Recent years have been abundant in research concerning human microbiome and its impact on the host’s health. Studies have shown, that not only the commensal bacteria itself, but also postbiotics, understood as unalived microorganisms, possibly with the presence of their components, may have themselves effect on various elements of human physiology. In this article we take a closer look on the specific ways in which postbiotics can alter immune response in allergic asthma, which is one of the most prevalent allergic diseases in today’s world being a serious subject of concern. Through altering patients’ immune response, not only to allergens but also to pathogens, postbiotics could have a significant role in lowering the number of asthma exacerbations. We suggest that more profound research should be undertaken in order to launch postbiotics into clinical standards of asthma treatment, given greatly promising findings in the field of their immunomodulating potential.

According to many research groups, high glucose induces over production of superoxide anions, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in general is the link between high glucose levels and the toxicities seen at cellular levels. Respiratory complex anomalies could lead to the production of ROS. Calcium [Ca2+], at physiological levels serves as a second messenger in many physiological functions. Accordingly, mitochondrial calcium [Ca2+]m overload leads to ROS production which could be lethal to the mitochondria through various mechanisms. The F1F0-ATPase (ATP syn-thase or complex V) is the enzyme that is responsible for catalyzing the final step of oxidative phosphorylation. It does so by coupling the translocation of protons in the mitochondrial in-termembrane space and shuttling them to the mitochondrial matrix for ATP synthesis to take place. Mitochondrial complex V T8993G mutation specifically blocks the translocation of protons across the intermembrane space thereby blocking ATP synthesis leading to Neuropathy, Ataxia and Retinitis Pigmentosa Syndromes (NARP). This study seeks to explore the possibility of [Ca2+]m overload mediating the pathological roles of high glucose in defective respiratory chain mediated mitochondrial stress. The NARP cybrids are the in vitro experimental models for the cells with F1FO-ATPase defects, these cells harbor 98% of mtDNA T8993G mutation. Their coun-terparts 143B osteosarcoma cell lines are the parental cell lines used for comparisons. We uncov-ered that, NARP cells mediated and enhanced the death of the cells (apoptosis) when incubated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and high glucose respectively as depicted by the MTT assay of cell viability. Furthermore, using the fluorescence probe-coupled laser scanning confocal imag-ing microscopy, NARP cells significantly enabled mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) formation and enhanced the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Elucidating the mechanisms of sugar enhanced toxicity on mitochondria would help in the fu-ture to alleviate the symptoms of patients associated with (NARP) syndromes.

Surgical simulators are crucial in early craniofacial and plastic surgical training, necessitating synthetic materials that accurately replicate tissue properties. Recent critiques of our lab’s currently deployed silicone surrogate have highlighted numerous areas for improvement. To further refine our models, our group's objective is to find a composition of materials that is closest in fidelity to native oral mucosa during surgical rehearsal by expert craniofacial surgeons. Fifteen platinum silicone-based surrogate samples were constructed with variable hardness and slacker percentages. These samples underwent evaluation of tactile sensation, hardness, needle puncture, cut resistance, suture retention, defect repair, and tensile elasticity. Expert craniofacial surgeon evaluators provided focused qualitative feedback on selected top-performing samples for further assessment and statistical comparisons. Evaluation revealed surrogate characteristics with satisfactory to good performance. Sample 977 exhibited the highest performance, and comparison with the original surrogate (sample 810) demonstrated significant improvements in critical areas, emphasizing the efficacy of the refined composition. The study identified a silicone composition that directly addresses the feedback received by our team’s original silicone surrogate. The study underscores the delicate balance between biofidelity and practicality in surgical simulation. The need for ongoing refinement in surrogate materials is evident to optimize training experiences for early surgical learners.

An electrochemical bioassay based on the rotating droplet electrochemistry by using electron transfer mediator was developed for the evaluation of a wide variety of pollutants such as antibiotics, heavy metals and pesticides in the water environment. Ferricyanide was used as electron transfer mediator for obtaining the catalytic response of Escherichia coli. The electrochemical response of E.coli was measured via hydrodynamic chronoamperometry in a microdroplet on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). The constructed electrode system successfully evaluate the catalytic response of E.coli solution in presence of ferricyanide. The assay for antibiotic toxicity on E.coli was carried out. The EC50 for ampicillin, sulfamonomethoxine, chlorotetracycline, tetracycline and oxytetracycline valuated by the pre-incubation method were 0.26, 0.77, 5.25, 18.5, 19.0 µM, respectively. The toxicity order was ampicillin > sulfamonomethoxine > chlorotetracycline > tetracycline>oxytetracycline. The proposed method can be used to evaluate the antibiotic toxicities in different real sample, such as pond water, powder and raw milk. Recoveries were found in the range 90 and 99%. The developed methods do not require additional incubation time to evaluate toxicity.

Chronic wounds remain a significant clinical challenge, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic agents. Sedum telephium L. (syn. Hylotelephium telephium (L.) H. Ohba) leaf juice, known for its traditional medicinal uses, was evaluated for its wound healing properties. This study aimed to chemically characterize the leaf juice and assess its efficacy in promoting wound healing in vitro. Fresh leaves were collected and processed to obtain the juice, which was analyzed for polyphenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and proteins. Key bioactive compounds, including flavonols such as kaempferol glycosides and quercetin glycosides, were identified. The juice and its polysaccharidic fraction were tested on human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and fibroblasts (HFF-1) to assess cell viability, wound closure, and the production of growth factors and pro-collagen I. Our results indicated that the whole juice significantly enhanced wound closure in both cell types, with a marked increase in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and LAP(TGF-β1) production in keratinocytes, highlighting its potential mechanisms of action. The polysaccharidic fraction alone showed limited efficacy, emphasizing the importance of the complete phytocomplex. These findings suggest that Sedum telephium L. represents a promising candidate in the setting of skin regeneration and repair.

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a portable IoT station. Communication and data synchronization issues in several installations are addressed here, making possible a detailed analysis of the entire system during its operation. The system proposed is interpreted as an additional tool which can be utilized in several applications, where the system operator requires a synchronized data stream, combining multiple communication protocols into one single time stamp. The hardware selected for the portable IoT station complies with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) industrial standards. A short discussion regarding interface customization shows how easily the hardware can be modified so that it is integrated with almost any system. A Programmable Logic Controller enables the Node-Red to be utilized. This open-source programming tool employs flows to define operations for each global variable nominated in the Modbus register. Two applications are presented and discussed in this paper, each application has a distinct methodology utilized to publish and visualize the acquired data. The portable IoT Station is highly customizable, consisting of a modular structure and providing the best platform for future research and development of dedicated algorithms.

In the sphere of urban renewal in historic districts, preserving and innovatively reinterpreting traditional architectural styles remains a primary research focus. However, the modernization and adaptive reuse of traditional buildings often necessitate changes in their functionality. To cater to the demands of tourism in historic districts, many traditional residential buildings require conversion to commercial use, resulting in a mismatch between their external form and internal function. This study explores an automated approach to transform traditional residences into commercially viable designs, offering an efficient and scalable solution for the modernization of historic architecture. We developed a methodology based on diffusion models, focusing on a dataset of nighttime shopfront facades. By training a Low-Rank adaptation (LoRA) model and integrating the ControlNet model, we enhanced the accuracy and stability of generated images. The methodology’s performance was validated through qualitative and quantitative assessments, optimizing batch size, repetition, and learning rate configurations. These evaluations confirmed the method’s effectiveness. Our findings significantly advance the modern commercial style transformation of historical architectural facades, providing a novel solution that maintains aesthetic and functional integrity, thereby fostering breakthroughs in traditional de-sign thinking and exploring new possibilities for the preservation and commercial adaptation of historical buildings.

In this paper thermo-mechanical behavior of 4D printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) was investigated, focusing on its response to varying strain rates and temperatures below the glass transition temperature. Dynamic mechanical analysis and uniaxial tensile tests confirmed PLA's dependency on strain rate, showcasing its sensitivity to external stimuli. Stress-strain curves exhibited typical thermoplastic behavior, with yield stresses varying with strain rates, underscoring PLA's responsiveness to different deformation speeds. Clear strain rate dependence was observed, particularly at quasi-static rates, with temperature and strain rate fluctuations significantly influencing PLA's mechanical properties, including yield stress and deformation behavior. Isothermal compression tests demonstrated predictable stress-strain curves with distinct yield points, while adiabatic tests reveal additional complexities such as heat accumulation leading to further softening. Thermal imaging revealed temperature increase during deformation, highlighting the material's thermo-sensitive nature. These findings provide the basis for future research with the focus on advanced modeling techniques and mitigation strategies for self-heating effects, aiming to enhance PLA-based product reliability and performance in applications with deformations at higher strain rates, while also developing models to simulate shape recovery in 4D printed PLA structures at both cold and hot programming temperatures.

Purpose To investigate the effects of intra-articular glenohumeral joint triamcinolone injection in treating secondary adhesive capsulitis after breast cancer surgery.Methods This study prospectively enrolled 37 participants, 22 of the breast cancer surgery group and 15 of the idiopathic group. All participants received intra-articular glenohumeral joint injection in the affected shoulder joint and received physiotherapy for 12 week. The clinical assessment evaluated before, and 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention. The primary outcome was the change in the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI).Results The total SPADI(%) in both groups showed significant decrease from baseline to 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention. There was no significant difference in the differences of the total SPADI from baseline to 1, 3, and 6 months between two groups. However, the improvement in the SPADI pain subscale and the PROM of abduction at 3 and 6 months post-injection in the breast cancer group were inferior to the idiopathic group.Conclusion Intra-articular triamcinolone injection for adhesive capsulitis after breast cancer surgery significantly improved in significant improvements of pain, shoulder function and the PROM. The effects were similar to idiopathic adhesive capsulitis, but in the breast cancer surgery group, appropriate pain and ROM management and monitoring are required even 3 months after injection. With a standardized injection protocol, intra-articular triamcinolone injection could be an effective and safe treatment option for secondary adhesive capsulitis after breast cancer surgery.

Recent discoveries of potential ice particles and ice-cemented regolith on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars have ushered in new opportunities for developing technologies to extract water, facilitating future space missions and activities on these celestial surfaces. This study delves into the potential for water extraction from regolith through an experiment designed to test water recuperation from regolith simulant under varying gravitational conditions. The resultant water vapor extracted from the regolith is re-condensed on a substrate surface and collected in liquid form. Three types of substrates, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and grooved, are explored. The system’s functionality was assessed during a parabolic flight campaign simulating three distinct gravity levels: microgravity, lunar gravity, and Martian gravity. Our findings reveal that the hydrophobic surface demonstrates the highest efficiency due to drop-wise condensation, and lower gravity levels result in increased water condensation on the substrates. This experiment aims to provide insights into in-situ water recovery, which is pivotal for establishing economically-sustainable water supplies for future missions.

In individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), rapid skeletal muscle atrophy and metabolic dysfunction pose profound rehabilitation challenges, often resulting in substantial loss of muscle mass and function. This study evaluates the effect of combined neuromuscular electrical stimulation (Comb-NMES) on skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and inflammatory signaling within the acute phase of SCI. We applied a novel Comb-NMES regimen, integrating both high-frequency resistance and low-frequency aerobic protocols on the vastus lateralis muscle, to participants early post-SCI. Muscle biopsies were analyzed for CSA and inflammatory markers pre-and post-intervention. The results revealed a preservation of muscle CSA in the Comb-NMES group compared to a control group receiving transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and passive movements. Inflammatory signaling proteins such as TLR4 and Atrogin-1 were downregulated, whereas markers associated with muscle repair and growth were modulated beneficially in the Comb-NMES group. The study's findings suggest that early application of Comb-NMES post-SCI can attenuate inflammatory pathways linked to muscle atrophy and potentially promote muscle repair, advocating for its inclusion in early rehabilitation efforts. However, the small sample size and variability in injury characteristics emphasize the need for further research to corroborate these results across a more diverse and extensive SCI population.

In this paper, the mechanism of combined process of ion beam sputtering (IBS) and HF acid etching on the chemical structure defects of fused silica and its laser damage resistance perfor-mance were investigated. During the removal process of surface material, the sputtering effect causes lattice atoms to detach from their original positions, forming a large number of unsaturated structures on silica surface, which improves the chemical activity of Si and O atoms, accelerates the chemical reaction process between surface atoms and water molecules, increases the content of hydroxyl (OH-) groups in the shallow layer, and enhances the photothermal weak absorption intensity. However, the presence of OH- groups reduces the bonding strength of Si-O, destroys the spatial network structure of silica bulk, and reduces the mechanical strength of silica surface, resulting in a decrease in its laser damage resistance performance. The paper reveals for the first time the mechanism of IBS to change the structure characteristics of silica material, accelerate the surface hydroxylation process, and thereby reduces the laser damage resistance performance. This work provides technical guidance for effectively suppressing chemical structure defects on silica surface and improving laser damage resistance performance of optical components under high-flux laser irradiation.

Hamman’s syndrome is a rare condition that mostly affects young males, often with a predisposition of asthma. It includes the presence of free air in the mediastinum and subcutaneous emfysema with no other underlying cause such as trauma or infection. It occurs spontanously and often in association with prolonged valsalva manouvre. This might explain why there are some cases of Hamman syndrome among young females giving birth. Here we present a case report of a 24-year- old primigravida with Hamman’s syndrome. She presented with symptoms a few hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery at 40+1 pregnancy week. The symptoms resolved spontanously after a few days of observation. We also give a systemic review of reported cases since 2000 to provide overview on pathomechanism, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment and management of this condition. Hamman’s syndrome is a rare, usually benign, but potentially serious complication that can occur during the second stage of labour. Diagnostics include inquiring about typical symptoms, clinical examination and chest x-ray or CT scan. Treatment is usually conservative with oxygen, bronchodilators and pain relief. The reccurence rate is low and there is no contraindication to vaginal delivery in future pregnancies. However, it is suggested that physicians and midwives be cautious and consider low threshold for instrumental delivery or caesarean section to avoid excessive valsalva manoeuvre.

The safety of vegetable food is compromised by various factors, including the inefficient or excessive use of sanitizers. Instances of individuals falling ill after consuming raw vegetables have been reported, with outbreaks of diseases caused by pathogens on fresh vegetables becoming increasingly prevalent globally, attracting significant media coverage and impacting the economic viability of vegetable cultivation. Measures to enhance food safety in postharvest horticultural produce involve controlling microbial proliferation and minimizing cross-contamination. Sanitizers were utilized in the food safety arsenal for a variety of purposes, including pathogen elimination and microbe reduction, hand, tools, and vegetable contact surface cleaning, and produce shelf life extension. Choosing an appropriate sanitizer for all vegetables is difficult due to a lack of knowledge on which sanitizers are ideal for the many types of vegetables grown on farms under different environmental circumstances. Although chlorine-based sanitizers, such as sodium or calcium hypochlorite, have been widely used for the past 50 years, recent research has revealed that chlorine reacts with an organic compound in fresh vegetables to produce trihalomethane, a carcinogen precursor, and as a result, many countries have prohibited the use of chlorine in all foods. As a result, horticulture research groups worldwide are exploring for non-chlorine, ecologically friendly sanitizers for the vegetable industry. They also want to understand more about present procedures in the vegetable business for employing alternative sanitizers, as well as the efficacy and potential dangers to the food safety of fresh salad vegetables. This review-cum-research paper presented detailed information on non-chlorine sanitizers, such as their efficacy, benefits, drawbacks, regulatory requirements, and the need for additional research to lower the risk of marketed salad vegetable food safety.

Automated charging technologies are becoming increasingly important in the electrification of heavy road freight transport, especially in combination with autonomous driving. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of automated charging technologies for electric heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). It encompasses the entire spectrum of feasible technologies, including static and dynamic approaches, with each charging technology evaluated for its advantages, potentials, challenges, and technology readiness level (TRL). Static conductive charging methods such as charging robots, underbody-couplers or pantographs show good potential, with pantographs being the most mature option. These technologies are progressing towards higher TRLs, with a focus on standardization and adaptability. While static wireless charging is operational for some prototype solutions, it encounters challenges related to implementation and efficiency. Dynamic conductive charging through an overhead contact line or contact rails holds promise for high-traffic HDV routes with the overhead contact line being the most developed option. Dynamic wireless charging, although facing efficiency challenges, offers potential for seamless integration into roads and minimal wear and tear. Battery swapping is emerging as a practical solution to reduce downtime for charging, with varying levels of readiness across different implementations. To facilitate large-scale deployment further standardization efforts are required. The study emphasizes the necessity for continued research and development to enhance efficiency, decrease costs, and ensure seamless integration into existing infrastructures. Technologies that achieve this best will have the highest potential to significantly contribute to the creation of an efficiently automated and environmentally friendly transport sector.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) is an important deciduous species in western U.S. forests. Existing maps of aspen distribution are based on Landsat imagery and often miss small stands (<0.09 ha or 30 m²), which rapidly regrow when managed or following disturbance. In this study, we present methods for deriving a new regional map of aspen forests using one year of Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) imagery in Google Earth Engine. We assessed the annual phenology of aspen in the Southern Rockies and leveraged the frequent temporal resolution of S1 and S2 to create ecologically relevant seasonal composites. Additionally, we derived spectral indices and radar textural features targeting the canopy structure, moisture, and chlorophyll content. Using spatial block cross-validation and Random Forests, we assessed the accuracy of different scenarios and selected the best performing set of features for classification. Comparisons were then made with existing landcover products across the study region. The resulting map improves on existing landcover products in both accuracy (average F1-score = 93.1%) and detection of smaller forest patches. These methods enable accurate mapping at spatial and temporal scales relevant to forest management for one of the most widely distributed tree species in North America.

Fowlpox virus (FPV) has been used as a vector for many years. To date, surprisingly, very little data exist on the persistence of fowlpox vaccines in chicken tissues, or what kind of immune cells respond to the vaccination at the site of inoculation. Although both humoral and cellular mediated immunity (CMI) play a part in overall immunity against FPV, little is known regarding the cell-mediated immune responses to FPV infection. The main aim of this paper was to measure persistence of the recombinant fowlpox vaccine in the skin tissues following vaccination. The results showed that the recombinant FPVs do not persist for long, and are cleared by 6 days post-vaccination (dpv). The response of immune cells (macrophages, B cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) that infiltrating the site of vaccination was estimated.

Background/Objectives: PEMF therapy has gained significant attention due to its potential benefits in promoting tissue repair and improving overall well-being. Recent publications in the field of exercise physiology, showed that pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) enhanced the velocity and the quantity of muscle O2 available and the rate of muscle oxygen extraction and utilization, in semi-professional cyclists, during a heavy constant-load exercise. In this paper, we investigate the effect of stimulation on muscular activation, in sedentary young people, during a constant-load exercise, performed at moderate intensity. Methods: Nine male sedentary young people, partic-ipated in this study. The response of the muscle activity, was recorded by surface EMG and assessed measuring the root mean square (RMS) normalized to the peak of the maximum voluntary con-traction. Data were collected in the right vastus Medialis (RVM) and right Biceps Femoris (RBF) at the baseline (standstill sitting), on warm-up (unloaded cycling) and during 30 minutes of con-stant-load exercise, in two experimental conditions (PEMF ON vs PEMF OFF). Results: The mul-tivariate analysis of variance performed on RVM showed a significant effect of PEMF in both warmup and exercise, while on RBF showed a significant effect of PEMF and warmup. Conclusions: PEMF strongly enhanced the amplitude of muscle activity in young sedentary people. The increase in the amplitude of the muscular response may lead to a higher oxygen consumption and release.

Comprehensive understanding of tree characteristics and conditions holds paramount importance for the precise management of hazelnut orchards. It facilitates the determination of tree vigor, pruning requirements, phytosanitary interventions, and plant water consumption. The primary objective of this study was to explore, for the first time on a fruit tree with a bushy structure and across trees of four Italian distinct hazelnut cultivars, the efficacy of multispectral and thermal UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technologies in assessing canopy attributes, vegetative growth, and predicting abiotic stresses. These technologies serve as tools for precision agriculture, enabling the computation of various indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and crop water stress index (CWSI). The study of water content is of particular importance at this time, especially considering the increasing water stress levels in Europe as well as globally. While Red Green Blue (RGB) and thermal imagery collectively demonstrated superior performance in model reconstruction, the multispectral UAV remained more adept at characterizing size traits of hazelnut plants. Thermal images alone proved inadequate for accurately reconstructing hazelnut biometric characteristics. Furthermore, all indices were found to be cultivar-specific, underscoring the importance of conducting studies across different cultivars. The utilization of two UAVs, namely multispectral and thermal, facilitated the examination of the relationship between NDVI and CWSI across tree species.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a facultative intracellular fungal pathogen. Ten-generation-old (10GEN) C. neoformans cells are more resistant to phagocytosis and killing by macrophages than younger daughter cells. However, mechanisms that mediate this resistance and intracellular parasitism are poorly understood. Here, we identified factors important for the intracellular survival of 10GEN C. neoformans, such as urease activity, capsule synthesis, and DNA content using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy techniques. Real-time visualization of time-lapse imaging was applied to determine the phagosomal acidity, membrane permeability, and vomocytosis (non-lytic exocytosis) rate in J774 macrophages that phagocytosed C. neoformans of different generational ages. Our results showed that old C. neoformans exhibited higher urease activity, and enhanced capsule formation, which was supported by an increased Golgi complex. In addition, old C. neoformans were more likely to be arrested in the G2 phase, resulting in the occasional formation of aberrant trimera-like cells. To finish, the advanced generational age of the yeast cells slightly reduced vomocytosis events within host cells, which might be associated with increased phagolysosomal pH and membrane permeability. Altogether our results contribute to a better understanding of the strategies used by old C. neoformans to resist phagosomal killing and suggest that old generation C. neoformans intracellular behavior may be driving cryptococcosis pathogenesis.

Metabarcoding of prokaryotic and fungal ribosomal DNA was used to describe the microbial communities in soils of remnant equatorial rainforest, maize-bean intercrop, and sugarcane in western Kenya. Cropping systems influenced the microbial community composition and functional traits (energy source and nutrient cycling) of bulk soil in each crop. Microbial richness and diversity tended to increase with cultivation intensity. Soil of maize-bean intercrop had lower percentages and sugarcane had higher percentages of unique amplicon sequence variants of both bacteria and fungi compared to the remnant forest. Functional traits were altered by cultivation intensity. Compared to remnant forest soils, maize-bean intercrop soil had lower percentages of aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria and higher percentages of N-cycling bacteria, while sugarcane had higher percentages of aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria and lower percentages of N-cycling bacteria. In the face of increasing forest loss and pressures for agricultural productivity, this landscape provides a rich site for studying the impacts of cropping systems on soil health.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cattle raised in North America. At the feedlot, cattle are subject to metaphylactic treatment with macrolides to prevent BRD, a practice that may promote antimicrobial resistance and has resulted in an urgent need for novel strategies. Mannheimia haemolytica is one of the major bacterial agents of BRD. The inhibitory effects of two amphipathic, α-helical (PRW4, WRL3) and one β-sheet (WK2) antimicrobial peptides were evaluated against multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. haemolytica isolated from Alberta feedlots. WK2 was not cytotoxic against bovine turbinate (BT) cells by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. All three peptides inhibited M. haemolytica, with WK2, being the most efficacious against multiple isolates. At 8-16 µg/ml, WK2 was bactericidal against Mh 330 in broth and at 32 µg/ml in the presence of BT cells, reduced the population by 3 logs CFU/ml without causing cytotoxic effects. The membrane integrity of Mh 330 was examined using NPN (1-N-phenylnaphthylamine), and ONPG (o-Nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside) with both the inner and outer membranes being compromised. Thus, WK2 may be a viable alternative to the use of macrolides as part of BRD prevention and treatment strategies.

This study aimed to investigate the appearance and frequencies of the booroola polymorphism of the bone morphogenetic protein receptor 1b (BMPR1B) gene (FecB) and the embrapa polymorphism of the growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) gene (FecGE) in sheep in Thailand. A total of 454 cross-bred sheep blood samples were collected from four provinces in Thailand during August 2022 to July 2023. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to identify the FecB and FecGE genotype. The history of ewe birth types was collected from the owners to analyze the association between Fecundity (Fec) genotypes and the history of birth types. The genotypic frequencies of FecB for homozygous genotype (B/B), heterozygous genotype (+/B) and wild-type (+/+) were 0.22%, 1.54%, and 98.24%, respectively. Meanwhile, the genotypic frequencies of FecGE for homozygous genotype (E/E), heterozygous genotype (+/E), and wildtype (+/+) were 0.00%, 2.42%, and 97.58%, respectively. Furthermore, three ewes exhibited both FecB and FecGE genotypes. Fisher’s exact test revealed that the possessor of FecB genotype was associated with multiple births (p<0.01). Both FecB and FecGE mutations were identified in crossbred sheep in Thailand. Sheep containing FecB allele is a better candidate to be selected to improve the prolificacy of crossbred sheep in Thailand.

Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol compound derived from the rhizome of the Curcuma genus, has a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological applications. Previously, curcumin nanoparticles with different stabilizers had been produced successfully in order to enhance solubility and per oral absorption. In the present study, we tested the anti-inflammatory effect of D-α-Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS)-stabilized curcumin nanoparticles in vivo. Lambda-carrageenan (λ-carrageenan) was used to induce inflammation in rats; it was given by an intraplantar route and intrapelurally through surgery in the pleurisy test. In the λ-carrageenan-induced edema model, TPGS-stabilized curcumin nanoparticles were given orally one hour before induction and at 0.5, 4.5, and 8.5 h after induction with two different doses (1.8 and 0.9 mg/kg body weight (BW)). Sodium diclofenac with a dose of 4.5 mg/kg BW was used as a standard drug. A physical mixture of curcumin-TPGS was also used as a comparison with a higher dose of 60 mg/kg BW. The anti-inflammatory effect was assessed on the edema in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model and by the volume of exudate as well as the number of leukocytes reduced in the pleurisy test. TPGS-stabilized curcumin nanoparticles with lower doses showed better anti-inflammatory effects, indicating the greater absorption capability through the gastrointestinal tract.

This paper proposes an innovative mechatronic piezo-actuated module to control vibrations in modern machine tools. Vibrations represent one of the main issues that compromise seriously the quality of the workpiece. The active vibration control (AVC) device is composed by a host part integrated with sensors and actuators synchronized by a regulator, able to make a self-assessment and adjust to the environmental alteration. This study presents the mechatronic model based on the kinematic and dynamic analysis of the AVC device. To ensure a real time performance, a H2-LQG controller has been developed and validated by simulations involving machine tool, PZT actuator and controller models. The Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) architecture is adopted to control and attenuate the vibrations. A set of experimental tests has been performed to validate the AVC module on a commercial machine tool. The feasibility of the real time vibration damping is demonstrated and the simulation accuracy is evaluated.

Blazars show rapid and high amplitude variability. In this work , Fermi daily light curve of 130 sources are analyzed, distribution of daily variability are compared with each other by using Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test. results show: 1)Some pairs of the distributions are similar; 2) In most cases, the distributions are not Gaussian.

In this work, we'll present the power spectra density, auto-correlation function, dentrended fluctuation analysis and multifractal spectrum are performed to the daily light curves of Blazars monitored by Fermi LAT. Some signs of power law are found.

The utilization of sustainable biomaterials in pharmaceutical and medical applications has garnered significant attention in recent years due to their potential to address environmental concerns while meeting the demands of modern healthcare. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements and applications of sustainable biomaterials in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. Beginning with an exploration of sustainable sourcing methods and production techniques, the review highlights the importance of eco-friendly practices in biomaterial development. Subsequently, it delves into the diverse range of sustainable biomaterials, including biopolymers, natural extracts, and bio-based nanoparticles, elucidating their properties and biomedical applications. Moreover, the chapter discusses the role of sustainable biomaterials in drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, wound healing, and medical device fabrication, emphasizing their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and therapeutic efficacy. Along with discussions on regulatory issues and commercialization prospects, the potential and challenges related to the integration of sustainable biomaterials into pharmaceutical and medical practices are also critically reviewed. By elucidating the advancements and potential of sustainable biomaterials, this article aims to inspire further research and innovation in the pursuit of environmentally friendly and effective solutions for healthcare applications.

The comorbidity of osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus represents a complex clinical challenge and complicates patient management due to the interplay of overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms. The research aimed to analyze the exacerbation of clinical symptoms and biochemical markers in patients with osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus compared to those with osteoarthritis. We utilized various assessment methods to measure the patient cohorts' inflammation, oxidative stress, and glycemic control. The study also involved the administration of alpha-lipoic acid to patients with comorbid osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus and monitored its effects on joint function, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress levels, and glycemic control. Our findings revealed that the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly intensified osteoarthritis symptoms and altered biochemical markers, including increased inflammation, elevated oxidative stress, and disrupted immunological balance. The treatment with alpha-lipoic acid resulted in improved joint function, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress levels, and better glycemic control. Additionally, it was identified several potential predictors for developing osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus comorbidity. The results underscore the detrimental impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on osteoarthritis and highlight the beneficial effects of alpha-lipoic acid in alleviating some of the adverse consequences associated with this comorbidity. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of alpha-lipoic acid and its long-term effects on managing comorbidity of osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The dynamic response of the shed-tunnel structure under rockfall impact attracts much attention in recent years. However, the research on the dynamic response of the shed-tunnel structure under rockfall impact mostly focuses on the rockfall single impact, while in practical engineering, the shed-tunnel structure often encounters the rockfall repeated impacts during its service life. Therefore, this research focuses on exploring the dynamic response characteristics of the shed-tunnel structure under the rockfall repeated impacts. First of all, based on the model test of the shed-tunnel under rockfall impact as a reference, the FEM (Finite Element Method)-SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) coupling numerical calculation model is established based on ANSYS/LS-DYNA finite element code. The numerical simulation of the dynamic response of the shed-tunnel structure under rockfall impact is realized, and the rationality of the model is verified. Then, with this model and the full restart technology of LS-DYNA code, the effects of four factors, e.g. rockfall mass, rockfall impact velocity, rockfall impact angle and rockfall shape, on the impact force and impact depth of the buffer layer, the maximum plastic strain and axial force of the rebar, the shed roof vertical displacement and the shed-tunnel plastic strain are studied. These results show that the cumulative deformation and damage of the shed-tunnel structure caused by the rockfall repeated impacts play an important role in the destruction of the shed-tunnel structure, and the special attention should be paid to this issue.

Ming-style round-backed armchairs as a classic Chinese chair design are renowned for the blend of ergonomics, practicality, and elegance. Although the Chinese armchair furniture industry has made strides in sustainability, there is still a need for further improvements in material selection, manufacturing processes, and supply chain management to fully support the development of sustainable furniture. Laminated bamboo lumber as new sustainable materials are becoming a popular option for furniture designers in the era of "sustainable design". This research aims to investigate the feasibility and application of laminated bamboo lumber in the design of Chinese armchair furniture and proposes innovative ideas for optimizing the armchair's design. First, an empirical study was conducted to comprehensively understand the classification of Ming-style round-backed armchairs’ structure to develop a 3D model. Secondly, an experimental research method was then employed to explore the parameters of laminated bamboo lumber for future studies. Additionally, a validation experiment was conducted to compare real-world scenarios with simulations using finite element analysis in Ansys. Finally, finite element analysis was used to test the feasibility and application of laminated bamboo lumber in furniture design, focusing on the material’s mechanical properties. Results indicated that laminated bamboo lumber has excellent mechanical properties as furniture design materials, subsequently, using the optimized results, the use of 0.6319 kg of steel was successfully reduced by 23.68% to ensure the armchair’s stability. This provides a reference for the future compter-assist and standardized innovative design of Chinese armchair. By incorporating compter-assist design and lightweight optimization, it is possible to save materials and make more efficient use of resources, thereby contributing to sustainable development goals in the field of furniture design.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, significantly influenced by the Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) gene and gender. This study aims to use machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict brain age and assess AD risk by considering the effects of APOE4 genotype and gender. Methods: We collected brain volumetric MRI data and medical records from 1100 cognitively unimpaired individuals and 602 AD patients. We applied three ML regression models—XGBoost, Random Forest (RF), and Linear Regression (LR)—to predict brain age. Additionally, we introduced two novel metrics, Brain Age Difference (BAD) and Integrated Difference (ID), to evaluate model performance and analyze the influence of APOE4 genotype and gender on brain aging. Results: AD patients displayed significantly older brain ages compared to their chronological ages, with BADs ranging from 6.5 to 10 years. The RF model outperformed both XGBoost and LR in terms of accuracy, delivering higher ID values and more precise predictions. Comparing APOE4 carriers with non-carriers, the models showed enhanced ID values and consistent brain age predictions, improving overall performance. Gender-specific analyses indicated slight enhancements, with models performing equally well on both genders. It indicates that APOE4 may be a more robust predictor of brain age than gender. Conclusion: Robust ML models for brain age prediction can be pivotal in the early detection of AD risk via MRI brain structural imaging, especially for APOE4 carriers. Such early identification may facilitate timely preventive interventions for AD.

In recent years, Ethiopia's number of returnee entrepreneurs has increased dramatically, significantly contributing to personal financial achievement and the nation's economic development and transformation. However, their businesses are typically smaller and less profitable than non-migrant entrepreneurs. This study explores factors affecting the success of these returnee migrant entrepreneurs, including individual characteristics, entrepreneurial skills, and experience, financial resources, as well as the mediating role of government policies and institutional support. Data was collected from 390 returnee migrants who started their businesses and analyzed using a robust theoretical foundation and PLS-SEM to understand the impact of success factors. The results show that entrepreneurial skills, experience, and financial resources positively and significantly influence the success of returnee migrant entrepreneurs. Furthermore, social networks, while not directly significantly influencing the entrepreneurial success of returnee migrants are mediated by government policies and institutional support. Professional guidance and counseling provided by experts and mentors of the accelerator program were found to be essential for entrepreneurial success but did not improve the effectiveness of the policy. Financial resources, although crucial, did not significantly impact policy efficacy. These findings underscore the need for tailored policy interventions addressing the challenges faced by returnee migrants, including economic self-sufficiency, socio-psychological support, and effective social networks to boost the success of returnee migrants. Experienced returnee entrepreneurs play a key role in developing a vigorous and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem through community engagement and policy advocacy. Additionally, personal traits are crucial for entrepreneurial success, while practical experience influences government policies for substantiated policy development in returnee migrant entrepreneurship and its benefits.

Pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality remains high across the United States and the majority of deaths are preventable. Misdiagnosis and delay in diagnosis are thought to be contributors to preventable harm. These diagnostic errors in obstetrics are understudied. We present selected research methods to ascertain rates of and harm associated with diagnostic errors, the challenges in investigating them, and present future steps toward achieving diagnostic excellence in obstetrics.

Current trends in systemic risk literature provide new insights into multi-hazard risks that interact and compound with built environments, creating more significant impacts on socio-economic and human systems. Recurrent natural hazards and extreme weather events are more likely to compound and cascade into more impactful events, especially in vulnerable societies. In small-island communities (SICS), including large archipelagos and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the long-term impact of multi-, compounding-, and cascading-hazards (MCC hazards) can result in persistent vulnerability and residual risks. This is due to delayed responses, limited resources, poverty, fewer evacuation options, and inadequate markets and infrastructure. Using Ternate, a densely populated small volcanic island in North Maluku, Indonesia, as a case study, this paper assesses the impacts of seven types of natural hazards: flash floods, landslides, extreme weather, extreme waves and abrasion, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The research focuses on the multi-hazard impact on population, land use, and infrastructure exposures in 60 villages in Ternate. The findings highlight population density, land use, and infrastructure exposure to multi-hazard risks, providing valuable information on potential losses in future hazard events.

Surveys on the optimum seismic design of structures reveal that many investigations focus on how to minimize its initial cost while satisfying the performance constraints. Although reducing the initial cost while complying with the requirements of earthquake design codes of practice will significantly guarantee the life safety of occupants against earthquakes, it may still cause considerable economic losses to residents and fatalities. Accordingly, calculating the possible earthquake damages caused during the structure's lifetime may become essential from the optimal Life Cycle Cost (LCC) design point of view. LCC analysis is used to evaluate economic feasibility including construction, operation, occupancy, maintenance and end-of-life costs. For optimization, the population-based, meta-heuristic algorithm based on the Ideal Gas Molecular Movement (IGMM), has established its capability in solving highly nonlinear mono and multi-objective engineering problems. Therefore, this paper investigates the LCC -based mono and multi-objective optimum design of a 3-D four-story concrete building structure combined with the Endurance Time (ET) competence. The results show that, apart from substantially reducing the total number of analyses required, the proposed technique significantly affected dipping minor injury cost, rental, and income costs by 22%, 16%, and 16%, respectively. In total, a 10% reduction in all structural life-cycle costs was achieved, which could well be considered significant.

While there are well-known synthetic methods in the literature to find the image of a point under circular inversion in l2−normed geometry (Euclidean geometry), there is no similar synthetic method in Minkowski geometry, also known as the geometry of finite-dimensional Banach spaces. In this study, we have succeeded in giving a synthetic construction for the circular inversion in l1−normed spaces, which is one of the most fundamental examples of Minkowski geometry. Moreover, this synthetic construction has been given using the Euclidean circle, independently of the l1−norm.

The carbohydrate antigen Sda is expressed on cells and secretions of the vast majority of Caucasians. The epitope is formed by a terminal GalNAc residue β4-linked to a α3-sialylated galactose. Different carbohydrate chains N- or O-linked to glycoproteins can be terminated by this epitope. The final step of Sda biosynthesis is catalyzed by the GalNAc transferase B4GALNT2. In this review, we will discuss the multifaceted aspects of B4GALNT2/Sda biology. In particular, we will see its implications in fertility and pregnancy, in susceptibility to infectious diseases, in chronic kidney diseases and in Duchene muscular dystrophy. In particular, we will show its regulation and prognostic implications in cancer.

Urban lakes, especially those of natural origin, provide ecosystem services, recreation being one of the most important and highly valued by the city dwellers. Fulfilling the needs of city residents to relax and have contact with nature has become a priority in urbanized areas and has been proved to positively affect people’s health and well-being. The recreational potential of water bodies was identified to be most important aspect of ecosystem services to the residents of the neighboring areas. An assessment of recreational ecosystem services (RES) provisioning to society based on the real time spent by the citizens and housing values in the rural-urban gradient revealed that the economic benefits of lakes differ in urbanized, suburban and rural landscapes. The growth of cities has led to an increased population density in the surroundings of ecologically valuable areas, resulting in higher pressure from visitors seeking recreational areas. Along with urbanization, the impoverishment of ecosystem functions takes place, limiting their capability to provide ecosystem services. In this work provisioning of recreational ecosystem services of 28 floodplain lakes located along the urban-rural gradient of the Warsaw agglomeration was assessed. The relationship between the ecological value of the water bodies, measured using naturalness indices, and the recreational ecosystem services they can provide was assessed. The results showed that the floodplain lakes located along the urban-rural gradient are of a great importance to the citizens due to their recreational potential. The provisioning of recreational ecosystem services is poorly connected with the ecological characteristics of the floodplain lakes. Only hemeroby, was significantly correlated with provisioning, and there was no relationship with factors such as naturalness of vegetation or water quality, demonstrating that public preference was not generally influenced by high ecological quality. These data should be available to potential buyers and be integrated in spatial planning management plans in order to shape future housing policy.

Currently, the NRC amino acids (AA) requirements for pigs published in 2012 are used as a reference in variable swine industries. However, recent results in several articles suggest that the standardized ileal digestible (SID) AA: Lysine (Lys) ratio significantly evolved over the last two decades, while some publications report inconsistent outcomes. Therefore, the present study used a meta-regression analysis to assess the relative ratio to lysine to maximize the feed efficiency of four essential amino acids (tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, and methionine) in pig diets. According to the PRISMA guidelines, articles examining the target AA requirement using a basal diet supplemented with varying levels of crystalline AA (tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, or methionine) were identified across Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct. As a result, 23, 22, 16, and 9 articles using tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, and methionine were selected and categorized into experiments for inclusion in our meta-analysis. The results suggested that the requirements of tryptophan, valine, isoleucine, and methionine in our meta-regression analysis were superior to NRC recommendations regardless of the regression models and the growth phases with significant RSQ values (RSQ ≈ 1). Also, the QUAD and CLP regression models emphasized higher requirements than the LP model for the great majority of amino acids and growth phases. The results of the QUAD and CLP models were selected as estimations of amino acid requirements for pigs under challenged conditions whereas the LP model was chosen to estimate the amino acid requirements of genetically improved pigs under a modern housing system. The results of this meta-regression analysis might be used to refresh the information on the NRC amino acids (AA) requirements for swine.

Viral hepatitis caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) pose a significant global health challenge, with an increasing number of deaths and a substantial burden on healthcare systems, among prisoners in particular. Nigeria ranks fifth in Africa for prison population, with 98.2% being males and are more likely than females to have higher rates of viral hepatitis and other risky behaviours. This literature review explores the impact of social determinants of health (SDoH) on the prevalence and outcomes of HBV and HCV infections among male prison inmates in Nigeria, by examining factors such as overcrowding, inadequate healthcare access, and food insecurity. This review reports the updated data on HBV and HCV infection rates among inmates in different regions in Nigeria, with a special focus on related risk factors, highlighting how these determinants contribute to the high rates of hepatitis infections in this category. The review underscores the urgent need for a multifaceted approach involving policy changes, improved healthcare access, and enhanced preventive measures to address these health disparities. The findings aim to inform public health strategies and interventions to reduce the transmission and impact of viral hepatitis in prison settings, aligning with global health goals and promoting health equity among this population group.

This paper investigates optimal maintenance strategies for centrifugal compressors with electrical motor drivers using a Weibull analysis approach combined with rank regression, Fisher matrix, and median ranks. By leveraging data from Oreda 6, the study proposes a methodology to establish baseline intervals for corrective, preventive, predictive, and proactive maintenance in the absence of comprehensive historical data. The analysis reveals key Weibull parameters, including shape and scale factors, and calculates reliability metrics such as the mean time to failure (MTTF) and mean remaining life (MRL). The results suggest effective maintenance intervals and highlight the utility of Weibull analysis in enhancing maintenance strategies. This approach offers a robust framework for optimizing maintenance practices, even with limited historical data.

Background: Knowledge of the anatomy of pulmonary arteries is essential in many invasive procedures concerning pulmonary circulation. In the diagnosis and treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), two-dimensional (2D) pulmonary angiography is used. Recognizing the topographic course of the pulmonary arteries and understanding the status in three-dimensions (3D) is paramount. The study aimed to evaluate and describe the branching variant of pulmonary arteries in a single case, as well as morphological parameters of the segmental arteries, like length, diameter and branching angles. Methods: One pair of embalmed human cadaver lungs were dissected by scalpel, surgical forceps and measured until the subsegmental arteries. Results: The diameters (ranging from 3.04 to 9.29 mm) and lengths (ranging from 9.09 to 53.91 mm) of the pulmonary segmental arteries varied. The proximal branching angles were wide and close to perpendicular, while distally, the angles between the segmental and subsegmental arteries were narrower (30-45°). Upon evaluating the branching, rare variations were identified and delineated, notably in the lower lobes of both lungs. Conclusions: Utilizing knowledge and data in clinical settings is instrumental for effectively diagnosing and treating CTEPH. Further research is required to explore the complications in invasive procedures related to various anatomical variations.

The healthcare sector in Kuwait has been nurtured for many decades by the government where the Ministry of Health (MoH) controls up to 80 percent of the country’s health services. General and specialized public hospitals represent a significant proportion of health expenditures in Kuwait; amidst dwindling health resources, a declining global oil market in an oil-dependent welfare state, and a heavy reliance on a non-national clinical workforce. Although healthcare services in public sector hospitals are at highly subsidized rates, causing private sector involvement in healthcare to be considerably low, the growing demands for private delivery of care burgeoned participation of private hospitals in Kuwait, and improving hospital efficiency and productivity is more critical and timelier than ever. This paper aims to analyze public health system efficiency and hospital performance in the State of Kuwait, where we begin by evaluating the input-oriented technical efficiency (TE) of MoH hospitals in 2015-2019 and identifying potential areas for efficiency improvement by exploring influencing institutional and environmental factors. Over the five years between 2015 and 2019, TE in MoH hospitals has decreased by an average of 2.98% solely based on technical regress, where the six MoH general hospitals reported a pooled mean efficiency of 86.58%, and the nine sampled MoH specialized hospitals had a five-year pooled average of 65.47% efficiency. MoH policymakers should focus on improving allocative efficiency in the public health system, and healthcare policy reforms should focus on strengthening management structures in Kuwait’s public hospitals to improve production efficiency and financial sustainability.

The magnetic properties of 0.10 mm ultra-thin grain-oriented (UTGO) silicon steel and Fe-based amorphous (FBA) alloy under sinusoidal excitation were measured experimentally, and the magnetic field strength and iron loss of the two materials under different frequencies and magnetic densities were obtained. Based on the measured data, the magnetization and loss characteristics of the two materials were analyzed and compared. Furthermore, two Epstein square ring models of the same specification and different materials were designed, and the reliability of the models was verified. Then, the electromagnetic characteristics of the two Epstein square ring models at higher and lower frequencies were calculated by using the finite element method, and the iron loss was obtained and compared. The results show that the FBA alloy has good application characteristics at low frequency and low power, and the 0.10 mm UTGO silicon steel has good application characteristics at high frequency and high power. This research can provide important data basis to promote the application of these two materials in new energy equipment.

In this paper, comprehensive analysis of combined effect of major influencing parameters on heat transfer in the single U-tube BHE (sBHE) and double U-tube BHE (dBHE) with two independent circuits was performed by using validated numerical heat transfer model. Geometrical parameters, such as shank spacing (with maximum, average and minimum values) and borehole diameter (large, medium and small borehole sizes) and borehole depth (shallow, average and deep borehole depths) as well as thermal conductivity of soil and grout which ranges from minimum to high value were considered. The combined impact of these parameters was included under four major cases: 1) combined effect of borehole depth, borehole size and shank spacing; 2) combined effect of borehole depth, and soil and grout thermal conductivity; 3) combined effect of soil and grout thermal conductivity and borehole size; and 4) combined effect of soil thermal conductivity, borehole size and shank spacing. Each of these major cases has nine different design options of both sBHE and dBHE. Series of results of heat transfer per unit borehole depth were generated for all the considered various cases. With the given parameters, the BHE case that provides highest heat transfer among the various cases of sBHE and dBHE were obtained.

Few young Japanese adults regularly consume a well-balanced diet composed of staples, course dishes, and sides. We hypothesised that adopting the recommended planetary health diet with regular breakfast consumption would promote well-balanced diets among young Japanese male undergraduates. This study aimed to examine the structural association between a planetary health diet with regular breakfast consumption and well-balanced diet intake. Participants were 142 male undergraduates who completed a 2022 online questionnaire via Google Forms in a cross-sectional study at a public university in Hyogo Prefecture. A planetary health diet comprises the consumption of the recommended eight items. A covariance structure analysis was performed in a hypothetical model with factors (regular breakfast consumption and eight items) potentially associated with the intake of a well-balanced diet at least twice daily. Acceptable goodness-of-fit was obtained by excluding chicken dishes and nuts from the eight recommended items of the planetary health diet. Frequent consumption of the remaining six recommended items (fish, eggs, soybeans/soybean products, dairy foods, vegetables, and fruits) was significantly positively correlated with regular breakfast consumption and a significant positive path to a well-balanced diet. Among male university students, regular breakfast consumption and a planetary health diet may lead to a well-balanced diet.

Natural rubber is an important national strategic and industrial raw material. Leaf anthracnose of rubber tree caused by the Colletotrichum species is one of the important factors restricting the yield of natural rubber. In this study, we isolated and identified strain Bacillus velezensis SF334 that exhibited significant antagonistic activity against both of C. australisinense and C. siamense, the dominant species of Colletotrichum causing leaf anthracnose of rubber trees in Hainan province of China, from a pool of 223 bacterial strains. The cell supernatants of SF334 had a significant prevention effect for leaf anthracnose of rubber tree with an efficacy of 79.67% against C. siamense and 71.8% against C. australisinense, respectively. We demonstrated that SF334 can lead to the lysis of C. australisinense and C. siamense mycelium by causing mycelial expansion, resulting in mycelial rupture and subsequent death. B. velezensis SF334 also harbors some traits of plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium such as secreting siderophore, protease, cellulose, pectinase and auxin of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), as well as has broad-spectrum antifungal activity against some important plant pathogenic fungi. The genome combined with comparative genomic analyses indicated that SF334 possesses most genes of the central metabolic and secondary metabolites of B. velezensis strains. To our knowledge, this is the first time to report a Bacillus velezensis strain as a promising biocontrol agent against leaf anthracnose of rubber tree caused by C. siamense and C. australisinense. The results suggest that B. velezensis could be a potential candidate agent for leaf anthracnose of rubber tree.

Cuba is struggling with a growing environmental problem: the uncontrolled spread of the allochthonous weed species marabou (Dichrostachys cinerea) throughout the country. Over the last 70 years, marabou has become a formidable invasive species that poses a threat to Cuban biodiversity and agricultural productivity. In this paper, we present a free and affordable method for regularly mapping the spatial distribution of the marabou based on the Google Earth Engine platform and ecological surveys. To test its accuracy, we develop an 18-year analysis (2000–2018) of marabou dynamics using the Valle de los Ingenios, a Cuban UNESCO World Heritage Site, as an experimental model. Our spatial analysis reveals clear patterns of marabou distribution and highlights areas of concentrated growth. Temporal trends illustrate the dynamic nature of the species, identifying periods of expansion and decline. In addition, our system is able to detect specific, large-scale human interventions against the marabou plague in the area. The results highlight the urgent need for remedial strategies to maintain the fragile balance in the region.

The corneal epithelium (CE) is spread between two domains, the outer vascularized limbus and the avascular cornea proper. Epithelial cells undergo constant migration from the limbus to the vision-critical central cornea. Coordinated with this migration the cells undergo differentiation changes where a pool of unique stem/precursor cells at the limbus yields the mature cells that reach the corneal center. Differentiation is heralded by the expression of the corneal-specific Krt12. Processing data acquired by scRNA-Seq we found that the increase of Krt12 expression occurs in four distinct steps within the limbus plus a single continuous increase in the cornea. Differential gene analysis demonstrated that these domains reflect discreet stages of CE differentiation and yielded extensive information of the genes undergoing down or up regulation in the sequential transition from less to more differentiate conditions. The approach allowed the identification of multiple gene cohorts, including a) the genes that have maximal expression in the most primitive, Krt12-negative cell cohort, which is likely to include the stem/precursor cells; b) the sets of genes that undergo continuous increase or decrease along the whole differentiation path, and c) and the genes showing maximal positive or negative correlation with the changes in Krt12.

Background: Brief Resolved Unexplained Events (BRUEs), formerly known as Apparent Life-Threatening Events (ALTE), are concerning episodes of short duration (typically < 1 min) characterized by a change in breathing, consciousness, muscle tone, and/or skin color. In some cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with episodes of BRUEs in previously healthy children.This study aimed to compare the demographic, respiratory, perinatal, and infectious characteristics in children affected by BRUE before the COVID-19 pandemic and after the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study covering January 2018 to March 2020 (pre-COVID-19) and April 2023 (during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). Collected variables included clinical information during pregnancy and neonatal details of children with BRUE. Results: The number of children in the pre-COVID-19 period was 186 (41%); after the emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2, it was 268 (59%). The risk of infection at birth for children developing BRUE was higher during the pandemic. Children were less likely to have ongoing symptomatic infection during BRUE during the pandemic (coefficient B = 0.783; p=0.009). Respiratory symptoms during BRUE were more frequent during the pandemic (coefficient B = 0.654; p=0.052). Fever during BRUE was less likely during the pandemic (coefficient B = -0.465, p=0.046). Conclusions: The study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted children with BRUE, potentially due to changes in hygiene practices and maternal-fetal infections.

Background: Previous data indicate a role of IL-1 and IL-1RA imbalance in bladder carcinoma (BC) and inhibition of IL-1 signaling might be considered a treatment option. Objective: To assess expression patterns and the prognostic role of IL-1ß and IL-1RA in invasive BC and to evaluate their interaction with AKT signaling and proliferation. Design, Setting, and Participants: The study included two independent cohorts of n=92 and n=102 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for BC. Specimen from BC and benign urothelium (n=22 and n=39) were processed to a tissue microarray and immunohistochemically stained for IL-1ß, IL-1RA, AKT and Ki-67. Expression scores were correlated to clinical variables and Ki-67 and AKT expression. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Association with outcome was assessed using Wilcoxon Kruskal-Wallis tests, Chi-square tests or linear regression, dependent on the variable’s category. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to estimate recurrence-free (RFS), cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Both, IL-1ß and IL-1RA were significantly overexpressed in invasive BC compared to benign urothelium in both cohorts (p<0.005). IL-1ß was associated with vascular invasion (210 vs. 183, p<0.02), lymphatic invasion (210 vs. 180, <0.05) and G3 cancer (192 vs. 188, <0.04). Survival analysis revealed favorable RFS, CSS, and OS in case of high IL-1ß expression (p<0.02, <0.03 and <0.006, respectively). Multivariate analyses revealed an independent impact of (low) IL1ß expression on RFS, CSS and OS. IL-1ß and IL-1ß/IL-1RA ratio were positively correlated to AKT expression (p<0.05 and <0.01, respectively). Additionally, high expression of Ki-67 (>15%) correlated with higher levels of IL-1β (p=0.01). Conclusions: Overexpression of IL-1ß and IL-1RA is frequently found in BC, with a prognostic significance observed for IL-1ß protein expression. The observed link between the IL-1ß / IL-1RA axis and AKT signaling may indicate possible autophagy activation processes beside the known tumor-promoting effects of AKT.

Objectives: To investigate the comparative antiseizure activity of the l-enantiomers of d,l-fenfluramine and d,l-norfenfluramine and to evaluate the relationship between their concentration in plasma and brain and anticonvulsant activity. Methods: d,l-Fenfluramine, d,l-norfenfluramine and their individual enantiomers were evaluated in the mouse maximal electroshock seizure (MES) test. d,l-Fenfluramine, d,l-norfenfluramine and their individual l-enantiomers were also assessed in the DBA/2 mouse audiogenic seizure model. All compounds were administered intraperitoneally. Brain and plasma concentrations of the test compounds in DBA/2 mice were quantified and correlated with anticonvulsant activity. Results: In the MES test, fenfluramine, norfenfluramine and their enantiomers showed comparable anticonvulsant activity, with ED50 values between 5.1 and 14.8 mg/kg. In the audiogenic seizure model, l-norfenfluramine was 9 times more potent than d,l-fenfluramine and 15 times more potent than l-fenfluramine based on ED50 (1.2 vs 10.2 and 17.7 mg/kg, respectively). Brain concentrations of all compounds were about 20-fold higher than in plasma. Based on brain EC50 values, l-norfenfluramine was 7 times more potent than d,l-fenfluramine and 13 times more potent than l-fenfluramine (1940 vs 13,200 and 25,400 ng/g, respectively). EC50 values for metabolically formed d,l-norfenfluramine and l-norfenfluramine were similar to brain EC50 values of the same compounds administered as such, suggesting that, in the audiogenic seizure model, the metabolites were responsible for the antiseizure activity of the parent compounds. Significance: Because of the evidence linking d-norfenfluramine to d,l-fenfluramine to cardiovascular and metabolic adverse effects, their l-enantiomers could potentially be safer follow-up compounds to d,l-fenfluramine. We found that in the models tested, l-fenfluramine and l-norfenfluramine were as active as the corresponding racemates. Based on the results in DBA/2 mice and other considerations, l-norfenfluramine appears to be a particularly attractive candidate for further evaluation as a novel, enantiomerically pure antiseizure medication.

We conducted a monocentric observational study aimed at evaluating the pharmaceutical service provided at a Community Pharmacy (C.PH.) during pandemia in our Puglia Region in the period from 29.12.2021 to 12.03.2022 on 550 patients of various ages, sexes, and with concomitant diseases. We collected anamnestic data and any post-vaccination adverse reactions. Interviews with the integrated EQ5 method on evaluating the quality of the service offered and any therapy preference were also performed. As expected, the vaccines were reactogenic after the first dose in the patients with mild-moderate reactions with younger age and female gender as risk factors. Immune-allergic reactions of moderate-severe degree were observed in adult females. In the elderly, the vaccination procedure was well tolerated. Comirnaty showed a favorable O.R.<;1 vs other vaccines. No myocarditis and thromboembolic events in our population were observed. All treatments in May 2023 were correlated with a viremia trend, Paxlovid was prescribed in 3% of the patients in our center and in 1.46% in the Puglia Region with no effects in the hospitalization. It was distributed/dispensed by a novel on behalf of third parties distribution/dispensation (D.P.C.) protocol by the C.PH. The C.PH. resulted in a safe vaccination center providing appropriate patient inclusion during vaccination.

The well-known equations for the process of powder compaction (PCP) in a rigid die published over the period from the beginning of the last century to the present are considered. Most of the considered equations are converted into the dependence of the densification pressure on the relative density. The equations were analyzed and their ability to describe PCP was assessed by determining the coefficient of determination when approximating experimental data on the compaction of various powders. It is shown that most of the equations contain two constants, the values of which are determined by fitting the mathematical dependence to the experimental curve. Such equations are able to describe PCP with high accuracy in the case of compaction of powders up to a relative density of 0.9-0.95. It is also shown that different equations can describe PCP in the range of density change from the initial to 0.9 with the same and sufficiently high accuracy, but when the process of compaction is extrapolated to higher values of density, the curves diverge. This indicates the importance of equations that can unambiguously describe PCP to a relative density equal to or close to 1.0. For an adequate description of PCP to a relative density greater than 0.95, equations containing three or four constants have proven themselves well.

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP), defined as pain persisting for at least 12 weeks, is a significant public health issue, with prevalence intensifying due to an ageing global population, amassing approximately 619 million cases in 2020 and projected to escalate to 843 million by 2050. Given the multitude of therapeutic modalities available for CLBP, this research sought to ascertain their respective efficacies in ameliorating pain and disability. We specifically scrutinized Multidisciplinary Biopsychosocial Rehabilitation (MBR) among adults enduring non-specific low back pain for over 12 weeks, excluding acute pain conditions and pre-study surgical interventions. MBR is an approach encompassing various modalities, including exercise, behavioral therapies, educational programs, and work conditioning aspects, necessitating a comprehensive Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) to fully grasp the extensive scope of its impact. The constructed network comprised diverse MBR modalities (behavioral, educational, and work conditioning) alongside exercise therapy (ET), minimal intervention, and usual care, serving as controls with pain and disability as outcomes. Through the analysis of 4,619 initially identified studies, 93 were included, encompassing a total of 8,059 participants. The NMA conducted substantiated that both ET and MBR modalities were notably effective in alleviating CLBP, with education-oriented MBR emerging as the most efficacious for pain mitigation and behavior-focused MBR for disability reduction. Nevertheless, the discerned differences amongst the treatments were minimal and uncertain, highlighting that no modality was definitively superior to the others. The analysis revealed low global and local inconsistency within the network, underscoring the reliability of the observed outcomes. Given the intricate nature of CLBP, embodying various facets, our findings advocate for a combined therapeutic approach to optimize treatment efficacy. Nonetheless, the presence of high study heterogeneity and potential biases necessitates cautious interpretation of the results, prompting future research.

Solid waste management is challenging in many countries, especially developing economies. The impacts of the pandemic continue to be felt and have indicated secondary impacts on waste management. This work draws on data on household solid waste (HSW), healthcare waste (HCW), and recyclables collected in the Rio de Janeiro municipality, analyzed from January 2018 to December 2022. As expected, the collection of HCW in Rio de Janeiro municipality experienced a noticeable increase in 2020 and 2021, with an average of 46.9 tons and 54.3 tons collected, respectively. Notably, 2021 saw a significant 30% increase compared to 2019 (p-value<0.001). No significant difference was observed in recyclables collected from 2018 to 2021. The average recyclable amount was 3,638 and 3,747 tons per month in 2020 and 2021. In contrast, the monthly amount was equal to 4,819.5 tons in 2022, representing an increase higher than 32% compared to previous years (p-value<0.05). Our findings can be used to adapt and improve waste systems to cope with similar emergency scenarios in the future, serving as a template for municipalities with similar challenges.

Gibberella ear rot (GER) caused by Fusarium graminearum (teleomorph Gibberella zeae) is one of the most destructive diseases in maize that severely reduces grain yield and contaminates several potential mycotoxins. However, few efforts had been devoted to dissect the genetic basis of maize GER resistance. In the present study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in a maize association panel consisting of 303 diverse inbred lines. The phenotypes of GER severity were evaluated using kernel bioassay across multiple time points in the laboratory. Then, three models including fixed and random model circulating probability unification model (FarmCPU), general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM), were conducted simultaneously in GWAS to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with GER resistance. A total of four individual significant association SNPs with the phenotypic variation explained (PVE) ranging from 3.51 to 6.42% were obtained. Interestingly, the peak SNP (PUT-163a-71443302-3341) with the greatest PVE value, was co-localized in all models. Subsequently, 12 putative genes were captured from the peak SNP that several of these genes were directly or indirectly involved in disease resistance. Overall, these findings contribute to understand the complex plant-pathogen interactions in maize GER resistance. The regions and genes identified herein provide a list of candidate targets for further investigation, in addition to the kernel bioassay that can be used for evaluating and selecting elite germplasm resources with GER resistance in maize.

Background: The aim of this study was to design and analyze the content validity of an instrument to assess the risk of behaviors associated with the Chemsex phenomenon since there is currently no instrument with this objective. Method: Firstly, a bank of items identified from the literature was elaborated. Secondly, 50 experts with knowledge of the Chemsex phenomenon at the national level were contacted. A Delphi group was formed with them to carry out two rounds of item evaluation (comprehension and appropriateness) using a Likert scale of 1 to 5. To assess linguistic validity, the mean score of the item comprehension scores was used. The content validity index (CVI) and Aiken's V (VdA) were calculated for each item. A minimum value of CVI and VdA of 0.6 was established to include the items in the questionnaire. Results: In the first round of evaluation, 36 experts evaluated 114 items, of which 61 were selected. In a second round, 30 experts evaluated the 61 items selected, leaving the scale finally made up of 52 items. Conclusion: A questionnaire has been designed to assess the risk of behaviors associated with the Chemsex phenomenon. The items that make up the questionnaire have shown adequate content and linguistic validity, so this instrument can be considered valid. The Delphi method proved to be a useful technique for the proposed objective.

Aphelids are a holomycotan group, represented exclusively by parasitoids infecting algae. They form a sister lineage to Fungi in the phylogenetic tree and represent a key group for reconstruction of the evolution of Holomycota and for analysis of the origin of Fungi. The newly assembled genome of Aphelidium insullamus (Holomycota, Aphelida) with a total length of 18.9Mb, 7820 protein-coding genes and a GC percentage of 52.05% was obtained by a hybrid assembly based on Oxford Nanopore long reads and Illumina paired reads. In order to trace the origin and the evolution of fungal osmotrophy and its presence or absence in Aphelida, we analyzed the set of main fungal transmembrane transporters, which are proteins of the Major Facilitator superfamily (MFS), in the predicted aphelid proteomes. This search has shown an absence of a specific fungal protein family Drug:H+ antiporters-2 (DAH-2) and specific fungal orthologs of the sugar porters (SP) family, and the presence of common opisthokont's orthologs of the SP family in four aphelid genomes. The repertoire of SP orthologs in aphelids turned out to be less diverse than in free-living opisthokonts, and one of the most limited among opisthokonts. We argue that aphelids do not show signs of similarity with fungi in terms of their osmotrophic abilities, despite the sister relationships of these groups. Moreover, the osmotrophic abilities of aphelids appear to be reduced in comparison with free-living unicellular opisthokonts. Therefore, we assume that the evolution of fungi-specific traits began after the separation of fungal and aphelid lineages, and there are no essential reasons to consider aphelids as a prototype of the fungal ancestor.

Background: This systematic review aims to investigate whether percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGDB), as definitive treatment, is superior to emergency cholecystectomy (EC) in high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis (AC). Material and methods: A systematic literature search was performed until December 2022 using Scopus, Medline/PubMed and Web of Science databases in order to compare PTGDB as definitive treatment vs EC in AC. Results: Seventeen studies (1 Randomized Control Trials and 16 observational studies) have been included with a total of 783,672 patients (32,634 treated with PTGDB vs 4,663 who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 343 who underwent open cholecystectomy and 746,032 who underwent cholecystectomy, but without laparoscopic or open approach being specified). The quality assessment (ROBINS-I) of the not randomized studies showed a serious risk, differently the evaluation of the randomized study (RoB 2) showed a low risk of bias. Analysis of the results shows that PTGDB, despite being minimally invasive, do not have different incidence of complications than EC (RR 0.77 95% CI [0.44 to 1.34]; I2 = 99%; P=0.36). A lower postoperative mortality was reported in patients who underwent EC (2.37%) than in PTGDB group (13.78 %) (RR 4.21; 95% CI [2.69 to 6.58]; P < 0.00001), furthermore the risk of hospital readmission for biliary complications (RR 2.19 95% CI [1.72 to 2.79]; I2 = 48 %; P<0.00001) and hospital stay (MD 4.29 95% CI [2.40 to 6.19]; P<0.00001) were lower in EC group. Conclusions: No advantage in using PTGDB as a definitive treatment over EC in the management of critically ill patients with AC has been demonstrated; the results of our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest using EC as the treatment of first choice, even for very high-surgical-risk patient in which PTGDB should be reserved. The major limitation of this systematic review and meta-analysis is associated to a low quality of evidence for the serious bias in the not randomized studies. For this reason, new high powered and well-designed clinical trials are needed to recommend PTGDB as definitive treatment in patients unfit for surgery or those who refuse to undergo surgery.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients respond better to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) than mucosal and uveal melanoma patients (MM/UM). Aiming to explore these differences and understand the distinct response to ICI, we evaluated the serum metabolome of advanced CM, MM, and UM patients. Levels of 115 metabolites were analyzed in samples collected before ICI, using a targeted metabolomics platform. In our analysis, molecules involved in the tryptophan-kynurenine axis distinguished UM/MM from CM. UM/MM patients had higher levels of 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HKyn), whilst patients with CM were found to have higher levels of kynurenic acid (KA). The KA/3-HKyn ratio was significantly higher in CM versus the other subtypes. UM, the most ICI-resistant subtype, was also associated with higher levels of sphingomyelin-d18:1/22:1 and the polyamine spermine (SPM). Overall survival was prolonged in patients with lower SPM levels. Our study revealed distinct metabolomic profile between the most resistant melanoma subtypes, UM and MM, compared to CM. Alterations within the kynurenine pathway, polyamine metabolism and sphingolipid metabolic pathway may contribute to the poor response to ICI. Understanding the different metabolomic profiles introduces opportunities for novel therapies with potential synergic activity to ICI, to improve responses of UM/MM.

The impacts of climate change are already felt across the globe, and (SIDS) are at the forefront. Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) are extremely vulnerable to climate change and adaptation is crucial, however they often lack funding or the fiscal capacity to make the necessary invest-ments and require support from climate finance instruments. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was designed with the objective of achieving a “paradigm shift” towards low-carbon and climate resilient country-driven development pathway. Despite the amounts invested, assessing the impacts of climate finance on adaptation and adaptive capacity, particularly at the institutional level remains a challenge. Researchers identified two key components for more efficient adapta-tion policies at the national level: the degree of adaptation mainstreaming and institutional adaptive capacity. In SIDS, institutional capacity at the national level is seen as a key component to achieve the objectives of climate change strategies, and is supported by several programmes, including the Green Climate Fund Readiness Preparatory Support Programmes. However, to date few studies have analysed the linkages between climate finance, adaptation mainstreaming and adaptive institutional capacity. Through the review of the Readiness Grants and semi-structured interviews in three Caribbean SIDS, this research assess how climate finance may promote in-stitutional change through the mainstreaming of adaptation policies at the national level and contribute to more institutional adaptive capacity. It shows that the grants had a positive impact, which can be limited to by the strength of the institutions in place. These results demonstrate that access to climate finance can create a window of opportunity for countries to accelerate institu-tional change and allow to make recommendations on how to maximise the impacts adaptation funds. More in-depth studies would be needed to examine the complementary influence of the different climate finance flows (multilateral or bilateral) and their interplay with national institu-tional mechanisms.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant global threat, leading to several initiatives for its control and management. One such initiative involves wastewater-based epidemiology, which has gained attention for its potential to provide early warning of virus outbreaks and real-time information on its spread. In this study, water samples from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located at the south east of Spain (Region of Murcia) namely Murcia, and Cartagena, were analyzed by RT-qPCR, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Machine Learning Approach. The aim was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 detection in the WWTPs of these two cities could serve as a proxy for the virus's spread in the population. The results confirmed that the levels of SARS-CoV-2 in these wastewater samples changed concerning the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases detected in the population and variant occurrences were in line with clinical reported data. Additionally, the phylogenetic analysis showed that samples obtained in close sampling times exhibited a higher similarity than those obtained more distantly in time. A second analysis using a machine learning approach based on the mutations found in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was also conducted. Hierarchical Clustering (HC) was used as an efficient unsupervised approach for data analysis. Results indicated that samples obtained in October 2022 in Murcia and Cartagena were significantly different, which corresponded well with the different virus variants circulating in the two locations. The proposed methods in this study are adequate for comparing the Accumulated Natural Vector (ANV) of the SARS-CoV-2 sequences as a preliminary evaluation of potential changes in the variants that are circulating in a given population at a specific time point.

(1) Background: In the year of 2020 Covid-19 was declared epidemic by WHO. From that time millions of people were affected and died by this disease. The main detection process for this epidemic is RT-PCR test or reverse polymerase transcription chain reaction test. One of the reason of spreading of this disease so much is lack of efficiency in RT-PCR test. Sampling error and low viral load were two main reasons for what the testing process faced such problems. Lung infection is a very common symptom for covid-19 patients, so, CT scan and chest X-ray imaging technique can be applied to detect patient at a very early stage of infection. Which will be very effective and also can be a better option to RT-PCR test; (2) Methods: We searched data in Scopus for articles published between 2020 and 2023. The initial set of articles was 189, from which 21 articles will eventually be selected by exclusion criteria; (3) Results: A total of thirteen (61.90%) articles were found working on detecting Covid-19 by extracting the X-ray and CT scan data individually. Three (14.28%) of those articles focused on a hybrid model of CT scan and X-ray Image Data. Another four articles made a comparison between Covid-19, pneumonia and a normal person to identify a Covid-19 patient. Where others have worked on unsupervised learning methods or SVM to detect Covid-19.; (4) Conclusions: We have conducted a systematic review of the studies that have been published up to this time, with the purpose to present a summary of the evidence about the detection of COVID-19. In this article, we have summarized and critically reviewed literatures which worked on development or application or both of different AI or ML technique from chest CT and X-ray images to find a solution to detect covid-19.

Objective. Political instability, corruption, exclusive institutions et al. are some of the hypotheses backed by literature as to why some nations are more developed than others. One hypothesis which has not been intensively studied is the culpability of individual and institutional behavior and its impact on development. To examine the validity of such a hypothesis, a composite index which quantifies such development hindering behavior must be developed. The prelude to developing this index is to investigate whether such a quantitative measure exists to begin with. To achieve this objective, a bibliometric analysis of Scopus and Web of Science databases will be conducted. Method. A bibliometric and content analysis of Scopus and Web of science databases using Excel, VOSviewer, and R software. Results. The findings of the bibliometric analysis indicate the absence of such measure particularly within the scope of ‘bad behavior’, ‘unethical behavior’, and ‘development’. Conclusions. The study findings provide the greenlight to proceed with the construction of the ‘Bad Behavior Index’. Contribution. The practical contribution of this study is that it provides researchers with an improved methodology on how to conduct a bibliometric analysis to identify the absence of knowledge and provide a justification for the creation of such knowledge by integrating and analyzing two journal databases instead of one, using three mediums: Excel, VOSviewer, and R software.

The application of organic fertilizers plays a crucial role in achieving carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector. This paper discusses how farmers can more smoothly promote organic fertilizer extension services. An evolutionary game model is developed to describe the conflicting interests of Chinese farmers and local governments in organic fertilizer extension services, and the dynamic evolution of the game players and the influence of parameter adjustment on the strategic choices of both parties is presented. In this paper, the game model and the main results are validated with the help of simulation tools, and a sensitivity analysis of the selected parameters is performed. The results show that (1) the implementation of subsidy policy is less helpful for organic fertilizer extension services; (2) The ideal event probability of the game was found to be positively related to the cost of applying inorganic fertilizers, additional benefits to farmers, political returns to local governments, and penalties for not using organic fertilizers; (3) This is important for improving the performance of local governments, reducing government regulatory costs, improving policy support for organic fertilizer extension services, and reducing the cost of implementing organic fertilizer extension services.

ALDH+ H1975 lung adenocarcinoma stem cells (LSCs) are a rare cell population identified in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). LSCs can self-renew, drive tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and recurrence, and are also the predominant cause of poor prognosis due to their intrinsic resistance to drugs and chemotherapy. Consequently, LSCs are a promising target for LUAD therapy. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), exert many significant regulatory functions in the pathogenesis of human cancers, showing the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that underlie lung carcinogenesis. Nonetheless, research on many known transcripts and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) has already generated new information. Unknown biomarkers in ncRNAs and systematic and comprehensive interrelation with unknown ncRNAs and mRNAs may provide further insights into the biology of LUAD. Herein, a set of novel ncRNAs that include miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, were identified and differentially expressed patterns of ncRNAs and mRNAs in LSCs and ALDH- H1975 LUAD tumor cells (LTCs) were obtained using stringent bioinformatics pipelines. Through a meta-analysis of the identified landscapes, novel competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms that regulate the hallmarks of LSCs and LTCs. This study presents a summary of novel ncRNAs and the fundamental roles of differentially expressed ncRNAs implicated in the activity of LSCs and LTCs. In addition, the study also provides a comprehensive resource for the future identification of diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic biomarkers in LUAD.

The biological heterogeneity of glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive type of brain cancer, is a critical hallmark, caused by changes in the genomic mutational asset and influencing the clinical progression over the time. The understanding and monitoring of the mutational profile is important not only to reveal novel therapeutic targets in this set of patients, but also to ameliorate the clinical stratification of subjects and the prognostic significance. As neurosurgery represents the primary technique to manage GBM, it is of outmost importance to optimize alternative and less invasive methods to monitor the dynamic mutation profile of these patients. Extracellular vesicles (EV) are included in the liquid biopsy analysis and have emerged as the biological mirror of escaping and surviving mechanisms by many tumors as well as glioblastoma. Very few studies have investigated the technical feasibility to detect and analyze the genomic profile by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) in circulating EV of patients with grade IV glioblastoma. Here, we attempted to characterize and to compare with the corresponding matched tissue samples, potential variants with pathogenic significance of the DNA contained in peripheral blood derived EV. The NGS analysis has revealed that patients with grade IV glioblastoma, exhibited lesser DNA content in EV than controls and that both in EV and matched cancer tissues, the NF1 gene was consistently mutated in all patients with the c.2568C&gt;G as the most common pathogenic variant expressed. This study supports the clinical utility of the circulating EV in glioblastoma and as eligible tool for personalized medicine.

It is known that the class of p-normed spaces (0 < p ≤ 1) is an important generalization of usual normed spaces with rich topological and geometrical structure, but the most of tools and general principles in nature with nonlinearity have not been developed yet, thus the main goal of this paper is to develop tools for nonlinear analysis under the framework of p-vector spaces. In particular, we first develop the general fixed point theorems which provide solutions to answer Schauder conjecture since 1930’s in the affirmative for p-vector spaces when p = 1 (which is just general topological vector spaces); then the one best approximation result for upper semi-continuous mappings is given, which is used as a powerful tool to establish fixed points for non-self set-valued mappings with either inward or outward set conditions; and finally we establish comprehensive existence results of solutions for Birkhoff-Kellogg Problems, and the general principle of nonlinear alternative by including Leray-Schauder alternative and related results. The results given in this paper not only include the corresponding results in the existing literature as special cases, but also expected to be useful tools for the study of nonlinear problems arising from theory to practice.

Although marketing authorization holders (MAHs) are involved in monitoring medication safety, it was unclear how they experience their role and current monitoring activities in pregnancy. Therefore, a qualitative study using online focus groups with MAHs and the Belgian umbrella organisation of MAHs was conducted in June-July 2021. In total, 38 representatives of nine organisations participated. Overall, participants reported multiple difficulties with data collection, including underreporting, collection of incomplete information and loss to follow-up. The limited number of high-quality data collected, the unknown denominator and the lack of comparator data complicate MAHs’ data processing activities, preventing them to timely provide evidence in the pregnancy label. Three ‘conflicts’ inherent to the specific position of MAHs were identified explaining the difficulties they experience, i.e., 1) mistrust from patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs); 2) MAHs’ legal obligations and regulatory framework; 3) MAHs’ position outside the healthcare context. To overcome these barriers, MAHs suggested that data registration should occur in close collaboration with patients and HCPs, organized within the healthcare context and performed by using a user-friendly system. In conclusion, the reported difficulties and underlying conflicts of MAHs highlight the need for more effective, collaborative data collection strategies to generate new evidence on this topic.

According to our previous investigation the total methanol extract from Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther demonstrates a significant inhibitory effect on HSV-1. To clarify what causes this inhibitory activity on HSV-1, a metabolic profile of the plant was performed. Three main fractions: non-polar substances, polar metabolites and phenolic compounds were obtained and GC-MS analysis was carried out. Since it is well known that phenolic compounds show a significant anti-herpes effect and that viral DNA polymerase (DNApol) appears to play a key role in HSV virus replication, we present a docking and quantum-chemical analysis of the binding of these compounds to viral DNApol amino acids. Fourteen different phenolic acids found by GS/MS analyses, were used in molecular docking simulations. According to the interaction energies of all fourteen ligands in the DNApol pockets based on docking results, DFT calculations were performed on the five optimally interacting with the receptor acids. It was found that hydroxybenzoic acids from phenolic fraction of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther show a good binding affinity to the amino acids from the active site of the HSV DNApol, but significantly lower than that of acyclovir. The mode of action on virus replication of acyclovir (by DNApol) is different from that of the plant phenolic acids one, probably.

Detailed mapping and structural observations on the Cycladic Blueschist Unit (CBU) of Iraklia island integrated by detrital zircon (DZ) U-Pb ages elucidate the Mesozoic pre-subduction evolution and the Cenozoic orogenic events. Field data reveal that the Iraklia tectonostratigraphy includes a heterogeneous Lower Schist Unit juxtaposed against a Variegated Marble Unit and an overlying Upper Schist Unit. The contact is an extensional ductile-to-brittle-ductile, top-to-N shear zone, associated with the Oligo-Miocene exhumation. The DZ spectrum of the Lower Schist Unit characterized by Gondwanan/peri-Gondwanan provenance signatures points to Late Triassic maximum depositional ages (MDAs). A quartz-rich schist layer yielded Precambrian DZ ages exclusively, considered part of the pre-Variscan metasedimentary Cycladic Basement, equivalent to those observed on Ios island. A significant change occurred during the deposition of the Upper Schist Unit, revealing Late Cretaceous MDAs and a high amount of Late Paleozoic DZ ages, attesting to more internal Pelagonian source areas. The imprint of Paleotethyan vs. Neotethyan geodynamic events is revealed in the DZ U-Pb ages record. The Triassic DZ input demonstrates eroded volcanic material related to the final Paleotethys closure and the Pindos/CBU rift basin opening. Late Cretaceous metamorphic/magmatic zircons and ~48-56 Ma zircon rims constrain the onset of subduction and high-pressure metamorphism.

Protein import into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the first step in the biogenesis of about 10,000 different soluble and membrane proteins in humans. It involves co- or post-translational targeting of precursor polypeptides to the ER and their subsequent membrane insertion or translocation. So far, three pathways for ER targeting of precursor polypeptides plus four pathways for ER targeting of mRNAs were described. Typically, these pathways deliver their substrates to the Sec61 polypeptide-conducting channel in the ER membrane. Next, the precursor polypeptides are inserted into the ER membrane or translocated into the ER lumen, which may involve auxiliary translocation components, such as the TRAP and Sec62/Sec63 complexes, or auxiliary membrane protein insertases, such as EMC and the TMCO1 complex. Recently, the PEX19/PEX3-dependent pathway, which has a well-known function in targeting and inserting various peroxisomal membrane proteins into pre-existent peroxisomal membranes, was also found to act in targeting and, putatively, inserting monotopic hairpin proteins into the ER. These either remain in the ER as resident ER membrane proteins or are pinched off from the ER as components of new lipid droplets. Therefore, the question arose if this pathway may play a more general role in ER protein targeting, i.e. represents a fourth pathway for ER targeting of precursor polypeptides. Thus, we addressed the client spectrum of the PEX19/PEX3-dependent pathway in both PEX3-depleted HeLa cells and PEX3-deficient Zellweger patient fibroblasts by an established approach, which involves label-free quantitative mass spectrometry of the total proteome of depleted or deficient cells and differential protein abundance analysis. The negatively affected proteins included twelve peroxisomal proteins and two hairpin proteins of the ER, thus confirming two previously identified classes of putative PEX19/PEX3-clients in human cells. Interestingly, fourteen collagen-related proteins with signal peptides or N-terminal transmembrane helices and belonging to the secretory pathway were also negatively affected by PEX3-deficiency, which may suggest compromised collagen biogenesis as a hitherto unknown contributor to organ failures in the respective Zellweger patients.

A long-term forecast study on the electricity demand of Taoussa of Mali is conducted in this paper, with various scenarios of socioeconomic and technological conditions. The analysis tool, which is applied in scenarios simulation, is the Model for Analysis of Energy Demand from the International Atomic Energy Agency. The analysis results are annual electricity demand and peak load forecast for the electrification from the period 2020 to 2035. During the planning period, the analysis results show that the electricity demand will increase to 49.40 MW (332.57 GWh) for the low scenario (LS), 66.46 MW (472.61 GWh) for the reference scenario (RS), and 89.47 MW (635 GWh) for the high scenario (HS). In addition, the total electricity demand increased at an average rate of 8.13% in the LS, 10.31% in the RS and 12.56% in the HS in all sectors. The electricity peak demand is expected to grow at 7.92%, 10.53% and 12.91% corresponding to the three scenarios; in this case, the system peak demand in 2035 will increase to 64.88 MW for the LS, 92.2 MW for the RS and 126.22 MW, the days of peak load are between 17th -23rd in May. The Industry sector will be the biggest electricity consumer of Taoussa area.

The aim of our study is to utilise longitudinal and representative national data to explore the extent that the association between the fast food environment and overweight in adolescents is confounded by neighbourhood deprivation. Longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study for England were obtained for waves 5 (ages 11/12; 2011/12; n=13,469) and 6 (ages 14/15; 2014/15; n=11,884). Our outcome variable was overweight/obesity defined using age and sex-specific International Obesity Task Force cut points. Individuals were linked, based on their residential location, to data on the density of fast food outlets and neighbourhood deprivation. Structural Equation Models were used to model associations at both ages and explicitly test for confounding. While we found some evidence for an association between the number of fast food outlets and overweight, any associations disappeared following accounting for the confounding nature of neighbourhood deprivation. Neighbourhood deprivation was consistently associated to overweight, with adolescents who resided in deprived areas more likely to be overweight. Results were largely consistent depending on different methodological decisions. Our findings suggest that policy efforts should prioritise focusing on tackling the social determinants of excess body mass which will be more effective than interventions aimed at the built environment.

The SnRK gene family is a key regulator playing an important role in plant stress response by phosphorylating the target protein to regulate the signalling pathways. The function of SnRK gene family has been reported in many species but is limited to Triticum asetivum. In this study, SnRK gene family in the wheat genome was identified and its structural characteristics were described. One hundred forty-seven SnRK genes distributed across 21 chromosomes were identified in the Triticum aestivum genome and categorised into three subgroups (SnRK1/2/3) based on phylogenetic analyses and domain types. The gene intron-exon structure and protein-motif composition of SnRKs were similar within each subgroup but different amongst the groups. Gene duplication between the wheat, Arabidopsis, rice and barley genomes was also investigated in order to get insight into the evolutionary aspects of the TaSnRK family genes. SnRK genes showed differential expression patterns in leaves, roots, spike, and grains. Redundant stress-related cis-elements were also found in the promoters of 129 SnRK genes and their expression levels varied widely following drought, ABA and light regulated elements. In particular, TaSnRK2.11 had higher and increased expression under the abiotic stresses and can be a candidate gene for the abiotc stress tolerance. The findings will aid in the functional characterization of TaSnRK genes for further research.

Our understanding of phylogenetic relationships among Gadiformes fish is obtained through the analysis of a small number of genes, but uncertainty remains around critical nodes. A series of phylogenetic controversial exists at the suborder, family, subfamily, and species levels. A total of 1105 orthologous exon sequences and translated amino acid sequences from 36 genomes and 12 transcriptomes covering 33 species were applied to investigate the phylogenetic relationships within Gadiformes and address these problems. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed with the amino acid data set using different tree-building methods (RAxML and MrBayes) showed consistent topology. The monophyly of Gadifromes was confirmed in our study. However, the three suborders Muraenolepidoidei, Macrouroidei, and Gadoidei were not well recovered by our phy-logenomic study, rejecting the validity of suborder Muraenolepidoidei. Four major lineages were revealed in this study. The family Bregmacerotidae forming clade I was the basal lineage of Gadiformes. The family Merluciidae formed clade II. Clade III contained families Melanonidae, Muraenolepididae, Macrouridae (with subfamilies Trachyrincinae, Macrourinae, and Bathygadinae), and Moridae. Clade IV contained at least three families of suborder Gadoidei, i.e., Gadidae, Phycidae, and Ranicipitidae. The subspecies of Lota lota from Amur River were confirmed, indicating that exon markers were a valid high-resolution method for delimiting subspecies or distinct lineages within species level. The PSMC analysis of different populations of L. lota suggests a continuous decline since 2 Myr.

Temporary pavilions play an important role as experimental fields for architects, designers and engineers, apart from providing exhibition spaces. Novel structural and formal solutions applied in pavilions also can give them unusual appearance that attracts eyesight of spectators. In this article authors explore the possibility of combination of structural novelty, visual attractiveness and low-cost by a design and construction of a temporary pavilion. For that purpose, an innovative structural system and design approach was applied, i.e. membrane structure designed in Rhino and Grasshopper environments with the use of Kiwi!3D IsoGeometric analysis tool. The designed pavilion, named Obverse/Reverse, was built in Opole, Poland, for the occasion of World Architecture Day in July 2019. Design and construction was performed by the authors in cooperation with students’ organisation Humanisation of Urban Environment from the Faculty of Architecture Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. The Rresultant pavilion proved the possibility of obtaining a low-budgets but visually attractive architectural solution with the adaption of parametrical design tools and some scientific background with innovative structural systems.

Novel SARS-CoV-2, a bat based virus originated in Wuhan, China that caused a global pandemic in December, 2019 belongs to the Betacorona virus family and contains single stranded genome of ~29Kbp. The host cell invasion of SARS-CoV-2 is facilitated by interaction of C-Terminal Domain (CTD) of Spike (S) protein of virus and host ACE2 receptor in the presence of TMPRSS seine protease secreted by the host cell. In this study the mutation hotspots of S-protein will be identified and the impact of such mutation in the binding affinity will be studied. Additionally, the lead molecule which can bind to the mutated protein also will be identified. Multiple sequence alignment of the spike protein sequence of SARS-CoV-2 shows the number of single amino acid mutation hotspots such as L5F, R214L, R408I, G476S, V483A, H519Q, A520S, T572I, D614G and H655Y. Among these mutations D614G has 57.5% occurrence and G476S, V483A has 7.5% occurrence. The mutated proteins were modelled based on wild type homolog and docked to ACE2 receptor. When the mutated S protein is docked, the ∆G (binding free energy) value is very minimal in mutated protein showed the stability of variants. By the drug repurposing method, 1000 FDA approved drugs were virtually screened for its binding to RBD of S1 domain. Among these drugs Digitoxin, Gliquidone and Zorubicin Hcl binds to spike proteins with higher docking score (lesser than -8.5 Kcal/mol) to both wild type and mutants.

Since the effects of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors on the clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) have been conflicting in different studies, we performed this meta-analysis. A systematic search of published articles was performed in PubMed and EMBASE from January-May 5, 2020. Studies that reported the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19, stratified by the class of concomitant antihypertensive drug therapy, were included. The Mantel-Haenszel random effects model was used to estimate pooled odds ratio (OR). A total of 6,997 hypertensive patients with COVID-19 were included. The overall risk of poor patient outcomes (severe COVID-19 or death) was lower in patients taking RAAS inhibitors (OR=0.84, 95% CI: [0.73, 0.96]; P=0.017) compared with those receiving non-RAAS inhibitor antihypertensives. Patients taking angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) were less likely to experience poor clinical outcomes (OR=0.73, 95% CI: [0.58-0.92]; P=0.01) compared with those receiving angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs). Compared to all other antihypertensives, ACEIs decreases the risk poor COVID-19 outcomes (OR=0.77, 95% CI: [0.63-0.93]) while ARBs did not (OR=1.13, 95% CI: [0.95-1.35]). The risk of poor patient outcomes from COVID-19 was lower in patients who received RAAS inhibitors compared with those who took non-RAAS inhibitors. Unlike ARBs, ACEIs might help in decreasing the severity and mortality of COVID-19.

Although conventional immunohistochemistry for neurotropic Rabies virus (RABV) usually shows a high preference for neurons, non-neuronal cells are also potential target cells and abortive infection of astrocytes is considered a main trigger of innate immunity in the CNS. While in vitro studies indicated differences between field and less virulent lab-adapted RABVs, a systematic and quantitative comparison of astrocyte tropism in vivo is lacking. Here, a recently developed solvent-based tissue clearing technique was used to measure the RABV cell tropism in infected brains. Immunofluorescence analysis of 1 mm-thick tissue slices enabled 3D segmentation and quantification of infection frequencies of astrocytes and neurons. Comparison of highly virulent street virus clones from fox, dog, and raccoon with three lab strains of intermediate and low virulence revealed remarkable differences in the ability to infect astrocytes in vivo. While all viruses and infection routes led to comparable neuron infection frequencies, striking differences were detected for the infection of astrocytes. Consistent and inoculation route-independent astrocyte infection by field viruses, together with route-dependent or undetectable astrocyte infection by lab-adapted or vaccine viruses strongly suggests a model in which the ability to establish productive astrocyte infection in vivo functionally distinguishes field and attenuated lab RABV strains.

This paper aims to investigate impact of employees’ gender on OCB as per the employees’ perception in Jordanian governmental hospitals. A convenient sample of 126 employees working in the three main governmental hospitals in north of Jordan has been taken for the purpose of this study. The collected data includes linguistic terms that suffer from uncertainty which, in turn, cannot be dealt with traditional numerical values. The result prove that gender impact on OCB has shown statistically significant differences at (α=0.05) as far as altruism, courtesy, and civic virtue are concerned; and this variable stands in favor of males with the total score of 0.011%. Similarly, as far as the effect of age factor on OCB is concerned, there have been statistically significant differences at (α=0.05) in relation to courtesy, sportsmanship, and civic virtue with the total score of 0.27%. Finally, the results provide a baseline data for further studies which may contribute more significant in the field of OCB.

Introduction Recent evidence from relatively small randomized controlled trials would seem to support a useful role of ranolazine for the prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The present study is aimed at providing information about the possible beneficial anti-arrhythmic properties of ranolazine. In particular, the meta-analysis carried out in this study focuses on the application of ranolazine to prophylaxis and treatment of atrial fibrillation.Methods Both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non randomized observational studies concerning the effects of ranolazine on AF were included in the meta-analysis. In each of the considered studies, a comparison was made between a group of patients taking ranolazine and a second group treated instead with another antiarrhythmic therapy , or assigned to placebo. Efficacy outcomes were the risk of new- onset AF, the probability of conversion to sinus rhythm of patients with recent occurrence(≤ 48 h)of AF and the time to conversion to sinus rhythm. Safety endpoints were death, adverse events, QTc prolongation and hypotension.Results Ten studies ( 8 RCTs and 2 nonrandomized observational studies) were gathered on the whole. Ranolazine was effective in preventing the occurrence of AF when compared to controls (RR= 0.60; 95% CI: 0.43–0.83; p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis showed a more pronounced preventive effect of ranolazine against AF in the postoperative setting of coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) surgery (RR= 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18-0.83; p=0.02) when compared to non- postoperative AF (RR= 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63-0.92; p=0.04). Ranolazine enhanced the chances of successful cardioversion when added to intravenous amiodarone compared to amiodarone alone (RR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.05–1.33; p = 0.004) and significantly decreased the time to cardioversion(SMD= −10.35 h; 95% CI: −18.13 hours to − 2.57 hours; p < 0.001). Overall risks of death, adverse events, and QTc prolongation were shown to be similar in the comparison between patients treated with ranolazine and controls. Conclusions Ranolazine given orally at appropriate doses showed the property to significantly quicken the conversion of AF to sinus rhythm when combined with the iv amiodarone, compared to iv amiodarone alone . Furthermore, in patients in sinus rhythm, ranolazine proved to reduce the frequency of new onset AF as well as of its recurrences, especially in patients undergone CABG surgery, known to be at high risk of developing postoperative AF. In addition, ranolazine use seems to be safe and associated with relatively few adverse events.

From June 18 to 19, 2013, the Ésera river in the Pyrenees, Northern Spain, caused widespread damage due to flooding as a result of torrential rains and sustained snowmelt. We estimate the contribution of snow melt to total discharge applying a snow energy balance to the catchment. Precipitation is derived from sparse local measurements and the WRF-ARW model over three nested domains, down to a grid cell size of 2 km. Temperature profiles, precipitation and precipitation gradient are well simulated, although with a possible displacement regarding the observations. Snowpack melting was correctly reproduced and verified in three instrumented sites, and according to satellite images. We found that the hydrological simulations agree well with measured discharge. Snowmelt represented 33% of total runoff during the main flood event and 23% at peak flow. The snow energy balance model indicates that most of the energy for snow melt during the day of maximum precipitation came from turbulent fluxes. This approach forecast correctly peak flow and discharge during normal conditions at least 24h in advance and could give an early warning of the extreme event 2.5 days before.

The increasing demands on global resources due to technological development driven by consumer expectations and demands have resulted in significant problems with ecological sustainability and material availability. The creation of biocomposites has resulted in notable advancements in the green industry within the materials science area this century, owing to concerns regarding sustainability and the environment. Globally, there is a surge in the creation of highly efficient materials derived from natural resources. In aviation applications, plant-fiber-supported polymer composite materials are becoming increasingly popular. Aerospace materials are typically used in aircraft construction as structural materials to support loads throughout different flight phases. There are many diverse mechanical qualities of natural fibres; therefore, selecting one for the interior parts of an aircraft cabin based only on its attributes leads to a multiple-attribute decision-support issue. In this paper, the effective natural fibre and polymer choice for use as reinforcing materials in composite materials is represented for the composite materials’ improvement to aircraft cabin luggage for aerospace implementations. This study can guide material designers in investigating different hybrid materials with the most effective natural fiber and polymer obtained by hierarchical strategy by elucidating the effective material choice to meet the criteria determined for the aircraft cabin luggage. For this purpose, the definitive rankings of the twelve polymers and sixteen natural fibers in terms of performance score were assessed using hierarchical strategy methodology.

Research on high-volume fly ash concrete, which utilizes large quantities of fly ash, has been actively conducted to promote resource recycling and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, while cement mixed with fly ash exhibits different temperature sensitivities compared to traditional cement, its hydration and mechanical properties vary depending on curing conditions. Despite this, there is a significant gap in research on this topic. In this study, high-volume fly ash concrete was produced with fly ash replacement rates of 35 % and 55 %. Compression strength tests were performed at various curing ages under three different curing temperature conditions, and the results were analyzed. Additionally, an isothermal calorimeter was used to analyze hydration characteristics under different curing conditions. The results indicated that concrete with high fly ash content was more sensitive to curing temperature compared to ordinary Portland cement.

This scoping review explores the intersection of Extended Mind Theory and Extended Reality (XR) technologies, focusing on how Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality reshape human cognition and interaction. XR enables users to offload cognitive tasks and engage in embodied experiences, extending cognition beyond the brain into digital environments. The review highlights a wide range of XR applications, from immersive learning in STEM education and medical training, neuropsychological assessment to therapeutic interventions, arts and entertainment, professional skills development, retail and e-commerce, remote work, sports training, architecture and urban planning, and cultural heritage preservation. XR's integration with modalities like haptics, eye-tracking, face- and body-tracking, and brain-computer interfaces further enhances cognitive extension and user engagement. However, alongside these advancements come significant ethical, psychological, and societal challenges, such as data privacy concerns, the psychological effects of prolonged immersion, and social inequality arising from disparate access to XR technologies. This review emphasizes the need for robust ethical frameworks that address these challenges, ensuring that XR technologies enhance human development while maintaining autonomy, privacy, and mental well-being. As XR continues to evolve and integrate with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, its role in expanding human cognition will depend on responsible implementation and governance.

To be CMOS-compatible, a low preparation temperature (&lt; 500 °C) of ferroelectric films is required. In this study, BiFeO3 films were successfully fabricated at a low annealing temperature (&lt; 450 °C) on aluminum foils by a metal-organic decomposition process. The annealing atmosphere on performance of BiFeO3 films was assessed at 440 ± 5℃. By replacing an O2-rich atmosphere with an N2-rich one, a better crystalline morphology was achieved in BiFeO3 films, resulting in better electric properties targeted for high-density ferroelectric random-access memory applications. These properties included a large remnant polarization (Pr~78.1 μC/cm2 @ 1165.2 kV/cm) and a high rectangularity (~91.3% @ 1165.2 kV/cm) of the P-E loop, along with excellent charge-retaining ability up to 1.0 × 103 s and a fatigue resistance reaching 1.0 × 109 switching cycles. The enhanced performance of BiFeO3 film in an N2-rich atmosphere maybe originated from the slightly high content of oxygen vacancies during the annealing process. Furthermore, decent electrical properties (Pr~70 μC/cm2 @ 1118.1 kV/cm) of the BiFeO3 films were achieved at a very low annealing temperature of 365 ±5 °C on aluminum foil substrates. These results offer a new idea for lowering the annealing temperature for integrated ferroelectrics in high-density FeRAM applications.

Background. The possible interactions between anger and fear have not been widely explored in the psychological literature. Fear and anger are currently beginning to be studied by looking at their interrelationships, rather than seeing them as simply opposing emotions. Furthermore, there is a tendency to think that anger is more typical of men and fear of women. Our contribution proposes a particular perspective of affective neuroscience. The objectives of the study are: 1) To assess possible differences in affective systems, states, and traits of anger in relation to biological sex; 2) To assess correlations between ANGER, FEAR, and PANIC, state and trait anger in both a female and male sample; 3) To assess possible differences in basic affective systems in relation to different levels of ANGER, FEAR, and PANIC, state and trait anger, in sample of female and in sample of male. Methods. A non-clinical sample of 339 females and 99 males completed the ANPS 3.1 to assess basic affective states and the STAXI 2 to assess anger states and traits. Results. No significant differences were found for ANGER and FEAR scores and for state and trait scores between the male and female samples. Clear correlations emerged (p < .01) between FEAR. PANIC and FEAR in both the female and male samples. Among the differences that emerged in the affective systems, we emphasise that in the female group as FEAR increases, there are significant variations in systems of SEEKING, PLAY, and CARE. Furthermore, only in the female sample as PANIC increases, PLAY progressively decreases, and CARE shows an irregular trend. Discussion. Given the importance of the SEEKING and PLAY systems for well-being and gender equality the hypoactivation of these systems to increases in FEAR and PANIC highlights the need to monitor conditions that may trigger these affective systems.

Fixed-time artificial insemination is an important technique in swine production that can improve reproductive efficiency and meat production quality by making better use of the genetic potential of breeding males and reducing the costs associated with double or multiple inseminations. Our goal was to evaluate the vaginal application of the GnRH agonist triptorelin acetate to synchronize post-weaning sows and facilitate implantation of a single fixed-time insemination. In a first experiment, the efficacy of treatment with the triptorelin in animals with or without signs of estrus was analyzed using a single insemination at a fixed time compared to the control following the standard insemination strategy. Farrowing rate was comparable between triptorelin and control groups (100 vs. 87.50%), but triptorelin without estrus had a lower rate (50%). Litter size did not differ between groups. Estradiol and progesterone levels at 96- and 120-hours post-weaning were similar in the control and triptorelin groups (P>0.05). These results suggest that Triptorelin has the potential to synchronize ovulation in pigs without affecting post-weaning hormonal profiles. In a second experiment, the objective was to evaluate the productive and economic impact of implementing a treatment with triptorelin acetate 96 hours after weaning compared to the standard insemination protocol. Sows were grouped according to treatment (control vs. triptorelin) and estrus onset (≤5 days and >5 days after weaning considered as late estrus). Farrowing rate was lower in the control late estrus group than in the control and triptorelin groups and similar to the triptorelin late estrus group. No differences were found for litter size, live or dead piglets born (P>0.05). We developed an estimation model to assess the cost/benefit of intravaginal triptorelin administration at 96 h post-weaning. The overall result is that the use of triptorelin increases the benefit per inseminated sow in the range of €15-20. This improvement is mainly related to an increase in the reproductive performance of the treated sows compared to the control sows and the reduction in the number of inseminations per sow. These results highlight the potential of triptorelin to optimize reproductive management in pigs, improving efficiency and economic viability.

In this paper, the results of a high-precision control survey carried out in the underground mining of the Oyu Tolgoi project using terrestrial laser scanning technology are presented. The purpose of the measurements was to ensure that the direction, total length and volume of the penetration and excavation works were being implemented in accordance with the planned and designed dimensions. The coordinates of the geodetic traverse checkpoints were also assessed. In addition, we checked a traverse network of 18 checkpoints in the tunnel of the selected underground level. These checkpoints were repeatedly measured four times by two using readings of the Trimble S7 1” total station and were processed using the Compass/Bowditch method with Trimble Business Center software. All points except for one were within the tolerance limits. Based on these points, the excavation length and volumes were determined using the terrestrial laser scanners (TLSs) Trimble X7 and Trimble SX12 [25]. The difference between the planned work quantity provided by the Oyu Tolgoi project and the actual values measured using laser scanner was calculated with the comparative method. The TLS partial control measurements in the excavations made through the ore bodies revealed a length of 20285.72m and a volume of 441128.80m3 for the seven underground mine levels, while their project values were 16158.26m length and 422837.50m3 volume.

The two combined technologies WPT and AI still have huge prospects for several industries such as consumer electronics and industry. This paper looks at the recent developments in WPT, particularly concerning AI-improved efficiency, range, and reliability. AI-driven also works to control power, manage device alignment, and test when maintenance is necessary, this makes powering smarter and more efficient. Accuracy is given by deploying machine learning and computer vision, and on the other hand, the maintenance procedure is done through predictions. Furthermore, the ability of the management system to include the use of AI in power regulation enables the control of consumption based on the load. In this study, the positive future effect of AI is discussed concerning improvements in WPT technologies, which is paramount in subsequent applications. Based on the results, it is essential to continue the investigation of the topic within this interdisciplinary science to advance existing problems and discover novel possibilities for evolution. Data based on experiments shows a significant improvement in the efficiency of information transfer where AI is used with rates up to 25% higher than those using the traditional ways. Additionally, advanced maintenance forecasting algorithms improve system availability by cutting down on 30% of the downtimes when applied in real-life applications of AI technology. The study also looks at the possibilities of the outlook to the future including emergence of the distributed artificial intelligence for autonomous WPT network, and additional potential of quantum computing for the use to improve the algorithm. This indicates that there is a new era for the convergence of WPT and AI to enhance the progress of power transfer system in conditions of elegant, efficient, and robust.

This article titled "AI and IoT in Automation and Security: A Vision for Next Generation Applications," explored the implications of marrying IoT with AI in the realms of automation and security; this piece goes further into what that entails. In this paper, we present innovative application descriptions arising from this technology convergence and its future-generation applications. We found that AI brings strong cyber security, predictive maintenance, and decision-making capabilities to the table due to its advanced algorithms and machine learning models. IoT has the potential to allow businesses to extract and generate big data, automate processes, and monitor in real-time thousands and even millions of businesses at once. For now, we believe some of the possible main conclusions will be that the smart city, stand-alone systems, and user experience will be quite consumer-friendly. Importantly, the study also assessed facets such as data protection, system interoperability, and a few others. Our vision underscores the essential of a strong structure to connect the full latent of AI and IoT, finally aiming to create more capable, protected, and approachable environments. Significant results include achieving 95.8% accuracy in anomaly detection and 93.4% accuracy in predictive maintenance. The showcasing results efficacy of AI models to enhance system reliability as well as operational efficiency. Vigorous encryption protocols performance ensures data security hence addressing issues of privacy. These culminations underscore the transformative potential of AI-IoT integration in next-generation automation and security applications.

In this very personal hunt for the meaning of the bacterial cell cycle, the snark, I briefly revisit and update some of the mechanisms we and many others have proposed to regulate the bacterial cell cycle. These mechanisms, which include the dynamics of calcium, membranes, hyperstructures and networks, are based on physical and physico-chemical concepts such as ion condensation, phase transition, crowding, liquid crystal immiscibility, collective vibrational modes, reptation, and water availability. I draw on ideas from subjects such as the ‘prebiotic ecology’ and phenotypic diversity to help with the hunt. Given the fundamental nature of the snark, I would expect that its capture would make sense of other parts of biology. The route therefore followed by the hunt has involved trying to answer questions like “why do cells replicate their DNA?”, “why is DNA replication semi-conservative?”, “why is DNA a double helix?”, “why do cells divide?”, “is cell division a spandrel?” and “how are catabolism and anabolism balanced?”. Here, I propose some relatively unexplored, experimental approaches to testing snark-related hypotheses and, finally, I propose some possibly original ideas about DNA packing, about phase separations, and about computing with populations of virtual bacteria.

Our recent analysis of empirical limit order flow data in financial markets reveals a power-law distribution in limit order cancellation times. These times are modeled using a discrete probability mass function derived from the Tsallis q-exponential distribution, closely aligned with the second form of the Pareto distribution. We elucidate this distinctive power-law statistical property through the lens of agent heterogeneity in trading activity and asset possession. Our study introduces a novel modeling approach that combines fractional Lévy stable motion for limit order inflow with this power-law distribution for cancellation times, significantly enhancing the prediction of order imbalances. This model not only addresses gaps in current financial market modeling but also extends to broader contexts such as opinion dynamics in social systems, capturing the finite lifespan of opinions. Characterized by stationary increments and a departure from self-similarity, our model provides a unique framework for exploring long-range dependencies in time series. This work paves the way for more precise financial market analyses and offers new insights into the dynamic nature of opinion formation in social systems.

The cause of the systematic daily march of barometric pressure in the tropics, notably the late morning and late evening peaks seen almost every day at all locations, was a puzzle that persisted through the nineteenth and much of the twentieth centuries. The efforts to explain the physics of the prominent 12-hour solar tidal variation helped inspire some of the earliest developments in theoretical atmospheric dynamics and ultimately led in the 1960’s to a satisfactory dynamical theory for the atmospheric tides. These important theoretical developments followed the observational discoveries, which date to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, of the surprising character of the barometric daily march and of its resolution into solar and lunar period cycles. These important, if simple, discoveries emerged primarily from the efforts of European scientists to systematically study the environment in remote areas of the globe. The two key figures in initially advancing the scientific community’s understanding of the character of barometric tides were the great German polymath Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and the French naturalist Robert de Lamanon (1752-1787), who each made their discoveries on their most famous and colorful scientific expeditions of their respective careers. This paper examines the history of the early observations of the barometric tide.

Presence detection is essential in many applications, including smart homes, office automation, and public space management. Traditional technologies like infrared sensors and cameras frequently encounter obstacles due to privacy concerns, high costs, and complexity. The study provides a novel way to detect presence based on Wi-Fi signals and machine learning algorithms, utilizing the ESP8266 microcontroller. The suggested system attempts to reliably detect the presence of people in a given place by evaluating fluctuations in Wi-Fi signal strength and patterns. The theoretical basis of this strategy is investigated, including the ESP8266’s capabilities for Wi-Fi data gathering and the use of machine learning methods for data analysis. The methodology includes data collecting with the ESP8266, preprocessing, feature extraction, and training and evaluating machine learning models. This system’s potential uses include smart home automation, office occupancy tracking, and crowd management in public settings. The paper also discusses potential issues such as signal interference, data privacy concerns, and the limitations of Wi-Fi detection. Future work is also mentioned, including the suggested system’s installation and testing and enhancement proposals to improve accuracy and scalability. This research aims to provide a cost-effective, non-intrusive, and scalable presence detection system by harnessing the power of Wi-Fi signals and machine learning, enhancing intelligent environments

One of the oldest problems in physics is that of calculating the motion of N particles under a specified mutual force: the N-body problem. Much is known about this problem if the specified force is non-relativistic gravity, and considerable progress has been made by considering the problem in one spatial dimension. Here I review what is known about the relativistic gravitational N-body problem. Reduction to one spatial dimension has the feature that gravitational radiation is absent, thereby allowing for a clear comparison between the physics of one-dimensional relativistic and non-relativistic self-gravitating systems. After describing how to obtain a relativistic theory of gravity coupled to N point particles, I discuss in turn the 2-body, 3-body, 4-body, and N-body problems. Quite general exact solutions can be obtained for the 2-body problem, unlike the situation in general relativity in 3 spatial dimensions for which only highly specified solutions exist. The 3-body problem exhibits mild forms of chaos, and provides one of the first theoretical settings in which relativistic chaos can be studied. For N4 other interesting features emerge. Relativistic self-gravitating systems have a number of interesting problems awaiting further investigation, providing us with a new frontier for exploring relativistic many-body systems.

This review is dedicated to sustainable practices in liquid chromatography. HPLC and UHPLC methods contribute significantly to routine analytical techniques. Therefore, the transfer of classical liquid chromatographic methods into sustainable ones is of utmost importance in moving toward sustainable development goals. Among other principles to render a liquid chromatographic method green, substitution of the organic solvent component in the mobile phase with a greener one received great attention. This review concentrates on choosing the best alternative green organic solvent to replace the classical solvent in the mobile phase for easy rapid transfer to a more sustainable normal phase or reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The main focus of this review will be on describing the transfer of non-green to green and white chromatographic methods in an effort to elevate the sustainability best practice in analytical chemistry. The greenness properties and greenness ranking in addition to the chromatographic suitability of seventeen organic solvents for liquid chromatography are mentioned to have a clear insight into the issue of rapidly choosing the appropriate solvent to transfer a classical HPLC or UHPLC method into a more sustainable one. A simple guide is proposed for making the liquid chromatographic method more sustainable.