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Objective: This study aims to explore the implementation and impact of management and technical standards within fitness clubs. Methodology: Employing a qualitative research design, the study involved semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, including university professors in sports management, managers and experts from the licensing commission of fitness clubs, and standards specialists. The thematic analysis was used to interpret the data, focusing on the motivations for standard adoption, the processes of implementing these standards, and the perceived impacts on organizational performance and stakeholder engagement. Findings: The study reveals that fitness clubs adopt management and technical standards primarily to improve operational efficiency, ensure compliance with regulations, and enhance service quality. Challenges in standardization include aligning internal processes with external requirements and managing stakeholder expectations. Successful standardization efforts lead to improved operational efficiency, better stakeholder management, and enhanced competitive advantage. The research also highlights the importance of voluntary environmental programs and ISO certifications in signaling commitment to quality and sustainability. Conclusion: The adoption of management and technical standards in fitness clubs plays a crucial role in enhancing operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction. Despite the challenges faced during implementation, the benefits of standardization are clear, suggesting that fitness clubs should continue to engage in these practices. Future research should aim to broaden the geographic and demographic scope of participants and incorporate quantitative measures to further validate the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of cancer in the world and has a 5‐year survival rate of ~20%. Immunotherapies have shown promising results leading to durable responses, however, they are only effective for a subset of patients. To determine the best therapeutic approach, a thorough and in‐depth profiling of the tumour microenvironment (TME) is required. The TME is a complex network of cell types that form an interconnected network, promoting tumour cell initiation, growth and dissemination. The stroma, immune cells and endothelial cells that comprise the TME generate a plethora of cytotoxic or cytoprotective signalling pathways. In this review, we discuss immunotherapeutic targets in NSCLC tumours and how the TME may influence patients' response to immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, linear alkyl-benzene calcium sulfonate nanoparticles were made using linear alkylbenzene. Calcium sulfonate nanoparticles are widely used as an additive in a variety of engine oils and have cleansing, anti-wear and anti-oxidant properties and anti-corrosion properties. In this method, a sulfonation set up was constructed and sulfonation reaction was carried out both directly and indirectly with Oleum, which in the indirect method had better yield and the amount of acid used was much less. Sulfonation was carried out on two types of light and heavy alkylbenzene the calcification step was carried out with CaO, and then the supernatural stage and carbonation with CO2 and CaO were performed for the first time with Ethanol green promoter, and The Total Base Number amount of for calcium was measured at different times. Carbonation time is very important and sensitive. In this research, residual sediments were reused in the carbonation reaction, and excellent results were obtained. It was also observed that the synthesis of linear calcium sulfonate nanoparticles with a high Total Base Number and a stable structure can only be carried out with heavy alkylbenzene C26. In this work, linear calcium sulfonate alkylated benzene nanoparticles were made completely transparent. (and) The Total Base Number 470, and the weight percent of calcium also reached 17.4, and the nanoparticle stability was also tested using the standard ASTM D2273 method. This result compared with two commercially available linear calcium sulfonate nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human gnathostomiasis is a harmful food-borne zoonosis caused by roundworms of the genus Gnathostoma. The parasite can occasionally migrate to the central nervous system, causing life-threatening disease and death. Here, we report a new point-of-care (POC) test kit, the gnathostomiasis blood immunochromatographic test (GB-ICT) kit. The kit is based on recombinant Gnathostoma spinigerum antigen and detects specific IgG4 antibody in whole-blood samples (WBSs). The GB-ICT kit showed potentially high diagnostic values with simulated WBSs (n = 248), which were obtained by spiking patients' sera with red blood cells. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 95.2%, 100%, 93.8%, 81.5%, and 100%, respectively. Ten WBSs from clinically suspected gnathostomiasis patients were all positive according to the GB-ICT kit, while 10 WBSs from healthy volunteers were negative. The GB-ICT kit is a simple and convenient POC testing tool using finger-prick blood samples: venous blood sampling and serum separation processes are not required. The GB-ICT kit can support clinical diagnosis in remote areas and field settings without sophisticated equipment facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated serious respiratory disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), poses a major threat to global public health. Owing to the lack of vaccine and effective treatments, many countries have been overwhelmed with an exponential spread of the virus and surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Current standard diagnostic methods are inadequate for widespread testing as they suffer from prolonged turn-around times (>12 h) and mostly rely on high-biosafety-level laboratories and well-trained technicians. Point-of-care (POC) tests have the potential to vastly improve healthcare in several ways, ranging from enabling earlier detection and easier monitoring of disease to reaching remote populations. In recent years, the field of POC diagnostics has improved markedly with the advent of micro- and nanotechnologies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, POC technologies have been rapidly innovated to address key limitations faced in existing standard diagnostic methods. This review summarizes and compares the latest available POC immunoassay, nucleic acid-based and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats- (CRISPR)-mediated tests for SARS-CoV-2 detection that we anticipate aiding healthcare facilities to control virus infection and prevent subsequent spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]