Earticle

The Afar region in northeastern Ethiopia is a pivotal area within the East African Rift System, marking the incipient boundary of the Nubia, Arabia, and Somalia plates, resulting in continental breakup and rift formation. The Main Ethiopian Rift, connected to the Afar triple junction, has undergone extensional deformation since the late Oligocene-early Miocene, shaping sedimentary basins and offering insights into crustal dynamics and potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. Despite numerous studies, a consensus on the exact age of rifting initiation remains elusive, with proposed initiation ages ranging from 30 Ma to 15 Ma. This study focuses on establishing the timing of initial continental rifting and trajectory patterns of the Arabian and Somalian plates over the past 65 Ma using Gplates algorithms. Results indicate that rifting between the Arabian and Somalian plates initiated 19 Ma, leading to differential plate motions. The tectonic forces, including the convergence and divergence of plates, have influenced the subsidence and uplift of the region, leading to the development of grabens and horsts within the sedimentary basins, providing valuable insights into the region's geological history and a framework for exploring hydrocarbon resources.

History of remote sensing studies of the Moon and asteroids changed when lunar samples were returned by the Apollo 11 mission and many meteorites were discovered on Antarctica starting in 1969. Discovery of the isotopic similarity between lunar and terrestrial materials led us to the giant-impact model to form the Moon. In addition, the existence and nature of space weathering were also discovered in 1993 by analyzing the Apollo samples. Another change occurred in 2010 when the Hayabusa spacecraft returned particles of asteroid 25143 Itokawa that proved the identity between many S-type asteroids and ordinary chondrites and the existence of space weathering similar to the Moon. The second sample return from asteroids occurred in 2020 when the Hayabusa2 spacecraft returned samples of C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu. In spite of some expectations, it was a pristine CI1 chondrite material that was free from terrestrial contaminations suffered by known CI1 chondrite meteorites. The third sample return from asteroids was accomplished by NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, which recovered the greatest amount of samples from asteroid 101955 Bennu. These sample return missions have and will drastically change the accuracy of our knowledge on the composition and surface processes of small bodies and therefore asteroidal remote-sensing researchers will be asked for more accountability as happened to lunar remote sensing studies.

Originally we thought that the whole Universe consists of an ordinary matter as do all earthly things around us. But, with the development of science, we realized that we are also surrounded by force fields and later we understood that both are just different manifestations of energy. Furthermore at the moment we believe that there is more to the Universe than we see. Now we look at the Universe through the prism of 4 fundamental interactions and see baryonic matter in stars, planets, dust and gas, participating in all the interactions, and we see dark matter, participating in gravitational interaction only, and we also see the action of mysterious dark energy occupying over 2/3 of energy balance of the Universe. And now it becomes more and more clear that it is not all to it. Many people fill that physical reality is not the only one and humans also have a spiritual nature that is not yet described by modern science. In this paper I give a short overview of the Universe components as we see it now and underline the importance of making a next step in the scientific development, which will reveal the nature of the spiritual world as well.

In the recent past, an unprecedented increase in environmental disasters due to extreme weather conditions around the globe is vindicative that the climate change is no more a myth nor a hoax. As per the reports, recently Earth witnessed the hottest 12 months recorded in human history. The major contributor to this extreme weather condition is global warming caused by fossil fuel burning and other industrial wastes. This extreme weather patterns triggered by human intervention has disturbed the balance of life on Earth, caused large scale severe destruction due to environmental disasters, variations in disease patterns and affected local community cultures. Loss of job hours due to high temperatures may affect the income of individuals, which in turn affects the quality of life and results in a hike in food prices. Riches on earth consume the resources more than their needs. Governments and politicians boast the growth of GDP without any consideration of the environmental debt. Because of the irresponsible way of consuming nature’s resources, the tipping point of climate criticality would be inevitable. For the survival and well-being of human kind these environmental destructive practices should be reversed at the earliest.

Over the course of history, plant materials have been utilized for healing various ailments. The knowledge derived from traditional medicine has proven invaluable, serving as a foundational resource for drug discovery and design. However, the journey from screening natural products to the development of drugs is a prolonged and demanding process. Fortunately, with the emergence of sophisticated analytical techniques and the establishment of global databases containing information on thousands of natural products, the screening and discovery of bioactive compounds from complex sample mixtures have become more time-efficient and less labor-intensive. In particular, the non-targeted metabolomics approach proves advantageous, offering a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of compounds, aiding in the detection of both known and unknown substances. This approach is especially beneficial for gaining a thorough understanding of the pattern of metabolites found in Arctic and Antarctic vegetation, among the least explored areas on Earth. Here, we employed a non-targeted metabolic profiling approach to analyze the chemical components in Antarctic mosses. While many of the compounds could not be predicted, some were identified as therapeutic agents, with a few exhibiting pharmacological properties such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antilipemic, anti-diabetic, anti-adepogenic, and neuroprotective effects. Notably, we predicted that one moss sample produced Desulfiram, an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of alcohol dependency, and methyl palmitate, well-known for its anti-inflammatory potency, could be detected in many of the samples. Furthermore, we experimentally verified the therapeutic potential of Antarctic moss extracts by conducting a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition assay, assessing their potent anti-inflammatory activity. Indeed, two of the moss samples exhibited significant COX-2 inhibitory potency. Hence, our findings emphasize the advantage of metabolic profiling in providing insight into the potential of Antarctic moss as a valuable natural resource for the discovery and development of potent therapeutics. Additional research is due in order to identify and define the particular bioactive compounds accountable for the observed effects.

Industries are increasingly turning to green chemistry, with laccase enzymes garnering attention due to their ability to use oxygen to produce water as a by-product while catalyzing a wide range of reactions. Bacterial laccases, though less explored, offer stability at high temperatures and pH levels. However, they require mediator systems to handle complex molecules. Structure-based virtual screening aids in identifying suitable mediators, potentially reducing costs, and accelerating discovery. These techniques rely solely on the target protein three-dimensional structure and do not require knowledge of the unique bioactivity of the protein. As a result, structure-based approaches are theoretically more adaptive to unknown protein and ligand compounds than ligand-based approaches. Here, we predicted that natural mediators like coumaric acid show promise comparable to artificial ones, such as N-hydroxythalimide, in computational assessments, suggesting virtual screening’s potential in mediator discovery.

Enzymes are heme-bound forms, act by receiving electrons from the electron transport system, and mainly exhibit hydroxylation activity. The CYP106A family has hydroxylation activity using steroids and terpenoids as substrates. Corticosteroids include cortisol, which is one of the representative compounds with powerful anti-inflammatory activity. CYP106A1 showed a small but effective activity with cortisol at 19%, and BaCYP106A6, which has high sequence similarity to CYP106A1, also showed activity of less than 20%. However, no activity was shown against CYP106A4 and CYP106A5. As a result, differences in specific residues were confirmed by comparing active sites through homology modeling, which can contribute to protein engineering research by providing insight into the active site of each enzyme.

Due to climate change issues, automobiles are changing from internal combustion vehicles to electric vehicles. Even though CO2 does not emit at all compared to internal combustion vehicles while driving, drivers have the advantage of costing less than 1/5 of the cost per unit. The improvement in electric vehicles is that winter mileage is significantly reduced to about two-thirds. Electronic devices of electric vehicles consume a lot of current due to a decrease in thermal resistance at low temperatures, and it is also due to the inefficient operation of lithium batteries, which are widely used. In order to analyze the factor that reduces the mileage in winter in electric vehicles, an electric vehicle driving field experiment is conducted to analyze the characteristics of electric vehicle operation. As for the analysis contents, the power consumption characteristics of the electric and electronic device of the electric vehicle through the comparison of the high-speed charging characteristics according to the presence/absence of the electric vehicle starting, the electric vehicle power consumption characteristics of the same time stop operation and driving operation, the change in mileage according to the driving of the city/highway, the change in mileage according to the operating conditions of the heater, and driving performance according to temperature. Based on these results, the general operating characteristics of electric vehicles and differences in characteristics of each vehicle type are presented, the problems and solutions of electric vehicles in winter are reported

The primary maintenance practice in nuclear power plant operation is based on a preventive maintenance policy. The total cost of maintenance over the plant’s lifetime is several times higher than the utility cost. With the service period of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) potentially exceeding 100 years, numerous new technologies in design and manufacturing, including materials, have been introduced to meet safety and economic requirements. A new maintenance strategy, named the Prognostic Inspection Methodology and Proactive Maintenance Methodology, has been introduced, going beyond traditional preventive maintenance. The development of a new maintenance strategy and practice, termed the PIPM (Prognostic Inspection and Proactive Maintenance) System for SMRs, which integrates the Prognostic Inspection Methodology and Proactive Maintenance Methodology, is suggested.

Recently, the emotion recognition technology has been widely attempted in various fields. To recognize a person's emotional state, algorithms are fundamentally implemented based on biometric signals originating from individuals. In this paper, we aim to comprehensively explore the basic processing steps of emotion recognition, various forms of signals for recognition, and the corresponding recognition techniques. Furthermore, we examine the challenges and issues associated with vision-based technology, particularly in non-contact applications, and discuss research areas that need to be addressed in the future.

Preventive medicine aims to promote health by investigating and researching the distribution of health and healthrelated risk factors. The desired life time of the SMR (small modular reactor) being developed as a new energy source is more than 100 years. Improving the problems of key components such as SCC (stress corrosion cracking) and corrosion fatigue of the SMR structures and erosion and fretting fatigue of turbine blades improves the service life of the SMR. Also, in bearings, it improves wear and rolling/sliding contact fatigue. It is necessary to develop a proactive maintenance program prior to design to ensure that the SMR can be shut down after operation within its designed lifespan. Like preventive medicine, proactive maintenance programs applied to the SMR must also be inspected in advance to ensure that the characteristics of key components do not deteriorate or exceed predetermined standards. Additionally, it is necessary to develop and standardize technology that restores the characteristics of key components to their designed performance state. In this paper, we look at the precursors of risk factors such as SCC/corrosion fatigue and rolling contact fatigue. And we look at the research results on this impact on the SMR service life and the standards currently applied in ASME section XI, etc.

In many African communities, indigenous traditional Knowledge is essential in predicting weather extremes and in helping communities to prepare for and address the adverse impacts of natural calamities like drought and floods. Indigenous religious perspectives are arguably an integral aspect that can inform climate-resilient agricultural technique and policies if a holistic approach to climate change for food security, co-existence and co-prosperity must be taken seriously. African women are custodians of indigenous religious knowledge. In pre-colonial Africa, women were the major authorities in herbal remedies within their own homes and at the community level, where they focused on disease prevention and cure. In African communities, women ritually design and implementing traditional health systems using traditional medicines and ancestral spiritual procession. Through indigenous religious knowledge, African women herbalists helped communities to interpret climate change using religious community’s native ethical concepts. They enabled community members to recognize Mother Earth as a living being to whom human beings have an indivisible, interdependent, complementary, spiritual relationship and divine responsibility towards life sustainability. This paper uses an ecofeminism approach to argue that there is need to widely recognize and promote African women’s indigenous religious knowledge on climate change for food security in African’s co-existence and co-prosperity.

This study endeavors to assess the prospective environmental ramifications of landfills in Africa, recognizing their widespread global application in waste disposal. Landfills pose formidable challenges by emitting potent greenhouse gases, including methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, during the decomposition of organic waste. Moreover, the generation of leachate, a hazardous liquid byproduct, poses a substantial threat to soil, groundwater, and ecosystems. In light of population growth, urbanization, and deficient waste infrastructure, these challenges are poised to intensify. The research explores evolving trends and technologies, with a particular emphasis on the escalating emphasis on waste reduction and recycling to divert refuse from landfills. Viable recycling systems and advancements in landfill design and management practices emerge as prospective solutions. Employing mixed methods, qualitative data is acquired through interviews and focus group discussions involving experts, policymakers, and industry professionals. Simultaneously, quantitative data pertaining to waste generation, disposal trends, and environmental metrics are meticulously gathered from authoritative sources. The findings elucidate that, despite being deemed the optimal technological recourse for Africa, landfills encounter impediments stemming from public sentiment, spatial limitations, deficient management, apprehensions regarding pollution, and constrained resource recovery capacity. Proposals for holistic approaches, encompassing educational campaigns and community engagement, are posited to mitigate the adverse impacts of landfills. The study accentuates the imperative reliance on waste reduction, technological innovations, alternative management methodologies, and public involvement to shape the trajectory of the future. While a comprehensive departure from landfills may prove challenging, particularly in resource-constrained regions like Africa, sustained research and investment in sustainable waste management strategies are deemed indispensable for a more ecologically sustainable future. The study advocates for a judicious equilibrium, wherein efforts to alleviate landfill impacts coalesce with the exploration of sustainable alternatives, fostering a resilient and ecologically prudent waste management paradigm.

WHO considers ambient air pollution as the greatest environmental health risk. The “United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Action Notes 2021” reported that 99% of world population live in places with atmospheric air pollutants levels above WHO’s exposure limits. This report is part of “Congo O.S.H. Project 2018-2020”, focusing on the respiratory health of Congolese quarry workers. This was a case-control study conducted in stone quarry sites in Katanga area, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In total, 512 female workers participated in the study; 256 dust-exposed female quarry workers matched to 256 office workers and market tax collectors. They answered a respiratory health questionnaire, underwent physical examination and lung function testing. Air quality was assessed by means of an air quality monitor. Results showed a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) in exposed women, higher PM2.5 (205 ± 13.2 μg/m3 vs. 31.3 ± 10.3 μg/m3; p < 0.001) and volatile organic compounds (VOC, 2.2 ± 0.2 μg/m3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.3 μg/m3; p < 0.01) were observed in quarry sites. Respiratory complaints were common in exposed women (32.4% vs. 3.5%; p < 0.01), with reduced lung capacity (mean PEFR: 344.8 ± 2.26 vs. 405 ± 67.7 L/s; p < 0.001. Congolese stone quarry workers are exposed to high air pollutants levels, which might contribute to impaired lung function.

The mortality rate of human beings is 100%, some people live more than 100 years, while others die soon after birth. As a terminal care physician in Japan, one of the countries with the longest life expectancy, I am faced with about 70 deaths per year. The circumstances and backgrounds of these people vary, but I always try to realize the best possible end-oflife care. However, it is always difficult to evaluate whether the death was truly good for the patient and the bereaved family. Previous studies have shown that the GDS (Good Death Scale) and GDI (Good Death Inventory) are indices of palliative care, but even in these studies, the evaluation of a good death is not always the same between the medical staff and the bereaved family. This time, we conducted a survey of bereaved families at our hospital, so we will consider what a good death is based on this survey. We will also consider what kind of preparation is appropriate for the second birth.

This study explores the potential benefits of combining spiritual healing at the HJ Heaven and Earth CheonBo Training Center, affiliated with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), with psychiatric treatment for mental disorders. The research, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health at HJ Magnolia International Medical Center, emphasizes a case study approach. The study addresses the limited academic research on spiritual healing within FFWPU, focusing on defining it through the teachings of True Parents. Four themes emerge from the discussion: spiritual illness, separation of spirits by Holy Spirit and Truth, restoring mental health through holistic change, and prevention of recurrence. The importance of factors like faith, hope, sincerity, tenacity, repentance, reflection, forgiveness, and appreciation are highlighted, along with the significance of spiritual inheritance and environment in preventing mental health issues. The study concludes by emphasizing the crucial role of a warm family environment and the need to assess spiritual problems in the patient's home or residential area.

Many research studies have shown acupuncture to be effective in treating allergic rhinitis. The acupuncture points that are classically used for the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, were shown to be more effective than a general acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has been shown to regulate levels of IgE and cytokines, to improve symptoms. Other ways of measuring the effect, include the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Total Nasal Symptom Score. Studies have found that acupuncture is more effective than western style medication, for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Acupressure and moxibustion have also been shown to be effective. Acupuncture can influence biochemical pathways that are relevant to allergic rhinitis. Acupuncture has the effect of down-regulating proinflammatory neuropeptides and neurotrophins. Additionally, acupuncture down-regulates Th2 cytokines and proinflammatory cytokines, thus shifting the Th1/Th2 balance of T helper cells towards Th1. Electroacupuncture has the added benefit of targeting certain neuropeptides, according to the electric frequency used. In an inflammatory pain model, acupuncture influences adenosine in the body to act on A1 receptors, to produce antinociceptive effects of acupuncture. TRPV1 expression is inhibited by acupuncture, through downregulation of production and release of NGF and/or by blocking PI3K/PIP3 signaling between trkA receptors and TRPV1. Adenosine release from acupuncture also inhibits TRPV1.

Oriental medicine treats not only the patient's physical body but also the spiritual body. This is a major difference from Western medicine. There are also differing views on the nature of the mind. In Oriental medicine, not only the brain but also each internal organ is considered to have a unique mind. The aim of this paper is to examine these differences and stand at the threshold of unified medicine.

This research focuses on developing a whole person health model that combines Unification Thought and Ken Wilber's integrative healthcare system. Given the importance of physical, mental, and spiritual health in modern society, this research emphasizes the unification of body and mind, the integration of Eastern and Western medicine, and the importance of exercise, diet, prayer, and meditation in daily life. The purpose of the study is to develop a new multidimensional approach to health through the convergence of Unification Thought and Ken Wilber's system and to provide a new perspective on the understanding and practice of health. The results of the study show that the fusion model integrally promotes physical, mental, and spiritual health and has the potential to positively impact overall well-being. The model provides a new understanding of health and offers healthcare professionals a new way to manage the overall health of their patients.

Science is objectivity and evidence-based knowledge about nature, whereas religion is faith and belief based on experience and feelings. Science is necessary for modern living, our wellbeing and survival; religion is necessary for overcoming the mental stress due to fears of unknown and ethics for our collective co-existence. While both are products of social collaborations and understanding, human psychology plays an important role in their implementation. We explore if science and religion be unified despite these dichotomies. We also propose formulation of a religion based on science and vice-versa. The basis of creation and existence in science is fundamental forces of nature, like gravity, electromagnetic, nuclear and the rest of those. Some of these forces are well understood and others are not yet known or understood. As we evolve evidencebased knowledge about nature some of the unknowns migrate from the domain of religion to the domain of science and become knowns. This migration is dynamic and irreversible. Therefore, we find that religion and science are indeed complimentary to each other and hence should be mutually adaptive. If religion can adopt these fundamental truths of nature and science can accept its limitations of providing solace to humanity due to unknowns of nature, a consonance between the two can emerge.

In East Asia, Yin-Yang philosophy, a representative philosophical system, did not originally include the concept of “Jonbi” or hierarchical subject-object relationships. However, with the integration of Confucian influences, particularly from Neo-Confucianism, the Unification Movement also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification incorporated the Jonbi concept. Within the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, influenced by Confucian ideals, gender roles, and marital relationships were defined as absolute subject partner–object partner relationships in their original forms. As a result, the Unification Movement's subject partner–object partner concept, based on Confucian principles, reflects a significant discrepancy with contemporary ideals of gender equality. Reinterpreting the subject partner-object partner relationships within the context of Yin-Yang philosophy, which emphasizes balance and mutual interaction, could offer a valuable theoretical framework for addressing current challenges in gender relations and marital dynamics. By shifting the focus from hierarchical relationships to reciprocal relationships centered around Yin-Yang philosophy, this reinterpretation may present a solution to the existing issues between men and women and husbands and wives. The Family Federation's subject partnerobject partner concept, when viewed through the lens of Yin-Yang philosophy, has the potential to become a constructive theory for resolving gender conflicts and marital problems in today's society.