Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide and is almost always associated with repeated infections by human papillomavirus (HPV). Screening by traditional tests combined with biomarker identification techniques for low- or high-grade injuries, are becoming increasingly important in diagnosis and prognosis, avoiding countless deaths. This article explores existing literature on the main serum biomarkers and the identification of biomarkers associated with the oncogenesis of HPV expression in the identification of pre-cancerous lesions and of CC for an effective treatment, with reduction of recurrence, as well as we explain strategies for the development of biomarkers based on DNA, proteins and other markers. We also describe how markers of chromosomal instability host DNA, promoting hypo- or hypermethylation of DNA, as well as polymorphisms and epigenetic events in the p53 gene. Finally, we discuss changes in gene expression using cDNA microarray techniques and changes in the expression of proteins and markers identified through mass spectrometry.

Nitroxyl radical catalysts oxidize alcohols under an applied electric potential. It is possible to quantify the alcohol concentration from the resulting oxidation current. In this work, we evaluated the catalytic activity of nitroxyl radicals (or their corresponding hydroxylamines), including 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) as representative nitroxyl radicals, acetoamido-TEMPO, which shows higher oxidation potential than TEMPO owing to the acetoamido group, AZADO, Nor-AZADO, and NNO as less-hindered bicyclic nitroxyl radicals, and NHPI as an N,N-diacyl-type hydroxylamine, in acetonitrile solution. TEMPO, AZADO and NNO were also evaluated for their ability to oxidize alcohols in organic solvents, and their reactivity was compared with the electrochemical response. The most active NNO was used for electrochemical detection of cyclosporin A, a drug with a hydroxyl group.

YH-DIE must have continuity . Given the basic algebraic clusters of homogeneous configurations,we can get the basic three equations: \begin{array}{l} {\mathop{\int}\nolimits_{0}\nolimits^{{x}_{i}}{\frac{{G}\left({{x}_{i}\mathrm{,}s}\right)}{{\left({{x}_{i}\mathrm{{-}}{s}}\right)}^{\mathit{\alpha}}}\mathrm{\varphi}\left({s}\right){ds}}\mathrm{{=}}{f}\left({{x}_{i}}\right)}\ ;\ {\frac{\mathrm{\partial}}{\mathrm{\partial}{x}_{i}}\left({\frac{{\mathrm{\partial}}_{{x}_{i}}G}{\sqrt{{1}\mathrm{{+}}{\left|{\mathrm{\nabla}{G}}\right|}^{2}}}}\right)\mathrm{{=}}{0}}\ ;\ {{i}\mathrm{{=}}\mathop{\sum}\limits_{{x}_{i}\mathrm{{=}}{1}}\limits^{\mathrm{\infty}}{\arccos\hspace{0.33em}\mathrm{\varphi}\left({{x}_{i}}\right)}\mathrm{{=}}{f}\left({\fbox{${Yuh}$}}\right)} \end{array} YH-DIE has become a fusion point and access point in the fields of algebraic geometry and partial differential equations, and its mapping on multidimensional algebraic clusters or manifolds is very special. The minimal surface equation is a special case.

Ammonia (NH3), the most prevalent alkaline gas in the atmosphere, plays a significant role in PM2.5 formation, atmospheric chemistry, and new particle formation. This paper reviews quantification of [NH3] through measurements, satellite-remote-sensing, and modeling reported in over 500 publications towards synthesizing current knowledge of [NH3], focusing on spatiotemporal variations, controlling processes, and quantification issues. Most measurements are through regional passive sampler networks. [NH3] hotspots are typically over agricultural regions like the Midwest US and North China Plain, with elevated concentrations reaching monthly averages of 20 and 74 ppbv, respectively. Topographical effects dramatically increase [NH3] over the Indo-Gangetic Plains, North India and San Joaquin Valley, US. Measurements are sparse over oceans, where [NH3] ≈ few tens of ppbv, variations of which can affect aerosol formation. Satellite-remote-sensing (AIRS, CrIS, IASI, TANSO-FTS, TES) provides global [NH3] quantification in the column and at surface since 2002. Modeling is crucial for improving understanding of NH3 chemistry and transport, its spatiotemporal variations, source apportionment, exploring physicochemical mechanisms, and predicting future scenarios. GEOS-Chem (global) and FRAME (UK) models are commonly applied for this. A synergistic approach of measurements↔satellite-inference↔modeling is needed towards improved understanding of atmospheric ammonia, of concern from the standpoint of human health and the ecosystem.

In the past decades, Fiber Reinforced Concrete has been gaining more attention in the concrete research development. There are many advantages of the inclusion of fiber into reinforced concrete structures. It was found that the inclusion of fibers in concrete, be it synthetic or natural, resulted in the improvement of the thermal properties of concrete, as well as its strength to some extent. However, the inclusion of fibers in concrete does affects its thermo-mechanical properties. The objective of this study is to identify the potential of the addition Polypropylene and Kenaf fibers in cement mortar at different compositions (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%). Eight mixes were analyzed for this purpose. Upon investigating the flow ability, compressive strength, tensile strength, and thermal conductivity of the mortar samples, it was found that the incorporation of PP and Kenaf fibers reduced the flow ability. Cement mortar samples containing 0.1% addition of PP and Kenaf fibers show the highest compressive strength compared to other percentages, while samples containing 0.3% addition of PP and Kenaf fibers show the highest tensile strength compared to other percentages. The thermal conductivity of mortar samples shows reduction when high percentages of both fibers were used.

During the last twenty years around the world there has been a rapid increase in the number of people visiting long established religious shrines as well as the creation of new sites by those operating outside the boundaries of institutional religion. This increase is intimately associated with the revival of traditional routes, the creation of new ones and the invention of new rituals (religious, spiritual and secular). To examine this process I will focus on the European region and two contrasting destinations in particular – the Catholic shrine of Lourdes, France, and the pre-Christian shrine of Avebury, England – drawing on my personal involvement in travelling to both destinations and being involved in ritual activities along the route and at the two destinations. In the discussion section of the paper I will explore the relevance of these two case studies to the analysis of power, agency and performance and the ways in which they expose (a) the role of institutions and entrepreneurs in creating rituals and sacred places and (b) the relationship between people and the domesticated landscape.

Nature-inspired algorithms are very popular tools for solving optimization problems inspired by nature. However, there is no guarantee that optimal solution can be obtained using a randomly selected algorithm. As such, the problem can be addressed using trial and error via the use of different optimization algorithms. Therefore, the proposed study in this paper analyzes the time-complexity and efficacy of some nature-inspired algorithms which includes Artificial Bee Colony, Bat Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization. For each algorithm used, experiments were conducted several times with iterations and comparative analysis was made. The result obtained shows that Artificial Bee Colony outperformed other algorithms in terms of the quality of the solution, Particle Swarm Optimization is time efficient while Artificial Bee Colony yield a worst case scenario in terms of time complexity.

Nature-inspired algorithms are very popular tools for solving optimization problems inspired by nature. However, there is no guarantee that optimal solution can be obtained using a randomly selected algorithm. As such, the problem can be addressed using trial and error via the use of different optimization algorithms. Therefore, the proposed study in this paper analyzes the time-complexity and efficacy of some nature-inspired algorithms which includes Artificial Bee Colony, Bat Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization. For each algorithm used, experiments were conducted several times with iterations and comparative analysis was made. The result obtained shows that Artificial Bee Colony outperformed other algorithms in terms of the quality of the solution, Particle Swarm Optimization is time efficient while Artificial Bee Colony yield a worst case scenario in terms of time complexity.

In the last few decades, the dynamics of tumor cells and their growths are presented via clinical, experimental, and theoretical approaches, which leads to the development of the new idea of multiple cancer therapies to control and reduce the death rate for earlier detection. In this paper, we discussed the dynamics of tumor cell growth and its treatment process. We analyzed some simple mathematical models and generalized the study to understand the growth of tumor cells. The main proposed model is a system of ordinary differential equations which combines interactions among natural killer cells, dendritic cells and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. The model is solved numerically to explain how the tumor cells spread and become more dangerous as well as the treatment process of cancer. It is also studied that how the cell behaves in the presence of different therapy and drugs. The optimal control of chemotherapy has been discussed. It has also been explained how much the model is effective in reducing tumor cells over time. Finally, a couple of spatially distributed models are discussed for tumor cell growth.

The author's method of oligomer sums for analysis of oligomer compositions of eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes is described. The use of this method revealed the existence of general rules for cooperative oligomeric organization of a wide list of genomes. These rules are called hyperbolic because they are associated with hyperbolic sequences including the harmonic progression 1, 1/2, 1/3, .., 1/n. These rules are demonstrated by examples of quantitative analysis of many genomes from the human genome to the genomes of archaea and bacteria. The hyperbolic (harmonic) rules, speaking about the existence of algebraic invariants in full genomic sequences, are considered as candidates for the role of universal rules for the cooperative organization of genomes. The described phenomenological results were obtained as consequences of the previously published author's quantum-information model of long DNA sequences. The oligomer sums method was also applied to the analysis of long genes and viruses including the COVID-19 virus; this revealed, in characteristics of many of them, the phenomenon of such rhythmically repeating deviations from model hyperbolic sequences, which are associated with DNA triplets. In addition, an application of the oligomer sums method are shown to the analysis of the following long sequences: 1) amino acid sequences in long proteins like the protein Titin; 2) phonetic sequences of long Russan literary texts (for checking of thoughts of many authors that phonetic organization of human languages is deeply connected with the genetic language). The topics of the algebraic harmony in living bodies and of the quantum-information approach in biology are discussed.

Background and objectives: Quality assurance and institutional accreditation in education is becoming of paramount importance. This study aims to assess the impacts of the accreditation process of the National Center for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (NCAAA) on the quality of education in one of private university in Libya. Methods: The research adopts a descriptive study design in University of Tripoli Alahlia (UTA) where an official accreditation process was completed by the NCQAA during 2017-2019. Data were collected using the self-study report that produced by the NCQAA accreditation committee during the accreditation process, and were retrieved in specific data collection sheet by one of the authors. Results: The NCQAA accreditation process that lasted about 4 years brought significant changes in the educational progressions and made the staff members more aware of quality issues in education. Our findings also reported significant improvements in the quality of education in the university. Conclusions: The process of NCQAA accreditation conducted in UTA has been positively improved the quality of education. Data from other institutions would also expressively increase the relevance and rationality of the study.

As an on-going pandemic caused by the out-break of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or simply COVID-19 sweeps through the globe at an unprecedented rate leaving behind trails of high infection and mortality, it is crucial to understand the propagation dynamics of the virus in a host population in order to take urgent and effective remedial and mitigating steps to save life. It is already observed in many countries and communities that accurate and timely testing, tracing, and tracking of the infection lead to better containment and slowing down of the spread. In this exploratory research, the early growth dynamics of infection within a population is pursued based on real data. The study posits that the early growth in a homogenous population follows an exponential pattern motivating further rigorous quantitative treatment based on a number of analytical models such as logistic model, Richard’s model, and Gompertz model– the acceleration pattern of the outbreak is ascertained from the daily inflection data, and regression analysis against population models yields dynamic growth indices which allow very accurate prediction of the successive outbreak size when calibrated continually with updated data. The performance of the various models is evaluated with the real dataset. More, the basic reproduction number of the COVID-19 virus propagation in the community is estimated based on the on-set phase dataset using multi-compartmental epidemiological model. Also, the maximum infection size, infection doubling time and the scope of the herd immunity are also inferred for COVID-19 in a population.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus which causes respiratory illness. Older adults and people who have previous chronic medical conditions are at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19.Hypovitaminosis D is attributed to the increased risk of lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as well as diabetes, Cardiovascular event and associated comorbidities, which are the main causes of severe clinical problem in COVID-19 patients. Considering the protective role of vitamin D through modulating the innate and adaptive immune system as well as inhibition of Renin Angiotensin System (RAS), vitamin D supplementation might boost the immune system of COVID-19 patients and reduce severity of the disease in vitamin D deficient individuals.

In this paper, we investigate how Rindler observer measures the universe in the ADM formalism. We compute his measurements in each slice of the space-time in terms of gravitational red-shift which is a property of general covariance. In this way, we found special relativity preferred frames to match with the general relativity Rindler frame in ADM formalism. This may resolve the widely known incompatibility between special relativity and general relativity on how each theory sees the red-shift. We found a geometric interpretation of the speed of light and mass.

This work evaluates the surface water quality in terms of physico-chemical parameters of the Brahmani River, Odisha using statistical analysis involving the calculation of correlation coefficient and regression equation. Besides this, the work also highlights and draws attention towards the “Water Quality Index” in a simplified format which may be used at large and could represent the reliable picture of water quality. Surface water quality data is taken from OSPCB of various location i.e. Panposh D/S, Rourkela D/S, Rengali, Talcher U/S, Kamalanga D/S, Bhuban, Pattamundai and was assessed for summer, monsoon, winter for the years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Average of values, minimum of values and maximum of values of water quality parameters were obtained seasonally over the above mentioned years. Besides this, the standard deviation for the water quality parameters was also obtained for water quality parameters namely pH, Temperature, DO, TDS, Alkalinity, EC, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, F-, Cl-, NO3-, SO42- and PO42-. Seasonal changes in various physical and chemical parameters were analysed.The values obtained were compared with the guideline values for drinking water by Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). A systematic correlation and regression study is carried out for three seasons, showed linear relationship among different water quality parameters. This provides an easy and rapid method of monitoring water quality. Highly significant (0.8< r <1.0), moderately significant (0.6< r <0.8) and significant (0.5< r <0.6) correlations between the parameters have been worked out. High correlation coefficient has been observed between TDS,EC-Na+, Ca2+, Cl-, SO42- ; Na+- Cl-. From the collected quantities, certain parameters were selected to derive WQI for the variations in water quality of each designated sampling site. WQI of Brahmani River ranged from 36.7 to 44.1 which falls in the range of good quality of water.Panposh D/S and Rourkela D/S showed poor water quality in summer and winter season. It is shown that WQI may be a useful tool for assessing water quality and predicting trend of variation in water quality at differentlocations in the Brahmani River.

Developmental modularity has long been viewed as a hierarchical organization that facilitates evolution over macro-evolutionary time through modification or co-option of preexisting modules. More recently, developmental modularity has been proposed as a micro-evolutionary mechanism capable of driving rapid evolution of novel color pattern phenotypes between closely related taxa. In this scenario, swapping allelic variants of modular cis-regulatory elements (CREs) via recombination generates novel phenotypes by shuffling preexisting color pattern modules into new arrangements. Recent evidence from Drosophila and butterflies, however, provides a series of examples in which pleiotropic CREs function in multiple developmental contexts. The potential prevalence of pleiotropy in CRE function is a major barrier to the proposed evolutionary role of CRE modules and encourages us to reconsider the relative importance of modularity for microevolutionary change. Here we first review the case for the apparent frequent exchange of modular color pattern phenotypes as a mechanism facilitating diversification. We then contrast this with recent evidence of CRE pleiotropy and argue that exchange of CRE modules should not be the default assumption, even when phenotypes look modular. Finally, we review experimental data on Heliconius butterfly wing patterns—which appear modular—and introduce the concept of evolutionary modularity as an alternative to developmental modularity. Evolutionary modularity reconciles the appearance of modularity in comparative genomic studies of Heliconius color patterns with experimental data supporting a non-modular architecture. We propose that evolutionary modularity provides a potentially important pathway for exchange of phenotypic elements between hybridizing taxa independent of the underlying developmental architecture.

M87 is the best available source for studying the AGN jet-launching region. To enrich our knowledge of this region, with quasi-simultaneous observations using VLBA at 22, 43 and 86~GHz, we capture the images of the radio jet in M87 on a scale within several thousand R_s. Based on the images, we analyze the transverse jet structure and obtain the spectral-index distribution in the jet. We find that the absorption is enhanced at the collimation regions and the interruption of the jet. The external medium, which may not be uniform, may have contributed a lot to the absorption in the jet-launching region. Additionally, the temporal morphology of the jet in its launching region may be largely affected by the local, short-lived kink instability growing in itself.

In typical Cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloys powders, aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) powder can be added. In the present study, we successfully prepared alloyed samples of various powder ratios by laser cladding, and analyzed their microstructure and carbide structural characteristics, including microhardness, biological properties, morphology (using scanning electron microscopy), and crystal structure (using X-ray powder diffraction). Elemental distribution was also determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectral analysis. The results showed that Al₂O₃ addition caused the alloy to change from slender columnar crystals to columnar grains similar, to equiaxed grains. In addition, Al₂O₃ agglomeration zones appeared, and carbide structures were altered. The mechanism of the observed performance changes was also analyzed.

Animal terminalia represent some of the most diverse and rapidly evolving structures in the animal kingdom, and for this reason have been a mainstay in the taxonomic description of species. The terminalia of Drosophila melanogaster, with its wide range of experimental tools, have recently become the focus of increased interest in the fields of development, evolution, and behavior. However, studies from different disciplines have often used discrepant terminologies for the same anatomical structures. Consequently, the terminology of genital parts has become a barrier to integrating results from different fields, rendering it difficult to determine what parts are being referenced. We formed a consortium of researchers studying the genitalia of D. melanogaster to help establish a set of naming conventions. Here, we present a detailed visual anatomy of male genital parts, including a list of synonymous terms, and suggest practices to avoid confusion when referring to anatomical parts in future studies. The goal of this effort is to facilitate interdisciplinary communication and help newcomers orient themselves within the exciting field of Drosophila genitalia.

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns are often placed under confinement to increase their strength and ductility. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials have recently been recognized as favorable confinement systems. At present, a number of national standards and codes dedicated to the design of concrete components strengthened with CFRP in general and CFRP confinement in particular are available. These sets of rules provide design equations for confined reinforced concrete columns with circular and rectangular cross sections. Most of the standards and codes exhibit significant differences, including the used predictive models limitations, observed effects, and covered loading conditions. In this paper, five international standards and design guidelines are introduced and discussed. The purpose is to present a constructive and critical assessment of the state-of-the-art design methodologies available for CFRP confined RC columns and to discuss effects not previously considered properly. Therefore, some recent research efforts and findings from the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences are also introduced. The obtained data is used for a comparative study of the guideline predictive equations. Furthermore, it is shown that some new findings concerning the rupture strength and the maximum strength plus accompanying axial strain of a CFRP confined column are suitable to improve the current guidelines.

A new sulbatamol sulphate SBS membrane electrode was prepared that utilizing for its determination ; depend on the forming of the association complex ion of sulbatamol sulphate by the phosphotungstate counter anion deposed in poly vinyl chloride PVC polymer, by use a (Di-n- Octyl Phenyl Phthalate)(Dopp) as the plastizier substance, in membrane.The features properties as well as the behavior of it .The new electrode have been elaborated. The concentrations of medicine by utillizing This sensor show a fast, stable, near-Nernstian response in the range (1x10^-1-1x10^-6) mol/ L were determined with correlation coefficient of about (r = 0.9991) and with of a relative standard about 0.416 additionally deviation relative standard error of 1.710 %.^pot The nernast linearity slop was founded and it is equal to 28.9 mV/decade and the detection limit was 4.1 x 10^-6 mol/ L.The electrode selectivity coefficient K_i,j was calculated, in the existence of several interferences cations with confirmed medicine solutions. It was found the pH range response is in the range of (3 -7), with the response time of (30 – 116) sec. for various concentrations at room temperture , the lifetime for electrode was found to be more than 21 days. The electrode was successfully used for potentiometric limitation of sulbatamol sulphate in several pharmaceutical drugs by using direct potentiometry.

Debates about the conditions in which the frequency and intensity principles of regular exercise, depending on the fact that sports background can be accepted as extremism, are still a controversial topic. The purpose of this research is to investigate the Exercise Dependence of Athletes doing Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Muaythai. The study included 141 athletes consisting of 87 men and 54 women. Exercise Dependence Scale composed of 21 items developed by Hausenblas and Downs and adapted into Turkish version by Yeltepe and İkizler was applied to athletes. As a result of the research, while athletes showed more sensitivity to exercise dependence scale (= 71.41), this scale was also defined as symptomatic. It was found that 5 athletes (3.5%) were asymptomatic-nondependent, 117 athletes (83.0%) were symptomatic-nondependent and 19 athletes (13.5%) were at-risk for exercise dependence. It was determined that athletes were at-risk for exercise dependence group while 8 athletes were doing kickboxing, 10 athletes were doing taekwondo and 1 athlete was doing muaythai athlete. A significant difference was observed according to regular training and number of daily training. It didn’t significantly differ in other variables. It is possible to say that regular training can be effective to reveal the exercise dependence.

An investigation was made to determine the effects of tungsten surface coating on the coefficient of friction of sliding contact between lubricated steel surfaces. The four-ball test was modified, using a tungsten carbide ball bearing in the spindle to cause sliding contact onto three hard steel ball bearings coated with tungsten disulfide lamellar dry lubricant coating, with a coating of grease lubrication applied to the ball bearings. The coatings, loads, speed, and grease level was varied to best understand the impact of different conditions to the friction coefficient.

The diagnostics of natural landscapes geoecological state in the course of the permafrost zone economic development should be based on the assessment of the destructive cryogenic processes formation. It is expedient to consider it in terms of landscapes resistance to cryogenic processes increase. The choice of lithocryogenic stability parameters is substantiated. These are: permafrost distribution over the area, its annual mean temperature and ice content, protective properties of the vegetation and etc. Cryogenic processes activation is estimated with regard to their area, development rate and attenuation, natural landscapes damage, hazard for engineering facilities operation. The assessment procedure, and the way of improving expert numerical scores are shown. At Geography Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the authors have developed a number of the approved methods of making evaluation maps of different scales applying the methods of landscape indication, modern methods of space images decoding, methods of expert scores, the method statistical calculations and methods of spatial GIS-analysis. The technique of Atlas geo-information mapping on the landscape basis has been introduced in seven atlases at scales from 1:3 000 000 to 1:20 000 000. These maps are widely used in design and survey organizations and in education.

The prim objective of commenced article is to determine q-sumudu transforms of a product of unified family of q-polynomials with basic (or q-) analogue of fox’s H-function and q-analog of I-functions. Specialized cases of the leading outcome are further evaluated as q-sumudu transform of general class of q-polynomials and q-sumudu transforms of the basic analogues of Fox’s H-function and I-functions.

Simulation programs contain Computational Fluid Dynamics - CFD codes and are a useful tool used for gas flow through porous materials. Conducting numerical simulations allows for detailed analysis of hydrodynamic phenomena. The results of numerical modeling should always be verifiable based on experimental data. Only their compliance with the results of experimental tests is a determinant of the correctness of the applied method. As part of the work, experimental studies of hydrodynamics of gas flow through an isotropic porous material were carried out and numerical simulation for material of the same shape was used. In the CFD modeling Kolmogorov's hypothesis for the transport of kinetic energy of turbulence k and transport of dissipation rate of kinetic energy of turbulence ε was used.

The coal mine underground reservoir is an appropriate solution between coal mining and groundwater resource protection and utilization. By calculating the storage capacity of a groundwater reservoir, the storage coefficient has been proved to be always an empirical value. Based on the mathematical derivation of the vertical fracture area ratio and the horizontal fracture area rate of the collapse zone and the fissure zone in the goaf area of the coal seam, the mathematical models of tem are derived, and the model for calculating the water storage coefficient is derived. The water storage coefficient derived from the theoretical model had more basis and more advanced than the traditional empirical value. By using this method, the practical calculation of No.1 underground reservoir of the DaLliuta Coalmine in Shenhua Shendong, has got a perfect matching with the actual groundwater storage capacity.

It is always a difficult task to assign the peaks recorded from vibrational spectrum. Herein we explored a new pathway of density functional theory (DFT) simulation to present three kinds of spectra of ice XIV and can be referenced as inelastic neutron scattering (INS), IR, and Raman experimental spectrum. The INS spectrum is proportional to phonon density of states (PDOS) while the photon scattering signals reflect the normal vibration frequencies near the Brillouin zone (BZ) center. Based on good agreements with experimental data, we identified the relative frequency and made scientific assignments by normal vibration modes analysis. The debating two hydrogen bond (H-bond) peaks among ice phases from INS have been discussed and the dynamic process of H-bond vibrations were found to be classified into two basic modes. we deduce that two H-bond modes are a general rule among ice family and more works are ongoing to investigate this subject.

We recently screened a series of new aziridines β-D-galactopyranoside derivatives for selective anticancer activity and identified 2-methyl-2,3-[N-(4-methylbenzenesulfonyl)imino]propyl 2,3-di-O-benzyl-4,6-O-(S)-benzylidene-β-D-galactopyranoside (AzGalp) as the most promising compound. In this article, we explore possible mechanisms involved in the cytotoxicity of this aziridine and evaluate its selective anticancer activity using cancer cells and normal cells from a variety of tissues. Our data show that AzGalp induces DNA damage (detected with the comet assay). Cells deficient in the DNA repair pathway nucleotide excision repair (NER) were hypersensitive to the cytotoxicity of this compound. These results suggest that AzGalp induces bulky DNA adducts, and that cancer cells lacking a functional NER pathway may be particularly vulnerable to the anticancer effects of this aziridine. Several experiments revealed that neither the generation of oxidative stress nor the inhibition of glycolysis played a significant role in the cytotoxicity of AzGalp. The combinations of AzGalp with either oxaliplatin or 5-fluorouracil slightly improved the ability of both anticancer drugs to selectively kill cancer cells. AzGalp also displayed selective cytotoxicity against a panel of malignant cells versus normal cells; the highest selectivity was observed for two acute promyelocytic leukemia cell lines. Additional preclinical studies are necessary to evaluate the anticancer potential of AzGalp.

Limonene epoxide (1,2 limonene oxide) readily reacts with carbon dioxide in a ring opening copolymerization reaction with insertion of CO₂ and formation of polycarbonates of exceptional chemical and physical properties. Both poly(limonene carbonate) and poly(limonene dicarbonate) can be synthesized using low cost Zn or Al homogeneous catalysts. This study addresses selected relevant questions concerning the technical and economic feasibility of limonene and carbon dioxide polymers en route to the bioeconomy.

Dietary supplements are more and more often used to increase daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals. These preparations are classified as special category of foods and are subject to food law, not pharmaceutical regulations. As a result the requirements to dietary supplements are much less restrictive than to medications. Also simple and inexpensive procedure of registration causes that the number of dietary supplements is widely spread every year. On every manufacturing phases of dietary supplements, there is a risk of contamination. One of the pollutions might be mercury which is classified as heavy metal. Its inorganic compounds damage kidneys and liver and methylmercury is easily absorbed from gastrointestinal system. Methylmercury is distributed in all tissues, also in nervous system. The aim of study was to determine the level of mercury in multivitamins and multiminerals preparations and to analyze the results. The study included 22 dietary supplements containing vitamins and minerals available on Polish market. Mercury was analyzed with atomic absorption spectrometry using AMA 254. The concentrations of Hg was 0.22–5.85 µg/kg (the average content was 2.40 µg/kg). The highest average mercury content was 4.51 µg/kg, whereas the lowest one was 0.31 µg/kg. The results was also analyzed in individual groups depending on main component and indication for use as well as pharmaceutical formulation. Also according to manufacturer’s recommendation, the dose of mercury taken with a single medicine was estimated for time of a day, a week, a month, 3 months and also a year. The findings were compared to limits defined in regulations of European Union and PTWI set by JECFA to assess the health risk. The results presented in this study proved that the amount of mercury in tested dietary supplements is much lower than the value of valid regulations. Analyzed supplements as long as they are used with the recommendation of manufacturer, do not pose a threat to human health.

The significance of arts incorporated with culture inclusion makes the arts a matter of pressing interest. The arts are vital elements of a healthy society that benefits the nations even in difficult social and economic times. Based on the previous studies this research was conducted for the first time in Pakistan to explore the historical background of public art correlated with cultural and religious ethics. Though, Pakistan has a rich cultural history yet the role of modern public art is new and often used unintentionally. Our findings of different surveys conducted in Pakistan including oldest cities such as Lahore, Peshawar and newly developed, the capital city, Islamabad concluded that Public art has a rich cultural and historical background and the local community are enthusiastically connected to it. Different community groups prefer different types of public art in their surroundings depends on the city’s profile, cultural background, and religious mindset of the local community. Overall, the sculptures and depiction of animated beings are not considering right and debatable among the Pakistani societies. On the other hand, the cultural and historical monuments are highly appreciated and welcomed by the local community of Pakistan. This study may create scope for future estimation and development of public art in Pakistan in association with Islamic laws and cultural norms of the local society.

The intention of this paper is to elucidate new types of heat engines with extraordinary efficiency, more specifically to eventually focus on the author’s research into a temporary magnetic remanence device. First we extend the definition of heat engines through a diagrammatic classification scheme and note a paradoxical non-coincidence between the Carnot, Kelvin-Planck and other forms of the 2nd Law, between sectors of the diagram. It is then seen, between the diagram sectors, how super-efficient heat engines are able to reduce the degrees of freedom resulting from change in chemical potential, over mere generation of heat; until in the right sector of the diagram, the conventional wisdom for the need of two reservoirs is refuted. A brief survey of the Maxwell Demon problem finds no problem with information theoretic constructs. Our ongoing experimental enquiry into a temporary magnetic remanence cycle using standard kinetic theory, thermodynamics and electrodynamics is presented – yet a contradiction results with the 2nd law placing it in the right sector of the classification diagram.

In the present study, an attempt was made to induce rooting from single-node cuttings of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. ×P. tremuloides Michx.) with different concentrations of IAA, IBA and NAA during rooting. Among the three auxins used, NAA showed more effective induction on rooting as compared to IAA and IBA at the whole level. Thereafter, NAA was used further in experiments for anatomical and biochemical investigation. The results showed that it took 12 days from the differentiation of primordium to the appearance of young adventitious roots with NAA application. It was found that endogenous IAA, ZR and GA3 levels increased, but ABA decreased in cuttings with 0.54 mM NAA treatment. In contrast to the endogenous IAA level, NAA had negative effect on IAA-oxidase (IAAO) activity. Similarly, the decreased peroxidase (POD) activity, consistent with down-regulation of expressed levels of POD1 and POD2, was observed in NAA-treated cuttings. Whereas, NAA resulted in a higher activity in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) compared to the control cuttings. Collectively, the study highlighted that 0.54 mM NAA is efficient on rooting in hybrid aspen, and its effect on metabolic changes during rooting is discussed, which provide valuable information for propagating hybrid aspen.

An entrepreneur is a business-able physical person who performs activities to gain the profit and who is registered according to law. Starting from the national and theoretical and legal solutions and court practice from comparative law, the authors analyze the concept and the legal position of an individual entrepreneur noticing the problems and inconsistencies in legal regulations. The authors of the work make a few conclusions and suggestions: 1) terminology is not coordinated with legal terminology from comparative law. In our law, the legal term is “entrepreneur”, which is a too wide and unspecified term because in economic profession this term represents the genus term for individual and collective entrepreneurship; 2) analyze all forbidden activities for entrepreneurs, judge the reasons pro et contra and work on eliminating prohibitions and favouring legal entities; 3) set by law the bankruptcy of an individual entrepreneur i.e. the individual bankruptcy of a physical person; 4) work on passing a separate legislation in the field of the individual entrepreneurship, especially on passing and changing the laws which would regulate handicrafts (including old crafts and jobs of home industry), free professions as well as agricultural activity.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In order to achieve its carbon peak and neutrality targets, a high proportion of distributed power sources are connected to the distribution network in China, which greatly increases the risk of distribution network operation. Aiming at the above problems, this paper proposes an active distribution network risk planning model based on multi-source data from carbon capture and power internet of things, and conducts exceeding testing of distribution network based on the stochastic load flow algorithm with semi-invariant and level expansion, calculates the semi-invariant of each order of node state vectors and branch current vectors, and then utilizes the Gram-Charlier level expansion to obtain the exceeding probability density function and probability distribution function of the node voltages and line powers of the distribution network. The probability density function and probability distribution function of the exceeding are obtained using the Gram-Charlier series expansion. Combined with multi-source data, the active distribution network with integrated energy system considering carbon capture is modeled. According to the risk scenario of the distribution network, the nonconvex constraints in the model are simplified by the second-order cone relaxation, and the optimal planning scheme of the distribution network is solved by combining the gurobi solver with the risk index as the first-level objective and the economic benefit as the second-level objective. The simulation results of a coupled network consisting of a 39-node distribution network and an 11-node transportation network verify the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Light is an electromagnetic radiation that has visible and invisible wavelength spectrum. The visible light can only be detected by the eyes through the optic pathways. With the presence of scalp, cranium and meninges, the brain is seen as being protected from direct exposure to light. For that reason, the brain can be viewed as a black body lying inside a black box. In physics, a black body tends to be in thermal equilibrium with its environment and can tightly regulate its temperature via thermodynamics principles. Therefore, a healthy brain inside a black box should not get exposed to light. On the contrary, photobiomodulation, a form of light therapy to the brain has been shown to have beneficial effects for some neurological conditions. The proposed underlying mechanisms are multiple. Herein we present our intraoperative findings of rapid electrocorticographic brainwave changes when the brain was shone directly with different wavelengths of light during awake brain surgery. Our findings provide literature proof on light’s ability to influence human brain energy and function. Our proposed mechanism for these rapid changes is the presence of plasma-like energy inside the brain which causes fast brain activities that are akin to lightning strikes.

The flowering of Amorphophallus bulbifer plays an important role in its reproduction. The flowers and leaves of A. bulbifer cannot grow at the same time. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in flower bud and leaf bud formation are still unclear. In this study, the flower buds and leaf buds of A. bulbifer in the early stage of growth were used as research materials, transcriptome and metabolome analyses were carried out, and the soluble sugar and starch contents of A. bulbifer corms were determined. Transcriptome analysis revealed 5 542 differentially expressed genes (DEG) between flower buds and leaf buds, 3 107 of which were upregulated and 2 435 of which were downregulated. Enrichment analysis of the KEGG pathway showed that these differential genes were enriched mainly in the plant hormone signal transduction, DNA replication and fatty acid elongation pathways. Plant hormone signal transduction, DNA replication and fatty acid elongation pathways. A total of 5 296 significant differentially abundant metabolites were screened out by nontargeted metabolomics analysis. The differentially abundant metabolites were functionally classified in the HMDB, and 118 were successfully matched, including 17 that were highly expressed in flower buds. The differentially abundant metabolites in the flower buds were mainly enriched in pathways such as amino acid metabolism, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis and pyrimidine metabolism. Targeted metabolomics analysis revealed that the contents of ABA, ZT and iPA in flower buds were significantly greater than those in leaf buds, while the opposite trend was observed for IAA. The analysis of soluble sugar and starch contents showed that the starch and soluble sugar contents in flower buds were significantly greater than those in leaf buds. The results of this study showed that flower bud development in A. bulbifer was regulated by amino acids, starch, ABA, ZT, iPA, IAA and other hormones. These findings could lead to valuable genetic resources for further study of A. bulbifer flowering and provide a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of A. bulbifer flowering.

Stresses due to drought and high soil salt content are the most severe threats to global rice pro-duction, causing a significant decline in rice yield. Therefore, this study examined the effects of treatment with various plant extracts on the stresses on rice plants associated with drought and high salinity. Additionally, this study examined various physiological and biochemical parameters such as growth, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll content, and lipid peroxidation in rice plants after treatment with selected plant extracts under drought and salt stress conditions. Out of the eleven extracts tested, four extracts, namely soybean leaf, soybean stem, Chinese chive, and onion extracts, were found to effectively reduce drought stress. A reduction of only 24-37% in shoot fresh weight was observed in rice plants under drought stress that were treated with these ex-tracts compared to the 78% reduction observed in control plants. In addition, rice plants under salt stress which were treated with soybean leaf, soybean stem, moringa (Moringa oleifera), and Undaria pinnatifida extracts were observed to have lower reductions in shoot fresh weight (3-23%) com-pared to the control plants (43%). The effectiveness varied with the concentrations of the plant ex-tracts. Water content was higher in the rice plants treated with extracts than in the control plants after 6 days of drought and salt stress, but not after 4 days of drought and salt stress. Although photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and electron transport rate (ETR), and the content of pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) varied based on the types and levels of stress and the extracts that the rice plants were treated with, generally photosynthetic efficiency and pigment contents were higher in the treated rice compared to control plants than in the control plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as the superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased as the duration of the period of stress increased. ROS and MDA levels were lower in the treated rice compared to control plants. Proline and soluble sugar accumulation also increased as the duration of the stressperiod increased. However, proline and soluble sugar ac-cumulation were lower in the treated rice compared to control plants. Generally, all the parame-ters investigated in this study were similar regardless of the plant extract used for treating the rice plants. Thus, extracts found to be effective in this study can be used to alleviate the adverse effects of stress on rice crops associated with drought and high salinity soil.

Under the dual erosion conditions of the dry-wet cycle, which is caused by the high chloride salt concentrations in mine water and fluctuations in mine water level, cemented paste backfill (CPB) suffers serious damage and deterioration. To discuss the mechanical properties and permeability characteristics of CPB under erosion, this study designs an immersion experiment for CPB under chloride salt and dry-wet cycle conditions. Through a uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test, the change law for the mechanical parameters of the CPB was explored, strength constitutive equation of the CPB was constructed, and the process of deterioration of the CPB was analyzed. Through the penetration test, the diffusion characteristics of packing under chloride salt and dry-wet cycle conditions were explored. The results demonstrated that the strength and elastic modulus of the CPB first increased and then decreased rapidly, with maximum decrease rates of 32.2% and 38.2%, respectively. The CPB structure presents an initial non-damage stage, initial damage stage, damage development stage, damage destruction, and residual damage stage. The chloride ion penetration depth gradually increased with an increase in the number of dry-wet cycles, with a maximum diffusion depth of 20.5 mm. The maximum apparent diffusion coefficient of chloride ion was 18.99×10-10m2/s, and the maximum concentration was 0.303 mol/L. Under the double erosion conditions due to chloride salt and dry-wet cycle, the CPB structure is seriously damaged.

The influence of polysialic acid (PSA) and sialic acid (SA) on the gut microbial community composition and metabolites in healthy human was investigated using a bionic gastrointestinal reactor. The results indicated that PSA and SA significantly changed the gut microbiota and metabolites in different degrees. PSA can increase the relative abundances of Faecalibacterium and Allisonella, whereas SA can increase those of Bifidobacterium and Megamonas. Both can significantly increase the content of short-chain fatty acids. The results of metabolome analysis showed that PSA can upregulate ergosterol peroxide and gallic acid and downregulate the harmful metabolite N-acetylputrescine. SA can upregulate 4-pyridoxic acid and lipoic acid. PSA and SA affect gut microbiota and metabolites in different ways and have positive effects on human health. These results will provide reference for the further development of PSA- and SA-related functional foods and health products.

Drug-resistance represents one of the great plagues of our time worldwide, largely limiting the treatment of common infections, and accounting for the urge in the development of new antibiotics or other alternative approaches. Noteworthy, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics is mostly responsible for the selection of mutations that confer drug-resistance to microbes. Recently, beyond molecules of natural origin and synthetic ones studied to tackle microbial infections, ozone is raising interest for its unique biological properties, in particular when dissolved in natural oils. In fact, ozonated oils have been reported to act in a non-specific way on microorganisms hindering the acquisition of advantageous mutations resulting in resistance. Here, we focused on comparing the antimicrobial effect of two different types of ozonated oils over a panel of opportunistic and pathogenic microbes. Ozonated olive (OOO) and sunflower seeds (OSO) oils were preliminarily characterized by chemico-physical investigation and tested by in-vitro experiments. Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli have been challenged with different ozonated oils concentrations to evaluate their antimicrobial profile by agar diffusion and broth dilution methods. Cytotoxicity was also evaluated in keratinocytes and endothelial cells. Overall, our results revealed that both OOO and OSO showed a potent microbicidal effect especially against C. albicans (IC50 = OOO: 0.3 mg/mL and OSO: 0.2 mg/mL) and E. faecalis (IC50 = OOO: 0.4 mg/mL and OSO: 2.8 mg/mL) albeit exerting a certain effect also against S. aureus and E. coli. Moreover, both OOO and OSO do not yield any relevant cytotoxic effect at the active concentrations in both cell lines indicating that these ozonated oils are not toxic for mammalian cells despite exerting a potent antimicrobial effect on specific microorganisms. Therefore, OOO and OSO may be considered to integrate standard therapies in the treatment of common infections, likely overcoming drug resistance issues.

This study assessed the perception and use of digital applications for soil fertility management and conservation strategies among small-scale crop farmers in southwest Nigeria. A total of 376 farmers were randomly selected across the six southwest states. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Logit regression. Majority of the farmers relied on perception and other non-conventional approaches such as the appearance of weeds and performance of crops in the previous season to assess soil fertility. Only 1.1% and 0.3% of the farmers assessed soil fertility through soil test and digital application respectively. Most farmers adopted bush fallowing and the use of inorganic fertilizer to improve soil fertility. Although, 4.8% of the farmers indicated that they had digital application on their mobile phones, only 2.9% reported to have used such. More than half (56.4%) of the famers stated that lack of awareness of the existence of digital application and internet enabled telephones were reasons they have not been able to use digital applications. Majority of the farmers (97.3%) indicated their willingness to embrace the use of new farm decision digital application which can provide more information especially on soil fertility if introduced. Logit model results revealed that literacy level, membership of farmers’ association and extension contact significantly increased the likelihood of willing to use soil digital application, but older farmers are less likely to use digital application.

The HSP70 and HSP90 family members belong to molecular chaperones that exhibit protective functions during the cellular response to stressful agents. We investigated whether the exposure of rats to chronic mild stress (CMS), a validated model of depression, affects the expression of HSP70 and HSP90 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HIP) and thalamus (Thal). Male Wistar rats were exposed to CMS for 3 or 8 weeks. The antidepressant imipramine (IMI, 10 mg/kg, i.p., daily) was introduced in the last five weeks of the long-term CMS procedure. Depressive-like behavior was verified by the sucrose consumption test. The expression of mRNA and protein was quantified by real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. In the 8-week CMS model, stress alone elevated HSP72 and HSP90B mRNA expression in the HIP. HSP72 mRNA was increased in the PFC and HIP of rats not responding to IMI treatment vs. IMI responders. The CMS exposure increased HSP72 protein expression in the cytosolic fraction of the PFC and HIP, and this effect was diminished by IMI treatment. Our results suggest that elevated levels of HSP72 may serve as an important indicator of neuronal stress reactions accompanying depression pathology and could be a potential target for antidepressant strategy.

This research article provides a comprehensive analysis of the Expectation of Life at Birth in India and its larger states and union territories (UTs), with a specific focus on rural and urban disparities. The data, obtained from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India, highlights the variations in life expectancy by sex and area of residence, shedding light on the health and socio-economic conditions in different regions. The article discusses the implications of these findings and their relevance for public health policy and interventions.

The Jeryak, a hybrid offspring of Gannan yak and Jersey cattle, exhibits evident hybrid advantages over the Gannan yak in terms of production performance and other various aspects. The small non-coding RNAs known as miRNAs exert a significant regulatory influence on gene expression post-transcriptionally. However, the regulatory mechanism of miRNA associated with muscle development in Jeryak remains elusive. To elucidate the regulatory role of miRNAs in orches-trating the skeletal muscle development in Jeryak, we selected dorsal longissimus muscle tissues from Gannan yak and Jeryak for transcriptome sequencing analysis. A total of 230 (DE)miRNAs and 1819 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) were identified in the longest dorsal muscle of Gannan yak and Jeryak. The functional enrichment analysis revealed a significantly enrichment of target genes from differentially expressed (DE)miRNAs and DEMs in signaling pathways associ-ated with muscle growth, such as the Ras signaling pathway and the MAPK signaling pathway. The network of interactions between miRNA and mRNA suggested that some differentially ex-pressed miRNAs, including miR-2478-z, miR-339-x, novel-m0036-3p and novel-m0037-3p, played a pivotal role in facilitating muscle development. These findings help us to deepen our under-standing of the hybrid dominance of Jeryaks and provide a theoretical basis for further research on the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs associated with Jeryak muscle growth and development.

Anomaly detection in equipment processes plays an important role in the oil and gas sector. Algorithms for detecting anomalies in measured data are best understood in computer science and mathematics. Therefore, a possible transfer of knowledge from the latter knowledge area to the former can play a significant role. This paper addresses such a task by analyzing bibliometric data of Computer Science and Mathematics papers published in MDPI journals and publications found on the SPE search platform. It is shown that the main algorithms both extensively studied in MDPI publications and found in SPE publications and reflecting the anomaly detection problem are Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, Long-term Memory Method and Recurrent Neural Network. The main advantages and disadvantages of these methods are briefly described. Examples of classical, highly cited publications describing the work of these algorithms are given. Examples of papers describing their application in the oil and gas industry are given. The sections of SPE disciplines with the largest number of publications using the above algorithms that are frequently used for anomaly detection are presented.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only widely used prophylactic tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that can prevent severe TB in infants. However, it provides poor protection in adults, and therefore, there in ongoing research on new TB vaccines and immunization strategies with more durable immune effects. The recombinant BCG and BCG prime-protein booster are two important vaccine strategies that have recently been developed based on BCG and could improve immune responses. In this study, three immune strategies based on four protective antigens, namely, ESAT-6, CFP-10, nPPE18, and nPstS1, were applied to construct recombinant rBCG-EPCP009, EPCP009 subunit protein, and BCG prime-EPCP009 booster vaccine candidates. The short- and long-term immune effects after vaccination in Balb/c mice were evaluated based on humoral immunity, cellular immunity, and the ability of spleen cells to inhibit in vitro mycobacterial growth. At 8 and 12 weeks after the initial immunization, splenocytes from mice inoculated with the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster secreted higher levels of PPD- and EPCP009-specific IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-17, GM-CSF, and IL-12 and had a higher IFN-γ⁺CD4⁺ TEM:IL-2⁺CD8⁺ TCM cell ratio than splenocytes from mice inoculated with the rBCG-EPCP009 and EPCP009 proteins. In addition, the EPCPE009-specific IgG2a/IgG1 ratio was slightly higher in the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster group than in the other two groups. The in vitro mycobacterial inhibition assay showed that the splenocytes of mice from the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster group exhibited stronger inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis （M. tuberculosis）growth than the splenocytes of mice from the other two groups. These results indicate that the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster exhibited superior immunogenicity and M. tuberculosis growth inhibition to the parental BCG, rBCG-EPCP009, and EPCP009 proteins under in vitro conditions. Thus, the BCG prime-EPCP009 protein booster may be important for the development of a more effective adult TB vaccine.

Combining antiviral drugs with different mechanisms of action can help prevent the development of resistance by attacking the infectious agent through multiple pathways. Additionally, by using faster and more economical screening methods, effective synergistic drug candidates can be rapidly identified, facilitating faster paths to clinical testing. In this work, a rapid method was standardized to identify possible synergisms from drug combinations. We analyzed the possible reduction of antiviral effective concentration of drugs already approved by the FDA, such as ivermectin  (IVM), ribavirin (RIBA) and acyclovir (ACV) against Zika virus (ZIKV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and herpes virus type 2 (HHV-2). Essential oils (EOs) were also included in the study since they have been reported for more than a couple of decades to have broad-spectrum antiviral activity. We also continued studying the antiviral properties of one of our patented molecule with broad-spectrum antiviral activity, the ferruginol analogue 18-(phthalimid-2-yl)ferruginol (phthFGL). In general, the combination of IVM, phthFGL and Oregano EO showed the greatest synergism potential against CHIKV, ZIKV and HHV-2, obtaining a reduction in the EC99 value of up to ~8, and ~27, and ~12-fold for CHIKV, in example, respectively. The ternary combination RIBA, phthFGL, Oregano EO was slightly more efficient than the binary combination RIBA/phthFGL but much less efficient than IVM, phthFGL, Oregano EO which indicates that IVM could contribute more to the differentiations of cell targets (for example by inhibition of host heterodimeric importin IMP α/β1 complex) than ribavirin. PhthFGL showed a good pharmacokinetic profile.

Precipitates are the primary source of strength for the Al-Mg-Si alloy. Aluminum alloy in the peak-aged state mainly contain β'' and β' precipitates. In the past, most of the literature only considered the strengthening effect of β''. Here we develop a single crystal intensity model including both precipitate enhancement effects for the first time. This model was subsequently implemented into a crystal plastic finite element method to model the uniaxial tensile process of a polycrystalline aggregate model of Al-Mg-Si alloy. The simulation results for uniaxial stretching are in good agreement with the experimental results, confirming that the constitutive parameters used for the single crystal strength model with two precipitates are based on realistic physical implications. Furthermore, by comparing the uniaxial tensile simulation results of a peak-aged alloy considering the actual precipitated phase composition of the alloy with those assuming that the precipitated phase is only the β'' phase, the predicted tensile strength of the former is around 5.65% lower than that of the latter, suggesting that the two kinds of precipitation should be considered separately when simulating the mechanical response of Al-Mg-Si alloy. It is highly expected that the present simulation strategy is not limited to the Al-Mg-Si alloys, and it can be equally applied to the other age-enhanced alloys.

There is considerable interest in the use of doxycycline post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). An important concern is that this could select for tetracycline resistance in these STIs and other species. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar, (1948–2023) for randomized controlled trials comparing tetracycline PEP with non-tetracycline controls. The primary outcome was antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to tetracyclines in all bacterial species with available data. Our search yielded 140 studies, of which three met the inclusion criteria. Tetracycline PEP had no effect on the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in any of the three trials or the pooled estimates. PEP did, however, have a marked effect on the tetracycline MIC distribution in the one study where this was assessed. Prophylactic efficacy was 100% at low MICs and 0% at high MICs. In the one study where this was assessed, PEP resulted in a significant increase in tetracycline resistance in commensal Neisseria species compared to the control group but no significant effect on the prevalence of tetracycline resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. The available evidence suggests that PEP with tetracyclines could be associated with selecting tetracycline resistance in N. gonorrhoeae and commensal Neisseria species.

HIV-1 infection can activate the expression of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), particularly HERV-K (HML-2). HIV controllers (HICs) are rare people living with HIV (PLWH) who naturally control HIV-1 replication. The ability of HICs to control the expression of endogenous retroviruses has not been previously addressed. In this study, we measured ERVK-6 RNA expression in PBMCs of HICs (n = 23), antiretroviral (ART)-suppressed subjects (n = 8), and HIV-1-negative (NEG) individuals (n = 10) and correlated the transcript expression of ERVK-6 with multiple HIV-1 restriction factors. Our study reveals that ERVK-6 RNA expression in PBMCs from HICs was significantly downregulated compared with both ART and NEG control groups. Moreover, we detected that ERVK-6 RNA levels in PBMCs across all groups were negatively correlated with the expression levels of p21 and MCPIP1. In our previous study, these two cellular restriction factors were upregulated in HICs compared with control groups. Interestingly, p21 and MCPIP1 limit the activation of macrophages and T cells by downregulating the activity of NF-kB, a transcription factor that stimulates the LTR-driven transcription of HIV-1 and HERV-K proviruses. These findings support that HICs activate innate antiviral mechanisms that may simultaneously downregulate the transcription of both HIV-1 and endogenous retroviruses.

In the last decade, an increasing awareness was directed to the role of Vitamin D in non-skeletal and preventive roles for chronic diseases. Vitamin D is a key hormone involved in the regulation of calcium/phosphorous balance and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammation, insulin resistance and obesity. Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) and Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) are the main form of vitamin D: the active form (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) is the result of two hydroxylations that take place in liver, kidney, pancreas and immune cells. Some anti-inflammatory cytokines are produced at higher levels by vitamin D, while some pro-inflammatory cytokines are released at lower levels. Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) expression is increased and a pro-inflammatory state is also linked to low levels of vitamin D. Regardless of how it affects inflammation, various pathways suggest that vitamin D directly improves insulin sensitivity and secretion. The level of vitamin D in the body may change the ratio of pro- to anti-inflammatory cytokines, which would impact insulin action, lipid metabolism, and the development and function of adipose tissue. Many studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin D concentrations and pro-inflammatory markers, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, metabolic syndrome, obesity and cardiovascular disease. It's interesting to note that several long-term studies also revealed an inverse correlation between vitamin D level and the occurrence of diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D supplementation in people has controversial effects, in fact while some studies demonstrated improvements in insulin sensitivity, glucose and lipid metabolism, others revealed no significant effect on glycemic control and inflammation. The aim of this review is to provide insight into the molecular basis of the relationship between vitamin D, insulin-resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 1 and 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

This study examines the impact of weeds on sweet corn, where weeds compete with the main agricultural crops for essential elements such as nutrients, water, sunlight, and space for growth. In general. the use of herbicides is meant to suppress weed growth. Organic matter is important for plant growth and affects herbicide persistence. The study was aimed to explore the interdependence between ametryn herbicide and organic matter content and its impacts on weed growth, herbicide persistence, and sweet corn yield. The experiment was initiated in 2022 at the Experimental Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University, Indonesia, using a Split Plot Design in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The experiments consisted of three levels of organic matter, i.e. low, medium, and high and 6 levels of ametryn herbicide at 0.0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 kg a.i./ha. The results indicated that the apparent interdependence between ametryn herbicide doses of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 kg a.i./ha and the three levels of the organic matter content totally suppressed the weed growth. However, the effects of interdependence between ametryn herbicide and organic matter content on the herbicide persistence and on the sweet corn yield were not obvious. The ametryn herbicide gave excellent effects on sweet corn yield. Bioassay analysis showed that the lowest persistence of ametryn herbicide was in line with the highest content of the organic matter.

Conservation agriculture and conservation tillage have drawn the attention not only of scientists but of politicians and societies worldwide. This paper aims to present a method for selecting re-search studies on conservation agriculture, conservation tillage, and the role of straw residues on soil health and soil stability against climatic hazards. VOSviewer version 1.6.18 free software tool was used in this study to achieve the bibliometric and mapping approach for studies on the effects of climate change in terms of conservation, tillage, soil health, and straw and microbe or straw and climate interaction or other paradigms. Scopus database (accessed July 7, 2023) indexed a total of 752.2018 bibliographic items classified into 15 paradigms e.g., Carbon (AND Straw) or Microbes (AND Straw). From the examination of the selected papers, it was concluded that straw residue has an impact on soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties and the environment in general.

This publication aims to disseminate a step-by-step process that walks through the conceptualization and building of a low-cost (~ $150 monitoring device for airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5), based on miniaturized sensors and components. Details on the implementation of the hardware and software are provided which facilitate the data acquisition, capture and analysis. The central components and their setup discussed in what follows include: the sensor device (called “P.ALP” – Ph.D. Air quality Low-cost Project), Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and R code (open-access software). A monitoring device for PM2.5, using low-cost sensors and technologies was successfully conceptualized, designed, and implemented. The P.ALP monitoring system was designed and developed to be a basic device, which can be further customized and implemented using the wide range of low-cost sensors available on the market.

This study aimed to investigate the atherogenicity (quality) of LDL particles in patients with acute and recovered from COVID-19 infection. The participants were adults, aged 18 years or older of both sexes. Those with positive RT-PCR results at baseline were included in the Acute COVID-19 group (n=33), and those with negative RT-PCR six months after acute infection, were included in the Recovered COVID-19 group (n=30). The LDL quality was evaluated using three validated methods: Z-scan, UV-visible spectroscopy, and Lipoprint. The Recovered COVID-19 group showed significantly higher numbers of large LDL particles (less atherogenic) than the Acute COVID-19 group (P&lt;0.05). We also found that COVID-19 infection was associated with the oxidative modification of LDL particles. D-dimer and CRP levels were correlated with Z-scan results and antioxidant-amount estimate. Moreover, we noticed that the infection left a sequel in LDL quality, even after six months of recovery. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring lipids during and after recovery from COVID-19 infection, and their potential deleterious effect on the LDL profile might correlate with the progression of atherosclerosis and poor clinical outcomes.

Microbiological risk associated to abiotic surfaces is one of the most important issue worldwide. Surface contaminations by pathogenic bacterial biofilms or adherent cell affect a number of sectors including medical services, food industries, human services, and the environment. There is a need to synthesize or to setup novel antimicrobials. Terpenes are usually found in essential oils and have potent antimicrobial activities. However, the direct use of these molecules is often inefficient due to their low water solubility, loss of volatile compounds, thermal degradation, oxidation and toxicity. The need for biosourced compounds with antimicrobial activity, low toxicity and low cost promote the search for new stable metal complexes based on terpene ligands. This will enable the manufacture of value-added products with a lower environmental impact, as well as the production of high value added commodities. The goal of this review is to discuss the development of novel antimicrobial complexes derived from terpenes. In addition, this review explored how to improve their bioactivities and characteristics by using a formulation based on microencapsulation.

This study explores the impact of temperature and molarity on the pyrolysis of Açaí seeds (Euterpe Oleraceae, Mart.) activated with KOH on the yield of bio-oil, hydrocarbon content of bio-oil, antioxidant activity of bio-oil and chemical composition of aqueous phase. The experiments were carried out at 350, 400, and 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, with 2.0 M KOH, and at 450 °C and 1.0 at-mosphere, with 0.5 M, 1.0 M and 2.0 M KOH, in laboratory scale. The composition of bio-oils and aqueous phase determined by GC-MS, while the acid value, a physical-chemical property of fundamental importance in biofuels, of bio-oils and aqueous phases by AOCS methods. The antioxidant activity of bio-oils determined by the TEAC method. The solid phase (biochar) characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The diffractograms identified the presence of Kalicinite (KHCO3) in bio-char, and those higher temperatures favor the formation peaks of Kalicinite (KHCO3). The pyrolysis of Açaí seeds activated with KOH show bio-oil yields from 3.19 to 6.79 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 20.34 and 25.57 (wt.%), solid phase yields (coke) between 33.40 and 43.37 (wt.%), and gas yields from 31.85 to 34.45 (wt.%). The yield of bio-oil shows a smooth exponential increase with temperature. The acidity of bio-oil varied between 12.3 and 257.6 mgKOH/g, decreasing exponentially with temperature, while that of aqueous phase between 17.9 and 118.9 mgKOH/g, showing and exponential decay behavior with temperature, demonstrating that higher temperatures favor not only the yield of bio-oil but also bio-oils with lower acidity. For the experiments with KOH activation, the GC-MS of bio-oil identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, cycloalkenes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, phenols, ketones, and esters). The concentration of hydrocarbons varied between 10.19 to 25.71 (area.%), increasing with temperature, while that of oxygenates from 52.69 to 72.15 (area.%), decreasing with temperature. For the experiments with constant temperature, the concentrations of hydrocarbons in bio-oil in-crease exponentially with molarity, while those of oxygenates decrease exponentially, showing that higher molarities favor the formation of hydrocarbons in bio-oil. The antioxidant activity of bio-oils decreases with increasing temperature, as the content of phenolic compounds decreases, and de-creases with increasing KOH molarity, as higher molarities favors the formation of hydrocarbons. Finally, it can be concluded that chemical activation of Açaí seeds with KOH favors the not only the yield of bio-oil but also the content of hydrocarbons. The study of process variables is of utmost importance in order to clearly assess reaction mechanisms, economic viability and design goals that could be derived from chemically activated biomass pyrolysis processes.

Fermented bamboo shoots are a distinctive ingredient in Southern cuisine. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology (HTS) were employed to investigate the relationship among physicochemical properties, characteristic volatile compounds, and core microbial communities. The results show that the chewiness, fracturability, hardness, and pH decreased, while total acidity increased during 60d-fermentation. The contents of reducing sugar and nitrite reached the peak on the 14th day of fermentation and then decreased. A total of 80 volatile compounds were detected during sour bamboo shoot fermentation, with 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol having the highest concentration. Among them, 12 volatile compounds (VIP ≥ 1) were identified as characteristic aroma substances of sour bamboo shoots. The dominant bacterial phyla in sour bamboo shoots were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Bacillus and Acinetobacter were the dominant genus. Correlation analysis showed that Firmicutes positive correlation with 3,6-Nonadien-1-ol, (E,Z)-, Oxalic acid, isobutyl hexyl ester ,(-)-O-Acetylmalic anhydride, TA Bacillus was negative correlation with Silanediol, dimethyl-, and Oxime-, methoxy-phenyl-. This study provides a theoretical basis for screening flavor-enhancing microorganisms as fermentation agents in sour bamboo shoots, which can contribute to the improvement of their quality.

Background: The role of NFATC genes expression in BAV progression is not fully understood. Aim of study is to determine the significance of NFATC1 and NFATC4 gene expression for myocardial changes in children with BAV. Methods: In 47 children with BAV the standard Doppler echocar-digraphic characteristics were detected and the expression of the NFATC1 and NFATC4 genes was studied. Results: PWTd, AoPPG, in BAV patients were significantly higher compared to healthy controls (PWTd median(min-max) 9 (7-10) mm vs 7 (6-8) mm), AoPPG median (min-max) 7,79 (2,98-15,09) mm Hg vs 2,94 (2,42-3,72) mm Hg. Expression of NFATC1 gene in BAV children was significantly higher compared to NFATC4 (NFATC1 median (min-max) 70,88 (8,79-106,51) e.u. vs 7,72 (1,74-22,67) e.u., respectively p<0,05). Significant correlation of NFATC1 expression with Ao found (R=+0,53, p<0,05). In BAV patients with PWTd > 8 mm and Ao> 21 mm the NFATC1 expression was significantly higher compare to those with PWTd< =8 mm and Ao<=21 mm NFATC1 median (min-max) 45,49 (5,01-101,52) e.u. vs 15,53 (2,36-44,40) e.u., p<0.05 and 81.11 (20.27-101.10) e.u. mm vs 12.16 (2,40-45.49) e.u., p<0.05, respectively) Conclusion: in children with BAV the high expression of the NFATC1 calcineurin signalling pathway gene is associated with elevated PWTd and Ao.

The volatile fatty acids (VFAs) productions, as well as particulate organics decomposition, soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) yield, and the VFAs production pathways, of mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic fermentation were investigated. Batch experiments showed that the decomposition rate of volatile suspended solids (VSS), particulate carbohydrate (P-C) and particulate protein (P-P) followed the first-order kinetic model at different temperature. However, the intermediates， accumulated in the process of protein or carbohydrate digestion had a more significant inhibitory effect on the production of VFAs during the mesophilic anaerobic acidification process. Thermophilic fermentation led to more accumulation of VFAs compared to mesophilic fermentation. Then 13C stable isotope labeling experiment demonstrated that, acetic (HAc), propionic (HPr) and butyric (HBu) could be produced from carbohydrate and protein digestion, but valeric (HVa) was only generated from the degradation of protein. Finally, the possible pathway of HVa synthesis was proposed.

In recent decades, perovskite-type compounds (ABB′O3) have been exhaustively studied due to their unique ferroelectric properties. In this work, a systematic study aiming to prepare fine particles in the binary system SrZrO₃–SrTiO₃ was conducted under hydrothermal conditions in a KOH (5 M) solution at 200 °C for 4 h under a constant stirring speed of 130 rpm. The precursors employed were SrSO₄ powder (&lt; 38 μm size) and coprecipitated hydrous gels of Zr(OH)₄•9.64 H₂O (Zr-gel) and Ti(OH)₄•4.5H₂O (Ti-gel), which were mixed according to the stoichiometry of the SrZr_1-xTixO₃ in the compositional range of 0.0&gt;x&gt;100.0 mol% Ti⁴⁺. The XRD results revealed the formation of two crystalline phases rich in Zr⁴⁺, an orthorhombic structured SrZr0.93Ti0.07O3 and a cubic structured SrZr0.75Ti0.25O3 within the compositional range of 0.1–0.5 mol of Ti4+. A cubic perovskite-structured solid solution, SrTi1-xZrxO3, was preferentially formed within the compositional range of 0.5&gt;x&gt;0.1 mol% Ti⁴⁺. The SrZrO₃ and SrZr_0.93Ti_0.07O₃-rich phases had particle sizes averaging 3 m with a cubic morphology. However, a remarkable reduction in the particle size occurred on solid solutions prepared with hydrous Ti-gel over contents of 15 mol% Ti⁴⁺ in the reaction media, resulting in the formation of nanosized particles agglomerates with cuboidal shape self-assembled via a 3D hierarchical architecture, the sizes of these particles varied in the range between 141.0–175.5 nm. The limited coarsening of the particles is discussed based on the Zr-gel and Ti-gel dehydration capability differences that occurred under hydrothermal processing.

Natural ecosystem of Islands and coastal region are vulnerable to climate change phenomena such as increasing temperature, fluctuating rainfalls, ocean acidification and tsunami. Andaman and Nicobar group of islands lies in Bay of Bangal facing such extreme climate phenomena. A spatial-temporal analysis of forest cover of middle Andaman region of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands was done from 1990 to 2019 with an interval of 5-10 years. Support vector machine classifier, spectral indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Water Index, and Normalized Difference Built-up Index were used for the analysis of greenery, water resources, and urban land. Land surface temperature was estimated using split window algorithm for Landsat 8 and mono window algorithm for Landsat 5. The data showed relative contribution of forest region toward rising temperature in the island region. The research also showed that subsurface hydrology linked to interconnected lineaments provides a stable zone for forest cover. The open forest showed maximum fluctuation while minimum change was observed in Evergreen Forest. The spectral characteristics analysis using indices showed significant change except in 2005 due to Tsunami occurred in 2005. The land surface temperature showed fluctuation near to 30° C from 1990 to 2019.

Influenza in pregnancy is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Influenza vaccines are safe and effective in pregnancy. There are no Mexican surveys in physicians on knowledge, beliefs, and practices towards influenza and influenza immunization during pregnancy. A 32 questions cross-sectional and descriptive survey was conducted addressing general knowledge of influenza, as well as beliefs and practices regarding influenza vaccination during pregnancy among Mexican physicians responsible for prenatal care, traditionally Obstetricians (OBGYNs), and Family Physicians (FPs). A total of 206 surveys were available, 98 (47.6%) from OBGYNs, and 108 (52.4%) from FPs representing an estimated 2,472 daily pregnancy consultations. 54 from 206 (26.2%) weren´t aware that influenza is more severe during pregnancy, 106 from 206 (51.5%) ignored the potential side effects of influenza infection on the fetus, and 56.8% did not know when to vaccinate pregnant women. Pregnancy as a risk factor for developing influenza complications was known only by 99 from 206(48.1%), and 6.1 % believed that vaccination does not confer protection to the fetus. Current beliefs of Mexican OBGYNs and FPs for both influenza morbidity and mortality, and the importance of influenza vaccination during pregnancy, is suboptimal. Understanding drivers for beliefs should be assessed to improve influenza vaccination recommendations, as knowledge alone is not sufficient.

Sharing facilities with other households offers the most realistic opportunity for access to sanitation to many households in low-income settings. However, questions remain about the safety of shared toilets, including those shared at the household level. This study sought to compare the usage and microbial safety of household-level shared and unshared toilets in a Ghanaian rural district to investigate any association between their microbial safety and sharing status. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the user characteristics of the sampled toilets, while common contact surfaces (door handles and toilet seats) were assessed for faecal contamination following standard swab sampling and analytical protocols. The results of the study indicate that sharing toilets affords about 90% more household-level access to sanitation as compared to single-household toilets. Toilet sharing mostly occurred between two households, with a maximum user population of 14 per toilet. Generally, there was a high prevalence of faecal contamination of the door handles and seats of both shared and unshared toilets, but this had no association with the sharing status of the toilets. The median concentration of E. coli on door handles and seats of shared toilets were 34.3 x 105 and 103.2 x 105 CFU/ml respectively as compared to 54.7 x 105 and 125.0 x 105 CFU/ml respectively on unshared toilets. In conclusion, the sharing of toilets at the household level nearly doubles access to sanitation at home without necessarily exposing the users to a higher risk of faecal-oral disease transmission.

The use of saline water under drought conditions is critical for sustainable agricultural development in arid regions. Biochar used as a soil amendment to enhance soil properties such as water-holding capacity and the source of nutrition elements of plants. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of biochar application on the morpho-physiological traits and yield of tomatoes under combined salinity and drought stress into greenhouses. There were 16 treatments consist two water quality fresh and saline (0.9 and 2.3 dS m-1), three deficit irrigation levels (DI) 80, 60, and 40% addition 100% of ETc, and biochar application by rate 5% (BC5%) (w/w) and untreated soil (BC0%). The results indicated that the salinity and water deficit negatively affected morphological, physiological, and yield traits. In contrast, the application of biochar improved all traits. The interaction between biochar and saline water leads to decreased vegetative growth indices, leaf gas exchange, relative water content of leaves (LRWC), photosynthetic pigments, and yield, especially with the water supply deficit (60 and 40% ETc), where the yield decreased by 42.48% under the highest water deficit at 40% ETc compared to the control. The addition of biochar with freshwater led to significantly increased of vegetative growth, physiological, yield, WUE, and less proline content under all various water treatments compared to untreated soil. In general, biochar combined with DI and freshwater could be improve morpho-physiological attributes, to sustain the growth of tomato plants, and increase productivity in arid and semi-arid regions.

Adipose tissue composition contributes greatly to the quality and nutritional value of meat. Transcriptomic and lipidomic techniques were used to investigate the molecular mechanism of fat deposition difference among Ningxiang, Berkshire and F1 pigs. Transcriptomic analysis identified 680, 592 and 380 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing the groups of Ningxiang pigs vs Berkshire pigs, Berkshire pigs vs F1 pigs, Ningxiang pigs vs F1 pigs. Lipidomic analysis screened 423, 252, and 50 significantly changed lipids (SCLs) by comparing the groups of Ningxiang pigs vs Berkshire pigs, Berkshire pigs vs F1 pigs, Ningxiang pigs vs F1 pigs. Lycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism related pathways were siginificant enriched in the groups of Berkshire pigs vs Ningxiang pigs and Berkshire pigs vs F1 pigs. The DEGs (PHGDH, LOC110256000) and the SCLs (Phosphatidylserines) may have a great impact on lycine, serine and threonine metabolism pathway. Moreover, the DEGs (FASN, ACACA, CBR4, SCD, ELOV6, HACD, CYP3A46, CYP2B22, GPX1, GPX3) and the SCLs (palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, icosadienoic acid) play important role in fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Thus, the fat deposition difference among Ningxiang, Berkshire and F1 pigs may be caused by the difference of the expression pattern of key genes in multiple enrichment KEGG pathways. The research presented multiple lipids that were potentially available biological indicator and screened key genes that were potentially gene targets for molecular design breeding. The research also explored the molecular mechanisms of fat deposition difference among Ningxiang, Berkshire and F1 pigs and provides insight into the selection of backfat thickness and fat composition of adipose tissue for future breeding strategies.

In this age of mass media and, in particular, social media-driven perception of reality, coupling disease and prophylactic opinion dynamics models can provide better insights into disease evolution than using a disease model alone. We develop in this work two disease-opinion dynamics models based on the epidemiology of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the availability or not of imperfect vaccines. We assume that susceptibility to infection decreases with the level of prophylactic attitude (personal hygiene, social distancing), and changes in prophylactic attitudes of susceptible individuals occur in response to perceived disease prevalence and vaccination coverage and efficacy in the population. We derive and discuss the disease-free equilibriums and reproduction numbers in the introduced models. We further assess the impacts of the distribution of opinions at disease introduction, the ability to detect presymptomatic, asymptomatic and symptomatic positive COVID-19 cases, the behavioural responses to the outbreak and the introduction of vaccination, and the effects of distortions of disease prevalence by public policy and mass media on disease dynamics. The insights highlighted from the proposed models are expected to make informative contributions to public policy in a context of opinion fluxes in response to perceived disease prevalence.

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern (VOC) Omicron has been characterized by an explosive number of cases in almost every part of the world. The dissemination of different sub-lineages and recombinant genomes also led to several posterior waves in many countries. The circulation of this VOC and its major sub-lineages (BA.1 to BA.5) was monitored in community cases and in international travelers returning to Venezuela, by a rapid partial sequencing method. The specific sub-lineage assignment was performed by complete genome sequencing. Epidemic waves of SARS-CoV-2 cases were observed among international travelers during 2022, a situation not seen before December 2021. The succession of the Omicron VOC sub-lineages BA.1 to BA.5 occurred sequentially, except for BA.3, which was almost not detected. However, the sub-lineages generally circulated two months earlier in international travelers than in community cases. The diversity of Omicron sub-lineages found in international travelers was related to the one found in the USA, consistent with the most frequent destination of international travel from Venezuela this year. These differences are compatible with the delay observed in Latin American countries in the circulation of the different lineages of the Omicron VOC.

The study of phytotherapy in dentistry is relevant due to the low occurrence of research in the treatment of oral pathologies, such as caries and periodontal disease. Thus, the aim of this research was to characterize the chemical composition of extracts from the leaves of Couroupita guianensis Aubl, including toxicological evaluation and the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans. Three extracts were prepared using assisted ultrasound, originating the Crude Ultrasound Extract (CUE) and Soxhlet apparatus, originating the Crude Soxhlet Extract (CSE) and the Ethanol Soxhlet Extract (ESE). In the analysis of the chemical composition, the presence of flavonoids, tannins and saponins were detected. LC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of caffeic acid, sinapic acid, rutin, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol and apigenin in all extracts. In the GC-MS analysis, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were identified in CUE and CSE. The antioxidant potentials, determined by the DPPH• and ABTS•+ methods, the ESE showed higher antioxidant activity (2.98 ± 0.96 and 4.93 ± 0.90, respectively). In the evaluation of toxicity, the CUE 50µg/mL and the ESE 50 µg/mL presented growth stimulation of Allium cepa roots. At a concentration of 750µg/mL, all extracts inhibited root growth. None of the extracts showed toxicity against Artemia salina. Antibacterial action was detected in all extracts, mainly against the microorganisms S. aureus and S. mutans; however, the antifungal action against C. albicans was not detected. From the results, the extracts of C. guianensis have therapeutic potential for use in the control of microorganisms in the oral microbiota.

The human polyamines spermine and spermidine are essential for cell function, and their properties have been extensively studied. However, research results of experiments conducted without understanding the properties of polyamines have been evaluated and published by reviewers who appear to have little knowledge of the properties of polyamines. It is sad that some studies repeat what was done more than half a century ago before polyamines were characterized. First, I explain the basic properties of polyamines that researchers need to know. Then, the relationship between changes in polyamine levels in the body and age- and lifestyle-related diseases is discussed. In addition, the epigenetic mechanism of action of polyamines in relation to healthy longevity and, conversely, age- and lifestyle-related diseases and the progression of senescence are discussed. Spermine, which increases with a polyamine-rich diet, acts to suppress aberrant gene methylation and proinflammatory status associated with aging. Meanwhile, chronic inflammation associated with aging induces the enzyme activity of spermine oxidase, which breaks down spermine and produces acrolein, resulting in reduced spermine levels. Acrolein, a toxic aldehyde that increases with age- and lifestyle-related diseases, is thought to accelerate these diseases.

In recent years, additive manufacturing of products made from 5000 series alloys has grown in popularity for marine and automotive applications. In this work, we compare of mechanical properties characteristics of aluminum alloy 5056 material produced by wire-arc additive technology and rolling. We carried out tension tests under quasi-static loading and impact toughness tests under impact loading. The results show that upon similar ultimate tensile strength and ductility, material after additive manufacturing demonstrates decreased resistance against dynamic loading than material manufactured by the typical method of casting and rolling. This decrease in properties was explained through macro- and microstructure analysis.

This paper investigates the density, phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties (microhardness, fracture toughness) of binderless WC + SiC ceramics obtained by conventional pressureless sintering (CPS) and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). α-WC nanopowders obtained by DC arc plasma chemical synthesis and β-SiC powders have been used as raw materials. The content of SiC particles was 1, 3, 5% wt. Excess graphite (0.3, 0.5% wt.) was added to α-WC nanopowders to decrease the volume fraction of W2C particles that negatively affect the mechanical properties of ceramics. WC + 1% wt. SiC + 0.3% wt. C ceramics are shown to have a homogeneous fine-grained microstructure, high relative density, increased microhardness and Palmquist fracture toughness. The CPS and SPS activation energies of WC + SiC nanopowders at an intensive shrinkage stage are determined using the Young-Cutler model. The effect of carbon and SiC particles on the CPS and SPS activation energies of tungsten carbide nanopowders has been analyzed. The CPS activation energies of WC, WC + C and WC + SiC + C nanopowders are shown to be closer to the carbon diffusion activation energy along α-WC grain boundaries. The SPS activation energies of WC and WC + SiC nanopowders turn out to be lower than the carbon grain boundary diffusion activation energy of α-WC.

In eutrophic waters, such as Mikawa Bay, Japan, anoxic bottom water develops in summer. This causes sulfide release into seawater by sulfate reduction in the sediment, leading to environmental problems. The addition of iron to sediments is a method used to improve the sediment environment, which was devised from a natural phenomenon. However, this method has not yet been quantitatively evaluated. In this study, we aim to quantitatively evaluate the suppressive effect of iron on sulfide release. First, we develop a sediment model that focuses on S and Fe. We then attempted to reproduce the observations and experiments on sulfide dynamics using the model. Consequently, the proposed model was able to reproduce field sulfur and Fe dynamics in sediments. Additionally, the model described the characteristics of sulfide release considering the effects of additive iron materials. Finally, we conducted predictive calculations and quantitatively evaluated the effects of adding iron materials to the sediments in terms of sulfur and iron cycles.

In this paper, a new method by combining cold drawing and martensitic transformation was proposed to produce ultrahigh-strength steel wire, and the effect of austenitizing heating rate on microstructure and mechanical properties was studied. Compared with Muffle furnace heating, salt bath heating has a much higher austenitizing heating rate, which is beneficial to obtain ultrafine-grained martensite for steel wire with a larger section. By salt bath hardening and low-temperature tempering, an ultrahigh strong (strength of 2.48 GPa) and tough (elongation of 6.0%) steel wire was produced. Moreover, to explore whether is it possible to replace long-time low-temperature tempering with short-time tempering at elevated temperatures to improve the tempering efficiency, the effect of tempering time on the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel wires tempered at 350 °C was systematically studied. The results demonstrate that tempering at 350 °C for 30 s can endow the steel wire with comparable mechanical properties to that of the one tempered at 250 °C for 2 h. With tempering time prolonging, the strength decreases gradually with the precipitated phase transition from χ-Fe5C2 carbide into θ-Fe3C carbide and coarsening, which plays a major role in the strength decrease.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the nanomechanical properties and chemical composition of restorative materials and dental surfaces using different toothpastes. Methods: Enamel (n=60) and dentin (n=60) bovine blocks were obtained and restored using resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC, n=30) or composite resin (CR, n=30) to form the dentin adjacent to RMGIC (DRMGIC), enamel adjacent to RMGIC (ERMGIC), dentin adjacent to CR (DCR), and enamel adjacent to CR (ECR). After restoration, one hemiface of each specimen was coated with an acid-resistant varnish to create the control (C) and eroded (E) sides (erosion: 5 days, 4 × 2 min/day; 1% citric acid / abrasion: 2 × 15 s followed by immersion on slurries 2 min). Three toothpastes were used: without fluoride (WF; n=10), sodium fluoride (NaF; n=10), and stannous fluoride (SnF2; n=10). The specimens were analyzed for nanohardness (H), elastic modulus (Er), and chemical composition using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman microscopy. Data were analyzed using ANOVA two-way repeated measures and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Results: The NaF presented lower values of H for DRMGIC-C, with a statistical difference for WF (p < 0.05). SnF2 resulted in lower Er values for ERMGIC-E and RMGIC-E than WF and NaF (p < 0.05). WF showed lower calcium and phosphorus concentrations for DCR-E than other types of toothpastes (p < 0.05). Only stannous-based toothpaste damaged the elasticity of eroded glass ionomer restorations performed in enamel. Toothpastes with fluoride was capable for maintaining main chemical elements of dentin adjacent to restorative materials under challenge conditions.

This study is focused on the mechanical properties of WC-Co composites obtained via Selective Laser Sintering using PA12 as a binder. The as-printed samples were thermally debonded, and sintered, first in vacuum, and then sinter-HIPed at 1400oC, using 50 bar Ar, which has led to relative densities up to 66 %. Optical metallographic images show a microstructure consisting of WC, with an average grain size in the range of 1.4 – 2.0 µm, with isolated large grains, in a well-distributed Co matrix. The shrinkage of the samples was 43 %, with no significant shape distortion. The printing direction of the samples has a great impact on the transversal rupture strength (TRS). Nevertheless, the bending strength was low, with a measured maximum of 612 MPa. SEM images of the fracture surface of TRS samples show the presence of defects that constitute the cause of the low measured values. The hardness values position the obtained composites in the range of medium coarse classical cemented carbides. The results were also related to the amount of free Co after sintering, close to the initial one, as assessed by magnetic measurements, indicating a low degree of interaction with PA12 decomposition products.

Abstract: The trend of fasting until noon (omission or delayed breakfast) is increasingly prevalent in modern society. This eating pattern triggers discordance between endogenous circadian clock rhythms and the feeding/fasting cycle and is associated with an increased incidence of obesity and T2D. Although the underlying mechanism of this association is not well understood, growing evidence suggests that fasting until noon, also known as an “extended postabsorptive state,” has the potential to cause a deleterious effect on clock gene expression and disrupted regulation of body weight, postprandial and overall glycemia, skeletal muscle protein synthesis, appetite and may also lead to lower energy expenditure. This manuscript overviews the clock gene-controlled glucose metabolism during the active and resting phases. The consequences of postponing until noon the transition from postabsorptive to fed state on glucose metabolism, weight control, and energy expenditure. Finally, we will discuss the metabolic advantage of shifting more energy, carbohydrates (CH), and proteins to the early hours of the day.

The present paper introduces a method of basis transformation of vector fields that is specifically applicable to polynomials space and differential equations with certain polynomials solutions such as Hermite, Laguerre and Legendre polynomials. The method based on separated transformation of vector space basis by a set of operators that are equivalent to the formal basis transformation and connected to it by linear combination with projection operators. Applying the Forbenius covariants yields a general method that incorporates the Rodrigues formula as a special case in polynomial space. Using the Lie algebra modules, specifically , on polynomial space results in isomorphic algebras whose Cartan sub-algebras are Hermite, Laguerre and Legendre differential operators. Commutation relations of these algebras and Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula gives new formulas for special polynomials

We studied the link between carbon and water fluxes to understand the response of net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) to water availability conditions of three different potato water regimes cropping systems [full irrigation (FI), deficit irrigation (DI) and rainfed (RF)]. Through the eddy covariance technique, we measured CO₂ and water vapor exchanges and determined surface resistances, omega factor, and inherent water use efficiency (IWUE). Additionally, continuous plant growth determinations of leaf area index (LAI) and specific leaf area (SLA) were made over the three cropping systems. The RF potato was a net carbon source (NEE = 187.21 ± 3.84 g C m⁻²), while both, FI (NEE= −311.96 ± 12.82 g C m⁻²) and DI (−17.3 ± 4.6 g C m⁻²) were a net carbon sink. Greater sink activity is due to high fluxes of gross primary productivity (GPP) [where the GPP > ecosystem respiration (R_eco)] and evapotranspiration (ET), and the high efficiency in the exchange of carbon and water. Without water limitations, the larger canopy, with greater photosynthetic activity (GPP/R_eco > 2) as well as with low internal resistance offers a greater area for water and carbon exchange, and the highly coupled and synchronized ET – GPP fluxes are primarily controlled by the radiative environment. The lower sink capacity of the DI potato crop and the carbon source activity from the RF, are consequences of a smaller area for water and carbon exchange due to the smaller canopy, and a low IWUE from decoupled and desynchronized carbon and water exchange caused by unbalanced restrictions on ET and GPP fluxes. Specifically, at DI potato, ET remained at a high rate, while GPP was reduced by means of non-stomatal limitations. In the rainfed potato, vapor pressure deficit (VPD) played a significant role increasing midday canopy resistance (Rc) up to 13 times compared to irrigated sites, when VPD was around 0.8 kPa. In consequence, ET and GPP fluxes decreased together, but GPP decreased more than ET because of stomatal and non-stomatal limitations.

Talker variability has been reported to facilitate generalization and retention of speech learning, but is also shown to place demands on cognitive resources. Our recent study provided evidence that phonetically-irrelevant acoustic variability in single-talker (ST) speech is sufficient to induce equivalent amounts of learning to the use of multiple-talker (MT) training. This study is a follow-up contrasting MT versus ST training with varying degrees of temporal exaggeration to examine how cognitive measures of individual learners may influence the role of input variability in immediate learning and long-term retention. Native Chinese-speaking adults were trained on the English /i/-/ɪ/ contrast. We assessed the trainees’ working memory and selective attention before training. Trained participants showed retention of more native-like cue weighting in both perception and production regardless of talker variability condition. The ST training group showed long-term benefit in word identification, whereas the MT training group did not retain the improvement. The results demonstrate the role of phonetically-irrelevant variability in robust speech learning and modulatory functions of nonlinguistic working memory and selective attention, highlighting the necessity to consider the interaction between input characteristics, task difficulty, and individual differences in cognitive abilities in assessing learning outcomes.

Abstract: Our goal is to create point-of-care (POC) strategies that accelerate decision making, increase efficiency, improve outcomes, and enhance standards of care in island communities faced with global warming, rising oceans, population migration, and intensifying weather disasters. We assessed needs in the Bantayan Archipelago and mainland Cebu Province, Visayas Islands, Philippines, to map POC diagnostics, rescue times, and spatial care paths. Significant deficiencies were lack of cardiac troponin testing for rapid diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, absence of blood gas and pH testing for support of critically ill patients, and geographic gaps prolonging patient transfers and delaying treatment. Strengths comprised primary care that can be facilitated by POC testing, logical inter-island transfers for which decision making and triage could be accelerated with onboard diagnostic testing, and healthcare small-world networks amenable to POC advances, such as pre-hospital testing, that avoid overloading emergency rooms. Healthcare resources must be distributed to archipelago islands, not concentrated in large metropolitan areas inaccessible for emergency interventions. We conclude that a point-of-need focus will help improve public health, decrease disparities in mortality among rural islanders versus urban dwellers, and pave the way for heightened resilience in anticipation of the adverse impact of global warming on vulnerable coastal areas.

Bacteriological and physico-chemical analyses of fish pond water are very important in aquaculture as they give insights into likely threats to aquaculture and associated personnel. Bacteriological and physico-chemical profiles of selected fish ponds in the Ilorin West area of Kwara State, Nigeria, were investigated to evaluate the water quality of rearing enclosures. Physico-chemical analyses revealed quality parameters were within the recommended range for aquaculture. Following bacteriological analyses of static water pond culture, the TVC and TCC showed temporal variations, with concentration increasing with sampling time. However, the FCC showed fluctuation. Totally, 8 bacteria groups were isolated from both rearing enclosures. Of these, Gram-negative bacteria showed dominance. In which 5 Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Proteus spp, Serratia spp, Enterobacter spp, and Pseudomonas spp) and 3 Gram-positive (Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp, and Bacillus spp) were encountered. Estimates of bacteria occurrence in both rearing facilities respectively gave: Staphylococcus spp (20%), Streptococcus spp (12%), Proteus spp (8%) Enterobacter spp (20%), Serratia spp (16%), Bacillus spp (9%), Escherichia coli (8%), Pseudomonas spp (7%) from earthen pond water sampled. While Staphylococcus spp (18%), Streptococcus spp (16%), Proteus spp (8%), Enterobacter spp (22)%, Serratia spp (8%), Bacillus spp (15%), Escherichia coli (8%), Pseudomonas spp (6%) from concrete water sampled. Conclusively, although there is the presence of bacteria groups of public health concern, the static water exchange provides benefits of natural processing of wastes and restoration of the pond ecosystem. Notably, the presence of Escherichia coli indicates the presence of pathogenic organisms of enteric origin. The presence of these organisms has been associated with a lack of tentative pond management and effective biosecurity procedures.

High circulating concentrations of the gut microbiota-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are significantly associated with the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed at evaluating the impact of glycemic control and bariatric surgery on circulating concentrations of TMAO and its microbiota-dependent intermediate, γ-butyrobetaine (γBB), in newly diagnosed T2D patients and morbidly obese subjects. An additional experiment was carried out in eight male C57BL/6J mice fed a Western-type diet for twelve weeks. The strategy for glycemic control in the T2D patients significantly improved the HbA1c concentrations without producing changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate. However, the plasma TMAO and γBB concentrations were significantly increased following the glycemic control in T2D patients. Bariatric surgery was very effective in reducing weight in obese subjects. Nevertheless, the surgery reduced plasma γBB concentrations without affecting TMAO concentrations and the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Neither diet-induced obesity nor insulin resistance were associated with circulating TMAO and γBB concentrations in mice. Our findings do not support that glycemic control or bariatric surgery improve the circulating concentrations of TMAO in newly diagnosed T2D and morbidly obese patients. The contribution of antidiabetic drugs to gut microbiota composition could explain TMAO elevations in treated T2D subjects.

This study aimed to apply different complexity-based methods to surface electromyography (EMG) in order to detect neuromuscular changes after realistic warm-up and stretching procedures. Sixteen volunteers conducted two experimental sessions. They were tested before, after a standardized warm-up, and after a stretching exercise (static or neuromuscular nerve gliding technique). Tests included measurements of the knee flexion torque and EMG of biceps femoris (BF) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles. EMG was analyzed using the root mean square (RMS), sample entropy (SampEn), percentage of recurrence and determinism following a recurrence quantification analysis (%Rec and %Det) and a scaling parameter from a detrended fluctuation analysis. Torque was significantly greater after warm-up as compared to baseline and after stretching. RMS was not affected by the experimental procedure. In contrast, SampEn was significantly greater after warm-up and stretching as compared to baseline values. %Rec was not modified but %Det for BF muscle was significantly greater after stretching as compared to baseline. The a scaling parameter was significantly lower after warm-up as compared to baseline for ST muscle. From the present results, complexity-based methods applied to the EMG give additional information than linear-based methods. They appeared sensitive to detect EMG complexity increases following warm-up.

Oxalate, a compound produced by many edible plants and as a terminal metabolite in the liver of mammals, is a toxin that has a detrimental role to human health. Humans and other mam-mals do produce the enzymatic machinery to degrade oxalate. However, numerous oxa-late-degrading bacteria reside in the mammalian gut and thus provide an important function for hosts. The current review focuses on the environmental factors that influence the efficacy of pro-biotic oxalate-degrading bacteria, relative to oxalate metabolism. We describe the mechanism of oxalate catabolism and its consumption by obligate and facultative anaerobic oxalate-degrading bacteria, in both in vitro and in vivo environments. We also explore the environmental variables that impact oxalate degradation. Studies on single species degrade oxalate have not shown a strong impact on oxalate metabolism especially in high oxalate conditions such as consumption of foods high in oxalate (such as coffee and chocolate for humans or halogeton in animal feed). Considering effective variables which enhance oxalate degradation could be used in application of effective probiotic as a therapeutic tool in individuals with hyperoxaluria. This study indicates probiotics can be considered a good source of naturally occurring oxalate degrading agent in human colon

We assessed true bugs among above-groundand and soil inhabitants of four different biocoenosis of pine forests representing the intra-zone areas of flora and fauna of the Kazakh upland. 15 species of three families were listed for the Central Kazakhstan region for the first time. Species Eremocoris podagricus was not registered for the territory of Kazakhstan earlier. Fifteen species (50 %) were true above-ground inhabitants or ones living on grasses, whereas other species use soil surface and ground litter as temporary habitats. Drymus brunneus and Eremocoris fenestratus play a key role in the structure and function of the true bugs assemblages in the in biotopes studied. The ecological success of typically forest and boreal inhabitants in biotopes of arid region is explained by relict nature of forests and ancient connections with the taiga zone of Western Siberia and mountain forests of the Urals and Altai. The results of a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences of the dominant and ecological structures of Heteroptera complexes of aboriginal studied forests and derived type of forest are presented.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity account for the highest burden of non-communicable diseases. There is increasing evidence showing therapeutic patient education (TPE) as a clinically and cost-effective solution to improve biomedical and psychosocial outcomes among people with DM and obesity. The present systematic review and meta-analysis presents a critical synthesis of development of TPE interventions for DM and obesity and the efficacy of these interventions across a range of biomedical, psychosocial and psychological outcomes. A total of 54 of these RCTs were identified among patients with obesity and diabetes and were thus, qualitatively synthesized. Out of these, 47 were included into quantitative synthesis. There was substantial heterogeneity in reporting of these outcomes (I²= 88.35%, Q= 317.64), with significant improvement (SMD=0.36, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.49) noted in biomedical outcomes in the intervention group. The effect sizes were comparable across interventions delivered by different modes and delivery agents. These interventions can be delivered by allied health staff, doctors or electronically as self-help programs, with similar effectiveness (P < 0.001). These interventions should be implemented in healthcare and community settings to improve health of patients suffering from DM and obesity.

Sexual vs asexual reproduction—unisexual vs bisexual populations—diploid vs polyploid biotypes—genetic vs environmental sex determination: all these natural phenomena are associated with the genus of teleost fish, Carassius. Two Carassius entities with completely different biological characteristics exist: one globally widespread and invasive Carassius gibelio, and the other C. carassius with decreasing trend of natural occurrence. Comprehensive biological and cytogenetic knowledge of both entities, including the physical interactions between them, can help to balance advantages of highly invasive and disadvantages of threatened species. For example, benefits of a wide-ranged colonization can lead toward extinction of native species or be compensated by parasitic enemies and lead to equilibrium. This review emphasizes the comprehensive biology and cytogenetic knowledge and importance of the Carassius genus as one of the most useful experimental vertebrate models for evolutionary biology and genetics. Secondly, the review points out that effective molecular cytogenetics should be used for identification of various species, ploidy levels, and hybrids. The proposed investigation of these hallmark characteristics in Carassius may be applied in conservation efforts to sustain threatened populations in their native ranges. Also, the review focuses on consequences of co-occurrence of native and non-native species and outlines future perspectives of Carassius research.

In this work a series of experiments on the retention of B1 (riboflavin), B2 (thiamine) and B3 (nicotinic acid) vitamins in the HILIC and RPLC conditions have been performed involving the effects of organic modifier type and content, pH of the eluent, and buffering salt (ammonium acetate) concentration in the mobile phase, as well as temperature of the system. For the needs of this studies three columns of different features have been chosen: Acclaim™ Mixed-Mode HILIC-1 (Dionex), Eurospher II 100-5 HILIC (Knauer) and the RPLC column Nucleodur® C18 Gravity – SB (Macherey –Nagel). The influence of acetonitrile and methanol content in the eluent and process temperature have been tested and basing on that the most promising systems have been selected regarding the possible separation of the vitamins mixture. Both pH and buffering salt concentrations in the eluent have been adjusted in order to indicate the most effective system which turned out to be the one involving the Nucleodur column and the eluent with 90% methanol, at pH 6 and Cbuff = 20 mmol/dm3 that enables separation of the mixture within the time as short as 2.5 minutes at 1.0 mL/s flowrate in isocratic conditions.

The three-phase separator was perforated after four years’ service. The perforation position is at the bottom of the vessel under the baffle plate in an oil transfer station. The cause of perforation was investigated by chemical analysis using a direct-reading spectrometer, microstructure examined by optical microscope(OM), and lab simulated corrosion experiments by electrochemical workstation, and the corrosion products examined with scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS) in this paper. The analyses indicated that the coating at the base of the pressure vessel failed and this led to the direct exposure of the carbon steel plate to the corrosive medium. The electrical contact between the carbon steel and the stainless steel, sets up a galvanic cell that accelerated the corrosion of the pressure vessel which eventually led leads to the perforation.

The Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START) is deemed the most appropriate instrument for assessing violence risks and management because of its balanced approach between dynamic risk and protective factors. Although several facets of reliability and predictive validity of this tool were strong, its inter-rater reliability, construct validity, and implementation in Asian population were under-investigated. The objective of this research was to examine the inter-rater reliability and construct validity of the START: Thai version within forensic psychiatric inpatients. The participants consisted of 118 forensic psychiatric inpatients hospitalized at Galya Rajanagarindra Institute in Thailand. Trained mental health professionals (i.e., psychiatrists, forensic nurses, clinical psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists) assessed each participant across twenty domains of the Thai START. The inter-rater reliability was examined using the intraclass correlation coefficient and a confirmatory factor analysis for ordinal data was used to test the construct validity of the scale. The main finding showed a good-to-excellent inter-rater reliability and supported two relational constructs (i.e., strength vs vulnerability subscales) of the Thai START. The Thai START is a promising tool for using in Thai forensic psychiatric setting but some items were not significant in contributing to the scale. This study also provides the guideline for implementing the tool in non-Western forensic psychiatric populations.

Cancer survival continues to improve in high-income countries, partly explained by advances in screening and treatment. Previous studies have mainly examined the relationship between individual dietary components and cancer prognosis in tumours with good therapeutic response (breast, colon and prostate cancers). The aim of this review was to assess qualitatively (and quantitatively where appropriate) the associations of dietary patterns and cancer prognosis from published prospective cohort studies, as well as the effect of diet interventions by means of randomized controlled trials (RCT). A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, and a total of 35 prospective cohort studies and 14 RCT published between 2011 and 2021 were selected. Better overall diet quality was associated with improved survival among breast and colorectal cancer survivors; adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated to lower risk of mortality in colorectal and prostate cancer survivors. A meta-analysis using a random-effects model showed that higher versus lower diet quality was associated with a 23% reduction in overall mortality in breast cancer survivors. There was evidence that dietary interventions, generally combined with physical activity, improved overall quality of life, though most studies were in breast cancer survivors. Further cohort and intervention studies in other cancers are needed to make more specific recommendations.

We have recently proposed a pre-quantum, pre-space-time theory as a matrix-valued Lagrangian dynamics on an octonionic space-time. This pre-theory offers the prospect of unifying the internal symmetries of the standard model with gravity. It can also predict the values of free parameters of the standard model, because these parameters arising in the Lagrangian are related to the algebra of the octonions which define the underlying non-commutative space-time on which the dynamical degrees of freedom evolve. These free parameters are related to the algebra $J_3(\mathbb O)$ [exceptional Jordan algebra] which in turn is related to the three fermion generations. The exceptional Jordan algebra [also known as the Albert algebra] is the finite dimensional algebra of 3x3 Hermitean matrices with octonionic entries. Its automorphism group is the exceptional Lie group $F_4$. These matrices admit a cubic characteristic equation whose eigenvalues are real and depend on the invariant trace, determinant, and an inner product made from the Jordan matrix. Also, there is some evidence in the literature that the groups $F_4$ and $E_6$ could play a role in the unification of the standard model symmetries, including the Lorentz symmetry. The octonion algebra is known to correctly yield the electric charge values (0, 1/3, 2/3, 1) for standard model fermions, via the eigenvalues of a $U(1)$ number operator, identified with $U(1)_{em}$. In the present article, we use the same octonionic representation of the fermions to compute the eigenvalues of the characteristic equation of the Albert algebra, and compare the resulting eigenvalues with the known mass ratios for quarks and leptons. We find that the ratios of the eigenvalues correctly reproduce the [square root of the] known mass ratios for quarks and charged leptons. We also propose a diagrammatic representation of the standard model bosons, Higgs and three fermion generations, in terms of the octonions, exhibiting an $F_4$ and $E_6$ symmetry. In conjunction with the trace dynamics Lagrangian, the Jordan eigenvalues also provide a first principles theoretical derivation of the low energy value of the fine structure constant, yielding the value $1/137.04006$. The Karolyhazy correction to this value gives an exact match with the measured value of the constant, after assuming a specific value for the electro-weak symmetry breaking energy scale.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is in crisis, in part due to bad methods, which are understood as misuse of statistics that is considered correct in itself. This article exposes two related common misconceptions in statistics, the effect size (ES) based on correlation (CBES) and a misconception of contingency tables (MCT). CBES is a fallacy based on misunderstanding of correlation and ES and confusion with 2 × 2 tables, which makes no distinction between gross crosstabs (GCTs) and contingency tables (CTs). This leads to misapplication of Pearson’s Phi, designed for CTs, to GCTs and confusion of the resulting gross Pearson Phi, or mean-square effect half-size, with the implied Pearson mean square contingency coefficient. Generalizing this binary fallacy to continuous data and the correlation in general (Pearson’s r) resulted in flawed equations directly expressing ES in terms of the correlation coefficient, which is impossible without including covariance, so these equations and the whole CBES concept are fundamentally wrong. MCT is a series of related misconceptions due to confusion with 2 × 2 tables and misapplication of related statistics. The misconceptions are threatening because most of the findings from contingency tables, including CBES-based meta-analyses, can be misleading. Problems arising from these fallacies are discussed and the necessary changes to the corpus of statistics are proposed resolving the problem of correlation and ES in paired binary data. Since exposing these fallacies casts doubt on the reliability of the statistical foundations of EBM in general, we urgently need to revise them.