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This study addresses the significant contribution of shopping malls to plastic waste management by assessing alternatives that balance environmental and economic impacts. Data were collected through a mixed-methods approach (in-depth interviews and questionnaires) and analyzed using the thematic analysis. The research highlights the pivotal role of policymakers in fostering collaborations essential for effective plastic waste management. A novel business model centered on resource recovery is proposed based on the analysis of the plastic waste landscape from both macro-factors and key stakeholders' perspectives. Due to the enhancement in plastic recycling rates, this model could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 19.88 tCO2-eq per year and generate an annual revenue of USD 584. The findings advocate for collaborative efforts between mall stores and office spaces to increase the availability of recyclable plastics. The outcomes contribute to the formulation of evidence-based environmental policies tailored to shopping malls, promoting sustainable solutions aligned with circular economy principles and offering a framework that can be adopted by stakeholders across the plastic ecosystem.

Rapid urbanisation and a growing population have led to a huge production of solid waste worldwide. To mitigate solid wastes, Thailand adapts incineration. As a consequence, a variety of fly ashes being produced in large quantities. Fly ash management is therefore a risk for the future. A comparison of the chemical and physical properties of five sources of ashes from the waste incinerators in three regions in Thailand, namely MFA1, MFA2, IFA, and fly ash that used in a ready-mixed concrete plant, CFA1 and CFA2 was conducted. Additionally, bottom ashes, MBA1, MBA2 and IBA were also characterized similarly. The analysis showed that coal fly ash from ready mixed concrete plant of CFA1 and CFA2 were classified under class F and C, respectively. The heavy metal analysis showed that fly ash from MFA1 and IFA has high amount of Zn (7,523 mg/kg and 28,315 mg/kg), followed by MFA1 has high amount of cadmium (127 mg/kg) and MFA1 and IFA showed high concentration of lead (1,955 mg/kg and 1,425 mg/kg). The present study show that fly ash often contains heavy metals, dioxins, and other hazardous substances, highlighting the need for detailed analysis to determine proper handling and disposal methods. Advanced classification systems, which may include parameters such as leaching behavior, particle size distribution, and contaminant concentrations, are essential for categorizing fly ash into appropriate management pathways, such as landfilling, resource recovery, or reuse in construction materials.

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of utilizing a BW (Buttress wall) to control the deflection of a diaphragm wall in colluvial soil conditions in Vietnam. The physical and mechanical properties of the colluvial layers are evaluated using data closely monitored during a specific project, serving as validation for 3D numerical simulations utilizing the Hardening Soil Model. The analysis results closely match the field monitoring data, which has tested the accuracy of the simulation model. This forms the basis for further investigations into the dimensional parameters of BW walls, including length, thickness, and spacing between them. The results obtained from the parametric study demonstrate that altering the wall length and spacing between BWwalls significantly limits the deflection of the diaphragm wall, while changes in thickness have a negligible effect. Through the 3D numerical simulations, a linear relationship between the maximum wall deflection and parameters such as wall length and spacing between BW walls has been established.

IntroductionThe marine microalga Isochrysis galbana is prolific producer of fucoxanthin, which is a xanthophyll carotenoid with substantial global market value boasting extensive applications in the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. This study presented a novel integrated experimental approach coupled with machine learning (ML) models to predict the fucoxanthin content in I. galbana by altering the type and concentration of phytohormone supplementation, thus overcoming the multiple methodological limitations of conventional fucoxanthin quantification.MethodsA novel integrated experimental approach was developed, analyzing the effect of varying phytohormone types and concentrations on fucoxanthin production in I. galbana. Morphological analysis was conducted to assess changes in microalgal structure, while growth rate and fucoxanthin yield correlations were explored using statistical analysis and machine learning models. Several ML models were employed to predict fucoxanthin content, with and without hormone descriptors as variables.ResultsThe findings revealed that the Random Forest (RF) model was highly significant with a high R2 of 0.809 and RMSE of 0.776 when hormone descriptors were excluded, and the inclusion of hormone descriptors further improved prediction accuracy to R2 of 0.839, making it a useful tool for predicting the fucoxanthin yield. The model that fitted the experimental data indicated methyl jasmonate (0.2 mg/L) as an effective phytohormone. The combined experimental and ML approach demonstrated rapid, reliable, and cost-efficient prediction of fucoxanthin yield.DiscussionThis study highlights the potential of machine learning models, particularly Random Forest, to optimize parameters influencing microalgal growth and fucoxanthin production. This approach offers a more efficient alternative to conventional methods, providing valuable insights into improving fucoxanthin production in microalgal cultivation. The findings suggest that leveraging diverse ML models can enhance the predictability and efficiency of fucoxanthin production, making it a promising tool for industrial applications.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose a global threat in both developed and developing countries due to their adverse effects on various ecosystems. The low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs, widely used in everyday life, are potential contaminants. Being highly volatile, they are often uptaken by plants and enter the food chain, necessitating an effective biodegradation system. Over the last decade, research has advanced significantly in the bacterial biodegradation of PAHs composed of more than three rings. This review focuses on the levels of PAH in soils worldwide and highlights the diverse bacterial communities found in these soils capable of degrading LMW-PAHs. It also elucidates the mechanisms of LMW-PAH degradation by bacteria. Various studies indicate that while individual bacteria contribute to PAH degradation, bacterial consortia promise better degradation efficiency. This review underscores the need for further research in bioremediation using bacterial networks and the development of methods targeting a wide range of LMW-PAHs. In conclusion, optimizing bacterial consortia and enhancing environmental conditions could significantly improve the biodegradation of LMW-PAHs, reducing their ecological and health impacts.

The goal of this study is to assess the application of the Hardening soil model in predicting the deformation of retaining walls of excavations in 2D and 3D finite element analysis at the Ho Chi Minh Metro project. Designed as the deepest underground station in the first metro line built in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Opera House station is located in an area with a dense building zone and close to historical buildings. A summary of the input soil properties is provided using data from site investigations, in-situ tests, and laboratory tests. By numerical simulation using the Hardening soil model, the parameters of the soil stiffness modulus value are verified based on the Standard Penetration Test (SPT), and Pressuremeter test (PMT). The obtained results of the numerical analysis by 2D and 3D finite element methods, and field observations indicate that applying the Hardening soil model with soil stiffness modulus obtained in situ tests gives reasonable results on the displacement of the retaining wall at the final phase. The relationship between the SPT value and the stiffness modulus of HCMC sand is a function of depth. This correlation is obtained through the comparison of wall deformation between the simulation and monitoring at the construction site. The results of the difference between 2D and 3D finite element analysis also are discussed in this study.

Abstract Background Sarco-osteoporosis is a skeletal muscle disease associated with aging and complex pathological factors. At present, there are few studies on the analysis of its related factors, and a nomogram to estimate the risk of sarco-osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly patients is not available. Methods A total of 386 patients admitted to our hospital from October 2021 to October 2022 were collected, and the general demographic data and clinical data of the patients were collected.386 subjects were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into training set and validation set at a ratio of 7:3. In the training set, the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression technique was used to select the optimal predictive features, and multivariate logistic regression was used to screen the factors associated with sarco-osteoporosis, and a nomogram was constructed using meaningful variables from multivariate analysis. The performance of the nomograms was assessed and validated by Area Under Curve (AUC) and calibration curves. Results There were no significant differences in baseline characteristic of individuals in training set and validation set, six variables with non-zero coefficients were screened based on LASSO regression in the training set. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the related factors for sarco-osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly inpatients included age (OR = 1.08, 95%CI 1.03 ∼ 1.14), regular exercise (OR = 0.29, 95%CI 0.15 ∼ 0.56), albumin (OR = 0.9, 95%CI 0.82 ∼ 0.98), height (OR = 0.93, 95%CI 0.88 ∼ 0.99) and lean mass index (OR = 0.66, 95%CI 0.52 ∼ 0.85), and a nomogram was constructed based on the above factors. AUC of nomogram were 0.868(95%CI 0.825 ∼ 0.912) in the training set and 0.737(95%CI 0.646 ∼ 0.828) in the validation set. Calibration curve analysis showed that the predicted probability of sarco-osteoporosis had high consistency with the actual probability, and the absolute error of the training set and verification set was 0.018 and 0.03, respectively. Conclusions Our research showed that the occurrence of sarco-osteoporosis was associated with age, regular exercise, albumin, height and lean mass index, and we have developed a nomogram that can be effectively used in the preliminary and in-depth risk prediction of sarco-osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly hospitalized patients.

Predictions indicate a concerning surge in plastic waste, expected to reach 380 million tonnes by 2040 from 188 million tonnes in 2016. Strategies to combat this could reduce yearly waste to 140 million tonnes, but this may not fully address existing pollution levels. Urgent action is needed to devise safe and effective methods for degrading microplastics. Use of microorganisms ranging from bacteria to algae to help in the biodegradation of these particles has been employed and researched upon extensively. Microorganisms belonging to the following genus: Bacillus, Actinobacteria, Pseudomonas, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cyanobacteria and various species of microalgae have shown remarkable capabilities to degrade microplastic present in the environment. The main focus of this review is to highlight the potential microorganisms and organisms that can help with biodegradation of microplastics. The review also touches upon new biotechnological advancements like the use of genetically modified organisms to aid in the biodegradation of microplastics. It also highlights the gaps in research regarding the use of microorganisms and genetically modified organisms in a large scale and in combination with other degradation techniques in order to efficiently and safely degrade microplastics.

Abstract This study presents solid waste management planning in an urban green area, Bangkok, Thailand based on the material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). Global warming potential (GWP) of four scenarios for handling solid waste generated in Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, 2018 was assessed concerning the different ratios of waste recycling, composting, incineration, and landfilling. The results show that alternative systems proposed will result in lower GWP than the existing waste management strategy. The MFA results reveal that the final weights of solid waste ending up in a landfill are 98.8, 101.9, 68.2, and 44.8 t yr− 1 for scenarios 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Increased rates of landfill diversion by increased recycling, composting, and incineration decreased the quantity of solid waste disposed to the landfill and improved the environmental profile of the park waste management system. The LCA results found landfilling to be the dominant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) burdens, while waste recycling was found to result in the reduction of GHG. The results highlight that the use of MFA and LCA as a combined tool to evaluate the environmental performance of solid waste management systems provides valuable information for policy and decision-makers.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of concentrated growth factor (CGF) applied in guided bone regeneration (GBR) for severe bone deficiency in the anterior maxilla. Methods Forty patients with bone defects in the anterior maxilla were chosen to be treated with GBR, 20 patients were treated with CGF applied in GBR as the observation group, and the other 20 patients were treated only with GBR as the control group. The evaluation of wound healing was performed after the operation, and bone augmentation was evaluated half a year after the operation. Results The first-stage healing rate of soft tissue wounds in the observation group was 100% and 75% in the control group, and the primary healing rate in the observation group was better than that in the control group (P=0.017). The changes in bone width of the observation group were （3.70 ± 0.28） mm, and those of the control group were （2.96 ± 0.16） mm. The bone augmentation in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P=0.000). Conclusion CGF applied in GBR has a good effect on bone augmentation for severe bone deficiency in the anterior maxilla.

Runoff estimations play an important role in water resource planning and management. Many accomplishments have been made in runoff estimations based on data recorded at meteorological stations; however, the advantages of the use of remotely sensed data in estimating runoff in watersheds for which data are lacking remain to be investigated. In this study, the MOD13A2 normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), TRMM3B43 precipitation (P), MOD11A2 land–surface temperature (LST), MOD16A2 evapotranspiration (ET) and hydrological station data were used as data sources with which to estimate the monthly runoff through the application of a fully connected long short–term memory (LSTM) model in the upstream reach of the Heihe River basin in China from 2001 to 2016. The results showed that inputting multiple remote sensing parameters improved the quality of runoff estimation compared to the use of rain gauge observations; an increase in R2 from 0.91 to 0.94 was observed from the implementation of this process, and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) showed an improvement from 0.89 to 0.93. The incorporation of rain gauge data as well as satellite data provided a slight improvement in estimating runoff with a respective R2 value of 0.95 and NSE value of 0.94. This indicates that the LSTM model based on remote sensing data has great potential for runoff estimation, and data obtained by remote sensing technology provide an alternative approach for estimating runoff in areas for which available data are lacking.

Background: Previous studies have shown that hypertension is an important factor contributing to the occurrence and progression of diabetic kidney damage. However, the relationship between the patterns of blood pressure (BP) trajectory and kidney damage in the diabetic population remains unclear. This prospective study investigated the effect of long-term systolic BP (SBP) trajectory on kidney damage in the diabetic population based on an 8-year follow-up community-based cohort. Methods: This study included 4556 diabetic participants among 101,510 participants. BP, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urinary protein were measured every 2 years from 2006 to 2014. SBP trajectory was identified by the censored normal modeling. Five discrete SBP trajectories were identified according to SBP range and the changing pattern over time. Kidney damage was evaluated through eGFR and urinary protein value. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the influence of different SBP trajectory groups on kidney damage. Results: We identified five discrete SBP trajectories: low-stable group (n = 864), moderate-stable group (n = 1980), moderate increasing group (n = 609), elevated decreasing group, (n = 679), and elevated stable group (n = 424). The detection rate of kidney damage in the low-stable group (SBP: 118–124 mmHg) was the lowest among the five groups. The detection rate of each kidney damage index was higher in the elevated stable group (SBP: 159–172 mmHg) compared with the low-stable group. For details, the gap was 4.14 (11.6% vs. 2.8%) in eGFR

Hawthorn (Crataegus) may play a role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and in particular, congestive heart failure. Evidence is accumulating that hawthorn may induce anti-ischemia/reperfusion-injury, anti-arrhythmic, hypolipidemic and hypotensive effects. These beneficial effects may in part be due to the presence of antioxidant flavonoid components. While a number of studies have been performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of hawthorn, an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study including a large number of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II/III heart failure patients is ongoing to test hawthorn's long-term therapeutic effects. Further clinical trials as well as pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies are needed to explore and confirm its effectiveness, safety and pharmacological mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spelling error checking is a challenging research topic with a wide range of applications such as text editing, word processing, spell checking, teaching, etc. As an alphabetic language, spelling errors in Tibetan could be categorized into three types, namely, non-true type, true type, and punctuation misuse. In order to study true Tibetan syllable spelling error in much more depth, the article analyses the types of Tr u e Tibetan syllable spelling errors based on Tibetan word formation rules, grammar and semantic features laying a foundation for Tibetan spelling error checking research.

Corpus serves as an indispensable ingredient for statistical NLP research and real-world applications, therefore corpus construction method has a direct impact on various downstream tasks. This paper proposes a method to construct Tibetan text classification corpus based on a syllable-level processing technique which we refer as TC_TCCNL. Empirical evidence indicates that the algorithm is able to produce a promising performance, which may lay a starting point for research on Tibetan text classification in the future.

Vicky Ren,1 Harry Dao Jr2 1Baylor College of Medicine , School of Medicine, 2Department of Dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA Background: Psoriasis is a debilitating autoimmune skin disease that affects 2%–3% of the world's population. Patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis suffer from a decreased quality of life as well as comorbidities. Newer biological agents have been shown to be more effective than traditional therapies. In this article, we assess the potential role of ixekizumab, an anti-interleukin (IL)-17 antibody, in treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Method: We reviewed PubMed for articles regarding ixekizumab and the epidemiology and management of plaque psoriasis. Results: In a Phase I clinical trial, treatment with ixekizumab resulted in both clinical and histopathologic improvement of psoriasis, which suggests that IL-17 may be a key driver in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In a Phase II clinical trial, treatment with ixekizumab resulted in rapid clinical improvement of psoriasis, which lends further support to its role as an effective treatment for patients with chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Reductions in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score are comparable to those associated with currently marketed biologics. Conclusion: Literature concerning the effects of ixekizumab on chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis is currently limited to two clinical trials. Results suggest that ixekizumab shows great therapeutic promise. However, more large-scale and long-term trials are needed to establish safety and efficacy. Keywords: IL-17, PASI, adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, ustekinumab, biologics

More than 760 million people around the world lack access to clean drinking water. A biosand filter was developed through the collaboration of research groups in developing and developed countries. This type of filter is considered a point-of-use filtration system that can be easily installed at home, and has shown promising results. Thousands of these filters have been distributed and are currently in use in developing countries around the world, helping to alleviate poor water quality conditions. Although these filters have been proven to improve water quality in terms of biological contaminants, there are still concerns over their ability to remove heavy metal contaminants. This review will outline basic and current research that may pave the way for BSF improvement in terms of heavy metal removal from groundwater.

Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest/Disclosure The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.

The threat of cadmium (Cd) stress to agricultural soil environments, as well as their productivity attracting growing global interest. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a strong candidate for the remediation of heavy metals in soil. However, the joint analysis of Cd tolerance, physiological responses, and multifaceted plant microbiomes in tall fescue fields has not been extensively researched. Therefore, this study employed microbial sequencing (i.e., 16S and ITS sequencing) to investigate the differences in microbial community structure among various plant compartments of Cd-resistant tall fescue (cv. 'Arid3') and Cd-sensitive tall fescue (cv. 'Barrington'). Furthermore, we examined the mechanism of resistance to Cd by introducing three different bacteria and a fungus that were isolated from the 'Arid3' rhizosheath soil. It highlighted the potential application of enriched taxa such as Delftia, Novosphingobium, Cupriavidus and Torula in enhancing the activity of antioxidant defense systems, increasing the production of osmotic regulatory substances, and stimulating the expression of Cd-resistance genes. This ultimately promoted plant growth and enhanced phytoremediation efficiency. This study shed light on the response mechanism of the tall fescue microbiome to Cd stress and underscored the potential of tall fescue-microbe co-culture in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated areas., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans is the most devastating disease of potato. Phytophthora infestans produces many secondary metabolites and effector proteins, involved in the pathogenesis, which compromise host defense mechanisms. Pectinesterase (PE) is a cell wall degrading enzyme secreted by P. infestans to infect the host. To examine the role of PE in P. infestans , 15 strains of P. infestans were isolated from infected potato leaves in Yunnan, China. We analyzed the biological effects of exogenously added PE on P. infestans and its activity and gene expression after infection of potato using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It was found that PE significantly promotes the growth of P. infestans , increases the weight of mycelium and the number of sporangia, and promotes the sporangial germination. PE accelerated the infection process of P. infestans on potato. The pathogenicity of P. infestans was positively correlated with PE activity and gene expression. PE is a key to the virulence difference of potato late blight., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Deng, Huang, Dao, Xu, Zhou, Wang, Liu, Chen, Zhang, Zhang, Hao, Liu and Yang.)

GLPG3970 is a selective salt-inducible kinase 2/3 inhibitor intended for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In vitro studies suggest GLPG3970 strongly inhibits breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), indicating a possible interaction with BCRP substrates such as sulfasalazine (SSZ; a probe substrate for intestinal BCRP inhibition) and methotrexate (MTX), both inflammatory disease medications. Two open-label, nonrandomized, phase I, drug-drug interaction (DDI) studies assessed the pharmacokinetics of SSZ 1,000 mg (NCT04720183) and MTX 7.5 mg (EudraCT: 2020-000391-37) with and without GLPG3970 350 mg. Healthy participants aged 18-55 years with wild-type homozygous BCRP genotype (c421C/C) received: SSZ on day (D)1, GLPG3970 + SSZ on D5, and GLPG3970 2 hours after SSZ on D9 (N = 8; SSZ/GLPG3970 DDI study); MTX on D1, GLPG3970 + MTX on D5, and GLPG3970 on D6-8 (N = 15; MTX/GLPG3970 DDI study). Primary end points were AUC and C max ("exposure") of SSZ and its metabolite (sulfapyridine [SPD]), SPD:SSZ AUC ratio (SSZ/GLPG3970 study), and AUC and C max ("exposure") of MTX (MTX/GLPG3970 study). DDIs were evaluated using the geometric mean ratio of each end point; a > 2-fold increase in SSZ or MTX exposure was deemed clinically relevant. GLPG3970 demonstrated mild inhibition of intestinal BCRP in vivo: GLPG3970 + SSZ increased SSZ exposure ~1.7-1.8-fold and decreased SPD:SSZ ratio ~ 2-fold vs. SSZ alone. GLPG3970 administered 2 hours after SSZ did not change the magnitude of the interaction. GLPG3970 + MTX had no relevant effect on MTX pharmacokinetics vs. MTX alone. Therefore, the strong in vitro BCRP inhibition was not confirmed in vivo. No safety concerns were observed when GLPG3970 was coadministered with SSZ or MTX., (© 2024 Galápagos NV. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.)

Rationale: The integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) into rehabilitation education programs has been widespread, but little is known about how graduates' EBP competencies evolve over time., Aims and Objectives: To explore how and why the use of EBP by occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs) evolves during the first 3 years of clinical practice., Method: We used an interpretive description methodology. We conducted semi-structured interviews with OTs and PTs who participated in a minimum of three out of four time points in a previous longitudinal pan-Canadian mixed methods study. Data analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis., Results: Seventeen clinicians (13 OTs and 4 PTs) participated in the study. Our analysis identified six overarching themes: (1) evolution of "what EBP is and what it means"; (2) over time, evidence takes a back seat; (3) patients and colleagues have a vital and perennial role in clinical decision making; (4) continuing professional development plays a vital role in EBP; (5) personal attitudes and attributes influence EBP; and (6) organizational factors influence EBP., Conclusion: Our study highlights the dynamic nature of EBP use among OTs and PTs in the first 3 years of clinical practice, emphasizing the need for contextualized approaches and ongoing support to promote evidence-informed healthcare in rehabilitation., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)