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A whole-school approach to foster competences for democratic culture, described by the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, implies the active involvement of all actors in three areas of school life: teaching and learning, school governance and culture, and co-operation with the community. The European Centre for Modern Languages' project Des environnements d'apprentissage optimisés pour et par les langues vivantes (EOL) similarly assumes that a whole-school approach is essential in the promotion of plurilingual and intercultural education in schools. The article illustrates the EOL project: the core principles of its approach, the tools, materials and examples of practices. The project and its followup activities have proved that setting up language learning friendly environments requires decisions at different levels so as to introduce mechanisms and routines. Considering language education as a key factor for social cohesion, the aim of the article is to answer the question of what schools should do so as to go beyond a one-off, isolated project to unite all stakeholders around a shared language plan for school, which fosters competences for democratic citizenship.

This paper emphasizes on the sound absorption improvement of the water hyacinth and coconut husk based fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) panel. The dry water hyacinth and coconut husk were milled and sieved before it mixed with polyester and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide as the catalyst. The composition is 200 ml, 25 grams, and 20 ml for the polyester, fiber, and catalyst respectively. The mixture casting is by using a square tray to form a flat FRP panel through open air drying without any compaction process. Three different approaches i.e. multiple quarter wavelength resonators, air cavity, and front fibrous layer inclusion are implemented to the FRP to improve its sound absorption performance. The entire measurements conducted by using transfer function based impedance tube technique refer to ASTM E-1050-98 standard. B&K 4206. It found that the proposed approaches are increase sound absorption coefficient of the bulk FRP significantly. The best performance occurred on the coconut husk based FRP when the 8 of quarter wavelength resonators combined with the fibrous layer. Sound absorption increased accordingly to above of 0.7 starting from 1.5 kHz. On the other side, the air cavity shows similar influence on the entire test sample due to Helmholtz resonance mechanism.

Objective To explore the disparities in community characteristics between the regions with the highest and lowest leg amputation rates. Approach This study used an exploratory method to describe the disparities between community characteristics of these two regions. The study team used several data sources: 1) We used the Dartmouth Atlas Healthcare Map to identify the highest and lowest leg amputation areas. This data was based on leg amputations per 1,000 Medicare enrollees by Hospital referral regions (HRRs) in 2015. 2) We used population estimates and income data from The Census Bureau. 3) We gathered climate, crime index, walk score, bike lanes, and park data from numerous websites. Results Florence, SC has the highest leg amputation rate and Bridgeport, CT has the lowest across the nation. Florence also shows higher cardiovascular disease and diabetes discharge rates. Florence’s population has a slightly higher percentage of persons 65 years and over, a higher percentage of bachelor’s degrees, a higher per capita income, and a lower poverty rate. Florence also has fewer parks, is less walkable or bikeable, and has worse crime. It is worth noting that Bridgeport is close to Yale New Haven Hospital, which has a Limb Preservation Program that could contribute to the region’s extremely low leg amputation rate. Conclusions There are disparities in community characteristics between the regions with the highest and lowest leg amputation rates. Implications Future work needs to investigate the association between community characteristics and leg amputation rates and assess the impact of the Limb Preservation Program.

BackgroundFederally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are an essential place for historically underserved patients to access health care, including screening for colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States. Novel interventions aimed at increasing CRC screening completion rates at FQHCs are crucial. ObjectiveThis study conducts user testing of a digital patient navigation tool, called eNav, designed to support FQHC patients in preparing for, requesting, and completing CRC screening tests. MethodsWe recruited English- and Spanish-speaking patients (N=20) at an FQHC in New York City to user-test the eNav website (2 user tests; n=10 participants per user test). In each user test, participants engaged in a “think aloud” exercise and a qualitative interview to summarize and review their feedback. They also completed a baseline questionnaire gathering data about demographics, technology and internet use, medical history, and health literacy, and completed surveys to assess the website’s acceptability and usability. Based on participant feedback from the first user test, we modified the eNav website for a second round of testing. Then, feedback from the second user test was used to modify and finalize the eNav website. ResultsSurvey results supported the overall usability and acceptability of the website. The average System Usability Scale score for our first user test was 75.25; for the second, it was 75.28. The average Acceptability E-scale score for our first user test was 28.3; for the second, it was 29.2. These scores meet suggested benchmarks for usability and acceptability. During qualitative think-aloud exercises, in both user tests, many participants favorably perceived the website as motivating, interesting, informative, and user-friendly. Respondents also gave suggestions on how to improve the website’s content, usability, accessibility, and appeal. We found that some participants did not have the digital devices or internet access needed to interact with the eNav website at home. ConclusionsBased on participant feedback on the eNav website and reported limitations to digital access across both user tests, we made modifications to the content and design of the website. We also designed alternative methods of engagement with eNav to increase the tool’s usability, accessibility, and impact for patients with diverse needs, including those with limited access to devices or the internet at home. Next, we will test the eNav intervention in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of the eNav website for improving CRC screening uptake among patients treated at FQHCs.

Machine learning-based drug discovery success depends on molecular representation. Yet traditional molecular fingerprints omit both the protein and pointers back to structural information that would enable better model interpretability. Therefore, we propose LUNA, a Python 3 toolkit that calculates and encodes protein-ligand interactions into new hashed fingerprints inspired by Extended Connectivity FingerPrint (ECFP): EIFP (Extended Interaction FingerPrint), FIFP (Functional Interaction FingerPrint), and Hybrid Interaction FingerPrint (HIFP). LUNA also provides visual strategies to make the fingerprints interpretable. We performed three major experiments exploring the fingerprints' use. First, we trained machine learning models to reproduce DOCK3.7 scores using 1 million docked Dopamine D4 complexes. We found that EIFP-4,096 performed (R2 = 0.61) superior to related molecular and interaction fingerprints. Second, we used LUNA to support interpretable machine learning models. Finally, we demonstrate that interaction fingerprints can accurately identify similarities across molecular complexes that other fingerprints overlook. Hence, we envision LUNA and its interface fingerprints as promising methods for machine learning-based virtual screening campaigns. LUNA is freely available at https://github.com/keiserlab/LUNA.

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is a multifunctional cytokine protein acknowledged as a vital mediator in cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival. Additionally, TNF-α is a crucial component of the host’s defense by mediating inflammatory and immune responses against various aggressive agents, including viruses, bacteria parasites, and tumors. However, excessive production can be detrimental to the body and is also implicated in developing several inflammatory and immune-mediated disorders. Therefore, there is great interest in studying its role and its modulation, in various diseases, both in in vitro, in vivo, and in silico experiments. In this review, we evaluated the structures of proteins related to TNF-α available in public databases. In addition, we described the main antibodies blocking this cytokine and its applications and commented on the potential of naturally produced binding molecules, such as TNF-α-binding proteins produced by ticks. We also discuss the role of structural bioinformatics techniques in understanding the mechanisms of chronic inflammatory diseases related to TNF-α. We hope that the data presented in this review will be useful for studies that aim to better understand the mechanisms of the interactions of TNF-α with other proteins and will lead to new drugs or treatments.

The reduced usage of inorganic fertilizers is needed to avoid various undesirable impacts. This study aimed to assess whether partial reduction of inorganic fertilizers with the use of organic fertilizers can maintain nutrient adequacy and yield of maize. The research was conducted in Juwiring, Klaten, Central Java from August 2021 - March 2022 designed in a Completely Randomized Group Design with seven fertilizer combination treatments, namely ¼ NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, ½ NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, ¾ NPK + 1 organic fertilizer, ¾ NPK + ¾ organic fertilizer, and two comparison treatments namely no fertilizer and standard NPK (350 kg ha-1, SP36 150 kg ha-1, KCl 75 kg ha-1) repeated three times. The parameters observed were N-total soil and tissue, P-available soil, K-available available P and soil CEC, P and K levels of plant tissue. Organic fertilizer of 10 t ha-1 was applied a week before planting. The application of ½ NPK of the standard dose + 1 organic fertilizer showed higher N-total soil, P-available, and K-available as well as higher corn yield than the standard NPK treatment with the results of cob weight (22.52 g), cob weight without cob (13.92 g), cob length (21.47 g), and cob diameter (4.55 g) against the standard NPK treatment. The use of organic fertilizers needs to be done to maintain the sustainability of natural resources. ABSTRAK Pengurangan penggunaan pupuk anorganik perlu dilakukan untuk menghindari berbagai dampak yang tidak diharapkan. Penelitian bertujuan untuk mengkaji apakah pengurangan sebagian pupuk anorganik dengan pupuk organik mampu menjaga kecukupan hara dan hasil jagung. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Juwiring, Klaten, Jawa Tengah sejak Agustus 2021 – Maret 2022 menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap dengan tujuh perlakuan kombinasi pupuk yaitu: ¼ NPK + 1 pupuk organik, ½ NPK + 1 pupuk organik, ¾ NPK + 1 pupuk organik(E), 1 NPK + 1 pupuk organik, ¾ NPK + ¼ pupuk organik, ¾ NPK + ½ pupuk organik, ¾ NPK + ¾ pupuk organik, dua perlakuan pembanding yaitu tanpa pupuk serta NPK standar (350 kg ha-1, SP36 150 kg ha-1, KCl 75 kg ha-1) yang diulang 3 kali. Parameter pengamatan yaitu N-total tanah dan jaringan, P-tersedia tanah, K-Tersedia tanah dan KTK tanah, serta kadar P dan K jaringan tanaman. Pupuk organik 10 t ha-1 diberikan seminggu sebelum tanam. Aplikasi ½ NPK dari dosis standar + 1 pupuk organik menunjukkan N-total, P-tersedia, dan K-tersedia tanah serta hasil jagung yang lebih tinggi dari perlakuan NPK standar dengan hasil berat tongkol berkelobot (22,52 g), berat tongkol tanpa kelobot (13,92 g), panjang tongkol (21,47 g), dan diameter tongkol (4,55 g) terhadap perlakuan NPK standar. Penggunaan pupuk organik perlu dilakukan untuk menjaga keberlanjutan sumberdaya alam.

BACKGROUND: Few data on the management of acute phase of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) in patients suffering polytrauma are available. As the therapeutic choices in the first hours may have a deep impact on outcome of tSCI patients, we conducted an international survey investigating this topic. METHODS: The survey was composed of 29 items. The main endpoints of the survey were to examine: (1) the hemodynamic and respiratory management, (2) the coagulation management, (3) the timing of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spinal surgery, (4) the use of corticosteroid therapy, (5) the role of intraspinal pressure (ISP)/spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) monitoring and (6) the utilization of therapeutic hypothermia. RESULTS: There were 171 respondents from 139 centers worldwide. A target mean arterial pressure (MAP) target of 80-90 mmHg was chosen in almost half of the cases [n = 84 (49.1%)]. A temporary reduction in the target MAP, for the time strictly necessary to achieve bleeding control in polytrauma, was accepted by most respondents [n = 100 (58.5%)]. Sixty-one respondents (35.7%) considered acceptable a hemoglobin (Hb) level of 7 g/dl in tSCI polytraumatized patients. An arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) of 80-100 mmHg [n = 94 (55%)] and an arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) of 35-40 mmHg [n = 130 (76%)] were chosen in most cases. A little more than half of respondents considered safe a platelet (PLT) count > 100.000/mm3 [n = 99 (57.9%)] and prothrombin time (PT)/activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)

Bacterial nanocellulose (BC) has attracted significant attention across a wide array of applications due to its distinctive characteristics. Recently, there has been increasing interest in leveraging waste biomass to improve sustainability in BC biogenesis processes. This study focuses on optimizing the citrus pulp waste (CPW) medium to enhance BC production using Komagataeibacter sucrofermentans. The screening of initial medium pH, yeast extract, CPW sugar and inoculum concentrations was conducted using the Plackett–Burman design, with BC yield (mgDW/gCPW) as the model response. The significant parameters, i.e., CPW sugars and yeast extract concentrations, were optimized using response surface methodology, employing a five-level, two-factor central composite design. The optimized CPW-based growth medium resulted in a final yield of 66.7 ± 5.1 mgDW/gCPW, representing a 14-fold increase compared to non-optimized conditions (4.3 ± 0.4 mgBC/gCPW). Material characterization analysis indicated that the produced BC showed high thermal stability (30% mass retained at 600 °C) and a crystallinity index value of 71%. Additionally, to enhance process sustainability, spent baker’s yeast hydrolysate (BYH) was assessed as a substitute for yeast extract, leading to a final BC titer of 9.3 ± 0.6 g/L.