Ancestral environmental stress can influence descendant phenotypes, yet the physiological traits underlying such effects remain poorly understood, particularly in response to heterologous stress. We investigated whether chronic chromium (Cr) exposure in the parental generation is associated with persistent physiological differences in Arabidopsis thaliana F2 descendants. Wild-type plants were exposed to 2.5 μM hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] supplied as potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) from the seedling stage until seed set. The resulting F2 lineage derived from chromium-exposed ancestors (2.5F2) was subsequently grown under control conditions or challenged with salinity (25 mM NaCl) or cadmium stress (25 μM Cd). Growth traits, biomass allocation, antioxidant enzyme activities, total soluble proteins, and elemental composition were assessed at the flowering stage. Significant lineage × treatment interactions were observed for root growth, APX activity, and cadmium partitioning. Under cadmium stress, 2.5F2 plants maintained longer roots and higher shoot biomass than wild-type plants. The most pronounced lineage-specific difference was observed for ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity: whereas wild-type plants exhibited strong stress-induced APX activation, the 2.5F2 lineage maintained elevated APX activity across all treatments in both shoots and roots. Elemental analysis further revealed altered metal homeostasis, with 2.5F2 plants accumulating less cadmium in roots but more in shoots, resulting in a higher shoot-to-root cadmium ratio, while root iron concentrations remained consistently higher across treatments. These findings indicate that descendants of chromium-exposed ancestors exhibit persistent physiological differences characterized by elevated antioxidant activity, altered cadmium partitioning, and improved maintenance of root growth under cadmium stress.

This study presents an experimental investigation of a Savonius wind turbine conducted under controlled wind tunnel conditions. Turbine performance was evaluated at inlet airflow velocities of 5, 7, and 9 m/s. Airflow velocities were measured upstream and downstream of the turbine to determine the effective rotor velocity, while rotational speed measurements enabled calculation of the tip-speed ratio (TSR). The airflow velocity distribution along the turbine height and width was analysed to examine air–blade interactions and identify regions influencing turbine performance. The results demonstrate a strong dependence of rotor behaviour on inlet airflow conditions, with improved performance observed at higher velocities. Smoke-based flow visualisation provided qualitative insight into airflow patterns and vortex formation around the blades, confirming the influence of flow guidance on turbine operation. These findings contribute to a better understanding of Savonius wind turbine aerodynamics and support further optimisation of turbine design and flow control strategies.

BACKGROUND The inverse relationship between vitreous humour (VH) glucose and lactate, classically used in the Traub formula, is widely applied in post-mortem biochemistry. METHODS We analysed 127 VH samples from external examinations and forensic autopsies performed in a hospital forensic setting (PMI 4-187 h; 58 septic and 69 non-septic deaths). Glucose was available in 78 cases, lactic acid in all 127. Cases were stratified by PMI window, septic status and storage condition. Spearman correlations and non-parametric comparisons were applied. RESULTS Within the first 24 h post-mortem, glucose and lactic acid showed significant opposite correlations with PMI. Glucose reached a low-value floor of approximately 2 mg/dl by 25-48 h, after which no meaningful PMI-related decrease was observed. Lactic acid showed a different trajectory: septic and non-septic cases had similar baseline levels at ≤10 h, but diverged thereafter, with continued increase in septic cases through 25-48 h. This divergence emerged after glucose depletion, suggesting glucose-independent lactate accumulation. Glucose-lactate coupling was absent in septic cases and weak in non-septic cases. CONCLUSIONS VH glucose and lactic acid showed limited evidence of direct stoichiometric coupling in this hospital cohort. Glucose reflected PMI mainly within the first 24 h, whereas its interpretative value declined after reaching a post-mortem floor. Lactic acid showed a sepsis-associated post-mortem amplification not explained by glucose availability alone, possibly reflecting autolytic processes. These findings do not invalidate the Traub formula in its original diagnostic context, but caution against its uncritical application in heterogeneous forensic cohorts.

BACKGROUND The C-MIC II trial demonstrated benefits of 6 months of cardiac microcurrent (C-MIC) therapy in patients with non-ischemic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The prospective C-MIC II Follow-Up Study evaluates safety and efficacy outcomes post-device deactivation. METHODS Primary safety-related endpoints included all-cause, cardiovascular and device-related mortality and hospitalizations and adverse events (AEs). Secondary efficacy-related endpoints included changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary Score (KCCQ-OSS), 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and device reactivation rate. Here, we report 12-month results comparing the 6-month time-point (at the end of active therapy) with the 18-month time-point (12 months post-deactivation). RESULTS Of 32 eligible patients, 31 (97%) were enrolled. At 12 months post-device deactivation, 3 patients (10%) were hospitalized and 1 died (3%); none were device-related. One device-related AE occurred and resolved completely. Improvements in LVEF (vs pre-implantation: +6%; 95% CI 5-8; p<0.0001) and KCCQ-OSS (vs pre-implantation: +43 points; 95% CI 36-49; p<0.0001) were sustained and unchanged from 6 months (LVEF: -0.1%; 95% CI -2-2; p=0.87; KCCQ-OSS:-2; 95% CI -8-4; p=0.49). The 6MWD remained improved (vs pre-implantation: +150 m; 95% CI 109-191; p<0.0001), with a modest decrease (-31 m; 95% CI -56- -7; p=0.013) from 6 months. Improvements in NYHA class (≥1-class improvement in 77% patients) were sustained. Three (10%) patients required device reactivation. CONCLUSION Among patients previously treated with C-MIC device, improvements in LVEF, 6MWD, NYHA class and KCCQ-OSS were sustained, with a favorable safety profile 12 months post-deactivation.

Organic semiconductors, particularly conjugated polymers, are critical for advancing flexible electronics. Their electrical conductivity is enhanced by increasing carrier concentration through doping by blending small atoms or molecules, which can introduce Coulombic traps and disrupt packing. Here, we elucidate a molecular design principle that leverages dopant energy depth quantified by ΔE, which is the difference between appropriate frontier orbital energies of the doped polymer and its counterion, to mitigate disorder and simultaneously improve conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. Using a modified Gaussian disorder model that incorporates carrier screening, we simulate the density of states and validate our findings experimentally with iodine- and Magic Blue-doped poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Our results reveal that deeper dopant frontier energy levels significantly reduce energetic disorder and enhance transport properties when the carrier-counterion separation is small. We identify a saddle-point behavior in conductivity as a function of ΔE and show that ΔE can significantly boost conductivity when the dopant is located close to the backbone. This work introduces ΔE as a powerful molecular lever for designing high-performance organic semiconductors, offering a new design rule to overcome the long-standing trade-off between conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, thereby increasing thermoelectric efficiency in doped conjugated polymers.

The increasing complexity of Internet of Things (IoT) environments requires adaptive mechanisms for efficient service allocation across distributed infrastructures. Existing approaches are often focused on specific optimization algorithms or isolated Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, lacking a unified framework for decision-making across IoT, Fog/Edge, and Cloud layers. This paper proposes a modular QoS-aware decision-making framework that integrates QoS profiles, key performance indicators (KPIs), utility functions, and multi-criteria decision-making mechanisms to support both static and dynamic service allocation. The framework considers service execution latency, energy consumption, network throughput, and network coverage as decision criteria and enables adaptive balancing of conflicting QoS requirements. Its applicability is demonstrated through a smart transportation use case involving multiple service allocation scenarios across CRU, Fog, and Cloud infrastructures. The results confirm that different allocation strategies exhibit distinct QoS trade-offs and demonstrate the suitability of the proposed framework for adaptive and resource-efficient service allocation in layered IoT architectures.

This paper explores how generative AI (GAI) may complement, extend or selectively assume information-based functions traditionally associated with human tour guiding in self-guided tourism experiences (SGE). It presents a new framework for GAI-driven SGE, highlighting three central aspects: personalization, real-time support and contextual relevance. To map the relationship between GAI, on-site information-seeking behavior and SGE, we adapted a structured approach based on MacInnis' (2011) framework for explicating (descriptive) conceptual contributions. By utilizing GAI's features, the study shows how GAI may improve tourist independence and convenience. The paper also evaluates the limitations of GAI, particularly its difficulty in replicating the emotional connections, cultural understanding and narrative immersion that human guides provide. Through a comparison with traditional guided tours, the research discusses the consequences of adopting GAI for tourists, service providers and destination management organizations (DMOs). Ethical issues, including data privacy concerns and the potential for cultural inaccuracies, are also explored, along with proposed strategies for responsible implementation. This work lays the groundwork for future studies and real-world applications, offering insights into how GAI may make tourism more adaptable, inclusive and sustainable. While the paper focuses on how GAI may support or selectively assume specific information-based functions of guiding, we recognize that tour guiding is also a form of embodied, relational, and regulated labor that extends beyond the scope of this conceptual framework.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are aggressive malignancies associated with a poor prognosis. Although molecular profiling is recommended to guide therapeutic decision-making, real-practice data on the prevalence and prognostic significance of genomic alterations in European BTC cohorts remain limited. This retrospective cohort study characterized the molecular landscape of BTCs in a Belgian real-practice setting and evaluated its prognostic relevance. Patients with BTC who underwent informative molecular testing as part of routine diagnostics at Antwerp University Hospital between 2016 and 2024 were included. Demographic, clinical, and molecular data were extracted from electronic health records. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression. Among 224 included patients, genomic alterations were identified in 59.4% of tumors, with clear subtype-specific patterns. IDH1 mutations (17.3%) and FGFR2 fusions (13.9%) were exclusively observed in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, KRAS mutations were most prevalent in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (42.9%), and ERBB2 amplification was enriched in gallbladder cancer (16.7%). Co-occurring alterations were present in 7.8% of cases. KRAS mutation was the most frequent alteration overall (20.4%) and remained significantly associated with worse overall survival in multivariate analysis adjusted for tumor subtype and tumor stage (HR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.03-2.31, p = 0.04). Although 32.6% of tumors harbored a potentially actionable alteration, only 31.6% of eligible patients received matched targeted therapy. These findings underscore the clinical value of routine molecular profiling in BTC and highlight its importance for identifying therapeutic opportunities in clinical practice.

People with intellectual disability experience inequalities across the cancer care continuum, including lower screening participation, later-stage diagnosis, and higher cancer related mortality. Whether European cancer prevention and screening policies explicitly address this population has not been systematically mapped. This review aimed to identify and synthesise European national and international policy frameworks, guidelines, and recommendations for cancer prevention and screening that address this population. A systematic search of policy, recommendation and guideline documents across academic databases, grey literature portals, and organisational sources, to August 2025 was under taken. The Population, Concept, Context (PCC) framework guided eligibility. Two reviewers per country screened, extracted, and appraised documents indepen dently using the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) checklist. Synthesis was narrative, stratified by cancer site and cancer control focus. Sixteen documents met the inclusion criteria, originating from five jurisdictions: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and the European Union more broadly. Fifteen of the sixteen addressed cancer screen ing, one also addressed prevention, and two addressed clinical monitoring. Adjustments for people with intellectual disability were concentrated on breast, cervical, and bowel screening and grouped into accessible information, appoint ment adaptations, carer involvement, consent and capacity support, and work force training. Most documents originated from higher expenditure healthcare systems, and no eligible documents were retrieved from the majority of European Union member states. Policy guidance for cancer prevention and screening for people with intellectual disability is unevenly distributed across Europe and con centrated in a small group of countries. Existing guidance should be extended beyond screening to encompass prevention, treatment, and survivorship, and EU coordination may help address this gap.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite significant advances in diagnostics and pharmacotherapy. This persistent burden has shifted attention toward adjunct therapeutic strategies targeting key mechanisms of myocardial and vascular injury, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, apoptosis, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic dysregulation. A particular interest of contemporary research is focused on bile acid (BA) signaling through nuclear and membrane receptors, primarily the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5), as central regulators of metabolic, inflammatory, and vascular responses. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic BA widely used to treat hepatobiliary disorders, has emerged as a potential modulator of cardiometabolic processes. UDCA exerts direct effects through low-affinity but functionally relevant activation of the TGR5 receptor, as well as indirect effects through alterations in BA pool composition, thereby influencing FXR/TGR5 signaling pathways. Experimental studies suggest that UDCA reduces oxidative stress, stabilizes mitochondrial function, alleviates ER stress, suppresses apoptosis and inflammation, and improves endothelial function and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Despite promising mechanistic evidence, currently available clinical data remain limited and are largely based on small studies and surrogate biomarkers, without confirmation of benefits in terms of major cardiovascular outcomes. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the role of UDCA in the modulation of BA receptor signaling and its potential relevance for cardiovascular protection.

This study aims to develop a novel Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodological model for use as a decision support tool in industrial machine selection problems. To this end, a new integrated MCDM model consisting of Logarithmic normalization and Standard Deviation (LOGSTA), Logarithmic Percentage Change-driven Objective Weighting (LOPCOW), Logarithmic Decomposition of Criteria Importance (LODECI), and Evaluation by Distance from Ideal Solution of Alternatives (EDISA) methods has been designed for a real-world lathe selection problem faced by a manufacturing company in Turkiye. The criterion weights obtained according to the three methods (LOGSTA, LOPCOW, and LODECI) were combined, and the combined criterion weights were transferred to the EDISA method to create an alternative lathe ranking. According to the combined criterion weights, the criterion with the highest importance level was failure frequency (C1), while the criterion with the lowest importance level was active working time (C5). According to the ranking obtained as a result of transferring the combined criterion weights to the EDISA method, the lathe with the highest performance was determined to be Doosan PUMA VT 900 (A2), while the lathe with the lowest performance was determined to be Doosan Puma 300 LM (A1). The comparison analysis shows that the EDISA method produces the same rankings as the ARAS, COPRAS, and RAWEC methods. It is believed that this framework enables manufacturing managers to compare acquisition cost, reliability, operating characteristics, and resale value within a transparent decision process.

The aim of this study was to analyse physiological and anthropometric characteristics of Croatian national football team players, with particular focus on blood lactate concentration, relative oxygen consumption, body height, body mass, body fat percentage, and playing position. The sample consisted of 17 elite football players. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed for all analysed variables. The average blood lactate concentration was 10.46 ± 1.12 mmol/L, while the average relative oxygen consumption was 60.91 ± 3.15 mL/kg/min. The players demonstrated highly developed aerobic and anaerobic capacities characteristic of elite football populations. Anthropometric and physiological profiles differed according to playing position, reflecting specific tactical and physical demands in modern football.