Energy-level alignment is a crucial factor in the performance of thin-film devices, such as organic light-emitting diodes and photovoltaics. One way to adjust these energy levels is through chemical modification of the molecules involved. However, this approach may lead to unintended changes in the optical and/or electrical properties of the compound. An alternative method for energy-level adjustment at the interface is the use of self-assembling monolayers (SAMs). Initially, SAMs with passive spacers were employed, creating a surface dipole moment that altered the work function (WF) of the electrode. However, recent advancements have led to the synthesis of SAM molecules with active spacers. This development necessitates considering not only the modification of the electrode’s WF but also the ionization energy (IE) of the molecule itself. To measure both the IE of SAM molecules and their impact on the electrode’s WF, a relatively simple method is photo-electric emission spectroscopy. Solar cell performance parameters have a higher correlation coefficient with the ionization energy of SAM molecules with carbazole derivatives as spacers (up to 0.97) than the work function of the modified electrode (up to 0.88). Consequently, SAMs consisting of molecules with active spacers can be viewed as hole transport layers rather than interface layers. Full article

The burden of human schistosomiasis, a known but neglected tropical disease in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been worrisome in recent years. It is becoming increasingly difficult to tackle schistosomiasis with praziquantel, a drug known to be effective against all Schistosoma species, due to reports of reduced efficacy and resistance. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the antischistosomal potential of phytochemicals from Azadirachta indica against proteins that have been implicated as druggable targets for the treatment of schistosomiasis using computational techniques. In this study, sixty-three (63) previously isolated and characterized phytochemicals from A. indica were identified from the literature and retrieved from the PubChem database. In silico screening was conducted to assess the inhibitory potential of these phytochemicals against three receptors (Schistosoma mansoni Thioredoxin glutathione reductase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, and Arginase) that may serve as therapeutic targets for schistosomiasis treatment. Molecular docking, ADMET prediction, ligand interaction, MMGBSA, and molecular dynamics simulation of the hit compounds were conducted using the Schrodinger molecular drug discovery suite. The results show that Andrographolide possesses a satisfactory pharmacokinetic profile, does not violate the Lipinski rule of five, binds with favourable affinity with the receptors, and interacts with key amino acids at the active site. Importantly, its interaction with dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, an enzyme responsible for the catalysis of the de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway rate-limiting step, shows a glide score and MMGBSA of −10.19 and −45.75 Kcal/mol, respectively. In addition, the MD simulation shows its stability at the active site of the receptor. Overall, this study revealed that Andrographolide from Azadirachta indica could serve as a potential lead compound for the development of an anti-schistosomal drug. Full article

Sepsis continues to be a significant public health challenge despite advances in understanding its pathophysiology and management strategies. Therefore, this study evaluated the value of cell-free nuclear DNA (cf-nDNA) and cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) for assessing the severity and prognosis of sepsis. Ninety-four patients were divided into three groups: infection (n = 32), sepsis (n = 30), and septic shock (n = 32). Plasma samples were collected at the time of diagnosis, and cfDNA concentrations were determined by qPCR assay. The results showed that plasma cfDNA levels increased with the severity of the disease. To distinguish between patients with infection and those with sepsis, the biomarker L1PA2₉₀ achieved the highest AUC of 0.817 (95% CI: 0.725–0.909), demonstrating a sensitivity of 77.0% and a specificity of 79.3%. When cf-nDNA was combined with the SOFA score, there was a significant improvement in the AUC (0.916 (0.853–0.979)), sensitivity (88.1%), and specificity (80.0%). Moreover, patients admitted to the ICU after being diagnosed with sepsis had significantly higher cf-nDNA concentrations. In patients admitted to the ICU, combining cf-nDNA with the SOFA score yielded an AUC of 0.753 (0.622–0.857), with a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 50.0%. cfDNA can differentiate between patients with infection and those with sepsis. It can also identify patients who are likely to be admitted to the ICU by predicting those with indications for intensive care, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for sepsis. Full article

Objective: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are autoimmune-mediated central nervous system disorders distinguished by the presence of serum aquaporine-4 IgG antibody (AQP4-Ab). The clinical panel comprises severe optic neuritis (ON) and transverse myelitis, which can result in incomplete recovery and a high risk of recurrence. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the visual outcomes of three patients with severe acute ON in NMOSD that was non-responsive to intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP), who received plasma exchange therapy (PLEX). We included three patients (P1, P2 and P3) with severe acute ON who had no improvement after IVMP treatment and were admitted to the ophthalmology department at the Emergency University Hospital Bucharest from January 2022 to September 2023. All three patients with ON were diagnosed in accordance with the criteria described by the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial. All the subjects were experiencing their first attack. Results: The mean recruitment age was 35.3 ± 7.71. All patients were seropositive for the AQP4 antibody. All patients were tested for serum myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody but only one showed a positive test (P3). Lesions visible in orbital MRI indicated the involvement of retrobulbar, canalicular and/or intracranial segments. All three subjects had no response or incomplete remission after an IVMP protocol (5 days of 1000 mg intravenous methylprednisolone in sodium chloride 0.9%). The mean time from onset of optic neuritis to PLEX was 37.6 days. The PLEX treatment protocol comprised five cycles of plasma exchange treatment over 10 days, with a plasma exchange session every other day. An amount of 1 to 1.5 volumes of circulating plasma were dialyzed for 2–4 h. At 1 month after the completion of PLEX therapy, BCVA and VF parameters were improved in all three patients. Conclusion: The treatment of ON remains subject to debate and is somewhat controversial. Plasma exchange must be considered as a rescue therapy when IVMP is insufficient for AQP4-ON patients. This study revealed that PLEX treatment effectively improves the visual outcomes of patients experiencing their first attack of severe acute isolated ON after high-dose IVMP treatment. This study suggests that PLEX may be associated with improved visual outcomes in NMOSD acute optic neuritis. Full article

Postbiotic is the term used to define the soluble factors, metabolic products, or byproducts released by live probiotic bacteria or after its lysis. The objective of this study was to carry out the chemical characterization of the postbiotic of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR-32 and to evaluate its in vitro effect on the development of the Streptococcus mutans biofilm. After the cultivation of the probiotic strain, the postbiotic was extracted by centrifuging the culture and filtering the supernatant. This postbiotic was characterized by using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and then it was used to determine the growth inhibition of S. mutans in its planktonic form; additionally, its effects on the following parameters in 48 h biofilm were evaluated: viable bacteria, dry weight, and gene expression of glucosyltransferases and VicR gene. The control group consisted of the biofilm without any treatment. A paired t-test was performed for statistical analysis, with the p-value set at 5%. Seventeen compounds of various chemical classes were identified in the postbiotic, including sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and acids. The treatment with the postbiotic led to an inhibition of the growth of S. mutans in its planktonic form, as well as a decrease in the number of viable bacteria, reduction in dry weight, and a negative regulation of the gene expression of gtfB, gtfC, gtfD, and vicR in its biofilm state, compared with the nontreated group (p < 0.05). The postbiotic of L. rhamnosus impaired the development of S. mutans biofilm. Full article

The research is focused on the quantitative evaluation of the flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) proteome at the level of seed cake (SC), fine flour—sieved a fraction below 250 µm (FF)—and protein concentrate (PC). The evaluation was performed on three oilseed flax cultivars (Agriol, Raciol, and Libra) with different levels of α-linolenic acid content using LC-MS/MS (shotgun proteomics) analysis, which was finalized by database searching using the NCBI protein database for Linum usitatissimum and related species. A total of 2560 protein groups (PGs) were identified, and their relative abundance was calculated. A set of 33 quantitatively most significant PGs was selected for further characterization. The selected PGs were divided into four classes—seed storage proteins (11S globulins and conlinins), oleosins, defense- and stress-related proteins, and other major proteins (mainly including enzymes). Seed storage proteins were found to be the most abundant proteins. Specifically, 11S globulins accounted for 41–44% of SC proteins, 40–46% of FF proteins, and 72–84% of PC proteins, depending on the cultivar. Conlinins (2S albumins) were the most abundant in FF, ranging from 10 to 13% (depending on cultivar). The second most important class from the point of relative abundance was oleosins, which were represented in SC and FF in the range of 2.1–3.8%, but only 0.36–1.20% in PC. Surprisingly, a relatively high abundance of chitinase was found in flax products as a protein related to defence and stress reactions. Full article

To achieve the “double carbon” goal, green value co-creation has been paid more and more attention. However, the role of users in green value co-creation, which is a vital aspect, could be overlooked. Understanding the internal mechanism between gamified interactions and users’ green value co-creation behaviors is crucial to motivating users’ green value co-creation behaviors. This study collected data from 410 Ant Forest users by adopting a questionnaire survey. Subsequently, this study investigated the influence mechanism of gamified interactions on users’ green value co-creation behaviors. The findings demonstrate that interactivity, cooperation, and competition are gamified interactions that positively affect users’ green value co-creation behaviors. Emotional energy acts as a mediator between gamified interactions and users’ green value co-creation behaviors. No relational distance was found to moderate the effect of gamified interactions on emotional energy. This study contributes to the current understanding of the relationship between gamified interactions and users’ green value co-creation behaviors within the “double carbon” context. Furthermore, it offers theoretical guidance for Internet enterprises to enhance users’ green value co-creation behaviors through gamified interactions. Full article

Determining the design of pushbacks in an open-pit mine is a key part of optimizing the economic value of the mining project and the operational feasibility of the mine. This problem requires balancing pushbacks that have good geometric properties to ensure the smooth operation of the mining equipment and so that the scheduling of extraction maximizes the economic value by providing early access to the rich parts of the deposit. However, because of the challenging nature of the problem, practical approaches for finding the best pushbacks strongly depend on the expert criteria to ensure good operational properties. This paper introduces the Advanced Geometrically Constrained Production Scheduling Problem to account for operational space constraints, modeled as truncated cones of extraction. To find the best solution for this problem, we present a parallel genetic algorithm based on a genotype–phenotype model such that the genotype symbolizes the base block of a truncated cone, and the phenotype represents the cone itself. A central computer node evaluates these solutions, collaborating with various secondary nodes that evolve a population of feasible solutions. The PGA’s efficacy was validated using comprehensive test instances from established research. The PGA solution exhibited a consistent average copper grade across periods, with its incremental phases reflecting real-world mine geometry. Moreover, the benefits of the MeanShift clustering technique were evident, suggesting effective phase-based scheduling. The PGA’s approach ensures optimal resource utilization and offers insights into potential avenues for further model enhancements and fine-tuning. Full article

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we are no longer in a pandemic situation, people are still getting infected, some of them need hospitalization and a few of them die. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including 445 patients who accessed the Emergency Section of Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy, where they had routine blood exams. In this study, we focused on the complete blood count, serum creatinine and azotemia. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, Spearman correlation and ROC analyses. They were divided into four groups based on their clinical outcomes: (1) the emergency group (patients who had mild forms and were quickly discharged); (2) the hospital ward group (patients who were admitted to the emergency section and were then hospitalized in a COVID-19 ward); (3) the intensive care unit (ICU) group (patients who required intensive assistance after the admission in the emergency section); (4) the deceased group (patients who had a fatal outcome after admission to the emergency section). Results: We found significant changes for creatinine, azotemia, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, basophils, monocytes, red blood cell distribution width, hemoglobin, hematocrit and red blood cell numbers using ANOVA according to their clinical outcomes, particularly for the deceased group. Also, we found linear correlations of clinical outcomes with eosinophils, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, lymphocyte, neutrophil, platelet and red blood cell number and red blood cell distribution width. Conclusions: This study discloses an early association between “classical” routine blood biomarkers and the severity of clinical outcomes in Omicron patients. Full article

The agricultural industry has undergone several significant changes over the past few centuries, influenced by the industrial revolutions that have occurred. These changes have progressed from Indigenous agriculture to mechanized farming and the current precision agriculture. While the industrial farming model has increased output, it has also faced various challenges in recent years. Industry 5.0 is expected to have a significant impact on the agriculture sector and potentially lead to a fifth agricultural revolution. In this paper, we examine the motivation behind the industrial and agricultural revolutions 4.0 and 5.0, review the phases of these revolutions that have occurred so far, and offer suggestions for the future. We also provide an overview of the concepts of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, as well as Agriculture 4.0 and 5.0, and discuss the smart strategies that are being implemented in different countries to advance these sectors. Additionally, we focus on the potential applications of Industry 5.0 technologies in the agriculture industry and the research challenges associated with them. Our goal is to provide industrial and agricultural professionals with new research opportunities. Full article

The development of novel natural product-derived nano-pesticide systems with loading capacity and sustained releasing performance of bioactive compounds is considered an effective and promising plant protection strategy. In this work, 25 L-carvone-based thiazolinone–hydrazone compounds 4a~4y were synthesized by the multi-step modification of L-carvone and structurally confirmed. Compound 4h was found to show favorable and broad-spectrum antifungal activity through the in vitro antifungal activity evaluation of compounds 4a~4y against eight phytopathogenic fungi. Thus, it could serve as a leading compound for new antifungal agents in agriculture. Moreover, the L-carvone-based nanochitosan carrier 7 bearing the 1,3,4-thiadiazole-amide group was rationally designed for the loading and sustained releasing applications of compound 4h, synthesized, and characterized. It was proven that carrier 7 had good thermal stability below 200 °C, dispersed well in the aqueous phase to form numerous nanoparticles with a size of~20 nm, and exhibited an unconsolidated and multi-aperture micro-structure. Finally, L-carvone-based thiazolinone–hydrazone/nanochitosan complexes were fabricated and investigated for their sustained releasing behaviors. Among them, complex 7/4h-2 with a well-distributed, compact, and columnar micro-structure displayed the highest encapsulation efficiency and desirable sustained releasing property for compound 4h and thus showed great potential as an antifungal nano-pesticide for further studies. Full article

In this study, a rutabaga (Brassica napus ssp. napobrassica) donor parent FGRA106, which exhibited broad-spectrum resistance to 17 isolates representing 16 pathotypes of Plasmodiophora brassicae, was used in genetic crosses with the susceptible spring-type canola (B. napus ssp. napus) accession FG769. The F₂ plants derived from a clubroot-resistant F₁ plant were screened against three P. brassicae isolates representing pathotypes 3A, 3D, and 3H. Chi-square (χ²) goodness-of-fit tests indicated that the F₂ plants inherited two major clubroot resistance genes from the CR donor FGRA106. The total RNA from plants resistant (R) and susceptible (S) to each pathotype were pooled and subjected to bulked segregant RNA-sequencing (BSR-Seq). The analysis of gene expression profiles identified 431, 67, and 98 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the R and S bulks. The variant calling method indicated a total of 12 (7 major + 5 minor) QTLs across seven chromosomes. The seven major QTLs included: BnaA5P3A.CRX1.1, BnaC1P3H.CRX1.2, and BnaC7P3A.CRX1.1 on chromosomes A05, C01, and C07, respectively; and BnaA8P3D.CRX1.1, BnaA8P3D.RCr91.2/BnaA8P3H.RCr91.2, BnaA8P3H.Crr11.3/BnaA8P3D.Crr11.3, and BnaA8P3D.qBrCR381.4 on chromosome A08. A total of 16 of the DEGs were located in the major QTL regions, 13 of which were on chromosome C07. The molecular data suggested that clubroot resistance in FGRA106 may be controlled by major and minor genes on both the A and C genomes, which are deployed in different combinations to confer resistance to the different isolates. This study provides valuable germplasm for the breeding of clubroot-resistant B. napus cultivars in Western Canada. Full article

Background: The utilization of inflammation-based scores, such as the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio (LMR), and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), has garnered attention for their potential as prognostic indicators in various cancers. However, their predictive role in patients with intermediate-stage HCC undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) remains an area that requires further investigation, as early recognition of TACE refractoriness holds the potential to guide tailored therapeutic interventions. Methods: This multicenter international retrospective study analyzed data from patients with intermediate-stage HCC undergoing TACE between 2018 and 2024. Inflammation-based scores (NLR, LMR, PLR) were assessed preoperatively to predict treatment outcomes. Results: Two hundred and fourteen patients were enrolled. Preoperative LMR showed the largest area under the curve for the prediction of 6-months PFS, based on the ROC curve analysis. Both high LMR (≥2.24) and low NLR (<4.72) were associated with improved objective response rates and 6-month progression-free survival. Lymphocyte count emerged as a strong predictor of treatment response in both simple (p < 0.001) and multiple (p < 0.001) logistic regression analyses. Conclusions: This study highlights the prognostic value of inflammation-based scores, particularly LMR and NLR, in predicting the treatment response and short-term outcomes of patients with intermediate-stage HCC undergoing TACE. Future investigations should focus on validating these scores’ clinical applicability and assessing their impact on long-term patient survival and therapeutic decision-making. Full article

The growing popularity of herbal medicine raises concerns about potential nephrotoxicity risks, while limited evidence hinders a comprehensive impact assessment. This study aims to investigate the overall risk features of herbal medicine on kidney injury. We conducted a retrospective analysis on renal function changes, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), through data from six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in South Korea. A total of 407 participants (142 males, 265 females) received either one of four different herbal medicines (240 participants) or a placebo (167 participants). When comparing changes in eGFR regarding the mean, 90th-percentile value, and 20% reduction after treatment, there was no significant difference between the herbal-treated and placebo groups. This study provided a helpful reference for examining the safety issues of herbal remedies, especially regarding kidney function. Full article

Background: Nivolumab has been shown to improve the overall survival (OS) of patients with recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). However, there is a need to identify factors associated with long-term survival (beyond 2 years) in these patients. This study investigated the relationship between pretreatment factors and long-term survival in patients with R/M HNSCC treated with nivolumab. Methods: Forty-nine patients with R/M HNSCC who were treated with nivolumab were retrospectively reviewed. Baseline characteristics, clinical data, and survival outcomes were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with long-term survival (OS ≥ 2 years). Results: The median OS in the overall cohort was 11.0 months, and the 2-year survival rate was 34.7%. Long-term survivors (OS ≥ 2 years) had significantly higher proportions of patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) scores of 0 or 1, serum albumin levels ≥ 3.5 g/dL, and neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER) < 32.0 compared to non-long-term survivors. On multivariate analysis, serum albumin levels ≥ 3.5 g/dL, in addition to ECOG-PS score of 0 or 1, were independent predictors of long-term survival. Conclusions: Pretreatment serum albumin levels may be useful for predicting long-term survival in R/M HNSCC patients treated with nivolumab. Full article

The Beni region in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with socioeconomic development and security challenges that have affected its natural ecosystems, especially those located in the northern Virunga National Park. This study aims to document the anthropization of the northwestern Virunga landscape from 1995 to 2021 in the context of insecurity. Using a cartographic approach and ecological-landscape-analysis tools, this study delves into the overall landscape changes through a comparative analysis of protected and unprotected areas. These investigations focus on landscape composition, transitions between land-cover classes, and the spatial transformation process. The northwestern Virunga landscape is undergoing significant land cover changes due to the influence of insecurity on socioeconomic activities, primarily agriculture. Agricultural land encompasses a larger area than other land-cover types. However, its expansion has decelerated since the 2000s. The loss of forested area is discontinuous. During relatively stable periods (1995–2005), forests exhibited a reduction of up to 2.90% in area, while in the period of the return of Iturian refugees to their province, followed by terrorist insecurity in Beni (2005–2021), the forested area increased by 2.07%. Savannah areas, which are mainly located in the graben rift valley and near Butembo, have been more heavily affected by human activity than forests. Ultimately, the apparent stability of the landscape can be attributed to its protected areas, especially Virunga National Park. Full article

In recent years, with the development of building technology, the Chinese construction industry has begun to gradually promote the prefabricated buildings to save on construction costs. Among them, composite slabs, as essential components of prefabricated buildings, have been widely used by designers mainly in favor of their low cost. However, is it possible to further reduce the cost without affecting the quality? Researchers think so if the operation cycle of support from the bottom of composite slabs can accelerate and the mechanical properties of their bottom plate can be optimized. To prove this hypothesis, researchers proposed a new type of prestressed concrete composite slab with removable rectangular steel-tube lattice girders (referred to as CDB composite slabs), whose bottom plate consists of a temporary structure composed of a prestressed concrete prefabricated plate and removable rectangular steel-tube lattice girders. Through static bending performance tests on three prefabricated bottom plates and one composite slab, researchers measured corresponding load-displacement curves, load-strain curves, crack development, and distribution, etc. The test results show that the top chord rectangular steel tubes connected to the bottom plate concrete through web reinforcement bars significantly improve the rigidity, crack resistance, and load-bearing capacity of the bottom plate and possess better ductility and out-of-plane stability. The number of supports at the bottom of the bottom plate is effectively reduced, with the maximum unsupported span reaching 4.8 m. Beyond 4.8 m, only one additional support is needed, and the maximum support span can be up to 9.0 m, which provides space for cost reduction. The cooperative load-bearing performance of the prefabricated bottom plate and the post-cast composite layer concrete is good. The top chord rectangular steel tubes are easy to dismantle and can be reused, which reduces the steel consumption by about 24% compared to that used for the same size of ordinary steel-tube lattice-girder concrete composite slabs. It can greatly decrease the cost. In conclusion, the results have shown that the new method researchers proposed here is practically applicable and also provides great space to save on financial costs. Full article

A retrospective study in patients who underwent video capsule endoscopy (VCE) between 2006 and 2016 was conducted in the Clinic for gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Clinical Center of Serbia. A total of 245 patients underwent VCE. In 198 patients the indication was obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), with 92 patients having overt and the other 106 occult bleeding. The remaining 47 patients underwent VCE due to suspected small bowel (SB) disease (i.e., Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, Peutz Jeghers syndrome, Crohn’s disease, prolonged diarrhea, abdominal pain, congenital lymphangiectasia, protein-losing enteropathy, tumors, refractory celiac disease, etc.). VCE identified a source of bleeding in 38.9% of patients (in the obscure overt group in 48.9% of patients, and in the obscure occult group in 30.2% of patients). The most common findings were angiodysplasias, tumors, Meckel’s diverticulum and Crohn’s disease. In the smaller group of patients with an indication other than OGIB, 38.3% of patients had positive VCE findings. The most common indication is OGIB, and the best candidates are patients with overt bleeding; patients with IBD should be evaluated in this setting. Full article

The intense human pressures in the Anthropocene epoch are causing an alarming decline in marine coastal ecosystems and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. This situation underscores the urgency of making ecological restoration a global priority to recover degraded ecosystems. Meadows of the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica have lost more than half of their original extent in the last century, necessitating immediate conservation and management measures, supported by active restoration interventions. This paper explores new opportunities and provides specific recommendations to enhance restoration as a fundamental strategy for reversing the decline of P. oceanica ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea. When a return to a historical pristine reference condition may not be feasible in the short term or desirable given current environmental conditions and uncertainty, transplanting the tolerant and fast-growing seagrass species Cymodocea nodosa could facilitate natural recolonization. This would occur through secondary ecological succession, benefiting the sensitive and slow-growing species P. oceanica. Future global and local efforts should primarily focus on proactive management to prevent further alterations by planning appropriate conservation measures in a timely manner to mitigate and reverse global changes. As a secondary step, restoration programs can be implemented with a focus on ‘target-oriented’ rather than ‘reference-oriented’ conditions, aiming to establish ecosystems capable of sustaining the future rather than replicating the historical environment. Full article

Non-small cell lung cancer, even when diagnosed in early stages, has been linked with poor survival rates and distant recurrence patterns. Novel therapeutic approaches harnessing the immune system have been implemented in early stages, following the designated steps of advanced NSCLC treatment strategies. Immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) regimens as monotherapy, combinational, or alongside chemotherapy have been intensely investigated as adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and, more recently, perioperative therapeutic strategies, representing pivotal milestones in the evolution of early lung cancer management while holding great potential for the future. The subject of current ongoing research is optimizing treatment outcomes for patient subsets with different needs and identifying biomarkers that could be predictive of response while translating the trials’ endpoints to survival rates. The aim of this review is to discuss all current treatment options with the pros and cons of each, persistent challenges, and future perspectives on immunotherapy as illuminating the path to a new era for resectable NSCLC. Full article

Dihydrochalcones (DHCs) constitute a specific class of flavonoids widely known for their various health-related advantages. Melatonin (MLT) has received attention worldwide as a master regulator in plants, but its roles in DHC accumulation remain unclear. Herein, the elicitation impacts of MLT on DHC biosynthesis were examined in Lithocarpus litseifolius, a valuable medicinal plant famous for its sweet flavor and anti-diabetes effect. Compared to the control, the foliar application of MLT significantly increased total flavonoid and DHC (phlorizin, trilobatin, and phloretin) levels in L. litseifolius leaves, especially when 100 μM MLT was utilized for 14 days. Moreover, antioxidant enzyme activities were boosted after MLT treatments, resulting in a decrease in the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Remarkably, MLT triggered the biosynthesis of numerous phytohormones linked to secondary metabolism (salicylic acid, methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA), and ethylene), while reducing free JA contents in L. litseifolius. Additionally, the flavonoid biosynthetic enzyme activities were enhanced by the MLT in leaves. Multiple differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RNA-seq might play a crucial role in MLT-elicited pathways, particularly those associated with the antioxidant system (SOD, CAT, and POD), transcription factor regulation (MYBs and bHLHs), and DHC metabolism (4CL, C4H, UGT71K1, and UGT88A1). As a result, MLT enhanced DHC accumulation in L. litseifolius leaves, primarily by modulating the antioxidant activity and co-regulating the physiological, hormonal, and transcriptional pathways of DHC metabolism. Full article

Modelling the volatility of commodity prices and creating more reliable models for estimating and forecasting commodity price returns are crucial. The body of research on statistical models that can fully reflect the empirical characteristics of commodity price returns is lacking. The main aim of this research was to develop a modelling framework that could be used to accurately estimate and forecast commodity price returns by combining long memory models with heavy-tailed distributions. This study employed dual hybrid long-memory generalised autoregressive conditionally heteroscedasticity (GARCH) models with heavy-tailed innovations, namely, the Student-t distribution (StD), skewed-Student-t distribution (SStD), and the generalised error distribution (GED). Based on the smallest forecasting metrics values for mean absolute error (MAE) and mean squared error (MSE) values, the best performing LM-GARCH-type model for lithium is the ARFIMA (1, $\mathcal{o}$, 1)-FIAPARCH (1, $\xi$, 1) with normal innovations. For tobacco, the best model is ARFIMA (1, $\mathcal{o}$, 1)-FIGARCH (1, $\xi$, 1) with SStD innovations. The robust performing model for gold is the ARFIMA (1, $\mathcal{o}$, 1)-FIGARCH (1, $\xi$, 1)-GED model. The best performing forecasting model for crude oil and cotton returns are the $FIAPARCH \left(1,\xi , 1\right)-SStD$ model and $HYGARCH \left(1,\xi , 1\right)-StD$ model, respectively. The results obtained from this study would be beneficial to those concerned with financial market modelling techniques, such as derivative pricing, risk management, asset allocation, and valuation. Full article