on craniofacial phenotypes.

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

The importance of bio robotics has been increasing day by day. Researchers are trying to mimic nature in a more creative way so that, the system can easily adopt the complex nature and its environment. Hence, bio robotic gripper plays a role in physical connection between the environment and bio robotics system. While handling the physical world in biorobots gripper, the complexity occurs in feedback system where sensor plays a vital role. Therefore, human centered gripper sensor has a good impact on bio robotics field. But categorical classification and their selection process is not very systematic. This review paper follows PRISMA methodology to summarize the previous works on bio robotics gripper sensor and its selection process.. This paper discusses challenges in soft robotics systems, and the importance of sensing systems to facilitate critical control mechanisms along with their selection considerations. Furthermore, a classification of soft actuation based on gripper has been introduced. Moreover, some unique characteristics for soft robotics sensor are explored namely compliance, flexibility, multifunctionality, sensor nature, surface properties, and material requirements. In addition, a categorization of sensors for soft robotic gripper in terms of modalities has been established ranging from the tactile and force sensor to slippage sensor. Various tactile sensors ranging from piezoelectric sensing to optical sensing are explored as it has utmost importance in soft gripper to effectively address the increasing requirements for intelligence and automation. Finally, taking everything into consideration, a flow diagram has been suggested for selecting sensors specific to soft robotics applications.

Aerosol-cloud interactions play a crucial role in shaping Earth’s climate and hydrological 1 cycle. Observing these interactions with high precision and accuracy is of the utmost importance 2 for improving climate models and predicting Earth’s climate. Over the past few decades, lidar 3 techniques have emerged as powerful tools for investigating aerosol-cloud interactions due to their 4 ability to provide detailed vertical profiles of aerosol particles and clouds with high spatial and 5 temporal resolutions. This review paper provides an overview of recent advancements in the study 6 of aerosol-cloud interactions using lidar techniques. The paper begins with a description of the 7 different cloud microphysical processes that are affected by the presence of the aerosol, and with 8 an outline of lidar remote sensing application in characterizing aerosol particles and clouds. The 9 subsequent sections delve into the key findings and insights gained from lidar-based studies of 10 aerosol-cloud interactions. This includes investigations into the role of aerosol particles in cloud 11 formation, evolution, and microphysical properties. Finally, the review concludes with an outlook 12 on future research. By reporting the latest findings and methodologies, this review aims to provide 13 valuable insights for researchers engaged in climate science and atmospheric research.

Based on literature data, an analysis was conducted on the thermodynamic and kinetic dependencies of the thermal decomposition of methane. Course of this process was analysed for both thermal and thermal-catalytic conditions. The elementary reaction, i.e. the synthesis of methane from its elements, including its reversibility, was used as the basis for the for considerations on the kinetic model. The conversion degree was adopted as the kinetic parameter (kinetic variable) since this measure is essential for determining the amount of carbon deposit formed and thus closing the mass balance of this process. Several different kinetic models for the elementary reaction were analysed to determine how do they relate in regard to the constant of the reaction rate. It was determined that regardless of whether the process is catalytic or purely thermal, for temperatures t>900°C, the influence of reversibility of the reaction, has negligible influence on the yield of hydrogen produced, and thus can be omitted from the kinetic models. Special attention was given to iron-based catalysts, analysing the reactivity of Fe/C systems. It was demonstrated that the determined kinetic parameters satisfy the Kinetic Compensation Effect (KCE). Furthermore, by incorporating elements of Transition State Theory (TST), the existence of Entropy-Enthalpy Compensation (EEC) was highlighted. Based on these findings Authors show that through analysis of the changes in activation energy (E=20–421 kJ·mol-1) only an estimate of the optimal process conditions can be found, because the isoconversional temperature is also dependent on the way in which the reaction is conducted (T_{iso}=1200-1450K\ >\ \ T_{eq}). In other words, it was found that strong influences of such factors as T, P, etc. can locally compensate each other. Finally, it was also shown that the relations between KCE and EEC complement each other, which is confirmed by the determined average activation entropy at the isokinetic temperature (∆SB= -275.0 J·(mol·K)-1).

The Mediterranean Diet, characterized by high intake of plant foods and unsaturated fats, has been suggested to improve assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. This literature review aimed to summarize the evidence from observational studies on the associations between preconception Mediterranean Diet and ART outcomes. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify relevant studies. Seven observational studies (n=2,321 women on ART) were included. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaires with 6-195 items. Three studies found that higher Mediterranean Diet scores improved Clinical Pregnancy or Live Birth rates, while two studies showed a positive effect on ART eggs and embryos. However, two studies reported no significant associations with ultimate ART success, and four studies found no effects on oocyte and embryo number or quality. Evidence for the effects of greater adherence to the Mediterranean Diet on ART outcomes is limited but promising. Additional rigorous research is needed to clarify and weigh the degree of association between the Mediterranean Diet and ART success.

In this systematic review, the PRISMA method was applied to examine publications from the last two decades that have investigated the noxious gaseous emissions from dairy barns. The aim was to analyse the outcomes from literature studies estimating the quantities of polluting gases produced in dairy barns, with specific focus on ammonia (NH₃) emissions. The review also explores proposed methods to reduce the associated effects through mitigation strategies. Estimation of NH₃ emissions is significantly influenced by the complex interactions among several factors, including animal management practices, such as controlling animal behavioral activities; manure management, like utilising practices for floor manure removal; the type of structure housing the animals, whether it is naturally or mechanically ventilated; and environmental conditions, such as the effects of temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and ventilation rate on NH₃ release in the barn. These influential components have been considered by researchers, identifying targeted mitigation strategies. Despite growing attention to the issue, gaps in the scientific literature were identified and discussed, particularly regarding the analysis of mitigation strategies and their long-term impacts (i.e., environmental, economic and productivity-wise).

This literature review provides an in-depth exploration of the research conducted on the investigation and measurement of residual stress (RS) in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) products, particularly focusing on how process parameters influence the phenomenon. RS plays a crucial role in determining the mechanical behavior and structural integrity of WAAM components. This review article gives an understanding of the relationship between process parameters and RS to optimize the WAAM processes and ensure the durability of the final products. It also summarizes key findings, measurement techniques, challenges, and future directions in this evolving field. The review also analyzes a measurement of RS in the products of WAAM as a function of process parameters depending on examining various research studies, techniques, and methodologies employed in their studies. Experimental measuring techniques and numerical analysis of RS to determine the impacts of RS in mechanical response in products of WAAM were discussed. By offering a comprehensive overview of current research trends and insights, this review serves as a valuable resource to guide future investigations, fostering the advancement of WAAM as a robust and efficient manufacturing technology.

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by the development and progression of multiple renal cysts, leading to progressive renal function decline. To date, the only approved treatment for this condition is able to slow down the loss of annual renal function, without stopping the disease progression. Furthermore, this therapy is approved only for patients with rapid disease progression and its compliance is problematic because of the impact of this drug on quality of life. The recent literature suggests that cystic cells are subject to metabolic dysregulation in the glucose pathway (Warburg Effect). This finding paved the way for new lines of research targeting potential therapeutic interventions for ADPKD. In particular, this review highlights the latest studies on the use of ketosis, through ketogenic dietary interventions (daily calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, time-restricted feeding, and ketogenic diets), as a potential strategy for patients with ADPKD, and the possible involvement of microbiota in the ketogenic interventions’ effect.

Energy storage systems play a crucial role in the overall performance of hybrid electric vehicles. Therefore, the state of the art in energy storage systems for hybrid electric vehicles has been discussed in this paper along with appropriate background information for facilitating future research in this domain. Specifically, we have compared the key parameters such as cost, power density, energy density, cycle life, and response time for various energy storage systems. For the energy storage systems employing ultra capacitors, we have presented the characteristics such as cell voltage, cycle life, power density and energy density. Furthermore, we have discussed and evaluated the interconnection topologies for the existing energy storage systems. We have also discussed the hybrid battery-flywheel energy storage system as well as the mathematical modeling of the battery-ultracapacitor energy storage system. Toward the end, we have discussed energy efficient powertrain for hybrid electric vehicles.

Background: Endovascular treatment of popliteal aneurysms (PA) has increased in the last few years, quickly becoming the main treatment in many vascular centers, based on the acceptable and promising outcomes reported in the literature. However, endograft infections are the most dangerous complication as a serious local compromise and usually require open surgical conversion and device explantation to preserve the affected extremity. Case report: We reported two patients admitted to the emergency room for pain and edema in the lower leg. Both patients have undergone exclusion of ruptured PA a few years before by endovascular graft. CTA showed a significant volume of fluid-corpuscular collection related to perianeurysmal abscess collection in both cases. Blood cultures and drained material cultures were positive for Staphylococcus Capitis in the first case and S. Aureus in the second. The antibiotics prophylaxis was performed for 10 days, then, patients underwent an open surgical conversion with a complete explantation of endovascular material and a femoro-popliteal bypass using an autologous vein in the first case and biological bovine pericardium prosthesis in the other case. Furthermore, we have questioned the literature and found eight more cases described in case report article referred to popliteal graft infections by different microorganisms, mostly presenting acute limb ischemia as the first symptom and suggesting endograft explantation with open conversion and autologous vein bypass as the commonest therapeutic choice. Conclusions: Open surgical conversion of popliteal endograft infection is the best strategy to manage peripheral infection of the popliteal stent.

IBD, encompassing CD and UC, are characterized by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation due to abnormal immune responses to gut microflora. The bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, known as the GBA, is disrupted in IBD, leading to neurobiological imbalances and affective symptoms. Systemic inflammation in IBD affects the brain's inflammatory response system, hormonal axis, and BBB integrity, influencing gut microbiota and clinical responses to probiotics. This review aims to explore the links between dysregulations in the GBA, serum biomarkers, and the development of MCI and NDDs. The objective is to identify potential correlations and propose future research directions to understand the impact of altered microbiomes and intestinal barrier functions on NDDs. Studies suggest a potential link between IBD and extraintestinal complications such as MCI and NDDs. Mechanisms include systemic inflammation, BBB dysfunction, autoimmune responses, GBA dysfunction, medication effects, and comorbidities. Serum biomarkers, including vitamin D3, C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, vitamin B12, homocysteine, serum amyloid, neuron-specific enolase, neurofilament light chain, S100 proteins, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, IL-6, LP-2 associated phospholipase, prostaglandin E2, IL-1β, and TNF-α, have been investigated for their potential to predict MCI but current results are lacking clarity.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, with notable advantages in safety, energy density, and longevity, yet the environmental implications of their lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal, remain a critical concern. This review paper examines the environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and end-of-life management of SSBs, starting with the extraction and processing of raw materials which highlights significant natural resource consumption, energy use, and emissions. A comparative analysis with traditional battery manufacturing underscores the environmental hazards of novel materials specific to SSBs. The review also assesses the operational environmental impact of SSBs by evaluating their energy efficiency and carbon footprint in comparison to conventional batteries, followed by an exploration of end-of-life challenges including disposal risks, regulatory frameworks, and the shortcomings of existing waste management practices. A significant focus is placed on recycling and reuse strategies, reviewing current methodologies like mechanical, pyrometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical processes, along with emerging technologies that aim to overcome recycling barriers, while also analyzing the economic and technological challenges of these processes. Additionally, real-world case studies are presented, serving as benchmarks for best practices and highlighting lessons learned in the field. In conclusion, the paper identifies research gaps and future directions for reducing the environmental footprint of SSBs, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to advance sustainable SSB technologies and contribute to balancing technological advancements with environmental stewardship, thereby supporting the transition to a more sustainable energy future.

Majority of the studied MADS box members are linked with flowering and fruit traits. However, higher volumes of studies on the type II of their two types so far suggest that florigenic effect of the gene members could just be tip of the iceberg. In current study we used a systematic approach to have general overview on the MADS box members their cross-trait and multifactor associations as well as their pleiotropic potentials based on local reference database curated for MADS box members. While doing so, we screened for the co-occurrence of the terms of interest within the title or abstract of each reference with threshold of 3 hits. Analysis results showed that our approach can retrieve multi-faceted information on the subject of study (MADS box gene members in current case) which could otherwise have been skewed depending on the authors’ expertise and/or volume of literature reference base. Overall, our study discusses on the roles of MADS box members in association with plant organs and traits-linked factors among plant species. Our assessment showed that plants with majority of the MADS box member studies include tomato, apple, rice etc., after Arabidopsis. Furthermore, based on the degree of their multi-trait associations, FLC, SVP, SOC1, etc. are suggested to have relatively higher pleiotropic potential among others in plant growth, development and flowering process. The approach devised in this study is expected applicable for having basic understanding on any study subject of interest regardless of depth prior knowledge.

Essential oils (EOs) have been gaining popularity in the past decades among researchers due to their potential to replace conventional chemicals used in the fight against pests, pathogenic and spoilage microbes and oxidation processes. EOs are complex mixtures with many chemical components the content of which depends on many factors – not just the plant genus, species or subspecies, but also chemotype, locality and climatic conditions, phase of vegetation, method of extraction and others. Due to this fact, there’s still much to study, with antimicrobial effect being one of the key properties of EOs. There are many methods that have been frequently engaged by researchers for in vitro evaluation; however, although the research has been going on for decades, an internationally accepted standard is still missing. Most of methods are based on time-proven standards used for testing of antibiotics. Due to the specific properties of EOs and their components, such as volatility and hydrophobicity, many modifications of these standard procedures have been adopted. The aim of this review is to describe the most common methods and their modifications for testing of antimicrobial properties of EOs and to point out the most controversial variables which can potentially affect results of the assays.

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

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

Dipole antennas, fundamental components in wireless communication systems, have garnered significant attention due to their versatility and efficiency across various applications. This literature review explores the performance analysis of dipole antennas, focusing on recent advancements and methodologies from 2019 to 2024. Employing a systematic approach, the review synthesizes findings from multiple databases, emphasizing peer-reviewed studies that delve into dipole antenna designs and applications. Through meticulous data extraction, key parameters influencing dipole antenna performance, such as material properties and operating frequency, are identified and analyzed. Results highlight the widespread utilization of dipole antennas in wireless communication systems, including indoor positioning, mobile communication, and antenna calibration, among others. Discussions underscore the evolution of dipole antennas in base station environments and their role in filtering applications. The review concludes by emphasizing the continued relevance and evolution of dipole antennas, showcasing their adaptability and potential across diverse wireless communication contexts.

Background: Telemonitoring systems in cardiology have shown potential in improving chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD) management. This study aims to evaluate the impact of telemonitoring, mainly through mobile applications, on patient outcomes such as self-care, blood pressure control, quality of life, and hospitalization. Methods: We systematically reviewed studies assessing telemonitoring methods for patients with chronic CVD. The analysis included studies from various geographic regions and healthcare settings, focusing on qualitative outcomes without performing a meta-analysis. Results: Telemonitoring was found to aid in maintaining blood pressure and significantly enhance self-care abilities. Improvements in quality of life were observed in some studies, though results varied. Most studies indicated telemonitoring could effectively manage blood pressure and reduce hypertension-related complications. However, the heterogeneity of interventions and outcomes measured across trials posed challenges for a comprehensive meta-analysis. Conclusions: Integrating telemonitoring systems into routine care can significantly improve disease management and patient outcomes for chronic CVD patients. Future research should standardize telemonitoring interventions and outcome measures, conduct long-term studies, and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these systems. Greater blindness in future randomized controlled trials and more studies on atrial fibrillation are also necessary. Significant potential exists for telemonitoring to improve patient outcomes and assist in managing chronic illnesses.

An increased demand for natural products nowadays most specifically probiotics (PRO) is evident since it comes in conjunction with beneficial health effects for the consumers. In this regard, it is well known that encapsulation could affect positively the PRO's viability throughout food manufacturing and long-term storage. This paper aims to analyze and review various multilayer strategies for encapsulation of PRO. Double-layer encapsulation of PRO by electro-hydrodynamic atomization or electrospray technology has been reported along with layer-by-layer assembly and water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions to produce multilayer PRO-loaded carriers. Finally, their applications in food products are presented. The resistance (cover material) and viability of (PRO) to mechanical damage, during gastrointestinal transit and shelf life of these trapping systems are also described. The PRO encapsulation in double and multiple-layer coatings combined with other technologies can be examined to increase the opportunities for new functional products with amended functionalities opening a novel horizon in food technology.

China’s greenhouse industry has thousands of years of development history, although the development of modern greenhouses has come late. After decades of development of China, its greenhouse industry is in the forefront of the world. China’s greenhouse industry is experiencing rapid development, transformation and upgrading. China ranks first in the world in terms of greenhouse area, used mainly for vegetable cultivation and plays an important role in the utilization of agricultural resources and food production. In 2023, the cumulative area of new greenhouses nationwide was 1835.87 million ha. In this paper we present the latest developments in the greenhouse sector. More specifically, we present a greenhouse market development overview, the greenhouse production, the greenhouse industry, and technology development. Current problems are underpinned, development opportunities and prospects are analyzed, and measures and specific proposals are detailed for the technological development of the greenhouse sector both for increasing product quantity and quality.

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

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

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

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

Detailed sonographic assessment of the fetal neuroanatomy plays a crucial role in prenatal diagnosis, providing valuable insights into timely well-coordinated fetal brain development and detecting even subtle anomalies that may impact neurodevelopmental outcomes. With recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) in general and medical imaging in particular, there has been growing interest in leveraging AI techniques to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and clinical utility of fetal neurosonography. The paramount objective of this scoping review is to discuss the latest developments in AI applications in this field, focusing on image analysis, automation of measurements, prediction models for neurodevelopmental outcomes, visualization techniques, and integration into clinical routine.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, entailing several motor-related symptoms that contribute to a reduced quality of life in affected subjects. Recent advances in wearable technologies and computing resources have shown great potential for the assessment of PD-related symptoms. However, the potential applications (e.g., early diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring) and key features of digital biomarkers for motor symptoms of PD (DB-MS-PD) have not been comprehensively studied. This study aims to provide a state-of-the-art review of current digital biomarker definitions for PD, focusing on the use of wearable devices. This review systematically examines research articles from 2012 to 2024, focusing on key features and recent technologies in PD research. A total of 22 studies were included and thoroughly analyzed. Results indicate that DB-MS-PD can accurately distinguish patients with PD (PwPD) from healthy controls (HC), assess disease severity or treatment response, and detect motor symptoms. Large sample sizes, proper validation, non-invasive devices, and ecological monitoring make DB-MS-PD promising for improving PD management. Challenges include sample and method heterogeneity and lack of public datasets. Future studies can leverage evidence of the current literature to provide more effective and ready-to-use digital tools for monitoring PD.

The isotopic and nuclear techniques discussed, namely: Fallout Radionuclide, Fingerprint, and Isotope Hydrology, are linked to the evaluation of soil and water degradation processes. A traditional literature review was conducted to gain the most comprehensive understanding of both the current state of the art and the subject matter, with the aim of proposing a hypothesis that integrates the synergistic convergence of these techniques in order to offer results that are more reliable. A case study is presented as a synthesis of the preceding discussion.

Introduction Emergency laparotomy is a surgical procedure associated with significantly higher mortality rates compared to elective surgeries. Awake laparotomy under neuraxial anaesthesia has recently emerged as a promising approach in abdominal surgery to improve patient outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of using lumbar spinal anaesthesia as the primary anaesthetic technique in emergency laparotomies. Methods We conducted a case series involving 16 patients who underwent emergency laparotomy for bowel ischemia, perforation, or occlusion. Lumbar spinal anaesthesia was employed as the main anaes-thetic technique. We analysed patient demographics, clinical characteristics, intraoperative details, and postoperative outcomes. The primary outcome measures included the adequacy of postoper-ative pain control, the incidence of postoperative complications, and mortality rates. Results Among the 16 patients, adequate postoperative pain control was achieved, with only 2 patients requiring additional analgesia. Postoperative complications, including sepsis, wound dehiscence, and pneumonia, were observed in 7 patients (44%). The observed mortality rate was relatively low at 6% (1 patient). Notably, conversion to general anaesthesia was not necessary in any of the cases, and no early readmissions were reported. Discussion Our findings highlight the feasibility and potential benefits of using neuraxial anaesthesia in emergency laparotomies. The observed low mortality rate and the avoidance of conversion to general anaesthesia suggest that lumbar spinal anaesthesia may be a useful alternative in emer-gency settings. However, the occurrence of postoperative complications in 44% of patients indi-cates the need for cautious patient selection and close monitoring. Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to fully elucidate the efficacy, safety, and potential impact of this tech-nique on patient outcomes in emergency laparotomies.

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

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

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

Background/Objectives: Endocrine disruptors are ubiquitous agents in the environment and are present in everyday consumer products. These agents can interfere with the endocrine system, and subsequently the reproductive system, especially in pregnancy. Increasing research has been conducted to discover and describe the health effects of these agents on humans, including pregnant women, their fetuses, and the placenta. This review discusses prenatal exposure to various endocrine disruptors focusing on Bisphenols, Phthalates, Organophosphates, and Perfluoroalkyl substances, and their effects on pregnancy and fetal development. Methods: We reviewed the literature via PubMed and EBSCO databases and included the most relevant studies. Results: Our findings reveal that several negative health outcomes were linked to endocrine disruptors. However, despite the seriousness of this topic and the abundance of research on these agents, it remains challenging to draw strong conclusions about their effects from the available studies. This does not allow for strong, universal guidelines and might result in poor patient counseling and heterogeneous approaches to regulating endocrine disruptors. Conclusion: The urgency of the matter calls for urgent efforts, as more studies are needed in this realm, to protect pregnant patients ultimately and in the long term, society.

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

The literature study delves into novel therapeutic strategies in transplantation medicine, highlighting unique approaches that could revolutionize current practices. It emphasizes novel patterns that have the potential to transform the current landscape. Commencing with a thorough examination of the historical environment, it traces crucial advances and changes in transplantation. The focus is on traditional techniques, emphasizing their limitations and challenges. An extensive examination of contemporary transplantation therapies offers valuable insights into the most recent progress in organ, cellular, and tissue transplantation. This analysis examines the immunological obstacles and outlines the current advancements and constraints. The exploration further navigates into novel models and concepts such as immunomodulation, developments in organ preservation techniques, gene editing, biomaterials, scaffold-based solutions, and the integration of precision medicine, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications. Each section analyzes the potential for change and current progress in various areas, backed by relevant scientific sources up to 2023. The subsequent sections delve into innovative cellular therapies, biotechnological progress, current clinical trials, and case studies demonstrating effective applications. This examination delves into the ethical and regulatory considerations of innovative therapeutic procedures, emphasizing ethical implications, regulatory frameworks, and the importance of balancing innovation with patient welfare. The literature review concludes by offering a forward-looking perspective, emphasizing potential progress, anticipated challenges, and advocating for collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches to overcome limitations in the field of transplantation medicine.

Resveratrol (RSV), a naturally occurring phytoalexin, is the most important stilbenoid synthesized by plants, as a defense mechanism, in response to microbial aggression, toxins or ultraviolet radiation. RSV came to the attention of researchers both as a potential chemopreventive agent and a possible explanation for the low incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in French people with a high-fat diet. RSV is mainly administered as a food supplement, its properties being evaluated in vitro or in vivo, on various experimental models. RSV modulates signaling pathways that limit the spread of tumor cells, protects nerve cells from damage, is useful in the prevention of diabetes, and generally acts as an anti-aging natural compound. It was highlighted that RSV could ameliorate the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle caused by an exaggerated caloric intake. This paper reviews the evidence supporting the beneficial effect of RSV for various pathological conditions, e.g., neoplastic diseases, neurodegeneration, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, CVDs, immune diseases, bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. The study also focused on the chromatographic analysis of trans-RSV (tRSV) in Romanian wine samples, providing a comprehensive overview of tRSV content across different types of wine.

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

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

The breast holds significant importance in women's lactation process. The breast has diverse tissues such as glandular, Cooper’s ligament, lactiferous ducts, adipose, muscles, and skin with various mechanical properties. Most soft tissues exhibit nonlinear, viscoelastic, and anisotropic mechanical behaviour. Stiffness is one of the commonly used mechanical properties for measuring mechanical behaviour in soft tissues. However, this is typically used in simplifying cases where analysis is limited to within the linear elastic region. Young’s modulus is the prevailing measure for quantifying stiffness in tissues. This systematic review examines commonly used techniques for mechanically characterising breast soft tissues to close the gap in the literature. Additionally, this systematic review summarises the mechanical behaviour of the breast tissues available in the literature and highlights the uncovered areas to understand the mechanical behaviour of breast tissues fully. These include a) more mechanical behaviour studies, allowing more accurate modelling for other applications, b) Viscoelastic analysis studies, and c) mechanical analysis on other breast tissues, such as the lactiferous duct, also known as the milk duct. The data obtained in the review can be used as inputs in computational models to analyse the behaviour of the breast tissues.

Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 1:1,000,000 population. It results from pathogenic variants in the PLA2G6 gene located on chromosome (22q13.1). The onset of symptoms usually occurs between 6 to 18 months, causing developmental regression leading to debilitating symptoms such as muscle weakness, dementia, and loss of basic skills. Eventually, it progresses to life-threatening symptoms including breathing difficulties, which limits the life expectancy to 5-10 years. While potential genetic therapy for treatment is are being developed, they are yet to be approved for use, and management remains essentially supportive. This case report is of a 9-year-old Pakistani girl with INAD. She presented with recurrent chest infections, developmental regression, loss of speech, paralysis, hypertension, and eventually breathing difficulties. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and genetic testing con-firmed the diagnosis. This case posed diagnostic challenges in view of its overlapping clinical presentation. Through this report, we aim to raise awareness about the condition among practitioners, outline the importance of genetic counseling in susceptible couples and suggest potential areas of further research.

Stress is a natural yet potentially harmful aspect of human life, necessitating effective management, particularly during overwhelming experiences. This paper presents a scoping review of personalized stress detection models using wearable technology. Employing the PRISMA-ScR framework for rigorous methodological structuring, we systematically analyzed literature from key databases including Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed. Our focus was on biosignals, AI methodologies, datasets, wearable devices, and real-world implementation challenges. The review presents an overview of stress and its biological mechanisms, details the methodology for the literature search, and synthesizes the findings. It shows that biosignals, especially EDA and PPG, are frequently utilized for stress detection and demonstrate potential reliability in multimodal settings. Evidence for a trend towards deep learning models was found, although the limited comparison with traditional methods calls for further research. Concerns arise regarding the representativeness of datasets and practical challenges in deploying wearable technologies, which include issues related to data quality and privacy. Future research should aim to develop comprehensive datasets and explore AI techniques that are not only accurate but also computationally efficient and user-centric, thereby closing the gap between theoretical models and practical applications to improve the effectiveness of stress detection systems in real scenarios.

Hereditary cardiomyopathies (CMPs), including Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), represent a group of heart disorders that significantly contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and are often driven by genetic factors. Recent advances in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology have enabled the identification of rare variants in both well-established and minor genes associated to CMPs. Nowadays, a set of core genes is included in diagnostic panels for ARVC, DCM, HCM. On the other hand, despite their lesser-known status, variants in the minor genes may contribute to disease mechanisms and influence prognosis. This review evaluates the current evidence supporting the involvement of the minor genes in CMPs, considering their potential pathogenicity and clinical significance. A comprehensive analysis of databases such as ClinGen, ClinVar, and GeneReviews, along with recent literature and diagnostic guidelines, provides a thorough overview of the genetic landscape of minor genes in CMPs and offers insights for future research and translation to clinical practice. Given the increasing knowledge on these less-understood genetic factors, future studies are essential to clearly assess their roles, ultimately leading to improved diagnostic precision and therapeutic strategies in hereditary CMPs.

Embracing Fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR) techniques is a need for a long-term sustainability and to do automation in the processes of Industrial and education sector. Rapid advancement in the information technology and other engineering technologies demand more proactive steps in the education institutes. In the post pandemic world, there is an increasing demand of changes in teaching and learning methodologies with the support of modern digital technologies. So, all of the teaching institutes need to have a significant step change in the areas of learning and teaching. The impact of 4 IR is more on the education sectors compared to previous generation’s industrial revolution. Keeping track of key technologies can be quite a challenge as they keep evolving at a very fast pace. Fourth Industrial revolution is the current technological digital revolution in which major focus is on cyber physical and biological systems such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet on Things, Virtual Reality etc., The educators and institutions should establish the pedagogies and teaching with the aid of Industry 4.0 techniques to evolve education 4.0. So, it is very important to understand the challenges and competencies required about the implementation of 4IR by the faculty members and students who are currently studying in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). This paper aim is to do a systematic review about industry 4.0 techniques and its application in relate to the online learning and teaching, change in pedagogies, enhancement of data management in HEIs, digital and virtual laboratories etc.

This review examines the effects of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) on general and oral health. The effects of lingonberry are based on the vitamins, minerals, fibers and polyphenolic compounds it contains. Lingonberry's bioactive substances have a diverse range of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiproteolytic, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties. Research results suggest that lingonberries can have a positive effect on human health. Berries, lingonberry juice/lingonberry nectar/fermented lingonberry juice and polyphenol fractions have been used in clinical studies. Lingonberries balance post-meal blood sugar, free fatty acids and insulin levels. Fermented lingonberry juice reduces Streptococcus mutans, Candida and periodontal pathogen counts, but is probiotic because it favors growth of Lactobacilli. In addition, it increases saliva secretion and thus lowers the risk of oral infections. It lowers the clinical parameters of periodontitis and the active matrix metalloprotease-8, reducing the low-grade inflammation associated with periodontal diseases. More studies on humans are needed.

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

Iron tailings are solid waste generated after the mining of iron mines, which have caused serious damage to the surrounding ecology and environment and have attracted widespread attention. By analyzing the formation causes, main components, and environmental effect mechanisms of iron tailings, the article systematically elaborates on the degree and mechanism of the harm of iron tailings to water bodies, atmosphere, soil, and ecosystems, and evaluates its impact on human health and sustainable development of society. On this basis, specific prevention and control measures have been proposed to reduce iron tailings emissions, realize resource recycling, and restore ecosystems. Research shows that iron tailings containing heavy metals can widely pollute the environment through dissolution and migration, and have significant biological toxicity effects. The research results can provide a theoretical reference for decision-making departments to formulate scientific and reasonable iron tailings disposal and ecological protection policies. It is recommended to strengthen specific research on the infiltration of toxic and harmful components in tailings in the future, and develop efficient and stable solidification technology, and vegetation-microbial joint restoration models to further reduce the ecological and environmental risks of iron tailings.

This study offers an analysis of existing research on sustainability and its link to accounting and management control in the port sector. The existing studies do not provide a comprehensive discussion of management accounting and control tools in this context, despite recognizing the relevance of the issue. The Scoping Review was used as a methodological basis, with reference to the framework of Arksey and O’Malley [1], with the aim of mapping the literature on the role of ac-counting and management control, as well as their relationship with the Triple Bottom Line associated with the various levels of sustainability in this sector. The results point to a diversity of tools used essentially in developed countries, where the interest in efficiency, sustainability and strategic alignment stands out.

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

Wound healing involves physical, chemical and immunological processes. Transient receptor potential (TRP) and other ion channels are implicated in epidermal re-epithelization. Ion movement across ion channels can induce transmembrane potential that leads to transepithelial potential (TEP) changes. TEP present in epidermis surrounding the lesion decreases and induces an endogenous direct current generating an epithelial electric field (EF) that could be implicated in wound re-epithelialization. TRP channels are involved in the activation of immune cells during the inflammatory phase of wound healing. The aim of the study was to review the mechanisms of ion channel involvement in wound healing in in vivo experiments in rodents (mice, rats, rabbits) and how can this process be influenced. This review used the latest results published in scientific journals over the last year and this year to date (1 January 2023–31 December 3000) in order to include the in-press articles. Some types of TRP channels, such as TRPV1, TRPV3, and TRPA1, are expressed in immune cells and can be activated by inflammatory mediators. The most beneficial effects in wound healing are produced using agonists of TRPV1, TRPV4 and TRPA1 channels or by inhibiting with antagonists, antisense oligonucleotides or knocking down TRPV3 and TRPM8 channels.

Phage therapy, the use of bacteriophages (phages) to treat bacterial infections, is regaining momentum as a promising weapon against the rising threat of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. This comprehensive review explores the historical context, the modern resurgence of phage therapy, and phage-facilitated advancements in medical and technological fields. It details the mechanisms of action and applications of phages in treating MDR bacterial infections, particularly those associated with biofilms and intracellular pathogens. The review further highlights innovative uses of phages in vaccine development, cancer therapy, and as gene delivery vectors. Despite its targeted and efficient approach, phage therapy faces challenges related to phage stability, immune response, and regulatory approval. By examining these areas in detail, this review underscores the immense potential and remaining hurdles in integrating phage-based therapies into modern medical practices.

This review paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on the contamination of water systems by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs, organic contaminants characterized by two or more fused aromatic rings, are notably problematic due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and significant health risks. The review commences with an examination of various sources of PAHs in aquatic environments, encompassing both anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharges, urban runoff, and oil spills, and natural phenomena including volcanic eruptions and wildfires. Subsequently, the discussion shifts to the distribution patterns of PAHs within different aquatic ecosystems, with an analysis of factors that influence their transport. Considerable focus is placed on the entry mechanisms of PAHs into water systems and their interactions with diverse environmental matrices. Additionally, the ecotoxicological effects of PAHs on aquatic life are scrutinized, with particular emphasis on molecular, individual, and ecosystemic impacts. This includes an exploration of PAH bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms and their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic consequences. The review further addresses the challenges associated with detecting and quantifying PAHs in aquatic settings, reflecting on the advancements in analytical methodologies and the complexities introduced by their varied physicochemical properties. The paper concludes with a summary of existing regulatory frameworks and guidelines governing PAH contamination in water systems, underscoring the imperative for global collaboration in the monitoring and management of PAH pollution.

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

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

In the last few years, the agricultural field has undergone a digital transformation, incorporating artificial intelligence systems to make good employment of the growing volume of data from various sources and derive value from it. Within artificial intelligence, machine learning is a powerful tool for confronting the numerous challenges of developing knowledge-based farming systems. This study aims to comprehensively review the current scientific literature from 2017 to 2023, emphasizing machine learning in agriculture, especially viticulture, to detect and predict grape infections. Most of these studies (88%) were conducted within the last five years. A variety of machine learning algorithms were used, with those belonging to the neural network (CNN) standing out having the best results most of the time. Out of the list of diseases, the ones most researched were Grapevine Yellow, Flavescence Dorée, Esca, Downy mildew, Leafroll, Pierce’s, and Root Rot. Also, some other fields were studied which are water management, plant deficiencies, and classification. Because of the difficulty of the topic, it was collected all datasets that were available about grapevines, and it is described each dataset with the type of data (e.g., statistical, images, type of images), along with the number of images where it was mentioned. This work provides a unique source of information for a general audience comprising AI researchers, agricultural scientists, wine grape growers, and policymakers. Among others, its outcomes could be effective at curbing diseases in viticulture, which in turn will drive sustainable gains and boost success. Additionally, it could help build resilience in related farming industries such as winemaking.

Rice (Oryza spp.) is mostly grown directly from seed and sown on wet or dry seed beds or usually used as transplants on nursery bed. With all the economically important viral diseases in the world, Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), is only prevalent in rice-growing countries in Africa. RYMV had turned out to be the main rice production constraint in Africa, throughout the last 20–25 years, causing yield loss of 10 to 100%, depending on age of the plant at the time of infection, degree of varietal susceptibility and the exiting climatic conditions. Good agricultural practices and utilization of biotechnological tools in the development of improved resistant cultivars have been extensively active in controlling the disease. This review focused on RYMV, its epidemiology, serological and molecular typing, disease management and the way forward for sustainable rice production.

This study explores the current landscape of social value (SV) research in the construction industry, analyzing global trends and identifying future research directions. Using bibliometric analysis, research published in Elsevier Scopus database from 2013 to 2023 was extracted using the keywords "social value" AND "construction industry." Results indicate a focus on social value indicators, socioeconomic impacts, project management, innovative practices, and cross-sector collaborations. The study also reveals a lack of attention to SV in African countries' construction sectors. By highlighting research areas and identifying gaps, this study contributes to academic literature, suggesting the need for guidelines, particularly in developing countries, and advocating for further research on SV in the built environment and strategies for global social value creation.

Frequent and excessive consumption of alcohol, be it episodic or sustained misuse, ranks among the top causes of mortality globally. This comprehensive analysis seeks to elucidate how alcohol misuse precipitates death, with a particular focus on associated cardiac anomalies. Notably, the phenomenon of "Holiday Heart Syndrome," linked to binge drinking, is recognized for inducing potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Moreover, persistent alcohol consumption is implicated in the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a condition that underlies heart failure and arrhythmic disturbances of the heart. Additionally, individuals undergoing withdrawal from alcohol frequently exhibit disruptions in normal heart rhythm, posing a risk of death. This review further delves into additional alcohol-related mortality factors, including the heightened likelihood of hypertension, cerebrovascular accidents (strokes), and the connection between excessive alcohol use and Takotsubo syndrome.

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

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

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

Background/Objectives: The use of post-operative drains in gynaecologic oncology procedures is controversial with evidence both supporting and questioning their efficacy. Proponents argue that such drains help detect complications early, reduce abscess formation, and also alleviate post-operative pain. On the other hand, drains are associated with increased risks of incisional hernia, infection, prolonged hospitalization, and postoperative pain. Methods: We conducted a research in the PubMed database and supplemented it with a manual search to retrieve addition-al papers eligible for inclusion. Results: Their use is not always found to improve outcomes, no-tably in surgeries such as a radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy, where they may actually enhance lymphocyst formation and other complications. In cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer, negative pressure wound therapy showed some potential benefits, but evidence remained inconclusive due to limited studies. The international guidelines presented in this re-view, suggest avoiding the routine use of drains and promote early removal when their use is necessary. Conclusions: This review aims to present an update on the current knowledge re-garding the role of drainage in gynaecologic oncology and while further good-quality research is required, particularly in high-risk surgical procedures, numerous prospective trials have exten-sively addressed the topic, trying to provide clear suggestions.

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

With buildings accounting for a significant portion of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) holds promise for enhancing sustainability in the building lifecycle. This systematic literature review addresses the current understanding of AI's potential to optimize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact in building design, construction, and operation. A comprehensive literature review and synthesis were conducted to identify AI technologies applicable to sustainable building practices, examine their influence, and analyze the challenges of implementation. The review was guided by a meticulous search strategy utilizing keywords related to AI application in sustainable building design, construction, and operation. The findings reveal AI's capabilities in optimizing energy efficiency through intelligent control systems, enabling predictive maintenance, and aiding design simulation. Advanced machine learning algorithms facilitate data-driven analysis and prediction, while digital twins provide real-time insights for informed decision-making. Furthermore, the review identifies barriers to AI adoption, including cost concerns, data security risks, and challenges in implementation. AI presents a transformative opportunity to enhance sustainability in the built environment, offering innovative solutions for energy optimization and environmentally conscious practices. However, addressing technical and practical challenges will be crucial for the successful integration of AI in sustainable building practices.

Incorrect sitting posture, characterized by asymmetrical or uneven positioning of the body, often leads to spinal misalignment and muscle tone imbalance. Prolonged maintenance of such postures can adversely impact well-being and contribute to the development of spinal deformities and musculoskeletal disorders. In response, smart-sensing chairs equipped with cutting-edge sensor technologies have been introduced as a viable solution for real-time detection, classification, and monitoring of sitting postures, aiming to mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and promote overall health. This comprehensive literature review evaluates the current body of research on smart-sensing chairs, with a specific focus on the strategies used for posture detection and classification, as well as the effectiveness of different sensor technologies. A meticulous search across MDPI, IEEE, and Google Scholar databases yielded 34 pertinent studies that utilize non-invasive methods for posture monitoring. The analysis reveals that Force Sensing Resistors (FSR) are the predominant sensors utilized for posture detection, whereas Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are the leading machine learning models for posture classification. However, it was observed that CNNs and ANNs do not outperform traditional statistical models in terms of classification accuracy, due to constrained size and lack of diversity within training datasets. These datasets often fail to comprehensively represent the array of human body shapes and musculoskeletal configurations. Moreover, this review identifies a significant gap in the evaluation of user feedback mechanisms, essential for alerting users to their sitting posture and facilitating corrective adjustments.

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

The augmenting commitment in the entrepreneurial learning process, both at academic and industry level, has led to new mechanisms and methodologies. Entrepreneurship literature has shown evidence of raising interest in the problem-based learning (PBL) methodology with regard to upcoming events from the surrounding learning context. This paper presents a Systematic Bibliographic Literature Review (SBLR) with respect to the application of PBL throughout distinct entrepreneurial processes either in higher education, or in industry. It aimed to identify relevant entrepreneurial opportunities for PBL. Bibliographic databases were searched for documents published between 2002 and May 2024 to categorize key topics discussed in the literature on PBL and entrepreneurship. The review process identified 142 empirical and non-empirical papers on entrepreneurship related PBL. Data analysis revealed diverse subthemes for PBL uses in entrepreneurship in both higher education institutions and industry. The research questions “What is the interplay of problem-based learning methodology with entrepreneurship?” guided the study. The central output of the research is the discovery of the varying uses of PBL to cope with diverse events arising within entrepreneurship context. Future research directions are suggested.

Lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is a cornerstone of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention. Although LLT might lead to different reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in women and men, LLT diminishes cardiovascular risk equally effectively in both sexes. Despite similar LLT efficacy, the use of high-intensity statin, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors is lower in women compared to men. Women achieve the guideline-recommended LDL-C levels less often than men. Greater cholesterol burden is particularly prominent in women with familial hypercholesterolemia. In clinical practice, women and men with dyslipidemia present with different cardiovascular risk profiles and disease manifestations. The concentrations of LDL-C, lipoprotein(a) and other blood lipids differ between women and men over a lifetime. Dissimilar levels of LLT’s target molecules partially result from sex-specific hormonal and genetic determinants of lipoprotein metabolism. Hence, to evaluate a potential need for sex-specific LLT, this comprehensive review (i) describes the impact of sex on lipoprotein metabolism and lipid profile, (ii) highlights sex differences in cardiovascular risk among patients with dyslipidemia, (iii) presents recent, up-to-date clinical trial and real-world data on LLT efficacy and safety in women, and (iv) discusses diverse medical needs of women and men with dyslipidemia and increased cardiovascular risk.

Big Data and blockchain technology are coming together to revolutionize how decisions are made in a decentralized way across various industries. This review looks at how these technologies, along with distributed systems, can improve data security, transparency, and real-time processing, making decision-making more efficient and informed. The integration enhances data security with unchangeable records, increases transparency and traceability, and supports real-time data analysis. However, there are challenges to overcome, including scalability, data privacy, interoperability, regulatory compliance, and high costs. By examining case studies such as Estonia's healthcare system, IBM and Walmart's Food Trust, and the Brooklyn Microgrid project, we explore the practical applications and benefits of combining Big Data with blockchain. Despite these hurdles, the review finds that the ongoing advancements and innovative solutions in these technologies offer significant promise. They are set to drive the adoption and effectiveness of decentralized decision-making, ultimately leading to better efficiency and outcomes across multiple sectors.

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

The microstructure of the substrate plays a crucial role in the anodizing process. Anodizing cast aluminum alloys is quite challenging due to the higher levels of alloying elements present compared to pure aluminum. Elements such as silicon, iron, and copper significantly impact the growth and quality of the anodic layer. Additionally, anodizing parameters such as electrolyte composition, current density, and temperature are critical in determining the morphology and thickness of the anodic film. The casting process, surface condition, and post-treatment also affect the properties of the anodic layer. Optimizing these parameters is essential to achieve a durable and high-quality anodic layer. This work aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various factors affecting the anodizing of cast aluminum alloys and the properties of the anodic layer, including its thickness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.

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

The aim was to identify if surface electromyography (sEMG) parameters are indicative of post-activation potentiation (PAP)/post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), in terms of twitch potentiation and voluntary performance. Three databases were used in March 2024, with the following inclusion criteria: (a) original research, assessed in healthy human adults, (b) sEMG parameters were measured. The exclusion criteria were: (a) studies with no PAP/PAPE-protocol, (b) non-randomized control trials. The following data were extracted: study characteristics/demographics, PAP/PAPE-protocols, sEMG parameters, twitch/performance outcomes, and study findings. A modified physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro) scale was used for quality assessment. Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with a total of 199 subjects were included. The M-wave amplitude (combined with a twitch torque outcome) was shown to generally be indicative of PAP. The sEMG amplitude (in some muscles) were found to be indicative of PAPE during ballistic movements, while a small decrease in the MdF (in certain muscles) were shown to reflect PAPE. Changes in the Hmax/Mmax ratio were found to contribute (temporally) to PAP, while the H-reflex amplitude was shown to be neither indicative of PAP nor PAPE. This review provides preliminarily findings suggesting that certain sEMG parameters could be indicative of PAP/PAPE. However, future research is warranted.

Currently, one of the main challenges is the mitigation of the effects of climate change on the agricultural sector. Conventional agriculture, with the intensive use of herbicides and pesticides to control weeds and pests, and the improper use of mineral fertilizers, contributes to climate change by causing increased greenhouse gases and groundwater pollution. Therefore, more innovative technologies must be used to overcome these problems. One possible solution is nanotechnology, which has the potential to revolutionize the conventional agricultural system. Active nanoparticles can be used both as a direct source of micronutrients and as a delivery platform for bioactive agrochemicals to improve crop growth, yield and quality. The use of nanoparticle formulations, including nanopesticides, nanoherbicides, nano-fertilizers and nano-emulsions, has been extensively studied to improve crop health and shelf life of agricultural products. Comprehensive knowledge of the interactions between plants and nanoparticles opens up new opportunities to improve cropping practices through the enhancement of properties such as disease resistance, crop yield, and nutrient use. The main objective of this review is to analyze the main effects of climate change on conventional agricultural practices, such as the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. It also focuses on how the introduction of nanoparticles into conventional practices can improve the efficiency of chemical pest control and crop nutrition. Finally, this review examines in depth the last 10 years (2014-2024) of scientific literature regarding the use of nanoparticles in agriculture to mitigate the effects of climate change.