University of Łódź

Escape room is a type of game in which players have to solve several puzzles to leave the room in a limited time. It is a relatively new form of recreation but thanks to the global diffusion of innovations, the game has reached all continents over the decade, gaining unprecedented popularity, especially in large cities. The article aims to identify and characterize the attributes of memorable game experiences (MGEs) of escape room customers in Budapest, Hungary (the eldest in Europe, well-established market for this entertainment). The paper attempts to define the components of MGEs innovatively, using text-mining analysis of big data. This study used mixed methods: quantitative and qualitative. The research material consisted of 6203 opinions on experiences in 29 escape rooms in Budapest posted on TripAdvisor. The main components of positive experiences of users of escape rooms are puzzles as well as the arrangement and decoration. Other key components of the experience include staff, storytelling, the value of service, ambience, and atmosphere. Memorable game experiences are strongly saturated with emotions, resulting from the players’ high involvement in the game and their full immersion in an artificially arranged problem situation. The obtained results indicate both the key areas necessary to create positive experiences and the elements resulting in the formation of negative experiences.

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. SEQUOIA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03336333 ) is a phase III, randomized, open-label trial that compared the oral Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanubrutinib to bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in treatment-naïve patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). The initial prespecified analysis (median follow-up, 26.2 months) and subsequent analysis (43.7 months) found superior progression-free survival (PFS; the primary end point) in patients who received zanubrutinib compared with BR. At a median follow-up of 61.2 months, median PFS was not reached in zanubrutinib-treated patients; median PFS was 44.1 months in BR-treated patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; one-sided P = .0001). Prolonged PFS was seen with zanubrutinib versus BR in patients with mutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (IGHV) genes (HR, 0.40; one-sided P = .0003) and unmutated IGHV genes (HR, 0.21 [95% CI, 0.14 to 0.33]; one-sided P < .0001). Median overall survival (OS) was not reached in either treatment arm; estimated 60-month OS rates were 85.8% and 85.0% in zanubrutinib- and BR-treated patients, respectively. No new safety signals were detected. Adverse events were as expected with zanubrutinib; rate of atrial fibrillation was 7.1%. At a median follow-up of 61.2 months, the results supported the initial SEQUOIA findings and suggested that zanubrutinib was a favorable treatment option for untreated patients with CLL/SLL.

A climate-based metapopulation malaria model is formulated by incorporating human travel between zones with varying climatic factors, effective and counterfeit drug treatments, and time-periodic parameters for the mosquito population to understand the effect of human travel on malaria transmission. We study the existence, uniqueness, and stability of positive periodic solutions in the model and carry out numerical simulations for three climatic zones of Ghana. The study shows that the climate effects introduce fluctuations in the solutions, while human travel between zones affects the disease prevalence in each zone and the local transmission dynamics of malaria. We observed different outcomes depending on various restrictions imposed on human travels. The study also suggests that it is essential to ban the sale, importation or manufacture of counterfeit drugs and punish the offenders to ensure the effective use of high-quality drugs in the population.

This article presents an adaptive neural network control scheme with prescribed performance for stochastic nonlinear systems. Unlike existing adaptive stochastic control schemes that primarily utilize deterministic neural networks for approximations in complex stochastic environments, we employ stochastic neural networks to approximate the stochastic nonlinear terms, effectively resolving the “memory overflow” issue. Moreover, we propose a novel prescribed performance design method, which distinguishes itself from the previous prescribed performance control schemes by integrating a quadratic characteristic capable of suppressing transient input vibrations, along with a local asymmetric characteristic that optimize both transient output overshoot and steady-state error bias. Furthermore, the proposed control scheme is implemented within a fixed-time framework to ensure that all closed-loop systems are fixed-time bounded in probability, with the tracking error consistently within the predefined performance bounds. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

This article presents a comprehensive numerical and experimental analysis of the ballistic performance of soft bulletproof vests designed for women. The study involved a woman aged between 24 and 28 with a breast size of 85C. Two ballistic packages made from Twaron® CT 709 fabric were designed and constructed for her, featuring cut-and-sew formed breast cups and differing significantly in the number of layers (16 and 30 layers). The impact of the number of layers on breast deformation during the shooting was analyzed using numerical modeling and experiments, which included a Parabellum 9 mm × 19 mm FMJ® bullet and a Roma No. 1 plasticine substrate formed based on a plaster cast representing a woman’s figure. The research found that even significantly increasing the number of layers in the ballistic package did not lead to a substantial reduction in breast deformation during shooting. The likely reason for this is the cut-and-sew formed breast cups in the ballistic package, which easily undergo transverse deformation upon bullet impact. This suggests a need for further research to optimize the design of protective cups, which are crucial for proper force distribution and minimizing injuries during bullet impact. The conclusions drawn from this study could contribute to the development of more advanced and effective soft ballistic protection solutions for women.

Animism (perceiving an object as alive) and anthropomorphism (perceiving an object as a person) are two distinct cognitive processes, but they have often been conflated in marketing research. For example, the popular method of manipulating anthropomorphism with a cognitive task (i.e., instructing participants to imagine and describe a product as alive and human) pertains to both animism and anthropomorphism. No research has examined how distinguishing anthropomorphism from animism can be harmful/beneficial for marketing research, and what consequences one might expect from this distinction in experiments. Through three studies, I demonstrate that animism and anthropomorphism are separate processes, with anthropomorphism yielding less elaborate product-related descriptions than animism, which deflates persuasive outcomes in the experiments. These findings can assist researchers in refining their experimental manipulations and enable the discovery of marketing effects that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Aim Tropical peatlands are globally significant carbon stores, increasingly threatened by human activities and climate change. However, their ecohydrological responses to shifting water availability remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the connections between climate change, hydrology and vegetation dynamics in a coastal tropical peatland in Panama, aiming to understand the effects of future drying on peatland dynamics. Location Bocas del Toro, Panama (9°22′54″N, 82°21′59″W). Taxon Angiosperms. Methods High‐resolution multiproxy palaeoecological data, including pollen and plant macrofossils (vegetation), testate amoebae (water‐table depth) and physical peat properties, are used to explore the relationships between climate change, hydrology and vegetation in a coastal tropical peatland over the past 700 years. Downscaled climate simulations are integrated with this process‐based understanding to project the likely future responses of this coastal peatland to climate change. Results We identify a clear connection between precipitation variability, driven by shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and water‐table dynamics, which subsequently influence changes in the peatland vegetation mosaic. Historical drier periods are marked by the expansion of shrub communities into the open peatland plain. Main Conclusions Palaeoecological studies incorporating climate and hydrological proxies are essential for understanding both recent and future ecohydrological dynamics of tropical peatlands. Our findings suggest that in response to future climate change, water tables will lower and shrub communities will expand due to rising temperatures and reduced precipitation. Additionally, future sea‐level rise, combined with declining rainfall, may result in seawater intrusion and significant vegetation shifts in coastal tropical peatlands.

Amphiphilic dendrons or Janus dendrimers self-assembling into nanoscale vesicles offer promising avenues for drug delivery. Triazine-carbosilane dendrons have shown great potential for the intracellular delivery of rose bengal, additionally enhancing...

In this study, we employ spectroscopic, thermodynamic and molecular docking approaches to identify the mechanism by which thiazolidinone derivatives 4a – 4d bind with human serum albumin. It has been suggested that the affinity of the interaction of derivatives 4a – 4d with HSA is within the optimal range necessary for the transportation and distribution of compounds within the organism. The binding constant values for the derivative/HSA complexes were found to be 0.03–5.87 × 10 ⁵ M ⁻¹ . Both Δ H ⁰ and Δ S ⁰ values were negative, which indicates that binding occurs mainly through van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding. The negative values calculated for Δ G ⁰ indicate that the binding of derivatives 4a – 4d with HSA is a spontaneous process. Our study also reveals that derivatives 4a – 4d bind to the subdomain IB (Site III) of HSA and that this binding alters the conformation and thermodynamic stability of HSA. Molecular docking simulations suggest that the main binding forces are van der Waals interactions, hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The studied compounds showed weak DPPH‐scavenging activity at all of the tested concentrations. The results suggest that compound 4b with a phenyl substituent at the nitrogen atom of the 1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one moiety can be considered the most potent antioxidant in the series.

This article offers for the first time a facial approximation of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III (reigned ca. 1388–1351 BC) based on photographic material of his mortal remains and anthropometric data collected at the time, and by adopting a novel technique previously used in similar research by our team. A comprehensive discussion of the mummy attributed to Pharaoh Amenhotep III is also annexed to the study, focusing on the bioarcheological and embalming aspects.

Group regularization is commonly employed in network pruning to achieve structured model compression. However, the rationale behind existing studies on group regularization predominantly hinges on the sparsity capabilities of $L_{p}$ regularizers. This singular focus may lead to erroneous interpretations. In response to these limitations, this article proposes a novel framework for evaluating the penalization efficacy of group regularization methods by analyzing the impact of $L_{p}$ regularizers on weight magnitudes and weight group magnitudes. Within this framework, we demonstrate that $L_{1,2}$ regularization, contrary to prevailing literature, indeed exhibits favorable performance in structured pruning tasks. Motivated by this insight, we introduce a hybrid group regularization approach that integrates $L_{1,2}$ regularization and group $L_{1/2}$ regularization (denoted as HGL $_{1,2}$ & $L_{1/2}$ ). This novel method addresses the challenge of selecting appropriate $L_{p}$ regularizers for penalizing weight groups by leveraging $L_{1,2}$ regularization for penalizing groups with magnitudes exceeding a critical threshold while employing group $L_{1/2}$ regularization for other groups. Experimental evaluations are conducted to verify the efficiency of the proposed hybrid group regularization method and the viability of the introduced framework.

Background Pyroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death, has been implicated in neurodegeneration diseases. However, its role in status epilepticus (SE)—a condition characterized by prolonged or repeated seizures—remains inadequately understood. Methods SE were induced by intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine (PILO). Neuronal excitability was assessed through electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and patch clamp. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was applied to verify the interaction of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) protein with the promoters of Nlrp3 (the gene encoding NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3) and Trpm7 (transient receptor potential melastatin 7). To further investigate the role of TRPM7 in SE, AAV-sh-TRPM7-EGFP transfected mice and TRPM7 conditional knockout (TRPM7-CKO) mice were utilized. Results Our findings revealed elevated levels of IL-18 and IL-1β levels in primary epilepsy patients, along with increased expression level of the TRPM7 in SE models. Knockdown of TRPM7 alleviated neuronal damage and pyroptosis, reversing PILO-treated neuronal hyperexcitability. We demonstrated that p-STAT3 binds to the promoters of both Trpm7 and Nlrp3, modulating their transcriptions in SE. Importantly, inhibition of TRPM7 with NS8593, and inflammasome inhibition with MCC950, alleviated neuronal hyperexcitability and pyroptosis in SE. A new compound, SDUY-225, formulated based on the structure of NS8593 mitigated neuronal damage, pyroptosis, and hyperexcitability. Conclusions TRPM7 contributes to pyroptosis in SE, establishing a positive feedback loop involving the p-STAT3/TRPM7/Zn²⁺/p-STAT3 signaling pathway. Findings in this study raise the possibility that targeting TRPM7 and NLRP3 represents a promising therapeutic approach for SE.

Objective The study explores the intersection of organizational identity and work-related stress, focusing on how corporate culture shapes employees’ well-being. It specifically investigates how the unique dimensions of an organization’s identity contribute to stress factors, influencing individual performance and collective outcomes. Methodology This research employs a qualitative analysis of the literature. Case studies from Amazon and UBER were used to examine the impact of organizational culture on stress and to understand how different organizational identity factors affect employee well-being. Findings The study highlights that stress in the workplace is not only due to workload but it is also linked to factors inherent in organizational identity, such as cultural conflicts, lack of control, and role ambiguity. Firms with rigid, hierarchical cultures exhibit higher stress levels, whereas those promoting autonomy and social support show lower stress-related issues. A model of stress-inducing organizational identity was introduced, derived from the Uber and Amazon case study. Value This research contributes to understanding the role of organizational identity in shaping stress and offers insights into fostering a healthier work environment through identity-conscious management practices. Recommendations Organizations should align their identity with employee well-being strategies by promoting a culture of transparency, autonomy, and support. Implementing policies that reduce role ambiguity and offer social support can mitigate stress-related outcomes, improving employee satisfaction and organizational efficiency.

Objective The aim of this article is to find out to what extent and for what reasons managers use unethical eristic tricks to persuade their employees. Methodology The research used qualitative methods, in-depth interviews with eleven managers, which were conducted in May and June 2024. The selection of respondents was purposive, allowing for a deeper understanding of the issue. Findings Managers know and use eristic tricks in their professional work and their use is driven by effectiveness, regardless of the fact that they are considered unethical. Value added The use of eristic tricks in management is not widely discussed in the literature and, in the long term, their use negatively affects the functioning of any organisation. Recommendations The results of the research and the negative effects of eris-tic behaviour in organisational management should be of interest to managers, creators of codes of ethics in organisations and trainers of the art of persuasion. Eristic behaviour should be avoided in communication with staff and in the management of organisations.

A differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) method is proposed for the highly sensitive determination of fenhexamid (FHX) based on both electrooxidation and electroreduction processes using a disposable and cost-effective pencil graphite electrode (PGE). The electrochemical oxidation and reduction mechanisms of FHX at the PGE were elucidated by recording cyclic voltammograms at various pH values of Britton–Robinson buffer (BRB) solutions at a scan rate of 50 mV s⁻¹ and different scan rate values in the range 10–400 mV s⁻¹ at selected pH of BRB (pH 2.0). Differential pulse voltammograms recorded under optimized conditions revealed an oxidation peak of FHX around + 0.65 V and a reduction peak of FHX around + 0.45 V. The DPV analysis of FHX revealed two linear ranges: 0.001–0.01 µmol L⁻¹ and 0.01–5.0 µmol L⁻¹ for the anodic peak, and 0.001–0.1 µmol L⁻¹ and 0.1–5.0 µmol L⁻¹ for the cathodic peak. The limits of detection were 0.34 nmol L⁻¹ and 0.32 nmol L⁻¹ for the anodic and cathodic peaks, respectively. The proposed methodology demonstrated satisfactory selectivity, as selected pesticides, certain electroactive compounds, and cationic species tested did not interfere with the voltammetric determination of FHX, particularly during its reduction. The recovery results, showing values close to 100% obtained from the analysis of real samples spiked with FHX, indicated that this methodology can accurately determine FHX in water and soil samples. Graphical abstract

Introduction: The global burden of the Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) constitutes a significant clinical problem for healthcare systems worldwide. Apparently, a subgroup of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia appears to be particularly vulnerable to the MASLD development. However, exact risk factors in schizophrenia subjects remain unclear to date. Material and methods: The article is a literature narrative review concentrating on the particular risk factors identification for MASLD development among patients with schizophrenia. Internet scientific bases were searched by three independent investigators throughout February-July 2024 for relevant original and review articles from 2000-2024 using different combinations of MeSH terms: “antipsychotics”, “diabetes”, “dietary habits”, “dyslipidemia”, “inflammation”, “intestinal permeability”, “insulin resistance”, “metabolic-associated fatty liver disease”, “metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease”, “metabolic syndrome”, “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”, “obesity”, “prevention”, “socioeconomic status”, “treatment”. Furthermore, a reference search was conducted to find other important manuscripts. Articles in other language than English were excluded from the search. The Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles was used to ensure the appropriate quality of this review. Results: Socioeconomic conditions, improper dietary habits, lack of physical activity, smoking addiction issue, gut microbiota dysfunction or the use of antipsychotics may act as trigger points for the MASLD development among patients with schizophrenia. Conclusions: The identification of particular risk factors of MASLD development among schizophrenia subjects may help to establish a multidisciplinary healthcare programme primarily aimed at MASLD and its complications prevention, early detection and proper treatment.

The mitochondrial genome of Metazoa is predominantly maternally inherited, providing a valuable genetic marker in various fields such as phylogenetics and phylogeography. However, mitochondrial heteroplasmy, where multiple copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) coexist within an individual or even cell, presents a challenge to the use of mtDNA markers. This phenomenon may arise from replication errors, mutagenic processes, or paternal leakage. In this study, we investigated mitochondrial heteroplasmy in the freshwater bug Aphelocheirus aestivalis (Fabricius, 1794) using both Sanger and Illumina sequencing approaches. Our analyses confirmed the presence of diverse mtDNA variants within individual specimens collected from various locations across Europe. Signals of mitochondrial heteroplasmy were observed in chromatograms derived from both female and male individuals, indicating a prevalent phenomenon across A. aestivalis populations in general. Further comparative analyses of COI (partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) haplotypes indicated their high similarity and complex phylogenetic relationships. In turn, Illumina sequencing of a single male specimen revealed 102 heteroplasmic sites across the protein-coding sequences of mitogenome. Our results suggest the widespread and heritable nature of mitochondrial heteroplasmy in A. aestivalis, highlighting its importance for future phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies.

Background Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) still has a relatively high complication rate, underscoring the importance of high‐quality training. Despite existing guidelines, real‐world data on training conditions remain limited. This pan‐European survey aims to systematically explore the perceptions surrounding ERCP training. Methods A survey was distributed through the friends of United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Young Talent Group network to physicians working in a UEG member or associated states who regularly performed ERCPs. Results Of 1035 respondents from 35 countries, 649 were eligible for analysis: 228 trainees, 225 trainers, and 196 individuals who regularly performed ERCP but were neither trainees nor trainers. The mean age was 43 years, with 72.1% identifying as male, 27.6% as female, and 0.3% as non‐binary. The majority (80.1%) agreed that a structured training regimen is desirable. However, only 13.7% of trainees and 28.4% of trainers reported having such a structured program in their institutions. Most respondents (79.7%) supported the concept of concentrating training in centers meeting specific quality metrics, with 64.1% suggesting a threshold of 200 annual ERCPs as a prerequisite. This threshold revealed that 36.4% of trainees pursued training in lower‐volume centers performing <200 ERCPs annually. As many as 70.1% of trainees performed <50 annual ERCPs, whereas only 5.0% of trainers performed <50 ERCPs annually. A low individual trainee caseload (<50 ERCPs annually) was more common in lower‐volume centers than in higher‐volume centers (82.9% vs. 63.4%). Conclusions The first pan‐European survey investigating ERCP training conditions reveals strong support for structured training and the concentration of training efforts within centers meeting specific quality metrics. Furthermore, this survey exposes the low availability of structured training programs with many trainees practicing at lower‐volume centers and 71% of all trainees having little hands‐on exposure. These data should motivate to standardize ERCP training conditions further and ultimately improve patient care throughout Europe.