The disease COVID-19 is brought on by the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) First appeared in China in December 2019 and quickly spread around the world after being declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19, Medical Laboratory Professionals, SARS-COV-2, Diagnostic, Importance and difficulties for testing were the selected terms to search the databases of PubMed and Google Scholar for previously published material. Many diagnostic tests are applied in corona virus detection like Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR), Multiplex PCR, Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) and more. There is a lack of availability of molecular and serologic tests that have been clinically validated or authorized by national or international regulatory bodies. Clinical laboratory experts are tackling threats to our global defense and wellness, including infectious diseases. The opportunity to express gratitude to the unsung medical laboratory heroes and COVID0-19 pandemic allies is now greater than ever. Each year, Medical Laboratory Professionals Week should honors those who contribute key diagnostic data that help save lives. This review article explore overall summary on testing methods including Important and Difficult Tasks for Medical Laboratories which will provide good message for better public health matter.

Background: Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint disease resulting in pain and altered joint function. Objective: We investigated the possible association between serum interleukin-6 and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis with regard to pain, stiffness, physical function, assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). We also examined the connections between serum interleukin-6 and radiographic severity in primary knee osteoarthritis patients. Methods: In this case-control study, fifty primary knee osteoarthritis patients and fifty age and sex matched controls were randomly recruited. Serum interleukin-6 levels were immunoassayed in patients’ and controls’ serum. Patients’ knee pain, stiffness and physical function were assessed by the respective subscales of the WOMAC Index. Standing anteroposterior radiographs of the knee joint were performed and graded with the Kellegren-Lawrence grade. Results: The mean serum IL-6 level was significantly higher in osteoarthritis patients (110.22 ± 46.98pg/ml) than controls (46.04 ± 12.34 pg/ml) (p=0.001). The WOMAC Index in patients ranged from 0 – 95 and the Kellegren-Lawrence score mean was 2.7 ± 0.76. There was a significant correlation between serum IL-6 levels and pain (r=0.595 p=0.001), physical function score (r=0.666, p=0.001)), and the radiographic score (r=0.799, p=0.001). Regression analysis showed that IL-6 level had a greater impact on both the WOMAC Index (p=0.005) and the Kellegren-Lawrence score (p=0.01). Conclusion: Serum IL-6 level is increased in primary knee osteoarthritis patients. Also, serum interlukin-6 is significantly related to osteoarthritis symptoms and radiographic severity.

Although total nett CO₂ atmospheric flow can be estimated with reasonable accuracy, the contributing gross fluxes between the atmosphere and the earth's surface are poorly understood. This paper presents a method, driven by the objective of simplicity, by which the global outflow and inflow of CO₂ between atmosphere and a globally equivalent "mixing reservoir" can be estimated, using the isotopes ¹⁴C and ¹³C as tracers. It has been asserted that the isotopic carbon in CO₂ cannot be directly used as a tracer in flow studies because it is not subject to the Revelle factor. Evidence is provided showing that this view is mistaken. The model contains 7 key parameters which are used to create synthetic records of Δ¹⁴C and d¹³C spanning 200 years or more, including during the period of atmospheric weapons testing and its decay known as the "bomb pulse". By optimising the fit between these computed values and the historical records of d¹³C and Δ¹⁴C, all seven key parameters are determined. The effective "mixing reservoir" is thereby determined to have a size around six times that of the atmosphere, with global outflux rising from 39.7 GTC yr-1 in 1750 to 58.9 GTC/yr in 2020, this figure probably not including annually cycled carbon.

Sorption of pure CO2 and CH4 and CO2/CH4 binary gas mixtures in amorphous glassy Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide (PPO) at 35°C up to 1000 Torr is investigated. Sorption experiments were carried out using an approach that combines barometry with FTIR spectroscopy in the transmission mode to quantify the sorption of pure and mixed gases in polymers. The pressure range is chosen to prevent any variation of the glassy polymer density. The solubility within the polymer of the CO2 present in the gaseous binary mixtures is practically coincident with the solubility of pure gaseous CO2, up to a total pressure of the gaseous mixtures equal to 1000 Torr and for CO2 mole fraction of ~0.5 mol mol-1 and ~0.3 mol mol-1. The Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics for Glassy Polymers (NET-GP) modelling approach has been applied to the Non-Random Hydrogen Bonding (NRHB) lattice fluid model to fit the solubility data of pure gases. We have assumed here that no specific interactions are occurring between the matrix and the absorbed gas. The same thermodynamic approach has been then used to predict the solubility of CO2/CH4 mixed gases in PPO resulting in a deviation lower than 9.5% from the experimental results for CO2 solubility.

Background: Mental health difficulties during teenage years e are common and are a risk factor for later mental and physical health problems. Rural young people are at greater risk for mental health difficulties and have less access to services than their urban counterparts. The purpose of this study was to explore young people and their carers’ experiences of mental health support provided by a rural mobile service, and to identify access enablers from the service users’ perspective. Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyse twelve interviews with current service users and eight interviews with family members of young people who had accessed the service.Results: Three main themes were identified: (a) Access and flexibility, (b) Clinicians’ qualities and strategies, and (c) Experiences of change. The mobile service was perceived to be effective in producing positive change in mental health, relationships and attainment of life goals. Key enablers to access included the flexibility of the mobile service, the variety of service delivery modes and therapeutic methods offered, the ease of access facilitated by location in schools, and young people’s autonomy in how they chose to utilise the service. Conclusion: This study provides information about what is important to rural young people and their families in mental health service provision. The findings have implications for changing the way services are organized and operated. Healthcare policy and services could support user-led model design that incorporates the access and use enablers and removes the barriers to rural mental health support.

In this paper, we have investigated the impact of an early learning assessment on students' motivation for improving their performance throughout the semester. An observation analysis was conducted on an entry level mechanical engineering course in which students are enrolled in during their first semester of engineering work. This study analyzes the effect that a first exam, with an average below a passing grade, has on student's outcome in the course. It was hypothesized that students were motivated to achieve their desired grade outcomes following inadequate performance on the first exam. This was investigated by diving into the results of the course and referencing initial performance to the remaining exam and assessment outcomes. Students were placed into grade bands ranging from 0 to 100 in 20% increments. Their results were tracked and it was shown that for the second mechanics exam, averages jumped 43.333%, 35.35%, and 30.055% for grade bands of 0 to 20, 20 to 40, and 40 to 60 respectively. Assessment grades increased as well with the remaining assessments being averaged to a score of 91.095%. Variables contributing to student performance came from both with-in and outside the classroom. Learning communities, material differentiation, and student and professor adaptation all contributed to the rise in performance. It was concluded that the internal and external variables acted in combination with one another to increase student dedication to achieve success.

The paper presents the open source tool climdex-kit which includes utilities to compute, analyze and visualize climate indices based on the input data, target domain and temporal extent defined by the user. It is intended to support researchers as well as practitioners and decision makers to derive, handle and interpret meaningful information for climate change studies and sectoral applications. It currently includes the computation of 30 indices based on temperature and precipitation, describing both mean and extreme climate conditions, and it is designed to work with climate model projections. The tool is written in Python and integrates utilities from the well-established Climate Data Operators (CDO) and NetCDF Operators (NCO) libraries. The specific utilities for selecting, aggregating and visualizing data are thought to help users to produce tailored results improving understanding and communication of future climate change. In order to show the functionalities of the package as well as its potential integration in regional climate services, climdex-kit was applied to an ensemble of downscaled climate model projections up to 2100 for the region Trentino – South Tyrol (north-eastern Italian Alps). The projections for a selection of indices accounting for extreme temperature and precipitation conditions were derived and different visualization choices discussed. The package climdex-kit is developed in a way that allows users to implement additional routines for calculating other indices as well as for easily adapting the routines to handle with different data types and spatio-temporal targets defined by the specific application. Effective climate services can in fact be developed only if flexible tools and customizable climate information are integrated with a clear understanding of data features and limitations.

Cognitive deficit is a frequent non-motor symptom in Parkinson 's disease (PD) with an unclear pathogenesis. Recent research indicates possible involvement of insulin resistance and glutamate excitotoxicity in PD development. We investigated cognitive performance and the brain glutamate and insulin signaling in a rat model of PD induced by bilateral intrastriatal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Cognitive functions were assessed with Passive avoidance (PA) and Morris Water Maze (MWM) tests. The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and proteins involved in insulin (IR, pI3K, ERK) and glutamate receptor (AMPAR, NMDAR) signaling was assessed in the hippocampus (HPC), hypothalamus (HPT) and striatum (S) by immunofluorescence, Western blot and ELISA. Three months after 6-OHDA treatment, cognitive deficit was accompanied by decreased AMPAR activity and TH levels (HPC, S), while levels of the proteins involved in insulin signaling remained largely unchanged. Spearman’s rank correlation revealed a strong positive correlation for pAMPAR-PA (S), pNMDAR-pI3K (HPC) and pNMDAR-IR (all regions). Additionally, a positive correlation was found for TH-ERK and TH-pI3K, and a negative one for TH-MWM/errors and pI3K-MWM/time (S). These results suggest a possible association between brain glutamate (but not insulin) signaling dysfunction and cognitive deficit in a rat PD model, detected three months after 6-OHDA treatment.

Riverine particulates dominate the transport of vital nutrients like Si, Fe or P to the ocean mar-gins, where they may increase primary production by acting as slow release fertilizer. Further-more, the supply of particulate surface area to the ocean is considered to be a major control or-ganic carbon burial. Taken together, these observations suggest a close link between the supply of riverine particulate material and the organic carbon cycle. To explore this link, we conducted microcosm experiments to measure the growth of the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii in the presence and absence of different types and concentrations of riverine particulate material. Results demonstrate a strong positive effect of riverine particulate material on diatom growth with increased total diatom concentrations and slowed post-exponential death rates with in-creasing particulate concentration. Moreover, SEM and optical microscope investigations con-firm that riverine particulates facilitates organic carbon burial through their role in the aggrega-tion and sedimentation of phytoplankton. The supply of riverine particulate material has been shown to be markedly climate sensitive with their fluxes increasing dramatically with increas-ing global temperature and runoff. This pronounced climate sensitivity implies that riverine particulates contribute substantially in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations through their role in the organic carbon cycle.

The transition from undergraduate dental student to the actual practicing dentist is a crucial phase and ensuring the preparedness of graduates for the complexity and demands of contempo-rary dental practice is a challenging task. This study aimed to evaluate the self-perceived prepar-edness of undergraduate dental students and house officers in the dental colleges of Pakistan. Cross-sectional national study was planned to collect the information from dental students and new graduates in Pakistan. The pre-validated Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale (DU-PAS) was used. Purposive sampling technique was utilized to recruit house officers and undergraduate dental students from 27 dental schools in Pakistan. The data analysis was car-ried out using the R statistical environment for Windows (R Core Team, 2015). The total of 862 responses with 642 females and 219 males were analyzed in the study. Overall, clinical skills score was 30.56+9.08 and score for soft skills was 30.54+10.6. The mean age of the participants was 23.42+1.28. Deficiencies were reported in various soft skills and clinical skills attributes.The results highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of dental students and new graduates in Pakistani den-tal institutions. The findings may be used to further develop and strengthen teaching and training of dental students in Pakistan.

Cervical cancer is mostly diagnosed cancer of women worldwide and the second most common cancer among middle-aged women in Bangladesh. Knowledge and perception of women are considered one of the major components of prevention strategy. We carried out this survey to assess the existing knowledge level of students and their perception to the role of vaccination in preventing cervical cancer. The participants were female undergraduate students studying Public Health in a university in Chattogram city of Bangladesh. A total of 275 female students were interviewed through prescribed questionnaire possessing questions on basic information of cervical cancer, its causal agent, risk factors, prevention methods, and vaccination. We marked the responses of participants with zero for wrong answer and one for every correct answer and ranked the knowledge level of students. The mean age of study participants was 20.68 years. In total, 69.1% students possessed poor knowledge whereas, 30.9% had good knowledge. The country of students has significant association with their level of knowledge. Most of the students got information on cervical cancer from traditional media (49.8%) and doctor (30.9%) and the effect of these two sources was statistically significant on the knowledge level of students. Students mostly identified vaccination (21.1%) and Gynecological examination (14.39%) as preventing methods. However, 65.5% of them acknowledge that vaccines cannot prevent this cancer and 33.4% believe in different risks of vaccine. Although students have heard of cervical cancer the overall knowledge was insufficient and perceived negative concepts about cancer vaccine. Therefore, we recommend the initiation of educational programs on basic reproductive health and health seeking behaviour targeting young women to successfully control and prevention of this life-threatening health problem.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis affects approximately 12 million people worldwide. Current existing drugs cause several side effects and resistance, the identification of new therapeutic targets for the development of new drugs is necessary. The vesicular trafficking in the parasite flagellar pocket is essential for parasite survival and proliferation, but little is known about the proteins involved in the endocytic/secretory pathways. In this work, we are describing the characterization of a transporter cargo protein SFT-2/Got-1 like in Leishmania infantum. Material and Methods: Using bioinformatics tools, the putative Got-1 protein A4HSK3 was characterized structurally and phylogenetically. Molecular biology was used to clone and express the protein and confocal fluorescence to determine its subcellular localization. Results: The Got-1 like protein presents four alpha helix TM conserved domains (aa38-aa147) characteristics of the Got-1/SFT-2 family proteins and an important Pen-2 conserved motif LGDYXXF located in the extracellular loop. Confocal microscopy suggests that Got-1/SFT-2 like is localized in the flagellar pocket, and is partially co-localized with the L. infantum presenilin-like protein. Phylogenetically, the Leishmania sp Got-1 like is contained in a subgroup of proteins clearly detached from the other Trypanosomatidae, such as T. cruzi and T. brucei. Conclusions: Our data show the presence of an important transported proteins, and its colocalization with the presenilin aspartyl protease in the flagellar pocket of the L. infantum open new perspectives to identify novel targets, which can be an alternative therapeutic strategy against leishmaniasis.

Nowadays, many Muslim-majority countries have implemented a dual banking system, namely the sharia and conventional systems. The development of Islamic banks is to fulfill the Muslims' need for the existence of halal transactions in financial institutions. However, in some countries, it turns out that conventional banks still dominate the country's economy. Because of that, it is necessary to see whether there are differences in financial risk and Earnings management between Islamic and conventional banks. The samples are conventional and Islamic banks in Southeast Asia, analyzed by the purposive sampling method from 2010-2019. The analytical tool used is the statistical difference test and economometrics analysis using generalized least square (GLS) regression with panel data (time series and cross-sectional data). These models are intended to forecasting the macroeconomics effects in applying dual banking system in one country or region. The results using non parametrics means difference test showed that the first hypothesis is accepted It means that Earnings management in conventional banks is greater than in Islamic banks. The Random Model Effect (REM) for second and third hypotheses testing on Conventional banks shows the Bankruptcy Risk and NPL do not affect the dependent variable Earnings Management (LLP). While fixed effect model testing on Islamic banks, the second and third hypothesis testing is rejected. Therefor Islamic Banks the value of Bankruptcy Risk (z-score) and the value of Non-Performing Loans (NPL) do not affect Earnings management. It also means that hypothesis 2 and 3 are rejected both in conventional as well as Islamic Banking. Sensitivity analysis for conventional as well as Islamic banking altogether using fixed effect model shows that the second and third hypotheses show that the independent variables (Bankruptcy Risk and NPL) do not affect the dependent variable Earnings Management (LLP). These results can be concluded that Islamic bank are enganged in less earnings management. Therefor in the the long run there are still more research that should conduct in comparing dual banking system in one region.

Drone and aerial remote sensing images are widely used, but their imaging environment is complex and prone to image blurring. Existing CNN deblurring algorithms usually use multi-scale fusion to extract features in order to make full use of aerial remote sensing blurred image information, but images with different degrees of blurring use the same weights, leading to increasing errors in the feature fusion process layer by layer. Based on the physical properties of image blurring, this paper proposes an adaptive multi-scale fusion blind deblurred generative adversarial network (AMD-GAN), which innovatively applies the degree of image blurring to guide the adjustment of the weights of multi-scale fusion, effectively suppressing the errors in the multi-scale fusion process and enhancing the interpretability of the feature layer. The research work in this paper reveals the necessity and effectiveness of a priori information on image blurring levels in image deblurring tasks. By studying and exploring the image blurring levels, the network model focuses more on the basic physical features of image blurring. Meanwhile, this paper proposes an image blurring degree description model, which can effectively represent the blurring degree of aerial remote sensing images. The comparison experiments show that the algorithm in this paper can effectively recover images with different degrees of blur, obtain high-quality images with clear texture details, outperform the comparison algorithm in both qualitative and quantitative evaluation, and can effectively improve the object detection performance of aerial remote sensing blurred images. Moreover, the average PSNR of this paper's algorithm tested on the publicly available dataset RealBlur-R reached 41.02dB, surpassing the latest SOTA algorithm.

Potocki-Lupski Syndrome (PTLS) is a rare condition associated with a duplication of 17p11.2 that may underlie a wide range of congenital abnormalities and heterogeneous behavioral phenotypes. Along with developmental delay and intellectual disability, autism-specific traits are often reported to be the most common among patients with PTLS. To contribute to the discussion of the role of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the PTLS phenotype, we present a case of a female adolescent with a de novo dup(17)(p11.2p11.2) without ASD features, focusing on in-depth clinical, behavioral, and electrophysiological (EEG) evaluations. Among EEG features, we found the atypical peak-slow wave patterns and a unique saw-like sharp wave of 13 Hz that was not previously described in any other patient. The power spectral density of the resting state EEG was typical in our patient with only the values of non-linear EEG dynamics: Hjorth complexity and Fractal dimension were drastically attenuated compared with the patient’s neurotypical peers. Here we also summarize results from previously published reports of PTLS that point to the about 21% occurrence of ASD in PTLS that might be biased, taking into account methodological limitations. More consistent among PTLS patients were intellectual disability and speech and language disorders.

Currently, an interactive environmental planning analysis system platform based on " Three Lines One Permit " (TLOP) is being developed to support environmental planning, construction project approval, and the application of TLOP outcome data in Guangzhou. The main objective is to provide governments, businesses and the public with environmental planning analysis tools to determine the site of construction projects. The platform is using the system architecture of the browser and server. Its core functions are interactive environmental planning analysis tool for construction project and the results display tool supporting map viewing. It provides users with a large number of detailed geospatial data and TLOP results data access and environmental planning analysis functions. This article describes the system architecture and implementation of the system platform and has a case study illustrating the system functionality. At present, the platform has been deployed and trial-operated. The content of the analysis framework is constantly expanding. This promotes the matching of environmental planning and analysis with local conditions. This will implement the application of TLOP and improve the efficiency of project construction and the level of ecological environment planning and management.

Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a global problem that is largely unaddressed, especially in Africa. Black indigenous Africans are rarely represented in research that develop genetic tests and genetic therapies for IRDs yet their genomes are more diverse. The aim of this literature review is to synthesize information on the IRD genetic research conducted among indigenous black Africans to identify challenges and opportunities for progress. PubMed was searched to identify empirical publications reporting the genetic analysis of IRDs among indigenous Africans. A total of 10 articles were selected for the review. Based on the information in the articles, the main genetic testing methods in use include next-generation, whole exome, and Sanger sequencing. The main IRDs characterized by the genetic tests include retinitis pigmentosa, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Stagardt disease, and cone dystrophy. Examples of implicated genes include MERTK, GUCY2D, ABCA4, and KCNV2 for the four IRDs respectively. Research activities on the genetics of IRDs are generally scanty in Africa. Even in South Africa and North Africa where some research activities were noted, only a few indigenous black Africans were in the study cohorts. There is an urgent need for genetic research on IRDs, especially in East, Central, and West Africa.

Urinary peptides are the products of systemic protein turn over which are excreted out of the body and hence can serve as an important biomarker for various pathophysiology. These peptides in other species of bovine have been reported to possess several bioactive properties. To investigate the potential of urinary peptides we generated a peptidome profile from the urine of Murrah Buffaloes (n=10). Urine samples were processed using <10 kDa MWCO filter, filtrate obtained was used for peptide extraction using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). Eluate, obtained after SPE was extracted using ethyl acetate and the peptide-containing aqueous phase was collected. We extensively assessed the antimicrobial properties of the urinary aqueous phase. The nLC-MS/MS of the aqueous phase from 10 animals resulted in the identification of 8165 peptides originating from 6041 parent proteins. 76 Proteases responsible for the release of these sequences from precursor proteins were also identified. We further analyzed these peptide sequences to identify bioactive peptides and classify them into anti-cancerous, anti-hypertensive, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory groups with a special emphasis on antimicrobial properties. With this in mind, we simultaneously conducted experiments to evaluate antimicrobial properties of urinary aqueous extract on three pathogenic bacterial strains S. aureus, E. coli, & S. agalactiae.

In this article we investigate the role of “Renewable Energy Consumption” in the context of Circular Economy. We use data from the World Bank for 193 countries in the period 2011-2020. We perform several econometric techniques i.e., Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, Pooled OLS, WLS. Our results show that “Renewable Energy Consumption” is positively associated among others to “Cooling Degree Days” and “Adjusted savings: net forest depletion” and negatively associated among others to “GHG net emissions/removals by LUCF” and “Mean Drought Index”. Furthermore, we perform a cluster analysis with the application of the k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette Coefficient and we find the presence of two clusters. Finally, we compare eight different machine learning algorithms to predict the value of Renewable Energy Consumption. Our results show that the Polynomial Regression is the best algorithm in the sense of prediction and that on average the renewable energy consumption is expected to growth of 2.61%.

A quantum Otto engine with a single ion harmonic oscillator as its working substance is studied for an adiabatic operation at high and low temperature limits. Using the universal optimization method, the heat engine is effectively optimized and found to yield better working conditions in some ranges of temperature ratios. Accordingly, the figure of merit, ψ, is found to be greater than unity in the range: 0<β2β1≤0.12; showing that the heat engine performs better in the optimized condition than in the maximum power working condition. ψ is determined to be less than one in the range 0.12≤β2β1≤0.35 under the same temperature limit ; depicting that the maximum power working condition is preferred to the optimized working condition. On the other hand, in the low temperature limit, the figure of merit, ψ, is found to be greater than unity in the range 3.7<ω1ω2≤18; revealing that optimized working condition is better than the maximum power working condition for the heat engine. In the same temperature limit, ψ is found to be less than one in the range 0≤ω1ω2≤3.7; showing that maximum power working condition is preferred to the optimized one. For the model of heat engine studied, in some ranges of temperature ratio, it is found to work better in the optimized condition, whereas in the other ranges it performs better under the maximum power working condition. So, it is possible to switch the engine between the two conditions depending on one’s need.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by the bite of female Phlebotomine sandflies. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 100,000 cases to be reported annually on a global scale, moreover, 13 million people were infected between 2010 and 2015 worldwide. Treatment of leishmaniasis by conventional synthetic compounds is met by challenges pertaining to adverse effects which call for the discovery of newer anti-leishmanial molecules. This study was performed to evaluate the effect and modes of action of a sesquiterpene alcoholic molecule Farnesol on Leishmania major, the causative agent of Zoonotic Cutaneous leishmaniasis. The cytotoxic effect of Farnesol against L. major promastigotes, amastigotes and macrophages was assessed by MTT test and counting. The IC50 on promastigotes by Farnesol on L. major was evaluated by flow cytometry. In the findings, Promastigotes were reduced at 167 µM/mL & the mean numbers of L. major amastigotes in macrophages were significantly decreased in exposure to Farnesol at 172 µM/ml. In addition, Farnesol demonstrated no cytotoxicity on macrophages as the IC50 value was 945 µM/ml; it induced significant apoptosis dose-dependent on L. major promastigotes. In silico protein-ligand binding analyses indicated the effect of Farnesol in perturbation of the ergosterol synthesis pathway of Leishmania with attributes suggesting inhibition of Lanosterol-α-demethylase, the terminal enzyme of ergosterol synthesis machinery. Findings from flow cytometry reveal the role of farnesol in apoptosis-induced killing in promastigotes. Farnesol was effective at very lower concentrations when compared to Paromomycin. Further studies are crucial to evaluate the therapeutic potentials of Farnesol alone and in combination with other conventional drugs using clinical settings.

Background: With the trend of intelligent display, the interface design of in-vehicle HUD is an expanding research field; Methods: To solve the subjectivity and uncertainty in the optimization of HUD interface design schemes, this paper proposed a hybrid scheme evaluation and optimization method based on entropy weight and VIKOR. The entropy weight method was used to reduce the subjectivity the decision-maker's weighting and obtain the objective weight of each indicator; The VIKOR method was used to obtain the best ranking of alternative schemes, and then the optimal interface design scheme was selected; Results: The evaluation of in-vehicle HUD interface design schemes were taken as an example for verification and calculation. The results showed that this method considers the subjectivity and uncertainty of the decision-making process in the optimization of design scheme, which can effectively improve the objectivity and accuracy of the evaluation results, and provide a reference for designers to optimize interface design schemes.

Indigenous knowledge is proven to be one of the foundations of sustainable land and marine management. While indigenous knowledge is acknowledged as of important factors on maintenance of biodiversity of the planet, it also ensures the sustenance of social and economic system of indigenous community. To facilitate the application of indigenous knowledge on management of customary forest in Indonesia, since 2012, the Government of Indonesia has been providing formal access for indigenous communities to their forests to maintain forest sustainability and to enhance the welfare of indigenous community. Nonetheless, the achievement of sustainable development goals in the scope of forest and conservation area management is threatened by various competing interests and power imbalance, which mostly leads to conversion of naturally vegetated area, as well as the inability of the community to integrate new economic opportunities to its institution. Moreover, the Government of Indonesia has not been regulating the involvement of indigenous community on the management of conservation area. Most importantly, such a program provides no reference on indigenous community, especially on the assessment of authenticity of indigenous community’s forest. Cultural space methodology may fill the aforementioned gaps. The methodology was developed based on the notion of cultural space and land administration, particularly the people-and-land/marine space relationship. Moreover, such a methodology was also constructed based on the experiences of agricultural and maritime communities in Indonesia on the administration of their territories. The methodology provides a procedure to convert information on the interrelation of indigenous community, its cultural space in forest and conservation area, and indigenous knowledge into geospatial information and data that represent the cultural space unit as a geographic feature. Therefore, such methodology may be utilised to assess the authenticity of a long-existing relationship between a community, especially an indigenous one, and its land, particularly that serves conservational function.

Pregnancy is a dynamic state with multiple metabolic changes occurring including insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a form of diabetes that appears during pregnancy, develops if metabolic aberrations occur, in particular, in normal pregnancy-induced insulin resistance. Multi-omics is a powerful approach for uncovering the mechanisms driving metabolic change in different physiologic and pathologic states. A recent study demonstrated that the gestational gut microbiome mediates pregnancy metabolic adaptations through effects on gut indoleamine-2,3 dioxygenase 1 activity and the production of kynurenine. Using the dataset generated from this highly controlled study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the pregnancy-specific physiological and metabolic profiles, 16S rRNA microbiome, and plasma untargeted LC-MS metabolome data. To facilitate the utilization of these analysis results by other researchers, we developed MOMMI-MP, a database that provides an easy-to-use platform to browse and search differential abundant microbial taxa and metabolites, and to examine metabolic pathways. The datasets consist of data collected from 3 genetically diverse strains of mice (C57BL/6J, CD1, and NIH-Swiss) over 6 time points during the gestational (days 0, 10, 15, and 19 during gestation) and postpartum (days 3 and 20 after delivery) states, totaling 180 samples for each strain. The computational results are presented in various tables and plots, and organized in MOMMI-MP to empower exploratory analyses by other researchers. In conclusion, MOMMI-MP is a resource to facilitate the investigation of novel mechanisms governing metabolic changes during pregnancy.

Since the mid-20th century, tourism has become a strategic activity for the economy of the Balearic Islands, causing profound social, territorial and environmental transformations. This fact challenges local society, which must be aware of its environment in order to better face the future challenges posed by this economic activity. With this goal, the official curriculum has been analyzed, making it possible to ascertain the approach with which this subject is taught by the administration and what objectives are set. Furthermore, a review was carried out of the contents of geography textbooks in the third year of ESO and the second year of Baccalaureate, which correspond to the educational stages in which tourism aspects appear. The results obtained represent a fundamental strategic diagnosis in order to improve the teaching and learning of this key activity for the Balearic Islands, giving it more importance and adapting its approach to the current times.

Successful management of the synthesis of secondary metabolites of essential oil plants is the basis for the economic growth of the essential oil industry. Against the backdrop of a growing global population and a decrease in land available for cultivation, simple and effective ways to increase the content of certain components in essential oils are becoming increasingly important. Selection is no longer keeping pace with market needs, which stimulates the search for faster methods to control the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In this article, using the genus Lavandula as an example, we will consider the prospects for use of antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), oligoilators, to rapidly increase the concentration of valuable components in essential oil. This article discusses the use of unmodified ASOs as regulators of plant secondary metabolism to increase the synthesis of individual valuable components, presenting a completely new way to increase the yield of valuable substances based on unique nucleotide sequences. The proposed approach is effective, affordable, safe, and also significantly reduces the time needed to obtain plants that synthesize the required concentrations of target substances. Oligoilators can the used along with oligonucleotide insecticides in complex formulations used for green agriculture. Further investigation is needed to determine maximum economic efficiency of this approach.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune disease, with its prevalence rapidly increasing. Both genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to the development of HT. Recently, viral infection has been suggested to act as a trigger of HT by eliciting the host immune response and subsequent autoreactivity. We analyzed features of HT through bioinformatics analysis so as to identify markers of HT development. We accessed public microarray data of HT patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and obtained differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under HT. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed for functional clustering of our protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Utilizing ranked gene lists, we performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) using the clusterprofiler R package. By comparing the expression signatures of the huge perturbation database with the queried rank-ordered gene list, connectivity map (CMap) analysis was performed to screen potential therapeutic targets and agents. The gene expression profile of the HT group was in line with general characteristics of HT. Biological processes related to the immune response and viral infection pathways were obtained for the upregulated DEGs. GSEA results revealed activation of autoimmune disease-related pathways and several viral infection pathways. Autoimmune disease and viral infection pathways were highly interconnected by common genes, while the HLA genes which are shared by both were significantly upregulated. CMap analysis suggested that perturbagens, including SRRM1, NLK, and CCDC92, have the potential to reverse the HT expression profile. Several lines of evidence suggested that viral infection and the host immune response are activated during HT. Viral infection is suspected to act as a key trigger of HT by causing autoimmunity. SRRM1, an alternative splicing factor, which responds to viral activity, might serve as potential marker of HT.

This paper proposes an encryption scheme for high pixel density images. Based on the application of the quantum random walk algorithm, the Long short-term memory (LSTM) can effectively solve the problem of low efficiency of the quantum random walk algorithm in generating large-scale pseudorandom matrices, and further improve the statistical properties of the pseudorandom matrices required for encryption. The LSTM is then divided into columns and fed into the LSTM in order for training. Due to the randomness of the input matrix, the LSTM cannot be trained effectively, so the output matrix is predicted to be highly random. The LSTM prediction matrix of the same size as the key matrix is generated based on the pixel density of the image to be encrypted, which can effectively complete the encryption of the image. In the statistical performance test, the proposed encryption scheme achieves an average information entropy of 7.9992, an average number of pixels changed rate (NPCR) of 99.6231%, an average uniform average change intensity (UACI) of 33.6029% and an average correlation of 0.0032. Finally, various noise simulation tests are also conducted to verify its robustness in real-world applications where common noise and attack interference are encountered.

Conclusive evidence that specic long-term memory formation relies on den- dritic growth and structural synaptic changes has proven elusive. Connec- tionist models of memory based on this hypothesis are confronted with the so-called plasticity stability dilemma or catastrophic interference. Other fun- damental limitations of these models are the feature binding problem, the speed of learning, the capacity of the memory, the localisation in time of an event and the problem of spatio-temporal pattern generation. This paper suggests that the generalisation and long-term memory mechanisms are not correlated. Only the development and the improvement of the feature ex- tractors in the cortex involves structural synaptic changes. We suggest the long-term memory has a separate mechanism which involves protein synthe- sis to encode the information into the structure of these proteins. A model of memory should be capable of explaining the dierence between memorisation and learning. Learning has in our approach two dierent mechanisms. The generalisation in the brain is handled by the proper development of the links between neurons via synapses. The Hebbian learning rule could be applied only for this part of learning. Storing an internal ring pattern involves, in our approach, a new mechanism which puts the information regarding this ring pattern into the structure of special proteins in such a way that it can be retrieved later. The hypotheses introduced in this article includes a physiological assumption which has not been yet verified because it is not currently experimentally accessible. Keywords: Waves, Protein Synthesis, Resonance, Long Term Memory Preprint submitted to Neural Networks

The present manuscript describes the use of natural fibers as natural and sustainable reinforcement agents for advanced biobased composite materials for strategic sectors, such as construction. The characterization carried up have shown the potential of both hemp and linseed natural fibers and their composites to be used as insulation materials. Nevertheless, linseed shows better mechanical performance and hemp a higher fire resistance. Demonstrating that although natural fibers have similar properties each of them should be used specifically for a purpose. Besides the work also evaluates the use of bio matrixes in composites, demonstrating their feasibility and how they impact the properties of the final material, our bio resin enhances fire resistance and decrease the water absorption capacity of the natural fibers. Enabling the use of such composites as a final product. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture a biocomposite with non woven natural fibers. In fact, for properties such as thermal conductivity, they are able to compete with current materials. Proving that biomaterials are a suitable solution for developing sustainable products fulfilling the requirements of the end user applications.

The main objective of this work is the design and implementation of self-adaptive capabilities in wireless sensors by applying control engineering and model-based design methodologies. It has been addressed the problem related to the changes in the flow of data packets through the network connection and the excess energy consumption that this causes in these devices. To design the solution, a systemic characterization of the scheduling and execution process of embedded tasks on the device has been carried out. This means defining cause-effect relationships in the system and its modelling theoretically and/or experimentally. In turn, these models facilitate the design of control strategies to improve the dynamic behavior of the system. As a solution, a self-adaptation strategy based on feedforward control algorithm has been designed and developed, which has been applied to improve the dynamic behavior and resource consumption. The developed solution has been satisfactorily evaluated experimentally.

Aaron Copland’s only full-length opera, The Tender Land has had a difficult production history. Critics of the 1954 New York City Opera Premiere bemoaned the atypical storyline, the music declared too dry, and the singing too sparse. The opera’s failure to dazzle initial audiences is likely because it was originally written for television. Copland was commissioned to write this opera for television in 1952, but was rejected by NBC in 1953, with no official explanation given as to why. The New York City Opera premiere, therefore, was not an accurate representation of Aaron Copland's vision. The opera eventually did find receptive audiences, each success marked by a smaller, more intimate venue, not unlike the intimacy afforded on a sound stage. Perhaps most notable of these was the touring 1993 University of Minnesota production that performed in barns and farmhouses throughout the Midwest. Through this tour, the opera reached a rural community mirrored in the story, providing much more opportunity for the audience to connect to the characters. However, the question remains what caused NBC to initially reject the opera. This paper exposes the likely political obstacles that prevented Copland’s opera from premiering in its intended medium, and the subsequent consequences of displacing The Tender Land from its television premiere.

The increased accessibility of drone technology and the wide use of Structure from Motion 3D scene reconstruction have transformed the approach for mapping inaccessible slopes undergoing active rockfalls. The Poggio Baldi landslide offers the possibility for many of these techniques to be deployed and integrated with the aim of defining a suitable workflow for the analysis of hazards in mountainous regions. The generation of multitemporal digital slope twins (2016 – 2019), informed a rockfall trajectory analysis that was carried out with a physical-based GIS model. We tested the rockfall scenario reconstructed and calibrated on the analysis of the rock mass characteristics and the geometrical and physical constraints given by the multi-temporal analysis of the SfM point clouds. This time-independent rockfall hazard analysis is a critical component to any subsequent holistic risk analysis on this case study, and any potential similar mountainous setting.

We assessed the prevalence and correlates of stunting among children aged 6-23 months from poor households in Rwanda. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 817 mother-child dyads living in poor households from five districts with a high prevalence of stunting. We used descriptive statistics to determine the prevalence of stunting, bivariate analysis, and a multivariate logistic re-gression model to measure the strength of the Association between childhood stunting and exposure variables. Stunting was at 34.1%. Children aged 19-23 months (AOR = 4.410, 95% CI: [1.911-10.173], p-value=0.01), children aged 13-18 months (AOR=2.788, 95% CI: [1.302-5.968], p-value=0.08), children from households that do not have a vegetable garden (AOR=2.165, 95% CI: [1.201-3.905], p-value<0.01) were more likely to be stunted. On the other hand, children whose mothers were not exposed to physical violence (AOR= 0.145, 95% CI: [0.074-0.287], p-value<0.001), children whose fathers were working (AOR=0.036, 95% CI: [0.005-0.242], p-value=0.001), children whose both parents were working (AOR=0.208, 95% CI: [0.051-0.851], p-value=0.029) and children whose mothers had good hand-washing practice (AOR=0.181, 95% CI: [0.091-0.362], p-value<0.001) were less likely to be stunted. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating the promotion of hand-washing practices, owning vegetable gardens, and intimate partner violence prevention in the interventions to fight stunting.

Glyphosate　(GLYP)　is a broad-spectrum, non-selective, organic phosphine post emergence herbicide registered for use on many food and non-food field. Herein, we developed a biosensor (Mbs@dsDNA) based on carboxylated modified magnetic beads incubated with NH2-polyA and then hybridized with polyT-glyphosate aptamer and complementary DNA. Afterward, a quantitative detection method based on qPCR was established.　When the glyphosate aptamer on Mbs@dsDNA specifically recognized glyphosate, a complementary DNA is released and then enters the qPCR signal amplification process. The linear range of the method was 0.1-5 μg/mL, and the detection limit was set at 0.1 μg/mL. The recoveries in tap water were ranged from 103.4 ~ 104.9%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were < 1%. The aptamer proposed in this study has a good potential for recognizing glyphosate. The detection method combined with qPCR might have a good application prospect in detecting and supervising other pesticide residues.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have triggered a recent pandemic of respiratory disease and affected almost every country all over the world. A large amount of natural bioactive compounds is under clinical investigation for various diseas-es. Especially, marine natural compounds are gaining more attention in the new drug develop-ment process. The present study has aimed to identify potential marine-derived inhibitors against the target proteins of COVID-19 using a computational approach. Currently, 16 marine clinical-level compounds were selected for computational screening against the four SARS-CoV-2 main proteases. Computational screening resulted from the best drug candidates for each target based on the binding affinity scores and amino acid interactions. Among these, five marine-derived compounds namely Chrysophaentin A (-6.6 kcal/mol), Geodisterol sulfates (-6.6 kcal/mol), Hymenidin (-6.4 kcal/mol), Plinabulin (-6.4 kcal/mol) and Tetrodotoxin (-6.3 kcal/mol) expressed the minimized binding energy and molecular interactions such as covalent and hydrophobic interactions to the SARS CoV-2 Main Protease. Using Molecular dynamic stud-ies, the Root-Mean-Square Deviation (RMSD), Root-Mean-Square Fluctuation (RMSF), Radius of Gyration (ROG), and Hydrogen bonds (H-Bonds) values were calculated for SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease with Hymenidin docked complex. Additionally, in silico Druglikeness and pharmaco-kinetic property assessments of the compounds demonstrated favorable druggability. These re-sults suggested that marine natural compounds are capable of fighting SARS-CoV-2. Further, in vitro and in vivo studies need to be carried out to confirm their inhibitory potential.

An upsurge in global population over the years and rapid urbanization have accelerated huge dependence on petroleum-derived fuels and consequent environment concerns owing to green-house gas emissions in the atmosphere. An integrated biorefinery uses lignocellulosic feedstock as raw material for the production of renewable biofuels, and other fine chemicals. The sustain-able bio-economy and the biorefinery industry would benefit greatly from the effective use of lignocellulosic biomass obtained from agricultural feedstocks to replace petrochemical products. Lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and other extractives, which are essential components of ligno-cellulosic biomass, must be separated or upgraded into useful forms in order to fully realize the potential of biorefinery. The development of low-cost and green pretreatment technologies with effective biomass deconstruction potential is imperative for an efficient bioprocess. The abun-dance of microorganisms along with their continuous production of various degradative en-zymes makes them suited for the environmentally friendly bioconversion of agro-industrial wastes into viable bioproducts. The present review highlights the concept of biorefinery, ligno-cellulosic biomass and its valorization by green pretreatment strategies into biofuels and other biochemicals. The major barriers and challenges in bioconversion technologies, environmental sustainability of the bioproducts and promising solutions to alleviate those bottlenecks are also summarized.

Background: Digital health significantly affects healthcare delivery. Moreover, empirical studies on the utilization of telehealth in Dubai are limited. Accordingly, this study examines the utilization of telehealth services in Dubai Health Authority (DHA) facilities and the factors associated with telehealth appointment completion and turnaround time. Methods: This cross-sectional study examines patients who used telehealth services in DHA from 2020 through 2021 using 241,822 records. A binary logistic regression model was constructed to investigate the association between appointment turnaround time as a dependent variable and patient and visit characteristics as independent variables. Results: Of the total scheduled telehealth visits, more than three-quarter (78.55%) were completed. Older patients, non-Emiratis, patients who had their visits in 2020, patients who had video visits, and those who sought family medicine as a specialty had a shorter turn-around time to receive their appointment. Conclusions: This study identifies several characteristics associated with the turn-around time. Moreover, technological improvements focusing on specialties that can readily be addressed through telehealth and further research in this domain will improve service provision and support building an evidence base.

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus-8, is the causative agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma, Castleman’s disease, and primary effusion lymphoma. Although the functions of the viral thymidine kinases (vTK) of herpes simplex virus-1/2 and varicella zoster virus are well understood, that of KSHV ORF21 (an ortholog of vTK) is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of ORF21 in lytic replication and infection by generating two ORF21-mutated KSHV BAC clones: ORF21-kinase activity deficient-KSHV (21KD) and stop codon-induced ORF21-deleted-KSHV (21del). The results showed that both ORF21-mutations did not affect viral genome replication, lytic genes transcription, or the production of viral genome-encapsidated particles. ORF21 molecule-dependent function, other than the kinase function of ORF21, was involved in the infectivity of progeny virus. ORF21 was expressed at 36 h after induction of lytic replication, and endogenously expressed ORF21 was localized in the whole cytoplasm and decreased on the cell surface area. Moreover, the effects of ORF21 expression on signaling pathways and proliferation were analyzed. The results showed that ORF21 upregulated the MEK phosphorylation and anchorage-independent cell growth. These findings indicate that ORF21 plays key roles in both infection and oncogenesis of KSHV through the manipulation of cellular function.

This article is devoted to a bibliometric analysis of IEEE Energy Internet and Energy Systems Integration Conference proceedings posted in IEEE Xplore in 2017-2021. The main objective of the study was to identify the actual research issues on the Energy Internet topic. Author Keywords, INSPEC Controlled Terms, and terms compiled from n-grams derived from conference papers title and abstract texts were used to describe the actual issues. The terms were clustered using VOSviewer, and the terms included in each cluster were treated as a description of the actual issues. Brief descriptions of several publications relevant to the issue in question were given for task detail. The actual issue, which in my opinion deserves further, more detailed analysis, is proposed.

Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines have been studied regarding drug development. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antileukemic capacity of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives by screening its ability as a pro-oxidant. Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives were synthesized and oral bioavailability and toxicity were analyzed in silico. Redox screening was performed on human Kasumi, KG-1, K562 and Jurkat leukemia cells. The imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivative and the most responsive leukemic cell were selected for cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell senescence and oxidative stress assays. The predictive toxicity analysis showed a possible effect on the reproductive system, but without mutagenic, carcinogenic or irritability effects. MRK-107 against K562 cells was the compound that showed the best redox profile. MRK-107 did not induce cell death in K562 and monocyte cells. However, this compound was able to decrease cell proliferation and increase cell senescence after 48 and 72 hours. Furthermore, MRK-107 induced oxidative stress in K562 cells after 72h, increasing lipid peroxidation and decreasing reduced glutathione (GSH) contents. This study demonstrated that MRK-107-induced senescence with the involvement of oxidative stress as a possible mechanism of action, addressing this compound as a potential antitumor drug against chronic myeloid leukemia.

The density functional theory was used to explore the structural, electronic, dynamical, and thermoelectric properties of a VIrSi Half-Heulser (HH) alloy. The minimum lattice constant of 5.69 ( ̊A) was obtained for VIrSi alloy. Besides, the band structure and the projected density of states for this HH alloy were calculated, and the gap between the valence and conduction bands was noted to be 0.2 eV. Also, the quasi-harmonic approximation was used to predict the dynamical stability of the VIrSi HH alloy. At 300 K, the Seebeck Coefficient of 370 and -270 μV.K−1., respectively, was achieved for the p and n-type doping. From the power factor result, the highest peak of 18 X 1011W/cm.K2 is obtained in the n-type doping. The Figure of Merit (ZT) result revealed that VIrSi alloy possesses a high ZT at room temperature, which would make VIrSi alloy applicable for thermoelectric performance.

Ventricina del Vastese is a traditional dry fermented sausage from Central Italy not yet charac-terized for occurrence, identity and safety of coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), a bacterial group technologically important for this kind of products. Therefore, in this study, 98 CNS isolates from four manufacturers were differentiated by Repetitive element palindromic PCR (Rep-PCR) and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These were examined for genes encoding biogenic amine (BA) production, resistance to aminoglycosides, β-lactams and tetracyclines and staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs). Staphylococcus succinus (55%) predominated, followed by S. xylosus (30%), S. epidermidis (7.4%), S. equorum (3.1%), S. saprophyticus (3.1%) and S. warneri (1%). One S. succinus subsp. casei isolate was slightly β-hemolytic. SEs and the histidine decarboxylase gene hdcA were not detected, while the tyrosine decarboxylase gene tdcA was detected in four S. xylosus isolates. A blaZ beta-lactamase gene and tetracycline resistance genes tetK (six isolates) and tetA (one isolate also bearing tetK) were found, respectively. However, fewer hazardous and AR traits compared to CNS examined in other studies were found, as a probable consequence of using meat from animals reared in conditions that allow to minimize pathogen circulation and antibiotic use. Therefore, appropriate production conditions can reduce these threats.

With the rapid development of industry, Cr has become one of the major heavy metal pollutants in soil, which has caused serious effects on the soil's ecological environment. However, the effects of Cr stress on bacterial communities in plant rhizosphere soils remain unclear. In this study, I. tectorum was selected as the research object, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the effects of Cr stress on the structure and diversity of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere soil of I. tectorum. The results showed that I. tectorum had strong tolerance and enrichment to Cr. However, under Cr stress, the diversity and abundance index of rhizosphere bacteria decreased by 8.5% and 6.8% on average, and the Sobs index decreased by 7.6%. Moreover, the bacterial community changed by 20.1% due to the addition of Cr, further leading to a 15.9% decrease in the common species of the bacterial community, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteriota accounted for more than 74.8% of the total sequence. According to the symbiosis network diagram, it was found that under a two-cultivated pattern, the synergizing effect between dominant bacteria was significantly enhanced, and the soil microenvironment was improved. Redundancy analysis showed that C, N, and P nutrient elements and Cr contents in uncontaminated and contaminated soils were the primary driving factors for the succession of I. tectorum rhizosphere bacterial community, and the response was stronger after Cr(Ⅵ) was added. In conclusion, the results of this study will provide insights into the response of rhizosphere bacterial communities to heavy metal Cr and the interactions between wetland plants and rhizosphere bacteria in wetland phytoremediation.Keywords: Cr stress; rhizosphere bacterial community; Iris tectorum; 16S rRNA sequencing technology; Phytoremediation

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) are a solution with a reasonable cost/benefit ratio when provid-ing broadband internet access. The concept is being used not only in IEEE networks but also in other wireless networks such as cellular networks (4G/5G) and Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN). IEEE 802.11s is the facto standard and is well known for working with WMN. The standard defines Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP) as a layer 2 routing protocol. The met-ric proposed by the protocol is Air Time Link (ALM), and the IEEE 802.11 standard proposes an equation for its calculation. This work proposes a new methodology for the calculation of ALM which has been developed in the following way: through several scripts, which simulate various WMN scenarios in NS-3, collect information in several databases, and then take the data to RStu-dio, where different statistical tests are developed, such as linear models (LM), generalized linear models (GLM), and other statistical tests for both the original and new model proposals. The result is a new methodology for the calculation of metrics, using statistical techniques in the selection and validation of model regressors, presenting an a priori tool to improve the per-formance of the WMS's.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is one of the most threatening pathogens which affects the human central nervous system (CNS). TBEV circulates widely in Northern Eurasia. According to ECDC the number of TBE cases increase annually. There is no specific treatment for the TBEV infection, thus vaccination is the main preventive measure. Despite the existence of several inactivated vaccines currently being licensed, the development of new TBEV vaccines remains a leading priority in countries endemic to this pathogen. Here we report new recombinant virus made by infectious subgenomic amplicon (ISA) approach using TBEV and yellow fever virus vaccine strain (YF17DD-UN) as a genetic backbone. The recombinant virus is capable of effective replication in mammalian cells and induce TBEV-neutralizing antibodies in mice. Unlike the original vector based on the yellow fever vaccine strain chimeric virus became neuroinvasive in doses of 107-106 PFU and can be used as a model of Flavivirus neuroinvasiveness, neurotropism and neurovirulence. These properties of hybrid structures are the main factors limiting their practical use as vaccines platforms.

Nitrogen (N) is a major limiting factor for plant growth and vegetable production. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of N uptake, transport, and assimilation is key to improving nitrogen use efficiency in plants. Ammonium transporters (AMTs) play an important role in plant N metabolism. In this study, we isolated an important AMT1 subfamily member (BcAMT1;5) with a highly conserved signatural AMT1 subfamily motif from flowering Chinese cabbage. Based on functional complementation in yeast mutant 31019b and overexpression of BcAMT1;5 in Arabidopsis, BcAMT1;5 is a functional ammonium transporter. Tissue expression analysis showed that BcAMT1;5 was mainly expressed in roots and showed multiple N regime transcript patterns to respond to varying nutritional conditions. This was up-regulated by N-deficiency and down-regulated by supplying NH4+. The glucuronidase (GUS) activities of BcAMT1;5pro::GUS showed a similar change in response to different N conditions. Overexpression of BcAMT1;5 accelerated the growth of transgenic seedlings, increased NH4+ net influxes, and enhanced the content and accumulation of NH4+ and NO3- at low N concentrations. Additionally, it increased the transcript levels of N assimilation-related genes in shoots. These results indicate that the transcriptional regulation of BcAMT1;5 in flowering Chinese cabbage may participate in N uptake and assimilation under various N conditions.

An increasing ecological phase-shift from coral dominated reefs to macroalgae dominated reefs as a result of anthropogenic impacts, such as eutrophication, sedimentation, and overfishing, has been observed in many reef systems around the world. Ocean warming is a universal threat to both corals and macroalgae, which may alter the outcome of competition between them. Therefore, in order to explore the effects of indirect and direct exposure to macroalgae on the physiological, biochemical, and genetic expression of corals at elevated temperature, the coral Acroproa hyacinthus and highly invasive green algae Caulerpa taxifolia have been chosen. Physiologically, the results exhibited that distinguish from control and direct contact treatments, the density and chlorophyll a content of zooxanthella decreased by 53.1% and 71.2% respectively, when coral indirect contacted with algae at ambient temperature (27°C). Besides, enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in coral tissue were enhanced by interacting with algae. After an increase of 3°C, the density and chlorophyll a content of zooxanthella reduced by 84.4% and 93.8% respectively, whereas the enzmy activities of SOD and CAT increased by 2.3 and 3.1-fold. However, only the zooxanthellae density and pigment content decreased when C.taxifolia co-culture with A.hyacinthus at 30°C. Molecularly, different from the control group, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) such as Rab family, ATG family and Casp7 were significantly enriched in endocytosis, autophagy and apoptosis pathways , regardless whether A.hyacinthus was indirect or indirect exposure to C.taxifolia at 27°C. Under thermal stress without algae interaction, the DEGs were significantly enriched in microbial immune signal transduction pathways, such as Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway, while multiple cellular immunity (IFI47, TRAF family) and oxidative stress (CAT, SODC, HSP70) genes were up-regulated. Inversely, compared with corals without interaction with algae at 30°C, the DEGs of corals interacted with C.taxifolia at 30°C, were remarkably enriched in apoptosis, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, including the transcription factors such as Casp family, TRAF family. In conclusion, the density and chlorophyll a content of zooxanthella remained a fading tendency induced by macroalgae at ambient temperature. The oxidative stress and immune response levels of coral has been elevated at 30°C, but macroalgae alleviated the negative effects triggered by thermal stress.

The potential effect of implementing environmental regulations on economic growth is a controversial issue for a long time. As portrayed by Porter hypothesis, environmental regulations may impact on economic growth by reconstructing the economic structure. A number of previous literature proved the connections between the above three parties. With the intention of exploring the nature of this mechanism, it is important to understand the internal inter-relation of the three parties, requiring data from a large economy experiencing the transition in economic structure. By constructing a panel containing data from 30 Chinese provinces over 10 years (2008-2019), this paper investigate the dynamic inter-relation of the three parties by introducing PVAR model with Granger Test. Results reveal that environmental regulations give a “U” shaped impact to economic growth. In return, economic growth promotes the development of economy with a weakening strength. In addition, results also support the hypothesis that economic structure is the intermediate of economic growth and environmental regulations. There is a rooftop for the effect of economic structure to environmental regulations. The rooftop may signify the best optimization of primary structure.

With the rapid development of technology and the advancement of Internet technology, various social networking platforms are gradually coming into people's view and occupying a higher and higher position. In the recommendation scenario, the user-item interaction naturally forms a bipartite heterogeneous graph structure and with the development of graph embedding and graph neural network technologies based on deep learning to process graph domain information, the combination of graph information and recommendation systems shows strong research potential and application prospects. The methodological improvement of the recommendation algorithm based on collaborative filtering takes advantage of the nature that user-items can form a bipartite graph in the recommendation scenario. The existing methods still have some shortcomings. The methods that only use weights or convolutional recurrent neural networks to implicitly model different historical behaviors lack explicit modeling of video switching relationships in serialized behaviors. The user's interest is changing all the time, so it is not possible to recommend based on the user's history, and it is necessary to consider both the long-term and short-term interest of the user according to the video content in order to achieve accurate recommendation of short videos. In this paper, we design a recommendation model based on graph neural network, which models users' long-term and short-term interests by two vector propagation methods, respectively.

Starch is a widespread natural polymer used in healthcare applications due to its low cost and antibacterial properties. The use of starch in its many forms and its sometimes combination with metallic nanoparticles have all contributed to the advancement of biomaterials. However, few studies have been conducted on biocomposites composed of jackfruit starch and silver nanopar-ticles (AgNPs). As a result, this research aims to study the physicochemical, morphological, and cytotoxic features of a Brazilian jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) starch-based scaffold loaded with AgNPs. Gelatinization and chemical reduction were used to synthesize the scaffold and AgNPs, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were utilized to explore the properties. The findings supported the development of anisotropic, stable, monodispersed AgNPs. The presence of AgNPs in the scaffold matrix was revealed by XRD and SEM-EDS. AgNPs were found to modify the crystallinity, roughness, and thermal stability of the scaffold while leaving its chemical and physical characteristics unchanged. Finally, the scaffolds did not show adverse effects on the L929 cells.

Mangroves are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Understanding how these ecosystems responded to past natural and anthropogenic drivers of ecological change is essential not only for understanding how extant mangroves have been shaped, but also for informing their conservation. This paper reviews the available paleoecological evidence for Pleistocene and Holocene responses of Caribbean mangroves to climatic, eustatic and anthropogenic drivers. The first records date from the Last Interglacial when global average temperatures sea levels were slightly higher than the present and mangroves grew in locations and conditions similar to today. During the Last Glaciation temperatures and sea levels were significantly lower and Caribbean mangroves grew far from their present locations, on presently submerged sites. Current mangrove configuration was progressively attained after Early Holocene warming and sea-level rise, in the absence of anthropogenic pressure. Human influence began to be important in the Mid-Late Holocene, especially during the Archaic and Ceramic cultural periods, when sea levels were already at their present position, and climatic and human drivers were the most influencing factors. During the last millennium, the most relevant drivers of ecological change have been the episodic droughts linked to the Little Ice Age and the historical developments of the last centuries.

In this paper, we define and investigate modified p-Leonardo, p-Leonardo-Lucas and p-Leonardo sequences as special cases of the generalized Leonardo sequence. We present Binet's formulas, generating functions, Simson formulas, and the summation formulas for these sequences. Moreover, we give some identities and matrices related with these sequences. Furthermore, we show that there are close relations between modified p-Leonardo, p-Leonardo-Lucas, p-Leonardo numbers and Fibonacci, Lucas numbers.

The increase in the production and entry of greenhouse gases into the earth's atmosphere has disturbed the balance of the environment. The signs of climate change (caused by global warming) are clearly visible and its effects are tangible. According to the United Nations, if the current trend continues, the global average temperature will increase by 3.2°C by the end of the century, which will have terrible consequences if it happens. This research aimed to investigate the effects of greenhouse gases and climate changes resulting from them on Hyrcanian forests. The Hyrcanian forests, as one of the oldest forest areas (remaining from the Paleogene era), were studied by telemetry from 2013 to 2021. The analysis of the images taken from the Landsat 8 satellite showed that during 9 years, the NDVI index decreased by 0.6 units and the average air temperature increased by 0.5°C. Although the average relative humidity has only increased by 2%, the average annual rainfall has recorded an increase of 25mm. The analysis of the statistics showed that the rains occur irregularly and are often torrential. Therefore, it is predicted that as the average temperature continues to increase, the NDVI index will further decrease, and as a result, the forest cover will become weaker and the soil will lose more water absorption power, and due to the increase in average rainfall. successive floods will occur. Therefore, soil erosion increases and the extinction and migration of plant and animal species increase significantly.

Recycling and waste management have garnered immense popularity in recent years, but few studies have been carried out regarding these systems. Therefore, an in-depth literature review was done in order to highlight the different sectors of the recycling system that need to be reformed. Hence this study examined recycling and waste management systems within three categories–medical, municipal, and plastic–that were carried out pre and post COVID by reviewing previous studies, technical reports, and annual reports. This was done by visiting numerous academic search engines alongside online resources that were utilized to assemble literature related to waste and recycling systems. Continuing a recurring idea was that no matter the type of waste, further research regarding all waste should be carried out. Additionally, since recycling and waste management are a vital part of our society, and seeing how unpredictable events such as the pandemic may be, it is paramount that that research is done not only on how the pandemic has affected systems now, but also how we can learn from current issues to utilize them for future “waste shocks”.

Marine wildlife and aquaculture species can accumulate large amounts of microplastic particles (&lt;1 mm), threatening the health of marine populations and ecosystems and posing a risk to food safety and human health. The uptake of chemicals from microplastics seems to decrease the immune capacity of bivalves and corals to fight pathogenic bacteria, thereby increasing their vulnerability to disease. Moreover, major pathogens of bivalves, fish, and humans, including several Vibrio species, have been shown to be specifically enriched in the microbial communities adhered to marine microplastic debris (MMD). Microplastics can therefore serve as an important vector for and regulator of pathogen transmission and disease dynamics. Here, we outline a theoretical, three-perspective approach for studying the relationship between MMD and disease. First, we provide a framework for retrospective analysis of MMD and pathogen loads in marine animal tissues to assess the relationships between them, their bioaccumulation over time, and their relationship to other environmental variables. The results from such an analysis can be used to decide whether a compound or pathogen should be considered an emerging substance or organism. Second, we describe an experimental design for testing the effect of a variety of microplastics on in vivo pathogen removal (i.e., the phagocytic activity of hemocytes) and infection intensity in two study model species (oysters and zebrafish). Finally, we create a theoretical susceptible-infected microplastic particle and pathogen transmission model for bivalves and fish. Overall, the experiments and models we propose will pave the way for future research designed to assess the role of MMD as a vector for marine and human pathogens. This multi-faceted approach needs to be an urgent priority of the EU Strategic Research Innovation Agenda for addressing marine disease challenges related to MMD.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) for water electrolysis have received tremendous attention due to their immediate response, high proton conductivity, low ohmic losses and gas crossover rate. However, design high activity, economical and long-term durable electrocatalysts in an acidic environment is still the bottleneck to realize the large-scale commercialization of PEMWEs. Iridium-based materials represent one of the most promising classes of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts due to their intrinsic stability in acid media over ruthenium-based counterparts. However, only a few innovative approaches have been developed to synthesizing iridium-based catalysts (IBCs) in the past decade, mainly due to achieving high activity may deteriorate the stability of IBCs. Accordingly, various engineering strategies of optimizing IBCs have been proposed to address this issue, including doping engineering, morphology engineering, crystal phase engineering and support engineering. Herein, a critical overview focusing on various synthesis and modulation strategies of IBCs is presented, based on an in-depth understanding of the relationship between electronic structures, charge redistribution and activity as well as stability of the electrocatalysts. In addition, the unprecedented achievements in PEMWEs are summarized. The reaction mechanisms and future perspectives are critically discussed to inspire more rational design of IBCs toward practical applications.

Iron oxide nanozymes are a form of nanomaterial with both superparamagnetic and enzyme-mimicking properties. Given the multifunctional nature of iron oxide nanozymes, it is attractive for creating iron oxide hybrid nanozymes through biomolecular modifications to imbue with auxillary properties. Such iron oxide hybrid nanozymes can be useful for rapid and cost-effective analysis of circulating tumor nucleic acids (ctNAs) in patient liquid biopsies during minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring of cancer recurrence. Herein, the use of streptavidin-modified iron oxide hybrid nanozymes is reported for magnetic enrichment and bioelectrocatalytic sensing of three prostate cancer (PCa) ctRNA biomarkers with high detection specificity and sensitivity (10 copies) over an ultrabroad dynamic range (five orders of magnitude). Furthermore, the feasibility of ctRNA analysis for pre- and post-cancer treatment MRD monitoring is demonstrated using PCa urinary liquid biopsy samples.

Sulfate transporters (SULTRs) are responsible for the uptake of the sulfate (SO42−) ions in the rhizosphere by the roots and their distribution in plant organs. In this study, SULTR family members in the genome of the two oilseed crops, Camelina sativa, and Brassica napus, were identified and characterized based on their sequence structure, duplication events, phylogenetic relationships, phosphorylation sites, and expression levels. Herein, 36 and 45 putative SULTR genes were recognized from the genome of C. sativa, and B. napus, respectively. SULTR proteins were predicted as basophilic proteins with low hydrophilicity in both studied species. According to phylogenetic relationships, we divided SULTRs into five groups, in which SULTRs 3 showed highest variation. Besides, several duplication events were observed between SULTRs. The first duplication event was predicted approximately five million years ago between three SULTRs 3.1 in C. sativa. Two subunits were indicated in the 3D structure of SULTRs that the active binding sites differed between C. sativa and B. napus. According to available RNA-seq data, SULTRs showed diverse expression in tissues and response to stimuli. SULTRs 3 showed an expression in all tissues. SULTRs 3.1 were more upregulated in response to abiotic stresses in C. sativa, while SULTRs 3.3, and SULTRs 2.1 showed an upregulation in B. napus. Furthermore, SULTRs 3 and SULTRs 4.1 showed an upregulation in response to biotic stresses in B. napus. Based on the distribution of cis-regulatory elements in the promoter region, we speculated that SULTRs might be controlled by phytohormones such as ABA, and MeJA. Therefore, it seems that SULTR genes in C. sativa have been more influenced by evolutionary processes and have acquired more diversity.

The modulation of Nrf2 activity has been reported to be implicated in the pathology of various neurological disorders, including epilepsy. Previous studies have demonstrated that Nrf2 is activated in the post-status epilepticus rat model, however, the spatio-temporal, as well as cell type-specific expression of Nrf2 following brief epileptic seizures remains unclear. Here, we evaluated how an acute epileptic seizure affected the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream genes in the cortex and the hippocampus up to 1-week following the induced seizure. We found that after a pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure, Nrf2 significantly increased at 24 h at the mRNA level and 3 to 6 h at the protein level in the cortex. In the hippocampus, the Nrf2 mRNA level peaked at 3 h after the seizure, and no significant changes were observed in the protein level. Interestingly, the mRNA level of Nrf2 downstream genes peaked at 3-6 h after seizure in both the cortex and the hippocampus. A significant increase in the expression of Nrf2 was observed in the neuronal population of CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus, as well as in the cortex. Moreover, we observed no change in the co-localization of Nrf2 with astrocytes neither in the cortex nor in CA1 and CA3. Our results revealed that following a brief acute epileptic seizure, the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream genes is transiently increased and peaked at early timepoints after seizure predominantly in the hippocampus, and this expression is restricted to the neuronal population.

With global warming, arable land in boreal regions is tending to expand into high latitude regions in the northern hemisphere. This entails certain risks; such that inappropriate management could result in previously stable carbon sinks becoming sources. Agroecological models are an important tool for assessing the sustainability of long-term management, yet applications of such models in boreal zones are scarce. We collated eddy-covariance, soil climate and biomass data to evaluate the simulation of GHG emissions from grassland in eastern Finland using the process-based model DNDC. We simulated gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (Reco) with fair performance. Soil climate, soil temperature and soil moisture at 5 cm were excellent, and soil moisture at 20 cm was good. However, the model overestimated NEE and Reco following crop termination and tillage events. These results indicate that DNDC can satisfactorily simulate GHG fluxes in a boreal grassland setting, but further work is needed, particularly in simulated second biomass cuts, the (>20 cm) soil layers and model response to management transitions between crop types, cultivation, and land use change.

Lead-free ferroelectric perovskite N-methyl-N'-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium)–ammonium triio-dide, MDABCO-NH₄I₃, nanocrystals are embedded in three different polymer fibers fabricated by the electrospinning technique. The nanofibers, which are very flexible and have a high Young modulus, behave as active piezoelectric energy harvesting sources that produce a piezoelectric voltage coefficient up to geff = 3.6 VmN-1 and show a blue intense luminescence band at 325 nm. In this work, the pyroelectric coefficient is reported for the MDABCO-NH₄I₃ perovskite inserted in electrospun fibers. At the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition, the embedded nanocrystals display a pyroelectric coefficient as high as 194×10-6 Cm-2k-1, within the same order of magnitude as that reported for the state-of-the-art bulk ferroelectric triglycine sulfate (TGS). The perovskite nanocrystals embedded into the polymer fibers remain stable, and no degradation is caused by oxidation.

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy have been a cause of serious concern and burden as it contributes significantly to high maternal mortality worldwide. This study aims to explore how big the burden of anaemia in pregnant women is, how it can be reduced during antenatal clinic in order to minimize risks and complications of anaemia among pregnant women. Method: An analytical cross-sectional study design used, involved 560 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at three regional referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania, from January to June 2022. Those willing to participate and met inclusion criteria were included in the study. Data was collected by interview through a structured questionnaire. Analysis of data was done using SPSS v25.0, (p<0.001) considered statistical significant. Results: A total of 560 pregnant women were interviewed. The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy is high about 70.9% whereby 61.2% participants had mild anaemia, 33.2% participants had moderate anaemia and 25.6% participants had severe anaemia. Significant associations were found between age, education level, marital status, Less ANC attendance (<3 visit), lack of health insurance and lack of employment among pregnant women. Conclusion: Prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy women is still high and its predictors highly affect its control. Hence the ministry of health in collaboration with other stakeholders should develop policies, educating community on the importance of antenatal visit for early detection and treatment of anaemia and impacting knowledge to medical personnel in management of anaemia in pregnancy and associated complications in order to decrease maternal mortality rate.

Acute SARS-CoV-2 infections in children and adolescents are usually mild. However, they can suffer from ongoing symptoms generally referred as long COVID. Sleep disorders are one of the most frequent complaints in long COVID although precise data are missing. We assessed the sleep behavior of children and adolescents who presented at our outpatient clinic between January 2021 and May 2022 with the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-DE). We compared sleep behavior at three different time points: pre-COVID-19, post-COVID-19 at initial presentation and post-COVID-19 at re-presentation. Data from 45 patients were analyzed. Of those, 64% were female and the median age was 10 years (range 0-18 years). Asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 disease was experienced in 89% of patients, whilst 11% experienced moderate disease. Initial presentation occurred at a median of 20.4 weeks (6 weeks - 14 months) after infection. The CSHQ-DE score increased significantly from pre-COVID-19 (45.82+8.7 points) to post-COVID-19 (49.40+8.3 points; p=&lt;0.01). The score then normalized at re-presentation (46.98+7.8; p=0.1). The greatest changes were seen in the CSHQ-DE subscale score "daytime sleepiness". Our data show that children and adolescents with long COVID often suffer from sleep disturbance. For most children and adolescents these sleep disorders decreased over time without further medical intervention, aside from a basic sleep consultation.

Transformation studies have been leaning towards the more practical aspects of change processes and have not yet dealt sufficiently with their personal and political dimensions. They are arguably constrained in doing so if they are either overly focussed on systems and how to control them or on individualistic values and behaviours. In this study we show how the actually-occurring societal transformations that people face can be usefully approached through the lenses of dialogical sense-making and critical phenomenology. While distinct, these approaches share a concern with aspects missed when transformation is abstracted and alienated from people’s lives; namely people’s lived experiences during times of change, and the conditions of possibility for these experiences. Dialogical sense-making explores how people create meaning around transformations, through interactions with other people, with different lines of arguments, and as part of broader public discourse. Critical phenomenology engages with subjectivity and lived experience, and with the role of foundational as well as socio-culturally dominant yet contingent structures in shaping our ways of perceiving, experiencing and knowing the world. Through a discussion of insights from these approaches, we show how they offer tools that enable new questions about transformative change as it is experienced and made sense of. Situating analyses of tranformation from within a focus on experience brings us closer to understanding the significance of change processes in people’s lives, and allows for an inquiry into the conditions of experience, including transformative experiences.

Background: The annual mortality of patients with untreated chronic thromboembolism pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is approximately 50% unless a timely diagnosis is followed by adequate treatment. In pulmonary embolism (PE) survivors with functional limitation the diagnostic work-up starts with echocardiography. It is followed by lung scintigraphy and right heart catheterization. However, noninvasive test providing diagnostic clues to CTEPH, or ascertain this diagnosis as very unlikely, would be extremely useful since the majority of post PE functional limitations is caused by deconditioning. Methods: Patients after acute PE underwent a structured clinical evaluation with electrocardiogram, routine laboratory tests including NT-proBNP and echocardiography. The aim of study was to verify whether the parameters from echocardiographic or perhaps electrocardiographic examination and NT-proBNP concentration best determine the risk of CTEPH. Results: A total (n = 261, male n = 123) patients after PE were included into the study, in group of 155 patients (59.4%) with reported functional impairment 13 patients (8.4%) had CTEPH and 7 PE survivors had chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) (4,5%). Echo parameters differed significantly between CTEPH/CTEPD cases and other symptomatic PE survivors. Patients with CTEPH/CTEPD had also higher level of NT-proBNP (p = 0.022) but concentration of NT-proBNP above 125 pg/ml did not differentiate patients with CTEPH/CTEPD (p>0.05). Additionally, proportion of patients with right bundle brunch block registered in ECG was higher in group with CTEPH/CTED (23.5% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.034) but there were no differences between other ECG characteristics of right ventricle overload. Conclusion: Screening for CTEPH/CTEPD should be performed in patients with reduced exercise tolerance compared to pre PE period, It is not effective in asymptomatic PE survivors. Patients with CTEPH/CTED had predominantly abnormalities indicatingchronic thromboembolism in the echocardiographic assessment. NT-proBNP and electrocardiographic characteristics of right ventricle overload proved to be insufficient in predicting CTEPH/CTEPD development.

Cities consume over 75% of natural resources, produce over 50% of global waste and emit 60 - 80% of greenhouse gases. The scenario that by 2050 two thirds of the world population will live in cities, highlights how cities are still responsible of the growing consumption characterized by linear economy processes, with the production of various types of waste. In this unsustainable framework, the Circular Economy offers the opportunity to shape the urban system by means of rethinking the possibility to produce and use goods and services exploring new ways to ensure long-term prosperity. The Circular City paradigm contains in fact all the principles of the Circular Economy: recovery, recycling and sharing. In particular, Circular City also introduces actions related to the development of renewable energy communities, use of green materials, CO2 absorption approaches and Proximity Cities. The aim of this work is to develop a methodology to build a composite index (Circular City Index) capable of measuring the degree of implementation of urban policies that enable the territory to initiate an ecological transition of public assets. The city of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) represents the case study to apply circular urban policies in public properties, for civil and military use.

Mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) is essential for the brain glucose and neurotransmitter metabolism, dysregulated in many pathologies. Using specific inhibitors of PDHC in vivo, we determine biochemical and physiological responses to PDHC dysfunction. Dose dependence of the responses to membrane-permeable dimethyl acetylphosphonate (Ac-PMe2) is non-monotonous. Primary decreases in glutathione and its redox potential, methionine and ethanolamine are alleviated with increasing PDHC inhibition, the alleviation accompanied by physiological changes. Comparison of 39 brain biochemical parameters after administration of four phosphinate and phosphonate analogs of pyruvate at a fixed dose of 0.1 mmol/kg reveals no primary, but the secondary changes, such as activation of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHC) and decreased levels of glutamate, isoleucine and leucine. The accompanying decreases in RMSSD of ECG and freezing time are most pronounced after administration of me-thyl acetylphosphinate and dimethyl acetylphosphonate. The levels of PDHA1 expression and phosphorylation, sirtuin 3 and total protein acetylation are not significantly changed by the PDHC inhibitors that affect the brain protein succinylation and glutarylation. Thus, decreased production of the tricarboxylic acid cycle substrate acetyl-CoA by inhibited PDHC is compen-sated by increased degradation of amino acids through the cycle with activated OGDHC, increas-ing total protein succinylation and decreasing anxiety indicators.

The evidence supports the occurrence of environmentally induced paternal epigenetic inheritance shaping the offspring phenotype in the absence of direct or indirect paternal care, and the empirical results clearly indicate that sperm epigenetics is one of the major actors mediating these paternal effects. However, sperm often make up only a small fraction of the male ejaculate in animals. Males also have a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, types of small RNAs, and cell-free DNA fragments in their seminal fluid. These molecules are in close contact with reproductive cells, tissues, organs, and other molecules of both males and females during reproduction. Moreover, their production and use are very sensitive to environmental conditions which makes them potential modulators of environmentally and developmentally induced paternal effects on the next generation(s). Although there is some intriguing evidence of seminal fluid-mediated paternal epigenetic effects, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this review, I discuss the current evidence regarding the association between seminal fluid and environmentally induced paternal effects, the possible trajectories, and the mechanisms in which seminal fluid can involve to mediate paternal epigenetic inheritance.

Over recent years, the Ghanaian economy has struggled to find its feet on the ground despite rising public debt and unending inflows of foreign aid. Against this backdrop, this study employs the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimation technique on data from 1970 to 2020 to test the usefulness of the debt overhang hypothesis and the dependency theory in the special case of Ghana. The results confirm evidence of the debt overhang hypothesis and the center-periphery wisdom of the dependency theory in Ghana. The findings depict that an increase in external debt stock and total debt service on external debt have both short and long-run growth-limiting effects on the Ghanaian economy. Similarly, foreign aid catalyzes growth only in the short run and later suppresses rather than stimulates economic growth in Ghana over the long run. The study recommends that harnessing domestic resources, maintaining fiscal discipline by cutting down unproductive expenditures, enhancing an effective tax system, and promoting institutional capabilities to counteract corruption and openness to trade are better ways to fast-track growth development in Ghana.

A significant proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Africa are identified as asymptomatic, facilitating the silent spread of the virus especially in populated urban cities. With the surge of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the inclusion of asymptomatics in epidemiological surveys is key in estimating true infections and seroprevalence in the population. The aim of the study was to determine seroprevalence, active infection and circulating variants in Accra, the capital city of Ghana during the Omicron wave. The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 22 municipalities in December 2021. Naso-oropharyngeal swabs and serum samples were collected from 1027 individuals aged 5 years and above, for detection of infection by RT-qPCR and estimation of total antibodies using the WANTAI ELISA kit. Our results show 10% SARS-CoV-2 prevalence, with the Omicron and Delta variants accounting for 44.1% and 8.8% of infections, respectively. Omicron was most prevalent (48.9.%) among the 20–39-year-olds. Asymptomatic individuals accounted for 75.2% of infections. Seropositivity within the population was 86.8%, with the 60+ year group having significantly higher likelihood of exposure (OR 10.22: 95% CI: 3.51-29.73; p<0.001). This high seroprevalence appears to have been as a result of increased vaccination among this group (OR 2.7: 95% CI 1.78-4.09, p < 0.001). The high seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 in the capital could be a good indication of herd immunity among the population and while the low infection rate supports the role of vaccination in reducing viral transmission.

Social network analysis (SNA) is an effective method for characterizing networks from various specific perspectives. Global trade contracted sharply in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, and growth is expected to be lower than the pre-pandemic trends. This study takes countries worldwide as the primary unit of analysis and uses different procedures of social network analysis (SNA), including network density, centrality, and core-periphery structure, and applies them to the field of trade in electronic integrated circuit products (ICPT). In addition to static and descriptive analysis, this study also uses of tools such as Ucinet 6.732 for visual analysis, visual analysis, and more convenient and precise display of the network structure of ICPT. The important countries play a central role in determining the overall structural features. The core-periphery structure in the network from both spatial and temporal perspectives, data on electronic integrated circuit products for the period 2015-2021 were used in SNA. This study found that the ICPT network became denser from 2015 to 2021 but declined and picked up in 2018 and 2020. Moreover, the core-peripheral structure exists in the ICPT network. The main core network countries are Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, mainland China, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and other Asian countries, including the United States and Germany.

In this paper, a study of modeling PV cell (solar cell), PV module (solar modules) and PV array solar array) using Matlab/Simulink software is presented. This study is focused on the study to design photovoltaic cell, photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic panels and PV array (solar array) and to analyze the change in PV performance according to changes in different parameters such temperature, solar irradiation, reverse saturation current, series resistance and shunt resistance. This study shows the PV and IV characteristics curve for each model from which MPP (maximum power point) is determined. In this study, different PV and IV characteristic curves are gained for varying temperatures with specified solar irradiation conditions,s and then the MPP is tracked. The highest power output is also compared between the designed PV module and the selected PV module (MX Solar USA MX60-245)

Abstract: Introduction: Nurses, at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, have a significant responsibility. Thus, it is substantial to examine the factors behind the job stress, job satisfaction, and the care nurses provide in this process. To examine the correlation between nurses' job stress, satisfaction, and caring behavior perceptions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: A descriptive and correlational study. It was conducted with 261 nurses working in a hospital between 2020-2021. Introductory information form, Job Satisfaction Scale for Nurses, Swedish Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (Job Stress Scale) and Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 were used as data collection tools. Factors behind the perception of caring behaviors were analyzed by linear regression analysis. Results: Caring behavior was found negatively correlated with job stress and positively correlates with job satisfaction. The regression analysis showed that the evaluation of the pre-pandemic work environment and the sub-dimensions of the scales, job control, support from superiors, and perceived significance in the workplace affected the caring behavior. Conclusion: The nurses have low job stress, high job satisfaction, and a high perception of caring behavior in the fight against Covid-19.

Tree pruning is a management tool in agroforestry systems for reducing shade, enhancing nutrient cycling or providing fodder. However, little information is available on the effect of pruning management on plant growth, non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) levels in the roots and N2 fixation of Sesbania sesban. A glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the effect of pruning frequency on biomass production, NSC levels and N2 fixation of Sesbania sesban. Treatments included pruning at (i) 3 months only, (ii) 3 and 6 months, and (iii) 3, 6 and 9 months, with each pruning removing shoot biomass above 50% of the initial height. Increased pruning frequency decreased above- and belowground dry matter (DM), and root NSC levels. The decrease in aboveground DM correlated with reduced levels of starch, sugar and total non-structural carbohydrates. Pruning more frequently significantly decreased nodulation, the percentage N derived from the atmosphere and N2 fixed. It could be concluded that more frequent prunings decreases biomass and NSC levels which could reduce the regeneration capacity of trees since they rely on NSCs to regrow. The suppressive effects of increased pruning frequency on N2 fixation could decrease the desirable benefits of legume trees on soil N fertility improvement.

SARS-CoV-2 is constantly evolving leading to new variants. We analysed data from 4,400 SARS-CoV-2-positive samples in order to continue variant surveillance in Italy to evaluate their epidemiological and relative impact on public health in the period April-December 2021. The main circulating strain (76.2%) was Delta followed by Alpha (13.3%), Omicron (5.3%) and Gamma variants (2.9%). B.1.1 lineages, Eta, Beta, Iota, Mu and Kappa variants represented around 1% of cases. Overall, 48.2% of subjects were not vaccinated with a lower median age compared to vaccinated subjects (47 vs. 61 years). An increasing number of infections in vaccinated subjects was observed overtime, with the highest proportion in November (85.2%). Variants correlated with clinical status; the largest proportion of symptomatic patients (59.6%) was observed among Delta variant, while subjects harboring Gamma variant showed the highest proportion of asymptomatics (21.6%), albeit also of deaths (5.4%). The Omicron variant was only found in vac-cinated subjects, of which 47% were hospitalized. Diffusivity and pathogenicity associated with the different SARS-CoV-2 variants are likely to have relevant public health implications, both at national and international level. Our study pro-vides data on the rapid changes in the epidemiological landscape of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Italy.

This paper focuses on the effect of malondialdehyde-induced oxidative modification (MiOM) on the gel properties of duck myofibrillar proteins (DMPs). DMPs were first prepared and treated with oxidative modification at different concentrations of malondialdehyde (0, 0.5, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mmol/L). The physicochemical changes (carbonyl and free thiol group content) and gel properties (gel whiteness, gel strength, water holding capacity, rheological properties and mi-cro-structural properties) were then investigated. The results showed that the content of protein carbonyl groups increased with increasing MDA oxidation (P<0.05), while the content of free thiol groups decreased significantly (P<0.05). Meanwhile, there was a significant trend of decrease in gel whiteness; the hardness and water-holding capacity of protein gels increased significantly under the oxidation of low concentration of MDA (0-5 mmol/L), while the hardness of gels decreased under the oxidation of high concentration (10 mM). The storage modulus and loss modulus of oxidized DMPs also increased with increasing concentration; moreover, microstructural analysis confirmed that the gels oxidized at low concentrations were more compact and homogeneous in terms of pore size compared to the high concentration or blank group. In conclusion, moderate oxidation of malondialdehyde was beneficial to improve the gel properties of duck; however, excessive oxidation was detrimental to the formation of dense structured gels.

The World Health Organization estimates that every year air pollution kills seven million people worldwide. As it is expected that climate change will affect future air quality patterns, the full understanding of the links between air pollution and climate change, and how they affect human health, are challenges of future research. In this scope, a methodology to assess the air quality impacts on health was developed. The WRF-CAMx modelling framework was applied for the medium-term future climate (considering the SSP24.5 scenario) and for the recent past (considered as baseline). Following the WHO recommendations, mortality health indicators were used to estimate health impacts of long-term exposures. For that, the Aveiro Region, in Portugal, was considered as a case study. Future climate results indicate the occurrence of higher temperatures, and lower total precipitation. Despite that, improvements in the main pollutants’ concentrations, and consequently in the reduction of the related premature deaths are foreseen, mainly due to the reduction of pollutants emissions imposed by the European legislation for the upcoming years. The applied approach constitutes an added value in this research field, being crucial to anticipate the effects of climate change on air quality and evaluate their impacts on human health.

The load cell is an indispensable component of many engineering machinery and industrial automation for measuring and sensing force and torque. This paper describes the design and analysis of the strain gauge load cell, from the conceptional design stage to shape optimization (based on the finite element method (FEM) technique) and calibration, providing ample load capacity with low-cost material (aluminum 6061) and highly accurate force measurement. The amplifier circuit of the half Wheatstone bridge configuration with two strain gauges has been implemented experimentally with an actual load cell prototype. The calibration test was conducted to evaluate the load cell characteristics and derive the governing equation for sensing the unknown load depending on the measured output voltage. The measured sensitivity of the load cell is approximately 15 mV/N and 446.8 µV/V at a maximum applied load of 30 kg. The findings are supported by FEM results and experiments with an acceptable percentage of errors, which revealed an overall error of 6% in the worst situation. Therefore, the proposed load cell meets the design considerations for axial force measurement for the laboratory test bench, which has a light weight of 20 g and a maximum axial force capacity of 300 N with good sensor characteristics.

This study aims to examine the cytotoxicity mechanisms of synthetic cathinone (bath salts) on rat primary cultured neurons and primary astroglial cells, and to assess their neurobehavioral effects on mice. We administered methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) to both rat primary cultured neurons and primary astroglial cells to assess cell injury. We also analyzed the effects of MDPV on these cell cultures using immunocytochemistry. We utilized western blotting to assess the breakdown of αII-spectrin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) induced by MDPV. The western blotting experiment also included calpain and caspase inhibitors (SNJ1945 and Z-D-DCB, respectively) and pro-apoptotic and pro-necrotic agents (Staurosporine and calcium ionophore A23187, respectively). Lastly, we assessed MDPV’s effects on behavioral effects using rotarod, locomotor activity, elevated plus maze, Morris water maze, forced swimming, and open field tests. MDPV caused a dose-dependent release of LDH in both cerebrocortical neuron-astroglia mixed cultures and primary astroglial cultures. MDPV also caused neurite breakages and astroglial process retraction on immunocytochemistry. Lastly, MDPV induced αII-spectrin breakdown in western blotting experiments. Co-administration of calpain and caspase inhibitors reduced the degradation of αII-spectrin and GFAP. MDPV administration also increased anxiety-like behavior and locomotor activity in the mice. Synthetic cathinones, which share structural similarities with methamphetamine, also induce significant neurotoxic effects and neurobehavioral effects on rodent models. These neurotoxic effects are likely mediated by calpain and caspase-induced apoptosis and necrosis, while astroglial death is likely only due to calpain activation. Therefore, further research may focus on pharmacological interventions targeting these pathways to mitigate the cytotoxic impact of cathinones in humans.

Inflammation mediators enhance the activity of connexin (Cx) hemichannels especially in the epithelial and endothelial tissues. As potential release route for injury signals like (oligo)nucleotides, Cx hemichannels may contribute to long lasting inflammation. Specific inhibition of Cx hemichannels may therefore be a mode of prevention and treatment of long lasting, chronic sterile inflammation. The activity of Cx hemichannels was analysed in N2A and HeLa cells transfected with human Cx26 and Cx46 as well as in Calu-3 cells using the dye uptake as functional assay. Moreover, possible impact of the bioactive phenolic agents CVB2-61 and CVB4-57 on the barrier function of epithelial cells was analysed using Calu-3 cells. Both agents inhibited the dye uptake in N2A cells expressing Cx26 (> 5 µM) and Cx46 (> 20 µM). In Calu-3 cells, CVB2-61 and CVB4-57 reversible inhibited the dye uptake at concentrations as low as 5 µM, without affecting the gap junction communication and barrier function, even at concentrations of 20 µM. While CVB2-61 or CVB4-57 maintained a reduced dye uptake in Calu-3 cells, an enhancement of the dye uptake in response to stimulation of adenosine signaling was still observed after removal of the agents. The report shows that CVB2-61 and CVB4-57 reversible block Cx hemichannels. Deciphering the interaction mechanisms with Cx hemichannels could allow further development of phenolic compounds to target Cx hemichannels for a better and safer use in treatment of pathologies that involve Cx hemichannels.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a lifelong, moribund, and debilitating disease process with tremendous personal and financial costs. At its core, CVI involves blood pooling in the lower extremities secondary to inadequate venous blood return, resulting in venous hypertension and incompetence of the one-way valves in the lower extremity veins. As venous circulation slows, metabolic demands of the cells in the lower extremities increase, leading to stasis dermatitis, infection, cellular death, and venous ulceration. This case study aims to report the efficacy of dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft (DAMA) applications to a chronic right lateral ankle ulcer resulting from chronic venous insufficiency. The patient in this study received DAMA applications weekly for six weeks. Upon examination at the initial application, the wound was wet and macerated due to drainage with significant hemosiderosis and lipodermatosclerosis consistent with a Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) of 2. Upon inspection at the final visit, the wound was closed, with a VCSS of 0. This case study demonstrates that the application of DAMA has the potential to act as an effective barrier to cover and accelerate wound closure time. Future non randomized and randomized controlled trials may further establish standardized protocols for DAMA application in venous ulceration, help create treatment algorithms to predict wound closure endpoints, and encourage innovation that may further accelerate healing time.

Cancer is one of the world's most serious health problems and the top cause of mortality today. S. variolaris is a valuable sea creature that has long been used as a folk medicine to cure and prevent ailments. A subcritical water extraction was used method to obtain crude extract from spikes of S. variolaris. The extract had shown antiproliferative effect in HeLa cells with an IC50 of 723.1 ± 9.73 µg/ml, but no toxicity in HEK293. Westernblot was used to detect protein expression; Bax, caspase-8, and IκBα were increased, whereas IKKα and p-NFκB-65(Ser 536) were downregulated. RNA/mRNA expression was revealed by RT-qPCR, and fold changes of caspase-3, cytochrome-c, Bax, Apaf-1, caspase-9, and Bak genes’ expression were raised. Using gel electrophoresis, the treatment groups showed more DNA fragmentation than the control group. GC-MS was used to identify the components in the crude extract; anticancer activity could be attributed to dodecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and tetradecanoic acid content. In conclusion, these results showed the potential use of the crude extract of a spike from S. variolaris with anticancer activity against cervical cancer.

Molecular autism research is evolving towards a biopsychosocial framework that is more informed by autistic experiences. In this context, research aims are moving away from correcting external autistic behaviors and towards alleviating internal distress. Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) are associated with high rates of depression, suicidality and other comorbid psychopathologies, but this relationship is poorly understood. Here, we integrate emerging characterizations of internal autistic experiences within a molecular framework to yield insight into the prevalence of psychopathology in ASC. We demonstrate that descriptions of social camouflaging and autistic burnout resonate closely with the accepted definitions for early life stress (ELS) and chronic adolescent stress (CAS). We propose that social camouflaging could be considered a distinct form of CAS that contributes to allostatic overload, culminating in a pathophysiological state that is experienced as autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is thought to contribute to psychopathology via psychological and physiological mechanisms, but these remain largely unexplored by molecular researchers. Building on converging fields in molecular neuroscience, we discuss the substantial evidence implicating mitochondrial dysfunction in ASC to propose a novel role for mitochondrial allostatic load in the relationship between autism and psychopathology. An interplay between mitochondrial, neuroimmune and neuroendocrine signaling is increasingly implicated in stress-related psychopathologies, and these molecular players are also associated with neurodevelopmental, neurophysiological and neurochemical aspects of ASC etiology. Together, this suggests an increased exposure and underlying molecular susceptibility to ELS that increases the risk of psychopathology in ASC. This article describes an integrative framework shaped by autistic experiences that highlights novel avenues for molecular research into mechanisms that directly affect the quality of life and well-being of autistic individuals. Moreover, this framework emphasizes the need for increased access to diagnoses, accommodations, and resources to improve mental health outcomes in autism.

Assessment of stigma among cancer patients is of utmost importance as stigma may lead to various psychological sequelae and lower quality of life. This study aimed to translate the English version of the Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS) into Malay and validate the Malay version of the SSS (SSS-M) among cancer patients in Malaysia. Initially, concurrent translation and back translation of the SSS-M was performed, and face and content validity were assessed. Then, the SSS-M was administered to a total of 234 patients of mixed types of cancer to assess its reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability), construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The SSS-M total score registered good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α of 0.886) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.846, p < 0.001). EFA and CFA confirmed that the SSS-M consisted of 20 items in 5 domains. Its convergent and discriminant validity were achieved. Hence, the SSS-M demonstrated good psychometric properties and is available for use to assess stigma among cancer patients in Malaysia.

Abuse of amphetamine-related drugs (ARDs) causes traffic accidents, violence, and overdose. In forensic toxicology, analysis for ARDs in biological samples can help identify those driving or performing other tasks under the influence of drugs, clarify the cause of death, and identify recent drug users. In this study, we validated a pseudo-isocratic UPLC-qTOF-MS method following mixed mode cation exchange (MMSPE) extraction for analysis of ARDs in blood. The procedure requires 250 μL of blood to achieve a limit of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD) of 20 ng/mL for all analytes. In aged animal blood samples, extraction recoveries of 63-90% and matrix effects of 9-21% were observed. Precision and accuracy for all analytes were within 20% and 89–118%, respectively. The analytical method was developed and validated in accordance with the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology (SWGTOX) Standard. It has acceptable accuracy and precision for use in doping control and forensic toxicology.

Data from ocean color (OC) remote sensing are considered a cost-effective tool for the study of biogeochemical processes globally. Satellite-derived chlorophyll, for instance, is considered an Essential Climate Variable since it is helpful in detecting climate change impacts. Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a planetary scale tool for remote sensing data analysis. Along with OC data, such tools allow an unprecedented spatial and temporal scale analysis of water quality monitoring in a way that has never been done before. Although OC data have been routinely collected at medium (~1 km) and more recently at high (~250 m) spatial resolution, only coarse resolution (≥4 km) data are available in GEE, making them unattractive for applications in the coastal regions. Data reprojection is needed prior to making OC data readily available in the GEE. In this paper, we introduce a simple but practical procedure to reproject and ingest OC data into GEE. The procedure is applicable to OC swath (Level-2) data and is easily adaptable to higher-level products. The results showed consistent distributions between swath and reprojected data, building confidence in the introduced framework. The study aims to start a discussion on making high resolution OC data readily available in GEE.

Crop output is directly impacted by plant infections (with fungi as the major pathogen), making accurate diagnosis of these threats crucial. Developing technology and multidisciplinary approaches are turning to genomic analyses in addition to traditional culture methods in diagnosing fungal plant diseases. The metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) method is preferred for genotyping identification of organisms, identification at the species level, illumination of metabolic pathways, and determination of microbiota. Moreover, the data obtained so far show that this new approach shows promise as an emerging new trend in fungal disease detection. Another approach covered by mNGS technologies, known as metabarcoding, enables use of specific markers specific to a genetic region and allows for genotypic identification by facilitating the sequencing of certain regions. Although the core concept of mNGS remains constant across applications, the specific sequencing methods and bioinformatics tools used to analyze the data do differ. In this review, we focus on how mNGS technology, including metabarcoding, is applied in fungal pathogenesis and its promising developments for the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic initiated a race to determine the best measures to control the disease and to save as many people as possible. Efforts to implement social distancing, the use of masks, and massive vaccination programs turned out to be essential in reducing the devastating effects of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the high mutation rates of SARS-CoV-2 challenge the vaccination strategy and maintain the threat of new outbreaks due to the risk of infection surges and even lethal variations able to resist the effects of vaccines and upset the balance. Most of the new therapies tested against SARS-CoV-2 came from already available formulations developed to treat other diseases, so they were not specifically developed for SARS-CoV-2. In parallel, the knowledge produced regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in this disease was vast due to massive efforts worldwide. Taking advantage of such a vast molecular understanding of virus genomes and disease mechanisms, a targeted molecular therapy based on siRNA specifically developed to reach exclusive SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences was tested in a non-transformed human cell model. Since coronavirus can escape from siRNA by producing siRNA inhibitors, a complex strategy to simultaneously strike both the viral infectious mechanism and the capability of evading siRNA therapy was developed. The combined administration of the chosen produced siRNA proved to be highly effective in successfully reducing viral load and keeping virus replication under control, even after many days of treatment, unlike the combinations of siRNAs lacking this anti-anti-siRNA capability. Additionally, the developed therapy did not harm the normal cells, which was demonstrated because, instead of testing the siRNA in nonhuman cells or in transformed human cells, a non-transformed human thyroid cell was specifically chosen for the experiment. The proposed siRNA combination deeply reduced the viral load throughout the experiment and allowed cellular recovery, thus representing a potential innovation, to be considered as an additional weapon for therapy of COVID-19 and even other infectious diseases.

With the ever-increasing popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles and other platforms providing dense point clouds, filters for identification of ground points in such dense clouds are needed. Many filters have been proposed and are widely used, usually based on the determination of an original surface approximation and subsequent identification of points within a predefined dis-tance from such surface. We present a new filter, Multi-view and shift rasterization algorithm (MVSR) is based on a different principle, i.e., on the identification of just the lowest points in in-dividual grid cells, shifting the grid along both planar axis and subsequent tilting of the entire grid. The principle is presented in detail and compared both visually and numerically to other commonly used ground filters (PMF, SMRF, CSF, ATIN) on three sites with different ruggedness and vegetation density. Visually, the MVSR filter showed the smoothest and thinnest ground profiles, with ATIN the only filter performing comparably. The same was confirmed when comparing ground filtered by other filters with the MVSR-based surface. The goodness of fit with the original cloud is demonstrated by the root mean square deviations (RMSD) of the points from the original cloud found below the MVSR-generated surface (ranging, depending on site, between 0.6-2.5 cm). The MVSR filter performed outstandingly at all sites, identifying the ground points with great accuracy while filtering out the maximum of vegetation/above-ground points. The filter dilutes the cloud somewhat; in such dense point clouds, however, this can be perceived rather as a benefit than as a disadvantage.

Underpinned by the new world Kirkpatrick model and in the context of a community-based, sport psychology program (My Strengths Training for Life™) for young people experiencing homelessness, this process evaluation investigated: (1) young peoples’ reactions (program and facilitator evaluation, enjoyment, attendance, and engagement) to and learning (mental skills and transfer intention), (2) the relationship between reaction and learning variables, and (3) the mediators underpinning this relationship. 301 young people living in a West Midlands housing service completed questionnaires on demographics, reaction and learning variables. Higher levels of program engagement were positively associated with more favorable reactions to the program. Enjoyment positively predicted learning outcomes, which was mediated by transfer intention. Recommendations are made for: (1) a balance between rigor and flexibility for evaluation methods with disadvantaged youth, (2) including engagement as well as attendance for indicators of meaningful program participation, (3) measuring program experiences (e.g., enjoyment) to understand program effectiveness, and (4) providing opportunities for skill transfer during and after program participation. Findings have implications for researchers, program commissioners, and policy makers working designing and evaluating programs in community-based settings.

Malaria is a constant reminder of the climate change impacts on health. Many studies have investigated the influence of climatic parameters on the of malaria transmission. Climate conditions can modulate malaria transmission through increased temperature, which reduces the duration of the parasite's reproductive cycle inside the mosquito. The intensity and frequency of the rainfall modulate the development of the mosquito population. In this study, the Liverpool Malaria Model (LMM) is used to simulate the spatio-temporal variation of the malaria incidence in Senegal. The simulations are based on the WATCH Forcing Data applied to ERA-Interim data (WFDEI) used as a point of reference, and biased-corrected CMIP6 models, separating historical and projections for 3 Shared Socio-economic Pathways scenarios (SSP126, SSP245 and SSP585). Our results highlight a strong increase in temperatures, especially towards eastern Senegal under the SSP245 but mainly the SSP585 scenarios. The ability of the LMM model to simulate the seasonality of malaria incidence is assessed. The model reveals a period of high malaria transmission between September and November with a maximum reached in October. Results indicate a decrease in malaria incidence in certain regions of the country for the far future and for the extreme scenario. This study is importance for the planning, prioritization, and implementation of control activities in Senegal.

The unsteady flow around the monopile under the influence of wave and vibration is studied by numerical method. Based on VOF model and SST Turbulence model, combined with Intermittent Transition model and dynamic mesh method, wave generation and pile vibration in numerical flume are simulated. The flow field around vibrating monopile in a calm water flume and a wave flume is simulated and the simulation results are compared. The calculation results show that the monopile vibration has a great disturbance to the unsteady flow around the pile, and the disturbance degree intensifies with the increase of the vibration amplitude of the monopile: Under the action of inertia, the vibration of the monopile leads to the reattachment of the shedding vortices; Under the influence of the reattachment vortices, the asymmetry of the vorticity on the side wall of the monopile intensifies; The intensification of the disturbance causes the reduction of the phase lead angle of the bed shear stress on the side of the single pile, and an additional high bed shear stress appears on the side of the monopile. In addition, the vortex structure formed alternately around the monopile during the vibration process leads to the periodic change of the high bed shear stress.

Objective To Identify risk factors of perinatal complications amongst macrosomic babies in a reference hospital structure. Method We conducted a case-control institutional based study. Cases and controls of singleton livebirths were extracted from the maternity registry from January 2017 to December 2019 The case population consisted of mother and child macrosomic couples with perinatal complications. The control group consisted of couples without perinatal complications. Matching was done on age and sex. The main primary end point was the risk factors for complications. Data were analyzed using R, software version3.0 in adjusted and unadjusted analysis with p<0.05 threshold considered statistically significant. Results Out of 362 couples, we had 186 cases and 176 controls. Maternal age ≥30 years (p=0.024); non-screening for gestational diabetes (p=0.027); history of caesarean section (p=0.041); weight gain ≥16 kg (p<0.001); maternal HIV (p=0.047); birth weight ≥4500g (p=0.015) and birth height ≥ 52.7 ±1.7cm (p=0.026) were risk factors. Conclusion The delivery of a macrosomic baby remains problematic in this setting. The improvement of the maternal-fetal prognosis requires quality prenatal surveillance and management by a multidisciplinary perinatal team involving obstetricians, endocrinologist, and neonatal pediatricians.

To Identify risk factors of perinatal complications amongst macrosomic babies in a reference hospital structure.We conducted a case-control institutional based study. Cases and controls of singleton livebirths were extracted from the maternity registry from January 2017 to December 2019 The case population consisted of mother and child macrosomic couples with perinatal complications. The control group consisted of couples without perinatal complications. Matching was done on age and sex. The main primary end point was the risk factors for complications. Data were analyzed using R, software version3.0 in adjusted and unadjusted analysis with p<0.05 threshold considered statistically significant.Out of 362 couples, we had 186 cases and 176 controls. Maternal age ≥30 years (p=0.024); non-screening for gestational diabetes (p=0.027); history of caesarean section (p=0.041); weight gain ≥16 kg (p<0.001); maternal HIV (p=0.047); birth weight ≥4500g (p=0.015) and birth height ≥ 52.7 ±1.7cm (p=0.026) were risk factors. The delivery of a macrosomic baby remains problematic in this setting. The improvement of the maternal-fetal prognosis requires quality prenatal surveillance and management by a multidisciplinary perinatal team involving obstetricians, endocrinologists and neonatal pediatricians.

Two mononuclear Ru(III) complexes of formula trans-[RuCl4(Hgua)(dmso)]·2H2O (1) and trans-[RuCl4(Hgua)(gua)]·3H2O (2) [Hgua = protonated guanine (gua), dmso = dimethyl sulfoxide] have been synthesized and characterized magnetostructurally. Compounds 1 and 2 crystallize in the monoclinic system with space groups P21/n and Pc, respectively. Each Ru(III) ion in 1 and 2 is six-coordinate and bonded to four chloride ions and one (1) or two (2) nitrogen atoms from guanine molecules and one sulfur atom (1) of a dmso solvent molecule, generating quasi regular octahedral geometries in both cases. In their crystal packing, the Ru(III) complexes are self-assembled mainly through an extended network of N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds and π⋯Cl type intermolecular interactions, forming novel supramolecular structures based on this paramagnetic 4d metal ion. Variable-temperature dc magnetic susceptibility measurements performed on microcrystalline samples of 1 and 2 show a different magnetic behavior. While 1 is a ferromagnetic compound at low temperature, 2 exhibits a behavior typical of noninteracting mononuclear Ru(III) complexes with S = 1/2. Ac magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal slow relaxation of the magnetization in the presence of external dc fields only for 2, hence indicating the occurrence of field-induced single-ion magnet (SIM) phenomenon in this mononuclear guanine-based Ru(III) complex.

Several red seaweeds have shown to inhibit enteric CH₄ production; however, adaptation of fermentation parameters to their presence is not well understood. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of three red seaweeds (Asparargopsis taxiformis, Mazzaella japonica, Palmaria mollis) on in vitro fermentation, CH₄ production, and adaptation using the rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC). The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with four treatments, duplicated in two identical RUSITEC apparatus equipped with eight fermenter vessels each. The four treatments included the control (barley straw and barley silage) and the three red seaweeds added to the control diet at 2% diet DM. The experimental period was divided into four phases including a baseline phase (d 0-7; no seaweed included), adaptation phase (d 8-11; seaweed included in treatment vessels), intermediate phase (d 12-16) and a stable phase (d 17-21). The digestibility of organic matter (P = 0.04) and neutral detergent fibre (P = 0.05) was decreased by A. taxiformis during the adaptation phase, but returned to control levels in the stable phase. A. taxiformis supplementation resulted in a decrease (P < 0.001) in molar proportions of acetate, propionate and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, with an increase in molar proportions of butyrate, caproate, and valerate; the other seaweeds had no effect (P > 0.05) on molar proportions or production of individual VFA. A. taxiformis was the only seaweed to suppress CH₄ production (P < 0.001), with the suppressive effect increasing (P < 0.001) across phases. Similarly, A. taxiformis increased (P < 0.001) the production of hydrogen (H₂, %, mL/d) across the adaptation, intermediate and stable phases, with the intermediate and stable phases having greater H₂ production than the adaptation phase. In conclusion, M. japonica and P. mollis did not impact rumen fermentation or inhibit CH₄ production within the RUSITEC. In contrast, we conclude that A. taxiformis is an effective CH₄ inhibitor and its introduction to the ruminal environment requires a period of adaptation; however, the large magnitude of CH₄ suppression by A. taxiformis inhibits VFA synthesis, which may restrict production performance in vivo.

The primary considerations while producing rice (Oryza sativa L.) include improving its nutritional quality and production. To tackle widespread hunger globally, better nutritional, high-yielding rice cultivars need to be developed. The conventional ways are to increase the production of rice and add balanced nutrients in the daily diet to fulfill the need of yield and nutrient quality. This article focuses on nutritional strategies for rice and illustrates the availability of omics technologies. Current advancements providing many methodologies and approaches for exploring genetic resources and for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in trait formation have been highlighted. Studying the genetic influences of various characteristics has been proven to expedite crop breeding processes. In this perspective, genome-wide association research, genome selection (GS), and QTL mapping are all genetic analysis that helps in increasing the nutritional content of rice. Implementation of several omic techniques are effective approaches to enhance and regulate the nutritional quality of rice cultivars. Advancements in different types of omics including genomics and pangenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, nutrigenomics, and proteomics are also relevant to rice development initiatives. This review article compiles genes, locus, mutants and all omic approaches for rice enhancement. This knowledge will be very useful for now and for the future regarding rice studies.

The number of people with neurodegenerative disease continues to increase every year. A new perspective is needed in overcoming this disease. In this review, researchers collected information about epigenetics and energy factors of neurodegenerative disease driven by mitochondria. Mitochondrial epigenetic dysregulation can cause damage to the neuron system. The increase in the amount and interaction of alpha-synuclein with SAMM50 in the mitochondria is one of the factors causing neurodegenerative disease. As an energy provider in the body, the existence of harmonization in the regulation of mitochondria specifically the mitochondrial outer membrane is important. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has neuroprotective abilities to overcome the impairment function of mitochondria in neurodegenerative patients. Based on the computational simulation of this case, it can be used as the basic concept for the development of the role of H₂O₂ in neurodegenerative disease.

Pharmacophores are an established concept for the modelling of ligand-receptor interactions based on the abstract representations of stereoelectronic molecular features. They became widely popular as filters for the fast virtual screening of large compound libraries. Until today a lot of effort has been put into the development of sophisticated algorithms and strategies to increase the computational efficiency of the screening process. However, hardly any focus was put on the development of automated procedures that optimise pharmacophores towards higher discriminatory power, which until today still has to be done manually by a human expert. In the age of machine learning, the researcher has become the decision-maker at the top level, outsourcing analysis tasks and recurrent work to advanced algorithms and automation workflows. Here we propose an algorithm for the automated selection of features driving pharmacophore model quality using SAR information extracted from validated QPhAR models. By integrating the developed method into an end-to-end workflow, we present a fully automated method that is able to derive best-quality pharmacophores from a given input dataset. Finally, we show how the QPhAR-generated models can be used to guide the researcher with insights regarding (un-)favourable interactions for compounds of interest.