In the area of health, namely hospitals, we can agree that the intrinsic need to have multidisciplinary teams, highly specialized and indispensable resources leads us to a degree of complexity that requires, daily, the best performance, not running away from the logistics area to the rule. The centralization of resources, namely distribution warehouses, emerges as a challenge and possible solution for health institutions to respond in the best possible way to their main purpose: to put the right material in the right place at the right price in the right time space. As regards the advantages of this type of organization, there are several authors who argues that the need for human resources training, ease of coordination and the use of economies of scale are the main advantage. As far as the disadvantages are concerned, there is no special agreement on them, there are disparate factors from author to author, such as: routine, centralization, objectives or operation costs.

The aim of this paper is to use the elementary method and the properties of the second kind Stirling numbers to study the congruence properties of a new sequence, which is closely related to Fubini polynomials and Euler numbers, and give some interesting congruences for it. This solves a problem proposed by the first author at an unpublished paper.

Spirit of science is one of the important components of science education theory. It not only directly affects the level of science education, but also indirectly affects the selection, education and evaluation of scientific researchers, and the development of science and technology in a country or region. Although more than a century ago, the researchers began to discuss the topic of spirit of science. However, to date, the research of the definition, attribute, structural model and its characteristics of the spirit of science has not yet made a breakthrough. Based on the detailed literature review, the related theoretical analysis and the research of the structural model of the spirit of science, this paper puts forward the new definition, the attribute and the establishment of the structural model of the spirit of science, and analyzes the match the situation from new structural model of the spirit of science and the scientific nature published by the American Society for the Advancement of Science. The results of this study are of great significance for raising the level of scientific education and cultivating future scientific researchers, enhancing their motivation and skills in innovation in scientific research and promoting the development of future scientific undertakings.

For a graph G, let P(G, λ) be its chromatic polynomial. Two graphs G and H are said to be chromatically equivalent if P(G,λ) = P(H,λ). A graph is said to be chromatically unique if no other graph shares its chromatic polynomial. In this paper, chromatic polynomial of the necklace graph N_n, for n ≥ 2 has been determined. It is further shown that N₃ is chromatically unique.

1) Background: Traditionally, complex biological products such as vaccines presented unique challenges to implementation of even rudimentary characterization packages; thus, the product was defined almost exclusively by its manufacturing process. The advances in technology and analytical tools allowed the application of more comprehensive characterization packages for products such as adsorbed combination vaccines, which contain several antigens in a single formulation to protect against more than one disease, and may contain adjuvants and excipients. Aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) is a well-established adjuvant for enhancing the uptake of vaccines and to induce robust immunity against pathogens. During manufacturing, adjuvant is mixed with protein antigens which may in turn impact their higher order structure and stability. 2) Methods: To study the structural changes of protein antigens after adsorption several analytical tools including DLS, FTIR, Fluorescence, LD, and SEM were used. 3) Results: the AlPO4 adjuvant suspension consists of small submicron particles that form a continuous porous surface. Secondary structure alpha-helix and beta-sheet content of DT and TT increased after adsorption to AlPO4 adjuvant, whereas no significant changes were noted for other protein antigens. Interactions were noted between AlPO4 adjuvant and DT, TT, and FHA. 4) Conclusions: here we report for the first time the use of SEM for the visualization of adsorbed multivalent vaccine components. A unique signature profile detected for each multivalent vaccine by FTIR can be used as a lean in-process test to verify vaccine product composition and identity prior to filling.

In this paper, we introduce the partially degenerate Changhee-Genocchi polynomials and numbers and investigated some identities of these polynomials. Furthermore, we investigate some explicit identities and properties of the partially degenerate Changhee-Genocchi arising from the nonlinear dierential equations.

Cancers arise from the accumulation of somatic genome mutations, with varying contributions of intrinsic (i.e. genetic predisposition) and extrinsic (i.e. environmental) factors. For the understanding of malignant clones, precise information about their genomic composition has to be correlated with morphological, clinical and individual features, in the context of the available medical knowledge. Rapid improvements in molecular profiling techniques, the accumulation of large amount of data in genomic alterations in human malignancies and the expansion of bioinformatic tools and methodologies have facilitated the understanding of the molecular changes during oncogenesis, and their correlation with clinico-pathological phenotypes. Far beyond a limited set of "driver" genes, oncogenomic profiling has identified a large variety of somatic mutations; and whole genome sequencing studies of healthy individuals have improved the knowledge of heritable genome variation. Nevertheless, main challenges arise from the skewed representation of individuals from varying population backgrounds in biomedical studies, and also through the limited extend in which some cancer entities are represented in the scientific literature. Content analyses of oncogenomic publications could provide guidance for the planning and support of future studies aiming at filling prominent knowledge gaps.

A study has been carried out on Ta and Nb recovery by liquid-liquid extraction process using 4-methylacetophenone (4-MAcPh) as organic phase. The 4-MAcPh was compared to methylisobutylketone (MIBK) with respect to extraction efficiencies (kD values) at different concentrations of H2SO4 in the aqueous phase. The results showed a similar extraction of Nb for both solvents. However, for Ta extraction efficiency is increased by a factor of 1.3 for 4-MAcPh. In addition, the MIBK solubilized completely after 6 mol L-1 of H2SO4 against only a loss of 0.14 to 4% for 4-MAcPh between 6 and 9 mol L-1 of H2SO4. The potential of 4-MAcPh has also been studied to selectively recover Ta from a model capacitor waste solution. The results showed a selectivity for Ta in the presence of impurities such as Fe, Ni, Mn. The 4-MAcPh also presents the advantage of having physicochemical properties adapted to its use in liquid-liquid extraction technologies such as mixer-settlers.

Biofilms are usually defined as surface-associated microbial communities, surrounded by an extracellular polymeric substance matrix. There are three major steps that are observed in biofilm formation: initial attachment events, microcolony formation and construction of mushroom-like structure with secretion of extracelluar polymeric substances. These substances can be considered a mechanism to protect the bacterial community from external insults.Biofilms, significantly increase the ability of the pathogen to evade both host defenses and antibiotics and they are being implicated in the pathogenesis and also clinical manifestation of several infections. They cause a variety of persistent infections, such as native valve endocarditis, osteomyelitis, dental caries, middle ear infections, ocular implant infections, urinary tract infections and cystic fibrosis. Established biofilms can tolerate antimicrobial agents at concentrations of 10–1000-times that needed to kill genetically equivalent planktonic bacteria, and are also resistant to phagocytosis, making biofilms extremely difficult to eradicate from living hosts. Consequently, biofilm-related infections that appear to respond to a therapeutic course of antibiotics may relapse weeks or even months later, making surgical removal and replacement of the infected tissue or medical device a frequent and unfortunate necessity.Several pathogens associated with chronic infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae in chronic otitis media and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in recurrent urinary tract infections, are linked to biofilm formation.

Given the contradiction between the current demands for sustainability and the way the financial system works, this paper explores in a retrospective and a prospective view the Romanian Public Finance Sustainability, highlighting the major challenges and vulnerabilities. For the retrospective part, we concentrate mainly on empirical tests on Romanian government solvency between the period 1986- 2016, by applying unit root and co-integration tests. To gain a better, general understanding of the behavior of policy-makers, in the second part we use a scenario analysis of budgetary adjustment in the short and medium run under alternative hypotheses. The results provide a formal proof that policy makers decisions face critical and complex questions and the way in which they manage fiscal stimuli have a direct implication on the sustainability of the country and on the lax implementation of fiscal policy.

Obesity and chronic low-grade inflammation are becoming global epidemics. The dysbiosis has a specific role in the metabolism and energy stocks of the host. The discovery that a low-grade of inflammation could be directly connected to the intestinal microbiota metabolic endotoxemia (elevated levels of plasma lipopolysaccharides) has allowed the identification of novel mechanisms involved in the control of the intestinal barrier. In this review, it will analyze the latest news to explain how human symbiotic microorganisms participate in the growth of the fat reserves and promote insulin resistance as a low-grade inflammation. Besides, it will discuss new treatments with probiotics and prebiotics as a promising therapeutic approach to reverse the host's metabolic changes linked to dysbiosis observed in obesity.

In considering the question of machine as artist, the art object can be analytically separated from its making, and its making can be dualistically conceptualized as process on one hand and experience on the other. One of the reasons we value art is that there was an experience of its making. To better understand what is meant by the experience of art-making, this paper presents results from a qualitative, phenomenological study of a group of artists. These results appear in three groups: feeling, intention and lifeworld. Machines cannot experience art-making, at least not in the same way as humans, and thus they cannot create art but only art-like objects. Even so, in the present century, we should not be asking whether machines can be artists, but rather how machines can help more people experience art-making for themselves.

The aim of this paper is to explore the watertightness behaviour for high pressure applications using Multijetfusion technology and polyamide 12 as a material. It reports an efficient solution for manufacturing functional prototypes and final parts for water pressure applications. It provides manufacturing rules to engineers in the pressurized product development process up to 10 MPa of nominal pressure. The research findings show manufacturers the possibility of using additive manufacturing as an alternative to traditional manufacturing. Water leakage was studied using different printing orientations and wall thickness for a range of pressure values. An industrial ball valve was printed and validated with the ISO 9393 standard also meeting tolerance requirements. This paper is a pioneering approach to the additive manufacturing of high performance fluid handling components. This approach solves the problem of leakage caused by porosity in additive manufacturing technologies

Over the recent decades people’s (rural and urban) communities are facing numerous social and economic changes and challenges. Some of those challenges have been increasingly addressed through the lenses of technological developments and digitalization. In this paper we have made a review of already existing practices while focusing on the existing implementations of the smart village concept and the importance of digital transformation for rural areas. We give special attention to EU policies which we are using as an already existing framework for understanding our own forthcoming examples. We have shown the parallels between the findings and insights from different regions and made an evaluation of presented practices. Our main argument stems from our own previous experiences and experiences of other research approaches, and is grounded on the argument that rural areas are not uniform, and that smart rural development has to be applied in combination with place-based approach. We present the cases of Slovenian pilot practices and support our argument by proposing the FabVillage concept.

In this review, severe plastic deformation (SPD) is considered as a materials processing technology. The deformation mode is the principal characteristic differentiating SPD from common forming operations. For large plastic strains, deformation mode depends on the distribution of strain rates between continuum slip lines and can be varied from pure shear to simple shear. A scalar, invariant and dimensionless coefficient of deformation mode is introduced as a normalized speed of rigid rotation. On this basis, simple shear provides the optimum mode for structure modification and grain refinement whereas pure shear is "ideal" for forming operations. Special experiments and SPD practice confirm this conclusion. Various techniques of SPD are classified and described in accordance with simple shear realization or approximation. It is shown that correct analyses of the processing mechanics and technological parameters are essential for comparison of SPD techniques and the development of effective industrial technologies.

Bone is a dynamic tissue with the capacity of repair and regeneration in specific conditions. Nevertheless, due to the increased incidence of bone disorders, the need of bone grafts has been growing over the past decades and the development of an ideal bone graft with optimal properties remains a clinical challenge. This review addresses the bone properties (morphology, composition and their repair and regeneration capacity) and puts the main focus on the potential strategies for developing bone repair and regeneration materials. It describes the requirements for designing a suitable scaffold material, types of materials (polymers, ceramics and composites) and techniques to obtain the porous structures (additive manufacturing techniques/robocasting or derived from marine skeletons) for bone tissue engineering applications. The main objective of this review is to gather the knowledge on the materials and methods for the production of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering and highlighting the potential of natural porous structures such as marine skeletons as promising alternative bone graft substitute materials without any further mineralogical changes, or after partial or total transformation into calcium phosphate. The suitability of the marine-derived porous bone graft substitutes for the intended applications will be also discussed.

Gas flaring is a disposal process widely used in the oil extraction and processing industry. It consists in the burning of unwanted gas at the tip of a stack and due to its thermal characteristic and the thermal emission it is possible to observe and to quantify it from space. Spaceborne observations allows us to collect information across regions and hence to provide a base for estimation of emissions on global scale. We have successfully adapted the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Nightfire algorithm for the detection and characterisation of persistent hot spots, including gas flares, to the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) observations on-board the Sentinel- satellites. A hot event at temperatures typical of a gas flare will produce a local maximum in the night-time readings of the shortwave and mid-infrared (SWIR and MIR) channels of SLSTR. The SWIR band centered at 1.61 mmis closest to the expected spectral radiancemaximumand serves as the primary detection band. The hot source is characterised in terms of temperature and area by fitting the sum of two Planck curves, one for the hot source and another for the background, to the radiances from all the available SWIR, MIR and thermal infra-red channels of SLSTR. The flaring radiative power is calculated from the gas flare temperature and area. Our algorithm differs from the original VIIRS Nightfire algorithm in three key aspects: (1) It uses a granule-based contextual thresholding to detect hot pixels, being independent of the number of hot sources present and their intensity. (2) It analyses entire clusters of hot source detections instead of individual pixels. This is arguably a more comprehensive use of the available information. (3) The co-registration errors between hot source clusters in the different spectral bands are calculated and corrected. This also contributes to the SLSTR instrument validation. Cross-comparisons of the new gas flare characterisation with temporally close observations by the higher resolution German FireBIRD TET-1 small satellite and with the Nightfire product based on VIIRS on-board the Suomi-NPP satellite show general agreement for an individual flaring site in Siberia and for several flaring regions around the world. Small systematic differences to VIIRS Nightfire are nevertheless apparent. Based on the hot spot characterisation, gas flares can be identified and flared gas volumes and pollutant emissions can be calculated with previously published methods.

Macromolecular crystallography at cryogenic temperatures has so far provided the majority of the experimental evidence that underpins the determination of the atomic structures of proteins and other biomolecular assemblies by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. One of the core limitations of the current methods is that crystal samples degrade as they are subject to X-rays, and two broad groups of effects are observed: global and specific damage. While the currently successful approach is to operate outside the range where global damage is observed, specific damage is not well understood and may lead to poor interpretation of the chemistry and biology of the system under study. In this work, we present a phenomenological model in which specific damage is understood as the result of a single process, the steady excitation of crystal electrons caused by X-ray absorption, which acts as a trigger for the bulk effects that manifest themselves in the form of global damage and obscure the interpretation of chemical information from XFEL and synchrotron structural research.

Aflatoxins are a known cause of primary liver cancer in Mozambique since pre-independence epidemiological studies. However, their impact goes beyond the public health, affecting the country’s economy and raising legal concerns. As a developing country endemic for Aspergillus, the nation has been struggling to keep pace with external trade quality demands, delicate policy making, still dealing with the farmers’ limitations to control the contamination. The contamination shows variations over time, space and the different commodities. Considering the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius, the major crops will be highly implicated unless there is major intervention from the authorities to control the toxins.

Since very few empirical endeavors have looked into statue and funerary art that represents social identities, this study aims to fill this gap. The research article aims to portray social status from the funeral arts, traditions and rituals. This longitudinal case study used interviews and a series of observations. The finding reveals that each funerary art represents particular class of noble families. Every funerary art also depicts specific insightful meaning for their noble families. The process of ritual and funeral ceremony is performed according to each status of noble families. This paper also describes the implication of the funerary art in social and cultural interactions.

This paper contains theoretical fundamentals of strut and tie models, used in unreinforced horizontal shear walls. Depending on support conditions and wall loading, we can distinguish models with discrete bars when point load is applied to the wall (type I model) or with continuous bars (type II model) when load is uniformly distributed at the wall boundary. The main part of this paper compares calculated results with the own tests on horizontal shear walls made of solid brick, silicate elements and autoclaved aerated concrete. The tests were performed in Poland. The model required some modifications due to specific load and static diagram.

Health information technology has been widely used in healthcare, which has contributed a huge amount of data. Health data has four characteristics: high volume; high velocity; high variety and high value. Thus, they can be leveraged to i) discover associations between genes, diseases and drugs to implement precision medicine; ii) predict diseases and identify their corresponding causal factors to prevent or control the diseases at an earlier time; iii) learn risk factors related to clinical outcomes (e.g., patients’ unplanned readmission), to improve care quality and reduce healthcare expenditure; and iv) discover care coordination patterns representing good practice in the implementation of collaborative patient-centered care. At the same time, there are major challenges existing in data-driven healthcare research, which include: i) inefficient health data exchanges across different sources; ii) learned knowledge is biased to specific institution; iii) inefficient strategies to evaluate plausibility of the learned patterns and v) incorrect interpretation and translation of the learned patterns. In this paper, we review various types of health data, discuss opportunities and challenges existing in the data-driven healthcare research, provide solutions to solve the challenges, and state the important role of the data-driven healthcare research in the establishment of smart healthcare system.

The latest scientific literature outlines a resilient interconnection between cancer modulation and dietary polyphenols by sphingolipid-mediated mechanisms, usually correlated with a modification of their metabolism. We aim to extensively survey this relation to show how it could be advantageous in cancer treatment or prevention by nutrients. Polyphenols, chemically characterized by polyhydroxylated phenolic structure, are well known for their pervasive pharmacological properties: anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiseptic, antitumor, antiallergic, cardioprotective and others. Pervasive is also their distribution in food products especially in plant foods as vegetables, cereals, legumes, fruits, nuts and beverages as wine, cider, beer, tea, cocoa. Recently, sphingolipids have been correlated with cancer by a dysregulation of their rheostat emerging as mediator of cell proliferation in cancer and modulator of chemotherapeutics.

In The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains, Thomas Laqueur argues that the work of the dead is carried out through the living and through those who remember, honour, and mourn the dead. Further, he maintains that the brutal or careless disposal of the corpse “is an attack of extreme violence”. To treat the dead body as if it does not matter or as if it were ordinary organic matter would be to deny its humanity. From Laqueur’s point of view it is inferred that the dead are believed to have rights and dignities that are upheld through rituals, practices, and beliefs of the living. Drawing on dark tourism scholarship and cultural memory theory, this paper examines the display of human bones at Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic and the tourist culture that has built up around the site. Primarily, my writing calls into question the commoditization of burial places as a conceivable violation of the human rights of the dead. My research is driven by a number of questions: What is it that draws tourists to burial grounds and how do heritage sites negotiate visitor experiences? What are the ethical boundaries when a final resting place with bodies on display is also marketed as a tourist site? Do the dead have human rights and how are the living responsible for preserving those rights?

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated gluten-induced enteropathy that affects predisposed individuals of all ages. Many patients with CD do not report gastrointestinal symptoms making it difficult to reach an early diagnosis. On the other hand, CD is related to a wide spectrum of extra-intestinal manifestations, being dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) the best characterized. These associated conditions may be the clue for reaching the diagnosis of CD. Over the last years, there have been multiple reports of the association between CD and several cutaneous manifestations that may improve with a gluten-free diet (GFD). The presence of some of these skin diseases, even in absence of gastrointestinal symptoms, should give rise to an appropriate screening for CD. The aim of this paper is to describe the different cutaneous manifestations that have been associated to CD and the possible mechanisms involved.

Study of micro-RNA regulatory networks (known as miRNA’s or miR’s), during development and in known pathologies have been the basis of study over the past decades. Herein, we recapitulate these findings in order to highlight the best underlying mechanisms found to date. We also seek to elucidate how miRNA dysregulation can be associated with many cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, we discuss miR regulation mechanism during in early development in vivo and invitro. Since many of the miR’s are precursors to transcriptional regulation, we relate back to their molecular control as we can then look together at the fundamental disease they might be exacerbating by this dysregulation.

The purpose of this study is to explore the intensity of emotions and social skills in a physical education teaching unit (PE). Two instruments of analysis are used: the GES (Games and Emotion Scale) to evaluate emotions and an ad-hoc questionnaire to measure the social skills of 21 students in the sixth year of primary education. The data analysis was carried out using a generalised estimating equation model (GEE), taking into account the correlation between the different scores of the same subject and the asymmetry of the data. The results show positive emotions to be significantly more intense than negative ones and ambiguous emotions are revealed throughout all the PE sessions.

This paper provides orthogonal moments (OM) such as, Zernike Moments(ZM), Psuedo Zernike Moments(PZM) and Orthogonal Fourier Mellin Moments(OFMM) for the analysis of melanoma images. The moment invariants may vary with respect to geometric variations. For the analysis of orthogonal moments hundred random melanoma images and hundred non-melanoma images have been taken into consideration from the database of 570 melanoma images and 250 non-melanoma images respectively. Orthoganal moments have been computed by varying the phase angles from 10° to 40° with an equal interval of 10° degree for the orders 2, 4,8,16,32,64,128,256 respectively. For the optimal OMs Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique have been used. These set of extracted optimal OMs have been further applied to classify melanoma images. Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been used for the classification of [1]sensitivity=88.78%.

This study examines whether information about the winners of the Sustainability Reporting Award (SRA) contributes to the usefulness of the information in the financial statements. This study used a sample consisting of 110 winners of SRA (SRA firms) and 110 companies that did not receive SRA (non-SRA firms) from 2008 to 2016. The study found that earnings per share (EPS), book value per share (BVPS), and earnings per share change (EPSC) are value relevant information. Results of comparison between SRA firms and non-SRA fimrs, this study found that EPS positive association with stock price and with returns for SRA firms is higher than that for non-SRA firms. Findings of this study also show that, value relevance of BVPS for non-SRA firms is higher than that for SRA firms. When mesures of Price and BVPS are transformed into natural logarithm, the value relevance of BVPS for SRA firms is higher than that for non-SRA firms. Thus, the results are sensitive to measures of the variables. The findings of this study indicate that information about the winners of SRA contributes to the usefulness of financial statements.

We report the electrical characterization and the field emission properties of CVD-grown MoS₂ bilayers deposited on SiO₂/Si substrate. Current-voltage characteristics are measured in the back-gate transistor configuration, with Ti contacts patterned by electron beam lithography. We confirm the n-type character of as-grown MoS₂ and we report normally-on field effect transistors. Local characterization of field emission is performed inside a scanning electron microscope chamber with piezo-controlled tungsten tips working as the anode and the cathode. We demonstrate that an electric field of ~200 V/μm is able to extract current from the flat part of MoS₂ bilayers, which therefore can be conveniently exploited for field emission applications even in low field-enhancement configurations. We show that a Fowler-Nordheim model, modified to account for electron confinement in 2D materials, fully describes the emission process.

While traditionally people relinquish their pets to an animal shelter or pound, the internet provides a newer method to re-home. We analysed advertisements (ads) on the largest website in Australia for trading dogs and cats, gumtree.com.au. Data was collected in 2016. Dogs were sampled on February 7, 16 and 24, 2016 and cats on February 9, 19 and 26, 2016 with 2640 ads for relinquished dogs, and 2093 ads for relinquished cats. It was estimated >31,000 puppies/dogs and >24,000 kittens/cats are relinquished on gumtree.com.au per year. The median age of dogs was 1.42 and cats 0.9 years of age. There were 23% of dog ads and 62% of cat ads for free animals. Compared to the human population there were proportionately more ads in Queensland and fewer ads in Victoria. A total of 15 people were surveyed who had relinquished a dog or cat using gumtree.com.au. The dog owners used gumtree.com.au because they believed the shelters were full (n = 4), and; they wanted to see/interview the new owner (n = 2). For cat owners it was because they had originally got the cat on gumtree.com.au (n = 2); they use gumtree.com.au for other things, and it works (n = 2), and; they wanted to see/interview the new owner (n = 2). The data collected will be valuable for implementation of policy and interventions to protect the welfare of un-wanted dogs and cats.

The main objective of this paper is to introduce a further extension of extended (p, q)-beta function by considering two Mittag-Leffler function in the kernel. We investigate various properties of this newly defined beta function such as integral representations, summation formulas and Mellin transform. We define extended beta distribution and its mean, variance and moment generating function with the help of extension of beta function. Also, we establish an extension of extended (p, q)-hypergeometric and (p, q)-confluent hypergeometric functions by using the extension of beta function. Various properties of newly defined extended hypergeometric and confluent hypergeometric functions such as integral representations, Mellin transformations, differentiation formulas, transformation and summation formulas are investigated.

We use earthquake ground motion modelling via Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) and numerical simulation of seismic waves to consider the effects of site amplification and basin resonance in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. While spectral accelerations at short periods are sensitive to near-surface conditions (i.e., Vs30), our results suggest that, for basins as deep as Jakarta’s, available GMPEs cannot be relied upon to accurately estimate the effect of basin depth on ground motions at long periods (>1 s). Amplitudes at such long periods are influenced by entrapment of seismic waves in the basin, resulting in longer duration of strong ground motion, and interference between incoming and reflected waves as well as focusing at basin edges may amplify seismic waves. In order to simulate such phenomena in detail, a basin model derived from a previous study is used as a computational domain for deterministic earthquake scenario modeling in a 2-dimensional cross-section. A M_w 9.0 megathrust, a M_w 6.5 crustal thrust and a M_w 7.0 instraslab earthquake are chosen as scenario events that pose credible threats to Jakarta, and the interactions with the basin of seismic waves generated by these events were simulated. The highest PGV amplifications are recorded at sites near the middle of the basin and near its southern edge, with maximum amplifications of PGV in the horizontal component of 200% for the crustal, 600% for the megathrust and 335% for the deep intraslab earthquake scenario, respectively. We find that the levels of ground motion response spectral acceleration fall below those of the 2012 Indonesian building Codes's design response spectrum for short periods (< 1 s), but closely approach or may even exceed these levels for longer periods.

The aim of the present study is to investigate both the performance and preferences of males and females Computer Science (CS) graduates. In order to attain the above goal, a quantitative case study was conducted regarding 89 degrees, acquired from 2006 to 2012, from the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Peloponnese, Greece. The analysis of the data revealed that in terms of performance, no significant differences between the mean grades of males and females exist, in almost most of the courses included in the curriculum of the aforementioned CS department. Any statistically significant differences in performances were present in almost equal number of courses in favor of males and females. It seems also, that females performed better in the courses they selected more than males. Regarding preferences, in CS courses, it seems that gender differences are existent. Males preferred more than females did core programming courses and advanced topics of Software Systems, computer networks, computer engineering, robotics and mathematics, whereas females preferred more the study of algorithms and security issues, computer fractals, data management, computer architecture, and mobile communication. In addition, females preferred courses in reference with humanities and social sciences, CS terminology, and career opportunities. Yet, females did not select any of programming lab-based courses, computer engineering, computer network issues and robotics.

Oil revenues and external debt might have stimulated economic growth in the oil exporting countries via investment in capital projects. The paper estimated economic growth on oil revenues and external debt after controlling public investment and population growth over the period 1970-2015. Following the confirmation of the order of integration, our analysis is based on autoregressive distributed lag bound testing to cointegration approach. The key findings are that oil revenues and public investment contributes to Nigeria’s economic growth. However, our findings also indicate that external debt and population growth retards growth. The study suggests that minimizing fiscal deficits and unnecessarily foreign loans by creating tax avenues through the development of the non-oil sectors would reduce the dependency syndrome on a single commodity (oil) in Nigeria.

Mitochondria function to generate ATP and also play important roles in cellular homeostasis, signaling, apoptosis, autophagy, and metabolism. The loss of mitochondrial function results in cell death and various types of diseases. Therefore, quality control of mitochondria via intra- and intercellular pathways is crucial. Intracellular quality control consists of biogenesis, fusion and fission, and degradation of mitochondria in the cell, whereas intercellular quality control involves tunneling nanotubes and extracellular vesicles. In this review, we outline the current knowledge on the intra- and intercellular quality control mechanisms of mitochondria.

This paper deals with the analytical modeling and control of rectilinear snake robots. During recent times snake robots have created much interest among researchers. The rectilinear pattern gait is one of the four biological snake locomotion modes. Rectilinear snakes have been widely used in rescue operations especially in rough terrains especially in narrow spaces where human intervention is not easy. Computational analysis of rectilinear motion is done using MATLAB.

Sustainability of current energy policies and known mid-term policies are analised in their multiple facets. First an overview is given about the trend of global energy demand and energy production, analysing the share of energy sources and the geographic distribution of demand, on the basis of statistics and projections published by major agencies. The issue of sustainability of the energy cycle is finally addressed, with specific reference to systems with high share of renewable energy and storage capability, highlighting some promising energy sources and storage approaches.

We have studied the relative positions of the frontier levels determine the main electronic properties and reaction ability, there is important necessity to compare the MO of the purine and рyrimidine bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T) and uracil (U). The donor and acceptor properties are the fundamental characteristic of the conjugated molecules and can be quantitatively estimated by relative positions of the frontier molecular orbitals. The MO’s energies can be estimated experimentally or quantum-chemically. Analysis of the relative position of the frontier levels (calibrated by the energy gap) enables the investigation of the donor/acceptor properties of the RNA/DNA bases more detailed. The index φ0 is proposed for the quantitative quantum-chemical estimation of the donor ability of the conjugated molecules: it points on the shifting of the energy gap relative to the reference electron balanced system. The RNA/DNA bases divided strictly by two groups: predominantly donors (φ0 > 0.5) and predominantly acceptors (φ0 > 0.5). Each representative base of the first group forms the stable base pair the representative base of the second group the difference of indices Δφ0 should be optimal to enables the DNA replication.

In this paper, quasi-static axial compression tests are performed on the nodal Moso bamboos to study the size effect on energy absorption of the bamboos and the damage pattern of the multiple bamboo columns. Experimental results show that under the same moisture content, growth age and growing environment, the specific energy absorption (SEA) of the test samples increases with the increase of the out-diameter and thickness of the bamboo columns, indicating that size effect exists for energy absorption of the Moso Bamboos. For the multiple bamboo columns, there are mainly three failure modes for the constituent single bamboo columns: splitting above the node, splitting below the node and splitting through the node. Also, the tensile tests are conducted on three kinds of dog-bone shaped bamboo samples to investigate the macroscopic tensile fracture mode in the longitudinal direction of Moso bamboos. Results show that there is no direct relationship between the fracture pattern and moisture content of the bamboos, as well as the growth age of the bamboos. However, the tensile loading rate and the shape of the dog-bone shaped bamboo sample could affect the macroscopic fracture pattern of the bamboos in some cases.

In this paper, we relate Poisson’s summation formula to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. They both express Fourier dualities within the space of tempered distributions and these dualities are furthermore the inverses of one another. While Poisson’s summation formula expresses a duality between discretization and periodization, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle expresses a duality between regularization and localization. We define regularization and localization on generalized functions and show that the Fourier transform of regular functions are local functions and, vice versa, the Fourier transform of local functions are regular functions.

The number of citations that a paper has received is the most commonly used indicator to measure the quality of research. Researchers, journals, and universities want to receive more citations for their scholarly publications to increase their h-index, impact factor, and ranking respectively. In this paper, we tried to analyses the effect of the number of available Google Scholar versions of a paper on citations count. We analyzed 10,162 papers which are published in Scopus database in year 2010 by Malaysian top five universities. Then we developed a software to collect the number of citations and versions of each paper from Google Scholar automatically. The result of spearman correlation coefficient revealed that there is positive significant association between the number of Google Scholar versions of a paper and the number of times a paper has been cited.

Development and sustainable development are two concepts gaining the attention of scholars, historians and policy makers in recent times. This is because they represent what people and societies across the world today sincerely desired. Every human being or human society deserve improvement in quality of livelihood, health care system, access to food, housing, security, clothing and many other indices of development in a sustainable manner. Based on this momentum, this paper examines the nexus between development and sustainable development. The paper is divided into four sections. The first section spots the conceptual issue woven around the term development as well as sustainable development in literature. The second section clarifies the two concepts (development and sustainable development) and the main perspectives on development were discussed. It also identifies the common and distinctive features between the concept of development and sustainable development. The third section then presents a conceptual framework of analysis on the nexus of between development and sustainable development. Finally, the paper concludes that the duos (development and sustainable development) are two-side of a coin and they complement each other. This is due to the fact that development is people oriented hence it must be sustainable so as to ensure that the advancement of current generation does not deny future generation the opportunity to develop.

Sports video analysis is an interesting and emerging field in the domain of computer vision. It has become a very popular subject among scholars all over the world in the last decade due to the need of automated classification of events such as offsides, in/out situations, goals and so on. The most important problem in sports video analysis is detection and tracking of ball and players. Extraction of court lines is also another important problem since it is necessary in the classification of aforementioned events. In this study, considering some of the previous work on the subject, we develop a method for tracking the ball and players in tennis videos where the camera position and orientation is supposed fixed.

Quantum Correlations are studied extensively in quantum information domain. Entanglement Measures and Quantum Discord are good examples of these actively studied correlations. Detection of violation in Bell inequalities is also a widely active area in quantum information theory world. In this work, we revisit the problem of analyzing the behavior of quantum correlations and violation of Bell inequalities in noisy channels. We extend the problem defined in [1] by observing the changes in negativity measure, quantum discord and a modified version of Horodecki measure for violation of Bell inequalities under amplitude damping, phase damping and depolarizing channels. We report different interesting results for each of these correlations and measures. All these correlations and measures decrease under decoherence channels, but some changes are very dramatical comparing to others. We investigate also separability conditions of example studied states.

Clock Network Design (CDN) is a critical step while designing any Integrated-Circuits (ICs). It holds vital importance in the performance of entire circuit. Due to continuous scaling, 3D ICs stacked with TSV are gaining importance, with an objective to continue with the Moore's law. Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) provides the vertical interconnection between two die, which allows the electrical signal to flow through it. 3D ICs has many advantages over conventional 2D planar ICs like reduced power, area, cost, wire-length etc. The proposed work is mainly focused on power reduction and obstacle avoidance for 3D ICs. Various techniques have already been introduced for minimizing clock power within specified clock constraints of the 3D CND network. Proposed 3D Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) is a combination of various algorithms with an objective to meet reduction in power as well as avoidance of obstacle or blockages while routing the clock signal from one sink to other sink. These blockages like RAM, ROM, PLL etc. are fixed during the placement process. The work is carried out mainly in three steps- first is Generation of 3D Clock tree avoiding the blockages, then Buffering and Embedding and finally validating the results by SPICE simulation. The experimental result shows that our CTS approach results in significant 9% reduction in power as compare to the existing work.

This study analyzes the modeling and dynamics of a novel passive in Multi-Degree-of-Freedom (MDOF) vibration isolation platform which can achieve significant isolation effect. Symmetrical Scissor-Like structures (SLSs) are utilized in the proposed MDOF isolation platform as the supporting and isolation elastic components. Based on the mathematical modeling and theoretical analysis of the MDOF vibration isolation system with SLSs, the effect of structural parameter and joint friction on stiffness and damping properties is investigated. It is shown that due to geometric relations within the SLSs, the natural frequencies can be reduced via adjusting structural parameters of the SLS for different direction vibration isolation. Theoretical and experimental results show that the SLS isolation platform can achieve much better loading capacity and vibration isolation performance simultaneously by only using linear passive components because of the MDOF adjustable stiffness property. Therefore, with low costing and energy consumption, the proposed novel isolation platform can provide the improvement of vibration suppression in various engineering practices.

In the paper, the authors survey integral representations of the Catalan numbers and the Catalan–Qi function, discuss equivalent relations between these integral representations, supply alternative and new proofs of several integral representations, collect applications of some integral representations, and present sums of several power series whose coefficients involve the Catalan numbers.

Liquorpheresis (CSF filtration) comprises a therapeutical approach that has been proposed to treat several neurological conditions where antibodies, inflammatory mediators or abnormal peptides are the cause or play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. CSF replacement may be an alternative approach not explored so far. Here, we review previous experiences in the use of liquorpheresis in autoimmune and degenerative neurological diseases. Then we describe previous developments and provide some new technical innovations in order to design bidirectional CSF shunting systems. These systems can be complemented either with a deposit of artificial CSF or with a CSF filter, allowing CSF replacement or liquorpheresis respectively. Both options would lead to mechanical dilution of the patient’s CSF.

Multimodality requires integration of heterogeneous transportation data to construct a broad view of the transportation network. Many new transportation services are emerging with being isolated from previously existing networks. This lead them to publish their data sources to the web -- according to Linked Data Principles -- in order to gain visibility. Our interest is to use these data to construct an extended transportation network that links these new services to existing ones. The main problems we tackle in this article fall in the categories of automatic schema matching and data interlinking. We propose an approach that uses web services as mediators to help in automatically detect geospatial properties and map them between two different schemas. On the other hand, we propose a new interlinking approach that enables user to define rich semantic links between datasets in a flexible and customizable way.

Recently two new degree concepts have been defined in graph theory: ev-degree and ve-degree. Also the ev-degree and ve-degree Zagreb and Randić indices have been defined very recently as parallel of the classical definitions of Zagreb and Randić indices. It was shown that ev-degree and ve-degree topological indices can be used as possible tools in QSPR researches . In this paper we define the ve-degree and ev-degree Narumi–Katayama indices, investigate the predicting power of these novel indices and extremal graphs with respect to these novel topological indices. Also we give some basic mathematical properties of ev-degree and ve-degree Narumi-Katayama and Zagreb indices.

The increase in the average lifespan and the consequent proportional growth of the elderly segment of society has furthered the interest in studying ageing processes. Ageing may be considered a multifactorial process derived from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors including lifestyle. There is ample evidence in many species that the maximum age attainable (maximum lifespan potential, MLSP) is genetically determined and several mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms are associated with longevity. Many studies have shown that most of the phenotypic characteristics observed in the aging process are the result of the occurrence, with age, of a low grade chronic pro-inflammatory status called "inflammaging", partially under genetic control. The term indicate that aging is accompanied by a low degree of chronic inflammatory, an up-regulation of inflammatory response and that inflammatory changes are common to many age-related diseases. Therefore, the theory of oxidation-inflammation was proposed as the main cause of aging. Accordingly, the chronic oxidative stress, that appears with age, affects all cells and especially those of the regulatory systems, such as the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems and the communication between them. This prevents an adequate homeostasis and, therefore, the preservation of health. It was also proposed that the immune system plays a key role in the aging process, specifically in the rate of aging, since there is a relationship between the redox state and functional capacity of immune cells and longevity of individuals. Moreover, the role of the immune system in senescence could be of universal application. A confirmation of the central role of the immune system in oxi-inflamm-aging is that the administrationintake? of adequate amounts of antioxidants in the diet improves immune function, decreases their oxidative stress, and consequently increases longevity. The promotion of healthy lifestyles is one of the major goals of governments and international agencies all over the world. Human molecular processes are influenced by both physiological pathways and exogenous factors which include, for instance, those originating from diet. Dietary intake has substantive effects on molecular processes of metabolic health. Nutrients can directly regulate physiological changes in human body. In fact, in addition to have an energetic and structural value, nutritional intake provides bioactive molecules which are selectively able to modulate specific metabolic pathways, noticeably affecting cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases development or progress. Numerous bioactive nutrients are being progressively identified and their chemopreventive effects are being described at clinical and molecular mechanism levels. Systematic analyses comprise all “omics” technologies (such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) and the goal is to investigate bioactive molecules effects derived from the diet. Nutrigenomic knowledge on physiologic status and disease risk will provide both developments of better diagnostic procedures and of new therapeutic strategies specifically targeted on nutritionally relevant processes. The present review was aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of bioactive nutrients and nutrigenomics on age-related diseases.

Visualizing geo-spatial data embedded into a three-dimensional terrain is challenging. The problem becomes even more complex when uncertainty information needs to be presented as well. This paper addresses the question of how to visually communicate all three aspects: the 3D terrain, the geo-spatial data, and the data-associated uncertainty. We argue that visualizing all aspects with a high degree of detail will likely exceed the visual budget. Therefore, we propose a visualization strategy based on prioritizing a selected aspect and presenting the remaining two with less detail. We discuss various design options that allow us to obtain differently prioritized visual representations. Our approach has been implemented as a tool for rapid visualization prototyping in the context of avionics applications. Practical solutions are described for a use case related to the visualization of 3D terrain and uncertain weather data.

Abstract: Hyperuricemia is commonly diagnosed in subjects with abnormal purine metabolism. Prolonged hyperuricemia often associated with gout, which is a vital risk factor for joint dysfunction. The current study was designed to determine the efficacy of vitamin C supplements for treatment of high serum uric acid (UA) among hyperuricemic and gouty patients, and finding-out the effect of supplementation on serum creatinine (Cr) level and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This intervention study was started in April, 2013, till two months. A convenient sample of 30 adults aged between 24-75 years of both genders was assigned into two study groups: hyperuricemic (n=15) and gouty (n=15) groups. Each participant supplemented with 500 mg/day vitamin C chewable tablets for 2 months. Serum UA, Cr, and GFR were measured before and after treatment. At the end of this study, Cr and GFR enhanced insignificantly in both groups. UA increased insignificantly in gouty group after 2 months by about 0.31 mg/dl. On the other hand, hyperuricemic group showed significant (P ≤0.05) decrease in UA (-0.78 mg/dl) after 2 months duration. In conclusion, supplementation with 500 mg/day vitamin C for 2 months significantly attenuated serum UA for hyperuricemic patients and insignificantly affected serum UA in gouty patients. The uselessness of vitamin C supplements on gouty patients could be associated to a number of possible reasons.

Rosette caused by rose rosette virus (RRV) is the most devastating malady of rose in the United States. Because of the recent discovery of the virus and the completion of Koch’s postulates all assumptions about the disease are based on visual observations of material that may or may have not been infected by the virus. This study addresses several aspects of virus and disease epidemiology. Twenty rose genotypes were screened for mite and/or virus resistance. Phyllocoptes fructiphilus the only known vector of RRV, was able to establish, lay eggs and develop to nymphs and adults in all genotypes. ‘Stormy Weather’ shows resistance to the virus as assessed by both mite and cleft-grafting transmission experiments. The acquisition/latent and inoculation access periods were studied revealing long acquisition/latent periods but rapid inoculation time frames. The outputs of this study will assist in the better management of the vector and the disease. The resistant genotype identified could be used in areas with high disease pressure to minimize spread and for identification of the mechanisms behind resistance or as breeding material to incorporate virus resistance to new cultivars. The short inoculation access period indicates that chemical control for the vector may be a challenging undertaking.

As part of the Copernicus programme of the European Union (EU), the European Space Agency (ESA) has developed and is currently operating the Sentinel-2 mission that is acquiring high spatial resolution optical imagery. This paper provides a description of the calibration activities and the current status of the mission products validation activities. Measured performances, from the validation activities, cover both Top-Of-Atmosphere (TOA) and Bottom-Of-Atmosphere (BOA) products. Results presented in this paper show the good quality of the mission products both in terms of radiometry and geometry and provide an overview on next mission steps related to data quality aspects.

This paper present a platform for airborne sensor applications using low-cost, open-source components carried by an easy-to-fly unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV). The system, available in open-source [1], is designed for researchers, students and makers for a broad range of their exploration and data-collection needs. The main contribution is the extensible architecture for modularized airborne sensor deployment and real-time data visualisation. Our open-source Android application provides data collection, flight path definition and map tools. Total cost of the system is below 800 dollars. The flexibility of the system are illustrated by mapping the location of Bluetooth beacons (iBeacons) on a ground field and by measuring water temperatures in a lake.

Web-Based GIS is a platform that deals with the representation, management and storage of locational information for real-time online retrieval, viewing and manipulations. Web-based GIS incorporate all the functions of information systems: gathering, storing, retrieving, visualizing and dissemination of spatial information on the Internet. In modern-day GIS serve as vital means to not only geo-referenced locational information that are been retrieved but also the development in web-based technologies as well as there involvements in decision making processes. In recent time the increased used of GIS on the Internet have totally transformed and made three distinct changes across our GIS environment. These are: (i) how are GIS data being accessed (ii) what are modes of its transmission and (iii) what available GIS functionalities are within the environment for analysis. This paper examines the applications and technologies associated with web-based GIS architectures with an emphasis on the internet GIS based structure and case studies of GIS Web-based applications in MapInfo, Microsoft Silverlight Technology and the ArcGIS Server using ArcGIS JavaScript API.

Evolution and geometry generate complexity in similar ways. Evolution drives natural selection while geometry may capture the logic of this selection and express it visually, in terms of specific generic properties representing some kind of advantage. Geometry is ideally suited for expressing the logic of evolutionary selection for symmetry, which is found in the shape curves of vein systems and other natural objects such as leaves, cell membranes, or tunnel systems built by ants. The topology and geometry of symmetry is controlled by numerical parameters, which act in analogy with a biological organism's DNA. The introductory part of this paper reviews findings from experiments illustrating the critical role of two-dimensional design parameters and shape symmetry for visual or tactile shape sensation, and for perception-based decision making in populations of experts and non-experts. Thereafter, results from a pilot study on the effects of fractal symmetry, referred to herein as the symmetry of things in a thing, on aesthetic judgments and visual preference are presented. In a first experiment (psychophysical scaling procedure), non-expert observers had to rate (scale from 0 to 10) the perceived beauty of a random series of 2D fractal trees with varying degrees of fractal symmetry. In a second experiment (two-alternative forced choice procedure), they had to express their preference for one of two shapes from the series. The shape pairs were presented successively in random order. Results show that the smallest possible fractal deviation from "symmetry of things in a thing" significantly reduces the perceived attractiveness of such shapes. The potential of future studies where different levels of complexity of fractal patterns are weighed against different degrees of symmetry is pointed out in the conclusion.

A power conservative Thevenin-Norton and Norton-Thevenin transformations are proposed in this letter. The transformations introduce a voltage and a current generators for which parameters depend on the loading impedance value.

The different sociocultural context and lifestyle may influence oral health. To evaluate the interference of these factors, we conducted a quantitative-qualitative cross-sectional study. The research was carried out in a private dental office, in an urban area, and in the Family Health Unit (USF), in a rural area. Fifty patients of each location participated on the research. A semi-structured questionnaire covering sociocultural profile, oral hygiene habits, drug consumption, use of medicinal plants, and antibiotics usage was applied. Also, laboratory tests to evaluate the tendency to have dental decay and Streptococcus sp colony counting was performed. There was no significant difference between patients in the two groups regarding gender, race, marital status, type of residence, number of residents in the same household, and type of employment. Private clinic participants were more prone to consuming alcohol and/or cigarettes and reported to brush the teeth more often. There was no association between salivary acidity and higher biofilm bacterial density. The usage of medicinal plants was more evident in the public service. Data presented here revealed that social inequality between private and public dental assistance are greater from the point of view of investment in public health for the population with difficult access and not from cultural or educational level diversity.

Individuals may exhibit altered foot mechanics, in this case foot pronation, only when fatigue sets in. Therefore, a more evidence-based understanding of these fatigue-induced changes may be helpful for future gait analysis and return to play tests, since fatigue could provide new insights that might explain a person’s complaints. Methods: 25 healthy test persons (24.3±2.7 years, BMI: 22.7±2.8) participated in this controlled non-randomized study of unilateral fatigue of the right foot stabilizing muscles with regard to the pronation of the foot, measured by navicular drop (ND) in a static (statND) und dynamic (dynND) state. The left foot served as a control. Surface electromyography was used to verify fatigue. Results: While statND didn’t change, the dynND increased significantly by 1.44±2.1 mm (= 22.3 %) after fatigue of the foot stabilizing muscles. No correlation was found between statND and dynND. Conclusion: Muscular fatigue can affect foot pronation. The dynND appears to be more representative of the loads in everyday life, whereby most studies work with the statND.

Disasters, whether natural or human-induced, pose significant threats to human lives, property, and infrastructure. This study examines the effectiveness of search and rescue (SAR) dogs in locating survivors during disasters, with a focus on the experiences in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. The primary goals are to evaluate training protocols, operational challenges, success rates, and the overall impact of SAR dogs in disaster scenarios. The findings indicate that SAR dogs greatly enhance the efficiency of disaster response operations. Their superior sense of smell, agility, and ability to manoeuvre through complex terrains make them crucial for quickly locating survivors. However, the performance of SAR dogs is affected by various factors, including the quality of their training, environmental conditions, and the coordination between handlers and dogs. The research highlights several challenges encountered by SAR dogs, such as extreme weather conditions, hazardous terrains, fatigue, and psychological stress. Additionally, limited resources and inconsistent training standards can hinder their effectiveness. The study underscores the importance of standardized training protocols, increased resource allocation, and better coordination among SAR teams. By addressing these challenges, the efficiency of SAR dogs can be further optimized, resulting in more effective disaster responses and higher survival rates. SAR dogs play an essential role in disaster management in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Ongoing investment in their training and welfare, along with improved operational protocols, will ensure their crucial contribution to saving lives during disasters. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the effectiveness of SAR dogs and provides practical recommendations for enhancing disaster response strategies.

The conversion of caatinga vegetation areas into pastures in the Brazilian semiarid region has depleted soil fertility due to degradation. The natural regeneration of the caatinga has been the alternative adopted to restore soil fertility. However, the real effectiveness of this practice in re-covering organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient stocks is unknown. This work evaluated the effect of natural regeneration of the caatinga vegetation on the restoration of levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P as a strategy to maintain the sustainability of the environment. We collected soil samples every 5 cm, up to 20 cm deep, in areas of degraded pasture, caatinga in regeneration (10 years), and regenerated caatinga (35 years) to evaluate the levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P. The depth sig-nificantly affects the levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P. Stocks and levels of SOC, N, and P were higher in regenerated caatinga > regenerating caatinga > degraded pasture. The regenerated caatinga increased SOC, N, and P stocks by 115%, 110%, and 117%, respectively, compared to the degraded pasture. Although 35 years of regeneration of the caatinga has improved soil fertility, the levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P remain low.

While molecular methods have begun to transform ecology, most algal biodiversity is still studied using the classical approach of identifying microalgae by light microscopy directly in sample material or using cultures. In this study, we compare both approaches (light microscopy and metagenomics as a molecular approach) using freshwater ponds of the Eifel National Park in Germany as a case study. The ponds were found to be rich in desmids by light microscopy. A total of 299 species representing 81 genera were identified by light microscopy. While the molecular method does not currently allow species identification in most cases, we were able to identify 207 different algal genera. 157 genera were detected only by metagenomics, 50 genera with both methods and 31 genera were found by light microscopy, highlighting the need to continue using light microscopy in addition to a molecular approach. The metagenomics method has several advantages over the light microscopy method: 1) deeper assessment of alpha biodiversity 2) better abundance numbers 3) complete coverage of all living matter. The latter is also a significant improvement over metabarcoding, as universal PCR primers are not available.

Understanding complex biological processes of cells in culture, particularly those related to metabolism, can be biased by culture conditions, since the choice of energy substrate impacts all main metabolic pathways. When glucose is replaced by galactose cells decrease their glycolytic flux, working as an in vitro model of limited nutrient availability. However, the effect of these changes on related physiological processes such as REDOX control is not well documented, particularly in endothelial cells where mitochondrial oxidation is considered to be low. We evaluated the differences in mitochondrial dynamics and function in endothelial cells exposed to galactose or glucose culture medium. We observed that cells maintained in galactose-containing medium show higher mitochondrial oxidative capacity, more fused mitochondrial network, and higher intercellular coupling. These factors are documented to impact the cellular response to oxidative stress. Therefore, we analyzed the levels of two main REDOX regulators and found that Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells (BAEC) in galactose media had higher levels of FOXO3 and lower levels of Nrf2 than those with glucose in the media. Thus, culture of endothelial cells in galactose containing medium may provide a more suitable condition to study in vitro mitochondrial related processes than glucose media, and deeply influence REDOX signaling in these cells.

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of cylindrical capacitors utilizing magnetodielectric materials composed of magnetizable microfibers dispersed within a silicone oil matrix. The microfibers, ranging in diameter from 0.25 to 2.20 μm, comprise hematite (α-Fe2O3), maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), and magnetite (Fe3O4). The study investigates the electrical behavior of these capacitors under the influence of an external magnetic field superimposed on a medium-frequency alternating electric field, across four distinct volume concentrations of microfibers. Electrical capacitance and resistance measurements are conducted every second over a 60-second interval, revealing significant dependencies on both the quantity of magnetizable phase and the applied magnetic flux density. Furthermore, the temporal stability of the capacitors’ characteristics is demonstrated. The obtained data are analyzed to determine the electrical conductance and susceptance of the capacitors, elucidating their sensitivity to variations in microfiber concentration and magnetic field strength. To provide theoretical insight into the observed phenomena, a model based on dipolar approximations is proposed. This model effectively explains the underlying physical mechanisms governing the electrical properties of the capacitors. These findings offer valuable insights into the design and optimization of magnetodielectric-based capacitors for diverse applications in microelectronics and sensor technologies.

The current research investigates the effects of material and riblets on cavitation-induced erosion morphology, depth, and cross-sectional area through experimental approaches. To achieve these aims, the erosion of pure aluminum (1xxxAl or Al) and alpha brass (CuZn37 or CZ108) in the presence and absence of bio-inspired sawtooth riblets was examined after exposure to multiple collapses of single cavitation bubbles with a wall distance of 1.8. The results indicate that the erosion morphology resembles a rounded cone with a circular cross-section. Brass provides 21.6% more erosion resistance compared to Al in terms of material properties. Furthermore, the erosion for both Al (depth by 3.8% and width by 18.3%) and brass (depth by 7.9% and width by 27.4%) decreases in the presence of riblets compared to flat surfaces. The greater erosion resistance of brass compared to Al is attributed to the superior mechanical stability of brass, making it a potentially suitable alloy for propellers and hulls. In sum, the results reveal that riblet-provided materials with high mechanical durability are promising erosion-resistant materials for the shipping industry. However, the potential for chemical reactions in a cathodic environment should be addressed to provide a comprehensive perspective on reducing corrosion intensity.

Hypochlorite (ClO−) and viscosity both affect the physiological state of mitochondria, and their abnormal levels are closely related to many common diseases. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a mitochondria-targeting fluorescent probes for the dual sensing of ClO− and viscosity. Herein, we have explored a new fluorescent probe XTAP−Bn, which responds sensitively to ClO− and viscosity with off-on fluorescence changes at 558 and 765 nm, respectively. Because the emission wavelength gap is more than 200 nm, XTAP−Bn can effectively eliminate the signal crosstalk during the simultaneous detection of ClO− and viscosity. In addition, XTAP−Bn exhibits a series of advantages, including high selectivity, rapid response, good water solubility, low cytotoxicity, and excellent mitochondrial targeting ability. More importantly, probe XTAP−Bn has been successfully employed to monitor the dynamic change of ClO− and viscosity levels in mitochondria of living cells and zebrafish. Taken together, this work not only provides a reliable tool for identifying mitochondrial dysfunction, but also offers a potential approach for the early diagnosis of mitochondrial-related diseases.

Background and Aims: Stroke is a leading cause of seizures and epilepsy in adults, but current guidelines lack strong recommendations for treating post-stroke seizures (PSE). This study aims to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of lacosamide combined with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with PSE and atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: In this prospective longitudinal study, 53 patients with PSE and AF, admitted from 2022 to 2023, received NOACs for AF management and lacosamide for seizure control. A control group of 53 patients with cardioembolic stroke, receiving NOACs, was matched by age, sex, and NIHSS scores to ensure comparability. Results: Over 24 months, 16 patients in the study group and 15 in the control group experienced new embolic events, with no significant difference between groups. Seizure control improved significantly in the study group, with reduced frequency and severity. No severe adverse effects from lacosamide were observed. Conclusions: The combination of NOACs and lacosamide is a safe and effective treatment for patients with AF and PSE, not increasing the risk of recurrent ischemic or hemorrhagic events. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups are needed to confirm these findings and optimize treatment protocols.

Hearing loss (HL) is a major clinical, population and public health leading to serious disorders and often early mortality. However, there is a significant paucity in high quality data. Saudi Arabia has a genetically uniform and young population; however factors and estimates on prevalence of HL remains unknown. Background/Objectives: we aimed to determine the frequency, factors, and patterns of HL in different regions. Methods: this study was a descriptive cross-sectional design using a web-based online public questionnaire sent out simultaneously to different regions of Saudi Arabia; namely Eastern, Western, Northen, and Southern as self-administered non-probability sample of social media users mainly WhatsApp, Twitter, and others. Results: Among 789 responses, 6.6 % reported HL, 62.4% were from the Eastern province of which 41.2% were employed and 31.7% were students. Many (36.5%) reported HL &gt; 5-years while 21.2% had programmed and fitted with hearing aids or cochlear implants implying negligence. 19.2% reported diabetes and 51.9% had family history. Ages (11– 50 years) were examined with a slight female predominance (females 59.1%, males 41%). Age was significantly associated with HL (P &lt;0.001) irrespective of gender (males 6.8%, females 6.4%, P value =0.838) reaching peaks at 17.2% in age groups 51-60 years and 25% in 71-80 indicating a risk for HL (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.78-2.81, p = 0.032). Genetic diseases reported as leading cause in 34.6% (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.34-3.58, p = 0.432) followed by noise (26.9%), while other factors including infections, stroke, and fevers made 19.2%. Work involving air or sea travels reported (7.7%) with no significant association (P = 0.628) while history of head injury or trauma (11.5%), or relocation between low- and high-altitudes showed 21.2%. However, frequent noise pollution (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 0.83-3.01, p = 0.048), regular use of medications (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.03-3.32, p = 0.017), and history of inflammatory disorders (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.32-1.87, p = 0.229) were also associated with higher odds of HL. Conclusion: thus, these findings have significant clinical implications in early diagnosis and management of HL in genetic disorders, diabetes, geriatrics, as well as awareness on family history and occupational health and safety. The study was limited in size and use of online questionnaires. Future large cohort multicenter study would gain more insights.

The study addresses improving disaster management performance using artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable development and support the global economy and proposes implementable strategies to achieve resilience and growth. Through a literature review, it examines the impact of natural disasters on international trade and focuses on the challenges faced by developing economies in developing countries. The study emphasizes the interconnectedness of global trade networks and the need for proactive risk management. Existing qualitative literature from previous studies was compiled and analyzed for the study. The results indicate potential disruptions in commercial activities and economic growth in Middle Eastern countries due to natural or human-caused disasters such as wars and terrorism. Here we find the importance of measures to build resilience and diversify trading partners and markets. Recommendations include investing in resilient infrastructure, promoting digital trade, strengthening institutional capacities, and enhancing regional and international cooperation. By providing insights to policy makers, businesses and stakeholders, this study contributes to understanding the resilience of developing economies to natural disasters and provides practical guidance for them to overcome the challenges posed by such disasters and achieve sustainable growth.

Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of 7-Ketositosterol (7-KSS), on sphingomyelin/ceramide metabolites and apoptosis in human breast MCF-7 and human liver HepG2 cancer cells. Methods: Anti-proliferative effects of 7-KSS treatment were assessed at different concentrations and periods. Cell viability was assessed through MTT analysis, whereas the levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), sphingomyelins (SMs), and ceramides (CERs) were measured using LC-MS/MS. Phosphorylated 44/42 ERK1/2 and NF-kB p65 (Ser536) protein levels were measured by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. Apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL staining and flow cytometric assessment of annexin-V and propidium iodide (PI) labeling. Results: Treatment with 7-KSS significantly decreased cell survival, S1P, p-44/42 ERK1/2, and p-NF-κBp65 protein levels in cancer cells compared to controls. A substantial rise was detected in intracellular amounts of C16-C24 CERs and apoptosis in cancer cells incubated with 7-KSS. Conclusions: 7-KSS stimulated ceramide accumulation and apoptosis while decreasing cell proliferation via downregulating S1P, p-44/42 ERK1/2 and p-NF-κBp65 protein levels.

Introduction: Transportation logistics play a pivotal role in facilitating both individual mobility and supply chain operations on a global scale. However, conventional transportation systems have contributed significantly to urban congestion and environmental degradation. In response to these challenges, there is a growing momentum towards the adoption of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and sustainable transportation solutions. This research aims to explore the potential of renewable energy sources to power electric vehicles (EVs) and flying automobiles, thereby accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon future. Objectives: The primary objectives of this research are as follows: - Investigate the role of renewable fuels in powering both EVs and flying cars to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions. - Analyze the dynamic growth and sustainability implications of advancements in battery technology and alternative renewable energy sources, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells. - Evaluate the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of flying vehicles into existing transportation infrastructure, focusing on safety, airspace control, and infrastructure development. - Review insights and guidance to stakeholders on promoting sustainable transportation solutions for EVs and flying cars through the utilization of renewable energy sources and the reduction of carbon emissions from the literature. Methodology: This research employs a mixed-method approach, combining literature review, and causal loop diagram analysis. The literature review provides a comprehensive understanding of current trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable transportation and renewable energy technologies. A causal loop diagram is utilized to visualize the dynamic interactions between various factors influencing the adoption of EVs and flying cars, including technological advancements, policy interventions, and market dynamics. Results and Discussion: The findings of this research highlight the significant potential of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydrogen, in powering both EVs and flying cars. Advances in battery technology and hydrogen fuel cells are identified as key drivers in accelerating the transition towards sustainable transportation systems. However, challenges remain in terms of infrastructure development, safety regulations, and airspace management for flying vehicles. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable advancement in reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels with the widespread adoption of EVs. By harnessing renewable energy and implementing effective policy measures, stakeholders might able to promote the widespread adoption of sustainable transportation solutions, thereby contributing to environmental protection and societal well-being. Conclusion: Literally, this research underscores the importance of sustainable transportation solutions in addressing urban congestion, environmental pollution, and energy security concerns. By leveraging renewable energy sources and embracing technological advancements, such as EVs and flying cars, stakeholders pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient transportation system. However, concerted efforts are needed to overcome existing challenges and ensure the successful integration of these technologies into existing infrastructure. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative initiatives, a low-carbon future for transportation logistics can be achieved, benefiting both the environment and society as a whole.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most prevalent cancer in Korea, significantly impacting morbidity and mortality. While advancements in early detection and treatment have improved survival rates, managing post-surgical recovery remains vital. Herbal medicine (HM) has emerged as a potential adjunct therapy to enhance recovery and quality of life (QoL) in patients post-GC surgery. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of HM in the post-surgical recovery of GC patients. We searched both Korean and international databases, identifying 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting our criteria. We assessed study quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and analyzed data with Review Manager Software (RevMan). Results: Our analysis included 1,546 patients from the selected studies, demonstrating that HM significantly improved gastrointestinal recovery times, including time to first flatus, bowel movement, and return of bowel sounds. Significant improvements were also seen in nutritional markers such as albumin and prealbumin, alongside beneficial effects on immune markers like CD3+ and CD4+ levels. QoL assessments using WHOQOL-BREF and QLQ-C30 scores indicated substantial improvements. HM had a favorable safety profile, showing a reduced incidence of adverse effects compared to controls. Conclusion: The findings suggest that HM can significantly enhance recovery and improve the quality of life following gastric cancer surgery, with a favorable safety profile. However, due to considerable heterogeneity in study results, extended clinical trials and rigorous follow-ups are recommended to assess long-term effects and side effects comprehensively.

Through the integration of high-resolution hydrodynamic modeling and comprehensive field measurements, this study elucidates the intricate three-dimensional hydrographic characteristics of the eastern Gulf of Thailand (eGOT). In addition to the prevalent tidal currents dictating alternating flow along the northwestern and southeastern axes, our investigation reveals pronounced seasonal variations in mean currents, water temperature, and salinity within the eGOT, closely linked to the dynamics of the Asian-Australian monsoon system. During the southwest monsoon, mean currents exhibit a southeasterly trend, contrasting with a northwesterly pattern during the northeast monsoon. Lowest water temperatures occur during the latter, while the highest levels are observed during the 1st monsoon transition (April-March). Notably, salinity levels reach their lowest levels during the southwest monsoon and the 2nd monsoon transition (October), coinciding with the seasonal stratification of the water column and the emergence of a distinct stable along-the-shore northwesterly current with the average speed of 15 cm/s, defined here as the “Chathaburi Coastal Current (CCC)”. Model experiments attribute the formation of the CCC to decreased salinity induced by direct rainfall, highlighting the significance of rainfall as a key factor influencing coastal water dynamics in tropical regions or areas experiencing high precipitation.

Friction stir processing (FSP), a severe plastic deformation process, was applied on commercially pure Ti to obtain an improved microstructure. The process yielded a refined microstructure and higher mechanical properties at room temperature (RT). Yet the microstructure was found to contain bright bands demonstrating high hardness values of about 500 HV. High resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) as well as electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) analysis indicated that these bands were composed of extra-fine equiaxed α-Ti grains with an average radius of 1-2 microns. In addition, a retained β-phase was detected at the boundaries of these α-Ti grains, together with a small quantity of separate β grains. The results of a fractography study conducted on broken tensile specimens showed that the FSP’ed material was free of defects and that the fracture started at these bands. It is proposed that these bright bands are due to excessive deformation occurring during the processing stage, leading to an accelerated dynamic recrystallization (DRX) process. In turn, these heavy deformation regions act as a strengthening constituent, making the material superior to the parent material as far as its mechanical RT properties are concerned. Consequently, this means that FSP of CP-Ti has the potential to serve as an industrial means of improving the mechanical properties of the material.

The adipose tissue is responsible for fat storage and is the major producer of exosomes. Biological content transported by the exosomes provides information, such as immunometabolic alterations. This study aimed to isolate whole exosomes from plasma and supernatant of differentiated 3T3-L1 cells using three isolation techniques. Plasma from 120 individuals categorized by body adipose tissue proportion and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells were used in this study. The exosome isolation techniques were differential centrifugation (DC), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and a commercial kit (Invitrogen), and characterized by cryo-TEM, TEM, and western blot for the tetraspanins CD9 and CD81. In the three isolation techniques, cryo-TEM and TEM analysis showed similar quality, quantity, and morphology of exosomes; at the same time, no difference was observed between individuals categorized by proportion of body fat. According to our results, the concentration of the circulating exosomes is not different between normal and high-fat percentage individuals, but rather their composition. The SEC and kit commercial proved that compile with most of the advantages of an exosome isolation technique, nerveless we emphasize the importance of selecting the appropriate methodology depending on the specific research objectives.

We used light, electron microscope and teased fiber autoradiography to show that myelinating Schwann cells synthesize phospholipids and proteins in perinuclear cytoplasm and superficial cytoplasmic channels or Cajal bands (SCC/CB). Neither phospholipid nor protein syntheses occur in paranodal loops, Schmidt-Lanterman incisures or adaxonal cytoplasm. Autoradiographic studies also show that in support of local protein synthesis, RNAs move from the nucleus into perinuclear cytoplasm and out along SCC/CB. Unlike other phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol synthesis occurs extensively in axons. This finding indicates differences in the distributions of phospholipid synthesizing enzymes in smooth endoplasmic reticulum of Schwann cell processes and axoplasm.Autoradiographs of nerves at longer survival times show that tritiated phosphatidylcholine and fucose-labeled glycoproteins move from synthetic sites to outermost myelin lamellae. From there, phosphatidylcholine spreads inward reaching innermost lamellae of thicker sheaths in days. Coupled with retention of fucose glycoproteins in outer myelin lamellae is the presence of fucose glycoprotein synthesized during early myelination in inner lamellae of thicker sheaths, a result consistent with growth of myelin sheaths from inner lamellae out. In this review, we revisit these studies because they provide temporal and spatial perspectives needed in understanding dynamic aspects of myelinogenesis and how myelinating cells respond to injury and from altered gene expression.

An 8-month-old, 3.4 kg, castrated male Toy Poodle was referred for progressive tetraparesis and respiratory disorder without a history of trauma. Diagnostic imaging, including dynamic CT and MRI, revealed concurrent atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) and atlantoaxial instability (AAI) with spinal cord compression. This case was unique due to its congenital nature and the absence of trauma. The surgical intervention involved precise removal of the C1 vertebra's ventral articular facet, which was compressing on the spinal cord, attributed to its fixed and malaligned position within the atlantooccipital joint. Following facetectomy, the stabilization of the occipital bone to the C2 vertebra was achieved by screws, wire, and polymethyl methacrylate. Postoperative recovery was monitored with CT and radiographs, showing successful decompression and gradual improvement in gait, despite mild residual ataxia. The dog experienced postoperative complications with screw loosening at 114 days, which was managed successfully by extracting the problematic screws. Postoperatively, the dog showed a near-normal gait and experienced no pain through 21 months of monitoring. This case represents the first report of concurrent congenital AOD and AAI treated with ventral surgical approach, contributing new insights to the understanding and management of such complex cranio-cervical junction disorders in veterinary neurosurgery.

In the early decades of the 19th century, the deaf population in the eastern US and Canada was distributed across a vast area. After the 1817 founding of the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in Hartford, CT and the subsequent establishment of schools for the deaf in New York City (NYSD), Philadelphia, and many other US states, hundreds of deaf students called these schools home for several years. After leaving school, the early American Deaf community faced a challenge: How would the community maintain its social and linguistic ties across a vast geographical area once community members had dispersed to their hometowns? In this paper we analyze the attendance registries of two large gatherings of deaf individuals in Hartford in the years 1850 and 1854. These were among the largest and earliest known gatherings of deaf adults. The demographic data included in these registries open a window onto the evolving American Deaf community of the mid-19th century. Our analyses of the attendees’ school affiliations, ages, and marital status show that the signing community that had taken root among students at schools in Hartford and New York persisted among the adult graduates of those schools in towns across the northeastern US. We compare the places of residence of ASD and NYSD alumni in 1850 and 1854 to their hometowns when they first enrolled at school. Our comparisons suggest the mid-19th-century signing community had become more urban; it was centered to a greater extent in populous cities such as New York, Boston, and Hartford than had been true when the attendees had enrolled in school. We consider how the geography of deafness in the 19th century might inform our understanding of the sources of regional variation in ASL. We also consider how early cross-regional interactions may have inhibited such regional variation.

Enhancing the Efficiency of Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) Extraction and Fractionation Trains: An Integrated Approach of Simulation Analysis, Advanced Modifications, and Technological Advancements. Through comprehensive research, innovative solutions such as the heat pump aided distillation (HPAD) system and self-heat recuperation technology (SHRT) have been developed to significantly reduce the energy consumption associated with conventional distillation systems. To identify a practical system for NGL fractionation trains, this study extensively examined and compared various HPAD and SHRT options to retrofit a single column. The objective was to find the most suitable and efficient solution for the fractionation process of natural gas liquids (NGLs). The retrofit options analyzed in this study encompassed a range of techniques, including vapor compression (VC), mechanical vapor re-compression (MVR), thermal vapor re-compression (TVR), bottom flashing (BF), side heat exchanger (SHE), intermediate heating and cooling (IHC), self-heat recuperative (SHR), and modified self-heat recuperative (MSHR) distillation. These methods were carefully examined to determine their suitability and effectiveness in improving the performance of NGL fractionation trains.In this study, a depropanizer column, typically employed in conventional NGL plants, was selected as a case study. The simulation software Aspen HYSYS V7.3 was employed to model and analyze eight retrofit designs based on predefined criteria. The simulation data was carefully evaluated to identify the most efficient design for minimizing energy consumption. Among the retrofit options, the mechanical vapor re-compression (MVR) technique demonstrated the most significant energy cost reduction, with a remarkable 68.11 percent improvement compared to the base case conventional column. These findings highlight the potential of MVR as an effective solution for lowering energy costs in NGL fractionation trains.Following the MVR retrofit option, the study found that vapor compression (VC) achieved a considerable energy cost reduction of 66.65 percent, closely followed by modified self-heat recuperative (MSHR) at 64.02 percent, bottom flashing (BF) at 62.88 percent, self-heat recuperative (SHR) at 55.85 percent, side heat exchanger (SHE) at 54.23 percent, intermediate heating and cooling (IHC) at 39.54 percent, and thermal vapor re-compression (TVR) also at 39.54 percent. These findings highlight the significant potential for energy savings offered by these retrofit options, with VC being the most popular choice, closely followed by MSHR, BF, SHR, SHE, IHC, and TVR.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) and deficit irrigation (DI) play a crucial strategic role in sustaining agricultural yield and reducing water stress in drought prone areas. The study was carried out in 2021-2022 to assess the impact of various PGRs (SA & NAA) & irrigation levels (60% Epan, 80 % Epan, and 100 % Epan) with DI & partial root drying (PRD) irrigation strategies. PGR application boosted fruit yields and demonstrated its significance in reducing water stress by lowering canopy temperature, maintaining higher relative water content in the leaves, modifying stomatal opening, and increasing photosynthetic rate. PGRs were used to assess the increased accumulation of total phenols, flavonoids, and improved antioxidant activity. Results indicated that exogenous use of PGRs like SA+NAA in conjunction with 80% irrigation levels increased fruit yield (31.97 and 40.38%) and water productivity (64.92 and 75.39%) for DI and PRD treatments, respectively. Thus standardizing irrigation and crop management practices including PGR application can be recommended to boost pomegranate productivity particularly in water-scarce environments.

The grain filling rate (GFR) plays a crucial role in determining grain yield. However, the regulatory and molecular mechanism of grain filling rate (GFR) in foxtail millet remains unclear. In this study, we found the GFR of 'Changnong No.47' (CN47) was significantly higher at 14 days after flowering (DAF) and 21 DAF in comparison to 'Changsheng 13' (CS13). Furthermore, CN47 also exhibited higher thousand grain weight and yield than CS13. Therefore, we conducted transcriptomics and metabolomics to analyze the biological processes and functional genes associated with GFR during two stages of grain filling in both cultivars. A total of 765 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 246 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified at the 14 DAF stage, while at the 21 DAF stage, a total of 908 DEGs and 268 DAMs were identified. The integrated analysis of co-mapped DAMs and DEGs revealed enriched pathways, including flavonoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, tyrosine metabolism, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, beta-alanine metabolism, as well as stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid and gingerol biosynthesis. In order to elucidate their potential functions in the context of GFR, we developed a gene-metabolite regulatory network for these metabolic pathways. Notably we found some genes associated with ABC transporters and plant hormone signal transduction pathway were implicated in auxin transport and signal transduction, highlighting the crucial role of auxin during grain filling. The results provide initial insights into the regulatory and molecular mechanisms underlying GFR in foxtail millet, as well as offer valuable genetic resources for further elucidation of GFR in future studies. The findings have established a theoretical basis for improving the efficiency of yield breeding in foxtail millet.

Musculoskeletal disorders are a common occurrence in Europe, affecting millions of people and costing billions of euros in social security services. Traditional treatments using drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause gastric damage, making prolonged use difficult. To address this issue, the Author has developed NegEnt Spray - Muscles and Joints, a topical medical device that uses liposomal cannabidiol and chamomile hydrolate to reduce inflammation and pain in musculoskeletal disorders. The liposomal technology used in NegEnt Spray allows for better bioavailability and a more targeted action, while chamomile hydrolate provides a natural anti-inflammatory and soothing effect. The spray is non-greasy, absorbs quickly, and can be used under any circumstances. Its pocket-sized design makes it easy to carry and use throughout the day. With NegEnt Spray, patients can alleviate discomfort and pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders without worrying about the side effects of traditional treatments.

Understanding the motivations and decisions behind COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is crucial for designing targeted public health interventions to address vaccine hesitancy. We conducted a qualitative analysis to explore COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among diverse ethnic subgroups of Black Americans in the United States. This study investigates the responses of 79 African American, Afro-Caribbean, and African respondents over the age of 18 in Washington State and Texas between 2021-2022. Qualitative responses were analyzed by content category and ethnic subgroup. Of the 79 responses, 60 expressed favorable perceptions, 16 unfavorable, and 3 neutral. Dominant categories among participants in favor of the vaccine included personal health (26), concern for health of family/or community members (13), and desire to protect others (11). Among the 42 vaccinated African American respondents, the primary motivation was personal health (20). The 12 unvaccinated African American respondents cited fear of side-effects as the dominate motivation. Caribbean respondents cited family or elders as motivation for their decision. African respondents were nearly unanimous in taking the vaccine (13/16), citing trust in healthcare, protecting friends and family, and personal health as reasons. Community and personal relationships were critical decision-making factors in accepting the COVID-19 vaccine with African Americans having the strongest hesitancy.

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of a nutrition-care bundle on growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes of micro-preterm infants born in a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by two years corrected age. Methods: A nutrition-care bundle emphasizing the prompt initiation of parenteral nutrition at birth, initiation of enteral feeds within 6 hours after birth, and early addition of human milk fortifiers was implemented in 2015 for infants born &lt;26 weeks gestation. This before-and-after study evaluated growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born between 2012-2013 (before-nutrition-bundle BNB) and 2016-2017 (after-nutrition-bundle ANB). Results: A total of 145 infants were included in the study. Infants in the ANB group (n=73) were smaller (birthweight and gestational age), and there were more male infants and multiples included compared to the BNB group (n=72). Enteral feeds and fortifiers started earlier in the ANB group. Growth velocity and weight-z-score changes were similar in both groups during NICU stay and post-discharge. Systemic steroid use, but not cohort, was linked to lower Bayley scores across all domains. Conclusions: Implementing a nutrition-care bundle was not consistently associated with improved weight-gain and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the micro-preterm infant population, likely due to ongoing high-quality nutritional care by the clinical team.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown varying effects on adolescents’ mental health, psychosocial functioning, risk behaviours, and victimisation. This study aims to examine the changes reported by a sample of Swedish adolescents (N=1607) at the end of the first year of the pandemic in relation to these factors. Data was collected with an electronic survey between September 2020 and February 2021, targeting upper-secondary high school students (aged 15-19 years). The results indicate a relatively low overall impact of the pandemic on Swedish upper-secondary school students, with notable gender differences. Compared to females, a higher percentage of male adolescents reported experiencing elevated levels of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, anger, and increased illicit drug use as consequences of the pandemic. In contrast, females demonstrated an increase in several salutogenic behaviours. Victimisation rates generally decreased during this period. These findings underscore the importance of heightened awareness among professionals within schools, social services, and healthcare settings regarding the distinct challenges encountered by a larger portion of male adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

Integrating a grid-connected battery into a Renewable Energy Community boosts Collective-Self-Consumption of photovoltaic produced energy and allow to perform Energy Arbitrage in the day-ahead and intraday electricity market. However, is it a cost-effective investment? The proposed analysis relay on Net Present Value assessment. Ageing affects are integrated and sensitivity analyses are conducted: considering community customers number, electricity mar-ket prices, battery cost, size and the decision to engage in energy arbitrage. Each scenario under-goes a 20-year hourly simulation using an ageing aware rolling-horizon 24-hours-looking-ahead scheduling, optimized with Mixed-integer linear Programming. Forecast errors, provid-ing of ancillary services, real time control and grid constrains are not taken into account. Simulations conducted on the Italian market indicates that a battery dedicated solely to collec-tive self-consumption is not economically appealing. However, integrating Energy Arbitrage, despite impact on battery lifespan, halves the payback period and enhances the attractiveness of larger battery investments. The Net Present Value is contingent upon battery size, customer number and market prices. However, if battery cost does not exceed 200 €/kWh the investment become cost-effective across all scenarios.

The corpus luteum is a temporary endocrine gland formed in the ovary after ovulation, and it plays a critical role in reproductive processes. Tumors rely on the development of an adequate blood supply to ensure the delivery of nutrients and oxygen and the removal of waste products. While angiogenesis occurs in various physiological and pathological contexts, the corpus luteum and tumors share similarities in the signaling pathways that promote angiogenesis. In the corpus luteum and tumors, apoptosis plays a crucial role in controlling cell numbers and ensuring proper tissue development and function. Interestingly, there are similarities in the apoptotic-regulated signaling pathways involved in apoptosis between the corpus luteum and tumors. However, the regulation of apoptosis can differ due to their distinct physiological and pathological characteristics. Thus, we reviewed the biological events of the corpus luteum and tumors in similar microenvironments of angiogenesis and apoptosis for studying novel research methods.

Sexual Violence (SV) can deeply impact victims' physical and psychosocial well-being. Yet many healthcare providers, including registered nurses (RNs), hesitate to screen patients due to a lack of confidence and knowledge. The SATELLITE Sexual Violence Assessment and Care Guide was developed to address this gap; however, the guide’s educational effectiveness remained untested. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of an education program based on the SATELLITE guide among RNs in clinical settings, using a pre- and post-test design. Results indicated that the education was not only feasible and acceptable, but also demonstrated the effects as desired with significant increases in RNs' knowledge and confidence in SV screening and care. The program's assessment tool was valid and reliable, and participant recruitment was feasible. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the SATELLITE education program be further tested with a larger RN sample and extended to other healthcare providers. Additionally, exploring different regions, cultural contexts, and healthcare settings would enhance understanding of the program's broader applicability and effectiveness.

Sleep fragmentation (SF) can increase inflammation and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to metabolic dysfunction. SF is associated with inflammation of adipose tissue and insulin resistance. Several studies suggested that melatonin may have beneficial metabolic effects by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). However, it is unclear whether melatonin affects the AMPK signaling pathway in SF-induced metabolic dysfunction. Therefore, we hypothesize that SF induces metabolic impairment and inflammation in white adipose tissue (WAT), as well as altered intracellular homeostasis. We further hypothesize that these conditions could be improved by melatonin treatment. We conducted an experiment using adult male C57BL/6 mice, which were divided into three groups: control, SF, and SF with melatonin treatment (SF+Mel). The SF mice were housed in SF chambers, while the SF+Mel mice received daily oral melatonin. After 12 weeks, glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, adipose tissue inflammation, and AMPK assessments were performed. The SF mice showed increased weight gain, impaired glucose regulation, inflammation, and decreased AMPK in WAT compared to the controls. Melatonin significantly improved these outcomes by mitigating SF-induced metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and AMPK downregulation in adipose tissue. The therapeutic efficacy of melatonin against cardiometabolic impairments in SF may be due to its ability to restore adipose tissue homeostatic pathways.

Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) are essential macro-elements crucial for the proper development, productivity, nutrient uptake, and the building blocks of protein biosynthesis. The plant's N-metabolism is also influenced by S, and its deficiency can lead to a decline in the consumption of N from fertilizers. The objective of this research was to assess the impacts Temporal N and S applications on the nutrient uptake, productivity, use efficiencies and micronutrients content status in soybean seeds. The field trial in randomized complete block design carried out, experiment comprised fourteen treatments with varying N and S quantities. N and S were applied through starter and temporal applications in different combinations. The findings indicated that temporal application of individually N and S fertilization as 25 kg ha-1 as starter and 25 kg ha-1 as temporal applications at R2 stage enhanced the highest nutrient uptake, seeds and stalks yields. The use efficiencies, as well as the Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) uptake by seeds, showed an increase with the temporal application of both nutrients compared to the control. Furthermore, soil Zn and Fe contents were also enhanced with the temporal applications of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization. As a result, it could be decided that the nitrogen and sulfur temporal applications not only enhanced nutrient uptake, productivity and use efficiencies but also improved the micronutrient uptake by soybean. Furthermore, this practice contributed to an improvement in soil Zn and Fe content.

An innovative mobile Lidar device, developed to monitor volcanic plumes during explosive eruptions at Mt. Etna (Italy) and analyze the optical properties of volcanic particles was upgraded in October 2023 with the aim to improve volcanic plume retrievals. The new configuration of the lidar allows to obtain new data of both the optical and the microphysical properties of the atmospheric aerosol. In fact, after its upgrade, the lidar has the possibility to measure 3β, 2α and 2δ in a configuration defined as “state of the art lidar” where properties such as the particle size distribution and refractive index can be derived. During the lidar implementation we were able to to test the system performance through specific calibration measurements. In this work, the first measurement results are shown and compared with results obtained by other instruments aimed at proving the ability of the upgraded system to more precisely characterize the aerosol optical and microphysical properties.

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is one of the most destructive diseases in banana farming worldwide. Knowledge of the factors of genetic diversity and virulence of the pathogen contributes to the development of resistant cultivars and in management strategies based on exclusion. In this study, phenotypic traits such as virulence and aggressiveness in a sample of 52 Foc isolates, were analyzed and their relationship to the presence of putative effectors of gene SIX (Secreted in Xylem) pathogenicity homologues, verified. According to the dissimilarity matrix, there were three isolates closest to the standard Foc race 1 strain. Isolates 229A and 218A, were selected according to their aggressiveness profile in 'Grand Naine' and 'Prata-Anã', respectively, I order to replace the standard isolate of race 1 in the resistance screening process carried out by the breeding program. Two homologues of the SIX8 gene, SIX8a and SIX8b, are present in isolates of Foc from Brazil and the SIX8b gene correlates with avirulence in the cultivar ‘Grand Naine’ (Cavendish). These results are important to support the banana genetic breeding program by identification of sources of resistance to Foc and contribute in the establishment of the function of SIX effector proteins.

Stem cells can be used to treat diabetic mellitus and complications. ω3-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived lipid mediators are inflammation-resolving and protective. This study found novel DHA-derived 7S,14R-dihydroxy-4Z,8E,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid (7S,14R-diHDHA), a maresin-1 stereoisomer biosynthesized by leukocytes and related enzymes. Moreover, 7S,14R-diHDHA can enhance mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) functions in the amelioration of diabetic mellitus and retinal pericyte loss in diabetic db/db mice. MSCs treated with 7S,14R-diHDHA were delivered into db/db mice i.v. every 5 days for 35 days. Blood glucose levels in diabetic mice were lowered by 7S,14R-diHDHA-treated MSCs compared to control and untreated MSC groups, accompanied by improved glucose tolerance and higher blood insulin levels. 7S,14R-diHDHA-treated MSCs increased insulin+ β-cell ratio and decreased glucogan+ α-cell ratio in islets, as well as reduced macrophages in pancreas. 7S,14R-diHDHA induced MSC functions in promoting MIN6 β-cell viability and insulin secretion. 7S,14R-diHDHA induced MSC paracrine functions by increasing the generation of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor. Furthermore, 7S,14R-diHDHA enhanced MSC functions to ameliorate diabetes-caused pericyte loss in diabetic retinopathy by increasing their density in retina in db/db mice. Our findings provide a novel strategy for improving therapy for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy using 7S,14R-diHDHA-primed MSCs.

In the face of pressing global challenges, coupling the synergy of dance arts, sustainability, and marketing communications emerges as a potent catalyst for advancing sustainable behavior within society. Although prior research has examined the emotional stimulations raised by dance performance, it has not systematically demonstrated the role of traditional dance as a vehicle for sustainability marketing communications. This study fills this gap by using the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) as a foundation, conceptualizing dance performance elements into seven dimensions, and incorporating emotional engagement and environmental consciousness to foster sustainable behavior. Collaborating with Taiwanese dance troupe, the research produced a performance titled, ‘The New Dragon Palace Chronicle’, which focuses on the themes of destruction and preservation of underwater life, enriched with cultural and sustainability symbolism. The hypothesis were tested on a sample of 315 Taiwanese audience who watching the performance. The results confirmed that the seven dimensions of the dance elements have substantial validity and reliability, significantly drawing the attention of the audience as preliminary stage of awareness. This attention fosters emotional engagement and amplified environmental consciousness and significantly influences interest, desire, and ultimately, sustainable behavior action. The findings underscore the vital role of dance art performance in nurturing actions that contribute to social sustainability.

This study focused on evaluating the potential of natural fermentation of pea flour (F) to improve the release of antioxidant compounds. Two fermentation conditions of F were performed: 1: 36.4% w/w, 24 h, 30°C (FF1); 2: 14.3% w/w, 24 h, 37°C (FF2); pH values decreased to 4.4-4.7, with a predominance of lactic acid bacteria. An increment of the proteolysis degree (TNBS method) (greater for FF2), polypeptides aggregation and decrease of solubility, increase of &lt; 2 kDa peptides, and increase in the ORAC potency of PBS-soluble fractions after fermentation was demonstrated. After simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID, COST-INFOGEST), FF1D and FF2D showed greater proteolysis degrees (63 and 53%) than F1D and F2D (45%), with differences in the molecular composition of the different digests. ORAC and HORAC potencies increased in all cases. FF2D presented the greater ORAC value, with higher activities for &gt; 4 kDa, some in the range 2 to 0.3 kDa. and &lt; 0.10 kDa fractions. Fermentation also increased the 60 % ethanol extracted phenolic compounds, mainly flavonoids, and the ORAC activity. After SGID, the flavan-3-ols disappeared but some phenolic acids increased respect to F. Fermentation in condition 2 was considered the most appropriate to obtain a functional antioxidant ingredient.

Persons who inject drugs (PWIDs) represent an important reservoir of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, hence therapeutic communities (TCs) are promising points of care for the identification and treatment of HCV-infected PWIDs. We evaluated the effectiveness and efficacy of an HCV micro-elimination program targeting PWIDs in the context of a drug-free TC applying Cascade of Care (CoC) evaluation by calculating frequencies of infection diagnosis, confirmation, treatment and achievement of a sustained virological response (SVR). We also evaluated the risk of reinfection of PWIDs achieving HCV eradication, by collecting follow-up virologic information of previously recovered individuals and eventual relapse in drug use, assuming the latter as a potential source of reinfection. We considered all PWIDs (aged 18+ years) residing in the San Patrignano TC at the beginning of the observation period (Jan/2018–Mar/2022) or admitted thereafter, assessing for HCV and HIV serology and viral load by standard laboratory procedures. Ongoing infections were treated with direct acting antivirals (DAA), according to the current national guidelines. Out of the 792 individuals tested on admission, 503 (63.5%) were found to be seropositive for antibodies against HCV. 481 of these 503 individuals (95.6%) underwent HCV-RNA testing. Out of the 331 participants positive for HCV-RNA, 225 were ultimately prescribed a DAA treatment with a Sustained Viral Response (SVR), which was achieved by 222 PWIDs (98.7%). 186 of 222 PWIDs (83.8%) with SVR remained HCV-free on follow-up (with a median follow-up of 2.73 years after SVR ascertainment). The CoC model in our TC proved efficient in implementing HCV micro-elimination, as well as in preventing reinfection and promoting retention in care of individuals, which aligns with the therapeutic goals of addiction treatment.

Antipsychotic drug (APD) medication can lead to metabolic dysfunctions and weight gain, which together increase morbidity and mortality. Metabolically active visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in particular plays a crucial role in the etiopathology of these metabolic dysregulations. Here we studied the effect of 12 weeks drug medication by daily oral feeding of clozapine and haloperidol on the perirenal fat tissue as part of VAT of male and female Sprague Dawley rats in the context of complex former investigations on brain, liver, and blood. Adipocyte area values were determined as well as triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), glucose, glycogen, lactate, malondialdehyde equivalents, ferric iron and protein levels of Perilipin-A, hormone-sensitive-lipase (HSL), hepcidin, glucose transporter-4 (Glut-4) and insulin receptor-ß (IR-ß). We found increased adipocyte mass in males with slightly higher adipocyte area values in both males and females under clozapine medication. Triglycerides, NEFAs, glucose and oxidative stress in the medicated groups were unchanged or slightly decreased. In contrast to controls and haloperidol medicated rats, perirenal adipocyte mass and serum leptin levels were not correlated under clozapine. Protein expressions of perilipin-A, Glut-4 and HSL were decreased under clozapine medication. IR-ß expression changed sex-specifically in the clozapine medicated groups associated with higher hepcidin levels in the perirenal adipose tissue of clozapine-medicated females. Taken together, clozapine and haloperidol have a smaller effect than expected on perirenal adipose tissue. The perirenal adipose tissue shows only weak changes in lipid and glucose metabolism. The main changes can be seen in the proteins examined and probably in their effect on liver metabolism.