Commercial Interest Research Articles

Mechanisms for protecting producers of metallurgical industry under environmental issues

The article explores the pressing issue of the exacerbation of environmental issues and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions as a consequence of metallurgical industry activities. This sector plays a significant role in global emissions and, therefore, requires immediate measures to mitigate its negative impact on the environment. The protection of domestic producers has been discussed by researchers such as A. Harkusha, S. Bilotsky, L. Tykhonchuk, P. Galagher, M. Gerard, and D. Firger. The article analyzes the uneven process of decarbonization of metallurgical enterprises in different countries worldwide. Transitioning to more environmentally friendly production is a complex task, so it is essential to consider within the framework of the WTO mechanisms for protecting national metallurgical industry producers in the face of growing environmental challenges. The article also examines various forms of trade protection for markets that can be used to support domestic producers in the context of increasing environmental problems. The author investigates exceptions to WTO rules that allow for restrictions on international trade to preserve natural resources and human health. This underscores the importance of ensuring environmental sustainability within international trade relations. Recent decisions by WTO dispute settlement bodies emphasize the priority of protecting health and nature over commercial interests, highlighting the need for coordinated international action to preserve the environment and public health. In conclusion, the article calls for further development of international regulatory mechanisms aimed at ensuring environmental sustainability and protecting the interests of national metallurgical enterprises under growing environmental challenges. Considering the overall state of the environment and its impact on the global ecosystem balance, this article contributes to a deeper understanding of possible trade and environmental solutions to achieve a balance between industry and environment conservation goals.

3D Printing of Conversion Cathodes for Enhanced Custom-Form Lithium Batteries

Additive manufacturing techniques can enable the fabrication of batteries in nonconventional form factors, enabling higher practical energy densities due to improved power source packing efficiency. Furthermore, energy density can be improved by transitioning from conventional Li-ion materials to lithium metal anodes and conversion cathodes. Iron disulfide (FeS2) and iron trifluoride (FeF3) are two promising conversion cathodes of commercial and academic interest, but the 3D printing of inks made from these materials for custom-form battery applications has yet to be demonstrated. In this work, the deposition of FeS2 and FeF3 inks are investigated and optimized using direct-ink-write (DIW) 3D printing, in addition to the development of printable separators and packages to produce custom-form batteries. Two distinct custom form-factors, one on wave-shaped current collectors and the other on cylindrical rod current collectors, are demonstrated and shown to exhibit performance similar to coin cells when conventional Celgard separators are used. Additionally, FeF3 cells were integrated with a DIW printed separator consisting of an electrolyte exchanged PVDF-HFP based ionogel [1]. In the case of FeS2, it was found that cathodes with a ridged surface, produced from the filamentary extrusion of highly concentrated inks (60-70% solids w/w%) exhibited optimal power, uniformity, and stability [2]. Finally, progress toward fully-printing custom-form batteries using metal powder bed printed cases and stereolithographically printed gaskets is demonstrated. Overall, the additive manufacturing of conversion electrodes, separators, and battery packaging is shown to be a viable path toward the making of custom-form cells. More broadly, electrode ridging is found to optimize rate capability, a finding that may have broad impact beyond FeS2, FeF3 and additive manufacturing.[1] A.S. Lapp, L.C. Merrill, B.R. Wygant, D.S. Ashby, A.S. Bhandarkar, A. Zhang, E.J. Fuller, K.L. Harrison, T.N. Lambert, and A.A. Talin. Room Temperature Pseudo-Solid State Iron Fluoride Conversion Battery with High Ionic Conductivity. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 15, 893-902, 2022.[2] J.A. Cardenas, J.P. Bullivant, I.V. Kolesnichenko, D.J. Roach, M.A. Gallegos, E.N. Coker, T.N. Lambert, E. Allcorn, A.A. Talin, A.W. Cook, and K.L. Harrison. 3D Printing of Ridged FeS2 Cathodes for Improved Rate Capability and Custom-Form Lithium Batteries. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 14, 45342-45351. 2022.

Comparing MPPT Algorithms for Improved Partial-Shaded PV Power Generations

olar energy, accepted as an alternative energy source, is attracting commercial interest and scholars and researchers for improving efficiency and lowering the losses within the system. One of these significant losses is due to partial and complex shading. This study concentrates on reducing losses to enhance the efficiency of solar systems. Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPTT) uses several alternative algorithms for efficient operations. We have selected four algorithms supporting MPPT, namely P&O, PSO, Adaptive cuckoo, and Dragonfly. These algorithms are applied on photovoltaic (PV) systems in four different scenarios: uniform irradiance, partial shading, complex partial shading, and multiple local maximum power points. According to this study, results show that the algorithms' performance vary significantly based on these scenarios. It has been shown that PSO has the longest tracking time compared to other but tracks the maximum power best when exposed to uniform irradiance. In contrast, DFO takes the shortest tracking time and performs best in I-V curves but do not have a maximum power point at the knee. Both adaptive cuckoo and PSO perform well in tracking the global maximum power point, particularly in partial shadings. The study provides insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm in different scenarios and can guide the selection of an appropriate algorithm for a given PV system.

ТЕОРЕТИЧНІ ОСНОВИ ФОРМУВАННЯ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙНОГО МЕХАНІЗМУ УПРАВЛІННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЮ БЕЗПЕКОЮ БУДІВЕЛЬНИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ

The theoretical bases of the formation of the organizational mechanism of management of economic safety of construction enterprises are generalized. It was noted that the current state of construction enterprises in war conditions has revealed many problems with regard to the efficiency of the use of basic funds, innovative activity and the level of automation of technological processes in the poor. All these problems significantly affect the level of provision and management of economic safety of construction enterprises. It is determined that the organizational mechanism of management of economic safety of the construction enterprise should include the interaction of two subsystems: management, which affects the level of economic security of the building enterprise, and subordinate, on which this influence is directed. Functions of the economic safety management system of the construction enterprise ensure the interaction of these systems. It was noted that the management mechanism of economic safety of the construction enterprise should ensure the development of the basic principles of the management system, the creation of the economic security service at the enterprise, the collection of necessary information and supervision of compliance with the planned indicators. On the basis of the definition of the main elements of the organizational mechanism of management of economic safety of the construction enterprise, the conclusion was made that the organization mechanism is a set of organizational components in the management mechanism (objectives, functions and tasks of management, technologies and methods of management; rules, norms and principles; organizational processes), which have a certain management influence on ensuring economic security and preserving the commercial interests of the business entity. Defined directions of the organization of the process of management of economic security, as well as requirements to the organizational structure of management. It was concluded that the formation of an organizational mechanism for the management of economic safety of construction enterprises will enable them to provide stable work, to conduct timely identification and prevention of threats, to determine their impact on enterprise activities, to take management decisions promptly to prevent or eliminate the risk of threat.

Conversation in the News: Comparing News Coverage of Fukushima Water Dispute in AP and CGTN

This research paper examines and compares the coverage of the Fukushima water dispute by the Associated Press (AP) and China Global Television Network (CGTN). The study utilizes framing theory analysis to identify differences arising from biases and priorities in news reporting. The paper analyzes the framing used by both outlets and discusses variations in perspectives on Japan's plan and responsibility. It examines the attributions of different narratives and their impact on the audience in each country. Possible causes for these differences are explored, including geopolitical factors, political polarization, and cultural influences. The findings highlight the significant role of media in shaping public opinion and the importance of understanding the diverse influences that contribute to news coverage. The paper concludes that recognizing these influences and seeking diverse viewpoints is crucial for developing a comprehensive understanding of complex issues. However, it acknowledges the limitations of the analysis and highlights the need to consider editorial biases and commercial interests in news reporting.

Puppy power: How neophobia, attitude towards sustainability, and animal empathy affect the demand for insect-based pet food

Despite growing commercial interest in novel foods, there are few studies that analyse consumer willingness to purchase them as pet food. This study aimed to test whether consumers are willing to accept the use of foods with insect-based ingredients, which are found to be poorly accepted for human consumption, to feed their pets. In our case study, we analysed the willingness of 400 Italian dog and/or cat caregivers to pay for pet foods containing insect proteins, as measured by the Multiple Price List methodology. We also explored the role of food neophobia, attention to environmental sustainability, and empathy toward one's pet. The results of the study pointed out that the usual determinants of acceptance in the consumption of novel foods, such as food neophobia and attention to environmental sustainability, play an important role even when the purchase is for the household pet, and that empathy as an expression of the pet caregiver's personal relationship with their pet becomes an additional factor. Insect-based pet foods proved to be attractive for purchase only when consumers are well informed about the product's properties in terms of sustainability and healthiness for their pets.

Evaluation of Mono- and Bi-Functional GLOBE-Based Vectors for Therapy of β-Thalassemia by HBBAS3 Gene Addition and Mutation-Specific RNA Interference.

Therapy via the gene addition of the anti-sickling βAS3-globin transgene is potentially curative for all β-hemoglobinopathies and therefore of particular clinical and commercial interest. This study investigates GLOBE-based lentiviral vectors (LVs) for βAS3-globin addition and evaluates strategies for an increased β-like globin expression without vector dose escalation. First, we report the development of a GLOBE-derived LV, GLV2-βAS3, which, compared to its parental vector, adds anti-sickling action and a transcription-enhancing 848-bp transcription terminator element, retains high vector titers and allows for superior β-like globin expression in primary patient-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Second, prompted by our previous correction of HBBIVSI-110(G>A) thalassemia based on RNApol(III)-driven shRNAs in mono- and combination therapy, we analyzed a series of novel LVs for the RNApol(II)-driven constitutive or late-erythroid expression of HBBIVSI-110(G>A)-specific miRNA30-embedded shRNAs (shRNAmiR). This included bifunctional LVs, allowing for concurrent βAS3-globin expression. LVs were initially compared for their ability to achieve high β-like globin expression in HBBIVSI-110(G>A)-transgenic cells, before the evaluation of shortlisted candidate LVs in HBBIVSI-110(G>A)-homozygous HSPCs. The latter revealed that β-globin promoter-driven designs for monotherapy with HBBIVSI-110(G>A)-specific shRNAmiRs only marginally increased β-globin levels compared to untransduced cells, whereas bifunctional LVs combining miR30-shRNA with βAS3-globin expression showed disease correction similar to that achieved by the parental GLV2-βAS3 vector. Our results establish the feasibility of high titers for LVs containing the full HBB transcription terminator, emphasize the importance of the HBB terminator for the high-level expression of HBB-like transgenes, qualify the therapeutic utility of late-erythroid HBBIVSI-110(G>A)-specific miR30-shRNA expression and highlight the exceptional potential of GLV2-βAS3 for the treatment of severe β-hemoglobinopathies.

Efficacy of recombinant H5 vaccines delivered in ovo or day of age in commercial broilers against the 2015 U.S. H5N2 clade 2.3.4.4c highly pathogenic avian Influenza virus

BackgroundAvian influenza is a highly contagious, agriculturally relevant disease that can severely affect the poultry industry and food supply. Eurasian-origin H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) (clade 2.3.4.4) have been circulating globally in wild birds with spill over into commercial poultry operations. The negative impact to commercial poultry renewed interest in the development of vaccines against these viruses to control outbreaks in the U.S.MethodsThe efficacy of three recombinant H5 vaccines delivered in ovo or day of age were evaluated in commercial broilers challenged with the 2015 U.S. H5N2 clade 2.3.4.4c HPAIV. The recombinant vaccines included an alphavirus RNA particle vaccine (RP-H5), an inactivated reverse genetics-derived (RG-H5) and recombinant HVT vaccine (rHVT-AI) expressing H5 hemagglutinin (HA) genes. In the first experiment, in ovo vaccination with RP-H5 or rHVT-AI was tested against HPAI challenge at 3 or 6 weeks of age. In a second experiment, broilers were vaccinated at 1 day of age with a dose of either 107 or 108 RP-H5, or RG-H5 (512 HA units (HAU) per dose).ResultsIn experiment one, the RP-H5 provided no protection following in ovo application, and shedding titers were similar to sham vaccinated birds. However, when the RP-H5 was delivered in ovo with a boost at 3 weeks, 95% protection was demonstrated at 6 weeks of age. The rHVT-AI vaccine demonstrated 95 and 100% protection at 3 and 6 weeks of age, respectively, of challenged broilers with reduced virus shedding compared to sham vaccinated birds. Finally, when the RP-H5 and rHVT vaccines were co-administered at one day of age, 95% protection was demonstrated with challenge at either 3 or 6 weeks age. In the second experiment, the highest protection (92%) was observed in the 108 RP-H5 vaccinated group. Significant reductions (p < 0.05) in virus shedding were observed in groups of vaccinated birds that were protected from challenge. The RG-H5 provided 62% protection from challenge. In all groups of surviving birds, antibody titers increased following challenge.ConclusionsOverall, these results demonstrated several strategies that could be considered to protected broiler chickens during a H5 HPAI challenge.

Evaluation of genetic markers in the analysis of the colors and marks occurrence in the vyatka breed horses

Vyatka breed is a valuable small native breed of horses. The study of the determination of suits is of significant practical importance in breeding. This is especially true for small breeds. The purpose of the research is to monitor the color and markings as important genetic markers of preservation the Vyatka breed gene pool. To meet the objective, the following tasks were set: to evaluate the structure of suits in a microevolutionary aspect and to study the polymorphism of the MC1R and ASIP genes, determine the basic suits, the “lightening” genes TBX3 and MATP, determining the desired suits in the breed, as well as to evaluate the influence of the TBX3 and W20 genes, giving the desirable "wild" markings and undesirable whites. The object of the study is Vyatka horses born in 1975-2022 (n=2949) registered in the breed database. DNA extraction from hair follicles of Vyatka horses (n=86) was carried out in the “HorsGen” laboratory (Moscow) using “ExtraGene DNA Prep” (“Isogen”, Moscow). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified by allele-specific PCR. The calculations were performed using MS Excel 10. Prevailing colors in the Vyatka breed - dun (56.9%) and grullo (31.7%). Of commercial interest are the colors determined by the Dun + Cream genes (3.2%). The occurrence of the D/D genotype in the Vyatka breed is low (0.167), so there are non-dun colors (5,2%). All TBX3 genotypes were identified with a predominance of D/nd1 (0.405). The relationship between the TBX3 gene and white markings has not been found, but with a shade of color and “wild” markings, it has been identified. The D/nd1 genotype is more common in medium (0.440) and light (0.714) horses, with D/nd2 (0.455) predominating in darker individuals. Noticeable "wild" markings prevail in horses with the D/nd1 genotype (0.539), their absence was found only in species with D/nd2. The MC1R/EE genotype is predominant in horses without white markings (0.612) and those with small markings (0.500). The occurrence of the W20 allele in Vyatka breed is low (0.146) and affects the size of white marks: the lowest was noted in animals without marks, the highest - with large marks. Since the color is an important genetic marker and selection trait, genotyping of breeding stallions and mares for the set of genes associated with the colors and markings is important.

Application of Patient Sentiment Analysis to Evaluate Glaucoma Care

Patients utilize online physician reviews to decide between and rate ophthalmologists. Sentiment analysis allows for better understanding of patient experiences. In this study, Valence Aware Dictionary sEntiment Reasoner (VADER) and word frequency analysis of glaucoma specialist Healthgrades reviews were used to determine factors prioritized by patients. Retrospective cross-sectional analysis. N/A. Written reviews and Star ratings of glaucoma specialists listed under the Physicians Payments Sunshine Acts were obtained, and demographic information was collected. Valence Aware Dictionary sEntiment Reasoner produced Negative, Neutral, Positive, and Compound scores of reviews, and these were stratified by demographic variables. Word frequency review was applied to determine popular words and phrases. Star ratings, VADER Compound score of written reviews, and highest word frequencies. A total of 203 glaucoma specialists and 3531 written reviews were assessed. Glaucoma specialists had an average of 4.26/5 stars, with a mean of 30 ratings per physician on Healthgrades. Most physicians (86%) had overall Positive written reviews (VADER=0.74), indicating high patient satisfaction. Specialists who were women or had fewer years of practice had higher Compound and Star scores than their respective male and senior counterparts, with statistical significance observed between junior and senior physician Stars (P<0.001). Repeated words pertaining to the surgery, staff, wait times, and questions were common overall and among the most positive and most negative reviews. Glaucoma specialist patients value nonclinical factors, such as appointment setting and nonphysician health-care staff members, in their written reviews. Thus, factors beyond clinical outcomes are influential in the overall patient experience and should be considered to improve health-care delivery. These results can also advise ophthalmologists on factors that patients prioritize when evaluating physicians, which influences the decisions of other patients seeking glaucoma care. The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Bioconcentration, biotransformation, and transcriptomic impact of the UV-filter 4-MBC in the manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum

Ultraviolet filters (UV-filters) are compounds extensively used in personal care products. These compounds are produced at increasing rates and discharged into marine ecosystems in unknown quantities and with no regulation, making them emerging contaminants. Among those, the UV-filter 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC) is used in a variety of personal care products such as sunscreens, soaps, or lipsticks. This high consumption has resulted in its presence in various environmental matrices at in concentrations ranging from ng to μg L−1. Very little is known, however, about the possible adverse effects in exposed non-target organisms. Our study presents novel data on the bioconcentration, toxicokinetics, and molecular effects of 4-MBC in a marine bivalve species of commercial interest, Ruditapes philippinarum (Manila clam). Organisms were exposed at two different concentrations (1.34 and 10.79 μg L−1) of 4-MBC for 7 days, followed by a 3-day depuration period (clean sea waters). Bioconcentration factors (BCF) were 3562 and 2229 L kg−1 for the low and high exposure concentrations, respectively, making this pollutant bioaccumulative according to REACH criteria. Up to six 4-MBC biotransformation products (BTPs)were identified, 2 of them for the first time. Transcriptomic analysis revealed between 658 and 1310 differently expressed genes (DEGs) after 4-MBC exposure. Functional and enrichment analysis of the DEGs showed the activation of the detoxification pathway to metabolize and excrete the bioconcentrated 4-MBC, which also involved energy depletion and caused an impact on the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids and in the oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Oxidative stress and immune response were also evidenced through the activation of cathepsins and the complement system. Such elucidation of the mode of action of a ubiquitous pollutant such as 4-MBC at the molecular level is valuable both from an environmental point of view and for the sustainable production of Manila clam, one of the most cultivated mollusk species worldwide.

Professionalizing Emotions as Reflective Engagement in Emerging Forms of Journalism

ABSTRACT The argument for this article rests on exploring the significance of emotions and emotion-related forms of journalism that have historically been dismissed as improper reporting and flawed journalism. So far the emerging research on emotionality in the media, marking the so-called “affective turn” in communications, has mostly analysed emotional media performance in relation to its influences on the public. This article complements the existing research by exploring journalists’ own views and narrations on emotions with the aim of unravelling emotionality as a vital emerging journalistic practice in a hybrid media environment. Results of semi-structured interviews with journalists in Slovenia, where the media developed at the cross-roads of fierce commercialization and political instrumentalization, show how they craft emotionality as professional journalistic conduct, articulating emotions as “special effects” with potential for motivation and engagement, but also revealing criticism in using emotions when their only purpose is to boost a commercial interest, thus feeding the attention economy model of media development.

Exploring the Sustainable Exploitation of Bioactive Compounds in Pelargonium sp.: Beyond a Fragrant Plant.

This review article aims to present an overview regarding the volatile compounds in different scented species of Pelargonium and their biological activities, immunomodulatory activity, cytotoxic activity, high larvicidal activity and ethnopharmacological uses. Although the Pelargonium genus includes many species, we focused only on the scented ones, with the potential to be used in different domains. Pelargonium essential oil showed great properties as antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity (against K. pneumonie, S. aureus or E. coli strains) and antifungal activity (against many fungi including Candida sp.), the responsible compounds for these properties being tannins, flavones, flavonols, flavonoids, phenolic acids and coumarins. Due to the existence of bioactive constituents in the chemical composition of fresh leaves, roots, or flowers of Pelargonium sp. (such as monoterpenoid compounds-citronellol, geraniol, linalool, and flavonoids-myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol), this species is still valuable, the bio-compounds representing the base of innovative substitutes in food processing industry, nutraceuticals, or preventive human or veterinary medicine (substitute of antibiotics). Highlighting the volatile chemical composition and properties of this scented plant aims to rediscover it and to emphasize the vast spectrum of health-promoting constituents for a sustainable approach. Future research directions should point to the application of plant biotechnology with a significant role in conservation strategy and to stimulate commercial interest.

Optimization of Xylooligosaccharides Production by Native and Recombinant Xylanase Hydrolysis of Chicken Feed Substrates.

Poultry production faces several challenges, with feed efficiency being the main factor that can be influenced through the use of different nutritional strategies. Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are functional feed additives that are attracting growing commercial interest due to their excellent ability to modulate the composition of the gut microbiota. The aim of the study was to apply crude and purified fungal xylanases, from Trichoderma harzianum, as well as a recombinant glycoside hydrolase family 10 xylanase, derived from Geobacillus stearothermophilus T6, as additives to locally produced chicken feeds. A Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was used to optimize the reducing sugar yield. Response surface methodology (RSM) revealed that reducing sugars were higher (8.05 mg/mL, 2.81 mg/mL and 2.98 mg/mL) for the starter feed treated with each of the three enzymes compared to the treatment with grower feed (3.11 mg/mL, 2.41 mg/mL and 2.62 mg/mL). The hydrolysis products were analysed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and showed that the enzymes hydrolysed the chicken feeds, producing a range of monosaccharides (arabinose, mannose, glucose, and galactose) and XOS, with xylobiose being the predominant XOS. These results show promising data for future applications as additives to poultry feeds.

The Impact of Commercial Banks' Interest Rate Policies on SME Innovation under Digital Inclusive Finance

Digital inclusive finance, as a new financial service model, promotes small and medium-sized enterprise innovation by providing easier financing through various technological means. The government's regulatory policies and commercial banks' interest rate policies have an impact on their financing services, thus affecting SME innovation. In addition, relevant studies are less concerned with the role of commercial banks' interest rates in SME innovation. In order to examine the effects of commercial banks' lending rates, government regulation, and SMEs' innovation benefits and costs on the evolutionary game, we build a three-party evolutionary game model of commercial banks, government, and small and medium-sized enterprises in a digital inclusive finance environment. It is found that commercial banks and the government agree on an appropriate interest rate policy to help SMEs innovate while protecting their interests. To control SME innovation, the government must play a significant role in the regulation of digital inclusive finance; commercial banks should lower the loan interest rate ceiling to support SME innovation; and SMEs should strengthen themselves to obtain high-quality loans so that they can better innovate.

The Evolution of Platform Science

Abstract: Although we have been living through an era of the commercialization of science since the 1980s, something has dramatically changed over the last decade. Whereas commercialization used to subject research outputs to market considerations, a new development seeks to monetize nearly all aspects of the research process. This has become manifest under the rubric of “open science” as the purported solution to what is perceived to ail modern science. The commercial interests behind top journal publishers are pursuing control over “open science” by imposing the structures of “platform capitalism” upon the research process. The release of ChatGPT is best understood as the latest act in this drama, with Silicon Valley AI platforms threatening to displace the Big Five publishers as the primary protagonists of the commercialization of science.

Ambivalence of entertainment: the Cold War and pro-communist Mandarin cinema

ABSTRACT Colonial Hong Kong was a transregional hub of Cold War ideological confrontation. The United States and its Chinese ally, Chiang Kai-shek’s Taiwan, struggled with Beijing for the hearts of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia and around the world. Pro-Communist émigré cinema in the mid-twentieth century was a prime cultural manifestation of this Cold War contest. After an initial period of radicalization and antagonism, the pro-Communist studios in Hong Kong gradually shifted to a moderate approach whose goal was not to undermine British colonial rule or espouse revolutionary ideologies. Rather, the new strategy was one of flexibility and restraint that aimed to maintain a strategic presence in the local film industry and serve as a point of contact for overseas Chinese. Later, with the emergence of two pro-Free China giant studios, Motion Pictures & General Investment Co. Ltd. and Shaw Brothers, the cinematic ecosystem in Hong Kong was significantly altered. In order to hold on to their market presence in an increasingly more competitive environment, pro-Communist film companies embraced a more entertainment-oriented ethos and experimented with various popular genres, while struggling to remain truthful to their ideal of “guiding people to do good.” With in-depth analysis of two popular films by Zhu Shilin, The Dividing Wall (Yibang zhi ge) and Sweet as Honey (Tiantian mimi), this essay seeks to historicize the ways in which the Beijing-sponsored film establishment in 1950s Hong Kong negotiated and balanced a changing set of political, ideological, and commercial interests in pursuit of its strategic mission.

Partial cellular reprogramming: A deep dive into an emerging rejuvenation technology.

Aging and age-associated disease are a major medical and societal burden in need of effective treatments. Cellular reprogramming is a biological process capable of modulating cell fate and cellular age. Harnessing the rejuvenating benefits without altering cell identity via partial cellular reprogramming has emerged as a novel translational strategy with therapeutic potential and strong commercial interests. Here, we explore the aging-related benefits of partial cellular reprogramming while examining limitations and future directions for the field.

The Use of Websites and Modern Apps (i.e.: Ask PCOS, Ask Early Menopause, EndoZone)

Access to unprecedented information at finger tips has both benefits and drawback. In this talk I examine the transformative role of websites and mobile apps in access to, and the delivery of health information, specifically in reproductive and endometriosis healthcare. It sheds light on the challenges and solutions. The talk is organised in two parts. Initially, I delve into search engines and social media, illuminating the role of social algorithms in health information distribution. While these algorithms have made information more accessible, they often prioritize commercial interests over medical accuracy. By using examples like YourFertility and Endozone, I outline an alternative health-focused algorithm design, which prioritise accurate, reliable health information. Next, I shift the focus to mobile apps and wearables. These tools are easily integrated into our daily routines and collect user data continuously. The challenge here is to separate the wheat from the chaff - to identify quality resources from a vast pool of options, while also addressing issues of data overreach, highlighting the need for regulation. I will explore a case study demonstrating the potential of apps for micro-level observation and intervention. By tailoring micro-interventions based on user biometric fluctuations within daily contexts, apps can transform how we approach self-management.

Engineering Inhalable Therapeutic Particles: Conventional and Emerging Approaches.

Respirable particles are integral to effective inhalable therapeutic ingredient delivery, demanding precise engineering for optimal lung deposition and therapeutic efficacy. This review describes different physicochemical properties and their role in determining the aerodynamic performance and therapeutic efficacy of dry powder formulations. Furthermore, advances in top-down and bottom-up techniques in particle preparation, highlighting their roles in tailoring particle properties and optimizing therapeutic outcomes, are also presented. Practices adopted for particle engineering during the past 100 years indicate a significant transition in research and commercial interest in the strategies used, with several innovative concepts coming into play in the past decade. Accordingly, this article highlights futuristic particle engineering approaches such as electrospraying, inkjet printing, thin film freeze drying, and supercritical processes, including their prospects and associated challenges. With such technologies, it is possible to reshape inhaled therapeutic ingredient delivery, optimizing therapeutic benefits and improving the quality of life for patients with respiratory diseases and beyond.