External Human-Machine Interfaces (eHMIs) have been evaluated to facilitate interactions between Automated Vehicles (AVs) and pedestrians. Most eHMIs are, however, visual/ light-based solutions, and multi-modal eHMIs have received little attention to date. We ran an experimental video study (<Formula format="inline"><TexMath><?TeX $N~=~29$?></TexMath><AltText>Math 1</AltText><File name="chi24-142-inline1" type="svg"/></Formula>) to systematically understand the effect on pedestrian’s willingness to cross the road and user preferences of a light-based eHMI (light bar on the bumper) and two sound-based eHMIs (bell sound and droning sound), and combinations thereof. We found no objective change in pedestrians’ willingness to cross the road based on the nature of eHMI, although people expressed different subjective preferences for the different ways an eHMI may communicate, and sometimes even strong dislike for multi-modal eHMIs. This shows that the modality of the evaluated eHMI concepts had relatively little impact on their effectiveness. Consequently, this lays an important groundwork for accessibility considerations of future eHMIs, and points towards the insight that provisions can be made for taking user preferences into account without compromising effectiveness.

Abstract Introduction Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) arises as a dermal complication following a visceral leishmaniasis (VL) infection. Current treatment options for PKDL are unsatisfactory, and there is a knowledge gap regarding the distribution of antileishmanial compounds within human skin. The present study investigated the skin distribution of miltefosine in PKDL patients, with the aim to improve the understanding of the pharmacokinetics at the skin target site in PKDL. Methods Fifty-two PKDL patients underwent treatment with liposomal amphotericin B (20 mg/kg) plus miltefosine (allometric dosing) for 21 days. Plasma concentrations of miltefosine were measured on study days 8, 15, 22 and 30, while a punch skin biopsy was taken on day 22. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed to evaluate the distribution of miltefosine into the skin. Results Following the allometric weight-based dosing regimen, median miltefosine concentrations on day 22 were 43.73 µg/g (IQR: 21.94–60.65 µg/g) in skin and 33.29 µg/mL (IQR: 25.9–42.58 µg/mL) in plasma. The median individual concentration ratio of skin to plasma was 1.19 (IQR: 0.79–1.9). In 87% (45/52) of patients, skin exposure was above the suggested EC90 PK target of 10.6 mg/L associated with in vitro susceptibility. Simulations indicated that the residence time of miltefosine in the skin would be more than 2-fold longer than in plasma, estimated by a mean residence time of 604 versus 266 hours, respectively. Conclusion This study provides the first accurate measurements of miltefosine penetration into the skin, demonstrating substantial exposure and prolonged retention of miltefosine within the skin. These findings support the use of miltefosine in cutaneous manifestations of leishmaniasis. In combination with parasitological and clinical data, these results are critical for the future optimization of combination therapies with miltefosine in the treatment of PKDL.

This article is linked to Aliu et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17988 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18027.

Objective. This study develops a deep learning (DL) method for fast auditory attention decoding (AAD) using electroencephalography (EEG) from listeners with hearing impairment (HI). It addresses three classification tasks: differentiating noise from speech-in-noise, classifying the direction of attended speech (left vs. right) and identifying the activation status of hearing aid noise reduction algorithms (OFF vs. ON). These tasks contribute to our understanding of how hearing technology influences auditory processing in the hearing-impaired population. Approach. Deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) models were designed for each task. Two training strategies were employed to clarify the impact of data splitting on AAD tasks: inter-trial, where the testing set used classification windows from trials that the training set had not seen, and intra-trial, where the testing set used unseen classification windows from trials where other segments were seen during training. The models were evaluated on EEG data from 31 participants with HI, listening to competing talkers amidst background noise. Main results. Using 1 s classification windows, DCNN models achieve accuracy (ACC) of 69.8%, 73.3% and 82.9% and area-under-curve (AUC) of 77.2%, 80.6% and 92.1% for the three tasks respectively on inter-trial strategy. In the intra-trial strategy, they achieved ACC of 87.9%, 80.1% and 97.5%, along with AUC of 94.6%, 89.1%, and 99.8%. Our DCNN models show good performance on short 1 s EEG samples, making them suitable for real-world applications. Conclusion: Our DCNN models successfully addressed three tasks with short 1 s EEG windows from participants with HI, showcasing their potential. While the inter-trial strategy demonstrated promise for assessing AAD, the intra-trial approach yielded inflated results, underscoring the important role of proper data splitting in EEG-based AAD tasks. Significance. Our findings showcase the promising potential of EEG-based tools for assessing auditory attention in clinical contexts and advancing hearing technology, while also promoting further exploration of alternative DL architectures and their potential constraints.

Abstract Chromium (Cr) toxicity, even at low concentrations, poses a significant health threat to various environmental species. Cr is found in the environment in two oxidation states that differ in their bioavailability and toxicity. While Cr(III) is essential for glucose metabolism, the oxyanion chromate Cr(VI) is mostly of anthropogenic origin, toxic, and carcinogenic. The sources of Cr in the environment are multiple, including geochemical processes, disposal of industrial waste, and industrial wastewater. Cr pollution may consequently impact the health of numerous plant and animal species. Despite that, the number of published studies on Cr toxicity across environmental species remained mainly unchanged over the past two decades. The presence of Cr in the environment affects several plant physiological processes, including germination or photosynthesis, and consequently impacts growth, and lowers agricultural production and quality. Recent research has also reported the toxic effects of Cr in different aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Whereas some species showed sensitivity, others exhibited tolerance. Hence, this review discusses the understanding of the ecotoxicological effect of Cr on different plant and animal groups and serves as a concise source of consolidated information and a valuable reference for researchers and policymakers in an understanding of Cr toxicity. Future directions should focus on expanding research efforts to understand the mechanisms underlying species-specific responses to Cr pollution. Graphical Abstract

The selection of handling equipment represents an important aspect of operational planning in logistics centers and affects the potential increase in work efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to consider various factors when making decisions regarding the selection of handling equipment. This paper presents the selection of an electric forklift for the needs of loading and handling activities in a closed warehouse of the GTC (Goods Transport Center) Doboj. An MCDM model, consisting of FUCOM (Full Consistency Method) and MARCOS (Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking According to the COmpromise solution) was applied to evaluate electric forklifts. The FUCOM method was used to determine the values of criteria, and the MARCOS method was used to evaluate electric forklifts. After obtaining the results, sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis were performed.

Enforcement criminal law is a system of legal regulations that determine the procedure, manner and conditions for the execution of criminal sanctions. Serbia also implemented European standards in the execution of criminal sanctions, with special emphasis on the level of implementation of those standards in the area of execution of criminal sanctions, in its legislation. In addition to the standards related to the conditions of serving a prison sentence, the protection of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, the manner of treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, protection against torture, inhumane or degrading treatment and punishment is particularly emphasized. In recent decades, the increasingly prevalent view is that criminal sanctions have a weak impact on reducing the crime rate, even less on the factors that cause and shape it. Prison sentences do not achieve objective effects in changing the criminal pattern of behavior of offenders, on the contrary, they have a greater effect on increasing the risk that the offender will repeat the crime. In the conditions of globalization, digitization and international legal harmonization, the system of execution of criminal sanctions requires a high degree of common international rules that define and regulate executive criminal legislation.

This work shows the performance of LincoSim, a web-based virtual towing tank enabling automated and standardized calm water computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data sampling, extending previous published applications to the case of a high-speed hull. The calculations are performed for a 1:10 scale model of a 43 ft powerboat hull form in the Froude number range from 0.3 to 2.0. The counterpart physical model is the experimental fluid dynamics (EFD) campaign performed at the University of Naples Federico II, where the resistance, sinkage and trim data have been measured. The EFD/CFD data comparison is performed and shown with a discussion of the spotted differences. The average percentage differences between the EFD and CFD data for the whole speed range are 1.84, 6.87 and 6.94 for the resistance, dynamic trim, and sinkage, respectively. These results confirm the maturity of the standardized and automated CFD modeling for calm water hydrodynamic analysis included in LincoSim, even at very high Froude numbers. The wetted length of the keel and chine and the wetted surface are calculated from numerical data using the advanced post-processing. Finally, as a work in progress, we test a first comparison for the same hull of the EFD and CFD data, considering two seakeeping conditions for head waves at a given wavelength for two velocity conditions. Also, this kind of analysis confirms the tight correlation between the measured and computed outcomes. This synergic interplay of EFD and CFD can link the advantages of both methods to support hull design but also requires experiment planning and final data analysis to obtain physical parameters not easily measurable in laboratory, such as the wetted surface, wetted lengths, proper viscous contribution, and pressure distribution both in calm water and in waves.

In The Post-Factual Polity: Ethical, Governance, Administrative, and Policy Crises in the Disinformation Era, Haris Alibašic presents a compelling and timely examination of the intricate challenges facing our society in the age of disinformation and misinformation. This groundbreaking book delves into the critical intersection of ethics, governance, and the pervasive influence of post-factual politics, offering a nuanced understanding of the issues that shape public policy and administration in the digital era.Haris Alibašic, with his extensive experience and scholarly insight, guides readers through the complexities of ethical governance amidst the rise of disinformation. His insightful analysis, covering topics from the history of factual politics to the role of AI in public discourse, is essential for academics, policymakers, and anyone invested in the future of ethical governance. This book is a beacon for those seeking to navigate and counteract the challenges of misinformation, aiming to foster a more informed, ethical, and resilient society.The Post-Factual Polity is more than a book; it is an urgent call to action, a roadmap for navigating the tumultuous landscape of modern governance, and a testament to the power of truth in an era of uncertainty. As an authoritative source in the field, it is poised to become a vital reference for those dedicated to upholding the principles of democracy and integrity in public policy and administration.

Anonymous communication networks (ACNs) enable Internet browsing in a way that prevents accessed content from being traced back to the user. This provides a high level of privacy, protecting individuals from being tracked by advertisers, governments, and other entities. The Tor network, a prominent example of such a network, uses a layered encryption scheme to encapsulate data packets, employing Tor nodes to obscure the routing process before the packets enter the public Internet. While Tor is capable of providing substantial privacy, its encryption relies on schemes such as RSA and Diffie-Hellman for distributing symmetric keys, which are vulnerable to quantum computing attacks and are currently in the process of being phased out. To overcome this threat, we propose a quantum resistant alternative to RSA and Diffie-Hellman for distributing symmetric keys, namely, quantum key distribution (QKD). Standard QKD networks depend on trusted nodes to relay keys across long distances. However, reliance on trusted nodes in the quantum network does not meet the criteria necessary for establishing a Tor circuit in the ACN. We address this issue by developing a protocol and network architecture that integrates QKD without the need for trusted nodes, thus meeting the requirements of the Tor network and creating a quantum secure anonymous communication network.

Kinetic energy from vibrations emerging from mechanical systems such as machines and vehicles has been thoroughly studied as a power source in the last two decades. Numerous kinetic energy harvesters have been built to convert human locomotion into electrical power but haven’t been implemented on a wide commercial scale. On the other hand, energy harvesters for farm animals haven’t been studied as much. In this paper, we present a three-dimensional electromagnetic induction based kinetic energy harvester optimized specifically for cattle wearable applications. All the device parameters are obtained with an empirical optimization procedure by considering specific cattle locomotion characteristics. The prototype is 3-D printed with low friction and impact resistant materials. Finally, the device is tested in a real free grazing scenario with live cattle. The kinetic energy harvester performed well and was able to power the load and transmit animal body temperature data over long distances for up to 7 times/h.

Abstract Forensic obstetrics attracts much attention from forensic experts and the public owing to the professional, legal, public health, and not inconsiderable social-emotional aspects and directly correlates with maternal, fetoneonatal, and iatrogenic risk factors. Modern obstetrics and fetomaternal medicine must not be quantified and qualified based only on perinatal disease but also according to current obstetric problems that burden forensic obstetrics. Therefore, high-risk obstetrics as a significant medico-legal problem should be viewed from the point of view of the entire perinatal period with possible long-term consequences, hence the monitoring of complete perinatal and infant morbidity is of immediate importance for quality control and risk control in the profession. The task of forensic obstetrics is to assess the impact of risk factors on the occurrence of an adverse event and to assess whether it is an obstetric complication or obstetric malpractice. Acknowledging the mentioned facts is the only way we will develop high obstetric awareness, and we and pregnant women, birth attendants, midwives and patients, fetuses, and newborns will have professional safety with imminent but controlled obstetric risk and controlled expected complications. On the other hand, the fact that the statistics of perinatal (obstetrical) malpractice globally is not abating requires a change in obstetrical philosophy, especially the unreasonable epidemic increase of cesarean sections with a significant percentage of cesarean sections without medical indication and complications. It is necessary to introduce and maintain solid professionalism and bioethical norms in obstetrics with constant training of skills, which is emphasized by numerous authors and with which we fully agree. Forensic obstetrics is based on the principles of good clinical practice, professional guidelines of modern obstetrics, and ethical and deontological principles. It clearly shows the perfection and imperfection of biological systems that we can and cannot influence. However, we must act according to the rules of the clinical profession, deontological rules, and health laws to reduce clinical risk to the smallest possible extent. Attention should certainly be focused on reducing the disproportion between iatrogenic and maternal-fetoneonatal risk factors, which is the most common reason for litigation today.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are pivotal for various pathological processes, impacting disease progression. The potential for leveraging ncRNAs to prevent or treat atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular diseases is of great significance, especially given the increasing prevalence of atherosclerosis in an ageing and sedentary population. Together, these diseases impose a substantial socio‐economic burden, demanding innovative therapeutic solutions. This review explores the potential of ncRNAs in atherosclerosis treatment. We commence by examining approaches for identifying and characterizing atherosclerosis‐associated ncRNAs. We then delve into the functional aspects of ncRNAs in atherosclerosis development and progression. Additionally, we review current RNA and RNA‐targeting molecules in development or under approval for clinical use, offering insights into their pharmacological potential. The importance of improved ncRNA delivery strategies is highlighted. Finally, we suggest avenues for advanced research to accelerate the use of ncRNAs in treating atherosclerosis and mitigating its societal impact.