Background: The financial austerity policy imposed to Portugal by Troika - the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund in 2011, led to a tremendously social crisis. Under these dominant trends in Europe, which were felt especially in certain countries, such as Portugal, we feel ourselves forced into an analysis and reflection on the impact of this conjuncture in social workers, especially analyzing the role played by social workers and its critical consciousness relative to this neoliberal model and imposed austerity policies. Methods: This article results from an analysis of empirical data collected after the entry of Troika in Portugal, during 2013. Were conducted 26 in-depth interviews to front line social workers, with the purpose of obtaining a narrative of their daily work practice and with the concern of encouraging reflection on them. Results: Analysis shows the predominance of a maintenance role at the expense of more emancipatory approaches and thus, this results point to the relationship of this maintenance role with the sociological paradigm of social regulation and shows also, how social work is still attached to a conservative agenda. Secondly, one finds a weak critical reflection among social workers, being very afraid to speak out against the system, taking on a submissive attitude and subservient to the policies of social cuts imposed. The analysis then raises the challenge for social workers to develop a critical reflexivity Conclusion: The results highlight several important observations in terms of social woker role and that a critical activity is urgently required to social workers.

Public participation is significant for the success of any urban planning project. However, most members of the general public are not planning professionals and may not understand the technical details of a 2D paper-based plan, which might hamper their participation. One way to expand the participation of citizens is to present plans in well-designed, user-friendly and interactive platforms that allow participation regardless of the technical skills of the participants. This paper investigates the impacts of the combined use of 3D visualization and E-participation on public participation in Kisumu, Kenya. A 3D City model, created with CityEngine2016, was exported into a web-based geo-portal and used as a Planning Support System in two stakeholder workshops in order to evaluate its usability. For e-participation, 300 questionnaires given out to planning practitioners. Five indicators were developed for evaluating the usability of the 3D model while the usability of e-participation was evaluated using communication, collaboration and learning as indicators. Results showed that effectiveness and efficiency varies within different professional groups while the questionnaires showed strong preference for e-participation methods, especially SMSs/USSDs and emails. The study concludes that the use of 3D visualization and E-participation has the potential for improving the quality and quantity of public participation and recommends further research on the subject.

Background: Recent disasters have demonstrated gaps in employers’ preparedness to protect employees and promote their well-being in the face of emergencies and disasters affecting the workplace and their communities. Total Worker Health (TWH), a comprehensive perspective developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is a helpful framework for addressing employer preparedness. It includes attention to health and safety at work, and the promotion of the health and well-being of the employee in the context of social determinants of health, such as work-life balance. Methods: TWH concepts, including the domains of TWH and the TWH Hierarchy of Controls, were investigated for their relevance to protecting employees and promoting their well-being during and after crises such as weather disasters, pandemics, and acts of terrorism. Building upon TWH concepts, an employer preparedness framework and model is proposed. Findings: The Model emphasizes upstream prevention, workplace-community linkages, social and economic impacts, and employer leadership through a cyclical planning process. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The Model can assist employers in advancing their preparedness for all hazards through self-assessment and planning agendas based upon the proposed domains.

Flexibility is perceived as a primary reason for working as a gig worker. However, there are not enough studies that investigate gig workers' motivations. Hence, this study aims to examine the motivation of white-collar gig workers using a sample size of 327 gig workers in Mongolia, a developing country’s labor market. The purpose of this study is to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors for white-collar gig workers and their impact on behavioral intentions such as those of remote workers, freelancers, and any representatives of digital gig workers, not location-based gig workers. The primary data used in this study were collected through questionnaires from an online platform that attracts white-collar gig workers. The characteristics of this group are analyzed using Smart PLS4.0 software through the PLS-SEM technique to test the hypothesized relationships. Overall, the study contributes to an extension of current literature by understanding the white-collar digital gig workforce’s motivations and reasons behind it.

The seasonally adjusted civilian labor force participation rate, the sum of employed and unemployed persons as a percentage of the civilian non-institutional population, is analysed in the general to specific modelling framework with a saturating set of step indicators from January 1977 through June 2018. The results indicate that, ceteris paribus, the rise in the ratio of women to men in the labor force in addition to positive demographic movements can largely account for the rise in the labor force participation rate up to January 2000. Subsequently, the aging population helps to explain the decline. Recessions play a transitory role.

Recently dairying becomes an important farming activity in the districts. Even if these districts are potential in milk production and marketing activities, little was known about determinates of participation and level of participation in milk value addition. This study was analyzing determinates of participation and level of participation in milk value addition in the study areas. Both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data were collected from 244 producers, 50 traders and 20 consumers by using semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and econometrics model. Results from Heckman selection model first step revealed that milk producers’ participation decision on milk value addition was significantly affected by religion, distance the market, cooperative membership, volume of milk produced per day and market access. Whereas milk producers’ participation decision on the volume of milk value addition was significantly affected by religion, level of education, number of children less than six years, membership for milk cooperatives, volume of milk produced per day, access to market information, access to credit and access to livestock extension. Therefore, dairy sector development programs should take in to account determinants of participation decision on milk value addition as well as on volume of milk production.

Construction safety is especially important because the construction industry is so important to a country's development. Significant research and practice have been conducted to mitigate potential risks during construction and improve worker efficiency. With the rapid advancement of cognitive neuroscience and the incorporation of medical technology in recent years, various wearable monitoring devices have been widely used in the construction field for real-time monitoring of workers' physical and mental status. Among these, the use of EEG (Electroencephalogram) in construction environment research allows researchers to gain insight into the physical and mental states of construction workers while performing construction tasks. This review introduces EEG technology and portable EEG devices, followed by an overview of their use in both monitoring workers' adverse reactions and identifying hazards on construction sites, providing an effective guide for EEG research in the construction field and on-site safety management.

Exposure to quasi-electrostatic field induced currents is a hazard of live-line transmission work. These steady-state induced currents are typically less than 1 mA, and their sensory effects range from imperceptible to painful depending on the person and conditions such as contact area and duration. Permanent injury from these currents is unlikely but they can distract workers, increasing the risk of injury from falls or other dangers. Identifying contact current severity and training workers can help reduce risk of accidents. Measuring induced currents along a climbing route is time consuming and simulation is challenging because of geometric complexity of the worker, transmission structure, conductor bundles, and electric fields in the climbing space. This research explores calculation of worker contact current using a recently developed adaptation of the charge simulation method. The method uses Fourier principles to improve computational efficiency when explicitly modeling all bundle subconductors. The research also examines reasonable simplifications for modeling lattice structures and human geometry. Calculated results compare well to measured currents for a worker climbing a 400 kV lattice structure. This indicates the method is a practical option for calculating the severity of steady-state contact currents. A simple calculation is suggested for estimating these currents.

This paper investigates the effect of the Internet on tax revenue instability, notably through the international trade channel. It has used a sample of 142 countries over the period 1995-2017, and relied primarily on the two-step system Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM) estimators (but also incidentally on the Error Component Two-Stage Least Squares estimator). Tax revenue instability is primarily measured by the instability of non-resource tax revenue, but also by the instability of total tax revenue (for robustness check). The findings indicate that the Internet exerts a negative effect on tax revenue instability. Interestingly, this effect genuinely translates through the international trade channel, regardless of the measure of tax revenue instability considered. Countries enjoy a higher negative effect of the Internet on tax revenue instability as they enjoy a greater participation in international trade. These findings, therefore, add to the potential benefits of the Internet adoption (e.g., strengthening countries' participation in international trade, enhance their tax revenue performance and promote tax reform, including in developing countries) by showing that it could also help to stabilize tax revenue, particularly through the degree of countries' participation in international trade.

The study examined key socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers identified for their contribution to market participation. These variables include gender, age, marital status, level of education, household size, additional income, membership of cooperative, herd size and use of ICTs. Using a structured questionnaire, primary data was collected from a total of 129 respondents which was analysed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, and presented using cross-tabulations, percentages and count data. The result indicates that age, additional income, cooperative membership and use of ICTs were important variables which contributed to market participation among respondents. The study also made applicable recommendations as the findings may have relevance for future research, policy and practice for commercializing smallholder farmers.

(E)-β-ocimene was the only found volatile chemical emitted by whole, live worker larvae of Apis mellifera L. by sampling in the vapor phase. While in addition to (E)-β-ocimene, there is evidence for the existence of other volatiles; but the changes of their composition and contents remain unknown during larval development, as are their differences from larvae to larval food. This is the main purpose of the study. We investigated volatile components of worker larvae and larval food using solid phase dynamic extraction (SPDE) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Nine compounds were identified with certainty and six tentatively, consisting of terpenoids, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, ester and ketone. The contents of volatiles of the second-instar worker larvae differ greatly from larvae of other stages mainly attributable to terpenoids, which made the second-instar worker larvae had significantly higher amounts of overall volatiles. Larval food contained significantly higher amounts of aldehydes and hydrocarbons than the corresponding larvae from the fourth to fifth-instar. We discovered volatiles in worker larvae and their food which were never reported before; we also mastered the change of these volatiles’ contents during larval development.

Resuscitation is one of the most stressful tasks in emergency medicine. The participation of medical professionals in this procedure can have specific effects on them. In the research, we wanted to find out what these effects are. A qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews was used, and thematic data analysis of the recorded interviews was done. The collected data were transcribed verbatim with no corrections to the audio recordings. The computer program ATLAS.ti 22 was used for qualitative data analysis. Eleven male registered nurses were interviewed, with an average of 18.5 years of experience working in a prehospital environment (max. 32/min. 9). A total of 404 minutes of recordings were analyzed and 789 codes were found, which were combined into 36 patterns, and 11 themes. As the most stressful situa-tions, the interviewees pointed out the resuscitation of a child, familiar persons, conflicts with the environment, conflicts within the resuscitation team, non-functioning or insufficient equipment, complications during resuscitation, and resuscitating a person only for exercise. As positive effects, the interviewees cited successful resuscitations or their awareness that, despite the unsuccessful resuscitation, they did everything they could. Participation in these interven-tions has a specific positive or negative impact on the performers. The interviewees shared the opinion that they can cope effectively with resuscitation's adverse or stressful effects. Yet, de-spite everything, they allow the possibility of subconscious influences of this intervention on them.

Research has consistently found that people with mental illness (known as consumers) experience lower levels of participation in meaningful activities, which can limit their opportunities for recovery support. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes of participation in a group program designed to address all stages of activity participation, known as Pathways to Participation (P2P). A descriptive longitudinal design was utilized, collecting data at three time points. Outcomes were measured by the Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal (CANSAS), Recovery Assessment Scale – Domains and Stages (RAS-DS), Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale (BASIS-24), Living in the Community Questionnaire (LCQ) and time use diaries. All data was analysed using descriptive statistics, and Chi square analyses. Seventeen consumers completed baseline data, eleven contributed post program data and eight provided follow up data. Most were female (63.64%) and had been living with mental illness for 11.50 (± 7.74) years on average. Reductions in unmet needs and improvements in self-rated recovery scores were re-ported, but no changes were identified in either time use or psychosocial health. The findings indicate the P2P program may enable consumers to achieve positive activity and participation out-comes as part of their personal recovery.

Interactive Planning Support Systems (PSS) implemented on a maptable are deemed suitable to support participatory planning processes. Through their interactive nature and user-friendly interface they are supposed to facilitate exchange of knowledge between stakeholders, consensus building among them, group learning processes, and thereby strengthen participation. We analyze in this systematic review, based on 16 case studies using interactive PSS, how such PSS have contributed to the goal of strengthening stakeholder participation. Results show that tools and applications have become more sophisticated in recent years and the goals of the studies changed from collaboratively designing interventions to observing and understanding how the application of such tools contributes to improved plan outcomes and group based learning. However, many case studies lack a proper framework and operationalization for investigating the impacts of the tools and applications on participation. Consequently, impacts on participation are assessed rather incidentally based on implicit assumptions and often no distinction is made between the different aspects of participation. In conclusion, further theoretical studies conceptualizing impacts of interactive PSS on participation are needed as well as empirical studies testing these impacts in real world case contexts with various groups of stakeholders.

The goal of the paper is to investigate the expected participation and mentality of smart citizens in smart cities. The key question is the role of the human factor in smart environments globally studied through a research corpus of the mainstream summaries, trend reports, white papers and visions of business – governmental – university research co- operations. Foremost, a short review of the changing scholarly trends is presented as a theoretical framework. Concerning its key ideas, the corpus based findings are recapped and analysed by content networks and the most referred city strategies. Besides, a critical approach reveal further required factors and risks to investigate. The ultimate goal is to understand how the smart city landscape is shaped by citizen-based strategies, open data, empowerment and responsibility. Accordingly, the paper closes with theoretical, practical and metaphor-based recommendations to support the business and political decision making, and also, the emerging scholarly trends in the context of upcoming technological-structural changes.

In the paper, we explore the notion of global digital citizenship, particularly with respect to museums and cultural heritage organizations. In this perspectives study, we explore current examples of how museums can adapt to the tenets of global digital citizenship necessary to navigate and participate in increasingly interconnected digital worlds and culture, and to collectively address global challenges.

Introduction: Like other public safety professions, paramedicine has historically been a male-dominated occupation, both in the demography of its workforce and in its organizational culture. Although women are increasingly choosing paramedicine as a career, participation in leadership roles remains limited. Drawing on data from a recent comprehensive mental health survey, we describe the proportion of women in leadership in a single, large, urban paramedic service in Ontario, Canada. Methods: We distributed an in-person, paper-based survey during the fall 2019 - winter 2020 Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions. Participating paramedics completed a demographic questionnaire alongside a battery of mental health screening tools. We assessed the demography of the workforce and explored differences in employment classification, provider level (e.g., primary vs. advanced care), and participation in formal leadership roles along self-reported gender lines. Results: Out of 607 paramedics attending CME, we received 600 completed surveys, with 11 excluded for missing data, leaving 589 for analysis and a 97% response rate. Women comprised 40% of the active-duty paramedic workforce, with an average of 8 years of experience. Compared to men, women were more than twice as likely to have a university degree (Odds Ratio [OR] 2.02), but almost half as likely to practice at the Advanced Care Paramedic level (OR 0.61), and somewhat less likely to be employed full-time (OR 0.77). Women were nearly 70% less likely to hold a leadership role in the service compared to men (OR 0.36), occupying just 20% of leadership positions. Conclusion: Although paramedicine is witnessing an encouraging shift in the demography of its workforce with greater participation from women, there is still work to be done, particularly in leadership. Future research should focus on identifying and ameliorating barriers to career advancement among women and other historically underrepresented people.

Unpaid family caregivers must consider the economic trade-off between caregiving and paid employment. Prior literature has suggested labour force participation (LFP) to decline with caregiving intensity, but no study has evaluated this relationship by accounting for the presence of both kinks and discontinuities. Here we used respondents of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study baseline survey who were non-farming, of working-age (aged 45-60) and had a young grandchild and/or a parent/parent-in-law. For women and men separately, a caregiving threshold-adjusted probit model was used to assess the association between LFP and weekly unpaid caregiving hours. Instrumental variables were used to rule out the endogeneity of caregiving hours. Of the 3,718 respondents in the analysis, for men, LFP was significantly and inversely associated with caregiving that involved neither discontinuities nor kinks. For women, a kink was identified at the caregiving threshold of 8 hours per week such that before 8 hours, each caregiving hour was associated with an increase of 0.0257 in the marginal probability of LFP, but each hour thereafter was associated with a reduction of 0.0014 in the marginal probability of LFP. These results have implications for interventions that simultaneously advance policies of health, social care and labour force.

Participation by local communities in wildlife conservation projects have long been advocated since it is socially just and is effective to reach conservation and development goals. Socio–economic variables that drive participation and impact of participation have been studied, but the contextual process that stir up local community participation remains understudied. In this paper, we studied factors facilitating community participation in three wildlife conservation projects in Northeast India. Through ethnographic fieldwork at these sites we identified conservation actors and examined interactions between them.We found common modes of participation at these sites and these were related to gaining material incentives, providing labour, attending consultative workshops. Levels of interaction and coercion were found to be different in three sites. Three critical factors that drive participation were: (1) trigger, (2) negotiation and (3) sustenance. Trigger factors kickstart participation through establishment of a crisis narrative and facilitation by external actors. Negotiation factors emerge from day–to–day interaction between local community and external actors and involve effective entry stage activities, income opportunity, mediating voices within the community and intra–community dynamics. Sustenance factors affect the long term participation by community in the conservation project and involve tangible/intangible results, capability development of locals, funding and availability to critical information. In our paper we argue that investment of time and fund to understand the stakeholders and their concept of participation, periodic feedback sessions, capacity development of locals for self–mobilization, innovative information dissemination and securing long term funding are necessary for effective local community participation.

Vaccination has proven highly effective against severe acute res-piratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the long-term immunogenicity and the functional preserved im-mune responses of vaccines are needed to inform evolving evi-dence-based guidelines for boosting schedules. We enrolled 205 healthcare workers into a cohort study; all had received three doses of BBIBP-CorV (China Sinopharm Bio-Beijing Company) inactivated vaccine. We assessed SARS-CoV-2 specific binding antibodies, neutralizing antibody, and peripheral T and B cell responses. We demonstrated that more robust antibody re-sponses to SARS-CoV-2 were elicited by booster immunization compared to primary vaccination. Neutralizing antibody titers to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were also efficiently elevated post homologous vaccine booster despite in a lower titer compared to the prototype stain. In addition to S specific humoral and cellular immunity, BBIBP-CorV also induced N-specific antibody and ef-fector T cell responses. The third-dose vaccination led to further expansion of critical polyfunctional T cell responses, likely an essential element for vaccine protection. In particular, a func-tional role for Tfh cell subsets in immunity was suggested by the correlation between both CD4+Tfh and CD8+Tfh with total anti-body, IgG, B cell responses and neutralizing antibodies. Our study details the humoral and cellular responses generated by the BBIBP-CorV booster vaccination in a seven-month follow up study. There is a clear immunologic boosting value of homolo-gous inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine boosters, a consideration for future vaccine strategies.

As professionals, social workers have a special position in relation to considering the needs of children with cancer and their families. Hence, it is important to recognize the experiences and challenges of social workers to improve care of their clients. This study was a qualitative content analysis that aimed to determine a comprehensive understanding of 19 pediatric oncology social workers’ experiences in Iran. Data were collected using semi structured interviews and field observations, analyzed through face content analysis. Concepts extracted from social workers’ experiences consisted of the nature of oncology work, lack of professional competence, low organizational support and professional inferiority that were related to main concept of "exhausting and stressful service". The results indicated that social workers' involvement in stressful and emotionally demanding situations and professional and organizational challenges caused personal exhaustion. In addition to explaining the social workers’ experiences and related factors, the results emphasize the importance of taking care of service providers to prevent them becoming stressed and exhausted. It is also important to protect patients from the consequences of stressed and exhausted care providers so further research is recommended to develop specific intervention.

Background: In South Africa, a relatively small number of children and adolescents belong to sports clubs, and adolescent participation in organised sport has steadily declined, especially in recent years. Participation levels in organised sport has decreased during late childhood and, more increasingly, as adolescents grow older. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the participation of secondary school learners aged 14 to 16 years in organised sport. Methods: The study was a quantitative and descriptive, cross-sectional design. The study sample was 329 conveniently sampled secondary school learners, males, and females, aged 14 to 16 years from three state schools in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. A researcher-generated, self-administered questionnaire on organised sport participation was developed, piloted, and validated among 44 learners of similar background, who did not participate in the main study. The statistical software, SPSS version 27, was used to capture and analyse the research data. The level of statistical significance for the study was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 66.9% of participants in the study sample participated in organised sport. Low but significant correlations were reported between gender and participation in organised sport (r = 0.22; p < 0.001), gender and friend participation in organised sport (r = 0.24; p < 0.001), participants participation and sibling participation in organised sport (r = 0.23; p < 0.001), participants participation and friend participation in organised sport (r = 0.36; p < 0.001), and between participant participation and parental participation in organised sport (r = 0.17; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Adolescent participation in organised sport was lower in the present circumstances compared to participation in the past three years. Adolescent males had higher participation levels in organised sport compared to adolescent females. There is an urgent need for solutions to counteract the low levels of adolescent participation in organised sport, especially in adolescent females.

This study addresses the motivations behind Generation Z's attendance at conferences and aims to contribute to a better understanding of their conference participation behavior. The study identified six latent factors that influence conference attendance motivation: Green and Digital Conference Experience, Educational and professional opportunities, Conference costs, Destination and conference stimuli, Stimulating factors, and Conference accessibility. These factors align with Generation Z's unique characteristics and preferences, such as their environmental consciousness, reliance on digital technologies, desire for continuous learning, career advancement, and experiences. The study also found that destination characteristics and educational and professional opportunities are significant motivators for Generation Z's conference attendance across different cultural contexts. Additionally, Generation Z's strong interest in sustainability and financial challenges highlights the need for eco-friendly practices and affordable registration fees to make conferences more appealing and accessible. The study further explores the impact of socio-demographic characteristics, revealing the gender and past conference attendance differences in motivation. Finally, the study discusses the implications for the conference industry and suggests areas for future research to enhance the understanding of conference attendance motivation among Generation Z.

Research is still lacking regarding the question as to how programs to promote healthy aging should be organized in order to increase acceptance and thus effectiveness. For older adults, ecological factors, such as physical distance to program sites, might predict participation and retention. Thus, the key aim of this analysis was to examine these factors in a physical activity intervention trial. Adults (N=8,299) aged 65 to 75 years were invited to participate and n=589 participants were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups with 10 weeks of physical activity home practice and exercise classes or a wait-list control group. Response, participation, and dropout data were compared regarding ecological, individual, and study-related variables. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models were used to determine predictors of dropout. In total, 405 participants completed the study. Weekly class attendance rates were examined regarding significant weather conditions and holiday periods. The highest rates of nonresponse were observed in districts with very high neighborhood levels of socioeconomic status. In this study, ecological factors did not appear to be significant predictors of dropout, whereas certain individual and study-related variables were predictive. Future studies should consider these factors during program planning to mobilize and keep subjects in the program.

Due to the inherent risks associated with tunnel construction, including potential collapse, various types of work activities, and challenging visibility and communication conditions, safety management in tunnel projects requires significant investment in terms of cost and time. In this research, we propose and demonstrate a novel smart construction system that utilizes worker location monitoring technology to enhance safety in tunnel construction. The system comprises a wearable beacon integrated into safety helmets, scanners strategically placed at regular intervals inside the tunnel, environmental sensors for monitoring temperature, pressure, and air quality, and mobile devices for collecting and analyzing data on workers and the environment. Through a field demonstration conducted in a Korean tunnel construction site, we validated the effectiveness of the proposed system, which demonstrated real-time monitoring of workers and reliable communication capabilities, leading to improved safety and cost-efficiency in tunnel construction. By implementing the proposed system, we achieved a significant reduction of 37% in monthly construction costs and 77% in annual construction costs compared to conventional methods.

School meals can have a key function in promoting children’s health. However, simply providing a free school meal is not a guarantee that pupils will actually eat the food. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes in Oslo The study has a qualitative research design, inspired by grounded theory. Data were collected through interviews with pupils, teachers and parents, and participant observations in two schools participating in a pilot project funded by Oslo Municipality. Line-by-line coding, memo writing and a constant comparative technique were used to analyse the data. One primary school and one lower-secondary school in different districts in Oslo that were implementing two different free school meal models. 39 pupils (5th–10th grade), 15 parents and 12 school employees were included. Four main factors related to pupils’ participation to free school meals emerged from the analysis: the popularity of the food served, the attraction to the nearby shopping centre, social aspects and predictability. To promote pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes, schools need to solve the challenges of balancing between healthy food and popular but often unhealthy food. Children and parents involvement, regularity of the meals provision, a good flow of information and the creation of a friendly eating environment are recommended

(1) Background: In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy a subject participating in a (bio) medical experiment is termed a guinea pig. In Germany (Versuchskaninchen), The Netherlands, all of Scandinavia, and most of Eastern Europe, the term rabbit is used for such a subject. We have searched for potential differences in attitudes towards biomedical research by inhabitants of the respective European countries by making an analysis of frequency and motivation to participate in biomedical experiments on both sides of the European rabbit borderline. (2) Methods: We have performed an analysis of the use of experimental animals for research in European countries as well as country specific scientific output in PubMed indexed literature. Attitudes towards biomedical research in European countries was derived from EU questionnaires. (3) Results: In biomedical experiments with animals, more guinea pigs are used in laboratories in “rabbit countries” than in “guinea pig countries”. Inhabitants of “rabbit countries” have a higher participation rate in biomedical experiments and donation of blood than people from “guinea pig” countries. The reasons to participate in a medical experiment are not purely altruistic, especially in “rabbit countries”. (4) Conclusions: inhabitants of European countries in which a person who participates in a biomedical experiment is labeled as an (experimental) rabbit participate more in biomedical experiments as well as tissue and organ donation. Motives to do so are not just altruistic, because financial reasons also play a role.

Obesity in Australia is rapidly rising, and is a major public health concern. Obesity increases risk of breast cancer and worse associated outcomes, yet breast screening participation rates in Australia are suboptimal and can be lower in higher risk, obese women. This study qualitatively explored barriers to breast screening participation in obese women in Australia. In-depth interviews (n=29), were conducted with obese women (BMI 30) and key health stakeholders. A disconnect between stakeholders’ and women’s perceptions was found. For women, low knowledge around a heightened need to screen existed, they reported limited desire to prioritize personal health needs, reluctance to screen due to poor body image and prior negative mammographic experiences due to issues with weight. Stakeholders perceived few issues in screening obese women beyond equipment limitations, and health and safety issues. Overall, weight was a taboo topic among our interviewees, indicating that a lack of discourse around this issue may be putting obese women at increased risk of breast cancer morbidity and mortality. Consideration of breast screening policy in obese women is warranted. Targeted health promotion on increased breast cancer risk in obese women is required as is a need to address body image issues and encourage screening participation.

Abstract The article discusses about the current situation of Novel Corona Virus also called as the COVID-19 that hinder for all human’s life including the education. Rapidly escalating COVID-19, has caused havoc in quality education and every educational institution are closed. As the UNESCO report it showed that 1.6 billion children being affected due to the close of institution across 191 countries. With the alternative method every education institution started blended learning virtual classes in order to continue learning environment in students. The articles investigate COVID-19 impact on student’s quality education in Nepal and social work implication. The findings of the study shows that the COVID-19 has seriously effects on the students learning environment. It showed the huge gap between getting the good education in Nepal. However, Nepal has also made some policies to provide equal quality education to all the children through the ICT and also encourage social work to actively participate on providing education to all the majority of group children in Nepal. Whereas social work applied the micro, messo, and macro level of implication in practice to provide the education for children in remote area of Nepal.

Contract farming can reduce transaction costs and improve agricultural productivity. With the establishment of stable and effective contractual relationships, not only have agricultural products been provided with a stable market, but the standardization, refinement, and branding transformation of agricultural products can also be realized, thus further promoting the progress of agricultural modernization. The willingness of farmers to renew their contracts is a key factor in maintaining long-term, stable cooperative relationships. This research has empirically verified the impact model of tie strength between companies and farmers in contractual agriculture on the willingness of farmers to renew their contracts and revealed the working mechanism of tie strength on sustainable participation of farmers in contract farming. This study has utilized the survey data from 286 agricultural households in Inner Mongolia, China, and the method of structural equation modeling（SEM）, with the following results:(1)Interaction and reciprocity have a significant positive influence on trust. (2)Trust has a significant positive impact on farmers' willingness to renew their contracts. Also, reciprocity and interaction have an indirect impact on contract renewal willingness through trust .(3)Perception of economic value can significantly increase the contract renewal willingness of farmers and plays a mediating role between trust and contract renewal willingness.Overall, on the basis of tie strength, this research has provided a new perspective for the investigation of the sustainable stability of contract farming and empirical evidence for the sustainable development of the contract farming supply chain.

Hispanics are disproportionately affected by low rates of physical activity and high rates of chronic diseases. Hispanics generally and Mexican Americans specifically are underrepresented in research on physical activity and its impact on mental well-being. Some community-based interventions have been effective in increasing physical activity among Hispanics. This study examined data from a sample of low-income Hispanic participants in free community exercise classes to characterize the association between self-reported frequency of exercise class attendance, intensity of physical activity, and participant well-being. As part of two cross-sectional samples recruited from a stratified random sample of community exercise classes, 302 participants completed a questionnaire consisting of a modified version of the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). Adjusted binary logistic regression analyses indicated that those who achieve moderate and strenuous self-reported physical activity have 130% higher odds (p = 0.0422) of positive mental well-being after adjustment for age, attendance, and self-reported health. This study provides evidence that physical activity intensity and time are associated with flourishing mental health among Hispanics. The study provides insight into the planning and development of community-based physical activity programming tailored to low-income populations.

Children’s right to participation in child protection decision-making is supported by moral imperatives and international conventions. The fragmented implementation of this right reflects an already-conflicted discursive terrain that attempts to incorporate both children’s agency and their need for protection. This article uses two key theoretical lenses to further examine this terrain: child welfare inequalities and cultural capital. These theories draw attention to how social inequities and cultural capital relating to culture and class affect how participation plays out. An unintended consequence of constructing children within a traditional liberal account of rights, within neoliberal and ‘child focussed’ policy paradigms, is the reduction of an acknowledgment of the culturally contested nature of an individualistic construction of children, excising children from their social backgrounds and promoting the notion of a ‘universal child’. With a particular focus on class, culture and professional paradigms, I argue that the ways children’s views are elicited, the content of those views and how they are interpreted, become subject to a set of professional assumptions that tend to take little cognisance of the social backround of children, including norms relating to class, ethinicity and the oppressive structural relations relating to those two factors. This process is shored up with concepts such as attachment theory, the ‘adultification’ of children of colour, the diminishing of Indigenous concepts of children and childhood, and the pre-eminence of the ‘concerted cultivation’ middle class parenting style. The child’s cultural worldview and manner of expressing it may clash with professional cultures that emphasise an ability for verbal expression, independence, and entitlement when negotiating preferences with representatives of powerful social institutions such as child protection systems. Many children may not comply with this expectation due to both cultural and class socialisation processes, and the histories of the oppressive functions of child protection systems. The unspoken power of child protection organisations that must engage in constant translation of children’s cultural capital to ensure participation, may instead better serve children’s participation aims by devolving authority to affected communities. Communities reflecting children’s own, may be better able to offer recognition to children and enable their participation more effectively.

Immune escape is observed with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (Pango lineage B.1.1.529), the predominant circulating strain worldwide. Booster dose was shown to restore immunity against Omicron infection, however, real world data comparing mRNA (BNT162b2; Comirnaty) and inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac; Sinovac) homologous and heterologous boosting is lacking. A retrospective study was performed to compare the rate and outcome of COVID-19 in healthcare workers (HCWs) with various vaccination regime during a territory-wide Omicron outbreak in Hong Kong. During the study period 1 Feb – 31 Mar 2022, 3167 HCWs were recruited, 871 HCWs reported 746 and 183 episodes of significant household and non-household close contact. 737 HCWs acquired COVID-19 which were all clinically mild. Time dependent Cox regression showed that, comparing with 2-dose vaccination, 3-dose vaccination reduced infection risk by 31.7% and 89.3% in household contact and non-household close contact respectively. Using 2-dose BNT162b2 as reference, 2-dose CoronaVac recipient had significantly higher risk of being infected (HR 1.69 P<0.0001). Three-dose BNT162b2 (HR 0.4778 P<0.0001) and 2-dose CoronaVac + BNT162b2 booster (HR 0.4862 P=0.0157) were associated with lower risk of infection. Three-dose CoronaVac and 2-dose BNT162b2 + CoronaVac booster were not significantly different from 2-dose BNT162b2. The mean time to achieve negative RT-PCR or E gene cycle threshold 31 or above was not affected by age, number of vaccine dose taken, vaccine type and timing of the last dose. In summary, we have demonstrated lower risk of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs given BNT162b2 as booster after 2 doses of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac.

The ageing global population and changing labor force participation are having a profound impact on state pension programs worldwide, including Malaysia. However, the effects of an ageing workforce and declining fertility rates are having a significant impact on future trends in labor force participation and the duration of retirement. This paper presents an innovative examination of labor force participation rate (LFPR) forecasting within the context of an aging workforce, utilizing the Lee-Carter and Cairns-Blake Dowd stochastic models, traditionally applied to mortality data. By adapting these models to LFPR data, the study offers a novel perspective on predicting workforce participation trends and understanding the dynamics of retirement planning from year 2001 to 2047. Additionally, by incorporating the mortality forecasts from the United Nations, the research navigates through the complexities of applying actuarial methods to labor economics, revealing differentiated pathways for male and female participation in the labor market and the anticipated length of retirement. This study offers a unique comparison between the Lee-Carter and the Cairns-Blake-Dowd (CBD) LFPR models. It focuses on fitting and forecasting the LFPR of senior employees aged 50 to 64. The results highlighted discrepancies among models that demonstrated evidence of model risk for extended retirement duration.

The world population is aging, which along with recent shifts in the labor force participation (LFP), is having a significant longevity influence on state pension programs across the board, including Canada, Finland, Japan, and Germany. Except Japan, these countries have set their statutory re-tirement age at 65, but the impact of aging workforce and declined fertility rates create wonders on the estimate future trends in the LFP, as well as the length of retirement. In this study, we fit the LFP rates of these countries, representing continents from Asia, Europe and North America among the OECD countries, using the Lee-Carter and Cairns-Blake-Dowd (CBD) stochastic models. The es-timates are then used for the projection of future LFP rates (1989-2066), and by combining the mortality forecasts from the United Nations, we project the expected length of retirement (1989-2066). This study provided a novel comparison between the Lee-Carter and the CBD LFP models by fitting and forecasting the LFP rates of senior employees between 50- to 74-year-olds. The results revealed disparities between models that provided proof of the presence of model risk for longer retirement durations. The study findings emphasized the importance for decision-makers in pension industry to have awareness of potential risks and limits associated with the LFP models. The Lee-Carter model outperformed the CBD model even though the CBD model is known for its ac-curate prediction in higher ages. Population aging should be considered in any analysis of the long-term viability of pensions, together with the participation rate trends for a sustainable labor market future.

Abstract: Embodied pedagogy maintains that teaching and learning abstract concepts can benefit significantly from integrating bodily movements in the process. Here we explored the involvement of eye movements in the process of collective embodied learning of a concept in physics - angular velocity. Embodied learning was accomplished by the subjects forming a line that rotated around a central object, in this case, a bottle. We tracked the gaze resulting from eye and head movements in 12 subjects, who both actively participated in the collective embodied exercise and passively watched it. The tracking data of 7 of these 12 subjects passed our tracking reliability criteria in all trials and are reported here. During active learning, the learners tended to look ahead of the rotating line (by 35.18±14.82 degrees). In contrast, while passively watching others performing the task, the learners tended to look directly at the line. Interestingly, while the learners were performing the collective exercise they were unaware of looking ahead of the rotating line. We discuss possible differences between active and passive embodied learning that might be indicated by the observed differences in gaze control.

The bHLH-PAS proteins are a family of transcription factors regulating expression of a wide range of genes involved in different functions, from differentiation and development control, by oxygen and toxins sensing to circadian clock setting. In addition to the well-preserved DNA-binding bHLH and PAS domains, bHLH-PAS proteins contain long intrinsically disordered C-terminal regions, responsible for their activity regulation. Our aim was to analyse the potential connection between disordered regions of the bHLH-PAS transcription factors with posttranscriptional modifications and liquid-liquid phase separation in the context of the disease-associated missense mutations. Highly flexible disordered regions, enriched in short more ordered motives, are responsible for wide spectrum of interactions with transcriptional co-regulators. Based on our in silico analysis and taking into account fact that transcription factors functions can be modulated by posttranslational modifications and spontaneous phase separation, we assume that the location of missense mutations inducing disease states, is clearly related to sequences directly undergoing these processes or to sequences responsible for their activity regulation.

Public participation is crucial in the process of urban governance in smart-city initiatives to enable urban planners and policy makers to take account of the real public needs. Our study aims to develop an analytical framework using citizen-centred qualitative data to analyse urban problems and identify the areas most needed for urban governance. Taking a Chinese megacity as the study area, we first utilise a web-crawling tool to retrieve public comments from an online comment board and employ the Baidu Application Programming Interfaces and a qualitative content analysis for data reclassification. We then analyse the urban problems reflected by negative comments in terms of their statistical and spatial distribution, and the associative factors to explain their formation. Our findings show that urban problems are dominantly related to construction and housing, and most frequently appear in industry-oriented areas and newly-developed economic development zones on the urban fringe, where the reconciling of government-centered governance and private governance by real estate developers and property management companies are most needed. Areas with higher land price and a higher proportion of aged population tend to have less urban problems, while various types of civil facilities affect the prevalence of urban problems differently.

The study explored the contribution of ICT-based information sources to market participation among smallholder livestock farmers. Use of ICTs is considered paramount for providing smallholder farmers with required market information, in order to reduce market asymmetries. A Double Hurdle regression was utilized to analyze data collected from 150 smallholder livestock farmers in the study area. The results show that while use of ICT-based market information sources significantly influenced market participation, the effect of using ICT-based information sources on intensity of market participation was not significant. Other variables shown to influence both market participation and the intensity of market participation were age, additional income and membership of farmer cooperatives. This suggests the need to also consider other associated factors in the application of interventions which utilize ICT-based information sources in achieving planned market interventions.

In the last decades there has been a progressive aging of the population, known as “demographic revolution” or “demographic transition”. As a consequence of the worldwide progressive aging of population and of the increasing of general life expectancy, the relationship between aging and disability became a very important one and received a huge interest in research for its consequences on participation, inclusion and quality of life of ageing people and for its consequences on socio-sanitary organizations. The aim of this paper is to analyze this relationship and to discuss consequences on participation, inclusion and quality of life of ageing people, according to recent conceptual models of disability and active ageing. According to previous papers this relationship could be considered in two ways: ageing with disability (which refers to people living with long-term effects of disabling conditions acquired from birth to middle age) and disability with ageing (which refers to people which disabling conditions acquired later or age-related conditions), but newer papers proposed a convergence of these two approaches, taking into account the similarities and the differences between the two ways.

In most industrialized countries, screening programs for cervical cancer have shifted from cytology (Pap smear or ThinPrep) alone on clinician-obtained samples to the addition of screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), its main causative agent. For HPV testing, self-sampling instead of clinician-sampling has proven to be equally accurate, in particular for assays that use nucleic acid amplification techniques. In addition, HPV testing of self-collected samples in combination with a follow-up Pap smear in case of a positive result is more effective in detecting precancerous lesions than a Pap smear alone. Self-sampling for HPV testing has already been adopted by some countries, while others have started trials to evaluate its incorporation into national cervical cancer screening programs. Self-sampling may result in more individuals willing to participate in cervical cancer screening, because it removes many of the barriers that prevent women, especially those in low socioeconomic and minority populations, from participating in regular screening programs. Several studies have shown that the majority of women who have been underscreened but who tested HPV-positive in a self-obtained sample, will visit a clinic for follow-up diagnosis and management. Additionally, a self-collected sample can also be used for vaginal microbiome analysis, which can provide additional information about HPV infection persistence as well as vaginal health in general.

This study examines the unique circumstances surrounding state-owned equity participation in non-state-controlled enterprises in China. Specifically, this study examines the impact of state-owned equity participation on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance of non-state-controlled enterprises. Focusing on A-share listed firms on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges and using data from 2013 to 2021, empirical testing shows that state-owned equity participation can significantly improve the ESG performance of non-state-controlled enterprises, with this conclusion remaining reliable after a series of robustness tests. Top management incentives is a mediating mechanism for state-owned equity participation in enhancing ESG performance. This study also finds that when state-owned equity participates in large enterprises or companies with a high degree of digital transformation, the effect on ESG performance is greater than that of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or enterprises with a low level of digital transformation. The findings of this study add to the current body of the existing field of research on the factors influencing corporate ESG performance and the impact of state-owned equity on corporate non-financial performance.

Increasing market participation among smallholder farmers have a big potential to uplift living standards of poor through increasing production and consumption pattern. Although, smallholder farming made 95% of total crop production in Ethiopia, they are exposed to a marketing bottleneck that hinders benefits from their produce. The objective of this study was analyzing factors determining smallholder Teff farmer decision to participate in output market and level of marketed output.The study used data from 190 respondents from four selected Teff dominant kebeles of Gena-Bossa districts in Dawro Zone, through structured questioner. This investigation was imperative because no adequate research has been done in study area in examining the hindering factors of farmers’ market participation. Moreover, in the prior study, different authors come up with varied outcomes in diverse country and geographic location concerning poor farmers’ market participation decision. The descriptive statistics and Heckman two stage econometric methods were employed to analyze data collected from sampled household. The significance of coefficient of inverse Mill’s ratio ( ) indicates the presence of self-selection bias and the effectiveness of applying Heckman two stage model. The results of study show that the smallholder decision to participate in output market were positively influenced by size of land holding, availability of family labor force, education status of household head, accessibility of credit service and access to market price information. On the other hand, size of family member, sex of house hold head being female and distance to market place discourage probability of Teff farmer market participation decision. Moreover, the second stage estimation reveals that, the education status of house hold head, size of farm land, amount of Teff crop produced, accessibility of market information, the size of family labor force and being member to farm cooperative increase the quantity of marketable output, whereas, large number of family size decline the level of Teff crops marketed. The policy that assist poor farmers in obtaining market skills; create affordable credit service; strengthen community based producer groups and capacitating the females socially and economically in the community believed to minimize the problems encountering small farmers in a way to market their crop

Although work events can be regarded as pivotal elements of organizational life, only a few studies have examined how positive and negative events relate to and combine to affect work engagement over time. Theory suggests that to better understand how current events affect work engagement (WE), we have to account for recent events that have preceded these current events. We present competing theoretical views on how recent and current work events may affect employees (e.g., getting used to a high frequency of negative events or becoming more sensitive to negative events). Although the occurrence of events implies discrete changes in the experience of work, prior research has not considered whether work events actually accumulate to sustained mid-term changes in WE. To address these gaps in the literature, we conducted a week-level longitudinal study across a period of 15 consecutive weeks among 135 employees, which yielded 849 weekly observations. While positive events were associated with higher levels of WE within the same week, negative events were not. Our results support neither satiation nor sensitization processes. However, high frequencies of negative events in the preceding week amplified the beneficial effects of positive events on WE in the current week. Growth curve analyses show that the benefits of positive events accumulate to sustain high levels of WE. WE dissipates in the absence of continuous experience of positive events. Our study adds a temporal component and informs research that has taken a feature-oriented perspective on the dynamic interplay of job demands and resources.

Background: During the stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, parents play a crucial role in the care of their infants. Recent studies reported a decrease in parental participation due to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic that determined restricted access policies in hospitals. The aim of this study is to describe the barriers to a good parents’ participation during the stay in the neonatal intensive care unit in the COVID-19 era. Methods: A quantitative observational study was carried out. Results: 270 parents participated in this study. Mothers’ participation in care seems to be higher as compared to fathers (p = 0.017). Parents who lived the birth of their first child reported a better level of participation in care when compared to those who lived the birth of their second born (p = 0.005). Parents of extremely preterm neonates reported a lower interaction with their infant if compared to parents of term newborns (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: Some more disadvantaged categories have reported lower scores: cultural and linguistic minorities, parents of multiple children and fathers. COVID-19 pandemic made several Family Centred Care activities not possible with a higher impact on those who benefited the most of these facilities. This study was prospectively registered by the IRB-CRRM of the University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara on the 23/01/2024 with registration number CRRM;2023_12_07_01.

Previous studies generally reckon that the full converter-base wind power generation (FCWG) is a ’decoupled’ power source from the grid, which hardly participates in electromechanical oscillations. However, it is found recently that strong interaction could be induced which might incur severe resonance incidents in electromechanical dynamic timescale. In this paper, the participation of FCWG in electromechanical dynamics is extensively investigated, and particularly, an unusual transition of electromechanical oscillation mode (EOM) is uncovered for the first time. The detailed mathematical models of open-loop and closed-loop power systems are firstly established, and modal analysis is employed to quantify the FCWG participation in electromechanical dynamics, with two new mode identification criteria, i.e., FCWG dynamics correlation ratio (FDCR) and quasi-electromechanical loop correlation ratio (QELCR). On this basis, the impact of different wind penetration levels and controller parameter settings on the participation of FCWG is investigated. It is revealed that if an FOM has a similar oscillation frequency to the system EOMs, there is a high possibility to induce strong interactions between FCWG dynamics and system electromechanical dynamics of the external power systems. In this circumstance, an interesting phenomenon may occur that an EOM may be dominated by FCWG dynamics, and hence is transformed into a quasi-EOM, which actively involves the participation of FCWG quasi-electromechanical state variables.

U.S. Spanish-speaking populations experienced gaps in timely COVID-19 information during the pandemic and disproportionate misinformation exposure. Brigada Digital de Salud was established to address these gaps with culturally-tailored, Spanish-language COVID-19 information on social media. From May 1, 2021-April 30, 2023, 495 Twitter, 275 Facebook, and 254 Instagram posts were published and amplified by 10 trained community health workers. A qualitative content analysis was performed to characterize topics and formats of 251 posts. To assess reach and engagement, page analytics and advertising metrics for 287 posts were examined. Posts predominantly addressed vaccination (49.45%), infection risks (19.12%), and COVID-related scientific concepts (12.84%). Posts were educational (48.14%), and aimed to engage audiences (23.67%), promote resources (12.76%), and debunk misinformation (9.04%). Formats included images/text (55.40%), carousels (27.50%), and videos (17.10%). By June 9, 2023, 394 Facebook, 419 Instagram, and 228 Twitter followers included mostly women aged 24-54. Brigada Digital reached 386,910 people with 552,037 impressions and 96,868 engagements, including 11,292 likes, 15,240 comments/replies, 9,718 shares/retweets, and 45,381 video play-throughs. The most engaging posts included videos, trending topics, and music or audio-narration. This community-based model to engage Spanish-speaking audiences on social media with culturally-aligned content to counter misinformation shows promise for addressing public health threats.

Since the Paris Agreement in 2016, the goals of limiting climate change and moving toward climate resilience stand. With a share of about \SI{80}{\percent} of global \ce{CO2} emissions, the energy sector is an essential driver for these goals. A shift to low-carbon energy production and a decentralized system for more efficient energy transmission distribution is necessary. In this paper, we present our work on Modeling of Power Exchanges, Algorithms for \ac{LEM}, Competitiveness of \ac{CHP} and Energy Feedback Devices. The study was conducted considering technical, economic, social and regulatory framework. For easy integration into energy simulations or a \ac{DEMS}, a model for power exchanges was created that allows flexible input or deterministic price patterns. The algorithm handles the clearing of an \ac{LEM} by a district aggregator using limit orders with the goal of increasing the share of locally consumed electricity using economic incentives. An investigation was conducted into the operation of flexible \acp{CHP} in low-carbon power systems to balance the volatility of renewable energy. An energy signal light was developed as an energy feedback device, which is integrated into the \ac{DEMS} in a living lab and allows individual configuration. In summary, the results presented should be compared with those of other research approaches in the future and require qualitative and quantitative evaluation.

The aim of this research is to determine the factors that may prevent high school students from participating in recreational activities and to investigate whether these factors differ within the scope of various variables. This study consisted of total 1459 (681 women and 778 men) student volunteers who educated in high school level. Sampling method was preferred for easy sampling. The face-to-face survey method was used to collect the data. The "Leisure Constraints Scale" developed by Alexandris and Carroll (1997) and adapted to Turkish by Gürbüz, Öncü, and Emir (2012) was used to determine the factors that might prevent individuals from participating in leisure activities. The data obtained for the research were first transferred to the computer and then analyzed by SPSS packet program. The error margin level in the study was taken as p<0.05. The cronbach alpha of the study was found to be 0.91. As a result, it was found that women participated in the leisure time more than men. It was also observed that the participants met with more leisure constrain in Turkey's eastern regions.

REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) aims to achieve its purpose by working across multiple sectors and involving multi-level actors in reducing deforestation and forest degradation in tropical countries. By contrast, the European Union (EU) Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and its Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) focus on forestry and functions at bilateral state level. The FLEGT Action Plan specifically aims to tackle illegal logging, legalise timber production and trade improve forest governance in countries exporting tropical timber to the EU. Since illegal logging is just one driver of deforestation and forest degeneration, and legalisation of logging does not necessarily reduce deforestation and forest degradation, the two instruments differ in scale and scope. However, by addressing the causes of deforestation and forest degradation and their underlying governance issues, the EU FLEGT and REDD+ share many functional linkages at higher levels of forest policy and forest governance. The contribution and participation of civil society organisations (CSOs) and other actors is imperative to both processes. Our study is based on a survey of key actors (national and international) in REDD+ and FLEGT VPA processes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Our analysis was guided by the theoretical perspectives of the policy arrangement approach and examination of two specific dimensions of this approach, namely resources and rules of the game. This paper argues that participation of CSOs in both processes is crucial as it facilitates and nurtures the very much needed cooperation between other national and international actors. The paper also argues that participation of CSOs feeds valuable information and knowledge into REDD+ and FLEGT VPA processes, thus contributing to increased legitimacy, justice and transparency.

Abstract: Background: Exercise Training at work has the potential to improve employees’ produc-tivity, health, and well-being. However, exercise interventions to healthcare workers in hospitals may be challenged by a high time pressure and the ongoing workflow with patient care. Objective: The aim was to identify barriers and facilitators for participation in exercise training during work in a hospital department. Methods: Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with hospital employees of different staff groups, who participated in 12 weeks exercise twice weekly. The data analysis was a thematic approach based on the Theoretical Domains Framework and the COM-B factors in the Behavior Change Wheel. Results: Barriers and facilitators varied between different groups. Barriers included limited structure, busyness, and a discouraging culture. Facilitators in-cluded gaining a feeling of community, psychological and physical well-being. Seven contextual subthemes were vital for successful implementation of exercise in a hospital setting. Conclusions: The informants appreciated exercise training during work and wished to participate. Inpatient departments’ informants had difficulties participating in the intervention, whilst those with more administrative tasks found it easier. This study identified barriers and facilitators vital for a successful implementation of an exercise training intervention in a hospital department to improve health, wellbeing, and productivity amongst hospital employees. It explains how future interventions can improve reach, adoption, and implementation of exercise training interventions for hospital staff.

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

With the increasing prominence of renewable energy sources providing flexibility to the power grid, there is a growing recognition of the need to expand virtual Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to replace traditional ESS, which faces challenges in terms of supply and scalability. Grid-connected microgrids can supply power stably and are being built, so they can be used as virtual ESS to provide flexibility to the power system. This study proposes an approach to determine the optimal Power Conversion System (PCS) and battery capacity for a Virtual Energy Storage System(VEES) based on a grid-connected microgrid incorporating Photovoltaic (PV) and ESS. In this paper, it is assumed that microgrids can provide flexibility to the grid by participating in the energy trading market, there are corresponding profits and penalties for order. Numerical examples are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Introduction: This study explored the structural relationship between peer relations, exercise participation satisfaction, exercise commitment, and adherence to intention to exercise among Korean sports club participants. The objective was to offer insights that can enhance intentions for continuous exercise participation. Methods: To fulfill this objective, data were gathered using snowball sampling from teenagers at middle schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi, South Korea, who either currently participate in school sports clubs or have participated in the past. A total of 261 responses were analyzed using frequency, technical statistics, and confirmatory factor, reliability, correlation, and structural equation model analyses. Results: Through these analyses, this study found that peer relationships, exercise participation satisfaction, and exercise commitment were significant as both direct and indirect influences on exercise adherence intentions. Discussion: Intervention strategies should focus on fostering the positive emotions that stem from peer relationships.

In response to escalating environmental concerns and the surge in eco-friendly sports activities, this study investigates the determinants of sustained intention to participate in plogging, a prac-tice that combines jogging and litter collection. The study seeks to discern the effects of autonomy, competence, and relatedness experiences, as suggested by Self-Determination Theory, on the intent to persist in plogging. Additionally, the study probes the moderating role of eco-friendly attitudes, thereby propelling the confluence of sports and environmental research. The research methodology encompassed surveying plogging participants and analyzing their responses. The validation of these relationships was executed using multi-group structural equation modeling. The results revealed that autonomy and competence did not significantly sway extrinsic motivation, but relatedness surfaced as the most influential factor. This suggests that plogging, primarily viewed as a volunteering activity, serves more as a prosocial behavior that bolsters relationships rather than a means to enhance physical competence. The study also found that the value participants derived from plogging and their intention to continue varied based on their eco-friendly attitudes. The study concludes that voluntary participation and socializing are the core values of plogging, and understanding these values can foster healthier and more sustainable behaviors. The findings offer valuable insights for academic, practical, and policy perspectives in promoting eco-friendly sports activities.

Environmental tax is the climate policy that offers, in theory, the easiest way for carbon reduction. But in practice, implementation has proven complicated despite public demand for policy action on climate change. This research investigates to reframe environmental taxes in ways more personally engaging to create a moral foundation, and massive participation. As people show rising demand, we aimed to design a tool that responds to public expectations and operates directly at source on emission reducers, viz the trees. Drawing on research from environmental taxes and the evidence of measures taken, we reasoned that an environmental fiscal policy may not intend necessarily to punish the “bads”, but rather might reward the positive attitude and direct it to act. Consequently, we focused on tax reliefs and designed Green Aid, that can address people’s attitude to take active participation into account by incorporating virtuous behaviours into tax relief. Green Aid Tax relief works embedded in the Green Aid Participation Scheme that bears directly on a source of environmental recovery and organizes the global call to public action in a sustained, structured, and collective participation to forestation. Green Aid bridges the action of contributing to carbon reduction with immediate, tangible, and direct benefits. It can be an alternative environmental tax, able to address and operate directly at source on emission reducers and secure effectiveness in carbon reduction and efficiency in terms of public acceptance and viability at a global level.

Background: Health policy is a set of comprehensive principles and legislations that guide how healthcare should be effectively delivered in the community. Medical schools should prepare students to undertake managerial responsibilities by incorporating health policy in the curriculum to deal with the intricacies of healthcare systems and their clinical roles in their future professional careers. Objective: To examine medical students' perception at a Public University in Malaysia regarding teaching health policy and their participation in health policy roles. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study using universal sampling was carried out among the medical students using a paper-based questionnaire to collect the data. Results: Most respondents opined their willingness to learn health policy (80.9%) and that teaching health policy (83.6%) should be compulsory for medical students. The respondents thought health policy should be introduced earlier in Year 1 or 2. The student scores on their knowledge regarding health policy and year of study were significantly associated with their involvement in the health policy roles in both the simple and multiple logistic regression. Both statistical tests reported higher participation in health policy roles with the higher year of study, though only Year 4 and 5 were significant in the simple logistic regression and only Year 5 in the multiple logistic regression compared to Year 1. On the other hand, age and type of admission show significant results only in the simple logistic regression, while the race was only significant at the multivariate level. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that most respondents showed their willingness to learn health policy, participate in the health policy programs, and recommend that health policy be considered an essential topic in the medical curriculum, which should be taught right from the first year of medical school. We recommend encouraging students’ participation in health policy activities.

The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the impact of social networks on political socialization and political participation of political science students of the Islamic Azad University of Tehran, Tehran south branch during 2007-2017. This article is a descriptive-survey research based on the theory of planned behavior and has been done based on random sampling with a population of 280 samples. The findings indicate that 93% of students use social media and spend a significant part of their study hours on social networks, which mainly include Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The variables related to social networks affect the socialization and political participation of students, and the extent of the impact of social networks on encouraging individuals to participate in the election as a component of political socialization is positive and significant. This finding and other findings are a positive and significant impact of social networks on the attitudes, values ​​and norms, attitudes and behaviors of political science students as a sample population, and thus the hypothesis of this research has been confirmed.

Introduction: Child undernutrition remains a challenge globally and in the geographically diverse country of Ethiopia. Improving dietary diversity and consumption of animal source foods are important for improving child nutrition and corresponding health outcomes. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify household and community factors associated with consumption of animal source foods among 6 to 36-month-old children from four regions of Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using multistage probability sampling in eight geographic zones and four regions of Ethiopia took place in 2015 with parents/caretakers of 6 to 36-month-old children. Data was collected on demographic information, proxy indicators of socioeconomic status, and food consumed by the child the day before the survey. Results: Increased child age, pastoral livelihood, Muslim religion, and participation in the Productive Safety Net Program were associated with increased consumption of animal source foods. Odds of animal source foods consumption increased 8% with each 3-month age increase. Children from pastoralist households were the most likely to have consumed animal source foods in the preceding 24 hours as compared with those in agro-pastoralist households (0.21 times as likely) or those in agriculturalist/farming households (0.15 times as likely). The odds of consumption of animal source foods for families with food aid or safety net support was 1.7 times greater among those receiving traditional support from the Productive Safety Net Program and 4.5 times greater for those in the direct support arm of the program. Conclusions: The findings illustrate the importance of accounting for local context and community characteristics, such as livelihood and religion, when undertaking programming designed to improve diversity of children’s diets through increasing animal source foods. In addition, the Productive Safety Net program may be a critical determinant of dietary diversity for young children in these regions.

Informal caregivers are essential in supporting stroke survivors' recovery, but it is unclear whether community interventions can promote healthy eating behaviors and social participation among stroke survivors and their caregivers. The Train-Your-Brain (TYB) program's impact on adherence to national dietary guidelines and social participation among informal caregivers and stroke survivors were assessed in a quasi-experimental study. The TYB program had nine sessions, with one focusing on healthy lifestyle. Participants were prompted to discuss the topics covered, leading to social participation. Dietary habits were assessed using fruits and vegetables consumption questions, while social participation was measured using the Social Impact Measurement Framework. Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test were utilized to analyze the data. Eighteen informal caregivers and 27 stroke survivors participated in the program. Results showed a significant increase in fruit and vegetable intake and social participation in informal caregivers after the program, but there were no significant changes in stroke survivors. Informal caregivers play a crucial role in stroke survivors' lifestyle habits and in encouraging social connections with other stroke survivors. Thus, healthcare professionals should prioritize caregiver support and education to facilitate long-term dietary and social changes that can positively impact stroke survivor's recovery and quality of life.

How much is religion quantitatively involved in global climate politics? After assessing the role of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from a normative perspective, this descriptive, transdisciplinary and unconventional study offers the first comprehensive quantitative examination of religious nongovernmental organizations that formally participate in its annual meetings, the largest attempts to solve the climate crisis through global governance. This study finds that although their numbers are growing, only about 3 percent of registered nongovernmental organizations accredited to participate in the conference are overtly religious in nature — and that more than 80 percent of those faith-based groups are Christian. Additionally, this study finds that religious nongovernmental organizations that participate in the conference are mostly from the Global North. The results call for greater participation of religious institutions in the international climate negotiations in order for society to address the planetary emergency of climate change.

This research contributes to the overall debate on education for sustainable development (ESD) by shed- ding lights on the contributing role of formal education to the contemporaneous dynamics of literacy, labor market participation and poverty reduction in Africa, with a focus on Burkina Faso. The study uses a semi-parametric recursive trivariate probit modeling approach, and data from the 2014 National Survey on Household Living Conditions in Burkina Faso. The results show that the embraced systemic approach in this analysis is statistically signicant as shown by the 95% condence intervals on the three correlation coeffcients in the model. Furthermore, education does improve literacy skills, however improved literacy skills in itself does not guaranty active labor market participation in Burkina Faso. Active labor market participation seem to be affected by labor market rates of return, and individual reservation wage (or income). When labor market rate of return is short of high literacy skilled individuals' reservation wage, then the natural response is a choice of inactivity in the labor market, by the later group. Simultaneously however, it is found that active labor market participation leads to poverty reduction; therefore, in addition to new industrial policies for structural transformation of the economy, policy makers in Burkina Faso should consider education and minimum wage reforms to give highly literate household members the incentive to be active in the labor market.

Nowadays, microfluidics has become an anarchist interdisciplinary topic with considerable attention in a wide range of biotechnology applications. In this research work, numerical investigation of microfluidic micro-mixer is carried out using hybrid actuation approach with different micropillar shapes and gaps. For this purpose, COMSOL Multiphysics is used with three different physics such as thermoviscous acoustic to solve acoustic governing equations, laminar physics is used to solve fluid flow governing equations and diluted transport species is used to solve mixing governing equations. The simulations were carried out with flow velocity of 200 µm/s at both inlets with an oscillation frequency of 15kHz. The outcomes were in the form of acoustic characteristics such as acoustic pressure, acoustic velocity, acoustic streaming and mixing index. The results revealed that the inclusion of micropillars enhanced the mixing performance and strength of acoustic field resulting in improvement of mixing performance compared to the case without micropillars. In addition, it was also investigated that blade shape micropillars with 0.150 mm gaps deliver best results compared to the other cases with maximum and minimum values of the mixing index 0.95 and 0.72 respectively. The obtained results can be extremely helpful for design and modifications of hybrid microfluidics micro-mixer.

The aim of this research work is to get a method for Galfenol electrodeposition thought which we can control the desired percentage of Ga versus Fe that has the maximum magnetostriction constant. Galfenol is electrodeposited on an optical fiber with an imbedded Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) in its core. The final objective, that goes further of the scope of this research, is to get an optical magnetostrictive sensor. The device will sense magnetic field or current based on the combination of this magnetostrictive Galfenol, that will stress the optical fiber with the application of magnetic field or current and will change the reflected wavelength of the FBG as a consequence of the variation of the Bragg wavelength. We have developed a method of electrodeposition that allows controlling the density of current in the electrodeposition process in order to get the desired percentage of Ga and Fe in the alloy Ga X Fe 1-x. We have manufactured a set of samples with different parameters (as density of current and pH) and we have characterized these samples morphological, structural and magnetically. With this research we want to give to the scientific community the groundwork to design magnetostrictive optical sensors based on and FBG coated by giant magnetostrictive material. In this paper we have developed a method of covering the optical fiber controlling the composition of (Ga X Fe 1-X) in order to be able to get the maximum magnetostriction constant.

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are vascular anomalies resulting in abnormal connection between pulmonary arteries and veins. In 80% of cases, PAVMs are present from birth, but clinical manifestations are rarely seen in childhood. These congenital malformations are typically associated with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), a rare disease that affects 1 in 5,000/8,000 individuals. HHT disease is frequently caused by mutations in genes involved in the TGF-β pathway. However, approximately 15% of patients do not have a genetic diagnosis and, among the genetically diagnosed, more than 33% do not meet the Curaçao Criteria. This makes clinical diagnosis even more challenging in the pediatric age group. Here, we introduce an 8 years old patient bearing a severe phenotype of multiple diffuse PAVMs caused by an unknown mutation which ended in lung transplantation. Phenotypically, the case of study follows a molecular pattern HHT-like. Therefore, molecular biology and cellular functional analysis has been performed in primary endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from the explanted lung. The findings revealed a loss of functionality in lung endothelial tissue and a stimulation of endothelial to mesenchymal transition. Understanding the molecular basis of this transition could potentially offer new therapeutic strategies to delay lung transplantation in severe cases.

Heart failure is associated with a significant mortality rate, and an elevated prevalence of this condition has been noted among hypertensive patients. The identification of predictive factors for heart failure progression in hypertensive individuals is crucial for early intervention and improved patient outcomes. In this study, we aimed to identify these predictive factors utilizing medical history data for hypertension patients. Specifically, we focused solely on utilizing medical data preceding the diagnosis of hypertension to enable patients to anticipate the onset of potential heart failure at the time of hypertension diagnosis. Age-specific and ICD system-specific predictive factors were identified utilizing the MIMIC-IV database through the application of two analytical approaches: chi-square tests and XGBoost modeling. Our findings reveal 21 overall predictive factors, encompassing conditions such as atrial fibrillation, the use of anticoagulants, kidney failure, obstructive pulmonary disease, and anemia. These factors were assessed through a comprehensive review of the existing literature. We anticipate that the results will offer valuable insights for the risk assessment of heart failure in hypertensive patients.

When separation to the parameters of interest appears below resolution limit of the estimator, the ambiguity arises whether two parameter estimates relate to one source emitted twice or two close sources emitted once. In the paper, novel Bayes technique aimed to identify one/two sources below resolution limit by the pair of Gaussian estimates of a source(s) planar location as parameter is developed. Prior probabilities of the hypotheses on one/two sources are available from the analysis of physical characteristics of the emissions, assuming that they can be equally probable. The identifier recalculates a posteriori these probabilities subject to a distance between sources. It is applied to distinguish two location estimates obtained in the planar time difference of arrival mobile communication network. The work of the identifier is studied in the domain of closely spaced network users where covariance matrices of estimates are sufficiently approximated by the constant. The application gives an example of how the identifier revises the prior probabilities and can change thereby the initial preference of a hypothesis with a distance between users in some cases.

Background: breastfeeding is the optimal nourishment for infants and recommends that children commence breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the initial 6 months of life. Our objective was to determine which factors related to mothers could influence the degree of exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization, as well as to assess breastfeeding mothers' attitudes towards breastfeeding. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was undertaken in the healthcare area of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The reduced Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS-s) was employed to gauge maternal attitudes toward feeding their baby. Results: 64 women were studied. The overall score of IIFAS-s (mean ± standard deviation) was 36.95 ± 5.17. No use of pacifier by the newborn was associated with a positive attitude for breastfeeding. Having previous children (ORa=6,40; IC95% 1,26 – 32,51) and previous experience with breastfeeding (ORa=6,70; IC95% 1,31 – 34,27) increase the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding during admission. Conclusions: It is important to identify the factors that contribute to increasing the probability that mothers choose exclusive breastfeeding. We must guide our training efforts to these factors.

This study aimed to evaluate a cantilever beam-type piezoelectric energy harvester operating on train-induced vibrations for powering Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) used in railway track monitoring systems. The harvester's behaviors under different conditions are simulated in MATLAB using the analytical model. Natural frequency, maximum deflection, and stress were calculated with greater precision using eigenfrequency and stationary analysis using COMSOL Multiphysics. At a base excitation of 2 g and a resonant frequency of 4.38 Hz, the simulated results showed that the developed energy harvester prototype could generate up to 14 V of AC output voltage and 550 mW of output power. These findings highlight the promising potential of the proposed energy harvester for transforming train mechanical energy into electrical power. This energy harvester's viability and dependability for real-world applications in monitoring railway tracks are supported by developed analytical and simulation models.

The authors undertook pilot studies to assess the accuracy of the reverse engineering process of worn nonstandard spur gears (non-standardized modulus value, unusual profile/pressure angle, high or low teeth), using conventional techniques and measuring instruments. Eight gears were tested, the module of which ranges from 1.020 to 4.98 mm and the number of teeth from 13 to 42. The key parameter, the basic pitch, was selected to estimate the accuracy of the process. The goal is to determine the value of the profile angle. Eleven models were proposed to estimate the nominal tolerance field, using various types of random data distribution. The tested gears were made in IT grade: 6, 7, 8 and 9 according to DIN 3961. Vernier disc micrometers with various measurement ranges were used for research. It has been shown that the nominal module does not have to be treated as a random variable in the population. EIG (Equation of Identity) was developed, allowing conversion of any gear with specific values of geometric parameters into an identical gear with alternative values of these parameters. The directions and degrees of shifts of the estimated tolerance fields relative to the nominal field were determined. The most effective estimating model was selected in the context of the percentage filling of the nominal tolerance field, taking into account the symmetric Student-Fisher distribution with a confidence level of 60%. Further directions of the research activities were described.

Background: The coexistence of HIV infection and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) presents a significant public health concern due to the increased risk of tuberculosis (TB) reactivation and progression to active disease. The multicenter observational cohort study, TUBHIVIT, conducted in Italy from 2017 to 2023, aimed to assess the prevalence of LTBI among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and their outcomes following LTBI screening and therapy initiation. Methods: We performed a prospective study in 5 referral centers for HIV care in Italy. PLHIV who consented to participate underwent QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus and clinical, microbiological, and radiological assessments to exclude subclinical tuberculosis, as opportune. PLHIV diagnosed with LTBI that started chemoprophylaxis were followed until the ending of therapy. Results: A total of 1105 PLHIV were screened for LTBI using the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test, revealing a prevalence of 3.4% of positive results (38/1105). Non-Italy-born individuals exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of testing positive. Thirty-one were diagnosed with LTBI, 1 showed active subclinical TB, 6 were lost to follow-up before discriminating between latent and active TB. Among PLHIV diagnosed with LTBI, 83.9% (26/31) started chemoprophylaxis. Most individuals received 6-9 months of isoniazid-based therapy. Of the 26 PLHIV commencing chemoprophylaxis, 18 (69.2%) completed the therapy, while 3 discontinued it and 5 were still on treatment at the time of the analysis. Adverse events were observed in two cases, while in one case the patient refused to continue the treatment.

The risk of malignant transformation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived cells in response to DNA damage is a potential concern as the tumor suppressor genes TP53 and CDKN2A are transiently inactivated during reprogramming. Here, we evaluated the integrity of cellular senescence pathways and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in iPSC-derived human fibroblasts (i-HF) compared to their parental skin fibroblasts (HF). Using a variety of functional assays, we show that the capacity of i-HF to enter senescence and repair DSB is not compromised after damage induced by ionizing radiation (IR) or overexpression of H-RASV12. Still, i-HF lines are transcriptionally different from their parental lines, showing enhanced metabolic activity and higher expression of p53-related effector genes. As a result, i-HF lines generally exhibit increased sensitivity to various stresses, have an elevated senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and cannot be immortalized unless p53 expression is knocked down. In conclusion, while our results suggest that i-HF are not at a greater risk of transformation, their overall hyperactivation of senescence pathways may impede their function as a cell therapy product.

There is significant need for development of a new environmentally friendly, extraction-free sample collection medium that can effectively preserve and protect genetic material for point-of-care, and/or self-collection, home-collection, and mail-back testing. Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) was used to create anti-ribonuclease (RNase) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) aptamers against purified RNase A conjugated to paramagnetic carboxylated beads. Following 8 rounds of SELEX carried out under various stringency conditions, e.g., selection using Xtract-Free™ (XF) specimen collection medium, and elevated ambient temperature of 28 ºC, a panel of 5 aptamers was chosen following bioinformatic analysis using next-generation sequencing. The efficacy of aptamer inactivation of RNase was assessed by monitoring Ribonucleic acid (RNA) integrity by fluorometric and real-time RT-PCR analysis. Inclusion of aptamers in reaction incubations resulted in an 8,800 to 11,200-fold reduction of RNase activity, i.e., digestion of viral RNA compared to control. Thus, anti-RNase aptamers integrated into XF collection medium as well as other commercial reagents and kits have great potential for ensuring quality intact RNA for subsequent genomic analysis.

We report the case of a 28-year-old male with uncontrolled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who presented with extensive ulcerated lesions with dark lamellated crusting on his face, torso, and limbs. The patient had an RPR of 1:512. A skin biopsy revealed granulomata surrounded by lymphocytes, histiocytes, and plasma cells, with spirochetes visible on immunohistochemical staining. This severe form of secondary syphilis has been termed malignant syphilis, lues maligna, ulceronodular syphilis, and rupioid syphilis, among other names. The patient’s rash resolved with hyperpigmented scarring after treatment with penicillin and doxycycline. First, we propose a single descriptive name for this entity, ulceronodular-rupioid syphilis. In 1967, Fisher and coworkers proposed criteria for malignant syphilis based on lesion appearance, RPR values, histopathologic findings, the occurrence of the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, and response to treatment. However, the Fisher criteria were found to be imprecise. Thus, we examined the features of an additional 74 cases from the medical literature and propose new diagnostic criteria based on rash appearance, histopathologic characteristics, non-treponemal and treponemal test positivity, and response to therapy. We also found that uncontrolled viremia and not a low CD4 count is a major risk factor for this severe manifestation of secondary syphilis in the HIV population.

Histones are keys to many epigenetic events and their complexes have therapeutic and diagnostic importance. The determination of the structures of histone complexes is fundamental in the design of new drugs. Computational molecular docking is widely used for the prediction of target-ligand complexes. Large, linear peptides like the tail regions of histones are challenging ligands for docking due to their large conformational flexibility, extensive hydration, and weak interactions with the shallow binding pockets of their reader proteins. Thus, fast docking methods often fail to produce complex structures of such peptide ligands at a level appropriate for drug design. To answer this challenge, and improve the structural quality of the docked complexes, post-docking refinement has been applied using various molecular dynamics (MD) approaches. However, a final consensus has not been reached on the desired MD refinement protocol. In the present study, MD refinement strategies were systematically explored on a set of problematic complexes of histone peptide ligands with relatively large errors in their docked geometries. Six protocols were compared that differ in their MD simulation parameters. In all cases, pre-MD hydration of the complex interface regions was applied to avoid the unwanted presence of empty cavities. The best-performing protocol achieved a median of 32 % improvement over the docked structures in terms of the change of root mean squared deviations from the experimental references. The influence of structural factors and explicit hydration on the performance of post-docking MD refinements was also discussed to help their implementation in future methods and applications.

Defining integrals over volume element in curved spacetime together with the mass and energy densities within that region of spacetime is apparently equivalent to the given energy and mass of that body or particle. With this in mind equations involving energies and mass can be rewritten in terms of their densities and the integral over the volume element. The idea find its place in the Hamiltonian formulations, and can be carried over into quantum mechanical frameworks systematically accounting for the effect of spacetime volume structures and gravity on dynamics of quantum systems. This article briefly explores this concept and runs through various frameworks and equations relevant to this idea, particularly the schrodinger-Newton equation and discusses the cosmological constant as a vacuum energy density.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a safe and non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid with a wide range of potential therapeutic antiinflamatory and antioxidant activity. Due to its lipophilicity, it is normally available dissolved in oily phases. The main aim of this work was to develop and characterize a new formulation of a microemulsion with a potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action for topical treatment of inflammatory skin disorders. The micro-emulsion system was obtained from a 20% CBD oil as hydrophobic phase, Labrasol/Plurol Oleique (1:1) as surfactant and cosurfactant (S/CoS) respectively and an aqueous vegetal extract obtained from S. ebulus L. ripe fruits, with a potential anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as water phase. A pseudo-ternary phase diagram was elaborated, selecting an optimal proportion of 62% (S/CoS), 27% CBD oil and 11% water and, after testing its reproducibility, the aqueous phases were replaced by the vegetal hydrophilic extract. The defined systems were characterized in terms of conductivity, droplet size by laser scattering, compatibility of components by differential scanning calorimetry and rheological properties using a rotational rheometer. The designed microemulsion showed good stability and a slight pseudo-plastic behavior. The release properties of CBD from the oil phase and caffeic acid from the water phase of the microemulsion were studied by in vitro diffusion experiments using flow-through diffusion cells in comparison to a CBD oil and a microemulsion only with CBD as active substance. It was evidenced that the inclusion of the original oil in microemulsions did not provoke a significant modification of the release of CBD, incorporating the possibility of including hydrophilic active compounds in the formulation, stablishing an interesting strategy for the development of future formulations.

Metastatic melanoma patients have a poor prognosis with poor responsiveness to chemotherapy. BRAF V600E mutations have been detected in ~40% of melanoma patients. Vemurafenib is an oral agent licensed for patients with BRAF V600E mutation-positive inoperable and metastatic melanoma, which already presents resistance that leads to patient relapse and the serious side effects. In our study, we synthesized 5 new vemurafenib analogs, RF-86A, RF-87A, RF-94A, RF-94B and RF-96B, with structural improve-ments, in order to increase the anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effect on human melanoma. We showed that the analogs were efficient in inducing cell death and reducing the migration of A375 cells, by inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, indicating that this action may be longer lasting comparing to the action of Vemurafenib.

Stairs are among the key elements in architectural composition, both aesthetically and spatially. They are also one of the main innovations in architecture and building, allowing pedestrians to bridge considerable height differences with relative efficiency. It is therefore surprising that, in spite of all stair regulations in building codes, stairs are responsible for a huge number of accidents – second only to motorcars. The extent of safety failures suggests that user interaction with stairs is poorly understood by designers and policy makers. This is not unrelated to the lack of research into the design and use of stairs. Templer’s seminal work is the exception but it dates from 1992 and since then little has been done to understand the relation between architectural design and stair performance, including safety. To redress this, we can build on affordance-based analyses of stair climbability, which establish a clear connection between the form of a stair and the perception of action possibilities and dangers by all kinds of users. By doing so affordances establish a comprehensive and consistent framework for the analysis of architectural designs, which utilizes both domain and psychological knowledge, including as a foundation for computational applications.

The sound power LW of wind turbines (WTs) over the past decades has developed in relation to their electric power P as LW ∝ logP. The spectral distribution of the sound did not change significantly over time. This applies to the average performance of wind turbines, with differences between individual WT types. Because of the expected growth of onshore wind energy, a greater number of people will be living close to wind farms. This sustains the need for sound reduction. Sound reduction measures, such as serrations, reduced tip speed and low noise modes, may counteract the development of higher sound power from ever bigger WTs. To investigate this, the sound production of WT types over the last decades is analysed in relation to their size and electric power and the application of sound reduction measures. The analysis includes the broad band A-weighted and low frequency sound power levels as well as more detailed spectral distributions. Results show that the sound power level of wind turbines above 3 MW on average increases less with size than smaller turbines did. This is due to a lower blade tip speed and the use of sound reducing serrations. The spectral content of wind turbine sound, including the lower frequencies, has not changed significantly.

Exploring for green and affordable protection of perishable fruit like cherry tomato is of significance. Here the protective efficacy and its underpinnings of coating with oleaster gum, alone or incorporated with cuminal, on cherry tomatoes stored at ambient temperature were investigated. The composite coating of oleaster gum with 0.1% cuminal reduced decay, respiration rate, weight loss, and softening of the fruit and decelerated their decreases of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and soluble proteins, and therefore maintained their marketability. Furthermore, it reduced the accumulation of O•− 2and H2O2 in fruit, and mitigated cell membrane lipid oxidation and permeabilization, thereby retarding their senescence. Instrumentally, it elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase and the levels of ascorbic acid and glutathione. This potentiation of the fruit antioxidant system makes the composite coating a promising approach to keeping the postharvest quality of perishable fruit.

Background/Objectives: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common emergency presentation in Australia, with the choice of admitting specialty unit often influenced by pneumonia severity and comorbidities. However, it remains unclear whether there are between-specialty differences in patient characteristics and outcomes. We sought to address this issue by investigating the characteristics and outcomes of CAP patients admitted to General Medicine (GM) versus Respiratory units.Methods: This retrospective observational study utilised data from the two largest metropolitan hospitals in South Australia, encompassing all non-COVID-19-related CAP admissions throughout 2021 to 2023. Hospital length of stay (LOS), in-patient and 30-day mortality, and 30-day readmission rates were assessed by propensity-score-matching (PSM) with using 14 variables.Results: Of the 3,004 cases of non-COVID-19 CAP admitted across the two hospitals during the study period, 2,673 (71.8%) were admitted under GM units and 331 (9.1%) under Respiratory units. GM patients were, on average, a decade older, presented with a significantly higher burden of comorbidities, exhibited a greater prevalence of frailty and had higher pneumonia severity compared to those admitted under a Respiratory unit, (P

Procurement plays a central and defining role in the efficiency of supply chains. In recent years, the understanding and practice of procurement management have changed significantly due to increasing emphasis on and demand for agility and sustainability within supply chain management systems. Meanwhile, traditional supply chain systems, characterized by siloed processes, limited visibility, and inefficiencies due to manual interventions, can no longer cope with the current dynamic market conditions. Besides, the increasing requirements of sustainability, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact have intensified, making more responsible, transparent, and traceable procurement practices unnegotiable requirements for modern systems. In this paper, we examine the potential of emerging technologies and innovations such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in filling these gaps within the supply chain systems of enterprises in the US. The study employs a comprehensive review of relevant literature and case studies to discover and provide insights on how these technologies can improve procurement processes, optimize resource allocation and utilization, and improve sustainability. The findings of this study highlight the need for stakeholders to embrace technological advancements to effectively navigate the dynamic landscape of supply chain management.

Stress is an inherent sensation of being unable to handle demands and occurrences. If not properly managed, stress can develop into a chronic condition, leading to the onset of additional chronic health issues like cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes. Various stress meters have been suggested in the past, along with diverse approaches for its estimate. However, in the case of more serious health issues such as hypertension and diabetes, the results can be significantly improved. This study presents the design and implementation of a distributed wearable sensor computing platform with multiple channels. The platform aims to estimate stress levels in diabetes patients by utilizing a fuzzy logic algorithm that is based on the assessment of several physiological indicators. Additionally, a mobile application was created to monitor users' stress levels and integrate data on their blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Validation experiments were performed on patients with chronic diabetes, and the initial findings are presented in the study.

For this research we are selected three indicators of wheat: yield (t/ha), producer price (USD/t) and share of the harvested area under wheat in relation to the total land area of country (%). The mentioned indicators were analyzed for the period 2006-2021 in thirty-two European countries. The purpose of the research is to determine which of the mentioned indicators achieve average annual growth/decrease rates, what is the correlation between them, how European countries are grouped with their similarities and differences. The research examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mentioned indicators in a two time phases: Phase I, before the pandemic (2006-2019); Phase II, during the pandemic (2020-2021). The methodological approach to the research topic involved the application of descriptive statistics, as the method of principal components analysis (abbr. PCA) with graphics. A positive correlation exists only between the yield of wheat and the share of the harvested area under wheat in the total area of the land (0.291). PCA method showed that countries are grouped differently depending on the observed indicator and the analyzed time phase.

In this study, the NiCrAlY coating was prepared using the atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The sample was then exposed to a continuous fiber laser beam. Laser surface melting (LSM) can effectively homogenize the composition of the coating. It also reduced the defects and roughness. The coating was examined using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The process parameters of the LSM consist of laser power and scan rate. The high-temperature oxidation test was conducted for 200 hours at a temperature of 1100 °C. After a period of 200 hours, the primary coating demonstrated the emergence of an aluminum oxide layer, along with the presence of harmful spinel oxides. The laser remelting technique was used to modify the surface, which led to the uniform growth and development of an aluminum oxide layer (α-Al₂O₃) during the oxidation examination. Therefore, it appears that the reduction in grain size caused by laser remelting prevents the wrinkling of Al2O3 oxide. This process represents a novel and alternative approach to modifying MCrAlY coatings.

Background/Objectives: We defined the value of a machine learning algorithm to distinguish between the EEG response to no light or any light stimulation, and between red or green light stimulation in awake volunteers with closed eyelids. This new method of EEG analysis is visionary in the understanding of visual signal processing and will facilitate anaesthetic depth research. Methods: X-gradient boosting models were used to classify the cortical response to VEP stimulation (no light vs. any light stimulation; red vs. green light stimulation). For each of the two classifications, three scenarios were tested: training and prediction in all participants (all), training and prediction in one participant (individual), training across all but one participant with prediction in the participant left out (one out). Results: Ninety-four Caucasian adults were included. The machine learning algorithm had a very high predictive value and accuracy in differentiating between no light and any light stimulation (AUCROCall: 0.96; accuracyall: 0.94; AUCROCindividual: 0.96±0.05, accuracyindividual: 0.94±0.05; AUCROConeout: 0.98±0.04; accuracyo-neout:0.96±0.04). The machine learning algorithm was highly predictive and accurate in distinguishing between green and red colour stimulation (AUCROCall: 0.97; accuracyall: 0.91; AUCROCin-dividual: 0.98±0.04, accuracyindividual: 0.96±0.04; AUCROConeout: 0.96±0.05; accuracyoneout: 0.93±0.06). The predictive value and accuracy of both classification tasks was comparable between males and females. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms could almost continuously and reliably differentiate between the cortical EEG responses to no light or any light stimulation and between green or red colour stimulation using VEPs in awake female and male volunteers with eyes closed. Our findings may open new possibilities for using VEPs in the intraoperative setting.

Telecoupling, interactions between social-ecological systems across large, often global, distances, drives negative impacts from the forest-based carbon market. Yet, these negative impacts have been underreported; and therefore, likely vastly underestimated. We identify how these unintended negative impacts may occur and provide recommendations for the forest-based carbon market to better account for externalities by prioritising positive social impact, expanding comprehensive ecological outcomes and improving transparency of investments. We call for a carbon market that is designed to account for its global interconnectedness.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have been used for liver gene therapy. Hemgenix and Roctavian are AAV-based treatments for hemophilia B and A, respectively. They cost $3 million and $2.8 million per dose, respectively. While AAV vectors may eventually be cheaper to mass produce, a bacteria-based DNA delivery system might be much cheaper for patients. Also, “bactofection” would allow for the delivery of much larger DNA packages. Such a bacterial system may now be possible, and a prototype for the liver could possibly be developed immediately.

Background: Long COVID, characterized by a persistent symptom spectrum following SARS-CoV-2 infection, poses significant health, social, and economic challenges. This review aims to consolidate knowledge on its epidemiology, clinical features, and underlying mechanisms to guide global responses; Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review, analyzing peer-reviewed articles and reports to gather comprehensive data on long COVID’s epidemiology, symptomatology, and management approaches; Results: Our analysis revealed a wide array of long COVID symptoms and risk factors, with notable demographic variability. The current understanding of its pathophysiology suggests a multifactorial origin yet remains partially understood. Emerging diagnostic criteria and potential therapeutic strategies were identified, highlighting advancements in long COVID management.; Conclusion: This review highlights the multifaceted nature of long COVID, revealing a broad spectrum of symptoms, diverse risk factors, and the complex interplay of physiological mechanisms underpinning the condition. Long COVID symptoms and disorders will continue to weigh on healthcare systems in years to come. Ad-dressing long COVID requires a holistic management strategy that integrates clinical care, social support, and policy initiatives. The findings underscore the need for increased international cooperation in research and health planning to address the complex challenges of long COVID. There is a call for continued refinement of diagnostic and treatment modalities, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to manage the ongoing and evolving impacts of the condition.

Artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning (DL) or machine learning (ML) is the ability of computer systems, machines and enginery to work devise procedures like humans. These technologies provide opportunities and possibilities to advance diagnostics and in planning also in the field of human medicine and dentistry. The purpose of this literature review was to ascertain the applicability and significance of AI, as well as to highlight its uses in maxillofacial surgery. The primary inclusion criterion for this publication was an original paper written in English focusing on the use of AI, DL or ML in maxillofacial surgery. The sources of information were PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, and the queries were made on 31st of December 2023. The search strings used were “artificial intelligence maxillofacial surgery”, “machine learning maxillofacial surgery” and “deep learning maxillofacial surgery”. Following the removal of duplicates, all remaining publications that were returned by the searches and were screened by three independent operators to minimize the risk of bias. The analysis of publications from 1992 to 2023 identified certain records, of which 324 were finally selected. These were calculated according to the year of publication with a continuous increase (excluding 2012 and 2013) of R2 = 0.9295. Generally, in orthognathic dentistry and maxillofacial surgery, artificial intelligence and machine learning have gained popularity over the past few decades. When we included the keywords "planning in maxillofacial surgery" and "planning in orthognathic surgery", the set of published papers significantly increased to the number of 7535 publications. The first publication appeared in 1965, with an increasing trend (excluding 2014-2018), with an R2 value of 0.8642. These tools have been found useful for diagnosis, treatment planning in head and neck surgical oncology, cosmetic and aesthetic surgery, and in oral pathology. In orthognathic surgery, they have been utilised for diagnosis, treatment planning, assessment of treatment needs, cephalometric analyses, and orthognathic surgeries, among other applications. The review confirms that the current use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in maxillofacial surgery is focused mainly on the evaluation of digital diagnostic methods especially radiology, treatment plans and postoperative results. However, as these technologies are integrated in maxillofacial surgery and robotic surgery in head and neck region, it is expected that in the future they will be gradually utilized to plan and comprehensively evaluate the success of maxillofacial surgeries.

Hydrodynamic modeling and hazard mapping are essential tools for urban flood mitigation and spatial planning. Leveraging software like HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center - River Analysis System) and ArcGIS, this study aimed to map flood-prone areas along the Jijia River in the Ungheni administrative unit of Iasi County. Human-induced environmental changes and global climate shifts have heightened flood risks worldwide, particularly in urbanized areas. Hydrological and hydraulic modeling anticipate and assess flood events, while hydrodynamic modeling accurately simulates flow propagation, in-forming flood extent, timing, and volume. Flood hazard maps offer essential insights into flooded areas, water depths, and velocities, assisting in risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Through the use of different scenarios, river modeling aims to accurately replicate real-world conditions. This study focuses on Ungheni commune in Iasi County, Romania, situated along the Prut River's eastern bank. Utilizing a combination of fixed-grid and irregular mesh elements in modeling al-lows for fine-tuning of flow details and optimization of simulation times. Model accuracy, particularly regarding peak river levels, hinges on hydrograph duration. While a 30-minute error is typically accepted, greater tolerances may apply to river basins with longer response times. The extraction and processing of model results, including maximum water depths, flood extents, and velocity maps, are facilitated by ArcGIS, providing valuable data for effective flood management strategies.

Global optimization is widely adopted nowadays in a variety of practical and scientific problems. In this context, a group of techniques that is widely used is that of evolutionary techniques. A relatively new evolutionary technique in this direction is that of Giant Armadillo Optimization, which is based on the hunting strategy of giant armadillos. In this paper, a number of modifications to this technique are proposed, such as the periodic application of a local minimization method as well as the use of modern termination techniques based on statistical observations. The proposed modifications have been tested on a wide - series test functions, available from the relevant literature and it was compared against other evolutionary methods.

The experience of ego dissolution and self-transcendence induced by psychedelic substances offers a profound challenge to our conventional understanding of the self and our relationship with the natural world. This paper delves into the philosophical underpinnings and implications of this phenomenon, exploring how the temporary breakdown of ego boundaries during a psychedelic experience may foster a sense of profound interconnectedness with nature. Drawing from Western and Eastern philosophical traditions, as well as recent insights from neuroscience and consciousness studies, we examine the potential of psychedelic-induced self-transcendence to catalyze a shift in our perspectives on the human-nature relationship. The paper investigates the philosophical implications of this experience, including its resonance with deep ecological philosophies and its potential to inspire more ecocentric ethical frameworks. Furthermore, we explore the possible practical implications of fostering a sense of ecological connectedness through psychedelics, such as promoting environmentally sustainable behaviors and addressing the pressing challenges of climate change and ecological degradation. Ultimately, this exploration highlights the value of engaging with altered states of consciousness as a means to reconsider our place within the intricate web of life on Earth.

The study findings revealed significant variability in various wood properties among different genetic families, although the static modulus of elasticity did not exhibit significant differences between the chosen genetic families. All measured wood properties decreased from the bottom to the top of the model trees. Wood hardness displayed a moderately negative correlation with wood density and weak correlations with MOE and MOR. Given the weak correlations between wood hardness and other wood mechanical properties, it is suggested that the MOEdyn would be a more suitable trait for genetic studies.

Based on the goals of "high reliability, high frequency, rapid launch, and low cost" for space launch site, and drawing inspiration from the design principles of SpaceX's Starship launch test facility, an integrated dual-sided deflector system for convective cooling and thermal protection is presented. The interaction process between the gas jet and liquid water jet and its effect on the flow field environment are thoroughly studied using numerical calculation methods. Furthermore, Regarding the phase-change heat transfer issue in a compressible gas-liquid two-phase flow and the varying distribution of different bubble shapes and sizes at the gas-liquid interface, a modified Lee model is derived. The rationality and accuracy of the phase-change mass-transfer coefficient values can be improved by adjusting the equivalent diameter and shape factor of the bubbles. The research results demonstrate that compared to the classical Lee model, the modified Lee model can achieve a higher numerical accuracy in predicting the heat and mass transfer processes in gas-liquid two-phase flows. Through comparative analysis with traditional dual-sided deflector and conventional cooling system, the integrated dual-sided deflector system for convective cooling and thermal protection exhibits significant performance advantages in gas flow regulation, flow field environment improvement and erosion protection in the near-ground region of the launch site. Particularly, regarding the thermal environment of the dual-sided deflector, it not only achieves effective flow deflection, but also mitigates the degree of erosion caused by the gas jet on the deflector. This conclusion can provide theoretical references for the thermal protection design of commercial launch vehicle system at space launch site.

The direct hydrogenation of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) to higher alcohols (C2+OH), as an important research area in C1 chemistry, is one of the most essential approaches to convert CO2 into liquid fuels or other value-added chemicals. The high atom economy and direct pathway make this reaction attractive to convert CO2 to higher alcohols. However, due to the complicated reaction network and the difficulty of C-C coupling, the formation of higher alcohols is more difficult compared with methanol or other compounds containing one carbon. The key issue is development of novel catalysts with high conversion and space time yield. But this is still a huge challenge faced by researchers. In this review, the thermodynamics and reaction pathways of CO2 hydrogenation were firstly clarified. Subsequently, after reviewing single metal-based, bi-and multi-metallic catalysts, the recently progress of tandem catalytic system was emphasized. Finally, we also provided an overview about tandem catalysis for CO2 hydrogenation to higher alcohols.

Enclosed public spaces are the hotspots for airborne disease transmission. To measure and maintain indoor air quality in terms of airborne transmission, an open source, low cost and distributed array of Particulate Matter Sensors has been developed and named as Dynamic Aerosol Transport for Indoor Ventilation or DATIV system. This system can use multiple Particulate Matter Sensors (PMS) simultaneously and can be remotely controlled using a Raspberry Pie based operating system. The data acquisition system can be easily operated using the GUI within any common browser installed on a remote device such as a PC or Smartphone with corresponding IP address. The software architecture and validation measurements are presented together with possible future developments.

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare cancer that nonetheless represents the most common ocular malignancy in children. Rb exists as familiar and sporadic cancer and the increasing incidence of the sporadic one and its pathogenesis is mostly unknown. To date the management of retinoblastoma requires intensive chemotherapy and sometimes invasive surgery in order to preserve vision and quality of life in Rb patients. The discovery of the epigenetic nature of non-hereditable/sporadic Rb led to the development of high-throughput precision investigation strategies for the study of its epigenetic landscape. Here we investigated the effect of the demethylating 5-Aza-2’- deoxycytidine (Decitabine; DAC) agent on preclinical models to assess its possible use as anti-cancer drug in the treatment of Rb patients. We found that DAC treatment induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in Weri-Rb-1 cells. We investigated the variation of differential gene expression profile in Rb cells in relation to time of exposure to DAC with respect to controls. Network map analysis evidences 15 hub/driver genes, which share pathways of regulation of TNF-, FAS-, p53-dependent apoptotic signaling and NF-kB pro-survival pathways. Furthermore, a computing expression profile analysis of publicly available datasets of patients’ primary tumors and normal retina cell-derived organoids vs WeriWeri-Rb-1 DEGs depicted the relevancy of these 15 hub genes on retinoblastoma genesis. The antiproliferative effect of DAC treatment on Rb was confirmed in vivo, both in subcutaneous xenograft and orthotopic models also showing the changes the gene methylation status in treated Weri-Rb-1, shedding a new light on the reprogramming antiproliferative dynamics induced by the epigenetic therapy and on the role of this therapeutic approach to spare children sight and life.

Quasi-interpolation is a powerful tool for approximating functions using radial basis functions (RBFs) such as Gaussian kernels. This avoids solving large systems of equations as in RBF interpolation. However, quasi-interpolation with Gaussian kernels on compact intervals can have significant errors near the boundaries. This paper proposes a quasi-interpolation method with Gaussian kernels using Chebyshev points and boundary corrections to improve the approximation near the boundaries. The boundary corrections use a linear approximation of the function beyond the interval to estimate the truncation error and add correction terms. Numerical studies on test functions show that the proposed method reduces errors significantly near boundaries compared to quasi-interpolation without corrections, for both equally spaced and Chebyshev points. The convergence and accuracy with the boundary corrections are generally better with Chebyshev points compared to equally spaced points. The proposed method provides an efficient way to perform quasi-interpolation on compact intervals while controlling the boundary errors.