This study focuses on interdisciplinary approaches within mathematics and physics education. Secondary schools, particularly those specialized in scientific curricula, have opportunities to explore common topics between mathematics and physics; however, creating a coherent interdisciplinary educational experience is challenging. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective when designing learning sequences becomes imperative. The proposed approach harnesses the power of storytelling to engage students, emphasizing the interconnectedness of subjects and humanizing the evolution of scientific ideas. This study investigates the adaptation of the Digital Interactive Storytelling in Mathematics (DIST-M) model for interdisciplinary storytelling learning sequences. It aims to explore how this model, initially developed for mathematics activities in a virtual environment, can be enriched with elements from inquiry-based learning models to integrate the experimental aspects of physics. The research presents a theoretical discussion grounded in the design of a learning sequence centered around the study of light, taking place in a non-virtual environment and approached from an interdisciplinary standpoint. It introduces hypotheses for adapting the DIST-M model to accommodate interdisciplinary storytelling sequences. One involves the incorporation of an additional phase within the DIST-M cycle, dedicated to consolidating, transferring to other contexts, and addressing variations in the concepts explored, proved, and refined in earlier phases. Full article

In recent times, there has been significant enthusiasm for the development of all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. This interest stems from a dual focus on safety—addressing concerns related to toxic and flammable organic liquid electrolytes—and the pursuit of high energy density. While liquid electrolyte batteries currently constitute the vast majority of commercial cells, solid electrolyte batteries show great promise. In parallel with experimental research, computational models clarify several fundamental physics that take place throughout battery operations. Giving up on reviewing a broad screening of the existing literature, we set out to select here a few highly relevant models, emphasizing some fundamental conceptual advancements and offering an in-depth and critical insight into the current state of the art. The papers we selected aim at providing the reader with a tangible and quantitative understanding of how all-solid-state Li-ion batteries operate, including the different mechanisms at play and the mathematical tools required to model the pertinent physics and mechanics. Full article

The adsorption kinetics of human serum albumin (HSA) on bare and poly-L-arginine (PARG)-modified silica substrates were investigated using reflectometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Measurements were carried out at various pHs, flow rates and albumin concentrations in the 10 and 150 mM NaCl solutions. The mass transfer rate constants and the maximum protein coverages were determined for the bare silica at pH 4.0 and theoretically interpreted in terms of the hybrid random sequential adsorption model. These results were used as reference data for the analysis of adsorption kinetics at larger pHs. It was shown that the adsorption on bare silica rapidly decreased with pH and became negligible at pH 7.4. The albumin adsorption on PARG-functionalized silica showed an opposite trend, i.e., it was negligible at pH 4 and attained maximum values at pH 7.4 and 150 mM NaCl, the conditions corresponding to the blood serum environment. These results were interpreted as the evidence of a significant role of electrostatic interactions in the albumin adsorption on the bare and PARG-modified silica. It was also argued that our results can serve as useful reference data enabling a proper interpretation of protein adsorption on substrates functionalized by polyelectrolytes. Full article

Nearly every fifth adult in the United States and many older adults worldwide are affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), which can progress to kidney failure requiring invasive kidney replacement therapy. In this review, we briefly examine the pathophysiology of CKD and discuss emerging mechanisms involving the physiological resolution of kidney injury by transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) and interleukin-11 (IL-11), as well as the pathological consequences of IL-11 overproduction, which misguides repair processes, ultimately culminating in CKD. Taking these mechanisms into account, we offer an overview of the efficacy of plant-dominant dietary patterns in preventing and managing CKD, while also addressing their limitations in terms of restoring kidney function or preventing kidney failure. In conclusion, this paper outlines novel regeneration strategies aimed at developing a reno-regenerative diet to inhibit IL-11 and promote repair mechanisms in kidneys affected by CKD. Full article

(1) Background: Direct anterior approach (DAA) has recently acquired popularity through improvements such as the anterior minimally invasive surgical technique (AMIS). This retrospective study examines the first 1000 consecutive THAs performed utilizing the AMIS approach in a high-volume center between 2012 and 2017. (2) Methods: 1000 consecutive THAs performed at a single institution utilizing the AMIS approach were retrospectively analyzed with a minimum five-year follow-up. Full evaluation of demographic information, clinical parameters, intraoperative complications, and radiological examinations are reported. (3) Results: Overall complication rate was 9.4% (94/1000), including 8 dislocations, 57 femoral-cutaneous nerve injuries, 12 intraoperative femoral fractures, 9 infections and 8 leg length discrepancy. Implant survival rates were 98.5% at 1 year, 97.5% at 3 years, 97% at 5 years, and 95.3% at 7 years. Causes of failure included periprosthetic fractures (0.8%), implant dislocations (0.6%), septic loosening (0.5%), aseptic mobilizations (0.2%), and symptomatic limb length discrepancies (0.2%). (4) Conclusions: Controversies persist around the direct anterior approach (DAA) for THA, primarily regarding the increased complications rate during the learning curve. However, this study advocates for widespread adoption of the DAA approach. The results demonstrate acceptable complication rates and remarkable functional outcomes, affirming its viability in the broader orthopedic patient population. Full article

In recent years, various new types of magnetic materials have emerged, especially in the field of nanotechnology. The application of material composite technology has formed a new type of dual-phase composite magnetic material. Under the control of an external magnetic field, the material can achieve functional conversion between the hard magnetic phase and the soft magnetic phase, with magnetic permeability, non-magnetic permeability, and excitation ability. In this paper, it is proposed to use this material as the basic material for the magnetic state control of the reactor core, break through the bondage of the traditional reactor core to the performance of the controllable reactor, and innovatively form a new type of reactor structure. By adding a detection and control system, according to the working state of the power grid, the function conversion of the nano adjustable magnetic material is effectively adjusted to realize the automatic adjustment of the magnetic state of the reactor. Firstly, the preparation and material properties of dual-phase composite magnetic materials were studied. The design and preparation process from magnetic powder to bulk magnet were given, and the magnetic properties were measured. Secondly, a new 380 V/100 kVar magnetically controlled reactor was designed by using dual-phase composite magnetic material to form a composite core of magnetically controlled reactor on silicon steel sheet. The simulation analysis of electromagnetic characteristics and volt-ampere characteristics was carried out to verify the correctness of the proposed scheme. Full article

The goal of the research is to describe the aggregation process inside the mucilage produced by plant seeds using molecular dynamics (MD) combined with time series algorithmic analysis based on the recurrence plots. The studied biological molecules model is seed mucilage composed of three main polysaccharides, i.e. pectins, hemicellulose, and cellulose. The modeling of biological molecules is based on the assumption that a classical–quantum passage underlies the aggregation process in the mucilage, resulting from non-covalent interactions, as they affect the macroscopic properties of the system. The applied recurrence plot approach is an important tool for time series analysis and data mining dedicated to analyzing time series data originating from complex, chaotic systems. In the current research, we demonstrated that advanced algorithmic analysis of seed mucilage data can reveal some features of the dynamics of the system, namely temperature-dependent regions with different dynamics of increments of a number of hydrogen bonds and regions of stable oscillation of increments of a number of hydrophobic–polar interactions. Henceforth, we pave the path for automatic data-mining methods for the analysis of biological molecules with the intermediate step of the application of recurrence plot analysis, as the generalization of recurrence plot applications to other (biological molecules) datasets is straightforward. Full article

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), remains a formidable global health challenge, affecting a substantial portion of the world’s population. The current tuberculosis vaccine, bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG), offers limited protection against pulmonary tuberculosis in adults, underscoring the critical need for innovative vaccination strategies. Cytokines are pivotal in modulating immune responses and have been explored as potential adjuvants to enhance vaccine efficacy. The strategic inclusion of cytokines as adjuvants in tuberculosis vaccines holds significant promise for augmenting vaccine-induced immune responses and strengthening protection against M. tuberculosis. This review delves into promising cytokines, such as Type I interferons (IFNs), Type II IFN, interleukins such as IL-2, IL-7, IL-15, IL-12, and IL-21, alongside the use of a granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as an adjuvant, which has shown effectiveness in boosting immune responses and enhancing vaccine efficacy in tuberculosis models. Full article

DREB has been reported to be involved in plant growth and response to environmental factors. However, the function of DREB in growth and development has not been elucidated in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a perennial tetraploid forage cultivated worldwide. In this study, an ortholog of MtDREB1C was characterized from alfalfa and named MsDREB1C accordingly. MsDREB1C was significantly induced by abiotic stress. The transcription factor MsDREB1C resided in the nucleus and had self-transactivation activity. The MsDREB1C overexpression (OE) alfalfa displayed growth retardation under both long-day and short-day conditions, which was supported by decreased MsGA20ox and upregulated MsGA2ox in the OE lines. Consistently, a decrease in active gibberellin (GA) was detected, suggesting a negative effect of MsDREB1C on GA accumulation in alfalfa. Interestingly, the forage quality of the OE lines was better than that of WT lines, with higher crude protein and lower lignin content, which was supported by an increase in the leaf–stem ratio (LSR) and repression of several lignin-synthesis genes (MsNST, MsPAL1, MsC4H, and Ms4CL). Therefore, this study revealed the effects of MsDREB1C overexpression on growth and forage quality via modifying GA accumulation and lignin synthesis, respectively. Our findings provide a valuable candidate for improving the critical agronomic traits of alfalfa, such as overwintering and feeding value of the forage. Full article

Handwriting difficulty is a defining feature of Chinese developmental dyslexia (DD) due to the complex structure and dense information contained within compound characters. Despite previous attempts to use deep neural network models to extract handwriting features, the temporal property of writing characters in sequential order during dictation tasks has been neglected. By combining transfer learning of convolutional neural network (CNN) and positional encoding with the temporal-sequential encoding of long short-term memory (LSTM) and attention mechanism, we trained and tested the model with handwriting images of 100,000 Chinese characters from 1064 children in Grades 2–6 (DD = 483; Typically Developing [TD] = 581). Using handwriting features only, the best model reached 83.2% accuracy, 79.2% sensitivity, 86.4% specificity, and 91.2% AUC. With grade information, the best model achieved 85.0% classification accuracy, 83.3% sensitivity, 86.4% specificity, and 89.7% AUC. These findings suggest the potential of utilizing machine learning technology to identify children at risk for dyslexia at an early age. Full article

(1) Objectives: This study aimed to assess the 5-year prevalence and clinical profile of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) among adult patients seeking care in a tertiary care hospital in Oman. (2) Methods: The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and standardised prevalence estimates were calculated. (3) Results: Of the 39,881 hospital visits, 1.77% were made by adults with ADHD. This is equivalent to 17.8 visits per 1000 outpatients. The year 2021 saw the highest prevalence among the five years considered, while 2020 had the lowest prevalence. Although the age distribution indicated that the age group ‘under 20’ had the highest prevalence, the gender distribution showed that ADHD was more common among adult men. Among the various subtypes of ADHD, inattention was the most common. (4) Conclusions: This study specifically compared the prevalence and associated factors between an adult cohort with ADHD and those other psychiatric clinic attendees during the same period. The study offers important information on the prevalence and clinical profile of adults with ADHD in the population under consideration. Full article

A 42-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room complaining of fever and headache. His cerebrospinal fluid showed a cloudy appearance, and his white blood cell count was elevated at 2460/mm³, with a predominance of neutrophils (81%), and abnormal protein and glucose levels (510.7 mg/dL and 5 mg/dL, respectively). A lobulated lesion with rim enhancement, suggestive of abscess, was detected through magnetic resonance imaging. Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected in nasopharyngeal swab and blood cultures. The capsular serotype of K. pneumoniae was K2 and the sequence type determined by multilocus sequence typing was 23. The hypervirulent phenotype was associated with multiple virulent genes, including rmpA, rmpA2, entB, ybtS, kfu, iucA, iutA, iroB mrkD, allS, peg-344, peg-589, and peg-1631. After six weeks of receiving appropriate antibiotics and exhibiting clinical resolution of the brain abscesses, the patient was discharged. We present the first reported case of a healthy community-dwelling adult with solitary brain abscesses, and no other invasive abscesses, related to hypervirulent K. pneumoniae. Full article

This systematic review investigates the immunosuppressive environment in HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), characterized by dysfunctional and exhausted HBV-specific T cells alongside an increased infiltration of HBV-specific CD4+ T cells, particularly regulatory T cells (Tregs). Heightened expression of checkpoint inhibitors, notably PD-1, is linked with disease progression and recurrence, indicating its potential as both a prognostic indicator and a target for immunotherapy. Nevertheless, using PD-1 inhibitors has shown limited effectiveness. In a future perspective, understanding the intricate interplay between innate and adaptive immune responses holds promise for pinpointing predictive biomarkers and crafting novel treatment approaches for HBV-associated HCC. Full article

In this paper, the workability, mechanical, ion leaching, and drying shrinkage properties of alkali-activated concrete with recycled coarse and fine aggregates were studied, and the pore structure and micro-morphology of different alkali-activated recycled aggregate concretes (AARACs) were characterized by using the mercury intrusion method and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The experimental results showed that with the increase in the replacement rate of the recycled fine aggregate (RFA), the flowability showed a decreasing trend. Adding a certain amount of RFA improves the mechanical properties of the AARAC. The compressive strength at a curing age of 28 days was 65.3 MPa with 70 wt% RFA replacement. When the replacement rate of the RFA was 100 wt%, the maximum splitting tensile strength (4.5 MPa) was obtained at a curing age of 7 days. However, the addition of the RFA had little effect on the flexural strength of the AARAC. As an extension of the curing age, the splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, tension-to-compression ratio, and flexure-to-compression ratio all showed an increasing trend at first and then a decreasing trend. At a curing age of 7 days, the tension-to-compression ratio and flexure-to-compression ratio were both high (except for those of R100), indicating that the ductility and toughness of the specimen were improved. The addition of the RFA increased the drying shrinkage of the AARAC. At a curing age of 120 days, compared to the specimen without the RFA, the drying shrinkage rate of the specimen with the addition of 70 wt% RFA increased by 34.15%. As the curing age increased, the microstructure of the reaction products became denser, but the proportion of large-diameter pores increased. This study evaluated the application of RFA in AARAC. The experimental results showed that the RFA-based AARAC had acceptable mechanical and durability properties. Full article

All-silicon terahertz absorbers have attracted considerable interest. We present a design and numerical study of an all-silicon polarization-insensitive terahertz metamaterial absorber. The meta-atoms of the metamaterial absorber are square silicon rings which can be viewed as gratings. By properly optimizing the structure of the meta-atom, we achieve a broadband absorptivity that is above 90% ranging from 0.77 THz to 2.53 THz, with a relative bandwidth of 106.7%. Impedance matching reduces the reflection of the terahertz waves and the (0, ±1)-order diffraction induce the strong absorption. The absorption of this absorber is insensitive to the polarization of the terahertz wave and has a large incident angle tolerance of up to 60 degrees. The all-silicon metamaterial absorber proposed here provides an effective way to obtain broadband absorption in the terahertz regime. Metamaterial absorbers have outstanding applications in terahertz communication and imaging. Full article

Understanding the mechanism of mode-locking in a laser with high-order transverse mode is important for achieving an ultrashort pulses train under more complicated conditions. So far, mode-locking with high-order transverse mode has not been reported in other lasers except the multimode fiber laser. This paper demonstrates robust mode-locking with high-order transverse mode in a Kerr-lens mode-locked vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. While the longitudinal modes are locked, continuous mode-locking accompanied by high-order transverse mode up to TEM₄₀ is observed. The threshold of the mode-locking is only a little bigger than that of the lasing. After the laser oscillation is built up, the mode-locked pulse train can be obtained almost immediately and maintained until the thermal rollover of the laser. Output powers of 717 mW under fundamental mode and 666 mW under high-order transverse mode are achieved with a 4.3 ps pulse duration and 1.1 GHz pulses repetition rate, and some phenomenological explanations to the related characteristics of the mode-locked operation of high-order transverse mode in the vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser are proposed. Full article

Kuwait stands as one of the hottest locations globally, experiencing scorching temperatures that can soar to 50 °C during the summer months. Conversely, in the winter months of December and January, temperatures may plummet to less than 10 °C. Maintaining a comfortable temperature indoors necessitates a substantial amount of energy, particularly during the scorching summer seasons. In Kuwait, most of the electrical energy required for functions such as air conditioning and lighting is derived from fossil fuel resources, contributing to escalating air pollution and global warming. To reduce dependence on conventional energy sources for heating and cooling, this article presents a case study to explore the potential of using geothermal energy for space heating and cooling in Kuwait. The case study involves utilizing a geothermal heat pump (water-sourced heat pump) in conjunction with a vertical-borehole ground heat exchanger (VBGHE). The mentioned system is deployed to regulate the climate in a six-floor apartment block comprising a small two-bedroom apartment on each level, each with a total floor area of 57 m². Two geothermal heat pumps, each with a cooling capacity of 2.58 kW and a heating capacity of 2.90 kW, connected to two vertical-borehole heat exchangers, were deployed for each apartment to maintain temperatures at 22 °C in summer and 26 °C in winter. The findings indicate that the estimated annual energy loads for cooling and heating for the apartment block are 42,758 kWh and 113 kWh, respectively. The corresponding electrical energy consumption amounted to 9294 kWh for space cooling and 113 kWh for space heating. The observed peak cooling load was approximately 9300 kJ/h (2.58 kW) per apartment, resulting in a power density of 45 W/m². Moreover, the HP system achieved a 22% reduction in annual electric energy consumption compared to conventional air conditioning systems. This reduction in electric energy usage led to an annual CO₂ reduction of 6.6 kg/m². Full article

The European Union’s initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions has paved the way for the exploration of innovative building materials that are environmentally friendly and meet all requirements of durability and strength. These criteria can be met by combining natural resources used in the production of building materials with waste materials that would otherwise be landfilled, having a negative impact on the environment. This study focuses on such materials and presents the results of recent research conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The aim was to develop a new generation of materials fully compliant with the principles of the circular economy and sustainable development. Simultaneously, these materials should have no adverse effects on human health and be strong enough to carry the required loads. This study proposes the combination of a natural raw material—in the form of clay—with fly ash from the incineration of sewage sludge to produce a new generation of materials. Several samples were prepared using fly ash from two sources and then were fired at 950 °C. The resulting composites underwent physico-chemical and strength tests. These tests not only confirmed the high strength and durability of the obtained product but also the neutralization of the heavy metals originally present in the fly ash. Full article

One-way carsharing is recognized as one of the most popular transportation services in urban areas, being an alternative option to private cars. Over the last decades, a vast amount of literature on the design of specific aspects of this service (fleet size, stations’ locations, fare, balancing operations) has formed. However, a holistic approach for designing carsharing services seems not to be developed. This paper proposes a new approach for designing one-way station-based carsharing services, presenting a five-step method, entirely developed in a GIS environment. The first three steps (suitability analysis, site selection analysis, and walkability analysis) allow finding the candidate locations for carsharing stations. After the assessment of the capacity of the potential stations, a location-allocation analysis allows for assessing the fleet size, the number of stations that maximize the coverage of carsharing demand, and their optimal locations. This paper presents a case study: a new one-way carsharing service was designed in Palermo (Italy) and compared to the existing carsharing service operating in the city. The results highlight that the current carsharing supply is undersized, having about 45% fewer stations and about half the cars compared to those resulting from the model, leaving some POIs unserved. Full article

Currently, the widely used active form of plant elicitor peptide 1 (PEP1) from Arabidopsis thaliana is composed of 23 amino acids, hereafter AtPEP1^(1–23), serving as an immune elicitor. The relatively less conserved N-terminal region in AtPEP family indicates that the amino acids in this region may be unrelated to the function and activity of AtPEP peptides. Consequently, we conducted an investigation to determine the necessity of the nonconserved amino acids in AtPEP1^(1–23) peptide for its functional properties. By assessing the primary root growth and the burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), we discovered that the first eight N-terminal amino acids of AtPEP1^(1–23) are not crucial for its functionality, whereas the conserved C-terminal aspartic acid plays a significant role in its functionality. In this study, we identified a truncated peptide, AtPEP1^(9–23), which exhibits comparable activity to AtPEP1^(1–23) in inhibiting primary root growth and inducing ROS burst. Additionally, the truncated peptide AtPEP1^(13–23) shows similar ability to induce ROS burst as AtPEP1^(1–23), but its inhibitory effect on primary roots is significantly reduced. These findings are significant as they provide a novel approach to explore and understand the functionality of the AtPEP1^(1–23) peptide. Moreover, exogenous application of AtPEP1^(13–23) may enhance plant resistance to pathogens without affecting their growth and development. Therefore, AtPEP1^(13–23) holds promise for development as a potentially applicable biopesticides. Full article

Discovered as inflammatory cytokines, MIF and DDT exhibit widespread expression and have emerged as critical mediators in the response to infection, inflammation, and more recently, in cancer. In this comprehensive review, we provide details on their structures, binding partners, regulatory mechanisms, and roles in cancer. We also elaborate on their significant impact in driving tumorigenesis across various cancer types, supported by extensive in vitro, in vivo, bioinformatic, and clinical studies. To date, only a limited number of clinical trials have explored MIF as a therapeutic target in cancer patients, and DDT has not been evaluated. The ongoing pursuit of optimal strategies for targeting MIF and DDT highlights their potential as promising antitumor candidates. Dual inhibition of MIF and DDT may allow for the most effective suppression of canonical and non-canonical signaling pathways, warranting further investigations and clinical exploration. Full article

HCC remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death globally. The main challenges in treatments of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) primarily arise from high rates of postoperative recurrence and the limited efficacy in treating advanced-stage patients. Various signaling pathways involved in HCC have been reported. Among them, the Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is crucial. The presence of SHH ligands is identified in approximately 60% of HCC tumor tissues, including tumor nests. PTCH-1 and GLI-1 are detected in more than half of HCC tissues, while GLI-2 is found in over 84% of HCC tissues. The SHH signaling pathway (including canonical and non-canonical) is involved in different aspects of HCC, including hepatocarcinogenesis, tumor growth, tumor invasiveness, progression, and migration. The SHH signaling pathway also contributes to recurrence, metastasis, modulation of the cancer microenvironment, and sustaining cancer stem cells. It also affects the resistance of HCC cells to chemotherapy, target therapy, and radiotherapy. Reappraisal of the roles of the SHH signaling pathway in HCC may trigger some novel therapies for HCC. Full article