Technology-enabled state surveillance has evolved rapidly to allow real-time remote tracking and surveillance of people and vehicles and the aggregation of vast amounts of data on people and their movements, networks, and relationships. Facial recognition technology (FRT) comprises a suite of technologies that allows verification, identification, and categorisation by analysing a person’s facial image. Such technologies impact fundamental rights, such as privacy, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly, but can also be used to detect, investigate, and deter serious crime and harm and to counter threats to security, thus promoting collective interests in security and public safety. These impacts have been considered in terms of scholarship and advocacy, but the shape of principled regulation is less well traversed. This contribution examines three contemporary case studies of the regulation of FRT in policing and security to analyse the challenges in regulating this technology. Full article

Bird identification is a necessary skill for citizen science projects, and teaching and learning about species is essential to halt the decline in biodiversity. Here, we investigated bird species knowledge in a case study of Michigan high school students using an online survey. Participants were asked to identify 21 common species, covering a wide range of orders and families. On average, high school students achieved a correct identification score of 35%. The most well-known species were the American Robin, Blue Jay, Cardinal and Turkey Vulture. We found no difference between boys and girls, but identification scores declined with increasing age. Interest was an important predictor of identification knowledge, as were activities (field trips, outings) both in and out of class. Among species traits, high knowledge of a species was positively related to the number of eBird entries (as a proxy for year-round population size), body mass (heavier species were better known) and internet presence. We suggest expanding this study to other states, and we encourage educators and teachers to improve bird knowledge through birding field trips. Full article

Self-organized criticality is a universal theory for dynamical systems that has recently been applied to the cardiovascular system. Precise methodological approaches are essential for understanding the dynamics of cardiovascular self-organized criticality. This study examines how the duration and quality of data recording affect the analysis of cardiovascular self-organized criticality, with a focus on the beat-by-beat heart rate variability time series obtained from seven healthy subjects in a standing position. Drawing a Zipf diagram, we evaluated the distribution of cardiovascular events of bradycardia and tachycardia. We identified tipping points for the distribution of both bradycardia and tachycardia events. By varying the recording durations (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 min) and sampling frequencies (500, 250, and 100 Hz), we investigated their influence on the observed distributions. While shorter recordings can effectively capture cardiovascular events, they may underestimate the variables describing their distribution. Additionally, the tipping point of the Zipf distribution differs between bradycardia and tachycardia events. Comparisons of the distribution of bradycardia and tachycardia events should be conducted using long data recordings. Utilizing devices with lower sampling frequencies may compromise data fidelity. These insights contribute to refining experimental protocols and advancing our understanding of the complex dynamics underlying cardiovascular regulation. Full article

The development of micro cracks in shale formations can easily lead to wellbore instability caused by liquid phase invasion. In order to effectively seal the shale micropores, the surface treatment of nano-SiO₂ particles was developed using the silicane coupling agent A-1891. Then, the temperature-sensitive polypenic acrylamide polymer was modified onto the surface of the nanoprocal particle through reaction to obtain the nanosomal blocking agent ASN. The infrared spectrum shows that there are chemical bonds between the generated polymer chains, rather than simple physical composites, indicating the successful synthesis of the temperature-responsive nanosealing agent ASN. The particle size analysis showed that the synthesized nanoparticles in ASN have a uniform particle size distribution and display no agglomeration phenomenon. Applying ASN as a sealing agent in drilling fluid effectively fills the nanoscale micropores and microcracks in shale, making shale denser and significantly improving the wellbore stability of shale formations. In addition, it has good temperature resistance, can adapt to reservoirs at different temperatures, is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, and has good prospects for stable applications in shale formation wellbore. Full article

The present work reports an effective method for the removal of inorganic and organic pollutants using membranes based on different carbonaceous materials. The membranes were prepared based on cellulose acetate (18 wt. %), polyvinylpyrrolidone as a pore-generating agent (2 wt. %) and activated carbon (1 wt. %). Activated carbons were developed from residues after extraction of the mushroom Inonotus obliguus using microwave radiation. It has been demonstrated that the addition of activated carbon to the membranes resulted in alterations to their physical properties, including porosity, equilibrium water content and permeability. Furthermore, the chemical properties of the membranes were also affected, with changes observed in the content of the surface oxygen group. The addition of carbon material had a positive effect on the removal of copper ions from their aqueous solutions by the cellulose–carbon composites obtained. Moreover, the membranes proved to be more effective in the removal of copper ions than iron ones and phenol. The membranes were found to show higher effectiveness in copper removal from a solution of the initial concentration of 800 mg/L. The most efficient in copper ions removal was the membrane containing urea-enriched activated carbon. Full article

Breast cancer, the most frequent malignancy in women worldwide, is a molecularly and clinically very heterogeneous disease. Triple-negative breast cancer is defined by the absence of hormone receptor and growth factor receptor ERBB2/HER2 expression. It is characterized by a more aggressive course of disease and a shortage of effective therapeutic approaches. Hallmarks of cancer cells are not only genetic alterations, but also epigenetic aberrations. The most studied and best understood alterations are methylation of the DNA base cytosine and the covalent modification of histone proteins. The reversibility of these covalent modifications make them attractive targets for therapeutic intervention, as documented in numerous ongoing clinical trials. Epidrugs, targeting DNA methylation and histone modifications, might offer attractive new options in treating triple-negative breast cancer. Currently, the most promising options are combination therapies in which the epidrug increases the efficiency of immuncheckpoint inhibitors. This review focusses exclusively on DNA methylation and histone modifications. In reviewing the knowledge about epigenetic therapies in breast cancer, and especially triple-negative breast cancer, the focus is on explaining concepts and raising awareness of what is not yet known and what has to be clarified in the future. Full article

This study investigates the impact of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) on monetary policy flexibility, the effective lower bound (ELB), and negative interest rate policies (NIRPs), specifically in the case of the digital euro (DE). Through a combination of theoretical modeling and empirical analysis, including two extensive surveys among EU participants, we explore whether CBDCs can change the ELB and affect consumer preferences in favor of the digital euro over physical cash. Our findings indicate that the introduction of the DE could potentially move the ELB from its current value of around −1.30% by approximately 0.25%. If agents had the possibility to move their deposits into both cash and DE, they would convert approximately 52% of the converted amount into cash and the rest into CBDCs. However, over a 10 year period, the situation would shift in favor of the DE, with a share of 63%. Both findings show that NIRPs will be more limited in the case of the introduction of CBDCs (DE). These facts must be considered both when deciding whether to introduce a CBDC (DE) and after its eventual introduction in the case of NIRP application. Full article

This article employed pupillometry as a non-invasive technique to analyze pupillary light reflex (PLR) using LED flash stimuli. Particularly, for the experiments, only the red LED with a wavelength of 600 nm served as the light stimulation source. To stabilize the initial pupil size, a pre-stimulus (PRE) period of 3 s was implemented, followed by a 1 s stimulation period (ON) and a 4 s post-stimulus period (POST). Moreover, an experimental, low-cost pupillometer prototype was designed to capture pupillary images of 13 participants. The prototype consists of a 2-megapixel web camera and a lighting system comprising infrared and RGB LEDs for image capture in low-light conditions and stimulus induction, respectively. The study reveals several characteristic features for classifying the phenomenon, notably the mobility of Hjórth parameters, achieving classification percentages ranging from 97% to 99%, and offering novel insights into pattern recognition in pupillary activity. Moreover, the proposed device successfully captured the PLR from all the participants with zero reported incidents or health affectations. Full article

In the spring and summer of 1906, while visiting the rural village of Gósol in the Spanish Pyrenees, Picasso executed his first woodcut, made two sculptures out of boxwood, and began to focus on the topoi of wood and the forest as avatars of primal matter and of that which lies beyond civilization. In a subsequent series of paintings, he used wooden supports for images that depict male and female heads that look as if they had been chiseled out of wood. Others represent nude figures in forest settings, with explicitly sexual gestures and poses connoting a range of attitudes. These little studied works provide an optic into Picasso’s early exploration of the emergence of sexual identity as an inner psychic state, but one whose signs can be read through the body. Later, responding to the proliferation of cheap, industrially produced materials, including trompe l’oeil woodgrain wallpaper, Picasso began to treat woodgrain as a mere surrogate, one that marks its distance from actual wood through a variety of painterly and mechanical effects. No longer associated with “primitive” authenticity and the primordial forces of the forest, woodgrain now appears as a false sign open to conceptual play and metamorphosis. Full article

The placenta is the largest fetal organ, which connects the mother to the fetus and supports most aspects of organogenesis through the transport of nutrients and gases. However, further studies are needed to assess placental pathology as a reliable predictor of long-term physical growth or neural development in newborns. The Consensus Statement of the Amsterdam Placental Workshop Group (APWGCS) on the sampling and definition of placental lesions has resulted in diagnostic uniformity in describing the most common pathological lesions of the placenta and contributed to the international standardization of descriptions of placental pathology. In this narrative review, we reclassified descriptions of placental pathology from previously published papers according to the APWGCS criteria and comparatively assessed the relationship with infantile physical and/or neural development. After reclassification and reevaluation, placental pathology of maternal vascular malperfusion, one of the APWGCS criteria, emerged as a promising candidate as a universal predictor of negative infantile neurodevelopmental outcomes, not only in term and preterm deliveries but also in high-risk groups of very low birthweight newborns. However, there are few studies that examined placental pathology according to the full categories of APWGCS and also included low-risk general infants. It is necessary to incorporate the assessment of placental pathology utilizing APWGCS in the design of future birth cohort studies as well as in follow-up investigations of high-risk infants. Full article

Breast cancer and ovarian cancer pose a significant risk for BRCA1 carriers, with limited risk-reduction strategies. While improved screening helps in the early detection of breast cancer, preventive measures remain elusive. Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between iodine levels and modulation of cancer risk, but comprehensive studies are scarce. We conducted a prospective study among 989 BRCA1 carriers to assess the association between blood iodine levels and breast and ovarian cancer risk. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we measured blood iodine levels and observed a negative association with breast cancer risk, with a significantly lower risk observed in quartile 4 (iodine > 38.0 µg/L) compared with quartile 1 (iodine < 30 µg/L) (HR = 0.49; 95%CI: 0.27–0.87; p = 0.01). Conversely, a suggestive increase in ovarian cancer risk was observed at higher iodine levels (HR = 1.91; 95%CI: 0.64–5.67; p = 0.25). No significant association was found between iodine levels and overall cancer risk. Our results suggest the potential of iodine to reduce breast cancer risk in BRCA1 carriers after prophylactic oophorectomy but require further validation and investigation of its effect on ovarian cancer risk and overall mortality. These findings highlight the need for personalized strategies to manage cancer risk in BRCA1 carriers. Full article

Ferulic acid (Fer) and geraniol (Ger) are natural compounds whose antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity confer beneficial properties, such as antibacterial, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. However, the short half-lives of these compounds impair their therapeutic activities after conventional administration. We propose, therefore, a new prodrug (Fer-Ger) obtained by a bio-catalyzed ester conjugation of Fer and Ger to enhance the loading of solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) designed as Fer-Ger delivery and targeting systems. SLMs were obtained by hot emulsion techniques without organic solvents. HPLC-UV analysis evidenced that Fer-Ger is hydrolyzed in human or rat whole blood and rat liver homogenates, with half-lives of 193.64 ± 20.93, 20.15 ± 0.75, and 3.94 ± 0.33 min, respectively, but not in rat brain homogenates. Studies on neuronal-differentiated mouse neuroblastoma N2a cells incubated with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) inductor H₂O₂ evidenced the Fer-Ger ability to prevent oxidative injury, despite the fact that it appears ROS-promoting. The amounts of Fer-Ger encapsulated in tristearin SLMs, obtained in the absence or presence of glucose, were 1.5 ± 0.1%, allowing the control of the prodrug release (glucose absence) or to sensibly enhance its water dissolution rate (glucose presence). These new “green” carriers can potentially prolong the beneficial effects of Fer and Ger or induce neuroprotection as nasal formulations. Full article

The influence of catch crop (field pea) management and the time of its application [plots with autumn (A.I.) or spring (S.I.) biomass incorporation vs. treatments without catch crop (C) use] on the activity of five soil enzymes associated with C- (CMC-cellulase—CEL, β-glucosidase—βG, invertase—INV) and N-cycling (urease—UR, nitrate reductase—NR), the content of mineral N, and the content of microbial biomass C and N (MBC, MBN) were evaluated in a 3-year experiment (2009–2011). Field pea was sown in the first half of August and the biomass was incorporated into the soil in the second half of October in 2008, 2009, and 2010 or left as a mulch during the winter and mixed with the soil in spring. The enzymatic and microbial properties were determined in soil samples collected from spring barley experimental plots four times a year (2009, 2010, and 2011): in March (before sowing of barley), in May (during the tillering phase), in June (during the shooting phase), and in August (after barley harvesting). Neither the catch crop management nor the sampling date had any effect on the content of total organic carbon (C_ORG) or total nitrogen (Nt). The incorporation of filed pea biomass significantly enhanced the soil mineral N content (up to 30%), as well as the microbial and enzymatic variables, compared to the control soil. The spring use of field pea biomass significantly increased the content of microbial biomass C (2009 and 2011) in contrast to autumn incorporation. On the other hand, the biomass-N and the activity of the studied enzymes did not reveal statistically significant changes (or the results were inconsistent) as regards the time of catch crop biomass incorporation. The assessed variables (except for C_ORG, Nt, microbial biomass N) showed significant seasonal variability, but the changes were not clear or associated with a specific property. However, we found one similarity; the majority of the determined variables were the highest in May and/or June. Our data confirmed that catch crops play a key function in the management of agroecosystems. Plant biomass incorporated into soil is a source of organic matter, which increases nutrient concentrations and enhances soil biological activity. Because the time of catch crop application did not reveal consistent changes in the studied properties, both spring and autumn applications can be recommended as a suitable practice in modern agriculture. Full article

Nature-related financial risks have emerged as critical concerns for policymakers and financial actors. Central to this issue are ecosystem services, which play an integral role in various production processes but may be interrupted due to the degradation of nature. This article delves into the vulnerability of European SMEs by combining firm-level exposures to ecosystem service dependencies with regional information on the relative abundance of ecosystem services provisioning and the risk of natural hazards. Focusing on long-term debt positions to gauge financial stability implications, the results reveal moderate nature risks for European SMEs at the current stance but also highlight a possible concentration of risks and a need to further refine the use of available indicators. Full article

Despite substantial evidence supporting the efficacy of prebiotics for promoting host health and stress resilience, few experiments present evidence documenting the dynamic changes in microbial ecology and fecal microbially modified metabolites over time. Furthermore, the literature reports a lack of reproducible effects of prebiotics on specific bacteria and bacterial-modified metabolites. The current experiments examined whether consumption of diets enriched in prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and polydextrose (PDX)), compared to a control diet, would consistently impact the gut microbiome and microbially modified bile acids over time and between two research sites. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed control or prebiotic diets for several weeks, and their gut microbiomes and metabolomes were examined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted LC–MS/MS analysis. Dietary prebiotics altered the beta diversity, relative abundance of bacterial genera, and microbially modified bile acids over time. PICRUSt2 analyses identified four inferred functional metabolic pathways modified by the prebiotic diet. Correlational network analyses between inferred metabolic pathways and microbially modified bile acids revealed deoxycholic acid as a potential network hub. All these reported effects were consistent between the two research sites, supporting the conclusion that dietary prebiotics robustly changed the gut microbial ecosystem. Consistent with our previous work demonstrating that GOS/PDX reduces the negative impacts of stressor exposure, we propose that ingesting a diet enriched in prebiotics facilitates the development of a health-promoting gut microbial ecosystem. Full article

The aim of this clinical audit is to evaluate the characteristics of dental infections requiring hospitalisations, which may help improve preventative and management policies. This study retrospectively evaluated the records of patients admitted to the Nepean hospital, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia, due to dental infections between 2018 and 2019. A total of 102 patients, mostly in their thirties with equal gender distribution, were admitted with dental infections, presenting with pain (100%), swelling (99%), trismus (40.2%), dysphagia (27.4%), fever (21%) [>37 °C], tachycardia (24.8%) and tachypnoea (9.3%). Most patients presented (68%) on weekends, outside regular working hours, and public holidays. A total of 52.5% of patients had taken prior antibiotics. Dental caries, smoking, mental health issues, and illicit drug use were featured strongly. The majority of patients (56.4%) underwent treatment under local anaesthesia. The total length of hospital stay was 271 days (mean 2.7, SD 1.6). Augmentin was the most prescribed antibiotic. Complications were reported in 8.8% of the patients, primarily due to airway compromise. Dental infections leading to hospitalisations continue to be a burden on the healthcare system. A notable finding was that the presentations were primarily on weekends, outside regular working hours, and public holidays, and the majority required dental interventions under local anaesthesia. The provision of on-call emergency dental services may reduce potentially preventable hospitalisations and the length of hospital stay. Full article

Chorea is a hyperkinetic movement disorder frequently observed in the pediatric population, and, due to advancements in genetic techniques, an increasing number of genes have been associated with this disorder. In genetic conditions, chorea may be the primary feature of the disorder, or be part of a more complex phenotype characterized by epileptic encephalopathy or a multisystemic syndrome. Moreover, it can appear as a persistent disorder (chronic chorea) or have an episodic course (paroxysmal chorea). Managing chorea in childhood presents challenges due to its varied clinical presentation, often involving a spectrum of hyperkinetic movement disorders alongside neuropsychiatric and multisystemic manifestations. Furthermore, during infancy and early childhood, transient motor phenomena resembling chorea occurring due to the rapid nervous system development during this period can complicate the diagnosis. This review aims to provide an overview of the main genetic causes of pediatric chorea that may manifest during infancy and early childhood, focusing on peculiarities that can aid in differential diagnosis among different phenotypes and discussing possible treatment options. Full article

As the quality of public space has become significant for urban development, the creation of high-quality public spaces is becoming increasingly important. Since the implementation of urban renewal policies, an increasing number of buildings have emerged, creating new types of public spaces. Compared to original public spaces, new public spaces are more open, flexible, and diverse. The design of public spaces is closely related to users and the flâneur can precisely serve as a user and observer to conduct in-depth research. So, our study was conducted under the identity of the flâneur, focusing on two cases in Guangzhou. The flâneur completes the data collection through two methods. Static research involves observing and taking photos, whereas dynamic research involves interviews and questionnaires. This study analysed three aspects: the group category, behavioural diversity, and activity time and evaluated the public space using the NPS scale. The study found that the recommendation rate of new urban public spaces is higher than that of original public spaces. The study also found that original public spaces need to be improved in four ways: equipping furniture facilities, improving traffic congestion, increasing blue-green spaces, and establishing artistic spaces. New urban public spaces need to make efforts to create more interactive spaces and increase stagnation points. Full article

First-order algorithms have long dominated the training of deep neural networks, excelling in tasks like image classification and natural language processing. Now there is a compelling opportunity to explore alternatives that could outperform current state-of-the-art results. From the estimation theory, the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) arose as a viable alternative and has shown advantages over backpropagation methods. Current computational advances offer the opportunity to review algorithms derived from the EKF, almost excluded from the training of convolutional neural networks. This article revisits an approach of the EKF with decoupling and it brings the Fully Decoupled Extended Kalman Filter (FDEKF) for training convolutional neural networks in image classification tasks. The FDEKF is a second-order algorithm with some advantages over the first-order algorithms, so it can lead to faster convergence and higher accuracy, due to a higher probability of finding the global optimum. In this research, experiments are conducted on well-known datasets that include Fashion, Sports, and Handwritten Digits images. The FDEKF shows faster convergence compared to other algorithms such as the popular Adam optimizer, the sKAdam algorithm, and the reduced extended Kalman filter. Finally, motivated by the finding of the highest accuracy of FDEKF with images of natural scenes, we show its effectiveness in another experiment focused on outdoor terrain recognition. Full article