Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), a globally significant ornamental species, suffers severe economic losses from leaf spot disease caused by Corynespora cassiicola. Through detached-leaf assays screening 40 commercial cultivars, this study identified seven resistant cultivars ('Rivet', 'White Angel', 'Blue Danube', 'Flora', 'Fire Works', 'Spring Bird', and 'Inspiration') with distinct phenotypic clustering. Comparative analysis of resistant 'White Angel' (WA) versus susceptible 'Ocean Heart' (OH) revealed multilayered resistance mechanisms: WA exhibited 19.33% thicker leaves and significantly smoother epidermis (P < 0.05), alongside 3.11-fold higher leaf wax content dominated by C28-C32 fatty acids, primary alcohols, and alkanes. Scanning electron microscopy at 24 h postinoculation (HPI) demonstrated WA's structural defenses via significantly lower hyphal colonization and smaller stomatal apertures. Transcriptomic profiling identified six cuticular wax biosynthesis genes upregulated in OH at 24 HPI, whereas WA prioritized constitutive defenses with only two induced wax transporter genes (TRINITY_DN9458_c1_g1 and TRINITY_DN1615_c0_g1). These findings provide insights into the role of leaf tissue epidermal waxes in the hydrangea resistance to leaf spot disease, laying a foundation for understanding disease resistance mechanisms and breeding for disease-resistant hydrangea cultivars.

N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) is an RNA epigenetic modification, newly discovered to be catalyzed by the enzyme N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10). This study aimed to elucidate the functional role and regulatory mechanism of NAT10-mediated ac4C RNA modification in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and to explore its potential as a druggable target. Bioinformatics analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data was performed to assess NAT10 expression and its clinical correlation in HNSCC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted on differentially expressed genes from NAT10-high versus NAT10-low patients. The L1000 FireWorks Display (L1000FWD) platform was utilized to predict potential NAT10-targeting drugs. The anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of the top candidate, quetiapine, were validated through in vitro experiments, including binding assays, functional phenotyping (proliferation, migration, and apoptosis), and assessment of mitochondrial function via oxygen consumption rate (OCR) measurements. NAT10 was significantly upregulated in HNSCC, and its high expression was correlated with advanced tumor stage, higher grade, poor overall survival, and specific immune cell infiltration patterns. GSEA revealed a strong association between NAT10 and the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway. Quetiapine was identified as a top candidate targeting the NAT10-associated signature. In vitro experiments confirmed that quetiapine directly bound to NAT10, inhibited its expression, and reduced global ac4C levels. Quetiapine treatment potently suppressed HNSCC cell proliferation and migration, while promoting apoptosis. Mechanistically, quetiapine-mediated NAT10 inhibition downregulated key OXPHOS components and substantially decreased cellular OCR, indicating impaired mitochondrial respiration. NAT10 functions as a critical oncoprotein in HNSCC, potentially by enhancing OXPHOS-driven energy metabolism. The repurposed drug quetiapine suppresses tumor growth by targeting the NAT10/ac4C axis and disrupting mitochondrial respiratory function, positioning it as a promising therapeutic agent for HNSCC.

The publisher of Journal of Structural Fire Engineering wishes to retract the article Hai T. Nguyen, Nikolay Topolsky, Denis Tarakanov, Alexander Mokshantsev; Info-analytic technologies in the work of fire and rescue units using infrared technologies. Journal of Structural Fire Engineering 10 October 2020; 11 (4): 461-479. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSFE-03-2020-0010. It has come to our attention that there are concerns regarding the authorship and provenance of the article; as a result, the article’s findings cannot be relied upon. The decision to retract has been informed by COPE’s guidelines on retractions and Emerald’s publishing ethics. Emerald’s authorship policy guidelines make it clear that authorship is a fundamental aspect of transparency in the publication process and ensures accountability and responsibility for reported research. Despite multiple attempts to contact the authors, the journal has received no response; it should be noted that the contact addresses provided to the publisher on submission were found to be not legitimate institutional email accounts and are now invalid for all listed authors. The publisher of the journal sincerely apologizes to the readers.

This article examines a certain return to nature in Blanchot, particularly in his readings of Lautréamont, albeit one that cannot be reduced to the triumph of light over dark, dawn over night, and life over death. Building from the expanded scene of vegetal metamorphosis that concludes the recently published manuscript version of his novel Aminadab, I show how Blanchot eschews the vitalist, indeed humanist metaphysics that continue to define much work in ecocriticism, particularly in its new materialist, material-ecocritical or elemental-ecocritical offshoots. Drawing from Blanchot's major writings on Lautréamont—‘Lautréamont’ in Faux Pas (1943), ‘Lautréamont and Miller’ in The Work of Fire (1949) and ‘The Experience of Lautréamont’ in Lautréamont and Sade (1949)—as well as Derrida's unpublished Lautréamont seminar (1970–1), this article proposes a few reflections on what Lautréamont calls ‘our fate, which remains shackled to the hardened crust of a planet’.

Wherever consumer fireworks are used, incidents with eye injuries do occur. In Germany, their number has increased in the past nine years, a clear overrepresentation of minors and bystanders is documented. Eyes are affected by a very individual combination of thermal, chemical and mechanical impact, resulting in minor to most complex injuries to adnexes, eye surface, iris, lens, sclera and/or posterior segment. Diagnostics may be complicated and require a structured approach, that is proposed here. Open globe injuries and intraocular foreign bodies necessitate early surgical intervention. In thermal and chemical burns early rinsing and antiphlogistic therapy is major for prevention of scarring and secondary glaucoma. The need for early or late replacement of limbal stem cells may yet emerge. Consequences of blunt trauma can be traumatic cataract, phakic or pseudophakic lens luxation, ruptures to all structures of the eye with long-term effects such as retinal detachment, choroidal or retinal pigment epithelial rupture and formation of choroidal neovascular membranes (CNV). Medical and surgical strategies are discussed. Despite all proven and innovative care strategies of therapy, functional and cosmetic outcome of fire work induced eye injuries might be impaired. In cases of severe injuries, social security coverage and rehabilitation must be considered early on.

Women are contributing equally with males to the development of a healthy family, society, and nation. One indication of women's empowerment is socioeconomic level. This study is an innovative one concentrated on the classification and comparison of Socio-Economic Status (SES). Women along the evolution of a cognitive model. Many factors affect the socioeconomic level of women; consequently, an artificial neural network (ANN) model using Fire Work Optimization (FWO) is used to detect, forecast, and classify this status. Operating for optimization, FWO uses swarm intelligence. Training ANN for classification goals using FWO. The results of the experiment prove that FWO-ANN performed more efficiently giving 99.34 percent accuracy in classification. Other swarm optimization methods, such as Particle Optimization (PSO) and Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO), were not as accurate or efficient as the current model.

Firework burning can significantly contribute to emissions of ambient air pollutants such as particulate matters (PM), which might pose serious public health concerns. Nevertheless, environmental research and public health attention to this matter are limited in many countries, particularly in Korea where firework festivals remain popular in megacities. This study aimed to examine temporal and spatial patterns of ambient air pollution during large-scale firework festivals in two megacities of Korea, focusing on each event held in Seoul (the second highest population in the world, as a metropolitan area) and Busan (the second highest population in Korea) in 2023. We used self-matched exposure-crossover design to compare ambient air pollution trends on exposure-event days (firework festival dates) with those on reference days (one week before and after festival dates) to evaluate a sole contribution of firework display. We analyzed data from air quality monitoring stations and visualized spatiotemporal changes in concentrations of air pollutants (i.e., PM2.5, PM10, and SO2) during the festival period. Analysis of the Seoul festival revealed significant increases in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations following fireworks, with peaks reaching 320 and 371μg/m3. Similar patterns were observed after the Busan festival, with peak concentrations of 241 and 253μg/m3 for PM2.5 and PM10. These concentrations were 7.4-12.2 times higher than those observed on reference days. Spatiotemporal analysis demonstrated that PM2.5 and PM10 emitted from fireworks dispersed in the direction of wind. In contrast to high increases in PM2.5 and PM10, SO2 levels showed light increases after both festivals, with a peak concentration of 4.9ppb in Seoul and 5.7ppb in Busan. Considering the estimated attendance of about a million at each festival and the high-density population area around two firework locations, the potential health risk posed by firework-related air pollution is a significant public health concern.

The article examines the visual feminine personifications of Russia in the 18th century and their symbolic meaning, which is revealed in the analysis of the correlation of the figures of Russia and Russian empresses in the allegorical images of the post-Petrine era (in firework display scenes, medals, engravings, book and calendar frontispieces, illustrations, etc.). The characteristic features and attributes of the allegory of Russia, whose canons started in the 1730s, are important for interpreting the role of imperial power and the ruler’s personality in the post-Petrine culture. The personification of the state in the same visual sources manifested the ideas about the image of the Empire and Fatherland, significant for the Enlightenment. The author focuses her attention on the possible interpretations of the pair ‘Russia — Monarch’ and the motives for its implementation (the motive of Russia kneeling before the Empress, blessing her reign in front of the altar and glorifying her at the foot of the pyramid/obelisk). The distinctive features of the feminine allegory of Russia in the image of a ‘majestic wife’ with a complex of attributes are also shown. It is suggested that the symbolic relationship between the ruler / Empress and Russia embodied in visual texts should not be interpreted either as corresponding to the established metaphor of the Mother Empress (Catherine the Great), which became formulaic for the second half of the 18th century, or as the image of Mother Russia, characteristic of the 19th century.

Background Wildfire severity is increasing yearly owing to climate change, and fires pose serious threats to forest fire workers (FFWs). Effective management of their recruitment process is vital to mitigate risks, ensuring ongoing firefighting efficacy. Aims This study aimed to develop criteria to be used in the recruitment process of FFWs engaged in fighting forest fires in Turkey and to assess the validity and reliability of these. Methods A survey consisting of 5 questions and 30 items was designed to establish a recruitment scale for FFWs. A total of 682 personnel serving in ground teams participated in the survey. The recruitment scale was developed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Keyresults The FFWs recruitment scale that has been developed comprises 23 criteria. These criteria are collected into five factors, which are suitability for work, physical and mental condition, education, working conditions and self-management. Conclusions The EFA model explains 67.18% of the total variance. Goodness-of-fit indices collectively indicate that the CFA model fits the observed data very well. A multidimensional, reliable and valid recruitment scale has been designed. Implications The recruitment scale for FFWs can also be used in the preparation of national occupational standards and qualification criteria.

Signature pollutant identification is an important step in the forensic analysis of environmental pollution cases. This makes the process of source identification easier while making legal responsibility allocation less challenging. Massive firework displays (FWD) associated with festivals, though are short duration events, have the potential to severely deteriorate the air quality due to the quantity and toxicity of the pollutants involved. In this study, the emissions during a FWD associated with a festival were analysed to identify the signature pollutants that help in attributing the emissions to the FWD with a certainty demanded by legal institutions. The strategy involved speciation of the particulate matter sampled from the site for metals, investigating all possible sources of the metals observed through literature study and field investigations, and comparing their concentrations in samples collected before and after FWD. An elimination procedure was adopted, where those metals that do not show an increase after FWD and those that have other possible sources are excluded from the possible list of signature pollutants. The signature pollutants obtained for the case investigated were As, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Li, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn. The study also revealed serious violations, where metals legally banned for use in fireworks were observed in the emissions from FWD. The study presents a robust procedure for identifying signature pollutants that helps in attributing emissions to FWDs.

Cover Legend The 28th Congress of the APSR (https://apsr2024.hk/) will be held in Hong Kong, 7‐10 November 2024, hosted by the Hong Kong Thoracic Society (HKTS). Image credit: Fire Works in Victoria Harbour in CNY, by tHo_M@Sss on stock.adobe.comimage

Unintended workplace safety consequences of minimum wages

Abstract Workplace safety policies are designed to ensure that employers internalize the costs of injuries, but employers can undermine these policies with threats of dismissal. We show that states’ adoption of the public policy exception to at-will employment—an exception forbidding employers from firing workers for filing workers’ compensation claims or for whistleblowing—led to a substantial reduction in injuries. The widespread adoption of the public policy exception explains 14% of the decline in fatal injury rates between 1979 and 1994. Statutory protections from retaliatory firing also improved safety, but only when employers faced sufficiently strong penalties for violating them.

Child work is misuse of underage youngsters in any structures, constraining them to work wrongfully which damages or misuses them. This maltreatment might be physical, mental or sexual; denying the offspring of their privilege of essential training. . As per the International Labor Organization(ILO), " firework is the place youngsters are denied of their youth since they are compelled to work extended periods for next to zero cash, denied of trainings and in conditions destructive to their psychological and physical advancement." According to UNICEF, there are 250 million children matured between 5-14 years utilised as child work in creating nations out of which 120 millions work all day. Among the creating nations, India has the most elevated number of fireworks younger than 14 years which is roughly 12.6 millions. Youngsters are occupied with each part of the economy like match stick making, firecrackers, residential work, development, cover making industry, block furnaces, and so forth one of the spots where child labour is encountered the most is Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Children are the eventual fate of any country or network. As indicated by the International Labor Organization (ILO), if fireworks will be restricted and all youngsters get legitimate training, the world's absolute pay would be raised by about 22% more than 20 years, which is a record for more than $4 trillion. Restricting child work will help in boosting the economy of a nation. Be that as it may, the circumstances here are more terrible. Thus this paper to make a basic examination of the Child labour in fire worker industry and effects of it.

The final hymn of the Rigveda, 10.191, the last three stanzas of which are dedicated to saṃjñānam ‘unity’, plays in a remarkable way with the preposition/prefix sam(-) ‘with; together’ and the phonetic sequence mā̆n. Some of the words with mā̆n go back to Proto-Indo-European *men ‘think’ (mánas- ‘mind, intellect, thought’, mántra- ‘utterance, spell’, and mantraye ‘I utter an utterance, recite a spell’); others are forms of the adjective samāná- ‘common, the same’. This brief communication shows that the display of phonetic fireworks has analogs in our earliest hymns in Avestan and Greek, in which both reflexes of *men and etymologically unconnected words that have the same pattern of sounds are frequently found in the most “privileged positions”: the beginning and/or end of a section, poem, or entire poetic collection.

Forest fire workers (FFWs) operate in very difficult working conditions; they transport heavy equipment on rough and steep terrain and are exposed to high levels of noise, heat, stress, and smoke. Working in different fire sensitivity degree regions (FSDRs), FFWs experience occupational health and safety (OHS) problems as they are involved in dangerous and risky tasks. In Türkiye, which is a high risk country in terms of forest fires, there is no comprehensive and well-documented data regarding what FFWs think about OHS, taking into account all FSDRs. In this study, the views of FFWs in Türkiye regarding OHS training, first aid training, the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by FFWs, the quality of the equipment and ergonomic suitability levels were investigated. The Body Mass Index (BMI) parameters of FFWs were also calculated. In addition, occupational accidents experienced by FFWs and the relationship between these occupational accidents and taking on additional duties were examined with the Spearman ranking correlation coefficient. 962 FFWs participated in the survey, which consisted of four sections and 20 questions. Whether the data obtained differs between the four FSDRs was examined with the Chi-Square test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. There was a statistical difference between FFWs operating in the FSDRs in terms of OHS and first aid training. The quality of the majority of PPE and equipment used statistically differed between FFWs operating in the FSDRs. There was a statistical difference between FFWs operating in the FSDRs in terms of work accidents. Occupational accidents of FFWs and the relationship between these and taking on additional duties were examined and a positive correlation was found between the occupational accidents of FFWs and the additional duties assigned to them. The average height of the FFWs was 175.03 cm. and the average weight was 81.01 kg. 1.46% of the FFWs were underweight, 37.42% were of normal weight, 44.39% were overweight, 16.73% were obese. Although the health checks of the workers were carried out regularly, the BMI values were not at normal rates. Even though FFWs in Türkiye participate in OHS training at a high level, they cannot adequately reflect this training in their experiences. Regarding first aid, the level of participation or education was not sufficient. The General Directorate of Forestry (GDF) should increase the effectiveness of OHS training received by FFWs and their inspections on this issue.

New insights into the influences of firework combustion on molecular composition and formation of sulfur- and halogen-containing organic compounds

Fires occur almost every year on ships and ships under construction and repair. In the case of ship repair docks and shipyards, evacuation of people in case of fire is complicated by the volume of fire-hazardous and fire works. To solve this problem, it is proposed to use artificial intelligence technology, which will take into account the place of ignition, the rate of fire spread and the influence of fire hazards. &#x0D; To optimize and improve the efficiency of paperwork, it is proposed to use the technology of «big data» (Big Data). It will allow you to receive and analyze simultaneously several dozen processes taking place at the facility: routine maintenance, serviceability of fire protection systems and the availability of qualifications for an employee performing fire work. &#x0D; The practical significance of the proposed measures lies in their use to increase the effectiveness of fire prevention at shipbuilding facilities.

The article shows the history of the formation of the Russian fire services of the Russian Empire in the Russian North at the end of the XVIII–XIX centuries. An analysis of regulations on changes in the structure of fire services was carried out. The stage of creating professional fire brigades from fire workers on the police staff is shown. Professional fire brigades were of different types and had different sources of funding and management.

This special issue summarizes the research findings of the “Crowd Control Adaptive to Individual and Group Attributes” project, which is selected as a full-scale research project under the “Development of the Crisis Navigator for Individuals” prioritized theme of the JST Mirai Program.* Despite the lingering memory of the 2022 crowd accident in Itaewon, South Korea, similar accidents have occurred worldwide, including the firework display in Akashi, Japan, and the Love Parade in Germany. Addressing this social issue is imperative. To significantly reduce the risk of crowd accidents, this project aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying human flow stagnation and establish a method to effectively guide the flow of people. Our approach involves creating a mathematical model that can estimate the flow of people by considering individual and group attributes, such as wheelchair and group behavior, to accurately predict flow stagnation. Based on these predictions, we developed a system that provides individuals with information on movement and utilizes technology to guide crowd flow, drawing principles from game theory and nudge theory. This system is characterized by integrating information on human flow, environmental factors, simulation results for predicting future conditions, and crowd control measures within the Crowd Management Platform as a Service (CMPaaS). Furthermore, we conducted demonstration tests at shopping malls, train stations, and event venues, and found that it offers valuable guidance to achieve risk reduction effects at real-world sites. In this special issue, the first paper presents an overview of the newly created crowd management platform. Thereafter, it is organized into 16 articles presenting current research results categorized under Simulation, Theory, Control, Experiment, and Data Analysis, followed by a note on visitor trajectories in indoor facilities. We anticipate that the outcomes of this study will facilitate interdisciplinary research in this field and promote the social implementation of crowd management platforms to prevent crowd accidents, thus creating a society where everyone can move safely, securely, comfortably, and efficiently. * Mirai means “Future” in Japanese. The program is administered by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).