Background: Physiological changes of blood amino acids and acylcarnitines during healthy child development are not well studied. The LIFE Child study offers a platform with a large cohort of healthy children to investigate these dynamics. We aimed to assess the intra-person variability of these blood metabolites and associations with anthropometric parameters related to excess body fat and IGF1 serum levels. Methods: Concentrations of 23 amino acids, 5 acylcarnitines and free carnitine of 2213 children aged between 3 months and 19 years were analyzed using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Standard deviation score values were used to account for physiological sex- and age-related differences. The stability of metabolites was assessed through the coefficient of determination. Associations with parameters for body composition and IGF1 serum levels were determined by Pearson correlation and linear regression. Results: Our research reveals substantial fluctuations in metabolite concentrations in the same person during childhood and adolescence. Most metabolites had a positive correlation with parameters of body composition with notable influence of sex, pubertal status and weight group specific differences. Glycine exhibited negative associations with parameters of body fat distribution especially in normal weight girls, overweight/obese boys and during puberty. Conclusions: The observed alterations in metabolite concentrations contribute to our knowledge on the complex interplay between blood amino acid and acylcarnitine levels and metabolic health in children and adolescents.

The accumulation of waste polymer in ecosystems is a problem that affects the environment on a global scale. This paper presents the design of Pwave+, a microwave pyrolysis system that has been optimized to recycle waste polymer into valuable hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals. Heating in a microwave oven is both volumetric and rapid, which improves the effectiveness of pyrolysis and the quality of the product. The production of waste polymer oil and gas products was boosted to its full potential by a continuous microwave vortex reactor. The product gases allowed for complete independence in terms of energy production. Modeling, simulation, and experimentation with advanced technology are used to optimize the pyrolysis parameters and the performance of the reactor. As a result, simulation and programming are solutions to problems. The results of this study demonstrated both the technical viability and the long-term viability of continuous microwave pyrolysis as a method for recycling mixed polymer waste streams. The Pwave+ continuous microwave vortex reactor is described in this study. It is capable of converting various polymer waste streams into hydrocarbon products as well as energy. The use of microwaves to assist in the pyrolysis process has the potential to cut down on plastic pollution and the amount of waste that is dumped in landfills. This could provide valuable insights for the design and commercialization of similar systems.

Background: The association of age at onset of CRC and prevalence of KRAS G12C mutation is unclear; Methods: Retrospective multicenter study evaluating metastatic CRC patients from January 2019 to July 2023 treated at Oncoclinicas units, tested for tissue-based KRAS/NRAS and BRAF mutations in a centralized genomics lab. Mismatch repair (MMR) status was retrieved from different labs and electronic medical records, as were patient demographics (age, gender) and tumor sidedness. Chi-square test was used to examine the association between clinical and molecular variables, with p value <0.05 being statistically significant; Results: A total of 858 cases were included. The median age was 63.7 years (range 22-95) and 17.4% were less than 50 years old at diagnosis of metastatic CRC. Male patients represented 50.3% of the population. Sidedness distribution was left-side 59.2%, right-side 36.8% and not specified 4%. Prevalence of KRAS mutation was 49.4% and NRAS mutation 3.9%. Among KRAS mutated tumors, the most common variants were G12V (27.6%) and G12D (23.5%), while KRAS G12C was less frequent (6.4%), which represented 3.1% of the overall population. BRAF mutant cases were 7.3%, most commonly V600E. Only 5 (<1%) non-V600E mutations were detected. MSI-high or dMMR was present in 14 cases (1.6%). In the age-stratified analysis, left-sidedness (p<0.001) and KRAS G12C mutation (p=0.046) were associated with younger age (<50 years). In the sidedness-stratified analysis, BRAF mutation (p=0.001) and MSI-high/dMMR status (p=0.009), were more common in right-sided tumors; Conclusions: Our data suggest that KRAS G12C mutations are more frequent in early-onset metastatic CRC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest cohort in the Latin American population with mCRC reporting RAS, BRAF and MSI/dMMR status.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of circuit training on β-amyloid, BDNF, and cognitive function in untrained obese elderly Korean women. The subjects for the study were aged 65–70 years, composed of the circuit training group(n=12) and control group(n=11). The 60-minute combined exercise was performed 3 times per week for 16 weeks. Exercise intensity was progressively increased from 40% HRR to 70% HRR. The test data were analyzed by paired t-test, independent t-test, and two-way repeated measures ANOVA, and the alpha level of .05 was set for all tests of significance. The findings of this study were as follows: β-amyloid significantly decreased after the exercise group had compared to before the exercise and BDNF and cognitive function significantly increased after the exercise group had compared to before the exercise. However, there were no significant changes in β-amyloid, BDNF, and cognitive function in the control group Therefore, it is suggested that the circuit training used in this study could be an effective exercise method for improving the risk factors of cognitive impairment in obese elderly Korean women.

The development of U.S. Army and NATO data link systems is introduced first, and then the development trend of future intelligent data link is summarized into integration, generalization, multifunctionality and high security. A unit-level combat system architecture based on the global combat cloud, which is capable of realizing the flexible scheduling of global combat resources and maximizing the overall combat effectiveness, is proposed. Intelligent data link is an important part of this solution, providing strong information support for future urban unit-level warfare.

Telomeres are specialized structures at the ends of linear chromosomes that protect them from degradation and fusion. Telomere replication is a complex process that involves both DNA polymerases and a specialized enzyme called telomerase. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that synthesizes telomeric DNA by using an internal RNA template. However, telomerase alone cannot fully replicate the telomeric DNA, and requires the cooperation of other factors, such as shelterin, CST, and DNA repair proteins. Moreover, telomere replication is tightly regulated by various mechanisms, such as cell cycle checkpoints, telomere length homeostasis, and telomere position effect. Dysregulation of telomere replication can lead to genomic instability, cellular senescence, and cancer. Therefore, understanding the molecular details of telomere replication is crucial for elucidating the role of telomeres in aging and disease.

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

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a commonly used technique for treating lumbar degenerative diseases. In this study, we developed a fully computer-supported pipeline to predict both the cage height and the degree of lumbar lordosis subtraction from the pelvic incidence (PI-LL) after TLIF surgery, utilizing preoperative X-ray images. The automated pipeline comprised two primary stages. First, a deep learning model was employed to extract essential features from X-ray images. Subsequently, five machine learning algorithms were trained to identify the optimal models to predict interbody cage height and postoperative PI-LL. LASSO regression and support vector regression demonstrated superior performance in predicting interbody cage height and postoperative PI-LL, respectively. For cage height prediction, the root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated as 1.01, and the model achieved the highest accuracy at a height of 12 mm, with exact prediction achieved in 54.43% (43/79) of cases. In most of the remaining cases, the prediction error of the model was within 1 mm. Additionally, the model demonstrated satisfactory performance in predicting PI-LL, with an RMSE of 5.19 and an accuracy of 0.81 for PI-LL stratification. In conclusion, our results indicate that machine learning models can reliably predict interbody cage height and postoperative PI-LL.

The exchange coupling between two ferromagnetic thin films, one with magnetically hard and the other with soft phases, separated by a thin non-magnetic layer is studied. Nd-Fe-B/ Ti / Fe thin film heterostructures were fabricated using DC magnetron sputtering on Si substrates which were heated in situ at 650°C using a house-built vacuum-compatible heater. The effect of the thickness of the Ti buffer layer and the annealing temperature on the formation of various phases of NdFeB was investigated. The effect of the thickness of the non-magnetic Ti spacer layer on the exchange coupling strength between the hard phase Nd-Fe-B ferromagnetic thin layer and the soft phase transition metal Fe layer was experimentally investigated. Hysteresis loops of multilayer thin films indicate an antiferromagnetic coupling was observed when the thickness of the spacer layer was 2 nm. This is within the range of antiferromagnetic coupling calculation based on RKKY theory predictions.

Stroke is a global leading cause of death and disability. Knowledge of related guidelines is crucial for Emergency Department (ED) staff, influencing early diagnosis and timely treatment. We investigated Greek-Cypriot ED healthcare professionals' (nurses and physicians) knowledge in recognizing and managing stroke. A descriptive cross-sectional study spanned November 2019 to April 2020, encompassing four private and seven public EDs in the Republic of Cyprus. The data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire developed by the research team, consisting of 37 questions. Eight questions focused on sociodemographic and employment characteristics, 28 assessed knowledge in stroke recognition and management (each item was equally weighted without deliberate prioritization), and one question addressed self-assessment of knowledge in stroke care. 255 nurses [Response Rate (RR): 74.1%] and 26 physicians (RR: 47.3%) completed the questionnaire. The average correct response rate was 12.9 out of 28 statements (SD: 4.2), with nurses and physicians scoring 12.6 (SD: 4.1) and 15.7 (SD: 4), respectively. Work experience significantly influenced stroke knowledge, with all groups demonstrating superiority over those with less than one year of experience. Participants with previous training scored an average of 1.45 additional correct answers while educational attainment did not significantly influence stroke knowledge. Investigating stroke knowledge among Emergency Department nurses and physicians in the Republic of Cyprus revealed significant deficits. The study stresses targeted interventions, including, education, yearly examinations, workshops with hands-on training, and repeated training, to address these gaps and enhance the overall stroke care capabilities of the healthcare professionals.

Based on the theory that certain geological fault zones surpass the influence of other abiotic and biotic site factors for mound-building red wood ants (Formica rufa group), an area northwest of Tuttlingen with extremely high ant density was systematically surveyed, taking into account official geological maps. Indicators of active fault zones were recorded. These were additionally examined in a model area using a high-resolution digital terrain model (DTM 1-meter). The study area is located in the Swabian Jura at the western edge of the Albstadt shear zone, where recent seismic activity is documented by frequent earthquakes. The earthquakes are considered to be the cause of gas permeability in the strike-slip faults, around which the clustered nesting sites were mapped. More than 2900 nests of the Formica rufa group were mapped and their site conditions analysed in different geomorphological positions. In addition to recording forestry site conditions, a geological classification was carried out, as well as an analysis of soil gases/mofettes in areas with the highest nest densities. The correlation between forestry data and nest sites did not reveal a consistent pattern. In contrast, the relationships with gas-permeable strike-slip faults, though predominantly covered with Quaternary sediments, could be identified through CO₂- and CH₄-rich gas emissions, mofettes, and doline features. The interpretations were complicated due to different mapping ages and signatures of the geological maps. Fortunately, this issue could be analysed and evaluated in a sub-area with mappings from 1936/71 and 1995 regarding presumed or confirmed fault trajectories. New insights were gained regarding the relationships between Formica nest sites, gas-permeable faults, and groundwater levels on narrow mountain ridges with steep relief. Here, the lateral emission of CO₂ depends on the groundwater level and does not occur vertically directly above the fault. C- and H-isotope data of CO₂ and CH₄ do not show a consistent source. While methane is mainly derived from biological production by Archaea in the upper crust and in swamp areas, CO₂ mostly originates from the mantle. The results of the investigations revealed that a multitude of geological and ecological factors must be considered for the interpretation of the occurrences of Formica sites northwest of Tuttlingen. These factors confer a distinct originality to this region, contributing not only to an enhanced understanding of site conditions but also furnishing information regarding environmentally relevant gas emissions.

Managing severe bleeding, particularly in soft tissues and visceral injuries, remains a significant challenge in trauma and surgical care. Traditional hemostatic methods often fall short in wet and dynamic environments. This study addresses the critical issue of severe bleeding in soft tissues, proposing an innovative solution using a Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-based hydrogel combined with zinc oxide (ZnO). The developed hydrogel forms a dual-network structure through amide bonds and metal ion chelation, resulting in enhanced mechanical properties and adhesion strength. The hydrogel, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, is designed to release zinc ions, promoting coagulation and accelerating hemostasis. Comprehensive characterization, including gelation time, rheological properties, microstructure analysis, and swelling behavior, demon-strates the superior performance of the PEG/ZnO hydrogel compared to traditional PEG hydro-gels. Mechanical tests confirm increased compression strength and adhesive properties, crucial for withstanding tissue dynamics. In vitro assessments reveal excellent biocompatibility and en-hanced procoagulant ability attributed to ZnO. Moreover, in vivo experiments using rat liver and tail bleeding models demonstrate the remarkable hemostatic performance of the PEG/ZnO hy-drogel, showcasing its potential for acute bleeding treatment in both visceral and peripheral sce-narios.

Ensuring the security of vertical applications in fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems and previous generations is crucial. These systems must prioritize maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of services and data. Examples of vertical applications include smart cities, smart transportation, public services, Industry 4.0, smart grids, smart health, and smart agriculture. Each vertical application has specific security requirements and faces unique threats within the mobile network environment. Thus, it is essential to implement comprehensive and robust security measures. This approach helps minimize the attack surface and effectively manage risks. This survey thoroughly examines mobile networks and their security challenges in vertical applications, shedding light on associated threats and potential solutions. Our study considers the interplay between security considerations in 5G, legacy networks, and vertical applications. We emphasize the challenges, opportunities, and promising directions for future research in this field and the importance of securing vertical applications in the evolving landscape of mobile technology.

The SWOT analysis, pivotal in the competitive healthcare sector, aids dentists in identifying and analyzing internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. This study focuses on senior dental students, aiming to scrutinize their use of SWOT analysis and evaluate its efficacy as an educational tool for career decision-making in dental entrepreneurship. The research sample comprises 116 senior dental students in the final stages of their dental education, with data collection accomplished through the administration of an e-questionnaire. The data extracted from the SWOT analysis encompass internal and external factors, gender distinctions, and outcomes derived from Stepwise Binary Logistic Regression concerning predictor markers. The results from the SWOT analysis of 114 questionnaires, revealed that participants identified communication skills (50%) and organization skills (49.10%) as their primary strengths, followed by favorable personal traits contributing to goal success (36%). Weaknesses predominantly centered around emotional and personal traits like anxiety (41.20%) and other characteristics, alongside practical challenges such as lack of initial capital (24.60%). Main opportunities included collaboration with experienced dentists (33.30%) and access to training programs (27.20%), while economic instability in Greece (77.20%) and the saturated dentist profession (26.30%) were perceived as significant threats. Gender differences were notable, with female dentists more likely to report organization skills as a strength and anxiety as a weakness. Values such as industriousness, persistence, and ethics were commonly shared, with actions focusing on training programs (57.9%) and gaining experience with experienced dentists (29.8%). Cluster analysis identified two subgroups, with one emphasizing on utilizing all available options (n=49) and the other prioritizing on gaining professional skills and experience (n=65). Logistic regression indicated that participants valuing industriousness were less likely to explore all available options, while those recognizing personal traits were more likely to do so. The study's outcomes highlight key predictor factors linked to a proactive orientation in career decision-making among senior dental students. These insights offer valuable implications for educational institutions and career counselors.

Significant advances in Penning trap measurements of atomic masses and mass ratios of the proton, deuteron, triton, helion, and alpha-particle have occurred in the last five years. These include a measurement of the mass of the deuteron against 12C with 8.5 x 10-12 fractional uncertainty; resolution of vibrational levels of H2+ as mass and the application of a simultaneous measurement technique to the H2+/D+ cyclotron frequency ratio, yielding a deuteron-proton mass ratio at 5 x 10-12; new measurements of HD+/3He+, HD+/T+ and T+/3He+ leading to a tritium beta-decay Q-value with an uncertainty of 22 meV, and atomic masses of the helion and triton at 13 x 10-12; and a new measurement of the mass of the alpha-particle against 12C at 12 x 10-12. Some of these results are in strong disagreement with previous literature values. Their impact in determining a precise proton/electron mass ratio and electron atomic mass from spectroscopy of the HD+ molecular ion is also discussed.

The MiniMovers (MM) APP combines motor development theory with creativity expertise and has been designed to provide parents with developmentally appropriate activities to support children’s motor skills. This study investigates how MiniMovers activities enabled parents to support their children’s physical development. Families participated in an 8-week MM programme of activities from the MM APP (Mini, Mighty and Mega levels), with pre- and post-intervention data collected. Mixed research methods were applied among children (N=8; aged 21-79 months) and their parents, providing quantitative analysis on children’s performance (running, throwing, jumping, kicking, balancing and catching), as well as qualitative analysis on parents’ attitude and behaviour (co-activity questionnaire, two-weekly feedback surveys and interviews). Kinematic data and kinetic data were captured using marker-based motion capture system and a force plate, respectively. For catching, children at Mighty and Mega levels were also tested using eye-tracking glasses. Videos were recorded for developmental stage evaluation. The results showed that five children improved across different ages, with two children improving in almost all tasks, and three children who had more tasks that improved than did not. Parents reported increased levels of co-activity, increased children’s enjoyment, independence, and confidence. This pilot study provides support for the research and development of MM App and suggests a need for more research into the use of APPs to support in home activities among families with young children.

Manual handling tasks, both in daily activities and at work, require high dexterity and the ability to move objects of different shapes and sizes. However, musculoskeletal disorders that can arise due to aging, disabilities, overloading, or strenuous work can impact the natural capabilities of the hand with serious repercussions both in working and daily activities. To address this, researchers have been developing and proving the benefits of wrist exoskeleton., This paper, which is the part II of a study on wrist exoskeletons, presents and summarizes wearable wrist exoskeleton devices conceived for use in rehabilitation, assistance, and occupational fields. Exoskeletons considered within the study are those available either in a prototyping phase or on the market. They can support the human wrist by relieving pain or mitigating fatigue while allowing at least one movement. According to the requirements to be met, the majority have been designed active (80%) for higher force/torque transmission, and soft for better kinematic compliance, ergonomics, and safety (13 devices out of 24, more than 50%). Electric motors (11 devices out of 24, almost 50%) and cable transmission (9 devices out of 24, almost 40%) are the most common due to their simplicity, controllability, safety, power-to-weight ratio, and the possibility of remote actuation. As sensing technologies, position and force sensors are widely used in all devices (almost 90%). The control strategy depends mainly on the application domain: for rehabilitation, CPM (Control Passive Motion) is preferred (35% of the devices), while for assistance and occupational purposes AAN (Assistance-As-Needed) is more suitable (38% of the devices). What emerges from this analysis is that while rehabilitation and training are fields in which exoskeletons have been grown more easily and gained some user acceptance (almost 18 devices of which 4 are available on the market), relatively few devices have been designed for occupational aims (6 of which only 2 are available on the market) due to difficulties in meeting the acceptance and needs of users. In this perspective, as a result of the state-of-the-art analysis, the authors propose a conceptual idea of a portable soft wrist exoskeleton for occupational assistance.

In this paper, we shall introduce the interval-valued spatial error model. Based on the idea of least square method of single-valued case, we give the parameter estimator for interval-valued spatial error model. The theoretical properties of the proposed estimator are proved. Finally, we give the numerical analysis and a real example.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the healthcare system across the globe, leading to more than 6.9 million deaths in the past four years. Cardiac Arrest is a terminal event with associated significantly high morbidity and mortality across age groups. Multiple clinical parameters, organ dysfunction, and chronic co-morbid conditions impact mortality in COVID-19 patients with heart failure. In this retrospective, administrative dataset-based study on 148899 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 and heart failure diagnosis, we reported 6703 cardiac arrests and 5783 mortality. We have used ICD 10 codes to identify the diagnosis. The primary objective of the study is to find the predictors of Cardiac Arrest among patients admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 and heart failure. Secondary objective is to calculate the percentage of cardiac Arrest and mortality across the various age groups and the correlation of hours on the mechanical ventilator and mortality. Study results have shown that the use of a mechanical ventilator has the strongest co-correlation with cardiac Arrest with an odd ratio of 14.4, followed by septic shock with an odd ratio of 5.6, tension pneumothorax with an odd ratio of 4.9 preceding the acute renal failure with an odd ratio of 2.4 and sepsis 2.3. Complete heart block had an odd ratio of 1.9, followed by ESRD with a ratio of 1.6, acute pulmonary embolism with an odd ratio of 1.5, and Type 2 MI with an odd ratio of 1.49. Chronic co-morbid condition of DM had an odd ratio of 1.3, followed by Atrial fibrillation with an odd ratio of 1.1. These results and findings emphasized that multi-organ failure has a huge impact on cardiac Arrest among COVID-19 patients with heart failure.

Abstract The heart serves as the pivotal organ generating rhythmic contractions allowing blood ejection from the ventricles and its circulation in the cardiovascular system. Contractions of the heart requires oxygen and energy consumption and removal of metabolic factors from cardiac myocytes. The mechanical performance of the cardiac muscle and production of the vasoactive factors are significantly affected in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, especially in the heart failure, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The processes affecting coronary blood flow and cardiac contractility in these diseases are not fully recognized. The present review draws attention to specific role of angiotensin peptides, vasopressin and insulin in the regulation of the coronary blood flow and cardiac contractions. There is evidence for intracardiac production of some of these compounds and their importance in the regulation of the cardiac tissue oxygenation, energy production and metabolism, and generation of other cardiovascular compounds, such as nitric oxide, bradykinin and endothelin. Presence of receptors for angiotensin II, angiotensin-(1-7) and insulin in the coronary vessels and cardiomyocyes sets up conditions for interaction of these factors at the signaling level. Coronary vessels and cardiac muscle possess AT1 and AT2 receptors, angiotensin-1-7 receptor, vasopressin V1 receptor, and insulin receptor substrates. Expression of these receptors and responsiveness to angiotensins, vasopressin and insulin are altered during heart failure, hypertension, obesity and diabetes mellitus, especially when these diseases occur simultaneously. The survey of the literature presented in the review provides evidence for the belief that very individualized treatment, including interactions of angiotensins and vasopressin with insulin, should be selected for patients suffering simultaneously for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Geijera Schott is a plant genus of the Rutaceae Juss. (rue and citrus) family, comprising six species which are all native to Oceania. Of the plants belonging to this genus, the most significant species that has a customary use is Geijera parviflora, which was used by Indigenous Australians, primarily as a pain reliever. Herein, a comprehensive review of the literature published on the genus Geijera from 1930-2023 was conducted. This is the first review for this plant genus and it highlights the chemical constituents reported to date, together with the range of pharmacological properties described from the various species and different parts of the plant. These properties include anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, insect repellent, analgesic, neuroactive, and anti-cancer activities. Finally, a reflection on some of the important areas for future focused studies of this plant genus is provided.

Cordycepin has good antitumor activity, but its clinical application is limited due to the easy deamination of N6 in structure. In this study, a large lipopolysis group was introduced at the cordycepin N6 to improve the problem, Cordycepin derivatives(3a-4c) were synthesized, and biological evaluation of compounds were studied. In the study, the vitro antitumor activity of the compounds against MCF7 cells, HepG2 cells and SGC-7901 cells was evaluated by MTT assay. In the results, compound 4a showed the most obvious inhibitory effect on MCF7 cells with IC50 value of 27.566±0.52 μM, which was much lower than cordycepin. Compound 4a showed high selectivity between MCF7 and normal MCF-10A cells. Further biological evaluation showed that compound 4a promoted apoptosis and blocked the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Then, Western Blot was used to detect related apoptotic proteins. It was found that Compound 4a could down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2 protein and up-regulate the expression of p53, Bax, Caspase-3, and Caspase-9 proteins. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased continuously and the positive expression rate decreased. It was speculated that compound 4a induced the apoptosis of MCF7 cells through the mitochondrial pathway.

In the realm of artificial intelligence, knowledge graphs have become a fascinating area of research. Relationships between entities are depicted through a structural framework in knowledge graphs. In this paper, we propose to build a domain-specific medicine dictionary (DSMD) based on the principles of knowledge graphs. Our dictionary is composed of structured triples, where each entity is defined as a concept, and these concepts are interconnected through relationships. This comprehensive dictionary boasts more than 348,000 triples, encompassing over 20,000 medicine brands and 1,500 generic medicines. It offers a groundbreaking approach to storing and accessing medical data. Our dictionary facilitates various functionalities, including medicine brand information extraction, brand-specific queries, as well as queries involving two words or question answering. We anticipate that our dictionary will serve a broad spectrum of users, catering to both human users, such as diverse range of healthcare professionals as well as AI applications.

The study analyzed Ecuador's presence in the Web of Science (WoS) post-pandemic from a multivariate dynamic, highlighting a significant transformation in scientific communication towards open access (OA). The methodology integrated multivariate statistical techniques, using R and specialized tools, to process 9,085 relevant articles, 52% of the Ecuadorian publications in WoS between 2019 and 2021 were open access. This movement reflects a commitment to quality research and accessibility, showing an increase in publications and citations under OA. The research underscores the importance of establishing robust national OA policies in Ecuador to promote scientific collaboration and an equitable distribution of knowledge. Despite funding challenges and the lack of specific regulations, educational institutions in Ecuador have maintained a constant scientific output, adapting to the global environment and the demand for transparent information. The study concludes that there is an urgent need for a holistic approach to OA in the country, recognizing the progress made despite the difficulties.

Chest trauma is a critical medical condition that encompasses a range of injuries and can result from various causes. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is crucial in managing chest trauma patients and radiology plays a pivotal role in this aspect. Imaging modalities in chest trauma aid in precise diagnosis and treatment planning. Especially, X-rays remain the initial imaging modality of choice due to their accessibility, speed, and ability to detect acute life-threatening conditions. Computed Tomography (CT) Scan offers detailed cross-sectional images allowing for comprehensive evaluation of chest trauma and surgical planning when necessary. Ultrasound (US) is increasingly valuable tool due to its portability and real-time imaging capabilities, aiding in rapid assessment at the bedside. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is less commonly used due to time constraints and limited availability. Radiological imaging serves various purposes in the diagnosis and management of chest trauma such as early detection and triage, characterization and severity assessment, surgical planning, follow-up and monitoring of chest trauma. Reduction of radiation exposure, advancements in imaging technology (dual-energy CT, contrast-enhanced imaging) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms are crucial challenges and deserve attention. A multidisciplinary approach integrating radiological expertise remains fundamental in ensuring optimal outcomes for patients with chest trauma.

The reduction of Ce cations in CeO2 can be enhanced by its partial substitution by Fe cations. The enhanced reduction of Ce cations results in a considerable increase in the reaction rates for thermal water splitting reaction when compared to CeO2 alone. This mixed oxide has a smaller crystallite size when compared to CeO2 in addition to a smaller lattice size. In this work, two Fe-substituted Ce oxides are studied (Ce0.95Fe0.05O2 and Ce0.75Fe0.25O2) by core and valence level spectroscopy in their as-prepared and Ar-ions sputtered states. Ar-ions sputtering substantially increases Ce4f lines at about 1.5 eV below the Fermi level. In addition, it is found that the XPS Ce5p/O2s ratio is sensitive to the degree of reduction, most likely due to a higher charge transfer from the oxygen to Ce ions upon reduction. Quantitatively it is also found that XPS Ce3d of the fraction of Ce3+ (uo, u’ and vo, v’) formed upon Ar-ions sputtering and the ratio Ce5p/O2s lines are higher for reduced Ce0.95Fe0.05O2 than for reduced Ce0.75Fe0.25O2. XPS Fe2p showed however no preferential increase for Fe3+ reduction to Fe0 with increasing time for both oxides. Since water splitting was higher on Ce0.95Fe0.05O2 when compared to Ce0.75Fe0.25O2, it is inferred that the reaction centers for the thermal water splitting to hydrogen are the reduced Ce cations and not the reduced Fe cations. These reduced Ce cations can be tracked by their XPS Ce5p/O2s ratio in addition to the common XPS Ce3d lines.

Prosthetic infections are associated with high morbidity, mortality, and relapse rates making them still a serious problem for implantology. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common bacterial pathogens causing prosthetic infections. In response to the increasing rate of bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics, the work proposed a method of combating pathogenic microorganisms by modifying the surface of synthetic polymeric biomaterials using proteolytic enzyme inhibitors (serine protease inhibitors - 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride and puromycin). While using techniques based on immobilization of biologically active molecules, it is important to monitor changes occurring on the surface of the modified biomaterial, where spectroscopic techniques (e.g. FTIR) are ideal. The ATR-FTIR measurements demonstrated that the immobilization of both inhibitors caused large structural changes on the surface of the tested vascular prostheses (polyester or polytetrafluoroethylene) and showed that they were covalently bonded to the surface of the biomaterials. Next, the bactericidal and antibiofilm activities of the tested serine protease inhibitors were determined using the CLSM microscopic technique with fluorescent staining. During LIVE/DEAD analyses, a significant decrease in the formation of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm after exposure to selected concentrations of native inhibitors (0.02-0.06 mg/mL for puromycin and 0.2-1 mg/mL for 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride was demonstrated.

The C-X-C motif chemokine receptor-1 (CXCR1) is a rhodopsin-like G-protein-coupled receptor, expressed on the cell surface of immune cells and tumors. CXCR1 interacts with some C-X-C chemokines, such as CXCL6, CXCL7, and CXCL8/interleukin-8, which are produced by various cells. Since CXCR1 is involved in several diseases including tumors and diabetes mellitus, drugs targeting CXCR1 has been developed. Therefore, the development of sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for CXCR1 has been desired for the diagnosis and treatment. This study established a novel anti-mouse CXCR1 (mCXCR1) mAb; Cx₁Mab-1 (rat IgG₁, kappa), using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. Cx₁Mab-1 reacted with mCXCR1-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/mCXCR1) and mCXCR1-overexpressed LN229 glioblastoma (LN229/mCXCR1) in flow cytometry. Cx₁Mab-1 demonstrated a high binding affinity for CHO/mCXCR1 and LN229/mCXCR1 with a dissociation constant of 2.6×10^-9 M and 2.1×10^-8 M, respectively. Furthermore, Cx₁Mab-1 could detect mCXCR1 by western blot analysis. These results indicated that Cx₁Mab-1 is useful for detecting mCXCR1, and provides a possibility for targeting mCXCR1-expressing cells in vivo experiments.

In the contest of childhood epilepsies, the concept of continuous spike-waves during slow sleep (CSWS) includes several childhood-onset heterogeneous conditions, sharing an electroencephalogram (EEG) characterized by a high frequency of paroxysmal abnormalities during sleep which are attributed negative effects on the cognitive development and behavior of the child. These negative effects may have the characteristics of a clear regression or of a slowdown in development. Seizures are very often present, but not constantly. The above makes it clear why CSWS have been included in epileptic encephalopathies, in which by definition the frequent EEG paroxysmal abnormalities have an unfavorable impact on the cognitive functions, including socio-communicative skills causing autistic features, even regardless of the presence of clinically overt seizures. Although several decades have passed since the original descriptions of the electroclinical condition of CSWS, there are still many areas that are little known and deserve to be further studied, including the EEG diagnostic criteria, the most effective electrophysiological parameter for monitoring the evolution, the role of the thalamus in the CSWS pathogenesis, the long-term evolution, the nosographic location of Landau-Kleffner syndrome, the standardized neuropsychological and behavioral assessment, the pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.

The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory profoundly affected the fashion industry and society, serving as a reminder of the importance of social issues in academics and practice. Some scholars have pointed out that academia lacks fashion studies on social issues that are more prevalent in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to determine a meta-analysis of sustainable fashion research since the Rana Plaza collapse and how it aligns with the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs). The applied method is automated content analysis, and seven academic agendas were extracted by analyzing sustainable fashion literature. The findings showed that academic scholarship has covered various topics, ranging from design to social issues, whereas the results have not clarified the relationship between social issues and developing countries. The findings also show that SDG 12 stood out, which is responsible consumption and production. Aside from the production community, consumers need to be aware of socio-environmental problems to make harmonious lifestyle choices with nature. Furthermore, scholars need to align themselves with an easier-to-understand concept of sustainable fashion to make a public appeal for it as a societal importance.

Due to urban sprawls, the arable land is shifting in the settlement areas and towns, while industrial development is making it more vulnerable. The current study was conducted to see the changes in land use and land cover in Kotri area, Pakistan from 1998 to 2020 to establish trends in recent land use development based on available land use data. In this regard, satellite images in the study area were acquired from USGS and processed using ArcMap 10.5 and Environmental for Visualizing Images (ENVI). Results show that; there was a change in the settlement pattern of Kotri city with 40% between 1998 and 2020, 77% decrease in Bare-land was observed in 2020. Natural vegetation in the study area has decreased significantly with 4.4 Sq/ km in 2020, surface water-bodies in 1998 were 1.3 sq/km and in 2020 there is 1.8 Sq/km indicating 32% increase in surface water bodies. It was further revealed that settlement in Kotri has increased due to its geographical location, nearness of the major city of Hyderabad, and the establishment of the industrial zone and educational city near Kotri. From the foregoing, the study concluded that Kotri City will have more changes in its land use and land cover as the expansion in the city is going on and on. It is therefore recommended that local government and provincial government should pay attention towards this development and put up an action plan towards proper provision for such expansion.

Single-fluid electrospinning creates nanofibers from molten polymer solutions with active ingredients. The study utilized a combination of a fractional factorial design and a Box-Behnken design to examine crucial factors among a multitude of parameters and to optimize the electrospinning conditions that impact the fiber mats' morphology and entrapment efficiency of the Senna alata leaf extract. The findings indicated that the shellac content had the greatest impact on both fiber diameter and bead formation. The optimum electrospinning conditions were identified as a voltage of 24 kV, a solution feed rate of 0.8 mL/h, and a shellac-extract ratio of 38.5:3.8. These conditions produced nanosized fibers with a diameter of 306 nm, a low bead-to-fiber ratio of 0.29, and an extract entrapment efficiency of 96% within the fibers. The biphasic profile of optimized nanofibers was confirmed through an in vitro release study. This profile consisted of an initial burst release of 88% within the first hour, which was succeeded by a sustained release pattern surpassing 90% for the next 12 h, as predicted by zero-order release kinetics. The optimized nanofibers demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy against diverse pathogens, suggesting promising applications in wound dressings and protective textiles.

In this study, we report a novel synthesis of hydrophobic silica aerogel powder composites, functionalized and binary-doped with [Tb(phen)₂](NO₃)₃ and [Eu(phen)₂](NO₃)₃ nanocrystals, employing a two-step sol-gel methodology. The investigation delves into the structural elucidation, optical properties and thermal conductivity of these functionalized Tb(III)-Eu(III) composites. Our analysis encompasses diffuse reflectance spectra, along with excitation and luminescence spectra, highlighting the quantum yields of composites with varying chemical composition. Remarkably, these samples exhibit a strong luminescence, with distinct hues of red or green color upon the specific doping type and level. The detailed examination of excitation spectra and quantum yields unequivocally establishes robust energy transfer mechanisms from the 1,10-phenanthroline molecule to the lanthanide ions. Notably, our study uncovers a Tb³⁺→Eu³⁺ energy transfer phenomenon within the binary functionalized samples, providing compelling evidence for a structural formation process occurring within the mesoporous framework of the aerogel powders.

The Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering (R-SPS) method is compared in this work with the two-steps SHS-SPS route, based on combination of the Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis (SHS) with the SPS process, for the fabrication of dense (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ti0.2Ta0.2Nb0.2)B2-SiC and (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ti0.2Ta0.2Zr0.2)B2-SiC ceramics. A multiphasic and inhomogeneous product, containing various borides, is obtained at 2000°C/20min by R-SPS, from transition metals, B4C and Si. In contrast, if the same precursors are first reacted by SHS, and then processed by SPS under the optimized condition of 1800°C/20min, the desired ceramics are successfully attained. Both High-Entropy-Boride/SiC products display densities > 97%, uniform microstructures and contained only small amounts of residual oxides (<2.4 wt.%). The presence of SiC makes the sintering temperature milder, i.e. 150°C below to that needed by the corresponding additive-free system. Fracture toughness is also markedly improved, particularly when considering the Nb-containing system processed at 1800°C/20min, whereas KIC progressively decreases (from 7.35 to 5.36 MPa m1/2) as the SPS conditions become more severe. SiC addition is found to inhibit the volatilization of metal oxides like MoO3 formed during oxidation experiments, thus avoiding mass loss in the ceramics. The benefits above also likely take advantage of the fact that the two composite constituents are synthesized in parallel, according to the SHS-SPS approach, rather than being produced separately and combined subsequently, so that strong interfaces between them are formed.

The classification and summarization of online reviews using machine learning and deep learningbased approaches are the subject of this systematic literature review. Consumers, companies, and researchers can now find vital information from online reviews. Automatically categorizing and summarizing these reviews can offer useful information and facilitate decision-making. The purpose of this study is to offer a thorough overview of the current methodology, approaches, and developments in this area. The review concentrates on machine learning-based methods for categorization and summarizing tasks, highlighting their advantages, drawbacks, and new developments. This systematic review provides insights into the most recent methodologies and indicates prospective directions for further investigation by synthesizing the data from a wide range of pertinent research publications

Keywords: Green human resource management1; Green supply chain management2; Regulation and legislation3; Sustainable development goals4.

Vulnerable carotid plaques are responsible for 20% of the ischemic strokes. The identification of those asymptomatic carotid plaques that will become symptomatic is essential but remains unclear. Our main goal was to investigate whether the amount of the peri-carotid adipose tissue, estimated by the extra-media thickness (EMT) is associated with the atherosclerotic characteristics at the carotid bifurcation in patients with PAD. An observational, prospective, single-center, longitudinal study was conducted. 177 patients performed carotid Doppler-ultrasound. The following data was collected: EMT, intima-media thickness (IMT), presence of carotid plaques, area of the highest plaque, and grade of internal carotid stenosis. From each carotid bifurcation a right and left EMT was determined. We analyzed both the mean EMT (calculated as the mean between the right and the left EMT) and the EMT ipsilateral to the carotid bifurcation. The presence of carotid plaques was associated with a higher mean EMT, [Median=1.14; IQR=0.66 versus Median=0.97; IQR=0.40; p=.001]. A positive correlation was found between mean EMT and IMT (right: ρ=.20; p=.010; left: ρ=.21; p=.007) and between mean EMT and area of the largest carotid plaque (right: ρ=.17; p=.036; left: ρ=.22; p=.004). Left carotid stenosis ≥ 70% was associated with higher mean EMT. [Median=1.55; IQR=0.68 versus Median=1.00; IQR=0.46; p=.019]. Patients with “acute culprit” carotid stenosis had a higher ipsilateral EMT [Left ipsilateral EMT: Median=1.46; IQR=0.63; “non-acute”: Median=0.94; IQR=0.43; p=.009; Right ipsilateral EMT: Median=2.25; IQR=0.62; “non-acute”: Median=1.00; IQR=0.51; p=.015]. This difference was not found in the contra-lateral EMT. Six months after the neurologic event, EMT ipsilateral to an “acute culprit” carotid stenosis decreased (p=.036). The amount of peri-carotid adipose tissue, estimated with EMT was associated with atherosclerosis at the carotid arteries. In particularly EMT could be a non-invasive marker of “acute culprit” carotid stenosis, easily determined in clinical practice. These findings may have implications in personalized medicine, for the determination of the best treatment approach.

Climate change is affecting the production of temperate fruit crops. Freeze damage, particularly in spring, has resulted in significant economic losses in peach production in the southeastern United States. Research efforts in peach and other Prunus species have primarily focused on dormancy-related traits associated with bloom time, such as chill and heat requirement, with fruitlet freeze tolerance not equally represented. This study reports fruitlet freeze tolerance in 75 peach and nectarine accessions at six freezing temperatures (0 to -10ºC) using electrolyte leakage method over two seasons (2022-2023). Fruitlet freeze tolerance ranged from -3.94 to -10.22 °C with an estimated damage ranging from 16-48% with the majority of the accessions showing tolerance to cold temperatures in the -4 to -6ºC and 25-35% range. Variability in tolerance was noted across years, including some inconsistencies between tolerance group assignments. Grouping based on the estimated damage showed better stability and some accessions changed their grouping from the extremes to an intermediate tolerance group. Interestingly, nectarine accessions were among most tolerant in both seasons. Broad-sense heritability of 0.52 and 0.85, for freeze tolerance and estimated damage, respectively, suggested genetic control of this trait with a potential for improvement via breeding.

Salmonella causes various type of disease worldwide with a remarkable pace. Salmonella enteric serotype typhi (S. typhi), a gram-negative bacterium (only cause disease in man) is the mainly causative agent of Typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is most common in poor and unprivileged developing countries of Asia and Africa. One of the major components of virulence factors produced during salmonella infection is Lipid A, which acts as a potent human immuno-modulator bacterial endotoxin. Regulation of Lipid A biosynthetic pathway occurs at second step, catalyzed by LpxC, a Zn2+ dependent metalloamidase. Systematic Screening of a pool of drug datasets like natural products library from Zinc database, Asinex database, Thiophene analogues fruitfully provided us 3 potent lead molecules s1_dl_mseq2, s1_ll_mseq2, and s2_ll_mseq8 which actively binds with LpxC enzyme and could be developed into sound inhibitors of LpxC enzyme after the application of drug development and processing strategies. Wet lab experimentation is required to validate these results for further use.

This analysis examines the wide range of occupational and environmental health risks that affect people in diverse settings. This article emphasizes the importance of conducting exposure and risk assessments to safeguard public health by analyzing various hazards, including arsenic, oil accidents, lead, welding fumes, and mycotoxins. Various methodologies are utilized in these research articles to conduct the study, emphasizing hazard identification, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The results uncover harmful substances, vulnerable demographics, and occupational duties linked to increased hazards. The report suggests various mitigation strategies, such as targeted interventions, enhanced community efforts, and improved exposure estimates. Notwithstanding the constraints identified in certain studies, the review emphasizes the necessity for continuous investigation to improve assessments of exposure, comprehend the cumulative effects, and examine the wider societal consequences. The significance of sector-specific risk assessments, protective measures, and ongoing monitoring is underscored to ensure mental and physical health protection.

The growing concern about climate change and global warming has driven greater involvement of international organizations, countries, companies, and society in general in acting and ensur-ing the life of our planet and the sustainability of future generations. Sustainability and finance are two concepts that are intertwined through sustainable finance, serving as an instrument that guides financial resources towards achieving sustainable development. Sustainability allows companies to identify risks and opportunities, being responsible for measuring their social, envi-ronmental, and economic impact under a multi-stakeholder approach. One of the three main cri-teria of sustainability is corporate governance, and the main corporate governance body is the board of directors, where the composition of the board and its supervision and monitoring func-tions improve the ESG performance. A relevant aspect within the board of directors is the ade-quate balance of gender diversity on the board, becoming an aspect regulated by laws and cor-porate governance code. This article develops the main concepts related to sustainability, sus-tainable finance and corporate governance describing the current situation of these topics and their relationship, creating a conceptual framework that allows identifying topics necessary for further empirical research and the implication of regulation in the scope of ESG issues.

We are introducing a highly efficient 48-channel ultrasound beamforming system ideal for ultrasound endoscopy applications. The system includes a transmitter and a receiver, which allow for low-area, high-resolution imaging acquisition. The transmitter uses a charge redistribution HV (high voltage) scheme to generate three-level pulses that actuate the transducer, implemented with the standard CMOS process for optimal cost and power savings. Meanwhile, the receiver features a sub-array structure and a delay generator that reduces area usage. To achieve high-resolution ultrasound imaging acquisition with low computational power, we developed the Shift Coherence Factor (SCF) algorithm, which is hardware-friendly. This approach delivers a lateral resolution over 20% better than the conventional delay and sum (DAS) algorithm, with a contrast ratio of over 30 dB. The system was implemented in a 180 nm standard CMOS process with an area of 24.98 mm2, power consumption of 8.23 mW per channel, achieving a delay resolution of 8.33 ns, and a low-area implementation of 0.52 mm2 per channel. The system offers high-quality imaging acquisition with minimal additional area and power consumption, which has great potential for 3D imaging or catheterized ultrasound systems.

The dessert banana is a popular fruit worldwide, but its ripening process is greatly accelerated by high temperatures, which eventually leads to an unpleasant taste and the appearance of spots on the skin of the fruit. To slow down the ripening of bananas, expensive strategies are used, which are usually not practical for conventional farmers in less developed countries. In this study, we try to find a less costly alternative. Therefore, the effects of coatings of lemon peel extract (2.5 %, 5 %, and 10 %), calcium chloride (4 %), and glycerol (2 %) on the shelf life and postharvest quality of banana fruit (Cavendish) stored at 20 ± 3 °C and 50 – 70 % relative humidity were investigated. Treatment with a mixture of 2.5 % lemon peel extract and 2 % glycerol resulted in an extension of the shelf life of the dessert banana by up to 6 days and no detectable fungal infestation. The mixture is an effective alternative to extend the shelf life and reduce quality losses in bananas.

We study the tight focusing properties of generic bright and dark HyOPS beams in the presence of primary coma. The role of the polarization singularity index and handedness of the polarization of the HyOPS beams on the focused structure has been discussed. Results have been presented for the total intensity, component intensities, and component phase distributions for left-, and right-handed bright and dark star and lemon types singularities. The presence of primary coma distorted the focal plane intensity distributions for both positive and negative index generic C-points. Coma is known to disturb the circular symmetry of the focal plane intensity distribution. Similarly in tight focusing polarization is known to disturb the symmetry. Therefore, a beam with structured and inhomogeneous polarization distribution tightly focused under the influence of coma is a fit case to study. It is found that the presence of primary coma aberration in the focusing system produces a positional shift of the high-intensity peaks and a reduction of the intensity on one side of the center. As the strength of the primary coma increases, the focal plane intensity distributions shift more and more toward the right from the initial position. Unlike the scalar vortex case, in the case of HyOPS beams, the focal plane intensity distribution undergoes rotation, as the helicity of the HyOPS beams is inverted, in addition to shifting. All the component phase distributions are found to be embedded with phase vortices of charge ±1.

Sunscreens are topical preparations containing one or more compounds that protect humans from ultraviolet (UV) light. This review focuses on analytical methods, particularly liquid chromatography, aimed at identifying and determining UV filters (UVFs) in environmental and marine biota matrices. A literature review was done using NIH (PubMed and Medline), FDA and EPA databases, Google Scholar, and Federal Regulations. This retrospective literature review is focused on the last five years. UVFs quantification in environmental and biological matrices showed a wide array of methods where liquid chromatography is predominant. The scientific literature identified a large variety of analytical methodologies that are compared in this review, to evaluate the better results in terms of limits of quantification and the possibility to identify as many analytes as possible simultaneously.

Although the statistical methods of downscaling climate data have progressed significantly, the development of high-resolution precipitation products continues to be a challenge. This is especially true when interest centres on downscaling value over several study sites. In this paper , we report a new downscaling method termed the multi-site Climate Generative Adversarial Network (MSCliGAN), which can simulate annual maximum precipitation to the regional scale during the 1950-2010 period in different cities in Canada by using different AOGCM's from the Coupled Model Inter-Comparison Project 6 (CMIP6) as input. Auxiliary information provided to the downscaling model included topography and land-cover. The downscaling framework uses a convolution encoder-decoder U-net network to create a generative network and a convolution encoder network to create a critic network. An adversarial training strategy is used to train the model. The critic/discriminator used Wasserstein distance as a loss measure and on the other hand the generator is optimized using a summation of content loss on Nash-Shutcliff Model Efficiency (NS), structural loss on structural similarity index (SSIM), and adversarial loss Wasserstein distance. Downscaling results show that downscaling AOGCMs by incorporating topography and land-use/land-cover can produce spatially coherent fields close to observation over multiple-sites. We believe the model has sufficient downscaling potential in data sparse regions where climate change information is often urgently needed.

Broadly speaking, binominal and biverbal lexical constructions have been studied independently in different research traditions and frameworks. It is true that the two do not necessarily have overlapping areal distributions, but the fundamental question remains whether Indo-European NN compounds and Transeurasian VV compounds have nothing in common. From a purely theoretical perspective also, the cross-categorial parallelism is worthy of serious investigation because a theory of the process of compounding that inherits the spirit of X-bar theory strives to capture commonalities among various compounding patterns and category-specific constraints observed within and across languages. Against this background, a cross-categorial comparison, not within but across languages, is made of coordinative binominal and biverbal constructions. NN and VV coordinate compounds from English and Japanese are examined in detail using the methodology of contrastive morphology and decompositional lexical semantics. It is shown that dvandva is possible not only in NN but also in VV coordinate compounds and furthermore that the dvandva-appositive distinction in NN coordinate compounds recurs in VV coordinate compounds.

The extreme environmental issues and the resulting needs to save energy have turned the attention to electrification of energy applications. One of the key components involved in energy efficiency improvements is the appropriate conception and manufacturing of electric machines. This paper overviews the electromagnetic analysis governing the behavior of permanent magnets that enabled substantial efficiency gains in recent electric machine developments. Particular emphasis is given to model the properties and losses developed in permanent magnets in the emerging high speed applications. In addition, the investigation of properties and harmonic losses related to ferromagnetic materials constituting the machine magnetic circuits are equally analyzed and discussed. The experimental validation of the implemented methodologies and developed models with respect to the obtained precision is reported. The introduction of mixed numerical techniques based on the finite element method intended to appropriately represent the different physical phenomena encountered is outlined and discussed. Finally, fast and accurate simulation techniques including aggregated lumped parameter models considering harmonic losses associated with inverter supplies are commented.

Commercial buildings situated in hot and humid tropical climates rely significantly on cooling systems to maintain optimal occupant comfort. A well-accurate day-ahead load profile prediction plays a pivotal role in planning the energy requirements of cooling systems. Despite the pressing need for effective day-ahead cooling load predictions, current methodologies have not fully harnessed the potential of advanced deep-learning techniques. This research paper aims to address this gap by investigating the application of innovative deep learning models in day-ahead hourly cooling load prediction for commercial buildings situated in tropical climates. A range of deep learning techniques, including Deep Neural Network, Convolutional Neural Networks, Recurrent Neural Networks, and Long Short-Term Memory networks are employed to enhance prediction accuracy. Furthermore, these individual deep learning techniques are synergistically integrated to create hybrid models, such as CNN-LSTM and Sequence-to-Sequence models. An extensive comparative analysis is conducted to identify the most effective hybrid model. Sequence-to-sequence model provided better performance compared to the other single and hybrid models. Experiments are conducted to choose the time horizons from the past that can serve as input to the models. Further, the influence of various categories of input parameters on prediction performance has been assessed. Historical cooling load, calendar features and outdoor weather parameters are found in decreasing order of influence on prediction accuracy. This research focuses on buildings located in Singapore and presents a comprehensive case study to validate the proposed models and methodologies.

Due to the advancement and availability of internet in present age, device tend to become wireless as well. Mobile ad-hoc network is a wireless environment that consist of advanced agility of nodes and does not contain on any central administrative authority. As it does not contain any central administrative authority so being wireless environment, the network is vulnerable to security threats and suffers in performance as well. Security of MANET is the core issue in this era, meanwhile the data is sent over untrustworthy network. Several techniques were proposed to secure data over Mobile Adhoc Network though cryptography that is one of the most reliable techniques to protect data. In our proposed methodology a Secure Cryptographic technique for Mobile Adhoc Networks (SCTMA) we proposed A Collusion attack prevention (CAP) scheme with ElGamal key generator along with DNA encryption Algorithm is used to make it more secure. The proposed scheme protects the network against collusion attacks and improves the performance as well. Performance analysis will be measured on the basis of key generation time, response time, encryption time and decryption time. The proposed scheme also protects the network against collusion attacks.

In Summer 2017, huge wildfires in the British Columbia region (Canada) led to the injection of a remarkably high concentration of biomass burning aerosol in the atmosphere. These aerosol masses reached the city of Naples, Italy, since the end of August 2017, where they were characterized by means of a multiwavelength lidar and a sun-sky-lunar photometer. Here we report on the optical and microphysical properties of this aerosol in an intriguing condition, occurring on 4th September 2017, which is characterized by an interesting multi-layered vertical distribution of the aerosol. The Lidar profiles highlighted the presence of four aerosol layers, with two located in the lower troposphere and other two at stratospheric altitudes. A rather thorough characterization of the biomass burning aerosol was carried out. The aerosol depolarization ratio showed an increasing dependence on the altitude with averaged values of 2-4% for the tropospheric layers, which are indicative of almost spherical smoke particles, and larger values in the stratospheric layers, suggestive of aspheric particles. Lidar-derived size distributions were retrieved for the first three aerosol layers, highlighting a higher particle concentration in the fine mode fraction for the layers observed at higher altitude. A dominance of fine particles in the atmosphere (Fine Mode Fraction &gt; 0.8) with low absorption properties (absorption AOD &lt; 0.0025 and SSA &gt; 0.97) was also observed over the whole atmospheric column by sun-photometer data. The space-resolved results provided by the lidar data are consistent with the columnar features retrieved by the AERONET sun-photometer, thus evidencing the reliability and capability of lidar characterization of atmospheric aerosol in a very interesting condition of multiple aerosol layers originating from Canadian fires overpassing the observation station.

Abstract: Intra-abdominal abscesses (IAA) may commonly arise following complicated gastrointestinal tract infections and, on occasion, from infections within the urinary system. Many of these IAA are initiated as a consequence of post-surgical complications. These abscesses have a substantial risk of morbidity and mortality. As a result, it is crucial to diagnose and treat them promptly to minimise these adverse outcomes. Therefore, radiological modalities play a vital role in diagnosing, localising, and detecting associated complications of IAA, as sometimes other investigations could be less reliable and non-specific. Radiological modalities are pivotal in achieving an accurate diagnosis, localising the abscesses, and identifying associated complications. This is especially important since alternative investigative methods may be misleading in certain situations. Radiological techniques such as ultrasound scans (USS), contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT), and even magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are immensely helpful in diagnosing these conditions. These imaging tools guide clinicians in determining the most appropriate patient management strategies. In this article, we compile a case series involving tubo-ovarian abscess, appendicular abscess, diverticular abscess and infected walled-off pancreatic necrosis, paying particular attention to radiological features in the diagnosis. Furthermore, we reviewed the existing literature to delineate characteristic radiological features related to the cases we discussed.

The increasing demand by consumers for popular healthy fruits, such as the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), generate substantial bio-wastes, making it imperative to harness the value of these by-products. Watermelon has low-calorie content and several other nutritional benefits that make it suitable for weight management and heart-healthy diets. Within this article, the nutritional composition and bioactives of watermelon which are strongly linked to the prevention of cardiovascular disorders (CVD), cancer, and age-related conditions, will be thoroughly reviewed. In addition, the therapeutic potential effects of watermelon consumption, such as anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective and anti-cancer properties, are also examined, with emphasis to the importance of incorporating watermelon into regular diets for overall health improvement. Additionally, the study explores various applications of watermelon by-products in functional foods, contributing to meeting recommended daily nutrient allowances, as well as in other functional products like cosmetics, with health promoting properties. In conclusion, this comprehensive review underscores the role of watermelon and its by-products for the development of products that can contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases and promote overall well-being

The poor solvent crystallization of carbapenem CS-023 has been performed at 25 °C. The following results have been obtained: 1) A solvate crystal Form A (5/2 Ethanol·1/2 H2O) is recovered from 80 v/v% ethanol solution, 2) Form A transforms to Form H (4H2O) by the solid-phase transition through the solvate-free polymorph, Form A-2, and Form A also transformed to Form C (1Ethanol·3H2O) by the solvent-mediated transformation. In the present study, we found that Form C also transforms to Form H by the solid-phase transition through the solvate-free polymorph, Form C-2. The three polymorphs, Form A, H, and C, were composed of the helical-chain structures, respectively. However, there was an incomprehensible affair in the solid phase transition among the three polymorphs. Namely, Form A comprised a left-handed helix.On the other hand, Form C and Form H’s helix chains were in a left- and right-handed helix complex. The solid-phase transition of Form A into Form H suggested the switch of helicity in the solid. We attempted to explain the helicity change in the solid phase transition. As a result, it was suggested that the over-absorption of water of Form A-2 at high humidity plays a vital role in the helicity change.

In this paper, we introduce Syntax-Enhanced Transformer Model (SET), a groundbreaking approach in the realm of Transformer-based language modeling that seeks to redefine the boundaries of linguistic analysis and comprehension. SET innovatively combine (i) the well-established high-level performance, scalability, and adaptability of traditional Transformers with (ii) a sophisticated analysis of syntactic structures. This synergy is enabled by a novel attention mechanism tailored to parse syntactic nuances and a deterministic process adept at transforming linearized parse trees into meaningful linguistic representations. Our comprehensive experiments reveal that SET significantly advance the field by surpassing existing benchmarks in sentence-level language modeling perplexity. They exhibit exceptional proficiency in tasks that require an acute awareness of syntax, setting new standards for language models in understanding complex linguistic structures. Furthermore, SET demonstrate an enhanced capability to grasp nuanced linguistic patterns that have traditionally been challenging for standard Transformer models. However, our studies also uncover a unique aspect of SET: while they excel in sentence-level tasks, their representation of sentences as singular vectors—owing to the syntactic composition constraints intrinsic to their design—introduces certain limitations in document-level language modeling. This observation points to an intriguing area for future exploration; it suggests the potential need for an alternative or complementary memory mechanism within Transformer models, one that functions independently from, yet in harmony with, syntactic structures. Such a mechanism could be pivotal in enhancing the model's ability to comprehend and process long-form texts effectively. In conclusion, SET mark a significant stride in the journey towards more sophisticated, syntax-aware language models. They offer promising insights into the integration of deep linguistic knowledge with cutting-edge machine learning techniques, potentially opening doors to a new era of natural language understanding and processing.

The study aimed to investigate how distributed leadership influences adolescents' social and emotional competence, considering the roles of student-centered instructional practices and teacher self-efficacy. Utilizing survey data from 7,246 Suzhou adolescents enrolled in the SESS program, the study employed multilevel structural equation modeling for analysis. The findings indicated a positive correlation between distributed leadership and adolescents' social and emotional competence, as evaluated by teachers. Moreover, distributed leadership was observed to exert an indirect impact on adolescents' self-assessment and teacher-rated social and emotional competence. This influence operated through several mediators: student-centered instructional practices, teacher self-efficacy, and the sequential mediating pathway of student-centered instructional practices → teacher self-efficacy. This study underscores the significance of supportive elements in fostering students' social and emotional competence. It offers valuable insights into the everyday practices of teachers, principals, and administrators. Additionally, it sheds light on how distributed leadership contributes to enhancing adolescents' overall social and emotional development.

The protection of first responders from radioactive contamination of alpha emitters that may result from a radiological accident is of great complexity due to the short range of the alpha particle in air of a few cm. To overcome this issue, for the first time a system for near real-time measuring alpha particles remotely mounted on a UAS has been developed, tested and calibrated. The new system, based on an optical system adapted to be installed on the UAS in order to measure the UV-C fluorescent emitting by the alpha particle in air, has been tested and calibrated carried out by laboratory and in field experiments using UV-C leds and ²⁴¹Am sources. In experimental flights, the probability of detecting a point source was determined to be approximately 60%. In case of a surface extended source, a detection efficiency per unit surface activity of ten counts per second per MBq cm^-2 are calculated. A background count rate of UV-C around 26 ± 28 s^-1 for an integration time of 0.1 s was measured during flights, which leads to a decision threshold surface activity of 5 MBq cm^-2.

Stratified Taylor Couette Flow (STCF) undergoes transient growth. Recent studies have shown that there exists transient amplification in the linear regime of counter-rotating STCF. It is reported that as Gr increases, the maximum amplification factor ($G_0$) initially decays before it eventually starts growing after reaching a certain critical value Gr$_{c}$. Assuming other parameters of the model are kept constant, the value Gr$_{c}$ changes with respect to different speed ratios of the cylinders. The observed decay/growth pattern of $G_0$ is attributed to the interplay between the induced shear and buoyancy. In this study, the mechanism that triggers this observed pattern is investigated. The kinetic budget of the optimal transient perturbation is analysed numerically to simulate the interaction of the shear production (SP), buoyancy production (BP) and other energy components that contributes to the total optimal transient kinetic energy. These contributions affect the total energy by influencing the perturbation to extract kinetic energy (KE) from the mean flow. The decay of $G_0$ resulted from the positive amplification of both BP and SP, while the growth is attributed to the negative and positive amplification of BP and SP, respectively. The optimal SP is positively amplified, implying that there is the possibility of constant linear growth. These findings agree with the linear growth rate for increasing values of Gr.

Leishmaniasis remains a significant global health concern, with current treatments relying on outdated drugs associated with high toxicity, lengthy administration, elevated costs, and drug resistance. Consequently, the urgent need for safer and more effective therapeutic options in leishmaniasis treatment persists. Previous research has highlighted selenium compounds as promising candidates for innovative leishmaniasis therapy. In light of this, a library of 10 selenium-containing diverse compounds was designed and evaluated in this study. The compounds were subjected to screening against L. amazonensis promastigotes, and their cytotoxicity was assessed in NIH/3T3 cells. Among the tested compounds, MRK-106 and MRK-108 displayed the highest potency against L. amazonensis promastigotes while demonstrating reduced cytotoxicity. Notably, MRK-106 and MRK-108 exhibited IC50 values of 3.97 µM, 4.23 µM, respectively, and most of the tested compounds showed low cytotoxicity in NIH/3T3 cells (CC50 &gt; 200 µM). Although these results are promising, additional investigations focusing on intracellular amastigotes are required to determine the antileishmanial activity of the compounds. In conclusion, the identified selenium-containing compounds hold considerable potential as antileishmanial drug candidates and warrant further exploration in subsequent studies. These findings represent a significant step towards the development of safer and more effective therapies for leishmaniasis, addressing the pressing need for novel and improved treatments.

We present an innovative method harnessing multistability within a diode-pumped erbium-doped fiber laser to construct logic gates. Our approach involves manipulating the intensity of external noise to regulate the probability of transitioning among four concurrent attractors. In this manner, we facilitate the realization of OR, AND, NOT, and NOR logic operations, aligning with the coexisting period-1, period-3, period-4, and period-5 orbits. Employing detrended fluctuation analysis, we establish equilibrium in the probability distributions of these states. The obtained results denote a substantial advancement in the field of optical logic gate development, representing a pivotal stride toward the seamless integration of an all-optical logic gate within laser oscillator-based systems.

An event-based dynamic output feedback control (DOFC) strategy for unmanned marine vehicle (UMV) systems is concerned. The whole UMV systems are composed of an UMV closed-loop system, a land-based control unit and the communication network. To increase the effectiveness of data transmission in the network channel and better enable the control unit against attack, an adaptive event-triggered mechanism (AETM) is applied. Moreover, a quantizer is installed between the sampler and the control unit. The quantizer further reduces the communication burden. The occurrence of aperiodic denial-of-service (DoS) attack is considered in the channel from the control unit to the UMV system. Sufficient criterion for ensuring global exponential stability of system with an expected H∞ disturbance attenuation index is obtained. Co-design of the dynamic output feedback controller and the AETM is derived. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified in the given illustrative simulation. The simulation results indicate that the reduction percentages of yaw angle amplitudes and yaw velocity accumulative error of the UMV system with the control strategy proposed in this paper are 43.2%and 45.9%, respectively, which are 0.3% and 5.8% improvement in both metrics compared to the previously published work.

Irrational belief is a product of complex personality traits and Machiavellianism Intelligence. The present study is conducted to trace the significance of predictive nature of personality characteristics and Machiavellianism Intelligence (Mach Intelligence) on irrational beliefs among chronically ill older people. The research method is cross-sectional with correlational design, purposive sampling with a total of 200 chronically ill older people aged between 40–60 years with disease type such as Systemic lupus erythematosus, Complicated Diabetes, Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Heart Failure. The analysis revealed that personality characteristics and irrational belief subscales such as worrying, rigidity, problem avoidance and Mach Intelligence are significantly positively correlated; however, Emotional irresponsibility has significant negative correlation with personality characteristics and Mach Intelligence. Gender differences revealed that males are high on all the subscales of personality characteristics, irrational beliefs (except emotional irresponsibility) and Mach Intelligence as com-pared to female chronically ill older people. Predictive analysis also revealed that overall personality characteristics explained a total of 67% variance in irrational beliefs. Moreover, Mach Intelligence predicts irrational beliefs. Future health related recommendations should be planned accordingly.

The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer are high in Romania compared to other European countries, particularly for locally advanced cervical cancer cases, which are predominant at the time of diagnosis. Widely accepted therapeutic guidelines indicate that the treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer consists of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (total dose 85-90Gy at point A), with surgery not being necessary as it does not lead to improved survival and results in significant additional morbidity. In Romania, the treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer differs, involving lower-dose chemotherapy (total dose 60-65Gy at point A), followed by surgery which, under these circumstances, ensures better local control. In this regard, we attempted to evaluate the role and necessity of surgery in Romania, considering that in our study, residual lesions were found in 55.84% of cases on resected specimens, especially in cases with unfavorable histology (adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma). This type of surgery was associated with significant morbidity (28.22%) in our study. The recurrence rate was 24.21% for operated patients compared to 62% for non-operated patients receiving suboptimal concurrent chemotherapy alone. In conclusion, In Romania, surgery will continue to play a predominant role until radiotherapy achieves the desired effectiveness for local control.

Cavitation resulting from underwater explosions in compressible multiphase or multicomp-onent flows presents significant challenges due to the dynamic nature of shock-cavitation-structure interactions, as well as the complex and discontinuous nature of the involved interfaces. Achieving accurate resolution of interfaces between different phases or components, in the presence of shocks, cavitating regions, and structural interactions, is crucial for modeling such problems. Furthermore, pressure convergence in simulations involving shock-cavitation-structure interactions requires accurate algorithms. In this research paper, we employ the diffuse interface method, also known as the interface capturing scheme, to investigate cavitation in various underwater explosion test cases near different surfaces; free surface and a rigid surface. The simulations are conducted using the Unstructured Compressible Navier-Stokes (UCNS3D) finite volume framework employing central-weighted essentially non-oscillatory (CWENO) reconstruction schemes, utilising the five-equation diffuse interface family of methods. Quantitative comparisons are made between the performance of both models. Additionally, we examine the effects of cavitation as a secondary loading source on structures, and evaluate the ability of the CWENO schemes to accurately capture and resolve material interfaces between fluids with minimal numerical dissipation or smearing. The results are compared with existing high-order methods and experimental data, where possible, to demonstrate the robustness of the CWENO schemes in simulating cavitation bubble dynamics, as well as their limitations within the current implementation of interface capturing.

Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) can be considered as a time-efficient, joint-friendly and highly customizable training technology that attracts a wide range of users. The present evidence map aimed to provide an overview of different non-athletic cohorts addressed by WB-EMS research. Based on a comprehensive systematic search according to PRISMA, eighty-six eligible longitudinal trials were identified that correspond with our eligibility criteria. In summary, WB-EMS research sufficiently covers all adult age categories in males and females. Most cohorts addressed (58%) were predominately or exclusively overweight/obese and in about 60% of them, diseases or conditions were inclusion criteria for the trials. Cohorts specifically addressed by WB-EMS trials suffer from cancer/neoplasm (n=7), obesity (n=6), diabetes mellitus (n=5), the metabolic syndrome (n=2), nervous system diseases (n=2), chronic heart failure (n=4), stroke (n=1), peripheral arterial diseases (n=2), knee arthrosis (n=1), sarcopenia (n=3), chronic unspecific low back pain (n=4), and osteopenia (n=3). Chronic kidney disease was an eligibility criterion in five WB-EMS trials. Finally, three studies included only critically ill patients, two further studies considered frailty as an inclusion criterion. Of importance, no adverse effects of the WB-EMS intervention were reported. In summary, evidence gaps of WB-EMS research were particular evident for cohorts with diseases of the nervous and cerebrovascular system.

One of the most popular developments today that potentially address security issues with cloud computing is the use of blockchain. Blockchain is a decentralized data management platform that offers data integrity, security, and anonymity without the involvement of a third party. This work presents a comprehensive study of blockchain-based data storage system and their security concerns with their solutions to address these concerns. We provide a thorough overview of how blockchain is used in the cloud computing model to provide security services, and we examine the research trends of blockchain-related technologies in the current cloud computing models. As we examine, we also quickly look into how cloud computing may impact blockchain, particularly the performance enhancements that cloud computing may offer. This paper performs a review of the cutting-edge investigations of the blockchain-based system with a selfish-mining attack and the primary focus on IPFS. We also note their challenges, open issues, and future directions. The findings demonstrate that blockchain offers a productive platform in this area. However, one of the most significant problems that still need more research is security-related issues. The article offers a platform for future research and action as well.

NiO-based nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of interest in view of various applications, that have stimulated the implementation of various synthetic approaches to control their chemico-physical properties as a function of the desired end-use. In this regard, their bottom-up preparation starting from suitable precursors plays an important role, but a molecular level in-sight into their reactivity remains an open challenge. In this study, we focus on the fragmentation of Ni(II) diketonate-diamine adducts, of interest as precursors for Ni(II) oxide systems, by com-bined electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) with multiple collisional experiments (ESI-MSn) and theoretical calculations. The joint analyses revealed common features in the frag-mentation pattern of the target compounds: i) in the first-fragmentation, all three complexes form analogous base-peak cations by losing a negatively charged diketonate; in these cations, Ni-O and Ni-N interactions are stronger and the Ni positive charge is lower than in the neutral complexes; ii) the tendency of ligand electronic charge to migrate towards Ni further increases in the subsequent fragmentation processes, leading to the formation – in all three cases – of a tetracoordinated Ni environment involving an interesting cation-π intramolecular interaction.

Nutrition is one of the most influential environmental factor in both taxonomical shifts in gut microbiota as well as development of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Emerging evidence has shown that the effects of nutrition on both these parameters is not mutually exclusive and that changes in gut microbiota and related metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and branched chain amino acids (BCAA) may influence systemic inflammation and signaling pathways that contribute to pathophysiological processes associated with T2DM. With this background, our review highlights the effects of macronutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, as well as micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, on T2DM, specifically through their alterations in gut microbiota and the metabolites they produce. Additionally, we describe the influences of common food groups, which incorporate varying combinations of these macronutrients and micronutrients, on both microbiota and metabolic parameters in the context of diabetes mellitus. Overall, nutrition is one of the first line modifiable therapies in the management of T2DM and better understanding of the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influence its pathophysiology provides opportunities for optimizing dietary interventions.

The automotive industry has witnessed a significant push towards increased fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. Among many factors influencing overall vehicle efficiency, aerodynamic drag is a critical consideration, accounting for a substantial portion of fuel consumption. Our investigation focused on the drag coefficients of three prominent 2023 passenger car models – the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, and Kia Soul. Using ANSYS Fluent to perform computational fluid dynamics, we demonstrated an inverse correlation between drag force and gas mileage, underlining the significance of aerodynamic design in fuel efficiency. Notably, the Hyundai Elantra emerged as the most aerodynamically efficient of the three vehicles, followed closely by the Toyota Corolla. In contrast, the boxier-designed Kia Soul exhibited significantly higher drag coefficients and drag forces, rendering it the least efficient of the trio. These findings emphasize the importance of environmental factors in car design. Shaping aerodynamic profiles directly impacts fuel efficiency, stability, and overall performance.

In addressing the challenges of data scarcity in biometrics, this study explores the generation of synthetic palmprint images as an efficient, cost effective, and privacy preserving alternative to real-world data reliance. Traditional methods for synthetic biometric image creation primarily involve orientation modifications and filter applications, with no established method specific to palmprints. We introduced the utilization of the “Style-based generator”, StyleGAN2-ADA, from the StyleGAN series, renowned for generating high-quality images. Furthermore, we explore the capabilities of its successor, StyleGAN3, which boasts enhanced image generation, facilitating smooth and realistic transitions. By comparing the performance of StyleGAN3 on public dataset, we aim to establish the most efficient generative model for this purpose. Evaluations were conducted using the SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform) algorithm into our evaluation framework. Preliminary findings suggest that StyleGAN3 offers superior generative capabilities, enhancing equivariance in synthetic palmprint generation.

With the emergence of Advance Logistics, the logistics industry has witnessed significant advancements, leading to a greater reliance on intelligent technologies. These technologies play a crucial role in gathering and transmitting logistics data, but they also introduce security and privacy risks to logistics management systems. The sharing of customer-sensitive information among stakeholders for efficient operations becomes vulnerable to unauthorized access, thus compromising privacy. This, amongst others, is a critical problem that needs to be addressed. The unique features of a cryptographic hash function, including immutability, efficient verification, and anonymity, make it a transformative technology that has the potential to address the mentioned challenges in various sectors. This disruptive technology offers solutions by ensuring data integrity, enabling quick verification, and preserving privacy. The findings suggest that employing Cryptographic Hash Functions to share customer data among logistics partners offers robust protection against cyber-attacks. The proposed system guarantees asset security, and as demonstrated by the case study evaluation, exhibits strong resilience in safeguarding against various security and privacy threats. Although this study is significant, it does have limitations. One of these limitations is the considerable overlap between logistics research and supply chain management (SCM). While our focus was on logistics tasks, we did not extensively delve into the broader context of SCM

Cancer have been known as a most important global mortality reason, which in spite of novel therapeutic ways, the leading death is still considerable. Molecular targeted diagnosis and therapy using aptamers with high affinity have converted to a popular technique for pathological angiogenesis and cancer therapy scientists. In this paper several aptamer-based diagnostic and therapeutic techniques such as aptamer-nanomaterial conjugation, aptamer-drug conjugation (physically or covalently) and biosensors, which successfully designed for biomarkers, are critically reviewed. The results obviously demonstrated that aptamer have potentially incorporated with targeted delivery systems and biosensors for detection of biomarkers which expressed by cancer cells. Aptamer-based therapeutic and diagnostic methods, as the main field of medical sciences, possess high potential in cancer therapy, pathological angiogenesis and increase of community health. The clinical use of aptamer is so limited due to unreliability resulted from targets impurities, inaccuracy in SELEX stages process, and in vitro synthesis which led to the lower selectivity for in vivo targets. Moreover, size behavior, probable toxicity, low-distribution and unpredictable behavior of nanomaterials in in vivo media make critical their usage in clinical assays. This review can be helpful for implementation and designing the future studies which are effective and applicable for clinical use.

Background: Thyroid nodules are common, affecting nearly 65% of the general population. While they are widespread, it's crucial to recognize that the majority of these nodules are not cancerous and can be effectively managed through careful monitoring. Thyroid ultrasound is commonly used to evaluate thyroid nodules owing to its low cost, wide availability and technical ease of application. In sonography, it's crucial to assess characteristics and vascular flow. Yet, conventional color and power Doppler ultrasound may not always effectively capture small vessels and low velocities due to their limitations. Superior Microvascular Imaging can display the blood flow of small vessels and low-velocity blood flow, which is difficult to visualize with conventional Doppler ultrasound. Meanwhile other thyroid scans, that utilize either [99mTc] pertechnetate or (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose, can categorize nodules as hyperactive ('hot'), exhibiting normal activity ('warm'), or having reduced/no activity ('cold'). Thus, the main goal of screening and tracking thyroid nodules is to improve the management of potentially worrisome thyroid malignancies. Methodology: The study was conducted within the structural framework of a network meta-analysis, with the index tests being - SMI, Radionuclide Scanning and Color Doppler, and the general link between them being the reference gold standard. The data collection involved searching for all pertinent literature using PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library databases. The essential data was extracted following the application of specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.This meta-analysis included 7 RCTs with 1,152 patients for Radionuclide Scanning, 10 RCTs with 1,847 patients for SMI and 8 RCTs with 4,480 patients for Color Doppler. They were analyzed using the QualSyst tool and the risk of bias was evaluated by using QUADAS-2 analysis.The statistical software packages MetaDiSc 1.4, RevMan (Review Manager, version 5.3), SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20) and Excel in Stata 14 were used to perform the statistical analyses. Result: According to the findings, the sensitivity for Radionuclide Scanning is calculated as 0.79 (range: 0.76 to 0.81) and specificity as 0.55 (range: 0.50 to 0.60) with a 95% confidence interval. The overall diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) for Radionuclide Scanning Is 10.54.Additionally, with a 95% confidence interval, SMI exhibits a sensitivity of 0.82 (with a range of 0.79 to 0.84) and a specificity of 0.86 (with a range of 0.84 to 0.88), while the overall DOR is approximately 25.73. Color Doppler demonstrates a calculated sensitivity of 0.71 (ranging from 0.69 to 0.74) and specificity of 0.81 (ranging from 0.79 to 0.83) with a 95% confidence interval, while its DOR is 13.48.Conclusion: As evidenced by this meta-analysis, blood flow dependent imaging techniques are superior in their abilities to be used as diagnostic tests, especially in conjunction with their use in detecting thyroid nodules. This study offers a starting point for delving deeper into the utilization of Radionuclide Imaging, Superior Microvascular Imaging and Color Doppler in diagnosing thyroid nodules in a clinical setting. Key Words: - Thyroid Nodule, Radionuclide Scanning, Superior Microvascular Imaging, Color Doppler Diagnosis, Sensitivity, Specificity, Diagnostic imaging

The assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in Thalassemia offers a holistic approach to the disease and facilitates better communication between physicians and patients. This study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL of Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia (TDT) patients in Greece. This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study conducted in 2017, involving 283 adult TDT patients. All participants completed a set of two QoL questionnaires, the generic SF-36v2 and the disease-specific TranQol. Demographic and clinical characteristics were used to predefine patient subgroups. Significant factors identified in univariate analysis were entered into a multivariate analysis to assess their effect on HRQoL. The SF-36 scores of TDT patients were consistently lower, compared to the general population in Greece. The mean summary score of TranQol was relatively high (71±14%), exceeding levels observed in national surveys in other countries. Employment emerged as the most significant independent factor associated with better HRQoL, whereas age had the most significant negative effect. This study represents the first comprehensive QoL assessment in a representative sample of the TDT population in Greece. The implementation of TranQol allowed for the quantification of HRQoL in Greece, establishing a baseline for future follow-up, and identifying more vulnerable patient subgroups.

Purpose: Understanding how older adults perceive and interpret emotional cues in speech prosody contributes to our knowledge of cognitive aging. This study provides a systematic review with meta-analysis to investigate the extent of the decline in affective prosody recognition (APR) among older adults in terms of overall and emotion-specific performance and explore potential moderators that may cause between-study heterogeneity. Method: Incorporated into the literature search were six electronic databases, with a specific emphasis on studies comparing the APR performance of older adults with that of younger adults. This comparison was focused on basic emotions. Meta-regression analyses were executed to pinpoint potential moderators related to demographic and methodological characteristics. Results: A total of 19 studies were included in the meta-analysis, involving 560 older adults with a mean age of 69.15 years. The findings indicated a substantial negative effect size (g = －1.21). Furthermore, the magnitude of aggregated effect sizes showed a distinct valence-related recognition pattern with positive prosody exhibiting smaller effect sizes. Years of education were found to moderate the overall performance effect estimate while age and gender significantly influenced the effect estimate of happiness. Conclusions: The results confirmed a significant decline in APR ability among older adults, but this decline was unbalanced across basic emotions. Educational level emerged as a significant factor influencing APR ability. Moreover, participants with a higher mean age exhibited notably poorer performance in recognizing happy prosody. These findings underscore the need to further investigate the neurobiological mechanisms for APR decline associated with aging.

Bone is the second most frequent site of metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Bone metastases (BM) occurs in about 10% of all patients with DTC. They are more frequently observed in follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) (7-28%), than in thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) (1-7%) [1,2] and are associated to unfavorable clinical out-comes, mainly related to skeletal related events (SREs), such as pathologic fractures, bone pain, spinal cord compressions and hypercalcemia, which impair the quality of life and reduce life expectancy. BM from DTC require multimodal and comprehensive treatment, including radioiodine therapy (RAI), palliative treatment, surgical treatment, external beam radiation and target drug therapy. RAI is the first line treatment, but about two thirds of DTC patients with distant metastases are not definitively cured. This treatment is considered less effective in BM particularly in case of large metastases. The different response to RAI treatment alone or associated to BM focal treatment depends to RAI avidity of lesions [3]. We report the rare case of an excellent response to RAI of a metachronous bone metastasis of skull from FTC, in a 72 yrs old woman, diagnosed 15 years after the first treatment, followed by a complete regression of radioiodine up-taking area with persistence of excellent response to the treatment six years after it. This case confirms that the complete BM response to RAI treatment depends to the degree of dedifferentiation of cancers cells and enforce the concept of a long- life follow-up of FTC patients.

Moving object detection plays a crucial role in various applications, particularly in traffic surveillance and collision warning systems. However, the high cost of training and slow detection pose significant challenges to the practicality and real-time performance of existing methods. These challenges hinder the practicality and real-time performance of existing methods. The need for a reliable and efficient moving object detection system prompts the search for cost-effective strategies. Enhancing detection speed without sacrificing accuracy is crucial for real-time applications. Overcoming these challenges is essential to advance the field of moving object detection and improve its applicability in various domains. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature on moving object detection, proposes novel strategies to overcome the challenges of high training costs and slow detection. The study emphasizes the importance of reliable speed monitoring systems and advancements in control systems to enhance driver assistance on urban highways. Each frame in the dataset undergoes YOLOv6 processing to detect and classify objects, generating bounding box predictions and class probabilities. Optical flow, specifically the Lucas-Kanade method, is then utilized to compute motion vectors between consecutive frames. These motion vectors facilitate object tracking across frames, enabling refined bounding box positions and improving overall object tracking accuracy. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique in reducing training costs, improving detection speed, and maintaining a high level of accuracy when compared to existing methods. The paper concludes by summarizing the findings and highlighting the potential of the proposed strategy for precise and reliable moving object recognition in real-world traffic scenarios

Background: In Malaysia, the mortality from melioidosis infection was reported to be higher than in other infectious diseases. The research on melioidosis is still limited in Malaysia but slightly increasing. Objective: To give an overview of the study designs, statistical methods and comparison of research in identifying the predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia between January 2010 to December 2021. This review articles were divided into two sections; Section 1: Review of literature and Section 2: Findings on predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia. Data sources: Pubmed/Medline. Study Eligibility Criteria: Original English-language articles were abstracted. The articles that identified the predictors of melioidosis from mortality in Malaysia only included. Letters to the editor, editorials, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, case reports and any other ineligible articles were excluded. Results: A total of 7 studies were identified related to predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia. From the selected articles, all of the data were retrospectively collected. Six out of 7 articles (85.7%) used the logistic regression in identifying the predictors of melioidosis mortality. Only 1 (14.3%) used advanced survival analysis methods of Cox regression analysis. Conclusion: Logistic regression methods remain the most common methods of analysis in publications on predictors of melioidosis mortality in Malaysia while retrospective research designs are favoured. There is a limitation of research in predictors of melioidosis mortality and the use of advanced statistical techniques reported using the melioidosis data in Malaysia. More published research on melioidosis will provide input to the clinicians on a more detailed understanding of how to improve the diagnosis of melioidosis and the prognosis factors of this disease.

Aim: Nepal’s medicinal plants are culturally important and have diverse benefits. Senna alata belongs to the family Leguminosae and is a valuable plant utilized for medicinal and ornamental purposes. The aim of the research was to extract Senna alata leaves by successive maceration with various solvents. Methods: In this study, various methods were utilized to evaluate phytochemistry, overall phenolic and flavonoid content, in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity assay, anti-thrombolytic activity, and antibacterial activities. Results: The extractive values of Senna alata were determined as 1.58%, 0.78%, and 5.92% in hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed major compounds such as 3-Methylmannoside, Neophytadiene, Campesterol, and Vitamin E in the leaf extract. Qualitative phytochemical screening verified the tannin content, carbohydrates, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, and saponins in the methanol extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid values were 46.36±4.5 mg GAE/gm and 480.4±3.055 QE/gm of dried extract, respectively. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, with IC50 values of 29.81 and 9.93, respectively. Furthermore, it demonstrated cytotoxic activity with an LC50 value of 767.85 in the brine shrimp bioassay. In terms of thrombolytic activity, the extract showed clot lysis percentages of 7.89% and 10.13% at concentrations of 10 mg/ml and 25 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the methanolic extract of Senna alata leaves displayed therapeutic potential, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, and antibacterial effects. The existence of several chemicals via GC-MS analysis also verified plant's potential for therapeutic use.

In the context of inclusive education, digitalization in higher education is designed to promote the ideals of cultural diversity, social inclusivity, and sustainable development through technological means. This study explores the strategies and practices of digitalization in achieving inclusive education goals in higher education, aiming to provide theoretical and empirical foundations for education policymakers, teachers, and technology developers. This study adopts a mixed-methods research design, combining quantitative and qualitative data analysis to assess the current state of digitalization in higher education from various perspectives, particularly its effectiveness in advancing educational inclusivity. Through surveys, in-depth interviews, and case studies, data were collected from teachers, students, and administrative personnel to reveal opportunities and challenges in digital education resources and practices. The results show that while digitalization has improved the accessibility of educational resources, facilitated information sharing and cultural exchange, there are still numerous challenges, such as unequal technology access, insufficient cultural sensitivity in content, and issues related to the depth and quality of online interactions. Furthermore, the study identifies key factors supporting inclusive education, including cross-cultural curriculum design, teacher professional development, and students' critical use of digital tools. Finally, the paper presents a series of strategic recommendations, including the development of multicultural education platforms, strengthening teacher training, and building an inclusive digital environment. These recommendations aim to promote a more coordinated and inclusive higher education digital ecosystem that emphasizes not only technological innovation but also humanistic care and social responsibility. Through these measures, digitalization in higher education can better serve individual growth and comprehensive societal development.

The main objective of this this cross-sectional study was to analyze the influence of lifestyle fac-tors (diet, physical activity, sleep), which can affect the concentrations of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and SCFAs potential role in modulating cardiometabolic disease risk by interact-ing with biochemical and body composition parameters. The study comprised 77 healthy, non-obese individuals, aged 30-45 years who were assessed in the light of SCFAs concentration in stool, diet, physical activity level and sleep duration. Moreover, body composition measurement and patients’ biochemical parameters were included in the analysis. We have indicated a signifi-cant negative correlation between several SCFAs [especially acetic acid (AA), isobutyric acid (IBA), butyric acid (BA), isovaleric acid (IVA) and valeric acid (VA)] with BMI, VAT/SAT ratio (visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio) and percentage of fat mass in a group of females enrolled in the study as well as with waist circumference (WC) in case of both sexes included in the study. Moreover, the results of our study acknowledged the importance of a diet in shaping SCFAs pro-file - we noticed the significant negative associations between energy and fat intake and some SCFAs in males [IBA, IVA, VA, isocaproic acid (ICA)]. In terms of fiber intake, we noticed elevat-ed concentrations of vast majority of SCFAs and amount of SCFAs in total in case of both sexes included in the study. These strong correlations reflect the fact that diet shapes the composition of the gut microbiota and SCFAs (main microbial metabolites) are synthesized from dietary fiber. Furthermore, we noticed that in a group of women, the concentration of AA, propionic acid (PA) and ICA as well as the total concentration of SCFAs showed a significant positive association with their sleep duration. We concluded that SCFAs can have a potential role in modulating car-diometabolic disease risk by interacting with adiposity parameters and diet. In addition, this potential direct link between diet and SCFAs may at least partly contribute to sleep improvement.

Zidovudine (AZT) has significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity rates among AIDS patients, but it has been associated with hepatotoxicity. AZT treatment has been linked to disrupted lipid and glucose metabolism, and the enhancement of pro-inflammatory chemokines and other mediators, which can lead to liver steatosis. In contrast, the administration of adenosine (ADO) has proven to be an effective hepatoprotector against both acute and chronic liver damage. Therefore, present study was aimed to investigate the harmful effects of chronic AZT administration and the beneficial effects of the co-administered ADO. Chronic oral AZT administration did not induce hyperglycemia or dyslipidemia, but serum liver marker enzyme activities were increased, as well as evidence of liver steatosis and inflammation. These findings were associated with low insulin and glucagon levels, elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and disruptions in cell redox states in these animals. ADO co-administration attenuated the deleterious effects induced by AZT: blocking the production of inflammatory molecules, increasing serum insulin and glucagon levels, and restoring liver cellular redox state. Then, blood insulin levels seemed to be greatly influenced by the cellular redox state, which was altered by AZT administration. This alteration is likely to be connected to mitochondrial integrity and metabolism.

Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) is a ecologically important species in the forest ecosystem of the Qilian Mountains region in China. Natural regeneration of this species is critical to maintaining forest ecosystem function. We here analyzed several biological indicators among naturally re-generating Qinghai spruce across several elevations in the Pailugou watershed. Specifically, seedling density, basal diameter (BD), and plant height were measured, as were soil physico-chemical parameters, at 2700 m, 3000 m, and 3300 m above sea level. Differences in the biological indicators and correlations between the indicators and soil parameters were then assessed at each elevation. The results showed that soil stoichiometry was more sensitive to changes in el-evation than seedling indicators were. Furthermore, seedling density was positively correlated with soil pH, whereas BD was positively correlated with the carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N), the carbon to phosphorus ratio, and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents. None of the analyzed soil parameters had a significant impact on elevation-specific differences in seedling density. However, soil pH, SOC, and C/N significantly affected variations in seedling diameter at each elevation. Finally, soil pH, SOC, C/N, and the carbon to phosphorus ratio significantly affected variations in seed-ling height at each elevation. This study provides a strong theoretical basis for further under-standing of the mechanisms associated with Qinghai spruce regeneration, ulti-mately contrib-uting to rational protection and management strategies for this important natural resource.

The limits for recording weak signals for electrochemical seismic sensors are determined by their self-noise. At the same time, the noise nature is complex and not fully understood. In this work, for the first time, in addition to the frequency dependences of the noise amplitude, the difference in the phases of the noise currents of the cathodes of an electrochemical sensor has been studied. It has been established that at low frequencies the cathode currents change in an-tiphase. As the frequency increases, the phase difference becomes random. At the same time, the frequency at which the phase difference changes depend on the interelectrode distance; the clos-er the electrodes are located to each other, the greater it is. Physically, this effect is explained by the transition from noise caused by the integral flow of the working fluid to noise associated with vortex flows, the size of which depends on frequency. Thus, a new way of studying noise makes it possible to identify its physical nature and develop new methods of reduction.

The work presented in this paper makes multiple scientific contributions with a specific focus on the analysis of misinformation about COVID-19 on YouTube. First, the results of topic modeling performed on the video descriptions of YouTube videos containing misinformation about COVID-19 revealed four distinct themes or focus areas - Promotion and Outreach Efforts, Treatment for COVID-19, Conspiracy Theories regarding COVID-19, and COVID-19 and Politics. Second, the results of topic-specific sentiment analysis revealed the sentiment associated with each of these themes. For the videos belonging to the theme of Promotion and Outreach Efforts, 45.8% were neutral, 39.8% were positive, and 14.4% were negative, for the videos belonging to the theme of Treatment for COVID-19, 38.113% were positive, 31.343% were neutral, and 30.544% were negative, for the videos belonging to the theme of Conspiracy Theories regarding COVID-19, 46.9% were positive, 31.0% were neutral, and 22.1% were negative, and for the videos belonging to the theme of COVID-19 and Politics, 35.70% were positive, 32.86% were negative, and 31.44% were negative. Third, topic-specific language analysis was performed to detect the various languages in which the video descriptions per topic were published on YouTube. This analysis revealed multiple novel insights. For instance, for all the themes, English and Spanish were the most widely used and second-most widely used languages, respectively. Fourth, the patterns of sharing these videos on other social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter were also investigated. The results revealed that videos containing video descriptions in English were shared the highest number of times on Facebook and Twitter. Finally, correlation analysis was performed by taking into account multiple characteristics of these videos. The results revealed that the correlation between the length of the video title and the number of Tweets as well as the correlation between the length of the video title and the number of Facebook posts was statistically significant.

Background: Breast cancer is a commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Human MutT homolog 1 (MTH1) is found to be elevated in breast tumors and cancer cells are addicted to MTH1 for sur-vival. Pharmacological inhibition of MTH1 may be potentially beneficial in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods: MA-24 was screened by malachite green colorimetric assay from MTH1 inhibitors and the kinetic characteristics of MA-24 was assessed. Binding features of MA-24 with MTH1 was as-certained through molecular docking, and cytotoxic activity of MA-24 was validated in vitro and in vivo. Target engagement assays, comet assay and western blot confirmed that the intracellular target and mechanism of MA-24. Results: MA-24 with potent antitumor bioactivity both in vitro and in vivo. MA-24 competitively inhibited the MTH1 and further induce DNA strand breaks, leading to increased apoptosis of cancer cells depending on upregulation of cleaved-caspase 3 – cleaved-PARP axis. Especially, MA-24 exhibited a powerful efficacy and safety in vivo (tumor growth inhibition rate: 61.8%). Conclusions: MA-24 possesses a broad spectrum of breast cancer cytotoxicity and offered valuable insights for overcoming the challenges of chemotherapy-related toxicity, which holds great po-tential for further development MA-24 as an anti-cancer drug.

Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (Apiaceae), popularly known as parsley, is a ubiquitous aromatic herb used for culinary and medicinal purposes worldwide. Besides the richness in nutrients, sev-eral bioactive secondary metabolites, especially the flavone apigenin and its glycosides, have been described in the species. Parsley has already been shown to have several health-promoting activi-ties, such as antithrombotic, antihypertensive, and hypolipidemic. The multiple studies conducted in animal models so far suggest the species is a potential source of cardioprotective agents. This review provides up to date information and perspectives on the potential of parsley and its bioac-tive compounds for the development of nutraceutical products and drugs for the promotion of cardiovascular health. It includes not only a discussion on reported bioactivities, but also the knowledge of supplements and food additives developed as innovative parsley-based products.

Klebsiella pneumoniae complex is one of the most commonly isolated bacteria within human infections. These microorganisms are opportunistic pathogens that pose a serious threat to public health due to possibility of transmission in the human population. Resistance to carbapenems is one of the most important antimicrobials resistance mechanisms amongst them. In this situation therapeutic options are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate fosfomycin, colistin, ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem-vaborbactam in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae complex strains. The study involved 160 strains of Gram-negative rods: K. pneumoniae – 138 and K. variicola - 22. Minimal inhibitory concentration of fosfomycin was estimated by agar dilution method and for colistin by microdilution method. The susceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem-vaborbactam was determined by gradient strip method. All of the analysed K. pneumoniae complex isolates produced extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and 60.0% carbapenemases. The most of the analysed strains were susceptible to fosfomycin and colistin (62.5%). Among pandrug-resistant K. pneumoniae complex isolates the most were susceptible to colistin (43.9%). Fosfomycin has good activity against ESBL- and VIM-positive isolates from this complex. In turn, colistin has satisfactory in vitro activity against KPC- and VIM-positive isolates from K. pneumoniae complex. Ceftazidime-avibactam has good activity against K. pneumoniae complex strains producing ESBL, KPC and OXA enzymes. In turn, meropenem-vaborbactam has satisfactory in vitro activity against ESBL- and KPC-positive isolates from this complex.

The red fox, found on all continents except Antarctica, occupies diverse habitats. In Croatia it is an indigenous wild species with a population density of 0.7 animals per square kilometer. While tumors in wild animals from the Canidae family are scarce, the true prevalence and diversity of tumors are likely underestimated due to limited research. So far, a limited number of tumors were observed among the red fox population, either in their natural habitat or in captivity. As part of the National rabies control program, we examined 1,890 red fox carcasses over a four-year period. Our focus was on identifying abnormalities on the skin and internal organs that suggest potential neoplastic proliferation. Five red foxes, three males and two females, were found to have growths resembling potential tumors. Their age distribution spanned from 2 to 7 years. Microscopic investigation revealed two collagenous hamartomas, two Meibomian gland adenomas and one intra-abdominal teratoma within a cryptorchid testis. This retrospective study aims to provide a comprehensive description of tumor and tumor-like lesions observed in free-range red foxes from Croatia, marking the first research of its kind in Croatia.

Over the last few decades, there is a remarkable increase in air traffic worldwide; however, despite of rapid technological development and improved airport infrastructure, there is still an increasing number of aviation accidents and fatalities. In order to meet safety demands of Air Traffic Control (ATC), Machine Learning (ML) based aircraft conflict detection techniques are focused to predict events before they come to reality. This research presents a systematic literature review (SLR) about the applications of ML techniques in safety prediction of ATC system. Initially, the existing aircraft conflict prediction models are classified into three broad categories; logical, geometric and probabilistic. A formal process of SLR is then conducted which is initiated with preprocessing and effective searching. A series of filtering called title, abstract and objective-based are then applied to extract the most relevant articles. Detailed and critical reviews of selected articles are performed to identify challenges which are segregated into dataset, model and evaluation techniques, furthermore, the optimal solutions for each are proposed. Finally the matrices to map the identified challenged with their proposed solutions are constructed. This research serves as a foundation for future research and towards integration of ML based safety prediction techniques into modern ATC system.

The introduction of three single nucleotide mutations into the genome of the virulent RVFV ZH548 strain allows the rescue of a fully attenuated virus in mice (ZH548-rA2). These mutations are located in the viral genes encoding the RdRp and the non-structural protein NSs. This paper shows the results obtained after subcutaneous inoculation of ZH548-rA2 in adult sheep and subsequent challenge with the parental virus (ZH548-rC1). Inoculation with ZH548-rA2 virus caused no detectable clinical or pathological effect in sheep, whereas inoculation of the parental rC1 virus caused lesions compatible with viral infection characterized by the presence of scattered hepatic necrosis. Viral infection was confirmed by immunohistochemistry, with hepatocytes within the necrotic foci appearing as the main cells immunolabelled against viral antigen. Furthermore, inoculation of sheep with rA2 virus prevented the liver damage expected after rC1 virus inoculation, suggesting a protective efficacy in sheep which correlated with the induction of both humoral and cell mediated immune responses.

The rapid and accurate detection of parasites is crucial for timely curative intervention in parasitosis and for epidemiological surveillance. To meet the needs of clinical diagnosis, it is imperative to develop a diagnostic tool based on nucleic acid that combines the sensitivity and specificity of established nucleic acid amplifica-tion tests with the speed, cost-effectiveness, and convenience of isothermal amplification methods. A new nu-cleic acid detection method, utilizing the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas) nuclease, holds promise for point-of-care testing. Specifically, the CRISPR-Cas12a system has demonstrated numerous advantages for detecting parasites, with hopeful outcomes for identify-ing malaria, toxoplasmosis, and other parasitic ailments. This review provides an overview of how CRISPR-Cas12a can be utilized for parasite detection, evaluates its advantages and disadvantages, and sug-gests ways to improve the efficiency and sensitivity of CRISPR-Cas12a-based assays.

Melon pest management relies on the excessive application of pesticides. Reducing pesticide spraying has become a global issue for environmental sustainability and human health. Therefore, developing a new cropping system that is sustainable and eco-friendly is important. This study found that melon seedlings irrigated with ultrafine water containing H2 and O2 (UFW) produced more root hairs, increased shoot height, and produced more flowers than the control irrigated with reverse osmosis (RO) water. Surprisingly, we also discovered that UFW irrigation significantly reduced aphid infestation in melon. Based on cryo-scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM) observations, UFW treatment enhanced trichome development and prevented aphid infestation. To investigate whether it was H2 or O2 that helped to deter insect infestation, we prepared UF water enrichment of H2 (UF+H2) and O2 (UF+O2) separately and irrigated melons. Cryo-SEM results indicated that both UF+H2 and UF+O2 can increase the density of trichomes in melon leaves and petioles. RT-qPCR showed that UF+H2 significantly increased the gene expression level of the trichome-related gene GLABRA2 (GL2). We planted melons in a plastic greenhouse and irrigated them with ultrafine water enrichment of hydrogen (UF+H2) and oxygen (UF+O2). The SPAD value, photosynthetic parameters, root weight, fruit weight, and fruit sweetness were all better than the control without ultrafine water irrigation. UFW significantly increased trichome development, enhanced insect resistance, and improved fruit traits. This system thus provides useful water management for pest control and sustainable agricultural production.

Butadiene-Styrene copolymer (SBS) to improve the mechanical and deformation properties of the binder used in its manufacture. However, the high cost and variability of processing limit its performance. A secondary modifier to solve these problems is nano and micro materials that allow the generation of unique properties in polymeric systems. Based on this, this study experimented with fly ash micro filler ((FA) in low proportions as a binder modifier with SBS for use in PA mixes. The FA residue is considered in 3% and 5% dosages on a base binder with 5% SBS. Rheological results show that FA improves classical, linear viscoelastic (LVE), and progressive damage properties compared to the modified binder. The PA blends with FA reduced binder runout, resulting in a thicker film, showing better abrasion resistance in dry and wet conditions. Samples with FA increase the post-cracking energy in indirect tension due to higher ductility. However, they decrease the fracture energy due to higher cracking before failure. In addition, the FA manages to decrease the difference between dry and wet ITS.

Red cabbage (RC), a cruciferous vegetable rich in various bioactive substances, can significantly reduce the risk factors of several chronic metabolic diseases, but its mechanism remains clear. Given that the relationship between diet, gut microbiota and health, a diet -induced mice obesity model was used to elucidate the effects of RC on gut microbial composition and interactions in mice. After 24-hour dietary intervention, high-fat (HF) diet and intake of RC led to increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratios in the feces of mice. RC also reduced the relative abundance of Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and Akkermansia muciniphila in mice fed low fat (LF) diet. After 8-weeks dietary intervention, RC significantly changed the structure and the ecological network of gut microbial community. Particularly, RC inhibited an HF-diet induced increase of AF12 in mice, and this genus was positively correlated with body weight, low-density lipoprotein level and fecal bile acid of mice. Unclassified Clostridiales, specifically increased by RC consumption, was also found to negatively correlate with hepatic free cholesterol levels in mice. Overall, our results demonstrated that RC modulation of gut microbial composition and interactions is associated with the attenuation of HF diet-induced body weight gain and altered cholesterol metabolism of mice.

Polygonum sibiricum is a traditional Chinese food and medicine homologues with multiple active ingredients and extensive bioactive effects. Polygonum sibiricum polysaccharides (PSP) are one of the main active ingredients with the antidepressant activity, meanwhile the specific mechanisms of its action are still unclear. Recently, it is recognized by researchers that microglia play a double-edged role in neuroinflammation and the transformation of M1/M2 microglial phenotypes appears to be a potential therapeutic strategy in depression. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effects of PSP on microglial M1/M2 polarization and the molecular mechanisms were studied based on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cell activation model. The results show that PSP significantly inhibited NO and LDH release and reduced ROS levels in LPS-induced BV2 cells. PSP could significantly reduce the protein expression level of Iba-1, decreased the mRNA levels of TNF-, IL-1 and IL-6, increased the mRNA level of IL-10. PSP also significantly reduced the protein expression level of CD16/32 and increased it of CD206, reduced the mRNA level and fluorescence intensity of iNOS and increased them of Arg-1. However, PSP pretreatment reversed the alterations of BDNF/TrkB/CREB and Notch/Hes1 pathways in LPS-induced BV2 cells. These results suggested that PSP exerted the anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting M1 phenotype polarization and promoting microglia polarization toward M2 phenotype, and its regulation of microglia M1/M2 polarization may be associated with modulating the BDNF/TrkB/CREB and Notch/Hes1 pathways.

Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) present a major threat to public health, demanding precise diagnostic techniques their detection. Discrepancies among CPO tests have raised concerns, partly due to limitations in detecting bacterial diversity within host/specimen. We explored the impact of unbiased colony selection on carbapenemase testing and assessed its relevance on various tests. Based on "FirstAll" for unbiased colony selection to reduce bias, we compared modified carbapenem inactivation method/EDTA-modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM/eCIM), Carba5, the CPO panel, and multiplex PCR (M-PCR). Initially, we compared FirstAll to conventional colony selection for mCIM. Second, we used M-PCR as a reference, to evaluate test performance across seven CPO species. The results revealed that FirstAll selection improved carbapenemase detection, revising false-negative in 10.5% of K. pneumoniae isolates. In addition, 12.4% of CPOs tested positive for multiple carbapenemase genes. Both the Carba5 test and CPO panel showed suboptimal performance (sensitivity/specificity: Carba5 75.5%/89.0%, CPO panel 78.1%/74.0%). Carba5 test provided specific carbapenemase class assignments but CPO panel failed in 20.3% of cases. Carba5 test and the CPO panel results correlated well with ceftazidime-avibactam minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Concordance for class A/D with MICs was 88.3% for Carba5 and 92.0% for the CPO panel; whereas for class B, it was 86.5% for Carba5 and 76.2% for the CPO panel. In conclusion, FirstAll as the unbiased colony selection impacted carbapenemase testing. With FirstAll, the diagnostic performance of either Carba5 or the CPO panel was compromised. The utilization of ceftazidime-avibactam guided by either the CPO panel or Carba5 was appropriate.

Shrews (Soricidae) are common small wild mammals with a significant overlap in their habitats with humans and domestic animals. Currently, viruses from 24 families have been identified in shrews, including Adenoviridae, Arenaviridae, Arteriviridae, Astroviridae, Bornaviridae, Caliciviridae, Circoviridae, Coronaviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Hantaviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Hepeviridae, Nairoviridae, Orthoherpesviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, Phenuiviridae, Picornaviridae, Polyomaviridae, Poxviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Sedoreoviridae, and Spinareoviridae, which pose potential threats to humans and domestic animals. This review compiled fundamental information about shrews and provided a comprehensive summary of the viruses that have been detected in shrews, with the aim to facilitating a deeper understanding of shrews and the diversity and risks of their viruses for researchers and the general public.

Knowledge about the genesis and evolution of black soils in the Eastern Mediterranean is vital for sustainable land management. In this study, the black soils that currently occur in the Eastern Mediterranean were analyzed in different bioclimatic zones and were found to genetically be long to three soil types: 1-Calcareous black soils (Rendzina, Para-Rendzina) (Rendzic or Somerirendzic Leptosols -Typic Rendolls or Lithic Rendolls), 2-Hydromorphic black soils (Calcic Chernozems -Haploxerolls). 3- Black soils on Basalt (Somerirendzic Leptosols) (Haploxerolls). The impact of the relief was obvious on both the thickness of the solum and the mollic horizon. Rendzina occurs on the toe and feet slope, Para-Rendzina on the shoulders, and Chernozems on a flat plain. The color of the epipedon in Rendzina reflects the origin of the prevailing parent material from which they are derived: Proper Rendzina found on limestone, chalk, sandstone, conglomerate, and claystone; Reddish Rendzina on Dolomite and hard limestone, and Grayish Rendzina on Serpentine. It was also found that the Hydromorphic black soils only occur on calcic marl and lacustrine deposits in the depressions arising from the Dead Sea faults under saturation or bad drainage conditions. This soil has a thick, dark mollic horizon and high organic matter content.

Galectins play a role in lung cancer oncogenic pathways including apoptosis, t-cell immune responses, and tumor metastasis. Biomarkers that diagnose, prognose, and assist with treatment remain important, and galectins represent biomarkers that have the potential to impact lung cancer management through these pathways. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) we examined galectin-1, -3, and -9 levels from lung cancer patient serum. Through comprehensive chart review: patient demographics, staging information, tumor biology, treatment data, and outcomes including overall survival (OS) and metastasis were retrospectively collected. Galectin levels were then compared to these numerous factors. Galectin-1, -3, and -9 levels did not correlate with cancer stage, however galectin-3 levels were lower in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and squamous cell lung cancer than in adenocarcinoma. There was no correlation between galectin levels and previous treatment or future metastasis. Patients that had an abnormal galectin-1 level had decreased OS. Furthermore, patients with curative surgically resectable NSCLC with abnormal galectin-1 levels had decreased OS, but there was no difference in those with SCLC or that were non-resectable treated palliatively. These findings provide insight into galectin levels in various lung cancer histology and highlight the potential for galectin-1 to assist in prognosis of surgically resectable NSCLC.