The excessive use of vaccines, antibiotics, and other preventive therapeutic agents in conventional broiler production has resulted in the frequent occurrence of antibiotic residues in edible tissues, posing risks to both animal and human health. These residues contribute to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the need for alternative approaches to poultry disease prevention. This study aimed to evaluate whether a comprehensive preventive programme encompassing biosecurity, hygiene, and an antibiotic-free prophylaxis regimen could eliminate the need for prophylactic antibiotic therapy, thereby enabling the production of broiler meat free of antibiotic residues. This approach was contrasted with the conventional production system, in which less rigorous preventive practices necessitate the prophylactic use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, ultimately resulting in detectable residues within the muscle and liver tissues of conventionally reared chickens. Ross 308 broilers were reared under field conditions. in. The control group was reared using conventional prophylactic protocols, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, vitamins, bio-stimulants, mineral supplements, and acidifiers via drinking water. The experimental group received no antibiotics; and instead were treated with hydro-soluble probiotic preparations containing vitamin C, lactose, fructose, and baker’s yeast, combined with continuous water disinfection throughout the fattening period. Microbiological analyses showed the presence of antibiotic residues in the soft tissues of conventionally reared broilers, while no residues were detected in the experimental group. Production performance indicators—mortality rate, vitality, final body weight, and overall cost—were similar to or superior to those in the antibiotic-free group, confirming that broiler meat production without antibiotics is both feasible and economically viable.

BACKGROUND Understanding the size, gender composition, and cadre mix of the health workforce and how it has evolved across time and locations can inform policies for planning, recruitment, training, and retention of human resources for health (HRH), and improvement of access to the health-care workforce among populations. Using comparable and standardised data sources, we aim to describe the composition and density of health workers by sex among 20 cadres for 204 countries and territories over 1990-2023 and quantify workforce shortfalls relative to universal health coverage (UHC) attainment. METHODS We used 1816 country-years of data from population-based surveys, 82 from censuses, 3888 from administrative sources, and 96 from scientific literature. We harmonised reported occupation in all sources with the International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008. We produced estimates for 20 cadres and the total health workforce disaggregated by sex using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression, a standardised method in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study. Finally, stochastic frontier meta-regression was used to estimate the minimum density of doctors, nurses and midwives, dentists, and pharmacists required to reach a score of 80 out of 100 on the UHC effective coverage index. FINDINGS In 2023, there were 122·1 million (95% uncertainty interval 115·4-130·5) health workers across 20 cadres, an increase of 81·2 million (72·0-90·5) or 198·5% (161·9-245·6) relative to 1990. Of that total, there were 15·1 million (13·1-18·2) doctors, 33·2 million (30·8-36·3) nurses, 2·4 million (2·0-2·9) midwives, and 7·6 million (6·7-8·6) community health workers (CHWs). 68·9% (66·9-70·6) of all health workers in 2023 were female, and female health workers accounted for 71·4% (64·5-77·4) of net HRH workforce growth. Less than half of doctors were female (43·9%, 34·5-53·2) and most nurses (80·7%, 76·2-83·1), midwives (96·0%, 83·9-98·5), and CHWs (89·5%, 83·6-93·7) were female. Substantial differences in HRH density remained into 2023: sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest HRH densities across cadres, with the exception of CHWs, while high-income countries had the highest HRH densities. To reach 80 out of 100 on the UHC index, an additional 7·1 million (6·6-7·5) doctors, 23·9 million (21·8-26·1) nurses and midwives, 1·8 million (1·6-1·9) dentists, and 1·6 million (1·4-1·9) pharmacists are required globally. INTERPRETATION The global health workforce has expanded substantially since 1990, largely due to women entering the formal health workforce. However, this expansion has been uneven across regions and persistent shortfalls remain in doctors, nurses and midwives, dentists, and pharmacists relative to moderate UHC attainment. Addressing these gaps will require expansion of training capacity, retention and remuneration policies for early-career workers, and gender-responsive workforce arrangements. FUNDING Gates Foundation.

The paper examines how geometric design parameters affect crankshaft fracture due to fatigue using the finite element method. It explores the influence of the fillet radius on the crankpin journal, the shape of the grooves on the splined shaft, and their interaction on the crankshaft’s fatigue behavior. Using established material traits and operating load magnitudes, a finite element analysis (FEA) computational model of the crankshaft was created, and stress simulation was performed. Following the obtained results, critical points on the crankshaft were identified, followed by fatigue analysis and lifespan evaluation. Numerical simulations showed that increasing the fillet radius on the crankpin journal significantly reduces stress concentration and boosts the crankshaft’s fatigue life. Altering the geometry of the grooves on the splined shaft redistributes stress and moderately extends its lifespan. The best results came from combining both geometric changes, demonstrating the synergistic effect of optimizing design parameters. The findings provide numerical insight into the relationship between geometric features and fatigue behaviour of crankshafts and may support further research on geometry-based design optimization.

A nonionic type V deep eutectic solvent (DES) combining hydrophobic (−)-menthol and hydrophilic resorcinol was prepared and investigated as a solvent for amphiphilic caffeine. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were first used to determine the eutectic composition and characterize its thermal behavior. The menthol-to-resorcinol molar ratio of 2:1 was subsequently selected for physicochemical investigation. Clear homogeneous solutions containing up to 0.701 mol·kg−1 caffeine were prepared, corresponding to 136 g of caffeine per kilogram of DES. Density, speed of sound, and viscosity were measured over the temperature range from 293.15 to 313.15 K. These data were used to evaluate the thermal expansion, volumetric and acoustic properties, intermolecular free length, and concentration and temperature dependences of viscous flow. The viscosity results were further analyzed using the Arrhenius, Jones–Dole, and Eyring–Feakins approaches and compared with the behavior of caffeine in water, ethylene glycol, and methyl salicylate. DFT calculations and molecular electrostatic potential surfaces were used to examine the local organization of the DES and the possible incorporation of caffeine through interactions with both its polar and less-polar regions. The combined experimental and computational approach provides a molecular and thermodynamic basis for evaluating this DES as a caffeine-solubilizing and delivery medium.

Ancestral environmental stress can influence descendant phenotypes, yet the physiological traits underlying such effects remain poorly understood, particularly in response to heterologous stress. We investigated whether chronic chromium (Cr) exposure in the parental generation is associated with persistent physiological differences in Arabidopsis thaliana F2 descendants. Wild-type plants were exposed to 2.5 μM hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] supplied as potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) from the seedling stage until seed set. The resulting F2 lineage derived from chromium-exposed ancestors (2.5F2) was subsequently grown under control conditions or challenged with salinity (25 mM NaCl) or cadmium stress (25 μM Cd). Growth traits, biomass allocation, antioxidant enzyme activities, total soluble proteins, and elemental composition were assessed at the flowering stage. Significant lineage × treatment interactions were observed for root growth, APX activity, and cadmium partitioning. Under cadmium stress, 2.5F2 plants maintained longer roots and higher shoot biomass than wild-type plants. The most pronounced lineage-specific difference was observed for ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity: whereas wild-type plants exhibited strong stress-induced APX activation, the 2.5F2 lineage maintained elevated APX activity across all treatments in both shoots and roots. Elemental analysis further revealed altered metal homeostasis, with 2.5F2 plants accumulating less cadmium in roots but more in shoots, resulting in a higher shoot-to-root cadmium ratio, while root iron concentrations remained consistently higher across treatments. These findings indicate that descendants of chromium-exposed ancestors exhibit persistent physiological differences characterized by elevated antioxidant activity, altered cadmium partitioning, and improved maintenance of root growth under cadmium stress.

This study presents an experimental investigation of a Savonius wind turbine conducted under controlled wind tunnel conditions. Turbine performance was evaluated at inlet airflow velocities of 5, 7, and 9 m/s. Airflow velocities were measured upstream and downstream of the turbine to determine the effective rotor velocity, while rotational speed measurements enabled calculation of the tip-speed ratio (TSR). The airflow velocity distribution along the turbine height and width was analysed to examine air–blade interactions and identify regions influencing turbine performance. The results demonstrate a strong dependence of rotor behaviour on inlet airflow conditions, with improved performance observed at higher velocities. Smoke-based flow visualisation provided qualitative insight into airflow patterns and vortex formation around the blades, confirming the influence of flow guidance on turbine operation. These findings contribute to a better understanding of Savonius wind turbine aerodynamics and support further optimisation of turbine design and flow control strategies.

BACKGROUND The inverse relationship between vitreous humour (VH) glucose and lactate, classically used in the Traub formula, is widely applied in post-mortem biochemistry. METHODS We analysed 127 VH samples from external examinations and forensic autopsies performed in a hospital forensic setting (PMI 4-187 h; 58 septic and 69 non-septic deaths). Glucose was available in 78 cases, lactic acid in all 127. Cases were stratified by PMI window, septic status and storage condition. Spearman correlations and non-parametric comparisons were applied. RESULTS Within the first 24 h post-mortem, glucose and lactic acid showed significant opposite correlations with PMI. Glucose reached a low-value floor of approximately 2 mg/dl by 25-48 h, after which no meaningful PMI-related decrease was observed. Lactic acid showed a different trajectory: septic and non-septic cases had similar baseline levels at ≤10 h, but diverged thereafter, with continued increase in septic cases through 25-48 h. This divergence emerged after glucose depletion, suggesting glucose-independent lactate accumulation. Glucose-lactate coupling was absent in septic cases and weak in non-septic cases. CONCLUSIONS VH glucose and lactic acid showed limited evidence of direct stoichiometric coupling in this hospital cohort. Glucose reflected PMI mainly within the first 24 h, whereas its interpretative value declined after reaching a post-mortem floor. Lactic acid showed a sepsis-associated post-mortem amplification not explained by glucose availability alone, possibly reflecting autolytic processes. These findings do not invalidate the Traub formula in its original diagnostic context, but caution against its uncritical application in heterogeneous forensic cohorts.

Organic semiconductors, particularly conjugated polymers, are critical for advancing flexible electronics. Their electrical conductivity is enhanced by increasing carrier concentration through doping by blending small atoms or molecules, which can introduce Coulombic traps and disrupt packing. Here, we elucidate a molecular design principle that leverages dopant energy depth quantified by ΔE, which is the difference between appropriate frontier orbital energies of the doped polymer and its counterion, to mitigate disorder and simultaneously improve conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient. Using a modified Gaussian disorder model that incorporates carrier screening, we simulate the density of states and validate our findings experimentally with iodine- and Magic Blue-doped poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Our results reveal that deeper dopant frontier energy levels significantly reduce energetic disorder and enhance transport properties when the carrier-counterion separation is small. We identify a saddle-point behavior in conductivity as a function of ΔE and show that ΔE can significantly boost conductivity when the dopant is located close to the backbone. This work introduces ΔE as a powerful molecular lever for designing high-performance organic semiconductors, offering a new design rule to overcome the long-standing trade-off between conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, thereby increasing thermoelectric efficiency in doped conjugated polymers.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are aggressive malignancies associated with a poor prognosis. Although molecular profiling is recommended to guide therapeutic decision-making, real-practice data on the prevalence and prognostic significance of genomic alterations in European BTC cohorts remain limited. This retrospective cohort study characterized the molecular landscape of BTCs in a Belgian real-practice setting and evaluated its prognostic relevance. Patients with BTC who underwent informative molecular testing as part of routine diagnostics at Antwerp University Hospital between 2016 and 2024 were included. Demographic, clinical, and molecular data were extracted from electronic health records. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression. Among 224 included patients, genomic alterations were identified in 59.4% of tumors, with clear subtype-specific patterns. IDH1 mutations (17.3%) and FGFR2 fusions (13.9%) were exclusively observed in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, KRAS mutations were most prevalent in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (42.9%), and ERBB2 amplification was enriched in gallbladder cancer (16.7%). Co-occurring alterations were present in 7.8% of cases. KRAS mutation was the most frequent alteration overall (20.4%) and remained significantly associated with worse overall survival in multivariate analysis adjusted for tumor subtype and tumor stage (HR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.03-2.31, p = 0.04). Although 32.6% of tumors harbored a potentially actionable alteration, only 31.6% of eligible patients received matched targeted therapy. These findings underscore the clinical value of routine molecular profiling in BTC and highlight its importance for identifying therapeutic opportunities in clinical practice.

This paper explores how generative AI (GAI) may complement, extend or selectively assume information-based functions traditionally associated with human tour guiding in self-guided tourism experiences (SGE). It presents a new framework for GAI-driven SGE, highlighting three central aspects: personalization, real-time support and contextual relevance. To map the relationship between GAI, on-site information-seeking behavior and SGE, we adapted a structured approach based on MacInnis' (2011) framework for explicating (descriptive) conceptual contributions. By utilizing GAI's features, the study shows how GAI may improve tourist independence and convenience. The paper also evaluates the limitations of GAI, particularly its difficulty in replicating the emotional connections, cultural understanding and narrative immersion that human guides provide. Through a comparison with traditional guided tours, the research discusses the consequences of adopting GAI for tourists, service providers and destination management organizations (DMOs). Ethical issues, including data privacy concerns and the potential for cultural inaccuracies, are also explored, along with proposed strategies for responsible implementation. This work lays the groundwork for future studies and real-world applications, offering insights into how GAI may make tourism more adaptable, inclusive and sustainable. While the paper focuses on how GAI may support or selectively assume specific information-based functions of guiding, we recognize that tour guiding is also a form of embodied, relational, and regulated labor that extends beyond the scope of this conceptual framework.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite significant advances in diagnostics and pharmacotherapy. This persistent burden has shifted attention toward adjunct therapeutic strategies targeting key mechanisms of myocardial and vascular injury, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, apoptosis, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic dysregulation. A particular interest of contemporary research is focused on bile acid (BA) signaling through nuclear and membrane receptors, primarily the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5), as central regulators of metabolic, inflammatory, and vascular responses. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic BA widely used to treat hepatobiliary disorders, has emerged as a potential modulator of cardiometabolic processes. UDCA exerts direct effects through low-affinity but functionally relevant activation of the TGR5 receptor, as well as indirect effects through alterations in BA pool composition, thereby influencing FXR/TGR5 signaling pathways. Experimental studies suggest that UDCA reduces oxidative stress, stabilizes mitochondrial function, alleviates ER stress, suppresses apoptosis and inflammation, and improves endothelial function and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Despite promising mechanistic evidence, currently available clinical data remain limited and are largely based on small studies and surrogate biomarkers, without confirmation of benefits in terms of major cardiovascular outcomes. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the role of UDCA in the modulation of BA receptor signaling and its potential relevance for cardiovascular protection.