The influence of solid solution treatment (SST), artificial aging treatment (AAT), and deep cryogenic-aging treatment (DCAT) on the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of 6082 aluminum alloy was investigated. The tensile test was performed to obtain the true stress–strain curves through an electronic universal testing machine. The results show that the yield strengths of the SST specimens in all three directions are the lowest, of less than 200 MPa. In addition, the maximum elongation of the SST specimen is over 16% and the value of in-plane anisotropy (IPA) is 5.40%. For the AAT specimen, the yield strengths of the AAT alloy in three directions have distinct improvements, which are beyond 340 MPa. However, the maximum elongation and the IPA were evidently reduced. The yield strength and elongation of the DCAT alloy exhibit a slight enhancement compared with those in the AAT condition, and the corresponding IPA is 0.61%. The studied alloy specimens in all conditions exhibit ductile fracture. The DCAT alloy has the highest density of precipitates with the smallest size. Therefore, the dislocation pinning effect of the DCAT specimens are the strongest, which exhibit the highest yield strength accordingly. In addition, the uniformly distributed precipitates in the matrix with a large ratio of long and short axes can suppress the anisotropy caused by elongated grains. Full article

To ensure the safe protection of marine engine systems, it is necessary to explore the hot surface ignition (HSI) characteristics of marine diesel in ship environments. However, an accurate model describing these complex characteristics is still not available. In this work, a new experimental method is proposed in order to enhance prediction performance by integrating testing data of the characteristics of HSI of marine diesel. The sensitivity of HSI is determined by various factors such as surface parameters, flow state, and the ship’s environment. According to variations in the HSI status of marine diesel in an engine room, the HSI probability is distributed in three phases. It is essential to determine whether the presence of marine diesel or surrounding items can intensify the risk of an initial fire beginning in the engine room. A vapor plume model was developed to describe the relationship between HSI height and initial specific buoyancy flux in vertical space. Further, field distribution revealed significant variation in the increase in temperature between 200 and 300 mm of vertical height, indicating a region of initial HSI. In addition, increasing surface temperature did not result in a significant change in ignition delay time. After reaching a temperature of 773 K, the ignition delay time remained around 0.48 s, regardless of how much the hot surface temperature increased. This study reveals the HSI evolution of marine diesel in a ship engine room and develops data-based predictive models for evaluating the safety of HSI parameters during initial accident assessments. The results show that the goodness of fit of the predictive models reached above 0.964. On the basis of the predicted results, the HSI characteristics of marine diesel in engine rooms could be gleaned by actively determining the parameters of risk. Full article

The objective of this study is to determine how to increase green space that can overlap with areas that are primarily used for transport in commercial areas and waterfront routes in communities in Thailand, where transportation is limited, in order to provide urban populations an opportunity to access green space in various forms. In this study, the following was found: (1) Commercial routes should be considered. Specifically, green spaces should be created in various forms by considering the sizes of footpaths as well as restrictions on planting; the plants should be native plants because they are easy to care for and help convey the boundaries of an area. A “landmark” that represents the identity of a community should be used to create a meeting point for people entering the commercial area, and designers should use the principles of universal design to make all groups of people feel confident and safe when accessing the area. Finally, vacant or abandoned areas between buildings may also be used. (2) Waterside travel routes should also be considered. Green spaces should be distributed into points, or some routes should be made wider to accommodate various activities; areas along canals or river banks or degraded waterways should be developed or improved to create a recreational area designed with the community’s unique identity in mind, which may develop into a destination for tourists. Importantly, agencies who are responsible for working with the people in the community need to continuously care for these green spaces to enhance sustainability. Full article

The bottom platform is an important underwater sensor that can be used in communications, early warning, monitoring, and other fields. It may be affected by earthquakes, winds, waves, and other loads in the working environment, causing changes in posture and affecting its sensing function. Therefore, it is of practical engineering significance to analyze the force conditions and posture changes in the bottom platform. In order to solve the problem of postural stability of the underwater bottom platform, this paper establishes a fluid and structural simulation model of the underwater bottom platform. First, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technology is used to solve the velocity distribution and forces in the watershed around the bottom platform under a 3 kn ocean current, where the finite element method (FEM) numerical calculation method is used to solve the initial equilibrium state of the bottom platform after it is buried. On this basis, this paper calculates the forces on the bottom platform and the posture of the bottom platform at different burial depths under the action of ocean currents. Additionally, the effects of different burial depths on the maximum displacement, deflection angle, and postural stability of the bottom platform are studied. The calculation results show that when the burial depth is greater than 0.6 m, and the deflection angle of the bottom platform under the action of the 3 kn sea current is less than 5°, the bottom platform can maintain a stable posture. This paper could be used to characterize the postural stability of underwater bottom platforms at different burial depths for the application of underwater sensors in ocean engineering. Full article

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) infection, has caused millions of infections and fatalities worldwide. Extensive SARS-CoV-2 research has been conducted to develop therapeutic drugs and prophylactic vaccines, and even though some drugs have been approved to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection, treatment efficacy remains limited. Therefore, preventive vaccination has been implemented on a global scale and represents the primary approach to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Approved vaccines vary in composition, although vaccine design has been based on either the key viral structural (spike) protein or viral components carrying this protein. Therefore, mutations of the virus, particularly mutations in the S protein, severely compromise the effectiveness of current vaccines and the ability to control COVID-19 infection. This review begins by describing the SARS-CoV-2 viral composition, the mechanism of infection, the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the host defence responses against infection and the most common vaccine designs. Next, this review summarizes the common mutations of SARS-CoV-2 and how these mutations change viral properties, confer immune escape and influence vaccine efficacy. Finally, this review discusses global strategies that have been employed to mitigate the decreases in vaccine efficacy encountered against new variants. Full article

Reinforcement soil slope with pile penetration is a new load bearing structure, which has a complex working mechanism, but few studies have been carried out. This paper aims to investigate the stability characteristics of this structure using model tests. The study investigates the lateral displacement and-pile bending moment caused by vertical loads and evaluates the influence of different factors, including the structure type (such as pile, cap of pile, and reinforcement material), number of reinforcing layers, spacing of reinforcement material, pile length, and slope rate on the load-carrying capacity of the pile penetration fill-reinforced load-bearing structure. The findings suggest that within a certain range, increasing the pile length and number of reinforcing layers, the limiting effect of the pile on the lateral displacement in the middle and at the bottom of the slope of the pile-penetrating reinforced structure is enhanced, which can reduce the extreme value of the bending moment and make the distribution of the bending moment of the pile more reasonable. The lateral limiting effect on the soil body can be maximized by appropriate reinforcement spacing. Within a certain range, the slope rate is reduced, which can reduce the extreme value of the bending moment, make the bending moment distribution of the pile more reasonable, and avoid the phenomenon of the localized force concentration of the pile. Full article

Unsafe roads have posed a significant threat to public health, economic stability, societal well-being, and national interests for numerous decades. Road traffic accidents constitute the primary cause of death among Morocco’s youth population. This study facilitates a comprehensive exploration of the opinions held by youth in Morocco with regard to decision-making in road safety. Through a rigorous analysis of their perspectives, the research endeavors to scientifically categorize these opinions. 97.8% of the surveyed youth strongly agree that road safety holds national importance and 58% recognize road safety as a personal responsibility. The overarching aim is to provide decision-makers with valuable insights to enhance the implementation of effective strategies and actively involve youth in shaping future road safety initiatives. Full article

The equatorial post-sunset ionospheric irregularities induce rapid fluctuations in the phase and amplitude of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals which may lead to the loss of lock and can potentially degrade the position accuracy. This study presents a new analysis of L-band scintillation from a low latitude station at Guntur (Geographic 16.44°N, 80.62°E, dip 22.18°), India, for the period of 18 months from August 2021 to January 2023. The observations are categorized either in the medium Earth-orbiting (MEO) or geosynchronous orbiting (GSO) satellites (GSO is considered as a set of the geostationary and inclined geosynchronous satellites) for L1, L2, and L5 signals. The results show a higher occurrence of moderate (0.5 < S4 ≤ 0.8) and strong (S4 > 0.8) scintillations on different signals from the MEO compared to the GSO satellites. Statistically, the average of peak S4 values provides a higher confidence in the severity of scintillations on a given night, which is found to be in-line with the scintillation occurrences. The percentage occurrence of scintillation-affected satellites is found to be higher on L1 compared to other signals, wherein a contrasting higher percentage of affected satellites over GSO than MEO is observed. While a clear demarcation between the L2/L5 signals and L1 is found over the MEO, in the case of GSO, the CCDF over L5 is found to match mostly with the L1 signal. This could possibly originate from the space diversity gain effect known to impact the closely spaced geostationary satellite links. Another major difference of higher slopes and less scatter of S4 values corresponding to L1 versus L2/L5 from the GSO satellite is found compared to mostly non-linear highly scattered relations from the MEO. The distribution of the percentage of scintillation-affected satellites on L1 shows a close match between MEO and GSO in a total number of minutes up to ~60%. However, such a number of minutes corresponding to higher than 60% is found to be larger for GSO. Thus, the results indicate the possibility of homogeneous spatial patterns in a scintillation distribution over a low latitude site, which could originate from the closely spaced GSO links and highlight the role of the number of available satellites with the geometry of the links, being the deciding factors. This helps the ionospheric community to develop inter-GNSS (MEO and GSO) operability models for achieving highly accurate positioning solutions during adverse ionospheric weather conditions. Full article

As humanity envisions the possibility of inhabiting Mars in the future, the imperative for survival in the face of its challenging conditions necessitates the construction of protective shelters to mitigate the effects of radiation exposure and the absence of atmospheric pressure. The feasibility of producing geopolymers using the Martian regolith simulant MGS-1 (as precursor) for potential building and infrastructure projects on Mars in the future is investigated in this paper. Various alkaline activators, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), lithium hydroxide (LiOH·H₂O) and sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃), are employed to investigate their efficiency in activating the precursor. The influence of alkali type and concentration on the mechanical performance of the synthesized geopolymers is examined. Geopolymer samples are oven-cured for 7 days at 70 °C before a compressive strength test. It is found that through the hybrid use of LiOH·H₂O and NaOH with optimal concentrations, metakaolin and milled MGS-1 as precursors, geopolymer mixtures with a compressive strength of 30 ± 2 MPa can be developed. The present test results preliminarily demonstrate the potential of Martian regolith simulant-based geopolymers as suitable construction and building materials for use on Mars. Full article

Breast cancer is a prevalent and potentially life-threatening disease that affects women worldwide. Natural products have gained attention as potential anticancer agents due to their fewer side effects, low toxicity, and cost effectiveness compared to traditional chemotherapy drugs. In the current study, the network pharmacology approach was used following a molecular docking study to evaluate the therapeutic potential of N. sativa-derived phytochemicals against breast cancer. Specifically, the study aimed to identify potential anticancer agents targeting key proteins implicated in breast cancer progression. Five proteins (i.e., EGFR, MAPK3, ESR1, MAPK1, and PTGS2) associated with breast cancer were selected as receptor proteins. Fourteen phytochemicals from N. sativa were prioritized based on drug-likeness (DL) and oral bioavailability (OB) parameters (with criteria set at DL > 0.18 and OB > 30%, respectively). Subsequent analysis of gene targets identified 283 overlapping genes primarily related to breast cancer pathogenesis. Ten hub genes were identified through topological analysis based on their significance in the KEGG pathway and GO annotations. Molecular docking revealed strong binding affinities between folic acid, betulinic acid, stigmasterol, and selected receptor proteins. These phytochemicals also demonstrated druggability potential. In vitro experiments in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line revealed that betulinic acid and stigmasterol significantly reduced cell viability after 24 h of treatment, confirming their anticancer activity. Furthermore, in vivo evaluation using a DMBA-induced rat model showed that betulinic acid and stigmasterol contributed to the significant recovery of cancer markers. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms underlying the anticancer potential of N. sativa phytochemicals against breast cancer, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic candidates for future drug development. Overall, these results highlight betulinic acid and stigmasterol as promising candidates to develop novel anticancer agents against breast cancer. The comprehensive approach of this study, which integrates network pharmacology and molecular docking study and its experimental validation, strengthens the evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits of N. sativa-derived phytochemicals in breast cancer treatment, making them promising candidates for the development of novel anticancer agents against breast cancer. Full article

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) stands as the leading cause of mortality worldwide. At its core lies a progressive process of atherosclerosis, influenced by multiple factors. Among them, lifestyle-related factors are highlighted, with inadequate diet being one of the foremost, alongside factors such as cigarette smoking, low physical activity, and sleep deprivation. Another substantial group of risk factors comprises comorbidities. Amongst others, conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), or familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) are included here. Extremely significant in the context of halting progression is counteracting the mentioned risk factors, including through treatment of the underlying disease. What is more, in recent years, there has been increasing attention paid to perceiving atherosclerosis as an inflammation-related disease. Consequently, efforts are directed towards exploring new anti-inflammatory medications to limit ASCVD progression. Simultaneously, research is underway to identify biomarkers capable of providing insights into the ongoing process of atherosclerotic plaque formation. The aim of this study is to provide a broader perspective on ASCVD, particularly focusing on its characteristics, traditional and novel treatment methods, and biomarkers that can facilitate its early detection. Full article

Background and Aims: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in factor XIII in ischaemic stroke. The study’s main aim was to assess the usefulness of factor XIII concentration determination in patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) treated with thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Methods: The study was conducted in two groups of 84 patients with AIS: group I—with thrombolytic therapy and group II—without thrombolysis. A physical examination, neurological status (using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS), daily patients’ activities measured with the Barthel Index and Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and blood parameters were conducted on day 1 and day 7. The following parameters were assessed: highly sensitive C-reaction protein (CRP), fibrinogen, D-dimers (DD), neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR index), and the concentration of factor XIII-A. Results: In group I, the concentration of XIII-A decreased significantly between day 1 and 7 (p < 0.001). In group I, the concentration of XIII-A on day 7 in Total Anterior Circulation Infarct (TACI) was significantly lower than in non-TACI stroke. XIII-A concentration in group I was significantly lower in patients < 31 points with Acute Stroke Registry and Analysis of Lausanne (ASTRAL). A greater decrease in XIII-A between the first sampling on day 1 and the second sampling on day 7 was associated with a worse patient neurological state in group I. Conclusions: In patients with AIS treated with t-PA, factor XIII concentrations decrease in the acute phase of stroke, and the largest decrease occurs in the TACI stroke. Determination of factor XIII concentration in patients with AIS can be used in clinical practice as an additional parameter supporting the assessment of stroke severity and may play a role in the prognosis; lower factor XIII-A activity may be a predictor of a worse prognosis. Full article

Urban vitality, a multifaceted construct, is influenced by economic conditions and urban structural characteristics, and can significantly be impacted by public health emergencies. While extensive research has been conducted on urban vitality, prevailing studies often rely on singular data sources, limiting the scope for holistic assessment. Moreover, there is a conspicuous absence of longitudinal analyses on urban vitality’s evolution and a dearth of quantitative causal evaluations of the effects of public health emergencies. Addressing these gaps, this study devises a comprehensive framework for evaluating urban vitality, assessing Wuhan’s vitality from 2018 to 2020 across economic, social, spatial, and ecological dimensions. Utilizing a Difference-In-Difference (DID) model, the impact of public health emergencies is quantified. The findings indicate pronounced spatial variations in Wuhan’s urban vitality, with a gradational decline from the city center; public health emergencies exhibit differential impacts across vitality dimensions, detrimentally affecting economic, social, and spatial aspects, while bolstering ecological vitality. Moreover, high population and high public budget revenue are identified as factors enhancing urban vitality and bolstering the city’s resilience against sudden adversities. This study offers valuable insights for geographers and urban planners, contributing to the refinement of urban development strategies. Full article

The presence of plastic particles in oceans has been recognized as a major environmental concern. The decrease in particle size increases their ability to directly interact with biota, with particles in the nanometer size range (nanoplastics—NPs) displaying a higher ability to penetrate biological membranes, which increases with the decrease in particle size. This study aimed to evaluate the role of life stages in the effects of poly(methyl)methacrylate (PMMA) NPs on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, a key species in the marine food web and nutrient cycle. Thus, behavioral (burrowing activity in clean and spiked sediment) and biochemical endpoints (neurotransmission, energy reserves, antioxidant defenses, and oxidative damage) were assessed in juvenile and adult organisms after 10 days of exposure to spiked sediment (between 0.5 and 128 mg PMMA NPs/Kg sediment). Overall, the results show that H. diversicolor is sensitive to the presence of PMMA NPs. In juveniles, exposed organisms took longer to burrow in sediment, with significant differences from the controls being observed at all tested concentrations when the test was performed with clean sediment, whereas in PMMA NP-spiked sediment, effects were only found at the concentrations 8, 32, and 128 mg PMMA NPs/Kg sediment. Adults displayed lower sensitivity, with differences to controls being found, for both sediment types, at 8, 32, and 128 mg PMMA NPs/Kg sediment. In terms of Acetylcholinesterase, used as a marker of effects on neurotransmission, juveniles and adults displayed opposite trends, with exposed juveniles displaying increased activity (suggesting apoptosis), whereas in adults, overall decreased activity was found. Energy-related parameters revealed a generally similar pattern (increase in exposed organisms) and higher sensitivity in juveniles (significant effects even at the lower concentrations). NPs also demonstrated the ability to increase antioxidant defenses (higher in juveniles), with oxidative damage only being found in terms of protein carbonylation (all tested NPs conditions) in juveniles. Overall, the data reveal the potential of PMMA NPs to affect behavior and induce toxic effects in H. diversicolor, with greater effects in juveniles. Full article

In the realms of operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM), the significance of the human factor (HF) is increasingly recognised as a pivotal determinant of corporate performance. This burgeoning interest aligns with the recognition that individual characteristics—spanning personality traits, attitudes, and soft skills—play a critical role in enhancing organisational outcomes. Despite growing scrutiny, the discourse is hampered by terminological ambiguity and the conflation of critical human-centric concepts within the OSCM context. Addressing this gap, our study embarks on a mission to dissect and delineate the nuanced distinctions among “soft skills”, “attitudes”, and “personality traits”. By proposing a clear and actionable taxonomy, this paper aims to facilitate the practical application and understanding of these terms within organisational settings. Leveraging the “Knowledge Development Process-Constructivist” (ProKnow-C), we conducted a systematic examination of the existing scientific literature to unearth and critically review pertinent bibliometric and content analyses. Our work not only illuminates the path for future research but also underscores the necessity of clarity and precision in the conceptualisation and application of human-factor considerations in OM and SCM. Full article

This study introduces an advanced algorithm for intelligent vehicle target detection in hazy conditions, aiming to bolster the environmental perception capabilities of autonomous vehicles. The proposed approach integrates a hybrid convolutional module (HDC) into an all-in-one dehazing network, AOD-Net, to expand the perceptual domain for image feature extraction and refine the clarity of dehazed images. To accelerate model convergence and enhance generalization, the loss function has been optimized. For practical deployment in intelligent vehicle systems, the ShuffleNetv2 lightweight network module is incorporated into the YOLOv5s network backbone, and the feature pyramid network (FPN) within the neck network has been refined. Additionally, the network employs a global shuffle convolution (GSconv) to balance accuracy with parameter count. To further focus on the target, a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) is introduced, which helps in reducing the network’s parameter count without compromising accuracy. A comparative experiment was conducted, and the results indicated that our algorithm achieved an impressive mean average precision (mAP) of 76.8% at an intersection-over-union (IoU) threshold of 0.5 in hazy conditions, outperforming YOLOv5 by 7.4 percentage points. Full article

This manuscript presents an examination of the impact of geometrical and physical parameters on highway design speeds, critical for traffic safety and efficiency. Originating from a classical dynamics discussion in an undergraduate automotive technology engineering class, an exploration of the consequences of different geometrophysical considerations on a vehicle’s dynamics over pavement surfaces is developed. Considering various analytical models, an assessment of their principles and the significance of geometric and physical concepts involved in the problem is made, such as plane of motion and trajectory curvature radius, on safe (non slippage) operational speeds. The subsequent comparative study shows that one of the most accepted models in highway design regulations in México, when used as reference, yields percentage error differences respect to others of $0\lesssim \%E_{Max}\lesssim 5$, as well as a consistent trend for relatively underestimating safe highway operational speeds. A discussion of the immediate implications of these findings, emphasizing the necessity of experimental studies to validate theoretical predictions, is presented. This work contributes to the field by providing a detailed comparison of analytical models under a general applied science perspective, suggesting modifications to current highway design practices in México based on geometrophysical insights. In summary, this work’s main aim is to shed light on the intricacies of determining safe design speeds from an applied sciences point of view, while also calling for a reevaluation of the existing guidelines to enhance highway design and safety. Full article

This review article is a comprehensive and current overview on chalcones, covering their sources, identification methods, and properties with a particular focus on their applications in the agricultural sector. The widespread use of synthetic pesticides has not only led to increased resistance among weeds and pests, resulting in economic losses, but it has also raised significant health concerns due to the overuse of these chemicals. In line with the European Green Deal 2030 and its Farm to Fork strategy, there is a targeted 50% reduction in the use of chemical pesticides by 2030, emphasizing a shift towards natural alternatives that are more environmentally sustainable and help in the restoration of natural resources. Chalcones and their derivatives, with their herbicidal, fungicidal, bactericidal, and antiviral properties, appear to be ideal candidates. These naturally occurring compounds have been recognized for their beneficial health effects for many years and have applications across multiple areas. This review not only complements the previous literature on the agricultural use of chalcones but also provides updates and introduces methods of detection such as chromatography and MALDI technique. Full article

Image dehazing is an effective means to enhance the quality of images captured in foggy or hazy weather conditions. However, the existing dehazing methods either cannot obtain satisfactory recovery results or have large model parameters. This limits the application of the model on resource-limited platforms. To overcome these limitations, we propose a lightweight yet effective image-dehazing method, named the lightweight detail–content progressive coupled network (LDPC-Net). Within the framework of LDPC-Net, we propose a progressive coupling dehazing paradigm. Specifically, we first estimate the details and content information of the haze-free image, and then fuse these estimations using the progressive coupling method. This proposed dehazing framework markedly enhances the operational efficiency of the model. Meanwhile, considering both the effectiveness and efficiency of the network, we also design a lightweight adaptive feature extraction block serving as the basic feature extraction module of the proposed LDPC-Net. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our LDPC-Net, outperforming the state-of-the-art methods by boosting the PSNR index over 38.57 dB with only 0.708 M parameters. Full article

The agro-pastoral transitional zone (APTZ) in northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable zone and a comprehensive geographical transitional zone. Its land use pattern has significant type diversity and spatial interlocking, which is always related to the play of ecological barrier functions and the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Accurately grasping the spatial competition relationship and comprehensive geographical effects of land types of APTZ in northern China is a key proposition for achieving coordinated and sustainable development between humans and land. To explore the spatial competition mechanism and comprehensive geographical effects of land use in the research area, this study focuses on revealing the evolutionary characteristics of land use patterns based on the center of gravity migration model. Based on the process of land use center of gravity migration, the spatial competition relationship of land types is explored to reveal the evolutionary trend and basic characteristics of land use in the APTZ. The results show the following: (1) Cultivated land and meadow are the main land types of the APTZ in northern China, accounting for up to 70% of the total regional area. The spatial competition between the two land types is the main contradiction in regional land use competition. (2) Drifting of the center of gravity of cultivated land towards the northwest direction is an important land use migration feature of the APTZ in northern China. Between 1980 and 2020, the center of gravity of cultivated land shifted by about 2 km to the northwest, and the center of gravity of grassland shifted by 8–10 km to the southwest. (3) The center of gravity of arable land and grassland in the entire region is constantly approaching, which has decreased from 70.95 km in 1980 to 61.38 km in 2020. The intensification of their interweaving has led to more intense land use competition. Grasping the basic characteristics and driving mechanisms of land type competition is an important means to achieve sustainable spatial governance. (4) The scale differentiation and regional differentiation characteristics of gradient effects are significant, and it is essential to prevent the risk of mismatch between land use and natural endowments in the northeast and north China sections. The research has surpassed the traditional method of analyzing land use competition, and by introducing a centroid model to analyze the spatial mechanism of land use competition, it has expanded the methodology for expanding research in the field of land science and provided basic references for regional sustainable development. Full article

Hox gene clusters are crucial in embryogenesis. It was observed that some Hox genes are located in order along the telomeric to centromeric direction of the DNA sequence: Hox1, Hox2, Hox3…. These genes are expressed in the same order in the ontogenetic units of the Drosophila embryo along the anterior–posterior axis. The two entities (genome and embryo) differ significantly in linear size and in-between distance. This strange phenomenon was named spatial collinearity (SP). Later, it was observed that, particularly in the vertebrates, a temporal collinearity (TC) coexists: first Hox1 is expressed, later Hox2, and later on Hox3…. According to a biophysical model (BM), pulling forces act at the anterior end of the cluster while a cluster fastening applies at the posterior end. Hox clusters are irreversibly elongated along the force direction. During evolution, the elongated Hox clusters are broken at variable lengths, thus split clusters may be created. An empirical rule was formulated, distinguishing development due to a complete Hox cluster from development due to split Hox clusters. BM can explain this empirical rule. In a spontaneous mutation, where the cluster fastening is dismantled, a weak pulling force automatically shifts the cluster inside the Hox activation domain. This cluster translocation can probably explain the absence of temporal collinearity in Drosophila. Full article

The treatment and management of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has improved in recent decennia by targeted therapy for subgroups of patients, expanded indications for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) and surveillance of residual or arising leukemia. However, hematological relapse among patients who have attained complete remission (CR) after the initial courses of chemotherapy remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Here, we review an immunotherapeutic option using histamine dihydrochloride and low-dose interleukin-2 (HDC/LD-IL-2) for remission maintenance in AML. The treatment is approved in Europe in the post-consolidation phase to avoid relapse among patients in CR who are not candidates for upfront allo-SCT. We present aspects of the purported anti-leukemic mechanism of this regimen, including translation of preclinical results into the clinical setting, along with relapse prevention in subgroups of patients. We consider that HDC/LD-IL-2 is a conceivable option for younger adults, in particular patients with AML of normal karyotype and those with favorable responses to the initial chemotherapy. HDC/LD-IL-2 may form an emerging landscape of remission maintenance in AML. Full article