Soiling accumulated on a photovoltaic (PV) module can significantly reduce the transmittance of the cover glass, resulting in power losses and consequent economic losses. Natural atmospheric parameters influence the accumulation of soiling at the various geographic locations. In this paper, the approaches and outcomes of the research studies on either indoor (simulator-based) or outdoor (field-based) PV soiling have been thoroughly reviewed. Different parameters depicted for the power loss of PV modules are analyzed individually and presented. Moreover, this study delves into a detailed examination of the key factors influencing dust depositions on PV modules in various geographical regions, with a particular focus on their relationship with climatic conditions. This way, probable future research directions to quantify soiling losses are identified. In addition, different loss prevention and mitigation techniques are also reviewed. This makes it possible to highlight effective strategies and pinpoint potential future research lines in these areas.

Emerging evidence demonstrated that using a new manufacturing technology to produce γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-fortified oolong (GO) tea could relieve human stress and exert versatile physiological benefits. The purpose of this human research aims to investigate therapeutic effects of daily GO tea consumption on the improvement of blood pressure, relaxation-related brain waves and quality of life (QOL) during a period of 28 consecutive days. Total polyphenols, major catechins and free amino acids were analyzed via HPLC assay. Changes of heart rate, blood pressure, α-brain wave (index of relaxation) and eight-item QOL score were investigated on day 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28, respectively. The chemical analysis results showed that GO tea contained the most abundant amino acids and GABA, contributing to the relaxation activity. Among all study participants, daily drinking GO tea could reduce systolic blood pressure on day 21 and diastolic blood pressure on day 28 (p < 0.05, respectively). For participants with pre-hypertension, GO tea could effectively reduce heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure on day 28 (p < 0.05). At the end of the study, incremental changes in alpha-brain wave and QOL scores were also demonstrated (p < 0.05, respectively). This study recommended that GO tea might potentially serve as a natural source of alternative therapy to benefit blood pressure, stress-relief and QOL.

The paper presents the results of modeling the problem of injecting liquid sulfur dioxide into a porous reservoir initially saturated with methane and ice. The model presented in the paper assumes the formation of three different regions, namely, the near one, saturated with liquid SO2 and its hydrate; the far one, containing methane and ice, and the intermediate one, saturated with methane and water. The effects of various parameters of the porous medium and injected SO2 on the nature of the course of the hydrate formation process have been studied. It is shown that with a decrease in reservoir permeability or injection pressure, the length of the intermediate region decreases, which in the limiting case means the formation of SO2 hydrate in the mode without the formation of an extended region saturated with methane and water. It is shown that such a regime is also typical for the case of high initial injection pressures, as well as low values of the initial reservoir temperature and injection temperature.

Surimi consists in a technique for concentrating myofibrillar proteins with gelling ability, which aims to make use of by-products from fish slaughter, such as bullfrog back, which can be basis for the manufacture of emulsified products. Due to the strategic need to develop clean label foods, products such as collagen have been reported as potential natural additives with bioactive properties. The objective was to elaborate a surimi from the mechanically separated bullfrog back and to develop an emulsion, replacing the soy lecithin used by hydrolyzed collagen, evaluating its emulsifying and antioxidant potential during 120 days of storage under freezing. Three meat emulsions were prepared: EC0 (100% soy lecithin), EC50 (50% soy lecithin + 50% collagen), and EC100 (100% collagen), which were subjected to analysis of chemical composition, emulsion stability, water holding capacity, luminosity, whiteness, texture profile, TBARS and antioxidant activity. Insertion of collagen increased whiteness, lightness, hardness, and chewiness values compared to the EC0, but showed greater fluid loss. All treatments showed stable WHC values (88 – 91%) over time. Replacement with collagen was satisfactory as an emulsifier and as an antioxidant, and the EC50 and EC100 treatments were not negatively affected in the investigated parameters.

Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is one of the main pests of soybean. Egg parasitoids such as Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) can be highly effective in attacking E. heros eggs, preventing the establishment at levels of economic damage. This study evaluated two re-lease methods of T. podisi in soybean. The treatments compared results from release of T. podisi adults fed with honey in cardboard capsules and the release of pupae in bulk. Four aerial releas-es per area were carried out via drone (7,500 females/ha) distributed at 10 points. The population density of E. heros, productivity and reproductive aspects of soybean were evaluated. Total pop-ulation of E. heros was lower in adult release treatment and male population was lower with pupae release. Thousand grain weight had higher values in fed adults treatments compared to release of pupae and control. Number of damage grains was lower in both release treatments compared with the control area. Therefore, the use of biological control with inundative release of T. podisi, regardless of the release method, is recommended within IPM programs, supporting production parameters and benefiting the sustainability of the agroecosystem.

This work aims to investigate systematically the tecno-economic feasibility of ther-mos-catalytic cracking process for two solid waste materials, a lipid-base material (re-sidual fat/scum from retention box of the University Restaurant of UFPA) and a lig-nin-cellulosic material Açaí seed (Euterpe oleracea. Mart). The thermo-catalytic process-es were carried out in pilot scale (THERMTEK/LEQ/UFPA/IME/RJ), and their economic feasibility analyzed. The yields of biofuels produced by fractional distillation were al-so studied. The physicochemical characteristics of the raw materials, the organic liquid product (bio-oil) and the chemical composition of kerosene, light-diesel and heavy-diesel from the lipid-base material, as well as those of kerosene and light-diesel from the Açaí seed were also determined. The economic indicators for the evaluation of the most viable cracking (pyrolysis) and distillation process of bio-oils were: a) the sim-ple payback criterion, b) discounted payback, c) net present value (NPV), d) internal rate of return (IRR), and e) index of profitability (IP). The analysis of the indicators showed the economic viability of crude palm oil (Elaeis guineensis, Jacq) and unfeasibil-ity for the palm oil neutralization. The minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) obtained is this work for the biofuels was of 1.34 US$/L) and the breakeven point obtained was of 1.28 US$/L. The sensibility analysis demonstrated that the pyrolysis and distillation yields are the most important variables to affect the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP).

Shock waves, as used in medicine, can induce cell permeabilization, genetically transforming filamentous fungi; however, little is known on the interaction of shock waves with the cell wall. Because of this, the selection of parameters has been empirical. We studied the influence of shock waves on the germination of Aspergillus niger, to understand their effect on the modulation of four genes related to the growth of conidia. Parameters were varied in the range reported in protocols for genetic transformation. Vials containing conidia in suspension were exposed to either 50, 100 or 200 single-pulse or tandem shock waves, with different peak pressures (approximately 42, 66 and 83 MPa). In the tandem mode, three delays were tested. To equalize the total energy, the number of tandem “events” was halved compared to the number of single-pulse shock waves. Our results demonstrate that shock waves do not generate severe cellular effects on the viability and germination of A. niger conidia. Nevertheless, increase in the aggressiveness of the treatment induced a modification in the four genes tested. Scanning electron microscopy revealed significant changes to the cell wall of the conidia. Under optimized conditions, shock waves could be used for several biotechnological applications, surpassing conventional techniques.

This study was undertaken to forecast waste generation rates of accommodation sector of North Cyprus as a case. Three predictor models including multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural networks (ANNs) and central composite design (CCD) were applied to predict the waste generation rate during the lean and peak seasons. ANN showed highest prediction performance, specifically, lowest values of the standard error of prediction (SEP = 2.153), mean absolute error (MAE=1.378) and highest R2 value (0.998) confirmed the accuracy of the model. The analysed wastes were categorised into recyclable, general waste and food residues. The authors estimated the total waste generated during the lean season as 2010.5 kg/day, in which large-sized hotel accounted for largest fraction (66.7%), followed by the medium hotels (19.4%) and guesthouse accounted for smallest part (2.6%). During the peak season, about 49.6% increases in the waste generation rates were obtained. Interestingly, 45% of the wastes were generated by the British tourists while the least waste was generated by African tourists (7.5%). The ANN predicted that the small and large hotels would produce 5.45 and 22.24 tons of waste by the year 2020, respectively. The findings herein are promising and useful in establishing a sustainable waste management system.

Resides derived from liquefaction of oil palm trunk in the presence of polyhydric alcohol with different liquefaction temperature and time were characterized to provide a new approach to understand some fundamental aspects of the liquefaction reaction. Higher temperature and longer reaction time resulted in lower residue content, indicating more decomposition of components of oil palm trunk. The amorphous polymer comprised of lignin, hemicellulose, starch, and cellulose with non-crystalline structure are firstly degraded at low liquefaction temperature, followed by the decomposition of crystalline region of cellulose. Although it was relatively difficult to destroy the ordered structure of cellulose, most of them could be liquefied via prolonging reaction time or enhancing reaction temperature. Nevertheless, it was found that re-condensation of liquefied products occurred during the liquefaction process when higher temperature of 180 oC was used after 60 min, leading to the gradual increase of residue content with increase of reaction time.

The present research project entitled "Development of a method for predicting the optimal maturity level of avocado using machine learning" aims to establish an accurate and efficient approach to assess the maturity of avocados using machine learning methodologies. This research specifically focuses on identifying the relevant physical and chemical characteristics of avocados, creating a dataset containing categorized images of maturity levels, and creating machine learning models capable of accurately predicting fruit maturity. The studies reveal that the application of machine learning, in particular convolutional neural networks and multisensor models, has the potential to transform the prediction of avocado maturity and thus improve product quality and customer satisfaction. The findings indicate that the proposed techniques achieve an accuracy rate of over 90%, demonstrating their viability for integration into mobile applications that can benefit growers and suppliers in their decision-making processes.

In this work, to gain a complete understanding of quark color theory in the framework of complex octonionic space, we have derived the relationship between octonions and the SU(3)c color group. With the help of Feynman diagrams, we examined the octonionic interaction of color quarks (such as quark-quark, quark anti-quark, and anti-quarks anti-quarks interactions). For the interactions, we have obtained the octonion algebraic form of the interaction term, propagator, vertex factor, and color factor.

The purpose of this study was to 1) examine the impact of various types of heat processing used by consumers (water bath cooking WBC, oven convection roasting OCR, grilling G, pan frying PF) on the selenium content and its retention in goose breast meat (with and without skin); 2) Estimation of coverage of this element's daily requirement in adults after consuming 100 g of goose breast meat. The material used in the study comprised 36 breast muscles cut from carcasses of 17-week-old White Koluda geese. The moisture, ash, and selenium were determined in both raw and thermally processed muscles. It has been concluded that various methods of heat processing significantly impact cooking loss, moisture, ash and selenium content of meat. The heat processing increased the selenium content of the muscle regardless of the presence of skin, which affects the possibility of covering adults' Nutrient Reference Values-Requirements (NRV-R) for this element in the range of 33.3-44.8%. Goose breast meat can be a valuable component of a diversified diet. It provides many nutrients. It is also a safe source of selenium. It is unlikely that adult consumers, even those who eat goose regularly, will exceed this element's upper tolerable intake level.

Emerging zoonotic diseases are one of the main threats to human and animal health and among the agents with the potential for zoonoses, those of bacterial origin have great relevance in Public Health. Rodents are considered one of the main reservoirs of pathogens that represent a risk to human health or animal species. In this study, we used massive 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing and microbial community ecology analyses to survey bacteria present in the spleen of six species of rodents in Panama, in order to identify bacterial taxa with zoonotic potential in the country. We found 3,352 bacterial Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs i.e. phylogenetic species) in the spleen of six rodents species surveyed (Liomys adspersus, Melanomys caliginosus, Mus musculus, Proechimys semispinosus, Rattus rattus, Zygodontomys brevicauda). This bacterial community was represented by 25 phyla, 55 classes, 140 orders, 268 families, and 508 genera. The three predominant phyla were Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria and the five predominant classes were Actinobacteria, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, and Clostridia. The high abundance genera were seven: Acinetobacter, Bartonella, Cutibacterium, Enterococcus, Sarcina, Staphylococcus, and Wolbachia. Genera found with less abundance included Bradyrhizobium, Chryseobacterium, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Lactobacillus, Pseudonocardia, Rhodococcus, and Sphingomonas. Some of these genera (high or low abundance) have clinical importance. Overall, this study contributes to generating information on the potential of different species of rodents as reservoirs of bacterial zoonosis in Panama.

This paper focuses on the data-driven evaluation ski resorts, employing the attractiveness index. Unlike similar studies, this research concentrates on smaller resorts essential for local economies. Input data acquired through meta-analysis offers insights into skier preferences, combining information from various sources, including volunteered geographic information (VGI). Employing a geographic information system (GIS), the study addresses pertinent questions regarding over-tourism, regional resort ratings, and spatial patterns, providing a foundation for sustainable development in alpine regions. As the case study, the evaluation of 40 regional ski resorts in Austria is introduced.

In the food industry, Listeria is a standard control microorganism in ready-to-eat food since it may be pathogenic and cause a disease called listeriosis. The objective of the present study was to carry out a challenge test to verify the efficiency of different combinations of natural antimicrobial ingredients, against Listeria monocytogenes, to be used in ready-to-eat foods. Six different formulations of cooked ham were elaborated: a control, and five different formulations. An initial inoculation of 2 log cycles was used in the different products and the growth of Listeria was monitored at different temperatures and times (4° C for 17 w; 7ºC for 12 w). Control samples showed a progressive growth, reaching 5-6 log after 3 or 4 weeks. The rest of samples showed constant counts of Listeria during the all study. Only samples containing: 100 ppm nitrite + 250 PPM ascorbic acid+0,7% PRS DV-5 did not control the growth of Listeria at 7 ° C after 7 w of storage. The results obtained allowed to classified the cooked ham elaborated using any natural ingredients combinations as a “Ready-to-eat food unable to support the growth of L. monocytogenes other than those intended for infants and for special medical purposes”.

Due to climate change, the sugar content of grapes in Hungary has increased so the high alcohol content alone can make wines disharmonious. In most vintages, this phenomenon is only a problem for early-ripening varieties. In order to prevent and treat this difficulty, we have been carrying out experiments in grape canopy management for four years with the aim of delaying ripening and thus reducing the sugar content of the grapes. The experiments were set up on an early (Pinot noir) and a late (Welshriesling) variety; two treatments (leaf re-moval - LR and short topping - ST) were applied and compared to untreated control in the years 2019-2022. Our results showed that must sugar yield was significantly reduced in all four years and for both of cultivars, while the other measured parameters (yield, acidity, pH, Botrytis infection) were not or lightly affected.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), defines as an idiopathic, chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract and leading to chronic damage. Endoscopy with biopsies is considered the gold standard for IBD diagnosis, whereas magnetic resonance (MRI) for CD extension and complication assess-ment. However, the latter are invasive procedures; thus, the need for a reliable, accessible and noninvasive way to perform IBD diagnosis and monitoring in the tight control era, like intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is. Compared to endoscopy and MRI, IUS has shown reliable diagnostic accuracy in assessing CD and UC severity and extension. Performing IUS in a point-of-care setting (POCIUS) can guide the clinician in driving the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway, thus accel-erating clinical decisions. POCIUS performed with pocket devices can represent the future of physical examination in outpatient or inpatient examination. Accordingly, we performed a liter-ature review about the application of IUS in CD and UC diagnosis. Furthermore, we explored the technical aspects of this imaging technique and its application in a point-of-care setting.

Unsmooth reversing is one of the most common faults in the four-way reversing valve of air conditioning system, and the airflow in the valve chamber and the shape of the slider of the reversing valve are the main factors in unsmooth reversing. In order to study the influence of the airflow in the chamber and the slider shape on the reversing process, the fluid flow in the valve chamber of a four-way reversing valve is obtained using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and the influence of slider structure on slider thrust and resistance of the four-way reversing valve is analyzed. Four-way reversing valves with no-cutting, straight-cutting and arc-cutting sliders are employed to evaluate the reversing characteristics. A pressure measuring device for a four-way reversing valve chamber is designed, which is performed to test the chamber pressure of three different types of sliders of four-way reversing valves. The maximum error of experimental tests and simulations is within 5% of engineering tolerance, so as to verify the reliability of numerical simulation. The results indicate that the chamber pressure and resistance-thrust ratio with the cutting slider are reduced, which is beneficial to the reversing of the four-way reversing valve. Compared with the straight cutting structure, the arc cutting slider four-way reversing valve has a more stable reversing process and better comprehensive reversing performance. The results can provide a theoretical basis for engineers to improve the performance of four-way reversing valves.

This article presents an experimental approach to fatigue testing of cableway gondolas, carried out in accordance with the EN 13796-3 standard. Due to the limitations of the aforementioned regulations and the lack of clarity in their content, when designing and conducting fatigue tests of gondolas, there is a need to find solutions that meet the normative requirements, while ensuring the cost-effectiveness of the tests. The work presents the method of loading, receiving the degrees of freedom, the methodology of gondola strength verification, and additional suggestions allowing for the satisfactory preparation of a plan of fatigue tests and their implementation. The paper shows problems and ways to solve it, what may occur during cableway gondolas fatigue test design. The research object is a 6-seater gondola designed by TRANSSYSTEM S.A. with its registered office in Wola Dalsza (Poland).

A high-voltage transmission tower consists of structures to avoid the risk of electric shock and to prevent the risk of collapse. Hence, towers are generally designed to be high-rise for efficiency. The main posts of the tower are primary structural members that resist loads under various load conditions. Therefore, the contribution of the secondary member to securing the stiffness and strength of the main posts by reducing the effective buckling length is important. However, there are no detailed design criteria for secondary members. In this study, the structural effects of horizontal members and braces on the torsional stiffness, elastic buckling strength, and load-carrying capacity of transmission towers were observed through various structural analysis methods including linear-elastic, eigenvalue, and geometric nonlinear and inelastic analyses under governing load combinations. According to the analytical study, rather than the horizontal members, the brace spacing significantly affects the structural performance. Therefore, the number of horizontal members can be minimized if sufficient brace members are erected. If the brace spacing is wide, it is recommended that the horizontal members be erected to create K bracing, and the buckling resistance of the main posts can be thus enhanced.

In contrast to the traditional fillers, clay, in particular, natural smectite clay represents an environmentally significant alternative to improve the properties of polymers. Compared to con-ventional nanofillers, smectite clay can effectively enhance the physical and mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites with a relatively small amount of addition (< 5 wt%). The present study focuses on investigating the reinforcing efficiency of different amounts (up to 5 wt%) of a natural Brazilian smectite clay on the mechanical and thermal properties of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) nanocomposites. Natural Brazilian clay modified by addition of quaternary salt and sodium carbonate (MBClay) was infused into the PBT polymer by melt extrusion, using a twin-screw extruder. It was found that the best properties for PBT were obtained at 3.7 wt% of modified BClay. Tensile strength at break exhibited an increase of about 60 %, flexural strength increased by 24 % and flexural modulus increased by 17 %. In addition, an increase in the crystallinity percentage of PBT/BClay nanocomposite was confirmed by DSC and XRD analysis, and a gain of about 45 % in HDT was successfully achieved due to incorporation of 3.7 wt% of MBClay.

This study examined the relationship among the three domains of executive function (EF; cognitive shifting, inhibitory control, and working memory) to test the applicability of the unity-diversity model in preschoolers using both behavioral and fNIRS approaches. Altogether 58 Chinese preschoolers (34 boys, 24 girls, Mage = 5.86 years, SD = 0.53, Age range = 4.83-6.67 years) were administered the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS), go/no-go, and missing scan task. Their brain activations in the prefrontal cortex during the tasks were examined using fNIRS. First, the behavioral results indicated that the missing scan task scores (working memory) correlated with the DCCS (cognitive shifting) and go/no-go tasks (inhibitory control). But the latter two did not correlate with each other. Second, the fNIRS results demonstrated that the prefrontal activations during the working memory task correlated with those in the same regions during the cognitive shifting and inhibitory control tasks. Still, the latter two did not correlate. The behavioral and neuroimaging evidence jointly indicates that the unity-diversity model of EF does apply to Chinese preschoolers.

The synthesis of additives for thinning mineral suspensions based on sodium polyacrylate was carried out. The effect of molecular weight regulators on the molecular weight characteristics of the polymer and the effect of such polymers on the rheological properties of suspensions was studied. Sodium acrylate polymers are synthesized by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution using molecular weight regulators. The molecular weight characteristics of the polymeric samples were estimated by viscometry using Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada (MHKS) equation. Synthesized polymers were used as thinners ceramic slurries, prepared according to the recipe of the enterprises producing ceramic products. The thinning ability of polymer samples with different molecular weights was estimated using an Engler viscometer from the time of the ceramic slurry flow. The influence of the type and amount molecular weight regulator on polyacryates was revealed. It was found that molecular weight synthesized samples was in the range of 21000 - 91000. It was determined that samples with a molecular weight of 28000 - 35000 synthesized using mercaptoethanol (at a dosage of 0.5-1.5% by weight of the monomer) provide optimal fluidity to the ceramic slurry.

In this paper, we have analysed the level of advancement in circular economy (CE) in the EU-28 countries. Firstly, we used a synthetic measure to examine CE advancement in EU countries in each of the Eurostat CE distinguished areas, i.e. production and consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials, and competitiveness and innovation. For the empirical analysis, we applied 17 Eurostat indicators to the CE areas. To find the synthetic measure in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016, we used multidimensional comparative analysis, i.e. a zero unitarisation method. Secondly, based on the synthetic measures of the CE areas, we created a general synthetic measure of the CE advancement of the EU-28 countries as well as the countries’ rankings. Thirdly, we classified the countries into groups according to their level of advancement in CE, i.e. high level, medium-high level, medium-low level, and low level groups. Finally, we applied a similarity measure to evaluate the correlation between obtained rankings in two most extreme moments in the period of analysis (2010, 2016). Our analysis covers all EU member states, as well as "old" and "new" EU countries separately. Our results confirm that highly developed Benelux countries, i.e. Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium, have the highest CE advancement level. Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, and Greece are the least advanced in CE practice. Apart from that, on average, there is some progress in CE implementation, significant disproportions between the EU countries were observed, especially among the "new" member states.

The use of bacteriophage is reemerging as a tool for combatting multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. In our previous study, we showed that colistin resistant carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (ColR-CRKP) is more susceptible to killing by lytic tailed phages, including ФNJS1 specific for nonmucoid K. pneumoniae. Although we demonstrated that alteration on surface charges of ColR-CRKP promotes phage adherence and infection, the receptor for ФNJS1 was still unknown. In current study, we identified O-antigen was involved in the reversible adsorption, and outer membrane protein (OMP) FepA may be served as one of the irreversible receptors for ФNJS1. We firstly found accelerated reversible phage adsorption to ColR-CRKP cells, and that periodate treatment of bacteria inhibited the phage binding, indicating LPS may be involved in phage reversible adsorption. ФNJS1-resistant bacterial mutants screening revealed that mutants in ∆wecG(mTn5) and ∆wecA(mTn5), two genes responsible for LPS biosynthesis, affected phage adsorption capacity and phage infectivity. The loss of wzyE encoding O-antigen polymerase showed no significant difference in phage adsorption but increased phage infectivity, suggesting the long chain length of O-antigen may also be a barrier for bacteriophage infection. Among four OMP mutants including ∆fepA, ∆fhuA, ∆ompA and ∆ompC, only ∆fepA slowed phage lysis rate, suggesting FepA may be as one of irreversible receptors for ФNJS1. The results are helpful to better understand why ColR-CRKP sensitizes phage infection and to combat multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae infections in the future.

Imperial rule in the Indian sub-continent led to the construction of several European styled churches in the late 19th and early 20th century. St. John in Wilderness, built in 1852 in Mcleod Ganj, and Christ Church built in 1857 in Shimla, are examples of the symposium of extensive natural richness and architectural imperialism carried under the name of ‘The Gothic Revival’. This paper presents a biophilic analysis of these two 19th century churches along with the responses from 238 visitors recorded on the perceived restorativeness scale’s four contributing factors Being Away, Fascination, Extent and Compatibility, to understand the relationship between the human perception of architecture and nature. The study concludes that St. John in Wilderness due to its close connection with nature has greater Perceived Restorativeness in comparison to the Christ Church. The contributing factors of high restorative quality are identified and highlighted so that improved design guidelines for religious buildings can be prepared for future references.

The use of the LMD technology as a manufacturing and repairing technique in industrial sectors like the die and mold and aerospace is increasing within the last decades. Research carried out in the field of LMD process situates argon as the most usual inert gas, followed by nitrogen. Some leading companies have started to use helium and argon as carrier and shielding gas, respectively. There is therefore a pressing need to know how the use of different gases may affect the LMD process due to there is a lack of knowledge with regard to gas mixtures. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the influence of a mixture of argon and helium on the LMD process by analyzing single tracks of deposited material. For this purpose, special attention is paid to the melt pool temperature, as well as to the characterization of the deposited clads. The increment of helium concentration in the gases of the LMD processes based on argon will have three effects. The first one is a slightly reduction of the height of the clads. Second, an increase of the temperature of the melt pool. Last, smaller wet angles are obtained for higher helium concentrations.

Background: To investigate the distribution of refractive errors and their characteristics in older adults. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional study. A total of 1107 men and women were interviewed and underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations, 998 subjects underwent refraction. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent (SER) refraction ≤ −0.5 dioptres (D) and hyperopia was defined as SER ≥ +0.5 dioptres (D). Results: Among those who were refracted the distribution of myopia and hyperopia was 24.1% (95% CI 21.4–26.7) and 37.5% (95% CI 34.5–40.5), respectively. Myopia decreased from 28.7% in subjects aged 35-59 years to 19.3% in those aged 60 years or older and hyperopia increased from 21.8% at 35–59 years of age to 53.3% in subjects aged ≥60 years. Multiple regression analysis showed decreasing age (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–1.00), female gender (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.18–2.95) and presence of cataract (OR 2.40 , 95% CI 1.24–4.63) were independent risk factors associated with myopia. Conclusions: The distribution of refractive errors found in our study is similar to those reported in other Caucasian populations and differs from Asian populations. Myopia was positively associated with younger age, female gender and presence of cataract.

Artificial intelligence algorithms have gained widespread adoption in the field of air conditioning load prediction. However, their prediction accuracy is substantially influenced by the quality of training samples. Training samples that lack relevance to the predicted moments can introduce interference into the neural network's learning process, potentially leading to a state of local convergence during its iterative process. This, in turn, diminishes the robustness and generalization capabilities of the prediction model. To enhance the prediction accuracy of air conditioning load prediction models based on artificial intelligence algorithms, this study presents an artificial intelligence algorithm prediction model based on the method of sample similarity sample screening. Initially, the comprehensive similarity coefficient between samples is computed using the gray correlation analysis method, enriched with enhancements in information entropy. Subsequently, a subset of closely related samples is extracted from the original dataset and employed as the training dataset for the artificial intelligence prediction model. Finally, the trained artificial intelligence algorithm prediction model is deployed for air conditioning load prediction. The results illustrate that the method of screening training samples based on sample similarity effectively improves the prediction accuracy of BP neural network (BPNN) and extreme learning machine (ELM) prediction models. However, it is important to note that this approach may not be suitable for genetic algorithm BPNN (GABPNN) and support vector regression (SVR) models.

Education on native tree species using indigenous knowledge systems is crucial in elementary school environmental education because it sensitizes learners on the significant roles played by the native trees and their interconnections with their culture and existence. Unfortunately in Ghana, there is no pedagogical model that would aid elementary school teachers in carrying out such education.This study was aimed at developing, implementing and evaluating an indigenous knowledge inspired pedagogical model for native tree education among elementary school learners in Ghana. The convergent parallel mixed methods design that aimed at collecting quantitative and qualitative datasets on the development and evaluation of the developed pedagogical model. The results show that the pedagogical model was deemed very satisfactory in all its aspects for native tree education among elementary school learners in Ghana. The model was able to assist in developing the sustainability consciousness and competence of elementary school learners toward caring for native trees through tree planting, making of nurseries and gardens, and engaging in native tree conservation campaigns. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should adopt, improve and widely disseminate the pedagogical model and help in its broader implementation in various elementary schools across the country.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, arrived during the 2016/2017 cropping season in Limpopo, South Africa and it continues to cause devastating damage on maize in this region. The present study investigated knowledge, perception and management of S. frugiperda by smallholder farmers at Dzindi and Tshiombo irrigation schemes in this region. The study was conducted in 16 focus group discussion interviews, 12 at Dzindi and four at Tshiombo irrigation scheme. Although farmers failed to identify S. frugiperda eggs and pupal stages, they positively identified the pest by its larval stage and refer to it by several local names. All farmers relied extensively on insecticides for S. frugiperda control. With the exception of the Dzindi irrigation scheme farmers, who have adopted Bt maize, very few farmers have adopted alternative methods to chemical control such as mechanical control, physical control (crushing egg and handpicking of larvae), biological control, cultural practices (such as Push-Pull Technology), possible indigenous knowledge, or the use of monitoring tools, for the management of S. frugiperda. The study provided valuable information for designing sustainable management practices to control S. frugiperda on maize in smallholder farming communities.

The affinity constant, also known as the equilibrium constant, binding constant, equilibrium association constant, or the reciprocal value, the equilibrium dissociation constant (K_d), can be considered as one of the most important characteristics for any antibody-antigen pair. Many methods based on different technologies have been proposed and used to determine this value. However, since a very large number of publications and commercial datasheets do not include this information, significant obstacles in performing such measurements seem to exist. In other cases where such data are reported, the results have often proved to be unreliable. This situation may indicate that most of the technologies available today require a high level of expertise that does not seem to be available in many laboratories. In this paper, we present a simple approach based on standard immunoassay technology that is easy and quick to perform. It relies on the effect that the molar IC₅₀ approaches the K_d value in the case of infinitely small concentrations of the reagent concentrations. A two-dimensional dilution of the reagents leads to an asymptotic convergence to K_d. The approach has some similarity to the well-known checkerboard titration used for the optimization of immunoassays. A well-known antibody against the FLAG peptide, clone M2, was used as a model system and the results were compared with other methods. This approach could be used in any case where a competitive assay is available or can be developed. The determination of an affinity constant should belong to the crucial parameters in any quality control of antibody-related products and assays and should be mandatory in papers using immunochemical protocols.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in Taiwan, analytical tools of PEST (political, economic, social-cultural, and technological), SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, threat), nine building blocks of a business model canvas, and knowledge management were combined to develop a theoretical framework, and used to assess business, smart and sustainable management of two case companies: Tung Sheng Company Limited and its subsidiary, Strong Basic Enterprise Limited. A heuristic inquiry research design was adopted. In addition to secondary data from the two case companies, major top managers were interviewed to reveal constructive questions about the existing business models and to re-interpret strategy. The results showed that case companies own capabilities of R &amp; D (research and development) as a foundation to further apply new smart ICT (information and communication technology) and execute green manufacturing. Additionally, strong key partnerships are used to diversify business investment for leveraging on limited resources given current insufficient qualified employees. Resilient practices adopted new and green technology to help mitigate the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study provides a useful framework and practical information about how to examine business models, smart and sustainable management processes of the two case companies and to make adjustments in strategies for the future.

Previous studies investigated the effects of seed rates and seed recycling practices on the yield and yield related variables. However, higher yield does not always guarantee cost-efficiency. This study aimed at investigating the yield effects of plot-level seed rate along with the cost-benefit analysis of seed recycling practices. This study has introduced the dose-response model to the existing analytical methods used in analyzing the effect of different agrochemicals on crop yield. A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to select a total of 450 sample respondents. Data was gathered using a mix of data collection tools. Descriptive statistics along with the dose-response model have been applied for data analysis. Farmers of the study were found to be dissimilar in terms of their seed rate application. The dose-response analysis indicated that the highest average wheat yield has been associated with a seed rate of 50 kg ha-1 above what is recommended. The yield effect of seed recycling has also been assessed and a one-time seed recycling has caused a yield decline of 665 kg ha-1 as compared to the non-recycled seeds. The cost reduced by using recycled seed is by far lower than the economic gains associated with using unrecycled and fresh seeds. The cost-benefit analysis made clear that farmers can reduce their seed costs through seed recycling but their yields and net income can be best improved by using unrecycled CBWS. Thus, farmers must be encouraged to make use of unrecycled seed by establishing agricultural credit schemes geared towards seed procurement and seed price subsidy as key strategies to reduce economically wasteful seed recycling practices.

In this paper, the nanoscale dissipative mechanisms of a Cu pad in a Ball Grid Array (BGA) packaging structure during isothermal ageing and uniaxial tension were investigated by the molecular dynamics (MD) method and experiments. From the result of the isothermal ageing test, a nonuniform consumption of Cu and large amount of Kirkendall voids were observed at the interface of Cu and Cu₃Sn. To study the effect of pressure and orientation on this phenomenon, MD simulations were conducted on four types of Cu-Cu₃Sn interface structures with different orientations of Cu. By comparing the diffusion coefficients of atoms in those cases, it was found that the tensile stress would inhibit the diffusion of atoms, whereas compressive stress would accelerate it, and this would be more significant under a larger magnitude of stress and temperature. Note that, in the model with the (101) surface Cu at the interface, both Cu and Cu₃Sn have a higher diffusion coefficient compared with the model with (001) surface Cu. Thus, the orientation of Cu will also contribute to the uniform consumption of the pad. Uniaxial tension simulation combined with DXA and CSP analyses on those models also shows the model with (001) surface Cu has a greater mechanical reliability in our simulations and related experiments.

Chestnut is an interesting productive alternative for farmers in Southern Chile. However, cli-matic variability with the occurrence of late spring and early summer frost have cause damages on young trees. Glycine‒betaine (GB) spraying on shoots of sensitive chestnut induce an increase in tolerance during subsequent chilling stress. Experiment was performed on three years-old trees (cultivar Cittá di Castello) conducted in a leader training system and sprayed with com-mercial GB (120 g hL‒1). In summer trees treated with GB showed a better recovery after the frost (‒2.34°C) occurrence for 3.5 h compared to the control. Whereas trees obtained a 28% greater growth of central axis than untreated control (January). The trunk diameter measured in January showed the highest value under GB (27.2mm) compared with the control (25.7 mm). The GB ap-plication increased by 50 and 47% highest fresh and dry weight respectively in leaves. Under GB trees reached a 28% higher net photosynthesis (AN) compared to the AN in control (11.93 µmol CO2 m‒2 s‒1). Moreover, achieved higher stomatal conductance and transpiration rate was 44 and 31% with GB compared to control trees respectively. Antioxidant performance was differentially affected by GB activating non-enzymatic mechanisms and caused a reduced lipid peroxidation. Glycine‒Betaine has become as an interesting agronomic tool that aimed to increase tolerance to environmental stresses such as low temperatures that cause damage to herbaceous shoots and leaves in young chestnut trees.

Births occurring before thirty-seven weeks of gestation are referred to as preterm births (PTBs), which is the primary cause of neonatal mortality and long-term disabilities. The unknown mechanism behind PTB makes diagnosis difficult, yet early detection is necessary for controlling and averting related consequences. The primary focus of this work is to provide an overview of the known risk factors associated with preterm labor and the conventional and advanced procedures for early detection of PTB, including multi-omics and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)-based approaches. It also discusses the principles of detecting various proteomic biomarkers based on lateral flow immunoassay and microfluidic chips, along with the commercially available point-of-care testing (POCT) devices and associated challenges. After briefing the therapeutic and preventive measures of PTB, the review summarizes with an outlook.

Silica nanoparticles synthesized solely from organosilanes naturally possess a greater number of organic functionalities than silica nanoparticles surface modified with organosilanes. We report the synthesis of organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) nanoparticles with mesoporous and surface rough morphology and with high surface area, made solely from vinyltrimethoxy silane. We chemically modified these vinyl silica nanoparticles using bromination and hydroboration, and demonstrated the high accessibility and reactivity of the vinyl groups with an ~85% conversion of the functional groups for bromination of both particle types, a ~60% conversion of the functional groups for hydroboration of surface rough particles and a 90% conversion of the functional groups for hydroboration of mesoporous particles. We determined that the mesoporous vinyl silica nanopar-ticles, while having a surface area that lies between the non-porous and surface rough vinyl silica nanoparticles, provide the greatest accessibility to the vinyl groups for boronation and allow in-corporating up to 3.1 × 106 B atoms per particle, making the resulting materials attractive for boron neutron capture therapy.

Agriculture uses a lot of fuel, fertilizers, pesticides and other substances, while emitting large amounts of GHGs. It is important to optimize these inputs and outputs. One such way is increas-ing crop biodiversity. For this reason, single crops and mixtures of maize, hemp and faba bean as binary and ternary crops were investigated at the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus Uni-versity, Lithuania. Results showed that consumption of diesel fuel was by the 31-46% higher than in single and 22-35% higher than in binary cultivations was found in a ternary crop. This influenced on the highest energy input or near twice higher than in maize and hemp single crops and maize+hemp binary crop, but similar with binary crops with faba bean. Despite this, the productivity of the trinary crop and, at the same time, the energy output were 2-5 times higher than in other treat-ments. This compensated for higher energy inputs and the energy efficiency ratio. In ternary crop, energy productivity was from 1.1 to 2.8 times higher and net energy was by 1.9-5.3 times higher than in other tested cultivations. The highest total GHG emissions were obtained in binary maize+hemp and maize+faba bean cultivations (1729.84 and 2067.33 CO2eq ha-1). Ternary cultiva-tion with the highest energy inputs initiated average GHG emission - 1541.90 kg ha-1 CO2eq. For higher efficiency, ternary crop could be sown and harvested in one machine pass. Faba beans should be included in the ter-nary crops, as their biomass takes a significant part of the total biomass produced. We recommend to review the inter-cropped faba bean seeding rates as faba bean seeds have a high energy input equivalent.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by recurrent erythema, flushing, telangiectasia, papules, pustules, and phymatous changes in the central area of the face. Patients with this condition often experience a significant negative impact on their quality of life, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Despite its prevalence, the pathogenesis of rosacea is not yet fully understood. Recent research advances are reshaping our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of rosacea, and treatment options based on the pathophysiological perspective hold promise to improve patient outcomes and reduce incidence. In this comprehensive review, we investigate the pathogenesis of rosacea in-depth, with a focus on emerging and novel mechanisms, and provide an up-to-date overview of therapeutic strategies that target the diverse pathogenic mechanisms of rosacea. Lastly, we discuss potential future research directions aimed at enhancing our understanding of the condition and developing effective treatments.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) affect millions of people worldwide, and to date Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are the most common NDs. The risk of developing NDs increases dra-matically with age, and genetic and environmental factors can be crucial in their progression. The main feature of NDs is the abnormal presence of specific proteins that can lead to neuronal death, proteotoxic stress, and alteration of catabolic systems, which are major players in the processes of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. Despite research efforts to date, the therapies cur-rently in use for the treatment of NDs provide marginal therapeutic benefit, so the focus is now being direct toward the search of natural products that could be a valuable aid in combating these diseases, including the natural compound Andrographis paniculata (Ap) and especially its main constituent Andrographolide (Andro). Preclinical studies have shown that the aqueous extract of Ap is capable to modulate neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative responses, determining a reduction in inflammatory markers and oxidative stress in various NDs. Therefore, in this review we will focus on the molecular mechanisms through which Ap and Andro are able to modulate the processes of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation that are major causes of neuronal death and cognitive decline.

Accurate detection and quantification of regional vegetation trends is essential for understanding the dynamics of landscape ecology and vegetation distribution. We applied a comprehensive trend analysis to satellite data to describe geo-spatial changes in vegetation along the Pacific slope of Peru and northern Chile, from sea level to the continental divide, a region characterised by biologically unique and highly sensitive arid and semi-arid environments. Our statistical analyses show broad regional patterns of positive trends in EVI, called “greening” alongside patterns of “browning” where trends are negative between 2000 and 2020. The coastal plain and foothills, up 1000m, contain notable greening of the coastal Lomas and newly irrigated agricultural lands occurring alongside browning trends related to changes in land use practices and urban development. Strikingly, the precordilleras show a distinct ’greening strip’ which extends from approximately 6°S to 22°S, with an altitudinal trend; ascending from the tropical lowlands (170-780 m) in northern Peru, to the subtropics (1000-2800 m) in central Peru, and temperate zone (2600-4300 m) in southern Peru and northern Chile. We find that the geographical characteristics of the greening strip do not match climate zones previously established by Köppen and Geiger. Greening and browning trends in the coastal deserts and the high Andes lie within well defined climatic and life zones, producing variable but identifiable trends. However, the distinct Pacific slope greening presents an unexpected distribution with respect to the regional Köppen-Geiger climate and life zones. This work provides insights on understanding the effects of climate change on Peru’s diverse ecosystems in highly sensitive, biologically rich arid and semi-arid environments on the Pacific slope.

Corals are an important habitat for a diverse fauna which is especially rich in branching species. Each colony harbors several species and dozens of individuals forming an integrated symbiotic community. Factors affecting the diversity and abundance of coral symbionts are poorly understood. The present study tested experimentally the relationship between the population density of coral Pocillopora verrucosa and the diversity and abundance of symbionts in planted coral fragments exposed during three months. Colony size and bleaching were also considered as two additional factors. We demonstrated that even at the early stage of the colonies’ formation, the diversity of obligate symbiontson on these corals was higher than in any other studied local faunas of the World Ocean.Species richness and abundance of symbionts were positively related to colony size and density, while no impact of bleaching was found. Species richness and abundance of obligate symbionts increased along with the host population density, while in facultative symbionts, these indexes decreased. We hypothesized that the negative effect of the host density on species richness and abundance of facultative symbionts is caused by the competitive pressure of obligates, which increases with their abundance. Reasons for the different responses of obligate and facultative symbionts to host density were considered.

Over recent decades, therapeutic proteins have had widespread success in treating a myriad of diseases. Glycosylation, a near universal feature of this class of drugs, is a critical quality attribute that significantly influences the physical properties, safety profile and biological activity of therapeutic proteins. Optimizing protein glycosylation, therefore, offers an important avenue to developing more efficacious therapies. In this review, we discuss specific examples of how variations in glycan structure and glycoengineering impacts the stability, safety, and clinical efficacy of protein-based drugs that are already in the market as well as those that are still in preclinical development. We also highlight the impact of glycosylation on next generation biologics such as T cell-based cancer therapy and gene therapy.

Taking a DNA-sequence, a word with letters/bases A, T, G and C, as the relation between the generators of an infinite group $\pi$, one can discriminate two important families: (i) the cardinality structure for conjugacy classes of subgroups of $\pi$ is that of a free group on $1$ to $4$ bases and the DNA word, viewed as a substitution sequence, is aperiodic. (ii) The cardinality structure for conjugacy classes of subgroups of $\pi$ is not that of a free group, the sequence is generally not aperiodic and topological properties of $\pi$ have to be determined differently. The two cases rely on DNA conformations such as A-DNA, B-DNA, Z-DNA, G-quadruplexes, etc. We found a few salient results: Z-DNA, when involved in transcription, replication and regulation in a healthy situation implies (i). The sequence of telomeric repeats comprising $3$ distinct bases, most of the time, satisfies (i). For $2$-base sequences in the free case (i) or non free case (ii), the topology of $\pi$ may be found in terms of the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety of $\pi$ and the attached algebraic surfaces. The linking of two unknotted curves --the Hopf link-- may occur in the topology of $\pi$ in cases of biological importance, in telomeres, G-quadruplexes, hairpins and junctions, a feature we already found in the context of models of topological quantum computing. For $3$- and $4$ base sequences, other knotting configurations are noticed and a building block of the topology is the $4$-punctured sphere. Our methods have the potential to discriminate potential diseases associated to the sequences.

Bees (Apoidea), the largest and most crucial radiation of pollinators, play a vital role in ecosystem balance. Transposons are widely distributed in nature and are important drivers of species diversity. However, transposons are rarely reported in important pollinators such as bees. Here, we surveyed 37 genomes in Apoidea, annotated the pogo and Tc1/mariner transposons in the genome of each species and performed a phylogenetic analysis to determine their overall distribution. The pogo and Tc1/mariner families showed high diversity and low abundance in the 37 species, and their proportion was significantly higher in solitary bees than in social bees. DD34D/mariner was found to be distributed in almost all species and was found in Apis mellifera, Apis mellifera carnica, Apis mellifera caucasica and Apis mellifera mellifera and Euglossa dilemma may still be active. Using horizontal transfer analysis, we found that DD30D/Tigger, DD33D/Tigger and DD34D/mariner may have experienced horizontal transfer events. The current study displayed the evolution profiles (including diversity, activity, and abundance) of the pogo and Tc1/mariner transposons across 37 species of Apoidea. Our data revealed their contributions to the genomic variations across these species and facilitated in understanding of the genome evolution of this lineage.

It remains poorly understood how the life history strategies and transmission ecologies of viruses of plants, arthropods, and vertebrates are interrelated. The present analysis hinges on the virus transmission success. Virus transmission reflects where in the host-body viruses are retained or replicating. Plants, arthropods, and vertebrates share a protective outer-layer, a circulatory system, and reproductive organs. The latter enables vertical virus transmission and associates with virus-host mutualism. Two broadly opposing virus life history strategies are considered. Acute viruses tend to be replicative and are swiftly transmitted to the next host. Instead, persistent viruses keep virus replicating costs and host damage to a minimum. The intertwined life histories and transmission ecologies are accordingly pieced together, based on the virus mono- or instead dual-host tropism, the location of virus retention or replication on or in the host-body, the presence of cyclical or mechanical transmission by arthropods, and of horizontal and vertical host-to-host transmission modes. It is shown that in the arthropod and in the vertebrate animal host, virus circulation in the hemocoel or blood circulation goes hand-in-hand with vertical transmission. Instead, plant phloem viruses do not transmit via seed. The latter is the rule for the plant-only viruses. The risk management implications are discussed in brief.

Since the financial crisis in 2008, the U.S. economy has weakened, and the world economy has slowly developed. As the world's leading country, the United States has used many methods to restore the economy. But it does work efficiently. However, there are many issues in developed countries such as domestic social, economic, immigration in the United States/United Kingdom; those are not optimistic. Developed countries have entered a dilemma. The neoliberalism financial system has been unable to move forward. Populists have pointed out that those problems have been causing by globalization. Under the leadership of the Brexit Referendum, President Trump has caused a wave of anti-globalization. Under a series of systems such as the China-US trade war and the US-Mexico border wall repairs, the anti-globalization trend is getting stronger. This article mainly analyzes the in-depth reasons and mechanism research of globalization and anti-globalization alternately—the data obtained from an international method performance study. The results show that anti-globalization is temporary, along with globalization. There are three main factors affecting globalization: the situation of the dominant country, natural disasters, and wars. After so much literature review, I believe that the United States' globalization is gradually weakening, and globalization may return to regionalization under the United States' opposition.

In the paper, the author takes stock of the conceptual reflection and empirical studies described in the current scientific literature on responsible innovation in the context of the emergence of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) concept. RRI has been promoted in the European Union as a part of the Europe 2020 strategy with the objective of making research and innovation more sustainable and inclusive. As more than half of the EU’s firms declare conducting innovation activities RRI problematic becomes more relevant than ever. There remain many open questions, unresolved dilemmas and empirical white spots that call for more research in this field. This paper’s main focus is the problem of RRI acceptance as a global framework for responsible innovation and the scarcity of suitable instruments that may help industry understand and adopt this concept. The main contribution of this paper are: the critical analysis of the RRI concept and its implications for industry, proposing a concept of RRI index for innovating enterprises.

This study investigated the associations of imageability with fear reactivity. Imageability ratings of four word classes: positive and negative (i) emotional and (ii) propriosensitive, neutral and negative (iii) theoretical and (iv) neutral concrete filler, and fear reactivity scores – degree of fearfulness towards different situations (TF score) and total number of extreme fears and phobias (EF score), were obtained from 171 participants. Correlations between imageability, TF and EF scores were tested to analyze how word categories and their valence were associated with fear reactivity. Imageability ratings were submitted to recursive partitioning. Participants with high TF and EF scores had higher imageability for negative emotional and negative theoretical words. The correlations between imageability of negative emotional words and negative theoretical words for EF score were significant. Males showed stronger correlations for imageability of negative emotional words for EF and TF scores. High imageability for positive emotional words was associated with lower fear reactivity in females. These findings were discussed with regard to negative attentional bias theory of anxiety, influence on emotional systems, and gender-specific coping styles. This study provides insight into cognitive functions involved in mental imagery, semantic competence for mental imagery in relation to fear reactivity, and a potential psycholinguistic instrument assessing fear tendency.

Inflammatory allergic and nonallergic respiratory pathologies often co-exist. The root cause is not clear. This paper demonstrates that it is ascribable to protons (H⁺) released into cells by exogenous and endogenous acids. The hypothesis of acids as the common cause stems from two considerations: a) it has long been known that exogenous acids present in air pollutants can induce the irritation of epithelial surfaces, particularly the airways, inflammation and bronchospasm; b) according to recent articles, endogenous acids, generated in cells by phospholipases, play a key role in the biochemical mechanisms of initiation and progression of allergic responses. Therefore, the intracellular acidification and consequent Ca²⁺ increase, induced by protons generated by either acid pollutants or endogenous phospholipases, may be the causal mechanism of the multimorbidity of these diseases, and environmental acidity may contribute to their spread.

Particulate matter is a severe source of atmospheric pollution in urban cities, and it has adverse effects on human health. This study was conducted during the whole year of 2016 to monitor the concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 on the Beijing Hanshiqiao wetland and bare land in Beijing to analyze their correlations with meteorological factors and compare the removal efficiency between two land surface types. The results indicated that (1) the PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations on the bare land were higher than those on wetland as a whole, reaching the highest value both at night and dusk and the lowest value near noon. The average concentration of PM₁₀ was higher in winter (wetland: 137.48 μg·m^-3; bare land: 164.75 μg·m^-3) and spring (wetland: 205.18 μg·m^-3; bare land: 244.85 μg·m^-3) and the concentration of PM_2.5 on the wetland also reached the higher value in winter and spring with the average of 84.52 μg·m^-3 and 98.98 μg·m^-3, whereas, it was higher in spring and summer on the bare land; (2) concentrations of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were significantly positively affected by the relative humidity (P < 0.01) and negatively influenced by wind speed (P < 0.05). The relationship between PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations and temperature was found complicated: it showed a significantly negative correlation (P < 0.01) in winter and spring and was insignificant in autumn, but in summer, only the correlation between the PM₁₀ concentration and temperature on wetland was significant (P < 0.01); (3) the removal efficiencies of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 followed the order of spring > winter > autumn > summer on the wetland, and the removal efficiency of PM₁₀ was greater than that of PM_2.5. This study is aim to provide practical measures to improve the air quality and facilitate sustainable development in Beijing.

Conventional economic theory outlines that developing countries experience economic growth through an undervalued exchange rate and that exchange rate overvaluations has negative long term effects on economic growth. This paper examined the impact of exchange rate movements as well as exchange rate misalignments on economic growth for the Trinidad and Tobago economy over the period 1960 to 2016. We find statistically significant evidence that both exchange rate appreciation and misalignments impact negatively on economic growth in the T&T economy. Drilling deeper we find interestingly that there exist no non-linear effects of exchange rate misalignments on growth. Specifically we find statistically significant evidence that both overvaluations and undervaluations hamper economic growth in the Trinidad and Tobago economy. We attribute this to T&T’s small and underdeveloped manufacturing sector that tends to be overlooked on account of its energy resources, in addition to the fact that its manufacturing sector is highly import oriented. A major policy recommendation would be for the critical reassessment of the rules governing the HSF, as government expenditure was allowed to follow energy revenues due to its current limitations.

Clinical rehabilitation and sports performance analysis both require the objectification of movement. Kinovea^© is a free 2D motion analysis software that enables the establishment of kinematics parameters. This low-cost technology has been used in sports sciences, as well as clinical field and research work. Although it has been validated as a tool with which to assess time-related variables, this is not yet the case regarding angular and distance variables. The main objective of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Kinovea software in obtaining angular and distance data at different perspectives of 90°, 75°, 60° and 45°. For this purpose, a figure with 29 points was designed (in AutoCAD) and 24 frames analysed. Each frame was examined by three observers who each made two attempts. For each export data item, 20 angles and 20 distance variables were calculated, with intra- and inter-observer reliability also analysed. To evaluate Kinovea reliability and validity a multiple approach was applied involving the following analysis: -systematic error with a two-way ANOVA 2x4; -relative reliability with ICC and CV (95% confidence interval); -absolute reliability with Standard Error. The results thus obtained indicate that the Kinovea software is a valid and reliable tool that is able to measure accurately at distances up to 5 m from the object and at an angle range of 90°–45°. Nevertheless, for optimum results an angle of 90° is suggested.

Worldwide, one of the main causes of death among young adults is multiple trauma. In these pa-tients hemorrhagic shock represents the leading cause for worsening of the clinical status and for increased morbidity and mortality. This is due to a multifactorial complex involving cellular, bi-ological, and biophysical mechanisms. The most important mechanisms affecting clinical out-come are oxidative stress, the augmentation of pro-inflammatory status, immune deficiency, dis-ruptions in the coagulation cascade, imbalances in electrolyte and acid-base homeostasis. Poly-trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock need adequate fluid management to ensure hemodynamic stability that must consider not only the maintenance of adequate blood pressure, but also the ad-equate oxygenation of tissues for optimal cellular function. In the current clinical practice, fluid resuscitation in polytrauma patients uses a variety of widely studied pharmacological products, such as crystalloids, colloids, blood transfusions, and the infusion of other blood products. Alt-hough these products exist, an agreement was not reached on a standard administration protocol that could be generally applied for all patients. Moreover, numerous studies have reported a se-ries of adverse events related to fluid resuscitation and to the inadequate use of these products. This review aims at describing the impact the administration of all the solutions used in fluid re-suscitation might have on the cellular and pathophysiological mechanisms in the case of poly-trauma patients suffering from hemorrhagic shock.

Aphelids are a holomycotan group, represented exclusively by parasitoids infecting algae. They form a sister lineage to Fungi in the phylogenetic tree and represent a key group for reconstruction of the evolution of Holomycota and for analysis of the origin of Fungi. The newly assembled genome of Aphelidium insullamus (Holomycota, Aphelida) with a total length of 18.9Mb, 7820 protein-coding genes and a GC percentage of 52.05% was obtained by a hybrid assembly based on Oxford Nanopore long reads and Illumina paired reads. In order to trace the origin and the evolution of fungal osmotrophy and its presence or absence in Aphelida, we analyzed the set of main fungal transmembrane transporters, which are proteins of the Major Facilitator superfamily (MFS), in the predicted aphelid proteomes. This search has shown an absence of a specific fungal protein family Drug:H+ antiporters-2 (DAH-2) and specific fungal orthologs of the sugar porters (SP) family, and the presence of common opisthokont's orthologs of the SP family in four aphelid genomes. The repertoire of SP orthologs in aphelids turned out to be less diverse than in free-living opisthokonts, and one of the most limited among opisthokonts. We argue that aphelids do not show signs of similarity with fungi in terms of their osmotrophic abilities, despite the sister relationships of these groups. Moreover, the osmotrophic abilities of aphelids appear to be reduced in comparison with free-living unicellular opisthokonts. Therefore, we assume that the evolution of fungi-specific traits began after the separation of fungal and aphelid lineages, and there are no essential reasons to consider aphelids as a prototype of the fungal ancestor.

Equine-assisted services (EAS) are being increasingly used as complementary interventions for military veterans who have experienced trauma. However, there is limited evidence of benefit for this population and almost no literature describing desired potential outcomes and possible mechanisms of action. The aim of this article is to address these gaps by reviewing the extant literature of animal-assisted interventions in general, and equine-assisted services in particular, with the goal of providing guidance for future investigations in the field. Currently, the field is in the early stage of scientific development, but published results are promising. Interventions that enhance treatment compliance and/or outcomes could benefit this population. Preliminary results, reviewed herein, indicate that EAS interventions might benefit the military veteran population by enhancing treatment engagement and therapeutic alliance, as well as contributing to symptom reduction and resulting in various transdiagnostic benefits. It is recommended that future studies include exploration of potential beneficial outcomes discussed herein as well as investigate suggested mechanisms of action.

The use of the commercial simulator Aspen Plus® could bring an amelioration in the accuracy of the predictions of the chemical species composition in the output streams of the anaerobic digestion process, due to availability of a broad library of thermodynamic and phenomena transport properties in this commercial package. In the present investigation, the process simulation model for anaerobic digestion, which was originally developed by Rajendran et al. [1], has been modified by including a stoichiometric-equilibria reactor to calculate the extent of the ionization of the molecules present in the anaerobic digestate. The refined model offers a more accurate prediction of the composition of the biogas because it delves on the chemical equilibrium of the gaseous stream and the anaerobic digestate. Additionally, the refined model allows to assess the possibility of upgrading the gaseous stream to biomethane degree via manufacturing of ammonium bicarbonate. This processing pathway relies on the stabilization of the anaerobic digestate by means of biomass ash-based treatment. First of all, the titration of the manure digestate with the hydrochloric acid showed that a dose of 3.18 mEq/g would be required to attain the targeted pH of zero-point charge, upon addition of the sewage sludge ash in a ratio to the manure digestate of 0.6 ± 0.2 %. Secondly, the profiles of ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane found in the biogas agree with both the pH of the treated digestate and the processes described in for the simultaneously upgrading the biogas and the production of ammonium bicarbonate. The refined Aspen Plus® model presented in this article needs to be further developed to ensure the standards are attained in all output streams of stabilized anaerobic digestate, biomethane, and isolated added-value chemical fertilizers.

In this paper, the Hafele‐Keating experiment and the geostationary orbit satellite of related physics problems of are analyzed and discussed in detail. If researchers read the paper and think about it, It will be found that the Hafele‐Keating experiment and the geostationary satellite problem prove that some of the core ideas and theories of relativity are seriously wrong. Isnʹt that a very serious problem in physics? Canʹt this cause the academic circles to pay great attention to it? Isnʹt this worthy of in‐depth analysis and research? The core of the paper is to point out that there are problems with the space concept and the reference system theory of classical physics and relativity, And that would bring up a whole host of physics problems. It takes a concerted effort from the academic community, Do furtherin‐depth analysis and research. Strive forthe further discovery and perfection of physics theory.

In this work, electrochemical deposition (galvanostatic and potentiostatic) techniques were used to obtain of new composite polymer: 3-methylpyrrole - sodium dodecyl sulfate/poly 2-methythiophene (P3MPY-SDS/P2MT) coatings on cobalt -based alloy sample for anticorrosion protection. The sodium dodecyl sulfate as a dopant ion used in electropolymerization practice can have a relevant effect at the anticorrosion protection of the composite polymer layer by blocking the entry of aggressive ions. The cobalt -based alloy substrate had an important influence on the electrochemical performance of the composite coating and this together with the presence of the polymeric layer was achieved by simultaneously formation of a complex oxides film and polymeric layers. The polymeric coatings were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. The corrosion protection of P3MPY-SDS/P2MT coated cobalt based alloy has been explored by potentiostatic and potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) procedures in1 M HCl medium. The corrosion establishment of P3MPY-SDS/P2MT covered cobalt based alloy was observed to be ~10 times less than that uncoated specimen and the effectiveness of these composite layers of this coating is above than 90%. The superior efficacy is achieved by the electrochemical polymerization of P3MPY-SDS/P2MT obtained at 0.5 mA/cm2 and 1mA/cm2 current densities and at 0.9V and 1.0V potential applied and in molar ratio 5:1. Corrosion tests result indicated that P3MPY-SDS/P2MT coatings provide good corrosion protection of cobalt -based alloy in aggressive environments.

International migrants comprised 14% of the UK population in 2020, but migrant health in the UK has rarely been studied at a population level using primary care electronic health records (EHRs). Given the difficulty of determining migration status using EHRs, this study developed a migration phenotype and assessed its validity. We developed a phenotyping algorithm using codes for country of birth, visa status, non-English main/first language and non-UK origin. It was applied to a Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database of 16,071,111 primary care patients between 1997 and 2018. We compared the completeness and representativeness of the identified migrant population to Office for National Statistics (ONS) country of birth and 2011 census data by year, age, sex, geographic region of birth and ethnicity. Between 1997-2018, 403,768 migrants (2.51% of the CPRD GOLD population) were identified using the phenotype. 178,749 (1.11%) of these migrants were identified by codes indicating foreign country of birth or visa status, 216,731 (1.35%) a non-English main/first language, and 8,288 (0.05%) non-UK origin. The cohort was similarly distributed compared to ONS migration statistics in terms of sex and region of birth. Recording of migration improved from identifying approximately one-tenth of the expected proportion of migrants according to the ONS in 2004 to a quarter in 2018. Younger migrants were better represented than those aged 50 and over. The migration phenotype identified a large number of migrants and can be used to undertake large-scale migration health research in CPRD GOLD to inform healthcare policy, practice and action. While the cohort was representative of the UK migrant population in terms of sex and region of birth, migration status was under-recorded in earlier years and older ages, and future studies for these groups should therefore be interpreted with caution.

Crop yield prediction is relevant subject of current agricultural science. There are various mathematical approaches to crop yield prediction, and regression analysis, notwithstanding the fact that it is somewhat outdated, is still one of the most used ones in this purpose. The quality of predictive model is of great importance, and it is strongly dependent on the rational choice of the target function. The goal of this study is to find out the best regression model for winter wheat, soybeans, and grain corn yield prediction depending on the crops’ water use. The data on true crops’ yields and water use were collected within 1970-2020 at the experimental fields of the Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Kherson region, Ukraine. In total, 145 data pairs were processed by the best subsets regression to find out the best model in terms of fitting quality (assessed by the Pearson’s coefficient of correlation), and prediction accuracy (assessed by the values of the minimum and maximum absolute errors and mean average percentage error). As a result, it was established that the best fitting quality for all the studied crops is attributed to cubic function, while the best accuracy is recorded for hyperbolic (reverse) function in soybeans (mean absolute percentage error is 12.27%), quadratic and hyperbolic functions in winter wheat (mean absolute percentage error is 20.54%), and cubic function in grain corn (mean absolute percentage error is 14.92%). To sum up the results of the study, it is recommended to apply cubic regression function for modeling crops’ yields in agricultural studies.

The size of the home is considered the most critical issue affecting the quality of life. This can be measured by the quality of the house and its environment. This paper highlights the housing quality index at the urban axis level in Bistrita-Nasaud county and the impact of socioeconomic activities on the index. The Household Quality of Life Index (HQLI) was calculated based on 11 variables. Household quality of life comprises two distinctive indices: the Housing Conditions Index (HCI) and the Asset Possession Index (API). The study found a variation in the housing condition variables across the urban focus areas. The impact of the socioeconomic environments is disproportionately dependent on the social-economic profile of the urban environments that make up the Urban Axis and the related economic activities that take place in the area of influence in the administrative-territorial units and the variability of the Housing Conditions Index This can be measured by the quality of the house and its environment. This paper highlights the housing quality index at the urban axis level in Bistrita-Nasaud county and the impact of socioeconomic activities on this index. The study area comprises territories in the municipality of Bistrita. The socio-economic context of the area has been the basis for understanding the patterns of evolution identified in the urban landscape, and being a driver in ongoing urban transformations and processes. The impact of the socio-economic is disproportionate to the socioeconomic profile of the urban environments that make up the Urban Axis and the economic activities related to the economic activities taking place in the catchment area in the administrative-territorial units, hence the variability of the Housing Conditions Index which is a system Housing Quality Indicator (HQI) is a tool for measuring and evaluating housing systems based on quality and not just cost.

Limited availability of expensive alloying elements elevates low-alloyed steels to a unique position in the field of lightweight construction and mass production. Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) heat treatments of low-alloyed steels with exceptional property combinations are particularly promising. In this study, we characterize for the first time a new low-alloyed steel to be processed by Q&P heat treatments. In combined experimental and numerical studies, we design a novel approach that effectively combines the short cycle times of press hardening with the excellent property profiles of Q&P-treated steels. We identify appropriate transformation parameters for Q&P heat treatments by dilatometric studies and we adjust a number of reference conditions with different isothermal holding times. By means of SEM analysis and XRD measurements, we show that different fractions of retained austenite result in different mechanical properties. Initial numerical designs of the process can identify varying temperature profiles and cooling rates depending on the position in the die. The results show that the geometry of the part plays a minor role, but the die temperature is the dominant factor for successful partitioning directly in the press hardening process.

This study presents the design and comprehensive 3D multiphysics simulation of a novel microfluidic immunosensor for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of pro-inflammatory biomarkers in human sweat. The patch-like device, designed using COMSOL Multiphysics, integrates magnetofluidic manipulation with direct-field capacitive sensing. The sensor comprises two distinct units: an immunocomplex enhancement unit, employing a series of microcoils to optimize the binding efficiency, reaction kinetics, and homogeneity of biomarker-magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) interactions, thereby enhancing the sensor's specificity; and a layered capacitive sensing unit, designed to concentrate and detect biomarker-tagged MNPs, thus amplifying sensitivity. Simulations of the capacitive sensing unit revealed a substantial sensitivity increase of up to 42.48\% at an 85\% MNP concentration within the detection zone. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed immunosensor for efficient and precise real-time biomarker monitoring, which may facilitate early disease diagnosis and enable personalized healthcare interventions.

Cameroon introduced the malaria vaccine in its routine immunization programme on 22 January 2024, in the 42 districts out of 200, among the most at risk of malaria. A cross-sectional analysis of data on vaccine key events in the introduction roadmap and vaccine uptake during the first 30 days was conducted. In addition to available gray literature related to the introduction of the malaria vaccine, data on malaria vaccine uptake by vaccination session, collected through a digital platform, were analyzed. A total of 1,893 reports were received from 22 January 2024 to 21 February 2024 from 766 health facilities (85% of overall completeness). Two regions out of 10 recorded less than 80% of completeness. As of 21 February 2024, 13,811 children have received the first dose of the malaria vaccine, including 7,124 girls (51.6%) and 6,687 boys (48.4%). Thirty six percent of children were vaccinated through outreach sessions versus 61.5% through sessions in fixed posts. The overall monthly immunization coverage with the first dose was 37%. Early results have shown positive attitudes towards and acceptance of malaria vaccines. Suboptimal completeness of data reporting and low coverage highlight persistent gaps and challenges in vaccine rollout.

A 17th century wall painting representing a Virgin between two Saints in a noble Italian renaissance palace, Palazzo Gallo in Bagnaia (Viterbo, Italy), was restored in 2021 in the context of a wider restoration campaign interesting the main room of the palace built by cardinal Sansoni Riario. Diagnostic analyses done with traditional characterization techniques (optical microscopy on micro-stratigraphic sections, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) provided the identification of both original painting and restoration materials, while imaging investigations as ultraviolet fluorescence photography, false color images and multispectral mapping provided by hypercolorimetric multispectral imaging (HMI) technique enabled the evaluation of the state of conservation, locating restoration interventions and supporting the monitoring of the cleaning procedure. An altered protective Paraloid-based coating dating from early 2000s had to be removed due to the unpleasant glossy finishing given to the painted surface, making the scene barely readable. To pursue a restoration protocol based on environmental sustainability and green chemistry, enzyme-based gels marketed by Nasier-Brenta© and CTS© companies were tested in different protocols for the cleaning of the mash covering the painting. Although some interesting results were observed, the enzymatic cleaning had a scarce effectiveness with timing beyond a reasonable interval. Traditional chemical solvents as Dowanol PM (methoxy-propanol) and benzyl alcohol were necessary to complete the cleaning of the painting surface.

Health innovations are generally oriented on a techno-economic vision. In this perspective, technologies are seen as an end in themselves, and there is no arrangement between the technical and the social values of innovation. This vision prevails in sanitary crises, in which management is carried out based on the search for punctual, reactive, and technical solutions to remedy a specific problem without a systemic/holistic, sustainable, or proactive approach. This paper attempts to contribute to the literature on the epistemological orientation of innovations in the field of public health. Taking the Covid-19 and Ebola crises as examples, the primary objective is to show how innovation in health is oriented towards a techno-economic paradigm. Second, we propose a repositioning of public health innovation towards a social paradigm that will put more emphasis on the interaction between social and health dimensions in the perspective of social change.

Fibrin rich of platelets (PRF^®) of Choukroun represents a new step in the therapeutic concept of platelet gel with a simplified processing and biochemical changes little artificial. A valid method of preparation of the PRF must effectively separate the plates by erythrocytes and concentrate without damaging or lysing the plates themselves. In this study the experimental design is to standardize the production of L-PRF in horse directing it to human production. Our hypothesis is that the L-PRF is easy to produce in the horse, without modifications of the human protocol, thus allowing a better standardization of the human protocol. A new device for the preparation and the standardization of L-PRF clots and membranes is the L-PRF Wound Box^®. The optical microscopy, most cell bodies were highlighted concentrated in the proximal portion of each membrane, the last 1/4 was observed at the center; the distal part had only residual traces of cell bodies. The L-PRF will form constantly when the phases described above are strictly adhered to. The success of the art L-PRF depends entirely on the speed of blood collection and transfer in centrifuge within a minute and by a temperature of centrifugation and compression is higher than 21°C (between 21 and 30°C). Our experiments on the horse will no doubt be able to improve our understanding on wound healing, in particularly in chronic skin lesions therapy.

Despite the strong links between sleep, circadian rhythms, and mental health, sleep education has been neglected in mental healthcare provider training programs. The current pilot study examined the potential efficacy and acceptability of a sleep education workshop for trainee psychologists, called the Sleep Psychology Workshop. Eleven students completing their Master of Psychology degrees (90% female, 24.4 ± 1.6 years old) attended the Sleep Psychology Workshop as part of their Health Psychology course, delivered as three, two-hour lectures (total six hours). Trainees’ sleep psychology knowledge quiz scores (% correct) demonstrated significant improvement from pre- (M = 60%, SD = .09) to post-workshop (M = 79%, SD = .08), t (6) = -5.18, p = .002. Trainees also reported increased self-efficacy to use common sleep-related assessment instruments and empirically supported interventions to manage sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances, along with increased confidence to manage insomnia disorder in clinical practice (all p<.02). Trainees also endorsed the workshop as an acceptable sleep education program for trainee psychologists via a post-workshop feedback survey, focus group, and six-month follow-up survey. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence for the Sleep Psychology Workshop as an effective and acceptable sleep education program for trainee psychologists.

We aimed to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of healthy pregnant women towards human papillomavirus (HPV), to estimate factors associated with a positive attitude towards HPV immunization and to assess the uptake of the vaccine among their children. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Belgrade, Serbia among pregnant women attending their regular gynecological check-ups at the 12th gestational week. Knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccine was assessed using a specifically designed 12-item and 5-item questionnaires. Out of total 265 included women, 79.3% had heard of HPV, and 37.5% knew that HPV vaccine exists. HPV vaccine knowledge score was associated with higher odds for a positive attitude towards vaccination of both female (OR = 4.10, 95% CI 1.50-11.29) and male (OR = 3.71, 95% CI 1.52-9.01) child. The number of children (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.04-1.67) and high vaccine knowledge score (OR = 1.64 95% CI 1.13-2.39) were independent predictors associated with willingness to vaccinate child against HPV. The gynecologist was the preferable point of reference for information seeking about the HPV vaccine. Despite relatively high HPV awareness and knowledge among pregnant women in Serbia, about one-third of them are HPV vaccine aware, and are willing to vaccinate their children against HPV.

Base on the sequence of S genes, which encode spike proteins, we previously identified three different types (North American, S INDEL and S large-DEL types) of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) that have re-emerged in Japan since 2013. Base on experimental infections with the North American and S large-DEL types, we also hypothesized that PEDV virulence may be linked to the S1 subunit of the S protein. To test this hypothesis, we have now assayed in gnotobiotic piglets various recombinant PEDVs generated by reverse genetics. Piglets inoculated with CV777 maintained in National Institute of Animal Health, along with piglets infected with a recombinant form of the same virus, developed subclinical to mild diarrhea. In contrast, severe watery diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, astasia, and high mortality were observed in piglets inoculated with recombinant strains in which the S gene was partially or fully replaced with corresponding sequences from the highly virulent Japanese PEDV isolate OKN-1/JPN/2013. Indeed, symptoms resembled those in piglets inoculated with the OKN-1/JPN/2013, and were especially pronounced in younger piglets. Collectively, the data demonstrate that the S1 subunit of the S protein is an important determinant of PEDV virulence, and advance development of new vaccine candidate.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is one of the most well defined “repeat diseases”, associated with a short repeated genetic sequence, CAG.First, taking into account that a phenocopy of HD has a different repeat that is associated with a different gene, I suggest that the gene is not important for HD, only the repeat sequence is important, in agreement with Lee et al (2019) who reached the same conclusion using a GWAS technique.Second, taking into account that a phenocopy of HD has a CTG repeat rather than a CAG repeat, and that the toxin should be the same for both disease types and that the third base in a codon is the least important, I suggest that the reading frame is shifted for the repeat expansions and that the A/T substitution takes place on the third base. The most likely sense and antisense reading frames are then (GCA)_n and (GCT)_n and (GCT)_n and (GCA)_n and the corresponding amino acid is polyalanine.Third, the more repeats, the earlier the HD onset (Brinkman et al, 1997; Wexler, 2004). I suggest that this relationship can be thought of as a rate equation. If the concentration is proportional to the probability of creating a polyalanine of length m in a repeat expansion of length n, the corresponding equation is borne out by the data on age of onset and repeat length and m is found to be about 30.6. This explains for the first time, at least approximately, why HD is not active unless there are at least 36 CAG repeats.If true, HD may be the first disease where frameshifting is the cause of the disease.

The present study focuses on the investigation of fatigue, social support and quality of life that characterizes social workers. Furthermore, the study aims to highlight the effect of demographic and occupational characteristics on the above factors. A total of 400 social workers with an average age of 39.05 years took part in the research. Most were women, single, residents of cities of more than 100,000, and health care workers. Participants were asked to answer online questionnaires (FAS for fatigue, MSPSS for social support and GHQ-28 for quality of life). From the analysis of the data, it was found that the level of fatigue of the social workers is at low levels. At the same time, the level of occurrence of negative symptoms is also low, with physical symptoms appearing more often than the rest. Participants receive a high level of support from their environment, and more so from the "significant other" in their life. Finally, it was found that the fatigue, social support and quality of life of social workers is affected by the age of the social workers, the total years of service, gender, marital status, place of residence, employer and position of responsibility.

Background/Objectives: Nail technicians frequently have musculoskeletal pain, which impairs their job performance. A high-risk profession linked to back discomfort that causes morbidity is nail technician. QEC is a tool used for observing and assessing risks in a work environment. The goal of this research is to assess the ergonomic risks, pain, and their relationship with posture among manicurists. Methods: The 35 nail technicians filled the assessment form which consists of occupational information, pain, European Community Respiratory Health Survey, Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and QEC worker part. Physicians assessed nail technicians’ workspace and QEC outcomes. Results: It was stated that they worked an average of 61.92±11.09 hours per week, served an average of 11±5 customers per day, and their condition lasted 53.96±36.51 months. There is a strong significant correlation between discomforts, time spent in occupation (p=0,000) and working hours. Manicure, pedicure, unwanted hair removal, correction of eyebrow were considered for ergonomic risk evaluation. Each occupation accompanied repeated bad postures. Most of them were scored in very high risk categorization for back static positions (more than 29 point). Conclusions: This study may be useful for nail technicians seeking ergonomic improvements in the areas of engineering, administration, behavior, or personal.

The pathogenicity of grapevine geminivirus A (GGVA), a recently identified DNA virus, to grapevine plants remains largely unclear. Here, we report a new GGVA isolate (named GGVAQN) obtained from grapevine ‘Queen Nina’ plants with severe disease symptoms; the infectious clone of GGVAQN (pXT-GGVAQN) was also constructed. Infection assays indicated that Nicotiana benthamiana plants inoculated with GGVAQN display upward leaf curling and chlorotic mottling symptoms. Direct injection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens cells carrying pXT-GGVAQN into roots of in vitro-grown ‘Red Globe’ grape plantlets by syringe led to systemic infection with GGVAQN, and the plants exhibited chlorotic mottling symptoms on their upper leaves, and downward curling, interveinal yellowing, and leaf-margin necrosis symptoms on their lower leaves. Our results provide insights into the pathogenicity of GGVA, and a simple and efficient inoculation method to deliver infectious viral clones to woody perennial plants.

Astragaloside IV (AIV) – triterpenoid saponin from the Astragalus mongholicus roots with the proved acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-inhibitory capability was used as the substance with the potential to attenuate memory impairment. Scopolamine (SCOP), antagonist of muscarinic cholinergic receptors and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), neuroinflammation inducer were used to impair memory processes in the passive avoidance (PA) test in mice. This memory impairment in the SCOP-treated mice was attenuated by the earlier intraperitoneal (ip) administration of AIV in the dose of 25 mg/kg. The reduction of memory impairment by LPS was not observed, therefore AIV does not reverse memory impairments through the anti-inflammatory mechanisms. All the studied doses of AIV did not affect basic locomotor activity of mice. As a result of the post-mortem analysis of mice body tissues, the largest content of AIV was determined in the kidneys, then in the spleen, liver and the smallest one in brain by mass spectrometry.

The cosmological model presented here rests on the postulate that the universe can be described as an interacting attraction (exerted by matter) and repulsion (exerted by the excitation energy of the quantum vacuum) system in virial equilibrium. The basic parameters of the model, the matter density and the excitation energy of the quantum vacuum are determined by observations and are not adjusted to the model. The model requires only a few assumptions that can be deduced from the laws of conventional physics and from the rules of quantum field theory. Existing problems in standard cosmology, such as the flatness and the horizon problems, among others, can be resolved in a straightforward way without inflation and without recourse to dark matter and dark energy.

The boreal Hemisphere has been experiencing increasing extreme hot and dry conditions over the past few decades, consistent with anthropogenic climate change expectations. The continental extension of the phenomenon calls for tools and techniques capable of monitoring the global to regional scales. In this context, the satellite is the only system that can satisfy the need for global coverage. The main objective we have addressed in the present paper is the capability of infrared satellite observations helping to monitor the vegetation stress due to increasing drought and heatwaves in summer. We have designed and implemented a new water deficit index (wdi) that exploits satellite observations in the infrared to retrieve humidity, air temperature, and surface temperature simultaneously. These three parameters are combined to provide the water deficit index. The index has been developed based on the Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer or IASI, which covers the infrared spectral range 645 to 2760 cm-1 with a sampling of 0.25 cm-1. The index has been used to study the 2017 heatwave, which hit Continental Europe from May to October. In particular, we have examined Southern Italy, where Mediterranean forests suffer from climate change. We have computed the index's time series and show that it can be used to indicate the atmospheric background conditions associated with meteorological drought. We have also found a good agreement with soil moisture, which suggests that the persistence of anomalously high water deficit index was an essential driver of the rapid development and evolution of the exceptionally severe 2017 droughts.

Structural perturbations in the Mn4CaO5 cluster site, an oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II, such as those induced by Ca2+/Sr2+ exchanges or Ca/Mn-removal have been known to induce long-range positive shifts (+30 mV to +150 mV) in the redox potential of the primary quinone electron acceptor plastoquinone A (QA) located 40 Å distant from the OEC. Here, we reanalyzed the crystal structure of Sr-PSII solved at 2.1 Å and compare it with the native Ca-PSII of 1.9 Å with focus on the acceptor site and report on the possible long-range interactions between the donor, Mn4Ca(Sr)O5 cluster, and acceptor sites.

This research evaluates the effect of varying hexagonal opening angles on the flexural and shear capacity of castellated beams. This study is conducted through experimental and numerical approaches using WF 150.75.5.7 steel profiles. The hexagonal opening angles are varied to 20°, 30°, 45°, 55°, and 60°. Experimental testing results show that beams with a 20° opening angle have higher flexural and shear capacities compared to larger opening angles. Numerical testing results are consistent with experimental results, showing more uniform deformation patterns and stress distribution at smaller opening angles. These findings contribute significantly to the design of more efficient and effective castellated beams in modern structural applications, particularly in constructions requiring high flexural and shear capacities.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a global health crisis that is becoming increasingly prevalent among younger generations and impacting the overall health of millions of people worldwide. Traditional treatment methods, including cognitive-behavioral therapies and medicinal-assisted treatments, often face limitations such as inconsistent efficacies and varying degrees of accessibility. Thus, there is a clear need for a new and innovative treatment strategy. Music therapy has recently gained attention through research as a promising non-pharmacological supplement to strengthen conventional SUD treatment methods. This review explores the potential benefits of music therapy in reducing substance cravings, alleviating depressive symptoms, and improving emotional expression among patients in the rehabilitation phase of SUD recovery. We review evidence from various studies and clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of music therapy in improving standard treatment outcomes, with the results indicating that music therapy could be an effective complement to traditional treatment methods while noting that its efficacy could vary depending on the individual and type of intervention provided. The benefits of music therapy include accessibility of treatment for diverse patient groups and the potential for highly individualized care, although more research is needed to compare the efficacies of specific music treatment types for certain conditions and patient populations. Further research is also needed to validate the neurobiological mechanisms of music therapy, as well as increased communication between music therapists worldwide to enforce consistency in treatment methods and share learnings in this growing field.

Remotely sensed data play a crucial role in monitoring the El-Niño/La-Niña Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is an oceanic-atmospheric phenomenon occurring quasi-periodically with several impacts worldwide, such as specific biological and global climate responses. Since 1980, Earth has witnessed three strong ENSO events (1982–1983, This study aims, 2015-2016). In September 2022, La-Niña entered its third year and was unlikely to continue through 2023. Instead, since 2022 forecasts pointed to a transition from La-Nina to a Neutral phase in summer or late 2023. The onset of the El-Niño occurred around April 2023, and it is anticipated by sophisticated models to be a strong event through the Northern Hemisphere winter (December 2023 - February 2024). The aim of this study is to demonstrate the ability of the combination of two new methods to improve the accuracy of the above claim because El-Niño apart from climate anomalies, significantly impacts Earth’s ecosystems and human societies, regulating the spread of diseases by insects (e.g., malaria and dengue fever), and influencing nutrients, phytoplankton biomass, and primary productivity. This is done by exploring first the previous major El-Niño events in the period January 1876-July 2023. Our calculations show that the ongoing 2023-2024 El-Niño will not be the strongest.

This comprehensive review delves into gold market business management, covering historical perspectives, market dynamics, mining models, investment strategies, technology, regulations, global trends, and sustainability. Starting with a historical overview, it traces the gold market's evolution and analyzes supply-demand dynamics, price fluctuations, and geopolitical influences. The article scrutinizes gold mining models, evaluating environmental and social responsibilities, and explores financial management strategies, emphasizing risk and gold's role in portfolios. Examining technology's role, it highlights innovations in exploration, mining, and processing for improved efficiency and sustainability. The regulatory landscape analysis encompasses compliance challenges, environmental regulations, and ethical considerations, emphasizing global impacts. Global market trends are explored, identifying potential opportunities and challenges, offering strategic insights. The review concludes by evaluating sustainability practices, emphasizing environmental conservation, community engagement, and ethical sourcing.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a challenging hematologic malignancy. The presence of TP53 mutations in AML poses a therapeutic challenge, considering that standard treatments face significant setbacks in achieving meaningful responses. There is a pressing need for the development of innovative treatment modalities to overcome resistance to conventional treatments attributable to the unique biology of TP53-mutated (TP53mut) AML. This review underscores the role of TP53 mutations in AML, examines the current landscape of treatment options, and highlights novel therapeutic approaches, including targeted therapies, combination regimens, and emerging immunotherapies as well as agents being explored in preclinical studies, for their potential to address the unique hurdles posed by TP53mut AML.

Postpartum depression (PPD) can interfere with the establishment of affective bonds between infant and mother, which is important for the cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development of the child. Rates of PPD have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to the added stress and limited support available to new parents. The present study examined whether parenting-related stress, perceived bonding impairments, quality of observed mother-infant interactions and salivary oxytocin levels differ between depressed and non-depressed mothers, along with differential impacts of COVID-19 on depressed mothers. Participants included 70 mothers (45 depressed, 25 controls) with infants aged 2-6 months. All data were collected remotely to ease participant burden during the pandemic. Depression was associated with experiences of heightened parenting-related stress and bonding difficulties. These differences were not observed during mother-infant interactions or in salivary oxytocin levels. Differences in COVID-related experiences were minimal, though depressed mothers rated slightly higher stress associated with returning to work and financial impacts of the pandemic. Findings highlight the importance of early intervention for PPD to mitigate long-term effects on mothers, children, and families. Additionally, they underscore the need for an early intervention to support the developing mother-infant dyad relationship during this crucial time.

The viability, productivity and survival of higher plants under the adverse factors influence are largely determined by the functional activity of the antioxidant system. The aim of our work was to investigate changes in formation of high-molecular (superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) and low-molecular (phenolics, including flavanols and proanthocyanidins) antioxidants in callus culture of Camellia sinensis under influence of phenolic precursors (L-phenylalanine – 3 mM, trans-cinnamic acid – 1 mM, naringenin – 0.5 mM). According to the data obtained, precursors effect on tea callus cultures did not lead to significant increasing of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activity in most cases. However, it led to the increased accumulation of the total phenolics content, as well as flavanols and proanthocyanidins contents. For C. sinensis callus cultures, the most promising regulator of phenolic compounds was L-phenylalanine, in the presence of which its content increased almost twice. Thus, the exogenous effect of various precursors is possible to use for the targeted regulation of the certain phenolics classes accumulation in plant cells.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide, potentially impacting disease management. This cross-sectional study assessed the influence of COVID-19 on diabetes self-management in 341 Saudis with type 2 diabetes using the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). The DSMQ contains 16 items across 4 domains assessing glucose management, dietary control, physical activity, and healthcare use. Three additional items measured the perceived overall impact of COVID-19. Total DSMQ scores were significantly higher in patients aged &gt;60 years versus younger groups. Scores were significantly lower in patients diagnosed for 1-5 years versus longer durations. Patients on insulin had higher glucose management subscores than oral medication users. Overall, DSMQ scores were higher than the pre-pandemic Saudi population and Turkish post-pandemic findings. DSMQ results suggest that while COVID-19 negatively impacted some self-management domains, Saudi patients upheld relatively good diabetes control during the pandemic. Further research is warranted on specific barriers to optimize diabetes care during public health crises.

This article investigates the unexpected re-emergence of race in both the rhetoric and activities of the British radical-right. In doing so it seeks to better understand the reasons why race has re-emerged, how race has been contemporarily deployed by the radical-right, and the extent to which the re-emergence of race will force the radical right’s recent ideological focus on religion – more specifically, the religion of Islam and Muslims as adherents – begin to retreat. It does this first by setting out the methods and approaches used throughout. From here, necessary and appropriate context is provided about the British radical-right generally and the decades old ideological turn more specifically. Next, the circumstances and reasons for the re-emergence of race are critically engaged: focusing on the immediate aftermath of 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests as also the wider socio-political landscape of contemporary Britain. Taking into account both established and newly formed groups and movements from within the British radical right, the role and function played by race is considered next. As part of this, an in-depth analysis of the role and function of race in the rhetoric and activities of Patriotic Alternative is included. In conclusion, this article reflects on a number of arguments about why the re-emergence of race among the British radical-right is - albeit to varying degrees - a cause for concern.

Objectives: Chylothorax is a relatively rare condition of lymphatic fluid accumulation in the thoracic cavity due to a leakage from the thoracic duct or its tributaries. Patients present with dyspnea, malnutrition, and immunosuppression. Treatment can be conservative or surgical, depending on etiology and clinical course. The optimal management algorithm for chylothorax is still controversial. Methods: This is a retrospective study of all patients with chylothorax treated at our Department of Thoracic Surgery during the 10-year period. Results: A total of 14 patients were identified for the study. Nine patients had chylothorax after lung or esophageal cancer surgery. Four patients had chylothorax in advanced lymphoma. One patient had chylothorax after blunt chest trauma. A conservative approach was initiated in most patients (92%), including pleural drainage, nil per mouth, total parenteral nutrition, and somatostatin 0.1 mg bid subcutaneously. Surgical treatment was indicated in patients with thoracic drain production >800 mL per day beyond the fifth day of treatment and those with blunt thoracic trauma. Two patients had thoracic duct ligation via right-sided thoracotomy, and five patients had video-assisted thoracoscopic thoracic duct ligation with the immediate arrest of chylous leakage. Conclusion: Chylothorax should be treated conservatively initially. Surgical treatment should not be delayed in case of failure beyond the fifth day. In our series of patients, a video-assisted thoracoscopic approach for thoracic duct ligation proved to be minimally invasive, highly efficient, and well tolerated by patients and, therefore, should be the preferable route of surgical treatment.

The concept of public financial accountability, often associated with account-rendering, lacks a clear and comprehensive definition in the realm of accounting literature. Disentanglement the true essence of a phenomenon is essential, as formal definitions can only provide a superficial understanding. This study seeks to delve into the core principles of public financial accountability and their implications for financial reporting in the public sector. Applying a qualitative approach, data was gathered through in-depth interviews with 25 Nigerian scholars, professionals, and public affairs experts. The analysis reveals that the essence of public financial accountability lies in upholding citisens' trust in public officials, ensuring the responsible management of public financial resources for the greater public good, and effectively communicating financial decisions, actions, and outcomes to the public through a transparent reporting mechanism. This study sheds light on the fundamental nature of financial accountability in the public sector, enhancing our understanding of its significance in governance and financial reporting.

In the manufacturing of optical lenses, the lack of digital monitoring and inspection for centring processing not only results in product consistency not being guaranteed but also leads to inefficiency in processing. A centring processing digital twin system is proposed to address the problems of low virtual visualization and insufficient monitoring capability of centring processing of high-precision optical components. The layered architecture of the system is determined based on the five-dimensional model of the digital twin, coupled with a dimension-driven geometric model and a physical model that integrates data and turning mechanisms to improve the fidelity and interactivity of the virtual model of the centring lathe. The fusion of heterogeneous data from multiple sources in the centring machining process at the semantic and physical levels is realized by using an information model and an OPC UA-based data interaction method. The VMD-GRU method based on feature fusion is used to monitor the key components of the centring lathe. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by a case study of the development of a digital twin system for centring lathe, which provides a reference for the digitization and intelligence of the machining process of high-precision optical components.

This article explores the concept of sustainable leadership in the digital era and the role of technology in promoting environmental sustainability. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected through digital advancements, leaders are facing new challenges and opportunities to address environmental concerns. This article examines the key characteristics of sustainable leadership and discusses how technology can be utilized to promote environmental sustainability. It highlights various technological innovations and strategies that leaders can employ to foster a sustainable organizational culture. Moreover, the article discusses potential barriers and limitations of technology in achieving sustainability goals. Overall, it emphasizes the significance of sustainable leadership and technology integration in addressing environmental challenges in the digital era.

The wastewater circular economy (WW-CE) promises a solution to improve water and sanitation management worldwide. However, the transition from conventional to circular wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) requires facilitation to aid in decision makers understanding of integral sustainability impacts of alternative WW-CE configurations. This research implemented Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), combining Life Cycle Assessment, Social Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing with a Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model to quantify environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impacts of conventional WWTPs with the WW-CE. Two real WWTPs in Chile have embraced the WW-CEs and adopting the title of Biofactories. These were considered as case studies, compared under three scenarios to demonstrate the sustainability trade-offs of the transition from no sanitation to conventional WWTPs and Biofactory WW-CE configurations. Results demonstrated that the transition to WW-CEs improved integral sustainability according to the LCSA model implemented in both WWPTs. This study highlights the urgent need to adopt sustainable decision-making models to not only improve sanitation coverage, but also improve sustainability performance of the sanitation industry across the globe.

Recently a measure termed F* was described, as an interpretable transformation of the F measure, also known as the Dice coefficient. Using elementary mathematical methods, it is shown that F* is in fact identical to a previously described measure, monotonically related to the F measure, and variously termed in previous publications, dating from the late 19^th to the late 20^th century, as the ratio of verification, the Jaccard similarity measure or index, the threat score, the Tanimoto index, and the critical success index. The origins of these different terms in different disciplines (weather forecasting, ecology, machine learning) may explain the repeated independent redescription of this measure.

Interior designers play a pivotal role in shaping the built environment and catalyzing positive change through the adoption of sustainable design practices. This study centers on the analysis of prevailing attitudes held by interior designers in Jordan towards sustainable interior design practices. Through a comprehensive methodology involving a literature review and a three-part questionnaire, the research explores the benefits, challenges, and integration of sustainability principles. The study highlights substantial awareness (85%) of sustainable interior design's environmental impact and resource preservation. Additionally, 81% acknowledge its enduring significance, and 89% recognize its diverse benefits. While 61% exhibit familiarity, 27% claim professional experience. Among sustainability indicators, energy efficiency scores 4.25, resource efficiency 4.27, and "Design aligns with laws and regulations by the Ministry of Labor" ranks highest at 4.37. This study significantly augments our understanding of sustainable interior design by introducing a comprehensive evaluation framework that encompasses the three sustainability dimensions. It equips decision-makers with a robust tool to identify specific practices that bolster sustainability performance, further advancing the field.

The king ratsnake (Elaphe carinata) of the genus Elaphe is a common large non-venomous snake that is widely distributed in Southeast and East Asia, and is an economically important farmed snake species. As a non-venomous snake, the king snake that is predatory on venomous snakes such as cobras and pit vipers. The immune mechanisms of which has been unclear. Despite their economic and research importance, genomic resources which will benefit studies in toxicology, phylogeography and immunogenetics are lacking. In this study, we use single-tube long fragment read (stLFR) sequencing to display the first complete genome of a King ratsnake from Huangshan City, Anhui province in China. The genome size is 1.56GB with a scaffold N50 of 6.53M, the total length of the genome is approximately 621Mb, and the repeat content is 38.90%. Additionally, we predicted 22,339 protein-coding genes, of which 22,065 had functional annotations. Our genome is a potentially useful addition to those currently available for snakes.

An atomic-scale approach is employed to simulate the formation of precipitates with different lattice misfits in the early stages of aging of supersaturated aluminum alloys. Simulation results reveal that the increase of lattice misfit could significantly promote the nucleation rate of precipitates, which results in a larger number and smaller size of the precipitates. The morphologies of the precipitates also vary with the degree of lattice misfit. Moreover, the higher the lattice misfit, the earlier the nucleation of the second phase occurs, which can substantially inhibit the movement of dislocations. The research on the lattice misfit of precipitation can provide theoretical guidance for the design of high-strength aluminum alloy.

The divination function of China's Yijing has led to its circulation for thousands of years. In our exploration of Yijing's characteristics using big data, we have discovered variations in results between the coin toss method and the ancient yarrow-stalk method of divination, known as "the number for the great expansion method of divination(大衍之数)". The yarrow-stalk method serves as the fundamental method of divination in Yijing and continues to hold significance in studying the essential characteristics of Yijing. Despite the complexity of yarrow calculations, advancements in computer technology and big data have simplified its application. By employing the yarrow-stalk method, we simulated changes in the 64 hexagrams, calculated probabilities and proportions of hexagram alterations, and derived fundamental characteristics and patterns of hexagrams. Additionally, we constructed the spatial representation of lines and hexagrams. Through a binary system rearrangement, we created a 64x64 matrix illustrating hexagram transformations. Subsequently, we generated 100 million random hexagrams and analyzed line and hexagram changes accordingly. Our findings indicate the following:(1) Big data analysis reveals evident asymmetry in the hexagrams obtained through the yarrow-stalk method, with a triangular fractal characteristic forming the background.(2) Each of the 64 hexagrams exhibits a distinct probability distribution when transforming into other hexagrams, which can be categorized into five types.(3)The occurrence probabilities of Laoyang, Laoyin, Shaoyang, and Shaoyin are 18.61%, 6.387%, 31.38%, and 43.62% respectively. The probabilities of Yin and Yang occurrences are nearly equal, each close to 50%. However, the probability of Laoyang is approximately three times higher than that of Laoyin.(4) Visualized and analyzed the characteristics of hexagram changes greater than 100000 times using 3D statistical maps and Sankey diagram.These results demonstrate that the yarrow-stalk method effectively unveils the characteristics and underlying patterns of the 64 hexagrams. This study provides a novel approach for scientifically exploring the internal laws governing the 64 hexagrams in Yijing.

The anti-Covid19 vaccination campaign has been fortified on the positive effects that immunization is bringing the nations, since infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have been falling according to the data in constant disclosure by official government organs and the channels of communication. In Brazil, the effective and free National Vaccination Program haven’t prioritized patients with rare diseases, who have extreme comorbidities, and who had to follow the calendar prepared by the government. The problematic question is why these “rare people” weren´t considered priorities. The understanding of the reasons and the resumption of the debate about the rights of patients with rare diseases justify this study, which sought to be based on regular descriptors issued by official government agencies and by critics of rare disease issues in debates made in scientific articles. We sought to respond to the following objectives: analyze dispensed care of rare disease patients in the vaccination campaign anti-Covid-19; identify the procedures implemented by the National Vaccination Plan for the Brazilian population over 18 years of age; describe the panorama of the pandemic disease since its discovery to the mutations already disseminated; and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan implemented from the perspective of “rare person”.