Processing Steps Research Articles

40 years of homeodomain transcription factors in the Drosophila nervous system.

Drosophila nervous system development progresses through a series of well-characterized steps in which homeodomain transcription factors (HDTFs) play key roles during most, if not all, phases. Strikingly, although some HDTFs have only one role, many others are involved in multiple steps of the developmental process. Most Drosophila HDTFs engaged in nervous system development are conserved in vertebrates and often play similar roles during vertebrate development. In this Spotlight, we focus on the role of HDTFs during embryogenesis, where they were first characterized.

Design Thinking with AI

Abstract This research paper focuses on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications to enhance the teaching of design thinking, aiming to provide a more effective and captivating educational experience. Design thinking, a creative problem-solving approach commonly taught in universities, emphasizes fostering students' creativity for innovative solutions to complex problems. Typically, workshops employ a straightforward toolkit comprising paper, stickers, markers, and prototyping materials. However, in response to students' pronounced interest in emerging technologies, this study investigates the integration of technology, specifically AI, into the teaching of the design thinking method. Conducting an analysis of scholarly articles published within the last two years, during the rise in popularity of AI applications such as Midjourney or ChatGPT, the paper examines the intersection of technology and pedagogy. The focus is on exploring how each step of the design thinking process can be enhanced through AI, elucidating potential limitations of employing this technology in teaching creative problem-solving, and determining the optimal balance between human creativity and machine learning. The overarching goal is to glean insights into successfully training students in the field of design thinking. It is important for educators to model responsible use of ChatGPT, prioritise critical thinking, and be clear about expectations. Educators need to present students the ethical implications of AI in education underlining the importance of skill and knowledge development rather than reliance on AI systems.

Evidence, what’s in a name? Some methodological remarks on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach for guideline development

The GRADE approach was developed to provide a standardized approach to guideline development. GRADE has increased the transparency of the different steps in the guideline development process. However, GRADE should not be seen as the magic bullet that removes all uncertainty and resolves all debates in the scientific community. This is especially true in the context of rare disease such as hemophilia when a guideline is based on low-quality evidence.

Body Mass Index as a Factor Influencing Oocyte Competence and Implantation Potential – Distribution and Results in 4,882 Women Undergoing Fertility Treatment

Abstract Introduction The large amount of excess adipose tissue affects negatively every single step of the assisted reproductive treatment process – from the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) to obstetric complications and health consequences for the fetus. A number of scientific data show correlation between impaired clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) and obese patients maintaining high body mass index (BMI). The debate whether high proportion of body fat negatively affects oocyte quality or only impacts endometrial receptivity remains open. Aim The aim of this study is to investigate the specific effect of the different BMI range in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment with reference to oocyte quality, fertilization capacity and Implantation potential. Materials and methods We analyzed a total of 4,882 women from partner couples who underwent ART treatment. Height and weight data were entered at the start of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure. According to their BMI the female patients were divided in four distinct groups: in group 1 (underweight and BMI below 18.5 kg/m2) – 498 women, group 2 (normal range from 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2) – 3021 women, group 3 (overweight with BMI between 25 – 29.9 kg/m2) – 789 women and group 4 (obese with BMI over 30 kg/m2) - 484 women. Results Distribution of the women in different BMI groups indicates that most of the Bulgarian patients undergoing fertility treatment are in the normal range. No association between BMI and ovarian response was found. A total of 33,205 oocytes were obtained after the COH. The mean numbers of the retrieved oocytes were similar (6,85 in group 1; 6,83 in group 2, 6,77 in group 3 and 6,67 in group 4) per woman and the fertilization rate was comparable in the four groups as it varies between 74-75%. Proportional categories of good, fair and bad embryos at cleavage stage were found. On the contrary according to CPR, Statistical difference between normal weight group (34,38%) versus overweight (29,6%) and obese groups (28,80%) (p < 0,05) was found. Conclusion No correlation was found between the number of the retrieved oocytes and BMI values. Statistically lower pregnancy rates were reported in overweight women with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 group and further onwards in the obesity group (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), which may be associated with impaired endometrial receptivity as a result of abnormally high levels of adipose tissue.

Litopenaeus vannamei heat shock protein 90 (LvHSP90) interacts with white spot syndrome virus protein, WSSV322, to modulate hemocyte apoptosis during viral infection

As cellular chaperones, heat shock protein can facilitate viral infection in different steps of infection process. Previously, we have shown that the suppression of Litopenaeus vannamei (Lv)HSP90 not only results in a decline of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection but also induces apoptosis in shrimp hemocyte cells. However, the mechanism underlying how LvHSP90 involved in WSSV infection remains largely unknown. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid assay and co-immunoprecipitation revealed that LvHSP90 interacts with the viral protein WSSV322 which function as an anti-apoptosis protein. Recombinant protein (r) LvHSP90 and rWSSV322 inhibited cycloheximide-induced hemocyte cell apoptosis in vitro. Co-silencing of LvHSP90 and WSSV322 in WSSV-infected shrimp led to a decrease in expression level of viral replication marker genes (VP28, ie-1) and WSSV copy number, while caspase 3/7 activity was noticeably induced. The number of apoptotic cells, confirmed by Hoechst 33342 staining assay and annexin V/PI staining, was significantly higher in LvHSP90 and WSSV322 co-silenced-shrimp than the control groups. Moreover, the co-silencing of LvHSP90 and WSSV322 triggered apoptosis by the mitochondrial pathway, resulting in the upregulation of pro-apoptotic protein expression (bax) and the downregulation of anti-apoptotic protein expression (bcl, Akt). This process also involved the release of cytochrome c (CytC) from the mitochondria and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). These findings suggest that LvHSP90 interacts with WSSV322 to facilitate viral replication by inhibiting host apoptosis during WSSV infection.

Questionnaire survey and analysis of drug clinical research implementation capabilities of breast cancer treatment departments in Chinese hospitals.

e23257 Background: Clinical research competence determines the quality of clinical research and the reliability of research findings and is vital in the development of new antitumor drugs and the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Our study aimed to explore the clinical research implementation capabilities of breast cancer treatment departments in China and to analyze the differences among regions, departments and different hospital classifications. Methods: This was a department-based cross-sectional study conducted in the form of electronic questionnaires in China from 7th August to 31st August 2023; this study was initiated by the breast cancer expert committee of the National Cancer Center (NCC). The questionnaire was designed on the Wenjuanxing platform. Our study was conducted among the first batch of breast cancer standardized diagnosis and treatment quality control pilot centers, which includes 200 hospitals selected by the NCC on the basis of the level of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, surgery volume and other factors. The centers cover 30 provinces, and all of them are tertiary-level general hospitals or cancer hospitals. Results: A total of 127 questionnaires from 122 hospitals were ultimately included in the analysis. Medical personnel involved in the clinical research of 118 (92.9%) departments received good clinical practice (GCP) training. A total of 89.3% (109/122) underwent centralized institutional review board (IRB) review. The steps of the approval process from research initiation to completion lasted 2-4 weeks or longer. The majority of departments initiated or participated in 2 or fewer clinical research projects over the past year. Among the differences between different departments, the Department of Medical Oncology had a better qualification profile and process and greater number of initiated and participated clinical studies than did the Department of Surgical Oncology. There were more patients enrolled in registered clinical trials in specialized cancer hospitals than in general hospitals (50 and below, 50-200, and more than 200 patients from specialized cancer hospitals vs. general hospitals: 39.1%, 52.2%, and 8.7% vs. 76.9%, 16.4%, and 6.7%, respectively; p = 0.001). For needs and problems, most of the departments were strongly willing to undertake clinical research and receive professional training; the most common problem in the process of conducting studies was patient recruitment. Conclusions: Most departments generally exhibited complete capabilities for implementing clinical research. Improvements in implementation efficiency, quality and quantity of research and patient recruitment are still needed. Professional training and communication, as well as the recommendation and implementation of clinical research, are required in future development.

Production of ammonium nitrate for nitrogen recovery in a single bioreactor operating at pH 3

Ammonium nitrate (AN), i.e. NH4NO3, is extensively utilized in agricultural, mining, and civil construction sectors, with an annual production of approximately 16 million tons. Although the biological nitrification processes has been proven to be an important alternative to overcome the intensive energy consumption of the conventional chemical process for AN production, it necessitates ample chemical input for stable performance. This study marks the first demonstration of stable AN production from ammonium-rich wastewater employing a purely microbial-derived one-stage process, without the need for external chemical addition. This process functioned through an acidophilic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), i.e., Candidatus (Ca.) Nitrosoglobus, which oxidized the ammonium in the feed to nitrite while simultaneously reducing the reactor pH to 3.2−3.4. Under these pH conditions, nitrite was chemically oxidized to nitrate with the provision of oxygen. Long-term bioreactor operation (>230 days) revealed consistent AN production from high ammonium wastewater at a nitrogen loading rate of 0.15 kg N/m3/d. Batch tests revealed that microbial ammonium oxidation was the rate-determining step in the overall AN production process. Further microbial enrichment and process optimization can enhance the microbial ammonium oxidation rate. In summary, the proposed acidic one-stage bioprocess presents a promising avenue for AN production from ammonium-rich wastewater.

Interprofessional collaboration between health professional learners when breaking bad news: a scoping review of teaching approaches.

The objective of this scoping review was to examine teaching approaches used to teach interprofessional health professional learners how to break bad news collaboratively. When breaking bad news, health professionals must be equipped to deliver it skillfully and collaboratively; however, the literature shows that this skill receives little attention in program curricula. Consequently, health professionals can feel inadequately prepared to deliver bad news, which may lead to increased burnout, distress, and compassion fatigue. Studies that describe teaching approaches used to teach learners how to break bad news collaboratively were considered for inclusion. Studies must have included 2 or more undergraduate and/or postgraduate learners working toward a professional health or social care qualification/degree at a university or college. Studies including lay, complementary and alternative, or non-health/social care learners were excluded. Due to the primary language of the research team, only English articles were included. The JBI 3-step process was followed for developing the search. Databases searched included MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase, Education Resource Complete (EBSCOhost), and Social Work Abstracts (EBSCOhost). The initial search was conducted on February 11, 2021, and was updated on May 17, 2022. Title and abstract screening and data extraction were completed by 2 independent reviewers. Disagreements were resolved through discussion or with a third reviewer. Results are presented in tabular or diagrammatic format, together with a narrative summary. Thirteen studies were included in the scoping review, with a range of methodologies and designs (pre/post surveys, qualitative, feasibility, mixed methods, cross-sectional, quality improvement, and methodological triangulation). The majority of papers were from the United States (n=8; 61.5%). All but 1 study used simulation-enhanced interprofessional education as the preferred method to teach interprofessional cohorts of learners how to break bad news. The bulk of simulations were face-to-face (n=11; 84.6%). Three studies (23.1%) were reported as high fidelity, while the remainder did not disclose fidelity. All studies that used simulation to teach students how to break bad news utilized simulated participants/patients to portray patients and/or family in the simulations. The academic level of participants varied, with the majority noted as undergraduate (n=7; 53.8%); 3 studies (23.1%) indicated a mix of undergraduate and graduate participants, 2 (15.4%) were graduate only, and 1 (7.7%) was not disclosed. There was a range of health professional programs represented by participants, with medicine and nursing equally in the majority (n=10; 76.9%). Simulation-enhanced interprofessional education was the most reported teaching approach to teach interprofessional cohorts of students how to break bad news collaboratively. Inconsistencies were noted in the language used to describe bad news, use of breaking bad news and interprofessional competency frameworks, and integration of interprofessional education and simulation best practices. Further research should focus on other interprofessional approaches to teaching how to break bad news; how best to incorporate interprofessional competencies into interprofessional breaking bad news education; whether interprofessional education is enhancing collaborative breaking bad news; and whether what is learned about breaking bad news is being retained over the long-term and incorporated into practice. Future simulation-specific research should explore whether and how the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice are being implemented and whether simulation is resulting in student satisfaction and enhanced learning.

Structural basis for human mitochondrial tRNA maturation

The human mitochondrial genome is transcribed into two RNAs, containing mRNAs, rRNAs and tRNAs, all dedicated to produce essential proteins of the respiratory chain. The precise excision of tRNAs by the mitochondrial endoribonucleases (mt-RNase), P and Z, releases all RNA species from the two RNA transcripts. The tRNAs then undergo 3′-CCA addition. In metazoan mitochondria, RNase P is a multi-enzyme assembly that comprises the endoribonuclease PRORP and a tRNA methyltransferase subcomplex. The requirement for this tRNA methyltransferase subcomplex for mt-RNase P cleavage activity, as well as the mechanisms of pre-tRNA 3′-cleavage and 3′-CCA addition, are still poorly understood. Here, we report cryo-EM structures that visualise four steps of mitochondrial tRNA maturation: 5′ and 3′ tRNA-end processing, methylation and 3′-CCA addition, and explain the defined sequential order of the tRNA processing steps. The methyltransferase subcomplex recognises the pre-tRNA in a distinct mode that can support tRNA-end processing and 3′-CCA addition, likely resulting from an evolutionary adaptation of mitochondrial tRNA maturation complexes to the structurally-fragile mitochondrial tRNAs. This subcomplex can also ensure a tRNA-folding quality-control checkpoint before the sequential docking of the maturation enzymes. Altogether, our study provides detailed molecular insight into RNA-transcript processing and tRNA maturation in human mitochondria.

Characterization and impact of oxygenates in post-consumer plastic waste-derived pyrolysis oils on steam cracking process efficiency

Mechanical recycling of mixed packaging waste has limitations due to challenging separation into pure polyolefin streams which often leads to low quality recyclates. A solution to improve overall recycling rates of polyolefins is chemical recycling. One promising approach is conversion into a liquid product via pyrolysis and subsequent steam cracking of the pyrolysis oil towards light olefins. In this study, distilled fractions of pyrolysis oils from PE and PP-rich waste were characterized via GC × GC including normal and reversed-phase column configurations with a special focus on oxygenated components. Distilled pyrolysis oils were subsequently steam cracked in 20/80 weight‐based blends with conventional naphtha. All pyrolysis oil samples contained substantial amounts of oxygenates (1–10 wt%) which poses a huge challenge for steam cracker feedstocks and it was found that ketones are the most prevailing oxygenate group. Steam cracking experiments showed slightly increased ethylene yields of the blends compared to pure fossil naphtha, with the PE-derived samples outperforming the PP-derived samples. Furthermore, diesel-range distillation cuts led to higher formation of heavy products compared to the naphtha-range cuts. Increased formation of CO was observed as a consequence of the substantial oxygen contamination which can be a deal-breaker in industrial steam crackers. This work shows that distilled pyrolysis oils with conventional naphtha are promising steam cracking feedstocks if intermediate processing steps are performed to remove the oxygenates and other impurities using, for instance, hydrotreatment. With the findings of this work, such upgrading processes can be designed in a more effective way.

ASME Nondestructive Examination (ANDE) Designated Test Organizations (DTOs)

Control of Nondestructive Examination (NDE) and Quality Control (QC) practical examinations are essential for an ANDE Designated Test Organization (DTO). This presentation describes the infrastructure, security, quality system, and practical demonstration requirements as part of the application to be recognized as an ANDE DTO. A key presentation component is the explanation of sourcing, validation, security, and control of the practical demonstration specimens. Acquisition of the practical demonstration specimens, the examination process steps, and applicant administration are key to the ANDE DTO examination designation. Practical demonstration infrastructure includes the physical location, ANDE material and applicant traffic flow, and the sequence of operations for personal practical demonstrations. Learn more about the details of ANDE Certification Body (CB) preparation to meet the rigorous quality system requirements. An ANDE DTO quality system must meet the quality requirements based on ISO 17024 quality system conformance. Other quality system requirements, dependent on regulatory and statutory criteria such as nuclear pressure vessel codes compared to non-nuclear pressure vessel codes can impact the designation of the DTO. This presentation includes an overview of how the tracking of the applicant, specific NDE/QC methods, test categorization, and the test specimens are organized. Reference to the ASME Nondestructive Examination (ANDE) standard will be included as part of this presentation.

Energy consumption of lithium-ion pouch cell manufacturing plants

The energy consumption of lithium-ion battery manufacturing plants is analyzed at three different plant sizes (5, 25, and 50 GWh/year) with each plant producing 100 Ah pouch cells comprised of LiNi0.83Co0.11Mn0.06O2 positive electrodes and graphite negative electrodes. Results indicate that electrode coating/drying (19.6%), cell formation cycling (17%), building support systems (10.8%), cooling systems (10.4%), and the dry room (10.2 %) consume the most energy in the plant. Results are further used to develop a p-factor scaling model for studying the influence of cell design and production volume on plant energy. The p-factor model suggests that the total plant energy consumption is highly dependent on the mass fraction of binder in the positive electrode, due to its impact on the mixing and solvent drying process steps, and the cell's capacity, due to its impact on the cell assembly processes. A simple algebraic correlation is also developed from the p-factor model. The algebraic correlation is dependent on eleven cell input parameters (e.g., cell capacity, electrode loading, voltage, etc.) and has a median error of 1.4% when compared to the full p-factor model.

Confidence Calibration of a Medical Imaging Classification System That is Robust to Label Noise.

A classification model is calibrated if its predicted probabilities of outcomes reflect their accuracy. Calibrating neural networks is critical in medical analysis applications where clinical decisions rely upon the predicted probabilities. Most calibration procedures, such as temperature scaling, operate as a post processing step by using holdout validation data. In practice, it is difficult to collect medical image data with correct labels due to the complexity of the medical data and the considerable variability across experts. This study presents a network calibration procedure that is robust to label noise. We draw on the fact that the confusion matrix of the noisy labels can be expressed as the matrix product between the confusion matrix of the clean labels and the label noises. The method is based on estimating the noise level as part of a noise-robust training method. The noise level is then used to estimate the network accuracy required by the calibration procedure. We show that despite the unreliable labels, we can still achieve calibration results that are on a par with the results of a calibration procedure using data with reliable labels.

Research on the reconstruction of porous bronze structures based on powder metallurgy simulation

The microscopic morphology of pores within the porous throttle determines the gas flow state, which directly affects the macroscopic performance of the air bearing. Geometric modeling of porous materials is a prerequisite for pore characterization and fluid state analysis. Therefore, in this study, a porous model was established by simulating each step of the powder metallurgy process of porous bronze, in which the sintering fusion simulation was innovatively accomplished by median filtering of the material cross-sectional images. The feasibility of the reconstruction method was verified by comparing pore morphology parameters and permeability results with the actual porous materials. On this basis, the flow simulation was performed to reveal the fluid flow state inside the pore channel structures. This method avoids the complex algorithms of mathematical methods and the dependence on high-precision instruments of experimental methods.

Influence of Retanning Agents on Physical Characteristics of Snow-White Glove Leather from Goat Skin

The quality of leather is subject to various elements, such as the specific raw material used, and the processing techniques implemented throughout the production process. Goatskin, renowned for its exceptional softness and durability, is frequently employed in the production of gloves owing to its desired attributes, notably its capacity to produce snow-white gloves. Retanning is an essential step in the leather manufacturing process as it significantly improves the characteristics of the leather. Through an investigation into the impacts of distinct retanning agents on goatskin leather gloves, this research endeavor seeks to offer significant knowledge regarding the most effective retanning procedures that can augment the tactile attributes of snow- white leather gloves. In this study, formaldehyde, alum, chromium, and chromium alum were employed as retanning agents. The retanned leathers were assessed by physical parameters, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), then compared to a commercially available snow-white leather glove. The physical characteristics of chrome alum retanned leather showed a high degree of softness (6.60±0.02 mm), good tear strength (1.530±117 N/cm), and tensile strength (1.500±100 N/cm 2 ). The principal component analysis (PCA) also supported that the properties of chrome alum retanned snow-white glove leather closely resemble commercial leather and the result from this study suggested that all factors notably impact the skin's physical quality, except for thickness. Additionally, the FTIR analysis reveals similar functional groups from the different retanned leathers indicated by comparable peaks and stretching patterns. Therefore, chrome-alum could be a well alternative retanning agent for the production of snow-white glove leather.

Environmental indicators of lake ecosystem health in Aotearoa New Zealand: current state and trends

Assessments of lake ecosystem health, based on indicators of physical–chemical water quality, ecological conditions, and human health risks, are needed to apprise the public and facilitate lake management. While unrefereed lake water quality reports exist, this is the first peer-reviewed study to report data processing and analysis methods and results for current state and recent trends in multiple environmental indicators in monitored lakes across Aotearoa New Zealand. Lake grading based on national criteria indicated that many lakes are failing to achieve statutory bottom lines for phytoplankton chlorophyll a, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations. In contrast, most monitored lakes had high grades for two human health risk indicators, E. coli and cyanobacteria concentrations, and for potential toxicity of ammonia for biological communities. We included 166 lakes and considered indicator state and trends for two lake classifications based on geomorphology and land cover. Elevated scores for an indicator of trophic state (the trophic level index; TLI) in most shoreline, riverine, peat, landslide, dam, and aeolian lakes indicated eutrophic conditions or worse. Lower TLI scores were indicative of oligotrophic conditions in most glacial lakes. Nutrient, E. coli and suspended sediment concentrations and TLI scores were positively correlated, and Secchi depths negatively correlated, with high-intensity agricultural land cover. Ten-year trend analyses indicated that lakes with increasing Secchi disk depth, chlorophyll a, dissolved reactive phosphorus, E. coli, ammoniacal nitrogen, TLI, total nitrogen, and total suspended solids trends outnumbered those with decreasing trends. Twenty-year trend analyses indicated that the numbers of lakes with increasing and decreasing trends in most of the indicators we assessed were comparable, but lakes with increasing 20-year trends in total nitrogen outnumbered those with decreasing trends, and lakes with decreasing 20-year trends in ammoniacal nitrogen, dissolved reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus, and nitrate nitrogen outnumbered those with increasing trends. This study presents clear data processing steps and trend analysis methods as applied to a nationwide dataset for Aotearoa New Zealand, while acknowledging data limitations. For example, the choice of trend periods is challenging and can greatly affect conclusions. The results of this empirical study and the collective results of preceding studies of lake ecosystem health indicate that eutrophication poses a threat to the ecological health of many if not most lakes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Recommendations include monitoring network expansion especially for the indicators bottom dissolved oxygen and cyanobacteria (toxic and total cyanobacteria biovolumes) and judicious selection of trend periods in lake-specific trend analyses to determine causes for increasing or decreasing trends in environmental indicators.

Structures of co-transcriptional RNA capping enzymes on paused transcription complex

The 5′-end capping of nascent pre-mRNA represents the initial step in RNA processing, with evidence demonstrating that guanosine addition and 2′-O-ribose methylation occur in tandem with early steps of transcription by RNA polymerase II, especially at the pausing stage. Here, we determine the cryo-EM structures of the paused elongation complex in complex with RNGTT, as well as the paused elongation complex in complex with RNGTT and CMTR1. Our findings show the simultaneous presence of RNGTT and the NELF complex bound to RNA polymerase II. The NELF complex exhibits two conformations, one of which shows a notable rearrangement of NELF-A/D compared to that of the paused elongation complex. Moreover, CMTR1 aligns adjacent to RNGTT on the RNA polymerase II stalk. Our structures indicate that RNGTT and CMTR1 directly bind the paused elongation complex, illuminating the mechanism by which 5’-end capping of pre-mRNA during transcriptional pausing.

Blockchain Technology for Higher Education and Recruitment: A Systematic Literature Review

Blockchain is a recent technological innovation that has undergone significant growth with numerous business applications. One of the most promising applications of blockchain technology lies within the domains of higher education and recruitment. Despite its potential, academic literature on these topics remains limited. In this study, the researchers conducted a systematic literature review to unravel blockchain’s potential applications in higher education and recruitment. This paper identifies the current benefits and challenges of blockchain in these fields and delineates key steps in higher education and recruitment processes to determine blockchain practical applications. To analyze the potential benefits and challenges of blockchain for higher education and recruitment, we integrate the resource-based view (RBV) and transaction cost theory (TCT). The RBV is employed to underscore blockchain’s potential as a strategic resource that can provide competitive advantages in higher education, while the TCT is utilized to focus on its efficacy in reducing transaction costs related to recruitment. The study concludes by highlighting directions for future research, emphasizing the imperative for empirical investigations into real-world blockchain applications. It also encourages theoretical advancements to deepen our understanding of the impact of blockchain technology on higher education and recruitment

Getting Hold of the Tobamovirus Particle-Why and How? Purification Routes over Time and a New Customizable Approach.

This article develops a multi-perspective view on motivations and methods for tobamovirus purification through the ages and presents a novel, efficient, easy-to-use approach that can be well-adapted to different species of native and functionalized virions. We survey the various driving forces prompting researchers to enrich tobamoviruses, from the search for the causative agents of mosaic diseases in plants to their increasing recognition as versatile nanocarriers in biomedical and engineering applications. The best practices and rarely applied options for the serial processing steps required for successful isolation of tobamoviruses are then reviewed. Adaptations for distinct particle species, pitfalls, and 'forgotten' or underrepresented technologies are considered as well. The article is topped off with our own development of a method for virion preparation, rooted in historical protocols. It combines selective re-solubilization of polyethylene glycol (PEG) virion raw precipitates with density step gradient centrifugation in biocompatible iodixanol formulations, yielding ready-to-use particle suspensions. This newly established protocol and some considerations for perhaps worthwhile further developments could serve as putative stepping stones towards preparation procedures appropriate for routine practical uses of these multivalent soft-matter nanorods.

Recyclability of elastomer toughened recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate): The effect of grinding-extrusion-injection moulding on the mechanical and morphological properties of the blend

Reprocessing potential of recycled poly(ethylene-terephthalate) (RPET)/ethylene-butyl-acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EBA-GMA) blends was investigated. PET flakes from food packaging were compounded with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % EBA-GMA. Injection moulded specimens were produced, and some of the specimens were grinded, and reproduced to simulate real reprocessing. It was revealed by scanning electron microscopy that the distribution and particle size of the elastomer did not change notably after recycling. Noticeable degradation of the polymer matrix was observable after every processing step. Such deterioration of PET resulted in higher crystallinity and rigid amorphous fraction, as found by differential scanning calorimetry, which ultimately led to higher storage modulus, while the notched impact strength and elongation at break decreased. Nevertheless, the mechanical performance of the reprocessed RPET/EBA-GMA blends still significantly outperforms that of the neat PET recyclate. The degree of chain breakage was found to be the primary factor determining the recyclability of RPET/EBA-GMA blends.