The purpose of these studies was to investigate effect of selenate (Se6), selenized yeast (SeYe) and carnosic acid (CA) supplementation to the diet containing fish oil (F-O) and rapeseed oil (R-O) on contents of fatty acids (FA), malondialdehyde (MDA), tocopherols (Ts) and total cholesterol (TCh) in lambs’ spleens. 24 male lambs (4 groups per 6 animals) have been fed: the control diet - the basal diet (BD) enriched in F-O and R-O; the CA diet - BD enriched in F-O, R-O and CA; the SeYeCA diet - BD enriched in F-O, R-O, CA and SeYe; the Se6CA diet - BD enriched in F-O, R-O, CA and Se6. Dietary modifications affected profiles of FA in spleens. The SeYeCA and Se6CA diets increased the docosapentaenoic acid preference in Δ4-desaturase, hence the higher content of docosahexaenoic acid was found in spleens of SeYe- or Se6-treated lambs than in spleens of animals receiving the CA and control diets. Experimental diets reduced the level of atherogenic FA in the spleen in comparison with the control diet. The experimental diets supplemented with SeYe or Se6 increased levels of TCh and Ts in spleens in comparison with the CA and control CA diets. The present studies documented that Se6, SeYe and CA influenced the metabolism of FA, Ts and cholesterol in spleens.

Folk residence in the cold region of Northeast China is an important part of China's traditional folk residence, with significant geographical representation. In this paper, we take the residential compounds of villages and towns in the cold region of Northeast China as the research object, summarize four typical layout forms of residential compounds of villages and towns in the cold region of Northeast China, simulate the wind environment of compounds of different layout forms in winter by using the computer numerical simulation software Fluent, and then analyze and evaluate the wind environment of compounds by combining with the evaluation standard of wind speed ratio and considering the area of wind shadows, number of vortices and other factors.

The aim of this work is the study of genome organization and metabolic potential of Streptomyces carpaticus strain SCPM-O-B-9993, promising plant-protecting and plant-stimulating strain isolated from brown semi-desert soils with a very high degree of salinity. The genome of the strain contains of a linear chromosome of 5,968,715 bp and has no plasmids. Gene clusters of production of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties (ohmyungsamycin, pellasoren, naringenin, ansamycin) were identified in the genome. The strain SCPM-O-B-9993 has antiviral activity against cucumber mosaic virus on tomatoes under laboratory conditions.

Aim: Complementary effects of dabigatran etexilate (DE), exercise training (ET) and combination (DE+ET) on the development and composition of the atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic apoE knockout (apoE-/-) mice. Methods: In 48 male apoE-/- diabetic mice, streptozotocin (STZ) was induced for 5 consecutive days. Mice received figh-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks and were randomized into 4 groups (1.Control/CG, 2.DEG: HFD with DE, 3.ETG: ET on treadmill, 4.DE+ETG: Combination DE and ET treatment). At the end of 8th week, all mice were euthanatized and morphometry of the aortic lesions at the level of aortic valve was obtained. Collagen, elastin, TNF-a, MCP-1, matrix-metalloproteinases (MMP-2,-3,-9), and TIMP-1 concentration within plaques at aortic valve were determined. Results: All active groups had significantly smaller aorta stenosis (DEG:7.9±2.2%, ETG:17.3±5.3%, DE+ETG:7.1±2.7%) compared to CG (23.3±5.5% p<0.05), reduced the relative intra-plaque concentrations of macrophages, MCP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-9, and considerably increased collagen, elastin and TIMP-1 (p<0.05). Group 4 showed the most pronounced results (p<0.05). Both DEG and DE+ETG significantly reduced MMP-2 and TNF-a concentrations compared to ETG and CG (p<0.010). Conclusion: DE and ET treatment in diabetic apoE-/- mice showed complementary amelioration of atherosclerotic lesions development and stability, mediated by the anti-inflammatory modulation of both DE and ET.

In estimating the maximum and minimum index void ratios for mixtures of sand and silt, the values of several empirical constants must be determined based on the type of sand and silt involved. These empirical constants are the filling coefficient, a, and embedment coefficient, b, both of which can be determined either through lab testing or correlations. These constants are then used in equations to predict the maximum and minimum index void ratios of the sand-silt mixtures. The study reported here developed simple correlations for estimating the filling and embedment coefficients using readily obtained laboratory data. These models were found to be excellent in developing filling and embedment coefficients that accurately (R2 values typically of 0.94 or greater.) predicted values of the index void ratios for sand and silt mixtures.

Magnesium oxide is typically white and can be colorized with transition metal insertion by doping or by adsorption. We present the preparation of green colored hydroxide by the adsorption of nickel ions by porous MgO. MgO was prepared by the colloidal starch suspension method and used to remove nickel ions from the aqueous solution. The oxides and hydroxides, before and after adsorption, were characterized by X-ray diffraction technical, and show that a phase change occurs, a transition from periclase (MgO) to brucite (Mg(OH)2) due to the interaction with nickel salts (acetate, chloride, and nitrate). The FTIR spectrum corroborates with the DRX data on the formation of brucite like crystal lattices. The new samples present a green color, indicative of the incor-po-ration of the Ni2+ ions. Mixed oxides in the form of brucite were used in microbiological tests and showed action against fungi and bacteria, with bactericidal, bacteriostatic, or fungistatic function. Green brucite (NixMg1-x(OH)2) can be used as an inorganic pigment in white or colorless paints with a special biocidal property.

The aim of this study was to measure the effects on 3D active cervical Range of Motion (ACROM) and perceived pain of a n elastic taping (ET) application in the cervical area. Thirty participants (n: 22M and 8F, age 35.4±4.4 years; body height 173.1±8.4 cm; body mass 73.5±12.8 kg) for the study group (SG) and twenty subjects (n: 11M and 9F, age 32.6±3.9 years; body height 174.9±10.9 cm; body mass 71.2±12.9 kg) for the control group (CG) were recruited. All subjects were symptomatic for neck and cervical pain in baseline condition. Each group performed on ACROM test and the perceived pain on neck basing as Numerical Rating Scale (NRS 0-10, a.u.): at the baseline (T0); after 20' from ET application (T1); after three days of wearing the ET application (T2). Between T0 and T1 an ET was applied on the cervical area of the SG participants. Statistical analysis did not show any significant change in CG in any measurement session for ACROM and neck pain parameters. Conversely, the SG showed significant improvements for ACROM rotation left (T0 64.8 ± 7.7° - T2 76.0 ± 11.1° p < 0.000) and right (T0 66.0 ± 11.9° - T2 74.2 ± 9.6° p < 0.000); lateral inclination left (T0 37.5 ± 6.9° - T2 40.6 ± 10.8° p < 0.000) and right (T0 36.5 ± 7.9° - T2 40.9 ± 5.2° p < 0.000); flexion posterior (T0 47.0 ± 12.9° - T2 55.1 ± 12.3° p < 0.001) and anterior (T0 55.0 ± 3.6° - T2 62.9 ± 12.0° p < 0.006). A significant decrease was measure also in SG for pain NRS between T0 and T2 (T0 7.5 ± 1.0° - T1 5.5 ± 1.4 - T2 1.4 ± 1.5° p < 0.000). In conclusion, the results of this study underline the usefulness of a bilateral and symmetrical ET cervical application in terms to enhance multiplanar ACROM and to reduce subjective self-perceived cervical pain when it is needed. These findings can be applied for managing musculoskeletal health of different kind of individuals.

Dioscorea composita is a plant native to México and Central America with a high concentration of diosgenin precursors. Currently, México is one of the two most important countries producers of this yam; however, climate change is altering the environmental conditions of its natural habits, threatening its preservation and productivity. This is why this research was focused to characterize the eco-geography of D. composita and predict its potential geographic distribution under climate change scenarios in México-Central America. A collection of 408 geo-referenced accessions was used to determine its climatic adaptation, ecological descriptors, and the current and future potential geographic distribution, which was modeled with MaxEnt model through the Kuenm R-package. For future climate scenarios, an ensemble of the GCMs HadGEM-ES and CCSM4 was used. Results showed that D. composita adapts to warm humid and very humid agro-climates and that the most contributing variables for its presence are annual and seasonal moisture availability indices, seasonal photoperiod, annual thermal range, Bio14 and Bio11. The year 2050 RCP 4.5 climate scenario would contract the potential distribution of D. composita, whilst the 2050 RCP 8.5 scenario would expand it, indicating that this species could be a good crop option under this scenario of emissions.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of forearm postures and elbow joint angles on muscle torque and mechanomyography (MMG) signals. The torque about the elbow and MMG of the biceps brachii (BB) muscle were measured in 36 healthy subjects using an in-house elbow flexion testbed and Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of the BB muscle. The BB muscle received stimulation intensity while the forearm was positioned in the neutral, pronation or supination. The elbow was flexed at angles 10°, 30°, 60° and 90°. (0° = full elbow extension). The study analyzed the impact of forearm posture(s) and elbow joint angle(s) on the root mean square value of torque (TQ_RMS). Subsequently, MMG parameters such as the root mean square value (MMG_RMS), the mean power frequency (MMG_MPF), and the median frequency (MMG_MDF), were analyzed in the longitudinal, lateral, and transverse axes of the BB muscle fibers. Forearm posture and elbow flexion angle were found to significantly influence TQ_RMS (P < 0.05). Similarly, MMG_RMS, MMG_MPF and MMG_MDF exhibited a significant difference for all postures and angles (P < 0.05). However, the combined main effect of forearm postures and elbow joint angles was insignificant in the longitudinal axis (P > 0.05). The study also found that MMG_RMS and TQ_RMS increased with the joint angle to 60° and decreased to the other angle(s). However, during this investigation,MMG_MPF and MMG_MDF exhibited a consistent decrease in response to joint angles. This finding suggests that the muscle contraction evoked by NMES may be influenced by the interplay between actin and myosin filaments, which are responsible for muscle contraction and are in turn influenced by muscle length. As restoring the function of limbs is a common goal in rehabilitation services, it becomes imperative to develop methods that may enable the real-time tracking of exact muscle dimensional changes and activation levels.

Rain-fed agriculture remains the source of employment for a majority of Ethiopian population, particularly in Dorebafana District, where annual rainfall is low. Perception of climate change and variability supported by local knowledge has helped to advance understanding of climate change and its impacts on agricultural land-use systems. Thus, the overall objective of this study was assessing farmers’ perception of climate change and variability and its impact on agriculture in Umbulo Kajima and Lebu Koromo kebeles of Dorebafana, Sidama region of Ethiopia. A total of 88 sample households from the two kebeles, farmers’ perception were compared with historical climatic data from the closest weather station of the study area. The household survey, focus group discussions and field observation were used as primary data sources in the study area. The data was analyzed by using descriptive statics in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and multinomial logistic regression model. As data showed, there was the declining and high variability of rainfall in the last three decades In addition, the maximum annual rainfall was observed in 1998, 1755.4 mm and the lowest annual rainfall was recorded in 2015, 537.4 mm in the study area. The focus group discussions and key informant interviews further supported the idea that rainfall in the research area has been falling and very variable over the previous three decades. The finding showed that, temperature increased by 0.1oC over the previous three decade, and socioeconomic factors such sex, age, farming experience, knowledge of the climate, market access, and agro-ecology had an impact on farmers' perceptions of climate change and its impact in agriculture. Therefore awareness creation, increase educational level, sharing experience, scaling up best practice and using new technologies are the best alternatives to minimize the adverse effects of climate change.

Background and Objectives: Elders’ needs are rarely examined beforehand, and thus, although technology-based tools can enhance self-management, acceptability rates are still low. This study aimed to examine and compare self-reported needs, priorities, and preferences of elders with heart failure (HF), diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) toward technology use to enhance self-management. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 473 participants over 60s (60.5% females), diagnosed with HF (N=156), DM (N=164), or COPD (N=153) was recruited. They were administered a questionnaire about the usefulness of technology in general and in specific areas of disease management. Results: Most participants (84.7%) admitted that technology is needed for better disease management. This was equally recognized across the three groups both for the overall and specific areas of disease management (in order of priority: ‘Information’, ‘Communication with Physicians &amp; Caregivers’, and ‘Quality of Life &amp; Wellbeing’). Sociodemographic differences were found. Cell phones and PCs were the devices of preference. The four common features prioritized by all three groups were related to ‘information about disease management’ (i.e., monitoring symptoms, reminders for medication intake, management and prevention of complications), whereas the fifth one was related to ‘communication with physicians and caregivers (i.e., in case of abnormal or critical signs). The top disease-specific feature was also monitoring systems (of respiratory rate or blood sugar or blood pressure, oxygen), whereas other disease-specific features followed (i.e., maintaining normal weight for HF patients, adjusting insulin dose for DM patients, and training on breathing exercises for COPD patients). Conclusions: Elders in these three samples seem receptive to technology in disease management. mHealth tools, incorporating both common and disease-specific features and addressing different chronic patients, and being personalized at the same time, could be cost-saving and useful adjuncts in routine clinical care to improve self-management.

The study's objective was to investigate changes in the fatty acid composition of cow milk in general and in 80 Romanian Spotted cows' husbandry and feeding systems in particular (grazing – GC group vs. stabulation – SC group). The ultimate objective was to determine if the changes that happened in the milk also transferred to the finished product. Also, the influence of the raw milk quality produced by both systems was evaluated when yogurt was made from it. The milk was gathered in May, July, and September and used for both the yogurt-making process and the study, which lasted from May to October. As comparison to milk from SC, milk from grazed caws had larger percentages of fat and dry matter throughout the summer (GC) season. Moreover, pasture-based rations (MGC) contained more PUFA than MCS did. Data research revealed that not only do factors like milk origin and initial quality have a substantial impact on yogurt quality parameters, but also technologies like milk fermentation have a considerable impact on the fatty acid profile of yogurt. As comparison to cows kept permanently in stables, grazed cows (MGC) had fat with a lower concentration of saturated fatty acids and a higher proportion of rumenic, vaccenic, and oleic acids (MSC). When fresh milk is processed into yogurt and other dairy products, the fatty acid profiles alter, with saturated fatty acids predominating over unsaturated ones. The findings show that pasture-fed cows have a positive impact on milk quality, particularly in terms of fatty acid profile, as well as on yogurt's ultimate nutritional and dietary quality.

The effect of the addition of fenugreek seed powder and Moringa oleifera leaf meal on the production performance and egg quality of Lohmann Brown laying hens was investigated. A total of 108 Lohmann-Brown layers, 48 weeks of age, were used and randomly assigned to six experimental groups of three replicates each in a randomized design. A control diet was supplemented with 3.6 g/hen/day of Moringa oleifera leaf meal and fenugreek seed powder alone or in various proportions as follows: control diet (T1), 100% Moringa oleifera leaf meal (T2), 25% fenugreek seed powder and 75% moringa oleifera leaf meal (T3), 50% fenugreek seed powder and 50% moringa oleifera leaf meal (T4), 75% fenugreek seed powder and 25% moringa oleifera leaf meal (T5) and 100% fenugreek seed powder (T6) were added on top of the control diet. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA by the general linear model method, using Tukey's multiple range tests to differentiate means. According to the results, fenugreek and moringa had a crude protein content of 25.17 and 27.8%, respectively. The groups administered T4 had significantly higher mean feed intake (120.75), feed conversion rate (2.315), egg production (77.22), and egg mass (52.08) than the others. Treatment 4 had a significant (P&lt;0.05) improvement in some egg quality traits such as shell weight, shell firmness, albumen weight, yolk weight, yolk color, and Haugh unit compared to the control. In summary, Treatment 4, a mixture of equal parts fenugreek seed powder and Moringa oleifera leaf meal, improved egg production performance and egg quality.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the essential oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. (C. schoenanthus) from Burkina Faso in cytotoxic activity against LNCaP cells, derived from prostate cancer, and HeLa cells, derived from cervical cancer. Antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro. Essential oil (EO) was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC / FID and GC / MS. Thirty-seven compounds were identified, the major compounds being piperitone (49.9%), alpha terpinene isomer (24.02%), elemol (5.79%) and limonene (4.31%). EO exhibited a poor antioxidant activity, as shown by the inhibition of DPPH radicals (IC50 =1730 ± 80 µg/mL) and ABTS+. (IC50 = 2890 ± 26.9 µg/mL). Conversely, EO decreased the proliferation of LNCaP and HeLa cells with respective IC50s of 135.53 ± 5.27 µg/mL and 146.17 ± 11 µg/mL. EO also prevented LNCaP cell migration and led to the arrest of their cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Altogether, this work points out for the first time that EO of C. schoenanthus from Burkina Faso could be an effective natural anticancer agent.

Aerosols play an important role in Earth’s climate system, thus long time ground based measurements of aerosol optical properties are useful in understanding this role. 10 years of quality-assured measurements between 2010 and 2020 are used to investigate the aerosol climatology in the Cluj-Napoca area, in North-Western Romania. In this study, we analyze the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) and Ångström exponent obtained by CIMEL sun photometer, part of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) to extract the seasonality of aerosols in the region and investigate the aerosol climatology of the area. Higher aerosol loads are found during July and August. Ångström exponent has the lowest values in April and May and the highest in August. The classification of aerosols using AERONET data is performed to separate dust, biomass burning, polluted urban, marine and continental dominant aerosol mixtures. In addition, the study presents the validation efforts of the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) dataset against AERONET AOD over 10 years period.

A combination of compost and biochar has been proven to be a promising strategy to immobilize metal(loid)s and improve soil properties. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted to investigate the effect of biochar and compost combination administered at different rates on mining technosol. Thus, we investigated the effect of different rates of compost (20%, 40%, 60% w/w) in combination with biochar (0%, 2%, 6% w/w) on soil physiochemical properties and the mobility of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), the ability of Arabidopsis thaliana (ecotype Columbia-0) to grow and accumulate metal(loid)s. All modalities improved pH and electrical conductivity, stabilized Pb and mobilized As, but only the mixture of 20% compost and 6% biochar improved plant growth. Plants in all modalities showed a significant reduction in root and shoot Pb concentrations compared to the non-amended technosol. Whereas, As shoot concentration was significantly lower for plants in all modalities (except with 20% compost only) compared to non-amended technosol. For root As, plants in all modalities showed no significant reduction except for the mixture of 20% compost and biochar. Overall, the mixture of 20% compost with 6% biochar represents the optimum combination for improving plant growth and As uptake.

Currently, the Israeli energy industry faces the challenge of a considerable increase in solar electricity production. Being a relatively isolated system, the significant expansion of solar electricity may cause problems with electricity quality. The electrical storage installation can resolve this problem. In Israel's situation, the optimal solution can be the creation of a channel between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. The channel can solve three closely related problems: the increased production of desalinated water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural needs; the prevention of a permanent Dead Sea level decline and its imminent disappearance; the development of hydro-pumping electrical storage stations; and the creation of numerous PV facilities in the Negev area for national electricity generation. However, a detailed analysis should be done for the estimation of the possible increase of solar electric generation with the consideration of a stochastic PV outcome and a potential ability to use the Dead Sea for the brine discharge from electrical hydro-storage plants.

Limited understanding exists concerning leptospirosis in Zanzibar. The objective of this study is to evaluate the degree of knowledge and awareness of leptospirosis within the urban and peri-urban populations of Unguja. A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing semi-structured questionnaires from January to April 2022. Two hundred respondents were randomly selected (130 males and 70 females) aged between 18 and 89 years. Descriptive analysis was employed to assess the main trends in knowledge and awareness, and χ2 analysis was utilized to determine associations between demographic characteristics with respondents’ knowledge and awareness. The majority of respondents (64%) lacked awareness of leptospirosis' etiology, but a significant proportion of respondents had a favorable attitude (68.6%) towards leptospirosis compared to their average knowledge and awareness (35%) and practices (29.3%). Nonetheless, the livestock keeper, farmers, fishermen, and healthcare providers had low levels of knowledge and awareness. The findings also demonstrated that males had a strong association with occupational physical activities, while educational level was associated with preventive practices. Living in urban or peri-urban areas was significantly linked with the respondents' practices. The study's outcomes demonstrated low levels of community knowledge and awareness regarding leptospirosis' etiology, mode of transmission, and symptoms among livestock keepers, farmers, fishermen, and healthcare providers. Although most respondents had a favorable attitude, their low level of knowledge and poor practices indicate that supplementing a positive attitude with enhanced knowledge and awareness is necessary to promote individual engagement in preventive measures.

The characteristics of the Sentinel-2 mission with a decametric resolution and frequent acquisitions allow to improve the identification of crops. The majority of the studies on crop classification using RS were targeted at herbaceous and gramineous crop classes while fewer results were obtained on woody crops which present a strong variability in management practices that make their identification difficult. Thus, this study aimed to propose a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective analytical approach for the delineation of fruit orchards (OC), vineyards (VY), and olive groves (OL) in the Mediterranean (Southern France) considering two locations. A classification based on phenology metrics (PM) de-rived from temporal Sentinel-2 time series was developed to perform the classification. The PM were computed by fitting a double logistic model on temporal profiles of vegeta-tion indices to delineate OC, VY, and a DC class gathering all remaining surfaces. The generated PM were introduced in a random forest (RF) algorithm to identify woody crops across the two sites. The method was tested on different vegetation indices, the best results being obtained with the leaf area index (LAI). To delineate OL in the DC class, the tem-poral features of the green chlorophyll vegetation index (GCVI) were found to be the most appropriated with a typical drop of the signal during the mid-season (DOY 150-250). As a final result, we obtained an overall accuracy ranging from 89-96% and Kappa of 0.86-0.95 by considering each study site and year (2016-2021), separately. This accuracy is much better than applying the RF algorithm on the LAI times series, which led to a Kappa rang-ing between 0.3 and 0.52 and demonstrates the interest of using phenological traits rather than the raw time series of the RS data. The method can be well reproduced from one year to another. Moreover, it is possible to apply the classification model of a given year to an-other, keeping good accuracy. This is an interesting feature to reduce the burden of col-lecting ground truth information. On the contrary, the use of a classification model cali-brated in one site and applied to another led to a strong degradation of the classification accuracy. Woody crop phenology is dependent on site climatic conditions as well as the cultivar and management practices that can differ from one site to another.

Streets are an essential element of urban safety governance and urban design, but they are designed with little regard for possible gender differences. This study proposes a safety perception evaluation method from the female perspective based on street view images (SVIs) and mobile phone data, taking the central city of Guangzhou as an example. The method relies on crowdsourced data and uses a machine learning model to predict the safety perception map. It combines the simulation of women's walking commuting paths to analyse the areas that need to be prioritised for improvement. Multiple linear regression was used to explain the relationship between safety perception and visual elements. The results showed the following: 1) There were differences in safety perceptions across genders. Women gave overall lower safety scores and more dispersed distribution of scores. 2) Approximately 11% of the streets in the study area showed weak perceived safety, and approximately 3% of these streets have high pedestrian flows and require priority improvements. 3) Safe visual elements in SVIs included the existence of roads, sidewalks, cars, railways, people, skyscrapers, and trees. Our findings can help urban designers determine how to evaluate urban safety and where to optimise key areas. Both have practical implications for urban planners seeking to create urban environments that promote greater safety.

Soil erosion is one of the biggest problems in the agricultural sector that can affect ecosystems and human societies. A field of 50 slope was selected to study the runoff, soil and nutrients’ loss as well as crop productivity in different treatments (conventional tillage (CT) vs. no-tillage (NT), plant vs. no plant cover, contour cultivation (CC) vs. perpendicular to the contour cultivation, (PC) under natural rainfall. The experiment was conducted in central Greece in two cultivation periods. In autumn, the field was cultivated with intercropping Triticosecale and Pisum sativum and in spring with Sunflower. The total rainfall was 141.4 mm in the 1st year and 311 mm in the 2nd. We found that runoff in the treatment of no tillage with contour cultivation was 85% lower in both years compared to the no tillage-no plant control. Therefore, the contour cultivation-no tillage treatment had a positively effect in decreasing phosphorus and potassium concentrations lost from soil: indeed, there was a decrease by 55% and 62% in P and K, respectively, in the NT compared to the CC treatments. We conclude that the NT-CC treatment with plant cover was the most effective in reducing water runoff, soil nutrients’ loss and increasing yield.

This research program investigated the effects of layer thickness (50 and 100 microns) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of electron beam powder bed fusion (EBPBF) additive manufacturing of Inconel 625 alloy. The as-built 50 and 100 micron layer thickness components were also heat treated at temperatures above 1100 oC, which produced a recrystallized grain structure containing annealing twins in the 50 micron layer thickness components, and a duplex grain structure consisting of islands of very small equiaxed grains dispersed in a recrystallized, large-grain structure containing annealing twins. The heat treated component microstructures and mechanical properties were compared with the as-built components in both the build direction (vertical) and perpendicular (horizontal) to the build direction. Vickers microindentation hardness (HV) values for the vertical and horizontal geometries averaged 227 and 220 for the as-built 50 and 100 micron layer components, and 185 and 282 for the corresponding heat treated components. The yield stress values were 387 MPa and 365 MPa for the as-built layer horizontal and vertical 50 micron layer geometries, and 330 MPa and 340 MPa for the as-built 100 micron layer components. For the heat treated 50 micron components, the yield stress values were 340 and 321 MPa for the horizontal and vertical geometries, and 581 and 489 MPa for the 100 micron layer components, respectively. The elongation for the 100 micron layer as-built horizontal components was 28% in contrast to 65% for the corresponding 100 micron heat treated layer components, an increase of 132% for the duplex grain structure. However, the coarse grains containing annealing twins and the equiaxed small grain islands in the duplex structure for the heat treated components contained continuous carbides in the grain boundaries, and this may indicate sensitization and a reduction in corrosion resistance. These findings point to the potential mechanical property advantage for heat treatment of Inconel 625 alloy 100 micron layer thickness components fabricated by EBPBF.

This paper is mainly based on a stricter premise of the twin paradox and the assumption of inertial frame, discusses the properties of time and space under the premise of complete symmetry, and draws an interesting conclusion: the simultaneity of different reference frames is possible realized, and the space is relatively independent. And based on this, the twin paradox, cosmic inflation, ultra-distance action of quantum entanglement, microscopic space motion of particles, measurement problems and other phenomena are tentatively explained from a new angle. This interpretation is exploratory and new. At the same time, the author also proposes an experimental way to test the relative independence of space.At the same time, this paper attempts to strictly prove that Einstein's definition of simultaneity and spatial absoluteness in special relativity may be problematic.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline. The two cardinal neuropathological hallmarks of AD include buildup of cerebral β amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau. The current disease-modifying treatments are still not effective enough to lower the rate of cognitive decline. The paucity of early detection and disease progression biomarkers also seems to present a major obstacle to AD drug development. The current established readouts based on expression levels of amyloid beta, tau and phospho tau have shown many discrepancies in patient samples when linked to disease progression. There is an urgent need to identify diagnostic and disease progression biomarkers from blood, CSF or other biofluids that can facilitate early detection of the disease and provide pharmacodynamic readouts for new drugs being tested in clinical trials. Advances in proteomic approaches using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, are now being increasingly applied to study AD disease mechanisms, identify drug targets and novel disease biomarkers. In this report, we describe applications of the quantitative proteomic approaches for understanding AD pathophysiology, summarize the current knowledge gained from proteomic investigations of AD and discuss development and validation of new predictive and diagnostic disease biomarkers.

We examined PT parameters, geochemical peculiarities, and fluid sources of the Ulug-Sair ore occurrence attributable to class of intrusion-related gold deposits and according to ore mineral assemblages corresponding to Au-Bi type with wide Bi minerals (AgBiTe, Bi2Te2Se, Cu3,07BiS3, Bi), tellurides (Au and Ag), Se-tellurides (Ag and Bi), and selenides (Au, Ag, and Hg). We identified that ‘pre-gold’ quartz-tourmaline veins were deposited using an aqueous Mg-Na-K-chloride fluid with a salinity of 8–10 wt % NaCl eq. At 325–370 °C; host breasts were formed due to a CO2-water fluid containing CH4 and N2, with a salinity of 0,18–6,1 wt % NaCl eq. at least 200–400 °C. Gold-bearing mineral assemblages were formed at P ~ 0,75–1,0 kbar (~ 2,3–3 km) due to CO2-water chloride (Na-K±Fe, Mg) fluid with CH4, Na2SO4, and Na2B2O5, and salinities 1,7–12,5 wt % NaCl eq. during the decreasing temperatures from 360 up to 115 °C (gold-sulfide-quartz veins – 360–130 °С, and gold-telluride-sulfide-quartz veins – 330–115 °C) and variations fO2, fS2, fSe2, and fTe2. The isotopic composition of δ34SH2S fluid (-0,7…+2,5 ‰) indicates the juvenile or magmatic origin of fluid and ore elements. The δ34OH2O fluid indicates that, at an early substage, the formation of ore occurrence involved a fluid of magmatic or metamorphic origin (+7,3…+11,4 ‰), and, in the later substage, it mixed with meteoric waters (-2,3…+9,1 ‰).

Research rarely explores LGBTQ+ youth bullying in the context of culture-specific outcomes (e.g., LGBTQ+ identity development) and what can mitigate the impact of peer stressors. This study used a concurrent mixed methods design to explore how experiences of peer victimization predicted LGBTQ+ youth’s identity development (i.e., stigma sensitivity, concealment motivation, and difficult process) and whether social support and outness served as protective, moderating factors. The mixed-methods approach provides a culture-specific context via qualitative inquiry to inform whether the quantitative findings align with how youth qualitatively discuss their experience of bullying, negative outcomes, and social support. Our sample consisted of 349 LGBTQ+ youth 14-17 years old who completed a survey (quantitative sample), and a subset of 39 LGBTQ+ youth who completed a semi-structured interview (qualitative sample). Our quantitative findings indicated that greater overall peer victimization was positively related to LGBIS-revised subscales of stigma sensitivity, concealment motivation, and difficult process, where both outness and social support moderated such relations. Qualitatively, victimized youth also reported stigma sensitivity and concealment motivation, while also endorsing how being out and having a support system played a role in their experience of being victimized. These qualitative findings align with our quantitative findings that classmate support mitigated the effects of peer victimization on difficulty of coming out. Implications for practitioners and researchers are provided.

Background: It has been demonstrated that pressotherapy used post-exercise (Po-E) can influence training performance, recovery, and physiological properties. This study examined the effec-tiveness of pressotherapy on these parameters. Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and ClinicalTrials has been done up to March 2021. Inclusion criteria were: randomized control trials (RCTs) or cross-over studies, mean participant age be-tween 18-65 yrs., ≥ 1 exercise mechanical pressotherapy intervention. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for RCT (RoB 2.0). Results: 12 studies comprised of 322 partici-pants have been selected. The mean sample size was n = 25. Pressotherapy significantly reduce muscle soreness(Standard Mean Difference;SMD= -0.33; CI = -0.49, -0.18; p < 0.0001; I2 = 7%). Pres-sotherapy did not significantly affect jump height (SMD = -0.04; CI =-0.36, -0.29; p = 0.82). Presso-therapy did not significantly affect creatine kinase level 24-96h after DOMS induction (SMD = 0.41; CI = -0.07, 0.89; p = 0.09; I2 = 63%). Conclusions: Only moderate benefits of using pressotherapy as a recovery intervention have been observed. Results varied between the type of exercise and used protocol. Pressotherapy should only be applied as an additional component of a more compre-hensive recovery strategy. Study PROSPERO registration number- CRD42020189382.

While there are extensive studies on the mineralogy and geochemistry of laterites worldwide, the temporal and spatial mineralogical development of a typical nickel laterite profile is still poorly constrained. In this study, we present a detailed mineralogical and geochemical characterization of samples systematically collected from a nickel laterite profile at the Sta. Cruz nickel laterite deposit, Zambales, Philippines, to describe the temporal and spatial development of the laterite profile. Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (WDSXRF), mass balance-element mobility calculations, transmitted and reflected light microscopy, and previously reported results from coupled X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement analyses, reveal that the laterite profile investigated is composed of two main horizons: the limonite and saprolite zones, separated by a thin transitional zone. The main zones are further subdivided into subzones based primarily on the mineral assemblage and major element chemistry: upper limonite, lower limonite, transitional zone, upper saprolite, and lower saprolite. Late-stage Ni-rich serpentine veins were observed cutting the upper and lower saprolite subzones. Investigation of the structure of goethite within the limonite zone via Rietveld refinement show that the crystallinity of goethite decreases with increasing Ni content and increasing crystallite size. This suggests that upwards through the limonite zone, as goethite ages, its crystallinity increases which possibly results in the removal of Ni from its crystal structure and eventual remobilization to the lower laterite zones. We propose a genetic model of the formation of the Sta. Cruz laterite consisting of four stages: (1) early-stage alteration, (2) continued serpentinization and volume expansion, (3) late stage serpentinization, dissolution, and incipient oxide formation, and (4) goethite ageing and Ni-rich serpentine vein formation. Overall, our results suggest that serpentinization is an important aspect of Ni laterite formation, both before and after the emplacement of the peridotite protolith.

Classification and mapping of plant communities is an essential step for conservation and management of ecosystems and biodiversity. We adopt the Genus-Physiognomy-Ecosystem (GPE) system developed in previous study for satellite-based classification of plant communities. This paper assesses the potential of multi-spectral and multi-temporal images collected by Sentinel-2 satellites. This research was conducted in five representative study sites in a temperate region. It consists of 44 types of plant communities including a few land cover types as well. The plant community types were enumerated in the study sites and ground truth data were prepared with reference to extant vegetation surveys, visual interpretation of high-resolution images, and onsite field observations. We acquired all Sentinel-2 Level-1C product images available for the study sites between 2017-2019 and generated monthly median composite images consisting of ten spectral and twelve spectral-indices. Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (GBDT) classifier was employed as an efficient and distributed gradient boosting technique for the supervised classification of big datasets involved in the research. The cross-validation accuracy in terms of kappa coefficient varied from 87% in Oze site with 41 land cover and plant community types to 95% in Hakkoda site with 19 land cover and plant community types; with average performance of 91% across all sites. In addition, the resulting maps demonstrated a clear distribution of plant community types involved in all sites, highlighting the potential of Sentinel-2 multi-spectral and multi-temporal images with GPE classification system for operational and broad-scale mapping of land cover and plant communities.

The onset and progression of the salivary and gut microbiota, the transmission and the impact of the salivary microbiota on the development of early fecal microbial communities was herein explored. We characterized the microbiota of 82 faecal and 80 salivary samples, collected from 82 healty newborns at birth, 7, 15, 30, 90 and 180 days of life, by 16S rRNA targeted-metagenomics approach. Correlation heat-maps and co-occurrence networks were used to investigate microbial taxa relationship in saliva, gut and between the two ecosystems. In saliva microbiota, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus appeared as early commensals, dominating this ecosystem through the time, while Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Granulicatella and Veillonella were late colonizers. anaerobes as Enterobacteriace, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, were gut microbiota pioneers, followed by the anaerobic Bifidobacterium, Veillonella, Eggerthella and Bacteroides. Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Veillonella were shared by gut and saliva ecosystems (core microbiota). Early saliva and gut microbiota seem to evolve independently driven by local adaptation strategies, with the only exception for the oral Streptococcus and Veillonella genera, involved in gut microbiota development as seeding species. A more comprehensive knowledge of how oral microbiota may impact pathophysiological conditions of gut microbiota may open new avenues on the design of postbiotics.

With the development of science and technology, buying has become much easier. At the same time, however, impulsive buying has many negative consequences for college students, and the causes of impulsive buying should therefore be explored. To explore the relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying and its underlying mechanism, this study used the Social Exclusion Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Risk Preference Scale, and Impulsive Buying Scale to investigate the roles of self-esteem and risk preference in the relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying among 768 college students (387 were female, Mage = 20.25 years). The results were as follows: (1) when controlling for gender, age, family monthly income, and monthly living expenses, social exclusion significantly and positively predicted impulsive buying; (2) self-esteem played a mediating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying; (3) risk preference moderated the relationship between the second half of the mediating path and the direct path. These results reveal the mechanism underlying impulsive buying in college students, that is, social exclusion will predict the decrease of college students' self-esteem, and low self-esteem will further predict college students' impulsive buying which is a way for them to gain a sense of self-worth. Relatively low risk preference can well alleviate the negative impact of social exclusion and low self-esteem on impulsive buying. What’s more, these results have implications for impulsive buying interventions. Schools should aim to create a good peer atmosphere by making certain rules that help to reduce social exclusion and parents and education departments should cultivate students’ risk awareness to avoid risk behaviors in college students, such as impulsive buying behavior.

History learning is often regarded as something that is considered unimportant and boring to be taught in the modern era like now. The existence of history learning itself is still important enough to be studied in the 21st century with all its benefits and uses. One of the uses of history is as a reasoning education. The research questions are how do we take advantage of history learning as reasoning and critical thinking education in the 21st century and how the usage of new media can make historical learning looks more interesting. The method used in this article is literature review with data obtained and analyzed from several journals and research results related to history learning and reasoning education, especially forms of critical thinking in the 21st century. From the results of the research, it was found that there was a link between learning history and its relation as a form of critical thinking in the 21st century, in several ways, such as teaching history based on historical thinking, and the usage of new media in history learning.

This paper uses the complex regression analysis method to establish the customer’s load regression models, which consider economic indicators, temperature and rainfall. Furthermore, the proposed models are used to study the forecasting feasibility of the future energy sales and summer peak load demand. At first, this paper used least-squares techniques to derive regression models for considering economic indicators and temperature of 34 customer energy sales and total energy sales. Besides, the AMI high voltage customer demand data and system generating capacity for 24 hours were adopted to forecast summer peak load. The above-mentioned data analysis tool is used by EViews software to achieve, in order to verify the feasibility of the research framework. The study found that although its forecasting model accuracy is low only when mixed with temperature and high voltage demands. So, when mixed with high voltage demand data and system generating capacity for 24 hours to forecast peak load, the average error is ± 0.87% and in the majority of its energy sales forecasting model of average error is ±3%. This result can provide power company as future reference.

TSPO-PET tracers are sensitive to a single-nucleotide-polymorphism (rs6971-SNP) resulting in low (LAB), medium (MAB) and high (HAB) affinity binders, but the clinical relevance for [18F]GE-180 is still unclear. We evaluate the impact of rs6971-SNP on in vivo [18F]GE-180 binding in healthy brain and in pseudo-reference tissue in neurooncological and neurodegenerative diseases. Standardized uptake values (SUV) of [18F]GE-180-PET were assessed using a manually drawn region of interest in the fronto-parietal and cerebellar hemisphere. SUVs were compared between LAB, MAB and HAB in controls, glioma, 4-repeat tauopathies (4RT) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) subjects. Second, SUVs were compared between patients and controls within their rs6971-subgroup. After exclusion of patients with prior therapy, n=24 LABs (n=7 controls, n=5 glioma, n=6 4RT, n=6 AD) were analysed. Age- and sex-matched MABs (n=38) and HABs (n=50) were selected. LABs had lower fronto-parietal and cerebellar SUVs when compared to MABs and HABs, but no significant difference was observed between MABs and HABs. Within each rs6971 group no SUV difference between patients and controls was detected in the pseudo-reference tissues. The rs6971-SNP affects [18F]GE-180 quantification, revealing lower binding in LABs when compared to MABs/HABs. Fronto-parietal and cerebellar ROIs were successfully validated as pseudo-reference regions.

Revealing the binding properties of calcium ion (Ca2+) and magnesium ion (Mg2+) to chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) facilities understanding the effect of natural water composition on the photophysics of dissolved organic matter. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectrometry, and dynamic light scattering were applied to investigate the fluorescence quenching process of CODM by Ca2+ and Mg2+. The binding of Ca2+ and Mg2+ preferred terrestrial CDOM to aquatic CDOM. The fluorescence quenching of CDOM by cations mainly occurred in a static process, which was based on the fact that the decrease of steady-state fluorescence intensity was greater than fluorescence lifetime. The fluorescence quenching was profound under longer excitation and emission wavelength. The binding constant (K, L/mol) for Ca2+ to CDOM from terrestrial source ranged from 4.29 to 5.09 (lgK), which was approximately one order of magnitude higher than that of Mg2+ to CDOM (3.86 to 4.56). Fluorescence decay became faster in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Lifetime distribution of CDOM excited states shifted to small value side in the presence of metal ions, particularly for Ca2+, indicating fluorescence quenching of CDOM mainly through the interaction of Ca2+/Mg2+ with relatively long-lived fluorophores.

Nano Silicon carbide reinforced aluminum (Al/nanoSiC) metal matrix composites are attractive because of their superior properties such as high strength and stiffness, Application of aluminum in technological and structural application is growing steadily. The major limitation for metal matrix nano composites, however, is their propensity to brittle fracture. The new technologies and new materials are two basic aims for companies. In this research, the effect of addition Al/SiC nano particles on microstructure and mechanical properties of pure aluminum has been investigated. Pure aluminum powder and various fractions of SiC particles with an average diameter of 50 nm were milled by a high-energy planetary ball mill to produce nanocrystalline Al–SiC nanocomposite powders. Pressing and sintering applied to consolidate powders to tablet shape. Then the samples were rolled to cylindrical shape. The nano SiC Percentage were 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% , 12,5% and 15%. Mechanical tests such as tensile, hardness, fracture toughness and young’s modules measurement carried out to study the mechanical behavior of each alloy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the morphology and microstructure of nanocomposite powders and bulk samples. The role of wt% fraction of SiC nanoparticles was investigated. The results shows that the addition of SiC nano particles has significant influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of composites and usually the optimum properties depends on wt% SiC.

In all forms of folk beliefs, ancestor worship is a universal traditional belief form of the Vietnamese people. As a Vietnamese people, “everyone worships their ancestors, everyone worships their parents and grandparent”. Ancestor worship is a common belief in the whole country. It is a belief that expresses the deeply humanistic spirit of the Vietnamese people and has great values in human life. So, what is the nature of ancestor worship? What is the values of ancestor worship in life? And in the context of globalization, how has this the belief changed? This study focuses on analyzing the above contents, thereby highlighting the value of this belief in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people; to point out the positive and negative changes of this belief in the current period; from that, take the right measures to bring into play the positive and limit the negative side of those changes in the spiritual life of Vietnamese people.

This paper derives measurement and identical principles, then makes the two principles into measurement and identical theorems of quantum mechanics, plus the three theorems derived earlier, we deduce the axiom system of current quantum mechanics, the general quantum theory no axiom presumptions not only solves the crisis to understand in current quantum mechanics, but also obtains new discoveries, e.g., discovers the velocities of quantum collapse and entanglement are instantaneously infinitely large. We deduce the general Schrȍdinger equation of any n particles from two aspects, and the wave function not only has particle properties of the complex square root state vector of the classical probability density of any n particles, but also has the plane wave properties of any n particles. Thus, the current crisis of the dispute about the origin of wave- particle duality of any n microscopic particles is solved. We display the classical locality and quantum non-locality for any n particle system, show entanglement origins, and discover not only any n-particle wave function system has the original, superposition and across entanglements, but also the entanglements are of interactions preserving conservation or correlation, three kinds of entanglements directly give lots of entanglement sources. This paper discovers, one of two pillars of modern physics, quantum mechanics of any n particle system is a generalization ( mechanics ) theory of the complex square root ( of real density function ) of classical statistical mechanics, any n particle system’s quantum mechanics of being just a generalization theory of the complex square root of classical statistical mechanics is both a revolutionary discovery and key new physics, which are influencing people’s philosophical thinking for modern physics, solve all the crisises in current quantum theories, quantum information and so on, and make quantum theory have scientific solid foundations checked, no basic axiom presumption and no all quantum strange incomprehensible properties, because classical statistical mechanics and its complex square root have scientific solid foundations checked. Thus, all current studies on various entanglements and their uses to quantum computer, quantum information and so on must be further updated and classified by the new entanglements. This and our early papers derive quantum physics, solve all crisises of basses of quantum mechanics, e.g., wave-particle duality & the first quantization origins, quantum nonlocality, entanglement origins & classifications, wave collapse and so on.Key words: quantum mechanics, operator, basic presumptions, wave-particle duality, principle of measurement, identical principle, superposition principle of states, entanglement origin, quantum communication, wave collapse, classical statistical mechanics, classical mechanics

The study examined the effect of noninvasive crown retrieval/reuse process using erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser (Er:YAG). Twenty-six extracted human teeth were prepared for a crown. The crown was milled using lithium disilicate (LD) and zirconia (Z) materials, n=13 per group, 3 for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crown was luted using composite resin cement and subjected to a laser retrieval process. After the retrieval process, the crown was cleaned, recemented and laser-retrieved two more times, without and with additional tooth reduction mimicking clinical refreshment of dentin. Retrieval time and temperature were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Surface changes were observed through SEM. The retrieval times were 267.1±130.43, 220±79.09, 277.1±126.44, 368.4±136.14, 355±159.39, and 419.2±121.36 seconds for first, second, third LD and Z groups, respectively (p=.009). The maximal temperatures were 23.95.1±1.89°C, 24.86±2.01°C, 24.17±1.53°C, 22.88±1.51°C, 24.03±1.74°C, and 21.99±1.32°C for for first, second, third LD and Z groups, respectively (p=.006). Er:YAG laser crown removal is an effective retrieval tool for all-ceramic crowns. Minimal changes to teeth and crowns were observed following laser irradiation.

Background: Physiosomatic symptoms are an important part of schizophrenia phenomenology. The aim of this study is to examine the biomarker, neurocognitive and symptomatic correlates of physiosomatic symptoms in schizophrenia. Methods: We recruited 115 schizophrenia patients and 43 healthy controls and measured the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Rating (FF) scale, schizophrenia symptom dimensions, and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. We measured neuro-immune markers including plasma CCL11 (eotaxin), interleukin-(IL)-6, IL-10, Dickkopf protein 1 (DKK1), high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and endogenous opioid system (EOS) markers including κ-opioid receptor (KOR), µ-opioid receptor (MOR), endomorphin-2 (EM2) and β-endorphin. Results: Patients with an increased FF score display increased ratings of psychosis, hostility, excitement, formal though disorders, psychomotor retardation and negative symptoms as compared with patients with lower FF scores. A large part of the variance in the FF score (55.1%) is explained by the regression on digit sequencing task, token motor task, list learning, IL-10, age (all inversely) and IL-6 (positively). Neural network analysis shows that the top-6 predictors of the FF score are (in descending order): IL-6, HMGB1, education, MOR, KOR and IL-10. We found that 45.1% of the variance in a latent vector extracted from cognitive test scores, schizophrenia symptoms and the FF score was explained by HMGB-1, MOR, EM2, DKK1, and CCL11. Conclusions: FF symptoms are an integral part of the phenome of schizophrenia. Neurotoxic immune and neurodegenerative pathways and to a lesser extent the EOS appear to drive FF symptoms in schizophrenia.

We are witnessing the severe third outbreak mediated by coronaviruses affecting global public health with unprecedented economic consequences. A better understanding of its phylogenetics, exploration of sequence features and mutational changes could unveil its genealogy to gain insights into the mechanism of transmission and development of possible interventions. Our comparative genomic analyses of >160 isolates of SARS-CoV-2 reveal phylogenetic kinship with other coronaviruses and emergence of evolutionary divergence in clinical isolates. t-SNE-based clustering revealed different clades but no continent specific clusters. Amino acid substitutions at RBD of spike protein provide possible reasons for rapid transmission. Few proteins specific to SARS-CoV-2 were identified which could have implications as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. Virtual screening identified repurposed drugs, known nutraceuticals, for specific interventions. These phylogenetic observations reveal the ancestry and computational studies reveal the emergency measures to interject this emerging pathogen that pose threat to whole of mankind.

The recurrent coronavirus outbreaks in China (SARS-CoV and its relative, SARS-CoV-2) have raised speculations that perhaps Asians are somehow more susceptible to these coronaviruses. Here, we test this possibility based on an analysis of the lung-specific expression of ACE2, which encodes the known cell-entry receptor of both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. We show that ACE2 expression is not affected during tumorigenesis, supporting that the abundant transcriptomes in cancer genomic studies can be informatively used to study ACE2 expression among diverse individuals without cancer. We find that ACE2 expression in the lung increases with age, but is not associated with sex. Further, Asians do not differ from other populations for ACE2 expression and do not harbor unique genetic polymorphisms in the ACE2 locus. Thus, beyond illustrating an innovative method for assessing the potential impacts of demographic factors for non-cancer diseases from large-scale cancer sample datasets, our statistically robust findings emphasize that individuals of all races require the same level of personal protection against SARS-CoV-2.

Distinctive strains of Pantoea are used as soil inoculants for their ability to promote plant growth. Pantoea agglomerans strain C1, previously isolated from the phyllosphere of lettuce, can produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), solubilize phosphate, and inhibit plant pathogens, such as Erwinia amylovora. In this paper, the complete genome sequence of strain C1 is reported. In addition, experimental evidence is provided on how the strain tolerates arseniate up to 100 mM, and on how secreted metabolites like IAA and siderophores act as biostimulants in tomato cuttings. The strain has a circular chromosome and two prophages for a total genome of 4,846,925-bp, with a GC content of 55.2%. Genes related to plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity, such as those associated with IAA and spermidine synthesis, solubilization of inorganic phosphate, acquisition of ferrous iron, and production of volatile organic compounds, siderophores and GABA, were found in the genome of strain C1. Genome analysis also provided better understanding of the mechanisms underlying strain resistance to multiple toxic heavy metals and transmission of these genes by horizontal gene transfer. Findings suggested that strain C1 exhibits high biotechnological potential as plant growth-promoting bacterium in heavy metal polluted soils.

Proper satellite-based crop monitoring applications at the farm-level often require near-daily imagery at medium to high spatial resolution. The synthesizing of ongoing satellite missions by ESA (Sentinel 2) and NASA (Landsat7/8) provides this unprecedented opportunity at a global scale; nonetheless, this is rarely implemented because these procedures are data demanding and computationally intensive. This study developed a complete stream processing in the Google Earth Engine cloud platform to generate harmonized surface reflectance images of Landsat7,8 and Sentinel 2 missions. The harmonized images were generated for two agriculture schemes in Bekaa (Lebanon) and Ninh Thuan (Vietnam) during the period 2018-2019. We evaluated the performance of several pre-processing steps needed for the harmonization including image co-registration, brdf correction, topographic correction, and band adjustment. This study found that the miss-registration between Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 images, varied from 10 meters in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam to 32 meters in Bekaa, Lebanon, and if not treated, posed a great impact on the quality of the harmonized dataset. Analysis of a pair overlapped L8-S2 images over the Bekaa region showed that after the harmonization, all band-to-band spatial correlations were greatly improved from (0.57, 0.64, 0.67, 0.75, 0.76, 0.75, 0.79) to (0.87, 0.91, 0.92, 0.94, 0.97, 0.97, 0.96) in bands (blue, green, red, nir,swir1,swir2, ndvi) respectively. We demonstrated that dense observation of the harmonized dataset can be very helpful for characterizing cropland in highly dynamic areas. We detected unimodal, bimodal and trimodal shapes in the temporal NDVI patterns (likely cycles of paddy rice) in Ninh Thuan province only during the year 2018. We fitted the temporal signatures of the NDVI time series using harmonic (Fourier) analysis. Derived phase (angle from the starting point to the cycle's peak) and amplitude (the cycle's height) were combined with max-NDVI to generate an R-G-B image. This image highlighted croplands as colored pixels (high phase and amplitude) and other types of land as grey/dark pixels (low phase/amplitude). Generated harmonized datasets that contain surface reflectance images (bands blue, green, red, nir, swir1, swir2, and ndvi at 30 meters) over the two studied sites are provided for public usage and testing.

Street vended foods are ready-to-eat food and beverages prepared and/ or sold in the streets. This trade provides for 85-99% of total employment in most African countries and 50% or more is constituted by women. The preparation of street vended foods is normally under unsatisfactory conditions and these may lead to the contamination of food. This descriptive survey was conducted in Maseru around the taxi ranks amongst 141 participants (48 food handlers and 93 consumers) using a semi structured questionnaire, open ended questionnaire and observation checklist. Majority of the food handlers were females (n=35, 60%) and males constituted only (n=23, 40%). On average the vendor population that participated in this study was considered to have poor knowledge of food safety since they scored 49%±11. With regard to the consumers, 63% were males and 37% were females, and only 6% reported that they never buy street vended foods mainly due to the food safety issues and hygiene. Based on the results of this study, it is thus recommended that educational interventions be implemented. The observation study showed that they also operated under unhygienic conditions and 95% of food handlers had the incorrect knowledge that washing utensils with detergent leaves them free of contamination. Regarding the consumer perceptions, they highlighted that the trade has the potential to grow and be profitable on condition that hygiene is emphasized and infrastructure improved so as to provide safe quality food.

The objective of this study was to determine the association of physiological responses and root distribution patterns on yield of the second ratoon cane and the relationships among these traits. Seventeen sugarcane genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The second ratoon crop was evaluated for germination percentage, cane yield, SPAD chlorophyll meter reading (SCMR), chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content (RWC), specific leaf area (SLA) and stomatal conductance. Root length density (RLD) was evaluated by auger method. The root samples were divided into upper soil layer and lowers soil layers to study root distribution patterns. Sugarcane genotypes were significantly different for RLD, germination percentage and cane yield. Root distribution patterns were classified into three groups based on the RLD. High RLD between plants in the upper soil layers at 90 DAH was positively correlated with high germination, whereas high RLD between rows in the lower soil layers at 90 and 270 DAH was associated with high cane yield. RWC at 90 DAH and stomatal conductance at 180 DAH were closely related to germination percentage, whereas chlorophyll fluorescence and stomatal conductance at 180 DAH were closely related to cane yield.

This initial report of a longitudinal study of 192 English hospital nurses has measured Nursing Values (the 6Cs of nursing); Personality, Self-Esteem and Depression; Burnout Potential; Work-Life Balance Stress; ‘Hardy Personality’; and Intention to Leave Nursing. Correlational, component and cluster analysis identifies four groups: “The Soldiers” (N = 79) , with medium scores on most measures, who bravely ‘soldier on’ in their nursing roles, in the face of numerous financial cuts to the National Health Service, and worsening nurse-patient ratios; “Cheerful Professionals” (N = 54), coping successfully with nursing roles, and a variety of challenges, in upwardly mobile careers; “High Achievers” (N = 39), senior nurses with strong profiles of a ‘hardy personality’, and commitment to fundamental nursing values; “Highly Stressed, Potential Leavers” (N = 20), with indicators of significant psychological distress, and difficulty in coping with nursing role challenges. We propose a model of co-counselling and social support for this distressed group, by nurses who are coping more successfully with multiple challenges. We discuss the role of nurse educators in fostering nursing values, and developing and supporting ‘hardy personality’ and emotional resilience in recruits to nursing. This study is framed within the disciplinary approach of Critical Realism, which identifies the value basis for research and dialogue in developing strategies for social change.

In this contribution, a method based on a solid solution theory of clathrate hydrate for multiple cage occupancy, host lattice relaxation and guest-guest interactions has been presented to estimate hydrate formation conditions of binary and ternary gas mixtures. We have performed molecular modeling of structure, guest distribution, and hydrate formation conditions for the CO₂ + CH₄, and CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂ gas hydrates. In all considered systems with and without N₂, at high and medium content of CO₂ in the gas phase we have found that CO₂ is more favorable to occupy clathrate hydrate cavities than CH₄ or N₂. Addition of N₂ to the gas phase increases ratio concentration CO₂ in compressing with concentration CH₄ in clathrate hydrates and makes gas replacement more effective. The mole fractions of CO₂ in CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂ gas hydrate rapidly increases with the growth of its content in the gas phase. And the formation pressure of CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂ gas hydrate rises in comparison with the formation pressure of CO₂ + CH₄ gas hydrate. Obtained results agree with the known experimental data for simple CH₄, CO₂ gas hydrates and mixed CO₂ + CH₄ gas hydrate.

Background Children often suffer the nonspecific musculosceletal pain as reported in literature. Aim To determine relationship between body weights with development of musculoskeletal pain and to determine whether growing in body height is associated with musculoskeletal pain in schoolchildren. Subjects/ Methods A prospective longitudinal study included 1315 school children aged 7-14 years (652 boys and 663 girls) and was performed in 13 elementary schools in B&H. Child body height and body weight were measured. The survey of perception of musculoskeletal pain in different body regions of subjects was conducted by adjusted Nordic Musculosceletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Results The highest prevalence of an overweight and obesity in the 10th year 35.7% and the lowest frequency 17.8% in the 14th year was. In the age 14th obesity was’nt found. Boys have more prevalence of overweight. Using logistic regression model, we found that school children with normal BMI were protected with increased body height of acute lower back pain (β= -0.089, 95%CI, -9.730- -0.023, P< 0.049), and increased body height was protector of obese school children of acute upper back pain (β= -0.356, 95%CI, -14.077- -3.878, P< 0.001) and chronic lower back pain (β= -0.356, 95%CI, -14.077- -3.878, P< 0.001). Conclusion Schoolchildren with normal weight more often have had musculosceletal pain than those with overweight or obesity. This can be associated with intense physical growth period in height, especially. The assumption is that the increase in height changes the relationship between excessive BMI and musculoskeletal pain in children of school age.

Soups show diverse health functions, which should be related with their nutrient profiles. NMR spectroscopy is a robust, sensitive and rapid method to unveil or identify the chemical composition of food or food-derived metabolites. In the current study, 1H-NMR spectroscopy approach was applied to identify the metabolic profiling of two kinds of home-cooked freshwater fish soups (crucian carp and snakehead fish) before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The nutritional profiles of these two kinds of soups were identified at first. With the help of OPLS-DA method (Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis), these two different kinds freshwater fish under different states were completely discriminated. The metabolites changes in digested fish soups could reveal the information of chemical compounds which play important roles in the body. Furthermore, the metabolic patterns of different kinds of fish soups could reflect the various nutrition profiling characteristics for dietary therapy.

Diverse factors may have an impact in Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions; thus, three main contributors, energy consumption, exergy indicator and gross domestic product (GDP) are examined in this work. This study explores the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption by means of the hypothesis postulated for the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). Panel data for 10 countries, from 1971 to 2014 have been studied. Despite all this wide gamma of research, the role of an exergy variable has not been tested to find the EKC; then exergy analysis is proposed. Exergy analyses were developed to propose an exergetic indicator as a control variable and a comparative empirical study is developed to study a multivariable framework with the aim to detect correlations between them. High correlation between CO₂, GDP, energy consumption, energy intensity and trade openness are observed, conversely not statistically significant values for trade openness and energy intensity. The results do not support the EKC hypothesis, however exergy intensity opens the door for future research once it proves to be a useful control variable. Exergy provides opportunities to analyze and implement energy and environmental policies in these countries, with the possibility to link exergy efficiencies and the use of renewables.

Elephant dung coffee (Black Ivory Coffee) is a special Thai coffee produced from Arabica coffee cherries consumed by Asian elephants and collected from their feces. In this work, elephant dung coffee and controls were analyzed using static headspace gas chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry (SHS GC–MS), and chemometric approaches were applied for multivariate analysis and the selection of marker compounds that are characteristic of the coffee. Seventy-eight volatile compounds belonging to 13 chemical classes were tentatively identified, including 6 alcohols, 5 aldehydes, one carboxylic acid, 3 esters, 17 furans, one furanone, 13 ketones, 2 oxazoles, 4 phenolic compounds, 14 pyrazines, one pyridine, 8 pyrroles and 3 sulfur-containing compounds. Moreover, four potential discriminant markers of elephant dung coffee, including 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-furfurylfuran and 3-penten-2-one were established. The proposed method may be useful for elephant dung coffee authentication and quality control.

The morphology and the activity of a submarine caldera, Avyssos, at the northern part of Nisyros volcano in the South Aegean Sea (Greece), has been studied by means of remotely operated underwater vehicle dives. The recorded time series of temperature and conductivity over the submarine volcano have been analyzed in terms of the Generalized Moments Method. The findings of the mathematical analysis shed light on the volcanic activity, but also on the morphology (shape) of the submarine volcano. The conductivity time series indicates the volcano is at rest in agreement with other types of observations. On the other hand, temperature fluctuations, which in general describe a multifractal process, show that the submarine caldera operates as an open system that interacts with its surroundings. This type of analysis can be used as an indicator for the state of activity and the morphological structure (closed or open system) of a submarine volcano.

Nuclear export of viral mRNAs, is an essential step in the HIV replication cycle. This role is played by a small regulatory protein of HIV-1 called Rev.The N-terminal region of Rev contains an arginine-rich sequence. The arginine-rich motif (ARM) is located between amino acids 38-50 and forms an alpha-helical secondary structure. Expression of the structural proteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 requires the direct interaction of multiple copies of the viral Rev protein with its highly structured RNA target sequence, the Rev Response element (RRE). The major viral proteins are not produced if this transport of RNA is stopped. Therefore, knowledge of Rev structure is essential for understanding of its cooperative binding to the RRE, for understanding the mechanism of HIV infection and for the development of antiviral drugs that interfere with Rev’s essential functions and for acknowledgment of good candidate drugs for treatment of AIDS. To understand how REV interact with RRE element of HIV-RNA and its formation of oligomeric complex it is better to characterize the domain wise structure of REV with regard in function of each domain. Due to lack of structural data on Rev no single compound is reported as inhibitor of REV expect antiviral drugs. Identification of a high-affinity RNA-binding site for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Rev Protein is much more important. The ARM is a highly specific sequence which allows for the multimerization of Rev and also binding of REV with RNA. Here we are first time exploring the structural characteristics of REV protein both in free form and in complex with RNA at domain function level especially explore the role of ARM motif in REV HIV-1 protein as RNA binding sites by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and homology modeling studies. Results indicate that the arginine-rich motif (ARM) is crucial in stability of this complex. The residues ARG38, 39, 41, 43, 44, 48, 50, and ASN40 are most interacting with nucleobases of RRE in Crystal structure of Rev and Rev-response-element RNA complex. Our study plays a major role in elaboration of binding of RNA with REV and pave the way for further investigation for therapeutically agent for HIV.

That how to improve the sensitivity and the detection ability of the Large-caliber sensor is critical to satisfy the requirement of heavy vehicle wear condition monitoring. In this paper, we introduced the LC resonance principle to the design of sensor with large flow channel (7mm). The resonant exciting coil increases the impedance change of the exciting circuit caused by wear particles which magnify the current difference between the two exciting coils and improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The resonant induction coil greatly suppresses the interference signals and magnifies the weak induced electromotive force which is beneficial to enhance the detection ability. In order to boost the detectability for different materials particles, a phase controlled variable-frequency exciting system (PCVFES) was adopted to automatically switch the exciting frequency between 284kHz for ferromagnetic particles and 420KHz for non-ferromagnetic particles. For the weak signal detection, based on the essential characteristic of the signal, we apply a simpler method that modified lock-in amplifier (MLIA) rather than the conventional algorithms (Wavelet transform, EMD). Results show that using these methods the sensitivity and the detection ability of the sensor are significantly improved and the 75μm iron particles and 220μm copper particles were successfully detected which realizes the initial abnormal wear monitoring for the large flow project.

Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) and organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1C1 (OATP1C1) are thyroid hormones (TH) transmembrane transporters relevant for the availability of TH in neural cells, crucial for their proper development and function. Mutations in MCT8 or OATP1C1 result in severe disorders with dramatic movement disability related to alterations in basal ganglia motor circuits. Mapping the expression of MCT8/OATP1C1 in those circuits is necessary to explain their involvement in motor control. We studied the distribution of both transporters in the neuronal subpopulations that configure the direct and indirect basal ganglia motor circuits using immunohistochemistry and double/multiple labeling immunofluorescence for TH transporters and neuronal biomarkers. We found their expression in the medium-sized spiny neurons of the striatum (the receptor neurons of the corticostriatal pathway), and in various types of its local microcircuitry interneurons, including the cholinergic. We also demonstrate the presence of both transporters in projection neurons of intrinsic and output nuclei of the basal ganglia, motor thalamus and nucleus basalis of Meynert, suggesting an important role of MCT8/OATP1C1 for modulating the motor system. Our findings suggest that a lack of function of these transporters in the basal ganglia circuits would significantly impact motor system modulation, leading to clinically severe movement impairment.

The COVID-19 pandemic drew public attention back to the living conditions related to housing, access to green areas in close neighbourhood and nearby recreation. Several studies confirm that visiting green spaces improved the health and wellbeing in times of crisis. This representative study for the metropolitan area of Vienna, Austria’s capital, confirms the high relevance of contact with nature, particularly for citizens to cope with the negative consequences and perceived stress, anxiety, nervousness and many other negative symptoms experienced during the health crisis. It highlights the importance of nearby smaller but also medium to large scale green areas in cities for health and wellbeing of the population. Moreover, it specifically adds novel insights on age effects in use and perception of urban green spaces during COVID-19 pandemic. The online panel survey (n=1012) was conducted in summer 2021. In order to obtain a representative sample reflective of the population’s characteristics, a (stratified) random sample was selected by applying the quota method. The objective was to obtain a sample which represented gender, age and regional distribution of the population of the City of Vienna as well as the immediately surrounding local communities. Interestingly, particularly young people spent more time outside in green areas during the pandemic, discovered novel spaces for the first time and stated a high relevance of contact with nature for their wellbeing. Elderly people above sixty five, on the contrary, stayed more frequently at home. Significant differences are visible between the age groups also with regard to negative symptoms experienced in case of restricted access to green areas due to strict pandemic measures such as lockdowns and quarantine. All age groups, however, similarly acknowledged the importance of green areas for their physical, mental and emotional health in general during the pandemic.

Studies on animal virome have mainly concentrated on chordates and medically significant invertebrates, often overlooking sylvatic mosquitoes, constituting the major part of mosquito species diversity. Despite their potential role in arbovirus transmission, the viromes of sylvatic mosquitoes remain largely unexplored. These mosquitoes may also harbor insect-specific viruses (ISVs), affecting arboviral transmission dynamics. The Cerrado biome, known for rapid deforestation and its status as a biodiversity hotspot, offers an ideal setting for investigating mosquito viromes due to potential zoonotic spillover risks from land use changes. This study aimed to characterize the viromes of sylvatic mosquitoes collected from various locations within Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Total RNA was extracted from mosquito pools of Psorophora albipes, Sabethes albiprivus, Sa. chloropterus, Psorophora ferox, and Coquillettidia venezuelensis species, followed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Bioinformatic analysis included quality control, contig assembly, and viral detection. Sequencing data analysis revealed 11 near-complete viral genomes (new viruses are indicated with asterisks) across seven viral families and one unassigned genus. These included: Xinmoviridae (Ferox mosquito mononega-like virus* and Albipes mosquito Gordis-like virus*), Phasmaviridae (Sabethes albiprivus phasmavirus*), Lispiviridae (Pedras lispivirus isolate MG), Iflaviridae (Sabethes albiprivus iflavivirus*), Virgaviridae (Buriti virga-like virus isolate MG and Sabethes albiprivus virgavirus 1*), Flaviviridae (Psorophora ferox flavivirus*), Mesoniviridae (Alphamesonivirus cavallyense isolate MG), and the genus Negevirus (Biggie virus isolate MG virus and Coquillettidia venezuelensis negevirus*). Phylogenetic analyses revealed evolutionary relationships with varying degrees of similarity to known sequences in distinct host species. In some cases, new viruses and potential new genera were discovered, emphasizing the importance of studying sylvatic mosquito virome to understand viral diversity and evolution in ecologically sensitive regions. Moreover, the presence of ISVs and potential novel arboviruses underscores the need for ongoing surveillance and control strategies to mitigate the risk of emerging infectious diseases.

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) expression is associated with development of congenital hydrocephalus due to its structural role in the ependymal membrane. Gene expression analysis of periaqueductal tissue in AQP4-knockout (KO) mice at 11 days of age (P11) showed modification in ependymal cell adhesion and ciliary protein expression that could alter cerebrospinal fluid homeostasis. A microglial subpopulation of CD11c+ cells were overexpressed in the periaqueductal tissue of mice that did not develop hydrocephalus, suggesting a possible protective effect. Here, we verified the location of this CD11c+ expression in the corpus callosum (CC) and cerebellum of AQP4-KO mice and analysed its time course. Immunofluorescence labelling of the CD11c protein in the CC and cerebellum of WT and KO animals at P3, P5, P7 and P11 confirmed an expanded presence of these cells in both tissues of the KO animal; CD11c+ cells appeared at P3 and reached a peak at P11, whereas in the WT animal they appeared at P5, reached their peak at P7 and were undetectable by P11. The gene expression analysis in the CC samples at P11 confirmed the presence of CD11c+ microglial cells in this tissue. Among the more than 4000 overexpressed genes, Spp1 stood out with the highest differential gene expression (600), with other genes such as Gpnmb, Itgax, Cd68 and Atp6v0d2 also identified as overexpressed. Therefore, CD11c+ cells appear to be necessary for normal corpus callosum development during postnatal life, and absence of AQP4 prolonged its expression in this tissue.

In the present study, the effect of melatonin and sodium nitroprusside treatments on the improvement of high temperature tolerance in California Wonder green bell pepper plant was studied. For this purpose, a factorial experiment was conducted in form of a completely randomized design in three replications at Zabol University's Faculty of Agriculture. In this research, green bell pepper plants of Wonder cultivar were exposed to different temperature treatments (25°C, 35°C and 40°C) for 24 hours after being sprayed (foliar application) with 0μM, 50μM and 100μM concentrations of melatonin and Sodium nitroprusside. Results showed that Instantaneous leaf water consumption efficiency in 40°C temperature treatment with 50μM and 100μM melatonin increased. Also in 40°C temperature with 100µM melatonin, fruit dry weight in compared to control (0uM) 13.15% increased. Also, melatonin and sodium nitroprusside treatments in compared to control treatment improved fruit characteristics and reduced Appearance Characteristics of Fruit Marketability (ACFM) number. Under 40°C temperature treatment in compared to control temperature (25°C), fruit total soluble solids (TSS) 18.50% decreased also under 100μM melatonin treatment, fruit TSS 20.69% was increased compared to control treatment (0μM). Also fruit fructose at 40°C temperature in compared to 25°C temperature treatment 5.52% reduced. Fruit calcium at 35°C and 40°C temperature in compared to control temperature 6.96% and 15.65% decreased respectively. At temperature 35°C under foliar application of 100uM sodium nitroprusside, fruit copper in compared to control 28.93% increased.

The historical and cultural use of food as a remedy for diseases is evident in societies, such as using Hibiscus sabdariffa to address conditions like hypertension and high blood glucose. The natural biocompounds in this plant, including Delphinidin-3-Sambubioside (DS3), Quercetin (QRC), and Hibiscus Acid (HA), have been linked to various health benefits. Despite individual attention, molecular targets for these compounds remain unclear. In this study, in-silico analysis employed bioinformatic tools; including Swiss Target Prediction, ShinnyGo 0.77, KEGG, and Stringdb, to identify molecular targets, pathways, and hub genes. A PubMed literature search complemented the results. DS3 demonstrated potential modifications in genes related to nitrogen and glucose metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, particularly affecting the PI3K-AKT pathway. QRC displayed interconnected targets across multiple pathways, with overlap with DS3 and a focus on cancer-related pathways. HA showed distinct targets, particularly associated with nervous system-related pathways. These findings highlight the need for targeted research on the molecular effects of DS3, QRC, and HA, providing valuable insights into potential therapeutic pathways.

This study examines the behavior of stearic acid (SA) and 12-hydroxystearic acid (12-HSA) aqueous mixtures as a function of temperature and 12-HSA/SA molar ratio (R). Whatever R, the system exhibits a morphological transition at a given threshold temperature, from multilamellar self-assemblies at low temperature towards small micelles at high temperature, as shown by a combination of transmittance measurements, Wide Angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments. Such transition originates from the melting of the crystallized fatty acids within the lamellar phase. The precise determination of the threshold temperature, which ranges between 20°C and 50°C depending on R, allows for the construction of the whole phase diagram of the system as a function of R. At high temperature the micelles that are formed are oblate for pure SA solutions (R = 0) and prolate for pure 12-HSA solution (R = 1). In the case of mixtures, there is a progressive continuous transition from oblate to prolate shape when increasing R, with micelles that are almost purely spherical for R = 0.33.

Study Objectives: To (1) investigate the prevalence of sleep disorder symptoms in caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and (2) the relationships between caregiver sleep problems and their health-related quality of life and family quality of life. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study of caregivers (N=62) of children ages 6 to 11 years old diagnosed with ASD receiving care at a regional autism research and resource center. Measurements and Results: Participants completed the Sleep Habits Questionnaire (SHQ), the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) SF-12, and the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (FQOL). Caregivers with longer sleep duration reported better mental health and better family quality of life. Caregivers who reported insomnia symptoms, non-restorative sleep, and insufficient sleep were more likely to report poorer mental health than caregivers who did not report these sleep disorder symptoms. Caregivers with obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome experienced worse physical quality of life. Conclusions: The physical and mental health of the primary caregiver is essential to the support of the child with ASD and to the functioning of the family. The study findings point to the importance of future research and interventions to enhance sleep health in order to improve quality of life for caregivers of children with ASD.

Modern surface analysis techniques are expanding significantly possibilities in description and attribution of historical artifacts. The present study is aimed to compare analytical ability of the X-ray fluorescent analysis (XRF) typically applied for studies ceramic art items with novel surface analysis methods: time-of-flight secondary ions mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that were applied on measurements of elemental compositions of powder raw materials for porcelain fabrication: pegmatite P-1, Vesco-prima clay, kaolin, bone earth, dolomite, and feldspar. It was shown that SIMS successfully measures light elements unnoticeable for XRF such as lithium, beryllium, boron and heavy impurities not found out by XRF such as cobalt, cerium, copper, rubidium, vanadium. XPS has found thorium in the kaolin sample that was not detected by SIMS and XRF. The paper provides also values of chemical shifts of some XPS lines observed in materials under examination. The obtained information on relations of basic and impurity elements revealed by XRF and SIMS together with XPS chemical shifts data could be used to expose contemporary falsifications of historical porcelain and to attribute porcelain items during conservation process.

The model of T4 phage, Lambda phage and Escherichia coli is often used in research on virus-host interactions. This paper reports for the first time the thermodynamic driving force of biosynthesis, catabolism and metabolism for the three organisms, on the M9 medium. Moreover, the influence of activities of nutrients and metabolic products is analyzed. All three organisms were found to have very similar Gibbs energies of metabolism. Moreover, since they share the same catabolism, their Gibbs energies of catabolism are identical. However, Gibbs energies of biosynthesis differ. The calculated thermodynamic properties have been used to explain the coexistence of both bacteria and phages in a dynamic equilibrium in natural ecosystems.

This paper uncovers that quantum uncertain principle makes the single particle with global property have no certain path, and then wave of quantum particle can simultaneously do pass the double slits. The two subwaves after passing Young’s double slits are entanglement, they may form interference of subwaves. Consequently, we find a kind of quantum probabilistic entanglements with Wheeler's delayed choice. Quantum particles such as photons, electrons, neutrons, protons etc mean that wave of the quantum particle can simultaneously do pass through Young's double slits, rather than individual quantum particle may pass through Young's double slits at the same time. When considering wave property, we cannot consider particle property (Just as in the photoelectric effect, considering the particle nature of the system, people cannot consider wave property, otherwise the photoelectric effect cannot appear). Therefore, this paper discovers that the ability of single photon to hit electrons out in photoelectric effect is complementarily equivalent to the ability of wave of the single photon to simultaneously pass through Young's double slits in wave-particle duality. Objective criteria for distinguishing classical and quantum particles are discovered and objectively give the applicable realm of quantum mechanics for the first time. The crisis of the single particle’s simultaneously passing through Young's double slits, which has been plaguing physicists in the whole world up to now for decades, is solved, in which the studies are classified as classical and quantum particles, the classical particle and quantum particle wave cannot and can pass the Young’s slits, respectively. This paper discovers both the new physics mechanism of passing the double slits of the wave with the amplitude of 4-dimensional momentum representation wave function reflecting particle nature and the principle of self-adaptive emergence of wave-particle duality, and then using the principle, this paper gives both direct explanations to the current experiments and new predictions of new some experiments for wave-particle duality. All the deduced results here are consistent with all relevant physics experiments.

(1) Background: Previous systematic review suggested a beneficial effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. However, poor quality of eligible studies impaired the reliability and validity of findings. Moreover, additional potential studies with good quality published in Chinese language have been published recently. The aim of the present systematic review was to investigate the value of PMR training in preventing and alleviating nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy among cancer patients. (2) Methods: We assigned two independent investigators to search all potential studies in PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trial (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China Biomedical Literature database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang data. We used data extraction sheet extracted all essential information, and used the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool to appraise the quality of eligible studies. Finally, we qualitatively summarized the results of all included studies. (3) Results: Six studies enrolling 288 patients were considered to meet our selection criteria finally. Of these 6 studies, three were labeled as moderate quality, and the remaining studies were low quality. All included studies consistently suggested that PMR has a positive impact on nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy among cancer patients especially alleviating the incidence, frequency and degree of delayed nausea and vomiting. (4) Conclusions: Independent studies indicated that PMR was a beneficial approach to prevent and alleviate nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy among cancer patients. However, further studies considering other types of primary tumors should be designed in order to increase the generality of PMR because studies included in the present systematic review mainly enrolled lung cancer and breast cancer.

In crystal structure prediction, Newton's second law can always be applied to particles (atoms or ions) in a cell to determine their positions. However the values of the period vectors (crystal cell edge vectors) should be determined as well. Here we applied the dynamical equations of period vectors derived recently based on Newton's laws (doi:/10.1139/cjp-2014-0518) for that purpose, where the period vectors are driven by the imbalance between the internal and external pressures/stresses. For equilibrium states, they became equations of state, which essentially turn out the equilibrium conditions of crystals from mechanical point of view. For external pressure, by ignoring some effects, they reduced to the Mie-Gruneisen equation. Since the internal stress has both a full kinetic energy term and a full interaction term, the influences of both external temperature and stress/pressure on crystal structures can be calculated, then thermodynamical properties and processes were presented. Contrary to usual ideas, the equations show that pure harmonic vibrating phonons can result in thermal expansion in crystals when the external temperature is changed. Finally, crystal system collapse due to temperature and/or stress/pressure change was discussed.

“Energy” is probably the most important term in science and technology. The reason is energy can be converted while it is overall conserved, and thereby correlates changes of a wide variety. Despite its successful use in many areas over more than a century, an analysis of current literature shows that definitions of what energy is and explanations why it is conserved are inconsistent. With regard to energy forms not even a definition was found, and examples given are often wrong. Looking at two interacting objects in the most simple situations, with energy conservation but without conversion, a consistent understanding of energy and its conservation can be derived. Based on it, the systematic set of energy forms with a clear definition of each is then presented.

Some of the lineages of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, exhibit higher transmissibility or partial resistance to antibody mediated neutralization and were des-ignated by WHO as Variants of Interests (VOIs) or Concern (VOCs). The aim of this study was to monitor the dissemination of VOIs and VOCs in Venezuela during a year. A 614 nt genomic fragment was sequenced for the detection of some relevant mutations of these variants. Their presence was confirmed by complete genome sequencing, with a correlation higher than 99% between both methodologies. After the previously reported introduction of the Gamma VOC since the beginning of the year 2021, the variants Alpha VOC and Lambda VOI were detected as early as March 2021, at a very low frequency. In contrast, the Mu VOI, detected in May 2021, was able to circulate throughout the country. After the detection of Delta VOC in June 2021, it be-came the predominant circulating variant. With the arrival of the Omicron VOC in December, this variant was able to displace the Delta one in less than one month. This succession of variants was accompanied by a reduction in the Cycle threshold (Ct) values, in agreement with the in-crease in transmissibility described for these variants.

In the paper, by convolution theorem for the Laplace transforms and analytic techniques, the author finds necessary and sufficient conditions for complete monotonicity, monotonicity, and inequalities of several functions involving polygamma functions. By these results, the author derives a lower bound of a function related to the sectional curvature of the manifold of the beta distributions. Finally, the author poses several guesses and open problems related to monotonicity, complete monotonicity, and inequalities of several functions involving polygamma functions.

Eysenhardtia platycarpa (Fabaceae) is a medicinal plant used in México and it lacks biotechnological studies for its use. The aim of this work was to establish a cell suspension cultures (CSC) of E. platycarpa, determine the phytochemical profile, and evaluate its antifungal activity. Friable callus and CSC were established with 2 mg/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid plus 0.1 mg/L kinetin. The highest total phenolics of CSC was 15.6 mg GAE/g dry weight and the total flavonoids content ranged from 56.2 to 104.1 µg QE/g dry weight. CG‒MS analysis showed that the dichloromethane extracts of CSC, sapwood and heartwood have a high amount of hexadecanoic acid (22.3 ‒ 35.3 %) and steroids (13.5 ‒ 14.7%). Heartwood and sapwood defatted hexane extracts have the highest amount of stigmasterol (≈ 23.4%) and β-sitosterol (≈ 43%), and leaf extracts presented β-amyrin (16.3%). Methanolic leaves extracts showed mostly sugars and some polyols, mainly D-pinitol (74.3%). Dichloromethane and fatty hexane extracts of CSC exhibited the percentages inhibition higher for Sclerotium cepivorum with 71.5 and 62.0%, respectively. The maximum inhibition for Rhizoctonia solani was with fatty hexane extracts of the sapwood (51.4%). Our study suggest that CSC extracts could be used as a possible complementary alternative to synthetic fungicides.

One of factors causing decline of paleo fauna is related to the hunting activities and the use of tools by early hominin. This study aims to observe the relationships of tools and abundances of mammals in early hominin occupancy in Pawon cave for the period of 6000-9000 year ago (ka). The results show low abundances of medium to large mammals. While obsidian tools numbers were observed high. From 8 to 9 ka there were abrupt reductions and followed with the disappearance of medium-large sized mammals included Tragulidae and Bovidae in 6 ka. Simultaneously, uses of obsidian tools in 8-9 ka were common. The reconstructed paleo climate may contribute to the decline of paleo mammal abundances. The temperatures were increasing from 27 0C in 9 ka to 28 0C in 6 ka. Periods of 6-7 ka were indicated by declines of Bovidae and obsidian tools as well. Nonetheless in these periods, there were increase in numbers of pottery and Suidae remains indicated the transition from hunting-gatherer to sedentary prehistoric life

Arthrospira platensis, which is known as the most important food supplement of the future due to its high nutritional value, was the focus of this study. The main objective of this study was to develop a functional cracker enriched with proteins, essential amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids with the incorporation of A. platensis. Therefore, this research aimed to improve the texture (including moisture and firmness) and sensory properties (such as color, taste, and smell) of crackers by adding A. platensis at three different levels (0%, 2.5%, and 5.0%). The sensory attributes of crackers were evaluated by twenty taste testers and thirty consumers, assessing color, odor, taste, crispness, and overall preference. The highest hardness value among the studied trials was observed in trial 14, which contained 5% A. platensis with 577 N. According to the results of the panel test, among the crackers with 5% A. platensis addition, trial 14 had the highest color value. To obtain the optimum formula, dough with 50 mg/g A. platensis, 625 mg/g flour, and 220 mg/g water was recommended. The addition of A. platensis has great potential to improve the nutritional, textural, and sensory properties of crackers.

Solution-based inorganic-organic halide perovskites are of great interest to researchers because of their unique optoelectronic properties and easy processing. However, polycrystalline perovskite films often show inhomogeneity due to residual strain induced during the film’s post-processing phase. In turn, these strains can impact both their stability and performances. An exhaustive study of residual strains can provide a better understanding and control of how they affect the performance and stability of perovskite films. In this work, we explore this complex interrelationship between residual strains and electrical properties for methylammonium \chemform{CH_3NH_3PbI_{3-x}Cl_x} films using grazing incident X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). We correlate with their resistiviy and carrier mobility using Hall effect. The sin^2($\psi$) technique is used to optimize the annealing parameters for the perovskite films. We also establish that temperature-induced relaxation can yield significant enhancement of the charge carrier transports in perovskite films. Finally, we also use Raman micro-spectroscopy to assess the degradation of perovskite films as a function of their residual strains.

Background: developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition characterized by abnormal hip development in infancy. Early diagnosis allows for effective treatment, while late presentation often necessitates complex surgical interventions. Current recommendations advise screening between the 6th and 8th week postnatal using ultrasound, typically employing the Graf method. However, there's no universal consensus on whether ultrasound screening significantly increases treatment compared to clinical examination-guided ultrasound. This study aims to explore the feasibility of prenatal ultrasound for early identification of DDH risk. Methods: This prospective observational study involved 100 pregnant women undergoing fetal hip ultrasound during the second and third trimesters. Using the modified Graf method, alpha and beta angles were calculated on the fetus. Postnatally, alpha and beta angles were compared with prenatal values. Results: Prenatal ultrasound at 24th week showed inconclusive results because of the difficulty in identification of Graf landmarks, while ultrasound at 34th week has proved to be a reliable and safe method for quantitative determination of alpha and beta angles. Significant correlations were found between prenatal and postnatal alpha and beta angles. Moreover, significant differences in prenatal alpha and beta values were observed in patients developing mature/immature hips postnatally. Conclusions: Prenatal diagnostics show promise for predicting infant hip development. Further research is warranted to validate correlation strength and clinical applicability.

The field of financial literacy is intricate and developing. This systematic review of the literature provides a thorough overview of financial literacy. It examines the sample of 3182 papers of the period 1990 to 2023 from different databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, Science Direct, and JSTOR and identifies important publications, knowledge gaps, and rising themes. The four major topics that emerged are the degree of financial literacy among various groups of people, gender disparity in financial literacy, the influence of financial literacy on financial behavior and planning, and the impact of financial education on day-to-day decisions. Groups with lower levels of financial literacy include adults, women, people in the lower-income band, rural people, etc. Financial planning and financial behavior are positively associated with financial literacy. Financial literacy could be enhanced with financial education; however, output depends upon program design and experimental group. The review also discusses financial literacy in the context of gender disparity, including its definition, difficulties encountered, and possible solutions. This systematic study will help researchers, practitioners, and policymakers by providing insightful information on financial literacy and its ramifications.

This research article describes the creation of a mock-up for a Smart Insole prototype that employs Force Sensitive Resistors (FSRs) and an ADXL345 accelerometer. The mock-up is an early step towards realising the concept and functionality of the planned Smart Insole system. The key factors in the mock-up's design, integration, and testing are highlighted, with a focus on the iterative refining and optimisation process. The mock-up, which was carefully planned and implemented, highlights the practicality and possible applications of Smart Insole technology in healthcare, sports performance measurement, and rehabilitation. The paper outlines the development process and implementation of a "Smart Insole" utilizing Force Sensitive Resistors (FSR) and the ADXL345 accelerometer. The project aims to create an innovative wearable technology solution for monitoring foot biomechanics and enhancing human performance. The Smart Insole prototype integrates FSRs strategically placed on the insole to capture pressure distribution across the foot, along with an ADXL345 accelerometer to track foot orientation and movement. Through a combination of hardware integration, firmware development using Arduino IDE, and visualization using Processing application, the Smart Insole offers real-time monitoring and analysis of gait dynamics, pressure distribution, and foot movement.

In the context of sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture, current scientific researches are focusing on plant-based bioproducts to remedy the toxicity caused by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This study was conducted on cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indicato screen the bioactive molecules and to evaluate the activity againstfungal agentsisolated from tomato fruits. Quantitative analysis of the methanolic extractrevealed its richeness in total polyphenols (86.6 mg GAE/100 g FW), flavonoids (13.4 mg QE/100 g FW), condensed tannins (08.9 mg TAE/100 g FW), and carotenoids(0.9 mg β-CE/100 g FW). DPPH test revealed that the cladodes extract had a high antioxidant potential (0.6 mg/ml). On the other hand, 7 fungal agents were isolated from infected tomato fruits and identifyed asbelonging to the following genera: Rhizoctonia (EC2), Fusarium (EC1 and EC3), Alternaria (EC4), Mucor (EC5), Aspergillus (EC6) and Penicillium (EC7). At a concentration 0.02% of cladodehydro-ethanolic extract, results of the antifungal activity showed aninhibition of mycelial growth up to70% for the isolates ofAlternariaspEC4 (70.91%), Rhizoctonia solaniEC2 (58.49%), Fusarium oxysporiumEC3 (57.63%) and Fusarium solaniEC1 (53.13%). While,inhibitory activities lower than 50% were obtained for fungal isolates MucorspEC6 (31.08%), Aspergillus sp EC5 (35.14%) and Penicillium sp EC7 (28.38%).At 0.04%all thecladode hydro-ethanolic extractwere able to inhibit mycelium growth in more than 50%.Similarly, maximum spore inhibition development were obtained with 0.04 cladode hydro-ethanolicreaching more than 60%. Inhibition percentages of 83.02%, 85.96%, 87.76% and 90.20% were obtained for fungal isolates Fusarium oxysporium EC3, Fusarium solani EC1, Rhizoctonia solani EC2 and Alternaria sp EC4, respectively. All together, the results show that Opuntia ficus-indica extract has potential tobe used effectively as a biopesticide against fungal agents of tomato fruits.

Microplastic pollution represents an emerging problem of great interest in the public domain in the last decade; in addition, it overlaps with another delicate problem - pollution with pharmaceutical products that can have negative effects on the environment and people, even in small amounts. The main purpose of this study was to assess the biochemical and behavioral effects of exposure of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and valproic acid (VPA), respectively to their mixtures - possible situations in natural aquatic environments. In terms of behavioral responses, sociability appears to be more impaired in the PP group after 5 days of exposure. The mechanisms affected are more those of swimming performance than of sociability. Even more, VPA increases presence in the arm with conspecifics but decreases mobility and locomotion, indicating a possible anxiety mechanism. The mixtures decrease the aggressiveness, especially in the case of the PE+VPA group, where it reaches a super low level compared to the control, which could endanger the species in nature. Regarding the anxiogenic effect, PP and PE act differently, if PE has an anxiogenic effect, on the opposite side is the PP group, which shows a bolder and more agitated behavior. All four variants showed behavioral changes indicative of toxicity from the first dose.

The aim of the research results presented in the article is to strengthen a better understanding of the processes related to the transformation of hard coal mining in Poland, in particular the preparation of employees and their representatives, as well as employers from transformed areas for the upcoming changes. In this perspective, anticipating future skills against the internal potential of entrepreneurs becomes more and more important. It is a key element that enables entrepreneurs to adapt to changes, create innovative solutions and remain competitive on the market.

Transporting water from one side of a valley or gorge to the other requires construction of an aqueduct bridge or elevated aqueduct. These features are striking elements on cultural landscapes. Unlike previous research that emphasized architecture or design and relied on documentary sources and published works, this study focuses on details of construction and first-hand observation. Roman and Medieval elevated aqueducts in Spain were subjected to rigorous field examination. Marked variations were found to exist between structures of each age. No two aqueduct bridges are alike indicating the absence of standard designs. Locally available materials were used. Construction seems to have been overseen and carried out by individuals who possessed inconsistent degrees of skill. Roman treatises discussed aqueduct bridges, but not how to build them. Many palaces were clearly designed and built by highly skilled personnel during Medieval times, but more mundane public works projects such as aqueducts appear to have been carried out by less-skilled individuals. These findings have implications regarding the construction of elevated aqueducts by Spaniards in the Americas during the 16th century.

Hydrocephalus is caused by an overproduction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a blockage of fluid circulation, or improper reabsorption. CSF accumulation in the brain’s ventricles causes ventriculomegaly and brain cell damage. Hydrocephalus can be caused by brain trauma, hemorrhage, infection, tumors, or genetic mutations. Currently, there is no cure for hydrocephalus. Treatments like shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomies are used, but unfortunately, these techniques require brain surgery and have high failure rates. To advance the development of hydrocephalus treatments, physiologically relevant pre-clinical models are crucial. This review covers some of the current animal and cell culture methods used to study hydrocephalus. The choroid plexus epithelium (CPe) is thought to be the major producer of CSF in the brain. It is a polarized epithelium that regulates ion and water movement from a fenestrated capillary exudate to the ventricles. Despite decades of research, control of electrolyte movement in the CPe is still not fully understood. This review discusses important transporters on the CPe and how some of these could be potential targets for hydrocephalus treatment.

The aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer progression and chemoresistance. It is also an immune therapeutic target for various cancers. Tunicamycin (TM) is one of the potent nucleo-side antibiotics and an inhibitor of aberrant glycosylation in various cancer cells, including breast cancer, gastric cancer, and pancreatic cancer, parallel with inhibition of cancer cell growth and progression of tumors. Thus, TM can be considered a potent antitumor drug in various cancers and may promote chemosensitivity. Mechanistically, TM impedes the role of the UDP-HexNAc enzyme in the biosynthesis of oligosaccharides, specialized macromolecules instrumental in N-linked glycosylation. Further, like chemotherapies such as doxorubicin (DOX), 5'fluorouracil, etoposide, and Cisplatin, TM induces the unfolded protein response (UPR) by blocking aberrant glycosylation. Despite TM's antitumor effectiveness, its lack of cell-type specific cytotoxicity impedes its anticancer efficacy. Thus, various nanoencapsulation techniques and materials have been considered for use in experiments to reduce TM's cytotoxicity and improve efficacy as a targeted therapy. The current review is a profound audit of the benefits and pitfalls of TM in various cancers, focusing on breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers. Additional progressive studies have also discussed the use of TM in immune checkpoints and other unique pathways. Cytotoxicity and other possibly adverse effects of TM are highlighted based on the data from in vitro and in vivo assays. In addition, the recent advances in nano-based drug delivery systems regarding TM have been emphasized. However, the potential of this nucleoside inhibitor re-quires thorough investigation and research to determine its likeliness as a viable chemotherapeutic.

Background: Neonatal sepsis associated with severe morbidity and mortality defines the systemic condition arising from the bacterial, viral, fungal origin associated with hemodynamic and clinical alterations. Symptomatology can be different, from subclinical to severe, focal or systemic disease. The causal agent comes from maternal flora or can be of community/hospital origin. Material and method: Our retrospective study evaluated 121 newborns (both preterm and term), divided into three groups: early onset sepsis (35), late onset sepsis (39), and control group (47), from 0 to 28 days old. Blood samples and cultures were collected at admission, after 24 hours, and 72 hours. Results: The two-sample Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed a statistically significant difference between the initial and final measures of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and ferritin within the early onset sepsis (EOS) and late onset sepsis (LOS) groups. No significant differences were observed for those two variables within the control group. There were significant differences for first and last measurements of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) (p = 0.029), leukocyte count (p = 0.002), and platelets (TR) (p = 0.00001). Conclusions: Ferritin is a potential biomarker that can be associated with systemic response and sepsis in both cases of early and late onset sepsis.

Food allergy (FA) affects approximately 6–8% of children worldwide causing a significant impact on the quality of life of children and their families. In the years, the possible role of weaning in the development of FA has been studied. According to recent studies, the role of weaning in its development is still controversial and influenced by several factors, such as the type of food, the age at food introduction and family history. In this narrative review, we aimed to collected the most recent evidence about weaning and its role in FA development, organizing the gathered data based on both the type of study and the food.

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the historical trajectory of deforestation in Ethiopia, spanning an extensive timeframe and exploring its major driving factors. Over the span of three millennia, Ethiopia has experienced persistent deforestation, resulting in a significant reduction of its once-large forest and woodland resources. Currently, small, degraded forests and woodlands exist in isolated patches, located in remote areas such as the southwest and southeast. Major deforestation in Ethiopia unfolded progressively, first along a north-south axis and more recently shifting from the highlands to the lowlands. The northern and central highlands lost most of their natural forests before the turn of the 20th century, while significant loss in the southern highlands occurred over the past 150 years, and in the lowlands over the past 50 years. This deforestation is primarily attributed to the expansion of ox-plow agriculture and population pressure resulting from natural birth and internal migration. Despite efforts to counter deforestation and promote restoration, mostly since the 1970s, successes remain limited. A noteworthy exception in this regard is the introduction of Eucalyptus during the turn of the 20th century and the subsequent expansion of it, mainly in the form of small-scale farmer-led farm forestry. Today, Eucalyptus become the most preferred, well-adapted, widely planted, and the major supplier of wood materials in Ethiopia. The limited success in restoration is attributed to the reliance on campaign-based strategy, lack of private sector involvement, the intertwining of restoration with political agenda, and poorly defined property rights on land, forests, and trees. The consequences of deforestation and resultant environmental degradation have profoundly influenced the socio-economic dynamics of Ethiopia, giving rise to issues such as food insecurity, poverty, migration, and political instability.

There is a continuous interest in cannabinoids like Δ9-tetrahydro cannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). A patent of Webster et al., described the conversion of CBD to either D8-THC or D9-THC, depending on the acid catalyst applied. The use of para-toluene sulfonic acid (pTSA) led to the formation of D8-THC, while boron trifluoride etherate (BF3·Et2O) yielded mainly D9-THC. The enormous difference in product selectivity between these two catalysts was investigated with Molecular Modeling. It was found that pTSA leads to fast isomerization of Δ9-CBD to Δ8-CBD and subsequent ring closure to Δ8-THC. BF3·Et2O catalysis leads to the formation of tertiary carbenium ions in the Transition States which yield D9-THC and some iso D8-THC. Under dry conditions in refluxing toluene, it was found that pTSA is predominantly present as a dimer, and only a small fraction is available as monomeric catalyst. Applying the computationally derived activation barriers in Transition State theory yielded reaction rates predicting amounts of cannabinoids that are in close agreement with the experimental findings.

The microstructure evolution of SCM435 cold heading steel at different cooling rates was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, TEM, XRD, and electron backscatter diffraction. The results show that the cooling rate has a significant effect on the microstructure of the experimental steel. With an acceleration of the cooling, the microstructure of the steel gradually changed from ferrite and pearlite to ferrite, pearlite, and granular bainite; finally, the pearlite disappeared, and the microstructure changed to acicular ferrite, bainite, and martensite. With an increase in the cooling rate, the morphology of the carbide underwent an evolution from sheet carbide to short-rod carbide, granular carbide, and ultimately thin-strip carbide. With the acceleration of cooling, the proportion of large-angle grain boundaries gradually decreased, and the area of small-angle grain boundaries gradually increased. When the cooling rate was 0.1℃/s, the proportion of large-angle grain boundaries was as high as 52.8%, and the dislocation density was only 1.91 × 1012 cm−2. When the cooling rate was 2.0℃/s, the proportion of large-angle grain boundaries was only 27.1%, and dislocation density increased to 5.38 × 1012 cm−2. With the increase in the cooling rate, the depth of the decarbonization layer and the thickness of the scale oxide gradually decreased, the proportion of FeO phase in the scale phase gradually decreased, and the proportion of Fe3O4 phase and Fe2O3 phase gradually increased. The tensile strength increased monotonously with the increase in cooling rate, whereas the elongation and shrinkage first decreased, then increased, and then decreased. When the cooling rate was 1.0 m/s, the short rod and granular bainite in the material structure endowed the SCM435 steel with excellent strength and toughness matching, and the tensile strength and elongation of the steel reached 895 MPa and 24%, respectively.

Biodiversity conservation is a key factor in meeting sustainable development goals. This is even more important in cities, where green spaces are becoming increasingly scarce. This study analyzes the Kinshasa's proliferating ornamental plant nurseries, known as informal horticultural sites (IHS). The analysis focused on characterizing the profile of horticulturists, their production conditions and the ornamental species produced. Fifteen IHSs were sampled using the "snowball" technique, and 178 horticulturists were surveyed. Based on the socio-professional profile of the horticulturists, five groups of IHS are distinguished after a hierarchical classification on principal components. We found that IHSs exclusively employed men, most of whom were new to the trade, from all levels of education, and most of whom ranged from 19 to 45 years old. Production conditions are relatively similar from one site to another. However, all IHS are characterized by permanent land insecurity, the use of phytosanitary products, plant conditioning methods that are not very diversified and calibrated to growers' investment capacities, and diversified seed acquisition methods. A total of 139 ornamental species, most of them exotic, were identified. Of these, 37% are phanerophytes and 24% are considered potentially invasive. We suggest ways of professionalizing the activity and protecting the urban environment.

Phage therapeutics offer a potentially powerful approach to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. However, to be effective, phage therapy must overcome existing and developing phage resistance. While phage cocktails can reduce this risk by targeting multiple receptors in a single therapeutic, bacteria have mechanisms of resistance beyond receptor modification. A rapidly growing body of knowledge describes a broad and varied arsenal of antiphage systems encoded by bacteria to counter phage infection. We sought to understand the types and frequencies of antiphage systems present in a highly diverse panel of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates utilized to characterize novel antibacterials. Using web-server tool PADLOC (Prokaryotic Antiviral Defense Locator), putative antiphage systems were identified in these P. aeruginosa clinical isolates based on sequence homology to a validated and curated catalog of known defense systems. Coupling this host bacterium sequence analysis with host range data for 70 phages, we observed a correlation between existing phage resistance and the presence of higher numbers of antiphage systems in bacterial genomes. We were also able to identify antiphage systems that were more prevalent in highly phage-resistant P. aeruginosa strains, suggesting their importance in conferring the resistance.

Fifteen transgenic shoot clones (TS A-TS O) regenerated from Hypericum perforatum hairy roots were evaluated for growth characteristics, phenylpropanoid, and naphthodianthrone production, as well as non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant status. Transgenic shoots displayed higher biomass production and non-altered phenotype compared to control shoots. Phenylpropanoid production in TS was not related to phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity indicating that alternative enzymes could be involved in the regulation of phenylpropanoid/flavonoid biosynthesis. The positive correlation between phenylpropanoids (phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavan-3-ols, tannins) and non-enzymatic antioxidant assays suggested that these compounds are the main contributors to the redox state and radical scavenging properties of TS clones. More importantly, enhanced naphthodianthrone production (hypericin, pseudohypericin and protopseudohypericin) in TS was associated with the number of leaf dark glands. Concerning the enzymatic antioxidant status of TS, guaiacol peroxidase was shown as the main enzyme that turn down H2O2 levels, while the up-regulation of superoxide dismutase coincided with decreased O2•− production. The efficiency of antioxidant enzymes for O2•− and H2O2 neutralization declined the MDA level and consequently delayed lipid peroxidation in TS clones. Altogether, H. perforatum transgenic shoots could be proposed as a prospective biotechnological system for scale-up production of naphthodianthrones and phenylpropanoids with antioxidant properties.

Thermoplastic pultrusion is a suitable process for fabricating continuous unidirectional thermoplastics with a uniform cross-section, high mechanical properties due to continuous fiber reinforcement, low cost, and suitability for mass production. In this paper, jute and glass fibers were reinforced with a polypropylene matrix and fabricated using the thermoplastic pultrusion process. The volumetric fraction of the composite was designed by controlling the filling ratio of the reinforcing fiber and matrix. The effects of molding parameters were investigated, such as pulling speed and molding temperature, on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the final rectangular profile composite. The pulling speed and molding temperature were varied from 40 to 140 mm/min and 190 to 220°C, respectively. The results show that an increase in molding temperature initially led to an increase in mechanical properties, up to a certain point. Beyond that point, they started to decrease. The increase in molding temperature also led to an increase in void content. Meanwhile, un-impregnation decreased with the increase in molding temperature, and the jute fiber began to degrade at high temperatures. In the next step, with varying pulling speed, the mechanical properties decreased as the pulling speed increased, with a corresponding increase in void content and un-impregnation. The decrease in mechanical properties was influenced by the increase in void content and un-impregnation, as the jute fiber degraded at higher temperatures.

To overcome the difficulty of separating bastnaesite from fluorite through the flota-tion technique, the present study examined the suitability of sodium alginate (SA) as a depressant in the flotation process. The effect of SA on the flotation separation of bastnaesite and fluorite was evaluated using micro-flotation tests, zeta potential meas-urements, adsorption density measurements, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The micro-flotation results showed that SA exerted a strongly detrimental effect on fluorite flotation, while slightly affecting bastnaesite flotation. The surface chemistry results revealed that the -COO- and HO- functional groups in SA coordinated with Ca2+ on the fluorite surface, which induced hydro-philicity and hindered the adsorption in the subsequent collector. However, the inter-action of SA with the bastnaesite surface was marginal and did not affect the anchor-ing of the collector on the surface of bastnaesite. Based on these results, the present study proposes a possible model for the interaction of SA on the surfaces of the two minerals, laying a foundation for the flotation separation of bastnaesite from fluorite with SA as an environmentally benign depressant.

The gut-liver axis plays a pivotal role in the development of liver diseases, necessitating exploration into substances capable of modulating the microbiota to prevent dysbiosis. Over the past decade, diverse therapeutic approaches have emerged to target pathogenic factors involved in the hepatic gut microbiota axis. This study investigated the impact of a supplement with hepatoprotective activity, containing extracts of Silybum marianum, prebiotics, probiotics, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins on hematological markers of liver functions and on the intestinal microbiota of 10 adult dogs with metabolic liver disease over a 35-day time span. Animals underwent clinical and laboratory evaluations every 7 days, before administration of the supplement (T0) and after 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5). In comparison to T0, a significant (P&lt;0.05) decrease of AST activity was measured at T2, T3, T4 and T5. The activity of ALP, glucose and CRP significantly decreased (P&lt;0.05) at T3, T4, and T5. The alpha diversity of the fecal microbiota significantly decreased (P&lt;0.05) only at T1, a high variability was observed between dogs. The total short-chain fatty acid and lactic acid were also lower at T1 (P&lt;0.05) in comparison to the other times of sampling. The beta diversity of fecal microbiota failed to find a clear pattern in relation to the sampling times. These results underscore the usefulness of the supplement on liver function and highlight high individual variability in its interaction with the fecal microbiome.

“Blue carbon”, apart from marine humus, includes the carbon (C) stock of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, marshes, and seagrass meadows, which have been overlooked until recently. Information about the role of coastal wetlands in C sequestration and providing other ecosystem services is still insufficient. In the present study, we assessed the C reserves of soils and vegetation biomass in two complex coastal landscapes (tombolos) located on the coasts of the White and Baltic seas. The soil and plant C stocks were slightly higher at the plot at the Baltic Sea (93.4 ± 46.7 Mg C·ha-1 and 5.22 ± 2.51 Mg C·ha-1, respectively) than at the plot on the White Sea (71.4 ± 38.2 Mg C·ha-1 and 3.95 ± 2.42 Mg C·ha-1, respectively). We attributed the higher values of the C reserved to a warmer climate and less saline water at the plot on the Baltic Sea. Both soil and plant C showed high heterogeneity due to geomorphological complexity and differences in vegetative communities. The Phragmites australis community showed the highest plant biomass and, in some places, high soil C reserves. Allochthonous C contributed to the soil C stock at the site on the White Sea. Though P. australis sequestered more C than other communities, its effect on ecosystem services was mostly negative because the invasion of reeds reduced the biological diversity of the marshes.

In this study, an experiment was conducted on hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), which is a common tree species in Taiwan. Holes with diameters of 4, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14 cm were drilled in dry hoop pine timber with a diameter of 39 cm and a height of 57 cm, and an 800 MHz Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) antenna were used to determine the minimum image resolution and the size of the holes in the wood. GPR images of the timber were subjected to a filtering process to obtain characteristic reflection curves of the damage to the timber. Curves with clear waveforms were observed in the GPR profiles of eccentric holes with a diameter of 4 cm. Profiles of the damage were obtained and profile images with the trunk radius at the centre were transformed into polar coordinate images. From these polar coordinate images, the location, size and diameter of the eccentric holes in the wood were identified, and the reflection curves were characterised by waveforms and irregular fluctuations. The risk levels of tree trunks were determined on the basis of their t/R (minimum normal wall thickness of the cross-section of the trunk/radius of the trunk) values and hole area ratios. A comparison between the GPR-based results and the actual diameters of the holes revealed that the filtered GPR profiles could be used for the efficient and accurate assessment of damage to hoop pine timber (average error rate ≤ 4%).

Pure silver as well as silver compounds have been used as antiseptics for centuries. Nowadays, the most frequently applied form of silver is a nanoparticle form. Several studies demonstrate the ability of silver nanoparticles and silver salts to accumulate in the brain of laboratory ani-mals as well as the ability of silver nanoparticles to influence behavioral and cognitive functions of laboratory mammals. For the first time, the influence of a silver salt, in particular, silver citrate on the change dynamics of behavioral and cognitive functions of laboratory mice at the daily oral exposure during 30, 60, 120 and 180 days is investigated in the present research. We observed the anxiety increase after 30 days of the exposure as well as the ability of mice to adapt to the prolonged oral exposure of silver citrate manifested in the anxiety decrease, increase of locomotor activity and the tendency of long-term contextual memory improvement. Increase of locomotor activity and memory improvement might be associated with the sensitivity increase and regarded as compensatory mechanism to anxiety increase. The observed phenomenon is classified as a hormetic effect. A comparison with the analogous study implemented polyvi-nylpyrrolidone coated silver nanoparticles is carried out. It was concluded that the nanoform is more neurotoxic.

This article shows how to establish expansion formulas for calculating the mixed operations $(A^{\dag})^{\#}$, $(A^{\#})^{\dag}$, $((A^{\dag})^{\#})^{\dag}$, $((A^{\#})^{\dag})^{\#}$, $\ldots$ of generalized inverses, where $(\cdot)^{\dag}$ denotes the Moore--Penrose inverse of a matrix and $(\cdot)^{\#}$ denotes the group inverse of a square matrix. As applications of the formulas obtained, the author constructs and classifies some groups of matrix equalities involving the above mixed operations, and derives necessary and sufficient conditions for them to hold.

A very important role in determining the quality of water is the assessment of its microbiological quality. Water quality control, which could pose a direct threat to human health and life, is performed in the case of water produced at the water treatment plants, tap water or water in swimming pools. However, these traditional methods used to assess its quality are laborious and time consuming. In emergency and incidental situations, in the era of terrorist threats, the need for quick, reliable and reproducible microbiological determinations seems to be essential. In this study, an attempt was made to compare various methods of assessing the microbiological quality of water. The assessment was carried out for waters with different microbiological characteristics: surface waters, rainwater, groundwater, and water supply. The evaluation was carried out using traditional culture methods and high-speed methods: flow cytometry and luminometry. The analysis of microbiological parameters were the basis for the statistical analysis. The conducted microbiological analysis of various types of water, along with their statistical evaluation, showed different dependencies for each of the analysed waters.