Nobel Foundation

Chitosan-based banana fruit peel synthesis by Sol-gel process on chitosan-based banana fruit peel waste in super nanocomposite is the focus of the current study. The waste products from banana fruit peels that were based on chitosan were examined for dye adsorption and described using FTIR spectroscopy, TGA, and SEM. A number of variables, including dosages, pH and temperature, were examined in relation to dye adsorption. According to the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm, adsorption happens on a homogeneous surface through monolayer sorption in the absence of sorbed molecule interaction. The Langmuir equation outperformed the Freundlich equation in terms of fit. The maximum adsorption capacity was computed at various temperatures, pH levels, and dosages. Chitosan-based banana fruit peel has a higher adsorption capacity under the same experimental conditions, making it a potentially more beneficial material than inexpensive adsorbents for dye adsorption from aqueous solutions.

Accurate rainfall monitoring is essential for flood forecasting in the Philippines, where intense precipitation and limited ground-based instrumentation pose major challenges. Satellite rainfall products can help address these gaps, but their performance must be evaluated before operational use. This study assessed the accuracy of the Satellite Rainfall Monitor developed by PHIVOLCS using observations from automated rain gauges in the Cagayan de Oro River Basin in northern Mindanao for 2019–2020. The reliability of the rain gauge network was first examined by comparing gauge measurements with data from the El Salvador Synoptic Station operated by PAGASA. Normalized gauge values showed strong temporal agreement with synoptic observations, indicating that the network effectively represented regional rainfall patterns. Using these validated observations, the uncorrected satellite product was found to exhibit substantial systematic biases. The satellite estimates captured only about half of the observed rainfall magnitude and showed poor predictive performance. Moderate to heavy rainfall was consistently underestimated, while light rainfall tended to be overestimated. These results highlight important limitations for operational flood monitoring, as underestimation of high-intensity rainfall may reduce the effectiveness of early warning systems. The validation framework and quantified bias characteristics presented here provide a basis for developing correction methods to improve the suitability of satellite-derived rainfall estimates for flood forecasting applications in the Philippines.

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of personal, societal and organizational barriers, collectively called the glass ceiling, on the career advancement of Ghanaian women in the banking sector. In addition, it explores the moderating role of organizational justice in mitigating these barriers. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was used, with questionnaires administered to 378 respondents from corporate organizations within Ghana’s banking sector. Data were analysed using hierarchical regression to assess the relationships between barriers and career advancement and the moderating role of organizational justice. Findings The study revealed that only organizational barriers significantly and negatively impacted women’s career advancement. Procedural justice positively moderated the relationship between personal and societal obstacles and career advancement, while interactional justice moderated the relationship between societal barriers and career progression. Furthermore, distributive justice moderated the relationship between societal and organizational barriers and career advancement. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the banking sector, which may affect generalizability. Future research could explore other industries and use qualitative methods for deeper insights. Practical implications The findings emphasize the need for fair and inclusive organizational policies to support women’s career progression by reducing systemic barriers. Social implications Enhancing organizational justice fosters workplace equity, empowering women to overcome career obstacles and achieve leadership roles. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by focusing on the Ghanaian banking sector and highlighting the role of organizational justice in mitigating career barriers for women. It also integrates social role theory to explain how justice mechanisms can facilitate career advancement.

PurposeThe aim of this study is to evaluate the myopic control effect between defocus-incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses plus 0.01% atropine (ATR), and 0.125% ATR, for patients with fast myopia progression.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted, and patients who had experienced myopic progression of more than -1.00 diopter (D) within a one-year period were enrolled. Then, the patients were divided according to the management they received. A total of 53 and 46 eyes were assigned to the ATR and DIMS groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were the progression of spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AXL). The independent t-test and generalized linear model were used for statistical analysis.ResultsAfter the one-year follow-up period, the progression of SER was significantly greater in the ATR group (0.31 ± 0.11 D) than in the DIMS group (0.10 ± 0.07 D) (p < 0.001). On the other hand, the elongation of AXL was significantly larger in the ATR group (0.12 ± 0.06 mm) than in the DIMS group (0.03 ± 0.02 mm) (p < 0.001) at the final visit. In addition, the ATR group with low- or moderate-baseline myopia revealed more significant SER and AXL progression than the DIMS group (all p < 0.001). A young age at onset was correlated with greater SER and AXL progression in the ATR group (both p < 0.05). Still, no pre-treatment parameter was associated with increased SER or AXL progression in the DIMS group (all p > 0.05).ConclusionsDIMS spectacle lenses plus 0.01% ATR management showed greater efficacy for SER and AXL control than 0.125% ATR management in the fast myopia progression population.

Despite Indonesia's ratification of the CRPD and the enactment of Law No. 8/2016, women with disabilities continue to experience widespread gender-based violence. This article analyzes the structural causes of such violence through an intersectional feminist lens, drawing primarily on Iris Marion Young’s Social Connection Model of political responsibility. Employing a feminist perspective grounded in the advocacy experiences of civil society organizations (Pusat Rehabilitasi YAKKUM and SIGAB), as well as data from the 2024 National Assembly of Women with Disabilities, this article argues that such violence is rooted in systemic exclusion and the failure of state and society to transform unjust structures. The findings call for collective political responsibility and inclusive governance that centers the knowledge, voice, and agency of women with disabilities—not as passive beneficiaries, but as active political subjects

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked neuromuscular disorder that leads to increasing muscle weakening and early death. Steroids, the standard treatment of choice in slowing down disease progression, are plagued with adverse effects. Anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic effects and enhancement of muscle regeneration biomarkers after oral consumption of Aureobasidium pullulans strain N-163-produced beta 1,3-1,6-glucan (Neu REFIX) having been demonstrated in clinical and preclinical studies of DMD; in this study, we have investigated the effects on the gut microbiome in patients with DMD. Twenty-seven patients with DMD were included in the study (control (n=9), N-163 (n=18)). Whole-genome metagenomic sequencing was performed in pre-N-163 and post-N-163 intervention faecal samples of each of these participants. After N-163 beta-glucan administration, the constitution of the gut microbiome in all the participants was modified to one with positive outcomes on health. There was an increase in butyrate-producing species such as Roseburia and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. There was a decrease in harmful bacteria associated with inflammation such as enterobacteria and Alistipes. Beneficial reconstitution of the gut microbiome after Neu REFIX beta-glucan administration and its safety have been confirmed. These outcomes correlating with the anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic effects along with increase in dystrophin in skeletal muscle and plasma, reported earlier make us recommend further in-depth exploration on its role in epigenetic manipulation which when found encouraging might help other genetic diseases as well. CTRI/2021/05/033346.

This May, the World Health Assembly (WHA) will vote on re-establishing a mandate for the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the health consequences of nuclear weapons and war1. Health professionals and their associations should urge their governments to support such a mandate and support the new UN comprehensive study on the effects of nuclear war. The first atomic bomb exploded in the New Mexico desert 80 years ago, in July 1945. Three weeks later, two relatively small (by today's standards), tactical-size nuclear weapons unleashed a cataclysm of radioactive incineration on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By the end of 1945, about 213,000 people were dead2. Tens of thousands more have died from late effects of the bombings.