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There are many factors that persuade or discourage business owners or managers of small and medium-sized firms to adopt sustainable policies. It is important to understand how different factors are interlinked to influence the business owners’/managers’ decisions for sustainability. Therefore, the gap between policies and their implementation in the workplace causes the failure of the adoption of sustainable policies in business practices. To provide a clear picture, the present study intends to investigate the factors that might foster/hinder the adoption of sustainable policies in business practices. The study provides a systematic literature review on sustainable business policies from 2015 to 2023. We consider what are the key factors supporting or obstructing the successful implementation of a sustainability framework in the business practices in SMEs. Our findings reveal that data-centered solutions, sensor aided cyber physical systems, green consumption, vendor support, technological roadmap, gain legitimacy on the use of data analytics, and acceleration of digital transformation are the most significant enablers for sustainable business practices in SMEs. In addition, cloud enterprise resource planning is found to be the most significant enabler for developing countries. The barriers are mainly related to the implantation of the enablers. Among those major barriers are security of the data storage, lack of trust, lack of top management support, resistance to change to the new technology, lack of skilled workforce, data breaches, and poor network security. Our findings have key policy implications for practitioners and policy makers.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health crisis, with challenges arising from the ongoing evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the emergence of new strains, and the long-term effects of COVID-19. Aiming to overcome the development of viral resistance, our study here focused on developing broad-spectrum pan-coronavirus antiviral therapies by targeting host protein quality control mechanisms essential for viral replication. Screening an in-house compound library led to the discovery of three candidate compounds targeting cellular proteostasis. The three compounds are (1) the nucleotide analog cordycepin, (2) a benzothiozole analog, and (3) an acyldepsipeptide analog initially developed as part of a campaign to target the mitochondrial ClpP protease. These compounds demonstrated dose-dependent efficacy against multiple coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, effectively inhibiting viral replication in vitro as well as in lung organoids. Notably, the compounds also showed efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron strains. As part of this work, we developed a BSL2-level cell-integrated SARS-CoV-2 replicon, which could serve as a valuable tool for high-throughput screening and studying intracellular viral replication. Our study should aid in the advancement of antiviral drug development efforts.

‎Let $\{Y_i; i = 1,\ldots,n \}$ be a length-biased sample from a population with cumulative distribution function $F(\cdot)$‎. If the probability of an item selected in the sample is proportional to its length‎, ‎then the distribution of the observed length is known as the length-biased distribution‎.‎We consider the kernel-type estimator $F_n^s(\cdot)$ of $F(\cdot)$‎. ‎Under suitable conditions‎, ‎the extended Glivenko-Cantelli theorem for $F_n^s(\cdot)$ is proved‎.

Bacteria can be programmed to deliver natural materials with defined biological and mechanical properties for controlling cell growth and differentiation. Here, we present an elastic, resilient and bioactive polysaccharide derived from the extracellular matrix of Pantoea sp. BCCS 001. Specifically, it was methacrylated to generate a new photo crosslinkable hydrogel that we coined Pantoan Methacrylate or put simply PAMA. We have used it for the first time as a tissue engineering hydrogel to treat VML injuries in rats. The crosslinked PAMA hydrogel was super elastic with a recovery nearing 100 %, while mimicking the mechanical stiffness of native muscle. After inclusion of thiolated gelatin via a Michaelis reaction with acrylate groups on PAMA we could also guide muscle progenitor cells into fused and aligned tubes – something reminiscent of mature muscle cells. These results were complemented by sarcomeric alpha-actinin immunostaining studies. Importantly, the implanted hydrogels exhibited almost 2-fold more muscle formation and 50 % less fibrous tissue formation compared to untreated rat groups. In vivo inflammation and toxicity assays likewise gave rise to positive results confirming the biocompatibility of this new biomaterial system. Overall, our results demonstrate that programmable polysaccharides derived from bacteria can be used to further advance the field of tissue engineering. In greater detail, they could in the foreseeable future be used in practical therapies against VML.

The research aims to develop sustainable daylighting strategies for contemporary buildings by drawing inspiration from traditional vernacular housing solutions. In this study, the daylight factors of a contemporary residential space with a central courtyard which is located in Kerman, Iran is evaluated. After modeling the building in Design Builder software, the U-values of the external walls, roof, floor and windows based on the available materials in the market of Iran are calculated. The results of daylight simulations are presented in term of Average DF (%), Work plane Illuminanace (Lux) and Uniformity Ratio as well as annual Indicators of daylight such as sDA and UDI. Zone 3 in the ground floor which is a space under top lit atrium acts as a source of daylight. Although, Zone 5 in the ground floor has reasonable daylight factor, the uniformity ratio is not acceptable due to simultaneously existing the areas of little and high illuminance. Zone 7 in the first floor as a public sapce can provide large potential for daylight utilization with DF equal to 2.6% and average WPI with 826 Lux because there is a possibility to receive daylight from east direction with designing central courtyard in the first floor plan.

Large quantities of recalcitrant azo dye wastewater represent an important environmental issue, owing to their toxicity and the difficulty of their treatment under hypersaline conditions. By maintaining high activity under salt-rich conditions, salt-tolerant laccases offer a promising solution for the effective breakdown of toxic azo dyes, making them indispensable for the sustainable treatment of industrial wastewater. This study explored the identification and application of a thermo-halotolerant laccase, PersiLac3, for bioremediation of azo dye wastewater under high-salt conditions typical of textile effluents. The broad substrate oxidation potential of PersiLac3 was assessed across diverse temperatures, pH levels, and challenging conditions, such as high salt levels, and in the presence of organic solvents and inhibitors. Remarkably, PersiLac3 showed enhanced activity (112.25 %) in 3 M NaCl, highlighting its superior ability to adapt to saline conditions. Kinetic studies of PersiLac3 indicated high efficiency and affinity for its substrate at saline concentrations ranging from 1 to 6 M NaCl. PersiLac3 effectively decolorized the Congo red dye (82.9 %) in highly concentrated solutions (5000 mg/L) within 15 min, and its performance was further improved in the presence of wastewater-relevant ions, achieving 92.3 % dye removal. Monitoring real wastewater treatments, PersiLac3 reduced optical density, underscoring its potential for application in the bioremediation of dye-laden and saline wastewater streams. The adaptability of PersiLac3 to harsh, high-salinity environments, coupled with its rapid dye decolorization efficiency, is an innovative and powerful tool for addressing environmental pollution challenges and advancing waste treatment methodologies.

The usage of microbes and biochar (BC) is fundamental in decreasing the impacts of salinity stress by promoting plant growth and development. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and phosphorous (P)-enriched BC on the plant growth and biochemical characteristics for three lines of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in saline soils. The study was designed with salinity at 100 mM NaCl and PSB (Bacillus subtilis) with 109 CFU and BC at 1500 Kg ha-1 in the sunflower lines including RGK38 (salt-sensitive), BGK35 (salt-moderately sensitive), and BGK259 (salt-tolerant) based on completely randomized block design (CRBD) in five replicates. Salinity considerably reduced grain yield, thousand grain weight (TGW), oil content, oil yield, chlorophyll (Chl) content, relative water content (RWC), K, and P, while enhancing malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL), Na+, and Cl- in all lines of sunflower with high rate in RGK38. The use of integrated PSB and BC contributed to increases in plant yield. In RGK38 exposed to salinity, PSB+BC raised grain yield (16%), oil yield (27%), RWC (14%), Chl a+b (24%), K (22%), P (127%), but lowered MDA (26%), Na+ (36%), and Cl- (41%). Heat map analysis revealed that RGK38 stood out significantly from the other two sunflower lines with the maximum variability under the treatments. MDA showed the most variability among the lines as an indicator of identifying the susceptibility to salinity, PSB, and BC. This study has encouraging implications for agricultural operations in stress-affected areas by highlighting the potential of combining PSB and BC as environmentally acceptable and sustainable ways to increase plant resilience in salty soils.

Abstract Purpose Malignant Mesothelioma (MM) is a rare malignancy of the serosa membranes with a high mortality rate and long latent period. The relationship between a group of mineral fibers known as asbestos and mesothelioma is now well accepted in which people can be exposed to these fibers by various means during their lifetime and has been its usage has banned in many countries, such as Iran, which announced its gradual elimination from 1999 over a period of 7 years by using safe substitutes. However, the mineral particles are able to sustain itself in the environment, air, water, and soil and on the other hand, symptoms may take up to half a century to develop in exposed individuals. Also, there remains a shortage of comprehensive investigation on the effects of asbestos exposure within the familial context (household or domestic exposure) or on individuals residing in proximity to asbestos mines or factories (environmental exposure). Based on the high number of MM cases in Iran, and also our hypothesis that residuals of asbestos in the environment and petroleum products may be the etiological factor for MM, we conducted this study to evaluate the clinic epidemiological features of MM in the south of Iran its relation to possible asbestos exposure. Methods In this study, we analyzed the demographic features and occupations of confirmed cases of MM in Shiraz, southern Iran along with the follow‐up of the patients’ disease from 2008 to 2018, while also comparing the features of our patients with a control group compromising of 105 non‐MM patients. Results Among the 35 confirmed cases of MM, with an average age of 61 years, 9 (25.7%) were female, and 26 (74.3%) were male. During our assessment, 12 patients had already died, with a mean time of 11.26 months post‐diagnosis. Our findings revealed a higher prevalence of MM among housekeepers and employees of oil companies. In comparison to the control group, individuals with occupational exposure and those residing near refinery locations were at a heightened risk of developing MM. However, based on regression analysis, only occupations associated with refineries exhibited a significant correlation with MM (p = 0.028; OR: 14.602; 95% CI: 1.328–160.499). Conclusion Both occupational and para‐occupational exposure demonstrated a significant correlation with MM, whereas our regression analysis did not affirm geographical and environmental factors as contributors to MM. Despite the industry's prohibition of direct asbestos usage, the persistent existence of asbestos particles in the environment for decades, coupled with the long latency period of MM, warrants further investigation. Health authorities and policymakers should recognize this potential hazard, prompting an enhancement of early detection within at‐risk groups.

Abstract Introduction and importance Fibroepithelial polyps are rare benign lesions with uncertain origins. They are commonly found in the skin and genitourinary system. Fibroepithelial polyps in the external auditory canal are infrequent. Case presentation We report a 60-year-old Persian woman with an incidentally discovered painless fibroepithelial polyp in the right external auditory canal. Microscopic transcanal surgery confirmed the diagnosis after temporal computed tomography imaging showed a soft tissue mass. Clinical discussion Fibroepithelial polyps have an uncertain etiology and are typically asymptomatic. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment, and the prognosis following resection is generally favorable, with low recurrence rates. Conclusion This case highlights the rarity of fibroepithelial polyps in the external auditory canal and underscores the importance of considering them in the differential diagnosis of external auditory canal lesions.

A novel technique for creating logic gates and digital circuitry at the nanoscale is quantum cellular automata (QCA). The sensitivity of the circuit is enhanced and quantum circuits are more susceptible to unfavorable external conditions when component size are reduced. In this article, we offer a five-input majority gate with fault-tolerant feature in QCA technology, taking into account the significance of constructing circuits that can withstand flaws. We also assess all potential defects in the process of arranging cells in specific locations on the surface. These errors consist of extra cells, rotation, deletion, and displacement. The gate under study is subjected to the aforementioned four failure categories in the first stage. The QCADesigner simulator engine is then used to assess the accuracy of the circuit performance in the second step. 41 quantum cells have been used to make the gate of this five-input majority gate with fault-tolerant feature in QCA technology. Several techniques are explored to discover such a majority gate, such as adding cells (i.e., introducing redundancy into the circuit) and particular cell layout techniques. The goal is to come up with a design that can ideally withstand possible faults with the least amount of overhead on the circuit for fault-tolerant through a certain cell layout. The findings demonstrate the implemented majority gate's notable advantage over comparable scenarios.

In recent years, the use of renewable energy sources and investigation on renewable energy have significantly grown. In this research, parabolic trough and linear Fresnel collectors, which are widely used in the field of solar energy, have been investigated from the point of view of exergy. First, the energy balance equations for different components of the collector were solved using numerical methods and the temperature distribution in each component of the collector was obtained. Then the values of exergy destruction in each component of the system were calculated. The comparison of the results obtained in the present work with the results of the previous research showed a good agreement. The results showed that the exergy efficiency in the parabolic trough collector is approximately 1.5 times that of the linear Fresnel reflector. Also, changes in exergy efficiency, exergy destruction of the whole collector, output exergy cost and CO2 emission with increasing solar radiation intensity and fluid mass flow rate for both collectors have been compared and investigated.

Objective and Approach This study assesses the relationship between PM2.5 air pollution exposure and mortality in Northern Ireland. It draws on a rich array of individual-level mortality and Census data from the Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study linked to finely grained neighbourhood-level modelled air pollution data. Results Cox proportional hazards models reveal associations between mortality risk and PM2.5 exposure, though the magnitude of the effects depends on the specification. Without adjustment for measured characteristics, an interquartile range increase in the five-year moving average of PM2.5 exposure is associated with a relatively large increase in the hazard of mortality. This effect is reduced after adjusting for individual-level demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors as well as household-level factors; however, the hazard ratio remains above one and comparable with estimates from other studies. In further analysis focusing on changes in exposure resulting from address changes, propensity score matching is used to assess whether, among those with similar levels of pre-move exposure, those who move to areas with different pollution levels face subsequently different mortality risks. The results show a higher (lower) mortality risk for those moving to a higher (lower) pollution neighbourhood. Conclusions and Implications This study provides evidence of mortality effects of PM2.5 from a setting in which annual mean PM2.5 concentrations are low by international standards (averaging roughly 8 micrograms per cubic metre during the study period) and offers timely evidence to inform the delivery of Northern Ireland’s first-ever Clean Air Strategy.

Objective and Approach The educational performance of school pupils in England is assessed in many ways, including through formal testing and teacher assessment. It is important to understand whether certain types of pupils perform better in certain forms of assessment, and although this has been studied within the context of ethnicity, amidst a recent increase in the number of school exclusions in England there is a growing need to understand whether excluded pupils perform differently than never-excluded pupils in different forms of assessment, especially given that excluded pupils are characterized by multiple forms of disadvantage. This study investigates this question using the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset, focusing on a cohort of pupils who undertook both forms of assessment at the end of Key Stage 3 (age 14). Results We first explore whether, compared with never-excluded pupils, excluded pupils receive a teacher assessment level below their achieved test level, conditional on prior attainment. These estimates reveal no differences by exclusion record, and this result holds for all assessed subjects (English, Maths and Science). We also explore whether, conditional on the Key Stage 3 test score, excluded pupils have a higher chance of being assessed below the expected level by their teacher. These estimates indicate that, compared with measurably similar pupils who are never excluded, some excluded pupils underachieve in teacher assessment. Conclusions and Implications Overall, the results show that what can be learned about systematic discrepancies between teacher assessment and test measures depends on how such discrepancies are estimated.