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Exploration of 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid derivatives effect on triple-negative breast, prostate cancer and melanoma cell 2D and 3D cultures /
No full text1-Substituted 5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid and its derivatives play an important role as components of many biologically active molecules. This study describes the synthesis of 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-5-oxopyrrolidine-3-carboxylic acid derivatives and their anticancer properties. The target compounds were prepared using 2,4-difluoroniline as a starting material; in this way, derivatives of benzimidazoles, hydrazones and azoles were formed. Investigation of the anticancer activity of all synthesized compounds showed that the hydrazones had the strongest effect on cancer cell lines. Compounds were tested for their cytotoxic effect by the MTT assay in human triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231, prostate adenocarcinoma PPC1, melanoma A375 and human foreskin fibroblasts CRL-4001 after 72 hours of incubation. The impact of the compounds on cancer cell migration was assessed using a 'wound healing assay'. Activity in 3D cultures was determined by evaluating changes in spheroid size and assessing cell viability. Overall, the selected compounds 7b, 9c, 9e, 9f and 10 exhibited greater activity in the A375 cell line and were less active against the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Compounds 9c, 9e and 10 showed relatively higher selectivity for cancer cells over fibroblasts. Hydrazone 9f, bearing N'-(4-methylbenzylidene) moiety, was identifiedasthe most cytotoxic compound in both prostate adenocarcinoma PPC-1 and melanoma A375 cells in monolayer and 3D culture models. Compound 9e, with N'-(4-bromobenzylidene) moiety, exhibited the most pronounced inhibitory effect on cell migration as determined by the 'wound healing' assay
Ethical challenges of using digital technologies in financial auditing.
No full textDigital technologies are increasingly changing the modern audit sector, promoting process automation and increasing audit efficiency. However, the application of these technologies – artificial intelligence, data analysis tools, cloud solutions – also raises new ethical challenges related to maintaining confidentiality, independence, objectivity and professional competence. Given that the audit profession is based on clearly defined ethical principles, it is important to study how the growing application of digital tools affects these values and their application in financial audit practice, what ethical challenges professional auditors face in a real work environment. The object of the study is ethical challenges arising from the use of digital technologies in financial audit processes. The purpose of the study is to determine what are the ethical challenges of the use of digital technologies in financial audit and for what reasons they arise and, after conducting an empirical study, to present conclusions and recommendations on how they could be managed. The results of the qualitative study revealed that the main ethical challenges arise from data security, overreliance on automated solutions, a decline in critical thinking and risks to auditor independence. The most vulnerable group of auditors due to the intensive integration of digital tools was also identified – auditors who have recently joined the profession. Respondents emphasized that addressing these challenges requires regular ethics and IT security training, internal policy guidelines, access control technologies and clear organizational lines of responsibility. The study findings reveal that in order to maintain professional trust and audit quality, the use of technology must be accompanied by strengthening the ethical culture and continuous deepening of IT knowledge. Summarizing the results of the study, it can be stated that ethical challenges due to the use of digital technologies in financial audit processes are inevitable, however, by adhering to high audit standards and regulations and constantly encouraging auditors to improve their professional knowledge not only in the audit sphere, but also in IT, the emerging challenges can be managed without consequences
Circular economy in agriculture: the case for bioactive compounds from sea buckthorn by-products :
No full textThe implementation of closed-loop manufacturing models in berry farming represents a transformative approach to sustainable agriculture, enhancing both environmental sustainability and economic resilience. By integrating waste materials back into the production cycle, these models minimize environmental impact while maximizing resource efficiency. In the context of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), a crop with significant nutritional and medicinal properties, utilizing by-products such as fruit residues pomace, leaves and twigs offers a practical solution to waste management challenges while creating high-value products for the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Food Institute of Kaunas University of Technology has implemented the project “Circular manufacturing model for producing biologically active materials”, validating the soundness of closed-loop manufacturing systems for berries by demonstrating sustainable practices for the extraction and utilization of bioactive compounds from sea buckthorn by-products. The project results emphasize the feasibility of integrating eco-friendly extraction methods while addressing environmental and economic challenges
A comparative analysis of the impact of artificial intelligence-generated and human-generated social media content on users' trust and intentions.
No full textThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into diverse sectors, including medicine, engineering, and social media marketing, is significantly transforming daily consumer experiences. For instance, retail and consumer goods companies plan to allocate an average of 3.32% of their revenues to AI implementation starting in 2025. These investments are expected to target areas such as customer service, supply chain management, talent acquisition, and marketing innovations, emphasizing the expansion of AI beyond traditional IT applications (IBM, 2025a). While the use of AI in marketing is often seen as a way to reduce costs and improve efficiency (Ivanov, 2023), significant challenges related to consumer reactions to AI-generated content have also emerged. For example, studies indicate that consumers often struggle to distinguish between AI-generated and human-created advertisements, especially when using advanced systems like ChatGPT or Midjourney. AI-generated content frequently reaches a high level of quality, potentially triggering a sense of "technological eeriness" among users (Gu et al., 2024). Research also reveals that consumers often require additional context to identify the true author of the content. Nonetheless, AI-generated content is frequently perceived as more objective and less biased than human-created content, which can enhance the effectiveness of social media communications in certain contexts (Xie et al., 2024). Social media platforms are evolving into spaces not only for communication but also for AI-driven content creation, personalized recommendations, and real-time user behavior analysis (Mohamed et al., 2024). However, the use of these technologies remains controversial, particularly when users lack a clear understanding of how AI-powered systems make decisions (Scharowski et al., 2023). The primary objective of this master’s thesis is to compare the impact of AI-generated and human-created social media content on users‘ trust and intentions. To achieve this, the research is structured around five key goals: establish the relevance and significance of studying the impact of AI-generated and human-generated social media content on users’ trust and intentions; develop a conceptual model based on a theoretical analysis of the effects of AI-generated and human-generated social media content on users’ trust and intentions; design a methodology focused on revealing the impact of AI and human-generated social media content on users’ trust and intentions within social media; conduct an empirical study to interpret the findings within a scientific discussion, highlighting the limitations of the research and directions for future studies; provide practical recommendations for organizations and individuals seeking to effectively utilize AI and human-generated social media content. The empirical research revealed that perceived content vividness and persuasiveness have a positive impact on trust, while synthetic nature significantly negatively affects trust. It was also found that disclosing the authorship of AI-generated content negatively impacts trust, while revealing the authorship of human-created content has a positive effect. Contrary to expectations, perceived eeriness had a positive impact on trust, suggesting that respondents may associate unusual content with innovation and novelty. Additionally, the study found that the perception of AI as a co-author moderates the impact of author disclosure on trust, while the perception of AI as merely a tool does not significantly influence this relationship. The data analysis also indicated that changes in consumer trust positively influence their inclination to interact with the content, though this relationship was relatively weak, suggesting that trust is not the only factor driving consumer intentions. Moreover, regardless of subjective knowledge about AI tools or perceived ability to identify AI-generated content, only 32.5% of participants accurately identified the content author. Surprisingly, before the author was disclosed, respondents rated AI-generated content as more authentic, higher quality, and more trustworthy than human-created content, contrary to initial expectations
Kakavos vertės grandinės vystymas siekiant didesnio Dramblio Kaulo Kranto ir Ganos tarptautinio konkurencingumo.
No full textCocoa is an essential crop that plays a significant role in the economies of West African countries. Together, Ivory Coast and Ghana produce more than half of the world’s cocoa beans, signifying how important cocoa is to their communities and livelihoods. However, their participation in the global cocoa value chain is mostly confined to the production of raw materials, a limitation that constrains value capture, increases vulnerability to price volatility, and weakens their global competitiveness. Although they lead in global cocoa beans production, industrialized countries secure the majority of profits through processing and manufacturing activities. The relevance of this study is emphasized by the increasing recognition of value chain upgrading as an enabler for economic transformation. Ivory Coast and Ghana experience limited advancement within the global cocoa value chain. Existing literature suggests that, by enhancing processing and manufacturing activities which are facilitated by robust infrastructure, effective institutions, and policies, can improve their position in global trade. Empirical research that specifically identifies conditions and strategies for upgrading within the cocoa sector remains notably scarce. Therefore, this study offers a theoretical and empirical analysis to address this gap in the existing body of knowledge. Research object: Cocoa value chain upgrading in Ivory Coast and Ghana for enhanced international competitiveness. Research aim: To identify means of upgrading the cocoa value chain of Ivory Coast and Ghana to enhance their international competitiveness on the global cocoa market. The objectives of this research, undertaken to achieve the goal, are as follows: 1. To analyze the drawbacks inherent in a primary focus on the production stage within the global cocoa value chain, with the aim of highlighting the limitations this position imposes upon the international competitiveness of Ivory Coast and Ghana. 2. To develop a theoretical framework for enhancing international competitiveness by explaining alternative options for value chain upgrading, according to the industry’s internal and external conditions and context. 3. To research Ivory Coast and Ghana’s cocoa industry’s internal and external conditions using global value chain framework, Porter’s value chain, the Smile curve in analyzing the chain’s structure to understand the distribution of value. 4. To identify impactful resources and capabilities that Ivory Coast and Ghana can deploy to upgrade their position within the cocoa value chain and thereby enhance their international competitiveness. Research result: The findings of the research indicate that both Ivory Coast and Ghana face structural, institutional, and infrastructural barriers that impede their enhanced participation in higher value-added activities within the global value chain. The study further reveals that by leveraging resources (such as accessible financing and robust infrastructure), developing capabilities, adopting supportive policies and improving governance structures, these countries can upgrade their position within the global value chain. This transition will make them more competitive. Furthermore, the research proposes a conceptual framework that outlines enablers for upgrading, which is validated through mixed-methods empirical data obtained from industry stakeholders
Vartotojų pasitikėjimo finansinių technologijų produktais atkūrimas po duomenų saugumo pažeidimo.
No full textThe research was conducted to study the factors influencing trust recovery post-data breach. For these purposes, an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was employed. The Model consisted of core TAM elements along with other variables, which were identified via theoretical review, based on current studies. Those variables were transparency, cash culture, regulatory challenges, cybersecurity awareness, perceived risk, and core TAM elements, i.e, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. For the research, a quantitative research methodology was used, and victims of cybercrime from the Pakistani FinTech market were presented with a questionnaire. A total of 187 valid responses were received, shedding light on factors that either positively or negatively impact trust recovery in FinTech. The study revealed that transparency, security, and cash culture were the most significant predictors of trust recovery post-data breach. An ever deeper analysis revealed that among these three predictors, transparency was the most impactful factor, followed by perceived security and cash preference. This proves that post-data breach consumers prefer the FinTech firms to be transparent about the incident, and would like to stay abreast of the prevailing scams and frauds. The analysis also showed that consumers preferred visible security features, which also highlights the importance of effective communication. Cash preference negatively impacts the trust recovery, but also requires a deeper qualitative analysis for a better understanding. The analysis showed that core elements of TAM, such as perceived usefulness and ease of use, which are very important in the initial trust development phase, failed to make a significant impact on trust recovery post-data breach. Similarly, cybersecurity awareness, regulatory challenges, and perceived risk were also found statistically not significant. It means that conventional factors aren't sufficient to define trust recovery in FinTech. However, these results do not lower the theoretical importance of these factors in FinTech adoption and trust development. Finally, the research highlights the importance of effective communication, transparency, visible security updates, and the need to discourage cash culture. Since core TAM factors failed to encapsulate the trust recovery idea, there is a need to extend the model beyond the conventional variables to emotional and cultural dimensions as well. These findings can be valuable for policymakers and FinTech companies. Lithiania, being at the forefront of financial innovation, can utilise this study to expand their market reach ot emerging markets like Pakistan
Relationship between intracranial pressure, ocular blood flow and vessel density: insights from OCTA and doppler imaging /
No full textBackground and Objectives: Despite the growing amount of new research, the pathophysiology of glaucoma remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between intracranial pressure (ICP), ocular blood flow and structural optic nerve parameters. Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted involving 24 patients with open-angle glaucoma and 25 healthy controls. Routine clinical examination was performed. Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) images were taken (DRI-OCT Triton, Topcon). The vessel density (VD) values of the ONH were calculated around the optic nerve head (ONH). An orbital Doppler device (Vittamed 205, Kaunas, Lithuania) was used for non-invasive ICP measurements. Color Doppler imaging (CDI) (Mindray M7, Shenzhen, China) was used for retrobulbar blood flow measurements in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA) and short posterior ciliary arteries (SPCAs). Results: ICP was 8.35 ± 2.8 mmHg in the glaucoma group and 8.45 ± 3.19 mmHg in the control group (p = 0.907). In the glaucoma group, the VD of the superficial vascular plexus in the inferior-nasal (NI) sector of the ONH showed a correlation with ICP (r = 0.451, p = 0.05). In contrast, the control group exhibited weaker correlations. CRA peak systolic velocity (PSV) demonstrated significant moderate correlations with VD in multiple retinal layers, including the avascular retina layer in the temporal (T) sector (r = 0.637, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Lower ICP was significantly associated with the lower VD of the superficial plexus layer in the inferior-nasal sector in the glaucoma group, with the control group exhibiting weaker correlations in all sectors. Further longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to establish associations between intracranial pressure, ocular blood flow and ONH parameters
Investigating CO2 and hydrogen flow dynamics and efficiency optimization for underground storage and production: an experimental and simulation-based study /
No full textThis study uses an experimental and simulation-based approach to investigate hydrogen flow behavior and efficiency optimization during underground hydrogen storage and production (UHSP). Laboratory-scale sandbox experiments were conducted under low pressure to assess the dynamics of H₂, H2, and CO2 mixtures in porous sandstone media. The sandbox experiments revealed that sandstone formations, with high permeability, are effective for both H₂ and H2 and CO2 mixtures for gas storage, showing minimal leakage when combined with impermeable cap rocks, which were represented by a clay layer in the sandbox experiment. Further, a 2D mechanistic model was developed and simulated using tNavigator to validate the experimental results, simulating gas migration and reproducing the phenomenon seen in the sandbox modeling experiment. Subsequently, a scaleup study was also conducted, where various optimization scenarios were explored to enhance UHSP efficiency, which includes optimization based on injection duration, injection rates, and model heterogeneity
Tourism intensity and plastic waste management insights from European capital cities /
No full textThe surge in demand for plastic materials, coupled with the rising trend of out-of-home food consumption, has posed significant challenges to urban waste management systems. These challenges are intensified in touristic cities where touch-and-go tourism leads visitors to spend most of the day outside, resulting in a high generation of waste in urban areas. While existing research focuses predominantly on the hospitality sector, the role of public administrations remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by surveying city managers from ten European capitals, providing a comprehensive overview of plastic waste management and prevention patterns. Results reveal that legislative measures and plastic bans are effective, but local initiatives and social programs require further support. Waste generated in public areas is less scrutinized than residential waste, and differences in municipal waste collection schemes hinder proper sorting. Findings underscore the need for collaborative efforts in both waste prevention and management to strengthen partnerships with hotels, restaurants and shopkeepers, as well as the proper design of waste logistics and infrastructure and dedicated communication campaigns in tourist hotspots