Search Results (4,387)

There is a need to enhance the behavioral health (BH) workforce. Paraprofessionals and peers are often on the “front lines” working with families affected by substance misuse. While they possess valuable lived experience, they often lack the requisite education to be most effective, resulting in high burnout and turnover. This study describes a novel training program for paraprofessionals working in family BH that included three online, 8-week courses (Level I) and a 12-month supervised apprenticeship (Level II). This study measured program satisfaction and effectiveness (knowledge, confidence, and perceived competence) and explored effects on career intention. A sample of paraprofessionals in the BH workforce provided data at baseline, after Level I, and after Level II. After Level II, 87% of participants rated their satisfaction with the program as high. Statistically significant improvements were found for knowledge, confidence, and competence across all domains. Almost all participants reported increased confidence after each level (93% and 94%, respectively). The majority (69%) reported increased interest in continuing their BH career and education. Overall, results suggest that the program was well-received by participants and was associated with improvements. Results provide preliminary support for apprenticeship-based training to enhance the BH workforce and address workforce challenges. Full article

The transcriptomic effects of hybridization and triploidization were investigated in diploid and triploid rainbow trout, diploid brook trout, as well as triploid hybrids of rainbow trout and brook trout. The examined fish were reared under identical conditions for about two and a half years after hatching. Expression of ten genes involved in cellular respiration (Atp5bp, Slc25a5), mitochondrial functioning (Mrpl28, Micu2), ribosome biogenesis (Rpl24, Rps24), proteasome-mediated protein turnover (Derl1, Psmc2), and protein chaperoning (Hsp90B1, Pdia4) was studied in liver and muscle tissues. Most of the analyzed genes (Atp5bp, Slc25a5, Mrpl28, Micu2, Rpl24, Rps24, Derl1, and Psmc2) displayed comparable expression levels in the liver tissue across the examined triploid hybrids and diploid parental species, with stabilization of genes that were both positively and negatively compensated in the triploid rainbow trout. In turn, significant upregulation of Slc25a5, Derl1, Rps24, and Rpl24 genes, together with downregulation of Micu2 gene, was observed in the triploid rainbow trout liver and muscle, respectively. On the other hand, triploid hybrids showed marked transcriptional upregulation of genes primarily associated with energy metabolism and protein synthesis (Atp5pb, Slc25a5, Rpl24, Rps24, and Pdia4) relative to all the fish groups examined. Although protein-synthesis- and energy-related genes were upregulated in the muscles of triploid hybrids, the recorded growth performance data did not indicate clear evidence of growth heterosis (MPH = −14.3% for body weight; MPH = −0.4% for body length), suggesting that potential benefits of increased heterozygosity in this cross may not be fully reflected in enhanced growth. Three- to four-fold downregulation of the heat shock protein (Hsp90B1) gene was also observed in both tissues of triploid hybrids compared with purebred diploid and triploid trout, which may reflect potential maladaptive genomic effects commonly observed in distant salmonid crosses, suggesting altered stress-response regulation in the examined triploid hybrids. Full article

To map and describe the scientific evidence on germicidal ultraviolet C (UV-C) light for hospital surface disinfection, this scoping review examined device types, reported operational parameters, microbiological and clinical outcomes, and implementation aspects. Primary studies conducted in hospital settings and evaluating UV-C or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation on environmental surfaces were searched in four databases without date restrictions. Data were synthesized descriptively in tables and narrative form following JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidance. Eleven studies (2007–2025) met the inclusion criteria. Reported microbial reductions ranged from 1 to ≥5 log₁₀. Higher and more consistent reductions were predominantly observed under laboratory or controlled experimental conditions, whereas reductions in real-world hospital surface sampling were more variable and influenced by pathogen type, surface material, room geometry, and shadowing. Integration of UV-C with manual cleaning and multi-position irradiation cycles was associated with greater effectiveness. Reporting of key radiometric parameters (dose, exposure time, and distance) was frequently incomplete, limiting reproducibility and cross-study comparability. Clinical findings were heterogeneous: some interrupted time-series analyses suggested reductions in healthcare-associated infections, although effects were not uniform across microorganisms. Implementation reports described room-level cycle times compatible with turnover, variable staffing requirements, and limited economic evaluation. Overall, UV-C appears to be a promising adjunct to standard cleaning practices in hospital environments. However, standardized radiometric reporting, multicenter studies, and robust clinical and economic evaluations are necessary to support safe, reproducible, and sustainable large-scale implementation. Full article

The succession of plant communities and soil-driven mechanisms triggered by wetland degradation are central issues in global ecology. To investigate the effects of Deyeuxia purpurea wetland degradation on plant community characteristics and its key soil regulatory factors, this study selected D. purpurea wetlands with different degradation degrees in the Sanjiang Plain as research objects and analyzed the characteristics of plant communities, soils, and their relationships. The results indicated that wetland degradation was significantly associated with turnover in plant community composition, with hydrophytic species progressively replaced by mesophytic and xerophytic species. As degradation intensified, Simpson’s diversity index, the Shannon–Wiener index, Pielou’s evenness index, and Patrick’s richness index all increased significantly. The non-degraded wetland exhibited significantly higher aboveground, belowground, and total biomass than the degraded wetlands. Aboveground and total biomass showed a significant negative correlation with the diversity index. Soil pH, water content (WC), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) were key factors associated with changes in plant community diversity and biomass. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) and variance partitioning analysis (VPA) further quantified potential association pathways, showing that wetland degradation exerted both direct and indirect effects on key soil physicochemical factors and plant community characteristics. Specifically, wetland degradation was directly associated with decreases in soil pH, WC, and TP, while positively affecting soil dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and plant diversity. It also indirectly influenced plant species composition and biomass through changes in soil pH, WC, DON, and TP. TP was negatively correlated with plant diversity and biomass, whereas ammonium nitrogen had a direct positive effect on species composition. Dissolved organic nitrogen directly negatively affected species composition. Overall, this study systematically elucidates plant community response patterns and the synergistic driving mechanisms of multiple soil factors during D. purpurea wetland degradation, providing an important scientific basis for wetland conservation and ecological restoration in the Sanjiang Plain. Full article

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a prevalent malignancy in men worldwide, and both androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiotherapy (RT) are key components of its management. However, these treatments significantly affect bone health by inducing bone mineral density (BMD) loss, osteopenia, osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. ADT promotes a high bone turnover state through hormonal suppression and molecular mechanisms involving increased RANKL expression and osteoclast activation. RT generates direct cytotoxic damage and inflammatory changes that compromise bone microarchitecture. Combined ADT + RT exerts synergistic detrimental effects. This narrative review synthesizes the molecular basis, clinical evidence, preventive strategies and emerging technologies related to bone health in men with PCa undergoing ADT and/or RT. Full article

Background/Objectives: Tafamidis, a transthyretin kinetic stabilizer, increases circulating transthyretin levels in treated patients. While this effect is well documented, its underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model performance and to calibrate a hypothesis-consistent quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) model of tafamidis and transthyretin dynamics to explore mechanistic hypotheses underlying the clinically observed increase in circulating transthyretin and the associated dose–response relationship. The PBPK model constitutes the primary framework, while the coupled QSP component illustrates how tafamidis exposure predictions can be used to evaluate mechanistic hypotheses of TTR turnover. Methods: A PBPK–QSP model was constructed in Simcyp (V23) using LUA-based modules. The PBPK part was parameterized from the literature and validated against data from therapeutic single-dose, therapeutic multiple-dose, and supratherapeutic dose clinical studies. The QSP part of the model describes tafamidis–TTR binding kinetics, stabilization, and clearance of bound complexes. Simulations were performed in thirty virtual healthy male subjects aged 30–40 years, incorporating physiological variability in baseline TTR concentrations. Results: Mean predicted versus observed ratios of tafamidis AUC and $C_{max}$ values were within a 1.3-fold range across validation studies. The integrated model reproduced the clinically reported 33% increase in TTR concentration through a calibrated clearance-scaling factor. It supports the hypothesis that reduced clearance of tafamidis-bound TTR may explain the observed effect without modifying TTR synthesis. Dose-sensitivity simulations indicated that patients with low baseline TTR may achieve adequate stabilization at reduced doses, while those with higher baseline TTR concentration may require higher doses. Conclusions: The developed PBPK–QSP model not only reproduces tafamidis pharmacokinetics and TTR responses but also proposes a plausible mechanistic hypothesis consistent with clearance modulation of stabilized TTR contributing to the clinical effect. Full article

Cellular survival and adaptability depend on the dynamic regulation of proteins—the central actors of biological systems. Through mechanisms such as post-translational modifications, protein turnover, and the formation of membraneless organelles, cells can sense and respond to a variety of stressors. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and chemical biology have provided powerful tools to study and manipulate these processes, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies in cancer. This review explores how cells “tame” their proteome in response to stress by coordinating protein synthesis, modification, degradation, and structural organization to maintain functional resilience. Full article

In the context of a deep structural adjustment of China’s real estate sector and heightened macroeconomic uncertainty, quantitatively assessing the resilience of listed real estate enterprises is crucial for preventing systemic risk and promoting sustainable development. This paper proposes a multidimensional resilience evaluation framework for 37 Chinese A-share listed real estate firms using panel data from 2017–2024. An index system covering four dimensions—solvency and liquidity, profitability and cash flow, operational efficiency and asset structure, and growth and value—is constructed on the basis of financial ratios. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method is employed to derive a composite resilience index, while principal component analysis (PCA) provides a complementary robustness check of the rankings. The empirical results indicate that (1) operational efficiency and asset structure receive the highest objective weight, followed by solvency and liquidity, whereas the weights of profitability, cash flow, and growth–value dimensions are relatively lower; at the indicator level, accounts receivable turnover, inventory turnover and the cash-to-short-term-debt ratio play a leading role, underscoring the central importance of liquidity safety and asset turnover under the “three red lines” regulatory regime. (2) Firms such as Shahe Co., Shenzhen, China, Huafa Co., Zhuhai, China and Wantong Development, Beijing, China exhibit persistently higher resilience scores, characterized by lower leverage, stronger cash buffers and faster operating turnover, whereas firms such as Yunnan Metropolitan Investment, Kunming, China, Greenland Holdings, Shanghai, China, Bright Real Estate, Shanghai, China and Rongsheng Development, Langfang, China remain at the lower tail of the resilience distribution with high leverage, tight liquidity and volatile profitability. (3) The resilience rankings obtained from entropy-weighted TOPSIS and PCA are positively and significantly correlated at the 1% level, suggesting a moderate level of consistency between distance-based and variance-based evaluation schemes. Building on these findings, this paper proposes resilience-oriented policy recommendations for regulators and managers in terms of differentiated prudential regulation, capital-structure and debt-maturity optimization, operational efficiency enhancement, and the integration of digital transformation and ESG governance. Full article

Cancer is a heterogeneous systemic disease that is strongly influenced by dynamic interactions with the tumour microenvironment (TME). Despite major advances in understanding spatial and molecular tumour heterogeneity, the temporal dynamics of tumours have received far less attention. Growing evidence has linked circadian clocks to cancer risk, progression, and treatment response, including in breast cancer. However, temporal regulation has yet to be recognized as a cancer hallmark, and its interaction with the TME remains poorly understood. This review examines how circadian rhythms organize breast cancer biology through bidirectional interactions with the TME. Circadian clocks coordinate proliferation, DNA damage responses, metabolism, and immune surveillance. Ageing, chronic stress, and obesity, all of which are established breast cancer risk modifiers, disrupt these rhythms and are reciprocally exacerbated by circadian dysfunction, establishing feed-forward loops that accelerate disease. Within the TME, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a central role in mediating this bidirectional control. Stiffened fibrotic stroma dampens epithelial clock amplitude, while circadian rhythms in turn shape collagen turnover and ECM remodelling. These dynamics can foster inflammation, stem cell expansion, and metastatic dissemination, including time-of-day-dependent release of circulating breast tumour cells. Systemically, circadian clocks gate immune cell trafficking, creating predictable windows of immunosurveillance and therapeutic vulnerability. By integrating insights from mechanobiology, metabolism, immune regulation, and ageing, we position circadian timing as a unifying layer that connects cell-intrinsic programmes with the evolving breast TME. Understanding these connections opens new opportunities for chronotherapeutic strategies in which treatment timing is aligned with circadian rhythms to improve outcomes. Full article

Retaining the green workforce, employees driving sustainability and environmental innovation, is essential for organizational resilience and long-term environmental goals. While prior Green HRM research has primarily relied on survey-based methodologies and theoretical frameworks to examine retention factors, these approaches lack predictive capability and fail to provide actionable, employee-specific insights. This study advances beyond descriptive and correlational analyses by employing explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to develop a transparent, data-driven framework for identifying attrition drivers and quantitatively evaluating retention strategies. Unlike existing studies that rely on self-reported perceptions, our approach leverages objective HR data and machine learning to predict individual-level attrition risk with calibrated probabilities. Leveraging the IBM HR Analytics dataset as a proxy for sustainability-focused roles, we construct an interpretable logistic regression model with strong predictive performance and isotonic regression calibration. Global and local interpretability techniques, including SHAP, LIME, and permutation importance, show that non-monetary factors, such as excessive overtime, frequent business travel, and limited promotion opportunities, have a greater impact on turnover risk than salary levels. These findings align with Green Human Management (Green HRM) principles, which emphasize work–life balance and employee well-being. Crucially, our policy simulation framework, absent from prior Green HRM studies, demonstrates that eliminating overtime could reduce predicted attrition probability by 17.35% for affected employees, potentially retaining 31 staff members, substantially outperforming modest salary adjustments. This work expands the value of predictive AI into HR analytics by consolidating HR analytics with Green HRM through a novel methodology that bridges the gap between prediction and actionable intervention. It represents the first systematic integration of XAI-based predictive modeling with counterfactual policy simulation in environmentally conscious sustainable organizations. Full article

This paper examines how companies in Slovakia and Poland perceive AI tool utilization and report changes in selected performance indicators after AI adoption (annual turnover, BIT, and employee error rates), and whether these assessments differ across firm demographics (country, company size, and length of operation). Using a CAWI survey of 865 firms and a contingency-table framework with Pearson’s chi-square tests and Cramer’s V effect sizes, we observe statistically significant—yet predominantly weak—associations between firm demographics and both AI utilization and self-reported performance changes. The findings provide actionable implications for managers and policy-support institutions seeking to accelerate AI adoption and value realization in central Europe, while acknowledging the limitations of cross-sectional self-reported data. Full article

The composition, ecological network characteristics, and community assembly mechanisms of eukaryotic communities in the sediments of typical water diversion rivers (WDRs) of the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project were analyzed using 18S rRNA gene sequencing during the flood and non-flood seasons. Against the backdrop of global climate change and intensified anthropogenic disturbances, shifts in hydrological regimes induced by inter-basin water transfer projects have become key factors altering the structure and function of aquatic microbial ecosystems. Clarifying the spatiotemporal dynamics and assembly mechanisms of sedimentary eukaryotic communities in water diversion rivers under different hydrological conditions is crucial for understanding the ecological response of river ecosystems to water diversion and safeguarding the ecological security of diverted water resources. The eukaryotic communities were primarily composed of Bacillariophyta, Ciliophora, Arthropoda, and Chlorophyta. The composition and distribution patterns of eukaryotic communities exhibited distinct temporal and spatial shifts under varying hydrological regimes. Stochastic dispersal was identified as the primary driver of community assembly. During the flood season, eukaryotic communities showed increased complexity, more competitive interactions, and enhanced modularity, with species turnover being the dominant structuring process. During the non-flood season, eukaryotic communities exhibited higher spatial heterogeneity. Full article

Our work is one of the lasted studies on the impact of factors on the profitability of enterprises in the electronics and electrical equipment industry from a transitional economy. Panel data were collected from publicly listed firms in the period 2015–2024. The research result showed that technological innovating enterprises were more profitable than non-technological innovating enterprises. Other factors also have a positive impact on the profitability of enterprises, namely fixed asset turnover, and firm size. However, the financial leverage has a negative impact on ROA and ROE. The gender of the manager has no effect on the profitability of electronics and electrical goods enterprises in this study. Full article

Pigs are a major source of animal protein and an important model for studying domestication, adaptation, and the genetics of complex traits. Over the past decade, pig genomics has progressed from generating reference assemblies and variant catalogues toward reconstructing population history and interpreting phenotypic divergence with greater resolution. Improvements in reference continuity, breed-matched assemblies, and pangenome/graph representations reduce reference bias in repeat-rich and structural-variant-prone regions, strengthening cross-population comparisons and fine-mapping across cohorts. Time-stratified ancient genomes provide an explicit temporal framework for evaluating lineage turnover and gene flow and support a multi-stage, network-based view of domestication. In parallel, genetic analyses of growth, carcass composition, meat quality, and disease resilience increasingly integrate association signals with regulatory annotation, gene expression, and tissue- or stage-specific context. Across these lines of work, maintaining comparability across reference frameworks remains central, including stable coordinate systems, robust imputation resources, and reproducible approaches for structural-variant genotyping. Together, these developments support more consistent inference and interpretation while providing a clearer basis for translation in breeding and biomedical research with attention to genetic diversity. Full article

Iron(II) and manganese(II) complexes with N4Py [N4Py—N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine] have been found to activate O₂ for the oxidation of α-pinene in acetonitrile. For example, for 1 M α-pinene, 0.5 mM [(N4Py)Fe^II]²⁺, and dioxygen as an oxidant, 90 mM α-pinene epoxide, 48 mM verbenol, and 50 mM verbenone have been formed, which, taking into account the concentrations of the minor products (myrtenol and myrtenal), gives a turnover number approximately equal to 400. Based on the amounts of products formed, the conversion of α-pinene is approximately 20% and 18% for iron and manganese catalysts, respectively. Although the manganese catalyst is somewhat less effective than the iron catalyst, the selectivity of the products is similar for both catalysts. Replacement of dioxygen with air as the oxidant causes the reaction yield to be lower. The proposed mechanism assumes the formation of a metal(IV)-oxo complex [(N4Py)M^IV=O]²⁺, M–Fe or Mn, during the simultaneous combination of a catalyst, O₂, and substrate, and its subsequent reactions toward the observed products. Full article