Considering the unquestionable role of education in economic development, it has an impact at a macroeconomic level—contributing to enhancing productivity and innovation, reducing poverty and promoting social cohesion—and at a personal level—ensuring the improvement of knowledge, skills and individual capabilities and promoting social values like empowerment and equality. Notably, quality education is recognized as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which, jointly with other behaviors and attitudes, could impact the development of societies in other fields like health and well-being, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and even peace and stability—all of them also listed as SDGs. However, the capacity, or not, to reach higher levels of compliance with quality in education (SDG 4) varies from country to country, according to the 2023 Sustainable Development Report results. Thus, the present study used a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to assess the conditions for attaining higher levels of quality education based on the different indicators used to measure SDG 4. The analysis will allow comparisons of results among different countries and provide information about the initiatives that could be relevant to increasing quality education worldwide and for policymakers.

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), secondary brain damage due to chronic inflammation is the most predominant cause of the delayed onset of mood and memory disorders. Currently no therapeutic approach is available to effectively mitigate secondary brain injury after TBI. One reason is the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents passage of most therapeutic agents into the brain. Peptides have been among the leading candidates for CNS therapy due to their low immunogenicity and toxicity, bioavailability, and ease of modification. In this study, we demonstrated that non-invasive intranasal administration of KAFAK, a cell penetrating anti-inflammatory peptide, traversed the BBB in a murine model of diffuse, moderate TBI. Notably, KAFAK treatment reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to secondary injury. Furthermore, behavioral tests showed improved or restored neurological, memory, and locomotor performance in KAFAK-treated mice. This study demonstrates KAFAK's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, to lower pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in vivo, and to restore function after a moderate TBI.

Accurate and reliable mid-long runoff prediction (MLTRP) is of great importance in water re-sources management. However the MLTRP is not suitable in each basin and how to evaluate the applicability of MLTRP is still a question. Therefore, the total mutual information (TMI) index is developed in this study based on the predictor selection method using mutual information (MI) and partial MI (PMI). The relationship between the TMI and the predictive performance of five models is analyzed by applying five models in 222 forecasting scenarios in Australia. The results over 222 forecasting scenarios demonstrate that, compared with the MI, the developed TMI index can better represent the available information in the predictors, and has more significant negative correlation with the RRMSE with the correlation coefficient between -0.62 and -0.85. This means the model's predictive performance will become better along with the increase of TMI, and there-fore the developed TMI index can be used to evaluate the applicability of MLTRP. When TMI is more than 0.1, the available information in the predictors can support the construction of MLTRP models. In addition, the TMI is used to partly explain the difference of predictive performance among five models. In general, the complex models, which can better utilize the contained infor-mation, are more sensitive to the TMI, and have more significant improvement in terms of predic-tive performance along with the increase of TMI. This research can provide support for the study of MLTRP.

High average power narrow-linewidth tunable solid-state lasers in the wavelength region between 2 to 3 μm are attractive light sources for many applications. This paper reports a narrow-linewidth widely-tunable laser system based on the polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnSe elements pumped by the repetitively-pulsed 2.1 µm Ho3+:YAG laser operating at the tens of kilohertz pulse rate. An advanced procedure of ZnSe-element doping and surface improvement was applied to increase the laser-induced damage threshold, which resulted in an increase of the output power of the Cr2+:ZnSe laser system. The high-average-power laser system comprised double master-oscillators and power amplifiers: Ho3+:YAG and Cr2+:ZnSe laser oscillators, and Ho3+:YAG and Cr2+:ZnSe power amplifiers. The output wavelength was widely tuned within 2.3-2.7 µm by an acousto-optical tunable filter inside the Cr2+:ZnSe master oscillator cavity. The narrow-linewidth operation at the pulse repetition rate of 20-40 kHz in a high-quality beam with the average output power up to 9.7 W was demonstrated.

The paper provides a methodological framework based on Multiple Criteria Decision Aid methods for determining relative regional vulnerabilities associated with forest fires that occurred during a given period. Different notions of ex-post vulnerability are defined based on the forest area burned and the frequency of forest fires, and their relation to the regions’ area and several socioeconomic characteristics. The methodology is applied to Greece and its administrative regions for the period 2000–2022. Linking the forest fire events with summer and spring temperatures and precipitation and using econometric count data analysis, the paper explores the climatic drivers of forest fire occurrence and provides projections of the expected change in the frequency of fires of specific size classes conditional on the evolution of mean seasonal regional temperature and precipitation according to IPCC scenarios. The results regarding relative regional vulnerabilities and expected forest fires could be useful in designing policies for preserving forests as natural capital and promoting sustainability.

Telecommunication infrastructure, as a technology-intensive industry, provides fundamental support for informatization construction. This paper empirically studies the impact of telecommunication infrastructure construction on economic and social innovative development using provincial panel data from China spanning from 2009 to 2022. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Telecommunication infrastructure significantly promotes innovation in terms of R&D investment, knowledge output, and application output. (2)At various stages of telecommunication technology development, the impact on innovative development varies. Iterative updates in telecommunication technology drive higher R&D expenditures, facilitating better utilization of innovation outcomes in industries. (3) There are regional disparities in the influence of telecommunication infrastructure on economic and social innovative development. In the eastern regions, telecommunication infrastructure construction primarily promotes mobile communication, with clear spillover effects. In contrast, in western regions, it mainly facilitates fixed communication networks. Therefore, in the new development stage of China, further strengthening telecommunication infrastructure construction provides a new impetus and space for economic and social innovative development. It is essential to persistently advance the coordinated construction of mobile and fixed communication infrastructure to achieve regional development coordination.

Exploring therapeutic options is crucial in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Nirmatrelvir, a potent inhibitor targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, shows promise as an antiviral treatment. Additionally, Ivermectin, a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug, has demonstrated effectiveness against the virus in laboratory settings. However, its clinical implications are still debated. Using computational methods such as molecular docking and 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated how Nirmatrelvir and Ivermectin interact with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro(A). Calculations using density functional theory have been instrumental in elucidating the behavior of isolated molecules, primarily by analyzing the frontier molecular orbitals. Our analysis revealed distinct binding patterns: Nirmatrelvir formed strong interactions with amino acids like MET49, MET165, HIS41, HIS163, HIS164, PHE140, CYS145, GLU166, and ASN142, showing stable binding with a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of around 2.0 Å. On the other hand, Ivermectin interacted with THR237, THR239, LEU271, LEU272, and LEU287, displaying an RMSD of 1.87 Å, indicating enduring interactions. Both ligands stabilized Mpro(A), with Ivermectin showing stability and persistent interactions despite forming fewer hydrogen bonds. These findings offer detailed insights into how Nirmatrelvir and Ivermectin bind to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, providing valuable information for potential therapeutic strategies against COVID-19.

Background: The accurate diagnosis of regional lymph node metastasis is critical for guiding treatment decisions in head and neck cancer patients. Despite advances in imaging techniques, detecting nodal metastasis remains challenging, leading to potential undertreatment or overtreatment. This systematic review aims to identify molecular markers associated with occult metastasis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. Methods: The present research was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Prospero registration nr. CRD42024522985. Results: Through a comprehensive literature search and review process, 634 articles were considered, 103 of them were finally included. Conclusions: Several promising markers were identified, including miR-205, DSG3, pan-CK AE1/AE3, HPV-16, Activin-A, Cyclin D1, and NPL that demonstrated effectiveness across multiple studies. Future research should focus on exploring combination scoring systems to improve diagnostic precision and optimize treatment selection in HNSCC patients.

Health care in Canada is managed by provinces/territories. We investigated regional differences in survival among Canadians diagnosed with central nervous system (CNS) tumours. We identified 50,670 patients diagnosed with a first-ever primary CNS tumour between 2008 and 2017 with follow-up until December 31, 2017. We selected the four highest incidence histologies and used proportional hazards regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for five regions (British Columbia, Prairie provinces, Ontario, Atlantic provinces and the Territories), adjusting for sex, tumour behaviour and patient age. Ontario had the best survival profile for all histologies investigated. The Atlantic provinces had the highest HR for glioblastoma (HR=1.26, 95% CI:1.18-1.35) and malignant glioma not otherwise specified (NOS) (Overall: HR=1.87, 95% CI:1.43-2.43; Pediatric population: HR=2.86, 95% CI:1.28-6.39). For meningioma, the Territories had the highest HR (HR=2.44, 95% CI:1.09-5.45) followed by the Prairie provinces (HR=1.52, 95% CI:1.38-1.67). For malignant unclassified tumours, the highest HRs were in British Columbia (HR=1.45, 95% CI:1.22-1.71) and the Atlantic provinces (HR=1.40, 95% CI:1.13-1.74). There are regional differences in the survival of CNS patients at the population level for all four specific histological types of CNS tumours investigated. Factors contributing to these observed regional survival differences are unknown and warrant further investigation.

Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is characterized by the brain deposition of senile plaques composed by amyloid-β peptides (Aβ) that increase inflammation. An endogenous peptide derived from the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, glycine-proline-glutamate (GPE) has IGF-I-sensitizing and neuroprotective actions. Here, we examined the effects of GPE on Aβ levels and hippocampal inflammation generated by the intracerebroventricular infusion of Aβ25-35 during 2 weeks (300 pmol/day) in ovariectomized rats and the signaling-related pathways and levels of Aβ-degrading enzymes associated with these GPE-related effects. GPE prevented the Aβ-induced increase in the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and the reduction in activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, insulin receptor substrate-1 and Akt, as well as on interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-13 levels in the hippocampus. The functionality of somatostatin, measured as the percentage of inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity and the levels of insulin-degrading enzyme were also preserved by GPE co-treatment. These findings indicate that GPE co-administration may protect from Aβ insult by changing hippocampal cytokine content and somatostatin functionality through regulation of leptin- and IGF-I-signaling pathways that could influence the reduction in Aβ levels through modulation of levels and/or activity of Aβ proteases.

Objective. To evaluate serum neuronal and inflammatory biomarkers in asphyctic newborns treated with hypothermia alone or hypothermia plus melatonin, and whether biomarkers correlate with neurodevelopmental outcomes. Design. This is a pilot multicentre, randomised, controlled, double blind clinical trial. Neuronal glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-7 and IL-13) were measured in serum samples at hospital admission (T0), 24 hours (T1), 72 hours (T2) and 7-10 days of age (T3). Neurodevelopmental outcomes (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III scales, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and the Tardieu scale) were performed at 6 and 18 months. Setting: Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit. Patients and interventions: 25 newborns were recruited. The treated patients received a daily dose of intravenous melatonin, 5 mg per kg body weight, for 3 days. Results. After adjusting the data for severity, in the group treated with melatonin, there is a decrease in plasma levels of GM-CSF, IL-2 and IL-13 at T1 compared to placebo, as well as, at T2, in GM-CSF concentrations, as well as IL-7 and IL-13 at T3. Evolutionarily, we found a significant decrease in GM-CSF concentrations in the treatment group compared to placebo, with no differences for the rest of the biomarkers. It is noteworthy that the sustained decrease in GM-CSF and inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IL-7 and IL-13 correlated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes at 6 and 18 months. Conclusions. In neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the addition of iv melatonin to hypothermia therapy affects the plasma concentration of biomarkers in the first week of life, with a high correlation with long-term neurological prognosis.

The endometrium, the inner mucosal lining of the uterus, undergoes complex molecular and cellular changes across the menstrual cycle in preparation for embryo implantation. Transcrip-tome-wide analyses have mainly been utilized to study the endometrial receptivity, the prerequisite for successful implantation, with most of the studies, so far, comparing the endometrial transcriptomes between (i) secretory versus proliferative endometrium or (ii) mid-secretory versus early-secretory endometrium. In the current study, we provide the complete transcriptome description of the endometrium across the entire menstrual cycle and, for the first time, comprehensively characterize the proliferative phase of the endometrium. Our temporal transcriptome analysis includes five time points: mid-proliferative, late-proliferative (peri-ovulatory phase), early-secretory, mid-secretory, and late-secretory phases. Thus, we exhaustively unveil the transitions between the consecutive proliferative and secretory phases, highlighting their unique gene expression profiles and possible distinct biological functions. Transcriptome analysis reveals many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across the menstrual cycle, most of which are phase-specific. As an example of the coordinated gene activity, the expression profile of his-tone-encoding genes within the HIST cluster on chromosome 6 showed an increase in cluster activity during the late-proliferative and a decline during the mid-secretory phase. Moreover, numerous DEGs are shared among all phases. In conclusion, in the current study, we delineate the endometrial proliferative phase-centered view of transcriptome dynamics across the menstrual cycle. Data analysis highlights significant transcriptomic and functional changes occurring during the late-proliferative phase – an essential transition point from the proliferative to the secretory phase. Future studies should explore how the biology of the late-proliferative phase endometrium impacts the achievement of mid-secretory endometrial receptivity or contributes to molecular aberrations leading to embryo implantation failure.

Recent research has specifically targeted the decision-making process of eco-friendly individuals, emphasizing the significance of recycling and its impact on sustainability. Our study extends this inquiry by examining the correlation between recycling participation and pro-environmental behavior among consumers, integrating the concepts of self-efficacy, feelings of pride, and social pressure into our analysis. Utilizing Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we aimed to explore the intricate relationships that underpin these behaviors. Results suggest that self-efficacy and feelings of pride significantly influence individuals' recycling behaviors, highlighting the role of psychological and social factors in promoting environmental sustainability. Interestingly, it was concluded that social pressure did not have the expected moderating effect on increasing consumers' feelings of pride and self-efficacy toward recycling activities.This study not only sheds light on the underlying mechanisms that drive pro-environmental actions but also contributes to understanding sustainability promotion through recycling and offers insights for policymakers and environmental advocates to foster environmental responsibility and behavior change.

Cultural routes are a composite set of heritage, referring to any ancient routes of human communication. As one of the key products of cultural tourism, they providing visitors with a rich cultural experience across regions. We systematically review reports and studies related to the tourism development of 38 cultural routes cases around the world, with a special focus on their distribution, typology, planning patterns and tools for cultural tourism. We summarized eight tools, there are some differences in how often these eight tools are used by the different types of routes and different planning patterns for routes tourism. The study also made an evaluation system based on the conservation principles of cultural routes to find out how different tools of tourism affect the conservation and development of the historical region. It was found that although many efforts have been made by tourism decision-makers to protect and develop cultural routes there are still many problems and challenges in the process of tourism development along cultural routes. We close the paper by making a few recommendations for decision makers and researchers concerning future routes’ tourism planning and study.

Recent research efforts in bone tissue engineering have been primarily directed towards manufacture-viable synthesis of biomaterials that can significantly enhance the biocompatibilities and osteogenic capabilities on the new biomaterials. This paper presents a straightforward, cost-effective, optimized, and well-controlled hydrothermal synthesis of Nb-doped potassium titanate nanofibers in high-purity. Characterization data revealed that the Nb-doping potassium titanate maintained the crystal structure, showing great promise for applications in bone tissue engineering.

This study grounded in the Affective Events Theory, explores how post-pandemic urban residents' nostalgic tourism influences environmental behaviors in rural areas. The article constructs a model of pro-environmental behavior in rural settings with nostalgic tourism as the antecedent variable, environmental responsibility and awe as mediators, ecological concern as a moderating variable, and pro-environmental behavior as the outcome variable. Analyzing 535 valid survey responses from urban residents and utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test research hypotheses reveals that nostalgic tourism significantly impacts environmental responsibility and awe. Environmental responsibility mediates between nostalgic tourism and pro-environmental behavior, forming a serial mediation chain with awe psychology, and its mediating effect is significant. However, awe psychology forms a serial mediation chain between nostalgic tourism and pro-environmental behavior, and its mediating effect is insignificant. Notably, environmental concern does not moderate the relationship between environmental responsibility and pro-environmental behavior, indicating no support for this hypothesis. The positive role of nostalgic tourism in pro-environmental behavior at rural tourism destinations enriches theoretical research on the nexus between nostalgia and environmental behavior, providing insights into the sustainable development of rural environments and the operation of rural tourism.

The steep decline in the price of wind and solar photovoltaics provides a possibility to decarbonize electricity deeply and affordably. This study uses HOMER Pro energy modeling tool to model an optimized grid-connected renewable energy system for a community in southern Alberta, Canada. The study's goal is to identify the best renewable energy technology combinations that can provide electricity at the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and has lesser greenhouse gas emission as compared to the electricity produced by traditional fossil fuel. Gleichen, is a small town in southern Alberta and is near to numerous commercial wind and solar projects given the region’s high quality renewable resources. “Tri-brid” systems consisting of wind turbines, solar photovoltaics, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are considered and compared based on electricity prices, net present cost, and greenhouse gas emissions savings. This tri-brid system is connected to the grid to sell excess electricity generated or buying electricity when there is less or no availability of solar and wind. The tri-brid energy system has an estimated LCOE of 0.0705 CAD/kWh which is competitive with the price of electricity generated by natural gas and coal which is 0.127 CAD/kWh.

This study explores optimizing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation scheduling for multi-imaging missions in densely targeted areas using an in-house developed Modified Dynamic Programming (MDP) algorithm. By employing Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) to define the mission planning problem, the research aims to maximize observation of high-value targets within restricted planning horizons. Numerical simulations, covering a wide range of target numbers and satellite configurations, reveal the MDP algorithm’s superior mission allocation efficiency, enhanced success rates, and reduced revisit times, compared to the Greedy algorithm. The findings underscore the MDP algorithm’s improved operational efficiency and planning robustness for complex imaging tasks, demonstrating significant advancements over traditional approaches.

HIV early detection (CD4 counts ≥350 cells/μL) is correlated with higher life expectancy among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Several factors including physical, cultural, structural, and financial barriers have contributed to HIV late detection. This is the first-of-its-kind study on the regional differences in early detection of HIV within Tajikistan and any country in the Central Asia region. Utilizing Tajikistan Ministry of Health's national HIV data (N=10,700) spanning 2010 to 2023, we developed median regression models with median CD4 cell count as the outcome and as predictors: time (years), region, age, gender, and area (urban/rural status). Individuals younger than 19 years old are more likely to be detected early for HIV, whereas those older than 39 years are more prone to late detection. Given their active engagement in age-related and sexual activities, those older than 39 years face a higher risk of HIV transmission to others if diagnosed late. Therefore, they require further attention and targeted interventions. Females are detected earlier compared to their male counterparts, regardless of region of residence. Rural populations are detected earlier in most years compared to their urban counterparts. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated HIV early detection in 2021 but most regions have returned to near pre-pandemic levels of detection in 2022 and 2023. These fluctuations in early detection may signify a shift in attention and resource allocation, potentially affecting efforts to address access gaps during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are significant health inequities among different demographic and geographic groups which warrant further attention.

(1) The present study investigated the effect of orally administered Limosilactobacillus fermentum HY7302 (HY7302) on the relationship between ocular tissue and the microbiome in the corneal injured dry eye mice model. (2) 0.1% benzalkonium chloride (BAC) was applied to the ocular surface for 14 days to induce corneal injury in male Balb/c mice. During the BAC treatment period, HY7302 (1 × 108 CFU/kg/day or 1 × 109 CFU/kg/day) or omega-3 positive control (200 mg/kg/day) were administered orally (n = 8/group). To examine signaling pathways affected by HY7302 treatment, the in vitro effects of HY7302 on tight junctions and the inflammatory response were investigated in a mouse colon epithelial cell line, CMT-93. (3) BAC exposure decreased tear production, induced ocular inflammation and corneal epithelial detachment, and altered gut microbiota. However, oral administration of HY7302 restored tear secretion and decreased corneal epithelial detachment in BAC-treated corneal injury mice. Further, HY7302 alleviated corneal inflammation via modulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression and alterations in gut microbiota composition. (4) These findings suggest that the gut–eye axis interaction between gut microbiota and eye tissue affects disease severity in corneal injury, and that alteration of the microbiota by HY7302 could improve eye health by regulating the inflammatory response.

Limited research has been conducted on the metabolites present in the essential oils (Es) of Phlomoides rotata (Benth. ex Hook. f.) Mathiesen (PR, syn. Lamiophlomis rotata (Benth.) Kudô), and their potential pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant and anticancer properties, are often overlooked. We conducted a metabolomics-based screening to identify the characteristic metabolites (CMs) present in the Es extracted from PR. Furthermore, we evaluated their in vitro antioxidant activities (AOAs). The Es obtained through hydro-distillation are characterized by a light yellow color and a fresh, elegant fragrance. Cryoprecipitation was used to separate the crystals (Cs) from the Es, resulting in the extraction of crystal-free essential oils (CFs). A total of 107 components belonging to 8 categories were identified and quantified in the Es, Cs, and CFs using GC-MS and GC-FID techniques. Among these components, 76 were reported for the first time in the Es of PR. The major compounds identified include long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and their esters, such as palmitic acid (PA), myristic acid (MA), linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA), and methyl palmitate. Additionally, seven C13-norisoprenoids, with trans-β-damascenone being particularly notable for its flavor, were also identified. A sum of nine CMs were identified in the Es, including PA, MA, LA, OA, methyl palmitate, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, phytol, trans-β-damascenone, and hexanal. The main metabolic pathway in the Es is the biosynthesis of FAs and terpenoids revealed by MetaboAnalyst 6.0 and KEGG analyses. Furthermore, the in vitro AOAs of the Es, Cs, CFs, and four selected CMs (PA, MA, LA, and OA) were evaluated. Generally, PA and MA exhibited pro-oxidant activities (POAs) or weak AOAs. LA and OA demonstrated POAs or weak AOAs at lower concentrations, but at higher concentrations, they displayed medium to strong AOAs. Importantly, the CFs exhibited stronger AOAs compared to the corresponding Es, which may be attributed to their different PA content. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the potential utilization of Es from PR.

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

The regional recycling of plant waste from municipal green space maintenance, private households and private gardens is traditionally carried out in partially open composting plants. In addition to climate-relevant gases, dust, germs and odours are emitted. Compared to aerobic rotting the pyrolysis at higher temperatures and/or reforming offers industrial utilisation of plant based biowaste, with additional availability of energetic by-products. A high-quality plant charcoal derived from a pilot plant is used in a one-year field trial to establish a theoretical comparability with substrates from composting. The advantages and disadvantages of composting and high-quality pyrolysis is shown for comparison, to foster further investigation in advanced technologies for production of plant charcoal aiming the sequester of biogenic Carbondioxide.

Keywords: Evanescent field; photonic sensor; optical waveguide; light-matter interaction; absorption; mid-infrared.

Acute kidney infection (AKI) occurred by tubular necrosis and glomerular dysfunction caused by many factors. SARS CoV-2 infection identified to cause fatal AKI. This paper aims to review the effect of covid-19 infection on the failure of the kidney and its mechanism. It identified that the SARS-CoV-2 received by the targeted cell by Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). After the virus received by the target cells, it induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-1, and interferons (IFN) by immune cells and causes cytokine storm. The pro-inflammatory cytokines are again responsible to induce the secretion of cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2), which causes inflammation and pain as well it stimulates the iNOS enzyme to produce NO which allows the vasodilation of renal arteries. The increased production of NO by iNO enhanced the vasodilation of arteries, and allows the adhesion of neutrophils to the artery, and causes damage to glomerulus and tubules. Hence, the most likely sustainable intervention could be the application of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibition by the receptors of the target cells in these vital organs to reduce sever destruction during treatment at the early stage of infection.

The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy and regional nodal irradiation after radical mastectomy is defined in high-risk patients with locally advanced tumors, positive margins, and unfavorable biology. The benefit of postmastectomy radiotherapy in intermediate-risk patients (T3N0 tumors) remains a matter of controversy. It has been demonstrated that radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery lowers the locoregional recurrence rate compared with surgery alone and improves the overall survival rate. In patients with 4 or more positive lymph nodes or extracapsular extension regional lymph node irradiation is indicated regardless of the surgery type (breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy). Despite the consensus that patients with more than 3 positive lymph nodes should be treated with radiotherapy, there is a controversy regarding the recommendations for patients with one to three involved lymph nodes. In patients with N0 disease with negative findings on axillary surgery, there is a trend to administer regional lymph node irradiation in patients with a high risk of recurrence. In patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy and mastectomy, adjuvant radiotherapy should be administered in case of clinical stage III and/or ≥ypN1. In patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy and breast-conserving surgery, postoperative radiotherapy is indicated irrespective of pathological response.

This paper focuses on the data-driven evaluation ski resorts, employing the attractiveness index. Unlike similar studies, this research concentrates on smaller resorts essential for local economies. Input data acquired through meta-analysis offers insights into skier preferences, combining information from various sources, including volunteered geographic information (VGI). Employing a geographic information system (GIS), the study addresses pertinent questions regarding over-tourism, regional resort ratings, and spatial patterns, providing a foundation for sustainable development in alpine regions. As the case study, the evaluation of 40 regional ski resorts in Austria is introduced.

This article delves into the pro-cyclicality of Loan Loss Provisions (LLPs) and earnings management, along with equity management, in Portuguese banks against the backdrop of implementing the IFRS 9's Expected Credit Loss (ECL) model. It concentrates on how LLPs mirror economic cycles and financial management practices, providing valuable insights into the operational dynamics of the Portuguese banking sector, marked by distinct economic and regulatory challengesThe research examined a sample of five Portuguese commercial banks, chosen from a group of seventeen in the Portuguese Banking Association. Data spanning from 2013 to 2022 were manually gathered. A multiple linear regression model was employed to scrutinize the relationship between LLPs and variables indicative of economic cycles and the earnings and equity management. The methodology aligns with the approaches of Araújo et al. (2018), Beatty and Liao (2014), and Casta et al. (2019). The analysis indicates a pro-cyclicality in LLPs within the Portuguese context, with a positive response of LLPs to economic indicators like unemployment. Contrarily, the extent of earnings and equity management under the ECL model was less marked compared to the Incurred Credit Loss (ICL) model, suggesting the impact of more stringent regulatory measures. The research corroborates the pro-cyclicality of LLPs in Portuguese banks under the ECL framework, underscoring the necessity for ongoing monitoring and refinement of models for forecasting and recognizing credit losses. The findings point to an area for improvement in financial management practices, despite regulatory enhancements, to promote transparency and ensure financial stability.

This paper is a follow-up to a previous study that was conducted in a research forest and identified the optimal method for Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) estimation as a circular scanning and fitting ellipses to 4cm stem cross-sections at breast height. The aim of this study was to determine whether the identified method is applicable to natural boreal forests as well. The iPad Pro LiDAR scanner was used to acquire point clouds for 15 sites representing a range of natural boreal forest conditions in Ontario, Canada, and estimate DBH. The secondary objective was to determine if tested stand (Species composition, age, density, understory) or tree (Species, DBH) factors affected the accuracy of estimated DBH. Overall, estimated DBH values were within 1cm of actual DBH values for 78 of 133 measured trees (59%). An RMSE of 1.5cm (8.6%) was achieved. Stand age had a large effect (>0.15) on the accuracy of estimated DBH values, while density, understory, and DBH had moderate effects (0.05-0.14). No trend was identified between accuracy and stand age. Accuracy improved as understory density decreased and as tree DBH increased. Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and positional accuracy errors with the iPad Pro scanner limit the feasibility of using this device for forest inventories.

The populations of clearwing moth borers in Korea have recently exploited and severe damage on pin oaks (Quercus palustris Munchh.). We conducted the field monitoring and the molecular analyses to identify them in an integrated manner. Morphological examination and molecular analyses on COI-gene based intra-and inter-specific genetic divergences (GD) were revealed that the borers were recognized as two invasive species, Sphecodoptera sheni and Paranthrenella pinoakula sp. nov.. The maximum intraspecific GD was found to be 1.9%, whereas the minimum interspecific GD was confirmed as 8.1%, with a distinct barcoding gap. Both MJ network and NJ tree were also showed that 18 haplotypes (HAPs) were detected from the 52 COI sequences. The borers were revealed total 17 HAPs: i) H1-H7 were detected from all seven regions with S. sheni; ii) Wonju and Goyang populations of S. sheni were revealed as more than three HAPs; iii) H7 was closely connected with H8 of Chinese population of S. sheni; iv) H9-H10 were detected as the other samples from Wonju population with P. pinoakula sp. n., and closely located with congeneric species. Maximum likelihood tree also revealed that P. pinoacula sp. n. nested within the congeneric species by genetically separating from the S. sheni.

In this preliminary investigation, a concise molecular docking study using the Pyrx program screened thousands of compounds against the active site of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The Virtual Screening library was employed to assess binding energetics scores, focusing on identifying candidates with high Vina Scores. Eight compounds, including Tetrophan, Imatinib, Amentoflavone, Alprazolam, Bilobetin, Bafetinib, Nilotinib, and Ginketin, emerged as promising candidates with significant binding energies.Recognizing compounds that strongly bind to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase holds potential for antiretroviral drug development in the fight against HIV infection. Subsequently, the study evaluated the toxicity properties of these candidates using pKCSM. Amentoflavone, a natural biflavonoid found in Ginkgo biloba and Nilotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, demonstrated lower overall toxicity profiles compared to other candidates. Further toxicity analysis using Pro-Tox-II revealed Amentoflavone's higher predictive LD50, lower toxicity class, and reduced probabilities of hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and moderate immunotoxicity compared to Nilotinib. While Nilotinib, a pharmaceutical drug, exhibited higher probabilities of adverse effects in these categories. In summary, Amentoflavone and Nilotinib present as promising candidates with lower toxicity concerns. Amentoflavone, as a natural substance, showcases a more favorable toxicity profile than Nilotinib, offering valuable insights for potential therapeutic applications.

Inflammation is a conserved process that involve the activation of immune and non-immune cells aiming at protecting the host from bacteria, viruses, toxins and injury. However, unresolved inflammation and permanent release of pro-inflammatory mediators are responsible for the promotion of a condition called “low-grade systemic chronic inflammation”, characterized by tissue and organ damages, metabolic changes and increased susceptibility to non-communicable diseases. Several studies have demonstrated that different dietary components may influence modifiable risk factors for diverse chronic human pathologies. Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), mainly eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are well recognized anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents able to influence many aspects of the inflammatory process. The aim of this article is to review the recent literature that relates to the modulation of human disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, by n-3 PUFAs.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of climate change exposure on affect and pro-environmental behavioural intentions in a randomised controlled trial. An online survey was completed by 100 adult participants and included measures of affect and pro-environmental behavioural intentions pre- and post-exposure. Participants were randomly allocated to a group that saw a climate change video (n=55) or a group that saw a non-climate change video (n=45). The findings showed were that participants in the climate change group showed a significant increase in negative affect and pro-environmental behavioural intention scores post-video exposure compared to the non-climate change video group. This suggests that climate change video exposure negatively influences affect but also potentially increases the intention to act pro-environmentally. These findings have the potential to support policies and societal change, however further investigation into the type of contents, actual behaviour change, and impacts on diverse populations (e.g., minority groups) is needed that influences pro-environmental behaviours is required. Furthermore, to achieve a greater impact, future research should be conducted measuring actual pro-environmental behaviour change, including with those from diverse populations.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by oral ingestion of gluten, with certain gluten residues resistant to digestive tract enzymes. Within the duodenum, the remaining peptides incite immunogenic responses, including the generation of autoantibodies and inflammation, leading to irreversible damage. Our previous exploration unveiled a glutenase called Bga1903 derived from the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia gladioli. The cleavage pattern of Bga1903 indicated its moderate ability to mitigate the toxicity of pro-immunogenic peptides. The crystal structure of Bga1903, along with the identification of subsites within its active site, was determined. To improve its substrate specificity toward prevalent motifs like QPQ within gluten peptides, the active site of Bga1903 underwent site-directed mutagenesis according to structural insights and enzymatic kinetics. Among the double-site mutants, E380Q/S387L exhibits an approximately 38-fold increase in its specificity constant toward the QPQ sequence, favoring glutamines at the P1 and P3 positions compared to the wild type. Not only does the heightened specificity of E380Q/S387L improve the hydrolytic activity against pro-immunogenic peptides, but also holds this version of the enzyme as a promising candidate as an oral therapy enzyme for celiac disease.

Nonlinear properties of zinc germanium diphosphide (ZGP) crystals enable their ap-plications in powerful mid-IR optical parametric oscillators and second-harmonic generators. This paper summarizes mechanisms of the laser induced damage (LID) in high-purity ZGP crystals under periodically pulsed nanosecond irradiation by a Ho3+:YAG laser at 2.1 μm. The ZGP samples were manufactured by “LOC” Ent., Tomsk, Russia, or Harbin Institute of Technology, China. The impact of processing techniques and the post-growing methods for polishing and anti-reflection coating on the LID threshold are discussed. The importance of the defect structure of the crystal lattice and the parameters of transparent coatings for increasing the LID threshold is discussed. The impact of the test laser parameters on the LID threshold is analyzed. The transient area near the LID threshold obtained using digital holography is ana-lyzed. Influence of the pre-damage processes on the optical parametric oscillations is reported. Prospects for improving ZGP crystals to further increase the LID threshold are discussed.

Objectives: The term "inflammageing” describes the process of inflammation-induced aging that leads living cells to a state of permanent cell cycle arrest due to chronic antigenic irritation. This in vitro study aimed to shed light on the mechanisms of “inflammageing” on human oral cells. Methods: Primary cultures of human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) were exposed to variable pro-inflammatory stimuli, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNFa), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) collected from active periodontal pockets of systemically healthy patients. Inflammageing was studied through two experimental models, employing either late-passage (“aged”) cells (p.10) that were exposed to the pro-inflammatory stimuli or early-passage (“young”) cells (p.1) continuously exposed during a period of several passages (up to p.10) to the above-mentioned stimuli. Cells were evaluated for the expression of beta-galactosidase activity (histochemical staining), senescence-associated genes (qPCR analysis), and biomarkers related to a Senescence Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP), through proteome profile analysis and bioinformatics. Results: A significant increase (p<0.05) of beta-galactosidase-positive cells was observed after exposure to each pro-inflammatory stimulus. The senescence-associated gene expression included upregulation for CCND1 and downregulation for SUSD6, and STAG1, a profile typical for cellular senescence. Overall, pro-inflammatory priming of late-passage cells caused more pronounced effects in terms of senescence, than long-term exposure of early-passage cells to these stimuli. Proteomic analysis showed induction of SASP, evidenced by upregulation of several pro-inflammatory proteins (IL-6, IL-10, IL-16, IP-10, MCP-1, MCP-2, M-CSF, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, TNFb, sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII, TIMP-2) implicated in cellular aging and immune responses. The least potent impact on the induction of SASP was provoked by LPS and the most pronounced by GCF. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that long-term exposure of hGFs to various pro-inflammatory signals induced or accelerated cellular senescence with the most pronounced impact noted for the late-passage cells. The outcome of this analyses provides insights into oral chronic inflammation, as a potential confounder of age-related diseases.

To address the problems of wind abandonment in the regional integrated energy system (RIES), which occurs when cogeneration unit operates in a heat-determined electricity operation mode, and the low efficiency of the energy storage system in a low-temperature environment, we propose an optimal scheduling method for RIES based on fine energy storage and wind power dissipation. First, a fine energy storage model is established on the source side and the conditional value at risk(CvaR) theory is used to quantify the uncertainty of wind power; then a combined heat and power demand response mechanism is introduced on the load side to reduce the peak-to-valley difference between heat and power loads, and to promote the consumption of wind power. Finally, with the objective of minimizing the total cost of RIES optimal dispatch, the example is solved on the MATLAB platform. The simulation results show that compared with the traditional model, the proposed model is not only more adaptable to the low-temperature environment, but also can effectively improve the system economy and wind power consumption.

Rural areas, as a system, face multiple challenges. Among these are population decline and attendant economic and social maladies namely demographic issues considering a scarce population. Pull factors for immigrants to go to other countries are known, nevertheless, to comprehend factors for remaining in rural areas after arriving could support a strategic local policy, and for an informed practice. The purpose of the study is to explore motivations shaping immigrants’ intentions to stay in the Alentejo, a depopulated region in Portugal, using a qualitative approach. Research questions are: What motivates immigrants to remain living in depopulated regions in Portugal? Furthermore, what contributions can practitioners and immigrants give for local policy and practice? Eight practitioners and fifteen non-European Union immigrants living in this region were interviewed between 2020 and 2021. Empirical data were analysed, supported by MaxQDA software. Results point out that the intention to remain in rural areas arise from a progressive construction, it is a process that immigrants experience to become motivated to stay long-term. Factors influencing the process include four components: 1. instrumental and material motivations; 2. emotional and social motivations; 3. motivations based on quality of life; and 4. motivations based on political dimensions. Components are conditioned by the availability of : stable and suitable jobs, access to decent and affordable housing, as well as quality of education and health services for their children; additionally to socio-emotional satisfaction, as family reunification, migrants network, integration and real intercultural living in the host community, close relationships to practitioners from social services; and quality of life, such as lower rents, peaceful and secure living conditions, granted a better future for their children as in any another place in Europe, associated finally to the simplified policy enabling one to become a legal citizen. Conclusions highlight implications for policy and practice, suggesting more investment for rural regions to reverse depopulation reality.

In recent years, change in behaviour towards the environment has gained prominence as a policy tool to influence positive environmental value. Simultaneously, the role played by social identity in promoting pro-environmental action is gaining recognition. Within this work, the intersection between collective group identity and environmental behaviour has received very little attention. Group norms are considered a strong predictor of pro-environmental behaviour, yet the influence of social identity and collective action on environmental action has not been adequately investigated in a multi-ethnic setting. Within this context, this study examines the affective component of social identity influence on pro-environmental action. More succinctly, this study demonstrates how outgroups and in-groups’ relations and broader socio-cultural structures, values, interest, and norms impact environmental and sustainability transitions behaviours. Through interviews with participants across the four dominant social groups in South Africa, this study provides compelling evidence that country wide expressions of social identity and in-group dynamics shapes the individual behaviour regarding environmental and sustainability concerns and further strengthen the individual’s perspective for social environmental transformation. This study advances the need for a social-identity centred approach to foster pro-environmental and sustainability outcomes.

The main objective of this paper is to assess pro-environmental behavior, climate change perception, anxiety, hope and despair in different political orientations. Specific aims included to validate all the instruments; to assess whether the factor structure of the scales were valid across political orientations; to evaluate their reliability; to assess differences concerning age, gender and political orientation; to know the variables that explain pro-environment behavior; and to evaluate the moderating role of climate change perception, despair and hope in the relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behavior. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFAs), multi-group CFAs (to measurement invariance), multiple linear regressions and moderations were performed. Results showed that pro-environment behavior and climate change hope achieved the four levels of invariance across different political orientations; climate change anxiety achieved the three first levels of invariance; climate change perception and climate change despair achieved configural invariance. Climate change anxiety personal experience, climate change perception total, reality and consequences present higher values in left political orientation that in right or center. Climate change anxiety variables contribute most to explaining pro-environmental behaviors. Hope, despair and climate change perception consequences moderate de relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environment behavior. These results open up new avenues of investigation, namely, to understand why high levels of anxiety lead to more pro-environment al behaviors.

Due to the low content, few studies are focused on the volatile compounds of Phlomoides rotata (Benth. ex Hook. f.) Mathiesen (PR, syn. Lamiophlomis rotata (Benth.) Kudô). However, such volatile compounds may have important pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer. In order to identify the chemical markers (CMs) in the essential oils (Es) and explore the potential bioactivities, we first conduct a thoroughly investigation on the volatile compounds and evaluate their anti-oxidant activities (AOAs), to the best of our knowledge. Light yellow Es with a fresh and elegant smell are obtained by hydro-distillation with an average yield of 0.11% (mL/g). After separation through cryoprecipitation, the crystals (Cs) and EOs removed crystals (RCs) were gotten, respectively. A total of 81 components are qualified and quantified in the Es, Cs and RCs, in which 44 ones are first reported from PR. As for content, the main compounds are long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and their esters. Among them, palmitic acid (PA), myristic acid (MA), linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA) and methyl palmitate are highlighted, Besides, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone and phytol are also prominent Four kinds of C13-norisoprenoids are first reported from PR, in which, trans-β-damascenone is potent in flavour. In sum, these eight representative compounds can be chosen as the CMs. The AOAs of Es, Cs, RCs and four CMs such as PA, MA, LA and OA are evaluated by in vitro assays. In general, PA and MA present pro-oxidant activities (POAs) or weak AOAs. LA and OA show POAs or weak AOAs in lower concentration group, whereas demonstrate medium or strong AOAs in higher concentration group. Usually, the RCs demonstrate stronger AOAs and the Cs present weaker AOAs compared with those of the corresponding Es, which should be related to their different content of PA. This study can give some hints on the utilization of such Es which are abundant in LCFAs.

China is a traditional agricultural country, and the integration of rural industries has become an essential policy direction for the current strategy of agricultural modernization in China. In recent years, the agricultural industrial chains across various regions of China have consistently expanded and extended. The multifunctionality of agriculture is continuously unearthed, and the principal entities managing agriculture have become increasingly diversified and have grown significantly. New industries and forms in agriculture emerge incessantly. Accurately and profoundly understanding the inherent features of the integration of industries in rural China, establishing a scientific and rational measurement index system in line with the current status and development goals of rural China, and employing appropriate measurement methods to assess its development level and process, is instrumental in comprehending the level of integrated development in various regions. This aids in identifying challenges in the developmental process and proposing targeted developmental strategies. Hence, this paper, rooted in the integration of rural industries, cross-industry, industry extension, industry agglomeration, and industry penetration, sets up an measurement index system. Using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020, the paper measures the level of integrated development in rural industries across China and its 31 provinces. Based on the measurement results, further techniques such as kernel density estimation and Gini coefficient decomposition have been used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics and dynamic trends of the integrated development of rural industries in China. Research indicates that during the sample period, the overall level of integrated development in rural industries in various provinces in China has shown an upward trend. Development among the eastern, central, and western regions is highly uneven, but this disparity has been gradually narrowing in recent years. Furthermore, the levels of integrated development in different provinces exhibit significant spatial agglomeration effects. The development level of neighboring regions significantly impacts the province's development status. In the process of integrated development of rural industries in China, there's a trend where "it's easier to downgrade than to upgrade," with very few regions achieving leapfrog development.

Background. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming a major global health concern, especially in poorer nations. The high prevalence of obesity and the ensuing diabetes is attributed to rapid economic progress, physical inactivity, consumption of high-calorie foods, and changing lifestyles. Objectives. We investigated the role of pro-inflammatory chemokines; CCL1, 2, 4 and 5 with varying levels of obesity in T2DM in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods. 170 confirmed T2DM patients and a normal control group were enrolled. The demographic data, serum levels CCL-1, 2, 4 and 5 and the biochemical indices were assessed in patients and control groups by standard procedures. Results. T2DM patients were divided into four groups: A (normal body weight), B (Overweight), C (obese), and D (highly obese). n controls. We observed that male and female control patients had similar mean serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory chemokines CCL 1, 2, 4, and 5. Chemokines CCL1, CCL2, and CCL4 in the serum of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients with normal or overweight body weights were significantly higher than the control group, regardless of gender. In T2DM individuals with obesity and severe obesity, the rise was most significant. There was a progressive rise in the concentrations of CCL1, 2, and 4 in T2DM) patients with increasing BMI. Serum CCL5 levels increased significantly in all T2DM patient groups. The increase in CCL5 was more predominant in normal-weight people as compared to overweight and obese T2DM patients. Conclusions. Male and female control patients had similar serum levels of pro-inflammatory chemokines CCL 1, 2, 4, and 5. The progressive rise in blood concentrations of three Pro-inflammatory chemokines; CCL1, 2, and 4 in T2DM patients with increasing BMI supports the idea that dyslipidemia and obesity contribute to chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. Serum CCL5 levels increased significantly in all T2DM patient groups. The selective and more pronounced increase of CCL5 in the T2DM group with normal BMI as compared to patients with varying degrees of obesity, was rather surprising. Further research is needed to determine if CCL5 under-expression in overweight and obese T2DM patients is due to some unexplained counterbalancing processes.

The power generation structure and load characteristics in different provinces are quite different in China, and the distribution of peak regulating resources and demands is extremely unbalanced. Due to many factors such as low power marketization degree, shortage of peak regulating resources and block of transmission channels, the consumption of new energy is facing greater pressure. In order to improve the mutual aids in regional power grid, this paper proposes a two-layer optimization dispatching model considering the mutual aids of peak regulation resources between each province, and determines the optimal units startup mode and power output in each provinces, thus obtaining all the power supply output arrangements and the technical and economic indicators. Finally, take the actual regional power grid in China as an example, the simulation results show that the proposed model can significantly improve the new energy utilization rate, which verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model and methods in this paper.

Xaa-Pro dipeptidase (XPD, EC 3.4.13.9; also known as prolidase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of iminopeptide bond in the trans Xaa-Pro dipeptides (Xaa represents any amino acid except proline), which makes it find wide applications in food, medical and environmental protection fields. In the present study, a novel Xaa-Pro dipeptidase from Aspergillus phoenicis ATCC 14332 (ApXPD) was molecularly and biochemically characterized. Reclassification based on phylogenetic analysis and version 12.5 MEROPS database showed that this enzyme was the only fungal XPD in the unassigned subfamily which shared the highest sequence similarity with Xanthomonas campestris prolidase but not with that from the more related fungal species A. niudulans. As compared with other prolidases, ApXPD also contained an N-terminal tail (residues 81-89) and an additional region (PAPARLREKL), and used a different arginine residue for dipeptide selectivity. After heterologous expression and partial purification, recombinant ApXPD was highly active and stable over the alkaline range from 8.5 to 10.0, with a maximum activity at pH 9.0 and more than 80% activity retained after 1-h incubation at pHs of 8.5-10.0 (55oC). It also had an apparent optimum temperature of 55oC and remained stable at 20-30oC. Moreover, this enzyme was a cobalt dependent prolidase that only cleaved dipeptides Lys-Pro, Gly-Pro and Ala-Pro rather than other dipeptides, tripeptides and tetrapeptides. All these distinct features make A. phoenicis ATCC 14332 XPD unique among currently known prolidases, thus defining a novel Xaa-Pro dipeptidase subfamily.

Milk MIR spectra have been shown to provide valuable information on a wide range of traits to be used in dairy cattle breeding programs. Selecting the most informative variables from complex data can improve prediction accuracy and model robustness and, consequently, the interpretability of MIR spectra. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prediction performance of feature selection methods based on MIR spectra data, using the milk fatty acid (FA) profile as an example to illustrate the evaluated procedure. Data of MIR spectra, milk test-day records, and reference FA concentrations of 155 first-parity Holstein cows were used in the analyses. Four models comprising different explanatory variables and five feature selection methods were evaluated. The results indicated that the Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS) method can effectively select the most informative variables from the MIR spectra, resulting in higher prediction accuracies than other variable selection approaches. The model including selected MIR spectra and cow information variables [days in milk at the test day, age at the test day, pregnancy stage (in days), number of days open, number of inseminations, and somatic cell count] yielded the best FA profile predictions based on Partial Least Square regression. In particular, ten FAs (C8:0, C10:0, C14:1, C17:0 isomers, C18:1, C18:1 isomer, medium-chain FA, unsaturation FA, monounsaturated FA, and polyunsaturated FA) presented accuracies based on the determination coefficient (R2cv) ranging from 0.66 to 0.85 in internal validation and from 0.65 to 0.84 in external validation. By running CARS 1,000 times in internal validations, we obtained the frequency of selected milk MIR wavenumber for 35 FAs. The most related wavenumbers to FAs were found within 1,003 to 1,145 cm-1, while other discrete areas were between 1,651 to 1,797 and 2,834 to 2,954 cm-1. These biomarkers may give insights into the relationship between MIR spectra and FA phenotypes. In conclusion, using CARS and cow information improved predictions of FAs based on MIR spectra in Chinese Holstein dairy cows. Additional validation studies should be conducted as larger datasets become available.

Background. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming a major global health concern, especially in poorer nations. The high prevalence of obesity and the ensuing diabetes I attributed to rapid economic progress, physical inactivity, consumption of high-calorie foods, and changing lifestyles. Objectives. We investigated the role of interleukins-10 , 19 and 22 with varying levels of obesity in T2DM in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods. 170 confirmed T2DM patients and a control group were enrolled. The demographic data, serum levels of IL-10, IL-19, and IL-22, and biochemical indices were assessed in patients and control groups by standard procedures. Results. T2DM patients were divided into four groups: A (normal body weight), B (Overweight), C (obese), and D (highly obese). Both male and female T2DM subjects in Group A showed significant decreases in IL-10 levels as compared to controls; however, there were insignificant changes in IL-10 levels in Groups C and D. T2DM patients in groups C and D, in both males and females, depicted very significant (p 0.001) increases in IL-19 levels as compared to controls and group A. Patient groups A to D displayed a progressive elevation of Il-22 levels irrespective of gender, although significant alterations were seen only in groups B to D, with p 0.05 for group B and p 0.01 for groups C and D respectively, as compared to healthy controls. Conclusions. IL-10 showed a strong relationship with T2DM in males with varying degrees of obesity, but females depicted relatively higher IL-10 levels in obese and highly obese groups, pointing to a protective phenomenon. IL-19 levels showed significant increases in all four groups, irrespective of gender. IL-22 appears to be unrelated to T2DM per se but shows an association with varying degrees of obesity.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) play a pivotal role in health, wellbeing, and inflammatory diseases in humans. Lack of omega-3 consumption is associated with diseases. Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPM) are produced from Omega-3-PUFAs and accelerate resolution of inflammation. They are classified as resolvins, maresins, protectins, and lipoxins. SPMs actions in resolution consist in limiting neutrophilic infiltration, promote the clearance of apoptotic cell and cellular debris, enhancing efferocytosis and phagocytosis, counter regulate the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as chemokines and cytokines, and promote pro-resolving macrophage phenotype. We identified temporal plasma and serum increases of SPMs after 6 g of oral supplementation of SPM-enriched emulsion in ten healthy subjects. We also described temporal increases of omega-3, as well as pharmacokinetics fundamentals in plasma and serum using LC-MS/MS lipid profiling. These results provide evidence of temporal increases of SPMs that together support the idea that given oral supplementation is a good source of essential bioactive SPMs.

Migraine is a neurovascular disorder that can be debilitating for individuals and society. Current research focuses on finding effective analgesics and management strategies for migraines by targeting specific receptors and neuropeptides. Nevertheless, the responder rates of recently approved calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and receptor inhibitors remain around 50 percent. To address the need for novel therapeutic targets, researchers are exploring the potential of another secretin family peptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), as a ground-breaking treatment avenue for migraine. Preclinical models have revealed how PACAP affects the trigeminal system, which is implicated in headache disorders. Clinical studies have demonstrated the significance of PACAP in migraine pathophysiology; however, a few clinical trials remain inconclusive: the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide 1 receptor mAb, AMG 301 showed no benefit for migraine prevention, while the PACAP ligand mAb, Lu AG09222 significantly reduced the number of monthly migraine days over placebo in a phase 2 clinical trial. Meanwhile, another secretin family peptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is gaining interest as a potential new target. In light of recent advances in PACAP research, we emphasize the potential of PACAP as a promising target for migraine treatment, highlighting the significance of exploring PACAP as a member of the antimigraine armamentarium, especially for patients who do not respond to or contraindicated to anti-CGRP therapies. By updating our knowledge on PACAP and its unique contribution to migraine pathophysiology, we can pave the way for reinforcing PACAP and other secretin peptides, including VIP, as a novel treatment option for migraines.

Drone imagery has the potential to enrich urban planning and preservation, especially where it converges with the growing creation and use of 3D models. The authors have conducted a systematic literature review of articles published between 2002 and 2022, drawing from reputable academic repositories including Science Direct, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), to identify current gaps in existing research in the application of UAVs to the creation of 3D models in urban planning and preservation. Findings indicate five research shortcomings: limited participation of planning experts, research focus imbalance, lack of usage for special scenarios, lack of integration with smart city planning, and limited interdisciplinary collaboration. The study also acknowledges current limitations with UAV applications and discusses possible countermeasures as well as future prospects.

In neonatal equines, pathologies involving umbilical structures are an important cause of morbidity, and surgical removal of urachal remnants is a common procedure in clinical practice. Surgery involving the ventral abdominal wall can cause substantial pain, leading to complications and prolonged recovery. The objectives of this study were to describe a two-point bilateral ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block at the level of the umbilicus and to evaluate the extent of dye distribution in foal cadavers. Ten foal cadavers were included in the study, in which a bilateral two-point ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block was performed—one injection cranially and a second one caudally to the umbilicus. The injectate consisted of a mixture of iodinated contrast medium and blue dye at a volume of 0.25 mL kg-1 per injection point (total 1 mL kg-1). After the injection, computer tomography and subsequent dissection of the ventral abdominal wall were performed. The extension of the contrast medium, the number of stained nerves, and contamination of the abdominal cavity were evaluated. The cranio-caudal extension of the contrast ranged from 0.8 to 1.4 centimeters per milliliter of injectate. The most commonly stained ventral branches of spinal nerves were thoracic (Th) nerves 16, 17, and 18 (95%, 85%, and 80% of the nerves, respectively). Abdominal contamination was found in 4 animals. The results suggest that the block could provide periumbilical analgesia. Further studies with different volumes of injectate and living animals are warranted.

Overhydration (OH) is a prevalent medical problem occuring in patients with kidney failure, but a specific marker has still not been found. Currently, clinicians employ techniques such as bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), ultrasound (US) markers of fluid overload or markers of heart and kidney function such as NT-pro-BNP, GFR or creatinine levels. New serum markers, including but not limited to Ca-125, Galectin-3 (Gal-3), Adrenomedullin (AMD) and Urocortin-2 (UCN-2), are presently under research, displaying promising results. The necessity to ascertain a more precise marker of overhydration is urgent mainly because physical examination is exceptionally imprecise. Signs and symptoms of fluid overload, like edema or gradual increase of body mass, are not always present, notably in patients with chronic kidney disease. This review paper summarizes actual knowledge of a patient's hydration status estimation, focusing specifically on kidney diseases.

This paper proposes a non-extensive entropy econometric technique to predict energy efficiency at province (NUT-2) level based on imperfect knowledge of the national overall efficiency in the sectors of industry, transport, households and services. The model is applied to the polish case. As acknowledged in recent literature, non-extensive entropy model should remain a valuable device for econometric modelling even in the case of low frequency series since outputs provided by the Gibbs-Shannon entropy approach correspond to the Tsallis entropy limiting case of the Gaussian law when the Tsallis q-parameter converges to unity. Therefore, we set up a q-Tsallis-Kullback-Leibler entropy criterion function with a priori consistency moment and model data constraints, including province energy intensity (known with uncertainty), regional climate differentiation and regular conditions. The model outputs continue to conform to empirical expectations. In spite of the close to unity q-Tsallis parameter, this Tsallis related approach reflects higher stability for parameter computation in comparison with the Shannon-Gibbs entropy econometrics technique. The proposed technique can be applied in different EU countries and elsewhere for example in the context of experimental official statistics.

Aims: This systematic review aims to evaluate the influence of Environmental Enrichment (EE) on oncological factors in experimental studies involving various types of cancer models. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in three databases: PubMed (161 articles), Embase (335 articles), and Scopus (274 articles). Eligibility criteria were applied based on the PICOS strategy to minimize bias. Two independent researchers performed the searches, with a third participant resolving any discrepancies. The selected articles were analyzed, and data regarding sample characteristics and EE protocols were extracted. The outcomes focused solely on cancer and tumor-related parameters, including cancer type, description of the cancer model, angiogenesis, tumor occurrence, volume, weight, mice with tumors, and tumor inhibition rate. Key-findings: A total of 770 articles were identified across the three databases, with 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The findings demonstrated that different EE protocols were effective in significantly reducing various aspects of tumor growth and development, such as angiogenesis, volume, weight, and the number of mice with tumors. Furthermore, EE enhanced the rate of tumor inhibition in mouse cancer models. Findings: This systematic review highlights the significant impact of EE protocols on multiple parameters associated with tumor growth and development, including angiogenesis, occurrence, volume, weight, and tumor incidence. Moreover, EE demonstrated the potential to increase the rate of tumor inhibition. These findings underscore the importance of EE as a valuable tool in the management of cancer.

The complex interplay between dietary factors, inflammation, and macrophage polarization is pivotal in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic liver diseases (CLDs). Omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) have been attracted attention due to their potential to modulate inflammation and exert protective effects in various pathological conditions. This review explores the emerging role of omega-3 FAs and their specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) in the context of macrophage polarization, with a focus on chronic liver diseases. Omega-3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have promising effects in mitigating inflammation and enhancing the resolution of inflammatory responses. They influence the M1/M2 macrophage phenotype balance, promoting a shift towards the M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype. SPMs, such as resolvins (Rvs), protectins (PDs), and maresins (MaRs), have emerged as potent regulators of inflammation and macrophage polarization. They show anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving properties. These mediators modulate the expression of cytokines, facilitate the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, and promote tissue repair. MaR1, in particular, has demonstrated significant hepatoprotective effects by promoting M2 macrophage polarization, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting key inflammatory pathways such as NF-κB. In the context of CLD, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis, omega-3 and their SPMs have shown promise in attenuating liver injury, promoting tissue regeneration, and modulating macrophage phenotypes. However, the mechanisms underlying their effects and their interactions with other cell types within the liver microenvironment require further investigation. Understanding the intricate relationship among SPM and macrophage polarization holds unlimited potential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for chronic liver diseases.

We report a diode pumped solid state (DPSS) laser used for intracavity pump-enhanced difference frequency generation (DFG) to create a 3.5 micron laser. Using a 50 mm-long periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal inside the cavity of an Nd:YVO4 solid state laser at 1064 nm with 4.5 W pump power at 808 nm, and a 310 mW C-band signal at 1529 nm, up to 31 mW of mid-infrared output power at 3499 nm is obtained. The cavity requires no active stabilization and/or locking, and the entire cavity is &lt;8 cm in length. The obtained output power corresponds to a black box efficiency of 2.20 %W-1, which is the highest value reported to date for continuous wave DFG based on a bulk nonlinear optical crystal with no active stabilization. Potential future applications in free space optical communication are discussed as well.

In order to ensure sustainable tourism development, it is currently becoming crucial to look into promotion of popular tourist destinations in Russia. This is due to a number of factors, including the acceptance of the credibility and importance of the concept of sustainable tourism, as well as the awareness of the necessity of taking into account a wide range of short- and long-term effects, external factors, and interdisciplinary aspects of the development of the Russian tourism industry. In the context of a local tourist destination during the economic crisis, the study aims to highlight some of the key economic elements of sustainable tourism. The decision to adopt a regional perspective is necessitated by the fact that many of the most crucial elements for the long-term sustainable development of the tourist complex are established at this level, including decision-making by businesses and authorities that are economically viable. The research focuses on the economic aspects to be considered while designing an overall strategy for the long-term development of regional tourist destinations in Russia. The authors define sustainable tourism from the viewpoint of economics. This understanding extends beyond the relatively limited framework of environmental and socioeconomic consequences of tourism development, affecting some less obvious economic aspects of a regional destination that directly relate to sustainable development.

Homogenization of climatic time series aims to remove non-climatic biases which come from the technical changes of climate observations. The method comparison tests of the Spanish MULTITEST project (2015-2017) showed that ACMANT was likely the most accurate homogenization method available at that time, in spite of the tested ACMANTv4 version gave suboptimal results when the test data included synchronous breaks for several time series. The technique of combined time series comparison has been introduced to ACMANTv5 in order to treat better this specific problem. Tests confirm that ACMANTv5 treats adequately synchronous inhomogeneities, but the accuracy has slightly worsened in some other cases. Results for a known daily temperature test dataset for 4 U.S. regions show that the residual errors after homogenization may be larger with ACMANTv5 than with ACMANTv4. Further tests have been performed to learn more about the efficiencies of ACMANTv4 and ACMANTv5, and to find solutions for the appearing problems with the new version. Planned changes in ACMANTv5 are presented in the paper along with connecting test results. The overall results indicate that the combined time series comparison can be kept in ACMANT, but smaller networks should be generated by the automatic networking process of the method. For the further improvements of homogenization methods and for obtaining more reliable and more solid knowledge about their accuracies, more synthetic test datasets mimicking fairly the true spatio-temporal structures of real climatic data would be in need.

Background: Pro-golfers are increasingly trained scientifically, but swing technique characteristics have not yet been conclusively determined for golf performance. We investigated the relationship between the player's thorax, pelvis and club based on a wireless biofeedback system. We also determined whether thoracic and pelvic changes during different swing phases have different effects on ball striking. Methods: Eight male professionals performed 10 successful full-swing shots using a 5-iron and applied the K-vest wireless biofeedback system for analysis. Results: Peak angular velocities between the pelvis, torso, and clubs were all significantly different (p&lt;0.05) in the men's professional players. All players deviated more from the PGA players range metrics during the preparation stance. Excessive lateral pelvic bending angle, over-rotation, and hyperextension of the trunk were prevalent at the top of the backswing. Conclusions: Most players have an irrational sequence of pelvic, trunk and club rotation times, which is not conducive to improving club head speed and distance. Excessive pelvic rotation in the closed direction at the apex of the backswing is not conducive to maximizing the X-factor. At the moment of striking the ball, maintain a moderate forward trunk lean and full trunk rotation to avoid sports injuries.

This article examines evolution of trans-regional Ethio-Djibouti railway corridor and its impact on urbanization. Exploratory and descriptive research methods were employed to examine the impact of this railway corridor. Case study also applied to examine eight selected intermediate cities. The article points out that, the Ethio-Djibouti railway corridor conceived different kinds of linear urban centers ranging from small towns to intermediate cities around stations. Those urban centers have been attracting industries along their fringes that leads to rural urban continuum ribbon urbanization. As the old railway line deteriorated, these linear urban centers on the railway corridor had also been declining from time to time. In 2011 new project was started to construct the Ethi-Djibouti standard gauge railway parallel to the old railway line. This new standard gauge railway infrastructure adopts ‘peripheral station’ development approach, which provides a room for width expansion for station based urban centers. It also attracts industries in a form of special economic zones, which causes for labour migration from rural and nearby small urban centers that caused rural-urban continuum of ribbon settlement; strengthen trade gate way for the landlocked Ethiopia that caused trans-regional integration.

The microbiota–gut–brain axis has garnered increasing attention in recent years for its role in various health conditions, including neuroinflammatory disorders like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic neuropathic pain, and its etiology and pathophysiology remain elusive. Emerging research suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota composition and function could play a significant role in CRPS development and progression. Our paper explores the implications of microbiota in CRPS and the potential therapeutic role of boron (B). Studies have demonstrated that individuals with CRPS often exhibit dysbiosis, with imbalances in beneficial and pathogenic gut bacteria. Dysbiosis can lead to increased gut permeability and systemic inflammation, contributing to the chronic pain experienced in CRPS. B, an essential trace element, has shown promise in modulating the gut microbiome positively and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. Recent preclinical and clinical studies suggest that B supplementation may alleviate neuropathic pain and improve CRPS symptoms by restoring microbiota balance and reducing inflammation. Our review highlights the complex interplay between microbiota, inflammation, and neuropathic pain in CRPS and underscores the potential of B as a novel therapeutic approach to target the microbiota–gut–brain axis, offering hope for improved management of this challenging condition.

In recent years, the Chinese government pays more and more attention to agricultural development and ecological protection. While improving the cultivated land green use efficiency(CLGUE) is the key to promote the sustainable development of agriculture. This study aims to study the current situation and influencing factors of agricultural production from the perspective of green utilization efficiency of cultivated land. It takes 39 cities in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin in China as an example. The CLGUE values in those 39 cities from 2011 to 2020 were specifically measured, using the Super-SBM model, kernel density estimation and geographic detector method. Their temporal and spatial heterogeneity was described, and the influencing factors were detected at both single and interactive levels. The results showed that: （1）From 2011 to 2020, the green utilization efficiency value of cultivated land in the Yangtze River Basin showed an upward trend on the whole; （2）There is a clear spatial heterogeneity the CLGUE values in the Yangtze River Basin cities, as shown by: downstream region > midstream region > upstream region; (3) Cultivated land resource endowment, socioeconomic development, and agricultural production technology are important factors affecting the variability of CLGUE values. However, there are some differences in the degree and direction of influence of different influencing factors on different sample subgroups.

Climate changes challenges people’s life and sustainability. Environmental problems seem to derive from human behavior. Dentistry has a high environmental footprint that needs to be controlled worldwide. Thus, the change of behavior of dentists is a necessary condition to improve the environmental situation. In this study we use a system dynamics approach to analyze pro-environmental behavior in dentists. Systemic modelling in this case, allow us to make a clear prediction of how the population of non-eco dentists will change in the future if certain factors will be affected and how much time will be needed by the system of a group of dental professionals to become eco- dentists. The ECODENT model was designed with Vensim software. It was based on the influence of WOM (word of mouth) spread of information among colleagues and stakeholders (e.g. patients, auxiliary staff and community) and other factors such as dental income, state support, CaPex and OpEx, education hours, level of urbanization and time to react. By changing each one of them we can observe the changes in the groups of non-eco and eco dentists as well as the flow of the phenomenon. It is tested that by augmenting WOM parameter, state economic support or education hours, while diminishing CaPex and OpEx, changes in pro-environmental behaviors of dentist will be reported in a shorter time. The ECODENT model can be used to further study pro-environmentalism in different dental groups and associations and design relevant eco-friendly educational programs.

A recent research has identified an inverse amplitude link between obliquity damping and short eccentricity amplification during Mid-Late Pleistocene based on LR04 δ18O and equatorial Pacific Site 846 sea surface temperature records, which is associated with the Earth's long-term cooling. In the present study, new evidence of this anticorrelation is presented from Antarctic D-CO2-CH4 records, global benthic-planktic δ18O, and regional (Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, and Indian) climate-related proxies. Based on a critical review of theoretical constrains (Earth's oblateness changes and ice-volume phase lag in the obliquity band <5.0 kyr), this widespread and symmetric (bipolar) obliquity response damping has been interpreted as an effect of the obliquity-oblateness feedback, which could be the latent physical mechanism at the origin of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT). Indeed, results and considerations of the present work suggest that fast and positive/negative net variation of the Earth's oblateness in the obliquity band was controlled by dominant glacio-eustatic water mass component and, assuming a rapid response of the ice-volume to surface temperature changes, the mean obliquity lag response is estimated to be <5.0 kyr over the past 800 kyr. These elements may explain the interglacial/glacial damping observed in the obliquity response. The consolidation of the Earth's long-term icy-state in the subtrend IV, culminated with the post-MPT obliquity damping, might have contributed to the strengthening of the short eccentricity response by mitigating the obliquity ‘ice-killing’ during obliquity maxima (interglacials), favouring the obliquity-cycle skipping and a feedback amplified ice-growth in the short eccentricity band (obliquity damping hypothesis). This could suggest a different impact of the climate friction than what is generally believed, which is presumably the latent physical mechanism that triggers transient ‘competitive’ interaction between obliquity and short eccentricity started early during the Piacenzian.

Climate change represents a prevalent challenge confronted by humanity, and with cities being one of the regions most heavily impacted by such change, enhancing their climate resilience is paramount in adapting to and mitigating the associated risks and losses. This article evaluates the climate resilience of 270 major cities in China by creating an urban climate resilience indicator system centered on exposure, vulnerability, and resilience. The article analyses the spatial and temporal evolution trend of climate resilience in Chinese cities, as well as the source of regional differences using Kernel density analysis and the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition. The article then explores the influence of financial investments on urban climate resilience, considering the moderating effect of urbanization rate.

The introduction of digitization has changed all spheres of business on a global level, including geospatial data. In the Republic of Serbia, the process on this topic should begin with the introduction of the terms ePlan and eSpace. The general goal of the paper implies the construction and implementation of the ePlan as a future part of the eSpace for digital management of geospatial data, by creating co-creating value. For this purpose, the authors conducted research in which representatives of local self-governments and holders of public authority participated, by means of structured online research. The focus was on the digitization of urban and planning documents and the establishment a central database of spatial and planning documents in electronic format, and its further distribution through the one system. In that way, easy access to digital plan data expands the user community, and enables communication with different stakeholder groups. Ac-cording to the results of the research, the authors point out that it is necessary to form a new model for managing geospatial data through a eSpace system. This is achieved by shifting the focus from urban and spatial planning to other databases and their registers that are related to geospatial data. The goal of the paper indicates that it is necessary to raise the awareness of society, to introduce the concept of value co-creation, because conditions are created for the implementation of all measures aimed at digitization and management of electronic services in sustainable project society, at all countries.

Over the past decade, significant developments have occurred in treatment strategies for ovarian cancer, yet targeted therapy with few side effects is still a major issue. The cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family plays a vital role in the tumorigenesis process and metabolism of drugs, with a negative impact on therapy outcomes. Gaining more insight into CYP expression is crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of ovarian cancer since many isoforms are essential for the metabolism of xenobiotics and steroid hormones, which drive the disease's development. The purpose of this review is to provide a clear understanding of differential CYP expression in ovarian cancer and its implications for the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients, together with their polymorphisms' effect on chemotherapy metabolism. Finally, we provide our thoughts on opportunities to exploit metabolic CYP expression for novel therapeutic development to treat ovarian cancer.

Youth is the essential entrepreneurial force for every country's social, political, and economic development. Urban youth make up about 34.27 percent of the population in Ethiopia. The youth unemployment crisis is one of the serious challenges that Ethiopia is facing nowadays, and it should be mentioned in the nation's public discourse. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to specify the socioeconomic and demographic factors that influence urban youth unemployment in the Somali Regional State, specifically in Jigjiga, Degahbour, Kebridahar, Gode, and Dollo Ado towns. Both primary and secondary data sources were employed. A multi-stage sampling technique has been used to select 385 sample respondents from the total population of the study. This study found that almost 63% of youth in the study area were unemployed, and a large number of unemployed youths live in Jigjiga and Dollo Ado Towns as compared to other city administrations. The econometric model's findings indicate that factors like gender, education level, work experience, access to credit, access to information, time applied for job vacancy, active job seeker, social network (network with clan elders, government officials, businessmen, and other friends), and residence in Jigjiga and Gode town have a significant association with the likelihood of youth unemployment in the Somali regional state. Therefore, this study recommends that the regional government and local city administration should develop effective policies and strategies to address the underlying causes of gender inequality, improving access and quality of education, supporting freshman graduates to find jobs, providing access to credit and job vacancies, ensuring fair and free job competition, and managing youth migration for job seeking.

The demand for industries to enhance sustainability is rising in response to climate change worries. A pervasive and intensifying worldwide environmental problem, plastic pollution has a particularly severe impact on climate change. The production of significant volumes of plastic garbage occurs mostly in Asian regions. So, it's commonplace to talk about pro-environmental conduct nowadays. Indonesia and Taiwan are chosen as case studies of developed and developing regions, respectively. The cultural differences between the two areas do, however, exist in terms of environmental values, and this further influences consumer behavior. In order to understand how environmental education has influenced pro-environmental behavior, this study examines how environmental attitude, knowledge, motivation, and intention have changed as a result of environmental education. By sending electronic questionnaires to a sample of 235 respondents (110 Indonesian and 125 Taiwanese), gathered between March 11 and April 30, 2023, we employ quantitative approaches and data-gathering procedures. The CB-Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS analytical tool is used to examine the data. We are able to draw important conclusions from the study of differences between Indonesian and Taiwanese and make suggestions for more research as well as theoretical and managerial ramifications.

This study examined if people who reside in different regions of South Korea exhibit different WTP for the mitigation of PM2.5 emissions from coal power plants by restricting the operation of such plants during the winter and spring when air pollution becomes severe. A contingent valuation method combined with a double bounded dichotomous choice was used to derive people’s WTP for the mitigation of PM2.5 emissions. Sample group was divided into central, western, eastern, and southern regions. It is known that the eastern region is affected by northwesterly winds in the winter and spring seasons, so air pollutants in the eastern areas fly to the eastern sea. According to the estimation results, respondents who live in eastern regions showed significantly lower WTP than the average WTP. We suggest that the mitigation policy on PM2.5 emissions should consider regional differences in the contributions of coal power plants to PM2.5 emissions.

This paper presents a numerical study on the vertical (axial) and lateral (flexure) behavior of CFST (Concrete-Filled Steel Tube) columns with active hoop prestress; this transverse prestressing effect is achieved by bolting together two steel half-tubes. This study refers to new construction only (i.e., no retrofit). 12 prototype CFST column specimens (segments) are analyzed. These specimens differ in the prestressing force (3 levels) and in the gravity loading ratio (4 levels); they are selected to represent typical ground columns of mid-rise buildings. The structural behavior of these column specimens is simulated with a nonlinear model implemented in Abaqus; the concrete and steel behavior are described with a damage-plasticity and a plasticity model, respectively. Finally, the interface concrete-steel interaction is represented by a hard (compression-only) surface-to-surface contact model. The calculations involve three consecutive loading steps: (i) transverse prestress, (ii) axial force, and (iii) lateral loading (shear force and bending moment). The structural behavior of the CFST columns is deeply examined and discussed; the results show that their axial-flexural capacity is adequate. Noticeably, it is concluded that the overall benefits of prestressing the columns are only modest. Preliminary studies on the aforementioned mid-rise buildings equipped with the CFST columns show that their gravity and wind capacities are largely enough; conversely, their seismic capacity is sufficient for moderate seismic ground motions only.

The compositions of metalliferous sediments which is associated with hydrothermal vents can provide reliable geochemical indicators for the exploration of seafloor sulfides. In this study, surface sediments from the Xunmei hydrothermal field (HF) on the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) were selected, and their major and trace elements were analysed. The results showed that the sediments are composed of pelagic material (calcium biogenic components), basaltic debris, iron-manganese oxides, and a mixture of hydrothermal components. Additionally, the sediments were found to be significantly enriched in Cu, Zn, Fe and Co derived from hydrothermal sources, as well as Mn, V, Mo, U and P, which are primarily scavenged from seawater. The Cu and Zn concentrations are highest in the northeastern part of Xunmei, while the northeastern, northern, and southern parts are characterized by great inputs of hydrothermal Fe. Manganese and Mo are mainly enriched in the western and southern parts and show a strong positive correlation, indicating that Mo is mainly scavenged by Mn oxides. There are high positive correlations among U, P, and Fe, indicating their coprecipitation with Fe from hydrothermal plumes. Vanadium and Co are introduced into sediments in two ways, i.e., V is scavenged and coprecipitates from hydrothermal plumes, and Co is derived from sulfide debris. Based on the variations in Cu and Zn contents and in the Cu/Fe (0.159), Zn/Fe (0.158), and Fe/Mn (1440) ratios, it can be inferred that a high-temperature hydrothermal vent existed in northeastern Xunmei. In combination with the distribution patterns of the above elements, the hydrothermal vents in the southern part ceased erupting after a short period of activity. In addition, the high Mn anomaly and the high U/Fe ratios at the boundaries of the investigated area indicate the presence of a relatively oxidized environment in southwestern Xunmei.

A regional organisation (RO) is a group of states that, through the formation of mutual relationships, work together for shared regional goals such as economic growth, social welfare, security, and democracy. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one such organisation, of interest because of its operative paradoxes. However, current theory to study ROs is both fragmented across the field of study, and inadequate. Taking ROs to be complex adaptive systems, diagnosing ROs requires theory that can to explore their hidden aspects. The metacybernetics framework enables the creation of a critical realism configurative a-priori inquiry approach to theory building, the configurations providing coordinative schemas able to respond to predefined complex modelling needs. To analyse ROs using metacybernetics, we offer a derivative schema, Cultural Agency Theory (CAT). Currently this is limited to exploring modes of information acquisition processes through cognitive style, and until now has had no inherent mechanism to explore social relationships as is required to explore ROs. To enable CAT to explore such relationships, we configure the Tönnies social organisation paradigm for CAT. Mindset Agency Theory (MAT) is a specific elaboration of CAT, and creates an empirical setting for the set of formative traits that de-fine an RO character. A related derivative of CAT is that of Multiple Identity Theory (MIT) which enables organisational pathologies to be explored in terms of identity conflicts. This multifaceted paradigm provides a relatively simple approach to the RO diagnosis, in particular in terms of stability/coherence. This paper is in two parts. In this part 1, the CAT theory will be further developed through the joint configuration of Tönnies social organisation paradigm allowing its pathologies to be diagnosed. In part 2 of the paper, the theory will be applied to ASEAN and the diagnosis will show that it is an inherently incoherent organisation.

A regional organisation (RO) is a group of states that, through the formation of mutual relation-ships, work together for shared regional goals such as economic growth, social welfare, security, and democracy. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one such organisation, of interest because of its operative paradoxes. However, current theory to study ROs is both fragmented across the field of study, and inadequate. Taking ROs to be complex adaptive systems, diagnosing ROs requires theory that can to explore their hidden aspects. The metacybernetics framework enables the creation of a critical realism configurative a-priori inquiry approach to theory building, the configurations providing coordinative schemas able to respond to predefined complex modelling needs. To analyse ROs using metacybernetics, we offer a derivative schema, Cultural Agency Theory (CAT). Currently this is limited to exploring modes of information acquisition processes through cognitive style, and until now has had no inherent mechanism to explore social relationships as is required to explore ROs. To enable CAT to explore such relationships, we configure the Tönnies social organisation paradigm for CAT. Mindset Agency Theory (MAT) is a specific elaboration of CAT, and creates an empirical setting for the set of formative traits that de-fine an RO character. A related derivative of CAT is that of Multiple Identity Theory (MIT) which enables organisational pathologies to be explored in terms of identity conflicts. Thes multifaceted paradigm provides a relatively simple approach to the RO diagnosis, in particular in terms of stability/coherence. This paper is in two parts. In this part 1, the CAT theory will be further developed through the joint configuration of Tönnies social organisation paradigm allowing its pathologies to be diagnosed. In part 2 of the paper, the theory will be applied to ASEAN and the diagnosis will show that it is an inherently incoherent organisation

Modification of the brainstorming process by the application of artificial intelligence (AI) is proposed. System design of the software tool “kresilnik” is provided, which enables hybrid work of the human group and AI. The proposed system integrates OpenAI-GPT-3.5-turbo model with the server side providing the results to clients. The proposed architecture provides the possibility to not only generate ideas but also categorize them and set priorities. With the developed prototype, 760 ideas were generated on the topic of the design of the Gorenjska region development plan at eight different values of OpenAI-GPT-3.5-turbo algorithm temperatures. For the set of generated ideas, the entropy was determined, as well as the time needed for generation. Entropy distributions of the human group as well as AI-generated sets of ideas at different OpenAI-GPT-3.5-turbo algorithm temperatures, are provided in the form of histograms. Ideas were presented as a word cloud for one human group and AI-generated sets. A comparison of the idea-generation process between the human group and AI was conducted. The statistical Mann-Whitney U-test was performed, which confirmed the significant differences in the average entropy of generated ideas. Correlations between the length of the generated ideas and the time needed were determined for the human group and AI. Distributions for needed times and length of the ideas were determined, which are possible indicators to distinguish between human and artificial idea generation processes.

(1) As the craft beer industry continues to expand in Canada, understanding the regional differences between the Eastern and Western markets becomes pivotal for brewing ingredient companies seeking to penetrate or expand within these regions. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of these two distinctive markets, focusing on economic, logistical, ingredient, and cultural differences. (2) The study primarily relies on secondary data from government, industry reports, and scholarly publications, providing a holistic view of the Canadian craft beer landscape. It further highlights the need to consider market distinctions between Canada and the United States. (3) Findings reveal that Western Canadian breweries, unlike their Eastern counterparts, operate under constrained storage space, prefer locally-sourced ingredients, and offer a distinct variety of beer styles catering to local tastes. The study further uncovers the regulatory and financial complexities of the Canadian market compared to the United States. (4) Based on these findings, this study provides strategic recommendations for brewing ingredient companies, emphasizing domestic logistics, local sourcing, product adaptation, educational support, and regulatory navigation, fostering success in the Canadian craft beer landscape.

Background: This study examines the relationship between energy usage, health issues, and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in Kyrgyzstan, amidst the country's commitment to transition from coal-based energy to renewable sources in line with the Paris Agreement. The purpose is to investigate citizens' attitudes towards PEB and their intentions to engage in environmentally friendly actions, focusing on gas, electricity, and coal. Methods: Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, a survey was conducted among 1,455 respondents to explore attitudes towards PEB and energy sources' impact on health issues. Results: Decarbonization efforts in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia are in their early stages, with coal remaining a primary energy source. The study emphasizes the importance of governmental policies and citizen action in achieving decarbonization goals. Rising electricity costs outweigh the increase in indirect energy costs for food, posing challenges for households in adapting to changing energy dynamics. Conclusions: Targeted interventions and communication strategies are crucial to promote pro-environmental behavior and facilitate the transition to sustainable energy sources. Understanding the relationships between health concerns, air pollution awareness, PEB, and energy source choices can inform policymakers and organizations in their efforts to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries.

Identifying a panel of markers detecting kidney injury before the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) reduction is the challenge to improve the diagnosis and the management of acute kidney injury (AKI) in septic patients. This study evaluated the roles of tissue inhibitor metal proteinase, insulin growth factor binding protein (TIMP2*IGFBP7), and mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) in AKI patients. Patients and Methods: This study was prospectively conducted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) enrolling 230 patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Biomarkers were evaluated before and after 4 hours of the cardiac surgery. Results: Whereas urine and creatinine alterations appeared at 23.2 (12.7 – 36.5) hours, after cardiac surgery, urinary TIMP2*IGBP7 levels were higher at 4 hours in AKI patients (1.1±0.4 mg/l vs 0.08±0.02 mg/l; p < 0.001). Its concentration >2 mg/l increases the AKI risk within the following 24 hours, clearly identifying the population at high risk of renal replacement therapy (RRT). In patients with sepsis, MR-proADM levels were 2.3 nmol/l (0.7–7.8 nmol/l), with the highest values observed in septic shock [5.6 nmol/l (3.2–18 nmol/l)] and a better diagnostic profile than procalcitonin and C-reactive protein to identify septic patients. MR-proADM values >5.1 nmol/l and urine TIMP2*IGBP7 levels > 2 mg/l showed a significantly faster progression to RRT, with a mean follow-up time of 1.1 days. Conclusions: TIMP2*IGBP7 and MR-proADM precociously diagnose AKI in septic patients after cardiac surgery, giving prognostic information for RRT requirement.

This study examines the geopolitical dynamics of water conflicts in Central Asia, with a specific focus on Uzbekistan and its neighbors. Drawing upon a mixed methods approach within the framework of political geography, the research investigates the interactions among regional nations and the implications of population growth, agricultural industrialization, and economic competition, which heavily rely on shared irrigation systems and watersheds. The study establishes clear research objectives aimed at evaluating the water crisis in the region, addressing challenges in water management, and analyzing contentious issues. By uncovering historical and contemporary factors influencing water conflicts, regional power dynamics, and the complexities of water governance, the study highlights the potential for conflict, regional instability, and disruptions to peace resulting from population growth and economic competition within shared watersheds. The study concludes by providing recommendations to enhance regional cooperation, promote sustainable water management, and foster peacebuilding efforts. These recommendations draw on “soft power theory” and advocate for collaborative approaches. The findings of this research offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in water management and regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical challenges. By contributing to informed decision-making and promoting strategies for sustainable development in the region, this study aims to support efforts toward effective water resource management and long-term stability in Central Asia. The implications of this research extend beyond the immediate region, serving as a reference for other areas facing similar water-related conflicts and providing a foundation for future studies in the field of geography.

Gaucher Disease's (GD) pathophysiology generates anesthetic concerns in Total Hip joint Arthroplasty (THA), and due to its rareness, data on perioperative risks is scarce. This 22-year study at a large reference center addresses anesthetic management and perioperative outcomes in GD. This retrospective-cohort study assessed anesthetic success and safety in 30 THA patients, comparing them with a control-matched group. Data on clinical characteristics, perioperative events, and outcomes were collected. The primary outcome was difficult anesthesia-initiation incidence. Secondary outcomes were difficult intraoperative course and hemodynamic management, and the development of postoperative-complications. The age, sex, weight, body mass index, primary-to-revision hip arthroplasty ratio were similar in both groups. The mean age was 48±13 years. Ten arthroplasties were revision while twenty were primary. There was no significant difference at all-type anesthesia first initiation attempt success. No particular preference by staff anesthetists for general anesthesia or neuraxial procedures was observed. The GD group showed significantly higher mean intraoperative packed red blood cell units administered (0.73 vs 0.18);(p= 0.038)), higher intraoperative and postoperative platelet transfusion incidence (5/30 [16.7%] vs. 0/56 [0.00%];p=0.004) and (3/30 [10%] vs 0/56 [0%];p=0.040) and longer mean recovery-room length-of-stay (426±412 vs 175±140;p=0.004). Postoperative complications were not significantly different.

Some biologically active compounds isolated from sea cucumbers stimulate the body’s immune response through activating immune cells. Immune function is closed related to the integrity intestinal barrier and balanced gut microbiota. However, it is unknown whether daily administration of holothurian wall hydrolysates (HWH) ameliorated intestinal dysbiosis and barrier injury induced by immunodeficiency. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effect and the underlying mechanism of HWH in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunocompromised mice. BALB/c mice received CTX (80 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) once a day for 3 days to induce immunodeficiency, and then oral administration of HWH (80 or 240 mg/kg), levamisole hydrochloride (LH, 40 mg/kg, positive control) respectively once a day for 7 days. We utilized 16S rRNA sequencing for microbial composition alterations, histopathological analysis for splenic and colonic morphology, Western blotting for expressions of tight junction proteins (TJs), and quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR) for measurements of pro-inflammatory cytokines. HWH attenuated the immune organ damage induced by CTX, increased the secretions of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and promoted the recovery of goblet cells and the productions of TJs (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1) in the colon of the immunocompromised mice. Moreover, HWH promoted the growth of beneficial microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae, Christensenellaceae, and Bifidobacterium, while suppressed the populations of Ruminococcus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. These results demonstrate that HWH elicits intestinal mucosal immunity, repairs the damage to intestinal mucosal integrity, and normalizes the imbalanced intestinal microbial profiles in immunocompromised mice. It may be helpful to identify the biological activities of HWH, and supports the potential as new prebiotics, immunomodulatory agents, and medical additive for intestinal repair.

This article discusses the results of fluid inclusions study in barite collected at the Jan Mayen vent field area (Troll Wall and Perle &amp; Bruce) and Loki’s Castle vent field of the Mohns Ridge segment of the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. Three mafic-hosted volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits were examined within the active vent fields that adequately correspond to geological settings of ultraslow-spreading ridges and PT-conditions. Hydrothermal sediments were investigated to determine the temperature and salinity of the fluids responsible for barite precipitation. The hydrothermal origin of the barite was confirmed by its morphology. Fluid inclusions are two-phase and homogenized into the liquid phase on heating at temperatures below 287ºC. The salt concentration in fluids trapped in inclusions is 2.6–4.4 wt.% NaCl eq. The crystallization temperatures varied from 276ºС to 119ºС and from 307ºС to 223ºС for the Jan Mayen and Loki’s Castle vent fields, respectively. The data obtained allowed us to confirm evidence of fluid phase separation in the hydrothermal systems and to expand our knowledge of the temperature and salinity of mineral fluids previously known from recent direct measurements during the cruises within the G.O. Sars research vessel. The fluid inclusions data obtained from barites emphasize the fluid features characteristic of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, the similarities and differences for the studied hydrothermal sites, and allow comparisons with similar products from other active hydrothermal systems.

This article examines the application of Keynesian theory in economic geography, focusing on regional development and reducing inequalities. The objective is to highlight the relevance and benefits of applying Keynesian principles in addressing spatial economic challenges. The novelty lies in examining the intersection of Keynesian economics and geography, which offers insights into regional planning, infrastructure development, and cluster formation. The results show how policymakers and researchers can use Keynesian theory to promote balanced growth and improve living standards. The keywords for this article are Keynesian theory, economic geography, regional development, disparities, and policy interventions.

Migraine is a debilitating neurological condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Until few years ago, preventive migraine treatments were based on molecules with pleiotropic targets, developed for other indications and discovered by serendipity to be effective in migraine prevention although often burdened by tolerability issues leading to low adherence. However, the progresses in unravelling the migraine pathophysiology allowed to identify novel putative targets as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Nevertheless, despite the revolution brought by CGRP monoclonal antibodies and gepants, a significant percentage of patients still remains burdened by an unsatisfactory response suggesting that other pathways may play a critical role with an extent of involvement varying among different migraine patients. Specifically, neuropeptides of the CGRP family as adrenomedullin and amylin, molecules of the secretin family as pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), receptors as transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, intracellular downstream determinants as potassium channels but also the opioid system and the purinergic pathway have been suggested to be involved in migraine pathophysiology. The present review provides an overview of these pathways highlighting, based on preclinical and clinical evidences as well as provocative studies, their potential role as future targets for migraine preventive treatment.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic undernutrition modifies the response to rostafuroxin in juvenile rats. Chronic undernutrition was induced in male rats using a multideficient diet known as Regional Basic Diet (RBD), mimicking alimentary habits in impoverished regions worldwide. Animals were given RBD – or a control/CTRL normal diet for rodents – from weaning to 90 days, and rostafuroxin (1 mg/kg body mass) or vehicle were orally administered during the last 30 days. Undernourished rats became hypertensive at 55–60 days of age (tail-cuff recording). During the last two days, the rats were hosted in metabolic cages to measure food/energy, water, Na⁺ ingestion, and urinary volume. Blood and kidneys were collected after euthanasia. Rostafuroxin increased food/energy and Na⁺ intake in CTRL and RBD rats but had opposite effects on Na⁺ balance (intake minus urinary excretion): negative in CTRL and positive in RBD. The drug normalized the decreased plasma Na⁺ concentration found in RBD rats, increased urinary volume in RBD but not in CTRL, and decreased and increased urinary Na⁺ concentration in the RBD and CTRL groups, respectively. Rostafuroxin decreased the ouabain-sensitive (Na⁺+K⁺)ATPase and increased the ouabain-resistant, furosemide-sensitive Na⁺-ATPase from proximal tubule cells in both groups, and normalized the systolic blood pressure in RBD without effect in CTRL rats. We conclude that chronic undernutrition modifies the response of blood pressure, caloric metabolism, Na⁺ distribution in liquid compartments, mobilization of Na⁺ from non-osmotic compartments, Na⁺ and water balance, and activity of renal Na⁺-transporting ATPases to rostafuroxin.

The research paper comprehensively and consistently addresses all relevant theoretical areas related to the topic and includes an extensive empirical analysis of the absorption of EU funds and their impact on the sustainable development of Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Poland. The analysis aims to investigate the efficiency of the absorption of funds from the EU, the impact of these funds on regional development of countries, as well as the reasons for such impacts. The "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds" was tested with the aim of applying the model to the Republic of Croatia, countries in the region, and other European countries to achieve a higher level of absorption of financial resources from the available EU funds. Data for the empirical analysis were collected using a highly structured survey questionnaire on a sample of 244 respondents involved in the preparation and implementation of EU-funded projects. The contribution of economic science in theoretical terms arises from the development of scientific knowledge and ideas about the importance of increasing the number of development projects that will increase the absorption of funds from the European Union, thereby increasing economic activities in Croatia and the region. The expected contribution of economic science in the applied sense is based on the formulation of the "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds," which is based on the application of knowledge, good practices, and stakeholder experiences, considering relevant indicators from available sources. The greatest contribution is demonstrated through testing the "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds," which is applicable to the Republic of Croatia, countries in the region, and other European countries over a longer period. Finally, research of the impact of EU funds on the regional development of recipient countries is considerably less represented and very modest, only in the "upswing" of systematic scientific research. The research aims to fill the gaps in research and encourage thinking of key stakeholders responsible for regional development, who should eventually realize the importance of defining a regional policy aimed at EU funds as a key to regional development and reducing regional disparities within countries.

This study explores the geopolitical dynamics of water conflicts in Central Asia, focusing on Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries. Using a mixed methods approach within the framework of political geography, the research analyzes interactions among regional countries and the implications of population growth, agricultural industrialization, and economic competition, which heavily rely on shared irrigation systems and watersheds. It establishes research objectives, evaluates the water crisis, addresses challenges in water management, and examines contentious issues like hydropower, resource hegemony, and ethnic conflict. Also, the study uncovers historical and contemporary factors influencing water conflicts, regional power dynamics, and the complexities of water governance. The findings highlight the potential for conflict, regional instability, and disruptions to peace resulting from population growth and economic competition within shared watersheds. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance regional cooperation, sustainable water management, and peacebuilding, drawing on soft power theory and advocating for collaborative approaches. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in water management and regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical challenges, contributing to informed decision-making, and promoting strategies for sustainable development in the region.

The Harmonious Protected Landscape of Ambohitr'Antsingy Montagne des Français is one of the protected area located in the extreme northern of Madagascar. An assessment of the Herpe-tofauna community were made on the eastern and western slopes regarding the forest degrada-tion level, the availability of the streams and the habitat types in the massif during the years of 2014 and 2020. This survey was done in order to updating the herpetofaunal database and re-cording the distribution ranges of the Herpetofauna community in the PA. Three methods were used, including direct observation, systematic microhabitat searching and pitfall-traps with drift fences at three sampling sites during the day and night with headlamp. Twenty species of am-phibians and 50 species of reptiles were recorded. Four species of Amphibians, and 03 species of Reptiles (snake) are potentially new to science and/or newly recorded at Montagne des Français. One snake (Langaha pseudoalluaudi) last inventoried in 2007 has reappeared during this investiga-tion. Here, we present the mapping of all species recorded. This new database can help the manager site to update the management plan to guarantee the herpetofaunal conservation facing habitat change. That is what we think also for all of the current PA in Madagascar.

This paper provides an optimization strategy for flexible operation at the system level, so as to guide the real-time flexible ramping of the power grid. Firstly, the concept of regional power grid flexibility was clarified, and the ramping factor is proposed as a flexibility metric. On this basis, taking the output priority of each node as the objective function and considering constraints such as line flow, power balance, and system flexibility, a mathematical model for regional power grid transmitting flexible power externally is proposed. Compare with the traditional models, this model focuses more on flexibility rather than economy. The case analysis based on the improved IEEE 30-Bus System verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy and its advantages over the traditional models.

The rabbit is a popular animal model for human biomechanical research involving surgery at the hind limb. General anesthesia in rabbits is associated with significantly higher mortality rates than in dogs and cats. In addition, as prey animals, rabbits tend to mask signs of pain, making early detection particularly difficult. Regional anaesthesia, as an adjunct to general anaesthesia, may markedly reduce the need for systemic anaesthetic and analgesic drugs, limiting their associated side effects. In other species, a block of the sciatic (ScN) and the femoral nerves (FN) is usually applied in patients undergoing hind limb surgery. In phase 1 of this study, the ScN and the FN have been localized and an appropriate approach under sonographic guidance has been evaluated. In phase 2, a mixture of methylene blue and lidocaine have been administered to the ScN and the FN in 10 cadavers (20 hind limbs). Staining of the nerves was evaluated by dissection. Ultrasonographically, the ScN appeared as a binocular structure surrounded by a hyperechoic rim. The FN appeared as a hypoechoic structure in the dorsal part of the IPM, becoming hyperechoic/honey-comb-like in the ventral part. Both nerves could be successfully stained in all animals over a median length of 2.3 cm which was considered effective. This technique allows a feasible and accurate access to block of the ScN and the FN and may lead to successful analgesia in rabbits undergoing hind limb surgery.

Stories considered to be the most popular form of lore, which can facilitate the moral and ethical deliberation of sustainability to our children. It is evident that children response better with stories than any other form of communication. Once the stories end, the les-sons remain. The values tangled with the lesson transmits ahead as they grow. Stories has always become instrumental and the most conventional way of teaching values by using illustrations from our lives. The major aim of this paper is to explore the values that ex-pressed in Bengali child-lore through stories and tales; and develop a framework by using ‘scaffolding & mapping’ approach. This framework will attempt to analyse two com-monly recognized stories; scaffolding them with the generally acknowledged principles of sustainability management; and mapping with the major aspects of sustainability (social, economic and environmental) to investigate how stories can influence children on build-ing pro-sustainability attitude. This approach has been chosen, as recent research already points out the issues in implementing sustainability in education, but no one has yet found the way forward. The hypothesis that this theoretical article builds on is that an in-terdisciplinary approach and different pedagogical tools could help in building the bridge towards implementing sustainability in education as well as in society. This paper is part of the series of papers that are investigating how folk values into pri-mary education can support reviving the degrading sustainability in Bangladesh as well as help building pro-sustainability attitude for the future generation.

In recent years, the need to make the built environment more resilient and adaptable to climate change has become increasingly evident. In Europe, this aspect concerns the vast majority of existing buildings, which present several deficiencies from the energy-efficiency point of view, considering they were designed before the introduction of modern energy codes. Nowadays, it is possible to retrofit existing buildings using advanced and high-efficient technologies such as Double Skin Façades (DSFs). The research aims to evaluate the use of properly designed DSFs for the energy restoration of existing buildings. In detail, various DSF configurations are applied to a residential building located in central Italy and investigated under present and future climate conditions, estimated through regional climate models. The results underline that all the analysed Double Skin Façades confirm to be a useful option, and, in particular, the Multi-Storey typology allows drastic energy needs decrement. Moreover, the general increase in temperatures and solar radiations could affect the building energy performance, and the insertion of DSF can mitigate the climate change effects, reducing the predicted energy consumption and ensuring better behaviours than the building in its original state.

Mild TBI (mTBI) accounts for most TBI cases, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite their high incidence, mTBI pathophysiology remains largely unknown. Recent studies have shown that the inflammatory response is activated early after mTBI and can persist for several weeks or months. However, limited evidence on the utility of inflammatory biomarkers as predictors of clinical outcomes in mTBI was previously provided. Thus, this study aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of mTBI and the potential of some inflammatory biomolecules as biomarkers of mTBI. Thus, it was shown that the increase of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β plasma levels could be implicated in the development of the early post-concussion symptoms. On the other hand, the persistence of the increased plasmatic concentrations of IL-10 and IL-8 for as long as six months following the brain injury event could suggest chronic inflammation leading to neuroinflammation and late or persistent symptoms. In this context, our findings showed that the inflammatory biomarkers could be relevant in diagnosing or predicting recovery or long-term outcomes of mTBI.

Metals are indispensable in the life of all organisms, in fact, their dysregulation causes various disorders caused by an interruption of their homeostasis. Nowadays different transition metals are incorporated into pharmaceutical products as diagnostic and therapeutic agents because of their electronic structure which gives them versatility in terms of tuning molecule properties, differently from organic molecules. Hence the interest in the study of metal-drug complexes from different points of view was born and many approaches were developed for the characterization, activation, delivery and molecular mechanisms clarification. The integration of these different approaches starting from chemoproteomics passing through nanoparticle systems to different activation strategies allows the understanding of the cellular responses of metallic drugs, which can be the basis for the design of new drugs and/or modification of drugs currently in use. This review aims to briefly summarize the recent advances in this area by describing the technological platforms and their possible applications to identify protein targets for discovering the mechanisms of action of metallodrugs, and to improve their efficiency in terms of administration.

Regional organisations (ROs) are important in that they can enable states in their regions to pros-per and develop for improvement. Interest here lies in the European Union (EU) and the Associa-tion of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Their political development involves complex process-es for collective actions involving ingroup member RO states. To explore development, we firstly examine the rise of both the EU and ASEAN. The literature gives some attention to the behaviour-alist political approach to explain developmental differences using social organisation theory, often in terms of the Gemeinschaft-Gesellschaft paradigm of Tönnies. However, here we adopt a social psychology approach that distinguishes between operative structure (which directly determines behaviour), and substructure (housing normative personality deemed to be responsible for behav-ioural imperatives). This enables a relationship to be made between the Tönnies paradigm and the Collectivism-Individualism paradigm of Triandis. The theoretical approach adopted involves a complex adaptive systems model deriving from metacybernetics, and this also delivers Mindset Agency Theory as a qualitative methodology. Consistent with the general view, it is shown that the EU is more or less a coherent rational organisation, while ASEAN is more idealistic delivering pragmatic paradox. In particular, ASEAN is frequently descried as an organisation with contra-dictions, and for this reason its pathologies are explored in some detail

Despite innovative advances in anti-infective therapies and vaccine development technologies, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains the most persistent cause of infection-related mortality globally. Confronting the ongoing threat posed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), the most common bacterial cause of CAP, particularly to the non-immune elderly, remains challenging due to the propensity of the elderly to develop invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), together with the predilection of the pathogen for the heart. The resultant development of often fatal cardiovascular events (CVEs), particularly during the first seven days of acute infection, is now recognized as a relatively common complication of IPD. The current review represents an update on the prevalence and types of CVEs associated with acute bacterial CAP, particularly IPD. In addition, it is focused on recent insights into the involvement of the pneumococcal pore-forming toxin, pneumolysin (Ply), in subverting host immune defenses, particularly the protective functions of the alveolar macrophage during early-stage disease. This, in turn, enables extra-pulmonary dissemination of the pathogen, leading to cardiac invasion, cardiotoxicity and myocardial dysfunction. The review concludes with an overview of the current status of macrolide antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial CAP in general, as well as severe pneumococcal CAP, including a consideration of the mechanisms by which these agents inhibit the production of Ply by macrolide-resistant strains of the pathogen.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play critical roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME), where they are recruited by signals released by cancer cells. Although they have great potential as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment, the dual roles of TAMs in promoting or inhibiting tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis make their function in cancer progression complex. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of TAMs, including their phenotypic diversity, regulatory signaling pathways, and interactions with other cells in the TME. We also discuss the challenges related to the standard isolation protocols of TAMs, inconsistent research results, and translation of TAM knowledge into clinical applications. Additionally, we review the status of clinical trials involving TAMs and potential strategies to overcome the limitations. The future direction of TAM research should focus on developing more targeted therapies that specifically regulate TAM function and non-invasive methods for monitoring TAM activity in cancer patients. A comprehensive understanding of the complex role of TAMs in cancer may lead to the development of more effective treatments and improved outcomes for cancer patients.

Keywords: head-and-neck cancer; chemoradiation; cisplatin; carboplatin; loco-regional control; metastases-free survival; overall survival; toxicity.

Introduction: The choice of Cardiac Preservation Solution (CPS) for myocardial protection at the time of heart procurement remains controversial and uncertainties persist regarding its effect on the early and midterm Heart Transplantation (HTx) outcomes. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed our adult HTx performed with two different CPS, during a period of 12 years, in terms of hospital mortality, mid-term survival, inotropic score, primary graft dysfunction and rejection score. Methods: From January 2009 to December 2020, 154 adult HT were performed in our hospital. Patients were divided in two groups according to the CPS used: St. Thomas (n=75, group P 1) and HTK-Custodiol (n=79, group P 2). The choice of CPS was related to an institutional policy; from 2009 to 2015, St. Thomas solution was exclusively used, and after that, HTK-Custodiol alone. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative and intraoperative features. Postoperatively, the Custodiol group showed significantly lower inotropic score (p&lt;0.0001), mean rejection score (p= 0.036) and 30 days mortality (p=0.0068). The use of HTK-Custodiol was the only variable that improved midterm survival (HTK-Custodiol vs St Thomas, HR= 0.20 (95% CI: 0.069 -0.6) p=0.0039). Conclusion: In our single center experience, using HTK-Custodiol as myocardial protection during heart procurement leads to improved outcomes after HTx, including postoperative inotropic score, rejection score, 30-days mortality and midterm survival.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic undernutrition modifies the response to rostafuroxin in juvenile rats. Chronic undernutrition was induced in male rats using a multideficient diet known as Regional Basic Diet (RBD), mimicking alimentary habits in impoverished regions worldwide. Animals were given RBD – or a control/CTRL normal diet for rodents – from weaning to 90 days, and rostafuroxin (1 mg/kg body mass) or vehicle were orally administered during the last 30 days. Undernourished rats became hypertensive at 55–60 days of age (tail-cuff recording). During the last two days, the rats were hosted in metabolic cages to measure food/energy, water, Na+ ingestion, and urinary volume. Blood and kidneys were collected after euthanasia. Rostafuroxin increased food/energy and Na+ intake in CTRL and RBD rats but had opposite effects on Na+ balance (intake minus urinary excretion): negative in CTRL and positive in RBD. The drug normalized the decreased plasma Na+ concentration found in RBD rats, increased urinary volume in RBD but not in CTRL, and decreased and increased urinary Na+ concentration in the RBD and CTRL groups, respectively. Rostafuroxin decreased the ouabain-sensitive (Na++K+)ATPase and increased the ouabain-resistant, furosemide-sensitive Na+-ATPase from proximal tubule cells in both groups, and normalized the systolic blood pressure in RBD without effect in CTRL rats. We conclude that chronic undernutrition modifies the response of blood pressure, caloric metabolism, Na+ distribution in liquid compartments, mobilization of Na+ from non-osmotic compartments, Na+ and water balance, and activity of renal Na+-transporting ATPases to rostafuroxin.