Dietary protein quality plays a key role in maintaining intestinal mucosal integrity, but also modulates the growth of luminal microorganisms. This work assessed the effect of dietary protein sources on the performance, gut morphology, and microbiome in Nile tilapia. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets comprising equivalent amounts of the protein supply derived from either PLANT, ANIMAL, INSECT, or MICROBIAL (bacterial biomass) sources were fed to triplicate groups of fish (IBW: 12 g) during 46 days. Fish fed ANIMAL and MICROBIAL diets showed significantly higher growth than those fed the PLANT and INSECT diets (P < 0.05). Relative abundance at the phylum level shows Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria as more abundant phyla in tilapia’s intestine, while Cetobacterium is the most representative genera in all treatments. Interesting patterns were observed in the correlation between amino acid intake and genus and species abundance. Metabolism prediction analysis showed that microbial amine and polyamine degradation pathways are modulated depending on diets. In conclusion, different protein sources interfere directly with the cross-talk of bacteria pathways and amino acid intake.

Plants have been used in alternative medicine for centuries in the treatment of many diseases with the metabolites they contain. The goal of this work was to investigate the phenolic profile, antioxidant capacity and biological activity of I. helenium subsp. pseudohelenium extracts. Phe-nolic (HPLC) substances in leaf ethanol (L-EtOH), leaf pure water (L-PW), root ethanol (R-EtOH), and root pure water (R-PW) extracts of Inula helenium subsp. pseudohelenium plant were investi-gated. Also, in vitro the antimicrobial (hollow agar), antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS.+, FRAP, CU-PRAC), antiproliferative (MTT assay against HT-29, MCF-7 and L-929), and DNA (Agarose gel electrophoresis) protective activities of the samples were examined. Although gallic acid was not detected in the extracts, the presence of curcumin was detected only in EtOH extracts. L-EtOH exhibited the best antimicrobial activity. According to the antioxidant results, it was found that the L-EtOH extract had an activity profile close to the standard antioxidants in general. It was also found that the L-EtOH extract stabilized the DNA by disrupting the scavenging effect of H2O2+DMSO. According to the antiproliferative activity results, EtOH extracts exhibited the strongest effect, especially against MCF7. When evaluated in general terms, it was found that L-EtOH extract showed better activity than other extracts. It is important to conduct more in vivo and in vitro studies after isolating the active components of extracts e.g. L-EtOH, which have good effects in terms of biological activity.

We propose a notion of a ternary skew-symmetric covariant tensor of 3rd order, consider it as a 3-dimensional matrix and study a ten-dimensional complex space of these tensors. We split this space into a direct sum of two five-dimensional subspaces and in each subspace there is an irreducible representation of the rotation group SO(3)↪SO(5). We find two independent SO(3)-invariants of ternary skew-symmetric tensors, where one of them is the Hermitian metric and the other is the quadratic form. We find the stabilizer of this quadratic form and its invariant properties. Making use of these invariant properties we define a SO(3)-irreducible geometric structure on a five-dimensional complex Hermitian manifold. We study a connection on a five-dimensional complex Hermitian manifold with a SO(3)-irreducible geometric structure, find its curvature and torsion. The structures proposed in this paper and their study are motivated by a ternary generalization of the Pauli’s principle proposed by R. Kerner.

This paper studies a multihop amplify-and-forward (AF) simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) relaying system. Each relaying node harvests energy using power splitting (PS) scheme from a part of its received signal to amplify and forward the rest the received signal to the next relay. Based on this system model and signal flow, we derived and solved the convex energy minimization problem with optimal PS ratio. The influence of processing cost was then investigated for the AF-SWIPT system with the decode-and-forward SWIPT as benchmark, where AF-SWIPT was found to be superior.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the most common factor limiting the growth of alfalfa in acidic soil conditions. Melatonin (MT), a significant pleiotropic molecule present in both plants and animals, has shown promise in mitigating Al toxicity in various plant species. This study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism by which melatonin alleviates Al toxicity in alfalfa through a combined physiological and transcriptomic analysis. The results reveal that 5 μM MT significantly alleviates Al-induced growth inhibition and preserves the morphology of root tip cells. Moreover, MT application reduces Al accumulation in alfalfa roots and shoots by 28.6% and 27.6%, respectively. Additionally, MT plays a crucial role in scavenging Al-induced excess H2O2 by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), consequently reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. The RNA-seq results reveal that MT application significantly upregulates the expression of xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) and carbon metabolism-related genes, including those involved in the glycolysis process, as well as sucrose and starch metabolism, suggesting that MT application may mitigate Al toxicity by facilitating the binding of Al to the cell walls, thereby reducing intracellular Al accumulation, and by improving respiration and the content of sucrose and trehalose. Taken together, our study demonstrates that MT alleviates Al toxicity in alfalfa by restoring redox homeostasis, enhancing Al binding to the cell wall, and modulating carbon metabolism. This research advances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying MT's effectiveness in mitigating Al toxicity, offering potential strategies for reducing Al accumulation in alfalfa.

Catalase, an antioxidant enzyme widely produced in mammalian cells and bacteria, is crucial in mitigating oxidative stress in a hostile environment. This function enhances the intracellular survivability of various intracellular growth pathogens, including Brucella abortus. In this study, to determine whether the inhibition of catalase can inhibit the intracellular growth of Brucella (B.) abortus, we employed 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT), a catalase inhibitor, in both RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and an ICR mouse model during Brucella infection. The intracellular growth assay indicated that 3-AT exerts growth-inhibitory effects on B. abortus within macrophages. Aside from that, it contributes to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the formation of nitric oxide. Notably, 3-AT diminishes the activation of the nucleus transcription factor (NF-κB) and modulates cytokine secretion within infected cells. In our mouse model, the administration of 3-AT reduced B. abortus proliferation within the spleen and liver of infected mice. This reduction was accompanied by a diminished immune response to infection, as indicated by lowered levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and altered CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratio. These results suggest the protective and immunomodulatory effects of 3-AT treatment against Brucella infection.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a prevalent condition affecting women worldwide. This study aimed to develop a rapid qPCR assay for accurate identification of VVC etiological agents and reduced azole susceptibility. One hundred and twenty nine vaginal samples from an outpatient clinic (Bilbao-Spain) were analyzed using culture-based methods and multiplex qPCR targeting fungal species, Candida albicans being the predominant species. Antifungal susceptibility tests revealed reduced azole susceptibility in three (3,48%) isolates. Molecular analysis identified several mutations in genes associated with azole resistance and novel mutations in TAC1 and MRR1 genes were also identified, which could contribute to drug resistance.

Meteorological observations over the last four decades are of paramount importance to investigate the ongoing climate change. The assessment of the reliability of any climatic time series is thus mandatory to draw correct conclusions. This evaluation involves homogeneity tests to detect artificial discontinuities whose identification is facilitated by metadata availability. In this work, daily minimum and maximum temperature measurements collected in Padua, Italy, between 1980 and 2022, are examined. Hourly observations began in 1993 and since the aim is to study long term behavior of the temperature, the focus is on daily averages and extremes. Over this period, the weather station of Padua center underwent many changes, in location or instrument; therefore, some tests have been used to identify and remove the effects of these variations and obtain a homogeneous time series. The homogeneity tests applied must be able to identify change-points both in the middle and at the extremes of the series. Some well-known absolute tests have been applied to investigate shift in the mean value: Standard Normal Homogeneity test (SNH), Buishand U and range tests, Pettitt test, F-test, STARS. Some relative tests have been applied too, which are generally more reliable than absolute tests, because they consider the information from neighboring stations. As relative tests rely on the homogeneity and quality of the reference series, several nearby stations and two reanalysis datasets (ERA5 and MERIDA) have been considered, to enhance the picture of the local situation and provide more robust conclusions. The applied tests identify change-points in the years in which a change in instrument or location of the station have occurred, confirming that these changes have compromised the homogeneity of the series. The sub-series obtained splitting the observations in correspondence of these change-points have been homogenized with respect a selected period; corrections must be applied also to future measurements to extend the time series properly.

We investigate a single-particle density of states in the three-dimensional system described by effective two-band Hamiltonian which describes a ground state in two distant electronic phases: the semimetalic nodal-loop phase and the insulating gapped phase. Analysis of valence bands and Fermi surfaces in both phases indicates that the density of states crucially depends on the parameter in the Hamiltonian of the system that controls a topological alternation of the Fermi surface. The signature of that alternation is expected to play an important role in all quantities closely related to the density of electronic states, such as charge transport and optical conductivity of the system for example.

Elongate loach (Leptobotia elongata) is an endemic fish in China. Previous studies have provided some insights into the mitochondrial genome composition, and the phylogenetic relationships of L. elongata inferred using protein-coding genes (PCGs). However, the detailed information about is limited. Therefore, in this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of L. elongata and analyzed its structural characteristics. The PCGs and mitochondrial genome were used for selective stress analysis and genomic comparative analysis respectively. The complete mitochondrial genome of the L. elongata, together with those of 36 Cyprinidae species, was used to infer the phylogenetic relationships of the Cobitidae family through maximum likelihood (ML) reconstruction. The results showed that the genome sequence has a full length of 16,591 bp, which includes 13 PCGs, 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and two non-coding regions (CR D-loop and light chain sub-chain replication origin OL). Overall, L. elongata shared the same gene arrangement and composition of the mitochondrial genes with other teleost fishes. The Ka/Ks ratios of all mitochondrial PCGs were less than 1, indicating that all the PCGs were evolving under purifying selection. Genome comparison analyses showed a significant sequence homology of species of Leptobotia. A significant identity between L. elongata and the other 5 Leptobotia species was observed in the visualization result, except for L. mantschurica, which lacked the tRNA-Arg gene and had a shorter tRNA-Asp gene. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the Cobitidae species examined here can be grouped into two clades, with L. elongata forming a sister relationship with L. microphthalma. This study could provide additional inferences for a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among Cobititdae species.

In order to study the effects of dietary folic acid (FA) supplementation on growth performance and immune status in weanling piglets, a single factorial randomized block design trial with 6 dietary FA levels at 0.35, 0.66, 2.19, 5.18, 7.51 or 10.81 mg/kg was conducted. A total of 108 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire) castrated weanling piglets (at 21 d of age) were allocated by body weight into 36 feeding cages (3 piglets/cage), which were allotted randomly into 6 dietary groups (6 cages/group). Piglets were fed ad libitum for 24 days. Blood samples were collected on the 24th day. The growth performance and the immune parameters were measured. Results showed that FA supplementation increased the serum FA level of weaned piglets (p < 0.01), and tended to increase the body weight (BW) at 45 d of age (p < 0.1) and the average daily gain (ADG) from 29 d to 45 d of age (p < 0.1). FA addition improved the feed efficiency (G/F) from 21 d to 45 d of age (p < 0.01), and with significant effects at 21 d to 45 d of age with FA 2.19 or 7.51 mg/kg (p < 0.05). Dietary FA at 0.66 or 2.19 mg/kg increased the serum CD3+CD8+ subset (p < 0.05), decreased the CD3+CD4+ / CD3+CD8+ ratio (p < 0.05); Moreover, FA addition increased the serum IFN-γ level (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the adequate dietary FA is necessary to improve the immunity and growth performance of weaned piglets at 21 d of age. The suitable dietary FA level for immune function from 21 d to 45 d of age was 0.66 mg/kg, while were 6.82 mg/kg from 21 d to 28 d of age and 5.42 mg/kg from 29 d to 45 d of age respectively for feed efficiency.

China is a traditional agricultural country, and the integration of rural industries has become an essential policy direction for the current strategy of agricultural modernization in China. In recent years, the agricultural industrial chains across various regions of China have consistently expanded and extended. The multifunctionality of agriculture is continuously unearthed, and the principal entities managing agriculture have become increasingly diversified and have grown significantly. New industries and forms in agriculture emerge incessantly. Accurately and profoundly understanding the inherent features of the integration of industries in rural China, establishing a scientific and rational measurement index system in line with the current status and development goals of rural China, and employing appropriate measurement methods to assess its development level and process, is instrumental in comprehending the level of integrated development in various regions. This aids in identifying challenges in the developmental process and proposing targeted developmental strategies. Hence, this paper, rooted in the integration of rural industries, cross-industry, industry extension, industry agglomeration, and industry penetration, sets up an measurement index system. Using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020, the paper measures the level of integrated development in rural industries across China and its 31 provinces. Based on the measurement results, further techniques such as kernel density estimation and Gini coefficient decomposition have been used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics and dynamic trends of the integrated development of rural industries in China. Research indicates that during the sample period, the overall level of integrated development in rural industries in various provinces in China has shown an upward trend. Development among the eastern, central, and western regions is highly uneven, but this disparity has been gradually narrowing in recent years. Furthermore, the levels of integrated development in different provinces exhibit significant spatial agglomeration effects. The development level of neighboring regions significantly impacts the province's development status. In the process of integrated development of rural industries in China, there's a trend where "it's easier to downgrade than to upgrade," with very few regions achieving leapfrog development.

The physical properties of coal reservoirs are the main restrictions to exploration and development of CBM. The study of the physical characteristics of coal reservoirs and their controlling factors is of great significance to the safe and efficient development and utilization of CBM resources in the mining area. The Pingdingshan No. 10 coal mine was chosen for this study because of its better gas production effect at the test wells. The reservoir properties of the main coal seams of the No. 10 coal mine were tested and analyzed to comprehensively evaluate the reservoir properties. The results indicate that (1) The gas content and methane purity of the No. 4 coal seam are significantly higher than the No. 2 seam, and therefore they have better development potential than the No. 2 seam; (2) The average adsorption time of the No. 2 coal seam is less than that of the No. 4 seam, making it easier to reach the peak production capacity of CBM wells in the short term, but is not conducive to long-term stable production of CBM. The Langmuir volume of the No. 2 coal seam samples was significantly greater than for the No. 4 coal seam; however, the No. 4 coal seam contains about three times the amount of gas in the No. 2 seam; (3) All three coal seams have high porosity, which is favorable for large amounts of CBM adsorption and storage. Micropores predominate, transitional pores are less frequent, and a few mesopores occur; macropores are the least common. Samples from the No. 4 seam contained the highest proportion of micropores; (4) Organic pores were common in the all coal samples, with pore diameters not more than 30 µm, mainly concentrated between 50.5 and 1000 nm. Microfractures with aperture less than 70 nm were relatively frequent, mainly in the 50–65 nm range. A large number of the nanoscale microfractures were curved or jagged; (5) Fractures in the No. 2 and No. 4 coal seam samples with widths of 50 nm to 20 µm were more developed, and many were filled with kaolinite, quartz and other minerals; (6) The samples contained mostly layered silicate minerals (kaolinite), with hard granular minerals (quartz) next, and a very small quantity of iron-type minerals such as siderite and pyrite in dendritic form. The results of this study can provide a reference basis for the large-scale development and utilization of subsequent CBM wells.

Background: Several environmental factors can strongly influence the accumulation of glucosinolates and plant pigments. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and bioactive compounds production of baby leaf kale on colored reflective growing benches with different wavelengths; Methods: In an greenhouse, five types of growing benches were assessed without and with bright reflective colored materials: control and reflective bright (white, yellow, red, and blue); Results: The growing bench with laminated white reflective material increased the photosynthetically active radiation the most. The use of growing benches with laminated reflective material increased the production of baby leaf kale, in which the white, yellow, red, and blue laminates increased the number of leaves by 35.5, 26, 25, and 20.8%, respectively, and the shoot fresh mass by 132, 112, 112, and 109%, respectively. Using the growing bench reflective bright blue laminate increased the bioactive compounds of baby leaf kale plants, increasing chlorophylls A, B, and total by 72, 67, and 70% respectively, and carotenoids by 55%; Conclusions: The use of reflective materials is an alternative method that provides plants with better conditions for assimilating photosynthetically active radiation, increasing the development, yield, and production of bioactive compounds that promote human health.

This study assesses the impact and sustainability of community development initiatives in Awgbu, Anambra State, spanning from 2015 to 2023. Using qualitative research methods, including interviews with key informants from the Awgbu community and government personnel. The observatory method is also applied which helped the researcher to see activities executed in the community. The research investigates the specific contributions of the Awgbu community to the overall development of Anambra State, how the community has benefitted from state government initiatives, and the extent to which the community responds to government requests and initiatives. The study also explores challenges in the relationship between the state government and Awgbu in terms of community development initiatives and offers recommendations for enhancing this relationship. The findings reveal that the Awgbu community has made significant contributions to the development of Anambra State, particularly in areas such as security, education, and infrastructure. The community has actively responded to government calls, participating in initiatives like the Choose Your Project Initiative (CYPI) and vigilante groups, thus fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship with the state government. However, challenges such as leadership crises and communication gaps exist, hindering the community's progress. Recommendations include improving community leadership, enhancing communication, and promoting peace to ensure sustainable community development. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between communities and government in achieving sustainable development and highlights the importance of collaborative efforts for positive outcomes. The findings have managerial and policy implications for both local communities and governments seeking to enhance community development initiatives and foster mutually beneficial relationships.

Morphine-induced antinociception is partially reduced in interleukin-31 (IL-31) receptor A (IL-31RA)-deficient mice, indicating that IL-31RA is crucial for morphine-induced peripheral antinociception. Herein, we examined the combined effects of IL-31 and morphine on antinociceptive activity and itch-associated scratching behavior (LLS) in mice, and elucidated the regulatory mechanisms. A hot-plate test was used to assess antinociception. LLS was automatically detected and recorded via computer. IL-31RA mRNA expression was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Repeated pre-treatment with IL-31 resulted in significant antinociceptive activity. Repeated administration of morphine decreased the morphine-induced antinociceptive activity, LLS counts, and regular dose, and inhibited IL-31-induced LLS. These results suggested that repeated administration of morphine depleted inter-neuronal IL-31RA levels, preventing morphine-induced antinociception. Therefore, IL-31 may be helpful as an adjunct analgesic to morphine. To explore the benefits of IL-31, its influence on morphine-induced antinociceptive tolerance in mice was examined. IL-31 and morphine combination increased analgesic action which increased the expression of DRG neuronal IL-31RA, elucidating the site of peripheral antinociception of morphine. This site may induce exocytosis of IL-31RA in the sensory nervous system. Collectively, the suppressive effect of IL-31 on morphine-induced antinociceptive tolerance may result from IL-31RA supplementation in sensory nerves.

The Cav3.2 T-type calcium channel is implicated in various pathological conditions, including cardiac hypertrophy, epilepsy, autism, and chronic pain. Phosphorylation of Cav3.2 by multiple kinases plays a pivotal role in regulating its calcium channel function. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine phosphatase, calcineurin, interacts physically with Cav3.2 and modulates its activity. However, it remains unclear whether calcineurin dephosphorylates Cav3.2, the specific spatial regions on Cav3.2 involved, and the extent of the quantitative impact. In this study, we elucidated the serine/threonine residues on Cav3.2 targeted by calcineurin using quantitative mass spectrometry. We identified six serine residues in the N-terminus, II-III loop, and C-terminus of Cav3.2 that were dephosphorylated by calcineurin. Notably, a higher level of dephosphorylation was observed in the Cav3.2 C-terminus, where calcineurin binds to this channel. Additionally, a previously known CaMKII-phosphorylated site, S1198, was found to be dephosphorylated by calcineurin. Furthermore, we also discovered that a novel CaMKII-phosphorylated site, S2137, underwent dephosphorylation by calcineurin. In CAD cells, a mouse central nervous system cell line, membrane depolarization led to an increase in the phosphorylation of endogenous Cav3.2 at S2137. Mutation of S2137 affected the calcium channel function of Cav3.2. Our findings advance the understanding of Cav3.2 regulation not only through kinase phosphorylation but also via calcineurin phosphatase dephosphorylation.

This review will deal with the most relevant unmet needs and clinical questions concerning scintigraphy with bone tracers in ATTR-CA, providing expert opinions on possible future developments in the clinical application of these radiotracers, in order to offer practical information for interpretation of nuclear images to physicians involved in the care of patients with this ATTR-CA.

Collaborative robots (cobots) have largely replaced conventional industrial robots in today’s workplaces, particularly in manufacturing setups due to their improved performance and intelligent design. In the framework of Industry 5.0, humans are working alongside cobots to accomplish the required level of automation. However, human-robot interaction has brought up concerns regarding human factors (HF) and ergonomics. A human worker may experience cognitive stress as a result of cobots' irresponsive nature in unpredictably occurring situations, which adversely affects productivity. Therefore, there is a necessity to measure stress to enhance a human worker’s performance in a human-robot collaborative environment. In this study, factory workers’ mental workload has been assessed using physiological, behavioural, and subjective measures. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signals have been collected to acquire brain signals and track hemodynamic activity, respectively. The effect of task complexity, cobot’s movement speed, and cobot’s payload capacity on the mental stress of a human worker have been observed, for a task designed in the context of a smart factory. Task complexity and cobot’s speed have proved to be more impactful. As physiological measures are unbiased and more authentic means to estimate stress, eventually, they may replace the other conventional measures if they prove to correlate with the results of traditional ones. Here, regression and artificial neural networks (ANN) have been utilised to determine the correlation between physiological data and subjective and behavioural measures. Regression has performed better for most of the targets and the best correlation (rsq-adj = 0.654146) has been achieved for predicting missed beeps, behavioural measure, using a combination of multiple EEG and fNIRS predictors. The k-nearest neighbours (KNN) algorithm has been used to evaluate the accuracy of correlation between traditional measures and physiological variables, with highest accuracy of 77.8% achieved for missed beeps as the target. Results show that physiological measures can be more insightful and have the tendency to replace other biased parameters.

The influence of various energetic particles and electron injection on transport of minority carriers and non-equilibrium carrier recombination in Ga₂O₃ is summarized in this review. In Ga₂O₃ semiconductor, if robust p-type material and bipolar structures become available, diffusion length of minority carriers will be of critical significance. Diffusion length of minority carriers dictates functionality of such electronic devices as diodes, transistors, and detectors. One of the problems in ultra-wide band gap materials technology, is the short carrier diffusion length, due to scattering on extended defects. Electron injection in n- and p-type Gallium Oxide results in a significant increase of the diffusion length, even after its deterioration due to exposure to alpha- and proton-irradiation. Furthermore, post electron injection diffusion length in irradiated material exceeds that in Ga₂O₃ prior to irradiation and injection. The root cause of the electron injection-induced effect is attributed to the increase of minority carrier lifetime in the material due to trapping of non-equilibrium electrons on native point defects. It is, therefore, concluded that the electron injection is capable of “healing” the adverse impact of radiation in Ga₂O₃ and can be used for control of minority carrier transport and, therefore, device performance.

Sirtuins, especially SIRT1, play a significant role in the regulation of inflammatory response, autophagy, and cell response to oxidative stress. Since their discovery, sirtuins have been regarded as anti-aging and longevity-promoting enzymes. Sirtuin-regulated processes seem to take part in most prevalent placental pathologies, such as preeclampsia. Furthermore, more and more research studies indicate that SIRT1 may prevent pre-eclampsia development, or at least alleviate its manifestations. Having taken this into consideration, we have made a review of recent studies on the role of sirtuins, especially SIRT1, in the regulation of processes determining normal or abnormal development and functioning of the placenta.

The present study investigates the decision-making process of investors on the Pakistan Stock Exchange with regard to portfolio construction, explicitly focusing on the incorporation of ESG concerns. The present study employed SmartPLS and structural equation modeling (SEM) to quantitatively assess data received from a sample of 393 out of 400 respondents. Based on the available data, investors participating in the Pakistan Stock Exchange are notably impacted by ESG aspects. The findings of this study hold significance for emerging economy firms, regulators, and investors, both in terms of theoretical and practical ramifications. The study's findings demonstrate a clear indication of investors' significant emphasis on ESG matters. Furthermore, it provides valuable insights for stakeholders who are involved in the ever-evolving realm of sustainable finance within developing countries

There is a growing notion that biomass are the best resource to replace the declining fossil fuels, yet both share the long lived human threat: toxic combustion emissions. Among the toxic combustion products is carbon monoxide (CO) that not only causes acute but also chronic ailments. This brief review discusses the solid fuel processing technologies from combustion, thermochemical and biochemical processing to kinetics and thermodynamics including the mechanism for release of CO. It further expounds on the burden that CO has caused England and Wales in the last 25 years. The main gist are the systems that have been developed to minimize human exposure to CO including cooking, heating, catalytic and detection systems. Finally, alternative technologies are discussed that work by changing the chemical nature of solid fuels as a way to minimize CO emissions.

Background: Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) is associated with improvement of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. We aimed to evaluate the effects of VLCKD in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) as adjunctive therapy to treatment for primary disease. Methods: We evaluated clinical, hormonal and metabolic parameters in 15 patients with CD and 15 controls at baseline and after 1 week and 3 weeks of VLCKD and further 2 weeks of low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD). Results: After 5 weeks of diet a significant decrease in BMI (p=0.002), waist circumference (WC) (p=0.024), systolic (p=0.015) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.005), ACTH (p=0.026), cortisone (p=0.025), total (p=0.006) and LDL cholesterol (p=0.017), triglycerides (p=0.016), alkaline phosphatase (p=0.008) and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol (p=0.017), vitamin D (p=0.015) and oral disposition index (Dio)(p=0.004) was observed in CD. A significant decrease in BMI (p=0.003), WC (p=0.002), systolic (p=0.025) and diastolic (p=0.007) blood pressure and total cholesterol (p=0.026) and increase in HDL cholesterol (p=0.001) and DIo (p&lt;0.001) was observed in controls. Conclusions: The current study confirms that ketogenic diet is effective in improving metabolic disorders and shows that a nutritional approach may be combined with conventional CD therapy in order to improve metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities.

In this work, the author employs the quantum hydrodynamic formalism to achieve the geometrization of spacetime for describing the gravitational interaction within the framework of quantum theory. This approach allows for the development of an equation of gravity that is mathematically connected to the fermion and boson fields. This achievement is accomplished by incorporating two fundamental principles: covariance of the quantum field equations and the principle of least action. By considering these principles, a theory is established that enables the calculation of gravitational corrections to Quantum Electrodynamics, and potentially, to the standard model of particle physics as well. The theory also provides an explanation for two phenomena: the existence of a cosmological pressure density similar to quintessence, that is compatible with the small value of the observed cosmological constant, and the breaking of matter-antimatter symmetry at high energies offering insights into why there is an imbalance between the two in the early universe. In the cosmological modeling of the theory, there exists a proposal to account for the formation of supermassive black holes that are accompanied by their own surrounding galaxies, without relying on the process of mass accretion. The model, in accordance with recent observations conducted by the James Webb Space Telescope, supports the notion that galactic configurations were established relatively early in the history of the universe, shortly after the occurrence of the Big Bang.

Within an amplicon-based metagenomic study of Archaea, Fungi, and Bacteria in Livingston Island, Maritime Antarctica, in many of the samples antagonisms between these three super kingdoms were observed under the form of an inversely proportional dependence of the richnesses of the three types of microorganisms. This was quantified - based on the observed numbers of the total tags and the numbers of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs), as well as based on four alpha diversity parameters – the Shannon, the Simpson, the Chao1, and the ACE indices. We found that the most discriminative results in the antagonism measuring were observed in the comparison of the numbers of the OTUs and the ACE community richness estimator. The antagonism between Archaea and Fungi was strongest, followed by that of Archaea and Bacteria. The Fungi-Bacteria antagonism was slightly detectable. Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis also showed a statistically significant negative correlation between the fungal and archaeal effective tags, while the correlation between archaeal and bacterial diversity was positive. Indications of the order of primary microbial succession in barren ecological niches were also observed, demonstrating that Archaea and Bacteria are the pioneers, followed by Fungi which in time would displace Archaea.

Effective control of domain walls or magnetic textures in antiferromagnets promises to enable robust, fast, and non-volatile memories. The lack of net magnetic moment in antiferromagnets implies the need for creative ways to achieve such a manipulation. Here, we investigate changes in magnetic force microscopy (MFM) imaging and in magnon-related mode in Raman spectroscopy of virgin NiO films under a microwave pump. After the MFM and Raman studies, a combined action of broadband microwave (0.01-20 GHz, power scanned from −20 to 5 dBm) and magnetic field (up to 3 kOe) were applied to virgin epitaxial (111) NiO and (100) NiO films grown on (0001) Al2O3 and (100) MgO substrates, following which the MFM and Raman studies were repeated. We observed a suppression of the magnon-related Raman mode subsequent to the microwave exposure. Based on MFM imaging, this effect appears to be caused by the suppression of large antiferromagnetic domain walls due to the possible excitation of antiferromagnetic spin oscillations localized within the antiferromagnetic domain walls.

Sleep-disordered breathing affects the growth and development, mental aspect, and learning ability of affected children. Postoperative scarring causes anteroposterior and vertical develop-mental disorders of the maxilla. Obstructive apnea is likely to occur due to the influence on the maxillofacial and airway morphology. In this study, we investigated the sleep-respiratory dynamics of school-aged children with unilateral cleft lip and palate by performing a simple over-night sleep study, maxillofacial morphology and airway analysis using lateral cranial radiographs, and model analysis. Children with unilateral cleft lip and palate showed a significantly higher respiratory event index (REI) than normal children; the maxilla was located in the posterior position in terms of maxillofacial morphology, and airway morphology showed narrow values for all distance measurement items. Moreover, the width and length of the dental arch and the width of the alveolar base arch were significantly smaller. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between REI and SNA, ANB, REI, and alveolar base arch width. Children with unilateral cleft lip and palate are more likely than normal children to develop sleep-disordered breathing due to in-creased airway resistance caused by undergrowth of the maxilla and narrowing of the upper airway and oral volume.

Efficient thermal management of modern electronics requires the use of thin films with highly anisotropic thermal conductivity. Such films enable the effective dissipation of excess heat along one direction while simultaneously providing thermal insulation along the perpendicular direction. In this study, we investigate the thermal conductivity of bilayer graphene (BLG) sheets using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics, examining both in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities. The in-plane thermal conductivity of 10 nm × 10 nm BLG with zigzag and armchair edges at room temperature is found to be around 204 W/m.K and 124 W/m.K, respectively. The in-plane thermal conductivity of BLG increases with sheet length. For all sizes, BLG with a zigzag edge exhibits higher thermal conductivity than that of the armchair edge, with this difference becoming more pronounced as the lengths of the sheets increase. In addition, increasing temperature from 300 K to 600 K decreases the in-plane thermal conductivity of a 10 nm× 10 nm zigzag BLG by about 34%. Similarly, the application of a 12.5% tensile strain induces a 51% reduction in its thermal conductivity compared to the strain-free values. Armchair configurations exhibit similar responses to variations in temperature and strain, but with less sensitivity. Furthermore, the cross-plane thermal conductivity of BLG at 300 K is estimated to be 0.05 W/m·K, significantly lower than the in-plane results by approximately four orders of magnitude. The cross-plane thermal conductance of BLG decreases with increasing temperatures, specifically, at 600 K, its value is almost 16% of that observed at 300 K.

With the advent of digitization, the integration of advanced technologies in operations and projects across all sectors is in progress. Accordingly, efforts are being made to utilize cutting-edge technologies to improve the circularity of the built environment. This study aimed to review the existing applications and limitations of building information modeling (BIM) tools for circular economy (CE) implementation from this perspective. A literature review was conducted to provide an overview of the use of BIM tools for conducting life cycle assessments, energy analysis, waste management, and formulation of material passports for buildings. It was found that BIM tools, which are available across all life cycle phases of building, have a great potential to improve the circularity of the sector. The overview provided on the use of various BIM tools may help stakeholders of the built environment understand the role of BIM for CE adoption in the sector.

The dynamics of hydrological lateral nutrient fluxes contribute to our understanding of ecological functions related to energy, materials, and organism flows across various spatiotemporal scales. To explore the connectivity between multiple spatial flow processes, we conducted a one-year field measurement to assess lateral hydrologic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes over the continental shelf in the Yangtze estuary. We observed a significant correlation between the differences in remote sensing-based estimates of gross primary production (GPP) (∆GPPMODIS) and the differences in eddy covariance (EC) tower-based GPP (∆GPPEC) at both high-elevation and low-elevation sites. Over the course of a year, our predicted daily maximum tidal elevation (TE) closely matched the observed values in the creek, which facilitated the development of theoretical models to simulate biogeochemical cycling processes and aquatic ecosystem functions. Our findings indicate that the studied saltmarsh acts as a net exporter of dissolved total C (DTC) while serving as a net sink for dissolved total N (DTN). Furthermore, there is a significant correlation in the total dissolved stoichiometry of the C/N ratio between imports and exports. These findings highlight the importance of integrating ecological stoichiometric principles to gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between physical, chemical, and biological processes, particularly within the context of the meta-ecosystem framework. Additionally, when considering reciprocal hydrological lateral C and N flows, single ecosystem can function both as sources and sinks within the meta-ecosystem framework.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an insulin resistant state, compensated by hyperinsulinemia. More than 50% of the women with PCOS are obese, and/or have metabolic syndrome. Weight loss improves both metabolic and reproductive outcomes. Not only the energy content, but also the nutrient composition of a diet may be important. This article will present a series of studies from our research comparing effects of dietary protein vs. simple-carbohydrates (CHO). Results of the acute challenge studies demonstrate that simple-CHO intake causes reactive hypoglycemia in one third of the women with PCOS, especially among obese and insulin resistant individuals. Symptoms of hypoglycemia are associated with secretion of cortisol and adrenal androgens. Simple-CHO suppresses the hunger signal ghrelin for a shorter period. During weight loss, women who receive protein supplementation achieve larger amounts of weight- and fat-mass losses. Amino acid compositions of the protein supplements do not affect the improvements in weight and insulin resistance. It is plausible that simple-CHO intake leads to weight gain, or interferes with weight-loss, by causing reactive hypoglycemia, triggering adrenal steroid secretion, and leading to snacking. Since obese women with PCOS are more susceptible to reactive hypoglycemia, a vicious cycle establishes. Restriction of simple-CHO may break this cycle.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of oral administration of clinical dose of beraprost for feline CKD in healthy cats, and also to examine whether NOS inhibition reversed them. Methods: A placebo-controlled pharmacological sequential design study was carried out to assess plasma aldosterone and renin concentrations, mean blood pressure, heart rate, renal plasma flow, and renal vascular resistance. Results: Beraprost reduced plasma aldosterone when compared to the placebo (P < 0.05); this was reversed when NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was added to beraprost treatment (P < 0.01). No differences in the plasma renin concentration or hemodynamic parameters were detected between beraprost and placebo. The correlation ratios (η2) showed opposite relationships between beraprost and added L-NAME effects on aldosterone concentration, mean blood pressure, heart rate, renal plasma flow, and renal vascular resistance (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In healthy cats, the clinical dose of beraprost suppresses plasma concentration of aldosterone, which can be reversed by inhibition of NOS.

Background: Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and X-linked protoporphyria (XLP) are the two most common subtypes within rare genetic photodermatoses, which can lead to incapacitating pain episodes. Methods: We reviewed previous and current treatment options for EPP/XLP, notably with a focus on metabolism, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, key clinical trial results, and limitations of Dersimelagon [MT-7117]. Results: In review of treatment modalities for EPP/XLP, Dersimelagon has demonstrated an acceptable safety profile with the ease of once-daily oral dosage. Conclusions: Dersimelagon should be a considered as a potential treatment for EPP/XLP. Ongoing studies will provide additional insights into expanding the treatment options for those suffering from EPP/XLP.

This study presents a case report demonstrating an anomalous origin of the right subclavian artery from the aortic arch, accompanied by proximal dilation and a retro-esophageal course, characteristic of arteria lusoria and Kommerell's diverticulum. The research highlights the clinical significance of this anomaly and discusses its management strategies, emphasizing the importance of precise surgical intervention in addressing this condition.

Polymers and their processing by engineering production technologies (injection, moulding or additive manufacturing) are being increasingly used. An explosive atmosphere can be created by the powder form of these polymer materials, and introduction of preventive safeguards to control safety is required for their use. Determination of the fire parameters of powder samples of Polyamide PA12, Polypropylene, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW Polyethylene) is the subject of the current article. The results showed? that one of the samples used was not flammable and thus safe for use in terms of explosiveness. Two samples were flammable and explosive. The lower explosive limit was 30 g.m-3 (Polyamide PA12) and 60 g.m-3 (UHMW Polyethylene). The maximum explosion pressure of the samples was 6.47 (UHMW Polyethylene) and 6.76 bar (Polyamide PA 12). The explosion constant Kst of the samples was 116.6 bar.m.s-1 (Polyamide PA 12) and 97.1 bar.m.s-1 (UHMW Polyethylene). Therefore, when using polymers in production technologies, it is necessary to know their fire parameters, and to design effective explosion prevention measures for flammable and explosive polymers.

Hispanics are disproportionately affected by low rates of physical activity and high rates of chronic diseases. Hispanics generally and Mexican Americans specifically are underrepresented in research on physical activity and its impact on mental well-being. Some community-based interventions have been effective in increasing physical activity among Hispanics. This study examined data from a sample of low-income Hispanic participants in free community exercise classes to characterize the association between self-reported frequency of exercise class attendance, intensity of physical activity, and participant well-being. As part of two cross-sectional samples recruited from a stratified random sample of community exercise classes, 302 participants completed a questionnaire consisting of a modified version of the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF). Adjusted binary logistic regression analyses indicated that those who achieve moderate and strenuous self-reported physical activity have 130% higher odds (p = 0.0422) of positive mental well-being after adjustment for age, attendance, and self-reported health. This study provides evidence that physical activity intensity and time are associated with flourishing mental health among Hispanics. The study provides insight into the planning and development of community-based physical activity programming tailored to low-income populations.

Fiber coupling efficiency is one of the key technical indicators of atmospheric laser communication, which directly affects the communication system BER. According to the optical fiber coupling efficiency model, the optical fiber coupling model under atmospheric slant link is established, and the relationship between wavelength, zenith angle, receiving aperture, altitude and coupling efficiency is studied through numerical simulation. Based on the principle of adaptive optics turbulence correction, the relationship between fiber coupling efficiency and adaptive optics order is established. A fast method for estimating the coupling efficiency based on Strehl ratio is proposed. According to the principle of laser communication system, the semi-physical simulation experimental system of atmospheric slant-range channel coupling efficiency is constructed, and the coupling efficiency test and analysis are completed.

Abstract: This study observes the characteristics and influencing factors of carbon fluxes of the Momoge salt marsh ecosystem over four years, which behaves as a CO2 sink. The daily, seasonal, and interannual variations of CO2 fluxes in the Momoge salt marshes were observed using the eddy covariance method and compared with various environmental factors. An overall daily “U” shaped distribution was observed, with uptake during the day (negative values) and release at night (positive values). Annually, the carbon fluxes in the study area roughly exhibit a “V” shape. Carbon fluxes during the non-growing season predominantly showed positive values, indicating the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. Photosynthetically active radiation was the primary influencing factor affecting hourly and daytime variations in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) during the growing season, while temperature was the main factor influencing nighttime NEE dynamics. Air temperature, soil temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, precipitation, and water level all had significant impacts on daily net CO2 exchange. At the monthly scale, larger values of soil temperature, air temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and aboveground biomass correspond to a stronger carbon absorption capacity of the ecosystem. Overall, temperature remains the primary factor for carbon fluxes in the Momoge wetlands.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with a rising incidence observed over the years. The androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in male development and maintaining masculine characteristics. Dysregulation of AR signaling in prostate cancer can lead to disease progression and resistance to standard therapies. Understanding the intricate regulation and function of AR in both healthy and diseased states is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies. This review comprehensively explores the role of androgen receptors in prostate cancer susceptibility, disease progression, and treatment response by analyzing recent literature. An extensive search of peer-reviewed publications in major databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, was conducted using specific keywords related to androgen receptor, prostate cancer, disease progression, and treatment resistance. Relevant conference abstracts and clinical trial reports were also included. The review presents an overview of the role of androgen receptors in prostate cancer initiation, progression, and treatment resistance. It highlights emerging biomarkers associated with AR signaling dysregulation and their potential utility for early detection and personalized treatment approaches. Additionally, recent advances in targeting the AR pathway for novel therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes and overcome treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer are discussed. The findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the AR signaling pathway in prostate cancer and offer insights into its multifaceted role in disease development and treatment response. They may pave the way for innovative therapeutic interventions and precision medicine approaches based on specific AR signaling profiles, enhancing patient care and reducing the burden of this lethal disease.

Smart grid capabilities have grown significantly in recent years. The smart grid provides advanced real-time handling of faults, advanced automatic control for efficient electricity transmission, monitoring and collection of the electrical system's capacity, and communication for information sharing. Unfortunately, its exposure to public networks makes it increasingly vulnerable to privacy breaches, vulnerabilities, and cyber-attacks. Cyber security threats and vulnerabilities in smart grid networks have become a primary concern that needs to be addressed before deploying a smart grid. Furthermore, the wide range of protocols increases the attack surface of a smart grid. This study focuses on the vulnerability of Modbus, which is regarded as one of the most prevalent protocols in smart grid communication networks. This paper presents preliminary findings of analyzing cyber-attacks against the Modbus protocol using a virtual testbed to investigate its effects on the smart grid network protocol. The concept incorporates an emulated Modbus/TCP network environment built from open-source software components that imitate fundamental industrial control features of the smart grid. Finally, we analyze the cycle of a cyber-attack leading through Reconnaissance to a DoS attack on the Modbus/TCP protocol and propose improvements to the test bed for protocol attack detection and mitigation.

Recently, we isolated and characterized a new pool of mesenchymal stem cells- HPC (Hoof Progenitor Cells), which reside in the coronary corium of equine hooves. We hypothesize, that due to their location, HPC may be involved in the pathogenesis of laminitis, and could possibly be utilized in its treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the newly described HPC to a well-established cell pool-ASC (Adipose Stem Cells). The two cell populations were maintained either in standard culture conditions or under a hyperinsulinemic milieu as hyperinsulinemia is often observed alongside laminitis. Cell cycle dynamics, mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative stress were analyzed with microcapillary cytometry. Furthermore, the expression of key markers of mitochondrial metabolism, oxidative stress, apoptosis, immunomodulation and insulin signalling were analyzed with the RT-qPCR method. Additionally, a selected panel of miRNA was analyzed with the RT-qPCR method. In standard culture conditions, ASC exhibit higher proliferation than HPC while in hyperinsulinemia a shift towards S phase was observed in both populations. As for the mitochondrial membrane potential, in standard culture conditions, HPC was characterized by a higher percent of live cells. Hyperinsulinemia did not strongly affect the mitochondrial membrane potential of the analyzed populations. Our findings indicate that HPC are characterized by higher activity in terms of mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy, and mitochondrial biogenesis under standard culture conditions. Yet in both populations, a diminished mitochondrial dynamic and metabolism was observed in hyperinsulinemia. The analysis of oxidative stress revealed, that HPC might possess somewhat higher resistance towards oxidative stress than ASC. Minimal change was observed in the expression of key markers of apoptosis in ASC and HPC under hyperinsulinemia. The analysis of key immunomodulatory markers indicated that HPC may help the cytokine storm for a more effective phenotype change to an immunosuppressing pool of cells with better migratory and healing abilities under hyperinsulinemia than ASC. As for insulin signalling, the obtained data suggests that HPC might be more resistant to hyperinsulinemia and may have greater therapeutic potential in reducing laminitis. Obtained results demonstrated that HPC possesses better potential to modulate the PTEN-AKT pathway by miR-21 and reverse high glucose and high insulin-induced insulin resistance. Taken together, the obtained results indicate that HPC may be a very promising cell pool with therapeutic potential in laminitis treatment, and could be more effective than ASC.

The construction enterprise is a essential zone that contributes considerably to the worldwide financial system. but it faces numerous challenges, together with inefficiency in electric and electronics engineering tasks. This inefficiency results in delays, expanded charges, and decreased productivity. Device learning strategies have the capacity to deal with those challenges through optimizing the making plans and execution of electrical and electronics engineering tasks within the construction industry. This study paper targets to discover using machines gaining knowledge of strategies to maximise efficiency in electrical and electronics engineering projects inside the production industry. Mainly, the paper will be conscious of developing and imposing gadget mastering algorithms to optimize project scheduling, fabric procurement, and system utilization. The paper will even look at the ability of using predictive analytics to identify and mitigate dangers related to electric and electronics engineering tasks. The study could be based on a combination of literature review and empirical analysis. The literature evaluation will provide a top-level view of the demanding situations going through the development industry and the capability advantages of the usage of system getting to know strategies to deal with those challenges. The empirical evaluation will involve the improvement and testing of device mastering models on real-world information from electrical and electronics engineering initiatives inside the construction industry. The predicted results of this research are the development of a fixed of sensible recommendations for the use of machine gaining knowledge of strategies to optimize electric and electronics engineering projects within the construction industry. These suggestions will be beneficial for venture managers, engineers, and other stakeholders within the creation enterprise who're inquisitive about maximizing performance and decreasing charges of their tasks. Ordinary, this studies paper aims to contribute to the continued efforts to enhance the efficiency and productiveness of the development enterprise via exploring the ability of system studying techniques to optimize electrical and electronics engineering tasks.

The aim of this study was to use latent profile analysis to identify specific profiles of burnout syndrome in combination with work engagement and to identify whether job satisfaction, psychological well-being, and other sociodemographic and work variables affect the probability of presenting a profile of burnout syndrome and low work enthusiasm. A total of 355 healthcare professionals completed the Spanish Burnout Inventory, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale for Adults. Latent profile analysis identified 4 profiles: 1) burnout with high indolence (BwHIn); 2) burnout with low indolence (BwLIn); 3) high engagement, low burnout (HeLb); and 4) in the process of burning out (IPB). Multivariate logistic regression showed that a second job in a government health care institution; a shift other than the morning shift; being divorced, separated or widowed; and work load are predictors of burnout profiles with respect to the HeLb profile. These data are useful for designing intervention strategies according to the needs and characteristics of each type of burnout profile.

Calabar is a city where 65 per cent of people are living in poverty in informal settlements with low and decreasing access to improved water. In the low-income informal areas of the city, residents are being made responsible for securing their own water supply through several coping strategies. This paper explores the decreasing access to water and coping strategies to shortage in Calabar, Nigeria. It analyses two complementary pieces of data: (i) the households’ coping strategies and (ii) satisfaction with improved water services. A mixed method was introduced and data was collected via fieldwork at three settlements in Calabar. A household survey of 360 respondents, 27 in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups were conducted. Findings show that households engaged in different coping strategies to access water, including conservation (changing routine/reusing), purchasing (spent a significant proportion of their income on buying water) and pumping as a coping strategy. The household's tenure, socioeconomic status and water accessibility determines their decision to move if services are not provided. A crucial differentiation exists between a larger population being granted less access to water versus certain individuals receiving access to a greater quantity of water.

This study examines the effects and durability of postural exercise on gait kinematics in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Thirty-four men with mild IDD were assigned to either the training group (n = 19) or the control group (n = 15). The TG performed the intervention over 8 weeks, 3 days/week, 1 h/day. The results indicated that the intervention program had a significant effect on some variables of gait. Also, in the TG between post-test and follow-up, there was no significant difference, which indicated that gait variables were maintained by the TG one month after the end of the program. This study provides evidence that postural exercises can be used as an effective intervention for improving gait in individuals with IDD.

Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing to inform antidepressant medication selection and dosing is gaining attention from healthcare professionals, patients, and payors in Australia. However, there is often uncertainty regarding which test is most suitable for a particular patient. Here, we identified and evaluated the coverage of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 variants in commercial antide-pressant PGx testing panels in Victoria, a large and ethnically diverse state of Australia. Test characteristics and star alleles tested for both genes were obtained directly from pathology la-boratories offering PGx testing and compared against the Association of Molecular Pathology’s recommended minimum (Tier 1) and extended (Tier 2) allele sets. Although all tests covered the minimum recommended alleles for CYP2C19, this was not the case for CYP2D6. This study em-phasizes that PGx tests might not be suitable for all individuals in Australia due to the limited range of star alleles assessed. Inadequate haplotype coverage may risk misclassification of an individual’s predicted metabolizer phenotype which has ramifications for depression medica-tion selection and dosage. The study underscores the urgent need for greater standardization in PGx testing and emphasizes the importance of considering genetic ancestry when choosing a PGx testing panel to ensure optimal clinical applicability.

The present work sets out the evaluation of composite laminates through optimization objective functions. Genetic Algorithms (GA), as well as Simulated Annealing (SA), were performed in order to determine the optimal ply orientations of a fiber-reinforced polymer laminate for three given load cases: 1) in-plane loads, 2) combined moments, and 3) in-plane loads and combined moments. It searches the optimal orientation layup, which fulfills at the same time both the maximum strain criterion and the Tsai-Wu failure criterion. Construction of an objective function based on the strains and the stresses involves a minimization process to deformations and a maximization of the safety factor. For the first load case, the initial solution is [±45/0/90/±45]s, and the best solution is [(45/135)2/452]s. For the second load case, [-45/45/45/-45/0/90]s is the initial layup sequence, then the best solution obtained is [(45/-45)2/452]s, where plies at 0° and 90º are not necessary even when axial loads are applied. For the third study case, the original layup sequence is [0/45/-45/45/0/90]s; meanwhile, the best solution calculated is [21/24/145/140/45/49]s. An interesting observation is that each pair of layers has a 5º gap. The simulations show that the qualitative results from the GA are better than the SA, but with a significantly higher computational cost. These kinds of computational tools are expected to be used as a reference guide for an optimal fiber configuration with respect to the common orientations used when composite laminates are designed for a structural application.

The software design of autonomous vehicles (AVs) incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) characteristics to enhance their safety and overall driving performance. Central to vehicle’s operation is the ability to reason effectively in complex and uncertain environments. However, traditional logical systems, such as monotonic logic, often struggle to handle the inherent uncertainties and exceptions encountered in real-world scenarios. This paper proposes the utilization of non-monotonic logic in order to enhance the reasoning capabilities of autonomous vehicles. By incorporating non-monotonic reasoning, vehicles can navigate intricate traffic scenarios, make plausible inferences, and adapt their decisions when faced with conflicting information. This research aims to provide a comprehensive review of non-monotonic logic's application in autonomous vehicles, highlighting its advantages over traditional logical systems and its potential impact on safety and performance. Additionally, through this research, we seek to contribute to the advancement of autonomous driving technology by enhancing the reasoning capabilities of vehicles in various scenarios, such as car- following related to critical safety events. The personalized cognitive agent is proposed in driving behavior to consider particularly in their assumptions of homogeneous drivers. The personalized cognitive agent is incorporating heterogeneous driving behaviors, based on individual user preferences, characteristics, and needs. Driving behavior is a complex interplay of various factors, encompassing both human and external elements. Human factors, including age, experience, and gender, contribute significantly to how individuals navigate the roads. These factors influence decisions, reactions, and risk-taking tendencies on the part of drivers. Additionally, external factors such as weather conditions further compound this intricate dynamic, requiring drivers to adapt their behavior to the prevailing environment. The goal of a personalized cognitive agent is to provide tailored and customized experiences to cognitive vehicles, taking into account the unique requirements and individual preferences of occupants inside autonomous vehicles.

Block copolymers are a class of materials particularly interesting for their ability to self-assemble into ordered structures. In this context, the coupling between environment and dynamics is particularly relevant, given that movements at the molecular level influence various properties of macromolecules. Mixing the polymer with a second macromolecule appears to be an easy way to study these relationships. In this work, we studied a system based on two diblock copolymers of methyl methacrylate as first block and 3-methyl-4-[6-(methylacryloyloxy)-hexyloxy]-4’-pentyloxy azobenzene as second block and their blends with PMMA. The relaxational properties of these systems were investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy sensitive to nanometric length-scales. The results of the study on the blends were related to the dynamic behavior of the copolymer. The study evidenced the presence of fast and slow molecular sites for the molecular reorientation at nanoscale, modulated by the ability of block copolymer to form supramolecular structures. For blends, the heterogeneities at nanoscale are still detected. However it was found that the presence of the PMMA as the major component of the blends modified their dynamic behaviour.

This study contextualises the background of Japan’s “carbon neutrality and net-zero” (CNN) policy announced in October 2020, thereby identifying important changes in the country’s climate policy between 1990 and 2020. Using four research questions, four main findings were extracted from a narrative technique-based analysis of Japan’s policy documents related to CNN. The following are the findings: [i] the framing of climate change as a “climate crisis” by influential Japanese climate stakeholders was a key motivation for Japan to formally announce its CNN policy in October 2020, [ii] pressure from the international community and the political leadership of the Yoshihide Suga administration are essential factors that led the Japanese government to change its stance and announced this policy, [iii] Japan unintentionally delayed announcement of the policy until 2020 due to the concern among Japanese climate stakeholders about the problem of fairness in Kyoto Protocol’s emission reduction targets, and [iv] this delay was also due to Keidanren’s (or business sector) consistent opposition to the introduction of regulatory schemes. These results emerge for the first time in a study of Japan’s CNN politics, particularly in terms of the broader context of climate politics. Finally, we offer a possible explanation for Suga’s deliberate announcement of the CNN policy. This opens up space for future research to complement our study by providing important indicators on the trajectory of this important policy.

Since decades, oxybutynin hydrochloride is prescribed to improve bladder control in cases of incontinence and excessive urination frequency. This review summarizes synthetic methods enabling preparation of the racemic drug and, in a detailed manner, preparation of (S)-2-cyclohexyl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetic acid, a key intermediate in the synthesis of (S)-oxybutynin. Mode of action and metabolism are briefly commented in order to explain the main adverse effects associated with its use and to justify the evolution observed in the diverse commercial formulations. Repositioning opportunities are discussed in terms of clinical trials for the management of hyperhidrosis, hot flashes, and obstructive sleep apnea.

All allergic responses to food indicate failure of immunological tolerance but it is unclear why cow’s milk and egg (CME) allergies resolve more readily than reactivity to peanuts (PN). We sought to identify differences between PN and CME allergies through constitutive immune status and responses to cognate and non-cognate food antigens. Children with confirmed allergy to CME (n=6), PN (n=18) non-allergic (NA) (n=8) controls were studied. Constitutive secretion of cytokines was tested in plasma and unstimulated mononuclear cell (PBMNC) cultures. Blood dendritic cell (DC) subsets were analyzed alongside changes in phenotypes and soluble molecules in allergen stimulated MNC cultures with or without cytokine neutralization. We observed that in allergic children constitutively high plasma levels IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 but less IL-12p70 than in non-allergic children was accompanied by spontaneous secretion of sCD23, IL-1β, IL-2 IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12p70, IFN- and TNF- in MNC cultures. Furthermore, blood DC subset counts differed in food allergy. Antigen-presenting cell phenotypic abnormalities were accompanied by higher B and T cell percentages with more Bcl-2 within CD69+ subsets. Cells were generally refractory to antigenic stimulation in vitro but IL-4 neutralization led to CD152 downregulation by CD4+ T cells from PN allergic children responding to PN allergens. Canonical discriminant analyses segregated non-allergic and allergic children by their cytokine secretion patterns, revealing differences and areas of overlap between PN and CME allergies. Despite an absence of recent allergen exposure, indication of in vivo activation, in vitro responses independent of challenging antigen and the presence of unusual costimulatory molecules suggest dysregulated immunity in food allergy. Most important, higher Bcl-2 content within key effector cells implies survival advantage with potential to mount abnormal responses that may give rise to the manifestations of allergy. Here, we put forward the hypothesis that the lack of apoptosis of key immune cell types might be central to the development of food allergic reactions.

Subway construction is often in a complex natural and human-machine operating environment, and that complicated setting leads to subway construction more prone to safety accidents, which can cause substantial casualties and monetary losses. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the safety risks of subway construction. The existing literature on the identification and assessment of subway construction safety risks(SCSR) is susceptible to the influence of subjective factors. Moreover, although existing studies have explored the interrelationships between different risks, these studies usually analyze the interrelationships of single risks, lack the study of risk chain transfer relationships, and fail to find out the key path of risk transfer. Therefore, this paper innovatively combines text mining, association rules and complex networks to deep mine subway construction safety incident reports and explore risk transfer process. Firstly, it uses text mining technology to identify subway construction safety risk; Then, association rules are introduced to explore the causal relationships among safety risk; Finally, the key safety risk and important transfer paths of subway construction safety accidents (SCSA) are obtained based on the complex network model. Research results show that (a) improper safety management, unimplemented safety subject responsibilities, violation of operation rules, non-perfect safety responsibilities system and insufficient safety education and training are the key safety risk in SCSA; (b) two shorter key risk transfer paths in the subway construction safety network can be obtained: insufficient safety education and training→lower safety awareness→violation of operation rules→safety accidents; insufficient safety checks or hidden trouble investigations→violation of operation rules→safety accidents; (c) in the process of risk transfer, the risk can be controlled by controlling the key nodes or cutting off the transfer path. The results of the study provide new ideas and methods for SCSR identification and influence element mining, which help safety managers propose accurate subway construction safety risk control measures.

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a crucial ecological zone and an environmentally vulnerable re-gion in China. Understanding the temporal and spatial trends of terraced-field areas (TRAs) and the factors underlying them in the YRB is essential for improving land use, conserving water re-sources, promoting biodiversity, and preserving cultural heritage. In this study, we employed ma-chine learning on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to obtain spatial distribution images of TRAs from 1990 to 2020 using Landsat 5 (1990－2010) and Landsat 8 (2015－2020) remote sens-ing data. The GeoDa software platform was used for spatial autocorrelation analysis, revealing distinct spatial clustering patterns. Mixed linear and random forest models were constructed to identify the driving force factors behind TRA changes. The research findings reveal that TRAs were primarily concentrated in the upper and middle reaches of the YRB, encompassing provinc-es such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Qinghai, and Gansu, with areas exceeding 40,000 km2, whereas other provinces had TRAs of less than 30,000 km2 in total. The TRAs exhibited a relatively stable trend, with provinces such as Gansu, Qinghai, and Shaanxi showing an overall upward trajectory. Conversely, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia demonstrated an overall declining trend. When com-pared with other provinces, the variations in TRAs in Ningxia, Shandong, Sichuan, and Henan appeared to be more stable. The linear mixed model (LMM) revealed that farmland, shrubs, and grassland had significant positive effects on the TRA, explaining 41.6% of the variance. The ran-dom forest model also indicated positive effects for these factors, with high R² values of 0.983 and 0.86 for the training and testing sets, respectively, thus outperforming the LMM. The findings of this study can contribute to the restoration of the YRB's ecosystem and support sustainable devel-opment. The insights gained will be valuable for policymaking and decision support in soil and water conservation, agricultural planning, and environmental protection in the region.

In the last years, various changes and enhancements have been made to the technical structure of the substituted boreholes in comparison to the old boreholes. Increasing production capabilities from an individual borehole and/or a borehole field has engineering significant and economic value. Unfortunately, we are unable to change the composition of the aquifer lithology and its hydraulic properties and therefore, increasing the extraction capabilities from an individual borehole is possible by using technical improvements in drilling methods, in borehole design and in its final structure. This is illustrated through examples from two different aquifer basins, where substituted boreholes were drilled adjusted to the old borehole and in the same yard. The substituted boreholes were drilled to similar depth and to the same lithology as those in the old boreholes. That is, any discrepancies in hydraulic parameters attributable to changes and improvements in the borehole design and structure.

The escalating concerns over climate change have propelled industries worldwide to seek innovative strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Within the energy sector, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology emerges as a promising solution to curtail emissions and foster sustainable development aims for net zero approach. The research delves into the role of government support in expediting CCS adoption for the maximum potential of 9.79 MtCO2 storage from six major refinery plants. The refineries mentioned above are anticipated to necessitate an initial capital investment of approximately 18,307 million THB. This research focuses on potential business model proposals appropriate for a country's context, specifically applying CCS technology to Thai oil refining sector. To achieve the realization of CCS within the context of this study, a combination of three essential measures will be required: tax incentives, carbon credits, and grants. This process will commence with the implementation of tax incentives, followed by an increase in the carbon price within the country. Finally, the establishment of a dedicated fund, funded through deductions from oil excise tax revenue, will play a pivotal role in facilitating the necessary financial support for the emergence of CCS.

The study aims to determine the trust and presence of police officers in schools in Serbia, as well as the perception of the principals and secretaries, teachers and staff, parents and students on how successful the certain police units dedicated to schools were in fulfilling their tasks. The ex–post analysis was conducted through PEST/SWAT analysis, mapping of the key actors and using batteries of online questionnaires. Besides interviews with the MOI representatives, there were conducted: Survey with personal interviewing, Computer–aided surveying and Desk analysis and content analysis. The survey was conducted in the period from September 2021 to June 2022. The research methods were implemented in 1140 schools in Serbia and 8,617 people were included in surveys: police officers (308); principals and secretaries (1085); the team for protection against discrimination (982); teachers and staff (2988); parents (938) and students (2316). The relationships between the covariates and perception were investigated using the t–test, one–way ANOVA, multivariate linear regression, and binary regression. The results showed that a project of school police officers was not fully recognized as one of the strategically important instruments for safe schools, trust is low but presence is high. Besides that, the results suggest that the entire public believe that a police is needed in schools and that it has a very positive effect on school safety. Regarding school safety policy, it is necessary to undertake three types of measures for sustainable development of trust and presence of police in school: regulatory, informa-tive-educational and institutional-organizational.

In an ever-evolving landscape of higher education, this study delves into the transformative potential of merging deep learning principles and meaningful pedagogy in language acquisition, aided by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Drawing from a qualitative research design, it navigates the post-pandemic educational landscape, examining shifts in language education, student perspectives, and adaptations. Through comprehensive data collection methods, including literature review, interviews, and classroom observations, the study presents insights from 30 participants from SMC. The qualitative findings reveal emerging themes related to deep learning, meaningful learning, AI integration, and language acquisition, underscoring their profound impact on teaching methods and student engagement. This research contributes to the field by shedding light on innovative approaches that elevate language acquisition in an AI-evolving educational environment. The study concludes with implications for school administrators, teachers, and students, offering recommendations for future research directions, ultimately striving to enhance language education in the modern era.

This article aims to investigate the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing the education sector and further advancing the vision of Education 6.0. This study explores how AI can foster personalized learning experiences and adaptive pedagogy. By analyzing recent developments and real-world applications of AI in education, this article offers insights into how AI can support educators in tailoring instruction to individual students' needs, promoting engagement, and optimizing learning outcomes. The article also discusses ethical considerations and challenges associated with the integration of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of responsible implementation and human supervision.

Due to the success of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the medical field over the past decade, concerns about the explainability of these systems have increased. The reliability requirements of black-box led algorithms for making decisions affecting patients pose a challenge even beyond their accuracy. Recent advances in AI increasingly underscore the need to incorporate explainability into these systems. While most traditional AI methods and expert systems are inherently interpretable, recent literature has focused primarily on explainability techniques for more complex models such as deep learning. This scoping review analyzes the existing literature on explainability and interpretability of AI methods in the medical and clinical field, providing an overview of past and current research trends, and limitations that might impede the development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) in medicine, challenges, and possible research directions. In addition, this review discusses possible alternatives for leveraging medical knowledge to improve interpretability in clinical settings, while taking into account the needs of users.

This research aims to thoroughly understand the delicate interplay between stakeholders' perspectives, biometric data protection policies, and the deployment of face recognition technologies in Indonesia's dynamic digital world. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the study conducts Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with various stakeholders, including government agencies, technology developers, regulatory agencies, civil society groups, and data subjects as end-users. Face-to-face group discussions facilitate an in-depth exploration of participants' perspectives, yielding rich qualitative data that reveals nuanced insights into the delicate balance between technological innovation, ethical considerations, and socioeconomic repercussions associated with implementing face recognition technology. The research comprehensively explains the difficulties and opportunities associated with responsible technological progress and biometric data security. The findings from the FGDs influence the development of strategies that effectively balance technical advancement with individual rights, privacy, and social well-being within the growing digital landscape of Indonesia. The regulatory function of the government seeks to bridge the gap between public expectations and technological advancements. Collaboration between academic institutions, government agencies, the private sector, and data subjects as end-users emerges as a crucial element, fostering an all-encompassing strategy integrating research, law, technology deployment, and user empowerment. This holistic approach is necessary to ensure that biometric data and facial recognition technology are utilized responsibly, thereby laying the way for Indonesia's technologically sophisticated and ethically aware digital future.

In this study, a novel two-layer control scheme aimed at enhancing the dynamic performance of a nonlinear vehicle through the utilization of an optimal control approach grounded in predictive control principles is presented. The first layer of our control system focuses on the computation of an optimized rotational torque that ensures lateral dynamic stability. This torque is subsequently translated into differential forces acting on the wheels, employing the inverse tire model to derive the desired longitudinal slips. These slip values are then transmitted to the second layer of our control system. In the second layer, the electric motors associated with the vehicle's wheels dynamically adjust the input torque to accurately track the desired slip, thereby ensuring the overall stability of the electric vehicle. In view of the paramount importance of energy consumption in electric vehicles, we adopt optimal control strategies to substantially minimize battery utilization. To this end, careful selection of appropriate weighting coefficients in the control laws enables us to maintain the electric motors within their permissible operational range while simultaneously minimizing battery energy consumption for desired slip tracking. Extensive simulation results validate the effectiveness of our proposed control system in proficiently managing nonlinear effects and safeguarding the vehicle's stability.

Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD) is a rare neurodevelopmental disease caused by mutations in the X-linked CDKL5 gene. CDD is characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, including early-onset refractory epileptic seizures, intellectual disability, hypotonia, visual disturbances, and autism-like features. The Cdkl5 knockout (KO) mouse recapitulates several features of CDD, including autistic-like behavior, impaired learning and memory, and motor stereotypies. These behavioral alterations are accompanied by diminished neuronal maturation and survival, reduced dendritic branching and spine maturation, and marked microglia activation. There is currently no cure or effective treatment to ameliorate the symptoms of the disease. Aerobic exercise is known to exert multiple beneficial effects in the brain, not only by increasing neurogenesis, but also by improving motor and cognitive tasks. To date, no studies have analyzed the effect of physical exercise on the phenotype of a CDD mouse model. In view of the positive effects of voluntary running on the brain of mouse models of various human neurodevelopmental disorders, we sought to determine whether voluntary daily running, sustained over a month, could improve brain development and behavioral defects in Cdkl5 KO mice. Our study showed that long-term voluntary running improved hyperlocomotion and impulsivity behaviors, and memory performance of Cdkl5 KO mice. This is correlated with increased hippocampal neurogenesis, neuronal survival, spine maturation, and inhibition of microglia activation. These behavioral and structural improvements were associated with increased BDNF levels. Given the positive effects of BDNF on brain development and function, the present findings support the positive benefits of exercise as an adjuvant therapy for CDD.

Introduction: Breast cancer affects worldwide almost 1.5 million women below the age of 45 years each year. Many of these women will be advised to undergo adjuvant chemotherapy to minimize the risk of death or recurrence of the tumor. For these patients, chemotherapy is a known cause of infertility, as it can damage primordial follicles which can lead to early menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency. This systematic review aims to synthesize the current evidence of the most suitable treatments for fertility preservation. Methodology: This review is performed following the PRISMA guidelines. The authors conducted an extensive search from the last 15 years. Relevant studies were pursued in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library up until the July 31, 2023. A total of 7 eligible studies were identified. Discussion: The most suitable treatments for fertility preservation in young patients, is the temporary suppression with luteinizing hormone-releasing analogs, while the patient undergoes chemotherapy and cryopreservation. For cryopreservation, the physicians might deem it necessary to either cryopreserve ovarian tissue taken from the patient before any treatment or cryopreserve embryos/oocytes. Cryopreservation of oocytes and/or embryos is the most effective solution for fertility preservation in women of reproductive age, who have sufficient ovarian reserve and are diagnosed with breast cancer, regardless of the histological type of the tumor. Since approximately 50% of young breast cancer patients are interested in becoming pregnant right after completion of therapy, the evolution and development of fertility preservation techniques promise to be very exciting.

The intricate relationship between physical and social environments within organizations plays a pivotal role in shaping sustainable innovation endeavors. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of two key dynamics that have garnered substantial scholarly attention for promoting sustainable innovation: the physical environment and the organizational climate. To elucidate the intricate interplay between these dynamics, we propose a novel three-dimensional framework that guides the modeling of the intricate processes through which the physical environment and innovation climate synergistically influence innovation outcomes. Building on this framework, we delve into an in-depth literature review concerning physical environments that exert a significant impact on innovation. Through this review, we identify and elaborate on four pivotal elements of the physical environment: communality, personalization, comfort, and healthiness. Leveraging insights gleaned from this review, we outline two promising avenues for future research in the realm of the physical environment's interaction with the innovation climate. Furthermore, we underscore the critical importance of adopting an interdisciplinary approach that seamlessly integrates insights from both the physical and social domains to comprehensively understand the sustainable innovation landscape.

OPMDs (Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders) are a group of disorders affecting the oral mucosa that are characterized by aberrant cell proliferation and a higher risk of malignant transformation. Vitamin D (VitD) and its receptor (VDR) have been extensively studied for their potential contributions to the prevention and therapeutic management of a range of diseases and neoplastic conditions, including oral cancer. Observational studies suggest correlations between VitD deficiency and higher cancer risk, worse prognosis, and increased mortality rates. Interestingly, emerging data also reveals a link between VitD insufficiency and the onset or progression of OPMDs. Understanding the role of the VitD-VDR axis not only in established oral tumors but also in OPMDs might thus enable early detection and prevention of malignant transformation. With this article, we want to provide an overview of current knowledge about OPMDs and VitD, and investigate their potential association and ramifications for clinical management of OPMDs.

Aujeszky Disease Virus (ADV) is a double-stranded DNA virus with a lipoprotein envelope. The natural hosts of the infection are suidae, but the virus can infect many other mammals. The gold-standard method identified by the WOAH for the diagnosis of Aujeszky disease is ELISA method. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of meat juice and oral fluid matrices using a commercial ELISA kit designed for serum. A total of 80 blood and oral fluid samples were collected from four pig farms selected for this study. Diaphragm muscle samples of about 100 g and blood samples were collected from 213 animals at the abattoir. These biological matrices were collected from the same animals and tested using a competitive ELISA kit to detect antibodies against ADV. The relative accuracy of the meat juice compared to that of the serum was 96.7% (95% CI: 93.3%-98.7%), with 206 correct results out of 213. The relative accuracy of the oral fluid compared to that of the serum was 61.3% (95% CI: 49.7%-71.9%), with 58 correct results out of 80. Meat juice has a better combination of sensitivity and specificity than oral fluid. The usage of meat juice in routine diagnostic examinations could be achieved after further investigations to optimize the procedure.

The vascular endothelium is key target for immune, and thrombotic responses that has to be controlled in successful xenotransplantation. Several genes were identified that if induced or overexpressed help to regulate the inflammatory response and preserve the transplanted organ function and metabolism. However, few studies addressed combined expression of such genes. The aim of this work was to evaluate in vivo the effects of the simultaneous expression of a three human genes in a mouse generated using the multi-cistronic F2A technology. Male 3-month-old mice that express human heme oxygenase 1 (hHO-1), ecto-5’-nucleotidase (hE5NT), and ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (hENTPD1) (Transgenic) were compared to wild-type FVB mice (Control). Background analysis include extracellular nucleotide catabolism enzymes profile on the aortic surface, blood nucleotide concentration and serum L-arginine metabolites. Furthermore, inflammatory stress induced by LPS in transgenic and control mice was used to characterize interleukin 6 (IL-6) and adhesion molecules endothelium permeabil-ity responses. Transgenic mice had significantly higher rates of extracellular adenosine triphosphate and adenosine monophosphate hydrolysis on the aortic surface in comparison to control. Increased levels of blood AMP and adenosine were also noticed in transgenics. Moreover, transgenic ani-mals demonstrated the decrease in serum monomethyl-L-arginine level and a higher L-arginine/ monomethyl-L-arginine ratio. Importantly, significantly decreased serum IL-6, and adhesion mol-ecule levels were observed in transgenic mice in comparison to control after LPS treatment. Fur-thermore, reduced endothelial permeability in the LPS-treated transgenic mice was noted as com-pared to LPS-treated control. The human enzymes (hHO-1, hE5NT, hENTPD1) simultaneously encoded in transgenic mice demonstrated benefits in sev-eral biochemical and functional aspects of endothelium. This is consistent in use of this approach in the context of xenotransplantation.

This study investigates the intricate relationship between Venezuelan migration and urban growth in Colombia from 2018 to 2021. The study employs remote sensing data and social network metrics to uncover migration patterns and their impact on urban expansion. The methodology consists of three stages. Firstly, nighttime satellite imagery is used to analyze year-over-year urban growth in Colombia. Secondly, social network data estimates Venezuelan migration, overcoming challenges of underreporting and informal border crossings. Lastly, an econometric analysis explores the quantitative link between Venezuelan migration and urban growth, integrating socioeconomic variables to address endogeneity. The findings reveal the complex interplay of Venezuelan migration, socioeconomic factors, and urban growth. The study outlines remote sensing analysis, introducing the Anthropogenic Footprint Expansion Index (AFEI) to quantify urban growth. Facebook API data estimates migration trends and explores socioeconomic impacts on urban expansion. The analysis uncovers migration, poverty, aging, and urban population proportion as key factors affecting Colombia's urban landscape. Furthermore, the research underscores how Venezuelan migration affected short-term urban expansion pre- and post-COVID-19. Migration had a notable effect before the pandemic, but this influence waned afterward. The study highlights migration's short-term nature and emphasizes age demographics' role in medium-term dynamics.

In the quest to develop a more effective and representative electoral system that offers a higher global satisfaction while also resisting strategic voting, this paper introduces the Bipartisan/Range method. This electoral system operates in two separate rounds: a first round where voters rank candidates, and if no Condorcet winner emerges, a second round where voters score candidates within a small head set known as the bipartisan set. The proposed method takes inspiration from randomized Condorcet voting system, probably the most strategy-resistant Condorcet methods, but eliminates the non-determinism while improving efficiency in the case of paradoxes. By introducing an unpredictable second round spaced in time and prohibiting predictive surveys, voters face difficulties in anticipating paradoxes, and insincere votes carry inherent risks. Furthermore, the Bipartisan set's limited size mitigates the range voting problem of exaggerated votes. Thus, the method has the potential to be both efficient in reflecting voters' preferences and resistant to strategic voting, exceeding expectations from Arrow's theorem. The method's versatility allows for extensions to multiple candidates, enhancing its applicability across various electoral contexts. Additionally, we have developed BipartiVox, an online platform specifically designed to conduct elections using the Bipartisan/Range method, making it accessible to a wider audience. In conclusion, the Bipartisan/Range method represents a substantial contribution to the field of voting systems, providing a practical, strategy-resistant, and efficient alternative that aligns closely with genuine voter preferences.

Crocin, a glycoside carotenoid showing several health benefits, is mainly obtained from saffron (Crocus sativus L.), whose quality and content of phytochemicals can be strongly affected by environmental conditions. Therefore, in this work, the crocin content and the in vitro antioxidant activity of saffron extracts obtained from three different varieties (Greek, Sicilian, and Iranian saffron) were assessed. Crocin content in saffron extracts was quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity of saffron extracts was evaluated using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay and nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging test. The Maillard reaction was used to assess the anti-glycation activity. Although the Sicilian and Iranian saffron extracts contained higher amounts of crocin compared to the Greek one, ORAC values and % NO inhibition were higher for the Greek variety that showed a total phenolic content about two-fold greater than that of the other two extracts. Sicilian and Greek saffron had similar anti-glycation activities, while the Iranian saffron was less effective. These results suggest that the antioxidant activity of saffron extracts could be ascribed to their naturally occurring complex mixture of phytochemicals, deserving further investigations as supplement to prevent pathological conditions induced by radical species.

A Mw7.8 earthquake struck Turkey on February 6, 2023, causing severe casualties and economic losses. This paper investigates the characteristics of strong ground motion and seismogenic fault of the earthquake. We collected and processed the strong ground motion records of 379 stations using Matlab, SeismoSignal and Surfer software, and obtained the peak ground acceleration (PGA) contour map. We analyzed the near-fault effect, the fault locking segment effect and the trampoline effect of the earthquake based on the spatial distribution of PGA, the fault geometry and slip distribution. We found that the earthquake generated a very strong ground motion concentration effect in the near-fault area, with the maximum PGA exceeding 2000cm/s2. However, the presence of fault locking segments influenced the spatial distribution of ground motion, resulting in four significant PGA high-value concentration areas at a local dislocation, a turning point and the end of the East Anatolian Fault. We also revealed for the first time the typical manifestation of the trampoline effect in this earthquake, which was characterized by a large vertical acceleration with the positive direction significantly larger than the negative direction. This paper provides an important reference for understanding the seismogenic mechanism, damage mode, characteristics and strong earthquake law of Turkey earthquake.

Abstract: Down Syndrome (DS) is a common genetic disorder characterized by an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading to dysregulation of various metabolic pathways. Oxidative stress in DS is associated with neurodevelopmental defects, neuronal dysfunction, and the onset of dementia re-sembling Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, chronic oxidative stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers prevalent in DS individuals. This study investigates the impact of ageing on oxidative stress and liver fibrosis using a DS murine model (Ts2Cje mice). The liver in DS mice shows increased oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant defenses, as evidenced by reduced glutathione levels and increased lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, DS liver exhibits an altered in-flammatory response as measured by the expression of cytokines and heat shock proteins. DS liver also displays dysregulated lipid metabolism, indicated by altered expression of peroxisome prolif-erator-activated receptors and fatty acid transport proteins. Consistently, these changes might contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease development, a condition characterized by liver fat accumulation. Finally, histological analysis of DS liver reveals increased fibrosis and steatosis, in-dicative of potential progression to liver cirrhosis. This finding highlights the increased risk of liver pathologies in DS individuals, particularly when combined with the higher prevalence of obesity and metabolic dysfunctions in DS patients. These results shed light on the liver's role in DS-associated pathologies and suggest potential therapeutic strategies targeting oxidative stress and lipid metabolism to prevent or mitigate liver-related complications in DS individuals.

Keywords: Arachis quality; pod separation; plant extraction, peanut

Bioactive lipids are involved in cellular signalling events with links to human disease. Many of these are involved in inflammation under normal and pathological conditions. Despite being attractive molecules from a pharmacological point of view, detection and quantification of lipids has been a major challenge. Here, we have optimised a liquid chromatography dynamic multiple reaction monitoring targeted mass spectrometry (LC-dMRM-MS) approach to profile eicosanoids and fatty acids in biological samples. In particular, by applying this analytic workflow to study a cellular model of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), we found that intra- and extra-cellular 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), intracellular Arachidonic Acid (AA), and extracellular Prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α), 5-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), Palmitic acid (PA, C16:0) and Stearic acid (SA, C18:0) were altered in response to immunomodulation by type I Interferon (IFN-I), a currently approved treatment for CML. Our observations indicate changes in eicosanoid and fatty acid metabolism with potential relevance in the context of cancer inflammation and CML.

Radiological imaging is an essential component of a swallowing assessment. Artificial intelligence (AI), and especially deep learning (DL) models, have enhanced the efficiency and efficacy through which imaging is interpreted, and subsequently have important implications for swallow diagnostics and intervention planning. However, the application of AI for the interpretation of videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) is still emerging. This review showcases recent literature in the use of AI to interpret VFSS and highlights clinical implications for speech pathologists (SPs). With a surge in AI research, there have been advances made in dysphagia assessment. Several studies have demonstrated successful implementation of DL algorithms to analyze VFSS. Notably, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been used to detect pertinent aspects of the swallowing process with high levels of precision. DL algorithms have the potential to streamline VFSS interpretation, improve efficiency and accuracy, and enable precise interpretation of instrumental dysphagia evaluation, which is especially advantageous when access to skilled clinicians is not ubiquitous. By enhancing precision, speed, and depth of VFSS interpretation, SPs can obtain a more comprehensive understanding of swallow physiology and deliver targeted and timely intervention that is tailored towards the individual. This has practical applications for both clinical practice and dysphagia research. As this research area grows and AI technologies progress, the application of DL in the field of VFSS interpretation is clinically beneficial and has the potential to transform dysphagia assessment and management. With broader validation and inter-disciplinary collaborations, AI-augmented VFSS interpretation is likely to transform swallow evaluation and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals with dysphagia.

The direct methane to methanol (MTM) oxidation is a grand challenge in catalysis, with profound economical implications for the modern chemical industry. Bioinspired metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with active iron and copper sites have been emerging very recently as innovative catalytic platforms to accomplish the MTM conversion under mild conditions. This review discusses the current state of the art regarding the application of MOFs with iron and copper catalytic centers to perform the MTM reaction, with a focus on the diverse spectroscopic techniques used to unveil the electronic and structural properties of the MOF catalysts at a microscopic level. We explore the synthetic strategies employed to incorporate iron and copper sites into different MOF topologies, the efficiency and selectivity of the iron- and copper-bearing MOF catalysts, and the ensuing MTM reaction mechanisms proposed on the basis of spectroscopic characterization supported by theory. In particular, we evidence how the combination of complementary spectroscopic tools probing different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum is particularly useful to reach a satisfactory understanding of the key reaction pathways and intermediates. Finally, we provide a critical perspective on future directions to advance the use of MOFs to accomplish the MTM reaction.

Contradictory reports are available on vaccine-associated hyperstimulation of the immune system, provoking the formation of pathological autoantibodies. Despite being interconnected within the same network, the role of the quieter, yet important non-pathological; natural autoantibodies (nAAbs) is less defined. We hypothesize that upon a prompt immunological trigger, also physiological nAAbs exhibit a moderate plasticity. We investigated their inducibility through aged and recent antigenic triggers. Anti-viral antibodies (anti-MMR; n=1739 and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG; n=330) and nAAbs (anti-citrate synthase IgG, IgM; n=1739) were measured by in-house and commercial ELISAs, using Croatian (Osijek) anonymous samples with documented vaccination background. Results were subsequently compared for statistical evaluation. Interestingly, IgM isotype nAAb showed a statistically significant connection with anti-MMR IgG seropositivity (p< 0.001 in all cases), while IgG isotype nAAb levels were elevated in association with anti-SARS CoV-2 specific seropositivity (p= 0.019) and in heterogeneous vaccine regimen recipients (unvaccinated controls; vector/mRNA vaccines p= 0.002). Increasing evidence supports the interplay between immune activation and the dynamic expansion of nAAbs. Consequently, further questions may emerge regarding the ability of nAAbs silently shaping the effectiveness of immunization. We suggest re-evaluating the impact of nAAbs on the complex functioning of the immunological network.

Intussusceptive pillars, regarded as a hallmark of intussusceptive angiogenesis, have been described in developing vasculature of many organs and organisms. The aim of this study was to resolve the question about pillar formation and their further maturation employing zebrafish caudal vein plexus (CVP). The CVP development was monitored by in vivo confocal microscopy in high spatio-temporal resolution using the transgenic zebrafish model Fli1a:eGPF//Gata1:dsRed. We tracked back the formation of pillars (diameter ≤4µm) and intercapillary meshes (diameter >4µm) and analysed their morphology and behaviour. Transluminal pillars in the CVP arose by a combination of sprouting, lumen expansion, and/or by creation of intraluminal folds, and those mechanisms were not associated directly with blood flow. The follow-up of pillars indicated that one third of them disappeared between 28-48 hours post fertilisation (hpf) and of the remaining ones only 1/17 changed their cross-section area by >50%. The majority of the bigger meshes (39/62) increased their cross-section area by >50%. Plexus simplification and establishment of hierarchy was dominated by the dynamics of intercapillary meshes, which formed mainly by sprouting angiogenesis. These meshes were observed to grow, reshape, and merge with each other. Our observations suggested an alternative view on intussusceptive angiogenesis in the CVP.

Still, the most common in vitro model for absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) purposes is the Caco-2 cell line. However, clear differences in gene- and protein expression towards the small intestine and an at best fair prediction accuracy of intestinal drug absorption restrict the usefulness as model for intestinal epithelial cells. To overcome these limitations, we evaluated a panel of low-passaged patient-derived colorectal cancer cell lines of the HROC collection concerning similarities to small intestinal epithelial cells and their potential to predict intestinal drug absorption. After initial screen of a larger panel, ten cell lines with confluent outgrowth and long-lasting barrier forming potential were further characterized in close detail. Tight junctional complexes and microvilli structures were detected in all lines, differentiated epithelial cells were abundant in 7/10. All lines expressed multiple transporter molecules, with expression levels in three lines being close to those of small intestinal epithelial cells. Compared to the Caco-2 model, three HROC lines demonstrated both higher similarity to jejunal epithelial tissue cells and higher regulatory potential of relevant drug transporters. In sum, these lines would be better suited human small intestinal epithelium models for basic and translational research; especially for ADME studies.

In potato, high levels of nitrogen (N) can lead to excessive vegetative growth at the expense of tuber development, resulting in lower yield and poor quality tubers. We found that Solanum tuberosum CLE4 (StCLE4) is expressed most strongly in the roots on N-rich media and positively regulates root growth of potato in N-deficient conditions. We noted that StCLE4 functions as a negative regulator of normal shoot apex development similar to CLV3 in Arabidopsis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that overexpression of StCLE4 results in repression of the StIT1 gene, a regulator of potato tuber initiation. Overexpressing StCLE4 stolons were transformed into branches that were similar to milder it1 phenotype. We also found that NIN-like proteins, key regulators of nitrate signaling, bind to the regulatory sequence of StIT1 in yeast one-hybrid assay. Taken together, our findings suggest that StCLE4 regulates shoot, root and stolon growth in potato.

Youth is the essential entrepreneurial force for every country's social, political, and economic development. Urban youth make up about 34.27 percent of the population in Ethiopia. The youth unemployment crisis is one of the serious challenges that Ethiopia is facing nowadays, and it should be mentioned in the nation's public discourse. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to specify the socioeconomic and demographic factors that influence urban youth unemployment in the Somali Regional State, specifically in Jigjiga, Degahbour, Kebridahar, Gode, and Dollo Ado towns. Both primary and secondary data sources were employed. A multi-stage sampling technique has been used to select 385 sample respondents from the total population of the study. This study found that almost 63% of youth in the study area were unemployed, and a large number of unemployed youths live in Jigjiga and Dollo Ado Towns as compared to other city administrations. The econometric model's findings indicate that factors like gender, education level, work experience, access to credit, access to information, time applied for job vacancy, active job seeker, social network (network with clan elders, government officials, businessmen, and other friends), and residence in Jigjiga and Gode town have a significant association with the likelihood of youth unemployment in the Somali regional state. Therefore, this study recommends that the regional government and local city administration should develop effective policies and strategies to address the underlying causes of gender inequality, improving access and quality of education, supporting freshman graduates to find jobs, providing access to credit and job vacancies, ensuring fair and free job competition, and managing youth migration for job seeking.

The hawthorn fruit, a member of the Rosaceae family, is a medicinal plant with numerous therapeutic properties. It exhibits a wide range of variants, with Crataegus tanacetifolia being Turkey's most widely recognized species. The hawthorn fruit has various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, immune-modulating, and anti-carcinogenic properties. Vinegar was produced from the hawthorn fruit and the techniques of pasteurization and ultrasound were employed to enhance the antioxidant capabilities and extend the shelf life. A total of 56 mature Wistar-Albino rats were allocated into seven groups and administered hawthorn fruit vinegar via oral gavage on a daily basis. The experimental groups were classified as pasteurized (HVP) and ultrasound (HVU) treated, with two different dosage levels (0.5 and 1 mg/kg), and a control group consisting of regular vinegar. The SOD, MDA, and CAT antioxidant levels were measured using the ELISA method in plasma and liver tissue samples. The total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, AST, and ALT values were quantified in commercially available kits. The levels of SOD and CAT in the plasma and liver were found to be significantly higher in the HVU1 group. In a manner akin to those mentioned, the HVU1 cohort exhibited the highest HDL value. The levels of LDL were comparably low in both the thermal pasteurized and ultrasound treatment groups. This finding agrees with HDL levels and is statistically significant (p≤0.05). There were significant expressions of both CAT and SOD in HVU groups in liver tissues immunohistochemically. The possible therapeutic effects of hawthorn vinegar may boost its antioxidant capabilities and contribute to an overall improvement in quality of life.

Background: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder associated with inflammatory and oxidative stress markers such as lactate; in addition, the rate of physical inactivity in this population is very high, which leads to physical and metabolic alterations. Aims: This study measured the effect of assisted physical exercise over lactate levels in schizophrenia. Methods: Stable outpatients with schizophrenia and a group of Healthy controls received two different programs of Physical exercise (Aerobic and Functional) in a clinical trial. Results: Patients had higher lactate compared to healthy controls before and after intervention, and had higher rate of lactate increase after activity. The finding of increased lactate in schizophrenia detected before and after physical exercise deserve further attention in biomarker studies and in the development of physical rehabilitation in schizophrenia, suggesting different profile of oxidative metabolism after physical exercise. Basal increased lactate may reflect mitochondrial dysfunction or metabolic dysregulation, and the higher rate of increase may reflect a different metabolic and oxidative process. Conclusion: The finding is in line with recent studies as surrogate of mitochondrial dysfunction in schizophrenia and points to the need of additional studies on mitochondrial activity in schizophrenia, and to additional care in the design of physical interventions in schizophrenia.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a substantial global health challenge due to its high incidence and limited therapeutic options. In recent years, the Janus Kinase (JAK) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway has emerged as a critical signaling cascade in HCC pathogenesis. The review commences with an overview of the JAK/STAT pathway, delving into the dynamic interplay between the JAK/STAT pathway and its numerous upstream activators, such as cytokines and growth factors enriched in pathogenic livers afflicted with chronic inflammation and cirrhosis. This paper also elucidates how the persistent activation of JAK/STAT signaling leads to diverse oncogenic processes during hepatocarcinogenesis, including uncontrolled cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, and immune escape. In the context of therapeutic implications, this review summarizes recent advancements in targeting the JAK/STAT pathway for HCC treatment. Preclinical and clinical studies investigating inhibitors and modulators of JAK/STAT signaling are discussed, highlighting their potential in suppressing the deadly disease. The insights presented herein underscore the necessity for continued research into targeting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway as a promising avenue for HCC therapy.

Investigating transportation disasters in Western Asia over two decades (2003-2023), this study provides a meticulous examination of a comprehensive dataset, shedding light on the dynamics and nuances of these catastrophic events in terms of frequency, modality (air, rail, road, and water), and subsequent outcomes. The data reveals a concerning uptrend in mishaps from 2003 to 2010, which fortunately reverses into a notable decline in the subsequent years. Noteworthy is the predominance of road-related incidents, yet an alarming 73.8% of events are ambiguously categorized under "Unknown", hinting at potential gaps or inconsistencies in record-keeping. With Turkey being a significant epicenter, accounting for nearly 45% of all incidents, the regional distribution of these disasters becomes evident. Advanced ANOVA analyses discern marked variations in fatality rates over the years and between nations. However, the contrast in injury rates among different disaster categories did not achieve statistical significance. While the post-2010 era showcases a commendable reduction in calamities, the data punctuates the persistent necessity for robust safety measures, targeted public awareness campaigns, and infrastructural advancements. In synthesis, this study vehemently advocates for heightened regional collaboration and systematic knowledge dissemination as cornerstones for bolstering transportation safety across Western Asia.

The post-pandemic landscape has ushered in a transformative phase in education, compelling a profound reexamination of the humanities' role. This study navigates the multifaceted dimensions of humanities education, including its response to digital transformation, interdisciplinary methodologies, emotional intelligence cultivation, inclusivity efforts, and its forward trajectory. Employing qualitative methods, including innovative approaches such as advanced data analysis techniques, intensive in-depth literature reviews, maximum purposeful sampling, informal interviews among thirty (30) participants from SMC, observation, and thematic analysis, this research captures diverse perspectives. Leveraging evolving research methodologies, the study resonates implications for educators and institutions, envisioning a humanities education poised for resilience and responsiveness, sculpted by the pandemic's challenges and the potential it has unveiled.

Background & Aims: Gut microbial imbalances are linked to colorectal cancer (CRC), but archae-‎a's role remains underexplored. Here, we performed bioinformatic and statistical analysis looking ‎for archaeal taxonomic and functional signatures related to CRC. Methods: We analyzed pub-‎lished fecal metagenomic data from 390 subjects, comparing the archaeomes of CRC and healthy ‎individuals. We conducted a biostatistical analysis to investigate the relationship between Candi-‎datus Mancarchaeum acidiphilum (DPANN superphylum) and other archaeal species associated ‎with CRC. Using the Prokka tool, we annotated the data focusing on archaeal genes, subsequently ‎linking them to CRC and mapping them against UniprotKB and GO databases for specific ar-‎chaeal gene functions. Results: Our analysis identified enrichment of methanogenic archaea in ‎healthy subjects, with an exception for Methanobrevibacter smithii, which correlated with CRC. ‎Notably, CRC showed a strong association with archaeal species, particularly Natrinema sp. J7-2, ‎Ferroglobus placidus, and Candidatus Mancarchaeum acidiphilum. Furthermore, the DPANN ar-‎chaeon exhibited a significant correlation with other CRC-associated archaea (p < 0.001). Func-‎tionally, we found a marked association between MvhB-type polyferredoxin and colorectal can-‎cer. We also highlighted the association of archaeal proteins involved in the biosynthesis of leucine ‎and the galactose metabolism process with the healthy phenotype. Conclusion: The archaeomes ‎of CRC patients show identifiable alterations, including a decline in methanogens and an increase ‎in Halobacteria species. MvhB-type polyferredoxin, linked with CRC and species like Candidatus ‎Mancarchaeum acidiphilum, Natrinema sp. J7-2 and Ferroglobus placidus emerge as potential archaeal ‎biomarkers. Archaeal proteins may also offer gut protection, underscoring archaea’s role in CRC ‎dynamics.

Advanced heart failure (AHF) presents a complex landscape with challenges spanning diagnosis, management, and patient outcomes. In response, the integration of multimodality imaging techniques has emerged as a pivotal approach. This comprehensive review delves into the profound significance of these imaging strategies within AHF scenarios. Multimodality imaging, encompassing echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and cardiac computed tomography (CCT), stands as a cornerstone in the care of patients with both short- and long-term mechanical support devices. These techniques facilitate precise device selection, placement, and vigilant monitoring, ensuring patient safety and optimal device functionality. In the context of orthotopic cardiac transplant (OTC), the role of multimodality imaging remains indispensable. Echocardiography offers invaluable insights into allograft function and potential complications. Advanced methods, like speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), empower the detection of acute cell rejection. CMR and CCT further enhance diagnostic precision, especially concerning allograft rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. This comprehensive imaging approach goes beyond diagnosis, shaping treatment strategies and risk assessment. By harmonizing diverse imaging modalities, clinicians gain a panoramic understanding of each patient's unique condition, facilitating well-informed decisions. Thus, this review underscores the irreplaceable role of multimodality imaging in elevating patient outcomes, refining treatment precision, and propelling advancements in the evolving landscape of advanced heart failure management.

Amidst the dynamic landscape of education, this paper embarks on a transformative journey that explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in literature and language education. Through a qualitative exploratory approach, purposeful and maximum variation sampling method, the researcher delves into the experiences of educators and learners, unraveling the multifaceted dimensions of AI-driven pedagogy in SMC. Drawing upon a theoretical framework encompassing Constructivism, Connectivism, and Socio-Cultural Theory, the study examines AI's role in reshaping pedagogical landscapes, fostering critical thinking, and expanding access to education. The results resonate with participants' narratives, unveiling AI's potential in fostering personalized learning pathways, enhancing collaborative engagement, and bridging digital divides. Ethical considerations in AI education are explored, leading to the proposition of responsible guidelines. These findings underline the transformative power of AI in education, aligned with the institution's commitment to quality education and innovation. Overall, the study calls for ongoing exploration, emphasizing the qualitative research method's depth and richness, as well as the theoretical framework's guidance in realizing the study's objectives. As AI continues to shape education's frontiers, this research underscores the significance of adaptability, ethical awareness, and holistic engagement for school administrators, educators, learners, and researchers alike.

Many children and adults who have suffered prenatal hypoxia at an early age develop many serious diseases. This disease is an actual problem of pediatric cardiology and little studied. The aim was to analyze the cardioprotective effect of L-arginine, Thiotriazoline, Angioline and Mildronate on the cardiovascular system of rats after prenatal hypoxia. Methods: The experiments were carried out on 50 female white rats; intraperitoneal sodium nitrite solution was administered daily to pregnant female rats after 16 days at a dose of 50 mg/kg. Control pregnant rats received saline. The offspring were divided into groups: 1 – intact; 2 – the control group of rat pups after PH, daily treated with physiological saline; 3 – 6 groups of rat pups after PH, treated daily from the 1st to the 30th day after birth. Heat shock protein HSP70 was determined by enzyme immunoassay, ST2 Nitrotyrosine, eNOS was observed by ELISA. Results: Angiolin showed a high cardioprotective effect even a month after discontinuation of the drug, and after introduction, the highest decrease in ST2, nitrotyrosine was revealed. Thiotriazoline and L-arginine have an antioxidant effect and a positive effect on eNOS expression. increased the concentration of HSP70. Mildronate increased the expression of eNOS and the concentration of HSP70 in the blood of experimental rats after a course of administration, but did not show an antioxidant effect and did not reduce the concentration of nitrotyrosine. The results obtained indicate the cardioprotective effect of modulators of the NO system with different mechanisms of action of drugs after experienced prenatal hypoxia.

Vertical III-V semiconductor nanowires have shown promising absorption of light for solar cell and photodetector applications. The absorption properties can be tuned through the choice of III-V materials and geometry of the nanowires. Here, we review recent progress in the design of the absorption properties of both individual nanowires and nanowire arrays. Future directions for the research field are proposed.

Eicheon properties are discussed. It is shown that the eicheon surface allows setting a boundary condition for the vacuum polarization and obtaining a solution describing the dark matter tail in the Milky Way. That is, the dark matter in the Milky Way is explained as the F-type of vacuum polarization, which could be treated as dark radiation. The model presented is spherically symmetric, but a surface density of a baryonic galaxy disk is taken into account approximately by smearing the disk over a sphere. This allows the reproduction of the large distance shape of the Milky Way rotational curve. Andromeda's rotational curves are also discussed.

Oil agents produced from degreasing treatment of synthetic fibers are typical pollutants in printing and dyeing wastewater, which may cause large-scale environmental pollution without proper treatment. How to purify oily dye wastewater with low cost is a key problem at present. In this study, the biochar microspheres with oil removal ability were prepared deriving from waste bamboo chips using hydrothermal method. The structure of biochar microsphere was regulated by the activation and modification processes. The biochar microspheres were characterized and their adsorption behaviors for oily dye wastewater were explored. The results showed that the adsorption efficiency of biochar microspheres for oily dye wastewater (DTY) was improved significantly after the secondary pyrolysis and lauric acid grafting reaction. The maximum COD removal quantity of biochar microspheres for DTY was 889 mg/g with removal rate of 86.06% in 30 min. Besides, the kinetics showed that the chemisorption was the main adsorption manner. The application of biochar microspheres can decrease the costs of oily wastewater treatment and avoid environmental pollution.

Surgical neurolysis is a procedure designed to liberate an injured nerve from scar tissue or adjacent structure, thereby facilitating nerve regeneration in cases of brachial plexus neuropathy (BPN). This study presents a case series of patients diagnosed with BPN who underwent surgical neurolysis. The primary focus was on the clinical assessment of recovery using the British Medical Research Council motor grading scale (BMRC). Additionally, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to analyze motor recovery outcomes related to surgical neurolysis for BPN. 18 patients with BPN who underwent surgical neurolysis where included. The results experienced a notable increase of 58% in muscle strength as assessed by the BMRC. The average preoperative state of 2.17±1.15 improved significantly to a postoperative condition of 3.44±1.34 (p = 0.003, d= 0.913) The systematic review identified 2298 articles which were selected for qualitative analysis, demonstrated that surgical neurolysis was associated with favorable motor recovery outcomes in 75.82% of the patients. Both the case series and the literature review reveal significant motor recovery following surgical neurolysis. It is crucial to conduct well-designed, adequately powered, randomized, and blinded clinical trials. Such studies will provide robust evidence to support or refute the utility of this approach in motor recovery.

With the rapid development in Beijing, there is a critical need to explore the circumstance and reveal the mechanisms of precious urban natural resources. In this context, urban blue space has attracted more and more attention by driving microcirculation, cooling heat islands, and relaxing residential. We extracted the UBS at Beijing using remote sensing, explored the spatial and temporal development in the last two decades via USDA methods, uncovered the full spectrum of landscape patterns from an ecological perspective, and simulated the mechanisms of the UBS area and the landscape quantitatively. We found that: (1) The UBS area in Beijing increased with fluctuation from 2000 to 2020. (2) The spatial clustering has distributed stable with some subtle changes. (3)The ecological circumstance has improved in the last 21 years in Beijing, with the increasing habitat diversity and richness, while the inferior landscape fragmentation has indicated some severe challenges. (4) Natural factors impact urban blue space areas more than social ones, while both similarly influence the UBS landscape. (5) Vegetation circumstances and precipitation are the most important natural factors on both area and landscape of UBS, and population and artificial surface are the most important social factors.

It is important for food recognition to separate each ingredient within a food image at the pixel level. In this paper, we propose a new approach to segment ingredients by utilizing a CNN-based Single-Ingredient Classification Model. In detail, we firstly introduce a standardized biological-based hierarchical ingredient structure and construct a single-ingredient image dataset based on this structure. Then, we build a single-ingredient classification model based on a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture that utilizes an attention mechanism. Afterwards, we propose a new framework for segmentation using the above single-ingredient classification model as the backbone. In this framework, two methods are involved in segmenting ingredients in the food images. We introduce five evaluation metrics (IoU, Dice, Purity, Entirety, Loss of GTs) to assess the performance of ingredient segmentation in terms of ingredient classification. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, achieving an maximal mIoU of 0.65, mDice of 0.77, mPurity of 0.83, mEntirety of 0.80, and mLoGTs of 0.06 on the FoodSeg103 dataset. The results confirm that our CNN-based architecture achieves higher segmentation performance compared to ResNet18 and EfficientNet-B0 when used as the backbone for ingredient segmentation. We believe that our ingredient segmentation approach lays the foundation for subsequent ingredient recognition.

The biomethane accumulation of several combinations of whey and sugarcane molasses, inoculated with sludge from a treatment facility of one of the dairy enterprises of Imbabura, was assessed in the current experiment at a concentration of 0.5 g/l COD. The whey: molasses (W: M) ratios for each treatment were 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0, with a constant temperature of 37°C and an initial pH adjustment of 7.5. Half a litre of total mixes was used for each treatment in duplicate. Six kinetic models were evaluated to account biomethane accumulation in anaerobic co-digestion processes in batch of whey and sugarcane molasses. Five of these have been tested by other researchers, and one was developed by modifying a first-order model to consider changes in the biomethane accumulation profile. This proposed model, along with the modified two-phase Gompertz model, resulted in the ones that were best able to adjust the experimental data, obtaining in all cases an R² ≥ 0.949, indicating the accuracy of both models. In addition, the proposed here model has five parameters, one less than the modified two-phase Gompertz model, making it more straightforward and robust.

Tourette syndrome is a complex neuropsychiatric condition that manifests in childhood and is often associated with other psychiatric comorbidities. This case describes a young male with Tourette syndrome with major depressive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who experienced troublesome side-effects due to his existing medications (escitalopram, risperidone and methylphenidate). In order to control his tics, ameliorate depressive symptoms, and eliminate side-effects of stiffness and sedation, risperidone was switched to cariprazine, a third-generation antipsychotic medication with D3-D2 partial agonism. In addition, the antidepressant dose was also increased. With the new combination, the patient reported good control of his tics, together with significant improvement in depressive symptoms and no side-effects. Based on this case and the reviewed literature, cariprazine might be a viable option for patients with Tourette syndrome with other comorbid illnesses, whom are prone to side effects of medication.