Effective detection of isopropyl methylfluorophosphonate (GB, sarin), a type of organophosphine poisoning agent, is an urgent issue to be addressed in maintaining public safety. In this research, a gas-sensitive film material defined as poly (4-hydroxy-4,4-bis trifluoromethyl) - butyl-1-enyl) - si-loxane (SXFA) with the structure of hexafluoroisopropyl (HFIP) functional group was synthesized by using methyl vinylpropyl dichlorosilane and hexafluoroacetone trihydrate as initial materials. Synthesis process products were characterized by FTIR. SXFA was prepared on a 200 MHz shear surface wave delay line with spin coating method for GB detected. Detection limit of ＜ 0.1 mg/m3 was obtained through conditional experiments. Meanwhile, we also obtained the maximum re-sponse of 2.168 mV at 0.1 mg/m3 concentration, which indicting a much lower detection limit of SAW-SXFA sensor. Additionally, the maximum response standard deviation of 0.11 mV with a co-efficient of variation of 0.01, as well as the maximum recovery standard deviation of 0.22 mV with a coefficient of variation of 0.02 were also obtained through 5 repeated experiments. Results showed that the SAW-SXFA sensor has strong selectivity and reproducibility, good selectivity, positive detection ability, high sensitivity, and fast alarm performance for sarin detection.

Environmental pollution is becoming ubiquitous; it has a negative impact on the ecosystem diversity and worsens the quality of human life. This review discusses the possibility of applying the Plant Microbial Fuel Cells (PMFC) technology for concurrent processes of electricity generation, purification of water and soil ecosystems from organic pollutants, in particular, from synthetic surfactants and heavy metals. The review describes the PMFC functioning mechanisms and highlights the issues of the PMFC environmental application. Generally, this work summarizes different approaches to the PMFC development and to the potential usage of such hybrid bioelectrochemical systems for the environmental protection.

A novel metal-doped carbon quantum dot, zinc-chlorine co-doped carbon quantum dots (Zn/Cl-CQDs), has been developed for the fluorescent probe detection of vitamin B2 and the analysis of the correlation properties of this carbon quantum dot and vitamin B2. Stability experiments demonstrate that Zn/Cl-CQDs possess good fluorescence properties under alkaline conditions. However, when vitamin B2 is added into Zn/Cl-CQDs, the fluorescence intensity decreases sharply, indicating that a fluorescence quenching phenomenon occurs between vitamin B2 and Zn/Cl-CQDs. Lastly, the use of Zn/Cl-CQDs in the detection of vitamin B2 tablets and vitamin B2-rich fruits resulted in recovery rates of 98.2% and 100.6%, respectively. Therefore, this method can be well applied to the detection and analysis of vitamin B2, and has great development prospects in the pharmaceutical industry and food monitoring fields.

Shigellosis is a pathological condition that affects the digestive system to possibly cause diarrhoea. Shigella species, which are responsible for this disease, are highly contagious and spread through contaminated food and water. The increasing development of resistance by Shigella species necessitate the urgent need to search for new therapies against shigellosis causing diarrhoea. The scientific validation of medicinal plants, such as Diospyros gilletii, which is used for the traditional treatment of diarrhoeal conditions is worthwhile. The present study aims to investigate the antibacterial activity of extracts from D. gilletii against selected Shigella species. Extracts from D. gilletii stem bark were prepared by maceration using various solvents. An-tibacterial activity of D. gilletii extracts was evaluated on Shigella dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei using a microdilution method, whereas cytotoxicity test was performed on Vero and Raw cells using resazurin-based colorimetric assay. Bacterial membrane permeability studies were evaluated using pro-pidium iodide (PI) and 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN) uptake assays, whereas inhibition and eradica-tion tests on bacterial biofilms were carried out by spectrophotometry. As a result, methanol, ethanol and hydroethanol extracts of D. gilletii inhibited the growth of S. boydii, S. flexneri and S. sonnei with MIC values ranging from 125 to 500 µg/mL, without toxicity to Vero and Raw cells. Time kill kinetics revealed bacteri-cidal orientation at 2MIC and 4MIC, and bacteriostatic outcome at 1/2MIC. The mechanistic basis of anti-bacterial action revealed that D. gilletii extracts inhibited and eradicated Shigella biofilms, and promoted the accumulation of NPN and PI within the inner and outer membrane of bacteria to increase membrane per-meability, thereby causing membrane damage. This novel contribution toward the antibacterial and mech-anisms of action of D. gilletii extracts against Shigella species substantiate the use of this plant in the tradi-tional treatment of infectious diarrhoea.

In this paper, a class of nonlinear ordinary differential equations with impulses at variable times is considered. The existence and uniqueness of solution are given. At the same time, modifying the classical definitions of continuous dependence and Ga^teaux differentiability, some results on continuous dependence and Ga^teaux differentiable of solution relative to the initial value also are presented in new topology sense. For the autonomous impulsive system, the periodicity of solution is given. As an application, properties of solution for a type of controlled nonlinear ordinary differential equation with impulses at variable times is obtained. These results are foundation to study optimal control problems of systems governed by the differential equations with impulses at variable times.

Finding the roots of an equation is a fundamental problem in diverse fields. Optimization problem leads to non-linear equations for calculating the roots of the equation efficiently. Numerical iterative techniques are frequently applied when analytic solution is not available. Hybrid techniques to find roots of an equation is new to this fundamental problem. Recently, some attempts emerged to design hybrid algorithms for efficient solutions. A new heuristic algorithm is designed which is an intuitive approach to hybridization. In this paper, we implement two new algorithms: (1) a new BTsection algorithm blending the Bisection and Trisection algorithm, (2) a hybrid algorithm, that promises to be more efficient than the existing hybrid algorithms. The new hybrid algorithm is a blend of BTsection algorithm and Regula Falsi algorithm. The implementation results validate that the new algorithm, Hybrid4, surpasses the efficiency of existing hybrid algorithms Hybrid1, Hybrid2, and Hybrid3 algorithms. This paper contributes an essential hybrid algorithm to the repertoire of hybrid root finding algorithms.

This study was aimed to assess visual performance and overall satisfaction of extended depth of focus (EDOF) contact lenses (CLs) in a presbyopic population. We prospectively investigated visual acuity at all distances (0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.7, 1, and 5 m), higher-order aberrations (HOAs), contrast sensitivity function, and, overall satisfaction score, before and during EDOF CL wear. Binocular visual acuity at 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, 2, 3, and 5 m when wearing EDOF CLs was 0.01 ± 0.14, -0.08 ± 0.02, -0.08 ± 0.02, -0.08 ± 0.00, -0.08 ± 0.00, -0.08 ± 0.02, and -0.07 ± 0.02, respectively. We found a significant improvement at near to intermediate distances (0.3, and 0.5 m), but no significant change at intermediate to far distances (0.7, 1, 2, 3, and 5 m) between before and during CL wear. The area under the log contrast sensitivity function was not significantly changed neither under photopic nor mesopic conditions (p=0.099, and p=0.689). Ocular third-order aberrations, fourth-order aberrations or total HOAs for a 4-mm pupil significantly increased. The overall satisfaction score significantly improved by wearing EDOF CLs. EDOF CLs significantly improved visual acuity at near to intermediate dis-tances, while maintaining far vision, and the effect of contrast sensitivity was minimal, suggesting its viability of presbyopic correction in such candidates.

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

Background: The use of antitussives is a crucial issue in pediatrics and can lead to respiratory complications that can affect the prognosis. Objectives: to determine the frequency of respiratory complications associated with the use of an-titussives in pediatrics in a remote city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Method: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study conducted between January 1, 2017 and De-cember 2022. Patients under 12 years of age with an acute cough were eligible. The parameters studied were treatment with cough suppressants and associated respiratory complications. Results: A total of 218 children suffered from an acute cough. The average age was 11 months 10, the sex ratio (H/F) was 126/92. In 30% of cases, children were treated with cough suppressants for an average of 7 days prior to admission. Respiratory complications were observed in 11% (23/218) of cases. The majority of these complications, 61% (14 of 23), had received antitussive treatment prior to hospitalization. Respiratory complications were associated with cough medications (p-value = 0.0012, relative risk (RR) = 3.66, IC90 [1.696; 7,873]). Acute respiratory distress was reported in 87% (20/23) of cases and was associated with the use of cough suppressants (p-value = 0.0065, RR: 3.060, IC90: [1.433; 6,485]). Conclusion: The use of antitussives in pediatrics poses a risk of acute respiratory distress in a remote city that does not have sufficient human and material resources for management. Keywords: cough, cough suppressants, pediatrics, complications, Mbujimayi, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Global climate change has induced a rise in sea surface temperature (SST), although this increase is not uniform across the world. Significant variations exist between coastal and offshore waters, particularly in regions affected by upwelling processes. This study focuses on the Canary Current Upwelling System (CCUS), stretching from Northwest Iberia to Northwest Africa. High-resolution remotely sensed SST data (0.05°) from the ODYSSEA Level 4 Sea Surface Temperature Reprocessed dataset were validated with in-situ measurements and employed to establish a regional climatological baseline for 1982 – 2012. Subsequent years were compared to this baseline to construct SST anomaly maps, revealing SST changes since 2012. The study area was further divided into sub-regions for comparative analysis. Results indicate that SST consistently increased at a higher rate offshore compared to the adjacent nearshore regions. A reference dataset spanning 1951 – 1981 was used to gauge SST variability between the two baselines. SST exhibited a 0.59°C increase from 1951 – 1981 to 1982 – 2012, with a slowing of SST trends beyond the 1982 – 2012 baseline. This research offers valuable insights into the climatological dynamics of the CCUS. These findings enhance our understanding of this critical coastal system's climatology, laying the groundwork for future investigations into evolving climate patterns in coastal regions.

The high prevalence of childhood obesity is known to increase the risk of non-communicable diseases typically found in adults, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, worldwide childhood obesity cases continue to rise, thus comprehending its multiple causes to build healthier approaches and revert this scenario is urgent. Obesity development is now strongly associated with high fructose intakes, so mitigating the idea that fructose is a ‘natural nutrient’ and therefore beneficial to health, may be required, since. Excessive consumption of this highly lipogenic sugar leads to white fat accumulation, stimulates adipogenesis and causes white adipose tissue (WAT) inflammation, oxidative stress and dysregulated adipokine release. Unfortunately, dietary consumption of fructose is not always evident to consumers, as it is commonly added as a sweetener in food and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). Global consumption of fructose has increased dramatically in recent years. Therefore, it is important that the population has access to reliable information about food ingredients, via food labels. Consumers also need scientific education to understand potential health risks to themselves and their children. Here we discuss the impact of excessive fructose intake on adipose tissue biology, its contribution to childhood obesity and make suggestions for reversing this trend.

Predatory mites are a type of biological control agent used in many countries against various vegetable pests, particularly spider mites. Despite the significant presence of predatory mites in the Tibetan plateau, there is limited research on their fitness and prey capacity in the area. Herein, four predatory mite species, including one species Neoseiulus californicus and three species from genus Amblyseius (Amblyseius swirskii, Amblyseius barkeri, and Amblyseius cucumeris) were investigated. Specifically, their fitness and prey capacity on two-spotted mites (Tetranychus urticae) at highland conditions were evaluated. Compared to the other three predatory species, A. swirskii had the highest fecundity (Mean ± SEM=11.60 ± 0.34) and the highest pre-adult survival rate (Mean ± SEM = 83.33 ± 3.33%). Since their juvenile Survival Rate (SR) was extremely low (Mean ± SEM =13.33% ± 5.77%), most A. barkeri nymphs died before emergence. Compared to the other three predatory mites, A. swirskii had the highest predation capacity on T. urticae adult mites at 15 d post-release (Mean ± SEM =14.28 ± 2.24). Collectively, these findings imply notable advantages in employing A. swirskii for controlling two-spotted mites in the Tibetan Plateau. Furthermore, based on the results, A. swirskii was the most effective, and A. barkeri was the least effective in controlling two-spotted mites in the Tibetan Plateau. These findings could inform the development of a feasible biological control method based on suitable predatory mite species to manage T. urticae in the Tibetan Plateau, and would be helpful in delaying the rise or emergence of chemical pesticide resistance in two-spotted mites.

The characteristics of exhaled aerosols outside the human respiratory airway are of significant importance in understanding virus transmission, yet they remain poorly understood. In order to effectively prevent and control the spread of respiratory infectious diseases, this study numerically investigates the exhaling characteristics of aerosols exhaled from the bronchus or larynx of a human upper airway model. This is achieved using the Euler-Lagrange method and considering various aerosol diameters (dp=0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1-20 μm) as well as five expiratory flow intensities (Q=15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 L/min). The important findings of this study are as follows: (1) Expiratory airflow exhibits complex flow phenomena, including jet-flow, flow separations, and vortex structures, with their characteristics being influenced by the expiratory flow intensities. (2) The exhaling characteristics of aerosols vary depending on the combined effects of expiratory flow intensities, virus aerosol diameters, and initial exhaled locations from either the bronchus or larynx. (3) A critical diameter (dc) is identified to represent the size at which aerosols can effectively exit the respiratory airway and potentially pose a transmission risk. This critical diameter is identical for aerosols exhaled from both the bronchus and larynx under the same expiratory flow intensity, but it decreases as the expiratory flow intensity increases. In conclusion, expiratory flow intensity is the most critical factor in determining whether aerosols can be expelled from the respiratory airway, as well as influencing the critical diameter (dc) for aerosols initially located in/after the larynx.

Foxtail millet, a traditional cereal crop, has gained increasing attention for its high nutritional value and potential health benefits. This study aimed to investigate the simultaneous and rapid detection of amylose and amylopectin content of foxtail millet flour under different sheep manure application rates by hyperspectral imaging combined with chemometrics. The spectral data preprocessing used multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), and the combined algorithm of competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), random frog (RF), iterated retaining informative variables (IRIV) were employed for key band extraction. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) was then used to establish the prediction model and the regression equation, that was used to visualize the two components. Results demonstrated the key band extraction combined algorithm effectively reduced data dimension without compromising the accuracy of the prediction model. The prediction model for amylose using MSC-RF-IRIV-PLSR exhibited good performance, with the correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE) predicted to be 0.73 and 1.23, respectively. Similarly, the prediction model for amylopectin using MSC-CARS-IRIV-PLSR also demonstrated good performance, with the R and RMSE predicted to be 0.59 and 7.34, respectively. Then, the visualization graph generated clearly shows under the condition of applying 6 m3 of sheep manure, the amount of amylopectin accumulation was highest, and the amount of amylose was lowest. The experimental results offer valuable insights for the rapid detection of nutritional components in foxtail millet, serving as a basis for further research.

This research was aimed to apply probiotics in aquaculture to improve fish health and growth performances of Nile tilapia. Fingerlings with a mean initial body weight of 11.43±1.27 and mean initial body length of 6.2±0.84 were stocked in 12 happas. Fish were fed four times daily with four different diets having 30% crude protein at 5% of their body weight and reared for two months. The four diets were control diet, diets treated with Saccharomyces cervisiae, Lactobacillus fermentum and their combinations at a dosage of (1.5×108CFU/ml). Growth performance and gut pathogenic microbial of fish were investigated. Accordingly results indicated that the highest performance interims of body weight gain (33.43±1.65g), daily growth rate (0.51±0.05g), feed conversion ratio (1.89±0.10), and protein efficiency ratio (1.78±0.09) was achieved in fish fed with L. fermentum whereas, the lowest performance (19.83±2.23, 0.33±0.04, 3.52±0.39, and 0.97±0.11) respectively was achieved in fish fed with control diet. Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli and, Proteus were detected in gut of fish. In conclusion, the present study confirmed that Nile tilapia fed with probiotics Lac-tobacillus fermentum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae based diets improved growth and health of Nile tilapia reared under pond culture condition.

Background: Sungkai plant (Peronema canescens Jack.) is one of the medicinal plants widely grown in Indonesia. In recent years, Sungkai (Peronema canescens Jack) leaves have sparked particular interest for their health benefits. In this study, microencapsulation was conducted on an ethanol extract of Sungkai leaves (Peronema canescens Jack.) using three types of coating materials (maltodextrin, inulin, and Arabic gum) at various concentrations. Objectives: to determine the best microencapsulation formulation using maltodextrin, inulin, and Arabic gum at various concentrations.  Methods: Microencapsulation was performed using the extrusion method. Characterization of the best microencapsulant was done by measuring physico-chemical, morphological, and IR properties, and antioxidant activity testing was done using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Results: Microencapsulant A1 has better physico-chemical properties compared to other microencapsulant samples. The results of the morphological analysis of sample A1 using SEM showed a smooth surface with a slightly round shape, as well as minimal wall folds and cracks, indicating that the product has good stability. The results of the functional group analysis of sample A1 using FTIR also showed that the ethanol extract of Sungkai leaves was well encapsulated. Conclusions: The best formulation to make microencapsulant of ethanol extract of Sungkai leaves is formulation A1 using Arabic gum dressing material.

Parkinson's disease (PD) stands as the most prevalent degenerative movement disorder, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. In this study, we assessed the transcriptome by analyzing post-mortem mRNA extracted from the substantia nigra of individuals with PD and healthy controls. A total of 16,148 transcripts were identified, with 92 mRNAs displaying differential expression between PD and control groups. Specifically, 33 mRNAs were significantly upregulated, while 59 mRNAs were downregulated in PD compared to controls. The identification of statistically significant signaling pathways, with an adjusted p-value threshold of 0.05, unveiled noteworthy insights. Particularly, enriched categories included cardiac muscle contraction (involving genes such as ATPase Na+/K+ transporting subunit beta 2 (ATP1B2), solute carrier family 8 member A1 (SLC8A1), and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COX2)), GABAergic synapse (involving GABA type A receptor-associated protein like 1 (GABARAPL1), G protein subunit beta 5 (GNB5), and solute carrier family 38 member 2 (SLC38A2)), autophagy (involving GABARAPL1 and tumor protein p53-inducible nuclear protein 2 (TP53INP2)), and Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis (involving amphiphysin (AMPH)). These findings uncover new pathophysiological dimensions underlying PD, including the involvement of cardiac muscle contraction and specific mitochondrial activity. This knowledge not only contributes to better diagnostic precision but also paves the way for the development of new targeted therapies.Keywords: mRNAs; RNA sequencing; Parkinson’s disease; transcriptome analysis; substantia nigra

Two-phase olive pomace is a byproduct of the olive-oil extraction process that is sometimes processed further to recover more oil. During pomace oil production, especially in the early stages of olive processing, odours can be produced. These odours are a serious nuisance especially in and around the processing facilities, as well as for nearby communities. These odours can be strong and unpleasant, and they may result in various issues, including environmental concerns. Thus, in this paper, the effect of storage and drying on the composition of two-phase olive pomace was investigated. Several physicochemical and instrumental analyses were performed and it was concluded that the structural elements of pomace are not the ones who are affected during storage and drying. Storage and drying mainly impact the oil content of pomace, leading to an acidity increase and to the production of odorous oxidation compounds. Volatile acids, methyl and ethyl esters are released into the atmosphere causing serious environmental nuisance.

Lignocellulosic biomass has demonstrated great potential as feedstock for pellet production, notwithstanding the fact that the industrial production of pellets is faced with some economic challenges. This study presents a technoeconomic analysis of six case scenarios to develop a process model for pellet production from sawdust and oat straw that employs torrefaction and steam explosion pretreatment prior to pelletization. SuperPro Designer was used to carry out this evaluation. The pellet plants were designed to have a capacity of 9.09 t/h of sawdust and oat straw each. The pellet yield ranged from 59 kt– 72 kt/year. Scenarios analyzed included variations of steam explosion and torrefaction. In some scenarios materials were lost in the form of liquid and gas due to the pretreatment process. The breakdown of equipment purchase cost showed that the torrefaction reactor is the most expensive unit with about 51% of the purchase cost. Facility-dependent and feedstock costs were the major significant contributors to the pellet production cost. The profitability of pellet production as determined by the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period and was found to be sensitive to variations in feedstock cost.

This study aimed to detect picobirnavirus (PBV) in the fecal samples of wild and domestic animals from 2014 to 2016 in the Amazon biome. Fecal samples from different animals, including birds (n=41) and mammals (n=217) were used. The PAGE test showed negativity for PBV. However, 32 samples (12.4%, 32/258) showed positive results in RT-PCR analyses. Among the positive sam-ples, pigs and cats, both with 28.12% (9/32), registered the highest frequencies. In phylogenetic analysis, eight sequences from positive samples grouped in the Genogroup 1 of PBV (PBV GI). PBV occurrence was significantly related to cats and pigs, but not other mammals or birds, in-dependently of their geographical origin. Nucleotide analysis demonstrated similarity among the feline group, but the absence of a defined structure between the clades. PBVs are highly wide-spread viruses that can affect the most diverse types of hosts in the Amazon biome, including humans.

This study examines the impact of the impregnation of fireclay-based conventional (CC) and medium cement castables (MCC) with liquid sodium silicate glass under vacuum conditions. The goal is to assess how this treatment affects physical, mechanical properties, and durability (alkali and thermal shock resistance) of these castables used in biomass combustion boilers, where they are exposed to temperatures up to 1100°C. The research work employs standard test methods to evaluate physical and mechanical properties. Additionally, advanced techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and specific tests for alkali resistance and thermal shock resistance are used. The research findings suggest that impregnation with sodium silicate glass under vacuum significantly enhances the alkali resistance of both CC and MCC castables. This improvement is primarily due to the reduction in porosity and the increase in density. SEM images reveal that impregnated samples are coated with a glassy layer and the pores are partially filled with sodium silicate. Tests for alkali resistance demonstrate the formation of a protective glassy layer (with a thickness of 0.9-1.5 mm) on the castables surfaces, thereby reducing further penetration of alkali into deeper layers of the samples. However, it is important to mention that impregnated refractory castables have reduced resistance to thermal shock cycles.

(1) Background: Spontaneous isolated intramural hematoma of the superior mesenteric artery (SIHSMA) is a rare entity often considered as a subset of spontaneous isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SIDSMA). It is characterized by a completely thrombosed false lumen with or without ulcer-like projection with computed tomography (CT) imaging. The recent literature describes few reports with a relatively short-term follow-up. The natural course, prognosis, and treatment options for SIHSMA still lack consensus. We present two cases of acute abdominal pain in a young man due to IMH of the superior mesenteric artery with an extensive literature review. (2) Case report: A 46-year-old male patient was submitted to an urgent CTA for acute abdominal pain, showing the presence of an isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery, determining significant stenosis of the vessel with collateral vessel patency. The patient referred to a recent COVID-19 infection, whose course was paucisymptomatic. He was treated conservatively with antiplatelet therapy and corticosteroid treatments, and, after a few days, the symptomatology completely regressed; also, 2-month- control CTA showed the complete IMH regression and the absence of any signs of residual stenosis. The second patient is a 61-year-old male patient who was submitted to an urgent CTA for acute abdominal pain, showing the presence of an isolated dissection of the superior mesenteric artery, not determining significant vessel stenosis. He was treated conservatively with antiplatelet therapy and corticosteroid treatment, and after a few days, the symptomatology completely regressed, and the radiological control showed a complete dissection regression. (3) Conclusion: SISHSMA is a rare entity of vascular pathology, and conservative management represents the best medical strategy. We propose corticosteroid treatment as one of the most appropriate tools in the conservative treatment of SISHSMA.

The research methods were used to investigate the following questions: Does a mobility training intervention change tissue stiffness, joint range of motion, and compensate for possible imbalances? Do the interventions influence the pressure pain threshold and the overall well-being?

Egg activation is a cellular transition of an arrested mature oocyte into a developing embryo through a coordinated series of events. Previous studies in Hymenoptera have indicated that mechanical pressure can induce egg activation. In this study, we developed the first egg activation protocol for the haplodiploid insect pest, Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), from two climatically different regions in South Africa. In addition, activated eggs were exposed to three treatments involving water, pine sawdust, and the fungal symbiont of S. noctilio, Amylostereum areolatum (Russulales: Amylostereaceae), to confirm the hypothesised prerequisite of the symbiotic fungus for egg development. A rearing protocol was developed for emerged first instar larvae using a modified Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) artificial diet. A significant difference between mean survival rates of activated eggs from the two different regions was observed. Amylostereum areolatum was shown to be unnecessary for egg survival and adversely affected egg eclosion. Maximum larval survival duration on the artificial diet was 92 days. The egg activation and rearing protocol developed in this study enables opportunities for research on the physiology, ecology, symbioses, and genetics of S. noctilio, which can be exploited for new genetic pest management strategies.

Using banana peel as raw material, the adsorption properties of hydrothermal carbon pre-10 pared from banana peel modified with different concentrations of phosphoric acid solution for lead 11 ions in aqueous solution were studied. The surface structure and functional groups of the modified 12 hydrothermal carbon were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results show that the surface of the 13 modified banana peel hydrothermal carbon prepared at 240℃ and 2mol/L phosphoric acid solution 14 has large pores. The adsorption capacity is larger when pH value is 6.When the concentration of 15 phosphoric acid solution was 2mol/L, the solid-liquid ratio was 2g/L, the adsorption capacity was 16 40.64mg/g, and the removal rate was 82.74%.When the initial concentration of lead solution in-17 creased to 100mg/L, the adsorption capacity of modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ion increased 18 to 76.81mg/g, and the removal rate decreased to 76.81%.The equilibrium adsorption time of banana 19 peel phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon for lead ions in solution is 300min. The adsorp-20 tion process satisfies the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm equation. The 21 reaction temperature is 313K, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity can reach 101.19mg/g. The 22 adsorption of Pb ions in aqueous solution by phosphoric acid modified hydrothermal carbon is 23 dominated by single layer chemisorption. The artificial neural network has a fitting correlation of 24 0.99, and the adsorption process includes physical adsorption, electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, 25 and surface complexation.

The topic of modification of magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) via specific functional additives is very much pronounced in the research of alternative building materials. This study deals with the co-doping of MOC by 1D and 2D carbon nanomaterials in order to improve its mechanical properties while using tannic acid (TA) as a surfactant. Furthermore, the effect of TA on MOC also covers the improvement of water resistance. As a filler, three size fractions of standard quartz sand are used. The proposed types of MOC-based composites show promising results considering their mechanical, macro- and microstructural, chemical, and hygric properties. The use of 1D and 2D nanoadditives and their mixture enables the improvement of the flexural strength and most of all softening coefficient, the durability parameter characterizing the resistance of the prepared materials to water. For samples immersed in water for 24 h, the compressive strength of all modified composites tested was higher than that of the reference composite. Quantitatively, the developed co-doped composite shows mechanical parameters comparable to or even better than those of commonly used Portland cement-based materials, while maintaining high environmental efficiency. This indicates its potential use as an environmentally friendly alternative to Portland cement-based products.

The performance of the nanoribbon biosensor upon the use of two different types of molecular probes — the antibodies and the aptamers against HCVcoreAg — has been tested. The sensor chips employed are based on “silicon-on-insulator structures”. Two different HCVcoreAg preparations have been tested: recombinant b-galactosidase-conjugated HCVcoreAg (“Virogen”, USA) and recombinant HCVcoreAg (“Vector-Best”, Russia). Upon the detection of either type of the antigen preparation, the lowest concentration of the antigen detectable in buffer with pH 5.1 has been found to be approximately equal, amounting to ~10^–14 M. This value has been found to be similar upon the use of either type of molecular probes.

In this paper, the effects on the rheological properties, particle size distribution, and fluorescence properties of red wine were investigated under microwave irradiation, and the mechanism of the effects of microwave irradiation on the sensory properties of red wine was discussed. The results showed that the effect of microwave on the rheological properties in red wine could be fitted by the Power-law model and Carson model, through the analysis of the rheological constants, yield stress, and viscosity coefficient of wine, it was found that microwave treatment could improve leg phenomenon and thickening effect by the change of rheological properties; the particle size distribution in wine indicated that microwave irradiation did change the particle size distribution through friction effect and oxidative polymerization, resulting in the wine’s visual effect and mouthfeel; the wine quality could be improved by enhancing the fluorescence intensity under different microwave conditions, which meant that microwave technology could speed up the formation of fluorescent substances, such as the polymerization of flavan-3-ols. In conclusion, microwave treatment could modify the sensory characteristics of wine, and further provide the theoretical basis for the application of microwave in winemaking.

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are components of hemicellulose and can be found in wheat bran, and barley hulls. Structurally, XOS consist of two to six xylose residues linked by β-(1,4) bonds. This makes them susceptible to subsequent treatment by intestinal bacteria, but the concentration of XOS is too low to show any prebiotic effects. Some industrial wastes, including brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and wheat bran peels (WBP), represent a major source of xylan, from which XOS is produced to provide a prebiotic effect in populations of colonic commensal microbiota. WBPs and BSGs were treated by microwave and enzymatic hydrolysis. Using the designed microwave pretreated enzymatic hydrolysis, 5.4 g of dry XOS was produced from 50 g WBP powder and 3.6 g dry XOS was produced from 50 g BSG powder. A single microwave treatment on WBP and BSG before enzymatic hydrolysis and 0.25 g/100 g enzyme raw material ratio were determined to be optimal. Effective microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis of WBP and BSG were investigated, and contribute to improving the effectiveness of xylanase on WBP and BSG. Microwave-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis with xylanase and purification, obtaining food-grade XOS, was demonstrated as a step toward industrial-scale production.

Antarctica and its surrounding environment are considered untouched and thought that it is free from microplastics (MPs) pollution. However, recent studies and science projects have reported MPs in both water and sediment in the South Polar Regions. The reports state that the MP’s pollution occurs in this region due to fishing, tourism, and research activities by the nearby countries and nature's circulation is also part of it. The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) has received attention on MP’s pollution and initiated research on it. MPs are tiny plastic particles with a size of less than 5 mm. It has two types, 1. Primary MPs have been manufactured directly for various applications like cosmetics and scrubbing etc 2. The secondary MPs are generated by photochemical degradation of large plastics.Although several studies have been done there is a quite gap in our understanding of the concentration, characteristics, and impact of plastics on the ecosystem of the Antarctic Region. The impact of MP’s pollution in this region may be very high. The presence of MP is a serious issue that is affecting not only the aquatic environment but also humans. It is an alarming situation that causes environmental damage. The main objective of this paper is to review MP's introduction, occurrence, sources, harmful effects, and detection methods. This review highlighted the various methodologies and analyses like density separation, microscope observation of MP’s properties Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectrometer respectively, and urged for more research in the future and gave several recommendations to maintain the pristine region near Antarctica.

The objective of the present study was to develop and optimize an efficient growth media for Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, an essential dairy starter culture, uses plant-based nitrogen sources. The composition of the de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) culture medium was modified, and the nitrogen content was replaced by alternative nitrogen sources X-Seed N7 and N5 in various blends of 3% and 1.5%. Results showed that bacterial growth was higher with the N7 and N5 nitrogen source blends at 3% and 1.5%. Similarly, the optical densities of the L. bulgaricus strains were higher in the N7 and N5 blends (1.5/3%) compared to the MRS medium. Although there was no significance in bacterial counts for both the MRS and the N7 and N5 media, a significant difference between the control medium and the optimized growth media was noted. Our results thus suggest that the alternative nitrogen sources X-Seed N7 and N5 can substantially support the growth of lactic acid bacteria as shown with L. bulgaricus. Moreover, the presence of complex nitrogen sources rich in free nucleotides, amino acids, and peptides enhanced L. bulgaricus growth. Our results support the development of cost-effective and plant-based growth media for LAB cultures and potential benefits to the food and dairy industries. Additional research is warranted to improve buffering capacity for higher cell counts.

This study proposes a cephalometric analysis that can be used for biomechanical simulation by considering the important and complex relationship between craniofacial morphology and masseter muscle (MM) size and inclination and by including muscle values. The MM line of action drawn between the Gonion (Go) and Orbital (Or) point relative to dental and skeletal references (occlusal and Frankfort planes) were analyzed. A total of 510 pre-treatment lateral cephalometric tracings (217 males, 293 females, 6-50 years) and lateral Bolton standard tracings (6-18 years) were analyzed. The study examined the following: a) skeletal-cutaneous class (linear distance in mm between the projections of points A' and B' on the occlusal plane), b) the angle between the perpendicular line to the occlusal plane and the Go-Or line at the molar occlusal point, and c) the angle between the Go-Or line and the Frankfort plane. The skeletal classes of the patients ranged from -14.5 to 15.5 mm and did not differ by sex or age; the angle between the Go-Or line and the normal to the occlusal plane averaged 39° (range 15° to 53°) and decreased with age, while the angle between the Go-Or line and the Frankfort plane averaged 42° (range 30° to 54°), increased in older patients. No effect of gender was observed. The two angles were also significantly correlated with each other, but not with sagittal jaw discrepancy. Similar results were obtained with Bolton tracings; the positional relationship of the Go-Or line to the teeth and skeletal landmarks is partially consistent with the literature. The present cephalometric analysis can be usefully used to estimate the mechanical advantage of MM in biomechanical simulations of masticatory muscle performance.

We present synthetic experiments of lactic acid (LA) polycondensation to produce poly(lactic acid) (PLA), as well as kinetic modeling calculations that capture the polymer molecular weight increase with time, given the initial concentrations. Tin-octoate-catalyzed polycondensation of (D,L)- or L-lactic acid, was carried out in pre-dried toluene after azeotropic dehydration for 48-120 hours at 130-137 °C. The polymerization was optimized by varying lactic acid and catalyst concentrations as well as the temperature. Gel Permeation Chromatography was used to experimentally follow the evolution of molecular weights and the products were characterized by NMR, TGA, DSC and IR. Under optimal conditions, PLLA with weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 161 kDa could be obtained. The rate equations that describe polycondensation kinetics were recast in a condensed form that allowed very fast numerical solution and calculation of the number-average molecular weight with time. Deviations with respect to the experiment were minimized in a least-squares fashion, to determine rate constants. The optimized kinetics parameters are shown to reproduce the experimental data accurately

The employment rate of people who face severe mental health issues is extremely low, while the vast majority expresses their willingness to work. There are various obstacles that impede their work re-integration process. Apart from the illness’ symptoms and the employers’ stigma, these barriers are strongly associated with the effects of long-term unemployment and the lack of positive psychosocial resources, such as career adaptability and resilience. The present study aims at investigating career adaptability and resilience of mental health service users who receive career counseling services. The career counseling approach that was used combines elements from the IPS model and the career construction approach that has been developed to address the contemporary world of work challenges. We investigated how mental health service users view themselves in terms of career adaptability and resilience, and which factors contributed to their development or impeded them. We used a qualitative approach, which allows for an in-depth exploration of the participants’ views. Fifteen mental health users who receive career counseling services were interviewed. Results showed that mental health service users believe that they can overcome any difficulties and setbacks, when they have adequate support from their social network and when they receive career counseling services. They highlighted the importance of counseling services to maintain their work and cope with stressful events. Further implications of the results regarding vocational rehabilitation of mental health users as means for social inclusion are discussed.

We studied the magnetostriction coefficients, λs, Curie temperature, Tc, and their dependence on annealing conditions in Fe47Ni27Si11B13C2 and Co67Fe3,9Ni1,5B11,5Si14,5Mo1,6 amorphous glass-coated microwires with rather different character of hysteresis loops. A positive λs≈20x10-6is observed in as-prepared Fe47Ni27Si11B13C2, while low and negative λs ≈-0.3x10-6 is ob-tained for Co67Fe3,9Ni1,5B11,5Si14,5Mo1,6 microwire. Annealing affects the magnetostriction coeffi-cients and Curie temperatures, Tc, of both Fe47Ni27Si11B13C2 and Co67Fe3,9Ni1,5B11,5Si14,5Mo1,6 glass-coated microwires in a similar way. Observed dependencies of hysteresis loops, λs and Tc on annealing conditions are discussed in terms of superposition of internal stresses relaxation and structural relaxation of studied microwires. We observed linear λs dependence on applied stress, σ, in both studied microwires. A decrease with applied stress is observed for Co-rich mi-crowires with negative magnetostriction coefficient. In contrast, a linear increase of the magne-tostriction coefficient with applied stress is observed for Fe-Ni- rich microwires with positive magnetostriction coefficient. Observed results are discussed in terms of influence of internal stresses and short range atomic rearrangements induced by annealing on hysteresis loops, magnetostriction coefficients and Curie temperatures of studied microwires.

In view of the problem that the hot and cold loads of mushroom houses are affected by multiple factors such as environment, mushrooms, and equipment, which are difficult to accurately model, this paper proposes a short-term load prediction method based on empirical wavelet transform (EWT) and mixed autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and convolutional bi-directional short- and long-term attention mechanism (CNN-BiLSTM-Attention). The method first uses the Boruta algorithm to filter the input characteristics, and then uses the EWT method to decompose the mushroom house load data into 4 modal components. Then the Lempel-Ziv method is introduced to divide the modal components into two categories of high and low frequencies, and the CNN-BiLSTM-Attention and ARIMA prediction models are constructed separately. Finally, the two types of prediction results are superimposed and reconstructed to obtain the final load prediction value. The test results show that the Boruta algorithm can effectively filter out the characteristics of key influencing factors. Compared with the Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficient methods, the mean absolute error (MAE) of the prediction results is reduced by 14.72% and 3.75%, respectively; compared with the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method, the EWT method can increase the decomposition and reconstruction error by 103 orders of magnitude, which can effectively improve the prediction accuracy of the model; compared with the individual neural network model, the prediction effect of the model proposed in this paper has obvious advantages, and the MAE, root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the prediction results are reduced respectively. 31.06%, 26.52% and 39.27%.

Hydrothermal carbonization of cellulose was examined at 240 ℃ for 1 h. Ammonium sulfate and thiourea were selected as the doping sources of inorganic nitrogen and organic nitrogen for the preparation of supercapacitor carbon. The effect of boric acid on the properties of the resulting hydrochar after KOH activation was examined. The results showed that the proportion of functional groups and the specific surface area of the activated hydrochar would be reduced after the addition of boric acid, and the pore-forming process of the micropores would be inhibited. The hydrochar obtained from the reaction of cellulose and organic nitrogen compounds had better pore size distribution and electrochemical properties after activation. The largest specific surface area (952.27 m2 g-1) was obtained when only thiourea was used as the only doping source. In the three-electrode system, the specific capacitance resulting activated hydrochar reached 236.25 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1. After 20,000 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of 10 A g-1, the capacitance retention rate reached 99.96%. Therefore, this study proves that the supercapacitor carbon with good electrochemical properties could be obtained by the direct reaction of cellulose with organic nitrogen compounds.

Lung cancer is a prevalent malignancy that impacts individuals of all genders and is often diagnosed late due to delayed symptoms. To catch it early, researchers are developing algorithms to study lung cancer images. One such method uses computer aided detection to classify as benign or malignant from the histopathological images. Standard histopathological images were used from a Lung and Colon Cancer Histopathological Image Dataset (LC25000) which contains two classes of benign and malignant of 5000 each. Images were preprocessed and features extracted using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO). Feature selection methods used are KL Divergence and Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO). Seven different classifiers like SVM, KNN, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Softmax Discriminant, Multilayer Perceptron, and BLDC were used to analyze and classify the images as benign or malignant. Results were compared using standard metrics, and kappa analysis assessed classifier agreement. The Decision Tree Classifier with GWO feature extraction achieved good accuracy of 85.01% without Feature selection and Hyperparameter Tuning approaches. Furthermore, we present a methodology to enhance the accuracy of the classifiers by employing hyperparameter tuning algorithms based on Adam and RAdam. By combining features from GWO and IWO, and using the RAdam algorithm, the Decision Tree classifier achieves the commendable accuracy of 91.57%

Arthrospira platensis is a class of microalgae with high economic value. Its high adaptability, high photosynthetic efficiency, and fast growth rate make it one of the few microalgae that can be cultivated on a large scale. Therefore, using the selenium enrichment property of Arthrospira platensis to cultivate selenium-enriched Arthrospira platensis will not only enhance the physiological efficacy of Arthrospira platensis but also increase its economic value significantly. In this study, we investigated the effects of sodium selenite on the growth and photosynthetic performance of Arthrospira platensis selenium by setting different amounts and methods of sodium selenite addition, and we explored the optimal culture conditions. The results showed that the experimental group treated with sodium selenite at 120 mg/L had the fastest growth, and the contents of soluble protein, phycocyanin, and Chlorophyll a increased by approximately 67.9%, 1.44 times, and 38.8%, respectively, compared to the control group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity increased by 1.88-fold and 65%, respectively, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced by 62% compared to the control group. The results of the OJIP assay showed that the J and I points were significantly higher at the batch addition and treatment concentration of 120 mg/L, with the rate of QA being reduced and the proportion of the slowly reduced PQ pool being increased. The values of the maximum light energy conversion efficiency (Fv/Fm) per unit of reaction center were higher in both sodium selenite treatment groups than in the control group, indicating that the light energy conversion efficiency of Arthrospira was promoted under all concentration treatment conditions. The batch addition of sodium selenite at concentrations less than 120 mg/L resulted in significantly higher ABS/RC values than the control, and they were far superior to the one-time addition method. The reason for this may have been that the batch addition of sodium selenite at low concentrations increased the light absorption capacity of the unit reaction center of the Arthrospira PSII, resulting in a rise in captured light energy, a rise in the energy captured by the reaction center for electron transfer (ETo/RC), a decrease in the energy dissipated in the absorption of light energy by the reaction center (DIo/RC), and an increase in the photosynthetic performance index (PI abs).

This work aims to explore the impact of side loads, drill-pipe tool-joint (DP-TJ) speed (RPM), and mud type on the austenitic stainless steel SM2535-110 casing wear characteristics. Actual field drill pipe tool joints, casings, and drilling muds are used in this study. The results of the study show that under both types of lubrication, the wear volume increased with radial load and DP-TJ speed. SM2535-110 casing specimens tested under oil-based mud (OBM) lubrication had higher casing wear volumes than those obtained under water-based mud (WBM) lubrication. This unexpected behavior is mainly due to the increase in the surface hardness of the casing specimens tested under WBM. The results also show that the specific wear factor (K) values of specimens tested under WBM are in general 2 to 4 times higher than those obtained under OBM. While K values under WBM increase with both the side load and RPM, those under OBM show a sharp decrease with RPM. This behavior under OBM is due to this lubricant’s higher viscosity and the change of lubrication regime from thin film to thick film lubrication at higher RPM. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the digital microscopic imaging (DMI) of SM235-110 casing specimens show that an aggressive combination of adhesive, abrasive, and plastic deformation was observed under WBM, while the dominant wear mechanism under OBM is abrasive wear.

The practical necessity of strengthening of reinforced concrete structure elements requires a choice of a method which would provide cost-effectiveness, simplicity of construction and durability of the chosen solution. One of the ways is strengthening using the material belonging to the group of micro-reinforced concretes called ferrocement. The paper presents the comparative analysis of some of the results of RC beams exposed mainly to flexure, strengthened with ferrocement elements (strips) applied by gluing on the on the tensed side of RC beams. The results are obtained using the experimental, analytical and numerical research on the adequate models. Strengthening of the beams was performed in the form of four types of ferrocement strips (four different strip widths and four different numbers of wire mesh layers). The numerical non-linear analysis using finite elements method (FEM) was employed, with the introduction of the corresponding characteristics of constitutive material obtained by the experiments on the test specimens. The analytical researches were performed using known analytical calculation methods in order to formulate the model for the calculation of the ultimate and serviceability limit states of the strengthened cross-section. The results presented in the paper, through their comparative compatibility, confirmed the applicability of this strengthening method.

Repeated fires cause peatlands to degrade. Fire management has been carried out, but fires continue to occur, especially during the dry season. Through social capital that applies in the community based on the local wisdom of the Banjar people in environmental management, it is hoped that peatland fires can be overcome in this area. This research aims to analyze the social capital of the Banjar people in mitigating land fires based on local wisdom and the environment. The sample in this study was 250 people who live in an area prone to fires on peatlands in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. There are three variables in this study, namely Trust (T), Network (N) and Norm (N). There are 33 Likert scale questions (1-4, strongly agree-strongly disagree). We also conducted interviews with 20 members of the Fire Care Community (MPA) to obtain information about the social capital of the Banjar community in mitigating land fires. The analysis used is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study results show norms have the greatest influence on disaster mitigation of peatland fires compared to trust and social networks. Norms in the community in the form of values from peatlands, rules, norms and sanctions regulate the community more to deal with the problem of peatland fires than trust and social networks

Uncontrolled chronic inflammation results in cardiovascular disease and early death. In this review, we studied the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on the cardiovascular system, including the early and accelerated development of atherosclerosis, and its clinical manifestations, focusing on the inflammatory mechanisms leading to arterial wall damage, rapid atherosclerotic plaque formation, and thrombosis. Furthermore, the influence of medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis on the cardiovascular system. The influence of chronic inflammation and medicaments on traditional cardiovascular risk factors is not the main subject of this review. We found that uncontrolled chronic inflammation and some medications directly impact all stages of atherosclerosis. In conclusion, reducing inflammation and maintaining long-term remission in rheumatoid arthritis may pre-vent early atherosclerosis. We believe that this review will encourage a better interdisciplinary approach for these patients and further research in this field.

This paper describes the formulations for viscoplasticity of metals based on the Chaboche and Delobelle model. The implementations of the viscoplastic models were detailed herein and then implemented via user subroutines for material models (UMAT) in ABAQUS. Two typical metals, i.e., 316 Stainless Steel and Zircaloy-4, were chosen as examples and their viscoplastic behaviors were captured. Numerical simulations are compared to reported experiments to validate the models and the UMAT codes. Typical viscoplastic behaviors of both metals, such as stress relaxation and creep, were captured well against available experiments. We publicize all the data and codes via: https://github.com/XJTU-Zhou-group/ABAQUS_UMAT_316ss_Zr4.

Using agronomic measures to remediate heavy metals on farmland is the main measure to achieve the safe utilization of crops. Investigating the effects of applying different fertilizers on the uptake, and translocation of Chromium (Cr) in maize and on the effectiveness of Cr in soil under Cr contamination of farmland is of great theoretical and practical significance to achieve the safe utilization of arable land and safe production of agricultural products. Under field trial conditions, different fertilizer types were set up, including ammonium sulfite, calcium-magnesium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate. locally formulated fertilizers (urea-ammonium phosphate-potassium chloride) serving as the control, with Biochar and conditioner PX5B were chosen to compare the impacts of each. To study the effects of different fertilizer types on maize yield, Cr content in the plant, bioconcentration factor, translocation factor and available content of Cr in the soil. The results showed that Compared with the formulated fertilizer, all treatments could improve pH, soil organic matter (SOM） and reduce the effective state of Cr content in the soil by 15.05% to 42.66%. While the Cr content of maize grains treated with biochar and conditioner PX5B was 0.80 mg·kg-1 and 0.88 mg·kg-1 with reduction rates of 39.95% and 33.83%, respectively. The Cr content of maize grains treated with various fertilizer treatments ranged from 0.82 to 1.32 mg·kg-1 with reduction rates of 0.75% to 38.19%. The Cr content of maize grains could be brought down to below the national food safety standards of China(1.0 mg·kg-1) using urea – calcium magnesium phosphate - potassium chloride, urea - diammonium phosphate - potassium chloride, ammonium sulfite – calcium magnesium phosphate - potassium chloride and ammonium sulfite, urea – calcium magnesium phosphate - potassium chloride and the two conditioner treatments. Among the different fertilizer treatments, the best fertilizer treatment for reducing the effective state Cr content of soil and the Cr content of maize grains was ammonium sulfite-calcium-magnesium-phosphate fertilizer-potassium chloride, which could achieve similar reductions as the two conditioners, while it also had a certain reduction effect on the Cr content in maize roots and straws and on the aboveground bioconcentration factor（BCF） and the root-to-straw translocation factor（PTF） of maize for Cr. Therefore, the combination of ammonium sulfite and calcium magnesium phosphate is the best fertilizer combination to block the absorption of Cr by maize and has some implications for the fertilization of farmland under acidic soil conditions of Cr contamination.

This study explores the relationship between mental and physical therapeutic through three dimensions: man-environment relationships; a sense of place and symbolic landscapes. The study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Local residents living in the coastal area of Xinglin Bay are the research objects. Quantitative data analysis revealed that the frequency of residents' visits was an important variable affecting their physical and treatment perceptions. In addition, the significance is higher for females than for males. The text analysis shows that the environment, especially the ecological restoration of water quality and migratory birds, is of great significance to the identity of local residents. Daily activities contribute to a sense of place and are what make the coast a place of therapeutic landscape function.

Febuxostat (FBX), a selective xanthine oxidase inhibitor, belongs to BCS class II showing low solubility and high permeability with a moderate F value (< 49%). Recently, FBX/L-pyroglutamic acid cocrystal (FBX-PG) was developed with improving 4-fold increase of the FBX solubility. Nevertheless, in vivo pharmacokinetic property of FBX-PG has not been evaluated yet. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic feasibility of FBX in FBX and FBX-PG-treated rats and mice was compared in this study. The results showed that the F values of FBX were 210% and 159% in FBX-PG rats and mice, respectively. The 2.10-fold greater AUC of FBX was due to the increased absorption (i.e., 2.60-fold higher Cmax,1 at 15 min) and entero-hepatic circulation of FBX (i.e., 1.68-fold higher Cmax,2 at 600 min) in FBX-PG rats compared to the FBX rats. The 1.59-fold greater AUC of FBX was due to a 1.65-fold higher Cmax,1 at 5 min, and 1.15-fold higher Cmax,2 at 720 min of FBX in FBX-PG mice than those in FBX mice. FBX was highly distributed in the liver, stomach, small intestine, and lungs in both groups of mice, and the FBX distributions to the liver and lungs were increased in FBX-PG mice compared to FBX mice. The results suggest the FBX-PG has a suitable pharmacokinetic profile of FBX for improving its oral F value.

Ranunculus asiaticus L. is an ornamental geophyte, mainly propagated by rehydrated tuberous roots. Vernalization before planting is a common practice to overcome the natural dormancy of tuberous roots, however little is known about the mechanisms underlying the plant response to low temperature. We investigated the influence of two hybrids, MBO and MDR, and three preparation procedures of tuberous roots, only rehydration (control, C), and rehydration plus vernalization at 3.5 °C for 2 weeks (V2) and for 4 weeks (V4), on plant growth, leaf photosynthesis, flowering and metabolism in plants grown in pot in unheated greenhouse. We reported the responses observed in the aerial part previously in this journal (Fusco et al., 2023). In this paper, we show changes in carbohydrate, amino acids, polyphenols and protein levels throughout the growing cycle, in the different plant stages: pre-planting, vegetative phase and flowering.

Using the fluorescent method in the modification of Krasnoyarsk State University, we study development (as chlorophyll content, ∑CHL) and photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton in seven large flat reservoir of the Volga River cascade (Russia) in August 2915–2017. In period of maximal warming of water, average ∑CHL varied in limits of 19.4–33.7 μg L–1 in the Upper Volga, 8.5–27.8 μg L–1 in the Middle Volga, and 5.2–11.3 μg L–1 in the Lower Volga. Photosynthetic activity coefficient (PhAC) varied mostly in limits of 0.12–0.59 with average of 0.22–0.38 and only in 2017 decreased to minimal <0.10 and average <0.20. The average PhAC values shows the normal physiological state of the phytoplankton of the Upper Volga during all periods of observation, occasional decrease of PhAC in the Middle Volga, and low photosynthetic activity in the Lower Volga. A decrease in the average ∑Chl and PhAC in 2017 was under cyclonic windy weather with a large amount of precipitation, low solar radiation, and large volume of flow. Trend towards a decrease in ∑CHL, like decrease in PhAC from the Upper Volga to the Lower Volga is explained by increasing in the flow rate and volume of runoff downstream the Volga River.

The key enzyme, 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl-4-pyrophosphate reductase HDR, responsible for the final step in the MEP pathway, was successfully cloned from the petals of Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis, herein referred to as NtHDR (accession number OQ739816). NtHDR exhibits a full-length coding sequence spanning 1380 base pairs, encoding a total of 460 amino acids. Through phylogenetic tree analysis, it has been determined that NtHDR shared the closest evolutionary relationship with monocotyledons, specifically Asparagus officinalis and Zingiber officinale. Utilizing quantitative real-time PCR analysis, it was observed that NtHDR exhibited significant expression in both petals and corona, with expression levels varying throughout the flowering process of Narcissus. Specifically, in petals, NtHDR expression demonstrated a pattern of initial increase followed by subsequent decrease, while in corona, it consistently increased. Subsequent subcellular localization experiments indicated that NtHDR was localized within the chloroplasts. To investigate the functional impact of NtHDR, stable transformation was performed, where NtHDR was introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana. The resulting transgenic N. benthamiana flowers were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) to characterize their volatile components. The analysis revealed the presence of the monoterpene compound linalool, as well as the phenylpropanoids benzyl alcohol and phenylethanol, within the floral fragrance components of the transgenic N.benthamiana plants. However, these compounds were absent in the floral fragrance components of wild-type tobacco plants, thus highlighting the impact of NtHDR transformation on the floral scent profile.

This book review addresses the contribution of Tim Marshall’s “The Power of Geography”. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the significant role of geography in shaping political landscapes, alliances, and global affairs through the book review. What is new about this essay is its accessible presentation of complex geopolitical concepts, making it a valuable resource for students of geography and readers interested in global politics. Through the analysis of case studies and historical background, the book illuminates the interplay between physical landscapes, territoriality, and power dynamics. The findings highlight the continuing influence of geography on nations, regional identities, and the evolving global order.

The main purpose of the work was to determine the powder composition and properties of iron-based sinters used as a matrix in metallic diamond tools. The FeCuSnNi sinters obtained from a mixture of commercial powders were used for research. The material was subjected to milling in a ball mill and sinter have been performed with the hot-pressing technique in a graphite mold. The physical and mechanical properties of the sinters were tested. The investigations of obtained sinters concerned density, porosity, hardness, oxygen content, static tensile test and analysis of microstructure. The static tensile test was carried out with the use of a universal testing machine UTS-100. The study of the microstructure of sinters was performed using the JSM-7100F scanning electron microscope. The sinters are characterized by a high coefficient of thermal expansion and good mechanical properties. The FeCuSnNi sinter revealed a complex phase structure. Spot chemical analysis revealed the presence of Fe solution, Cu solution and the presence of iron oxides oxides. Nickel atoms were present throughout the sinter volume. The obtained results indicate that the presented material can be used as a matrix of a diamond-metal composite in diamond tools for the processing of natural stones and building materials.

Our aim is to provide an insight of the procedures and the dynamics that lead the spread of contagious diseases through populations. Our simulation tool can increase our understanding on the spatial parameters which affect the diffusion of a virus. SIR models are based on the hypothesis that populations are “well mixed”. Our model constitutes an attempt to focus on the effects of the specific distribution of the initially infected individuals through the population and provide insights, considering the stochasticity of the transmission process. For this purpose, we represent the population using a square lattice of nodes. Each node represents an individual that may or may not carry the virus. Nodes that carry the virus can only transfer it to susceptible neighboring nodes. This important revision of the common SIR model provides a very realistic property: the same number of initially infected individuals can lead to multiple paths, depending on their initial distribution in the lattice. This property creates better predictions and probable scenarios to construct a probability function and appropriate confidence intervals. Finally, this structure permits realistic visualizations of the results to understand the procedure of contagion and spread of a disease and the effects of any measures applied.

Ni-Al alloys have good corrosion-resistant properties making them preferable as a material of choice compared to ordinary metals. A good understanding of the phase diagram and thermodynamic properties of the Ni-Al alloy binary system is essential in determining relevant industrial applications of the system. The Ni-Al phase diagram is being reassessed since those found in the literatures are based on very old experimental studies. The phase diagram and thermodynamic properties of the Ni-Al alloy is determined using the Thermo-Calc 2022b software over a temperature range of 200 K to 2000 K and 1 atm of pressure. A total of nineteen fields (including elemental Al and Ni) comprising of five single solid phases, one liquid phase, and twelve double regions was obtained from the equilibrium calculation. The thermodynamic calculation has six invariant reactions comprising of two eutectic reactions (914.83 ± 0.025 K and 1641.80 ± 0.025 K), three peritectic reactions (1123.55 ± 0.025 K, 1400.72 ± 0.025 K and 1642.65 ± 0.025 K), and one peritectoid reaction (913.96 ± 0.025 K). The solubility of Al in Ni is also determined. The Thermo-Calc temperature – composition of the Ni-Al alloy is compared with the existing experimental studies to identify the physical properties of the different thermodynamic properties of the Ni-Al alloy binary system.

The behaviour of steel frame buildings under progressive collapse conditions depends on a combination of several parameters including the interplay between different collapse resistance mechanisms mobilized in different structural components. Previous studies have shown that the extent to which these mechanisms may contribute to progressive collapse resistance depends on the ability of the beam-column connections to undergo large inelastic deformations prior to reaching their deformation capacity limits. For this reason, and due to the important role of their flexural strength and tying capacity in the development of essential collapse resistance mechanisms, the response of beam-column connections is one of the most important features of progressive collapse performance. Based on the knowledge gained through previous studies on the mechanics of the problem, the role of the connections is critically reviewed by examining the results of several experimental studies conducted during the past decade. The factors that may adversely affect progressive collapse resistance – such as failure modes of certain connection types – are evaluated, and novel approaches of limiting these factors which are currently under development are reviewed. The assessment of these parameters leads to useful conclusions of practical significance, while highlighting the aspects of the problem that need further study and understanding.

Anabantidae is a large and diverse group of fish cultured both under aquaculture conditions and as hobbyists. These fish share a common structural feature in the form of an additional respiratory organ. Despite the enormous availability of these fish worldwide, little is known to date about their feeding preferences in husbandry and their influence on homeostasis under both industrial and domestic conditions. This study describes, for the first time, the structure of the digestive tracts of two Anabantoidei fishes: African bushfish (Ctenopoma acutirostre) and paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis). The overall structure of the digestive tract and its histological structure were analyzed and compared in both fish species. In conclusion, it was shown that physiological predispositions indicate a predominance of omnivorous fish traits in the M. opercularis, in contrast to the C. acutirostre, which has several morphological traits indicating a greater adaptation to carnivory, particularly ichthyophagy. The results obtained will allow further research to be conducted in the future to optimize the nutrition and feeding of these fish and to develop appropriate dietary recommendations.

Yaw misalignment can make a wake steer, which is an effective method to increase the power of wind farms, but it also increases the fatigue load of the turbines. In this paper, the method of combining yaw misalignment and pitch control (CYMP) is proposed to investigate the potential to mitigate wake interference, the wind velocity distribution and turbulence distribution in the wake, as well as the power and load changes of the wind turbine are studied, focusing on power in-crement and fatigue damage reduction. Although some studies have found that the method of CYMP are beneficial to increase power generation and reduce fatigue loads, there are no papers that have made a detailed analysis of the effects of wake turbulence, wind speed distribution, power, especially fatigue damage under this control. Simulation tool FAST.Farm is used to model and analyze wind farms, obtain the variation details of wake and provide simulation data for calculating power and fatigue load. The pitch control brings bias to the CYMP optimization results was neglected, the case studies show that the method of CYMP can reduce the fatigue load by 10.29% and increase the total power by 1.7% compared with only wake steering. The Model Predictive Control collaborative method based on CYMP is proposed, which can increase power by more than 2% and reduce thrust by more than 4% under 10m/s turbulent wind.

For this research, a comparative evaluation was performed in which the addition of 3D-printed biocarriers fabricated with 13X and Halloysite (13Χ-Η) and commercial Kaldnes K1 biocarriers were evaluated as opposed to the non addition of biocarriers in a semi-pilot scale MBBR-MBR unit. For the evaluation of the MBBR-MBR efficiency, various physicochemical parameters were measured while static light scattering and optical microscopy observations were additionally used. Biofilm extracted from the biocarriers was also evaluated. It was observed that in the MBBR-MBR K1 unit, the membrane filtration improved while in the MBBR-MBR 13X-H unit the membrane fouling rate was the same as in the control MBBR-MBR unit. This is due to the production of large amount of SMP which resulted from the large amount of biofilm created in the 13X-H biocarriers. An optimal biodegradation of the organic load was concluded for all three MBBR-MBR units. The nitrification and denitrification processes were improved at the MBBR-MBR units using 13X-H and K1. The dry mass produced on the 13X-H biocarriers was three orders of magnitude larger than that produced on the K1. Finally, it was observed that mostly EPS was produced in the biofilm of K1 biocarriers while in the biofilm of 13X-H mostly SMP.

Purpose Professional oral hygiene procedures are recommended by dentists, twice a year. BioHPP is a polyetheretherketone polymer used in prosthetic dentistry as a frame material. The aim was to investigate whether routine dental cleaning procedures such as ultrasonic scaling and brushing affect the surface proprieties of prosthetic BioHPP restorations. To evaluate the surface properties of different restorations based on BioHPP (veneered with composite resin and polished) after brushing and ultrasonic scaling exposure. Materials and Methods The 66 BioHPP specimens were divided into three groups (n=22). The first group was the control group, and no further treatment was applied. The specimens in the second group were veneered with composite resin and in the third group the specimens were veneered with composite resin and polished. Each group of samples was divided into 3 subgroups: 0- no treatment, 1-exposed to tooth brushing, 2-exposed to ultrasonic scaling. The surface morphology was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The structure of samples was analysed using the XRD technique, and the surface wettability was done. Results Control group specimens were significantly rougher compared to other groups (p ≤ 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the contact angle of water analyses between the samples. Conclusion: Composite veneered BioHPP showed the highest surface resistance to brushing and ultrasonic scaling.

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is invasive and polyphagous. Its visual signal plays a crucial role in host location, suggesting that thrips has diurnal behavior. However, any diel rhythmicity of the thrips behavior is not yet well understood. This study analyzed the diurnal rhythmicity of the feeding and mating behaviors of thrips, and the patterns were explained in terms of diel rhythmicity by assessing the expression of genes associated with the circadian clock. Most feeding behaviors were observed during photophase in both larvae and adults. In mating behavior, which is mainly exhibited in 2~3 days-old young adults after emergence, most adults copulated at photophase. This diurnal pattern of the mating behavior was further supported by the analysis of a temporal calling behavior for mating, which was biased toward photophase. Four genes associated with the circadian clock were predicted in the F. occidentalis genome: period (PER), Timeless (TIM), Doubletime (DBT), and clock (CLK). All these genes exhibited a characteristic diel pattern in their gene expressions in a 24 h-period. The high expression peaks of these genes except for DBT were observed at photophase. To confirm the functional association of these genes with the feeding and mating behaviors, individual RNA interference specific to each gene was executed by feeding the gene-specific double-stranded RNA. Aside from DBT, suppression of these gene expressions resulted in significant deviations of the diel rhythms of the behaviors. These results suggest that the genetic components of the diel rhythmicity mediate the diurnal feeding and mating behaviors of F. occidentalis.

There is an international concern for reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment in the construction industry. The energy efficiency of a building depends on the thermal resistance of concrete, and utilizing concrete products with elevated thermal resistance can enhance this aspect. This study analyzes the impact of perlite, as an addition, on the physico-mechanical properties of concrete, with the aim of identifying perlite concrete products that will respond to the improvement of the heat transfer resistance of the building envelope. The study examines the effect of replacing different amounts of concrete aggregates with perlite in percentages of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 100%. The results show that substituting sand with perlite improves the thermal performance of concrete, but its mechanical properties are negatively affected. The research carried out highlighted that perlite can be successfully introduced in the production of concrete blocks used for external non-bearing wall panels, the outstanding feature being the reduction of energy consumption in buildings. Overall, the paper identifies an efficient and environmentally friendly way of using perlite in the construction industry, enhancing the energy efficiency of buildings while minimizing the environmental footprint caused by the construction industry.

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the behavior of tourists and their intention to travel after certain natural disasters or social unrest. The aim of the research was to establish the influence of psychological profiles of tourists on their decision to choose a tourist destination, using three psychographic techniques BFI-10 (Big Five Inventory), AIO (Activities, Interests, Opinions), and VALS 2 (Values and lifestyle), and a freely determined six-level scale of risk and tourist attractiveness of the imagined destinations. By analyzing the results through structural modeling-path analysis, it was determined that almost all psychographic orientations derived from lifestyles negatively perceive destinations with a high degree of risk and attractiveness, while with the VALS 2 technique, only members of the action orientation tend to accept the risk and challenge of visiting high-risk destinations. The results of the research have a degree of innovation in the application of the combination of the mentioned models, as well as in the theoretical and applied aspects in supplementing the building and strategic planning of the future business.

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the bleeding that occurs during the first weeks of gestation and its implications throughout pregnancy. Secondarily, we assessed the associated complications in order to identify potential risk factors that could be used to select women at higher risk of adverse outcomes that could benefit from an early diagnosis and improved monitoring. Materials and Methods: We made a selection of all the women who consulted in the Emergency Department of the Hospital QuirónSalud in Malaga on 2015 presenting with first trimester metrorrhagia. We refer to first trimester metrorrhagia as that which occurs until week 12+6. Once these pregnant women were identified, we studied several variables not related to the gestation and some others associated with it and its natural course. Results: The average age of the patients assessed was 34.1. Associated gestational complications were metrorrhagia in the second trimester (6.3%), threatened preterm labour (7.4%), preeclampsia (2.5%), gestational diabetes (7.4%), late abortion (1.2%) and early postpartum hemorrhage (1.8%). We sought associations to assess possible risk factors, establishing an increased maternal age as an aggravating factor for the development of complications. We also studied gestational complications finding a higher prevalence of them in older women, such as prematurity (33.11 vs 34.48 years), gestational diabetes (33.11 vs 36.06 years) and preeclampsia (33.25 vs 35 years). Conclusions: Maternal age is a risk factor for first-trimester spontaneous miscarriage and for the development of complications of pregnancy. It is crucial to perform a correct screening of different pathologies throughout the pregnancy to anticipate potential complications.

Ni1-xGdxFe2O4 (x=0.02, 0.04, 0.06 & 0.08) (NGF) nanoparticles were synthesized via hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction study confirmed the single-phase cubic spinel structure. The morphology indicated the stones (approximately nanocubes) like structures in the FESEM images. The mass loss, and thermal transition temperatures were evaluated as a function of Gd-content using TG-DTG, and TG-DSC measurements. The M-H loops evidenced the high magnetization values for NGFO as compared to pure nickel ferrite. Cation distribution showed the preferred occupancy of cations in the magnetic spinel system. Frequency dependence of dielectric, conductivity, and impedance parameters was elucidated with increase in Gd-content.

This study examines the negative impacts of dark stores on the urban environment from three perspectives: land use, transportation, and streetscape. It is conducted on B-Mart, a representative dark store in South Korea. First, in terms of land use, we find that dark stores that function as logistics facilities conflict with the surrounding land use. Second, by analyzing the location of dark stores and the hourly traffic volume of delivery vehicles, we find that the impact on the surrounding transportation infrastructure and pedestrian traffic is not as significant as previously claimed. However, during the transportation and loading process of the dark store, several problems such as traffic violations, illegal parking, and illegal loading were observed, posing a risk to nearby vehicles and pedestrians. Third, in terms of streetscapes, the location of dark stores on the ground floor of buildings can harm streetscapes. The current urban planning system in South Korea does not clearly define the status and function of dark stores, making it unclear how to manage them. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify their legal definition and introduce urban planning and design guidelines that are consistent with their appropriate location and appearance.

Chronic diseases such as childhood DM are a complex and continuous struggle as well as a great challenge both for the children who face the disease and for their parents. Type 1 DM is characterized by the complex management of the therapeutic treatment thus causing physical and psychological complications in family members. There are many families who, upon hearing the diagnosis of their child with DM, stand still in front of these new facts as their lives change. All these unprecedented conditions cause parents intense stress, discomfort and mental burden as the only thing that concerns them now is how the family will survive in the face of the current conditions they are experiencing as well as the future of the sick child. The purpose of this brief literature review is to present the research findings which are related to the quality of life among parents of children and adolescents with diabetes.

Introduction: The reduced implementation of surveillance programs and limited bedside infectious diseases consultations due to the pressure of COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare systems led to increased rates of irrational use of antimicrobials and incidence of infections by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the incidence of antimicrobial resistance and the management of bloodstream infections before and during COVID-19 pandemic at the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (Greece). Material-Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted from January 2018 to December 2022. Data were collected from the University Microbiology Laboratory per semester regarding the isolated strains of Gram positive and negative bacteria in blood cultures and respiratory samples in hospitalized patients in medical and surgical wards and in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Additionally, bloodstream infections with requested infectious diseases consultation were reported (n=400), determining whether these were carried out via telephone contact or at the patient's bedside. Demographic data, comorbidities, focus of infection, antimicrobial regimen, duration of treatment, length of hospitalization and clinical outcome were analysed. Results: A total of 4569 strains of Gram positive and negative bacteria were isolated. An increasing trend was reported compared to the pre-pandemic period in the incidence of resistant Gram-negative bacteria, particularly in ICUs. Prior antimicrobial use and the rate of hospital-acquired infections were increased significantly during the pandemic. In the pre-pandemic period 2018-2019, a total of 246 infectious diseases consultations were carried out, while during the period 2020-2022 154, with the percentage of telephone consultations 15% and 76% respectively. Detection of the source of infection and timely administration of appropriate antimicrobial agents were more frequently recorded before the pandemic and 28-day mortality was significantly reduced in cases with bedside consultations. Conclusion: Empowering of infectious diseases surveillance programs and committees, rational use of antimicrobials agents and bedside infectious diseases consultations are vital in order to reduce the impact of infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains.

Abstract: The paper compares and analyses the effects of correctly and excessively executed heating cycles on flame straightening, far above the limits recommended by the steel manufacturer. The paperwork emphasizes the microstructural changes induced by overheating in the flame straightening process. Flame straightening is a flame heating process of metal constructions in which very limited areas of the construction are heated to the straightening temperature with the aim of inducing geometrical changes.The flame straightening process is used in most of metallic structure manufacturing companies. In many cases, it is not possible to carry out under economic conditions of metal structures without flame straightening.

Permanent magnet brushless DC motor (BLDCM) is usually controlled by six step commutation method, and flux-weakening method is used to make the motor run higher above the base speed. For now, it is considered that the weak magneto-electric angle range is 0-pi/3, and that of deep weakening is pi/3-pi/2. In the field- weakening control, the forward shift of commutation point will form inverter circulating current in the three-phase bridge of inverter and the stator winding of the motor. In this paper, the principle of inverter circulating current formed by inverter is analyzed. Through magnetic potential analysis and Simulink simulation, it is concluded that flux-weakening control will generate inverter circulating current in the inverter and motor stator winding. The inverter circulating current affects the magnetic potential of motor, and magnetic potential will move to the rotating direction of motor rotor. When the forward shift angle of inverter commutation point is 0-pi/6 electrical angle, the movement amplitude of current circulating current of inverter is less than pi/6, which plays the role of weakening magnetic field and driving effect; when the forward moving angle is pi/6-pi/3, the movement amplitude of inverter circulating current exceeds pi/6, which plays the role of magnetic weakening and braking. When the braking effect occurs, the reverse torque will appear, resulting in the decrease of motor torque and efficiency. Therefore, the range of weak magneto-electric angle should be between 0-pi/6.

Abstract: Heavy metals (HMs) contamination is one of the main among abiotic factors affecting crop productivity and also threatens human health via consuming metal contaminated crops as a food source. Over the past few years, HMs have drawn a lot of attention due to their increased use for commercial purposes and their harmful effects on plants and other life forms, thus threatening human survival. However, in recent years, several methods have been adopted to combat the harsh effects of HMs. After phytohormones, use of mineral nutrients such as selenium (Se) in the prevention of HM stress has been explored by the researchers more recently. Selenium is an important micronutrient widely known for its antioxidant properties in both plants and animals. Exogenous Se inhibits metal uptake and its translocation and also improves the antioxidant system, thus imparts resistance to HM toxicity in plants. Moreover, Se also regulates the production of various osmolytes in cells that helps in developing cell osmolarity. Selenium also induces the production of different types of secondary metabolites (SMs) that are also involved in plant's secondary defense mechanisms to different stresses. Uptake of mineral nutrients is a vital process for plant growth and development, which is also positively correlated with Se under metalloid toxicity. However, in order to understand the exact mechanism of Se in HM tolerance, different metabolic processes stimulated by Se and their pathways need to be explored. Hence, this review focuses on the role of Se on nutritional status, antioxidants metabolism, interaction with phytohormones and its role in the regulation of various genes involved in Se induced HM tolerance. Thus, this study will help researchers in the future for the improvement of HM tolerance via Se application in plants.

In recent years, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) has become a leading worldwide disease, and its therapies are facing many complexities. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors that belong to the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily and have three subtypes: PPARα (NR1C1), PPARβ/δ (NR1C2), and PPARγ (NR1C3). They have been identified to be essential in the regulation of lipid metabolism by controlling the transcription of genes related to fatty acids, bile acids, and cholesterol metabolism. Many PPAR agonists have been reported, such as natural agonists (fatty acids, eicosanoids, and phospholipids) and synthetic ligands (fibrates, thiazolidinediones, glitazars, and elafibranor). PPAR-based chemicals have a breakthrough in the innovation of therapy for fatty liver disease. This review will provide an overview of how PPARα and PPARγ play roles in lipid homeostasis, discussing the consideration of their agonists as potential therapeutic agents for NAFLD/NASH.

The Lin28B gene is involved in the initiation of puberty, but its regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to study the regulatory mechanism of the Lin28B promoter by cloning the Lin28B proximal promoter for bioinformatics analysis. Next, a series of deletion vectors were constructed based on the bioinformatics analysis results for dual-fluorescein activity detection. The transcriptional regulation mechanism of the Lin28B promoter region was analyzed by detecting mutations in transcription factor-binding sites and overexpression of transcription factors. The dual-luciferase assay showed that the Lin28B promoter region -837 to -338 bp had the highest transcriptional activity, and the transcriptional activity of the Lin28B transcriptional regulatory region decreased significantly after Egr1 and SP1 mutations. Overexpression of the Egr1 transcription factor significantly enhanced the transcription of Lin28B, and the results indicated that Egr1 and SP1 play an important role in regulating Lin28B. These results provide a theoretical basis for further research on the transcriptional regulation of sheep Lin28B during puberty initiation.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that is endemic in many developing countries with low levels of vaccination coverage. In this paper, we propose a deterministic compartmental mathematical model for measles disease dynamics. We establish the global stability conditions for the disease-free and endemic equilibria using the Lyapunov function stability method. \textcolor{red}{Using arbitrary parameters it is obtained that the proposed model exhibits forward bifurcation}. Numerical integration using MATLAB software was used to simulate the model solution of the forward problem. We calibrate the proposed model to estimate the parameters with a 95\% confidence interval (CI) using real data from Ethiopia by formulating an inverse problem. We notice that the model fits well with the real data of Ethiopia. The estimated basic reproduction number ($R_0$) is found to be $R_0=1.3973$ which proves that the disease is endemic. It is also obtained from the local sensitivity analysis that reducing the transmission rate and increasing the vaccination rate could effectively minimize the $R_0$.

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline that inhibits the proliferation of transformed cells in vitro, but due to its poor solubility and bioavailability, it has only moderate therapeutic potential in vivo. Increasing evidence indicates that BBR specifically targets several metabolic, signaling and gene transcription events in transformed cells, altering their progression through the cell cycle and decreasing their metabolic rate and proliferation. In order to further develop BBR as a therapeutic, its mode of cellular internalization and localization within the cell needs to be further examined. BBR’s molecular targets and interactions with kinases, transcription factors and some enzymes are discussed in an attempt to better understand BBR’s role in these important pathways and how they may lead to changes in metabolism. Lastly, this review examines some of the benefits and challenges of using BBR as an inhibitor in cancer cell proliferation in breast cancer and glioblastoma, as two examples. BBR is a potent drug with multiple targets and it is this multiplicity of function that makes BBR such a promising drug for targeting cell metabolism and proliferation.

CO2 has characteristic properties and reactions at converter smelting temperature, and the chemical reaction between CO2 and elements such as C and Si in the molten pool has bubble proliferation and cooling effects, which can effectively improve the kinetic and thermodynamic conditions of converter smelting. Here, an experimental study and industrial test on the application of CO2 in converter smelting were carried out. The smelting effects of Mode-1 and Mode-2 with total CO₂ injection amounts of 229 Nm³ and 196 Nm³, respectively, were compared, and the changes in molten steel and slag compositions, dust removal, and gas are analyzed. The test results show that converter top and bottom blowing CO₂ technology (COMI-B)technology had significant metallurgical advantages over the N-Mode; the dephosphorization rate increased by 4.2%, slag (FeO) content was reduced by 2.04%, end point nitrogen content of molten steel was reduced by 20%, gas recovery increased by 8.29 Nm³/t, and soot production reduced by 14.7%. The results of the study provide reference for the application of COMI-B technology in converters in the iron and steel industry and develop a new path for resource utilization of CO₂.

One of the most broadly used models for membrane fouling is the Hermia model, which separates this phenomenon into four blocking mechanisms, each with an associated parameter n. These mechanisms are complete blocking (n=2), intermediate blocking (n=1), standard blocking (n=3/2), and cake formation (n=3/2). The original model, which was obtained through experimental data, is given by an Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) dependent on n. At the time, this ODE was only solved for these four values of n, which limits the effectiveness of the model when adjusted to experimental data. This paper aims to not only mathematically prove the original Hermia model but also to broaden the scope of this model for any real number n by using the original ODE, the equations of fluid mechanics, and the properties of single and multivariable calculus. The extended Hermia model (EHM) is given by a power law for any n≠2 and is given by an exponential function at n=2. To better test the model, we have performed the model fitting of the EHM and compared its performance to the original four pore-blocking mechanisms in 6 micro- and ultrafiltration examples. In all examples, the EHM performed consistently better than the four original pore-blocking mechanisms. Changes in the blocking mechanisms concerning transmembrane pressure (TMP), crossflow rate (CFR), crossflow velocity (CFV), membrane composition, and pretreatments are also discussed.

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a serious complication after angiographic examinations in cardiology. Diagnosis may be delayed based on standard serum creatinine, and subclinical forms of kidney damage may not be detected at all. In our study we investigate the clinical use in these directions of a “damage” type biomarker - Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL). Among patients with a high-risk profile undergoing scheduled coronary angiography and/or angioplasty, plasmsa NGAL was determined at baseline, at 4 and 24 hours after contrast administration. In the CI-AKI group, NGAL increased significantly at the 4th hour (132.33±72.83 ng/ml versus 111.48±65.06 ng/ml, p=0.006) and at the 24th hour (212 .93±276.61 ng/ml, p=0.008). In patients with subclinical CI-AKI, NGAL also increased significantly at the 4th hour (128.18±99 ng/ml, p=0.002) and reached levels close to those in patients with CI-AKI. Unlike new biomarker, however, serum creatinine did not change significantly in this group. The diagnostic power of NGAL is extremely good - AUC 0.847 (95% CI: 0.677-1.000; p=0.001) in CI-AKI and AUC 0.731 (95% CI: 0.539 – 0.924; p=0.024) in subclinical CI-AKI. NGAL may be a reliable biomarker for early diagnosis of clinical and subclinical forms of renal injury after contrast angiographic studies.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is an arbovirus causing vesicular stomatitis (VS) in livestock. There are two serotypes recognized: New Jersey (NJ) and Indiana (IND). The virus can be transmitted directly by contact or by vectors. In Ecuador, in the year 2018, an outbreak of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in cattle, caused by VSV-NJ and VSV-IND, was recorded with 399 cases reported distributed over 18 provinces. We determined the phylogenetic relationships among 67 strains. For the construction of phylogenetic trees, the viral phosphoprotein gene was sequenced, and trees were constructed based on the Maximum Likelihood method using 2004 outbreak strains from Ecuador (Genbank) and the 2018 sequences (this article). We built a haplotype network for VSV-NJ to trace the origin of the 2004 and 2018 epizootics through topology and mutations connections. These analyses suggested two different origins, one related with the 2004 outbreak and the other from an enzootic transmission source in 2018. Our analysis also suggests different transmission patterns with several small and independent outbreaks, most probably transmitted by vectors in the Amazon, and in the Andes and Coast region by the movement of livestock. We recommend further research for vectors and vertebrate reservoirs in Ecuador to clarify the mechanisms of the reemergence of the virus.

The local and global order in dense packings of linear, semi-flexible polymers of tangent hard spheres are studied by employing extensive Monte Carlo simulations at increasing volume fractions. Chain stiffness is controlled by a tunable harmonic potential for the bending angle whose intensity dictates the rigidity of the polymer backbone as a function of the bending constant and equilibrium angle. The studied angles range from acute to obtuse ones, reaching the limit of rod-like polymers. We analyze how packing density and chain stiffness affect the ability of chains to self-organize at the local and global levels. The former corresponds to crystallinity as quantified by the Characteristic Crystallographic Element (CCE) norm descriptor, while the latter is computed through the scalar orientational order parameter. In all cases, we identify the critical volume fraction for the phase transition and gauge the established crystal morphologies, developing a complete phase diagram as a function of packing density and equilibrium bending angle. A plethora of structures is obtained, ranging from random hexagonal closed packed morphologies of mixed character and almost perfect face centered cubic (FCC) and hexagonal close-packed (HCP) crystals at the level of monomers, to nematic mesophases, with prolate and oblate mesogens at the level of chains. For rod-like chains, hysteresis is observed between the establishment of long-range nematic order and crystallization, while for right-angle chains both transitions are synchronized. A comparison is also provided against the analogous packings of monomeric and fully flexible chains of hard spheres.

The first years of an infant’s life represent a sensitive period for neurodevelopment and see the emergence of nascent forms of executive function (EF), which are required to support complex cognition. Few tests exist for measuring EF during infancy, and the available tests require painstaking manual coding of infant behaviour. In modern clinical and research practice, human coders collect data on EF performance by manually labelling video recordings of infant behaviour during toy or social interaction. Besides being extremely time-consuming, video annotation is known to be rater-dependent and subjective. To address these issues, starting from existing cognitive flexibility research protocols, we developed instrumented toys as a new task instrumentation and data collection tool suitable for infant use. A commercially available device comprising a Barometer and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) embedded in a 3D-printed lattice structure was used to detect when and how the infant interacts with the toy. The data collected using the instrumented toys provides a rich dataset describing the sequence of toy interaction and individual toy interaction patterns, from which EF-relevant aspects of infant cognition may be inferred. Such a tool potentially provides an objective, reliable, and scalable method of collecting early developmental data in socially interactive contexts.

In the field of metallurgy, there are many factors that influence the final quality of cast iron. These are mainly charge materials, chemical composition, metallurgical preparation up to the final casting process. Even small deviations from metallurgical processing lead to fluctuations in melt quality and the occurrence of casting defects. Charge materials has a significant impact on the quality of cast iron, especially steel scrap, which is increasingly used from an economic and ecological point of view, especially when melting cast iron in electric furnaces. Cast iron produced from a higher proportion of steel scrap in the charge has higher hardness and tensile strength. On the other side, these cast irons has a higher tendency to chillout, brittleness, shrinkage, pearlitic microstructure, stresses and higher purity due to the difference in hardness at different wall thicknesses of the castings. It is the high hardness that is the problem in the final machining of castings. These negative properties are recorded mainly in heavy thick-walled castings with higher tensile strength and hardness. This negative effect is mainly due to the nitrogen content in the steel scrap. Based on these knowledges, operating melts were realized in the foundry's operating conditions. The influence of steel scrap in the charge and the possibility of eliminating its negative effects on the properties of cast iron were investigated.

The proliferation and differentiation of mammalian skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) are highly complicated. Apart from the regulatory signaling cascade driven by the protein-coding genes, non-coding RNAs like microRNAs (miRNA) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) play essential roles in this biological process. However, circRNA functions in MuSCs proliferation and differentiation remain largely to be elucidated. Here, we screened for an exonic circTCF4 based on our previous RNA-Seq data, specifically expressed during the development of the longest dorsal muscle in goats. Subsequently, the circular structure and whole sequence of circTCF4 were verified using Sanger sequencing. Besides, circTCF4 was spatiotemporally expressed in multiple tissues from goats but strikingly enriched in muscles. Furthermore, circTCF4 suppressed MuSCs proliferation and differentiation, independent of AGO2 binding. Finally, we conducted Poly(A) RNA-Seq using cells treated with small interfering RNA targeting circTCF4 and found that circTCF4 would affect multiple signaling pathways, including insulin signaling pathway and AMPK signaling pathway related to muscle differentiation. Our results provide additional solid evidence for circRNA regulating skeletal muscle formation.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of chest radiographs and electrocardiograms in predicting the hemodynamics of congenital heart disease (CHD). This retrospective study included 50 patients with a diagnosis of CHD who had undergone any form of cardiac intervention, either surgical or nonsurgical between September 2019 and September 2020. Chest radiographs and electrocardiograms were evaluated and compared with the diagnostic gold standard echocardiography. Chest radiographs had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, with all being 100%, in detecting situs and cardiac position. There was a very good agreement between chest radiographs and echocardiography in the detection of both situs and cardiac position (κ = 1.00, p &lt; 0.001), while moderate agreement was observed for the detection of cardiomegaly, position of aortic knuckle, main pulmonary artery dilation, and right pulmonary artery dilation. Electrocardiograms had a high sensitivity (100.00%), but modest specificity and accuracy for the detection of left ventricle pressure overload. For the detection of left atrial enlargement and left ventricle volume overload, electrocardiograms had high specificity (94.12% and 94.29%, respectively) but low sensitivity and modest accuracy. There was a moderate agreement between electrocardiograms and echocardiography in the detection of right ventricle pressure overload (κ = 0.43, p = 0.002) and left ventricle volume overload (κ = 0.46, p &lt; 0.001). The study findings indicate that chest radiographs and electrocardiograms alone are not adequate for the assessment of hemodynamics of CHD and reinstates the recommendation that in addition to routine chest radiographs and electrocardiograms, echocardiography should be performed.

Monsoon winds drive upwelling along the eastern coast of India during the south-west (SW) monsoons. These winds also provide alongshore windstress (AWS) resulting in positive cross-shore Ekman transport (ET) from March to the end of September. While instances of high ET and sea surface temperature based upwelling index (UI_SST) were observed along two parts of the coast: between Kashinagara and Kakinada in the north, and between Kavali and Point Calimere in the south. The UI_SST illustrated a much poorer agreement with local ET in the northern section, where the onset of UI_SST preceded the rise of ET and the subsidence of UI_SST signals occurred during a period of rising ET. Additionally, negative sea surface height anomalies (SSHAs), typically associated with coastal upwelling, were also missing through most of the upwelling period. A complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis revealed two coherent modes of SSHA variation. The first mode showed a SSHA signature spatio-temporally coincident with the first upwelling and downwelling Kelvin waves closely associated with the equatorial zonal winds that drive them. The second CEOF mode, with a coastal SSHA pattern similar to the SSHA signatures of coastal upwelling, was associated with local offshore ET along the Indian east coast. The CEOF analysis exhibited the triggering of coastal upwelling in April and its suppression from June by coastally trapped Kelvin waves along the northeastern coast of India, while local AWS driven ET was the primary driver of coastal upwelling along the southeastern coast. The second CEOF mode also exhibited a coherent negative coastal SSHA signature excited by local AWS driven ET during the upwelling period. This study examined the spatio-temporal variability of premonsoon and SW monsoon coastal upwelling along the western Bay of Bengal and its relation to remotely forced coastal Kelvin waves.

Acute low back pain (LBP) stands as a leading cause of activity limitation and work absenteeism, and its associated healthcare expenditures are expected to become substantial when acute LBP develops into a chronic and even refractory condition. Therefore, early intervention is crucial to prevent progression to chronic pain whose management is particularly challenging and for which the most effective pharmacological therapy is still controversial. Current guideline treatment recommendations vary and are mostly driven by expertise with opinion differing across different interventions. Thus, it is difficult to formulate evidence-based guidance when relatively few randomized clinical trials did explore the diagnosis and management of LBP while employing different selection criteria, statistical analyses, and outcome measurements. This narrative review aims to provide a critical appraisal of current acute LBP management by discussing the unmet needs and areas of improvement from bench-to-bedside and proposes multimodal analgesia as the way forward to attain an effective and prolonged pain relief and functional recovery in patients with acute LBP.

The article is devoted to algebraic modeling of universal rules of stochastic organization of genomic DNA of higher and lower organisms, previously published by the author. The proposed algebraic apparatus, which uses formalisms of quantum mechanics and quantum informatics and which is based on the so-called tensor-unitary transformations of vectors that generate families of interrelated stochastic-deterministic vectors of increased dimensions. The features of the vectors' interconnections in these families model the stochastic-deterministic properties of the named phenomenological rules. There are new approaches to modeling of developing multi-parameter biosystems, whose number of parameters increases in the course of step-by-step development. In the light of the presented materials, the issues of fractal-like organization in genetically inherited biosystems are considered. The development of the theory of stochastic determinism as an antipode of deterministic chaos is discussed.

Nickel-base superalloys like VDM 780 may possess a high content of Cr and Co. This influences solution energies of phase-forming elements like Al and Ta (γ′-phase), Nb (γ′′- and δ-phase), and Ti (η-phase). We perform density functional theory studies of a nickel matrix at 0 K with high concentrations of either Co and Cr and calculate the influence of these elements on solution energies. In the case of Co, the solution energy can be predicted well by the nearest-neighbor interaction in the Co-rich matrix. For Cr, the effect is more complicated because Cr has a larger ionic radius and changes the magnetic state of the material. The effect of a Cr-rich matrix on the energy of Co is dominated by magnetic effects, interactions with the other elements by elastic deformation of the lattice.

Heavy metals are toxic, persistent and non-degradable. After sedimentation and adsorption, they accumulate in water sediments. The aim of this study was to understand the heavy metal pollution of Qinjiang River sediments on the ecological environment and apportioning sources. The mean total concentrations of Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Pb are 3.14, 2.33, 1.39, 5.79, and 1.33 times higher than the background values, respectively, except for the Co, Ni, and Cd, which are lower than the background values; Fe, Co, Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb are all primarily in the residual state, while Mn and Zn are primarily in the acid-soluble and oxidizable states, respectively. Igeo, RI, SQGs and RAC together indicate that the pollution status and ecological risk of heavy metals in Qinjiang River sediments are generally moderate; among them, Fe, Co, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb are not harmful to the ecological environment of the Qinjiang River. Cu is not readily released because of its higher residual composition, depicting that Cu is less harmful to the ecological environment. Mn and Zn, as the primary pollution factors of the Qinjiang River, are harmful to the ecological environment. This heavy metal pollution in surface sediments of the Qinjiang River primarily comes from manganese and zinc ore mining. Manganese carbonate and its weathered secondary manganese oxide are frequently associated with a significant amount of residual copper and Cd, as a higher pH is suitable for the deposition and enrichment of these heavy metals. Lead-zinc ore and its weathering products form organic compounds with residual Fe, Co, Cr, and Ni, and their content is related to salinity. The risk assessment results of heavy metals in sediments provide an important theoretical basis for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in Qinjiang River.

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease caused by a protozoan parasite Leishmania that is transmitted via infected female sandflies. At present, leishmaniasis treatment mainly counts on chemotherapy. The currently available drugs against leishmaniasis are costly, toxic, with multiple side effects, and limitations in the administration route. The rapid emergence of drug resistance has severely reduced the potency of anti-leishmanial drugs. As a result, there is a pressing need for the development of novel anti-leishmanial drugs with high potency, low cost, acceptable toxicity, and good pharmacokinetics features. Due to the availability of preclinical data, drug repurposing is a valuable approach for speeding up the development of effective antileishmanial through pointing to new drug targets in less time having low costs and risk. Metabolic pathways of this parasite play a crucial role in the growth and proliferation of Leishmania species during the various stages of their life cycle. Based on available genomics/proteomics information, known pathways-based (sterol biosynthetic pathway, purine salvage pathway, glycolysis, GPI biosynthesis, hypusine, polyamine biosynthesis) Leishmania-specific proteins could be targeted with known drugs that were used in other diseases, resulting in finding new promising anti-leishmanial therapeutics. The present review discusses various metabolic pathways of the Leishmania parasite and some drug candidates targeting these pathways effectively that could be potent drugs against leishmaniasis in the future.

Research background – Learning and growth is one of the essential tools that companies ought to use in today's market economy in order to ensure their sustainable development in the long-term and, consequently, to achieve their maximum market value.Purpose – This article is predominantly of theoretical nature and considers the possibility of using the applied strategic analysis technique that was developed by the author to analyze learning and growth in the course of a study of strategic aspects of learning growth. The technique is based on the balanced scorecard system of the same name. Design/methodology/approach – Methodologically, the study is based on Kaplan and Norton's balanced scorecard concept and the author's concept of applied strategic analysis. Findings – It is shown that applied strategic analysis of learning and growth envisages comparative evaluation, diagnostics of deviations and predictions of the values of the balanced scorecard metrics of learning and growth in the dimension of strategic objectives. It includes analysis of the level of motivation in employees, the volume of authroity delegation and whether their personal goals match company goals; analysis of the expansion capacity of information systems, and analysis of the quality of retraining and the creativity level of employees. The applied strategic analysis of learning and growth with comparative evaluation of the metrics of the level of motivation in employees, the volume of delegation to them and of the match between their personal and corporate goals, and concludes with a prediction of the values of factor measures of the quality of retraining and creativity development in employees.Originality/value – The author comes to a conclusion that applied strategic analysis of learning and growth is a new and sufficiently effective instrucment for studying the strategic aspects of companies' performance that is associated with the training and development of their personnel. The instrument provides analytical support to strategic management as regards personnel training and development in today's conditions. Its results might be useful when working out managerial decisions for the company's short-term, medium-term and long-term plans in the area of learning and growth.

Introduction: Since its discovery in late 2019, the novel coronavirus (SARSCOVID-2) that causes COVID-19 has spread fast, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to designate the disease a worldwide pandemic on March 11, 2020.The epidemic has profoundly altered the preexisting global sexual and reproductive health landscape .The virus’s load has put ordinary services in jeopardy and harmed other health priorities. This encompasses both the provision and the supply of contraceptives, sexual health, new born and maternal health services. This Scoping review therefore mapped the availability evidence on the impact and effects of the COVID-19 disease outbreak on sexual and reproductive health. Methods: The methodological framework by Arksey and O’Malley guided this scoping review. A literature search was conducted from the following databases: Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, WOS, and AJOL. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram and the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist were used to document the review process. The Strobe critical review checklist was used to determine the quality of the included studies. Results:19 studies were reviewed, out of which 4 were cross sectional studies, 1 was an observational study, 1 was a descriptive analytical study and the rest were qualitative studies .Majority of the studies showed evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and family planning service, maternal and child services, and three studies reported on COVID-19 and sexual behaviour. Five of the nineteen included studies reported on the impact of COVID-19 and family planning service. Conclusion: This scoping review has granted the assessment of the impact of novel SARS-CoV-2 on Sexual and reproductive health services with regards to sexual behaviour, family planning and maternal, neonatal and child health. From the 18 articles identified and reviewed, the overall responses stipulated a significant reduction in client’s utilization of services due to challenges experiences in service implementation such as stock outs. In addition, low demand for reproductive health services by clients due to restrictions imposed on the movements of people to curb the spread of the virus. It is therefore important that Governments and relevant stakeholders in Maternal and Sexual Reproductive Health prioritize development of policies and practices that protect women from the impacts of the pandemic. Furthermore, regular audits to detect trends in MSRH are necessary to inform on going mitigation efforts.

Composting is one of the most economical and environmentally safe methods of recycling organic waste. Soil microorganisms play a significant role in decomposition and the availability of plant nutrients. This study was designed to prepare a suitable microbial inoculum and its evaluation on composting heap to decrease the time of waste degradation. The bacteria were isolated and molecular characterized from the soil near composting area by using 16S ribotyping technique. The identified strains of bacillus cereus used as an inoculum gives better results to expedite the degradation of organic waste. The prepared bacterial inoculum with molasses was also compared with commercial inoculum by optimizing physical and chemical parameters (temperature, oxygen, C: N, pH, and moisture content) of composting heap. Monthly reading of these parameters was taken from experimental and control treatments. The highest decomposition rate of organic waste was recorded in treatment A (experimental heap) where molasses and bacterial inoculum were added and less decomposition was observed in treatment D (experimental heap) where no inoculum and molasses were added. It was concluded from the studies that the prepared bacterial inoculum with two strains of Bacillus was effective and prepared mature compost in 2.5 months by increasing decomposition efficiency of organic waste. Furthermore, the prepared compost was also sustainable in its physical and chemical characteristic.

Spent batteries recycling is an important way to obtain low-cost graphite. Nevertheless, the obtaining of crystalline graphite with a rather low density of defects is required for many applications. In the present work, high-quality graphites have been obtained from different kinds of spent batteries. Black masses from spent alkaline batteries (batteries black masses, BBM), and lithium-ion batteries from smartphones (smartphone black masses, SBM) and electric and/or hybrid vehicles (lithium-ion black masses, LBM) were used as starting materials. A hydrometallurgical process was then used to obtain recycled graphites by acidic leaching. Different leaching conditions were used depending on the type of the initial black mass. The final solids were characterized by a wide set of complementary techniques.

Purpose –The basic purpose of this paper is to find out the librarians perceptions, skills, most effective and constrains to use social media for the marketing purposes in the University libraries and to examine how these libraries perceive the importance of social media marketing. Design/methodology/approach –A nation-wide online survey on University libraries in the Pakistan was conducted to flourish this study, and a total number of 161 responses were used to analyze collected data. Findings –This study revealed the application of social media in university Libraries is very high .The results also disclosed that University libraries observe social media as a substantial tool to increase marketing of library sources and services anticipate to increase their use. Practical implications –The findings of this study can help as a parameter for University libraries when engaging social media for marketing purposes in their libraries. Originality/value –This study calculated the present situation of social media use for marketing in the University Libraries environment, a background that has been under-study in the literature, from these perspectives: perceptions, Skills, effectiveness, practices and constrains

Recent climatic disasters (dzudzs) and uncontrolled massive breeding endangered valuable ge-netic resources of Mongolian goats labored by five thousand years of evolution in extremes of Al-tai mountains and Gobi deserts. Meanwhile, Mongolian goats has never been characterized by genomic data. We used Illumina Goat SNP50 to investigate phylogenic relationships and genetic risks in 5 local Mongolian populations: Erchim (N=37) from geographically remote Darkhat Valley in the northern mountains, Ulgii Red (N=35) and Dorgon (N=28) from the western mountain region, Buural (N=34) from the western steppe and mountain areas and Gobi Gurvan Saikhan (N=33) from semi-arid steppe area in the South Gobi region. ROH analyses, estimated populations sizes and Fst values showed South Gobi and Darkhat Valley goats to be of a high risk of inbreed-ing that however appear to be of distinct origin (artificial selection vs geographical isolation). In-dices of genetic differentiations between Mongolian goats were relatively low compared to Euro-pean breeds. Meanwhile, we suggest direct comparison is not fully appropriate given that Mongo-lian breeds were not subjected to intense selection. Darkhat Valley goats were clearly differentiat-ed from other Mongolian breeds according to various types of analyses. Phylogenetic relationships within XXX breeds of the rest of the world plotted Mongolian goats between some Russian (Altai, Orenburg) and Chinese populations (Nanjiang and Qinggeli). Thus, present study (i) highlights demographic history Mongolian goats and (ii)provides unified SNP-data called for support deci-sions in conservational genetics. Finally, our work (iii) raises a question of how exactly these data should be compared to make objective choices.

As a potential motivation, psychological empowerment stimulates employees' work behaviors, and it determines the degree of effort and duration of employees' work. Only when employees are psychologically empowered, will they have an impact on their behavior when they believe that they are trusted. This paper chose to set the independent variable as the employee's perceived trust and the dependent variable as the company's work performance, and explored the mediating role of psychological empowerment in the two. The psychological empowerment of employees had a positive impact on work performance. Employees with high psychological empowerment tended to be proactive in their work, and had more input in the work, which in turn encouraged employees to have higher work performance. The four dimensions of psychological empowerment can positively affect employee task performance, and the ability and influence of psychological empowerment had a positive impact on relationship performance. Psychological empowerment as a whole perception played a part of the mediating role between the perception of superior dependency and task performance, and it played a part of the mediating role between perception of superior dependency and relationship performance. As a whole perception, psychological empowerment played a part of mediating role between perceived information disclosure and task performance, and part of mediating role between perceived information disclosure and relationship performance. In the study of perceived trust and work performance, this article focused on the mediating role of psychological empowerment, and further understood the internal mechanism of perceived trust.

Following Smolin, we proceed to unification of general relativity and quantum theory by operating solely with events, i.e., without appealing to physical systems and space-time. The universe is modelled as a dendrogram (finite tree) expressing the hierarchic relations between events. This is the observational (epistemic) model; the ontic model is based on p-adic numbers (infinite trees). Hence, we use novel mathematics—not only space-time but even real numbers are not in use. Here, the p-adic space (which is zero dimensional) serves as the base for the holographic image of the universe. In this way our theory relates to p-adic physics; in particular, p-adic string theory and complex disordered systems (p-adic representation of Parisi matrix for spin glasses). Our Dendrogramic-Holographic (DH) theory matches perfectly with the Mach’s principle and Brans-Dicke theory. We found surprising informational interrelation between the fundamental constants, h, c, G, and their DH-analogues, h(D), c(D), G(D). DH-theory is part of Wheeler’s project on the information restructuring of physics. It is also a step towards the Unified Field theory. The universal potential V is nonlocal, but this is relational DH-nonlocality. V can be coupled to the Bohm quantum potential by moving to the real representation. This coupling enhanced the role of the Bohm potential.

Every petroleum processing industry produces sewage sludge containing several types of poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) components. The degradation of PAH components by physical, biological and chemical methods is not efficient. The use of marine sponge symbiont bacteria is considered an alternative method in the degradation and reduction of PAHs com-pared to the previous method. This study aims to explore the potential and performance of a consortium of sponge symbiont bacteria in degrading anthracene and pyrene. There are three types of bacteria (Bacillus pumilus strain GLB197, Pseudomonas stutzeri strain SLG510A3-8, Acineto-bacter calcoaceticus strain SLCDA 976) were mixed to form a consortium. The interaction between the bacterial consortium suspension and PAH components was measured at 5-day intervals for 25 days. The biodegradation performance of bacteria on PAHs samples was determined based on five biodegradation parameters. The analysis results showed a decrease in the concentration of anthracene (21.89%) and pyrene (7.71%), equivalent to a ratio of 3: 1. The data was followed by a decrease in the abundance of anthracene (60.30%) and pyrene (27.52%), an equivalent ratio of 2: 1. The level of degradation of the pyrene component is lower than that of the anthracene compo-nent, presumably due to the higher toxicity of pyrene and the more stable molecular structure, making it difficult for bacterial cells to destroy it. The biodegradation products are organic compounds of alcohol, aldehyde, carboxylic acids and a small proportion of aromatic hydrocarbon components. Keywords: performance; biodegradation; bacterial consortium; marine sponge; PAHs

In this work, the cross-linked PMMA-based dental resins scraps were submitted to pyrolysis to recover MMA (Methylmethacrylate). The thermal degradation of cross-linked PMMA-based dental resins scraps was analyzed by TG/DTG to guide the operating conditions in pilot scale. The pyrolysis experiments carried out in a reactor of 143L, at 345, 405, and 420°C, 1.0 atmosphere. The reaction liquid products obtained at 345°C, physicochemical characterized for density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index. The chemical composition of liquid products obtained at 345°C, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 110 minutes, at 405°C, 50, 70, and 130 minutes, and at 420°C, 40, 50, 80, 100, 110, and 130 minutes determined by GC-MS. The experiments show that liquid phase yields were 55.50%, 48.73%, and 48.20% (wt.), at 345, 405, and 420°C, respectively, showing a smooth sigmoid behavior, decreasing with increasing temperature, while that of gas phase were 31.69%, 36.60%, and 40.13% (wt.), respectively, increasing with temperature. The liquid products density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index obtained at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 110 minutes, varied between 0.9227 and 0.9380 g/mL, 0.566 and 0.588 mm2/s, and 1.401 and 1.414, respectively, showing percentage deviations between 0.74 and 2.36%, 7.40 and 10.86%, and 0.00 and 0.92%, respectively, compared to standard values for density, kinematic viscosity, and refractive index of pure MMA at 20 °C. The GC-MS identified in the reaction liquid products at 345, 405, and 420°C, 1.0 atm, esters of carboxylic acids, alcohols, ketones, and aromatics, showing concentrations of MMA between 83.454 and 98.975% (area.). For all the depolymerization experiments, the concentrations of MMA in the liquid phase, between 30 and 80 minutes, reach purities above 98% (area.), decreasing drastically with increasing reaction time after 100 minutes, thus making it possible to depolymerize the cross-linked PMMA-based dental resins scraps by pyrolysis to recover MMA. The optimum operating conditions to achieve high MMA concentrations, as well as elevated yields of liquid reaction products were 345 °C and 80 minutes.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a genetically complex disease that results from a multistep transformation of normal to malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the initiation and heterogeneous evolution of MM remain largely unknown. A fundamental step needed to understand the oncogenesis of MM and its response to therapy is the identification of driver mutations. The introduction of gene expression profiling (GEP) in MM was an important step in elucidating the molecular heterogeneity of MM and its clinical relevance. Since some mutations in myeloma occur in non-coding regions, studies based on the analysis of mRNA provide more comprehensive information on the oncogenic pathways and mechanisms relevant to MM biology. In this review, we discuss the role of gene expression profiling in understanding the biology of multiple myeloma together with the clinical manifestation of the disease, as well as its impact on treatment decisions and future directions.