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We describe a binary expression aleatory mosaic (BEAM) system, which relies on DNA delivery by transfection or viral transduction along with nested recombinase activity to generate two genetically distinct, non-overlapping populations of cells for comparative analysis. Control cells labeled with red fluorescent protein (RFP) can be directly compared with experimental cells manipulated by genetic gain or loss of function and labeled with GFP. Importantly, BEAM incorporates recombinase-dependent signal amplification and delayed reporter expression to enable sharper delineation of control and experimental cells and to improve reliability relative to existing methods. We applied BEAM to a variety of known phenotypes to illustrate its advantages for identifying temporally or spatially aberrant phenotypes, for revealing changes in cell proliferation or death, and for controlling for procedural variability. In addition, we used BEAM to test the cortical protomap hypothesis at the individual radial unit level, revealing that area identity is cell autonomously specified in adjacent radial units.

Considering that the plasmonic properties of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are strongly influenced by their dielectric environment, comprehension and manipulation of this interplay are crucial for the design and optimization of functional plasmonic systems. In this study, the plasmonic behavior of silver nanoparticles encapsulated in diverse copolymer dielectric environments was investigated, focusing on the analysis of the emerging localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) through both experimental and theoretical approaches. Specifically, two series of nanostructured silver ultrathin films were deposited via magnetron sputtering on heated Corning Glass substrates at 330 °C and 420 °C, respectively, resulting in the formation of self-assembled NPs of various sizes and distributions. Subsequently, three different polymeric layers were spin-coated on top of the silver NPs. Optical and structural characterization were carried out by means of UV–Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) was employed to study the LSPRs theoretically. The polymeric environment consistently induced a red shift as well as various alterations in the LSPR amplitude, suggesting the potential tunability of the system.

Game-based learning refers to an educational approach where games (digital or analogue) are used in order to engage students in interactive and immersive experiences designed to teach specific concepts, skills or subjects. Gamification refers to the application of game design elements, such as point systems, rewards, narratives, and competition, to non-game contexts. Game elements, mechanics and structures, when incorporated into the learning process, can enhance student understanding and increase engagement, motivation and retention of educational content. Teaching Biology can present challenges mainly due to the complexity of the subject matter, the different scales of biological organisation, and because it often includes challenging and counterintuitive concepts that may contradict students’ preconceived notions. Integrating gaming into the high school Biology curriculum not only tackles the challenges of teaching complex concepts but can also promote student engagement. Customising gaming experiences to Biology intricacies enhances critical thinking and creates a dynamic learning environment tailored to the demands of high school biological education. This entry explores the integration of gaming and gamification in high school Biology education to overcome challenges in sustaining student interest. Additionally, the article highlights the diverse applications of games in education, showcasing their versatility in enriching the educational process. Future research should evaluate specific games, explore design principles, and consider challenges associated with implementation. In conclusion, using games in Biology education promises to enhance engagement, promote active learning, and deepen understanding, contributing to narrowing the gap in biological literacy.

Summary: We describe a binary expression aleatory mosaic (BEAM) system, which relies on DNA delivery by transfection or viral transduction along with nested recombinase activity to generate two genetically distinct, non-overlapping populations of cells for comparative analysis. Control cells labeled with red fluorescent protein (RFP) can be directly compared with experimental cells manipulated by genetic gain or loss of function and labeled with GFP. Importantly, BEAM incorporates recombinase-dependent signal amplification and delayed reporter expression to enable sharper delineation of control and experimental cells and to improve reliability relative to existing methods. We applied BEAM to a variety of known phenotypes to illustrate its advantages for identifying temporally or spatially aberrant phenotypes, for revealing changes in cell proliferation or death, and for controlling for procedural variability. In addition, we used BEAM to test the cortical protomap hypothesis at the individual radial unit level, revealing that area identity is cell autonomously specified in adjacent radial units.

Intro: In this survey the academic performance of primary and secondary school students in Greece, for three consecutive school years, was examined. The data concerned all Greek students of the last two grades of elementary school and the three grades of junior high school. Method: Unsupervised learning methods such as an X-means algorithm in combination with descriptive and inductive statistical methods were used, in order to examine students' performance levels. The longitudinal stability of academic performance levels and the influence of demographic characteristics such as the region, gender and guardians' profession were also examined. Results: The existence of four levels of academic performance and longitudinal stability of frequencies per performance level was confirmed. There was also statistically significant differentiation based on the profession of guardian, gender, and area of residence. Discussion: The results demonstrated specific challenges that the educational policy of the country has to address. The stability of the percentages of students in the four groups of academic performance that emerged over time, shows corresponding stability in the factors that affect academic performance. A gradual reduction in the performance of students in high School was found, as the level of difficulty of the courses increases from class to class. Some demographic characteristics of students are not independent of their performance. However, due to the compliance with the general regulation of personal data, there was no access to additional features that may be related to performance, such as nationality and exact place of residence.

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at transition metal/oxide interfaces plays a significant role in technological applications such as magnetic storage and spintronics. In this study, we investigate the effects of thermal annealing and Pt ultrathin interlayers on the magnetic anisotropy in Ni/NiO multilayers. Ni/NiO/Pt multilayers were fabricated via radiofrequency magnetron sputtering and natural oxidation. The static magnetic properties of the samples were studied using temperature-dependent SQUID magnetometry. We focus on a sample with a Nickel thickness of 6.7 nm in each multilayer period. This multilayer in Ni/NiO form showed the maximum enhancement of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy after mild thermal annealing in past work. In this work, we study the effects of ultrathin Pt interlayers on the magnetic properties of such a Ni/NiO multilayer before and after annealing. We have observed a further increase in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and we study the temperature-dependent magnetic properties of this system, which combines the favorable magnetic properties of Ni/Pt and Ni/NiO multilayers.

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is the first virus identified to possess the capacity to induce various benign and malignant conditions. These conditions encompass asymptomatic persistent infection, self-limited disease in individuals with a competent immune system, and the propensity to initiate different tumors formation (oncogenesis) even head and neck cancer. Notably, EBV may interact with other viruses including human papillomavirus (HPV) especially in immunosuppressed patients, leading to a synergistic effect. The objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive literature review on the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), focusing on its life cycle within the human host, the pathogenic mechanisms associated with the virus, the specific types of head and neck cancers in which EBV is implicated, and the interactions between EBV and other viruses in immunosuppressed individuals. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) remains in most cases, asymptomatic or leads to the development of infectious mononucleosis. Moreover, it plays a significant role in the development of cancer, particularly in individuals under immunosuppression. The viral infection typically persists within the host organism in either a dormant or lytic state. The research also addresses the topic of chronic activated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) syndrome, exploring its interactions with other pathogenic viruses. In addition to presenting oral manifestations in the form of infectious mononucleosis, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to the occurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphomas in the head and neck region. Furthermore, EBV is associated with the development of hairy leukoplakia in individuals with weakened immune systems due to HIV. Overall, EBV may play a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of oral squamous epithelium carcinoma either independently or in conjunction with human papillomavirus (HPV). The manifold role of EBV necessitates the accurate diagnosis of new cases and the vigilant monitoring of the patients in order to avoid or at least delay the long term repercussions on the patients' health and quality of life.

Endodontic practice may be affected by periapical radiopaque/ hyperdense lesions. Oral medicine specialists and endodontists may have trouble diagnosing and treating radiopaque lesions. Inflammatory, non-inflammatory, neoplastic, dysplastic, metastatic or metabolic bone changes may occur. With the increased use of cone-beam CT, a detailed review of radiopaque lesions may help clinicians differentiate these lesions. Differentiating inflammatory, non-inflammatory and neoplastic disorders simplifies diagnosis and helps choose the best treatment. Aim: The aim of this review was to investigate the periapical radiopaque/hyperdense lesions. An extensive review of the literature was carried through. The literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine)-PubMed, Web of Science and Google scholar without restrictions concerning the date of publication. The inclusion criterion was that the article should be written in English, whereas the exclusion criterion was the opposite. This literature review covers radiopaque/hyperdense lesion differential diagnoses, clinical, radiographic, histological, and management issues. The effectiveness of root canal therapy is measured by the absence of pain, the absence or reduction of periapical lesions, and the restoration of tooth function. In endodontic practice, the diagnosis of periapical lesions is difficult because many of these lesions can mimic endodontic lesions, even when derived from different sources. For the diagnosis of periapical lesions in this scenario, a comprehensive clinical examination, in conjunction with clinical and radiographic aspects of the disease, is essential. The oral medicine specialist and endodontist must know how to diagnose radiopaque periapical lesions. Knowing how to differentiate between inflammatory, non-inflammatory, neoplastic and metabolic lesions expedites diagnosis and ensures the selection of the appropriate treatment.

Collaboration skills are essential for the effectiveness and efficiency of collective efforts in both professional and personal contexts. However, their complex and intertwined nature poses challenges in both defining and assessing them. To develop educational methodologies aimed at enhancing the cultivation of collaboration skills, there is a need for developing pre-post experimental assessment tools that target the construct in real-life school settings. Research indicates a lack of performance-based assessment tools designed to assess collaboration skills. This research proposes a performance-based assessment developed through collecting evidence from individuals participating in both solo and group puzzle activities. The assessment is created by viewing collaboration skills through the lens of the ATC21S framework. A total of 148 students aged from 11 to 12 years old from 12 different public schools in Greece participated in this study, carried out over a period of 7 months between December 2023 and June 2024 in both the test and retest phases. The results show that, regardless of the group compositions, individual student collaborative performance was stable. The validity of using Spearman’s correlation coefficient was measured at 0.623.

Oral lichen planus is a frequent, chronic autoimmune disease that affects the oral mucosa and is characterized as an oral potentially malignant disorder. The aim of our study is to examine the presence of CSCs bearing CD147 (a marker related to local inflammation and associated with various cancers) through immunohistochemistry in oral lichen planus (OLP) compared to oral leukoplakia (OL) and healthy tissues. These findings could contribute to clinical practice by providing a marker for the prognostic assessment of OLP lesions with regards to their potentially malignant nature. The study sample consisted of paraffin-embedded oral mucosa specimens from the archives of the Department of Oral Medicine/Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece during the period 2009–2019. The study sample contained 24 cases of OLP (14 erosive and 10 reticular) and 30 cases of oral leukoplakia, which were compared to 5 normal oral epithelium samples derived from healthy epithelium adjacent to fibromas from other cases. Cell membrane staining of CD147 was observed mostly in the basal and parabasal cell layer. The statistically significantly higher expression of CD147 in the erosive lichen planus subgroup than in the moderately and severely dysplastic leukoplakia subgroup (p = 0.01) constituted the most important finding of this study. The characteristic expression of CD147 in erosive OLP suggests the presence of epithelial cells with CSC characteristics, but its lower expression in oral leukoplakias suggests a more intense relation of the CD147 marker with inflammation rather than with oral dysplastic progression.

Sewage sludge (SS) holds promise for environmental, agricultural, and energy applications. However, its direct use is limited due to contaminant concerns. Pyrolysis can turn SS into beneficial products like bio-oil and biochar. This study explores biochar production from SS pyrolysis and its potential for pollutant adsorption. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (500, 650, 850 °C) and SS particle size (800–1000 µm, 400–800 µm, 100–400 µm, ≤100 µm) on biochar yield and adsorption capacity for methylene blue and mercury were investigated. Regardless of particle size and temperature, SS-derived biochar exhibited second-order adsorption kinetics. Biochar with a particle size of 100–400 µm displayed the highest potential for methylene blue adsorption. Subsequent alkali treatment (biochar:NaOH = 3:4) of these particles significantly increased specific surface area from 27.5 m2/g to 144.27 m2/g and further enhanced adsorption capacities for both methylene blue (from 9 mg/g to 35 mg/g) and mercury (from 17 mg/g to 36 mg/g). These findings suggest that SS-derived biochar, particularly the 100–400 µm fraction with alkali treatment, presents a promising cost-effective adsorbent for water treatment, aligning with circular economy principles.

The GPA is a universally recognised and utilised metric of academic performance that is considered to also measure a student’s potential for academic performance in the future. In this short communication we examine to what extent the GPA of the first grade of high school predicts performance in the later grades of high school, either generally (as classified in an excellent student, strong student, weak student, or very weak student) or more accurately (as indicated by the exact GPA in the next grade). We also put to the test the widely held notion that it might be best if core courses such as language and mathematics contributed more to the calculation of the GPA compared to secondary courses such as physical education or music. Our findings confirm the predictive properties of the GPA but strongly rebut the notion that a weighted GPA might achieve a better reflection of students’ potential. The study is based on the academic records of every student in Greece that progressed from the first to third grade of high school in the 2016–2019 period. This dataset contains records of more than 85,000 students, making it one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the topic of the properties of the GPA.

Plasmonic applications have traditionally relied on noble metals such as gold (Au) and silver (Ag) for their excellent plasmonic performance in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. However, these metals are costly, scarce, and have limitations such as low stability (Ag) and interband transition losses, which restrict their spectral range. To address these issues, alternative plasmonic materials have been explored. One such material is aluminum (Al), which is inexpensive, abundant, and exhibits remarkable plasmonic properties in the UV region as well as wide tunability. Al is also compatible with complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication processes and is very stable due to its ultrathin native oxide layer. Alloying different metals can combine their advantageous properties, resulting in enhanced tunable optical characteristics. This study investigates the LSPR properties of AgAl alloy nanoparticles grown after the annealing of precursor AgAl bilayer films. Interestingly, LSPRs were also observed in some cases for the as-deposited bilayers. The experimental results were complemented with simulations conducted via the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) method. The investigated materials could be potentially useful for applications in energy harvesting or color printing.

Self-assembled gold and silver nanoparticles were fabricated in medium vacuum conditions on Corning glass substrates by means of DC magnetron sputtering. The samples were deposited either at 420 °C or 440 °C, or they were initially deposited at room temperature followed by post annealing. Subsequently, they were covered with three different polymers, namely Polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-blockpolystyrene (PS-b-PBD-b-PS), Polystyrene-co-methyl methacrylate (PS-co-PMMA) and Polystyreneblock-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene (PS-b-PI-b-PS), using spin coating. Localized surface plasmon resonances were recorded in the temperature range of −25 °C–100 °C. We show that the resonance position changes systematically as a function of temperature. Theoretical calculations carried out via the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis support the experimental results. Based on these findings, the investigated materials demonstrate potential as components for the development of temperature sensors.

The remedial teaching policy is a flagship education policy of the Greek Ministry of Education that aims to create a school of equal opportunities by providing additional support to students from disadvantaged social backgrounds. In this work we utilised a data set provided by the Ministry of Education, followed a black box approach and built on previous results in order to achieve the first ever evaluation, based on data, of the remedial teaching policy. Our findings indicate that remedial teaching is very effective in supporting very weak students, helping 70% of them achieve better academic performance and one out of three of them to sustain this enhanced academic performance in the future, long after they have stopped receiving remedial teaching. On the other hand, and contrary to what is widely believed, our results show that remedial teaching has the opposite impact to what it was designed for, as it is primarily the privileged students that receive the benefits. Consequently, in the way it is currently implemented, remedial teaching widens the gap between privileged and disadvantaged students rather than reduces it. The implications of the work are wide and far reaching, including the establishment of the need to revisit the way remedial teaching is implemented, the highlighting of the value in the data gathered by the Ministry of Education and the proof that individual educational policies can be objectively assessed despite being part of a complex system in which multiple education policies are implemented concurrently.

DIGI-ORCH is a research project with objectives, on one hand, to design and develop "smart" brochures for concerts and educational programs of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (Greece), and, on the other, to develop an innovative system for the visualization of information on smart mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). The application of Augmented Reality (AR) provides free access to the information and content of the above concerts and educational programs, combining the information of a robust data server and an easy-to-use user interface of the smart device in real-time.The pilot implementation of the system in real conditions took place at the beginning of December 2022, in an event held at the facilities of the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. The event was an evening of Chamber Music entitled Musical Kaleidoscope, with the internationally acclaimed artists Simos Papanas (violin), Dimos Goundaroulis (violoncello), and Vassilis Varvaresos (piano). They performed the Piano Trio no. 3 in G minor, Robert Schumann's opus 110, and the Piano Trio no. 2 in E flat major, Op. 100 D. 929 by Franz Schubert. The concert was attended by over 150 attendees.The paper will present the chaîne-operatoire of the development of the system, from the acquisition of raw data (text, video, image, and sound) to the methodology used to produce the "smart" event brochure and the AR application for the above concert. Essentially, this large amount of information that cannot be assessed by a regular printed concert brochure is included in the smart system and displayed on the mobile device when the user locates the appropriate AR patterns on the surface of the analog concert poster and/or on the pages of the brochure.This information comprised of ie. additional text and images about the composers and their musical projects, about the musicians of the concert (e.g. biographies), their interviews and rehearsals (video) before the concert, information about the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (text, video, image, and sound), 3D models of musical instruments, 360° of the concert space, etc. diverse multimedia material.

Background: The aim of this case report is to present an interesting case of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, involving the maxilla and the maxillary sinus, as a result of per os administration of ibandronic acid. Methods: A female patient, 62 years old, was referred to the Department of Dentoalveolar Surgery, Surgical Implantology and Radiology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, complaining about pain in the first quadrant. Her medical history revealed per os bisphosphonate administration for the past four years. Subsequently, the cone-beam computed tomography examination revealed a small sequestrum of bone, surrounded by radiolucency, in proximity with the sinus floor. The clinical examination didn't reveal any pathological clinical signs. Results: Based on the radiological examination, a surgical approach was implemented to remove the necrotic bone, irrigate the alveolar process and the sinus with saline, and finally achieve primary closure, after which, the patient healed uneventfully. The osteonecrosis was attributed to the bisphosphonate administration. Conclusions: Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw without obvious or with minor implication of gingival tissues is a diagnostic challenge indicating an early stage of this adverse reaction. Imaging is critical for the early detection of those cases. After careful choice of the case the proper surgical intervention could be effective to eliminate a future advancement of bone destruction. The prevention of osteonecrosis of the jaw can be achieved through the provision of adequate education to dental medicine practitioners, medical doctors, and patients.

Corruption poses a significant challenge to economic development and governance worldwide, with its detrimental effects permeating various levels of society. In the context of Greece, where corruption has been a longstanding issue, the role of internal audit mechanisms within local government organizations (LGOs) emerges as paramount. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the internal control landscape within LGO revenue departments, focusing on factors influencing its effectiveness and proposing strategies for improvement. Drawing upon survey data and regression analyses, this study highlights the crucial role of robust internal control mechanisms in combating corruption and fostering economic development. The findings underscore the importance of competent personnel, legislative compliance, interdepartmental collaboration, and technology utilization in enhancing internal control practices. Despite existing legislation, gaps in internal control implementation persist, including understaffing, inadequate procedures, and limited access to information. This study emphasizes the transformative potential of effective internal audit measures in mitigating corruption at the local level, thereby contributing to broader economic growth and societal well-being. Recommendations for strengthening the internal control structures within LGOs include the formal establishment of internal audit functions, adherence to professional standards, and the promotion of information system utilization. By addressing the corruption and inefficiencies within LGOs, this research underscores the pivotal role of institutional effectiveness in promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable economic progress.

Background/Aim: Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a clinical feature-sign associated with other several mucocutaneous or systemic diseases and disorders. The aim of this research was to present the clinical and epidemiological characteristics (prevalence, age, sex, extend of lesions, coexistence with underlying pathologies) of a cohort of 200 patients from Northern Greece that exhibited clinical appearance of DG. Material and Methods: 200 patients with DG were referred to the Department of Oral Medicine/Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki during the years 2004-2014. The patients were examined clinically, and a biopsy was performed to settle the diagnosis of any possible underlying disease. The epidemiologic parameters being studied were the gender and age, and the investigated clinical characteristics contained the localization of the lesions and the prevalence in relation to coexisting pathologies, habits etc. Statistics were performed by SPSS 22.00 by chi-square test (p= 0,05) and STATA14 program. Results: Clinically, most DGs cases (81%) were accompanied by erosions-vesicles mainly in buccal mucosa (68%), tongue (29, 5%) and lips (27%). The most common underlying disorders were immune-related mucocutaneous diseases including OLP (55,5%) and MMP (29,5%), followed by erythema multiforme (7%), and pemphigus vulgaris (6%). Overall, most patients (76%) had a localized form of DG at the gingiva of anterior teeth. This finding was more prominent in OLP. Interestingly, the diffuse DG form was mostly found in males. Conclusions: DG constitutes an early or the only clinical sign, mostly indicative for immune-related mucocutaneous disorder. Indeed, a properly taken biopsy can validate an earlier diagnosis and treatment. This would be crucial in order to avoid patient's discomfort and underlying diseases' complications.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is the sixth most prevalent malignant entity with a significant fatality rate. The International Agency for Research on Cancer reported in 2018 that there are approximately 350,000 newly diagnosed instances of oral cancer per year, amounting to a cumulative incidence of 4.0 per 100,000 people. The aim of this review was to investigate the biomarkers associated with immunotherapy in head and neck cancer, and in particular oral cancer, as well as their respective immunotherapeutic agents. An extensive review of the literature was carried through. Relevant articles were searched in Medline Pubmed, Web of Science and Google scholar. The inclusion criterion was that the article should be written in English, whereas the exclusion criterion was the opposite. The current standard of care (SOC) for disease that recurs locally and/or metastatic disease was, until recently, platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab. A potential treatment option is the monoclonal antibody cetuximab, which extends median progression-free survival (PFS) as it targets the epidermal growth factor (EGFR). Last decade, research has shown that there are two mechanisms of tumor's microenvironment (the immune escape and the T-cell exhaustion) which are related to total survival from cancer. Consequently, scientists focused on immunotherapy, a new therapeutic approach that activates a patient's immune system to fight tumor cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a category of immunotherapies that are extremely effective at reactivating the immune system's defence against cancer. Oral cancer immunotherapy could target two significant immune checkpoints, cytotoxic T-lymphocyteassociated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1 (PD-1).

The vaccination of children is a crucial tool to protect both individuals and the world in general from various diseases and pathogens. Unfortunately, the vaccination procedure is not a pleasant one for all children, with many experiencing various levels of discomfort, sometimes reaching intolerable levels. In the first part of this work, we develop VACS, a tool that measures the discomfort children experience during vaccination. VACS takes into consideration the complete timeline of the vaccination experience from the perspective of the child, starting from the moment the child enters the doctor’s office through to their departure, and also the complete range of manifestations of discomfort, ranging from moaning and crying to facial expressions and posture. Their discomfort is quantified as a number from 0 to 25, with zero corresponding to a smooth vaccination and 25 to maximal/unbearable discomfort. In the second part of the work, we apply VACS to 40 vaccinations of children aged 2 to 12. Our findings show that approximately 40% of the children do not face discomfort during vaccination, but for the rest discomfort of varying degrees is observed. We also find that doctors are content with their patients facing considerably higher discomfort levels than what the children themselves are willing to withstand: doctors are content with VACS values up to 19 whilst children start to suffer when the VACS value exceeds 11. Surprisingly, characteristics such as (a) gender, (b) whether the state’s recommended vaccination program has been implemented in full, and even (c) prior negative vaccination experiences are found to be poor predictors of vaccination discomfort. Age on the other hand may be a factor, with younger children experiencing discomfort more often and more intensely; more research is required in order to validate this with higher confidence. The formulation of VACS opens the door for more systematic work towards the mitigation of vaccination discomfort for children.

The advent and abundance of mobile devices and network connectivity have provided learners of all ages with access to potentially unlimited sources of educational material, from pre-school activities to conventional and after-school courses and continuing education. One of the challenges that learners face is how to locate and access interesting contents suited to their preferences and, more importantly, to the level of expertise and individual needs. From the point of view of content creators and educators, adapting the content and the experience to each learner usually leads to better user retention and a more meaningful and deeper learning experience. In this study, we utilized the PRISMA review methodology to examine research on content and experience adaptivity in educational contexts and report on the authors' findings. Consisting of well-defined steps (keyword-based retrieval, study scope definition, result filtering, and grouping and analysis), the systematic nature of this methodology ensures its objectivity and replicability at a future stage or replicated by other researchers.

THz radiation emitted by ferromagnetic/non-magnetic bilayers is a new emergent field in ultra-fast spin physics phenomena with a lot of potential for technological applications in the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The role of antiferromagnetic layers in the THz emission process is being heavily investigated at the moment. In this work, we fabricate trilayers in the form of Co/CoO/Pt and Ni/NiO/Pt with the aim of studying the magnetic properties and probing the role of very thin antiferromagnetic interlayers like NiO and CoO in transporting ultrafast spin current. First, we reveal the static magnetic properties of the samples by using temperature-dependent Squid magnetometry and then we quantify the dynamic properties with the help of ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy. We show magnetization reversal that has large exchange bias values and we extract enhanced damping values for the trilayers. THz time-domain spectroscopy examines the influence of the antiferromagnetic interlayer in the THz emission, showing that the NiO interlayer in particular is able to transport spin current.

In this study, UVA and goethite activated persulfate oxidation was applied to treat a synthetic (SLL) and a real landfill leachate (RLL) spiked with sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Initially, SLL was used to find the optimum landfill leachate (LL) treatment conditions in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and SMX removal. The screening experiments were conducted using a two-level, four-factor Plackett-Burman design (PBD) to investigate the effects of UVA irradiation, time, concentrations of persulfate (PS) and goethite, on the removal of TOC and SMX. Dark experiments (PS/Goethite) yielded only a 2% TOC removal. Therefore, further experiments were conducted under UVA (365 nm) using a three-factor Box-Behnken design (BBD) in conjunction with response surface methodology (RSM). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated high regression coefficients for the BBD-RSM model in the case of TOC removal (R2 = 0.9755, adjusted R2 = 0.9314 and predicted R2 = 0.7956). In the case of SLL, RSM predicted an 84.4% TOC removal at the reaction time of 5.33 h, PS concentration of 477.4 mM, and goethite dosage of 755 mg/L under UVA. Experimentally, an 81.8% TOC removal and 100% removal of SMX were obtained under these conditions. Finally, the obtained optimum conditions were recalculated using RLL from the local municipal solid waste landfill, and 87% TOC and 100% SMX removals were obtained for PS concentration of 419.3 mM and goethite dosage of 663 mg/L after 4.68 h under UVA irradiation. Air stripping of RLL at pH 11 was complementarily applied to completely remove ammonia nitrogen after 3 hours. The results demonstrated the efficiency of the UVA/PS/Goethite system for the removal of organic matter from the LL for the first time.

The use of composite materials has seen widespread adoption in modern aerospace industry. This has been facilitated due to their favourable mechanical characteristics, namely, low weight and high stiffness and strength. For broader implementation of those materials though, the out-of-autoclave production processes have to be optimized, to allow for higher reliability of the parts produced as well as cost reduction and improved production speed. This optimization can be achieved by monitoring and controlling resin filling and curing cycles. Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), and, in particular, Silicon Photonics, owing to their fast response, small size, ability to operate at higher temperatures, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and compatibility with CMOS fabrication techniques, can offer sensing solutions fulfilling the requirements for composite material production using carbon fibres. In this paper, we demonstrate a passive optical temperature sensor, based on a 220 nm height Silicon-on-Insulator platform, embedded in a composite tool used for producing RTM-6 composite parts of high quality (for use in the aerospace industry). The design methodology of the photonic circuit as well as the experimental results and comparison with the industry standard thermocouples during a thermal cycling of the tool are presented. The optical sensor exhibits high sensitivity (85 pm/°C), high linearity (R2 = 0.944), and is compatible with the RTM-6 production process, operating up to 180 °C.

The present article examined the influence of size and periodicity of simulated gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in Nickel Oxide (NiO) matrix on localized plasmonic resonances (LSPRs). The scope of this work is to comparatively study the theoretical outcomes exhibited against the experimental results delivered from previous works, including a significant number of simulations and testing of numerous NPs diameter values. A comparison between Au and NiO NPs over silver (Ag) and NiO NPs is also reported to investigate whether the nature of noble metal affects its behavior in terms of LSPRs. The computational results strongly support that the appearance and intensity of LSPRs is straightforward to the increase in the diameter of NPs. The simulation results are in a good agreement with the literature of small NPs, offering the opportunity to further understand the LSPR phenomenon and its more effective implementation to opto-electronic applications. Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) is performed to stimulate the justification and knowledge of the theoretical conclusions.

Conventional wastewater treatment plants are mainly based on biological treatment technologies that do not suit for the removal of some organic pollutants in cold climate regions. Therefore, the research on complementary or post-treatment technologies such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is important. AOPs are mainly based on the generation of hydroxyl and sulfate radicals for further oxidation of the pollutants. In this work, the sources of the sulfate radicals such as potassium persulfate (K2S2O8), sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8), and ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8) were compared in term of the total organic carbon (TOC) removal from the synthetic wastewater at low temperature. For this purpose, a three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) in conjunction with the response surface methodology has been used. UV irradiation at 254 nm, the reaction time of 120 min, and Fe2+ dosage at 10 mg/L were used as hold values. According to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the BBD-RSM models for TOC removal showed significant regression coefficients (R2 = 0.9753, adjusted-R2 = 0.9309, and predicted-R2 = 0.6221). Pareto chart indicated that the concentration of the ammonium persulfate was the most significant factor at 12 °C.

Salivary gland neoplasms comprise a diverse group of tumors with different biological behaviors and clinical outcomes. Understanding the underlying molecular alterations associated with these malignancies is critical for accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies. Among the many biomarkers under investigation, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) has emerged as a promising candidate in salivary gland cancer research. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the differential expression of EpCAM in salivary gland cancer and its potential correlation with the biological behavior of these tumors. The clinical characteristics of 65 patients with salivary gland malignancy of different histopathological subtypes were included. We report the differential expression of EpCAM and the relationship between the clinical and histopathologic features of these tumors. Regarding the evaluation of the effect of EpCAM expression on survival, in our study, we showed that tumors with high EpCAM expression had reduced disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) compared to patients with cancers with low EpCAM expression. In addition, the concurrent presence of perineural invasion and positive EpCAM expression appeared to be associated with shorter disease-free survival and overall survival. In conclusion, our study confirmed the prognostic value of detecting perineural invasion and EpCAM expression.

Digital assistants—such as chatbots—facilitate the interaction between persons and machines and are increasingly used in web pages of enterprises and organizations. This paper presents a methodology for the creation of chatbots that offer access to museum information. The paper introduces an information model that is offered through the chatbot, which subsequently maps the museum’s modeled information to structures of DialogFlow, Google’s chatbot engine. Means for automating the chatbot generation process are also presented. The evaluation of the methodology is illustrated through the application of a real case, wherein we developed a chatbot for the Archaeological Museum of Tripolis, Greece.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) belongs to the most frequent cancer subtypes in the world. Mutations due to genetic and chromosomal instability, syndromes such as Fanconi anemia and the Bloom syndrome, environmental risk factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol and human papillomavirus infection (HPV) subtypes 16,18,31,33,35,52,58 are implicated in its pathogenesis. The HNSCC belongs to the solid tumors of epithelial origin and consists of stromal, inflammatory, cancer cells and most importantly a fraction of them, the cancer stem cells (CSCs). The identification of the CSCs through their biomarkers such as CD44, CD10, CD166, CD133, CD271, ALDH, Oct4, Nanog, Sox2 and Bmi1, the maintenance of their subpopulation through epithelial to mesenchymal transition, the role of HPV infection regarding their prognosis and of their microenvironment regarding their resistance to therapy, all constitute key elements that must be taken thoroughly into consideration in order to develop an effective targeted therapy. There are already therapies in place targeting specific related biomarkers, important biochemical pathways and growth factors. The aim of this literature review is to illustrate the treatment modalities available against the cancer stem cells of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim of the present paper is to determine the diagnostic features of the rare presentation of osteochondroma in the mandible. The unusual aspect in this case is that the diagnosis was not established with cone beam computer tomography, which is a commonly used radiographic technique in dentistry, but with the use of ultrasonography.

This study proposes a methodological approach that allows educational robotics to be used in order to develop collaboration skills in educational settings. Educational robotics is a promising educational tool that has the potential to become a platform for the development of a range of skills. However, there is a scarce amount of empirical case studies that present detailed information on the way it is implemented within formal primary school education. On the other hand, even though collaboration skills are considered vital for future school graduates, it is rarely discussed as the main focus of educational robotics. Most commonly collaboration or teamwork skills are viewed as a byproduct of the robotics activities. This work views collaboration skills as the main outcome. The methodological approach that this work proposes has been implemented during a period of three years in one pilot and two case studies. This research measures the reflection of the robotics tasks paired with the methodological approach to the development of collaboration skills. In order to measure the development of collaboration skills, the ATC21STM framework was used. The results showed activation of the indicators that comprise collaboration skills. Additionally, observations, which were gathered during unsupervised and unrelated to educational robotics, non-context-driven social interactions, showed improvements in students’ social behavior.

Plasmonic materials currently have a plethora of applications. How would a dielectric matrix, such as diblock copolymers, tune plasmonic properties? In this work, self-assembled gold nanoparticles were fabricated in medium vacuum conditions on heated Corning glass substrates (kept at 440 °C) under the coexistence of argon and air by means of DC magnetron sputtering. These samples were compared structurally and optically to samples deposited at room temperature and post annealed. Subsequently, the better of the two preparations, those deposited on heated glass, were covered with three different polymers, namely: Polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene (PS-b-PBD-b-PS); Polystyrene-co-methyl methacrylate (PS-co-PMMA); and Polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene (PS-b-PI-b-PS), by means of spin coating. Localized surface plasmon resonances were recorded and analyzed, respectively, for polymer-covered gold nanoparticles, with the width, intensity, and position of the resonances changing according to multiple factors, such as the nanoparticles size and the refractive index of each polymer. Lastly, for purposes of justification and comparison with the experimental results, rigorous theoretical calculations have been carried out.

The continuously growing demand for functional plasmonic devices or systems urges the implementation of economical and accelerated nanostructuring techniques. Laser annealing represents a promising approach to address this challenge, given its widespread usage in industry and research, as well as its unique advantages. This study proposes a scalable, rapid, versatile, and cost-efficient method to grow self-assembled nanostructures on metallic ultrathin films and multilayers, with high precision and patterning freedom. By employing industrial-grade equipment, specifically a 1070 nm nanosecond fiber laser and magnetron sputtering system, we directly grew self-assembled nanoparticles on Ag ultrathin films and AgPd multilayers deposited on Corning glass, via laser annealing at ambient conditions. The self-assembled nanoparticles were formed in designated areas by varying several laser parameters and exhibited intense localized surface plasmon resonances. Optical and structural characterization were realized via UV–Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The plasmonic characteristics were found to depend on the initial film thickness and laser annealing parameters. Laser-treated films exhibited remarkable plasmonic behavior, demonstrating that this method does not lack nanostructuring quality while offering scalability and practicality. Further optimization of the laser settings can refine the process and result in an even faster, cheaper, and more qualitative nanostructuring method.

Abstract Background Alterations in intercellular and cell-extracellular matrix connections contribute to tumour development. This study investigates the expression of specific cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in salivary gland tumors (SGTs). Methods Formalin–fixed, paraffin– embedded tissue specimens of different types of 34 benign and 31 malignant SGTs and normal salivary glands were studied using Envision/HRP immunohistochemical technique for Desmoglein-2 (Dsg-2), beta4-integrin, CD44s and ICAM-1. Intensity of staining was evaluated in a semi-quantitative manner. Results were analyzed using Kendall’s τ and Spearman’s ρ as correlation criteria. Results Dsg-2 in intercellular space, beta4-integrin in cell-basal membrane, and CD44s in both types of contacts were strongly expressed in normal acinar and ductal cells, whereas ICAM-1 was expressed only at the endothelium and sparse stromal cells and monocytes. Strong correlation was found between Dsg-2 expression in adenomas and controls and between adenocarcinomas and controls. In adenomas, a distinct cytoplasmic presence of Dsg-2 was observed in addition to the usual membranous expression, with decreased expression in comparison with normal tissue. In malignant SGTs, Dsg-2 expression was absent. In most SGTs, beta4-integrin was expressed also with a distinct pattern, involving the cytoplasm and the unpolarised membrane, while CD44 was found only on the membrane. Strong correlation between beta4-integrin expression in adenomas and controls was noted, while CD44 expression was found to be correlated significantly between adenocarcinomas and controls (p

The kinase mTOR is a signaling hub for pathways that regulate cellular growth. In neurons, the subcellular localization of mTOR takes on increased significance. Here, we review findings on the localization of mTOR in axons and offer a perspective on how these may impact our understanding of nervous system development, function, and disease. We propose a model where mTOR accumulates in local foci we term mTOR outposts, which can be found in processes distant from a neuron’s cell body. In this model, pathways that funnel through mTOR are gated by local outposts to spatially select and amplify local signaling. The presence or absence of mTOR outposts in a segment of axon or dendrite may determine whether regional mTOR-dependent signals, such as nutrient and growth factor signaling, register toward neuron-wide responses. In this perspective, we present the emerging evidence for mTOR outposts in neurons, their putative roles as spatial gatekeepers of signaling inputs, and the implications of the mTOR outpost model for neuronal protein synthesis, signal transduction, and synaptic plasticity.