Science Efforts Research Articles

Mapping invasive alien plants through citizen science: shortlisting species of concern for the Nilgiris

Species introduced from elsewhere are known as alien species. They may be introduced as crop plants or ornamental plants, or for timber. A small proportion of introduced species can become invasive thereby spreading at the cost of native species and habitats, negatively affecting biodiversity, food security, and human wellbeing. Despite the growing recognition of the threat of invasive alien species, we still lack information about the distribution and abundance of species widely accepted to be invasive. To address this information gap regarding invasive alien species distributions, we initiated a pilot citizen science effort to create an atlas of invasive plants in the Moyar-Bhavani landscape of the Nilgiri District. We aimed, through this pilot effort, to develop and test user-friendly mapping protocols and develop an interface for citizen scientists to use. Ultimately, we hope to create a model that can be scaled up to large conservation landscapes, such as the Western Ghats, the central Indian Highlands, and the Himalaya.

New tools can propel research in lysosomal storage diseases

Historically, the clinical manifestations of lysosomal storage diseases offered an early glimpse into the essential digestive functions of the lysosome. However, it was only recently that the more subtle role of this organelle in the dynamic regulation of multiple cellular processes was appreciated. With the need for precise interrogation of lysosomal interplay in health and disease comes the demand for more sophisticated functional tools. This demand has recently been met with 1) induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models that recapitulate the disease phenotype in vitro, 2) methods for lysosome affinity purification coupled with downstream omics analysis that provide a high-resolution snapshot of lysosomal alterations, and 3) gene editing and CRISPR/Cas9-based functional genomic strategies that enable screening for genetic modifiers of the disease phenotype. These emerging methods have garnered much interest in the field of neurodegeneration, and their use in the field of metabolic disorders is now also steadily gaining momentum. Looking forward, these robust tools should accelerate basic science efforts to understand lysosomal dysfunction distal to substrate accumulation and provide translational opportunities to identify disease-modifying therapies.

A Phase I Study of Asciminib (ABL001) in Combination with Dasatinib and Prednisone for BCR-ABL1-Positive ALL and Blast Phase CML in Adults

Introduction:Oral ABL1 kinase inhibitors rapidly produce deep remissions in BCR::ABL1+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blast crisis (CML-LBC). Second generation TKIs such as dasatinib (DAS) are more effective than imatinib (Foa et al. Blood 2011) but patients may develop resistance. Asciminib (ASC), previously ABL001, is a STAMP (Specifically Targeting the ABL Myristoyl Pocket) allosteric ABL1 inhibitor that binds to a site spatially distinct from ATP-competitive TKIs. Combination treatment with an allosteric and an ATP-competitive TKI may deepen clinical responses and limit mutational resistance as supported by a cell line xenograft model of CML (Wylie et al. Nature 2017) and patient-derived xenograft models of BCR::ABL1+ ALL. We hypothesized that dual ABL blockade with catalytic domain and allosteric inhibitors would be tolerable and active in BCR::ABL1+ ALL and CML-LBC. Methods: This investigator initiated, phase I study (NCT03595917) of asciminib (ASC) in combination with DAS plus prednisone (pred) for BCR::ABL1+ ALL studied ASC in escalating doses in a 3+3 design with the primary objective to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D); a 10 patient (pt) expansion cohort was then accrued. Secondary objectives define the depth and durability of responses. Pts with BCR::ABL1+ ALL or CML-LBC newly diagnosed ≥ 50 years (yrs), or unfit; or relapsed/refractory (no prior DAS or ASC) were eligible in dose escalation; all pts ≥18 yrs were eligible in dose expansion. Pts received DAS 140 mg/day(d) and pred 60 mg/m 2/d 1-24 (max 120 mg/d, tapered d 25-32) with escalating daily doses of ASC (DL1: 40 mg; DL2: 80 mg; DL3: 160 mg). DAS and ASC were given in 28-d cycles indefinitely in setting of clinical benefit, with allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) consolidation after d85 per treating physician. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was initially defined as CTCAEv4 non-heme toxicity grade (gr) 3+; the study was amended to assess DLT via CTCAEv5. Correlative science efforts seek to define biomarkers of response and resistance to dual ABL1 blockade. Results:The study enrolled 25 pts (48% female), with 14 in dose escalation (13 evaluable), and 11 in expansion (10 evaluable). Most (92%) had new ALL (p190: 15/23, p210: 8/23; 8% had CML-LBC. Median age was 65 yrs (range 33 - 85; 8 pts 70+). Median WBC was 15.1 K/μL (range 0.9 - 251.9 K/μL). No pt had CNS disease. DL1 and DL2 enrolled 3 pts each without DLT. Two of 3 pts at DL3 developed asymptomatic CTCAEv4 gr 3 amylase elevation during C1 meeting original DLT criteria. A 4 th pt enrolled on re-opened DL3 under an amendment defining asymptomatic CTCAEv4 gr 3 amylase/lipase elevations persisting ≤5d to not be a DLT. This pt experienced an asymptomatic CTCAEv4 gr 3 lipase elevation meeting DLT criteria. Thus, the study de-escalated to DL2, re-opening under an amendment assessing DLTs via CTCAEv5. Of note, all DLTs at DL3 would be gr <3 per CTCAEv5. Four more pts (3 evaluable) enrolled at DL2 without a DLT. Thus, ASC 80 mg/d was declared the RP2D, and 11 pts age ≥18 yrs enrolled in an expansion cohort, 10 of whom initiated study treatment. No pt had symptomatic pancreatitis. Rates of molecular response after 3 cycles among all evaluable patients were 58.3% (14/24) for MRD 3.0 and 25.0% (6/24) for MRD 4.0. Evaluable pts with new ALL treated at the RP2D achieved molecular response rates after 3 cycles of 78.6% (11/14) for MRD 3.0 and 42.9% (6/14) for MRD 4.0. Both patients with imatinib-refractory CML-LBC progressed (C9, C3). Of those with ALL, 8 bridged to SCT after 2-8 cycles; 2 elected local care (C5, C7); 1 transitioned to ponatinib for inadequate response plus recurrent DAS pulmonary toxicity (C4); 6 remained on study treatment until disease progression (C4 - MRD+, C45, C11, C11); 3 remain on study. Correlative science evaluation of serial pt biospecimens in pursuit of predictive biomarkers will be shared at the meeting. Conclusion: Dual ABL1 kinase inhibition with ASC and DAS plus pred in BCR::ABL1+ ALL and CML-LBC is feasible and tolerable in adults with BCR::ABL1+ ALL and CML-LBC. DLTs at ASC 160 mg/d were asymptomatic amylase and lipase elevation, without clinical sequelae. ASC 80 mg/day was declared the RP2D, and an expansion cohort of 10 pts was completed. High rates of molecular response and bridging to transplant highlight encouraging preliminary activity. A phase II expansion cohort incorporating blinatumomab is now open.

Integrated community models: A framework combining multispecies data sources to estimate the status, trends and dynamics of biodiversity.

Data deficiencies among rare or cryptic species preclude assessment of community-level processes using many existing approaches, limiting our understanding of the trends and stressors for large numbers of species. Yet evaluating the dynamics of whole communities, not just common or charismatic species, is critical to understanding and the responses of biodiversity to ongoing environmental pressures. A recent surge in both public science and government-funded data collection efforts has led to a wealth of biodiversity data. However, these data collection programmes use a wide range of sampling protocols (from unstructured, opportunistic observations of wildlife to well-structured, design-based programmes) and record information at a variety of spatiotemporal scales. As a result, available biodiversity data vary substantially in quantity and information content, which must be carefully reconciled for meaningful ecological analysis. Hierarchical modelling, including single-species integrated models and hierarchical community models, has improved our ability to assess and predict biodiversity trends and processes. Here, we highlight the emerging 'integrated community modelling' framework that combines both data integration and community modelling to improve inferences on species- and community-level dynamics. We illustrate the framework with a series of worked examples. Our three case studies demonstrate how integrated community models can be used to extend the geographic scope when evaluating species distributions and community-level richness patterns; discern population and community trends over time; and estimate demographic rates and population growth for communities of sympatric species. We implemented these worked examples using multiple software methods through the R platform via packages with formula-based interfaces and through development of custom code in JAGS, NIMBLE and Stan. Integrated community models provide an exciting approach to model biological and observational processes for multiple species using multiple data types and sources simultaneously, thus accounting for uncertainty and sampling error within a unified framework. By leveraging the combined benefits of both data integration and community modelling, integrated community models can produce valuable information about both common and rare species as well as community-level dynamics, allowing for holistic evaluation of the effects of global change on biodiversity.

Provider perspectives on pain management practices and needs in pediatric dentistry

BackgroundDental pain is common yet understudied and often undertreated in youth. To improve pain management in pediatric dentistry, it is necessary to understand practices and perceptions among providers. The authors assessed pediatric dentists’ use of and attitudes toward evidence-based pain management (EBPM) strategies. MethodsThe authors used a 27-item online survey to assess attitudes about EBPM, pain management and assessment practices, tools for disseminating knowledge about EBPM, and opinions regarding priority areas for improving pain management. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings; open-ended items were analyzed thematically. ResultsParticipants (N = 625) were pediatric dentists (89.2%) and pediatric dentistry residents (10.8%). Most respondents agreed that pain management is an important aspect of clinical care and thought that improvements in pain management practices are needed. Providers reported spending the most time facilitating pain management during the procedure (compared with before or after), and 73.2% said they feel this is an adequate amount of time. Distraction, tell-show-do techniques, and supportive language were the most used nonpharmacologic pain management strategies, and providers’ observational approaches were used most frequently for pain assessment. Top priority areas for improving pain management were reported as developing tools for caregivers and provider resources on nonpharmacologic pain management (ie, continuing education courses). ConclusionsProviders reported high use of EBPM strategies, low use of validated pain assessment tools, and a particular interest for professional development opportunities and patient resources focused on nonpharmacologic pain management. Practical ImplicationsFindings from this survey can inform dissemination and implementation of science efforts to improve pain management in pediatric dentistry.

Vision Transformers and Transfer Learning Approaches for Arabic Sign Language Recognition

Sign languages are complex, but there are ongoing research efforts in engineering and data science to recognize, understand, and utilize them in real-time applications. Arabic sign language recognition (ArSL) has been examined and applied using various traditional and intelligent methods. However, there have been limited attempts to enhance this process by utilizing pretrained models and large-sized vision transformers designed for image classification tasks. This study aimed to create robust transfer learning models trained on a dataset of 54,049 images depicting 32 alphabets from an ArSL dataset. The goal was to accurately classify these images into their corresponding Arabic alphabets. This study included two methodological parts. The first one was the transfer learning approach, wherein we utilized various pretrained models namely MobileNet, Xception, Inception, InceptionResNet, DenseNet, and BiT, and two vision transformers namely ViT, and Swin. We evaluated different variants from base-sized to large-sized pretrained models and vision transformers with weights initialized from the ImageNet dataset or otherwise randomly. The second part was the deep learning approach using convolutional neural networks (CNNs), wherein several CNN architectures were trained from scratch to be compared with the transfer learning approach. The proposed methods were evaluated using the accuracy, AUC, precision, recall, F1 and loss metrics. The transfer learning approach consistently performed well on the ArSL dataset and outperformed other CNN models. ResNet and InceptionResNet obtained a comparably high performance of 98%. By combining the concepts of transformer-based architecture and pretraining, ViT and Swin leveraged the strengths of both architectures and reduced the number of parameters required for training, making them more efficient and stable than other models and existing studies for ArSL classification. This demonstrates the effectiveness and robustness of using transfer learning with vision transformers for sign language recognition for other low-resourced languages.

THU281 Real-World Survey Of Adherence To Guidelines Regarding Type 1 Diabetes And Aerobic Exercise

Abstract Disclosure: J.A. Henske: None. G. Beach: None. A. Albashaireh: None. Background: Managing hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia before, during, and after aerobic exercise remains one of the greatest challenges for those living with type 1 diabetes. Several publications offer guidelines and recommendations but it is not well established to what extent these are followed by those living with diabetes. In order to assess the implementation and awareness of these guidelines and in particular guidelines around risk of hypoglycemia and safety recommendations, we created an online survey which was posted to focused social media groups limited to adults with type 1 diabetes who run, jog, or walk for exercise. Results: The entire 96-question survey was completed by 102 adults with a mean age of 42 and a mean duration of diabetes of 20 years. The self-reported average HbA1c of respondents was 7.1%. 68% of respondents reported exercise 4 or more days per week. Average mileage was 23 miles per week. The respondents were predominantly female (69%), Caucasian (94%), and from the United States (78%). There was a high rate of technology use as 97% of respondents report using CGM and 75% are using insulin pumps. 80% reported learning about diabetes and exercise mostly from trial and error, 46% from social media, 32% from their medical team, 28% from online searches, some using multiple methods. 27% of respondents reported fear of hypoglycemia as a significant barrier to exercise and 36% reported increased glucose variability as a result of exercise. 19% of respondents reported having hypoglycemia unawareness. 3% reported never having symptoms of hypoglycemia at any glucose level, 21% feel first symptoms with BG <50mg/dL, 26% at 50-60 mg/dL, and 40% at 60-70mg/dL. Despite published guidelines, 73% reported that they exercise even if severe hypoglycemia <50mg/dL in the last 24 hours, 74% do not check for ketones even if unexplained hyperglycemia >250mg/dL prior to exercise. 11% reported exercising with ketones present in blood or urine. 10% reported developing DKA after exercise. 86% experienced the need to stop exercise due to hypoglycemia and 18% reported a severe hypoglycemic event during exercise. 49% report not wearing diabetes identification during exercise. 41% reported difficulty with overnight hypoglycemia after exercise. Conclusion: In a real-world survey of 102 individuals with relatively well-controlled type 1 diabetes (mean A1c 7.1%) who walk, run, or jog extensively for exercise (23 miles per week), hypoglycemia awareness and management is a significant concern and barrier for them. Implementation science efforts and increased awareness of current guidelines and development of an educational curriculum surrounding type 1 diabetes and exercise may prove helpful to improve outcomes. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

ELIXIR and Toxicology: a community in development.

Toxicology has been an active research field for many decades, with academic, industrial and government involvement. Modern omics and computational approaches are changing the field, from merely disease-specific observational models into target-specific predictive models. Traditionally, toxicology has strong links with other fields such as biology, chemistry, pharmacology and medicine. With the rise of synthetic and new engineered materials, alongside ongoing prioritisation needs in chemical risk assessment for existing chemicals, early predictive evaluations are becoming of utmost importance to both scientific and regulatory purposes. ELIXIR is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together life science resources from across Europe. To coordinate the linkage of various life science efforts around modern predictive toxicology, the establishment of a new ELIXIR Community is seen as instrumental. In the past few years, joint efforts, building on incidental overlap, have been piloted in the context of ELIXIR. For example, the EU-ToxRisk, diXa, HeCaToS, transQST, and the nanotoxicology community have worked with the ELIXIR TeSS, Bioschemas, and Compute Platforms and activities. In 2018, a core group of interested parties wrote a proposal, outlining a sketch of what this new ELIXIR Toxicology Community would look like. A recent workshop (held September 30th to October 1st, 2020) extended this into an ELIXIR Toxicology roadmap and a shortlist of limited investment-high gain collaborations to give body to this new community. This Whitepaper outlines the results of these efforts and defines our vision of the ELIXIR Toxicology Community and how it complements other ELIXIR activities.

Strengthening the evidence to improve health outcomes of children with perinatal HIV exposure.

The number of children exposed to HIV and possibly to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in utero and during breastfeeding and are uninfected (HEU) globally will continue to increase from the estimated 15.9 million in 2021. There are still significant gaps in our understanding of the impact of HIV and/or ART exposure in children who are HEU, in terms of prevalence/incidence and severity on health and wellbeing, and long after exposure has ended. While there have been substantial programmatic efforts to support the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, additional rigorous research is needed to better understand the biological, (psycho)social and structural factors contributing to optimal health for populations who are HEU. Furthermore, the best approaches to address and study the gaps in understanding also need to be explored. Given the scope of the problem including the large numbers of affected people as well as the often limited and competing in-country resources for populations affected by HIV, novel methodologies, including multi-level approaches and advanced analytics, need to be considered. A growing population of children who are HEU are maturing into adolescence and young adulthood. Research to advance understanding of the possible negative long-term effects of HIV and/or ART exposure in these youth is supported by the US National Institutes of Health. Both large epidemiological studies and smaller more comprehensive cohort studies may be required to address the complexity of the issue. Integrating both types of studies could allow the establishment of more reliable and validated predictions of which youth who are HEU are at the highest risk for specific negative health outcomes, such as mental health and neurocognitive disorders, and which interventional approaches may be most successful to address specific deficits both in terms of prevention and treatment. Finally, these goals can be more rapidly achieved with data science efforts, data harmonisation between studies and with sustainable data-sharing practices. It is important to expand the commitment to research to identify biological, social and structural drivers, to develop screening tools, and impactful and contextually appropriate interventions to address the health and wellbeing of children who are HEU from birth through adulthood.

Unpacking human systems in data science innovations: Key innovator perspectives

Despite optimistic forecasts, industry innovations in data science have extraordinarily high rates of failure. It is essential to minimise the failure of data science projects, for both businesses and data professionals. Human systems are critical to the success of data science innovations. However, the human aspects of innovation management are often neglected or omitted in most guidelines and frameworks for data science. This provides limited guidance about the necessary human conditions for successful data science innovations. In this article we address this concern by developing a systematic framework for understanding human systems that support data science innovations.We first reviewed the elements of human system at different levels of analysis and how they contribute to innovation. Substantial research and theory indicate successful innovation requires supports at different levels of organisations, which combine to create the organisation’s innovation capability. The review provided an initial framework for integrating human systems with data science innovations. Then, we drew on a series of interviews with key innovators engaged in developing current data science innovations. The interviews generated a more complete picture of human systems in practice. The findings support a range of practices to energise and facilitate innovation as an integral part of strategic planning and business processes. This study contributes to the advancement of innovation management theories and calls attention to guiding and engaging individuals through providing support and removing barriers to data science at different organisational levels. More practically, innovation managers could use this as a guide to optimise work systems and inform pathways to improve organisation data science efforts.

Prioritizing science efforts to inform decision making on public lands

Public land management agencies in the US are committed to using science‐informed decision making, but there has been little research on the types and topics of science that managers need most to inform their decisions. We used the National Environmental Policy Act to identify four types of science information needed for making decisions relevant to public lands: (1) data on resources of concern, (2) scientific studies relevant to potential effects of proposed actions, (3) methods for quantifying potential effects of proposed actions, and (4) effective mitigation measures. We then used this framework to analyze 70 Environmental Assessments completed by the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado. Commonly proposed actions were oil and gas development, livestock grazing, land transactions, and recreation. Commonly analyzed resources included terrestrial wildlife, protected birds, vegetation, and soils. Focusing research efforts on the intersection of these resources and actions, and on developing and evaluating the effectiveness of mitigation measures to protect these resources, could strengthen the science foundation for public lands decision making.

Cascading carrion: Opportunistic predation at deer gut piles

Carrion is increasingly recognized as an important part of food web ecology that impacts multiple trophic levels and creates an arena for multiple species interactions. The pulsed nature of hunter-derived carrion, in the form of gut piles, is a form of carrion that has been overlooked in the study of food webs and scavenger interaction. The Offal Wildlife Watching project aims to better understand scavenger species that benefit from offal and how they interact with each other and this resource. Through citizen science efforts by hunters and Zooniverse volunteers, we have collected and analyzed over 230,000 images of scavengers at white-tailed deer gut piles. At some gut piles, we have observed barred owls and bobcats both scavenging at hunter provided gut piles and preying on rodents that were also attracted to the gut pile. This interaction, made possible by a food subsidy that is historically novel in time and space, may have implications for rodent populations, predator survival and fecundity, and the activity patterns of both. Continued research and investigation will shed light on the impacts of cascading carrion on species interaction.

Ultra-sensitive detection of ecologically rare fish from eDNA samples based on the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a technology

Environmental DNA (eDNA) research holds great promise for improving biodiversity science and conservation efforts by enabling worldwide species censuses in near real-time. Current eDNA methods face challenges in detecting low-abundance ecologically important species. In this study, we used isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-CRISPR/Cas detection to test Ctenopharyngodon idella. RPA-CRISPR-Cas12a detected 6.0 eDNA copies/μL within 35min. Ecologically rare species were identified in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) using functional distinctiveness and geographical restrictiveness, with seven fish species (9%) classified as potentially ecologically rare including three species in this investigation. RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-FQ outperformed high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and qPCR in detecting low-abundance eDNA (AUC= 0.883∗∗). A significant linear correlation (R2= 0.682∗∗) between RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-FQ and HTS quantification suggests its potential for predicting species abundance and enhancing eDNA-based fish biodiversity monitoring. This study highlights the value of RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-FQ as a tool for advancing eDNA research and conservation efforts.

Decadal Survey White Paper Reprising 2012 Decadal Platforms Working Group report: Infrastructure needs for optimal system science efforts

Decadal Survey White Paper Reprising 2012 Decadal Platforms Working Group report: Infrastructure needs for optimal system science efforts

Al-Ghazali's Philosophical Theology and Its Relevance to the Polemic of Science and Islamic Theology During Pandemic Covid-19

<span lang="EN-US">This article covers philosophical theology and its relevance to the issues between Islamic theology and science during Pandemic COVID-19. There were numerous scientific discoveries on covid-19 such as its contagion, the importance of physical distancing, the importance of wearing the mask, the importance of avoiding crowds, vaccines, etc. All of them have been public consumption. As a consequence, there was religious dissent in Muslim society. The one group took science on its side and negated any communal worship without health protocol. The other group chose “Islamic theology” and still conducted any communal worship without health protocol. To answer this reality, it is important to see how al-Ghazali handled philosophy and Islamic theology in harmony. Like al-Ghazali, Muslim society should respect scientific discoveries concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not only appreciate the scientific discoveries but Muslim society also should keep in mind that the will and act of God are attached to the efforts of science to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.</span>

Giving fair credits to efforts in science and policy

International collaborations aim to solve global environmental issues. Academic work and science–policy interfaces are instrumental in this pursuit, although scholars often overlook their significance. There is a need for fair credit distribution, transparency, and diversity in academia and policy reports. Recognizing these factors can enhance inclusivity and equity, driving solutions.

Hierarchy in Law: Practical Approachh

Modern practical jurisprudence is faced with many difficulties caused by the inconsistency of the current legislation. The resolution of conflicts of norms of different legal force, collisions of general and special norms, temporal (temporary) collisions is an integral part of the law enforcer’s work. This problem is particularly topical in relation to the interference of legal norms of different legal force. A hierarchically arranged legal system presupposes internal coordination of legal acts. The classical principle of resolving conflicts between normative legal acts of different legal force is the rule of the priority of a norm of greater legal force. However, when Russia is concerned, the deceptive simplicity of this rule is complicated by the lack of a legal system of legal acts, as well as by the principle of federalism. The hierarchy under discussion is developed by the efforts of theoretical science. The article also discusses the problematic aspects of using the hierarchy of legal acts in case of their collision.

International legal standards regarding the fight against doping in professional sports

The article discloses the theoretical and applied provisions on the actual issues of combating doping in ofessional sports at the international and national levels, as well as a comparative analysis of combating doping by the World Anti-Doping Organization and the provisions of the national legislation of foreign countries, and offers a solution to effectively combating the use of doping in within the framework of domestic Ukrainian legislation.Among the many problems of modern professional sports, the problem of doping is gaining more and more relevance. It is extremely complex, as it includes closely interrelated medical, legal, political, moral, organizational, social and pedagogical aspects. The effectiveness of combating doping in sports largely depends on the system of its organization. However, it should be noted that the organizational foundations of the fight against doping were not seen by scientists. The main efforts of sports and medical science were aimed at studying the impact of doping on the body of a professional athlete, finding methods for its detection, biochemical components, as well as reducing the cost of doping control procedures and finding the simplest and most effective procedures. In this regard, the study of the organizational foundations of the fight against doping is relevant both from a theoretical and a practical point of view.Within the framework of this article, anti-doping legislation was investigated in order to determine a reasonable assessment of the existing system of combating doping in sports, identified the shortcomings and positive aspects of this system, its influence on the education of athletes, which allow to determine ways of increasing its effectiveness, forming an understanding of the role of combating doping in sports , the main trends of development and ways of increasing its effectiveness among athletes, trainers and specialists of the physical culture and sports movement.The relevance of the specified issue determines the need for its solution, as well as the application of research results in law enforcement practice and law-making activities.Based on the conducted research, the authors conclude that the humanistic mission of sports regarding anti-doping measures should be taken into account in the processes of combating doping. It is clear that the current fight against doping, which focuses on bans, is not working effectively. The new regulator of anti-doping measures must make decisions taking into account the specifics of each sport.

Leveraging health infrastructure to optimize HPV vaccination for adolescents in Zambia: Protocol for an implementation study.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Zambia, where HIV prevalence is also high (11.3%). HIV heightens the risk of developing and dying from cervical cancer. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can prevent 90% of cervical cancers, and in Zambia is recommended for adolescent girls ages 14-15 years, including those with HIV. Currently they mainly deliver HPV vaccination via school-based campaigns, which may exclude the most vulnerable adolescents-those out-of-school or who irregularly attend. Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) are more likely to have these vulnerabilities. Further, school-based campaigns are not tailored to the WHO-recommended HPV vaccination schedule for ALHIV (3 versus 2 doses). Integrating HPV vaccination into routine care in adolescent HIV clinics may ensure that ALHIV have access to vaccine at the WHO-recommended schedule. Such integration requires a multilevel approach, stakeholder engagement, and diversified implementation strategies, given known challenges of providing the HPV vaccine in LMICs, including Zambia. Our study aims to integrate HPV vaccination into routine care in adolescent HIV clinics. To achieve success, we will co-design a package of implementation strategies using a previously successful implementation research approach developed for cervical cancer prevention in LMICs: the Integrative Systems Praxis for Implementation Research (INSPIRE). INSPIRE is a novel, comprehensive approach to develop, implement, and evaluate implementation science efforts. Following key elements of INSPIRE, our specific aims are to: 1) Identify the unique multilevel contextual factors (barriers and facilitators) across HIV settings (rural, urban, peri-urban) that influence HPV vaccine uptake; 2) Use Implementation Mapping to translate stakeholder feedback and findings from Aim 1 into a package of implementation strategies to integrate HPV vaccine into HIV clinics; 3) Conduct a Hybrid Type 3 effectiveness-implementation trial to evaluate the package of multilevel implementation strategies for integrating HPV vaccine into HIV clinics. Our research team has strong support, technical expertise, and resources (e.g., vaccines) from the Zambian Ministry of Health; and political will for scale-up. This stakeholder-based implementation model has the potential to be transported to HIV clinics across Zambia and serve as a model to address cancer prevention priorities for those with HIV in other LMICs. To be registered prior to Aim 3, when implementation strategies finalized.

21 cm H-Line using Radio Telescope

Abstract: The value of the horn antenna has been demonstrated in radio astronomy applications. The usage of horn antennas is restricted to professional applications solely due to expensive and complicated technology. A low-cost, simple-to-build horn antenna for 21cm H-line applications has been designed. It can be used for outreach and popularization efforts in science at the high school and college levels as well as for educational purposes. The horn has an aperture measuring 75.4 x 58.7 cm2 and a gain of roughly 20 dB. The LNA and BPF, SDR, and signal processing software make up the receiver system. The project can be advanced to test out the rotation curve discovery for applications such as charting our galaxy and interferometry.