: Belize is located within the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot and is an important link between critical biodiverse habitats in Central America. Despite considerable research on biodiversity in marine environments of Belize, research in freshwater environments is limited, with the most recent checklists having been published in obscure, mostly unavailable references more than 20 years ago.Belize is currently experiencing serious degradation of some of its major freshwater resources such as the New River in the northern part of the country. These unique habitats are increasingly threatened by agro-urban development, invasive species and erratic climatic events. The economically important barrier coral reef is also experiencing impacts from the degraded freshwater watersheds that empty into the sea near the reefs. This work addresses the paucity of documentation of the freshwater fishes of Belize, particularly for the Shipstern Peninsula area. The Shipstern Peninsula is a unique region in northern Belize, adjacent to the southern border of Mexico and the northeastern end of the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. This paper reports on fish collected in 2015, with comparisons to historical data in surveys published in 1990, 1993, and 1997. We report on 12 genera/species collected in 2015 and provide molecular barcode data on several, which was not available in previous publications. Floridichthys polyommus, a new observation for the Shipstern Lagoon, and Dajaus monticola, a revised name and new observation for the Inland Blue Hole, were confirmed by barcodes. This update is vital to the continued management of freshwater environments in Belize, and especially for the Shipstern Peninsula and its important habitats held in trust for perpetuity for the Belizean people.

Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen associated with localized outbreaks that potentially pose a huge risk to the public health in some countries such as Africa and India, especially in the regions lacking health care measures. The focus of the present study is the molecular detection method of salmonella. The study was conducted to identify Salmonella strains by PCR targeting flagellin specific gene from suspected patient’s clinical blood samples. Serologically, Widal test results showed that all serum samples except one patient (ID 7) were positive for O antigen. The serum of three patients (ID 4, 5 and 10) were found to be positive for H and O antigens while one patient (ID 9) showed agglutination for antigen H. The PCR approach used in this study was successful for fast and precise detection of clinically related Salmonella Typhi. Seven samples out of 10 were positive for Salmonella Typhi as fragments of 458-497bp were observed on the gel-agarose 0.8% corresponds to flagellin gene of S. Typhi. Relatively, smaller amplicons of 366-343bp were observed utilizing nested PCR as well, which seems more sensitive than the conventional PCR. Therefore, we recommend the PCR approach performed in this study to be used as a fast, cost-effective, and time-consuming tool for diagnostic purposes of Salmonella.

The abundant use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in a wide variety of electric devices and vehicles will generate a large number of depleted batteries, which contain several valuable metals such as Li, Co, Mn, and Ni present in the structure of the cathode material (LiMO2). The present work investigates chemical, technological, and environmental aspects in the treatment of such wastes, development of a methodology for the extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and graphite by a carbochlorination pyrometallurgical process. Mixtures of cathode and anode materials (called black mass, mixed oxides of Li, Co, Ni, Mn, and graphite) from different LIBs, carbon black (as reducing agent), and CaCl2 (as chlorinating agent) were used. Non-isothermal thermogravimetric tests up to 850°C and isothermal tests at 700°C of the mixtures in an inert atmosphere were carried out. It was experimentally observed that the LiMO2-C-CaCl2 reaction takes place at 700°C. LiCl, Ni, and Co were obtained as final products, and to a lesser extent, CoO, NiO, and MnO2. CaCO3 was also obtained as a by-product. The obtained results show that carbochlorination is an efficient and effective alternative route for the extraction and recovery of metals from different LIBs, focused on the sustainability and circular economy

Towards a better understanding of vegetation, permafrost, climate, landscape and lithology control on major and trace element (including macro and micro-nutrients and toxicants) transport in riverine systems, we studied two medium size (100-150 thousand km² watershed area) pristine rivers (Taz and Ket) of boreal and subarctic zone, western Siberia. Choosing the river basins of very low population density (< 1 people km-²) in the absence of any industrial or agricultural activity allowed testing the sole effect of natural factors and long-range atmospheric transfer on hydrochemistry of riverine solutes during the open water period. In the permafrost-bearing Taz River (main stem and 17 tributaries), sizable control of vegetation on element concentration was revealed. In particular, light coniferous and broadleaf mixed forest controlled DOC, and some nutrients (N, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cd, Ba); deciduous needleleaf forest positively correlated with macronutrients (P, Si, Mg, P, Ca) and Sr, and dark needle-leaf forest impacted Ntot, Al and Rb. Organic C stock in the upper 30-100 cm soil positively correlated with Be, Mn, Co, Mo, Cd, Sb, and Bi. The lithological control was generally poorly pronounced, due to abundant peat deposits overlaying the mineral strata. However, cretaceous carbonate mineral-bearing sedimentary deposits positively impacted the pH and concentration of Si, Mg, Ca and Cs. In the Ket River basin (large right tributary of the Ob River), we revealed the correlations between the phytomass stock at the watershed and alkaline-earth metals and U concentration in the river water. This control was weakly pronounced during high-water period (spring flood) and mostly evidenced during summer low water period.

Meier–Gorlin syndrome (MGS) is a rare genetic developmental disorder that causes primordial proportional dwarfism, microtia, absent or hypoplastic patellae and other skeletal anomalies. Overlapping skeletal symptoms make MGS difficult to diagnose clinically. We describe a 3-year-old boy with short stature, recurrent respiratory infections, short-rib dysplasia, tower head and facial dysmorphisms who was admitted to the Tomsk Genetic Clinic to verify a clinical diagnosis of Jeune syndrome. Clinical Exome sequencing revealed two variants (compound heterozygosity) in the ORC6 gene: c.2T&gt;C(p.Met1Thr) and c.449+5G&gt;A. In silico analysis showed the pathogenicity of these two mutations and predicted a decrease in donor splicing site strength for c.449+5G&gt;A. An in vitro minigene assay demonstrated that variant c.449+5G&gt;A causes a complete skipping of exon 4 in ORC6 gene. The parents asked for urgent prenatal testing for MGS for the next pregnancy, but it ended in a miscarriage. Thus, this case report may help to prevent MGS misdiagnosis in the future. We also performed in silico and functional analyses of ORC6 mutations and developed a restriction fragment length polymorphism and haplotype-based short-tandem-repeat assay for prenatal genetic testing for MGS. These findings should elucidate MGS aetiology and improve the quality of genetic counselling for affected families.

Micro-grids’ operations offer local reliability; in the event of faults or low voltage/frequency events on the utility side, micro-grids can disconnect from the main grid and operate autonomously while providing the continued supply of power to local customers. With the ever-increasing penetration of renewable generation, however, the operations of micro-grids become increasingly complicated because of the associated fluctuations of voltages. As a result, transformer taps are adjusted frequently, thereby leading to the fast degradation of expensive tap-changer transformers. In the islanding mode, the difficulties also come from the drop of voltage and frequency upon disconnecting from the main grid. To appropriately model the above, the nonlinear AC power flow constraints are necessary. Computationally, the discrete nature of tap-changer operations and the stochasticity caused by renewables add two layers of difficulty on top of a complicated AC-OPF problem. To resolve the above computational difficulties, the main principles of the recently-developed "l1-proximal" Surrogate Lagrangian Relaxation are extended. Testing results based on 9-bus system demonstrate the efficiency of the method to obtain the exact feasible solutions for micro-grid operations thereby avoiding approximations inherent to existing methods, while demonstrating that through the optimization, 1. the number of tap changes is drastically reduced, and 2. the method is capable of handling networks with meshed topologies.

Anemia and thyroid disorders are global health issues that affect all ages but are more apparent in women. In this case, some serological components responsible for IDA and TSH disorders in women have been found actively regulated through a complex steroidal-calcitriol mediated pathway. This research has been investigated the correlation between Calcitriol and the serological components responsible for IDA and TSH disorders in childbearing and non-child-bearing women of different health conditions. Experimental sampling from 452 women suffering from both IDA and TSH disorders were taken, aged between 0 and 70 years. Serological parameters, such as iron, total iron-binding capacity and ferritin, were assessed for IDA profiling, whereas thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxin were for TSH profiling based on the individual’s serum calcitriol status. The resulted serological data were interpreted using sophisticated computer programming language and algorithms for quantitative biochemical analysis. The study resulted in a significant correlation between FT4 and Calcitriol (P<0.0001) for all age groups. TSH also showed strong interactions with the fluctuation of calcitriol level (P<0.0001), except for the children aged below 10 years (P<0.063). The iron, TIBC, TSH, and FT4 showed phenomenal regulation with the steroidal-calcitriol concentration for congenital patients. Unlike the others, ferritin has a substantial connection with Calcitriol (P<0.0064) fluctuation in the serum. To ratify, the concentrations of TSH, FT4, iron, TIBC, and ferritin were found to be significantly interconnected in terms of serum calcitriol level in women suffering from IDA and TSH disorders simultaneously. To understand the accuracy and efficacy of the Calcitriol in IDA and TSH disorders, some other inflammatory markers and parathyroid hormone analysis are need in future studies, besides a large number of samples.

Coffee is rich in phenolic acids, such as caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid (CGA). Polyphenol-rich diets have been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome (MeTS). Background and Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis discusses the effects of coffee consumption and its dose-response on MeTS parameters. Materials and Methods: PubMed and Scopus® were searched for relevant articles published between 2015 and 2020. This review focused on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of coffee consumption on anthropometric measurements, glycaemic indices, lipid profiles, and blood pressure. Data from relevant studies were extracted and analysed using random, fixed, or pooled effects models with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Green coffee extract (GCE) supplementation (180 to 376 mg) was found to reduce waist circumference (weighted mean difference (WMD) = -0.39; 95% CI: -0.68, -0.10), triglyceride levels (WMD = -0.27; 95% CI: -0.43, -0.10), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (WMD = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.90), systolic blood pressure (WMD = -0.44; 95% CI: -0.57, -0.32), and diastolic blood pressure (WMD = -0.83; 95% CI: -1.40, -0.26). Decaffeinated coffee (510.6 mg) reduced the fasting blood glucose levels (WMD = -0.81; 95% CI: -1.65, 0.03). The meta-analysis showed that the intake of GCE containing 180 to 376 mg of CGA (administered in a capsule) and liquid decaffeinated coffee containing 510.6 mg of CGA improved the MeTS outcomes in study participants. Conclusions: The findings of the review suggested that the effect of coffee on MeTS parameters varies depending on the types and doses of coffee administered. A more detailed RCT on specific coffee doses (with adjustment for energy and polyphenol intake) and physical activity is needed to further confirm the observed outcomes.

The electromagnetic inference is an issue from decades, where working for a better shielding material is still on-going. The purpose of this study is to review the existing methods in the formation of graphene, metal and polymer-based composites. Study indicates that in graphene and metal-based composites, the utilization of alternating deposition method showed the highest shielding effectiveness, whereas, in polymer-based composite, the utilization of chemical vapor deposition method showed highest shielding effectiveness. However, this review reveals that still there is a gap in the literature in terms of the selection of the method. Although there are various available methods which researchers adopt as per their convenience, none of the studies makes a comparison of the methods to form a similar composite. Therefore, as a future gap researcher needs to adopt various methods to form a single composite and then make a comparison of shielding effectiveness. This act will be useful for future researchers to select the appropriate method.

The streptavidin and biotin interaction is one of the strongest non-covalent interactions in nature. As a result, this non-covalent interaction has been of great interest when it comes to biochemical assays, diagnosis of diseases, and cell-targeted drug delivery. Past research has proven that biotin-streptavidin is useful in biosensor development to improve the detection of a system when conjugated to nanoparticles. This study aims to prove that streptavidin-coated nanoparticles can be conjugated with biotinylated antibodies using the primary-secondary method to non-invasively detect adenocarcinoma in-vitro. While the use of nanoparticles is not uncommon to the diagnostics area of scientific research, the technique this research aims to investigate is a non-invasive one, utilizing the primary-secondary method. Specifically, the increased stability of fluorophores when bound to antibodies as opposed to nanoparticles directly can be indicative of the particles conjugated through the primary-secondary method’s ability to specifically bind to overexpressed transferrin receptors in the A549 cell line. In this paper, streptavidin-coated nanoparticles were conjugated with biotinylated anti-transferrin receptor antibodies and AlexaFluor-488 secondary antibodies were used to enable fluorescence-based detection. The efficiency of these particles were observed quantitatively through a plate reader and qualitatively through a fluorescence microscope. I demonstrated that these nanoparticles are able to specifically bind to the target proteins in this study. These findings contribute to the field of nanoparticle diagnostics and can be extended to different diseases caused by overexpression of proteins in the future. While this was conducted in-vitro, conjugates can be prepared to detect cancer in-vivo and can be tested with magnetic relaxometry in the future.

Kandelia obovata (Ko) and Aegiceras corniculatum (Ac) are common and dominant plant species in mangrove wetlands in South China, and distribute in the similar tidal zones along the coastline. The present study aimed to determine the allelopathic effects of leaf litter leachates (LLLs) from Ko and their purified condensed tannins (PCTs) on the germination and growth of Ac by mangrove microcosms. Replicate pots containing five different levels of LLLs and PCTs were separately prepared and propagules of Ac were placed in each treatment. Both LLLs and PCTs significantly inhibited the germination and growth of Ac, especially in high levels. The final germination rates of roots, stems, and the number of fine roots declined continuously while other growth indicators, including the lengths of fine roots, nutritive roots, the biomasses of roots, stems, leaves, increased firstly and then decreased with increasing levels. These results indicated that LLLs from the leaf litter of Ko, in particular, their PCTs exerted an inhibition effect on propagule germination and seedling growth of Ac, and the inhibitory effects were concentration dependent. This study suggested that condensed tannins from leaf litter, acting as allelochemicals, could regulate the natural regeneration of a mangrove forest.

Background: The purpose of this article is to update the diagnostic assessment, therapeutic approach, and 12-18 month follow up of patients added in the Italian Lombardy ADHD Register. Methods: Data on patients evaluated by the 18 Regional ADHD Reference Centres in the ten year period from 2011 to April 2021 were analysed. Results: 4091 of 5934 added patients received a diagnosis of ADHD. In 20.3% of cases, there was a family history of ADHD. 2879 children (70.4%) had at least one comorbidity disorder, the most common of which was learning disorder (39%). Nearly all (95.9%) received at least one psychological prescription, 17.9% of them almost one pharmacological treatment, and 15.6% a combination of both. Values of ≥5 of the Clinical Global Impressions- Severity (CGI-S) are more commonly presented by patients with a pharmacological prescription than with a psychological treatment (p < .0001). A significant improvement was reported in half of the patients followed after 1 year, with Clinical Global Impressions- Improvement (CGI-I ≤ 3). In all, 233 of 4091 are 18 year old patients. Conclusion: A ten year systematic monitoring of models of care was a fruitful shared and collaborative initiative in order to promote significant improvement in clinical practice, providing effective and continuous quality of care. The unique experience here reported should spread.

ABSTRACT. In this paper, we run for all INDIA mutations and variants a biomathematical numerical method for analysing mRNA nucleotides sequences based on UA/CG Fibonacci numbers proportions (Perez, 2021). In this study, we limit ourselves to the analysis of whole genomes, all coming from the mutations and variants of SARS-CoV2 sequenced in India in 2020 and 2021. We then demonstrate - both on actual genomes of patients and on variants combining the most frequent mutations to the SARS-CoV2 Wuhan genomes and then to the B.1.617 variant - that the numerical Fibonacci AU / CG metastructures increase considerably in all cases analyzed in ratios of up to 8 times. We can affirm that this property contributes to a greater stability and lifespan of messenger RNAs, therefore, possibly also to a greater INFECTUOSITY of these variant genomes. Out of a total of 108 genomes analyzed: - None ("NONE") of them contained a number of metastructures LOWER than those of the reference SARS-CoV2 Wuhan genome. - Eleven (11) among them contained the same number of metastructures as the reference genome. - 97 of them contained a GREATER number of metastructures than the reference genome, ie 89.81% of cases. The average increase in the number of metastructures for the 97 cases studied is 4.35 times the number of SARS-CoV2 UA/CG 17711 Fibonacci metastructures. Finally, we put a focus on B.1.617.2 crucial exponential growth Indian variant. Then, we demonstrate, by analyzing the main worldwide 19 variants, both at the level of spikes and of whole genomes, how and why these UA / CG metastuctures increase overall in the variants compared to the 2 reference strains SARS-CoV2 Wuhan and D614G.

Despite the research conducted worldwide, there is no treatment specific for SARS-CoV-2 infection with efficacy proven by randomized controlled trials. A chance for a breakthrough is vaccinating the majority of the global population. The public opinion surveys on vaccine hesitancy prompted our team to investigate the Polish medical community's attitude towards the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza vaccinations. In-person and online surveys of Healthcare Workers (HCWs): doctors, nurses, medical students, and other allied health professionals (n=419) took place between 14.09.2020 and 5.11.2020. In our study, 68.7% of respondents would like to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. The safety and efficacy of vaccination against COVID-19 would persuade 86.3% of hesitant and those who would refuse to be vaccinated. 3.1% of all respondents claimed that no argument would convince them to get vaccinated. 61.6% of respondents declared a willingness to receive an influenza vaccination, of which 83.3% were also inclined to receive the planned COVID-19 vaccination. Although a significant part of respondents - 62.5% (262/419) indicated, they trusted the influenza vaccine more than the COVID-19 vaccine in direct comparison, more respondents intended to get the COVID-19 vaccination than the influenza vaccine in the 2020/2021 season.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) showed in vitro mesoderm-lineage differentiation and self-renew capacity. However, no comparative study was reported on the biological characteristics of stem cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs), dermal skin (DS-MSCs), and adipose tissues (A-MSCs) from a single donor in camels. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of MSCs source on stem cell characteristics. We evaluated proliferation capacity and mesoderm-lineage differentiation potential from SM-MSCs, DS-MSCs, and A-MSCs. They showed spindle-like morphology after homogenization. The proliferation ability was no significant difference in all groups. Furthermore, the portion of the cell cycle and expression of pluripotent markers (Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog) were similar in all cell lines at passage 3. The differentiation capacity of A-MSCs into adipocytes was significantly higher than that of SM-MSCs and DS-MSCs. However, the osteoblast differentiation capacity of A-MSCs was significantly lower than that of SM-MSCs and DS-MSCs. Additionally, after osteoblast differentiation, the ALP activity and calcium content was significantly decreased in A-MSCs as compared to SM-MSCs and DS-MSCs. To the best of our knowledge, we primally established MSCs from the single camel and demonstrated their comparative characteristics including expression of pluripotent factors and proliferation, and in vitro differentiation capacity into adipocytes and osteoblasts.

Intravitreal injections (IVTs) of corticosteroids as triamcinolone acetonide (TA) are frequently used for the treatment of many vitreous and retinal disorders. However, IVTs are related to severe ocular complications. Lately, a topical ophthalmic TA loaded liposomes formulation (TALF) was designed to transport TA into the posterior segment of the eye when instilled in the ocular surface. To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and biologic activity of TALF, an animal study and a phase I clinical assay was performed. Moreover, four patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) were treated with TALF in order to explore the biologic activity of the formulation. No inflammation, lens opacity, swelling or intraocular pressure rising were recorded after the instillation of TALF in any of the animal or clinical study. Mainly, mild and transient adverse events such as dry eye (30%) and burning (30%) were reported. TALF improves significantly visual acuity and diminishes central foveal thickness in patients with DME. The current data demonstrate the safety, tolerability, and biologic activity of TALF. It seems that TALF can be used topically to treat vitreous and retinal diseases that respond to TA such as DME, avoiding the use of corticosteroids IVTs and its associated hazards.

Toward the standardization of O. biennis sprout extract (OBS-E), we aimed to obtain indicator compounds, using a validated method. HPLC-UVD allowed simultaneous quantification of indicator compounds quercetin 3-glucuronide and ellagic acid. The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and limit of detection/limit of quantification (LOD/LOQ). High specificity and linearity was demonstrated, with correlation coefficients of 1.0000 for quercetin 3-glucuronide and 0.9998 for ellagic acid. The LOD/LOQ values were 0.486/1.472 μg/mL for quercetin 3-glucuronide and 1.003/3.039 μg/mL for ellagic acid. Intra-day and inter-day variability tests produced relative standard deviation for each compound of &lt;2%, a generally accepted precision criterion. High recovery rate were also obtained, indicating accuracy validation. The OBS-E prepared using various concentrations of ethanol were then analyzed. The 50% ethanol extract had highest content of quercetin 3-glucuronide, whereas the 70% ethanol extract possessed the lowest. However, the ellagic acid content was highest in the 70% ethanol extract and lowest in the 90% ethanol extract. Thus, quercetin 3-glucuronide and ellagic acid can be used industrially as indicator compounds for O. biennis sprout products, and our validated method can be used to establish indicator compounds for other natural products.

Background: Excessive sun exposure, together with insufficient protection, is the main risk factor for the onset of Melanoma and Non Melanoma skin cancer, namely the most common cancer in fair-skinned populations across the world, and of several other skin and eye adverse health effects. Epidemiological data show the existence of scant awareness of this risk, and of high rates of sunburn among young people. The main aim of the present study is to examine sun exposure habits and protection behaviour in university students. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study to investigate sun exposure and protection practices in a group of education sciences students at a university in southern Spain. This survey provided data for a descriptive and comparative analysis, by groups and gender, of photoprotection and skin self-examination practices. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire have been analysed. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 315 students. Most of them (74.6%) have suffered at least one sunburn in the last year. The use of sunscreen or protective clothing is not frequent, and 89.5% of students do not self-examine their skin. The metric properties of the questionnaire showed high values of reliability and validity. Conclusions: The awareness of solar exposure risk in Spanish university students of Education Sciences is low, self-protection is scant, the potential exposure to dangerous levels of UV radiation is high and most students have suffered one or more sunburns in the last year. Intervention strategies should be introduced in these students to highlight the risks involved and the need of more adequate sun protection practices. Information campaigns should be conducted to address the problem so that, when these students become teachers, they have an adequate knowledge of the risk and of the benefits of a higher attention to this problem, and can translate these competences in health education.

This paper explores decision analysis on product integration of family security services and residential fire insurance in the London and Taiwan markets by using the proposed mathematical models for counting sustainable value. This paper shows the five main different results between London and Taiwan markets with ten different parameters of the family security market, to find out the optimal number of family security integrated services for each security company in London. The improvement of the risk aversion effect based on risk and financial management will enhance the market share of the private security industries in the London and Taiwan markets. The results of this research can serve as a reference for the decision-making of private security industries on product integration under sustainable value consideration. The research findings highlight the potential benefits for both the private security industry and the insurance industry in their design and negotiation for product integration to improve both of business operation and achieve corporate social responsibility goals to match the sustainability in the future.

Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and different forms of cancers are among the leading human diseases and highly complex in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Diabetes and cancer are among the most frequent and complex diseases and based on epidemiological evidence and study it can be concluded that the patients suffering from diabetes are considered to be significantly at higher risk for a number of cancer types. Both these diseases are among the highly complex and heterogeneous in nature. There are a number of evidences which support the hypothesis that these diseases interlinked and obesity may aggravate the risk(s) of both these diseases type 2 diabetes and different types of cancers. Multi-level unwanted alterations such as (epi-)genetic alterations, changes at the transcriptional level, and altered signaling pathways (receptor, cytoplasmic, and nuclear level) are the major source which promotes a number of complex diseases and such heterogeneous level of complexities are considered as the major barrier in the development of therapeutic. With so many known challenges, it is critical to understand the relationships and the common shared causes between type 2 diabetes and cancer which is difficult to unravel and understand. Furthermore, the real complexity arises during diagnosis from contended corroborations that specific drug(s) (individually or in combination) during diagnosis process of type 2 diabetes may increase or decrease the cancer risk or affect cancer prognosis. In this review article, we have presented the recent and most updated evidences from the studies where the origin, biological background, correlation between them have been presented or proved. Furthermore, we have summarized the methodological challenges and tasks that are frequently encountered. we have also outlined the physiological links between type 2 diabetes and cancers. Finally, we have presented and summarized the outline of the hallmarks for both these diseases diabetes and cancer.

We reviewed the association between seasonal influenza vaccination and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or complicated illness or poor outcome (e.g. severe disease, need for hospitalization or ventilatory support, or death) among COVID-19 patients. None of the studies that were reviewed (n=12) found a significant increase in the risk of infection or in the illness severity or lethality, while some reported significantly inverse associations. Our findings support measures aimed at raising influenza vaccination coverage in the coming months.

SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, a new seventh human corona virus, has out-broken in Wuhan, China since 31^st December 2019, and quickly escalated to take the form of pandemic which killed many human beings throughout almost all countries across continents. The rapidity of its transmission from human to human is far greater than all previous human corona viruses which came into existence like SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, etc. The nucleotide sequence of SARS-CoV-2 (isolates Wuhan-Hu-1) is 29,875 bp in ss-RNA. Symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infected pneumonia include from asymptomatic to high fever and/or respiratory illnesses. Coronavirus virion (spherical/round /elliptical in shape) consists of three parts- outer membrane or envelope, nucleocapsid and genome (RNA). SARS-CoV-2 was shown to use receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for attachment to the cells through its surface spike (S) protein (S1), and the virion enters into the host cell through two routes- direct membrane fusion and endocytotic pathway. The RNA of SARS-CoV acts directly as mRNA and here minus(-) 1 programmed ribosomal frameshift (-1PRF) is being operated by slippery sequence and pseudoknot, so it translates 16 nonstructural proteins including RNA dependent RNA replicase. Then genomic RNA replicated continuously on – strand RNA template and subgenomic RNA transcribed discontinuously on –RNA template to sgmRNA. Subgenomic RNAs/sgmRNAs synthesize all structural proteins. This article takes into consideration the details of established theories of viral structure, viral attachment, mode of entry into human cells, different models of replication and transcription of virus genome proposed by eminent scientists over the years, and makes an in depth examination highlighting meaningful points or important target cites of viral propagation or synthesis, which are conserved, for prompt development of potent drugs or vaccine to counter COVID-19 for which human race is anxiously and eagerly waiting.

Hemoconcentration membranes used in cardiopulmonary bypass require a pore structure design with high pure water permeability, and which does not allow protein adsorption and useful protein loss. However, studies on hemoconcentration membranes have not been conducted yet. The purpose of this study was to analyze three-dimensional pore structures and protein fouling before and after blood contact with capillary membranes using the tortuous pore diffusion model and a scanning probe microscope system. We examined two commercially available capillary membranes of similar polymer composition that are successfully used in hemoconcentration clinically. Assuming the conditions of actual use in cardiopulmonary bypass, we perfused these membranes with bovine blood. Pure water permeability before and after bovine blood perfusion was measured using the dead-end filtration. The scanning probe microscopy system was used for analysis. High-resolution three-dimensional pore structures on the inner surface of the membranes were observed before blood contact. On the other hand, pore structures after blood contact could not be observed due to protein fouling. The pore diameters calculated by the tortuous pore diffusion model and scanning probe microscopy were mostly similar and could be validated reciprocally. Achievable pure water permeabilities showed no difference despite protein fouling, leading to low values of albumin SC. This is due to the mechanism that protein fouling occurs on the membrane surface, while there is little internal pore blocking. Therefore, controlling the fouling is essential for membranes in medical use. These characteristics of the hemoconcentration membranes examined in this study are suitable for clinical use.

The recent detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in feces has led to speculation that it can be transmitted via the fecal-oral/ocular route. This review aims to critically evaluate the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, the quantity and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in feces and urine, and whether these pose an infection risk in sanitary settings, sewage networks, wastewater treatment plants, and the wider environment (e.g. rivers, lakes and marine waters). Overall, severe GI dysfunction is only evident in a small number of COVID-19 cases, with 11 ± 2% exhibiting diarrhea and 12 ± 3% exhibiting vomiting and nausea. In addition to these cases, SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in feces from some asymptomatic, mildly- and pre-symptomatic individuals. Fecal shedding of the virus peaks in the symptomatic period and can persist for several weeks, but with declining abundances in the post-symptomatic phase. SARS-CoV-2 RNA is occasionally detected in urine, but reports in fecal samples are more frequent. The abundance of the virus genetic material in both urine (ca. 10²-10⁵ gc/ml) and feces (ca. 10²-10⁷ gc/ml) is much lower than in nasopharyngeal fluids (ca. 10⁵-10¹¹ gc/ml). There is strong evidence of multiplication of SARS-CoV-2 in the GI tract and infectious virus has occasionally been recovered from both urine and stool samples. The level and infectious capability of SARS-CoV-2 in vomit remain unknown. In comparison to enteric viruses transmitted via the fecal-oral route (e.g. norovirus, adenovirus), the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 being transmitted via feces or urine appears lower due to the lower relative amounts of virus present in feces/urine. The biggest risk of transmission will occur in clinical and care home settings where secondary handling of people and urine/fecal matter occurs. In addition, while SARS-CoV-2 RNA genetic material can be detected by in wastewater, this signal is greatly reduced by conventional treatment. Our analysis also suggests the likelihood of infection due to contact with sewage-contaminated water (e.g. swimming, surfing, angling) or food (e.g. salads, shellfish) is extremely low or negligible based on very low predicted abundances and limited environmental survival of SARS-CoV-2. These conclusions are corroborated by the fact that over eight million global cases of COVID-19 have occurred, but exposure to feces or wastewater has never been implicated as a transmission vector.

Corona viruses hijack human enzymes to assembly sugar coat on Spike glycoproteins. The mechanism that human antibodies may uncover the antigenic viral peptide epitopes hidden by sugar coat are unknown. In this study, we analyzed recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein secreted from BTI-Tn-5B1-4 cells, by trypsin and chymotrypsin digestion followed by mass spectrometry analysis. We acquired MS/MS spectrums for glycopeptides of all 22 predicted N-glycosylated sites. We further analyzed the surface accessibility of Spike proteins according to Cryo-EM and homolog-modeled structures, and available antibodies that bind to SARS-CoV-1. The results showed that all 22 N-glycosylated sites of SARS-CoV-2 are modified by high-mannose type of N-glycans. MS/MS fragmentation clearly established the glycopeptide identities. Electron densities of glycans cover most of the Spike receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, except YQAGSTPCNGVEGFNCYFPLQSYGFQPTNGVGYQ, similar to a region FSPDGKPCTPPALNCYWPLNDYGFYTTTGIGYQ in SARS-CoV-1. Other surface-exposed domains included those located on Central Helix, between amino acids 967 and 1016 of SARS-CoV-1, and 985 to 1034 of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. As the majority of antibody paratopes bind to peptide portion with or without sugar modification, we propose a snake-catcher model that a minimal length of peptide is first clamped by a paratope, and the binding is either strengthened by sugars close to peptide, or not interfered by sugar modification.

Rickettsia and Coxiella burnetii are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens that can cause febrile illnesses with or without other symptoms in humans but may cause subclinical infections in animals. There are only a few reports on the occurrence of these pathogens in cattle and water buffaloes in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. In this study, molecular detection of Rickettsia spp. and C. burnetii in the blood and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks of cattle and water buffaloes from five provinces in Luzon Island of the Philippines was done. A total of 620 blood samples of cattle and water buffaloes and 206 tick samples were collected and subjected to DNA extraction. After successful amplification of control genes, nested PCR was performed to detect gltA of Rickettsia and com1 of C. burnetii. No samples were positive for Rickettsia while 10 (cattle – 7, water buffaloes - 3) or 1.6% of blood and 5 or 1.8% of tick samples were C. burnetii-positive. Sequence analysis of the positive amplicons showed 99-100% similarity to reported C. burnetii isolates. This molecular evidence on the occurrence of C. burnetii in Philippine ruminants and cattle ticks and its zoonotic nature should prompt further investigation and surveillance to facilitate its effective control.

Motivated by Autonomous vehicle idea and driving safety issues, driver assistance system such as Active braking, Cruise Control, Lane departure warning lane keeping and etc. has become a very active research area. However, this paper presents the performance and robustness analysis of a model predictive control and proportional integral derivative control for lane keeping maneuvers of an autonomous vehicle using computer vision simulation studies. A simulation study was carried out where a vehicle model based on single tracked bicycle model was developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment together with a vision dynamic system. Both PID controller and MPC were simulated to maintain the desired reference trajectory of the vehicle by controlling steering angle. Further performance and robustness analysis were carried out and the simulation results show that the proposed control system for the PID control achieved its objective even though it was less robust in maintaining its performance under various conditions like vehicle load change, different longitudinal speed and different cornering stiffness. While in the case of MPC the optimizer made sure that the predicted future trajectory of the vehicle output tracks the desired reference trajectory and was more robust in maintaining its performance under same conditions as in PID.

Cocoa is an important commodity crop not only to produce one of the most complex products such as chocolate from the sensory perspective, but one that commonly grows in developing countries close to the tropics. This paper presents novel techniques applied using cover photography and a novel computer application (VitiCanopy) to assess the canopy architecture of cocoa trees in a commercial plantation in Queensland, Australia. From the cocoa trees monitored, pod samples were collected, fermented, dried and grinded to obtain the aroma profile per tree using gas chromatography. The canopy architecture data were used as inputs in an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm and the aroma profile considering six main aromas as targets. The ANN model rendered high accuracy (R = 0.82; MSE = 0.09) with no overfitting. The model was then applied to a satellite image from the whole cocoa field studied to produce canopy vigor and aroma profile maps up to the tree-by-tree scale. The tool developed could aid significantly the canopy management practices in cocoa trees that have a direct effect on cocoa quality.

The black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron is the most abundant fish species in the Nakwa (a closed lagoon) and Brenu (an open lagoon) in the Central region of Ghana. Aspects of the life history characteristics and the ecology of the fish populations in both lagoons were studied to assess the bio-ecological status of this important resource. The estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters were L∞ = 12.04 cm; K =2.76 year-1 for the Nakwa Lagoon samples and L∞ = 13.44 cm; K = 3.27 years-1 for Brenu Lagoon samples. Daily otolith incremental rate ranged from 0.01-0.03mm per day and 0.01-0.02mm per day for Nakwa and Brenu lagoons respectively. Stomach content analysis of the fish samples revealed that the species are planktivorous and the range of food varied between the lagoons. Green algae was the most prevalent food item in the stomachs of the fish samples from Nakwa with frequency of 69% while diatoms (80.5%) were most prevalent phytoplanktonic food item in for the fish in Brenu lagoon. The results of this study of Sarotherodon melanotheron from the two lagoons and can be used to improve on management policies, maximize yield and to sustain the fishery resources.

The application of quantitative PCR (qPCR) as a routine method to detect and enumerate Paenibacillus larvae in honey and hive debris could greatly speed up the estimation of prevalence and outbreak risk of the American foulbrood (AFB) disease of Apis mellifera. However, none of the qPCR tests described so far has been officially proposed as a standard procedure for P. larvae detection and enumeration for surveillance purposes. Therefore, in this study inclusivity, exclusivity and sensitivity in detection of P. larvae spores directly in samples of honey and hive debris were re-evaluated for the previously published qPCR methods. To this aim recently acquired P. larvae sequence data were considered to assess inclusivity in silico and more appropriate non-target species were used to verify exclusivity experimentally. This led to the modification of one of the previously described methods resulting in a new test capable to allow the detection of P. larvae spores in honey and hive debris down to 1 CFU/g. The application of the qPCR test optimized in this study can allow to reliably detect and quantify P. larvae in honey and hive debris, thus circumventing the disadvantages of late AFB diagnosis based on clinical symptoms and possible underestimation of spore numbers that is the main drawback of culture-dependent procedures.

In order to follow the Preventive Chemotherapy for the transmission control as recommended by WHO, Gabon initiated in 2014 the mapping of Schistosomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH). Here we report the results of the Northern and Eastern health regions, representing a third of the land area and 12% of its total population. All the 9 departments of the two regions were surveyed and from each, 5 schools were examined with 50 schoolchildren per school. The parasitological examinations were realized using the filtration method for urine and the Kato-Katz technique for stool samples. Overall 2245 schoolchildren (1116 girls and 1129 boys), mean aged 11.28 ± 0.04 years, were examined. Combined schistosomiasis and STH affected 1270 (56.6%) with variation between regions, departments and schools. For schistosomiasis, prevalence were 1.7% across the two regions, with no significant difference (p>0.05) between the Northern (1.5%) and the Eastern (1.9%). Schistosomiasis is mainly caused by Schistosoma haematobium with a prevalence of 1.5%, 1.9% and 1.7%, respectively in the North, East and globally. STH are more common than schistosomiasis, with an overall prevalence of 56.1% significantly different between the Northern (58.1%) and Eastern (53.6%) regions (p = 0.034). Trichuris trichiura is the most abundant infection with a prevalence of 43.7% followed by Ascaris lumbricoides 35.6% and hookworms 1.4%. According to these results, an appropriate mass drug administration strategy is given for the control of each neglected tropical disease group surveyed.

Though melatonin is known to improve ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory conditions via blockade of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, interleukin (IL)-6, there is no report on anti-wrinkle effect of melatonin to date. Hence in the present study, anti-wrinkle mechanism of melatonin was elucidated in UVB treated HaCaT keratinocytes and hairless mice. Herein melatonin protected against a radical initiator tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, matrix metalloprotease 1 (MMP-1) and cytotoxicity in HaCaT keratinocytes. Also, melatonin suppressed the expression of sonic hedgehog (SHH) and GLI for hedgehog signaling, p-NF-kB, cyclooxygenase (COX-2), p-ERK for inflammatory responses in UVB treated HaCaT keratinocytes. Furthermore, melatonin protected skin from wrinkle formation, transdermal water loss in hairless mice irradiated by UVB for 8 weeks. Notably, melatonin prevented against epidermal thickness and dermal collagen degradation in UVB irradiated hairless mice by Hematoxylin & Eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Taken together, these findings suggest that melatonin reduces wrinkle formation via inhibition of ROS/SHH and inflammatory proteins such as NF-kB/COX-2/ERK/MMP1.

A novel plasma source of pulsed electrolyte cathode atmospheric pressure discharge (pulsed-ECAD) driven by an alternating current (AC) power supply coupled with a high voltage diode was generated, and the discharge was generated in the open-to-air atmosphere between a metal electrode and a small-sized flowing liquid cathode. The spatial distribution of plasma temperatures (excitation, vibrational and rotational) of the pulsed-ECAD were investigated. The electron excitation temperature of H T_exc(H), vibrational temperature of N₂ T_vib(N₂), and rotational temperature of OH T_rot(OH) were measured as 4900±36-6800±108 K, 4600±86-5800±100 K and 1050±20-1140±10 K, respectively. Meanwhile, the temperature characteristics of dc solution cathode glow discharge (dc-SCGD) were also studied for comparison with pulsed-ECAD. The effects of operating parameters, including discharge voltage and discharge frequency, on the plasma temperatures were investigated. The electron number density determined in the discharge system and dc-SCGD were within the range (3.8–18.9) ×10¹⁴ cm^-3 and 2.6×10¹⁴-17.2×10¹⁴ cm^-3, respectively.

The genus Aphanommata in the Old World is reviewed. Aphanommata kuscheli sp. nov. from São Nicolau and A. strakai sp. nov. from Fogo (both Cape Verde islands) are described. Aphanommata euphorbiarum (Wollaston, 1867) from Santo Antão in the Cape Verde islands is redescribed and its lectotype is designated. All three Aphanommata species from the Cape Verde islands as well as A. filum (Mulsant & Rey, 1859) from Old World are diagnosed, illustrated, and keyed. Mature larva of A. kuscheli sp. nov. is described, larval morphology is discussed and the current state of knowledge about immature stages of Cossoninae is summarized. Vertical and inter-insular distributional pattern of Cape Verde Aphanommata and Pselactus is reviewed and discussed.

Background: Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that storage of cooked rice at 4 °C for 24 h and reheating to 65 °C significantly reduced starch digestibility and postprandial glycaemic responses. Moreover, the effect was greater for parboiled rice compared to other rice varieties commonly consumed in New Zealand. This study aimed to evaluate consumer preferences of related sensory attributes and consumer acceptability of several rice varieties freshly cooked or reheated. Method: Sixty-four consumers volunteered and recorded on Visual Analoge Scales their preference and acceptability of freshly prepared or cold-stored and reheated medium grain white, medium grain brown and parboiled rice. Results: All six rice samples were accepted by participants (average 54%). Reheated parboiled rice and reheated medium grain brown rice were both accepted by participants as a preferred staple meal compared to other rice samples. Among all rice samples, the sweetness and the flavour of freshly cooked warm medium-grain white rice were less preferred (scored 42.1% and 45.0% respectively) compared with other samples (P = 0.05). Participants who prepared and consumed brown rice at home regularly (more than 10 times per month), preferred the reheated brown rice (73.8% (67.4, 80.2)) and reheated parboiled rice (74.3% (67.9, 80.7)) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It is suggested that reheated parboiled rice, with the lowest starch digestibility and glycaemic impact (both in vitro glucose release and in vivo glucose response) could be accepted as a healthier alternative for the daily staple meal.

Momordica charantia is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family which is known as bitter gourd and grows widely in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The various properties of bitter gourd are closely related to the substances or compounds they contain. Bitter gourd contains many secondary metabolites including alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids and flavonoids. These chemical compounds are spread in several parts of the plant such as roots, stems, leaves, and fruit. Apart from containing several organic compounds, bitter melon also contains the phytohormone gibberellin which is quite potential and useful as a biostimulant. The aim of the research was to isolate, purify, and determine the content of gibberellin (GA-3) contained in bitter gourd (M. charantia), and to determine its effect on the vegetative and generative growth of soybean plants, as well as the effect of GA-3 application on the nutritional content of soybean seeds. resulting from. Apart from that, it was also observed the effect of GA-3 application on the chlorophyll content of soybean plants, as well as the activity of the alpha-amylase enzyme in treated soybean seeds. The process of isolation and purification of GA-3 was carried out by thin layer chromatography and adsorption column chromatography on Silica Gel G-60. Characterization of GA-3 was carried out by Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), and Mass Spectroscopy (MS). RP-HPLC and FTIR results from gibberellin GA-3 isolates showed retention times and wave numbers that were relatively the same as GA-3 standards. From the results of the study it was found that the content of the gibberellin GA-3 hormone in bitter gourd was 4.12 mg/g dry weight. The GA-3 isolate had a significant effect on the growth of soybean plants in both the vegetative and generative phases for each parameter observed compared to the control and 1% NPK fertilizer. The protein content in soybean seeds was 38.17%. The chlorophyll content at the end of the vegetative and generative phases were 33.34 and 11.5 CCI, respectively. The addition of GA-3 isolate increased the activity of the α-amylase enzyme in soybean seeds compared to the control with an average of 271.65 U/mL.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of different types of olive cake (five treatments) in the diet of Bísaro pigs on the volatile compounds and sensory characteristics in the dry-cured loin and dry-cured “cachaço” (2 processed meat products). The treatments applied are based on the type of extraction and this may imply differences in their water and fat content. Eighty com-pounds were identified, and grouped into eight chemical classes: hydrocarbons, aldehydes, es-ters, alcohols, ketones, acids, furans, and other compounds. Aldehydes and alcohols were the ma-jor groups of compounds, representing 57.06-66.07 % and 68.67-75.61 % for the loin and “cacha-ço”, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatments for any of the volatile compounds identified. The major aldehydes were hexanal, heptanal, pentanal, and propanal. These compounds were significantly higher (p<0.001) in “cachaço”. This significant difference be-tween the two types of dry-cured products is directly related to the amount of total fat content. The major alcohols were 2.3-butanediol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-butanol, 3-methyl, 1-hexanol, benzyl-alcohol and glycidol. Except for compounds 2,3-butanediol and benzyl-alcohol, the majority in this group are significantly different in terms of the type of dry-cured product. As for the sensory evaluation, for both dry-cured products, the trained tasters did not detect significant differences between the different treatments, which is in line with the results obtained for volatile compounds.

The article shows that active RC- and RLC- filters based on the simplest wideband SiGe transistor stages are quite promising for RF and microwave frequency ranges. The results of computer simulation of the RC- and RLC-filters proposed by the authors of this article, which are oriented for use in communication and telecommunications devices, incl. with tunable and adaptive parameters.

Aim of this study was to examine the psycho-emotional and economic resilience of the widows of the Christians male victims of the suicide attacks on Roman Catholic and Christ churches in Youhanabad Lahore. A qualitative case study was conducted of the widows of to understand how they recovered from the loss. The study exuded that how the widows recovered from the loss of their husband’s with the help of their in-laws. Second, how widows met their economic needs by doing menial jobs, and with the help of aid provided by in-laws. Third, the help provided by the Churches. Living in a society with a Muslim concentration also affects the widows into Forced religion conversion. Furthermore, due to lesser check and balance on male orphans, they also get involved in various criminals’ activities to support their families. The conclusion was the factors helped the widows overcome the psycho-emotional loss and recover economically.

Desertification is impeding the implementation of reforestation efforts in Mongolia. Many of these efforts have been unsuccessful due to lack of technical knowledge on water and nutrient management strategies, limited financial support, and short-lived rainfall events. We investigated the effects of irrigation and fertilization on the morpho-physiological traits of Populus sibirica Hort. Ex Tausch and Ulmus pumila L. and to suggest irrigation and fertilization strategies for reforestation. Different irrigation and fertilizer treatments were applied: no irrigation, 2 L h-1, 4 L h-1 and 8 L h-1 of water; no fertilizer, 2 L h-1 + NPK, 4 L h-1 + NPK, and 8 L h-1 + NPK; and no compost, 2 L h-1 + compost, 4 L h-1 + compost, and 8 L h-1 + compost. The leaf area (LA) and specific leaf area (SLA) of both species responded positively to 4 L h-1 and/or 8 L h-1. Results also showed that the addition of either NPK or compost to 4 L h-1 and/or 8 L h-1 irrigation resulted in a higher LA, SLA, and leaf biomass (LB). Total chlorophyll content decreased with irrigation in both species. The same pattern was detected when a higher amount of irrigation was combined with fertilizers. Lastly, we found that both diurnal and seasonal leaf water potential of plants grown in 4 L h-1 and/or 8 L h-1 were significantly higher than in control plots. Therefore, 4 L h-1 and/or 8 L h-1 with either NPK or compost has shown to be the optimal irrigation and fertilization strategy for the species in an arid and semi-arid region of Mongolia. Results should provide us with a better understanding of tree responses to varying amounts of irrigation with or without fertilizer in pursuit of sustainable forest management in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric evidence of the original and brief version of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ) in Spanish in a sample of 245 Peruvian adolescents and adults (mean age = 21.04 years, SD = 3.07, 47.8% male and 52.2% female), selected by non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Additionally, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied. Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal consistency reliability methods, hierarchical sequence of variance models and Graded Response Model were used. Results indicate that both versions of the SCSRFQ showed robust psychometric properties: adequate unidimensional structure, adequate difficulty and discrimination parameters, and significant relationships with the measures of fear of COVID-19 and satisfaction with life. The original version of the SCSRFQ showed evidence of strict measurement invariance by gender and age; whereas the short version showed strict invariance by gender and configural invariance by age. Both versions showed acceptable reliability indices. In conclusion, the original and brief versions of the SCSRFQ show evidence of psychometric indicators that support their use to assess the strength of religious faith

Soil water loss by evaporation influences the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of irrigation drainage water. Evaporation concentrates sodium and magnesium but calcite precipitation has a more complicated effect on soluble calcium and alkalinity. Here we propose a revised sodicity hazard assessment that quantifies the impact of evaporative water loss and calcite precipitation on drainage water SAR. This paper shows sodicity hazard is determined by the initial composition of irrigation water as originally suggested by previous researchers, and provide a simple, accurate way to identify the potential sodicity hazard of any irrigation water. In particular, the initial equivalent concentration of alkalinity and calcium determine the salinization pathway followed during evaporation. If the irrigation water alkalinity exceeds soluble calcium expressed as equivalent concentrations, drainage water SAR approaches an upper limit determined by the initial relative concentration of sodium and magnesium. If irrigation water alkalinity is less than soluble calcium, drainage water SAR approaches a lower limit determined by the initial calcium, magnesium and sodium. In both cases the SAR is scaled by the square root of the concentration factor √Fc quantifying soil water loss. To assess the impact of evaporation and calcite precipitation on the SAR and test the accuracy of the new sodicity hazard assessment, we evaluated data from previously published lysimeter studies. We plotted water composition boundaries for each source water, comparing these boundaries to the drainage water composition recorded in the lysimeter studies. As salinity increased by evaporation, each drainage water followed a distinct salinization path.

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care workers (HCWs) at the frontline have been largely exposed to infected patients, running an high risk of being infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study investigates the epidemiological, clinical and lifestyles characteristics that might play roles in the susceptibility of HCWs to COVID-19 in a hit Italian hospital. Methods:Demographic, lifestyle, work-related and comorbidities data of 1447 HCWs which underwent a nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 were retrospectively collected. For the 164 HCWs positive for SARS-CoV-2, data about safety in the workplace, symptoms and clinical course of COVID-19 were also collected. Cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was estimated. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed using a multivariable Poisson regression. Results: The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the screened HCWs was 11.33 (9.72-13.21). Working in a COVID-19 ward, being a former smoker (vs being a person who never smoked) and BMI were positively associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas being a current smoker was negatively associated with this variable. Conclusions: Assuming an equal accessibility and proper use of PPE of all the HCWs of our Hospital, the great and more prolonged contact with COVID-19 patients remains the crucial risk factor for SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, increased and particular care needs to be focused specifically on the most exposed HCWs groups, which should be safeguarded. Furthermore, in order to limit the risk of asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the HCWs mild symptoms of COVID-19 should be considered when evaluating the potential benefits of universal staff testing

Ground-level ozone (O3) increases in the northeastern part of Eurasia, where larch species are dominant trees and have been planted intensively. The Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi; hereafter larch) is classified as the tree species most of its sensitive to O3 based on data from long-shoot needles of seedlings. This criterion should be reconsidered based on O3 uptake, which is strongly depended on stomatal conductance (Gs) of adult trees through the difference in relevant needle traits. Because Gs is closely correlated with photosynthetic activity, we measured the in situ seasonal and yearly change in photosynthetic function, needle mass per area (LMA) and nitrogen (N) content of both short- and long-shoot needles of the canopy of larch trees over successive 3 years. No difference was observed in the in light saturated photosynthetic rate at ambient CO2 (Psat) between needles of hetero types of shoot in the latter part of the growing season, but clear differences were found within a specific year, indicating that seasonal changes in climatic factors determine Psat in the long term. The Psat-N relations differed significantly between the needle types. However, Psat at saturated CO2 (Pmax)-N was quite similar, implying that the CO2 diffusion difference between short- and long-shoots is responsible for the differing Psat -N. In conclusion, seasonal and yearly variations in photosynthetic capacity are mainly determined mainly by climatic variations, whereas shoot type determined the traits of photosynthetic N utilization as well as Gs regulation.

There is a restricted knowledge about the potential impact of the use of different wood species on color and anthocyanin changes during the red wine aging process. This lack of knowledge is even greater when no oak wood species are used. Thus, the aim of this study was to carry out a comparative analysis of the impact of wood chip extracts from oak, acacia and cherry species on the chromatic characteristics and anthocyanins changes by the use of model wine solutions. In this context, several methodologies were used to quantified, color and anthocyanins changes during the aging time studied. The results indicated that the contact between wood chip extracts and grape skin isolated anthocyanin extracts induced a decrease of color intensity, particularly red color, and also the anthocyanin content in the different experimental model wine solutions studied. All chromatic modifications are potentially detected by human eyes because ΔE values were much higher than 3 CIELab units. These tendencies seems to be independent of the wood species used, but more pronounced for higher contact time between wood chip extracts and anthocyanins. The obtained results may contribute to a better understanding of the chromatic changes of red wines when aged in contact with different wood chips species.

Nanoparticles of graphene and carbon nanotubes are attractive materials for improvement of mechanical and barrier properties and functionality of biodegradable polymers for food packaging applications. However, the increase of the manufacture and consumption increases the probability of exposure of human and environment to such nanomaterials, this rising questions about the risks of nanomaterials since they can be toxic. For a risk assessment, it is crucial to know whether airborne nanoparticles of graphene and carbon nanotubes can be released from nanocomposites into the environment at their end-life, or they remain embedded in the matrix. In this work the release of graphene and carbon nanotubes from the poly(lactic) acid nanocomposite films were studied for the scenarios of: (i) biodegradation of matrix polymer at the disposal of wastes; and (ii) combustion and fire of nanocomposite wastes. Thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere, TEM, AFM and SEM were used to verify the release of nanoparticles from nanocomposite films. The three factors model was applied for the quantitative and qualitative risk assessment to the release of graphene and carbon nanotubes from nanocomposite wastes for these scenarios. Safety concern is discussed in respect to the existing regulations for nanowastes stream.

The jalapeño pepper is a vegetable of great economic importance worldwide. However, low germination efficiency, weak seedlings, and a high mortality rate during transplant compromise the viability and sustainability of the crop. An innovative solution is the nanopriming tech-nique, an emerging and novel technology, which involves the imbibition of seeds for a specific period using mineral nanoparticles. The addition of micronutrients such as Zinc and Molyb-denum has been used in seed germination and early seedling development due to their crucial roles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using Zinc-Molybdenum nano-priming in Jalapeño Pepper on germination and early growth. The results showed that applying nanopriming 124-10 mg L−1 of Zinc-Molybdenum promotes effectiveness on the imbibition and germination of jalapeño pepper seeds, resulting in heavier seeds with better initial absorption. This method not only improves germination rates and seedling vigor but also points towards more sustainable and efficient agriculture. Building on these findings, the Zinc-Molybdenum nanopriming method could potentially transform jalapeño pepper cultivation by enhancing seed quality and resilience. This could lead to more robust crop yields and reduce the need for chemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, thus lowering production costs and environ-mental impact.

Despite innovative advances in anti-infective therapies and vaccine development technologies, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains the most persistent cause of infection-related mortality globally. Confronting the ongoing threat posed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), the most common bacterial cause of CAP, particularly to the non-immune elderly, remains challenging due to the propensity of the elderly to develop invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), together with the predilection of the pathogen for the heart. The resultant development of often fatal cardiovascular events (CVEs), particularly during the first seven days of acute infection, is now recognized as a relatively common complication of IPD. The current review represents an update on the prevalence and types of CVEs associated with acute bacterial CAP, particularly IPD. In addition, it is focused on recent insights into the involvement of the pneumococcal pore-forming toxin, pneumolysin (Ply), in subverting host immune defenses, particularly the protective functions of the alveolar macrophage during early-stage disease. This, in turn, enables extra-pulmonary dissemination of the pathogen, leading to cardiac invasion, cardiotoxicity and myocardial dysfunction. The review concludes with an overview of the current status of macrolide antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial CAP in general, as well as severe pneumococcal CAP, including a consideration of the mechanisms by which these agents inhibit the production of Ply by macrolide-resistant strains of the pathogen.

Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) is commonly used in national immunization programs. However, the immune response significantly declined within a few months. Our study assessed the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 after receiving booster shots of BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 among health care workers who previously received CoronaVac as their primary immunization. Fifty-six participants received ChAdOx1 and forty-two participants received BNT162b2 were enrolled into this study which evaluated the immune responses including anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike total antibodies (Elecsys®), surrogated viral neutralization test (sVNT) to ancestral strain (cPass™; GenScript) and five variants of concern (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron) (Luminex; multiplex sVNT) and the ELISpot with spike (S1 and S2) peptide pool against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain. The samples were analyzed at baseline, 4, and 12 weeks after primary immunization as well as 4 and 12 weeks after receiving the booster. This study showed a significantly higher B-cell response among the BNT162b2 than the ChAdOx1 booster group, particularly against the Omicron variant, as well as a trend of good T-cell immune response in the BNT162b2 group. Moreover, the immune response rapidly declined at 12 weeks after the booster. A fourth dose or a second booster should be recommended, especially for reducing Omicron severity.

BackgroundIt is unclear what underpins the large global variations in the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance in gram-negative bacteria. We tested the hypothesis that different intensities in the use of quinolones for food-animals plays a role. MethodsWe used Spearman’s correlation to assess if the country-level prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance in human infections with Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was correlated with the use of quinolones for food producing animals. Linear regression was used to assess the relative contributions of country-level quinolone consumption for food-animals and humans on fluoroquinolone resistance in these 4 species. ResultsThe prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance in each species was positively associated with quinolone use for food-producing animals (E. coli [ρ=0.55; P<0.001], K. pneumoniae [ρ=0.58; P<0.001]; A. baumanii [ρ=0.54; P=0.004]; P. aeruginosa [ρ=0.48; P=0.008]). Linear regression revealed that both quinolone consumption in humans and food animals were independently associated with fluoroquinolone resistance in E. coli and A. baumanii. ConclusionsReducing quinolone use in food-producing animals may help retard the spread of fluoroquinolone resistance in various gram negative bacterial species.

Diagnosis of kidney diseases has recently become more comprehensive and accurate by using new renal markers. Despite the fact that creatinine and cystatin c have been sufficient in determining kidney function, they did not indicate the exact site of the damage and they were often insufficient in predicting the course of the disease. Aim of the study was to evaluate the potential correlations and differences in levels of six factors related to kidney function and injury: kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), ncalbindin (CALB), glutathione S-transferase Pi (GST-Pi), calbindin and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), between renal patients with diabetic nephropathy (DM), congenital defects (CD) of the kidney and glomerulonephritis (GN). Study involved 75 patients: 49 with diabetic nephropathy, 12 with congenital defects and 14 with glomerulonephritis. Levels of renalase was measured using immunoenzymatic tests. Levels of other markers: calbindin, glutathione-S-transferase (GST-pi), interleukin-18 (IL-18), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), were analyzed using Kidney Toxicity-1 Panel and BioPlex system, designed for analyses in urine and optimized by us for serum.From all analyzed markers, only levels of KIM-1 differed significantly between any subgroups, and that was for CD and DM. Renalase correlated significantly negatively with creatinine and positively with all other markers, apart from MCP-1. Obtained results indicate, that serum renalase, KIM-1, calbindin and GST-pi are related to kidney function, with KIM-1 being the most exact, while MCP-1 levels are unrelated to creatinine and glucose levels, does not differ between patients with diabetic nephropathy and other subgroups, and therefore seem to be independent of diabetes. Also, serum-optimized Kidney Toxicity Panel 1 kit for determination of selected markers gave results similar to previous ones and therefore the method can be valuable in determination of analyzed factors.

Curcumin is a nutraceutical known to have numerous medicinal effects including anticancer activity. However, due to its poor water solubility and bioavailability, the therapeutic impact of curcumin against cancer, especially breast cancer, has been constrained. Encapsulating curcumin into chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) is an effective method to increase its bioavailability as well as antitumorigenic activity. In the present study, the effect of curcumin encapsulated CHNPs (Cur-CHNPs) on cell migration, targeted homing and tumour growth was examined using in vitro and in vivo breast cancer models. Cur-CHNPs possessed monodispersed nature with long term colloidal stability, and demonstrated significant inhibition of cell viability in vitro, which was potentiated by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Outcomes of the in vivo imaging studies confirmed effective tumour targeting and retention ability of Cur-CHNPs, thereby suppressing breast tumour growth in mice models. Overall, the results demonstrated that Cur-CHNPs, could be an effective candidate drug formulation for management of breast cancer.

Rehabilitation from musculoskeletal injuries focuses on reestablishing and monitoring muscle activation patterns to accurately produce force. The aim of this study is to explore the use of a novel low-powered wearable distributed Simultaneous Musculoskeletal Assessment with Real-Time Ultrasound (SMART-US) device to predict force during an isometric squat task. Participants (N=5) performed maximum isometric squats under two medical imaging techniques; clinical musculoskeletal motion mode (m-mode) ultrasound on the dominant vastus lateralis and SMART-US sensors placed on the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, medial hamstring, and vastus medialis. Ultrasound features were extracted, and a linear ridge regression model was used to predict ground reaction force. The performance of ultrasound features to predict measured force was tested using either the Clinical M-mode, SMART-US sensors on the vastus lateralis (SMART-US: VL), rectus femoris (SMART-US: RF), medial hamstring (SMART-US: MH), and vastus medialis (SMART-US: VMO) or utilized all four SMART-US sensors (Distributed SMART-US). Model training showed that the Clinical M-mode and the Distributed SMART-US model were both significantly different from the SMART-US: VL, SMART-US: MH, SMART-US:RF, and SMART-US:VMO models (p<0.05). Model validation showed that the Distributed SMART-US model had an R² of 0.80 ±0.04 and was significantly different from SMART-US: VL but not from the Clinical M-mode model. In conclusion, a novel wearable distributed SMART-US system can predict ground reaction force using machine learning, demonstrating the feasibility of wearable ultrasound imaging for ground reaction force estimation.

Lately, radiomic studies featuring the development of a signature to use in prediction models in diagnosis or prognosis outcomes are being published increasingly. While the results are shown to be promising, these studies still have many pitfalls and limitations. One of the main issues of this methodology is that radiomic features depend on how the images are preprocessed before their computation. Since, in widely known and used software for radiomic features calculation, it is possible to set these preprocessing parameters before the calculation of the radiomic feature, there are ongoing studies assessing the stability and repeatability of radiomic features to find the most suitable preprocessing parameters for every used imaging modality. This review examines the impact of preprocessing parameters on the reproducibility and reliability of radiomic features extracted from multimodality imaging (CT, MRI, CBCT, PET/CT). Standardized preprocessing is crucial for consistent radiomic feature extraction. Key preprocessing steps include voxel resampling, normalization, and discretization, which influence feature robustness and reproducibility. From our work, we highlighted the need to harmonize the use of preprocessing parameters and their values, especially in light of future studies of prospective studies, which are still lacking in the current literature.

Three types of double perovskite La1-xPrxBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ(x=1,0.3,0) are prepared using the EDTA-citrate method and identified as solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes. The microstructures, as well as electrochemical performances of La1-xPrxBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ (LPBSCF) and La2NiO4-impregnated LPBSCF (LN-LPBSCF) cathodes, are investigated in detail. An optimum impregnation amount of LN-LPBSCF (LN loading of 0.64 mg/cm2) electrode exhibits relatively lower electrode polarization resistance (Rp) and better stable performance as compared to that of pure LPBSCF electrode in symmetrical SOFCs. The maximum power density of LN-LPBSCF single cells is 800 mW/cm2 at 800 °C and demonstrates good stability for 100 h in short-term testing.

Vaginitis is a widespread issue for women worldwide, yet current diagnostic tools are lacking. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most prevalent type of vaginitis, found in 10-50% of reproductive aged women. Current diagnostic methods for BV rely on clinical criteria, microscopy, or detection of a few microbes by qPCR. However, many vaginal infections lack a single etiological agent and are characterized by changes in the vaginal microbiome community structure (e.g. BV is defined as a loss of protective lactobacilli resulting in an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria). Shotgun metagenomic sequencing provides a comprehensive view of all the organisms present in the vaginal microbiome (VMB) allowing for a better understanding of all potential etiologies. Here, we describe a robust VMB metagenomics sequencing test with a sensitivity of 88.5%, specificity of 96.2%, and a positive predictive value of 95.8% certified by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), the College of American Pathologist (CAP) and the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP). We sequenced over 7,000 human vaginal samples with this pipeline and described general findings and comparison to US census data.

Purpose: To simplify the application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for examination of subsurface morphology in the oral cavity and reduce barriers towards adoption of OCT as a biopsy guidance device. The aim of this work was to develop automated software tools for simplified analysis of the large volume of data collected during OCT. Methods: Imaging and corresponding histopathology were acquired in-clinic using a wide-field endoscopic OCT system. An annotated dataset (n = 294 images) from 60 patients (34 male, 26 female) was assembled to train four unique neural networks. A deep learning pipeline was built using convolutional and modified u-net models to detect the imaging field of view (network 1), detect artifacts (network 2), identify the tissue surface (network 3), and identify the presence and location of the basement membrane (network 4). Results: The area under the curve of the image and artifact detection networks was 1.00 and 0.94 respectively. The Dice similarity score for the surface and basement membrane segmentation networks was 0.98 and 0.83 respectively. Conclusion: Deep Learning (DL) techniques can identify the location and variations in the epithelial surface and basement membrane in OCT images of the oral mucosa. Segmentation results can be synthesized into accessible en face maps to allow easier visualization of changes.

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is a necessary requirement for high-emitting CO2 industries to significantly reduce volumes of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere and mitigate the climate change. Geological CO2 storage into depleted oil and gas fields is the fastest and most accessible option for CCS deployment allowing for re-purposing of existing infrastructure and utilizing the significant knowledge about the subsurface acquired during the field production operations. Location of such depleted fields in neighbourhood of high-emitting CO2 industries is additional advantage available for matured on-shore Europe fields. Considering these advantages, the oil and gas operators are now evaluating different possibilities for CO2 sequestration projects for the fields approaching end of production. This article describes an integrated approach to reservoir simulations focused on evaluating CO2 injection pilot at one of such matured fields operated by MND and located in the Czech Republic. The potential CO2 injection site in focus is a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir. This oil-bearing formation has a gas cap at the top and a limited aquifer at the bottom of the reservoir and was produced mainly by pressure depletion with quite limited pressure support from water injection. The article summarizes results of efforts taken by the multi-disciplinary team to develop and apply an integrated approach to reservoir simulation started from geological modelling of the naturally fractured reservoir and integrating results of laboratory studies and their interpretation (geomechanical and geochemistry laboratory experiments) and dynamic field data analysis (pressure transient analysis including time-lapse) into the history matching of the reservoir model and simulations of pilot CO2 injection. Attention is given to evaluating and modelling stress-sensitive fracture properties and safe injection envelope preventing induced fracturing as well as impact of potential salt precipitation in the near wellbore area. These effects are considered in the context of pilot CO2 injection and addressed in reservoir simulations of the injection scenarios. Single porosity and permeability reservoir simulations with dominating fracture flow and black-oil formulation with CO2 simulated as a solvent were used in this study and arguments for such choice of the simulation approach for the site in focus are shortly discussed. The reservoir simulations have indicated larger site injection capacity than required for the pilot injection and allowed to evaluate CO2 migration pathway within the reservoir. The application of the approach to the site in focus has also revealed large uncertainties, related to fracture description and geomechanical evaluations, resulted in an uncertain safe injection envelope. These uncertainties should be addressed in further studies in preparation to the pilot. The article concludes with an overview of the outcomes of the integrated approach and its application to the field in focus including discussion of issues and uncertainties revealed.

The atmospheric lightning is one of the natural disasters which need to be considered in the sustainable development. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has installed 46 lightning detection sensors (LDS) across the country. These sensors work in radio frequencies having their detection range up to 1000 km with more than 98% detection efficiency within 300 km range. The network is put in a way that sensors have about 50% sensor-to-sensor overlap in their detection ranges to enable high geolocation accuracy and maintain redundancy. The NRSC-LDS network (LDSN) estimates the current associated with each cloud to ground (CG) lightning flash which can be utilized for the risk assessment. The current estimates from one network to the other need to be inter-calibrated and harmonized. Present study compares the LDSN current estimates with Lightning Location Network (LLN) estimates and results are discussed with their impact on the estimation of vulnerable zones. A case study of lightning-induced fire event is presented to showcase the importance of the currents associated with lightning for future planning.

In this project the EEG – electroencephalogram - channel(s) will be characterized to diagnose PTSD – Post-traumatic stress disorder – cases. For this aim, we applied boosting methods including a combination of K-mean and Support Vector Machine (SVM) models to find the feature weights to detect the PTSD cases. We classified 32 channels of 12 subjects including 6 PTSD and 6 healthy controls using a 6-mean classifier. The linear SVM found the weights of distinguished channels within each subject for each cluster. It was found that the significant SVM weights of F4, F8, and Pz are smaller in PTSD than in healthy subjects. This new method can be used as a tool to better understand the interaction of EEG signals and diagnosis.

Slags and ashes generated in thermal waste treatment facilities require proper management. In line with the principles of the circular economy, new, more economical and ecological possibilities for utilizing these substances are sought. These waste materials exhibit characteristics similar to rocks in many aspects. This study focuses on analyzing the similarities and differences between nine selected rocks and three samples of slags and ashes obtained from municipal waste incineration. The main research device used was a polarizing microscope, using reflected, transmitted and fluorescent light. Additionally, low-pressure gas adsorption equipment, as well as helium and quasi-liquid pycnometers, were used for complementary analysis. The parameters analyzed mainly covered broadly defined petrographic properties of rocks and slags, with a particular emphasis on porosity, porous structure and the spatial distribution of pores and fractures. The conducted analyses confirmed a significant similarity between slags and ashes and clastic sedimentary rocks such as sandstones and mudstones. The research results underscore the importance of petrographic microscopic studies for analyzing materials other than rocks. They also allow for exploring applications for slags and ashes in areas traditionally reserved for natural rock resources. The findings also indicate the necessity of using methods other than microscopic ones to describe the pore space of rocks. The lower measurement range of the optical microscope is limited to approximately 1 μm, covering only macropores. Other methods extend this characteristic to micro- and mesopores. Therefore, a combination of different methods is often employed to obtain a more comprehensive characterization of rock porosity.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic and relapsing biopsychosocial condition that leads to a wide range of medical, psychological, social, economic, and personal issues. The study investigated the predictors of quality of life (QoL) among male patients seeking treatment for AUD based on attention, cognitive instability, motor impulsiveness, perseverance, and self-control dimensions of trait impulsivity. The study also investigated the potential mediating effect of anxiety and alcohol use severity in this relationship. After an initial assessment, participants underwent comprehensive evaluations, including sociodemographic data, clinical history, and QoL domains. Evaluations also covered AUD severity, impulsivity dimensions, cognitive functions, craving intensity, depression, anxiety and self-efficacy. Multiple linear regressions were employed to identify associations between independent variables and QoL. Attention dimension of impulsivity and anxiety symptoms significantly predicted physical health QoL. Self-control dimension and severity of alcohol use disorder predicted psychological QoL. Indirect effect of attention dimension on physical health was significant [effect =-1.082,95% CI (-2.008, -0.3598)].The significance of impulsivity in influencing QoL for individuals with AUD has profound clinical implications. These findings underscore the importance of addressing anxiety and impulsivity in managing AUD, given their considerable impact, particularly on QoL, ultimately shaping treatment outcomes.

Background: The progression of periodontal diseases at national Portuguese level and its public awareness are of great interest, mainly due to the high burden of periodontitis. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence progression of periodontal diseases in Portugal and correspondent public awareness, between 2004 and 2017, by using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Directorate-General of Health (DGH) and Google® Trends (GT). Methods: For the period 2004-2017, Portuguese national data of periodontal diseases prevalence were searched in the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation of GBD and DGH and for public awareness, GT comparison tool between Portuguese words for “Periodontitis”, “Gingivitis”, “Gums” and “Periodontal disease” trends was used. Results: For the period 2004-2017, the overall prevalence of periodontitis slightly increased from 11.3% to 11.7%. During that period the GT search term “Gums” (“Gengivas”) was the most relevant. It increased steadily over time while the search term “Periodontal disease” (“Doença periodontal”) decreased, being these search trends significantly correlated (

How the subculture and marginalized community have become the leading sectors in the egalitarian and inclusive creative economy is a growing issue and still needs elaboration. One of the subculture phenomena that happened recently in one of Southeast Asia's countries is known as Citayam Pop-up and Makeshift Fashion Week (CFW). Then this paper aims to elaborate on how the CFW can contribute and play a significant role in the development of an egalitarian and inclusive creative economy. The current CFW was not developed instantly, yet it is through the complexities of push and pull factors that are very typical among SE Asian marginalized people that led to the onset of SE Asian subculture, particularly among the youth. Driven by finding their self-identity, wanting to belong, and combined with economic, family, and peer pressures, this group of suburban youth, at the beginning, find a corner of a city in the middle of the business district as a medium to express their identity in the form of CFW. As a result and in lieu of growing discourses, the CFW has boosted local economic growth, and the adolescents who participated in the CFW have also received endorsement from a startup business for marketing certain teen products. In the long term, the mutual relationships created can lead to job opportunities

Law of conservation of energy is the most well-established law of modern physics. But, inflationary cosmological model which assumes the universe to be created from a point of singularity has not been able to identify the source of energy for creation of this universe. As per uncertainty principle, a quantum vacuum fluctuation can at most create energy of ~10^-8 kg in a Planck time of ~5.4 ×10^-44 s whereas total positive energy due to matter/vacuum existing in the universe is more than ~10⁵⁴ kg. To solve this problem, we have recently published a new cosmological model (Biswaranjan Dikshit, Canadian Journal of Physics, 100, 218-225, [2022]) in which we have mathematically proved that the total energy of the universe can be zero right from the beginning of the universe to till date due to negative gravitational potential energy and thus law of conservation of energy can be satisfied during creation of the universe from nothing. In this article, starting from a simple argument, we explain why net energy of the universe can be zero only in our model, not in standard cosmological model. An interesting fact pointed out in this paper is that the factor ~10⁶² by which radius of universe has increased from its starting value of ~10^-36 m to present value of ~10²⁶ m is same as the factor by which positive energy has increased from Planck energy ~10^-8 kg to present value ~10⁵⁴ kg. This is in agreement with our new model that predicts the positive energy of universe to be proportional to the radius of universe. We also bring out to the notice that zero energy universe is possible only if smallest possible length in nature is, l_min=l_p(π/2)^1/2 = 2.0×10^-35 m. Minimum possible length is important in theory of quantum gravity and string theory.

On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. Vaccination programs have advanced greatly in the global health period, despite widespread anti-vaccination attitudes and misinformation. Vaccine hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine is currently a major issue in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was carried out from June 25, 2021 to October 2021 in order to investigate the knowledge levels of acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine among Saudi’s nationals. The data was collected through a close-ended structured questionnaire from a total of 565 respondents. Overall, 78.41% respondents were female, 62.48% having university level education and 61.06% were unemployed. Majority of the participants 82.30% (n=465) think that Pfizer vaccine has the highest efficiency against COVID-19. Our study concludes that majority of the participants have satisfactory knowledge about COVID-19 vaccination. Concerns over vaccine components, effectiveness of vaccine and possible side effects are among the key causes for vaccine hesitancy.

PAHs contaminants have toxic, carcinogenic, and even mutagenic properties. Screening bacteria from different sources capable of carrying out the biodegradation of PAHs is important for mapping and mobilization purposes and applying them to polluted hydrocarbon environments. The study aimed to compare the biodegradation power of two types of bacteria isolated from different sources against PAHs. The method applied is the interaction between bacterial suspen-sion and pyrene contaminated waste for 30 days. Biodegradation products in organic compounds were analyzed using GC/MS and FTIR. The analysis results found several indications of the performance of bacterial biodegradation, namely: the aggressiveness of biodegradation of Bl bacteria against pyrene was relatively more dominant than Sb bacteria. The percentage of to-tal bacterial biodegradation for product type Sb was (39.00 %), and that of the product of bacteri-al degradation type Bl (was 38.29 %). The biodegradation products of the test bacteria (Bl and Sb) were relatively similar to pyrene, in the form of alcohol and carboxylic acid organic com-pounds. It was concluded that there was no significant difference in biodegradation per-formance between Bl and Sb bacteria on for pyrene. Both types of bacterial isolates from differ-ent sources can carry out the function of biodegradation of pyrene.

The article deals with the current state of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the urban area of building clusters. There are many requirements, such as those set by the EU (FIT 55, decarbonisation in 2050, full electromobility in 2035, or mandatory annual reductions in energy consumption and CO2 production) or societal requirements, such as stable energy supply and its optimisation while significantly reducing CO2 emissions. This inspired us to design an energy model of a building (EMB) with smart grid implementation in a decentralized sustainable energy system. Simulation model studies were carried out to show the possibility of their application in the process of fully satisfying energy needs in terms of reducing their environmental impact. A decentralized photovoltaic system (microgrid) connected to a distribution grid. The main objective is to propose an original methodology for the design of smart "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings" (NZEB) and a subsequent solution for energy sustainability. This has led us to use HOMER, PV*SOL, Monte Carlo and DesignBuilder software which were chosen from the range of options that were and are available. Subsequently, a synthesis of the selected software solutions was carried out and a new model - the "Energy Model of a Building" (EMB) - was proposed in the process of integration with the energy performance of buildings, as an original optimization basis for designing smart buildings and smart areas, and even cities. The proposed EMB has been verified and evaluated within the experiment.

The mechanisms of the innate immunity control on equine infectious anaemia virus in asymptomatic horses are not yet widely described. Horse monocytes from peripheral blood can be differentiated in vitro into macrophages, that generally gives rise to mixed populations, morphologically referable to M1 and M2. The addition of specific cytokines or of virus, results in a more specific differentiation. As stated for other species (Crespo et al, 2013), stimulation with equine recombinant cytokine IFNγ polarized horse macrophages towards the M1 phenotype while equine recombinant cytokine IL4 polarized towards the M2 phenotype. EIAV Wyoming and Miami strains infection resulted in morphological transformation of macrophages compatible with the M1 pattern of differentiation. In this study MMP13 represented a reliable target gene to evaluate proinflammatory status of macrophages in horses since IFNγ and EIAV infection considerably increased its expression. A more in-depth study of the expression genes of both cytokine-induced and virus-induced markers of eMDM polarization may help us to understand whether these are the same in the horse as those found in other animal species with similar modes of activation of innate immunity. The identification of the markers of each population of macrophages would allow to analyze the differentiation profiles, and to check the control of virus infectivity in equid populations envisioning therapeutic strategies through the use of this information.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Madagascar, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic (CAR), with each experiencing multiple waves by mid-2022. This study aimed to evaluate immunity against SARS-CoV-2 strains Wuhan (W) and BA.2 (BA.2) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in these countries, focusing on vaccination and natural infection effects. Methods: HCWs' serum samples were analyzed for neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against W and BA.2 variants, with statistical analyses comparing responses between countries and vaccination statuses. Results: Madagascar showed significantly higher nAb titers against both strains compared to CAR and Cameroon. Vaccination notably increased nAb levels against W by 2.6-fold in CAR and 1.8-fold in Madagascar, and against BA.2 by 1.6-fold in Madagascar and 1.5-fold in CAR. However, in Cameroon, there was no significant difference in nAb levels between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Conclusion: The study highlights the complex relationship between natural and vaccine-induced immunity, emphasizing the importance of assessing immunity in regions with varied epidemic experiences and low vaccination rates.

The article presents the results of research work devoted to improving the characteristics of paint and varnish coatings based on aqueous dispersions of polyacrylates, it is proposed to modify them by introducing mineral raw materials as fillers and hydrated lime with subsequent processing in a vortex layer apparatus. Introduction of activated diatomite does not cause deterioration of covering power, adhesion and increase of porosity of the paint material. Modification of coatings contributes to the increase of their operational properties, which can be associated with the reduction of free volume in the composite, formation of polymer boundary layers with modified physical and chemical properties. The aim of the study is to obtain water-dispersion paint and varnish composition containing modified diatomite on polyacrylate basis and subsequent study of the main physical and mechanical parameters. The work has been carried out by the following method: determination of porosity, adhesion, elasticity, covering power of the control composition; determination of porosity, adhesion, elasticity, and covering power of the obtained composites using modified filler; investigation of the influence of radiation in the infrared spectrum of the paint coating surface using FLIRB620 thermal imager. As a result of research works it was noticed that modification of water dispersions with silica activated diatomite helps to eliminate the main disadvantages of materials and coatings based on acrylate binder - low water resistance and low physical and mechanical characteristics, introduction of modified diatomite into water emulsion paint on acrylate base does not lead to deterioration of the main performance characteristics of paint coatings - porosity, adhesion, elasticity and covering.

The realization of value in eco-products represents a rapidly advancing research theme. However, the clarity of relevant concepts, types and operational mechanisms remains elusive. A comprehensive review of current-stage research outcomes in eco-product value realization not only provides a novel approach to rejuvenating regional economies but also proactively contributes to the enhancement of local ecological environments. This article conducts a systematic literature review on the fundamental concepts, research scope and pathways for realizing the value of eco-products. The conclusions are as follows: (1) To clarify the basic concepts of ecosystem services and eco-products, the interrelationship between the two and the research scope of eco-products. (2) To elaborate the method for accounting the value of eco-products. (3) To demonstrate governmental path, market path and collaborative path for realizing the value of eco-products. (4)To review cases pertaining to the realization of value in public eco-products, quasi-public eco-products and operational eco-products both domestically and internationally. Building on this research foundation, the article identifies shortcomings in past research results and proposes key directions for future research progress.

The guthi, an ancient institution deeply embedded in Nepal's social, cultural, and economic fabric, has long overseen the maintenance of temples, shrines, festivals, and heritage sites since the Lichchhavi era (400-750). Since 1960, however, this system has been challenged by government land reforms, which has impacted its influence on sustainable heritage conservation. Nevertheless, there's compelling evidence that land nationalization and the guthi's declining authority have harmed local heritage conservation. Nevertheless, the guthi system has endured, serving as an important informal means of heritage conservation and highlighting the adaptability of traditional institutions. These community-based trusts, originally established for social and religious purposes, have played a pivotal role in preserving cultural practices, monuments, and temples for future generations. This article aims to demonstrate the central role of the guthi as the cornerstone of Nepal's efforts to conserve and manage both tangible and intangible cultural treasures. Using observational techniques, case studies, and a qualitative approach, it explores the historical evolution of heritage conservation through the lens of the guthi, taking into account subjective, valued, and constructed realities. The paper concludes by urging policymakers to recognize the significant contribution of indigenous systems such as the guthi in achieving sustainable heritage conservation. Embracing such traditional strategies can mitigate multifaceted problems and effectively preserve Nepal's cultural heritage through the guthi.

In the last years, new findings and new methods (stable isotopes of oxygen, zinc and nitrogen, 2D and 3D modelling, geometric morphometric analyses of the teeth) have enhanced our knowledge of the Neogene shark fauna and its palaeobiology. Several papers deal with the large Otodus (Megselachus) species, including the construction of a 3D model as well as insights into lifestyle and diet. In addition, skeletal remains of Carcharias gustrowensis, Carcharodon hastalis, Keasius parvus and a natural tooth set of Carcharodon hubbelli have been described in the last 13 years, and the dentition of the Neogene species Carcharoides catticus, Megachasma applegatei and Parotodus benedenii have been reconstructed. Stable isotope analyses of the teeth from the Neogene species of Araloselachus, Carcharias, Carcharodon, Galeocerdo, Hemipristris, and Mitsukurina have given insights into the trophic position of these genera during the Neogene, and shark teeth preserved near skeletal remains of prey animals (mammals) and shark bite traces on these remains provide direct evidence of trophic interactions. Tooth shape, fossil locality and palaeoenvironment have been used to better understand the taxa Carcharhinus dicelmai, Megalolamna paradoxodon, Pachyscyllium dachiardii and P. distans. Among extant species, Galeorhinus galeus can be traced back to the Eocene. The following taxa can be traced back to the Oligocene: ?Alopias superciliosus, and Rhincodon typus. Species already present in the Miocene include: Alopias vulpinus, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides, C. amblyrhynchos, C. albimarginatus, C. amboinensis, C. brachyurus, C. brevipinna, C. falciformis, C. glaucus, C. leucas, C. limbatus, C. longimanus, C. macloti, C. obscurus, C. perezi, C. sealei, ?Carcharodon carcharias, Centrophorus granulosus, Cetorhinus maximus, Dalatias licha, Deania calcea, Galeocerdo cuvier, , Glyphis glyphis, Heptranchias perlo, Isurus paucus, Lamna nasus, Negaprion brevirostris, Odontaspis ferox, Pseudocarcharias kamoharai, Sphyrna media, S. mokarran. First appearing in the Pliocene are: Scymnodon ringens, Somniosus rostratus, Zameus squamulosus. For some extant species (Carcharias taurus, Hexanchus griseus, Isurus oxyrinchus, Notorynchus cepedianus, Sphyrna zygaena) it is not clear if the assigned Neogene teeth represent the same species. Applying these new methods to more fossil shark taxa, a detailed search for shark fossils, as well as better knowledge of the dentition of extant species (especially those with minute-sized teeth) will further enhance knowledge of the evolution and palaeobiology of sharks.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a digital revolution that has transformed the way information are broadcast and consumed. This rapid evolution was accompanied by an “infodemic” (Beaulieu, 2019), a transformation of workplaces (Lulli LG, 2021)and difficulties in managing information flows (Bendahan & Nader, 2020). In this scientific article, we examine the communication strategies adopted by hospital structures as they are perceived by staff, highlighting their psychological and professional experiences throughout the crisis period. The results of the study carried out among hospital staff (n=200) demonstrate that the perception of communication strategies is generally positive for 78.56% of participants (M=1.85). The assessments of the staff interviewed as for the effect of this communication on the psychological experience and on the management of professional tasks have a positive trend respectively (M=2.15) and (M=1.86)

Time evolution of the symmetry of symbols constituting alphabets rooted in the Phoenician script was investigated. A diversity of quantitative measures of symmetry of graphemes appearing in Phoenician, Western Greek, Etruscan from Marsiliana, Archaic Etruscan, Neo-Etruscan, Euclidian Greek, Archaic and Classical Latin, and Proto-Hebrew scripts, constituting the Phoenician script family, were calculated. The same measures were calculated for the Hebrew/Ashurit and English scripts. The Shannon-like measures of symmetry were calculated. The Shannon diversity index was calculated. The Shannon diversity index increased with time in a monotonic way for the scripts emerging from the Phoenician one. The diversity of symmetry groups inherent for alphabets emerging from the Phoenician one grows with time. We also introduced the symmetry factor of the alphabet. The symmetry factor quantifies the averaged level of symmetrization of the alphabet and the possible parsimony of graphical information necessary for the drawing of the entire set of graphemes, constituting the alphabet. The symmetry factor is decreased with time for the alphabets rooted in the Phoenician one. This means that the average level of symmetrization of the studied alphabet is increased with time. The parsimony of graphical information necessary for writing graphemes is increased with time. The values of the symmetry factor calculated for the addressed scripts are close one to another, with the pronounced exception of the Hebrew/Ashurit script. Our study supplies the arguments for the point of view, according to which the modern Hebrew/Ashurit script does not emerge from the Phoenician one.

Rigid pavements at military airfields experience surface deterioration within 6-18 months of construction. The cause of this degradation is mainly due to combined exposure to repeated heat shocks from jet engine exhaust and spilled aviation oils (hydrocarbons). Surface degradation occurs in the form of disintegration of aggregates and cement paste into small pieces that pose severe risks of physical injury to maintenance crews or damage to an aircraft engine. Since coarse aggregates typically occupy 60-80% of the concrete volume, aggregates' thermal properties and microstructure should play a crucial role in the degrading mechanism. At high temperatures, concrete with lightweight aggregates is reported to have better performance compared to concrete with normal-weight aggregate. Thus, the present study carried out a detailed investigation of the mechanical and thermal performance of lightweight aggregate concrete exposed to the combined effects of high temperature and hydrocarbon oils simultaneously. To identify the resistance of different concrete with various lightweight coarse aggregates, pumice, perlite, lytag (sintered fly ash), and crushed brick were used as lightweight coarse aggregates in concrete. Also, basalt aggregate concrete was used as a reference. After cyclic exposures, all specimens were tested for residual mechanical, thermal, chemical, and microstructural properties. Overall, concrete with crushed brick aggregate and LYTAG used in this study showed superior resistance to the simulated airfield conditions.

Background: Health management is gaining importance as a business resource to enhance employee well-being. The rise of remote work during COVID-19 impacted lifestyle habits. This study explores the impact of tele-exercise intervention on remote workers' lifestyle habits, aiming to improve health and productivity. Methods: This study divided into remote (G1) and face-to-face (G2) groups. Over three months, G1 followed a 30-minute weekly exercise program. Measurements and questionnaires were collected at three time points covering areas like presenteeism, weight, sleep, stress, job satisfaction, and happiness. Data underwent Two-way repeated measures ANOVA, Autocorrelation, Correlation Analysis, and Correspondence Analysis to assess differences and relationships between G1 and G2. Results: ANOVA showed that a significant difference was observed in Daily Stress (DS) between G1 and G2, with G1 exhibiting higher DS. Autocorrelation Analyses showed for G1 that strong relationships each of BMI, Presenteeism (PST), Daily Stress (DS), Stress Relief (SR), Sleep Quality (SQ), Purpose of Work (PW), and Satisfaction of Life (SL) in the time frame. Correlation Analysis showed for G1 that the pairs of PRS and SQ, and DS and SL had strong positive relationships, and the pairs of BMI and PRS, and BMI and SQ had strong negative relationships. Autocorrelation Analyses showed for G2 that strong relationships each of SR, Stress due to Remote Work (SRW), ST, SQ, and PW in the time frame. Correspondence Analysis showed that that G1 was encompassed in a job and life satisfaction area, and G2 was encompassed in a sleep and stress for weight control area.

Abstract: The pursuit of youth and attractiveness is a fundamental desire in contemporary society. For many individuals, the appearance of visible signs of aging, such as skin laxity, gravitational changes in facial and neck soft tissues, and loss of harmonious proportions, can be psychologically distressing. The choice of effective methods for addressing these changes depends on their specific characteristics, the patient's anatomical features, and the type of facial aging. The introduction of 3D imaging to determine the hyoid bone level, the volume of soft tissue structures in the cervico-mental area, ptosis of subplatysmal structures, and the volume of submandibular glands, in addition to ultrasound study of the submental projection at the preoperative stage, are key for taking the best decision regarding preoperative planning. This case report aims to illustrate how modern imaging techniques are a fundamental part of the preoperative assessment of the mid and lower third of the face to ensure the most favorable aesthetic outcomes for each patient. Key message: To attain harmonious results in surgical correction of age-related facial and neck changes, it is crucial to consider the patient's anatomical features and the extent of age-related alterations. A comprehensive facial analysis, taking into account the type of facial aging and employing a CT scan and ultrasound examination of the soft tissues in the chin region, facilitates the development of an individualized plan tailored to achieve the patient's desired outcome.

Enzymes used in the synthesis of natural products are potent catalysts, capable of efficient and stereoselective chemical transformations. Lsd18 catalyzes two sequential epoxidations during the biosynthesis of lasalocid A, a polyether polyketide natural product. We performed protein engineering on Lsd18 to improve its thermostability and catalytic activity. Utilizing structure-guided methods of FoldX and Rosetta-ddG, we designed 15 mutants of Lsd18. Screening of these mutants using thermal shift assay identified stabilized variants Lsd18-T189M, Lsd18-S195M, and the double mutant Lsd18-T189M-S195M. Trypsin digestion, molecular dynamic simulation, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography provided insights into the molecular basis for the improved enzyme properties. Notably, enhanced hydrophobic interaction within the enzyme core and interaction of the protein with the FAD cofactor appear to be responsible for better thermostability.

The importance of utilizing an optimal and efficient braking system is emphasized in this study. Braking system optimization and efficiency were practically determined through successive tests on the brake dynamometer, according to road safety regulations. Subsequently, the results were correlated with practical tests involving consecutive braking at different speeds, tracking both the time and distance of braking. The coefficient of friction (COF) was established for each braking instance by utilizing the braking force measured on the brake dynamometer. This paper aims to highlight the genuine impact of the braking system by measuring and establishing its braking efficiency depending on the car’s speed, time, and distance of braking.

The paper presents the relationship between the efficiency of the process of skin onion peeling and its effect in the form of waste. The research was carried out on a pilot test stand for onion peeling. The process variables were compressed air with a pressure of (p) and valve controlling opening time of flow (t). The experiment took into account the influence of the onion diameter (d0) and its hardness (H). The obtained results were subjected to statistical analysis. Standard deviations were of the percentage loss of onion mass in the form of the skin removed of onion peeling in the process in relation to obtained aver-age values. Tukey's multiple comparison test was performed in order to identify the importance of individual process variables on the final effect of onion peeling. This was the basis for the development of a predictive model in the form of a nonlinear regression Mp=f(p,t,d0,H), which is a mathematical description of the peeling onion skin process . Finally, the response surface area of relationship between analyzed variables was determined. The results of research showed the peeling efficiency of the onion and waste of skin mass depend on the compressed air pressure. Extending the onion blowing time does not improve the process efficiency, while the hardness and size of the onion are irrelevant to the process.

Bangladeshi medicinal plants (BMP) have been used as traditional medicinal plants to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, but the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the bark of BMP are not yet known. The objective of this study was to determine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using methanolic extracts of bark obtained from 15 medicinal spices of Bangladesh plants. The bark methanol extracts of BMP evaluated the total antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the 15 bark extracts of BMP, Albizia odoratissima (A. odoratissima), Engelhardia spicata (E. spicata), and Shorea robusta (S. robusta) showed the highest total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity. In particular, the three bark extracts significantly reduced the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-inducible enzymes in macrophages. Also, the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase 2 was significantly suppressed by three bark extracts in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results suggest that among the 15 bark extracts obtained from medicinal plant in Bangladesh, three bark extracts of A. odoratissima, E. spicata, and S. robusta exert total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages.

The probability distribution of the interevent time between two successive earthquakes has been subject of numerous studies due to its key role in seismic hazard assessment. In recent decades, many distributions have been considered and there has been a long debate about the possible universality of the shape of this distribution when the interevent times are suitably rescaled. In this work we aim to find out if there is a link between the different phases of a seismic cycle and the variations in the distribution that best fits the interevent times. To do this, we consider the seismic activity related to the Mw 6.1 L’Aquila earthquake that occurred on April 6, 2009 in central Italy by analyzing the sequence of events recorded from April 2005 to July 2009, and then the seismic activity linked to the sequence of the Amatrice-Norcia earthquakes of Mw 6 and 6.5 respectively and recorded in the period from January 2009 to June 2018. We take into account some of the most studied distributions in the literature: q-exponential, q-generalized gamma, gamma and exponential distributions and, according to the Bayesian paradigm, we compare the value of their posterior marginal likelihood in shifting time windows with a fixed number of data. The results suggest that the distribution providing the best performance changes over time and its variations may be associated with different phases of the seismic crisis.

Fisetin has been shown to be beneficial for brain injury and age-related brain disease via different mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of senescent cells and the effects of fisetin on cellular senescence in the brain and other organs in old sheep, a more translational model. Approximately 6-7 years old female sheep (N=6) were treated with 100mg/kg fisetin or vehicle two consecutive days a week for 8 weeks. All organs were harvested at the time of sacrifice. Histology, immunofluorescent staining, as well as Q-PCR was performed on different regions of brain tissues and organs. Our results indicated that Fisetin treatment at the current regimen did not affect general morphology of the brain. The presence of senescent cells in both cerebral brain cortex and cerebellum was detected by SA-β-Gal staining. More senescent cells were observed in the gray matter when compared to the white matter of the cerebral brain cortex. These senescent cells are mainly neurons in both gray and white matter of either cerebral brain cortex or cerebellum. Fisetin treatment showed a trend of decrease SA-β-Gal cells in gray matter of both cerebral brain cortex and cerebellum and significantly decreased in brain cortex white matter. Furthermore, fisetin treatment significantly decreased P16+ cells in brain cortex NEUN+ neurons, GFAP+ astrocytes, IBA+ microglia cells in both gray and white matter of cerebral brain cortex. Fisetin treatment also significantly decreased P16+ cells in microglia cells and a trend of decrease of P16+ cells in astrocytes in the non- (Cornu Ammonis) CA area of hippocampus. However, fisetin treatment did not change P16+ cells in the NEUN+ neurons in the CA1-4 area of the hippocampus. At the mRNA level, fisetin showed a decreased in GLB1 in heart ventricle muscle tissue and spleen tissues but not in other organs tested. Fisetin treatment also showed a decreased antioxidant gene SOD1 and increased CAT in spleen and bone marrow. Fisetin treatment showed variable effects in SASP and inflammasome genes in different organs. In conclusion, we found senescent cells are widely present in the cerebral brain cortex and cerebellum of old sheep. In addition, fisetin treatment decreased senescent cells as well as P16+ cells in the neurons in both gray and white matter of cerebral brain cortex and in astrocytes and microglia cells of cerebral brain cortex and non-CA area of hippocampus. Fisetin treatment represents a promising therapeutic strategy for age-related brain disease.

To solve the benefit allocation problem between the subjects of the supply chain of general contracting projects. The Cobb-Douglas function is applied to establish the benefit distribution model when the two cooperate in the supply chain system, analyze the optimal benefit situation of one-time cooperation between the two parties under two modes of egoistic decision and collectivistic decision as well as the benefit distribution problem of multiple cooperation, and conduct numerical simulation to calculate the functional relationship between each decision variable and the contribution degree of the general contractor under different effort cost coefficients. The results show that：In the case of one-time cooperation between general contractors and subcontractors, regardless of the decision mode, the degree of effort of both parties is positively related to their own contributions and negatively related to each other's contributions; the overall benefit of the supply chain system is positively proportional to the degree of contribution of the general contractor and inversely proportional to the share of benefit distribution of the subcontractor; in multiple cooperation, the equilibrium result of both parties achieving Pareto optimality at each stage is that both parties choose to cooperate.

The aim of this study was to analyse the biocompatibility of a material based on lactic acid (PLA)/polyhydroxybutyrate(PHB)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) in combination with additives (plasticizers: acetyltributyl citrate (ATBC) and oligomeric lactic acid ( OLA)). Three types of materials were tested: I: PLA/PHB/TPS + 25% OLA, II: PLA/PHB/TPS + 30% ATBC, III: PLA/PHB/TPS + 30% OLA. The 3D printing itself was preceded by the creation of filaments from granulate and the design of samples. A filament production machine – Composer 450 (3devo; The Netherlands) was used to produce the filaments. Experimental samples were produced by FDM technology on a 3D printer DeltiQ2 (Trilab, Czech Republic). The evaluation of the biocompatibility of the materials included cytotoxicity tests such as the monitoring of viability, proliferation, morphology of cells, and their settlement on the surface of the materials. The cell line 7F2 osteoblasts (Mus musculus) was used in the experiments. Based on the tests, results confirmed the significant influence of plasticizers and their proportions in the mixtures. PLA/PHB/ATBC + 25% OLA was evaluated as the optimal material for biocompatibility with 7F2 osteoblasts. The tested biomaterials have the potential for further investigation, with a possible change in the proportion of the plasticizer, which has a fundamental impact on their biological properties.

In the present study the effects of Origanum onites L. extract and essential oil of O. onites L. on the antioxidant status of the liver and brain of mice were investigated. Due to certain disadvantages of essential oils, such as poor solubility, high volatility, sensitivity to UV light and heat, formulation of liposomes with Oregano essentials (OE) was optimized and used in this study. The results demonstrated that the best composition of the lipid carriers and Oregano essentials were conducted in terms of the PDI, mean particle size and EE. The LE4 formulation contained Lipoid S100 of 45 mg, Lipoid S75 of 45 mg and 90 mg of EO. The administration of O. onites L. extract to mice for 21 days significantly decreased glutathione (GSH) level in the liver and brain of mouse as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the liver. In the brain of mice MDA level significantly increased after this extract consumption. Whereas liposomes with OE significantly decreased GSH concentration in mouse brain and MDA concentration in mouse liver but increased (p&gt;0.05) GSH level in liver and MDA concentration in brain of mice compared with the control group. It was investigated that both, O. onites L. extract as well as liposomes with OE of this plant material make changes in the antioxidant status in the liver and brain of mice.

The owners of forests with water protection functions in Bulgaria do not receive compensation for their limited right to use wood and non-wood forest products from the forest areas they own. At the same time, the contribution derived from forests with water protection functions is received by water users and water consumers, whereas the costs of managing the forests are borne by their owners. The problem thus defined is not a forestry one, but an economic one, and the purpose of this paper ensues therefrom, namely to propose and test a methodology for valuating the produc-tion function of forest areas with water protection function in Bulgaria, allowing a fair distribu-tion of income between the forest owner and the user of forest ecosystem services. The methodol-ogy is based on the form of forest management and the analytical expression of the economic rela-tionship between a forest owner and a user of forest ecosystem services, constructed using Schen-rock’s formula. It has been tested with actual data on forest areas with water protection functions falling within the administrative and territorial scope of Velingrad municipality and based on the obtained results proposals have been made for the distribution of the contributions generated by forest ecosystems between the forest owner and the user of the forest ecosystem services.

Under the increasingly severe global heat threat, continuous high temperature has far-reaching effects on plant growth and development and become a major constraint to crop production. The development of heat-resistant varieties has become research hotspot in many fields, and it is also necessary to establish effective identification methods. In this study, twenty Brassica rapa varieties were selected to to investigate the physiological and biochemical characteristics under heat stress, explore the relationship between physiological response and the heat resistance mechanism, select some typical heat-resistant and heat-sensitive varieties. The effects of photosynthetic electron transfer and antioxidant pathway on heat resistance of Brassica rapa were identified. These findings will providing an important reference for the physiological regulation and identification method of high-temperature stress in plants.

(1) Background: the use of force by Public and Private Security Forces is currently an issue of great relevance because of the potential injuries that any excessive use of force by either the active or passive subjects or a deficit in the real mastery of the appropriate Physical Intervention Techniques (PIT) may cause. For this reason, certain traditionally used Physical Intervention Techniques have been questioned by scientific research studies and punished by justice. On the other hand, certain media have dealt with this matter in a biased and unfair manner by broadcasting videos where the use of force by police officer is displayed out of context. As a consequence, this problem has been brought under the spotlight, causing general uneasiness of the communities and rapidly spreading over social networks while favoring all sorts of parallel judgments. (2) Research method: A suit equipped with 19 Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and a Biomechanics of Bodies software application for the Marras’ analysis of the data collected on trajectory, trunk twisting velocity, its sagittal angle, load, nature and severity of the injuries associated to the different intervention techniques that have been examined. (3) Results: according to the data registered, the implementation of Operational Tactical Procedures (OTP) reduces the probability of injuries and leads to a more satisfactory outcome. (4) Conclusions: the implementation of Operational Tactical Procedures, to-gether with the awareness on the risks associated to the excessive use of force by Public and Private Security Forces and Bodies, could reduce the risk of injuries suffered by both officers and citizens.

Controlling CD4+ immune cells infiltration of the brain is a leading aim in designing therapeutic strategies for a range of neuropathological disorders such as; multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer and depression. CD4+ T cells are a highly heterogeneous and reprogrammable family, that includes various distinctive cell types such as Th17, Th1, and Tregs. Interestingly Th17 and Tregs share a related transcriptomic profile, where the TGFβ-SMADS pathway plays a fundamental role in regulating the differentiation of both of these cell types. However, Th17 could be highly pathogenic and was shown to promote inflammation in various neuropathological disorders. Conversely, Treg is anti-inflammatory and is known to inhibit Th17. It could be noticed that Th17 frequencies of infiltration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in various neurological disorders are significantly upregulated. However, Treg infiltration numbers are significantly low. The reasons behind these contradicting observations are still unknown. In this perspective, we propose that the difference in the TCR repertoire diversity, diapedesis pathways, chemokine expression and mechanical properties of these two cell types could be contributing to answering this intriguing question.

Cardiopulmonary complications remain the major cause of mortality despite newer therapies and improvements in lifespan of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Inflammation has been identified as a major risk modifier in the pathogenesis of SCD associated cardiopulmonary complications in recent mechanistic and observational studies. In this review, we discuss recent cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiopulmonary complications in SCD and summarize the most recent evidence from clinical and laboratory studies. We emphasize the role of inflammation in the onset and progression of these complications to better understand the underlying pathobiological processes. We also discuss future basic and translational research in addressing questions about the complex role of inflammation in the development of SCD cardiopulmonary complications, which may lead to promising therapies and reduce morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population.

In today’s world, it is the need of the hour to adopt new technology to sustain the production of the future. Nanotechnology is gaining popularity for its efficiency in various applied fields of science. In agriculture, nanomaterials have a huge impact on the efficiency of fertilizers pesticides, etc. As it requires very fewer quantities and has a negligible residual effect the environment is safe with the innovation of Nano fertilizer. Keeping this view into account an experimental Trial at a farmer’s field was carried out at Berui village in the Hooghly District of West Bengal during the winter (rabi) season of 2019 – 20 under the supervision of Berui Cooperative, KVK-Hooghly, BCKV, and IFFCO with nano-Urea, nano-Zn and nano-Cu using RBD design with 10 treatments and 3 replications. Experimental results revealed that the highest tuber yield was obtained in T-7 (50% N+100% P & K+ 2 spray of nano-Urea), and that was followed by T-10 (50% N + 100% P & K + 50% Zn + 1 spray each of Nano-Urea, Zn and Cu) and T-8 (100% N-P-K + 50% Zn + 2 spray of Nano-Zn). The performance of nano fertilizers, Nano- Urea, was quite promising and economically viable as compared to the 100% recommended dose with commercial fertilizers (RDF).

Recently, the amount of waste generated has been rapidly increasing, there have been difficulties disposing of waste in Korea. As a solution to this, treating waste using a cement kiln has suggested, but the environmental and economic effects have not been specifically studied. In this study, the effects of alternative resources, and reducing the social costs(Installation and Operation) associated with waste treatment facilities were analyzed. Through a co-processing method, a reduction of approximately 53kg of CO2 can be realized during the production of one ton of cement, and cost savings of about 3,815 milion USD. Another effect is an extension of the expiration date for landfills by 7.55 years.

Liberal Islam is a form of socio-religious deviation for its adherents. In the name of human rights in Islam excessively, the potential for liberal Islamic thinking is born. Meanwhile, human rights need to be upheld in order to create Islam that is open in thinking and solutions in solving problems for the sake of creating a harmonious life. This study aims to describe the results of research on the thoughts of the East Java Nahdlatul Ulama Figures on the dialectic of the emergence of liberal Islam in Indonesia based on the philosophical aspects and forms of thought in order to straighten the views of Indonesian Muslim figures who are considered liberal thinking based on their opinions of other religions. This research is based on a structural functional theoretical framework where each informant adjusts to his capacity in maintaining the balance of conflict. The approach in this study uses qualitative-analysis with a type of centralized interview research. The results show that the dialectic of liberal Islam is the power of human rights and ignores the creed oriented towards the advancement of legal products. While the liberal Islamic philosophy is a desire, differences in thinking methodology, excessive use of rationality.

Recently we started the development of Holographic Dendrogramic Theory (DH-theory). It is based on the novel mathematical representation of the relational event universe (in the spirit of (Smolin, Barbour, Rovelli). Elementary events are represented by branches of dendrograms, finite trees, which are generated from data with clustering algorithms. In this note we study the dynamics of the event-universe generated by the appearance of a new event. Generally, each new event can generate the complete reconstruction of the whole dendrogramic universe. However, we found (via numerical simulation) unexpected stability of this universe. Its events are coupled via the hierarchic relational structure which is relatively stable with respect even random generation of new events. We also observe the regularity patterns in location of new events on dendrograms. In the curse of evolution, the dendrogram’s complexity increases and determine the arrow of time the event universe. We use the complexity measure from particle shape dynamics which was shown to be increase in both direction away from a Janus point and thus determine the arrow of time in symmetrical manner away from a Janus point. The particle shape dynamics theory is a relational theory with close ideological resemblance to DH-theory as both relays on Mach’s principle and Leibniz’s relationalism and his principles. By using the complexity measure on dendrograms and its p-adic string representation, we demonstrate the emergence of time arrow from the p-adic zero-dimensional field, where space and time are absent.

Enormous quantities of softwood and hardwood tree bark are generated yearly in the pulp and woodworking industry. Chemical compounds which can be found in bark extracts have important biological properties and therefore a high potential for using in the production of special formulations. In the present study, extraction of Picea abies bark with organosolv solvents was investigated to achieve a high yield of desirable compounds. For the extraction four different solvent ratios of ethanol and water were applied. The temperature range of extraction was set between 40 and 100 °C and stirring velocity of 400 rpm. Extractions were performed with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:20. Yields of phenolics, flavonoids and tannins were determined using gallic acid for total phenolic content (TPC), quercetin for total flavonoid content (TFC) and tannic acid for total tannins content (TTC) as calibration compounds. Qualitative analysis of phenolic constituents was performed after their derivatization, by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry identification. The total yield of bark extract of 14.75 wt.% was achieved by using an ethanol/water ratio of 50% (v/v) and a temperature of 100 °C. Gas chromatography results show 9 aromatic carboxylic acids as phenolic acids and quercetin and (+)-catechin as flavonoid compounds. Highest concentrations of TPC = 3.21 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, TCF = 0.62 mg quercetin equivalent/g and TTC = 0.84 tannic acid equivalent/g were determined at the same process conditions by photometric method. This study determined the conditions for organosolv extraction of useful compounds and suggests that some of extractives, e.g., taxifolin and rhamnetin presented in the spruce bark extracts, have antiviral (SARS-CoV-2) effects. Therefore, this warrants further evaluation of the antiviral properties of spruce bark constituents.

Nowadays, probiotics has been proposed for substituting antibiotics in animal feed, since the European Union (EU) banned the latter compounds in 2006 to avoid their serious side effects on human health. Therefore, this work aimed to produce a probiotic product by fed-fermentation of whey with kefir grains for use in animal feed. The whey was fermented with a combination of kefir grains AGK1 and the free biomass present in whole milk fermented milk used to activate these kefir grains. The probiotic culture obtained was characterized with high levels of biomass, total viability and antibacterial activity. Some probiotic properties of the probiotic culture were investigated in vitro, including its survival at low pH values, under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, after freezing in skim milk at − 20 ºC, and in the commercial feed during storage at room temperature. The viable cells of lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeasts exhibited higher tolerance to acidic pH and simulated gastrointestinal conditions when the cells were protected with skim milk and piglet feed, compared with washed cells. The results indicated the feasibility of producing a probiotic product at a low cost with a potential application in animal feed.

Plant sterols are compounds with multiple biological functions, mainly cholesterol-reducing. There are no comprehensive databases on plant sterols, which makes it difficult to estimate their intake in the Polish population. In this study we used international food databases, supplemented by scientific data from the literature, to create a database on plant sterols in the food consumed in Poland to assess the size and sources of dietary plant sterols in the adult population of Poland. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify possible sources of published food composition data for plant sterols. The study group consisted of 5690 participants of the WOBASZ II survey. We identified 361 dietary sources of plant sterols based on the consumption of foods and dishes reported by participants. Cereals and fats provided 61% of the total plant sterols, and together with vegetables and fruits, this totaled 80%. Total plant sterol intake for the Polish population was 282.97 mg/day, and divided by men and women was 320.77 and 252.19 mg/day, respectively. Canola oil provided the most plant sterols at 16.92%, followed by white bread at 16.65% and soft margarine at 8.33%. This study found that the database of plant sterols facilitates the calculation of plant sterols in the typical Polish diet, and the results are comparable to those of other studies, despite different methodologies of nutritional assessment and slightly different databases. The main sources of dietary plant sterols did not differ from the data for other populations. This study confirmed the observations of other research that women's diets may have a higher plant sterol density compared to men.