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This paper presents an evaluation of the hydrocarbon potential of the Cuvette Centrale basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using an integrated approach that combines seismic and geothermal data. The envelope attribute of seismic data was used to identify different rocks of the petroleum system, including potential gas-prone zones. The interpretation of seismic profiles helped to delineate geological units and determine their lithology. Isobath maps based on seismic data revealed the presence of grabens and anticlines, which are favorable geological structures for hydrocarbon accumulation. Analysis of the geothermal gradient and temperature evolution in the formations allowed us to establish source rock maturity maps, highlighting two distinct zones: an overmature zone favorable for gas and a mature zone favorable for oil. These results suggest a strong hydrocarbon potential in the Cuvette Centrale basin.

Recommender systems -RS- have experienced exponential growth in various fields, especially in the tourism sector, improving tourism activities’ accuracy, personalization, and experience, thus strengthening indicators such as promotion. However, some challenges and opportunities exist to overcome, such as the lack of data on emerging destinations wishing to adopt these solutions. This manuscript presents a literature review of the current trends in RS applied to the tourism industry, including categories associated with their use and emerging techniques. Likewise, it presents a pathway for implementing an RS when insufficient data are available for a destination. The SLR followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and used the WoS, Science Direct, and Scopus databases. The results show that the hybrid RS integrates deep learning algorithms, data analytics, and optimisation techniques with collaborative tourism features to provide innovative solutions in terms of performance, accuracy, and personalisation of recommendations, thus achieving the management of tourist destinations or tourism-oriented services. Emerging destinations that lack RS data in tourism should use various data sources generated by tourists on social media, tourism portals, and through their interaction with tour operators. New tourism recommender system solutions can emerge following trends integrating new technologies based on user experience, collaboration, and the integration of multiple data sources.

The Cuvette Centrale is a sedimentary basin stretching from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Republic of Congo, Gabon and Angola. The existence of hydrocarbons in this large basin is demonstrated by the presence of indications on the DR Congo side and by the discovery of hydrocarbons by the Ngoki well (Republic of Congo) diagonally across the Lokoro sub-basin (DR Congo). In view of this evidence, the four boreholes drilled in the DR Congo's Cuvette Centrale have not reported the presence of hydrocarbons. With this in mind, this study reinterprets the geophysical data (magnetism and gravimetry) to highlight geological structures of petroleum interest. After processing and interpretation, we understand that the region contains interesting structures linked to hydrocarbon trapping. These include anticlines and faults. We discovered that there is a close relationship between the geological structures of these two countries (DR Congo and R Congo). They are all made up of the same geological structures separated by two major strike-slip faults crossed by the Congo River (NE-SW direction). These are the Dextre Fault, which displaces the compartments on the DR Congo side in a SW-NE direction, and the Senestre Fault, which runs NE-SW.

Demand-side mitigation strategies have been gaining momentum in climate change mitigation research. Still, the impact of different approaches in passenger transport, one of the largest energy demand sectors, remains unclear. We couple a transport simulation model to an energy system optimisation model, both highly disintegrated in order to compare those impacts. Our scenarios are created for the case of Germany in an interdisciplinary, qualitative–quantitative research design, going beyond techno-economic assumptions, and cover Avoid, Shift, and Improve strategies, as well as their combination. The results show that sufficiency – Avoid and Shift strategies – have the same impact as the improvement of propulsion technologies (i.e. efficiency), which is reduction of generation capacities by one quarter. This lowers energy system transformation cost accordingly, but requires different kinds of investments: Sufficiency measures require public investment for high-quality public services, while efficiency measures require individuals to purchase more expensive vehicles at their own cost. These results raise socio-political questions of system design and well-being. However, all strategies are required to unleash the full potential of climate change mitigation.

Abstract Deep transport decarbonisation requires not only technological measures, but also large-scale changes towards sustainable mobility behaviour. Researchers and decision-makers need suitable tools for corresponding strategy development on a macroscopic scale. Aiming at broad accessibility to such methods, this paper presents an open source passenger transport model for policy analysis in German medium- to long-distance transport. It discusses model design and data, limitations, alternative approaches, and its base year results and concludes, that macroscopic transport modelling is very suitable for policy analysis on national scales. Alternative approaches promise more insight on smaller scales. As an exemplary case study, the model is applied to ambitious technology projections for the year 2035, showing the ambition gap towards reaching the 1.5 degree-target of the Paris Agreements. Results indicate that 66 million tCO $$_{2eq}$$ 2 e q per year must be mitigated through further technological substitution or demand-side mitigation strategies.

Abstract Purpose A fully electrified transport chain offers considerable potential for CO2 savings. In this paper, we examine the conditions necessary to introduce a fully electrified, large-scale, high-speed rail freight transport system in Europe in addition to high-speed passenger trains, aiming to shift goods transport from road to rail. We compare a novel high-speed rail freight concept with road-based lorry transport for low-density high value goods to estimate the potential for a modal shift from road to rail in 2030. Methods To characterize the impacts of different framework conditions, a simulation tool was designed as a discrete choice model, based on random utility theory, with integrated performance calculation assessing the full multimodal transport chain regarding costs, emissions and time. It was applied to a European reference scenario based on forecast data for freight traffic in 2030. Results We show that high-speed rail freight is about 70% more expensive than the conventional lorry but emits 80% less CO2 emissions for the baseline parameter setting. The expected mode share largely depends on the cargo’s value of time, while the implementation of a CO2-tax of 100 EUR/tCO2eq has an insignificant impact. The costs of handling goods and the infrastructure charges are highly influential variables. Conclusion High-speed rail track access charges are a suitable political instrument to create a level playing field between the transport modes and internalize external costs of freight transport. With the given access charge structure, a reduction of the maximum operating speed to 160 km/h has a positive impact on the expected mode share of rail transport while it still reacts positively to a wide range of the cargo’s time sensitivity (compared to a maximum operating speed of 350 km/h). The flexibility of rail freight’s operating speed is important for an effective implementation. Further research should concentrate on time- and cost-efficient transhipment terminals as they have a significant impact on transport performance.

Despite advancements in human research ethics and the growing significance of Research Ethics Board (REB) members, educational opportunities specifically tailored to their needs remain lacking in many countries. In response to this gap, our research aims to understand the demographics, needs, and preferences for educational opportunities of REB members in Canada. We conducted a survey that found REB demographics to be diverse and have different perceptions of their roles on topics such as the evaluation of the scientific merit of studies and responsibilities to stakeholders. We found that REB members in general prefer online tutorials and webinars for their education. Educators interested in facilitating the development of future training programs should consider the needs and preferences of REB members outlined in this publication.

Introduction: Evidence based medicine is the standard of modern health care practices. Ongoing biomedical research is needed to expand existing knowledge and improve quality of care, but it needs to reach clinicians to drive change. Journal articles and conference presentations are dissemination tools. The aim of the study was to establish the publication rate of scientific abstracts presented at the first and second African Conference of Emergency Medicine. The secondary objectives were establishing non-publication dissemination and the factors associated with publication and non-publication. Determining non-publication dissemination patterns and the factors associated with reasons for publishing or non-publication were also investigated. Methods: Presenters of the 129 scientific abstracts from the first and second African Conference of Emergency Medicine were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey was followed by a manual literature search to identify published manuscripts of authors that did not complete the survey, to determine the most accurate publication rate. Results: Thirty-one presenters responded (24%), of which 18 published in a peer-reviewed journal. An additional 25 publications were identified by the literature search. The overall publication rate was 33.3% (26.9% from 2012 and 40.3% from 2014). Oral presentations were more likely to be published (p = 0.09). Sixteen manuscripts (37.2%) were published in the African Journal of Emergency Medicine. Presentations at local academic meetings were the most used platform beyond publication (43%). The main reason to publish was to add to the body of knowledge (100%), while lack of time (57%) was the major obstacle for not publishing. Conclusion: The overall publication rate for the first and second Africa Conferences of Emergency Medicine is comparable to other non-African Emergency Medicine conferences. The increasing publication trend between conferences might reflect the development of regional research capacity. Emergency Medicine providers in Africa need to be encouraged to participate in high quality, locally relevant research and to distribute those findings through accessible formats. Keywords: Conference, Africa, Publication, Barriers, Dissemination

Chlorosplenium is a small genus comprising five species of inoperculate discomycetes in the order Helotiales (Leotiomycetes) often recognizable by their bright yellowish-green colors and gregarious growth on wood. In this study, we describe five new species-C. aotearoa, C. australiense, C. cusucoense, C. epimorsicum, and C. hawaiiense-based on a combination of recent fieldwork and examination of previously collected fungarium specimens. We use an integrative taxonomic approach to support the distinction of new species, incorporating morphology and DNA sequence data with biogeography. Macro- and micromorphological features of apothecia for all species and culture characteristics for four of the five new species are documented. A multilocus phylogeny based on nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, partial large subunit nuc ribosomal DNA (28S nuc rDNA), and A-B regions of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1) gene is presented. Additionally, we report Chlorosplenium chlora from Europe for the first time and expand our knowledge of the diversity and distributions of species in this genus in America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Moving beyond traditional measures of innovation such as the use of R&D expense or patent related data, this study examines the relationship between slack resources and innovation productivity, a measure of innovation efficiency defined as the marginal revenue generation outcome associated with a given level of increase in R&D expense. Using a sample of 449 manufacturing firms across six years, a fixed effects panel analysis is utilized to examine how available, recoverable, and potential slack impact innovation productivity. The results from this study both support and conflict with prior slack and innovation research utilizing other innovation measures. Specifically, the analyses support the argument that an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between available slack and innovation productivity. However, the results fail to support a significant relationship between recoverable or potential slack and innovation productivity, a departure from prior literature examining more traditional measures of innovation. Both practical and theoretical implications are discussed. Keywords: Slack, Innovation, Research Quotient, Organizational slack and innovation are both key factors of success within organizations and as such have been heavily examined in the strategic management literature (Marlin and Geiger, 2015; Wang et [...]

Purpose- Prevalence of corporate frauds is critical, therefore, identifying and institutionalizing the bad apples in the barrel which are engaged in wrongdoings is much needed and must be brought to the lights through whistleblowing. Design/Methodology- Data were collected from the South Asian countries through a structured questionnaire from the employees of the telecom sector. Three hundred twenty-nine samples were gathered to test hypothesized relationships. Findings- Results showed that whistleblowing intentions of employees through psychological stress mediates the behaviors of their leaders, which turns ethical leadership at the workplace. Further, ethical leadership positively impacts employees’ intention to blow the whistle at the workplace. Furthermore, the analysis showed that interactional justice moderates the relationship between ethical leadership and intention to blow the whistle of employees Practical Implications- This research gives a different perspective to the managers to develop such a culture that enables an honest and trustworthy environment, which may enable the employees to point out the wrongdoings they witness while working at the workplace.

Purpose- Based on the ongoing unethical scandal in the organizations, this study aims to explain the relationship between ethical leaders and their followers’ ethical behavior by explaining the underlying mechanisms. Design/Methodology- Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from the employees working in companies that produce fast-moving consumer goods. Three hundred sixty-nine samples were taken to study the proposed relationships. Findings- Results showed ethical leaders positively influence followers. Perceptual and reflective moral attentiveness positively mediates between ethical leadership and ethical behavior of employees. Moral awareness negatively moderates between ethical leadership and followers’ ethical behavior via reflective moral attentiveness, whereas moral awareness does not moderate the relationship. Practical Implications- Following the call for determinants of ethical behavior, this study provides insights for the managers to foster ethical behavior at the workplace.

BackgroundRecently shown to regulate cardiac development, the secreted axon guidance molecule SLIT3 maintains its expression in the postnatal heart. Despite its known expression in the cardiovascular system after birth, SLIT3's relevance to cardiovascular function in the postnatal state remains unknown. As such, the objectives of this study were to determine the postnatal myocardial sources of SLIT3 and to evaluate its functional role in regulating the cardiac response to pressure overload stress.MethodsWe performed in vitro studies on cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissue samples from patients and performed in vivo investigation with SLIT3 and ROBO1 (roundabout homolog 1) mutant mice undergoing transverse aortic constriction to establish the role of SLIT3-ROBO1 in adverse cardiac remodeling.ResultsWe first found that SLIT3 transcription was increased in myocardial tissue obtained from patients with congenital heart defects that caused ventricular pressure overload. Immunostaining of hearts from WT (wild-type) and reporter mice revealed that SLIT3 is secreted by cardiac stromal cells, namely fibroblasts and vascular mural cells, within the heart. Conditioned media from cardiac fibroblasts and vascular mural cells both stimulated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vitro, an effect that was partially inhibited by an anti-SLIT3 antibody. Also, the N-terminal, but not the C-terminal, fragment of SLIT3 and the forced overexpression of SLIT3 stimulated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the transcription of hypertrophy-related genes. We next determined that ROBO1 was the most highly expressed roundabout receptor in cardiomyocytes and that ROBO1 mediated SLIT3's hypertrophic effects in vitro. In vivo, Tcf21+ fibroblast and Tbx18+ vascular mural cell-specific knockout of SLIT3 in mice resulted in decreased left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac fibrosis after transverse aortic constriction. Furthermore, α-MHC+ cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of ROBO1 also preserved left ventricular function and abrogated hypertrophy, but not fibrosis, after transverse aortic constriction.ConclusionsCollectively, these results indicate a novel role for the SLIT3-ROBO1-signaling axis in regulating postnatal cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by pressure overload.

Vocabulary is one of the important aspects in learning English. This study sought the answer of the following question: 1). Is there a significant difference on the students who are taught using Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) to improve vocabulary knowledge and students who were taught using conventional method? The sample in this research are 8th grade students of SMPN 3 Parongpong, Bandung Barat in academic year 2019/2020. The students were divided into two groups, one class was taught using Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) and the other one was taught using conventional method. This is quantitative research with an experimental design. The instrument used for this study was vocabulary test, which contained 35 questions. The result of the study showed that the pre-test for the experimental group was 51.73 and the conventional group was 51.63 while the post-test results for the experimental group was 78.63 and the conventional group was 60.83. In summary, it can be concluded that there is a significant different between students who were taught using Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) and the students who were taught using conventional method in improving students' vocabulary knowledge. For further researcher, this study can be a reference for researchers to do another study with different level of students.

Objective: Cancer causes some unpleasant physical and psychological impact on patients leading to anxiety and mental health problems. Using drawing is a good way as a method of therapy for dealing with mental disorders in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of painting on anxiety in children with cancer. Methods: A sample of children with cancer was selected and those who showed symptoms of anxiety were entered into the study. Then the anxious children were divided into two groups in block random. The intervention included sixth sessions of painting during the second, third and fourth days of admission to hospital in the morning and evening and each lasted for 1 hour. Children completed the post-intervention questionnaire. Results: A significant reduction in anxiety was observed (P= 0.0001). The mean obvious anxiety score in pre-intervention was 69.45 ± 10.75 and after the intervention, it was 48.30 ± 2.13. Average hidden anxiety before the intervention was 64.15 ± 6.12 and after the intervention it was 48.6 ± 4.17. Conclusion: Painting could reduce anxiety in inpatient children with cancer.

The digitization of library and archive collections over the last two decades has enabled efforts to reform history education through the integration of primary sources. Currently the Library of Congress provides one of the largest digital collections of its kind. The authors' project, with support from the Library, provides social studies teachers with explicit guidance for teaching historical thinking. The authors, a group of university-based researchers and experienced social studies classroom teachers, conducted an iterative, action research study to identify learning trajectories in history education. In this article, the authors describe their process, introduce the learning trajectories matrix, and provide suggestions for integrating it into the classroom.

Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses of randomised trials are considered a reliable way to assess participant-level treatment effect modifiers but may not make the best use of the available data. Traditionally, effect modifiers are explored one covariate at a time, which gives rise to the possibility that evidence of treatment-covariate interaction may be due to confounding from a different, related covariate. We aimed to evaluate current practice when estimating treatment-covariate interactions in IPD meta-analysis, specifically focusing on involvement of additional covariates in the models. We reviewed 100 IPD meta-analyses of randomised trials, published between 2015 and 2020, that assessed at least one treatment-covariate interaction. We identified four approaches to handling additional covariates: (1) Single interaction model (unadjusted): No additional covariates included (57/100 IPD meta-analyses); (2) Single interaction model (adjusted): Adjustment for the main effect of at least one additional covariate (35/100); (3) Multiple interactions model: Adjustment for at least one two-way interaction between treatment and an additional covariate (3/100); and (4) Three-way interaction model: Three-way interaction formed between treatment, the additional covariate and the potential effect modifier (5/100). IPD is not being utilised to its fullest extent. In an exemplar dataset, we demonstrate how these approaches lead to different conclusions. Researchers should adjust for additional covariates when estimating interactions in IPD meta-analysis providing they adjust their main effects, which is already widely recommended. Further, they should consider whether more complex approaches could provide better information on who might benefit most from treatments, improving patient choice and treatment policy and practice.

We are 52 Black scientists. Here, we establish the context of Juneteenth in STEMM and discuss the barriers Black scientists face, the struggles they endure, and the lack of recognition they receive. We review racism's history in science and provide institutional-level solutions to reduce the burdens on Black scientists.