Priority Issues Research Articles

Assessment of Water Quality, Ecological and Health Risks of Inland Water Bodies in Mexico: A Case Study of Lake Chapala

Water security threatens the world's population, so the assessment of the quality of water in reservoirs is one of the priority issues and represents a challenge for the sustainability of ecosystems and the human population. The aim is to evaluate the physicochemical parameters and heavy metals of the water of Lake Chapala to evaluate its water quality, during the period 2010-2023, and to estimate the ecological and health risks. The results will provide valuable information on water quality management and protection of human health. The design is an ecological study, using water quality, pollution risk, ecological and health risk indices. The place and duration of the study is the Lake Chapala during the period 2010-2023. The methodology consisted of obtaining the quality data of the Water Lake Chapala through the State Water Commission, the National Water Commission and studies conducted by the University of Guadalajara. The analyses were conducted on a monthly basis from 2010 to 2023. Subsequently, the CWQI, WQI, NP, HPI, HEI, DC, PERI, HQ, HI, THI, CR and TCR indices were calculated to determine water quality and ecological and health risks. The results showed que the distribution of parameter concentration showed great spatial variation, but not temporal; the TDS, Turbidity, pH, Al, As, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn with percentages above the CCME standard, but most of them within the NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021. The heavy metals Al, As, Cr, Pb and Zn have concentration percentages of more than 100% with respect to the international standard. The remaining 14 parameters are within both national and international standards. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that none of the trace elements have positive correlations with each other. Water quality according to the WQI of 178 was categorized as poor quality, while for the CWQI almost all uses except grazing, water quality is poor (20-35). According to the NP index (3.8 to 670), the concentrations of heavy metals showed high levels of contamination. The HPI index (88.6) showed moderate to high levels of heavy metal contamination. The HEI index showed <10 levels, indicating low contamination. The DC had a value of 0.2-18.2, classified as a high degree of contamination. The PERI index showed that the ecological risk from heavy metals is high. Non-carcinogenic risk indices indicate that lake water is not suitable for drinking, and poses a high health risk via ingestion, while dermal contact does not pose a health risk to residential and recreational recipients. The carcinogenic risk index is negligible to acceptable. The conclusion is according to the water quality, ecological and health risk indices, the water quality of Lake Chapala is poor, with a high degree of contamination and represents ecological and health risks (non-carcinogenic). It is recommended that the use of lake water does not include its ingestion to avoid health problems, and it is important to take measures to sanitize the lake to avoid ecological and health risks.

Theories, determinants, and intervention models and approaches on inequalities of undernutrition amongst under fives: A literature review.

One of the greatest public health problems of the 21st century is undernutrition in children under the age of 5 years (CAUFY). Globally, over 232 million CUAFY are undernourished and approximately 45% of mortality in this population are undernutrition-induced. This paper reviewed and critically explained the factors perpetuating undernutrition in CUAFY in the global space. It further explained the multi-level determinants that influence health inequalities and consequently exacerbate undernutrition amongst CUAFY globally. It also went further to explain the intervention models and approaches that can be used to tackle undernutrition in CUAFY. Demiris et al.'s approach to narrative review was utilized for this paper. Relevant articles on child nutrition were retrieved from multiple credible databases and websites of foremost health organizations. Using an iterative process, multiple combinations of search terms were done by stringing relevant key terms and their synonyms with Boolean Operators. This process was constantly refined to align search results with the study aim. Database search produced relevant and resourceful publications which were utilized to develop this review. The global burden of undernutrition remains high, especially in Oceania with the highest prevalence of stunting and wasting (41.4% and 12.5%), with Africa and Asia following closely. Malnutrition eradication is a global health issue of high priority as demonstrated by the "Goal 2" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025. The review identified no significant positive outcome from previous interventions due to the endemic health inequalities. Determinants of the multi-level health inequalities associated with undernutrition in CUAFY, and probable solutions are explained with theoretical models of health inequalities. A diagonal intervention approach was proposed as a viable solution to ending undernutrition in CUAFY. The application of relevant theoretical models and context-specific intervention approaches can be utilized by stakeholders to close the existing inequality gaps, thereby reducing undernutrition amongst CUAFY globally.

Influence and Norm Entrepreneurship: Azerbaijan’s Strategic Deployment of Soft Power

In this article, it is mentioned that Azerbaijan’s strategic deployment of soft power across a variety of realms, including economic and public diplomacy, educational initiatives, and humanitarian leadership, is examined. It is clearly understood from this text that Azerbaijan is actively shaping global conversations and ideals, earning it the reputation of being a norm entrepreneur. Situated at the crossroads of cultural, economic, and political trends, the significance of leveraging its considerable energy resources and economic alliances to bolster its international standing is recognized by Azerbaijan. This analysis explores Azerbaijan as a norm entrepreneur and reveals its ability to respond quickly in crisis situations and global cooperation. At the same time, the article analyzes the priority issues that Azerbaijan has set before itself since the 1990s - issues such as the liberation of its lands from occupation, bringing these situations to the attention of the international community, and preventing all kinds of provocations, and the indispensable role of cultural and public diplomacy in this sense are analyzed. While highlighting the country’s commitment to global solidarity, the challenges posed by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the delicate balance required when using energy resources for political leverage are critically examined in the article. A considerable effort towards resolving the intricate connection between economic power and infrastructural improvements is made. Through ambitious projects like the Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, not only is Azerbaijan’s economic prowess enhanced but also its significance in ensuring energy stability in Europe is solidified. More than that, this fact is about widening economic exchanges, the importance of a single market, and enhancing Azerbaijan’s soft power through more cooperation.

AŞAĞI KURS TƏLƏBƏLƏRİNİN PRODUKTİV DİL VƏRDİŞLƏRİNİN TƏKMİLLƏŞDİRİLMƏSİ YOLLARI

Ways of Improving Productive Language Skills of Undergraduate Students Summary The presented article states that it is possible to help students engage in effective com-munica¬tion by using methods that improve undergraduate students’ productive language skills. Developing productive language skills in the process of English language teaching is very important in creating interactivity in English classes and activating students. The presented article examines possible ways of improving undergraduate students’ productive language skills, i.e. oral and written communication skills. The article states that teaching productive language skills, i.e. developing communication skills, understanding and sharing information is considered one of the priority issues in foreign language teaching. The process of developing undergraduate students’ productive language skills in English should be directed from simple to complex, from known to unknown in a purposeful and systematic way. Key words: language skills, modern methods, exchange of ideas, oral communication, writing skills

From Confrontation To Coexistence: An Appeal Opt-Out Arrangement As An Inclusive Approach To Revive The WTO Dispute Settlement System?

Resolving the crisis in the dispute settlement system is a priority issue for the reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Members have made sustained efforts in this regard. Since the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12), discussions on the dispute settlement system have entered a new phase, focusing on facilitator-organized meetings and proposals from Members. The reform negotiations have made some progress, but still face a number of significant challenges, in particular with regard to the appellate procedures. It is highly uncertain whether a comprehensive solution can be reached by 2024 as mandated by the MC12. Taking into account the different positions of Members and the imminent approach of the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13), this paper recommends that Members show more pragmatism and flexibility, puts forward a compromise proposal to establish a multilateral arrangement that would allow Members to opt out of the appellate review process under the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes ( DSU), and argues that this could be conducive to restoring a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system. WTO, Appellate Body Crisis, Dispute Settlement Reform, Opt-out Arrangement

Losses in fishery ecosystem services of the Dnipro river Delta and the Kakhovske reservoir area caused by military actions in Ukraine

We studied the development of commercial and recreational fishing on the Kakhovske Reservoir (aka Kakhovka) and the Dnipro (aka Dnieper) River lowlands in 2020–2023. The fish assemblage of the Kakhovske Reservoir is under consideration for the period 1956–2021. The dynamics of the fish population transformation, species extinction, and the emergence of new invasive species are given. The losses in Kakhovske Reservoir’s ecosystem services as a result of the Kakhovska Hydroelectric Power Plant’s (HPP) Dam explosion in June 2023 are analyzed. The states and prospects for local recreational and commercial fishing development are assessed. By field research and monitoring observations of the Kakhovske Reservoir and the Dnipro River lowland using the Earth remote sensing data, it was established that 2 months after the accident, the area of the remained reservoir water surface was ∼430 km2 (about 19% of the initial, including the restored Dnipro River bed). The newly formed shallow waterbodies, which do not have a water connection between each other, occupy an area of about 300 km2. These areas continue to dry out, shrink, and become overgrown with vegetation. The draining of the Kakhovske Reservoir caused an ecological disaster for about 40 species and subspecies of fish. The total monetary losses of commercial fishing are about $5.5 million annually. Losses in fishery from the vanishing of spawning grounds are estimated at 20,000 tons of fish resources (∼$40 million). The negative consequences of the loss of the Kakhovske Reservoir aquatic ecosystems will affect the socio-economic development of the entire South of Ukraine for a long time. Among the major ecosystem services lost is the cessation of water supply. Ukraine’s priority issues are the post-war rehabilitation of the country, its degraded lands, territories, and water areas, and ensuring water and food security. One of the urgent problems will be the feasibility of reconstruction of the Kakhovska HPP’s Dam and restoration of the Reservoir, renovation of water supply, fishery, navigation, energy, and recreation. Biodiversity is a basis for the efficient and sustainable ecosystem functions that provide many ecosystem services, and it should be considered for the post-war recovery and development of Ukraine.

Why does a public health issue (not) get priority? Agenda-setting for the national burns program in India.

There is growing scholarly interest in what leads to global or national prioritisation of specific health issues. By retrospectively analysing agenda-setting for India's national burn program, this study aimed to better understand how the agenda-setting process influenced its design, implementation, and performance. We conducted document review and key informant interview with stakeholders and used a combination of analytical frameworks on policy prioritisation and issue framing for analysis. The READ (Readying material, Extracting data, Analysing data and Distilling findings) approach was used for document reviews, and qualitative thematic analysis was used for coding and analysis of documents and interviews. The findings suggest three critical features of burns care policy prioritisation in India: challenges of issue characteristics, divergent portrayal of ideas and its framing as a social and/or health issue, and over-centralisation of agenda setting. First, lack of credible indicators on the magnitude of the problem and evidence on interventions limited issue framing, advocacy, and agenda-setting. Second, the policy response to burns has two dimensions in India: response to gender-based intentional injuries and the healthcare response. While intentional burns have received policy attention, the healthcare response was limited until the national program was initiated in 2010 and scaled up in 2014. Third, over-centralisation of agenda setting (dominated by a few homogenous actors, located in the national capital, with attention focussed on the national ministry of health) contributed to limitations in program design and implementation. We note following elements to consider when analysing issues of significant burden but limited priority: the need to analyse how actors influence issue framing, the particularities of issues, the inadequacy of any one dominant frame, and the limited intersection of frames. Based on this analysis in India, we recommend a decentralised approach to agenda setting and for the design and implementation of national programs from the outset.

Determining Risk Management Priorities and Suggesting Strategies in the Management of Family Health Centres

Aim: The purpose of this study is to identify the risks faced by decision-makers in the management of Family Health Center (FHC) and to propose strategies according to their relative importance. Materials and Methods: Eight different risks were identified as a result of the literature review. In order to evaluate the identified risks, four different physicians with at least ten years of managerial experience in FHCs and two health managers with at least ten years of experience in their field were included in the study. SWARA (Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) method was used to evaluate and analyze the opinions. SWARA method is a weight calculation method based on expert opinions developed for the finalization of decision problems. Results: According to the results of the analysis, experts ranked financial risks (%27), clinical and patient safety risks (%21), and operational risks (%15) as the most important risks, respectively. Hazard risks (%4) were assessed as the least risky in relative terms. For FHCs to carry out their activities effectively, financial risks should be minimized first. Conclusions: Additional measures should be taken by the public for the use and rental of FHCs. Diversification of other sources of income can be ensured by expanding the health services provided beyond the resource transfer linked to the public budget. Regional investment and incentives can be developed by municipalities. Strengthening data protection policies to assess the compliance of medical practices with legal standards and to ensure the security of personal patient data can also reduce legal risks. In FHCs, general safety issues, especially patient safety, are also priority issues that should be investigated and legislation should be developed. In addition, management courses/training can be added to the family medicine specialty curriculum to improve the managerial skills of physicians.

Inclusive Labor Market and Participation of Person with Disabilities: Case Study in Indonesia, Denmark, France, and Ireland

An inclusive labor market for persons with disabilities is one of the priority issues discussed in the G20, especially in the Employment Working Group (EWG) field. Typically, the number of individuals with disabilities participating in the labor market is lower than that of their non-disabled counterparts, mainly due to the company’s reluctance to hire disabled workers. This study aims to investigate the impact of disability on participation in the inclusive labor market. This research uses panel data from four countries - Indonesia, Denmark, France, and Ireland - spanning the years 2016 to 2021, sourced from the International Labor Organization (ILO). The variables used to determine the factors that influence the participation of individuals with disabilities in the labor market are their educational level, the number of disabled individuals in rural areas and their average income. By using the Fixed Effect Model, it is known that people with disabilities who have received education and the number of people with disabilities living in urban areas have a positive and significant effect on the participation of people with disabilities in the labor market. Meanwhile, the average income of people with disabilities has a negative and insignificant effect on the participation of people with disabilities in the labor market. Efforts to increase the participation of people with disabilities in the labor market are important as welfare reform, indicators of the success of inclusive development and poverty alleviation among groups of people with disabilities.

Artificial intelligence for family medicine research in Canada: current state and future directions: Report of the CFPC AI Working Group.

To understand the current landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) for family medicine (FM) research in Canada, identify how the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) could support near-term positive progress in this field, and strengthen the community working in this field. Members of a scientific planning committee provided guidance alongside members of a CFPC staff advisory committee, led by the CFPC-AMS TechForward Fellow and including CFPC, FM, and AI leaders. This initiative included 2 projects. First, an environmental scan of published and gray literature on AI for FM produced between 2018 and 2022 was completed. Second, an invitational round table held in April 2022 brought together AI and FM experts and leaders to discuss priorities and to create a strategy for the future. The environmental scan identified research related to 5 major domains of application in FM (preventive care and risk profiling, physician decision support, operational efficiencies, patient self-management, and population health). Although there had been little testing or evaluation of AI-based tools in practice settings, progress since previous reviews has been made in engaging stakeholders to identify key considerations about AI for FM and opportunities in the field. The round-table discussions further emphasized barriers to and facilitators of high-quality research; they also indicated that while there is immense potential for AI to benefit FM practice, the current research trajectory needs to change, and greater support is needed to achieve these expected benefits and to avoid harm. Ten candidate action items that the CFPC could adopt to support near-term positive progress in the field were identified, some of which an AI working group has begun pursuing. Candidate action items are roughly divided into avenues where the CFPC is well-suited to take a leadership role in tackling priority issues in AI for FM research and specific activities or initiatives the CFPC could complete. Strong FM leadership is needed to advance AI research that will contribute to positive transformation in FM.

CircRNAs as New Therapeutic Entities and Tools for Target Identification in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetically extremely heterogeneous disease. Drug resistance after induction therapy is a very frequent event resulting in poor medium survival times. Therefore, the identification of new targets and treatment modalities is a medical high priority issue. We addressed our attention to circular RNAs (circRNAs), which can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in AML. We searched the literature (PubMed) and identified eight up-regulated and two down-regulated circ-RNAs with activity in preclinical in vivo models. In addition, we identified twenty-two up-regulated and four down-regulated circRNAs with activity in preclinical in vitro systems, but pending in vivo activity. Up-regulated RNAs are potential targets for si- or shRNA-based approaches, and down-regulated circRNAs can be reconstituted by replacement therapy to achieve a therapeutic benefit in preclinical systems. The up-regulated targets can be tackled with small molecules, antibody-based entities, or other modes of intervention. For down-regulated targets, up-regulators must be identified. The ranking of the identified circRNAs with respect to therapy of AML will depend on further target validation experiments.

“I want to see them thrive!”: exploring health service research priorities for young Aboriginal children growing up in Alice Springs – a qualitative study

To better understand the specific influences of early life on the long-term health and well-being of local Aboriginal children in Alice Springs, high-quality local longitudinal data is required. The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute are exploring the feasibility of establishing a cohort study to fill this gap. A nested qualitative study was conducted to identify priority issues that can be translated into research questions answerable through the proposed cohort study. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with a range of key community stakeholders, parents and caregivers of young Aboriginal children from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory between 2020 and 2021. Two Aboriginal and two non-Aboriginal researchers conducted 27 interviews and 3 FGDs with 42 participants. Three broad themes were constructed through reflexive thematic analysis representing the areas of focus community stakeholders and parents want future research to prioritise: (1) social determinants of health (2) building positive connections, and (3) making sure kids grow up strong and healthy. Priority setting for future research should be driven by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in order to be of practical benefit to their community. This qualitative study found that housing, transport and positive connections through nurturing and engaged parents were some of the most important issues raised. Participants also wanted future research to focus on issues specific to children such as nutrition, hearing loss, language development and capacity to learn. These findings will guide future work led by local Aboriginal researchers to co-design the proposed cohort study.

Survey of Wideband Acoustic Immittance Use by Clinical Audiologists.

Wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) is a promising measure of middle-ear mechanics. In contrast to standard tympanometry, which is generally measured at a single stiffness-dominated low frequency, WAI detects mechanical effects on both the mass and stiffness properties of the middle ear across a wide range of frequencies, resulting in a more comprehensive assessment of middle-ear mechanics in healthy and pathological ears. Despite a plethora of research demonstrating the clinical utility of this measure, clinical adoption of WAI is still limited. This work explores audiologists' use and perceptions of WAI, with the goal of identifying the barriers to its clinical adoption. A survey on the perception and use of WAI by clinical audiologists in the United States was developed and administered using the Research Electronic Data Capture application. The survey was distributed broadly across the United States. Participation was voluntary and anonymous, and no compensation was provided. Findings from 132 survey respondents across 32 states were included in the analyses. Overall, findings suggest the largest barriers to clinical adoption of WAI are lack of access to equipment that measures WAI and lack of training and/or confidence in measuring or interpreting WAI. Several barriers to clinical adoption of WAI were identified. However, findings also provide optimism in that audiologists utilizing WAI find it more useful than standard tympanometry, and most audiologists who do not currently use WAI are open to implementing the measure in their clinical practice. We proposed steps to address the highest priority issues and increase the clinical viability of WAI.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of biomarkers in atopic dermatitis for assessing its endotypes, phenotypes, and treatment efficacy

Atopic dermatitis is a highly heterogeneous disease that usually requires a tailored approach to therapy. Recent studies have described a variety of biomarkers linked to diverse pathophysiological aspects of atopic dermatitis. Furthermore, they have provided encouraging evidence supporting high clinical importance of these biomarkers as promising tools for personalized diagnosis, assessment of disease severity, and monitoring of treatment efficacy. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of research progress on atopic dermatitis biomarkers, their diagnostic and prognostic value, as well as the benefits they might potentially offer not only for determining the disease endotype, but also for developing novel management strategies. The implementation of easily accessible and simple methods to measure atopic dermatitis biomarkers into clinical practice is an ambitious task for allergologists and dermatologists. A detailed overview of currently available data will allow us to identify the most important trajectories for future research in this area that will promote the concept of personalized atopic dermatitis therapy, reduce the disease burden, and improve the quality of life of patients.

Applying ADDIE Model to Develop Multimedia Lessons for Adolescent Reproductive Health Education in Uganda

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a multimedia application intervention for adolescent sexual reproductive health education in secondary schools in Uganda. The lack of access to quality reproductive health education and services, exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, contributes to unplanned pregnancies, health complications, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among adolescents in Uganda. Researchers and teachers collaborated to create multimedia lessons covering topics such as sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and SGBV for adolescents in participating schools. The educational content and format were co-designed to better incorporate the local context and address priority issues by involving end users of the software (adolescents and their teachers) as content contributors during the development phase. The innovative multimedia application was developed using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. A student manual was also created as a teaching tool, providing educators with lesson introductions and guiding questions for post-lesson group discussions. The manual includes a simplified print version of the educational content, ensuring that students and teachers in schools without ICT resources can benefit from the intervention. Questionnaires were developed and administered to 14 Results indicate that all 14 trained teachers demonstrated improved knowledge about the use of multimedia applications to deliver adolescent-friendly sexual reproductive health (SRH) education. Additionally, all 14 teachers self-reported that the multimedia application is a feasible and acceptable method to deliver adolescent-friendly SRH education.

El ADN extracelular: un elicitor novedoso en la agricultura

Plants, being sessile organisms, use the recognition of molecules called elicitors to act in different stress situations. These elicitors are a diverse group of molecules of biogenic origin that include proteins, polysaccharides, and lipopolysaccharides, among others. These molecules are capable of modifying physiological, metabolic, and genetic responses to achieve an appropriate response to events that cause a cellular imbalance such as physical damage, infections, or other alterations. Extracellular DNA (eDNA) has been recognized as a relevant plant elicitor in recent years due to the effect caused when it is applied in different doses, so its study has become a priority issue. For this reason, this work includes an overview of the different types of elicitors used in the agricultural industry, emphasizing studies that include eDNA as a plant elicitor. In addition, a perspective of using eDNA as a possible elicitor of beneficial microorganisms is included, which generates new research areas that will benefit the development of this technology.

IMPACT OF ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMMES ONBACTERIAL RESISTANCE LEVEL IN THE UAE: A SYSTEMATICREVIEW

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that needs to be addressed immediately due to its huge clinical and economic burden ((WHO, 2021a). The death toll associated with antimicrobial resistance approached 5 million cases in 2019 while total cost that can impact the whole society is around £10 billion each year (Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators, 2022: Smith and Coast, 2012). Eventually, this has motivated the World Health Organization (WHO) to set a global action plan to counteract the antimicrobial resistance all-over the world as a priority issue (WHO, 2015). In 2015, the United Nations (UN) released the updated Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) that is aiming to improve the public health and general well-being of the globe through tackling 17 topics. Treatment and prevention for multiple common infections such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), malaria, tuberculosis and others were among the main targets in its agenda (UN, 2019). In UAE, although several initiatives have been adopted such as launching antimicrobial stewardship programmes and surveillance programmes, antimicrobial resistance is still an unresolved issue (National sub-committee for AMR surveillance, 2021 UAE Higher Committee for Antimicrobial Resistance, 2019). The resistance of Acinetobacter species to several cephalosporins and penicillins exceeded 20% (National sub-committee for AMR surveillance, 2021). Current evidence available publicly does not include a systematic review that is evaluating the effect of antimicrobial stewardship programmes on bacterial resistance level in UAE. With the scarcity of data and complexity of the issue, it is important to conduct this systematic review to assess the impact of these programmes on bacterial resistance level and identify gaps and challenges in the implementation.

Assesing the knowledge, perception, and attitude of wildlife management students toward biodiversity conservation in Nigeria

AbstractDespite intensified media campaigns and heightened emphasis on classroom instruction, recent international research has reported that young people are still failing to acknowledge biodiversity conservation as an issue of high priority. This study assessed students' knowledge, perception, and attitude toward biodiversity conservation in three Federal Universities offering Wildlife Management course in Southwestern Nigeria. A total of 159 respondents (15% sampling intensity) were surveyed using a structured questionnaire between July and December 2021. The findings revealed that most students had low knowledge of biodiversity conservation. This result is quite shocking given that they were enrolled in wildlife management courses. On the other hand, they had favorable attitudes and perceptions. The result further revealed that students in University of Ibadan had better attitude and perception. We concluded that there is a need to develop and teach programs and curricula that encourage and sustain the interests of wildlife students in biodiversity conservation.

The Impact of Priority in Coordinated Traffic Lights on Tram Energy Consumption

Traffic signal priority issues have been a research subject for several decades in Poland and worldwide. Traffic control algorithms have evolved considerably during this period and have become increasingly advanced. Most of them operate within coordinated street sequences, which adds to their complexity. Tramway priority affects traffic conditions for other road users, so many aspects must be taken into account when choosing a priority solution. Typically, one of the main criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of priority is reducing travel time for the priority vehicle while ensuring that the travel times of other traffic participants through the intersection are maintained or slightly deteriorated. However, the energy aspects are often overlooked. This publication aims to investigate how local priority for tramways in traffic signals of coordinated streets affects energy consumption for tramway traction needs. The study was conducted using a microscopic modeling method with PTV Vissim software (ver. 2021). The models were built for coordinated sequences with different levels of priority. Real traffic control algorithms with priority were implemented into the model on the sequence of Marymoncka Street and Grochowska Street in Warsaw. Then, by introducing changes to the parameters of the algorithms, their effect on traffic characteristics, including estimated power consumption, was studied. The results obtained from the computer simulation were statistically processed using R software (ver. 4.3.2). The analysis results prove the effectiveness of tramway priority operation, show its impact on electricity consumption, and allow us to determine the limits of its effective application. Thus, they complement the knowledge of the impact of tramway priority on traffic. The research results also have practical value, as they help us to make rational decisions in the process of designing traffic control algorithms at intersections with a multi-criteria approach.

Investigation of the water treatment performance of cyclodextrin functionalized-graphene oxide incorporated new generation nanoporous polymeric composite membranes

It is of great importance to meet the need for clean and usable water in the world, which is one of the main priority issues of the European Foresight Platform action plan, and to improve and develop existing technologies in this regard. Membrane technology is one of the most used technologies in water treatment, which can be easily and economically modernized. In this study, we aimed to eliminate some disadvantages that affect the performance and cost of membranes, such as physical/chemical stability and contamination of the surface, by incorporating cyclodextrin derivatives (x-CDs, x: α,β,γ) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Membrane performance studies such as contamination tests using water permeability, bovine serum albumin (BSA), flux, and arsenic (As) removal in the table-top pilot system were examined and compared for each composite membrane prepared at different rates. The results showed that the salt rejection values were ranked as Na2SO4 > NaCl> MgSO4 > MgCl2 according to the salt type and it increased depending on the amount of substance. Besides, the arsenate removal studies were performed with the prepared membranes and it was observed that a maximum of 87.6% of the As was removed from the groundwater sample obtained from the Emet (Kütahya/Turkey) district.