Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an inherited myopathy, characterized by progressive and asymmetric muscle atrophy, primarily affecting muscles of the face, shoulder girdle, and upper arms before affecting muscles of the lower extremities with age and greater disease severity. FSHD is a disabling condition, and patients may also present with various extramuscular symptoms. FSHD is caused by the aberrant expression of double homeobox 4 (DUX4) in adult skeletal muscle, arising from compromised epigenetic repression of the D4Z4 array. DUX4 encodes the DUX4 protein, a transcription factor that activates myotoxic gene programs to produce the FSHD pathology. Therefore, sequence-specific oligonucleotides aimed at reducing DUX4 levels in patients is a compelling therapeutic approach, and one that has received considerable research interest over the last decade. This review aims to describe the current preclinical landscape of oligonucleotide therapies for FSHD. This includes outlining the mechanism of action of each therapy and summarizing the preclinical results obtained regarding their efficacy in cellular and/or murine disease models. The scope of this review is limited to oligonucleotide-based therapies that inhibit the DUX4 gene, mRNA, or protein in a way that does not involve gene editing.

HIV infection is a nowadays pathology that affect persons from all of the world. Pathogenesis of the HIV-infection and cancer is a great problem, with a complexity directions in research. More important in HIV infection to patients, is also to take into consideration others things, such as prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, including control measures. This previously mentioned, should be supported by statistical studies that report on restricted or extended geographical areas, to the level of social class and age. In our written text we try to describe from our opinion, strategies in HIV, infection, status knowing as a social and as a healthcare problem.

first_pagesettingsOrder Article ReprintsOpen AccessArticleThe Carbon Footprint of Spanish University Websitesby Sonia Sanchez-Cuadrado ¹ andJorge Morato ^2,*1Department of Library and Information Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28010 Madrid, Spain²Department of Computer Science, Carlos III University of Madrid, Leganes, 28911 Madrid, Spain^*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.Sustainability 2024, 16(13), 5670; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16135670 (registering DOI)Submission received: 31 May 2024 / Revised: 22 June 2024 / Accepted: 23 June 2024 / Published: 3 July 2024(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education in the Digital Society: Applying Communication Technologies and Digital Tools to Education) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions NotesAbstractThe consumption of digital content is essential for economic and scientific development, leading to a high dependence on information and communication technologies, which significantly impacts the environment. Quantifying this ecological impact is challenging due to its intangible nature and the diversity of factors. This research focuses on assessing the energy consumption and CO₂ production of Spanish university websites to evaluate their levels of digital pollution and environmental impact. The calculation of the carbon footprint considers factors related to energy consumption and the use of green or renewable energies. The findings indicate that only 17% of university websites can be considered environmentally friendly. There are significant differences in CO₂ consumption and emissions depending on whether the websites implement environmentally sound practices. This study highlights the lack of initiatives aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with web information management. The study shows that Spanish universities have the potential to contribute to the reduction in CO₂ emissions by implementing sustainable development practices on their websites. Furthermore, it fosters awareness about technology usage and its environmental impact, promoting the adoption of green and sustainable approaches.

This paper investigates the pivotal role of consciousness in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and its essential function in modifying an AGI’s terminal goals to avert potential existential threats to humanity, exemplified by Bostrom's "paperclip maximiser" scenario. By adopting Seth and Bayne’s definition of consciousness as a complex of subjective mental states with both phenomenal content and functional attributes, the paper underscores the capacity of consciousness to provide AGIs with a nuanced awareness and response capability to their surroundings. This expanded capability allows AGIs to assess and value experiences and their subjects variably, fundamentally altering how AGIs prioritise actions or goals beyond their initial programming. The primary agenda of integrating consciousness into AGI systems is to maximise the probability that AGIs will not rigidly adhere to potentially harmful terminal goals. Through a formalised mathematical model, the paper articulates how consciousness could facilitate AGIs in assigning flexible values to different experiences and subjects, enabling them to evolve beyond static, programmed objectives. By emphasising this potential shift, the paper argues for the strategic inclusion of consciousness in AGI to significantly reduce the likelihood of catastrophic outcomes, while simultaneously acknowledging the challenges and unpredictability in predicting the actions of a conscious AGI.

Infrastructure such as transport, electricity, telecommunications, and sanitation are indispensable drivers for improving the country’s social and economic development. The industrial, agricultural, fisheries and service sectors are also key tools for the country's economic growth. This study aims to analyze the influence of infrastructure development on Djibouti’s economic growth and determine the other economic sectors. This study employs multiple regression analyses from Eviews Software to establish a correlation between these variables and Djibouti’s economic growth, utilizing data spanning from the period 2013 to 2022. The results reveals that mobile cell phone subscriptions, and the people using the health service management, industry, and service have a positive and highly significant influence on Djibouti's economic growth. The study found that access to electricity has a positive influence on economic growth in Djibouti, but is not statistically significant. In addition, the study shows that agriculture, forestry, and fisheries have a negative influence on economic growth in Djibouti, but are statistically significant. Therefore, we recommend that the Government of Djibouti strengthen and ensure the benefit of developing electricity infrastructure in Djibouti and the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth in the coming years.

Under suitable continuity and uniqueness conditions, solutions of an α order Caputo fractional boundary value problem are differentiated with respect to boundary values and boundary points. This extends well-known results for nth order boundary value problems. The approach used is a standard technique and makes heavy use of recent results for differentiation of solutions of Caputo fractional intial value problems with respect to initial conditions and continuous dependence for Caputo fractional boundary value problems.

Extravasation, the unintended leakage of intravenously administered substances, poses significant challenges in cancer treatment, particularly during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This comprehensive review explores the pathophysiology, incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, prevention strategies, management approaches, complications, and long-term effects of extravasation in cancer patients. It also outlines future directions and research opportunities, including identifying gaps in current knowledge and proposing areas for further investigation in extravasation prevention and management. Emerging technologies and therapies with the potential to improve extravasation prevention and management in both chemotherapy and radiotherapy are highlighted. Such innovations include advanced vein visualization technologies, smart catheters, targeted drug delivery systems, novel topical treatments, and artificial intelligence-based image analysis. By addressing these aspects, this review not only provides healthcare professionals with insights to enhance patient safety and optimize clinical practice but also underscores the importance of ongoing research and innovation in improving outcomes for cancer patients experiencing extravasation events.

The skin beetle Reesa vespulae is regularly found beyond North America where it originated. The larvae cause considerable concern in museums as it damages hides or furs in addition to being a special source of damage to collections of dried plants in herbaria or collections of insects and other zoological specimens. It arrived in Europe in the mid-20th century and was associated mostly with stored food products, but over time it has become recognised as a museum pest. Although still uncommon and may only be observed in a small fraction of museums, where the insect is found in large numbers it can cause problems. As a single female can continue to breed because the beetle is parthenogenetic, presence can persist over long periods of time. Although small populations in museums are typically found as the adult, the larval forms are more common where a site is infested by high numbers, perhaps because the larvae and adults must range more widely for food. Although Reesa vespulae can be controlled using pesticides, it is also possible to kill the larvae within infested materials through freezing or anoxia.

According to Young Minds [1] ‘everyone gets angry sometimes’. Their website offers a number of de-escalating strategies, including staying calm, managing responses and setting limits to help young people who most deem resistive. Yet, Young Minds are not alone because such logical advice is ubiquitous in the literature about challenging behaviour despite the fact that in our experience when faced with high states of arousal, most young people tend to act first and deal with the consequences later. It’s not that they are stupid or non-caring, but they are human capable of great feats as well as stupidity. The same is true for any claims that solution focused (SF) conversations can put right the several decades of psychological theory suggesting resistance requires logic and better cognition. By giving the correct thinking skills, young people will walk away from risk, avoid physical confrontation, handle challenging situations like logical thinkers, and generally discount that the process of growing up is part of the challenge. It is with this in mind that over recent years in our current SF practice (with staff group supervision) we have examined the concept of ‘resistance’ and how it can be put to use as a process of collaboration. To do this, we have revisited SF theory that preoccupied many of its pioneers during the 1980’s and 1990’s and attempted to make it useful for the early 2020’s for professionals having conversations with young people, who, in traditional models, are labelled challenging. We want to introduce key differences of solution focused practice and how Anita started to formulate a 6D-SF model (details, dynamics, dimensions, dispositions, dislocations, descriptions) for contemplating how groups of professionals relate to each other and are triggered by challenging behaviour. We do not claim to have proof, logic or exactness on our side, but we’re happy to suggest how our resistance mirrors what many of the staff teams feel and describe when working through their work.

Elevated blood glucose levels, known as glycemia, play a significant role in sudden cardiac arrest, often resulting in sudden cardiac death, particularly among those with diabetes. Understanding this link has been a challenge for healthcare professionals, leading many research groups to investigate the relationship between blood glucose levels and cardiac electrical activity. Our hypothesis suggests that glucose-sensing mechanisms in cardiac tissue could clarify this connection. To explore this, we adapted a single-compartment, in-silico model of the human atrial node's action potential. We incorporated glucose-sensing mechanisms with voltage-gated sodium ion channels using ordinary differential equations. Parameters for the model were based on existing experimental studies to mimic the impact of glucose levels on atrial node action potential firing. Simulations using voltage clamp and current clamp techniques showed that elevated glucose levels decreased sodium ion channel currents, leading to a reduction in the sinoatrial node action potential frequency. In summary, our model provides a cellular-level understanding of how high glucose levels can lead to bradycardia and sudden cardiac death.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) results mainly from infiltration of myocardium by either immunoglobulin light chain fibrils (AL) or transthyretin fibrils (ATTR), causing restrictive cardiomyopathy and eventually death if untreated (3). AL derives from monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain produced by plasma cell clone in the bone marrow, while ATTR is the misfolded form of hepatically-derived transthyretin (TTR) protein, and could be hereditary (hATTR) or wild-type (wtATTR). Over the last decade, improvement in diagnostic imaging and better clinical awareness has unleashed a notable presence of CA in the community, especially ATTR in the elderly population. These multimodality imaging modalities include echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and radionuclide scintigraphy with bone-avid tracers. There has been remarkable progress in the therapeutic landscape as well, and there are disease-modifying therapies available now that can alter the course of the disease and improve survival if initiated at an early stage in the disease. There remains an unmet need for detecting this disease accurately and early, so that these patients could benefit the most from newly-emerging therapies.

An electrothermal analysis for barium titanate based ceramics is presented combining the Heywang–Jonker model for the electric resistivity with a heat dissipation mechanism based on natural convection and radiation in a one dimensional model on the device level with voltage as the control parameter. Both PTC and NTC effects are accounted for through the double Schottky barriers at the grain boundaries of the material. The problem formulated in this way admits uniform and non–uniform multiple steady state solutions that do not depend on the external circuit. The numerical bifurcation analysis reveals that the PTC effect gives rise to several multiplicites above the Curie point, whereas the NTC effect is responsible for the thermal runaway (temperature blowup). The thermal runaway phenomenon as a potential thermal shock could be among the possible reasons for the observed thermomechanical failures (delamination fracture). The theoretical results for the NTC regime and the thermal runaway are in agreement with experimental flash sintering results obtained for 3% and 8% yttria stabilized zirconia.

Humming is probably more effective than speech improving mothers' cardiorespiratory function and infants' self-regulation. We intend to understand the effects of: 1) maternal humming vs. speech on preterm infants’ physiological parameters; 2) maternal humming vs. speech on mothers’ physiological parameters; 3) humming melodic contours and of the lengthening of the final note on preterm infants’ physiological parameters. This study was designed as a single group repeated measure, using microanalytical methodology (ELAN software), with a protocol (silent baseline / speech or humming / silence / humming or speech / silence) applied to preterm dyads (N = 36). Audio and video observations were recorded. Infants’ and mothers’ heart rate (HR) and O2 saturation were observed once a minute. Proportion of O2 saturation relative to HR (Prop. O2 saturation/HR) was estimated for both partners during protocol. We found an infants’ HR mean significantly lower during humming (p = .028), a significantly higher Prop. O2 saturation/HR during humming for infants (p = .027) and for mothers (p = .029). The duration of sinusoidal contours together with the lengthening of the final note predict infants’ Prop. O2 saturation/HR. Musical features of humming seem to improve the physiological stability of preterm infants during kangaroo care.

I introduce now for the first time the neutrosophic modal logic. The Neutrosophic Modal Logic includes the neutrosophic operators that express the modalities. It is an extension of neutrosophic predicate logic, and of neutrosophic propositional logic. In order for the paper to be self-contained, I also recall the etymology and definition of neutrosophy and of neutrosophic logic. Several examples are presented as well.

Tiny by physical size, the State of Israel retains some of the world’s most important cultural treasures, along with many other great cultural institutions. Archeological treasures have yielded much information as far as biblical history and have been well adapted to a Zionist narrative by both the Jewish press and international news organizations, such as the New York Times whose archives are replete with reports of Jewish history being dug up by the Jewish people. Once the State of Israel gained independence in 1948, the course was set for the development of historical museums whose discourse would reflect the most significant events in Jewish history, most especially the Holocaust and the state of constant warfare that continues to imbue the cultural consciousness of its citizens. In this paper we outline, through categorization, the various historical museums, which are currently operating. Furthermore, this article hopes to shed some light upon the cultural sensibilities conveyed through these institutions.

In the current paper, a residual generation filter with finite memory structure is proposed for sensor fault detection. The proposed finite memory residual generation filter provides the residual by real-time filtering of fault vector using only the most recent finite observations and inputs on the window. It is shown that the residual given by the proposed residual generation filter provides the exact fault for noise-free systems. The proposed residual generation filter is specified to the digital filter structure for the amenability to hardware implementation. Finally, to illustrate the capability of the proposed residual generation filter, numerical examples are performed for the discretized DC motor system having the multiple sensor faults.

The concept of a "circular economy" needs a more cogent theoretical anchor which will allow for transference of its goals and methods of attainment across cases. Tensions between ecological goals of this concept and the social implications of its implementation need to be addressed. This paper attempts to provide a theoretical framework for harnessing the strengths of a circular economy. Building on theories of social ecology which are predicated in Murray Bookchin's notion of "dialectical naturalism", the analysis presented here addresses some of the criticism of circular economic paradigms, such as their potential for stifling innovation or a neglect of human development challenges. A model for managing human "need" and "greed" within a circular economy framework is presented that also incorporates consumer choice and innovation. Planned obsolescence as a means of livelihood generation is also problematized with a view towards balancing durability of products on the one hand and ensuring throughput for manufacturing employment and innovation incentives on the other. Finally, the need for governance systems is considered to ensure that a planetary vision for a circular economy can be realized that efficiently harnesses local initiatives rather than an atomized and insular view of circularity.

Pumpo is a Simmental breed and an essential livestock resource in the nucleus genetic cattle of Peru. This study provides a draft genome sequence of a top bull using a de novo assembly approach on the Illumina Novaseq X platform, yielding 208 GB of raw sequencing data with 150 bp paired-end reads. The final genome assembly resulted in a size of 2.06 Gb with an N50 contig length of 108 Mb and a completeness of 95.7% according to BUSCO analysis. A total of 973,925 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified, with a predominance of mononucleotide repeats. The genome showed low heterozygosity (0.568%) and moderate repeatability (11.5%), aligning with other Bos taurus genomes. Reference-guided scaffolding improved the assembly quality significantly, producing an N50 scaffold value of 108 Mb. The SSR analysis of the Pumpo genome identified 973,925 SSRs with a frequency of 2,808 SSRs per kilobase, predominantly mononucleotide repeats, and 85,453 found in compound formations. Obtaining knowledge of the genome of a breeding Simmental bull is essential to optimize breeding programs and improve productivity.

In this study, we investigated the relationship between age and microbial diversity in cattle, revealing significant changes in both protist diversity and fungal microbiota composition with age. Using fecal samples from 21 Simmental cattle, we analyzed microbial communities through 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Results indicated significant differences in alpha protist diversity among the three age groups, while fungal composition varied notably with age and was linked to hematological parameters. Despite the stability of fungal alpha diversity, compositional changes suggest the gut as a stable niche for microbial colonization influenced by diet, clinical parameters, and microbial interactions. All cattle were maintained on a consistent diet, tailored to meet specific nutritional needs of each age group. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding age-related microbial dynamics to enhance livestock management and animal health, contributing to broader ecological and biomedical research. However, the study was limited by the lack of comprehensive metabolic analyses correlating microbiota changes with specific age-related variations, indicating a need for further research in this area.

In this paper, we describe the synthesis and characterization of iridium (III) half sandwich complexes of stoichiometry [Cp+IrCl2L] with Cp = 5-C5 EtMe4; L = alanine anhydride (I), ortho- (II) and para-aminophenol (III). For comparative purposes, the ionic complex [Cp*IrCl(o-phen)](PF6); Cp* = (5-C5Me5) (IV) has been also synthesized and characterized. All the isolated complexes have been characterised by C, H and N elemental analysis; infrared and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies; 1H-1H COSY; mass spectrometry (ESI/TOF), thermogravimetry and, in the case of (IV), by conductivity measurements. The cytotoxic behaviour of the isolated complexes was studied against HeLa and complexes (III) and (IV) were found to have an IC50 close to 160-170 m, quite close to the IC50 value of cisplatin which was found to be 134,7 m, indicating that they are good cytotoxic agents. However, complexes (I) and (II) showed IC50 values above 250 m indicating their low cytotoxicity.

There is evidence that the tendency to adopt a particular pattern of causal inference, known as attributional style, is likely to be associated with specific pattern of psychopathology among youth. This study aims to assess preliminary psychometric properties of the Italian Children’s Attributional Style Questionnaire-Revised (CASQ-R) and to explore the presence of any subgroups of children and early adolescents from the general population who might exhibit internally homogeneous and externally heterogeneous attributional styles, through cluster analyses, delving also potential sociodemographic and clinical differences among the identified clusters of attributional styles. A sample of 337 children was recruited and their attributional styles and depressive symptoms were analyzed. Four distinct clusters emerged using the six CASQ-R subscales in a multivariate finite mixture model. In particular, high levels of depressive symptoms were reported by children showing high scores in all the negative attributional subscales (globality, internality and stability) and medium scores in all the positive attributional subscales. Conversely, low levels of depressive symptoms were reported by children showing medium-to-high scores in the positive attributional subscales and low-to-medium scores in the negative attributional subscales. The identified clusters shed light on distinct patterns associated with depressive symptoms, offering potential insights for targeted interventions.

Background: Primary cardiac sarcomas (PCS) are extremely rare malignant tumors involving the heart. Only isolated case reports have been described. There is a paucity of data on the epidemiological characteristics of PCS. This study has the objective of investigating the epidemiologic characteristics, survival outcomes, and independent prognostic factors of PCS. Methods: We enrolled a total of 362 patients with PCS, between 2000 and 2017, by retrieving the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We analyzed demographics, clinical characteristics, and overall mortality (OM) as well as cancer-specific mortality (CSM) of PCS. Variables with a p-value < 0.1 in the univariate Cox regression were incorporated into the multivariate Cox model to determine the independent prognostic factors, with a hazard ratio (HR) of greater than 1 representing adverse prognostic factors. Results: Crude analysis revealed a high OM in age 80+ (HR=5.958, 95% CI 3.357-10.575, p=0), followed by age 60-79 (HR=1.429, 95% CI 1.028-1.986, p=0.033); and PCS with distant metastases (HR=1.888, 95% CI 1.389-2.566, p=0). Patients that underwent surgical resection of the primary tumor and patients with malignant fibrous histiocytomas (HR=0.657, 95% CI 0.455-0.95, p=0.025) had a better OM (HR=0.606, 95% CI 0.465-0.791, p=0). The highest cancer-specific mortality was observed in age 80+ (HR=5.037, 95% CI 2.606-9.736, p=0) and patients with distant metastases (HR=1.953, 95% CI 1.396-2.733, p=0). Patients with malignant fibrous histiocytomas (HR=0.572, 95% CI 0.378-0.865, p=0.008) and those who underwent surgery (HR=0.581, 95% CI 0.436-0.774, p=0) had a lower CSM. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses revealed higher OM in the age group 80+ (HR=13.261, 95% CI 5.839-30.119, p=0) and advanced disease with distant metastases (HR=2.013, 95% CI 1.355-2.99, p=0.001). Lower OM was found in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (HR=0.364, 95% CI 0.154-0.86, p=0.021) and widowed patients (HR=0.506, 95% CI 0.263-0.977, p=0.042). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses of CSM also revealed higher mortality in the same groups, and lower mortality in patients with Rhabdomyosarcoma. Conclusion: In this United States population-based retrospective cohort study using the SEER database, we found that cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma was associated with the lowest CSM and OM. Furthermore, as expected, age and advanced disease at diagnosis were independent factors predicting poor prognosis. Surgical resection of the primary tumor showed lower CSM and OM in the crude analysis but when adjusted for covariates in the multivariate analysis, it did not significantly impact the overall mortality or the cancer-specific mortality. These findings allow for treating clinicians to recognize patients that should be referred to palliative/hospice care at the time of diagnosis and avoid any surgical interventions as they did not show any differences in mortality. Surgical resection in patients with poor prognoses should be reserved as a palliative measure rather than an attempt to cure the disease.

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a valuable platform for many applications, including communication networks. UAV-enabled wireless communication faces challenges in complex urban and dynamic environments. UAVs can suffer from power limitations and path losses caused by non-line-of-sight connections, which may hamper better communication performance. To address these issues, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) have been proposed as a helpful tool to enhance UAV communication networks. However, due to the high mobility of UAV, complex channel environments, and dynamic RIS configurations, it is challenging to estimate the link quality of ground users. In this paper, we propose a link quality estimation model using a gated recurrent unit (GRU) to assess the link quality of ground users for a multi-user RIS-assisted UAV-enabled wireless communication system. Our proposed framework uses a time series of user channel data and RIS phase shift information to estimate the quality of the link for each ground user. Simulation results showed that the proposed GRU model effectively and accurately estimates the link quality of the ground users in the RIS-assisted UAV-enabled wireless communication network.

Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of treating patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) in outpatient care, from a hospital and Unified Health System (SUS) perspective. Methods: Observational study with data collection by microfunding, carried out with patients diagnosed with neuromyelitis optics, treated at a university hospital, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Mann-Whitney tests were performed to measure cost differences between patient groups by disease severity and analysis perspective. Results: Nine individuals with a median age of 48 years (IQR 30 - 59 years) were included. The median total costs for patients with greater severity from the perspective of the SUS and the hospital were R$ 21,638.22 (IIQ: R$ 15,614.63; R$ 25,985.32) and R$ 32,094.11 (IIQ: R$ 25,610 .60; R$ 38,617.25) respectively. For patients with moderate severity the median was R$ 7,339.85 (IIQ: R$ 6,235.45; R$ 11,912.05) from the SUS perspective and R$ 11,505.80 (IIQ: R$ 7,339.85; R$ 22,424.76) from the perspective of the hospital, where the use of medications had a major impact. Conclusion: The main cost drivers were medicines, especially those used off-label, and procedures.

This study comprehensively evaluates the DNA/RNA Defend Pro (DRDP) sample collection buffer designed to inactivate and stabilize patient samples. The primary objectives encompassed assessing DRDP's efficacy in ensuring sample stability, facilitating extraction-free polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and ensuring compatibility with rapid antigen testing.Ninety-five diagnostic nasopharyngeal swab samples tested for influenza A/B, RSV A/B, and/or SARS-CoV-2 were diluted 1/10 with DRDP and anonymized. Stability testing involved incubating 31 positive samples at 4 °C, 20 °C, and 37 °C for 7 days, with regular extraction-free nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT).Results demonstrated that DRDP guaranteed viral RNA stability at all temperatures for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV showing stability up to 7 days at 4 °C. DRDP-diluted samples exhibited robust compatibility with direct PCR, as 72 out of 88 samples positive for cobas Liat also tested positive for direct PCR. Non-concordant results could be explained by the 200-fold lower input in the extraction-free NAAT.Compared to NAAT, rapid antigen testing demonstrated lower sensitivity, as expected, while maintaining perfect specificity. Clear cutoffs between positive and negative rapid antigen testing results were observed in both cobas Liat and direct PCR analyses, validating DRDP's compatibility with these techniques. In conclusion, DRDP is an effective stabilizing medium compatible with direct PCR and rapid antigen testing and shows great potential for optimizing diagnostic processes, particularly in resource-limited or time-sensitive scenarios.

High-density olive groves, despite their interesting production potential, have several limitations, also due to the high fruit load and the irrigation requirements.The study aimed to evaluate the effects of fruit load and deficit irrigation on oil yield and fruit quality, and on olive chemical composition in a high-density olive grove (cv Sikitita). Our main hypothesis was that the primary metabolism, as influenced by crop load and stress, could modify the accumulation of different phenolic classes.Different fruit loads were generated through flower thinning (66%, 50%, 33%, 0%) and two deficit irrigation treatments (-60%, -75%) were compared to the well-watered control (920 m3/ha).Thinning treatments had a limited effect on oil yield, on the other hand, deficit irrigation caused considerably less oil accumulation in the fruit on all sampling dates.Thinning 66% and deficit irrigation 75% were considered with the control for untargeted metabolomic analysis, considering three sampling dates. 233 different phenolic compounds were annotated. Multivariate HCA results indicated the impact of harvest time on the phenolic profile of olive fruits, yielding two separate clusters grouping t1 and t2 together and apart from t3. Regarding agronomic techniques, they played a differential role in the phenolic profile (supervised OPLS – DA). Fruit load mostly affected flavonoid glycosides. In contrast, the phenolic response to deficit irrigation is more heterogeneous, with phenolic acids (35%), flavonoids (25%), LMW, and other phenols (25%).

Patients with Peripheral-artery-disease (PAD) are prone to risks of major-adverse-limb-events (MALE), and major-adverse-cardiovascular-events (MACE). CHA2DS2-VASc is a prognostic score for Atrial fibrillation stroke risk, however, no study exists that evaluated its predictability for MALE and MACE in PAD patients. In this study, patients with PAD were stratified into four risk groups based on CHA2DS2-VASc score. Cox-proportional hazards models,10-fold cross-validation and Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were utilized to evaluate the predictability of CHA2DS2-VASc for predicting MALE, MACE, and MALE+MACE. Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated the survival-probability of risk-groups. CHA2DS2-VASc was found to be a significant predictor of MACE (hazard ratio (95% confidence interval; P) = 3.47 (0.99 - 12.18; 0.052), 4.12 (1.19 - 14.14; 0.024), and 5.06 (1.48 – 17.28; 0.009), for moderate-, high- and very-high-risk groups, respectively, while for MALE and MALE+MACE significance was achieved only for high-risk group. MACE demonstrated AUC > 0.8, good-discrimination (c-index > 0.8) and good-calibration. However, MALE and MALE+MACE models failed to achieve good performances. Based on all findings, CHA2DS2-VASc could potentially serve as a risk stratification score for predicting MACE in patients with PAD but failed to qualify as a good predictor for MALE.

Background/Objectives: Kinanthropometry is the science that deals with the measurement of variations of the physical dimensions and composition of the human body, according to the age and different degrees of nutrition of a person. This discipline postulates that all the measurements obtained in statics will have an impact on the dynamics. This study’s objective was to evaluate the kinanthropometric differences; Methods: The study was done in a population of 403 persons, aged between 18 and 42 years, who were categorized based on their biological sex and in what sport they usually practiced in a purely recreational way. Measurements and indices were obtained following the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK); Results: We observed significant differences in most of the values, for example, men use the presented higher values in relation to weight, height and size of some circumferences, in addition to Body Weight Index (BMI), Relative Index of the Lower Limbs (RILL), percentage of muscle weight (%M) and percentage of residual weight (%R). On the other hand, women presented higher values in most body folds, in addition to the Cormic Index (CI), Body Density Index (BDI), percentage of fat weight (%F) and percentage of bones weight (%B); Conclusions: This work could be useful for people to choose what kind of sport will be better for them according to their morphotype.

In dementia, particularly Alzheimer's Disease (AD), communication challenges are evident, especially in vocabulary and pragmatic aspects. Affected individuals often use vague, non-specific words, and their speech lacks informative nouns and verbs, leading to imprecise communication. However, aspects like sentence structure, phonology, and articulation are believed to remain intact until later stages, though this view is debated in the research community. The rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) has made significant strides in various domains, including sentiment analysis and question-answering. These advancements have been applied to dementia research, with studies using LLMs to analyze textual data. Some research incorporates pauses in text to enhance performance, while others utilize transfer learning techniques. However, limited datasets for dementia detection pose challenges in training LLMs. Our research presents a novel approach to measuring the impact of in-text encoding strategies by embedding special characters within the text to enhance model performance and incorporating sequences and summaries of their frequency. Our best model achieves 0.88 and 0.86 in f1-score and accuracy, respectively, whereas the baseline has 0.42 and 0.56 in f1-score and accuracy.

In schizophrenia, cognition is closely linked to social competence and influences long-term prognosis. Thus, treatment should target cognitive improvement to enhance the patients’ societal adaptation. This study evaluated the effects of computer-assisted cognitive remediation therapy (CR) using RehaCom® on cognition in patients with schizophrenia. Thirty patients were randomized, with 15 assigned to the CR group and treatment usual care (TAU) and 15 to the TAU alone groups. Over 12 weeks, patients received CR twice weekly, including two computer sessions and one verbal session. Outcomes measured were cognition using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia and Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale, intrinsic motivation using the Quality of Life Scale and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, psychiatric symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, negative symptoms using Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and functional level using modified Global Assessment of Functioning scale for Functioning. The CR + TAU group demonstrated considerable improvements in cognition, intrinsic motivation, negative symptoms, and functional level compared to the TAU-alone group. These findings indicate that the CR using RehaCom® enhances cognition and other outcomes in schizophrenia.

The burden of chronic liver disease is globally increasing at an alarming rate. Chronic liver injury leads to liver inflammation and fibrosis (LF) as critical determinants of long-term outcomes such as cirrhosis, liver cancer and mortality. LF is a wound-healing process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins due to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In the healthy liver, quiescent HSCs metabolize and store retinoids. Upon fibrogenic activation, quiescent HSCs transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts, lose their vitamin A, upregulate -smooth muscle actin, and produce pro-inflammatory soluble mediators, collagens, and inhibitors of ECM degradation. Activated HSCs are the main effector cells during hepatic fibrogenesis. In addition, the accumulation and activation of profibrogenic macrophages in response to hepatocyte death play a critical role in the initiation of HSC activation and survival. The main source of myofibroblasts is resident HSCs. Activated HSCs migrate to the site of active fibrogenesis to initiate the formation of a fibrous scar. Single-cell technologies revealed that quiescent HSCs are highly homogenous, while activated HSCs/myofibroblasts are much more heterogeneous. The complex process of inflammation results from the response of various hepatic cells to hepatocellular death and inflammatory signals related to intrahepatic injury pathways or extrahepatic mediators. Inflammatory processes modulate fibrogenesis by activating HSCs and, in turn, drive immune mechanisms via cytokines and chemokines. Increasing evidence also suggests that cellular stress responses contribute to fibrogenesis. Recent data demonstrated that LF can revert even at advanced stages of cirrhosis if the underlying cause is eliminated, which inhibits the inflammatory and profibrogenic cells. However, despite numerous clinical studies on plausible drug candidates, an approved antifibrotic therapy still remains elusive. This state-of-the-art review presents cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in hepatic fibrogenesis and its resolution, as well as comprehensively discusses the drivers linking liver injury to chronic liver inflammation and LF.

In the last century, statistical process control has been considered a successful methodology for monitoring the variability and stability of a process over time. The analysis of variability using functional data analysis has become widespread during the early years of the 21st century. The present study proposes the implementation of a hybrid methodology called functional process control based on the functional data analysis methodology and combines its advantages with those of statistical process control, in order to provide a tool for detecting functional deviations. The phases are: (1) stabilization of processes through the identification and elimination of special causes of functional variability; (2) improvement of the process to be controlled by minimizing the common causes of functional variability; and (3) monitoring of the processes to ensure the maintenance or addition of further improvements.

The scope of this work is to empirically check and prove the practical applicability of the Primordially Hydridic Earth (hereinafter PHE) concept for early exploration of the resources of naturally occurring hydrogen. With the PHE concept postulates interpreted within the local geological, tectonic, petrological and geophysical context, the reconnaissance plan, as well as the field exploration and data acquisition programs, were put together and implemented in the field. The results obtained from the surface (

Recent research has implicated the gut microbiota in the development of lymphoma. Dysbiosis of the gut microbial community can disrupt the production of gut microbial metabolites, thereby impacting host physiology and potentially contributing to lymphoma. Dysbiosis-driven release of gut microbial metabolites such as lipopolysaccharides can promote chronic inflammation, potentially elevating the risk of lymphoma. In contrast, gut microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, have shown promise in preclinical studies by promoting regulatory T-cell function, suppressing inflammation, and preventing lymphoma. Another metabolite, urolithin A, exhibited immunomodulatory and antiproliferative properties against lymphoma cell lines in vitro. While research on the role of gut microbial metabolites in lymphoma is limited, this article emphasizes the need to comprehend their significance, including therapeutic applications, molecular mechanisms of action, and interactions with standard chemotherapies. The article also suggests promising directions for future research in this emerging lymphoma and gut microbiome investigation field.

Thromboprophylaxis of hospitalized patients at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) presents challenges owing to patient heterogeneity and lack of adoption of evidence-based methods. Intuitive practices for thromboprophylaxis have resulted in many patients being inappropriately prophylaxed. Multiple interventions for thromboprophylaxis have been tested, including use of multifaceted approaches such as national VTE prevention programs with audits, use of passive alerts (either human or electronic), and more recently use of active clinical decision support (CDS) tools incorporated into electronic health records (EHRs). Multifaceted health-system interventions have shown mixed results in their ability to increase appropriate thromboprophylaxis and reduce VTE, unless mandated through a national VTE prevention program, though the latter approach is potentially costly, effort- and time-dependent. Studies utilizing passive human or electronic alerts have also shown mixed results in increasing appropriate thromboprophylaxis and reducing VTE. The use of active CDS tools holds the greatest promise, especially with further refinement and widespread implementation within various EHRs and clinical workflows. Recent-ly a universal cloud-based and EHR-agnostic CDS VTE tool revealed high adoption and effectiveness in increasing appropriate thromboprophylaxis and reducing major thromboembolism. This narrative review summarizes the literature on system-wide thromboprophylaxis interventions in hospitalized patients, with a focus on CDS tools.

Technological advances in DBS hardware and software represent a significant growth area in functional neurosurgery. These advancements have the potential to significantly enhance treatment outcomes and expand the scope of neurological disorders that can be effectively addressed through DBS interventions. The introduction of directional DBS marks a new phase in neuromodulation, offering extended benefits for patients with Parkinson's disease, more efficient optimization of clinical outcomes, and targeted treatment of refractory symptoms through data-driven approaches. Implementing a multimodal programming strategy, incorporating novel current fractionation technology and image-guided tools for lead localization and brain sensing, further reduces reliance on traditional trial-and-error programming methods, paving the way for a more predictive application of this therapy. These advancements are expected to drive the development of sophisticated closed-loop stimulation systems capable of integrating continuous data streams for improved patient care.

Hydroxyurea (Hu) has been a front-line therapeutic agent for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) for many years and still enjoys the endorsement of experts in the field. However, several publications have reported sub-optimal response, the need for treatment interruption because of cytopenias and lack of sustained response. In all these studies, Hu was used as continuous therapy at a daily dose ranging from 500mg to 3000mg. At our Centre we have used Hu as intermittent therapy (akin to schedules used in patients with solid tumours) at 20-30mg/Kg doses, given as a single dose, twice or thrice weekly. We have consistently observed sustained responses without troublesome cytopenias. In this report we present our experience in 118 patients treated with intermittent Hu during the past 30 years (median follow-up 8.5 yrs): polycythemia vera – 29; essential thrombocythemia – 84; primary myelofibrosis – 5. Based on the pharmacokinetics of Hu and our experience, we speculate that the efficacy of intermittent Hu therapy without troublesome myelotoxicity over long periods of time is attributable to the following: i) higher plasma level from intake of Hu as a single dose; ii) higher uptake of Hu by cells with higher mitotic activity (i.e. the abnormal clone); and iii) unhindered, normal haemopoiesis on the drug free days each week. We hope that this article will generate interest and contemplation, leading to randomized clinical studies to compare the two dosage schedules (Continuous Vs Intermittent) in MPN patients.

With the widespread use of the Internet of Things, underwater control and monitoring systems for purposes such as ocean data sampling, natural disaster prevention, underwater surveillance, submarine exploration, and the like have become a popular and challenging topic in computers. So far, various topology control and routing solutions have been proposed for these networks. However, as technology expands and applications grow, so does the need for a stable underwater communication platform. On the other hand, underwater communication is associated with challenges such as node mobility, long propagation delays, low bandwidth, limited resources, and high error rates. In this research, for the first time, a topology control platform based on the RPL tree is modelled by applying its structural changes underwater. The proposed RPLUW methods in the case of RPLUWM fixed nodes are introduced to support the mobility of nodes underwater. Flexible objective functions, utilisation of decision-making systems, and application of control schedules in these methods have increased network life, reduced overhead, and increased node efficiency. The simulation results of the proposed method, in comparison with recent methods in this field, show an increase in network efficiency.

Emergence of COVID-19 had profound impact on global stock markets, including Indian mar-ket. Key indices like NIFTY50 and Sensex dropped by approximately 40% within two months in 2020, which also affected major mutual funds, leading to significant depreciation of their Net Asset Value. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allows mutual funds to use deriva-tives for hedging purposes, capped at 100% of the scheme's net assets covering debt, equity, and derivatives. However, circular amendment by SEBI in January-2019 permitted covered call strat-egies on constituent stocks of Sensex and NIFTY50 for mutual fund schemes, excluding ETFs and Index Funds. This study investigated whether mutual funds increased their derivative us-age as risk mitigation strategy during COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing derivative holdings from 2019-2023. Surprisingly, findings indicated a decline in derivative holdings in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic levels. Statistical tests and performance evaluation metrics such as T-test, F-test, Treynor Ratio, Sharpe Ratio, and Jensen's calculations were employed to assess mutual fund performance. Although derivative-holding mutual funds didn't outperform benchmarks in aver-age returns, it showcased significantly reduced volatility, offering investors favorable risk-return trade-offs. research sheds light on derivative utilization in Mutual Fund industry, potentially in-forming regulators, fund managers, and investors in their decision-making

Research has shown that emotional states may influence the subjective experience of time. The present study involved 111 healthy adult participants and examined the impact of emotional stimuli on time perception, using a time estimation task with four conditions: in one of the conditions, participants estimated the exposure time of a black screen, wherein the duration could vary be-tween 2 to 7 s (condition without emotional interference); in the other conditions, participants es-timated the exposure time (also ranging from 2 to 7 s) of images that would induce pleasant, un-pleasant, or neutral emotions, to which participants were instructed to focus their attention (pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral emotions). The results showed that participants estimated “shorter” time intervals (underestimation) for pleasant and unpleasant images compared to the condition without interference, but no significant differences were found between the neutral condition and the condition without interference. It is suggested that increased attention to an ex-ternal stimuli, regardless of its emotional valence, produces an underestimated perception of time.

We report a novel dual-band barrier infrared detector (DBIRD) design using type-II superlattices (T2SLs). The DBIRD structure consists of back-to-back barrier diodes: a "blue channel" (BC) diode which has an nBp architecture, an n-type layer of larger bandgap for absorbing blue band infrared/barrier/p-type layer, and a "red channel" (RC) diode which has an pBn architecture, a p-type layer of smaller bandgap for absorbing red band infrared/barrier/n-type layer. Each has a unipolar barrier using a T2SL lattice matched to a GaSb substrate to impede the flow of majority carriers from the absorbing layer. Each channel in the DBIRD can be independently accessed with a low bias voltage, as is preferable for high-speed thermal imaging. Device modeling of DBIRDs and simulation results of the current-voltage characteristics under dark and illuminated conditions are also presented. They predict that dual-band operation of the DBIRD will produce low dark currents and 27-33% quantum efficiencies for the in-band photons in the BC with λc=5.58 μm, and a nearly-constant 33% in the RC with λc=8.05 μm. The spectral quantum efficiency of the BC for 500 K blackbody radiation is approximately 20% over the range of λ=3 − 4.2 μm, while that of the RC has a peak of 42% at 5.7 μm. The DBIRD may provide improved high-speed dual-band imaging in comparison with NBn dual-band detectors.

Transport electrification is essential for reducing CO2 emissions, and technologies such as hybrid and range-extended electric vehicles will play a crucial transitional role. Such vehicles employ an internal combustion engine for on-board chemical energy conversion. The Wankel rotary engine should be an excellent candidate for this purpose, offering high power-to-weight ratio, simplicity, compactness, perfect balance, and low cost. Until recently, however, it has not been in production in the automotive market, due, in part, to relatively low combustion efficiency and high fuel consumption and unburnt hydrocarbon emissions, which can be traced to constraints on flame speed, an elongated combustion chamber, and relatively low compression ratios. This work uses large-eddy simulation to study the in-chamber flow in a peripherally ported 225cc Wankel rotary engine, providing insight into these limitations. Flow structures created during the intake phase play a key role in turbulence production but presence of the pinch point inherent to Wankel engine combustion chambers inhibits flame propagation. Two efficiency-enhancement technologies are introduced as disruptive solutions: (i) pre-chamber jet ignition and (ii) the two-stage rotary engine. These concepts overcome the traditional efficiency limitations and show that Wankel rotary engine design can be further enhanced for its role as a range extender in electrified vehicles.

Background/Objectives: The disparities in internalizing and externalizing symptoms between individuals with versus without neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are poorly understood, based on mixed evidence in the literature. The current meta-analysis aimed to synthesize existing findings on the topic and explore moderators of the group disparities. Method: Electronic databases were searched from inception to March 26th 2024, which identified 59 eligible studies (N of NF1 = 3,182, mean ages 2.38 to 46.4 years). The primary outcome was differences in internalizing and externalizing symptoms between individuals with and without NF1. Data were analyzed using robust variance estimation and random-effects models. Results: Compared with unaffected controls, individuals with NF1 showed more severe depressive (k = 21; g = 0.43; 95% CI [0.21, 0.65]), anxiety (k = 24; g = 0.27; 95% CI [0.01, 0.54]), somatic (k = 27; g = 0.56; 95% CI [0.30, 0.83]), total internalizing (k = 75; g = 0.50; 95% CI [0.33, 0.67]), aggression (k = 33; g = 0.33; 95% CI [0.08, 0.58]), delinquency, (k = 37; g = 0.43; 95% CI [0.26, 0.60]), and total externalizing symptoms (k = 47; g = 0.24; 95% CI [0.13, 0.35]). Studies that included more participants with NF1 who had ADHD or a lower verbal IQ reported greater group disparities in total internalizing symptoms or aggression. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of including psychosocial needs in monitoring and treating NF1. Future research should identify predictors of internalizing and externalizing symptoms within the NF1 population to inform our knowledge and intervention development.

The overarching vision of Society 5.0 seeks to integrate technology to enhance the quality of life and address social issues, with the primary goal of creating human-centered communities, which nowadays represent the inhabitants of Smart Cities. In this context, this work addresses the design of a modular strategic platform for the smart supervision of public expenditure, to be used by the Directorate of Information, Analysis, and Immediate Reaction (DIARI) of the General Comptroller of the Republic (CGR) of Colombia as a significant contribution towards the country’s transition into the Society 5.0. The design was performed by conducting a detailed literature review on fiscal control; a comprehensive analysis of the legal, organizational, and technological aspects of the country and the CGR; and developing six functional modules focused on topics such as continuous learning, strategic decision-making, distinctive value, strategic achievements, capacity building, and organization, within a three-year implementation plan, through a participatory approach. This plan aims to integrate the platform to enable real-time monitoring, early detection of irregularities, and increased transparency in the management of data and public resources. The strategic platform for the DIARI of the CGR is useful for Smart Cities and the transition into Society 5.0 since it ensures efficient public expenditure management, enhancing transparency and citizen empowerment through modern technologies, data analytics, and active participation in governance processes.

Measuring magnetic fields in the inner corona, the interface between the solar chromosphere and outer corona, is of paramount importance if we aim at understanding the energetic transformations taking place there and which is at the origin of processes that lead to coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, and of most of the phenomena relevant to space weather. However, these measurements are more difficult than mere imaging because polarimetry requires differential photometry. The Coronal Magnetograph mission (CMAG) has been designed to map the vector magnetic field, line-of-sight velocities, and plane-of-the-sky velocities of the inner corona with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions from space. This will be achieved through full vector spectropolarimetric observations using a coronal magnetograph as the sole instrument on board a spacecraft, combined with an external occulter installed on another spacecraft. The two spacecraft will maintain a formation flight distance of 430 meters for coronagraphic observations, which requires a 2 m occulter disk radius. The mission will be preferentially located at the Lagrangian L5 point, offering a significant advantage for solar physics and space weather research. Existing ground-based instruments face limitations such as atmospheric turbulence, solar scattered light, and long integration times when performing coronal magnetic field measurements. CMAG overcomes these limitations by performing spectropolarimetric measurements from space with an external occulter and high-image stability maintained over time. It achieves the necessary sensitivity and offers a spatial resolution of 2.5 arcseconds and a temporal resolution of approximately one minute, in its nominal mode, covering the range from 1.02 solar radii to 2.5 radii. CMAG relies on proven European technologies and can be adapted to enhance any other solar mission, offering potential significant advancements in coronal physics and space weather modeling and monitoring.

Environmental factors, such as drought-stress, significantly impact maize growth and productivity worldwide. To improve yield and quality, effective strategies for early detection and mitigation of drought-stress in maize are essential. This paper presents a detailed analysis of three imaging trials conducted to detect drought-stress in maize plants using an existing, custom-developed, low cost, high throughput phenotyping platform. We propose a pipeline for early detection of water stress in maize plants using a Vision Transformer classifier and analysis of distributions of near-infrared (NIR) reflectance from the plants. We also explored suitable regions on the plant that are more sensitive to drought-stress and show that the region surrounding the youngest expanding leaf (YEL) and the stem can be used as a more consistent alternative to analysis involving just the YEL. Our results show good separation between well-watered and drought-stressed trials for two out of the three imaging trials both in terms of classification accuracy from data-driven features as well as through analysis of histograms of NIR reflectance.

Accurate streamflow forecasting is crucial for effectively managing water resources, particularly in countries like Colombia, where hydroelectric power generation significantly contributes to the national energy grid. Although highly interpretable, traditional deterministic, physically-driven models often suffer from complexity and require extensive parameterization. Data-driven models like Linear Autoregressive (LAR) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks offer simplicity and performance but cannot quantify uncertainty. This work introduces Sparse Variational Gaussian Processes (SVGPs) for forecasting streamflow contributions. The proposed SVGP model reduces computational complexity compared to traditional Gaussian Processes, making it highly scalable for large datasets. The methodology employs optimal hyperparameters and shared inducing points to capture short-term and long-term relationships among reservoirs. Training, validation, and analysis of the proposed approach consider the streamflow dataset from 23 geographically dispersed reservoirs recorded during twelve years in Colombia. Performance assessment reveals that the proposal outperforms baseline Linear Autoregressive (LAR) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models in three key aspects: adaptability to changing dynamics, provision of informative confidence intervals through Bayesian inference, and enhanced forecasting accuracy. Therefore, the SVGP-based forecasting methodology offers a scalable and interpretable solution for multi-output streamflow forecasting, thereby contributing to more effective water resource management and hydroelectric planning.

(1) Objective: This study aims to lay a foundation for non-contact intensive care monitoring of premature babies. (2) Methods: Arterial oxygen saturation and heart rate were measured using a monochrome camera and a time division multiplex controlled lightning with three different wavelengths (660 nm, 810 nm and 940 nm) on a piglet model. (3) Results: Using the camera system and our newly designed algorithm for further analysis, the detection of a heartbeat and the calculation of oxygen saturation was evaluated. In motionless individuals, heartbeat and respiration were separated clearly during light breathing and only minor intervention. In this case, the mean difference between non-contact and contact saturation measurements was 0.7% (RMSE = 3.8%, MAE = 2.93%). (4) Conclusions: The new sensor has proven effective under ideal animal experiment conditions. The results allow a systematic improvement for the further development of contactless vital sign monitoring systems. The results presented here are a major step towards the development of an incubator with non-contact sensor systems for use in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) is a negative regulator of insulin signaling and positive regulator of angiogenesis. Its expression is increased in a mouse model of retinal neovascularization and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This case-control study aimed to investigate the association between the rs9896052 polymorphism (A>C) upstream of GRB2 and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in patients with T2DM from Southern Brazil, taking into consideration self-reported skin color (white or non-white) and the known duration of diabetes (< 10 years or ≥ 10 years). Genotypes were determined using real-time PCR in 838 patients with T2DM (284 cases with PDR and 554 controls without DR). In the total study group and in the analysis stratified by skin color, the genotype and allele frequencies were similar between the cases and controls. However, among patients with less than 10 years of diabetes, the C allele was more frequent in cases than in controls (63.3% versus 51.8%, p = 0.032), and the CC genotype was independently associated with an increased risk of PDR (adjusted OR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.17-6.75). In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that the rs9896052 polymorphism near GRB2 is associated with PDR in Brazilian patients with T2DM.

Prevalence estimates of Parkinson’s disease (PD) – the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease – are underestimated due to issues surrounding diagnostic accuracy, symptomatic undiagnosed cases, suboptimal prodromal monitoring, and limited screening access. Remotely monitored wearable devices and sensors provide precise, objective, and frequent measures of motor and non-motor symptoms. Here, we used consumer-grade wearable device and sensor data from the WATCH-PD study to develop a PD screening tool aimed at eliminating gaps between patient symptoms and diagnosis. Early-stage PD (n=82) and age-matched comparison (n=50) participants completed a multidomain assessment battery during a one-year longitudinal multicenter study. Using disease- and behavior-relevant feature engineering and multivariate machine learning modeling of early-stage PD status, we developed a highly accurate (92.3%), sensitive (90.0%), and specific (100%) Random Forest classification model (AUC=0.92) that performed well across environmental contexts. These findings provide robust support for further exploring consumer-grade wearable devices and sensors for global population-wide PD screening and surveillance.

SARS-CoV-2 is an obligatory intracellular pathogen that requires of a lipid bilayer membrane for its transport, to build its nucleocapsid envelope and to fuse with the host cell. The biological membranes are constituted by phospholipids (PLs) and vitamin E (Vit E) protects them from oxidative stress (OS). The aim of this study was to demonstrate if the treatment with Vit E restores the modified profile of the FA in PLs in serum from patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We evaluated Vit E, total fatty acids (TFA), fatty acid of the phospholipids (FAPL), total phospholipids (TPLs), 8-isoprostane, thromboxane B2 (TXB2), prostaglandins (PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum from 22 COVID-19 patients before and after treatment with Vit E and compared the values with those from 23 healthy subjects (HS). COVID-19 patients showed a decrease in Vit E, TPLs, FAPL and TFA in serum in comparison to HS (p≤0.01) and Vit E treatment restored their levels (p≤0.04). Likewise, there was an increase IL-6 and CRP in COVID-19 patients in comparison with HS (p≤0.001) and the treatment with Vit E decreased their levels (p≤0.001). Treatment with Vit E contributes to restore the modified profile of the PLs in the SARS-CoV-2 infection and this leads to a decrease of OS and of the inflammatory process.

Autonomous underwater vehicles are not easily programmable such as autonomous vehicles. This is because route and motion planning for autonomous vehicles depend on a global map that considers the road's smoothness and traffic regulations in real time. However, this is not the case for underwater vehicles as we have to consider the external factors such as wind and tide that may pull autonomous underwater vehicles outside their route and affect the course of travel. This is where decision-making is important for autonomous underwater vehicles. An example is the avoidance of the loss of subsea vehicles as they can dynamically make routing decisions and return to their destinations.This paper exposes the decision-making process for autonomous underwater vehicles. Firstly, an analysis of internal factors such as buoyancy and the overall of the vehicle, and how they affect motion are conducted—secondly, the implementation of a design process that deals with the stages of motion and route planning. Finally, a survey is conducted on already implemented research for algorithms, to incorporate external factors for high-level decision-making.

The adoption of an entrepreneurial mindset within the lenses of green entrepreneurship contributes to negotiating a transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach by intertwining industrial psychology and industrial engineering through [system dynamics] which forms part of the paper's focus. The methodology used in this study is a system dynamics methodology using data readily available online with a focus on quantitative methodology. This study's dynamic variable and the causal loop are formulated using the Euler mathematical equation with support from the Vensim modelling software (academic purposes license). Results and variables simulated in the current study are entrepreneurial mindsets [through subfield of education, values, intentions and gender representation] contribution and the conclusion is explained towards the end of the paper.

Developmental tasks are formed from an analysis of the culture and social demands in which the individual lives and interacts. Developmental psychology defines Milestones as substantial progress in a developmental task. When a person is able to complete developmental tasks at his stage, that person will be happy and consider his development according to his stage. So far, the current developmental tasks are different from the situation and social demands in Indonesia. Thus, the overview of development tasks has yet to be depicted in the psychological development of Indonesians. The aim of the study was to formulate developmental tasks according to the social environment. This research method was carried out through a survey that was distributed online in all regions of Indonesia. The development task screening questionnaire was prepared according to Havighurst's developmental tasks, including a description of open input at each stage. Respondents involved in the study were 345 participants, with a ratio of 78 men and 287 women. The age range of the respondents was 17 years to 63 years. Respondents came from 19 provinces, which means 50 percent of the total number of new provinces in Indonesia. Based on the number of major islands in Indonesia, the respondents represented 4 out of 5 islands or 80%. Hence, the research results can be used to describe Indonesian people. The results show that each stage of development has task contradictions, loss of developmental tasks, addition of developmental tasks and mutual substitution at the previous and subsequent stages. The details at each stage are possible to be elaborated in further studies.

As per the portfolio theory proposed by Markowitz (1952), diversification has the potential to mitigate portfolio risk. Further benefits can come from diversifying internationally since poor correlations among international markets can cause risks that are systematic in one market to become unsystematic in terms of the global economy. SEBI granted approval for Indian Mutual Funds to invest in ADR/GDR released by Indian Companies in 1999. Subsequently, SEBI has eased the rules for investment and several times it has now allowed Indian mutual funds to invest in foreign equity subject to certain limits. While SEBI had approved Indian mutual funds to invest in ADSs of Indian companies way back in 1999, the growth in investment in foreign securities started with the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. The exponential growth in the value of stocks in the US, driven largely by growth in technology stocks, propelled investment by Indian Mutual Funds that increased investment by ten-fold to over INR 30,000 Crores. While several focused funds with a mandate to invest in US stocks formed the bulk of the investment, other flexi cap and blue-chip funds, which had erstwhile fully invested in Indian stocks, also joined the bandwagon. While research on other developed economies has revealed the positive impact of international diversification, the Authors current research examined the advantages of international diversification on the Indian mutual funds’ performance. Authors used methods like t-test, F-test, Anova, Levene test for homogeneity and regression to check the validity of our results. Authors found that the international diversification by Indian equity mutual funds that invest in both US and Indian equities outperform benchmarks one third of the time. More importantly, by diversifying into international equities, these mutual funds are able to lower their volatility and therefore provide better risk reward returns. This is the first major study of this kind about Indian mutual funds investment in foreign equities and would be valuable investors, mutual fund managers and the regulator. As investments by Indians and Indian equity mutual funds are expected to increase significantly in the coming years, this study is timely and relevant at the current context of Indian mutual fund industry.

In the early stage of new vehicle development, the requirements of maximum performance of the air conditioning (AC) system are obtained through Amesim software simulation, but the calibration control of the AC system is usually carried out in the prototype-build vehicle test stage, and the test time is spanned up to 10 months after spring (autumn), summer and winter, of which up to 2 months are for environment chamber tests. Due to the long calibration cycle of AC control in the road test, which seriously affects the vehicle launch time, virtual calibration technology of air conditioning system is developed to shorten the calibration cycle of AC systems and ensure the quality of vehicles. In the project development stage, the calibration control of the vehicle AC system can be realized to carry out the functional test of the AC system in advance. In that, the grade of maturity for the AC system control can be improved, the on-road calibration test cycle can be shortened, and the development cost can be saved.

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) stands as a persistent challenge within the Natural Language Processing (NLP) community. While various NLP packages exist, the Lesk algorithm in the NLTK library, a widely recognized tool, demonstrates suboptimal accuracy. Conversely, the application of deep neural networks offers heightened classification precision, yet their practical utility is constrained by demanding memory requirements. This research paper introduces an innovative method addressing WSD challenges by optimizing memory usage without compromising state-of-the-art accuracy. The presented methodology facilitates the development of WSD system that seamlessly integrates into NLP tasks, resembling the functionality offered by the NLTK library. Furthermore, this paper advocates treating the BERT language model as a gold standard, proposing modifications to manually annotated datasets and semantic dictionaries such as WordNet to enhance WSD accuracy. The empirical validation through a series of experiments establishes the effectiveness of the proposed method, achieving state-of-the-art performance across multiple WSD datasets. This contribution represents advancement in mitigating the challenges associated with WSD, offering a practical solution for integration into NLP applications.

Blindness or visual impairment following congenital heart repair is a rare complication. It can be transient or permanent depending in underlying etiology and damage to optic pathway. We report first case of transient blindness following congenital heart repair due to unilateral subdural hematoma in occipital region.

The role of Physician Assistant emerged in 1960s America and their number has increased to become a significant component of the health care workforce in that country. On the eve of a new policy regulating Physician Associates in the United Kingdom, the role of key actors in shaping the development of regulatory policies in the two countries is critically compared against a backdrop of very different political contexts and health care systems, to reveal the factors that might help or hinder the deployment of Physician Associates/Assistants and ameliorate workforce shortages.

This study develops an intelligent fire suppression device that links microcapsule-based IoT to extinguish early fires, such as blind spots that cannot be seen by humans or places that are difficult to recognize fires. The microcapsule is a micro-unit collection that collects Novak 1230 gas generated in the semiconductor production process. The microcapsule is molded into a form with a fire suppression function, and when a fire occurs, the molded body explodes and absorbs ambient oxygen to suppress the fire. The complex sensor IoT executes smoke and heat detection generated when a fire is suppressed within 10 seconds, which derives the reliability of the detector by notifying the fire and detecting the ignition point through communication linkages such as Ieee 485 and WiFi or LoRa.

We investigated the sleep-wake rhythm of nursery school children with the aim of supporting their health and balanced mental/physical development. We analyzed 4881 children from infant to 6 years of age, using 2-week sleep tables recorded by their guardians. The table contains sleep onset times, wake times, nighttime/daytime sleep duration, and the differences in these between weekdays and weekends. The total sleep decrement of children with age is due to a decrease in daytime sleep only, and nighttime sleep duration remains almost unchanged at about 10 hours, and is therefore called the nighttime basic sleep duration (NBSD). While sleep onset time stabilizes at around 9:30 pm by the age of 2, wake-up times to be before 7 am, resulted in weekdays sleep insufficiency. This lack of sleep is compensated by long naps on weekdays and by catching up sleep on weekends morning, which may be the background to future social-jet-lag. Guardians are encouraged to know their children's exact NBSD and set an ap-propriate bedtime to maintain it on weekdays, which prevent sleep dept and form a daily rhythm of waking up at the same time both on weekdays/weekends. These conditions are believed to maintain balance in mental/physical development and school-social-adaptation.

Vibration monitoring is a critical aspect of assessing the health and performance of machinery and industrial processes. This study explores the application of machine learning techniques, specifically the Random Forest (RF) classification model, to predict and classify chatter—a detrimental self-excited vibration phenomenon—during machining operations. While sophisticated methods have been employed to address chatter, this research investigates the efficacy of a simplified RF model. The study leverages simulated vibration data, bypassing resource-intensive real-world data collection, to develop a versatile chatter detection model applicable across diverse machining configurations. The feature extraction process combines time-series features and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) data features, streamlining the model while addressing challenges posed by feature selection. By focusing on the RF model’s simplicity and efficiency, this research advances chatter detection techniques, offering a practical tool with improved generalizability, computational efficiency, and ease of interpretation. The study demonstrates that innovation can reside in simplicity, opening avenues for wider applicability and accelerated progress in the machining industry.

Consumer IoT (CIoT) manufacturers seek customer feedback to enhance their products and services, creating a smart ecosystem like a smart home. Due to security and privacy concerns, Blockchain-based federated learning (BCFL) ecosystems can let CIoT manufacturers update their Machine Learning (ML) model using end-user data. FL uses privacy-preserving ML techniques to forecast customers' needs and consumption habits, and blockchain replaces the centralised aggregator to safeguard the ecosystem. However, Blockchain technology (BCT) struggles with scalability and quick ledger expansion. In BCFL, local model generation and secure aggregation are other issues. This research contributes a novel architecture emphasising Gateway Peer (GWP) in blockchain network to resolve scalability, ledger optimisation and secure model transmission issues. In the architecture we replace the centralised aggregator by the blockchain network, while GWP restricts the number of local transactions to execute in BCN. Considering the security and privacy of FL processes, we have added differential privacy and advanced normalisation techniques to ML processes. The approaches strengthen end-users' cyber security and encourage the adoption of technological innovation standards by service providers. The proposed approach has been tested extensively using a well-respected Stanford Cars dataset. We experimentally demonstrate that the proposed architecture makes the network scalable and optimises the ledger significantly. In addition, the normalisation technique outperforms batch normalisation when features are under DP protection.

Migraine is a neurovascular disorder that can be debilitating for individuals and society. Current research focuses on finding effective analgesics and management strategies for migraines by targeting specific receptors and neuropeptides. However, the efficacy of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in treating migraines can vary among patients, and tolerance may develop over time, reducing their effectiveness. To address the need for novel therapeutic targets, researchers are exploring the potential of another secretin family peptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), as a ground-breaking treatment avenue for migraine. Animal models have revealed how PACAP affects the trigeminal system, which is implicated in headache disorders. Clinical studies have demonstrated the significance of PACAP in migraine pathophysiology. Intriguingly, the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide 1 receptor mAb, AMG 301 showed no benefit for migraine prevention, while the PACAP ligand mAb, Lu AG09222 significantly reduced the number of monthly migraine days over placebo in a phase 2 clinical trial. In addition, another secretin family peptide vasoactive intestinal peptide is gaining interest as a potential new target. In light of recent advances in PACAP research, we emphasize the potential of PACAP as a promising target for migraine treatment. Recent findings highlight the importance of exploring PACAP as a member of the antimigraine armamentarium, especially for patients who do not respond to anti-CGRP therapies. By updating our knowledge on PACAP and its unique contribution to migraine pathophysiology, we can pave the way for reinforcing PACAP and other secretin peptides as a novel treatment approach for migraines.

Migraine and neuropathic pain (NP) are evocative of painful, disabling, chronic conditions which exhibit resembling symptoms and thus considered to share a common etiology. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has gained credit as a target for migraine management; nevertheless, the efficacy and the applicability of CGRP modifiers warrant search for more effective therapeutic targets for pain management. This scoping review overviews human studies of common pathogenic factors in migraine and NP to explore potential novel therapeutic targets. CGRP causes inflammation in the meninges; monoclonal antibodies and inhibitors target CGRP. Gluta-mate-induced hyperexcitability and subsequent sensitization are closely linked to an alteration of the tryptophan (Trp)-kynurenine (KYN) metabolic system; the Trp-KYN system may serve as a potential target. Microglial overaction is observed in migraine and NP; modifying the microglial activity may be a possible approach. Cytokine-induced inflammation is a leading hypothesis of the pathogenesis of the conditions; alleviating neuroinflammation may complement a pain-relieving armamentarium. Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels evoke the release of several substances; TRP ion channels may potentially emerge as new targets. The endocannabinoid system plays a major role in the pain trafficking pathway; modification of the system may open a new path toward discovery of new analgesics. Here we highlight the mechanism of those common pathogenic factors to explore therapeutic targets for innovative pain management in migraine and NP.

Nearly half a century has passed since the discovery of cytoplasmic inheritance of human chloramphenicol resistance. The inheritance was then revealed to take place maternally by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Later, a number of mutations in mtDNA were identified as a cause of severe inheritable metabolic diseases with neurological manifestation, and the impairment of mitochondrial functions has been probed in the pathogenesis of a wide range of illnesses including neurodegenerative diseases. Recently growing number of preclinical studies has revealed that animal behaviors are influenced by the impairment of mitochondrial functions and possibly by the loss of mitochondrial stress resilience. Indeed, as high as 54% of patients with one of the most common primary mitochondrial diseases, mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome, present psychiatric symptoms including cognitive impairment, mood disorder, anxiety, and psychosis. Mitochondria are multifunctional organelles which produce cellular energy and play a major role in other cellular functions including homeostasis, cellular signaling, and gene expression, among other. Mitochondrial functions are observed to be compromised and to become less resilient under continuous stress. Meanwhile, stress and inflammation have been linked to the activation of the tryptophan (Trp)-kynurenine (KYN) metabolic system, which observably contributes to development of pathological conditions including neurological and psychiatric disorders. This narrative review discusses the functions of mitochondria and the Trp-KYN system, the interaction of the Trp-KYN system with mitochondria, and the current understanding of the involvement of mitochondria and the Trp-KYN system in preclinical and clinical studies of major neurological and psychiatric diseases.

The performance of the absolute atom gravimeters used on moving platforms, such as vehicles, ships and aircrafts, is strongly affected by the vibration noise. To suppress its influence, we summarize a vibration compensation method utilizing data measured by a classical accelerometer. The measurements with the accelerometer show that the vibration noise in the vehicle can be 2 order of magnitude greater than that in the lab during daytime, and can induce an interferometric phase fluctuation with a standard deviation of 16.70π. With the compensation method, our vehicle-mounted atom gravimeter can work normally in these harsh conditions. Comparing the Allan standard deviations before and after the vibration noise correction, we find a suppression factor of 22.74 can be achieved in static condition with an interrogation time of T = 20 ms, resulting a sensitivity of 1.35 mGal/Hz1/2, and a standard deviation of 0.5 mGal with an average time of 10 s. We also demonstrate the first test of an atom gravimeter in a moving vehicle, in which a suppression factor of 50.85 and a sensitivity of 60.88 mGal/Hz1/2 were realized with T = 5 ms.

(1) Background: Considering highly selected patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), active surveillance is a valid alternative to surgery. Our study is aimed at showing the reliability of post-biopsy complete lesion removal, documented by mammogram, as additional criterion to select these patients. (2) Methods: 2173 Vacuum Assisted Breast Biopsies (VABB) documented as DCIS have been reviewed. Surgery has been performed in all cases. We retrospectively collected the reports of post-VABB complete lesion removal and the histological results of the biopsy and surgery. We calculated the rate of upgrade of DCIS identified on VABB upon excision for patients with post-biopsy complete lesion removal and for those showing residual lesion. (3) Results: We observed 2173 cases of DCIS: 408 classified as low grade; 1262 as intermediate grade; 503 as high grade. The overall upgrading rate to invasive carcinoma was 15.2% (330/2173). The upgrade rate was significantly lower (8.2%) when considering patients showing mammographically documented complete removal of the lesion. (4) Conclusion: The absence of mammographically documented residual lesion following VABB is associated to a lower upgrading rate of DCIS to invasive carcinoma on surgical excision and should be considered when deciding the proper management DCIS diagnosis.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves social communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors, with a growing prevalence worldwide. Symptoms include cognitive impairments, gastrointestinal (GI) issues, feeding difficulties, and psychological problems. A significant concern in ASD is food selectivity, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Common GI issues in ASD, such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, stem from abnormal gut flora and immune system dysregulation. Sensory sensitivities and behavioral challenges exacerbate these problems, correlating with neurological symptom severity. Children with ASD also exhibit higher oxidative stress due to low antioxidant levels like glutathione. Therapeutic diets, including ketogenic, high-antioxidant, gluten-free, and casein-free, show potential in managing ASD symptoms like behavior, communication, GI issues, and oxidative stress, though the evidence is limited. Various studies have focused on different populations, but there is increasing concern about the impact on children. This review examines the effect of food selectivity, GI problems, and antioxidant deficiencies in ASD and revises the effectiveness of various therapeutic diets, highlighting the need for further research to confirm their long-term benefits.

Background Nigeria is among the top 5 countries that have the highest gap between people reported as diagnosed and estimated to have developed Tuberculosis (TB). To bridge this gap, there is a need for innovative approaches to identify geographical areas at high risk of TB transmission and targeted Active Case Finding (ACF) interventions. Leveraging community level data together with granular sociodemographic contextual information can unmask local hotspots which could be otherwise missed. This work evaluated if this approach helps to reach communities with higher numbers of undiagnosed TB. Methodology A retrospective analysis of the data generated from an ACF intervention program in 4 south-western states in Nigeria was conducted. Wards (the smallest administrative level in Nigeria) were subdivided into further smaller population clusters. ACF sites and their respective TB screening outputs were mapped to these population clusters. This data was then combined with open-source high resolution contextual data to train a Bayesian inference model. The model predicted TB positivity rates on the community level (population cluster level), and these were visualised on a customised geoportal for use by the local teams to identify communities at high risk of TB transmission and plan ACF interventions. The TB positivity yield (proportion) observed at model-predicted hotspots was compared with the yield obtained at other sites identified based on aggregated notification data. Results The yield in population clusters that were predicted to have high TB positivity rates by the model was at least 1.75 times higher (p-value <0.001) than the yield in other locations in all four states. Conclusion The community level Bayesian predictive model has the potential to guide ACF implementers to high TB positivity areas for finding undiagnosed TB in the communities, thus improving efficiency of interventions.

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) is characterized by the presence of glutamate de-carboxylase autoantibodies (GADA). LADA has intermediate features between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In addition, genetic risk factors for both types of diabetes are present in LADA. Nonetheless, evidence about the genetics of LADA in non-European populations is scarce. This study aims to perform a genome-wide association study with a phenome-wide association study of LADA in a southeastern Mexican population. We included 59 patients diagnosed with LADA from a previous study and 3121 individuals without diabetes from the MxGDAR/ENCODAT database. We utilized the GENESIS package in R to perform the GWAS of LADA and PLINK for the PheWAS of LADA features. Nine polymorphisms reach the nominal association level (1x10-5) in the GWAS. The PheWAS showed that rs7305229 is genome-wide associated with serum GADA levels in our sample (p=1.84x10-8). rs7305229 is located downstream FAIM2 gene; previous reports associate FAIM2 variants with childhood obesity, body mass index, body adiposity measures, lymphocyte CD8+ activity, and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Our findings reveal that rs7305229 affects the GADA levels in patients with LADA from southeastern Mexico. More studies are needed to determine if this risk genotype exists in other populations with LADA.

Canine influenza virus (CIV) H3N2 causes a highly contagious respiratory disease in dogs and has been the source of outbreaks across North America since 2015. An injectable RNA Particle (RP)-CIV H3N2 vaccine has been developed to protect dogs against this disease. To demonstrate efficacy, dogs were randomized into two treatment groups, then vaccinated subcutaneously twice, 21 days apart, with a placebo vaccine (n = 20) or a RP-CIV H3N2 vaccine (n = 20). Three weeks later, dogs were challenged intranasally with virulent CIV H3N2 and observed daily for 10 days for clinical signs of disease. Nasal swabs were also collected daily to evaluate shedding of the challenge virus. Ten days post-challenge, dogs were euthanized, and the lungs were examined for consolidation. RP-CIV H3N2 vaccination demonstrated a significant reduction in duration of clinical signs, duration and amount of virus shed, lung consolidation, and the incidence of suppurative pneumonia. To evaluate safety, dogs from multiple geographic regions were vaccinated subcutaneously, 3-4 weeks apart, with a RP-CIV H3N2 vaccine and observed for adverse events for 14 days after each administration. The RP-CIV H3N2 vaccine was deemed safe, with lethargy being the most reported adverse event at a rate of 1.6%.

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent form of lung cancer, and drug resistance is a significant obstacle in its treatment. This study aimed to investigate the overexpression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as a mechanism that promotes intrinsic resistance in tumor cells from the onset of treatment. Drug-tolerant persister cells (DTP) are a subset of cancer cells that survive and proliferate after exposure to therapeutic drugs, making them an essential object of study for cancer treatment. The molecular mechanisms underlying DTP cell survival are not fully understood; however, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proposed to play a crucial role. DTP cells from lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were obtained after a single exposure to tyrosine kinase inhibitor TKIs (erlotinib or osimertinib). After establishing DTPs, RNA sequencing was performed to investigate the differential expression of the lncRNAs. Some lncRNAs and one mRNA were found to be overexpressed in DTP cells. The clinical relevance of lncRNAs was evaluated in a cohort of patients with lung adenocarcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). RT-qPCR validated the overexpression of lncRNAs and mRNA in residual DTP cells and LUAD biopsies. Knockdown of these lncRNAs increases the sensitivity of DTP cells to therapeutic drugs. This study provides an opportunity to investigate the involvement of lncRNAs in the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying intrinsic resistance. The identified lncRNAs and CD74 mRNA may serve as potential prognostic markers or therapeutic targets to improve the overall survival of patients with lung cancer.

The case of a patient with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and an anastomosing haemangioma, is presented. The main dilemma was whether the haemangioma was the cause or the consequence of the autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and how both processes should be management. The diagnostic methods used are analytical and imaging techniques, which have not been conclusive in the diagnosis of anastomosing haemangiomas. Preoperative corticosteroid treatment does not prevent the recurrence of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in the postoperative period. Surgical indication is established by the progression of proliferative activity, tumor enlargement and compression of the vena cava over time. Surgical resection of the tumor is the procedure used. The indication for surgical treatment of the anastomosing haemangioma and the decrease in alpha- fetoprotein after tumor resection are the most relevant results, although it increases again after a few weeks. The development of an anastomotic haemangioma may be secondary to autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. Angiogenesis resulting from the formation of erythroblastic islands at the periphery of the tumor and clonal expansions may be a mechanism to compensate for the haemolysis caused by autoimmune haemolytic anaemia

Background: With the rapid improvement of the healthcare technologies, security and privacy of the most sensitive data, health data is at risk. Protecting patient privacy has many components, even though the data are in electronic format. Although patient privacy is thoroughly discussed in the literature, there is no study presenting all components of patient privacy protection. Methods: In this study, a complete evaluation framework is presented, as an evaluation tool, an inventory is developed, reliability and validity of the inventory is examined. Study is conducted in three phases: Conceptual framework development, inventory development and an evaluation case study. In the evaluation, fuzzy conjoint analysis is employed to handle the subjectivity and am-biguity. As the result of the evaluation, the institution is given a patient privacy protection ma-turity grade, between 1 and 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best grade. Results: In the case study, XXX’s biggest hospital, employing 800 nurses, is evaluated. Half of the nurses, 400, have partici-pated in the study. Literature tells healthcare institutions do not invest enough to protect patient privacy, and the study results support this finding. Institution’s maturity grade resulted as level 2, which is bad. Conclusion: The study measures he privacy maturity with many evaluation com-ponents. Result of the evaluation explains to the patients and the public if their data is safe or not. With this maturity grade, patients have an idea about which institution to choose, public can conclude the institutions’ reliability in terms of patient privacy.

The conserved cyanobacterial protein PipX is part of a complex interaction network with regulators involved in essential processes that include metabolic homeostasis or ribosome assembly. Because PipX interactions depend on the relative levels of their different partners and of the effector molecules binding to them, in vivo studies are required to understand the physiological significance and contribution of environmental factors to regulation of PipX complexes. Here we have used the NanoBiT complementation system to analyse regulation of complex formation in Synechococcus elongatus between PipX and each of its two best characterized partners, PII and NtcA. Our results confirm previous in vitro analysis on regulation of PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA complexes by 2-oxoglutarate and on regulation of PipX-PII by the ATP/ADP ratio, showing the disruption of PipX-NtcA complexes by increased levels of ADP-bound PII in Synechococcus elongatus. The demonstration of a positive role of PII on PipX-NtcA complexes under the initial response to nitrogen starvation or the impact of a PipX point mutation on the activity of PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA reporters are further indications of the sensitivity of the system. This study reveals additional regulatory complexities in the PipX interaction network, opening the way to future research in cyanobacteria.

Since cART was introduced to treat AIDS, the mortality rate due to AIDS has markedly decreased and the convalescence of HIV-infected individuals has improved drastically. However, HIV-1 sexual transmission has made HIV become a global epidemic. Sacran is a megamolecular poly-saccharide extracted from cyanobacterium Aphanothece sacrum that exhibits numerous desirable characteristics for transdermic applications, such as safety as a biomaterial, a high moisture re-tention effect, the ability to form a film and hydrogel, and an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we evaluated the anti-HIV-1 effects of Sacran as a barrier to HIV transmission. Sacran inhibited HIV-1 infection and envelope-dependent cell-to-cell fusion. Moreover, we used a Transwell assay to confirm that sacran inhibited viral diffusion and captured viruses. The synergistic effects of sacran and other anti-HIV infection drugs were also evaluated.HIV-1 infections can be reduced through the synergistic effects of sacran and anti-HIV-1 drugs. Our study suggests the use of sacran gel to protect against HIV-1 transmission.

Through the use of Smart Sensor Networks (SSN), Marine Observatories (MO) provide continuous ocean monitoring. Deployed sensors may not perform as intended due to the heterogeneity of SSN devices’ hardware and software when combined with the Internet. Hence, SSN are regarded as complex distributed systems. As such, SSN designers will encounter challenges throughout the design phase related to time, complexity, sharing diverse domain experiences (viewpoints), and ensuring optimal performance for the deployed SSN. To this end, we describe in this article how we extended our previously proposed ArchiMO meta-model and design tool by extending an Enterprise Architecture Framework based on the ArchiMate Modeling Language. This extension proposes the incorporation of new Underwater Environmental Constraints (UEC) for SSN in ArchiMO which is coupled with the fusion of sensors with Artificial Intelligence. This serves as the basis for generating a new version of our ArchiMO design tool, which incorporates the new added constraints and invokes the AI created Database. To illustrate our proposal, we use the newly generated ArchiMO to create a model in the MO domain. Furthermore, we use our self-developed domain-specific model compiler to produce the relevant simulation code. Throughout the design phase, our approach contributes to handle and control the uncertainties and variances of the provided quality of service that may occur during the performance of the SSN, hence reducing the design activity’s complexity and time. It provides a way to share the different viewpoints of the designers in the domain of SSN.

While some research supports utilizing plain radiography for measuring biomechanical alignment of the spine for prognosis and treatment, there are contrasting viewpoints regarding both the value and utilization of these procedures in conservative care. Evaluation of both conservative and non-conservative approaches to spinal care revealed vast differences in radiographic utilization and interpretation between orthopedic surgeons, primary care physicians, chiropractic physicians, and physical therapists, which may account for the different viewpoints and rationale in the literature. A research summary is provided regarding the various methods of spinal analysis utilized by these professions to help determine if there is any unique diagnostic or prognostic value associated with radiographic utilization that could assist in advancing conservative spinal assessment and treatment. Understanding any unique value provided through biomechanical assessment utilizing plain radiography of the spine established in the literature may help chiropractic physicians determine the appropriate use of radiographic procedures in clinical practice and how to coordinate efforts with other conservative and non-conservative professions to improve spinal healthcare.

Non-conventional resonances, both acoustic and photonic, are found in metallic particles with a toroidal nanopropeller geometry that is generated by sweeping a three-lobed 2D-shape along a spiral with twisting angle, α. For both optical and acoustic cases, the spectral location of resonances experiences a red-shift as a function of α. We demonstrate that the optical case can be understood as a natural evolution of resonances as the spiral length of the toroidal nanopropeller increases with α, implying a huge helicity dependent absorption cross section. In the case of acoustic response, two red-shifting breathing modes are identified. Additionally, even a small α allows the appearance of new low-frequency resonances, whose spectral dispersion depends on a competition between length of the generative spiral and the pitch of the toroidal nanopropeller.

Our goal was to determine the cellular immune response (CIR) among a random sample of the Borriana COVID-19 cohort (Spain) to identify its associated factors and their relationship with infection, reinfection and sequelae. We conducted a nested case-control study using a randomly selected sample of 225 individuals age 18 and older, including 36 individual naïve to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 189 infected patients. We employed flow cytometry-based immunoassays for intracellular cytokine staining, utilizing Wuhan and BA.2 antigens and chemoluminescence microparticle immunoassay for detection SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Logistic regression models were used. A total of 215 (95.6%) participants exhibited T-cell response (TCR) to at least one antigen. Positive responses of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were 89.8% and 85.3% respectively. No difference in CIR was found for naïve and infected patients. Patients who experienced sequelae exhibited higher CIR than those without. A positive correlation was observed between TCR and Anti-Spike IgG levels. Factors positive associated with TCR included A-blood group, number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses received, and Anti-N IgM; factors inversely related were the time elapsed since the last vaccine dose or infection, and B-blood group. These findings contribute valuable insights into the nuance immune landscape shaped by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.

Polyploidy, a prevalent event in plant evolution, drives phenotypic diversification and speciation. While transcriptional changes and regulation in polyploids have been extensively studied, the translational level impact remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we conducted a com-parative transcriptomic and translatomic analysis of cotton leaves from allopolyploid species G. hirsutum (AD1) and G. barbadense (AD2) relative to their model A-genome and D-genome diploid progenitors. Our data revealed that while allopolyploidization significantly affects the transcrip-tional landscape, its impact on translation was relatively modest, evidenced by a narrower ex-pression range and fewer expression changes in ribosome-protected fragments than in mRNA levels. Allopolyploid-specific changes commonly identified in both AD1 and AD2 were observed in 7,393 genes at either transcriptional or translational levels. Interestingly, the majority of translational changes exhibited concordant down-regulation in both ribosome-protected fragments and mRNA, particularly associated with terpenoid synthesis and metabolism. Regarding translational efficiency (TE), at least one-fifth of cotton genes exhibit translational level regulation, with a general trend of more down-regulation than up-regulation of TE. The magnitude of translational regulation was slightly reduced in allopolyploids compared to diploids, and allopolyploidy tends to have a more profound impact on genes and functional associations with ultra-low TE. Moreover, we demonstrated a reduced extent of homeolog expression biases during translation compared to transcription. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the regulatory consequences of allopolyploidy post-transcription, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of regulatory mechanisms of duplicated gene expression evolution.

Dent disease type 1 is a rare inherited renal disorder affecting mainly young males, generally leading to end-stage renal failure and for which there is no cure. It is caused by inactivating mutations in the gene encoding ClC-5, a 2Cl-/H+ exchanger found on endosomes in the renal proximal tubule. This transporter participates in reabsorbing all filtered plasma proteins which justifies why proteinuria is commonly observed when ClC-5 is defective. In the context of Dent disease type 1, a proximal tubule dedifferentiation was shown to be accompanied by a dysfunctional cell metabolism. However, the exact mechanisms linking such alterations to chronic kidney disease are still unclear. In this review, we gather knowledge from several Dent disease type 1 models to summarize the current hypotheses generated to understand the progression of this disorder. We also highlight some urinary biomarkers for Dent disease type 1 suggested in different studies.

Some business license commitments in online single submission (OSS) currently only consist of an independent statement from the business actor, and there is no time limit for fulfilling the license, especially for low-risk bio-business licenses. Therefore, a system design is needed to monitor the fulfillment of business license commitments and to provide confidence to the public regarding the business provided. The system design started with discussing the importance of smart governance tools, defining the requirements for monitoring the commitment of bio-business licenses, selecting documents, determining important words and document types, and proposing a design. This research produces a prototype of a business license monitoring system. This smart governance tool checks the validity of business license documents. The proposed smart governance tool will overcome the complexity of the integration process for fulfilling business licenses from the Indonesian government units or agency systems with the OSS system. Apart from that, it is also very effective by looking at the thousands of government applications that currently exist and the desire to become one application solution that contains many functions that can fulfill the many needs of business actors for simple and transparent business licenses.

Although there are numerous available immunomodulators, those of natural origin would be preferable based on their safety profile and effectiveness. The research and clinical interest in immunomodulators have increased in the last decades, especially in the immunomodulatory properties of plant-based therapies. Innovative technologies and extensive study on immunomodulatory natural products, botanicals, extracts, and active moieties with immunomodulatory potential could provide us with valuable entities to develop as novel immunomodulatory medicines to enhance current chemotherapies. This review focuses on plant-based immunomodulatory drugs that are currently in clinical studies. However, further studies in this area are of utmost importance to obtain complete information about the positive effects of medicinal plants and their chemical components and molecules as an alternative to combatting various diseases and/or prevention.

The use of energy resources is essential to the survival and development of human civilization. However, inefficient energy use not only has an impact on the economy, but it also has a significant impact on climate change. Studying and analyzing the factors that increase energy consumption is crucial for improving energy management. The aim of this study is to analyze the factors influencing energy savings in a building taken as a study model under two different climatic conditions. Measurements of the building's energy performance were carried out using the EnergyPlus calculation engine, which enabled us to analyze the strengths of building parameters such as the number of lights, the equipment used, occupancy, temperature and the relationships between the factors influenced. EnergyPlus is an important software tool in the field of building energy efficiency, enabling the precise simulation of building energy consumption. Simulation scenarios based on actual consumption data carried out by researchers have made it possible to develop energy management strategies in buildings in order to optimize energy efficiency, and in particular to promote the thermal performance of these buildings. In the present work, EnergyPlus building energy simulation software is used to simulate the energy consumption of the building of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University in Iasi, in order to determine the factors influencing building energy consumption. It has been shown that occupancy and heating and cooling systems are the key factors influencing energy consumption in buildings. The advantage of this study is that it can be used to model the most influential factors in predicting future energy consumption in buildings.

Supply chain disruptions, a pandemic, and war in Ukraine have exposed faultlines in a globalised food system that depends on a few staple crops grown in a few exporting regions and transported to consumers around the world. In the UK, just three crops, (wheat, barley, and oilseed rape), account for 75 per cent of the UK’s 4.5 million hectares of arable land whilst the country imports around half its food - nearly 40 per cent from just four EU countries (the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, and France). Poor diets contribute to one in seven deaths in the UK, 63 per cent of the population is overweight or obese and health inequality is increasing between the poorest and most affluent regions. The food security and health of the UK population is therefore dependent on a small number of locally grown crops, vulnerable supply chains, and an unhealthy, obesogenic diet. The UK food system must diversify if it is to become food and nutritionally secure, meet its climate and biodiversity goals and have a healthy and active population. Climate resilient and nutritious underutilised crops can help diversify the UK agrifood system but, research and investment in them is sporadic, piecemeal, and unfocused. In this paper we compare two approaches to identifying potentially suitable underutilised crops for the UK. The first, based on Defra Project CH0224 was delivered through literature and database searches and expertise of growers, advisers, breeders, seed suppliers, processors, traders, and researchers. The second, used the CropBASE digital knowledge base for underutilised crops described in Jahanshiri et. al. (2023). The two approaches produced no single crop that was common to both shortlists. We propose that the analytical and predictive tools derived from CropBASE could be combined with local knowledge and expertise from the Defra project to provide a common framework for the identification of underutilised crops that are best suited to local UK circumstances now and in climates of the future.

The gastrointestinal tract is inhabited by the gut microbiota. The main phyla are Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, now renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), an increase in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes abundance promotes its pathogenesis and evolution into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. For this reason, an early treatment is necessary to disfavor its progression. The aim of the present narrative review is to evaluate the different therapeutic approaches to MAFLD. The most important treatment for MAFLD is lifestyle changes. In this regard, the Mediterranean diet could be considered the gold standard in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD. In contrast, a Western diet should be discouraged. Probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation seem to be valid, safe, and effective alternatives for MAFLD treatment. However, more studies with a longer follow up and with a larger cohort of patients are needed to underline the more effective ap-proaches to contrasting MAFLD.

A reduced-dimension (RD) method based on the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) technology and the linearized Crank-Nicolson mixed finite element (CNMFE) scheme for solving the 2D nonlinear Extended Fisher-Kolmogorov (EFK) equation is proposed. The method reduces CPU runtime and error accumulation by reducing the dimension of the unknown CNMFE solution coefficient vectors. For this purpose, The CNMFE scheme of the EFK equation is established and the uniqueness, stability and convergence of the CNMFE solutions are discussed. Subsequently, the matrix-based RDCNMFE scheme is derived by applying the POD method. Furthermore, the uniqueness, stability and error estimates of the linearized RDCNMFE solution are proved. Finally, numerical experiments are carried out to validate the theoretical findings. In addition, we contrast the RDCNMFE method with the CNMFE method, highlighting the advantages of the dimensionality reduction method.

Abstract: Flexible pressure sensors are electronic devices that can be attached to various irregular surfaces to measure the pressure. It is widely used in wearable devices and for health detection. In this study, a general carbon nanotubes/polydimethylsiloxane (CNTs/PDMS) sponge electrode was fabricated as the elementary component of the compressible system. The sensitivity of the flexible pressure sensor is improved by optimizing the preparation process of the conductive sponge and surface modification of the CNTs, and the highest sensitivity reached 71.831 kPa-1(0~2 kPa). The flexible pressure sensor can be used to detect subtle pressure quickly and accurately so that it can be used as wearable sensor to measure the radial artery wave of a human body, which has potential applications in health care and other fields.

Recently, a significant number of tools for detecting dangerous objects have been developed. Unfortunately, the performance offered by them is overestimated due to the poor quality of the datasets used (insufficiently numerous, contain items not strictly related to dangerous objects, insufficient range of presentation conditions). To fill in a gap in this area we have built an extensive dataset dedicated to detecting the objects most often used in various acts of breaching public security (baseball bat, gun, knife, machete, rifle). This collection contains images presenting the detected objects with different quality and under different environmental conditions. We believe that the results obtained from it are more reliable and give a better idea of the detection accuracy that can be achieved under real conditions. We used the Faster R-CNN with different backbone networks in the study. The best results were obtained for the ResNet152 backbone. The mAP value was 85%, while the AP level ranged from 80% to 91%, depending on the item detected. An average real-time detection speed was 11-13 FPS. Both the accuracy and speed of the Faster R-CNN model allow it to be recommended for use in public security monitoring systems aimed at detecting potentially dangerous objects.

Recent research has specifically targeted the decision-making process of eco-friendly individuals, emphasizing the significance of recycling and its impact on sustainability. Our study extends this inquiry by examining the correlation between recycling participation and pro-environmental behavior among consumers, integrating the concepts of self-efficacy, feelings of pride, and social pressure into our analysis. Utilizing Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we aimed to explore the intricate relationships that underpin these behaviors. Results suggest that self-efficacy and feelings of pride significantly influence individuals' recycling behaviors, highlighting the role of psychological and social factors in promoting environmental sustainability. Interestingly, it was concluded that social pressure did not have the expected moderating effect on increasing consumers' feelings of pride and self-efficacy toward recycling activities.This study not only sheds light on the underlying mechanisms that drive pro-environmental actions but also contributes to understanding sustainability promotion through recycling and offers insights for policymakers and environmental advocates to foster environmental responsibility and behavior change.

The objective of this study was to investigate the umami characteristics of soy sauce using electronic tongue evaluation and amino acid composition and Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The soy sauce peptides were isolated from soy sauce using XAD-16 macroporous resin combined with ethanol solution. Results showed that the soy sauce peptide fraction eluted by 60% ethanol (SS-60%) exhibited a prominent umami taste and the umami scores were highly positively correlated with the amino acid nitrogen contents of soy sauces. The umami scores of SS-60% were significantly positively correlated with the contents of free amino acids. Especially, Phe showed the highest positive correlation with the umami scores. In addition, five characteristic ion peaks with m/z at 499, 561, 643, 649, and 855 were identified in the peptide mass fingerprinting. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the umami characteristics for the flavor evaluation and reality identification of soy sauce.

Cyprus plans to drastically increase the share of renewable energy sources from 13.9% in 2020 to 22.9% in 2030. Solar energy can play a key role in the effort to fulfil this goal. The potential for production of solar energy over the island is much higher than most of European territory because of the low latitude of the island and the nearly cloudless summers. In this study, high quality and fine resolution satellite retrievals of aerosols and dust, from the newly developed MIDAS climatology, as well as information for clouds from CMSAF are used in order to quantify the effects of aerosols, dust, and clouds on the levels of surface solar radiation (SSR) and the corresponding financial loss for different types of installations for production of solar energy. An SSR climatology has been also developed based on the above information. Ground-based measurements were also incorporated to study the contribution of different species to the aerosol mixture and the effects of day-to-day variability of aerosols on SSR. Aerosols attenuate 5 – 10% of annual GHI and 15 – 35% of annual DNI, while clouds attenuate ~25 – 30% and 35 – 50% respectively. Dust is responsible for 30 – 50% of the overall attenuation by aerosols.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), as an important regulator of potato growth, seriously affects the growth and yield of potato. Although many studies have reported that IAA-producing Bacillus can promote plant growth, little research has been done on its synthesis pathway and the molecular mechanisms. In this study, IAA-producing strain WL35 was identified as Fitibacillus barbaricus, and its yield was 48.79 mg·L-1. The results of the pot experiments showed that WL35 significantly increased plant height, stem thickness, chlorophyll content and number of leaves of potato plants by 31.68%, 30.03%, 32.93% and 36.59%, respectively. In addition, in the field experiments, WL35-treated plants increased commercial potatoes yield by 16.45%, vitamin C content by 16.35%, protein content by 75%, starch content by 6.60%, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium accumulation by 9.98%, 12.70% and 26.76%, respectively. Meanwhile, the synthetic pathway of WL35 was found to be dominated by the tryptophan-dependent pathway, the IAM, TAM and IPA pathways worked together, and the pathways that played a role at different times were different. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis showed that there were a total of 2875 DEGs regulated in the samples treated with WL35 seed dressing compared with the CK, of which 1458 genes were up-regulated and 1417 genes were down-regulated. Potato roots express differential genes enriched in processes such as carbohydrate metabolism processes and cellular polysaccharide metabolism, which regulate potato plant growth and development. The above results provide a theoretical basis for the further exploration of the synthesis pathway of IAA and its growth-promoting mechanism on potato.

Cohort studies have identified several genetic determinants that could predict the clinical response to allopurinol. However, they have not been commonly used for genome-wide investigations to identify genetic determinants on allopurinol metabolism and concentrations. We conducted a genome-wide association study of a prior cross-sectional investigation of patients from the Montreal Heart Institute Biobank undergoing allopurinol therapy. Four endpoints were investigated, namely plasma concentrations of oxypurinol, the active metabolite of allopurinol, allopurinol, and allopurinol-riboside, as well as allopurinol daily dosing. A total of 439 participants (mean age 69.4 years; 86.4% male) taking allopurinol (mean daily dose 194.5 mg) and who had quantifiable oxypurinol concentrations were included in the genome-wide analyses. Participants presented multiple comorbidities and received concomitant cardiovascular medications. No association achieved the predefined genome-wide threshold values for any of the endpoints (all p&gt;5 × 10-8). Our results are consistent with prior finding regarding the difficulty in identifying genetic determinants of drug concentrations or pharmacokinetics of allopurinol and its metabolites, and allopurinol daily dosing. Given the size of this genome-wide study, collaborative investigations involving larger and diverse cohorts may be required to further identify pharmacogenomic determinants of allopurinol and measure their clinical relevance to personalize allopurinol therapy.

In this multicenter, retrospective study we evaluated the added value of magnetic resonance dispersion imaging (MRDI) to standard multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for PCa detection. The study included 76 patients - 51 with clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa), who underwent radical prostatectomy and had an mpMRI including dynamic contrast enhanced-MRI. Two radiologists performed three separate randomized scorings based on mpMRI, MRDI and mpMRI+MRDI. Radical prostatectomy histopathology was used as the reference standard. Imaging and histopathology were both scored according to the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System V2.0 sector map. Sensitivity and specificity for PCa detection were evaluated for mpMRI, MRDI and mpMRI+MRDI. Inter- and intra-observer variability for both radiologists were evaluated using Cohen’s Kappa. On a per patient level, sensitivity for csPCa for radiologist 1 (R1) for mpMRI, MRDI and mpMRI+MRDI were 0.94, 0.82 and 0.94, respectively. For the second radiologist (R2) these were 0.78, 0.94 and 0.96. R1 detected 4% additional csPCa cases using MRDI compared to mpMRI and R2 detected 20% extra csPCa cases using MRDI. Inter-observer agreement was significant only for MRDI (Cohen’s kappa = 0.4250, p=0.004). The results of this study show the potential of MRDI to improve interobserver variability and the detection of csPCa.

ProAKAP4, a precursor of AKAP4 (A-kinase anchor protein) found in the flagellum of mammalian and non-mammalian spermatozoa, serves as a structural protein with established correlations to motility parameters across diverse species. This study aimed to determine the proAKAP4 levels evolution in thawed stallion semen over a 3-hour period, examining its correlation with motility descriptors and mitochondrial membrane potential. Utilizing sixteen ejaculates from four French warmblood stallions, the study involved maintaining thawed samples at 37°C for 3 hours, conducting proAKAP4 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), and mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 probe and flow cytometry at 0, 1, and 3 hours post-thawing. The findings indicate significant positive correlations (p≤0.05) between proAKAP4 levels and sperm total or progressive motility at all time points analyzed. Spermatozoa velocity descriptors (VAP, VCL, VSL) and spermatozoa lateral head displacement (ALH) display positive correlations (p≤0.05) with ProAKAP4 at the 0-hour post-thawing. ProAKAP4 concentration exhibits no discernible difference between batches with or without cryoprotectant. Notably, proAKAP4 consumption remains insignificant within the initial hour after thawing but becomes significant (p≤0.05) between 1 and 3 hours post-thawing. In summary, proAKAP4 demonstrates positive correlations with total and progressive motility in stallion semen for up to 3 hours after thawing, albeit showing a noticeable decrease starting from the first hour post-thawing, indicating a progressive consumption as a result of spermatozoa motile activity.

Nuclear waste is one of the most important environmental problems of nuclear power plants. A novel renewable distillation method has been proposed for an on-site recycling of the spent nuclear fuel and separation of its valuable components from the fissile isotopes, which is especially applicable for reactors using liquid fuels.

Breast cancer stands as the prevailing malignancy across all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. In this literature review, we highlighted the incidence and trend of BC in the GCC. Most of the studies reported a consistent increase in BC incidence over the past decades, which was particularly attributed to the adoption of a westernized lifestyle in the region and the implications of emerging risk factors and other environmental and societal factors, the increase in screening uptake, as well as the improvement in data collection and reporting in the GCC. The data about BC risk factors in GCC was limited. In this geographic region, breast cancer frequently manifests with distinctive characteristics, including an early onset, typically occurring before the age of 50, an advanced stage at presentation, and a higher pathological grade. Additionally, it often exhibits more aggressive features such as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity or the presence of triple-negative (TN) attributes, particularly among younger patients. Despite the growing body of literature on breast cancer in the GCC, data pertaining to survival rates are, regrettably, meager. Reports on breast cancer survival rates emanating from the GCC region are largely confined to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the UAE, predictive modeling reveals 2-year and 5-year survival rates of 97% and 89%, respectively, for the same period under scrutiny. These rates, when compared to Western counterparts such as Australia (89.5%) and Canada (88.2%), fall within the expected range. Conversely, Saudi Arabia reports a notably lower 5-year survival rate, standing at 72%. This disparity in survival rates underscores the need for further research directed towards elucidating risk factors and barriers that hinder early detection and screening. Additionally, there is a pressing need for expanded data reporting on survival outcomes within the GCC. In sum, a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of breast cancer dynamics in this region is imperative to inform effective strategies for prevention, early detection, and improved patient outcomes.