Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. The narrow therapeutic window (within 4.5 h) and severe hemorrhagic potential limits therapeutic efficacy of recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) intravenous thrombolysis for patients. Xingnao Kaiqiao (XNKQ) acupuncture is an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine, specifically designed to address acute ischemic stroke by targeting key acupoints such as Shuigou (GV26) and Neiguan (PC6). In this study, we explored the therapeutic potential of XNKQ acupuncture in extending the time window for thrombolysis and interrogated the molecular mechanisms responsible for this effect. Methods: The effect of extending the thrombolysis window by acupuncture was evaluated via TTC staining, neuronal score evaluation, hemorrhagic transformation assay, and H&E staining. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology was performed to identify the therapeutic targets and intervention mechanisms of acupuncture. Evans blue staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to assess blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Immunofluorescence staining and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to evaluate the level of autophagy and apoptosis and validate their interactions with BBB endothelial cells. Results: Acupuncture alleviated infarction and neurological deficits and extended the thrombolysis window to 6 h. The RNA-seq revealed 16 potential therapeutic predictors for acupuncture intervention, which related to suppressing inflammation and restoring the function of BBB and blood vessels. Furthermore, acupuncture suppressed BBB leakage and preserved tight junction protein expression. The protective effect was associated with regulation of the autophagy–apoptosis balance in BBB endothelial cells. Acupuncture intervention dissociated the Beclin1/Bcl-2 complex, thereby promoting autophagy and reducing apoptosis. Conclusion: XNKQ acupuncture could serve as an adjunctive therapy for rt-PA thrombolysis, aiming to extend the therapeutic time window and mitigate ischemia–reperfusion injury. Acupuncture suppressed BBB disruption by regulating the autophagy–apoptosis balance, which in turn extended the therapeutic window of rt-PA in IS. These findings provide a rationale for further exploration of acupuncture as a complementary candidate co-administered with rt-PA. Full article

The vegetation of the Canary Islands is characterized by a large number of endemic species confined to different altitudinal levels. It can be assumed that these circumstances determine the characteristic features of the chemical composition of local beekeeping products, including propolis. We report, for the first time, the chemical composition of propolis from Tenerife (Canary Islands). The volatile emissions of three propolis samples collected from different apiaries are represented by 162 C₁–C₂₀ compounds, of which 144 were identified using the HS-SPME/GC-MS technique. The main group of volatiles, consisting of 72 compounds, is formed by terpenoids, which account for 42–68% of the total ion current (TIC) of the chromatograms. The next most numerous groups are formed by C₆–C₁₇ alkanes and alkenes (6–32% TIC) and aliphatic C₃–C₁₁ carbonyl compounds (7–20% TIC). The volatile emissions also contain C₁–C₆ aliphatic acids and C₂–C₈ alcohols, as well as their esters. Peaks of 138 organic C₃–C₃₄ compounds were recorded in the chromatograms of the ether extracts of the studied propolis. Terpene compounds form the most numerous group, but their number and content in different samples is within very wide limits (9–63% TIC), which is probably due to the origin of the samples from apiaries located at different altitudes. A peculiarity of the chemical composition of the extractive substances is the almost complete absence of phenylcarboxylic acids and flavonoids, characteristic of Apis mellifera propolis from different regions of Eurasia and North America. Aromatic compounds of propolis from Tenerife are represented by a group of nine isomeric furofuranoid lignans, as well as alkyl- and alkenyl-substituted derivatives of salicylic acid and resorcinol. Full article

Students with disabilities are increasingly being educated in general education classrooms. This exploratory study investigates the efficacy of using mixed-reality simulation (MRS) to provide deliberate practice on high-leverage practices (HLPs) for pre-service general education teachers. Results indicate significant shifts in pre-service teacher understanding of and perceived readiness to implement HLPs in favor of the mixed-reality treatment group. Examining the influence of this innovative technology on pre-service teacher lesson planning yielded mixed results. Findings hold implications for the preparation of special and general education teachers across all content areas. Full article

Postoperative sarcopenia is associated with poor outcomes in hospitalized patients. However, few studies have focused on short-term postoperative sarcopenia. Furthermore, the influence of nutritional management using amino acids (AAs) comprising a peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN) solution and its combination with exercise (Exc) is unclear. Hence, we established a postoperative sarcopenic rat model to evaluate the effects of parenteral AA infusion combined with Exc on skeletal muscles and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in the amelioration of muscle atrophy. Male F344 rats underwent surgery followed by hindlimb suspension (HS) for 5 days. The rats were divided into AA (−), AA (+), AA (−)-Exc, and AA (+)-Exc groups. They were continuously administered a PPN solution with or without AA at 98 kcal/kg/day. The Exc groups were subjected to intermittent loading for 1 h per day. Postoperative sarcopenic rats exhibited decreased muscle strength and mass and an upregulated ubiquitin–proteasome system, autophagy–lysosome system, and fast-twitch fiber-related genes, especially in the AA (−) group. The AA (+)-Exc group exhibited attenuated decreased muscle strength, increased gastrocnemius mass, and a suppressed upregulation of muscle atrophy- and fast-twitch fiber-related genes. Therefore, parenteral AA infusion combined with Exc may be effective in preventing postoperative sarcopenia in hospitalized patients. Full article

Server-less computing is a novel cloud-based paradigm that is gaining popularity today for running widely distributed applications. When it comes to server-less computing, features are available via subscription. Server-less computing is advantageous to developers since it lets them install and run programs without worrying about the underlying architecture. A common choice for code deployment these days, server-less design is preferred because of its independence, affordability, and simplicity. The healthcare industry is one excellent setting in which server-less computing can shine. In the existing literature, we can see that fewer studies have been put forward or explored in the area of server-less computing with respect to smart healthcare systems. A cloud infrastructure can help deliver services to both users and healthcare providers. The main aim of our research is to cover various topics on the implementation of server-less computing in the current healthcare sector. We have carried out our studies, which are adopted in the healthcare domain and reported on an in-depth analysis in this article. We have listed various issues and challenges, and various recommendations to adopt server-less computing in the healthcare sector. Full article

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability. TBI is associated with neuroinflammation, but temporal changes in immune and inflammatory signaling following TBI have not been fully elucidated. Furthermore, there have been no previous studies on changes in immune cell populations following TBI via the Closed Head Injury Model of Engineered Rotational Acceleration (CHIMERA). The current study aimed to determine the time course changes to inflammatory marker mRNA expression in the acute period following TBI in juvenile rats and to determine acute changes to brain and circulating immune cell populations. For this study, post-natal day (PND)-30 male Long Evans rats sustained a TBI or Sham TBI and were euthanized at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, or 96 h post-injury. Prefrontal cortex and hippocampus samples were used to determine mRNA expression changes of inflammatory factors. The mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α was significantly elevated at 6 h post-injury in both regions evaluated. To evaluate immune cell populations, male Long Evans rats were euthanized at 48 h post-injury, and brain and blood samples were used for cell sorting by marker-specific antibodies. In the peripheral blood, there was an elevation in CD3⁺ total T cells, CD45R⁺ total B cells, and CD3⁺CD4⁺ helper T cells in the TBI subjects. However, there were no changes to natural killer cells or CD3⁺CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cell populations. In the brain, there was a reduction in CD11b/c⁺ monocytes/macrophages, but no changes in other immune cell populations. At 48 h post-injury, the TBI subjects also demonstrated expansion of the thymic medulla. These changes in the cerebral and blood immune cell populations and thymic medulla expansion may implicate the subacute recovery timeframe as a vulnerable window for the immune system in the pediatric population. Full article

This study investigates the profound impact of the ZrO₂ inclusion volume on the characteristics of Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ nanocomposites, particularly influencing the formation of calcium phosphates on the surface. This research, aimed at advancing tissue engineering, prepared nanocomposites with 5, 10, and 15 vol% ZrO₂, subjecting them to chemical surface treatment for enhanced calcium phosphate deposition sites. Biomimetic coating with Sr-enriched simulated body fluid (SBF) further enhanced the bioactivity of nanocomposites. While the ZrO₂ concentration heightened the oxygen availability on nanocomposite surfaces, the quantity of Sr-containing phosphate was comparatively less influenced than the formation of calcium phosphate phases. Notably, the coated nanocomposites exhibited a high cell viability and no toxicity, signifying their potential in bone tissue engineering. Overall, these findings contribute to the development of regenerative biomaterials, holding promise for enhancing bone regeneration therapies. Full article

This brief presents a continuously regulated current mirror topology capable of providing a wide range of currents with high-precision and speed control features. The circuit combines a non-linear current-mode feedback solution for fast and energy-efficient operation with an input-referred regulated-cascode configuration for precise current mirroring. The proposed implementation has an output current ranging from 100 $\mathsf{\mu }$A to 2 $\mathrm{mA}$, exhibits a fast response time of ≈100 $\mathrm{ns}$ for the full range steps, while ensuring a high power efficiency (>90%) and low current copy errors (<0.5%). Full article

It is of meaningful importance to evaluate the performance of all the nuclear facilities, and particularly those part of such buildings where spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is stored to assess what kinds of consequences are anomalous/abnormal or to determine what types of accident events may occur. In this preliminary study, the strategies adopted for the management of SNF, and the risk related to them are discussed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the total radioactivity inventory characterising Ukrainian nuclear facilities, including storage facilities. The dataset used to calculate the total activity associated with nuclear fuel is provided and discussed. For the evaluation, it is considered that a SNF pool in VVER-1000 is designed to store 687 fuel assemblies, and 670 are in VVER-440. When it is half full, which is the case for 15 Ukrainian units, it will store about 2200 tU containing up to 1·10¹⁹ Bq of 137Cs, 7·10¹⁸ Bq of 90Sr, and 1·10¹⁹ Bq of TUE. This study focuses particularly on the total activity of the SNF stored at the Zaporozhye plant, the biggest nuclear plant in Europe, and the risk posed by the potential loss that cooling the plant could incur because of pond water level variation. The results of the analysis of the Zaporozhye NPP behaviour suggest that the water flow rate which keeps the SNF pool temperature constant is about 200,000 m³·day⁻¹. Therefore, the water level in the pond should not be lower than 1.5–2 m; otherwise, the plant will need an additional source of water of more than 200,000 m³ per day to guarantee safe storage of SNF. Full article

Background and Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) was previously investigated in lung cancer with wide inter-geographic discrepancies. p16^INK4a has been used as a surrogate for detecting high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) in some cancer types. This study assessed the evidence of HPV in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) among Jordanian patients, investigated the expression of p16^INK4a, and evaluated its prognostic value and association with HPV status. Materials and Methods: The archived samples of 100 patients were used. HPV DNA detection was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). p16^INK4a expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The Eighth American Joint Committee on Cancer protocol (AJCC) of head and neck cancer criteria were applied to evaluate p16^INK4a positivity considering a moderate/strong nuclear/cytoplasmic expression intensity with a distribution in ≥75% of cells as positive. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 5% of NSCLC cases. Three positive cases showed HR-HPV subtypes (16, 18, 52), and two cases showed the probable HR-HPV 26 subtype. p16^INK4a expression was positive in 20 (20%) NSCLC cases. None of the HPV-positive tumors were positive for p16^INK4a expression. A statistically significant association was identified between p16^INK4a expression and the pathological stage (p = 0.029) but not with other variables. No survival impact of p16^INK4a expression was detected in NSCLC cases as a group; however, it showed a statistically significant association with overall survival (OS) in squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) cases (p = 0.033). Conclusions: This is the first study to assess HPV and p16^INK4a expression in a Jordanian population. HPV positivity is rare in NSCLC among a Jordanian subpopulation. P16 ^INK4a reliability as a surrogate marker for HPV infection in lung cancer must be revisited. Full article

The potential of PulY103A (a moderate amylopullulanase originating from Bacillus megaterium) for resistant starch production under moderate conditions (40 °C; a pH of 6.5) was investigated. PulY103A was much more suitable for pea resistant starch production with a high growth rate of 3.63. The pea resistant starch (PSpa) produced with PulY103A had lower levels of swelling power and solubility and a better level of thermostability than native pea starch (PSn) and autoclaved PS (PSa). The starch crystallinity pattern was B + V, which indicated that the PSpa belonged to RS types III + V. In addition, PSpa was used for breadmaking. The results showed that the bread quality was not significantly influenced compared to the control group when the content of PSpa was under 10% (p > 0.05). The bread supplemented with 10% PSpa had a significantly increased TDF content compared to that of the control (p < 0.05). Moreover, the in vitro mineral bioavailability of the bread sample was influenced gently compared to other dietary fibers, and the bread sample changed from a high-glycemic-index (GI) food to a medium-GI food corresponding to white bread at the same concentration of PSpa. These results indicated that PSpa is a good candidate for the production of dietary foods. Full article

This research conducts an analysis of the sustainability of urban agriculture in Shanghai over the period 2010 to 2020, employing the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept as a framework to evaluate sustainability across economic, environmental, and social dimensions through the formulation and application of a comprehensive indicator system. Utilizing the Delphi method alongside the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for determining indicators and their respective weights, this study adopts a methodologically rigorous approach to analysis. The findings reveal an overall enhancement in agricultural sustainability, albeit accompanied by a decline in economic sustainability. Notably, environmental sustainability emerged as a paramount concern, underscoring the essentiality of incorporating environmental indicators within urban agricultural initiatives. The paper addresses significant challenges such as elevated land prices, demographic shifts, and the imperative for more stringent environmental regulations. It advocates for a multidimensional strategy integrating advanced agricultural technologies and cross-sectoral partnerships to bolster sustainability. Furthermore, the study accentuates the necessity of achieving equilibrium among economic feasibility, environmental stewardship, and social equity to pursue sustainable urban agriculture in Shanghai. Additionally, it highlights the critical role of strategic agricultural policy formulation in fostering sectoral resilience and ensuring enduring sustainability. Full article

The rapid growth of drone use in urban areas has prompted authorities to review airspace regulations, forcing drone manufacturers to anticipate and reduce the noise emissions during the design stage. Additionally, micro air vehicles (MAVs) are designed to be aerodynamically efficient, allowing them to fly farther, longer and safer. In this study, a steady aerodynamic code and an acoustic propagator based on the non-linear vortex lattice method (NVLM) and Farassat’s formulation-1A of the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy, respectively, are coupled with pymoo, a python-based optimization framework. This tool is used to perform a multi-objective (noise and aerodynamic efficiency) optimization of a 20 cm diameter two-bladed rotor under hovering conditions. From the set of optimized results, (i.e., the Pareto front), three different rotors are 3D-printed using a stereolithography (SLA) technique and tested in an anechoic room. Here, an array of far-field microphones captures the acoustic radiation and directivity of the rotor, while a balance measures the aerodynamic performance. Both the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of the three different rotors, in line with what has been predicted by the numerical codes, are compared and guidelines for the design of aerodynamically and aeroacoustically efficient MAV rotors are extracted. Full article

Plants have proven to be important sources for discovering new compounds that are useful in the treatment of various diseases due to their phytoconstituents. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), an aromatic plant widely cultivated around the world, has been traditionally used for food preservation and medicinal purposes. In particular, clove essential oil (CEO) has attracted attention for containing various bioactive compounds, such as phenolics (eugenol and eugenol acetate), terpenes (β-caryophyllene and α-humulene), and hydrocarbons. These constituents have found applications in cosmetics, food, and medicine industries due to their bioactivity. Pharmacologically, CEO has been tested against a variety of parasites and pathogenic microorganisms, demonstrating antibacterial and antifungal properties. Additionally, many studies have also demonstrated the analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory effects of this essential oil. However, CEO could degrade for different reasons, impacting its quality and bioactivity. To address this challenge, encapsulation is viewed as a promising strategy that could prolong the shelf life of CEO, improving its physicochemical stability and application in various areas. This review examines the phytochemical composition and biological activities of CEO and its constituents, as well as extraction methods to obtain it. Moreover, encapsulation strategies for CEO and numerous applications in different food fields are also highlighted. Full article

Green algae, phylum Chlorophyta, due to their green appearance as higher plants, are seen as one of the raw materials to be widely used by humanity for different purposes. How can these different purposes achieve ONU Sustainable Development Goals? The genus Ulva sp. is widely distributed through all continents, tolerating different ecosystems (freshwater and marine), different intensities of light, temperature, and salinity. The Ulva sp. life cycle is isomorphic and biphasic type, also affected by biotic factors such as thallus age, phytohormones, microbiome, sporulation inhibitors and metabolomic. Due to that, types of farming can be implemented depending on the cultivation method and it is final biomass exploitation. Thus, this critical review analyzes the laminar Ulva species from the ecology and demonstrates that the seaweed biomass application, may make significant contributions to marine ecosystems, humans, aquaculture, and biotechnological innovation, indicating its importance in both environmental and socioeconomic contexts based on experiments across the world, time and critical thinking. This means that explaining the actual road and future roads of laminar Ulva into a multi-tool development from humankind welfare. With right management of resources and human empowerment, Ulva sp. products can be produced facing climate change and support different industries. However, responsible management of Ulva populations and farming is essential to prevent overgrowth, green floods, and maintain environmental equilibrium. Full article

Smart buildings have a large number of dispatchable resources, both for power production and consumption functions, and the energy consumption of intelligent building clusters has a good complementary and interactive relationship, which can better promote the local consumption of distributed energy. In order to realize the goal of “dual-carbon” and promote the construction of a new power system mainly based on renewable energy, this paper takes the Business Smart Building (BSB) cluster with photovoltaic (PV) power generation as the research object. A peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading model with shared energy storage (SES) for BSBs is constructed, and the potential risk of the stochastic volatility of photovoltaic power generation to BSBs is evaluated using conditional value-at-risk (CVaR). Finally, the optimal strategy for P2P energy sharing among BSBs is obtained by distributed solving using the alternating direction multiplier method (ADMM). The results show that the proposed model can minimize the operating cost of the multi-BSB alliance and realize win–win benefits for building users and shared energy storage operators. Meanwhile, the proposed CVaR gives a trade-off between benefits and risks, which can satisfy the needs of decision-makers with different risk preferences in making decisions. Full article

Action observation and motor imagery (AOMI) are commonly delivered through a laptop screen. Immersive virtual reality (VR) may enhance the observer’s embodiment, a factor that may boost AOMI effects. The study aimed to investigate the effects on manual dexterity of AOMI delivered through immersive VR compared to AOMI administered through a laptop. To evaluate whether VR can enhance the effects of AOMI, forty-five young volunteers were enrolled and randomly assigned to the VR-AOMI group, who underwent AOMI through immersive VR, the AOMI group, who underwent AOMI through a laptop screen, or the control group, who observed landscape video clips. All participants underwent a 5-day treatment, consisting of 12 min per day. We investigated between and within-group differences after treatments relative to functional manual dexterity tasks using the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT). This test included right hand (R), left hand (L), both hands (B), R + L + B, and assembly tasks. Additionally, we analyzed kinematics parameters including total and sub-phase duration, peak and mean velocity, and normalized jerk, during the Nine-Hole Peg Test to examine whether changes in functional scores may also occur through specific kinematic patterns. Participants were assessed at baseline (T0), after the first training session (T1), and at the end of training (T2). A significant time by group interaction and time effects were found for PPT, where both VR-AOMI and AOMI groups improved at the end of training. Larger PPT-L task improvements were found in the VR-AOMI group (d: 0.84, CI₉₅: 0.09–1.58) compared to the AOMI group from T0 to T1. Immersive VR used for the delivery of AOMI speeded up hand dexterity improvements. Full article

Seed emulsion polymerization was an effective modification method to improve not only the properties of polymers but also the compatibility between different polymers by designing special core-shell structures. In this study, poly (butadiene-styrene-vinyl pyridine) (VPR)/poly (acrylonitrile-butadiene) (NBR) core–shell nanoparticles (VPR/NBR) were prepared by seed emulsion polymerization using VPR as seed emulsion and butadiene and acrylonitrile as monomers. Subsequently, HVPR/HNBR was obtained by direct hydrogenation of the core–shell nanoparticles in latex using Wilkinson’s catalyst under high temperature and H₂ pressure. It is noteworthy that the unsaturated C=C double bonds in the core (VPR) and shell (NBR) of HVPR/HNBR nanoparticles were reduced simultaneously during the hydrogenation process without obvious sequence. The particle size and size distribution of the particles remained consistent before and after hydrogenation, indicating that the synthesized core-shell nanoparticles have excellent stability. This study provides a new perspective on the chemical modification of NBR and promises an environmentally friendly “green” process for the industrial hydrogenation of unsaturated elastomers. Full article

In recent years, Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) has been explored as a methodology for inland water body characterization. However, thorough characterization of the sensitivity and behavior of the GNSS-R signal to inland water bodies is still needed to progress this area of research. In this paper, we characterize the uncertainty associated with Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) measurements on the determination of river width. The characterization study uses simulated data from a forward model that accurately simulates CYGNSS observations of mixed water/land scenes. The accuracy of the forward model is demonstrated by comparisons to actual observations of known water body shapes made at particular measurement geometries. Simulated CYGNSS data are generated over a range of synthetic scenes modeling a straight river subreach, and the results are analyzed to determine a predictive relationship between the peak SNR measured over the river subreaches and the river widths. An uncertainty analysis conducted using this predictive relationship indicates that, for simplistic river scenes, the SNR over the river is predictive of the river width to within +/−5 m. The presence of clutter (surrounding water bodies) within ~500 m of a river causes perturbations in the SNR measured over the river, which can render the river width retrievals unreliable. The results of this study indicate that, for isolated, straight rivers, GNSS-R data are able to measure river widths as narrow as 160 m with ~3% error. Full article

Industrial wastewaters display a complex and diverse range of physicochemical properties that are measured, studied, and treated by businesses and water service providers. Less frequently measured are the microbial communities in these wastes, despite possible implications for health, equipment maintenance, and the environment. This study aimed to assess the microbial communities of eighteen raw and discharge-ready wastewaters across eleven industrial sites to compare the microbial compositions of these wastewaters across different industry sectors, on-site treatment levels, and other wastewater components. The potential for variance in the biomethane yield, depending on microbial communities, was also measured. Using targeted sequencing, a unique taxonomy was identified, including genera linked to animals (Acetitomaculum, Lactobacillus, NK4A214, Prevotella, and Shuttleworthia), cooling water (Bosea, Legionella, Methyloversatilis, and Reyranella), and extreme conditions (Alkalibacillus, Geobacillus, Halorubrum, and Pyrobaculum). However, the compositions of the microbial communities were not found to be directly correlated to industry sector or on-site treatment levels, nor were they found to have a direct effect on the biomethane potential. However, the presence of certain individual taxa is linked to the methane yield and treatment status and may be explained in the context of physicochemical properties while serving as potential markers for identifying, improving, or developing on-site processes. Full article

The company’s strategic procurement function makes a significant contribution to overall corporate success, and yet remains under-researched in terms of digitalisation and digital maturity. This research adopts an inductive case study approach, using qualitative data from in-depth interviews with industry practitioners to develop and apply a digital maturity model for the deployment of strategic procurement analytics. The case study company is a multinational aerospace corporation with almost 150,000 employees worldwide. The research presents a snapshot of the digital maturity of the strategic procurement function of this global aircraft manufacturer and finds that the current exploitation of analytics remains constrained by a range of factors, including the need for close compliance with regulatory norms. Thematic analysis of the interview material provides the basis for the development of the maturity model, which—although geared to a specific industry context—is nevertheless of relevance in other business environments. The research thus contributes to the existing literature in this field, and will also be of interest to procurement professionals. However, the research clearly has its limitations, not least in that it is based on just one industry case, and cross-industry generalisations from the findings must therefore be treated with caution. Full article

When studying Markov chain models and semi-Markov chain models, it is useful to know which state vectors $\mathbf{n}$, where each component $n_i$ represents the number of entities in the state $S_i$, can be maintained or attained. This question leads to the definitions of maintainability and attainability for (time-homogeneous) Markov chain models. Recently, the definition of maintainability was extended to the concept of state reunion maintainability ($SR$-maintainability) for semi-Markov chains. Within the framework of semi-Markov chains, the states are subdivided further into seniority-based states. State reunion maintainability assesses the maintainability of the distribution across states. Following this idea, we introduce the concept of state reunion attainability, which encompasses the potential of a system to attain a specific distribution across the states after uniting the seniority-based states into the underlying states. In this paper, we start by extending the concept of attainability for constant-sized Markov chain models to systems that are subject to growth or contraction. Afterwards, we introduce the concepts of attainability and state reunion attainability for semi-Markov chain models, using $SR$-maintainability as a starting point. The attainable region, as well as the state reunion attainable region, are described as the convex hull of their respective vertices, and properties of these regions are investigated. Full article