This study focused on the investigation of myeloperoxidase through a Molecular Docking approach with various natural compounds to identify potential substances for cardiovascular research. Recent research has linked elevated myeloperoxidase levels to the severity of coronary artery disease. The results of the docking analysis revealed Polydatin, Daidzin, Astringin, Ginkgetin, and Amentoflavone as promising compounds with excellent binding capacity. To complement this, toxicity prediction studies were conducted using pkCSM. Overall, all four investigated molecules (Amentoflavone, Daidzin, Ginkgetin, and Astringin) were found to be non-toxic, exhibiting high maximum tolerated doses (human) and favorable values for Oral Rat Acute Toxicity and Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity. Moreover, they showed non-AMES toxicity and non-hepatotoxicity. Astringin, in particular, stood out with the highest positive effects, including a high maximum tolerated dose (human) and favorable values for Oral Rat Chronic Toxicity, along with dual inhibition of hERG II and hERG I. These findings suggest the potential utility of these compounds in cardiovascular research with minimized unwanted effects.

Flooding during the rainy season poses a significant threat to the city of Hargeisa, impacting the well-being of both its residents and the local ecosystems. This research focuses on urban flood control, with a specific emphasis on finding sustainable solutions for managing large stream in Hargeisa. The study identifies five key dimensions, including infrastructure, transportation, environmental soil, life, and property, as critical factors in addressing the issue. By employing a comparative method and collecting data through closed-ended questions, the research aims to analyze and weigh eleven potential solutions, seeking to identify the most effective approaches. The findings of the study indicate that constructing a dam emerges as a promising and sustainable solution, with a weightage of 70 percent. This highlights the potential of a dam in mitigating the impact of floods in the region. Additionally, considering the government's economic capacity, the implementation of check dams is identified as another viable option, with a weightage of 95 percent for reducing the flood power of the stream. These solutions offer practical and effective measures to address the recurring problem of flooding in Hargeisa. To support future decision-making and planning, the research underscores the need for establishing a comprehensive rainfall data database. This database would store relevant information on rainfall patterns, enabling better understanding and prediction of flood events. The study emphasizes the importance of collaboration between local government authorities, environmental organizations, and stakeholders to develop and implement effective flood control strategies. This research provides a systematic approach that can inform and benefit regional and global researchers, policymakers, and municipal governments in their efforts to address urban flood control challenges, not only in Hargeisa but also in similar contexts worldwide.

Background: Therapeutic climbing (TC) has emerged as a prospective rehabilitation approach for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Existing literature primarily focuses on the physical and psychological benefits of TC across diverse populations but is limited concerning its application and efficacy for patients with MS. Objectives: This study aimed to delineate the experiences, effects, and perceptions of both individuals with MS and therapists regarding TC, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this therapeutic approach. Methods: Using a qualitative design, structured interviews were conducted with patients living with MS (N=5) and therapists (N=7) involved in TC sessions at a rehabilitation facility. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to thematic qualitative text analysis. Results: Our analysis resulted in the identification of five main categories: (1) motivational factors, (2) training conditions, (3) training content, (4) observed effects, and (5) safety protocols. Findings primarily centred around the motivational aspects of TC. Participants consistently reported experiencing feelings of accomplishment, success, enjoyment, and increased self-confidence. Furthermore, TC was often perceived as a comprehensive intervention, addressing endurance, strength, flexibility, neuromotor functions, cognition, and mental health while having a low-risk profile. However, due to the demanding nature of TC, careful fatigue management is crucial. This entails personalized intensity adjustments during sessions and coordinating TC with other physically demanding therapies when implementing TC within a rehabilitation environment. Conclusions: TC shows promise within MS rehabilitation and can be considered safe under certain framework conditions. This research sheds light on its potential benefits, facilitators and barriers and provides insights for practical integration into rehabilitation programmes.

Lagerstroemia is a genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees belonging to the family Lythraceae. Due to the attention paid to environmental and health issues, Lagerstroemia has become increasingly important in ecological environment protection, drug development, genetic resource protection, and application research. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the current status and cutting-edge trends of Lagerstroemia research in the world, and objectively reflect the scientific capabilities and influence of relevant research countries, institutions, authors, and journals in this field. Using the visual analysis software VOSviewer and CiteSpace, a statistical analysis of the literature on Lagerstroemia in the Web of Science database was performed from 2002 to 2022. The results showed that the number of articles published on Lagerstromia in the world was increasing. Four of the five articles with the highest citation frequency were from the United States, and the number of articles published in Hortscience was the highest. In terms of subject distribution, the most frequently published subjects were plant sciences, pharmacology and pharmacy. These two disciplines focused on the cultivation of Lagerstroemia species and medicinal research on Lagerstroemia extracts. In terms of categories, science accounted for 41% of the top 10 subjects. Technical science accounted for a relatively large proportion. However, the amount of relevant literature in engineering science needs to be improved. India, the United States, and China were the main research forces in this field. In terms of international cooperation, China had close collaborations with many countries such as the United States, Japan, India, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Beijing Forestry University ranked first in terms of total number of publications, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences had the highest total citations and average citations. Meanwhile, most of the authors at the top of the list were Chinese scholars. Cluster analysis showed that the research of keywords such as “oxidative stress”, “protein” and “corosolic acid” were the research hotspots in recent years. Research on the chemical components and pharmacological effects of Lagerstroemia will be the focus of the research on Lagerstroemia.

Background: Over the past two decades, various research teams have designed and applied instruments to measure the quality of life of families with a member who has a disability. A recent systematic review on the state of art of Family Quality of Life in early care identified that many of these studies collected data only from the mothers. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is a bias in participant selection in these types of studies. Method: A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted in the 3 databases from the year 2000 to 2022. A total of 72 empirical studies have been identified. Results: The findings indicated that most studies examining the family quality of life were based on the information of a single informant per family unit. The profiles of participants according to the research objective is quite similar. In one third of studies the authors report that family members who participate cannot be represented by only mothers or one participant per household. Conclusions: Given the dynamic and collective nature of the construct, the application of a systemic approach is necessary.

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of spiritual leadership on knowledge hiding behavior of employees in agriculture research institutes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study also aims to analyze theoretically and then investigate empirical evidence concerning the mediation pathway (namely, professional commitment) to clarify the significant association amid spiritual leadership and subordinate's knowledge hiding behavior. Design/methodology- The cross-sectional data using five point lickert scale was used in this survey based study to investigate the given hypotheses. In order to account for the prim effect and any potential for common method bias, data was gathered at two different time points with a gap of four weeks. Smart PLS4 was used to assess a sample of 298 complete and valid responses for hypotheses testing. Findings – The results show that spiritual leadership impacts negatively the employees’ knowledge hiding behavior. Moreover, this relationship is mediated by professional commitment. Originality/value – First, in contrast to the majority of past studies that concentrated on antecedents of knowledge sharing, the present study examined the impact of spiritual leadership on employee’s knowledge hiding behaviors, which are two opposing concepts. Secondly, the study examined empirically, the mediation effect of professional commitment. These three variables have not been studied together previously.

Introduction: The COVID-19 severely marred the Indian poultry industry, worth approximately one trillion INR. Hence, this study was conducted to understand the COVID-19 related factors that harmed the poultry production and distribution network and explore their varied impact on its actors in Gujarat, India. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, was conducted with 34 poultry stakeholders in Gujarat. The data were thematically analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: The study revealed that COVID-19 and the associated lockdown had hugely impacted the production, distribution and consumption of poultry products. The first COVID-19 lockdown disrupted the supply of production inputs and the distribution of poultry and poultry products because of movement restrictions. Rumours also played a crucial role in decreasing the consumption of poultry products between March and June 2020. The market situation, including the prices and availability of poultry products, was found to be improved post-lockdown as there was an increase in consumption; however, the profits were not sufficient to immediately compensate for the losses incurred during the lockdown. Conclusion: The first COVID-19 lockdown restricted the production and distribution of essential goods and influenced the perception of consumers regarding poultry products. COVID-19 resulted in many short- and medium-term challenges in the poultry sectors in India, which need to be addressed to make this sector more resilient to face any such crisis in future.

Machine learning has seen enormous growth in the last decade, with healthcare being a prime application for advanced diagnostics and improved patient care. The application of machine learning for healthcare is particularly pertinent in Africa, where many countries are resource-scarce. However, it is unclear how much research on this topic is arising from African institutes themselves, which is a crucial aspect for applications of machine learning to unique contexts and challenges on the continent. Here, we conduct a bibliometric study of African contributions to research publications related to machine learning for healthcare, as indexed in Scopus, between 1993 and 2022. We identified 3,772 research outputs, with most of these published since 2020. North African countries currently lead the way with 64.5% of publications for the reported period, yet Sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly increasing its output. We found that international support in the form of funding and collaborations is correlated with research output generally for the continent, with local support garnering less attention. Understanding African research contributions to machine learning for healthcare is a crucial first step in surveying the broader academic landscape, forming stronger research communities, and providing advanced and contextually aware biomedical access to Africa.

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition which is known to be the most common cause of dementia. Despite its rapidly growing prevalence, medicine still lacks a comprehensive definition of the disease. As a result, Alzheimer’s disease remains neither preventable nor curable. In recent years, broad interdisciplinary collaborations in Alzheimer’s disease research are becoming more common. Furthermore, such collaborations have already demonstrated their superiority in addressing the complexity of the disease in innovative ways. However, establishing effective communication and optimal knowledge distribution between researchers and specialists with different expertise and background is not a straightforward task. To address this challenge, we propose the Alzheimer’s disease Ontology for Diagnosis and Preclinical Classification (AD-DPC) as a tool for effective knowledge sharing in interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary teams working on Alzheimer’s disease. It covers six major conceptual groups, namely Alzheimer's disease pathology, Alzheimer's disease spectrum, Diagnostic process, Symptoms, Assessments, and Relevant clinical findings. All concepts were annotated with definitions or elucidations and in some cases enriched with synonyms and additional resources. The potential of AD-DPC to support non-medical experts is demonstrated through an evaluation of its usability, applicability and correctness. The results show that the participants in the evaluation process who lack prior medical knowledge can successfully answer Alzheimer’s disease-related questions by interacting with AD-DPC. Furthermore, their perceived level of knowledge in the field increased leading to effective communication with medical experts.

The objective of this quantitative study was to examine the impact of selected factors on the level and state of public health in local self-government units in 2021, with the consideration of data from 2020 and 2019. This survey included 77 out of 145 local self-government units in the Republic of Serbia and examined six dimensions defined by the Law on Public Health: social care for the public health of the city/municipality in regard to the physical, mental, and social health of the population; health promotion and disease prevention; the environment and health; working environments and population health; the organization and functioning of the health system; and actions in emergency situations. The results of the Pearson correlation showed that there were statistically significant correlations between the effectiveness of the realized program budget and microbiologically defective drinking water samples from the so-called village water supply systems, defective samples of drinking water from public taps, unsatisfactory analyses of wastewater samples, the total number of air samples on an annual level for PM25s, and the number of mandated fines issued. The results of the logistic regression model showed that the local self-government units that received assistance from the Permanent Conference of Cities and Municipalities were 5.6 times more likely to perform analyses of their health status. Furthermore, we determined that the units of local self-governments that appointed a coordinator of the health council identified vulnerable groups in the analysis of the state of health four and a half times more often. In contrast, the units of local self-governments that prepared health status analyses could be used to identify vulnerable groups to a six times greater extent within the framework of the health status analysis. The results showed that in improving the state of public health at the local level, it is necessary to provide systematic institutional support to cities and municipalities in exercising their responsibilities. Based on these results, recommendations were made for the further development of support, i.e., the planning of further activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the health councils and local self-government units in this area.

Rapid SARS-CoV-2 self-tests have the potential to expand access to COVID-19 testing and improve community-level case detection, particularly in resource-constrained countries such as Kenya. However, prior to their introduction, their acceptability must be assessed. This qualitative study explored key decision-takers’ values towards SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Kenya. Healthcare workers, representatives of civil society, and potential implementors from Mombasa and Taita-Taveta were selected as decision-takers. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data on their values towards self-testing. A thematic analysis approach was applied. Most informants considered that the Kenyan public is equipped to accept and use self-testing safely as an approach to help to reduce workload at public healthcare facilities, and know one’s COVID-19 status in a private manner. The informants emphasized the need to provide counselling to end-users, to support those needing to self-isolate, and to engage different civil society stakeholders in information provision on self-testing. Fear of stigma and of forced isolation were noted as potential deterrents to self-testing uptake for some individuals. In conclusion, there is high acceptability of self-testing in Kenya among decision-takers. However, enhanced education, counselling, and addressing deterrents to testing would be helpful to ensure effective use of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Kenya.

The aim of this review is to present the Quality by Design (QbD) model as a suitable methodology to perform research in the academic Costa Rican institutions that teach Pharmacy. Pubmed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases were screened for original and review papers, as well as short communications published not more than 10 years ago. Publications were screened by title and abstract. Relevant references were used to develop three important themes: The University’s Research Model in Costa Rica, QbD Model, and QbD as a Research Methodology for Industrial Pharmacy in the Academy. In this sense, the QbD model is a great methodology for carrying out research projects regarding Pharmaceutical Sciences but especially for Drug Development. Academic research based on this model enables training and developing practical, scientific, and leadership skills in pharmacy students. The generated knowledge can be shared in the classrooms, which represents an ideal environment to communicate their research results and to foster collaborative work between researchers, professors, and students. The participation of all these actors allows a high level of commitment to research work, which benefits the scientific advancement of the university and society. It is important to visualize the student body as potential key actors in the research process, encouraging in them the desire to become trained scientific researchers who want to pursue a career in the academy, giving continuity to it.

Stemming from the Bulgarian case study developed within a European research project (ECHOES, Horizon 2020), the paper discusses the links between: (a) the urgent need to operationalize EU energy transition policy in the housing domain; (b) the complexity of factors influencing the policy implementation in different contexts – geographical, economic, and technical but also social and cultural; and (c) the important role of the urban level in policy implementation. Under the specific spatial planning context of Bulgaria, the local collective energy-related decision-making in the housing field evolves through the interaction – formal (at the municipal level of governance) and informal (individuals, households and homeowners’ associations taking decisions on self-organization and collective action). The authors claim that interdisciplinary context-sensitive research would contribute to a better understanding for the ongoing energy-related decision-making processes at the local level and would enable the development and implementation of effective and efficient policy instruments in support of energy transition in the housing sector in Europe.

During the last two years the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world population in several ways. An important increase in mental health problems is a consequence of this pandemic that is ubiquitous worldwide. In this work we study the effect of the pandemic on the mental health of a population of teenagers and youth based on the analysis of natural language processing, machine learning algorithms and expert knowledge. The data analysed was obtained from a chat helpline called Safe time from theIt Get’s Better Foundation in Chile. The data consists of 10,986 conversations gathered from 2018 until 2020 between volunteers from the foundation and users of the platform. We compared the conversationsbefore and during the pandemic in terms of their thematic content. Our analysis found: a significantdecrease in self-image appreciation during the pandemic; a significant decrease in the quality of personalrelationships during the pandemic, and a significant increase of performance appreciation.

Biogeography research is flawed by the poor understanding of microbial distributions due to the lack of a systematic research framework, especially regarding appropriate study units. By combining pure culture and molecular methods, we studied the biogeographic patterns of nematode-trapping fungi by collecting and analysing 2,250 specimens from 228 sites in Yunnan Province, China. We found typical watershed patterns at the species and genetic levels of nematode-trapping fungi. The results showed that microbial biogeography could be better understood by 1) using watersheds as research units, 2) removing the coverup of widespread species, and 3) applying good sampling efforts and strategies. We suggest that watersheds could help unify the understanding of the biogeographic patterns of animals, plants, and microbes and may also help account for the historical and contemporary factors driving species distributions.

The article is devoted to a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications reflecting trends in scientific publications related to the energy transition of leading universities in Saudi Arabia. The universities were selected based on the presence of joint publications with the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, they are: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and King Saud University. The importance of studying the experience of Saudi Arabia for Russia in the context of the energy transition was highlighted. The analysis was based on Scopus platform data related to Subject Areas: Physical Sciences. Scientists from Saudi Arabian universities are increasingly publishing with co-authors from China, India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Malaysia, while maintaining high interaction with co-authors from the United States, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Authors from the Russian Federation publish poorly with co-authors from Saudi Arabia. The trends in the topics of scientific publications were investigated, and their connection with the renewable energy topic was shown. The VOSviewer software was used to determine the main research areas using the cluster analysis method based on the co-occurrence of key terms. The analysis was done for both Author's keywords and Index keywords of the Scopus system. Graphical representation of the final choice of terms to describe research trends was proposed. TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back

This study explores the impact of the ‘pre-intervention effects’ of a community-based interventions. This refers to participatory research processes and parallel publicity in the media on changes in alcohol use and relevant mechanisms (rules and norms about alcohol, accessibility of alcohol in a formal setting) among adolescents before any intervention is implemented. In a quasi-experimental study, adolescent data were collected twice by means of self-report among adolescents living in two municipalities (control and experimental condition). Regression analysis showed pre-intervention main effects on adolescents’ perceived accessibility of alcohol in a formal setting. Moreover, among adolescents aged 15 years and older, the normative decline in strictness of rules and norms was less steep in the experimental condition compared to the control condition. Also, adolescents aged 14 years and younger in the experimental condition reported more weekly drinking compared to their peers in the control condition. No differential effects across gender were found. To conclude, applying a co-creational approach in the development of an intervention, not only contributes to more effective interventions in the end, but involvement of and discussions in the community at the start of intervention planning are contributing to changes in targeted factors. This implies that public discussions about the development of intervention strategies should be considered as an essential feature of co-creation in community-based interventions.

Scientific social networking sites like Researchgate or Academia.edu have become part of the work practice of academic researchers. These digital platforms have been designed precisely to encourage the exchange of knowledge between scholars and to help the expansion of collaborative networks among them. Even if studies on this topic have multiplied in recent years, there is a dearth of research on the actual impact of these platforms on scientific production. The goal of this study is to investigate the relation between the attitude of researchers towards scientific social networks and the use of knowledge in their scientific work. Data from users of the scientific social networking site Researchgate were collected. A total of 143 valid responses were received and structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis. Findings of this study confirmed that researchers use knowledge obtained from scientific social networking sites both incorporating it within their research products and to acquire new competences. In particular approaching the platform as a scientific community with a shared language and a shared vision was found to have a positive impact on knowledge use. To the best knowledge of the authors this is the first study investigating the actual use of knowledge from scientific social networking sites by academic researchers. Results help to understand the impact of these platforms on the work practice of a strategic sector like scientific research.

This paper presents the results of the experimental research and numerical analysis of three reinforced concrete deep beams with openings, designed by the Strut-and-Tie method according to the EN 1992-1-1 recommendations. All tested specimens were made in full size, with the same geometric characteristics and quality of the materials. The specimens, constructed as simply supported beams, were loaded with two concentrated forces and were tested for bending until failure. Each specimen was reinforced with different reinforcement layout determined by parameter variation within the Strut-and-Tie method. Based on the results of experimental research, it was concluded that the behavior of loaded members was in agreement with the proposed forms of the Strut-and-Tie models that were used for their design.

Cultivating research competencies facilitated by the use of technology in the university is crucial to boost acquisition of knowledge, educational innovation, and successful professional development. The objective of this article is to analyze the evolution and characteristics of scientific production that has had the greatest impact on the momentum of investigative competencies and their articulation within technological scenarios. Applying various selection criteria in the Scopus database, we utilized systematic, bibliometric mapping as a methodological strategy in which 250 articles related to the topic were identified, then analyzed with the semantic analysis software VOSViewer. The results indicate that there is an emerging line of research on the subject since 2016 and point to the underdevelopment of lines that associate research skills with digital literacy, information literacy, digital libraries databases, and the development of critical thinking.

In the paper, the author takes stock of the conceptual reflection and empirical studies described in the current scientific literature on responsible innovation in the context of the emergence of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) concept. RRI has been promoted in the European Union as a part of the Europe 2020 strategy with the objective of making research and innovation more sustainable and inclusive. As more than half of the EU’s firms declare conducting innovation activities RRI problematic becomes more relevant than ever. There remain many open questions, unresolved dilemmas and empirical white spots that call for more research in this field. This paper’s main focus is the problem of RRI acceptance as a global framework for responsible innovation and the scarcity of suitable instruments that may help industry understand and adopt this concept. The main contribution of this paper are: the critical analysis of the RRI concept and its implications for industry, proposing a concept of RRI index for innovating enterprises.

We are witnessing a dramatic transformation in the way we do science. In recent years, significant flaws with existing scientific methods have come to light, including lack of transparency, insufficient involvement of stakeholders, disconnection from the public, and limited reproducibility of research findings. These concerns have sparked a global movement to revolutionize scientific practice and the emergence of Open Science. This new approach to science extends principles of openness to the entire research cycle, from hypothesis generation to data collection, analysis, replication, and translation from research to practice. Open Science seeks to remove all barriers to conducting high quality, rigorous, and impactful scientific research by ensuring that the data, methods, and opportunities for collaboration are open to all. Emerging digital technologies and "big data" (see "Ten simple rules for responsible big data research") have further accelerated the Open Science movement by affording new approaches to data sharing, connecting researcher networks, and facilitating the dissemination of research findings. Open scientific practices are also having a profound impact on the health sciences and medical research, and specifically how we conduct clinical research with human participants. Human health research necessitates careful considerations for practicing science in an ethical manner. There is also a particular urgency to human health research since the goal is to help people, so doing good science takes on a different meaning than simply doing science well. It also implores the scientist to reassess the conventional view of human health research as a pursuit conducted by scientists on human subjects, and lays a greater emphasis on inclusive and ethical practices to ensure that the research takes into account the interests of those who would be most impacted by the research. Openness in the context of human health research also raises greater concerns about privacy and security and presents more opportunities for people, including participants of research studies, to contribute in every capacity. At the core of open health research, scientific discoveries are not only the product of collaboration across disciplines, but must also be owned by the community that is inclusive of researchers, health workers, and patients and their families. To guide successful open health research practices, it is essential to carefully consider and delineate its guiding principles. This editorial is aimed at individuals participating in health science in any capacity, including but not limited to people living with medical conditions, health professionals, study participants, and researchers spanning all types of disciplines. We present ten simple rules that, while not comprehensive, offer guidance for conducting health research with human participants in an open, ethical, and rigorous manner. These rules can be difficult, resource-intensive, and can conflict with one another. They are aspirational and are intended to accelerate and improve the quality of human health research. Work that fails to follow these rules is not necessarily an indication of poor quality research, especially if the reasons for breaking the rules are considered and articulated (see rule 6: document everything). While most of the responsibility of following these rules falls on researchers, anyone involved in human health research in any capacity can apply them.

Health information and communication are key elements that allow patients and family members to make decisions about end-of-life process and guarantee a death with dignity. Objective: To understand carers’ experiences regarding health information and communication during the illness and death of family members. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Andalusia based on the paradigm of hermeneutic phenomenology. Participants were carers who had accompanied a family member at the end of life for over 2 months and less than 2 years. Five nominal groups and 5 discussion groups were established, and 41 in-depth interviews with 123 participants were conducted. Atlas.ti 7.0 software was used to analyse the discourses. Results: Four dimensions of the dying process emerged: differences in carers’ perceptions of information and communication, a conspiracy of silence, consequences of the absence or presence of information, and the need for a culture change. Conclusions: Poor management of health information and communication at the end of life suffering and discomfort patients and their families. The culture of denying and avoiding death is still present today. A change in education about death would better enable health professionals to care for patients at the end of life.

This article draws on empirical research seeking to develop more nuanced understandings of child prostitution, previously theorised on the basis of children’s rights, feminist, and structure/agency debates, largely ignoring children’s own understandings of their involvement in prostitution. Conducted in Malawi, one of the economically poorest countries in the world, the study goes to the heart of questions of inequality and child protection. With careful attention to ethical considerations, a participatory approach was used to enable 19 girls and young women, whose involvement in prostitution began in childhood, to convey their own experiences and understandings of involvement. Data were collected using a range of methods, chosen by participants to match their abilities and interests. Data analysis and interpretation were aided by reference to the capability approach focussing on questions of human rights and social justice for women and girls. Generating rare insights into participants’ worlds, the research demonstrates how the persistence of deeply embedded cultural values in contexts of extreme poverty serves to sustain gender inequalities, constraining choices for girls and denying them opportunities to lead valued lives. The article ends by considering the theoretical and methodological implications of the study, policy and practice recommendations and opportunities for further research.

Suicide dynamics form a complex system deeply influenced by interrelated factors, necessitating advanced methodologies for comprehensive analysis. This study pioneers the application of Particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo (PMCMC) methods in suicide research, recognized for their enhanced sampling efficiency over traditional techniques in complex, high-dimensional models. PMCMC is particularly adept at handling non-Gaussian distributions and navigating parameter spaces efficiently, preventing the entrapment in local optima. Utilizing PMCMC, our research simulated a broad spectrum of potential outcomes, clarifying the probable scenarios and their likelihoods, thus enriching the predictive accuracy and understanding of suicide dynamics. These methods facilitated the exploration of dynamic interactions among key risk factors such as mental health issues, trauma, substance use, social isolation, and access to harmful means, whose complex interplays challenge predictive modeling. The study extends previous applications of PMCMC in complex systems like H1N1, opioid crises, and COVID-19 to the domain of suicide, suggesting its potential in enhancing decision-making and intervention strategies. However, limitations due to the model's simplified assumptions and the specificity of the data to certain populations underscore the necessity for broader application to validate findings across varied demographics. In summary, while PMCMC offers robust capabilities for the dynamic modeling of suicide, it requires careful parameter selection and consideration of computational demands. Future research should continue to leverage this approach in more complex settings, enhancing our ability to predict and mitigate suicide risks effectively.

Analysing the human body by direct observation can lead to misinterpretation of underlying trends, whereas in vitro organ models facilitate their understanding. Likewise, in vitro organ models serve as valuable tools for assessing the toxicity of compounds. However, none of the existing models had the features we considered critical for toxicity assessment, so we developed an in vitro liver model for toxicity assessment. We used four different types of primary liver cells: Hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, hepatic stellate cells, Kupffer cells and hepatocytes. We cultured them in different combinations of composition and volume of cell medium, hepatocyte proportion of total cells, and addition of extracellular matrix. We added rifampicin, ibuprofen and 5-fluorouracil to this model and observed the microanatomy and physiology changes for a week with preclinical and clinical instruments. Among the different model configurations, we selected the feature combination of the in vitro model that had similar biomarker values to those measured by the clinical instruments used in clinical diagnostics. When we exposed the selected model configuration to rifampicin, ibuprofen and 5-fluorouracil, the viability of Kupffer cells and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells was significantly lower than in the untreated samples. In contrast, we observed negligible viability of hepatocytes compared to the untreated samples. We have built an in vitro liver model that resembles the liver microenvironment and we have analysed it with clinical instrumentation to facilitate the data translation. In this sense, we have established that Kupffer and LSEC cells are suitable candidates for the search for clinical diagnostic markers of liver function.

RNA transcripts play a crucial role as witnesses of gene expression health. Identifying disruptive short sequences in RNA transcription and regulation is essential for potentially treating diseases. Let’s delve into the mathematical intricacies of these sequences. We’ve previously devised a mathematical approach for defining a “healthy” sequence (10.14218/GE.2023.00079). This sequence is characterized by having at most four distinct nucleotides (denoted as nt≤4). It serves as the generator of a group denoted as fp. The desired properties of this sequence are as follows: fp should be close to a free group of rank nt−1, it must be aperiodic, fp should not have isolated singularities within its SL2(C) character variety (specifically within the corresponding Groebner basis). Now, let’s explore the concept of singularities. There are cubic surfaces associated with the character variety of a four-punctured sphere denoted as S24. When we encounter these singularities, we find ourselves dealing with some algebraic solutions of a dynamical second-order differential (and transcendental) equation known as the Painlevé VI equation (10.3390/dynamics4010001). In certain cases, S24 degenerates, in the sense that two punctures collapse, resulting in a “wild” dynamics governed by the Painlevé equations of an index lower than VI. In our paper, we provide examples of these fascinating mathematical structures within the context of miRNAs. Specifically, we find a clear relationship between decorated character varieties of Painlevé equations and the character variety calculated from the seed of oncomirs. These findings should find applications in cancer research.

This research aims to review the educational and research operations of Mahasarakham University and propose development directions for the university to meet sustainable development criteria for ranking as a green university. This involves gathering data and analyzing the results of operations over the past 3 years, then using this analysis to synthesize lessons learned and develop guidelines for sustainable development in the coming years. The study found that the university's policies and strategies implemented following the annual performance evaluation criteria align with the green university assessment criteria for education and research. This has resulted in minor improvements in curriculum for sustainability. However, community service projects for sustainability have increased by 89.10%, while funding for sustainable research and academic publications related to sustainability has decreased. In summary, the projects under the university's development strategy adequately support and drive suitable development activities. Nevertheless, the university must continuously review its operations to adapt to changing contexts, budget constraints, and evolving competition and develop each year sustainably.

This paper explores the multifaceted impact of biofilms, bacterial communities enveloped in extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Biofilms play a dual role, acting as environmental champions and health threats. They interact with heavy metals, either causing pollution or aiding environmental remediation. Beneficial biofilms generate electricity and repair concrete cracks, offering sustainable solutions. Conversely, they contribute to infections, posing health risks. The study emphasizes the need for in-depth research, utilizing bibliographic methods to analyze global biofilm research. By identifying keywords, core countries, and pivotal organizations, the paper informs future investigations, offering insights into biofilm research evolution and practical applications.

Emergency is a health condition that poses an imminent risk to life. In this context, operations and triage protocols play an important role in the correct functioning of the Emergency Department, a key component of national health systems. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of a group of patients regarding emergency departments that use the Manchester Triage System, a triage protocol widely adopted in Europe. The research approach used was phenomenography, which allows us to explore in depth the diversity of experiences lived by a group of patients. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed to identify the categories that allows a qualitative description of patient’s experiences. The results are structured in the following categories: “Healthcare professional roles“, “Waiting time to be cared“, “Triage protocol“ and “Emergency department utilization“. These results can be used to improve the way patients experience emergency situations and to contribute to increasing knowledge about the impact of emergency departments and triage protocols on patients.

4-(2-Methyloxazol-4-yl)benzenesulfonamide was synthesized by the reaction of 4-(2-bromoacetyl)benzenesulfonamide with an excess of acetamide. The obtained compound was evaluated as a potential inhibitor of human monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B and was found to inhibit these enzymes with IC50 values of 3.47 μM for MAO-B and 43.3 μM for MAO-A. Thus, the new selective MAO-B inhibitor was identified, which may be used as the lead compound for development anti-Parkinson’s disease agents.

Emily Howard Jennings Stowe is acclaimed as Canada’s first female school principal, physician to practice medicine, and a founding Canadian suffragette. Yet, relatively little has been investi-gated regarding the life-changing events permitting her to pioneer in these chosen fields. To reveal relationships among the life-changing events in Emily Stowe’s life, a unique narrative research process is engaged to take Stowe’s story and develop it into a particular point of view based on responses to questions posed regarding her life, ranging from those most objective and specific to those that are subjective and more general. This is accomplished by following a prescribed order of question-asking: when, where, who, what, how, and why. The aim is to facilitate a comparison and interpretation of the connections regarding twenty-two of her life-changing events. Four dis-tinct aspects of her life are noted: personal, teacher, physician, and suffragette. It is found that much of Stowe’s success originated from her family’s Establishment connections, her studious intellectual ability, and her decision to obtain her medical education in the United States. There were notable periods in her life that might have ended her career. However, the aforementioned protective features of her status permitted the successful withstanding of these difficulties.

Lymphoma diagnoses in the U.S. are substantial, with an estimated 89,380 new cases in 2023, necessitating innovative treatment approaches. Phase 1 clinical trials play a pivotal role in this context. We developed a binary predictive model to assess trial adherence to expected average durations, analyzing 1,089 completed Phase 1 lymphoma trials from clinicaltrials.gov. Using machine learning, the Random Forest model demonstrated high efficacy with an accuracy of 0.7248 and ROC-AUC of 0.7701 for lymphoma trials. Importantly, this model maintained an accuracy of 0.7405 when applied to lung cancer trials, showcasing its versatility. A key insight is the correlation between higher predicted probabilities and extended trial durations, offering nuanced insights beyond binary predictions. Our research contributes to enhanced clinical research planning and potential improvements in patient outcomes in oncology.

This study explores female university students' attitudes and concerns toward pornography, based on their experience watching it and on sexual encounters with men. It used a qualitative descriptive design. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants between March and April 2020. Thematic data analysis was performed using COREQ reporting guidelines. Three themes emerged from the data: 1) the sexual learning process, 2) the role of pornography in women’s sexuality, and 3) sexual experiences. Participants reported how they learned about sexuality and how pornography influenced sexual experiences. Self-esteem issues and societal norms regarding hair removal, and difficulty saying “no” to unwanted or humiliating sexual practices were found. Young women were not comfortable with women’s representations in mainstream pornography. They blame pornography for negative sexual experiences and claim it influences them and young men. Participants usually assumed submissive roles during sex and permitted aggressive sexual behaviors. The study reveals valuable information on how young women learn about sex, difficulty in refusing unwanted sexual activities, and even aggressive practices. Sexual education programs should include assertiveness training to improve sexual health, consent, and well-being.

The main purpose of this article is to identify key areas of research on climate change in the context of the SDGs, focusing on the potential development impacts on Bolivia and Paraguay. Application of the Delphi technique with the involvement of a panel of experts allowed the consolidation of different perspectives and knowledge on climate change, focusing on those that experts considered to have the greatest potential impact on the regions. The results of this study constitute a valuable guide for decision-makers and funding bodies, highlighting research areas that could have a significant impact at the national and regional levels, as well as for researchers, identifying specific research areas crucial for regional development and climate change mitigation.

In this research, the accessibility in the footpath-level walkability condition of old core cities of India has been assessed, considering Central Kolkata, India as a case. Post-2015, after the implementation of Goal Number 11 of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (i.e. Sustainable Cities and Communities), the significance of universal mobility has globally manifolded in the walkability sector. This research has been done in theoretical, ideological, and methodological patterns using Architectural Planning Research for promoting Universal Mobility in old Indian cities. The variables (categorical) used in this research are related to pedestrian infrastructure. The categorical variables are: 1) Building Typology of Stretch, 2) Footpath Dimensions, 3) Temporary Encroachment, 4) Permanent Encroachment, 5) Bus Stop, 6) Metro Rail Entrance, 7) Railings, 8) Storm Water Drains, 9) Public Toilet, 10) Trash Bins, 11) Street Lights, 12) Flooring, 13) Manholes, 14) Kerb, 15) Pedestrian Crossing, 16) Street Furniture, 17) Safety and Security, and 18) Additional Inclusive Features like signage. This research shows that the footpath stretches in Central Kolkata, India are inadequate in terms of ideal accessibility. In addition to this, the result of this research portrays complexities in the adaptability of accessible walkability-related considerations; thereby suggesting a new accessibility audit format for old core Indian cities for achieving Universal Mobility standards in the future. The authors also propose quantitative methods to conduct future research in the same domain.

Health-related data originating from diverse sources are commonly stored in manifold databases and formats, making it difficult to find, access and gather data for research purposes. In addition, so-called secondary use scenarios for health data are usually hindered by local data codes, missing dictionaries and the lack of metadata and context descriptions. Following the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable), we developed a decentralized infrastructure to overcome these hurdles and enable collaborative research by making the meaning of health-related data understandable to both, humans and machines. This infrastructure is currently being implemented in the realm of the Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN), a research infrastructure initiative for enabling the use and exchange of health-related data for research in Switzerland. The SPHN ecosystem for FAIR data consists of the SPHN Dataset (semantic definitions), the SPHN RDF Schema (linkage and transport of the semantics in a machine-readable format), a project RDF template, extensive guidelines and conventions on how to generate SPHN RDF schema, a Terminology Service (converter of clinical terminologies in RDF), and a Quality Assurance Framework (automated data validation with SHACLs and SPARQLs). The SPHN ecosystem has been built in a way that it can easily be adapted and extended by any SPHN project to fit individual needs. By providing such a national ecosystem, SPHN supports researchers in generating, processing and sharing FAIR data.

The objective of this article: analysis of research trends on the topic "Materials Science for Energy Engineering" for the period 2012-2021. Materials and methods: bibliometric analysis of data from the Scopus abstract database.Results. It is shown that this topic is developing faster than the general energy topics.The key feature of the research trends is a significant increase in work on the development of materials for renewable energy and a decrease in the number of publications related to nuclear power.The primary goal of many studies is to increase the efficiency of renewable energy production through the use of new materials.The importance of the topic is evidenced by the emergence of new journals that quickly entered the first quartile of the abstract databases Scopus and Web of Science, for example: ACS Applied Energy Materials.There has been a significant increase of interest in perovskite solar cells, layered semiconductors, triboelectric nanogenerators, cobalt compounds, sulfur compounds, and oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction during Electrolysis.Publications on electric batteries are well represented in all time intervals. The focus is on electrode materials and battery efficiency.

This contribution illustrates the training evaluation system developed within the Master’s Program in Family and Community Mediation at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. This is an interim evaluation, which focuses on the training process and which considers fundamental the collaboration with the subjects of the training. The peculiarity of this work concerns the possibility of inserting research within the training process, following a logic of mutual enrichment both in terms of content and learning. The contribution illustrates in detail the outcome and the process evaluation system, defining the perspective, the objectives, and the methodology of implementation. In particular, the outcome evaluation focuses on the distal and proximal outcomes of the training, while the process analysis focuses on the dynamics within the group of participants. Although further evaluations involving different training groups and other training processes are needed, this training evaluation system allows to shed light on both the topic and the context in which training is delivered. The integration between different points of view and several levels of analysis allows the researchers to deepen the individual path of each participant as well as to have feedbacks on the progress of the training group as a whole.

While the ongoing climate change is well documented, the impacts exhibit a substantial variability, both in direction and magnitude, visible even at regional and local scales. However, the knowledge of regional impacts is crucial for the design of mitigation and adaptation measures, particularly when changes in the hydrological cycle are concerned. In this paper we present hydro-meteorological trends based on observations from a hydrological research basin in Eastern Austria between 1979-2019. The analysed state variables include the air temperature, the precipitation, and the catchment runoff. Additionally, trends for the catchment evapotranspiration were derived. The analysis shows that while the mean annual temperature was decreasing and annual temperature minima remained constant, the annual maxima were rising. The long-term trends indicate a shift of precipitation to the summer with minor variations observed for the remaining seasons and at an annual scale. Observed precipitation intensities mainly increased in spring and summer between 1979-2019. The catchment evapotranspiration, computed based on catchment precipitation and outflow, showed an increasing trend for the observed time period.

In Secondary Education, the focus of History teaching must be on the development of global citizenship. The present research was a study contextualized in the Fiesta de la Historia Youth Congress in Seville (Spain). A documentary analysis with a descriptive and interpretive design was made of 63 projects of inquiry that pupils carried out. The main objectives were to assess the incidence of the proposal in terms of participation, and to determine whether the pupils' projects followed a logic of inquiry about socially relevant problems which favours the construction of global citizenship. The results point to a low incidence of schools participating in this initiative. The projects of inquiry analysed present for the most part themes related to the historical and social heritage of the locality. The proposals are approached as problems of a specific discipline, and are worked on through a method based on a pseudoscientific research process. The findings indicate the need to continue implementing initiatives based on school inquiry that allow the teaching of History to be articulated around relevant social problems, with the objective being to develop citizenship skills.

This paper reports on the conception and implementation of a participatory approach within an agricultural research project aimed at fostering the transition towards organic in the Italian rice district. We investigate the relationships among scientists and stakeholders, exploring researchers’ attitudes, barriers, and potential in relation to participatory research. We use participant observation, in-depth interviews, and systematic cataloguing of communication documents, from the beginning to two years into project implementation, for a total period of three years. The results of the analysis show that, despite a high level of authoritative commitment to participation, scientists reveal a scarcity of knowledge and skills, and poor attitudes that come from a negative perception of participatory research. They engage in various forms of collaboration with stakeholders, as long as decision-making remains essentially in their hands. With the deep analysis of a case study, the paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the quality of participatory agricultural research, in particular presenting evidence on the key role of researchers and their attitudes. The paper also contributes to the development of a culture of learning by doing, through honest monitoring and evaluation, and the capacity to learn from failure.

It is known for decades that viruses from the Coronoviridae family can adapt to human-to-human transmission. In 2020, SARS-CoV-2 caused a global pandemic of unprecedented scale imposing the loss of millions of human lives and being at the heart of a global economic crisis. Thus, we overviewed key research advances generated from the identification of the etiological agent to a better understanding of its origin, evolution and factors underlying global spread. Furthermore, we analyze the scientific productivity using the PubMed database. We found that the total number of publications increased more than 8% in 2020 when compared with 2019 or the average publications per year in the previous quinquennial. Remarkably, 86,638 publications related with COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 were published in 2020. Furthermore, there was also an increase in 2020 of publications in other major infectious diseases, such as AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria. This success is likely the result from the vigorous, international, collaborative, and multidisciplinary response by the research community. During 2020 it was demonstrated, that with adequate support, it is possible to boost the rate of scientific progress in infectious diseases. Sustained investment in science will be key to address existing and future pandemics as the human population increases.

In this report the positive cases of Covid19 in India with effect from 7th September ,2020 to 25th October ,2020 are analysed for statistical relevance . The scattered data are used to find out a model equation correlating two variables number of recovered Covid –patient with an interval of regular seven days . The best fit regression analysis shows a significant correlation of Pearson coefficient (r) with standard error ( s ) with a probable lower mortality rate . Finally the limitations of this analysis is discussed herewith .

Human eye is a specialized organ with complex anatomy and physiology, because it is characterized by different cell types with specific physiological functions. Given the complexity of the eye, ocular tissues are finely organized and orchestrated. In the last few years many in vitro models have been developed, in order to meet the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) for eye toxicity testing. This procedure is highly necessary to ensure that the risks associated with ophthalmic products meet appropriate safety criteria. In vitro preclinical testing is now a well-established practice of significant importance for evaluating the efficacy and safety of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical products. Along with in vitro testing, also computational procedures, herein described, for evaluating the pharmacological profile of potential ocular drug candidates including their toxicity, are in rapid expansion. In this review the ocular cell types and functionality are described providing an overview about the scientific challenge for the development of three-dimensional in vitro models.

The recent outbreak of a new Coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic with about 10,5 million reported cases and over 500,000 deaths worldwide. Our prospective paper reports an updated analysis of the impact that this pandemic had on the Italian agri-food sector during the national lockdown and discusses why and how this unprecedented economic crisis could be a turning point to deal with the overall sustainability of food and agricultural systems in the frame of the forthcoming European Green Deal. Its introductory part includes a wide-ranging examination of the first quarter of pandemic emergency, with a specific focus on the primary production, to be understood as agriculture (i.e. crops and livestock, and their food products), fisheries and forestry. The effect on the typical food and wine exports, and the local environment tourism segments is also taken into account in this analysis, because of their old and deep roots into the cultural and historical heritage of the country. The subsequent part of the paper is centered on strategic lines and research networks for an efficient socio-economic and territorial restart, and a faster transition to sustainability in the frame of a circular bio-economy. Particular emphasis is given to the urgent need of investments in research and development concerning agriculture, in terms of not only a fruitful penetration of the agro-tech for a next-generation agri-food era, but also a deeper attention to the natural and environmental resources, including forestry. As for the rest of Europe, Italy demands actions to expand knowledge and strengthen research applied to technology transfer for innovation activities aimed at providing solutions for a climate neutral and resilient society, in reference to primary production to ensure food security and nutrition quality. Our expectation is that science and culture return to play a central role in national society, as their main actors are capable of making a pivotal contribution to renew and restart the whole primary sector and agri-food industry, addressing also social and environmental issues, and so accelerating the transition to sustainability.

Patient engagement is receiving a growing attention in the healthcare context. However, although worldwide healthcare stakeholders agree that patient engagement is a priority for quality and effective care, no shared recommendations on how to promote patient engagement are currently available. Based on these premises, a Consensus Conference (CC) was promoted to address four main issues: What is the definition of Patient Engagement? How measuring Patient Engagement? What are the most recommended methodologies and the tools to promote Patient Engagement? What is the role of new technologies in promoting of Patient Engagement? The consensus was obtained through an iterative process that began with a systematic synthesis of the available literature in each domain followed by plenary expert discussions. This CC - including the systematic analysis of internationals scientific evidences (2749 sources across the major international scientific databases) together with experiences of a multi-disciplinary consortium of investigators and key stakeholders - attempted to provide the first evidence-based Expert Consensus Statement for the promotion of Patient Engagement in chronic care. These recommendations should be envisaged as inspirational principles to promote a real eco-system of engagement and might orient health services research and interventions.

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major food and cash crop in Burkina Faso. Due to growing demand for raw oilseeds, there is an increasing interest in groundnut production from traditional rain-fed areas to irrigated environments. However, despite implementation of many initiatives in the past to increase groundnut productivity and production, the groundnut industry still struggles to prosper, due to several constraints including minimal development research and fluctuating markets. Yield penalty due to drought and biotic stresses continue to be a major drawback for groundnut production. This review traces progress in the groundnut breeding that started in Burkina Faso before the country’s political independence in 1960 through to present times. Up to the 1980s, groundnut improvement was led by international research institutions such as IRHO (Institute of Oils and Oleaginous Research) and ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). However, international breeding initiatives were not sufficient to establish a robust domestic groundnut breeding programme. This review also provides essential information about opportunities and challenges of groundnut research in Burkina Faso, emphasising the need for institutional attention to genetic improvement of the crop.

In the recent decade, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has widely been adopted in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry and completely upended the way we build. While BIM continues gain momentum in the industry, it has also attracted increasing attentions from researchers. However, most of the current study focuses on reviewing BIM for management, BIM for green building, BIM for infrastructure and BIM for Facilities Management (FM). There are few studies about Global BIM review and to discuss their complex inter-connections. In this study, we adopted a scientometric analysis method to review global BIM research from 2004-2019. A total of 1455 scholarly bibliographic records obtained from Web of Science Core Collection databased were established for the analysis. This study has identified the top productive and influential researchers, research institutes, regions/countries, subject categories and journals in the BIM field. In addition, 11 clusters of Global BIM research were also identified including construction project, green BIM, construction safety planning, automated IFC-based workflow and so on. Authors distinguished 11 clusters of global BIM research into 3 stages, namely formulating stage, accelerating stage and transforming stage. Furthermore, authors reviewed the BIM policy of Singapore and observed there is a co-production relationship between evolution of BIM policy and global BIM research. These findings provide valuable information for researchers, practitioners and policy makers by visualizing the current progress in the research field of BIM and highlighting future research needs.

The recommendations of the panel of experts on the further development of the ‘High-Tech Strategy’ of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany designate the biologization of economic processes along with digitization as the central driver of societal change. Various fields such as the 'biologization of materials research' were then defined in the 'Bio-Agenda' in order to walk the path from biology to innovation. In view of this perspective, we describe how the use of biological materials and mechanisms can lead to resource conservation, the production of intelligent materials and new technological and medical applications. Our strategy, based on research on ‘Biointerfaces in Technology and Medicine’, aims at the development of modular biohybrid systems that could be used as 'biofactories of the future' for sustainable production processes. To achieve this goal, in a first phase already known technologies have to be further refined and integrated in order to obtain and apply compartmentalized reaction systems on different length and time scales. In a second phase, the resulting functional units will be employed to develop dissipative systems useful for biomedical applications and advanced production processes. From a technical point of view, future success in creating 'something entirely new' will depend crucially on robust and complementary research capabilities. Since the close connection of engineering and life sciences at KIT provides an excellent basis for this endeavor, we consider the above perspectives to be feasible.

Academic publishing appears to be the most important key of the academic functions (academic research, excellence in teaching and learning and community services). Selecting the right journal to publish research results is a challenge to academics. Yet, there is inadequate knowledge about a model specifically directed at the topic of the journal selection process with a mathematical certainty. The objectives of this research are: to identify the main factors that an author or researchers consider when selecting an academic journal for submitting a manuscript, and, to develop a mathematical algorithm of journal selection that provide the best journal choice with a mathematical certainty based on difficulty of each factor. Quantitative research through questionnaires has been applied as an appropriate instrument base to address the researcher’s identification of the factors that should be considered when selecting a journal. Questionnaire developed and emailed to academics in 31 public and private universities in the developing countries. Academics reported that the most important publication difficulty factors were publishing in reputable journals, and publishing in a journal that has an impact factor. However, the most least publication difficulty factors were found to be: number of issues per year and if the journal is an open access. The proposed mathematical algorithm of journal’s publication difficulty factors was developed and tested.

A lack of data reproducibility (“reproducibility crisis”) is debated across many scientific and medical disciplines. A systematic analysis of the available evidence on the reliability of scientific data revealed that, although the existence of a reproducibility crisis is widely perceived, conclusive data on the scale of the problem are lacking. Most importantly we found that, although the debate is largely focused on methodological issues, researcher conduct defines research standards and in turn data reliability. The availability of reliable methods itself does not guarantee good practice. Moreover, research is typically characterised by a lack of established methods due to its immanent novelty. Despite the crucial importance of researcher conduct, research and conclusive data on the determinants of researcher behaviour are missing. In conclusion, meta-research is urgently needed that establishes an understanding of the factors that determine researcher behaviour. This knowledge can then be used to implement and iteratively improve measures, which incentivise researchers to apply the highest standards resulting in high quality data.

It is well recognised that the mining industry in South Africa is highly rated for its substantial contribution to the country’s economic growth, including employment and infrastructural development. It is also known that mining and ore processing activities potentially pose a severe threat to public health and environmental well-being, in the way operations are carried out, mine wastes are disposed of (in dumps), local communities are relocated, mine management and the mining community in general, perceive established environmental standards and etiquette. This paper examines ethical practices and norms in the South African mining industry, with particular reference to the management of tailings dams. We analyse the modes of articulation of the country’s regulatory instruments for tailings management, and review the corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach of leading mining companies. Despite decades of research and resulting recommendations on tailings management, it is concluded that current legislations are largely ineffective, level of adherence by mine management and the mining community, low, and mechanisms for compliance monitoring, weak. New perspectives on legislative issues for unsolved problems in tailings handling are put forward, and directions for future research, indicated.

Continued high rates of both under- and over-nutrition in low- and low-middle-income countries highlight the importance of understanding dietary practices such as early and exclusive breastfeeding, and dietary patterns such as timely, appropriate complementary feeding—these behaviors that are rooted in complex cultural ecologies. A systematic review and synthesis of available qualitative research related to infant and young child dietary patterns and practices from the perspective of parents and families in low income settings is presented, with a focus on barriers and facilitators to achieving international recommendations. Data from both published and grey literature from 2006-2016 was included in the review. Quality assessment consisted of two phases (CASP guidelines and assessment using GRADE-CERQual), followed by synthesis of the studies identified, and subsequent thematic analysis and interpretation. The findings indicated several categories of both barriers and facilitators, spanning individual and system level factors. The review informs efforts aimed at improving child health and nutrition, and represents the first such comprehensive review of the qualitative literature, uniquely suited to understanding complex behaviors leading to infant and young child dietary patterns.

The UK economy is overly reliant on unsustainable production and consumption practices, depleting finite resources at rates that will increase production costs, business risk and economic instability. This over-consumption produces emissions and waste that cause climate change and environmental degradation, impacting on the wellbeing of people in the UK and beyond. The Resource Recovery from Waste programme (RRfW) promotes a transition towards waste and resource management in a circular economy that restores the environment, creates societal benefits and promotes clean growth by engaging relevant actors in the transition process. RRfW collaborates with academia, government, and industry to co-produce a shared vision and approach to realise such a transition. Reflecting insights from RRfW’s government engagement, this article presents a positive outlook for changing the UK economy and society. It envisions a long-term future for waste and resource management that maximises the value of materials by circulating them in the economy for as long as possible. Four themes and an approach are proposed, including recommendations for regulatory instruments and a stable policy framework. It recommends further collaborative research to capitalise on opportunities for economic growth, innovation and resilient infrastructure whilst contributing to quality jobs and welfare in all four UK nations.

Introduction: The first velvet worm (phylum Onychophora) was described nearly two centuries ago, by a British priest, in the tiny Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. He thought it was a new type of mollusk, a slug with tiny feet. Objective: Here I present a brief biographical account of the field of onychophorology, marking nearly two hundred years since the first scientific description of velvet worms. Method: I synthetize historical records, publications, personal experience and biographical sketches to construct an encompassing narrative of the field's development through the lives of researchers who have shaped it. Results: The narrative begins with Lansdown Guilding's initial discovery and extends to include pivotal figures like Jean Victor Audouin, Charles Émile Blanchard, Adolph Eduard Grube, Lorenzo Camerano, Eugène Louis Bouvier, Sidnie Milana Manton, Sylvia S. Campiglia, Roger Lavallard, Hilke Ruhberg, and Bernal Morera-Brenes. Contributions from Noel Tait, Robert Mesibov, Georg Mayer, Cristiano Sampaio, Ivo de Sena Oliveira, and José Pablo Barquero-González are also acknowledged. The article highlights their individual contributions to onychophorology, considering their scientific achievements and personal journeys, and presents portraits of nearly all of them. Conclusion: Our current knowledge of onychophorans is the results of hundreds of contributions from a large number of people who have lived varied, sometimes fascinating lives, but all united in their interest in velvet worms.

Modern research applies the Open Science approach that fosters the production and sharing of Open Data according to the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. In the geospatial context this is generally achieved through the setup of OGC Web services that implements open standards that satisfies the FAIR requirements. Nevertheless, the requirement of Findability is not fully satisfied by those services since there’s no use of persistent identifiers and no guarantee that the same dataset used for a study can be immutably accessed in a later period: a fact that hinders the replicability of research. This is particularly true in recent years where data-driven research and technological advances have boosted frequent updates of datasets. Here, we review needs and practices, supported by some real case examples, on frequent data or metadata updates in geo-datasets of different data types. Additionally we assess the currently available tools that support data versioning for databases, files and log-structured tables. Finally we discuss challenges and opportunities to enable geospatial web services that are fully FAIR: a fact that would provide, due to the massive use and increasing availability of geospatial data, a great push toward open science compliance with ultimately impacts on the science transparency and credibility.

Appropriate diagnosis, treatment and care contributes to better service engagement, improvements to wellbeing, cost savings, reductions in morbidity and mortality for people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage. In the North-East of England large amounts of alcohol are consumed, reflected in the number of alcohol-related deaths in the region. However, the pathway for people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage to receipt of diagnosis, treatment and care is unknown and could be unwittingly influenced by stigma. Qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews were completed with 25 health and social care professionals from organisations involved with people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage recruited via snowball-sampling. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analysed. People with Alcohol Related Brain Damage were stigmatised both by society and professionals which inhibited entry into services therefore Alcohol Related Brain Damage remained underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. There was no dedicated service but silos with revolving doors and underfunded generic care with long waiting lists typically excluding those with alcohol or neurological problems. Professionals need to be challenged on the assumption that Alcohol Related Brain Damage is self-inflicted via training aimed at challenging unconscious bias. Reducing stigmatising processes associated with Alcohol Related Brain Damage could counteract professionals’ reluctance to provide care.

(1) Background: Franco’s dictatorship was an authoritarian regime in Europe in the twentieth century. The political and historical context has a significant influence on the socio-cultural make-up of each era, having consequences on equality and violence against women. The objec-tive of our study is to explore and understand women’s experiences of violence against women during the Franco regime and how it affects them today; (2) Methods: This qualitative study ex-plores violence against women in Francoist Spain. Data was colleted between January and march 2022 through twenty-one interviews were carried out with female survivors of Francoism; (3) Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: underlying social conditions that allow for vio-lence against women; forms of violence against women: from punishment to forced silence; dif-ferent standpoints about violence against women: the feminist struggle versus denial; (4) Conclu-sions: We concluded that the imposed patriarchy during Francoist repression was harmful for Spanish women for decades. Women suffered violence against women and they are still bearing the consequences, passing on attitudes that could contribute to the persistence of violence against women.

This is a case study in the domain of public sector management or management in government, with particular reference to education as a sector as a whole. Bangladesh has shown persistent upward trends in development indicators during the last four decades. In the education sector also, many indicators improved - literacy, the female proportion of literacy, number of educational institutions, etc. Quantity wise investment and indicators increased and improved at all levels and dimensions like primary, secondary, tertiary, technical, and so on. But qualitative improvement remained mysteriously low, despite government intention to increase quality of teaching, learning, and administration. This paper aimed to draw an overall picture of qualitative scenario of the education sector. Analyzing secondary sources like public media, and primary sources like citizen interactions, this qualitative study consolidated the problems of the education sector in a coherent whole. It argues that many problems of education sector are not education problems or budget problems, rather purely and simply ‘management’ problems, and so, can effectively be solved with basic but thorough understanding of the basic technicalities of management as a discipline.

Type 1 diabetes imposes a complex and challenging routine on patients and caregivers. Therefore, considering individual experiences and personal facilitators to promote assertive interventions is crucial. However, no studies have addressed these perspectives in the Brazilian adult population. We aimed to identify psycho-behavioral characteristics perceived as facilitators for coping with the condition. We used a biographical method to conduct semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews for each participant. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants (n = 22) were aged 18–57 years (mean: 30.2, standard deviation (SD): 8.7), and the duration since diagnosis was approximately 20.6 years (SD: 4.6). Twelve (54.4%) were women, 13 (59.1%) used insulin pumps, 14 (63.6%) had at least a college degree, and 13 (59.1%) had HbA1C (glycated hemoglobin) levels above 58 mmol/mol (7.5%). Five major themes emerged: 1) peer learning, 2) ownership, 3) welcoming experiences, 4) equity, and 5) reframe the path (P.O.W.E.R.). All themes appeared in the lived experiences shared by participants with HbA1C levels below 58 mmol/mol (7.5%). Improved glycemic control can be achieved, and the challenges encountered in diabetes care within similar socioeconomic contexts can be addressed, by an interdisciplinary care team that takes P.O.W.E.R into consideration when providing person-centered care strategies.

The continuous advancements in healthcare technology have empowered the discovery, diagnosis, and prediction of diseases, revolutionizing the field. Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving the goals of precision medicine, particularly in disease prevention, detection, and personalized treatment. This study aims to determine the optimal combination of the mother wavelet and AI model for the analysis of pediatric electroretinogram (ERG) signals. The dataset, consisting of signals and corresponding diagnoses, undergoes Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) using commonly used wavelets to obtain a time-frequency representation. Wavelet images were used for the training of five widely used deep learning models: VGG-11, ResNet-50, DensNet-121, ResNext-50, and Vision Transformer, to evaluate their accuracy in classifying healthy and unhealthy patients. The findings demonstrate that the combination of Ricker Wavelet and Vision Transformer consistently yields the highest median accuracy values for ERG analysis, as evidenced by the upper and lower quartile values. The median balanced accuracy of the obtained combination of the three considered types of ERG signals in the article are 0.83, 0.85, and 0.88. However, other wavelet types also achieved high accuracy levels, indicating the importance of carefully selecting the mother wavelet for accurate classification. The study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of different combinations of wavelets and models in classifying ERG wavelet scalograms.

The abundance of information in academic articles, reports, and studies can make it challenging for researchers to gain insights from the existing literature. To address this issue, there is a growing demand for tools that can help researchers effectively parse and analyze large volumes of data. One such tool is DataDiscoveryLab, a software system that utilizes computer vision algorithms and NLP techniques to parse academic articles into text and figures, creating three separate databases. These databases allow researchers to quickly identify articles that may be relevant to their research questions, gain a deeper understanding of the research presented, and analyze visual data. The integration of article mining and computer vision in the DataDiscoveryLab software system provides researchers with a powerful tool for navigating the vast amount of scientific literature available today. Yet, as we will discuss in the latter papers these databases’ purpose is to create a bridge between researchers’ data and practically unlimited scientific publications. Yet, in this article, we will discuss how we plan to do that, and our efforts on integrating deep learning modes. After all, unlike already existing AI models, DataDiscoveryLab can be their combination and the first Generative AI in academia that can encompass every part of the natural sciences.

As with every new technology, safety demonstration is a critical component of bringing products to market and gaining public acceptance for cultured meat and seafood. This manuscript develops research priorities from the findings from a series of interviews and workshops with governmental scientists and regulators from food safety agencies in fifteen jurisdictions globally.  The interviews and workshops aimed to identify the key safety questions and priority areas of research. Participants raised questions about which aspects of cultured meat and seafood production are novel, and the implications of the paucity of public information on the topic. Novel parameters and targets may require the development of new analytical methods or adaptation and validation of existing ones, including for a diversity of product types and processes. Participants emphasized that data sharing of these efforts would be valuable, similar to those already developed and used in the food and pharmaceutical fields. Contributions to such databases from the private and public sectors would speed general understanding as well as efforts to make evaluations more efficient. In turn, these resources, combined with transparent risk assessment, will be critical elements of building consumer trust in cultured meat and seafood products.

Background: Bibliometric analysis provides insight into knowledge gaps of a specific field. We want to know what part of medical care has been the subject of research in a group of Mexican physicians. The Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) cares for a wide spectrum of disease and it provides a unique vision of what specialists has investigated about health. Methods: Papers belonging to “ISSSTE” affiliation were harvested and downloaded to .csv Excel files from the Scopus database including most bibliometric variables. VOSviewer, biblioshiny and bibliometric were used to conduct the bibliometric. Results: 2,063 papers were found and re-trieved; internal medicine had the greatest number of papers with 831; nine institutions were listed claiming “ISSSTE” as their mother affiliation; original papers represent 82% of the total and 52% of them were written in Spanish. Research production in Mexico City and the most productive center is Centro Médico Nacional 20 de Noviembre. Discussion: We identified main institutions, prolific authors, top-cited researchers and their affiliations, however, our paper is a call to action for the medical community in Latin America to join our efforts in building a solid group of researchers for the future of science.

Background: The global prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents has increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health problems may compromise glycemic control in young people with type 1 diabetes; however, evidence of improved glycemic control in adolescents with T1D appeared early during the pandemic. This qualitative study aimed to provide a more in-depth understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected adolescents with type 1 diabetes routines, experiences, T1D management, behaviors, and mental health. Methods: 24 adolescents, aged 15-18 years, with DM1, joined the discussion of focus groups in the context of the summer camp for diabetes. Word frequency and thematic analysis were conducted on adolescents’ narratives. Results: The word Frequency Analysis identified 'friends', 'family', and 'home' as the most frequent terms. Seven themes were identified: (1) COVID-19 and T1D; (2) emotional reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) changes in daily life; (4) feelings of loss; (5) coping with the COVID-19 pandemic; (6) the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity; (7) return to (new) normality. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic may have represented a more stressful condition for adolescents with DM1, facing additional challenges compared to their healthy peers. The results offer directions to the diabetes care team for a customized intervention while the consequences of the pandemic on adolescents’ health continue.

This article is devoted to a bibliometric analysis of IEEE Energy Internet and Energy Systems Integration Conference proceedings posted in IEEE Xplore in 2017-2021. The main objective of the study was to identify the actual research issues on the Energy Internet topic. Author Keywords, INSPEC Controlled Terms, and terms compiled from n-grams derived from conference papers title and abstract texts were used to describe the actual issues. The terms were clustered using VOSviewer, and the terms included in each cluster were treated as a description of the actual issues. Brief descriptions of several publications relevant to the issue in question were given for task detail. The actual issue, which in my opinion deserves further, more detailed analysis, is proposed.

The article is devoted to identifying promising research issues on the topic of Digital Industry based on the analysis of bibliometric data from Scopus platform for 2018–2022. The definition of promising issues derived from the titles, additionally abstracts, of highly cited works by authors with high publication activity. Authors' Scopus profiles were used to determine their affiliations, which are important for in-depth analysis of selected promising Digital Industry tasks. Metadata filtering to identify highly cited papers on particular issues was performed by keywords, Subject Areas, affiliations with countries and sponsoring organizations. Additionally, bibliometric metadata were clustered based on the co-occurrence of terms using VOSviewer. Within these clusters, articles of interest were identified for the formulation of promising research issues on the topic of Digital Industry, which will be subjected to in-depth analysis in separate papers.

Sexually transmitted infections encompass considerable effects on human sexual and reproductive health. Its presence is ubiquitous despite decades of prevention and management. The present study has been conducted to provide an insightful bibliometric analysis of syphilis based on the Scopus repository. Therefore, given the dearth of a consolidated bibliometric analysis on Syphilis, this investigation aimed to compile the literature of the last century (1921-2021) to gain insight into the publications pertinent to the burden, diagnosis, treatment, and management of Syphilis. In this study, we have provided the year-wise, and subject-wise publications, type of articles, country, funding organizations, institutions, citations, and H-index. The data obtained from the Scopus database was exported to CSV file format and then converted to Microsoft Excel version for analysis to curtail the chances of error in the information. It has been evidenced that the USA possesses the highest track of proven publications. Therefore, this study considerably contributes to the future leaders, researchers & specialists/ clinicians of the domain

As of now, anthropogenic habitat injury via dissemination of manufactured chemicals is injuring the world’s ecosystems, but doctors have yet to recognize its consequences to humans. Recognition of overt toxicity due to chronic low-dose exposure will open the door to diagnosis, sequential elimination studies, and prescriptions for preventive cure that represent a first step in preventing escalating chronic diseases. This paper offers a diagnostic construct for such use: chronic ambient poisoning. Incorporating it into clinical practice can reduce misdiagnosis of gastro- and near-toxicity that doctors and patients presently suppress rather than remove, and reduce patient co-dependence with proton-pump inhibitors, anxiolytics, and antidepressants—and the thriving “alternative” health industry. This diagnostic elephant-in-the-room is presently missed for reasons of habit (when an ailment is not recognized, it cannot be included in the differential diagnosis) and of poor conduct and interpretation of non-clinical research studies that are taken to mean an absence of evidence is evidence of absence. Moreover, modern methods fail when: the exposure comprises a “daily cocktail” of poisons acting additively, interactively, and cumulatively over a lifetime; when there is no normal, unexposed comparison group; and when absence of a robust etiopathogenetic model disallows inapt statistics. Only patient-led, consultant-informed sequential elimination studies can “peel the onion” of toxicity and its recognition and “preventive cure”. Clinical use of the chronic ambient poisoning diagnosis can thus open the door to stemming and reversing anthropogenic epidemics.

This paper summarizes the estimates of the total changes in sales, expenses, and income of participants of the horticulture research and extension programs at the Mississippi State University - Coastal Research and Extension Center for the past five years. Major items outline the estimation procedures for the past five years. The average annual values were used in estimating the total economic impacts of added gross sales, expenses, and incomes of participants in horticulture events. The cumulative total impacts reach $8.7 million in sales, 76 jobs, $1.4 million in labor income, $2.4 million in value-added, and $0.4 million in local, state, and federal taxes. In addition, the total willingness to pay for the horticulture program by the adult participants reached $1.8 million. In comparison, the annual public spending on the horticulture program averaged $1.4 million, creating additional substantial economic impacts to the region.

Worldwide initiatives currently aim to reduce free sugar intakes, but success will depend on consumer attitudes towards sugar and the alternatives. This work aimed to explore attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods in the general public of the UK, including attitudes towards personal consumption and related policies. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 34 adults (7 males, ages: 18-65 years). Thematic analysis identified six themes: ‘Value’ (e.g. pleasure, emotions), ‘Angle’ (e.g. disinterest), ‘Personal Relevance’ (to be concerned and/or change one’s own behaviour), ‘Personal Responsibility’ (one has an active relationship with these food items), ‘Understanding’ (the acquisition, comprehension and application of information surrounding these food items) and ‘It’s Not Up to Me’ (a passive approach towards these food items, because intake is subjected to other factors). Both positive and negative attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods were expressed in all themes, largely dependent on the individual. Potential strategies for reducing free sugar intakes were also reported, but differences in likely value were suggested by different individuals. Future work should assess associations between attitudes and intakes. For greatest population benefit, evidence of the dominant attitudes in those in greatest need of reduced free sugar intakes would be of value.

Tinnitus is a complex and heterogeneous psycho-physiological disorder responsible for causing a phantom ringing or buzzing sound albeit the absence of an external sound source. It has a direct influence on affecting the quality of life of its sufferers. Despite being around for a while, there hasn’t been a cure for tinnitus, and the usual course of action for its treatment involves use of tinnitus retaining and sound therapy, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). One positive aspect about these therapies is that they can be administered face-to-face as well as delivered via internet or smartphone. Smartphones are especially helpful as they are highly personalized devices, and offer a well-established ecosystem of apps, accessible via respective marketplaces of differing mobile platforms. Note that current therapeutic treatments such as CBT have shown to be effective in suppressing the tinnitus symptoms when administered face-to-face, their effectiveness when being delivered using smartphones is not known so far. A quick search on the prominent market places of popular mobile platforms (Android and iOS) yielded roughly 250 smartphone apps offering tinnitus-related therapies and tinnitus management. As this number is expected to steadily increase due to high interest in smartphone app development, a contemporary review of such apps is crucial. In this paper, we aim to review scientific studies validating the smartphone apps, particularly to test their effectiveness in tinnitus management and treatment. We use the PRISMA guidelines for systematic identification of studies on major scientific literature sources and delineate the outcomes of identified studies.

Gene editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 have created unprecedented opportunities for genetic studies in plants and animals. We designed a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to train introductory biology students in the concepts and implementation of gene editing technology as well as develop their soft skills in data management and scientific communication. We present two versions of the course that can be implemented with twice-weekly meetings over a five-week period. In the remote-learning version, students perform homology searches, design guide RNAs and primers, and learn the principles of molecular cloning. This version is appropriate when access to laboratory equipment or in-person instruction is limited, such as closures that have occurred in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the in-person version, students design guide RNAs, clone CRISPR-Cas9 constructs, and perform genetic transformation of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The highly parallel nature of the CURE makes it possible to target dozens to hundreds of genes, depending on the number of course sections available. Applying this approach in a sensitized mutant background enables focused reverse genetic screens for genetic suppressors or enhancers. The course can be readily adapted to other organisms or projects that employ gene editing.

Preclinical animal studies provide valuable opportunities to better understand human diseases and contribute to major advances in medicine. This review provides a comprehensive overview of ocular parameters in humans and selected animals, with a focus on the ocular surface, detailing species differences in ocular surface anatomy, physiology, tear film dynamics and tear film composition. We describe major pitfalls that tremendously limit the translational potential of traditional laboratory animals (ie., rabbits, mice and rats) in ophthalmic research, and highlight the benefits of integrating companion dogs with clinical analogues to human diseases into preclinical pharmacology studies. This One Health approach can help accelerate and improve the framework in which ophthalmic research is translated to the human clinic. Studies can be conducted in canine subjects with naturally occurring or non-invasively induced ocular surface disorders (eg., dry eye disease, conjunctivitis), reviewed herein, and tear fluid can be easily retrieved from canine eyes for various bioanalytical purposes. In this review, we discuss common tear collection methods, including capillary tubes and Schirmer tear strips, and provide guidelines for tear sampling and extraction to improve the reliability of analyte quantification (drugs, proteins, others).

Velvet worms, or onychophorans, include placental species and, as a phylum, have survived all mass extinctions since the Cambrian. They capture prey with an extraordinary adhesive net that appears in an instant. The first naturalist to formally mention them was Lansdown Guilding (1797-1831), a British priest from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. His life is as little known as the history of the field he initiated, onychophorology. This is the first general history of onychophorology, and I have divided it into half century periods. The beginning, 1826-1879, was defined by former students of great names in the history of biology, like Cuvier and von Baer. This generation included Milne-Edwars and Blanchard, and the greatest advances came from France, with smaller but still important contributions from England and Germany. In the 1880-1929 period, work concentrated in anatomy, behavior, biogeography and ecology, but of course the most important work was Bouvier’s mammoth monograph. The next half century, 1930-1979, was important for the discovery of Cambrian species; Vachon’s explanation of how ancient distribution defined the existence of two families; Pioneer DNA and electron microscopy from Brazil; and primitive attempts at systematics using embryology or isolated anatomical characteristics. Finally, the 1980-2020 period, with research centered in Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica and Germany, is marked by an evolutionary approach to everything, from body and behavior to distribution; for the solution of the old problem of how they form their adhesive net and how the glue works; the reconstruction of Cambrian onychophoran communities, the first experimental taphonomy; the first country-wide map of conservation status (from Costa Rica); the first model of why they survive in cities; the discovery of new phenomena like food hiding, parental feeding investment and ontogenetic diet shift; and for the birth of a new research branch, Onychophoran Ethnobiology, founded in 2015. While a few names appear often in the literature, most knowledge was produced by a mass of researchers who entered the field only briefly.

The purpose of this systematic review is to provide second language acquisition (SLA) researchers with an overview of research trends in this field in the last ten years (2009-2019). In doing so, three international peer-reviewed journals, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Language Teaching Research, and The Modern Language Journal, were selected. 150 articles were systematically selected and analyzed. The analysis of data resulted in identifying six descriptive themes. Results showed that some areas of second language acquisition still need further exploration while some areas are of great interest for researchers. Some suggestions for future research as well as implications of the study were discussed in detail.

Background. The Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ) is widely used to measure functional ability in persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The instrument was developed with limited involvement from persons with RA, and their perception of the instrument has not been studied in depth. The aim of this study was to explore how persons with RA experience the use of the HAQ in care. Methods. Forty persons with RA were purposefully recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were then analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Results. The participants questioned the relevance of the HAQ but nevertheless experienced that the instrument had a profound effect on their understanding of health and how care is delivered. The analysis resulted in three themes: Problems with individual items, meaning of the summative score, and effects on care and health perceptions. Conclusions. To make the HAQ relevant to persons with RA, it needs to be revised or to include an option to select items most meaningful to the respondent. To ensure relevance, the HAQ update should preferably be co-created by researchers, clinicians and persons with RA.

A method for calibrating models of agricultural production and resource use presented by Howitt [1] for policy analysis is proposed to leverage multidisciplinary agricultural research at the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research (NCAAR). An illustrative example for Sunflower County, MS is presented to show how plot-level research can be extended to draw systemic region or basin wide implications. A hypothetical improvement in yields for dryland soybean varieties is incorporated to the model and shown to have a positive impact on aquifer outcomes and producer profits. The example illustrates that a change in one practice-crop combination can have system-wide impacts as evidenced by the change in acreages for all crops and practices.

Aptamers have a well-earned place in therapeutic, diagnostic, and sensor applications, and we now show that they provide an excellent foundation for education, as well. Within the context of the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) at The University of Texas at Austin, students have used aptamer selection and development technologies in a teaching laboratory to build technical and 21st century skills appropriate for research scientists. One of the unique aspects of this course-based undergraduate research experience is that students develop their own projects, and take ownership of their own science in what would otherwise be a traditional teaching lab setting. Of the many successes, this work includes the isolation and characterization of novel calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (anti-CIAP) RNA aptamers by an undergraduate researcher. Further, preliminary survey data suggest that students who participate in the aptamer research experience express significant gains in their self-efficacy to conduct research, and their perceived ability to communicate scientific results, as well as organize and interpret data. This work will describe the use of aptamers in an educational setting, highlight the positive student outcomes of the aptamer research experience, and more particularly present the research findings relative to the anti-CIAP aptamer.

Sentence stimuli pervade psycholinguistics research. Yet limited attention has been paid to the automatic construction of sentence stimuli. Given their linguistic capabilities, this study investigated the efficacy of ChatGPT/AI tools in generating sentence stimuli. In three psycholinguistic experiments, this study examined the acceptability and validity of AI-formulated auditory sentences and written sentences in two languages: English and Arabic. Participants gave English AI-generated stimuli similar to or higher acceptability ratings than human-composed stimuli, but the opposite was observed for Arabic AI-generated stimuli. The validity of AI-developed stimuli relied on the study design, with only Experiment 2 demonstrating the target psycholinguistic effect (L1/L2 morphosyntactic prediction). These results highlight the promising role of AI as a stimuli developer which could facilitate psycholinguistic research and increase its diversity. Implications for psycholinguistic research were discussed.

The concept of Research Integrity and research ethics are linked to the scientific research process and its communication. Presenting the results objectively is essential. It turns out that few scientists use manipulation of results and consequently other types of misconduct such as data Fabrication, Falsification, and Plagiarism (FFP). In this article, we show the definitions of these and different aspects of behavior that should be avoided, which affect principles of research reliability. We present, through a brief literature review, the concept of Research Integrity, FFP, and its relations with Publish or Perish. Editorial disputes are linked to the power that scientists have to remain in the field of research, governed by clear rules to increase their intellectual capital. We discussed that scientists tend to want their papers published in journals with better impact and well-evaluated, seeking prominence in the publishing sector. We have seen that both scientists and journals can have sequelae and problems in the face of the Publish or Perish movement, which can call into question the quality of the editorial process, peer review, and the journal itself.

Background: Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) receive traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for unmet clinical needs with psychotropic medications. However, the clinical characteristics of practices and outcomes of TCM in BD are not fully understood. This cohort study investigated the clinical characteristics, principal diagnoses, TCM interventions, and TCM prescriptions in patients with BD. Methods: 12,113 patients with BD were withdrawn from Taiwan's longitudinal health insurance database 2000 (LHID 2000) between 1996 and 2013. Chi-squared test for categorical variables and independent t-test for continuous variables. A p-value less than 0.05 indicated significance. Results: One-thousand and three hundred nineteen patients who visited TCM clinics after the diagnosis of BD were in the TCM group, while those who never visited TCM were in the non-TCM group (N= 1,053). Compared to the non-TCM group, patients in the TCM group had younger average age, a higher percentage of female individuals, more comorbidities of anxiety and alcohol use disorders, and higher mood stabilizer usage rates. The TCM group exhibited pain-related indications, including joint pain, myalgia, myositis, headache, and sleep disturbances. Corydalis yanhusuo and Shu-Jing-Huo-Xue-Tang were the most useful single herb and herbal formulas. Conclusions: Physicians need to be aware of the use of TCM in Patients with BD.

This study empirically analyzes how R&D expenditures affect firm value using a regression model for listed firms in Shandong Province, China. The dependent variable is measured by To-bin Q, which measures firm value, and the experimental variable among the independent varia-bles is R&D expenditure. In addition, financial leverage and firm size, which have been found to have a significant impact on firm value in previous studies, were selected as control variables. The study sample consisted of 554 data points analyzed over a nine-year period from 2010 to 2018. Without controlling for variables that affect firm value, the correlation analysis shows that R&D expenditures of listed firms in Shandong Province, China have a significant positive impact on firm value at the 1% level. For a more precise analysis, we ran a multivariate regression analysis controlling for other variables that affect firm value and found that R&D expenditure has a significant positive impact on firm value at the 1% level. These findings suggest that man-agers of listed companies in Shandong Province, China, need to actively engage in R&D activi-ties to increase firm value. Companies in Shandong Province, China, are currently experiencing very strong growth, and this study, which shows that R&D is the key to increasing the value of these companies, can help companies in Shandong formulate their business strategies.

In this inclusive review article, the focus is on navigating the dynamic landscape of literature education, particularly the profound pedagogical shifts observed in the aftermath of the pandemic. The article synthesizes global insights, delving into how educators have adapted to hybrid models and embraced digital tools, fundamentally transforming the reading, analysis, and engagement with literary works. Exploring the integration of digital tools in literature education, the review uncovers the transformative impact of technology on traditional pedagogies. It analyzes the challenges and opportunities inherent in adapting literature education to the digital era, emphasizing the need for inclusive practices and adaptability. The article concludes by suggesting future research directions, encompassing AI integration, inclusive practices, cultural variations, long-term effects of hybrid models, and effective pedagogical strategies for technology integration. With a comprehensive approach, this review not only summarizes the current state of literature education but also discusses its implications, offering a holistic understanding of the contemporary educational landscape and setting the stage for future research endeavors.

Objectives. Invasive fungal spondylodiscitis (IFSD) is rare and could be lethal in certain circumstances. Previous literature revealed limited data concerning the outcomes. This study aimed to establish a risk-scoring system. Methods. A total of 53 patients were included in the study from a multi-centered database in Taiwan. All the clinicopathological and laboratory data were retrospectively analyzed. Variables strongly related to 1-year mortality were identified using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to express the performance of our IFSD scoring model. Results. Five strong predictors were included in the IFSD score: predisposing immunocompromised state, the initial presentation of either radiculopathy or myelopathy, initial laboratory findings of WBC > 12.0 or < 0.4 103/uL, hemoglobin < 8 g/dL, and evidence of candidemia. 1-year mortality rates for patients with IFSD Scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 0%, 16.7%, 56.3%, 72.7%, and 100%, respectively. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.823. Conclusions. We developed a practical scoring model with easily obtained demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters to predict the probability of 1-year mortality in patients with IFSD. However, more large-scale and international validations would be necessary before this scoring model is commonly used.

During the preclinical research process, multiple factors can be difficult to implement without the careful consideration and planning of each step. As research has become more advanced with the use of increasingly complex technology, animal models have also become essential for understanding the potential impact of devices, drug therapies, and surgical techniques on humans before clinical trials are conducted. The use of an in vivo animal model is a key and necessary step in the progression of preclinical research studies that will lead to future medical inventions and innovation. Here, we describe the three phases of effectively designing a preclinical research protocol: the research, preprocedural planning, and experimental phases. Furthermore, we provide researchers with guidance through these phases and discuss important considerations.

Tuna species are an important resource to the people of the Pacific, particularly small island countries like Tonga, that have few alternative natural resources. These countries are dependent on this fishery for their nutrition, recreation, government revenue, employment, welfare and culture. Threatening these benefits, however, are global warming and climate uncertainties that affect the presence and distribution of tuna in the Pacific islands countries and territories. There-fore, one of the most important development goals for Tonga involves managing its tuna fish-eries in order to optimize these benefits within the context of climatic impacts. This paper has two main goals. Firstly, we discuss Tonga’s commitment to implement the existing tuna man-agement policies. This commitment permeates through a range of activities to monitoring catch regulations and regulate locally based foreign vessels to fish in the Economic Exclusive Zone of Tonga. This reflects the implementation of an information-based management framework namely, the Tonga National Tuna Fishery Management and Development Plan that is revised every five years. Secondly, the paper identifies key scientific research programs, which form the basis to design more informed future policies towards tuna management. These researches include : i) examining of the bathymetric features of the island nation’s fishing ground, ii) model-ling the spatio-temporal distribution of tuna and, iii) characterizing tuna habitats within an oceanic environment using biophysical oceanographic data within Geographic Information Sys-tem, and iv) impacts of climate change on tuna

Climate change affects water resources through the decrease of rainfall and the increase in temperatures and evapotranspiration. An indirect impact of climate change is also the increase of water uses by human activities. In this review, 320 papers were retrieved, of which 134 spanning five continents impacts and solutions to be used to better understand the effects of climate change on water resources, ecosystems, human health, security and socio-economic aspects were selected. Here, suggestions and proposals by scientists from around the world towards solutions, tips and ideas to deal with climate change and the best solutions for future water management were presented. The main solutions highlighted concern integrated water resources management, political direction, policies, increase in knowledge and new technologies. Furthermore, most of the papers analyzed underline that water resources management needs to incorporate protection and restoration of ecosystems and their services. Nature-based solutions need to be the starting point of new scientific and innovative ways to deal with climate change and towards future climate adaptation. In this complex evolution of the water resource, where is the management of the water resource in Italy going?

Until 2021, in the Kyrgyz Republic, tuberculosis(TB) was diagnosed and treated only in the public sector. With funding support of the STOP-TB partnership, the private providers in four regions of the country and Bishkek city were mapped, trained and incentivized to screen for, identify presumptive TB patients, and refer them to the public facilities for diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we describe the cascade of care of such patients. This was a cohort study involving secondary analysis of routine data. Of 79,352 patients screened during February 2021-March 2022, 2,511(3%) had presumptive TB, of whom, 903(36%) were not tested for TB [pre-diagnostic loss-to-follow-up]. A total of 323(13%) patients were diagnosed as TB, of whom, 42(13%) were not started on treatment [pre-treatment loss-to-follow-up]. Among 257 patients eligible for outcome assessment, 197(77%) had treatment success, 29(11%) were lost-to-follow-up, 13(5%) died, 4(2%) had treatment failure and 14(5%) were not evaluated. While this donor-funded, pioneering initiative was successful in engaging the private sector, we recommend the national TB programme to scale-up the initiative nationally with dedicated budgets, activities and plans to monitor the progress. Qualitative research is urgently needed to understand the reasons for the gaps in the care cascade.

This study aimed to investigate Romanian physicians' awareness, recommendation practices, and opinions regarding using Foods for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs) products. A total of ten physicians were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, and their responses were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that physicians were aware of FSMPs and recommended them to their patients based on nutritional deficits, weight loss, or deglutition impairments. In addition, disease stage, treatment scheme, taste, affordability, and availability were identified as factors influencing the recommendation and use of FSMPs. While physicians generally did not consult clinical trials, clinical experience was deemed essential for recommending FSMPs to patients. Patients' feedback regarding the usage and sourcing of FSMPs was generally positive, with some expressing concerns about the availability of different flavours and the costs of purchasing the products. The study concludes that physicians play a vital role in recommending FSMPs to patients and ensuring they have the necessary nutritional support during treatment. However, more patient education materials and collaboration with nutritionists may be required to improve patient outcomes and reduce patient financial burden.

In recent years, the rise of advanced artificial intelligence technologies has had a profound impact on many fields, including education and research. One such technology is ChatGPT, a powerful large language model developed by OpenAI. This technology offers exciting opportunities for students and educators, including personalized feedback, increased accessibility, interactive conversations, lesson preparation, evaluation, and new ways to teach complex concepts. However, ChatGPT poses different threats to the traditional education and research system, including the possibility of cheating on online exams, human-like text generation, diminished critical thinking skills, and difficulties in evaluating information generated by ChatGPT. This study explores potential opportunities and threats that ChatGPT poses to overall education from the perspective of students and educators. Furthermore, for programming learning, we explore how ChatGPT helps students improve their programming skills. To demonstrate this, we conducted different coding-related experiments with ChatGPT, including code generation from problem descriptions, pseudocode generation of algorithms from texts, and code correction. We also verified the generated codes with an online judge system to evaluate their accuracy.

This study analyses key aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. In the social changes of last two decades profoundly impacted the well-being of teachers putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) were interviewed from different areas of Italy, data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Method. Through data analysis were summa-rize and emphasize eight core themes. The results show the effects of a gradual impoverishment of the recognition of the role of teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers of renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and of reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for the development of a teaching methodology attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context, in which a competent organizational function is often absent. Practical psychological implications are discussed.

3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-5-(1H-indol-5-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole was synthesized via the condensation of 3,4-dichlorobenzamidoxime and methyl 1H-indole-5-carboxylate using superbasic medium (NaOH/DMSO). The compound was tested as a potential inhibitor of human monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B. It demonstrated notable inhibition with an IC50 value of 0.036 μM for MAO-B and isoform specificity. The product was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. In conclusion, the new active MAO-B inhibitor may serve as a candidate for the future discovery of therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

In European thought, the relationship among the fields of psychology, education, and health is both complex and obscured. Foucault’s acclaimed work, The Order of Things, offers a framework to evaluate their interconnection by identifying three distinct periods of European thought since the 16th century with respect to the ordering of phenomena—Renaissance, Classical and Modern. Theoretically dense and often difficult to decipher, the book’s categorization of language, value and being has been understandably underused, yet it provides deep insights into what have come to be known as psychology, education and health and remains invaluable in understanding the origin, limits and consequences of these fields. How Foucault’s analysis can be interpreted concerning the development of these areas as to each of the three periods of European thought is investigated. An approach based on narrative research appraises the analysis offered in the book. The results, presented for the first time in table form, compare these three periods, demonstrating a continuing practical value to Foucault’s insights. With the aid of the framework revealed by these tables, the boundaries and relationship of psychology, education and health become clear and their limitations—plus potential solutions to them—can be identified to mitigate anticipated negative consequences.

The article is aimed at a brief comparison and analysis of the results of queries to IEEE Xplore and the leading abstract databases Scopus and Web of Science to identify research trends. Some errors in the Author Keywords in Web of Science have been revealed. Therefore, a more detailed analysis was conducted by comparing different types of key terms for IEEE Xplore and Scopus platforms only. I used IEEE Access journal metadata as indexed on both platforms. The sample match for IEEE Xplore and Scopus was achieved by comparing DOI. The IEEE Xplore metadata contains more types of key terms, which provides an advantage in analyzing research trends. Using NSPEC Controlled Terms from expert-compiled vocabulary provides a more stable data, which gives an advantage when considering the change of terms over time. Apriori, an algorithm for finding association rules, has been used to compare co-occurrence of terms for a more detailed description of sample subjects on both platforms. VOSviewer was used to analyze trends in scientific research based on IEEE Xplore data. The 2011-2021 ten-year period was divided into two sub-intervals for comparing the occurrence of Author Keywords, IEEE Terms, and NSPEC Controlled Terms. Using the IEEE conference proceedings bibliometric data, I illustrated the importance of context in estimating the rate of growth of publishing activity on a topic of interest.

Advances of Relativity Theory are in the replacement of the space-time model with time-invariant universal space that has a variable energy density. Every physical object with mass m and energy E is diminishing the energy density of space exactly for the amount of its energy. Lorentz factor has its origin in the variable energy density of universal space, we call it "superfluid quantum space" - SQS that is the primordial energy of the universe. Universal SQS is the absolute frame of reference for all observers as confirmed experimentally by the GPS system, which demonstrates that the relative rate of clocks is valid for all observers. A planet's perihelion precession and the Sagnac effect are the results of the SQS dragging effect.

The European Network on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (EUROMENE) was established after a successful grant application to the European Cooperation is Science and Technology (COST). This network aimed to assess the existing knowledge and/or experience on health care delivery for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in the European countries and worldwide, and to enhance coordinated research and health care provision in this field. The EUROMENE proposal, was based on the establishment of interrelated working groups (WGs), where the participants contributed with specific knowledge and viewpoints according to their specialties and/or areas of interest. In this paper we outline the work of a multidisciplinary team of researchers, including epidemiologists, clinicians, statisticians, biomedical scientist and heath economists, who set out their recommendations to guide data acquisition for ME/CFS research, aiming to standardise data collection and improve epidemiological research.

Concept Knowledge (C-K) theory has been used in engineering and science-based research for more than a decade. Design of an Information Technology (IT) artefact is mostly pragmatic in nature. Design Science Research (DSR) methodology applied and studied in many Information Systems (IS) research. Many sub design decisions involved through the design of an IT artefact from a concept (idea) to a working prototype. A DSR artefact is based on a combination of decisions made during several sub-design stages. Artefacts are built based on the selection of elements in each sub-design space. Recording the design decisions on each sub-design space would be beneficial for future researchers. By knowing the design decisions on each sub-design space, researchers would be able to try different combinations of the design. C-K theory provides the ability to capture the design processes’ several sub-design spaces. In this paper, we discuss the DSR research methodology by looking at the stages proposed in the literature, and the application of C-K theory in an IT-based DSR. This paper also proposed a C-K theory-based protocol called Concept Tree for tracking and reporting artefact design steps. The application of C-K theory in DSR is exhibited using the implementation of the Concept Tree for a prototype design IT artefact.

The paradigm that assumes the autonomous management of universities involves them in the redefinition of their policies and processes and the training of their staff, designing new formulas that allow them to adapt to a changing environment. In this context, research and sustainable universities can link with society to solve its problems and influence a responsible and sustainable development. Through a Delphi panel, importance to acquire and improve project management (PM) competences by teaching and research staff (TRS) into innovating education and research projects is measured, from the standard of individual competences (ICB4) of the International Project Management Association (IPMA). Also, internal data sources from the flexible structures of two Spanish universities (the University of Cadiz (UCA) and the Technical University of Madrid (UPM)), are investigated, in order to analyze how they are organized. Thanks to the study of cases, an increasing tendency to work by projects is observed, empowering teams, managing properly stakeholders and facilitating their functions towards society. Likewise, after two rounds of experts’ consultation, consensus is reached with an acceptable and stable level of responses, resulting in confirmation that there is alignment between IPMA competences and TRS’ needs for sustained success in education and research, contributing to universities’ development, improvement and sustainability.