In the development of a digital twin (DT) for hydropower turbines, dynamic modeling of the system (e.g., penstock, turbine, speed control) is crucial, along with all the necessary data interface, virtualization, and dashboard designs. Since the DT must mimic the actual dynamics of the hydropower turbine accurately, adaptive learning is required to train these dynamic models online so that the models in the DT can effectively follow the representation of the actual hydropower turbine dynamics accurately and reliably. This study presents an adaptive learning method for obtaining the hydropower turbine models for DT development of hydropower systems using recursive least squares algorithm. To simplify the formulation, the hydropower turbine under consideration was assumed to operate near a fixed operating point, where the system dynamics can be well represented by a set of linear differential equations with constant parameters. In this context, the well-known six-coefficient model for the Francis turbine was formulated as the starting point to obtain input and output models for the turbine. Then, an adaptive learning mechanism was developed to learn model parameters using the real-time data from a hydropower turbine testing system. This led to a semi-physical modeling in which the first principles and data-driven modeling are integrated to produce dynamic models for the DT development. Applications to a pilot system at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) were made, and the models learned adaptively using the data collected from the university’s pilot system. Desired modeling and validation results were obtained.

We compare the well known Rayleigh-Ritz variational method (RRVM) with a recently proposed approach based on supersymmetric quantum mechanics and the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization method (SSQMGS). We apply both procedures to a particular class of double-well harmonic oscillators that had been conveniently chosen for the application of the latter approach. The RRVM eigenvalues converge smoothly from above providing much more accurate results with less computational effort. Present results show that the unproved SSQMGS upper bounds do not hold.

Cyclodextrin (CD) is made up of 7 glucose molecules linked in a ring, creating a cone shape. Its interior can house hydrophobic molecules while the exterior is hydrophilic enough to interact with water molecules. Until now, this feature has been used for the development of active and intelligent packaging applied to food, interacting with the product or its environment to improve one or more aspects of its quality or safety. As well, it is used to provide information on monitoring the time in which food is optimal for consumption, an aspect considered very important for the consumer and for the merchant. A known problem with some of these types of packaging is that the bioactive compounds that are housed in the CD can interact with food and can modify its taste, smell, color and/or texture. Therefore, this review will focus on discerning which packaging is most appropriate for each situation.

Abstract: The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), including both alternative spliced isoforms (GRa and GRb), has been implicated in the development of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and iatrogenic glucocorticoid-induced glaucoma (GIG). POAG is the most common form of glaucoma, which is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness in the world. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used therapeutically for ocular and numerous other diseases/conditions. One serious side effect of prolonged GC therapy is the development of iatrogenic secondary ocular hypertension (OHT) and OAG (i.e. GC-induced glaucoma (GIG)) that clinically and pathologically mimics POAG. GC-induced OHT is caused by pathogenic damage to the trabecular meshwork (TM), a tissue involved in regulating aqueous humor outflow and intraocular pressure. TM cells derived from POAG eyes (GTM cells) have lower expression of GRb, a dominant negative regulator of GC activity, compared to TM cells from age-matched control eyes. Therefore, GTM cells have a greater pathogenic response to GCs. Almost all POAG patients develop GC-OHT when treated with GCs, in contrast to a GC responder rate of 40% in the normal population. Increased expression of GRb can block GC-induced pathogenic changes in TM cells and reverse GC-OHT in mice. Endogenous expression of GRb in the TM may relate to differences in the development of GC-OHT among the normal population. A number of studies have suggested increased levels of endogenous cortisol in POAG patients as well as differences in cortisol metabolism, suggesting that GCs may be involved in the development of POAG. Additional studies are warranted to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in POAG and GIG in order to develop new disease modifying therapies to better treat these two sight threatening forms of glaucoma.

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

The laser sintering process and modification of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) YSZ coatings on YSZ air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were investigated. Ni-based superalloy was plasma sprayed using yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) to perform thermal barrier coating with 400 μm thickness. The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique was used for depositing nanopowder of YSZ on the surface of YSZ TBCs. In this study, a technology of direct sintering the green EPD layer by laser beam was carried out. The best conditions of deposition YSZ overlay coating using DC current were obtained with applied voltage 40 V, deposition time 5 min, and suspension concentration 10 g/l. Iodine was added to the solutions as the stabilizing agent. To overcome the disadvantages of high sintering temperatures, laser sintering was taken as a new approach. Microstructures for all specimens were studied using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) with EDS analysis. Surface roughness was investigated using AFM analysis and central line average (CLA). The results indicated that the morphology after the direct laser sintering of the EPD layer has a fine and controllable grain size, high hardness, and low roughness. Which is better than the direct laser on plasma-sprayed coatings.

Catalase can decompose hydrogen peroxide in plants under controlled and stressed condi-tions. In a stressed environment, the increase in hydrogen peroxide production makes catalase activity a major defense system for plant growth. The current study was conducted to evaluate the catalase activity of pre-isolated and identified bacterial strains Bacillus aryabhattai (AN30), Bacillus megaterium (AN24), Bacillus megaterium (AN31) and Bacillus megaterium (AN35) and their potential for rice seedlings growth promotion. These strains were characterized for quantita-tive catalase, urease, siderophores, and exopolysaccharides production using LB media. Sub-sequently, the effectiveness of these strains was checked by quantifying the catalase activity in the rhizosphere of rice seedlings. Furthermore, the catalase activity was quantified in the roots and shoots of rice seedlings. Plant growth parameters were also studied in a growth room trial. The strain AN24 showed the maximum catalase activity (1.36 mol cm-1), urease ac-tivity (1.35 mol cm 1), exopolysaccharides (4.20 µg mL-1), and siderophores (2.32%) production in LB media. All tested strains showed significantly higher catalase activity in soil compared to control. Among sole application, strain AN24 showed better results; however, consortium application of strains AN24+AN30+AN35+AN31 showed the maximum increase in catalase ac-tivity in the rhizosphere of rice seedlings. Moreover, consortium application of AN24+AN30+AN31+AN35 resulted in the highest increase in catalase activity, dry biomass of shoots and roots, shoot and root length of rice seedlings. The results showed that a consortium of these Bacillus strains with catalase activity has greater potential to enhance an antioxidant defense system and growth promotion of rice seedlings. However, further experimentation under natural conditions is required before using these strains as potential bioinoculants for improving the rice growth and yield.

Considering the aging society and budget constraints, a strategy for reforming public transportation welfare policies is essential for sustainability. Among the various transportation welfare policies, fare discount policies are provided to specific age groups, and most countries offer benefits to several public transportation. South Korea provides a fare-free policy limited to subways, and the need for policy modification is emerging due to sustainability problems caused by an aging society. Hence, the scope of the policy should be expanded to all travel modes, but the discount rate should be reduced, or the target group should be reduced in consideration of the budget. This study proposes a travel mode to focus on by city through the preference of the elderly. The latent class model is employed to classfy stated preference data collected from the survey. The estimation results show a significant preference heterogeneity depending on the level of subway supply by region, and a policy focused on subways would be more reasonable in cities with sufficient subway infrastructure. Hence, regarding sustainability, it may be more appropriate to focus on specific means than to provide the same discount policy for all public transport.

Climate and land use changes are major factors affecting runoff in regional basins. Understanding variation by considering interactions among hydrological components is an important process for water resource management. This study aimed to assess the variation of future runoff in the Upper Chi Basin, Northeastern Thailand. QSWAT hydrological model was integrated to 3 CMIP6 GCMs including ACCESS-CM2, MIROC6, and MPI-ESM1-2-LR under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios during 2023 – 2100. Land Change Modeler (LCM) was also used for future land use simulation. The results revealed that future average of long-term precipitation and temperature tended to increase while forest land tended to decrease and be replaced by sugarcane plantations. The accuracy assessment of baseline year runoff calculation by QSWAT during 1997 – 2022 showed acceptable result as can be seen from R2, NSE, RSR, and PBIAS indices. This result could lead to temporal and spatial simulation of future runoff. Likewise, runoff of 2 SSPs scenarios tended to increase consecutively, especially in SSP585 scenario. In addition, in case of long-term spatial changes in the subbasins scale, over 90% of the area, from upstream to outlet point, tended to get higher due to 2 major factors including future increased precipitation and changes in cultivation, which would be influential to groundwater and interflow components respectively. Methodology and result of this study can be useful to stakeholders in understanding changes in hydrological system so that they can apply it to develop a strategy for water resource management and handling factors affecting different dimensions properly and sustainably.

Traditional diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the heart has involved the use of transcranial doppler (TCD). However, TCD is essentially a blind test that cannot directly visualize the location of blood vessels. Since TCD relies on qualitative assessments by examiners, there is room for errors, such as misalignment of the ultrasound's angle of incidence with the actual blood vessels. This limitation affects the reproducibility and consistency of the examination. In this study, we presented an alternative approach for assessing right-to-left shunt (RLS) associated with PFO using contrast transcranial color-coded doppler (C-TCCD) with bubble contrast. The patient under consideration had been diagnosed with an ischemic stroke through imaging, but the subsequent cardiac work-up failed to determine the cause. Employing C-TCCD for RLS screening revealed a confirmed RLS of Spencer’s three grades. Subsequently, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was conducted to evaluate PFO risk factors, confirming an 8 mm PFO size, a 21 mm tunnel length, a hypermobile interatrial septum, and persistent RLS. The calculated high-risk PFO score was 4 points, categorizing it as a very high-risk PFO. This case underscores the importance of C-TCCD screening in detecting RLS associated with PFO, especially in cryptogenic stroke patients when identifying the underlying cause of ischemic stroke becomes challenging.

The inner walls of drinking water distribution system (DWDS) are expected to be clean to ensure a safe quality of drinking water. In reality, complex physical, chemical and biological processes take place when water comes into contact with the pipe surface. This paper describes the impact of leaching different compounds from the water supply pipes into the drinking water and subsequent risks. Among these compounds there are heavy metals. It is necessary to prevent these metals to get into the DWDS. Those compounds are susceptible to impact the quality of the water delivered to population either by leaching dangerous chemicals into the water or by enhancing the development of microorganism growth on the pipe surface. The corrosion process of different pipes materials, scale formation mechanisms and the impact of bacteria formed in corrosion layers are discussed. Water treatment processes and the pipe materials also affect the water composition. Pipes materials act differently in the flowing and stagnation conditions. Also, they age differently (e.g metal based pipes are subjected to corrosion while polymer based pipes have a decreased mechanical resistance) and are susceptible to enhance bacterial film formation. This review helps to clarify what are the possible sources of compounds responsible for drinking water quality degradation. Also, it gives guidance on the measures that are needed to maintain a stable and safe drinking water quality.

In this article, we first assessment of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) antibodies in vaccinated pregnant ewes of Kazakh breed fine-fleeced immunized with the PPR vaccine and the duration of maternal immunity in their lambs. Ewes in the last trimester of pregnancy of gestation were immunized with a vaccine from the Nigeria 75/1 strain of the PPR virus (PPRV) produced by the Research Institute of Biological Safety Problems (RIBSP), Kazakhstan. Serum samples from lambs born from vaccinated and unvaccinated ewes were collected a week after birth and at intervals of 7 days for 18 weeks after birth. Serum samples collected from lambs were tested for PPR antibodies using competitive ELISA and Virus neutralization test (VNT). Maternal antibodies (MAs) in lambs born from vaccinated ewes were detected up to 18 weeks with a tendency to decrease starting at week 14 and by the end of the experiment receded below the protective level (<1:8). In the blood serum of a 14-week-old lamb with MAs (1:8), post vaccination with a field dose (103 TCID50) of the vaccine against PPR, the titers of protective antibodies to the PPRV increased to 1:16 on 14 day post vaccination and lamb protected from infection upon field PPRV. A lamb of the same age with MAs in the 1:8 titer was 100% protected from infection with the field PPRV. Therefore, it is recommended that lambs of the Kazakh fine-wool breed be immunized from the age of 14 weeks or older to avoid a period of susceptibility.

This work aims to introduce a novel concept: the Riesz-Dunkl fractional derivatives, within the context of Dunkl type operators. A particularly noteworthy revelation is that when a specific parameter $\kappa$ equals zero, the Riesz-Dunkl fractional derivative smoothly reduces to both the well-known Riesz fractional derivative and the fractional second-order derivative. Furthermore, we introduce a new concept: the fractional Sobolev space. This space is defined and characterized using the versatile framework of the Dunkl transform.

With an increasing concern for global warming, there have been many attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About 30 % of total energy has been consumed by buildings and much attention has been paid to reducing building energy consumption. While there are many ways of reducing building energy consumption, accurate energy consumption prediction becomes more significant. As mechanical systems are the most energy-consuming components in the building, the present study developed the energy consumption prediction model for a direct-fired absorption chiller by using the ANN technique for the short term. The ANN model was optimized and validated with the actual data collected through a BAS. For the optimization, the numbers of input variables and neurons, and the data size of training were applied. By changing these parameters, the predictive performance was analyzed. In sum, the outcome of the present study can used to predict the energy consumption of the chiller as well as improve the efficiency of the energy management. The outcome of the present study can be used to develop a more accurate prediction model with a few datasets in that it can improve the efficiency of building energy management.

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumour that develops from the immature cells of the retina. It is the most frequent type of paediatric intraocular cancer and is curable. Clinical and histological findings after enucleation of the affected eye dictate not only the patient's secondary care but also their prognosis. We assessed the clinical and histopathologic predictors of survival among children with retinoblastoma from two tertiary health facilities in Uganda. METHODS: This retrospective research utilized archived formalin fixed & paraffin embedded blocks of eye specimens enucleated between 2014 to 2016 at Mbarara University, pathology department and Ruharo Eye Centre. The specimens were then processed and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The confirmation of retinoblastoma was made to include histologic stage and features of the tumor. Biographic data of the patients and the clinical features such as leukocoria, proptosis, phthisis, staphyloma, buphthalmos were retrieved from the records.RESULTS: Males (55.1%) dominated the study population (N=78). The median age was 31 months. The commonest clinical sign was leukocoria (69.2%) and the most abundant histopathological stage was stage 1 (41%). Optic nerve invasion 39.5%, choroidal invasion 29.5%, scleral invasion 7.7% and orbital extension 16.7% were seen. Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes were seen in 24.6%. Necrosis was a prominent feature (71.2%). The two-year survival was estimated to be 62%. Leukocoria (RR 1.1), female gender (RR 1.4), intralaminar optic nerve invasion (RR 7.6) and a lack of orbital extension (RR- 7) were significant predictors of survival.CONCLUSION: Leukocoria and proptosis are noticeable clinical signs of retinoblastoma. Most patients present while in stage one although stage four presentation is also common. Leukocoria, optic nerve invasion, orbital extension, and gender are significant factors predictive of survival in patients with retinoblastoma.

Biliary tract cancer, encompassing intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, as well as gallbladder carcinoma, stands as a prevalent malignancy characterized by escalating incidence rates and unfavorable prognoses. The onset of cholangiocarcinoma involves a multitude of risk factors and could potentially be influenced by microbial exposure. The human microbiome, encompassing the entirety of human microbial genetic information, assumes a pivotal role in regulating key aspects such as host digestion, absorption, immune responses, and metabolism. The widespread application of next-generation sequencing technology has notably propelled investigations into the intricate relationship between the microbiome and diseases. An accumulating body of evidence strongly suggests a profound interconnection between biliary tract cancer and the human microbiome. This article critically appraises the existing evidence pertaining to the microbiome milieu within patients afflicted by biliary tract cancer. Furthermore, it delves into potential mechanisms through which dysregulation of the human microbiome could contribute to the advancement of biliary tract cancer. Additionally, the article expounds on its role in the context of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for biliary tract cancer.

To handle the huge amount of data generated by IoT devices, Big Data processing tools make it easier. This paper discusses the Big Data concept and its main V’s characteristics. It further describes IoT-enabling technologies; nominally cloud computing such as SaaS and PaaS. The centralization and infrastructure of Big Data systems, and how Cloud Computing gives a platform access to the data from anywhere. The paper explores IoT with big data architectural solutions for various use cases across the healthcare and transportation sectors.

Aortic dissection is a clinicopathological entity caused by rupture of the intima leading to a high mortality if not treated. Over time, diagnostic and investigative methods, antihypertensive therapy, and early referrals have resulted in improving outcomes according to registry data. Some data has also emerged from recent studies suggesting a link between Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and aortic dissection. Furthermore, the use of microRNAs have also become increasingly widespread in the literature. These have been noted to play a role in aortic dissections with elevated levels noted in studies as early as 2017. This review aims to provide a broad and holistic overview of the role of miRNAs, while studying the role of HCMV infection in the context of aortic dissections. The role of long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs and microRNAs are explored to identify changes in expression during aortic dissections. The use of such biomarkers may one day be translated into clinical practice to allow early detection and prognostication of outcomes and drive preventative and therapeutic options in the future.

It has been reported that prostaglandin I2, such as epoprostenol, develops Grave's disease. A 34-year-old woman was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and started receiving continuous intravenous epoprostenol. Three years after starting epoprostenol, she started complaining of neck swelling and was diagnosed with Grave’s disease. Thyroid function was controlled by thiamazole and levothyroxine. Nevertheless, her thyroid gland enlargement worsened as epoprostenol dose was titrated. After 23 years of treatment with epoprostenol, she suddenly experienced respiratory failure with a giant goiter leading to airway stenosis and passed away. The autopsy confirmed a giant goiter associated with hyperthyroidism and airway stenosis. We experienced a case of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension with a giant goiter and airway stenosis after long-term intravenous epoprostenol therapy.

CO2, CH4 and CO are the most critical atmospheric gases in terms of their impact on the radiative system, air quality and health. This work provides information on the direction of source areas and potential sources of emissions and shows many aspects of these gases by a statistical analysis using bivariate polar diagrams and local weather conditions (e.g., temperature, wind speed and wind direction) recorded at the Lamto station (LTO, 6°31N and 5°02W) in Côte d’Ivoire over the 2014-2018 period. The results show that the main regions contributing to the high concentrations of CH4 (> 1925 ppb) and CO2 (> 420 ppm) in the GSS, GSP, PSS and PSP seasons are the North and Northwest sectors of Lamto. In these directions, CH4 and CO2 concentrations are associated with wind speeds less than 6 m.s-1, due to the influences of local sources as emissions resulting from the degradation of organic matter submerged during the impoundment of the Taabo dam, and/nor human activities linked to the practice of intensive agriculture. In addition, the high concentrations of CO (> 350 ppb) are observed in GSS in the North, North-West, North-East and East sectors for wind speeds less than or equal to 9 m.s-1, due to the influences of both local and distant sources. The correlation coefficients between CH4 and CO, and between CH4 and CO2 are positive and significant in all sectors. However, those calculated between CO2 and CO have showed both low and high values in all seasons.

This study focuses on the aerodynamic optimization of the re-entry capsule (REC) Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) module, evaluating its performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Three different models, namely Baseline, 2-Duct, and 4-Duct, are investigated under a wide range of flow speeds, from supersonic (Ma=1.6) to hypersonic (Ma=6) regimes. Thermofluids aspects, drag coefficient, surface heat flux, and the effectiveness of the modified geometry are assessed using aerodynamic and temperature-based models. The results show that the introduction of ducts in the 2-Duct and 4-Duct models leads to an average decrease in the drag coefficient of approximately 2.1% and 2.9%, respectively, compared to the baseline model, across all Mach numbers. The maximum reduction in drag coefficient is 3.55%, observed at Ma=1.4 using the 4-Duct capsule. However, it is found that the addition of extra ducts to the model increases the maximum heat transfer rate. Specifically, the heat flux is increased by up to 69% for the 4-Duct model at Ma=6, compared to the baseline model. On average, the heat flux is increased by approximately 28.6% for all conditions. The findings indicate that the introduction of ducts in the REC model improves its aerothermodynamic performance by reducing drag but also increases the heat transfer rate on the surface.

According to a recent estimate by UN Habitat, approximately 3 billion individuals will require suitable housing by the year 2030. This staggering demand translates to the need for around 96,000 affordable housing units to be constructed each day. However, the conventional construction methods that rely on cement-based concrete and masonry are outdated, lacking innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. In light of these challenges, cold-formed steel emerges as an appealing alternative to traditional construction materials like masonry and concrete. It offers numerous advantages, including easy fabrication, lightweight properties, energy efficiency, the ability to reuse the material at the end of its service life, and a higher level of recyclability. Cold-formed steel buildings are also recognized for their superior insulation and lower energy consumption during operation. Cold-formed steel (CFS) members are created by rolling structurally sound steel sheets into the required shapes using a forming machine, without the need for heat as in the case of hot-rolled steel. While the thickness of these members can range from 0.01 mm to 7 mm, commercial construction of load-bearing walls, roof trusses, and floor joists typically utilizes steel thicknesses of 0.7 mm to 1.2 mm. This paper tries to illustrate the materials and methods employed in the construction of cold-formed steel modular buildings in Sri Lanka[1]. It delves into the material and durability characteristics of cold-formed steel, the design philosophy behind these structures, the development of the building envelope, and the energy efficiency features of the building elements. The findings of this study demonstrate that cold-formed steel buildings can be a highly sought-after alternative for residential construction, offering faster construction timelines, cost-effectiveness, and energy-efficient practices.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic systemic disease with a complex etiology, characterized by insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction in various cell tissues. To explore this relationship, we conducted a secondary analysis of complete mtDNA sequences from 1,261 T2D patients and 1,105 control individuals. Our findings revealed significant associations between certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and T2D. Notably, the variants m.1438A>G (controls: 32 [27.6%], T2D: 84 [72.4%]; OR: 2.46; 95%CI: 1.64-3.78; p<0.001), m.14766C>T (controls: 498 [36.9%], T2D: 853 [63.1%]; OR: 2.57, 95%CI: 2.18-3.04, p<0.001), and m.16519T>C (controls: 363 [43.4%], T2D: 474 [56.6%]; OR: 1.24, 95%CI: 1.05-1.47, p=0.012) were significantly associated with diabetes probability. The variant m.16189T>C Previously reported in multiple studies in different populations, it was not found to be associated with T2D in our analysis (controls: 148 [13.39] T2D: 171 [13.56%]; OR: 1.03; 95%CI: 0.815-1.31,; p=0.83). These results provide evidence suggesting a link between some mtDNA polymorphisms and T2D, probably related to association rules and topological patterns and three-dimensional confirmation associated to regions where the changes are, rather than to point mutations in the sequence.

The development of artificial intelligence systems assumes that a machine can independently generate an algorithm of actions or a control system to solve the tasks. To do this, the machine must have a formal description of the problem and possess computational methods for solving it. The article deals with the problem of optimal control, which is the main task in the development of control systems, insofar as all systems being developed must be optimal from the point of view of a certain criterion. However, there are certain difficulties in implementing the resulting optimal control modes. The paper considers an extended formulation of the optimal control problem, which implies the creation of such systems that would have the necessary properties for its practical implementation. To solve it, an adaptive synthesized optimal control approach based on the use of numerical methods of machine learning is proposed. The method moves the control object, optimally changing the position of the stable equilibrium point in the presence of some initial position uncertainty. As a result, from all possible synthesized controls, he chooses one that is less sensitive to changes in the initial states. As an example, the optimal control problem of quadcopter with complex phase constraints is considered. To solve this problem? according to the proposed approach, the control synthesis problem is firstly solved to obtain a stable equilibrium point in the state space by a machine learning method of symbolic regression. After that optimal positions of the stable equilibrium point are searched according to source functional from the optimal control problem by particle swarm optimization algorithm. It is shown that such approach allows generating the control system automatically by computer basing on the formal statement of the problem and then directly implementing it onboard as far as they have already had a stabilization system inserted.

The cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) is an exotic tropical fruit of great national and international importance due to its nutritional, and organoleptic properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate different postharvest treatments: Coating, Vacuum Impregnation, and Immersion, on the conservation of some quality characteristics of cape gooseberry fruit. Moreover, different conditions of the selected treatment were studied. The weight loss was assessed with gravimetric analysis for fresh and treated fruits. Firmness was determined by instrumental texture. The sensory analysis was conducted using a multidimensional profile approach. Of the treatments evaluated, the lowest weight loss was recorded with the use of coating and immersion. However, the immersion process resulted in the product with the highest overall quality according to the sensory analysis and presented the most appropriate texture according to the firmness values. Finally, in the evaluation of immersion, a significant influence of the CaCl2 immersion time (p<0.05) on the firmness values of the product was found, resulting in longer times leading to less firm products. Considering 10% as a commercial standard limit for weight loss, the fruit treated under immersion and coating processes can be stored for at least 12 days. The immersion process is highlighted because it improved the sensory characteristics with respect to the control (without treatment). Thus, it process gives added value to the fruit and is presented as a promising alternative for the postharvest treatment of cape gooseberries.

Our concern was to obtain a biocomposite material with improved properties of the constituent materials (poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and zinc–boron (Zn–B) complex) in accordance with the novelties in the field of delivery systems for therapeutic agents which lately redefine the importance of biopolymer nanocomposites with PLGA (biodegradable composites). The advantages of such a biomaterial target the health system, being easy to obtain, through a cost-effective method. The water/oil/water double emulsion method also allows the adjustment of the synthesis parameters, to maximize the degree of Zn–B complex encapsulation. The morphological aspects of the samples (size, shape, porosity) were established by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Particle size distribution (by volume and by number) was determined by direct light scattering (DLS). For all the synthesized materials, the observed morphology was typical for PLGA, spherical one. The particle size distribution showed that depending on the synthesis conditions, the particles can be obtained with diameters between 10–450 nm range and the value of the zeta potential (ZP) shows that the particles have electronegative surface charge, which offers a favorable perspective on the phenomena of aggregation, flocculation, dispersion. It was observed, applying the design of experiments (DoE), that the size of the particles increased with increasing amounts of PLGA and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the formulation, while ZP increased with higher PLGA and smaller PVA. The encapsulation efficiency was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS).

Purpose of the study: to reveal how the transfusion and the refraining from it affects the neuro-vascular unit in the congenital heart defects correction with cardiopulmonary bypass. Materials and methods: in vitro research, we formed a model of a neurovascular unit, which contains neu-rons, astrocytes and endothelial cells. This cellular model was cultivated in hypoxia conditions with the oxygen saturation levels of 1, 2, 3, 4%. In addition, this unit was cultivated with the pa-tient's serum adding in two different groups - with minimal and maximal levels of system in-flammatory response that we estimated by IL-6 level. Results: We found that during incubation in hypoxic conditions, the level of transendothelial resistance changed in groups with oxygen levels of 1% and 2% only after 4 hours. When we cultivated neurovascular unit cells with patients' sera, we found a minimal level of transendothelial resistance at 4 hours that increased after 24 hours. Permeability analysis showed that its level significantly decreased in the 1% and 2% oxygen group at 60- and 90-minutes relative to the control group. Conclusion: the system inflammatory response has more expressed but less long effect on the neurovascular unit model than hypoxia.

Background: There is a significant role for mind in health and disease. Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important indicator of a person’s psychological status beyond the traditional anxiety and depression. Shell and core (S&C) model of SWB is new modular framework has placeholders for various forms of positive feeling that can be adopted as an assessment tool in clinical settings.Method: 416 subjects recruited using social media platforms to complete an anonymous online survey probing into their demographic information, financial status, several well-being attributes, and personality traits. The obtained information was analyzed and the factors that most closely correlated with the sense of overall SWB were included in the model.Results: Overall, 73% of the subjects indicated that they are happy and the overall sense of SWB did not depend on gender or household income. Only those psychological traits with significant correlation with SWB were used to construct the proposed S&C model. The model comprises three main components—the shell of happiness that represents experiential happiness, i.e., positive feelings as a result of one’s experiences with their environment. The core of happiness represents inner happiness. The interface layer, between the shell and core of happiness consists of a set of coping and defense mechanisms that protects the core of happiness denoted as a happiness suit of armor (HSOA).Conclusion: The S&C model is a comprehensive model of SWB that is used as a framework to capture various aspects of happiness under a unifying umbrella. It can thus be used as an assessment tools at both personal and population level. It could also be adopted to identify the personality traits and coping mechanisms that are important for the overall sense of well-being, which could then be targeted as a part of psychological interventions aimed at individuals with different medical conditions.

We address weighted composition operators ψCφ from α-Bloch spaces to Bers-type spaces of bounded holomorphic functions on Y, where Y is a generalized Hua domain of the first kind, and obtain some necessary and sufficient conditions for the boundedness and compactness of those operators.

Striated muscle thick filaments are composed of myosin II and several non- myosin proteins which define the filament length and modify its function. Myosin II has a globular N-terminal motor domain comprising its catalytic and actin-binding activities and a long α-helical, coiled-coil tail that forms the dense filament backbone. Myosin alone polymerizes into filaments of irregular length, but striated muscle thick filaments have defined lengths that with the thin filament define the sarcomere structure. The motor domain structure and function are well understood but the myosin filament backbone is not. Here we report a structure of the flight muscle thick filaments from Drosophila melanogaster at 4.7 Å resolution which eliminates previous ambiguities in the non-myosin densities. The full proximal S2 region is resolved as are the connecting densities between the Ig domains of stretchin-klp. The proteins, flightin and myofilin are resolved in sufficient detail to build an atomic model based on an AlphaFold prediction. Our results suggest how flightin and myofilin cooperate to define the structure of the thick filament and explains a key myosin mutation that affects flightin incorporation. Drosophila is a genetic model organism for which our results can define strategies for functional testing.

This research aims to develop an inexpensive ocean observation instrument with a project name is NOBEL (Nusantara Oceanography Backdoor Experiment Laboratory)-BOX. The device can be installed on all types of vessels and placed in a specific area to map the water conditions, providing accurate data for managing a marine area specifically to water quality. The principle of NOBEL-BOX is to attach sensors in a container connected to a microcontroller and then measure directly. The method employed includes experimental design, laboratory and field tests, and data evaluation to produce the necessary system and instruments. The design process involves the construction of the instrument and the fabrication of the device. This process includes creating three-dimensional sketches/drawings, designing microcontrollers and data transmission systems, and power capacity. The sensors attached to this device are surface water temperature, air temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and TDS. The testing phase includes data validation, testing of the device in the laboratory, and field testing. The laboratory and field tests showed that the device worked and provided data that can be used to analyze the seawater condition spatially and over time.

The integration of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) into agricultural areas has had a significant impact and has provided new, more complex, efficient, and structured solutions for enhancing crop production. This research reviews the role of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in monitoring the macro-nutrient content of plants. The review study focuses on identifying the types of sensors used to measure macro-nutrients, determining sensor placement within agricultural areas, implementing wireless technology for sensor communication, and selecting device transmission intervals and ratings. The study of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) monitoring using sensor technology in precision agriculture is of high significance in efforts to improve agricultural productivity and efficiency. In addition to fostering technological innovations and precision farming solutions, in future this research aims to increase agricultural yields, particularly by enabling the cultivation of certain crops in locations different from their original ones.

This scoping review comprehensively explores the existing literature on fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), a versatile herb known for its culinary and traditional medicinal uses. The review focuses on two key aspects: the hypoglycemic mechanism of fenugreek and its impact on milk production in breastfeeding women. By systematically analyzing and synthesizing the available evidence, this review aims to enhance our understanding of fenugreek's potential applications and identify research gaps for future systematic reviews. The search strategy targeted English-language animal studies published within the last five years that specifically investigated fenugreek's hypoglycemic mechanism and its effects on milk production. A total of 15,236 articles were initially identified from databases such as PubMed, Sci finder and ScienceDirect. After a rigorous selection process, including thorough evaluation of titles, abstracts, and full-texts, a subset of articles (including those titled "Impact of Fenugreek on Milk Production in Rodent Models of Lactation Challenge" and "Fenugreek Stimulates the Expression of Genes Involved in Milk Synthesis and Milk Flow through Modulation of Insulin/GH/IGF-1 Axis and Oxytocin Secretion") were included for detailed analysis. The findings 18 articles from the included studies demonstrate promising results regarding fenugreek's potential to stimulate milk production and regulate blood glucose levels. However, further research is necessary to unravel the underlying molecular pathways, establish optimal dosage guidelines, and assess long-term side effects. Overall, this scoping review offers valuable insights for lactating women seeking to enhance milk production and individuals managing blood sugar levels, providing potential alternative approaches for supporting lactation and glycemic control.

Intimate partner violence (IPV), particularly sexual and emotional violence, against Black mothers who acquire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during childbearing age is a significant health and social concern worldwide requiring targeted interventions and precautions. IPV against women increases the chances of early mixed feeding, putting infants at high risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and increased infant morbidities. Although violence complicates many Black mothers’ lives, there is limited research evidence about the critical intersections of violence, HIV, and Black motherhood. Women's fears associated with IPV make them less likely to disclose their positive HIV status to their partners which subsequently prevents them from using the recommended guidelines for safe infant feeding practices. This review aims to explore the critical intersections between IPV and HIV and the impact of both on the infant feeding practices of Black mothers living with HIV. Furthermore, the theme of IPV and how it overlaps with other factors such as HIV-positive status and gender dynamics to compromise the Black motherhood experience are the focus of this narrative review of existing literature. Understanding the intersection of IPV and other factors influencing infant feeding practices among women living with HIV will help inform programming and policy interventions for HIV-positive Black mothers who may be experiencing IPV during the perinatal period.

Purpose of review: Medication overuse headache (MOH) is an important problem worlwide areas of different controversy regarding its entity. This article reviews the risk factors, comorbidities, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, effective management and prognosis of MOH, by summaries and integrates the results and finding in previously performed more than 15000 studies (from the year of 2010 to 2023) available from the scientific database of the University Medical Library in the University Clinical centre of Niš, which aimed to investigate and define a complexcity of this type of headache. Recent finding: It has been proposed that all acute migraine medications can lead to MOH, with differences in the propensity of different agents to cause the problem. Early data suggests that triptans and other pain killers used for the acute treatment of migraine, may be an exception. Recent studies show that practicioners and the general public are still largely unaware of the problem of medication overuse and its damaging effects. Summary: Although it is likely that MOH does occur and restricting the amount of acute medications is necessary to prevent it. It is also possible that increasing amounts of acute medications are simply a reflection of poorly controlled headaches, rather than a couse. Further researches need to be developed to identify more precisious mechanism in MOH effecitive management and its evolution.

In the wake of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and sensor technologies, a new horizon of possibilities has emerged across diverse sectors. Livestock farming, a domain often sidelined in conventional AI discussions, stands at the cusp of this transformative wave. This paper delves into the profound potential of AI and sensor innovations in reshaping animal welfare in livestock farming, with a pronounced emphasis on a human-centric paradigm. Central to our discourse is the symbiotic interplay between cutting-edge technology and human expertise. While AI and sensor mechanisms offer real-time, comprehensive, and objective insights into animal welfare, it's the farmer's intrinsic knowledge of their livestock and environment that should steer these technological strides. We champion the notion of technology as an enhancer of farmers' innate capabilities, not a substitute. Our manuscript sheds light on: Objective Animal Welfare Indicators: An exhaustive exploration of health, behavioral, and physiological metrics, underscoring AI's prowess in delivering precise, timely, and objective evaluations. Farmer-Centric Approach: A focus on the pivotal role of farmers in the adept adoption and judicious utilization of AI and sensor technologies, coupled with discussions on crafting intuitive, pragmatic, and cost-effective solutions tailored to farmers' distinct needs. Ethical and Social Implications: A discerning scrutiny of the digital metamorphosis in farming, encompassing facets like animal privacy, data safeguarding, responsible AI deployment, and potential technological access disparities. Future Pathways: Advocacy for principled technology design, unambiguous responsible use guidelines, and fair technology access, all echoing the fundamental principles of human-centric computing and analytics. In essence, our paper furnishes pioneering insights at the crossroads of farming, animal welfare, technology, and ethics. It presents a rejuvenated perspective, bridging the chasm between technological advancements and their human beneficiaries, resonating seamlessly with the ethos of the Human-Centric Intelligent Systems journal. This comprehensive analysis thus marks a significant stride in the burgeoning domain of human-centric intelligent systems, especially within the digital livestock farming landscape, fostering a harmonious coexistence of technology, animals, and humans.

Our image recognition system mainly judges whether the left upper limb in the image is the left upper limb or the right upper limb through our deep learning model in the image. The doctor then could give the correct surgical position. From the experimental results, it could be found that the precision rate and recall rate of the intelligent image recognition system proposed in this paper for preventing the upper limb dislocation surgery could reach 98% and 93%, respectively. It proved that our intelligent image recognition system could indeed assist orthopedic surgeons to prevent the occurrence of left and right dislocation in upper limb surgery. At the same time, this paper also completes the IRB application approval through the prototype experimental results and will conduct the second phase of human trials in the future. It showed that the research results of this paper will be of great benefit and research value to upper limb orthopedic surgery.

Horseshoe crabs represent the most ancestral chelicerate lineage characterized by marine ecology and the possession of lateral compound eyes. While considered living fossils, recent studies reported an unusual number of Pax6 transcription factor genes in the Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus. Pax genes encode a family of ancient metazoan transcription factors, which comprise seven subfamilies. Among these, the members of the Pax6 subfamily confer critical functions in the development of the head, the visual system, and further body plan components. Arthropods are characterized by two Pax6 subfamily homologs that were discovered in Drosophila and named eyeless (ey) and twin of eyeless (toy). However, whole genome sequence searches uncovered three homologs of ey and two homologs of toy in L. polyphemus. These numbers are explained by the occurrence of three whole genome duplications (WGD) in the lineage to the last common ancestor of L. polyphemus and its closely related three additional members of the extant horseshoe crab species cluster. Here we report comparative sequence evidence for the functional conservation of the five L. polyphemus Pax6 transcription factor homologs. Our analyses reveal that all paralogs are conserved in the approximately 135 million-year-old horseshoe crab species cluster and that they evolve under strong purifying selection. These findings identify subfunctionalization as the likeliest post-WGD outcome for the five Pax6 homologs. While awaiting confirmation by gene expression studies, this scenario would reconcile the discrepancy between the WGD-expanded gene repertoires and phenotypic stasis in the horseshoe crabs.

Earnings management and financial distress are two critical facets of financial management in corporations that have lately been the focus of thorough research from both scholars and practitioners. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the influence of financial distress on the earnings management of companies listed at the NSE during the pre- and post-COVID eras. Multiple linear regression was applied in this study to examine the causal association between earnings management and financial distress. To assess the effect of financial distress on earnings management, the study analyzed data from 37 listed companies during the pre-COVID and post-COVID periods. The methodology also takes into account control factors like firm size, GDP, and inflation. The pre-COVID research indicates a significant positive correlation between financial strain and earnings management. In contrast, the correlation between financial distress and earnings management is not statistically significant in the post-COVID analysis. However, research shows that firm size has a statistically significant negative influence on managing earnings. The results of this study show that smaller firms are more inclined to engage in earnings management during the post-COVID era than bigger ones.

In sub-Saharan Africa, sweetpotato weevils are the most devastating pests of cultivated sweetpotato, causing estimated losses of between 60% and 100%, primarily during dry spells. The predominantly cryptic feeding behavior of the Cylas spp within the roots makes their control difficult, thus host plant resistance is one of the most promising lines of protection against these pests. However, progress in breeding for weevil-resistant cultivars has been slow in part due to the complex hexaploid genome of sweetpotato, which complicates conventional breeding in addition to the scarcity of varieties with significant levels of resistance for use as sources of resistance. Pollen sterility, cross incompatibility and poor seed set and germination in sweetpotato are also common challenges to improving weevil resistance. Accurate phenotyping of sweetpotato weevil resistance to enhance efficiency of selection has been equally difficult. Genomics-assisted breeding though in its infancy stages in sweetpotato has the potential application in overcoming some of these barriers. However, it will require the development of more genomic infrastructure; particularly single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNPs), robust next generation sequencing plat-forms together with relevant statistical procedures for analyses. With the recent advances in genomics, we anticipate that genomic breeding for sweetpotato weevil resistance will be expedited in the coming years. This review sheds light on Uganda's efforts to date to breed against the Cylas puncticollis (Boheman) and Cylas brunneus (Fabricius) species of African sweetpotato weevil.

Research on image-inpainting tasks has mainly focused on enhancing performance by augmenting various stages and modules. However, this trend does not consider the increase in the number of model parameters and operational memory, which increases the burden on computational resources. To solve this problem, we propose a Parametric Efficient Image InPainting Network (PEIPNet) for efficient and effective image-inpainting. Unlike other state-of-the-art methods, the proposed model has a one-stage inpainting framework in which depthwise and pointwise convolutions are adopted to reduce the number of parameters and computational costs. To generate semantically appealing results, we selected three unique components: spatially-adaptive denormalization (SPADE), dense dilated convolution module (DDCM), and efficient self-attention (ESA). The SPADE was adopted to conditionally normalize activations according to the mask to distinguish between damaged and undamaged regions. The DDCM was employed at every scale to overcome the gradient-vanishing obstacle and gradually fill-in pixels by capturing global information along the feature maps. The ESA was utilized to obtain clues from unmasked areas by extracting long-range information. In terms of efficiency, our model has the lowest operational memory compared with other state-of-the-art methods. Both qualitative and quantitative experiments demonstrate the generalized inpainting of our method on three public datasets: Paris StreetView, CelebA, and Places2.

Background: As a result of the pandemic, families and children have faced physical, emotional, and mental challenges. However, there has been little attention given to the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and child development. This systematic review aims to identify the impact of the pandemic on child development, globally. Methods: This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for the systematic review of 16 quantitative and qualitative studies conducted between 2020-2023. Results: This systematic review suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic played a crucial role in hindering child development in early childhood. Conclusion: Therefore, it is important to promote and implement the use of policies and strategies to overcome these obstacles.

The objective of this research is to analyze metal elements like Na (sodium), Mg (magnesium), Al (aluminum), Si (silicon), Pb (lead), K (potassium), Ca (calcium), and Fe (iron) found in dust particles within two distinct areas from which the sampling has been done. First sampling was taken from the road verge of a highly trafficked road section, while the second sampling was done in a residential garden area 90 m away from the road. Several metal elements have been detected, with a high difference for Silicon Si, which present higher concentrations in the dust sampled from the road verge area. Pb has only been detected in the samples taken from the road verge, which could be explained by residual remnants from old lead gasoline, and wheel weights. Additionally, airborne particulate matter (PM) concentrations have been measured, during the same episode, in comparison between the road verge and the garden area, presenting a substantial difference in the concentration levels, deducing that dense vegetation is protecting and blocking a majority of airborne PM. A literature highlight of health effects of different metal elements and PM concentrations is presented.

Abstract: An Al-Co-Y diffusion coating was prepared on a TiAl alloy by pack cementation process at a low temperature range of 650-720 ℃. The influence of different activators and co-deposition temperatures on the coating’s microstructure and formation process, and high temperature oxida-tion performance was studied. The results showed that NaF was a more suitable activator for preparing the Al-Co-Y diffusion coating on TiAl alloy compared to NH4Cl and AlCl3. A more compact coating structure can be obtained when deposition was performed at 680 ℃ using NaF as the activator. The coating was mainly composed of a TiAl3 outer layer, a TiAl2 inner layer, and a thin Al-rich TiAl inter-diffusion layer. The growth of the coating exhibited a positive linear correlation between coating thickness increase and the square root of deposition time. The high-temperature oxidation tests showed that a dense scale mainly composed of Al2O3 and a small amount of TiO2 formed on the coating after oxidation at 950 ℃ for 100 h. The scale possessed excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance, with a parabolic rate constant of the oxidation weight gain approximately 4.9×10-3 mg2/cm4 h, which is lower than that of the TiAl substrate by about three orders of magnitude, and lower than that of the pure Al diffusion coating more than one order of magnitude.

The globose scale (GS) (Sphaerolecanium prunastri Boyer de Fonscolombe) is a sucking insect that feeds on saps of wild apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca L.) in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of northwestern China. It feeds on branches of wild apricot leading to poor growth, leaf yellowing and leaf drop, and sometimes mortality. Since the initial infestation in 2018, all the main valleys of wild apricot trees have been affected, but there is little research on the host’s physiological response to GS infestation. We measured the differences in growth between infested and non-infested wild apricots. The results showed that the diameter of shoot branches, the fresh weight, dry weight, length, width, area, and chlorophyll content of leaves, and the longitudinal diameter of fruit, were all significantly less for infested wild apricot trees than for un-infested wild apricot. The branch length of shoots, cross diameter, and weight of fruit also decreased, although the differences were not significant. Overall, GS infestation significantly reduced the growth of wild apricot trees, and may accelerate the damage by GS to wild apricot over time.

This investigation delves into an examination of the growth dynamics observed in Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) and Silicon Glen in Scotland, with a specific focus on their energy, environmental, and economic management. The aim is to predict and evaluate the latest advancements and applications of technology. In terms of energy, CTSP focuses on Taiwan's supply security and green transformation challenges, while Silicon Glen emphasizes Scotland's wind energy generation technologies. Both regions are committed to the development of renewable energy and smart grids. Regarding environmental aspects, CTSP and Silicon Glen prioritize environmental protection and sustainable development by implementing measures for environmental monitoring. In terms of economic management, CTSP, and Silicon Glen serve as key technology industry hubs This investigation delves into an examination of the growth dynamics observed in Central Tai-wan Science Park (CTSP) and Silicon Glen in Scotland, with a specific focus on their energy, environmental, and economic management. The aim is to predict and evaluate the latest advancements and applications of technology. In terms of energy, CTSP focuses on Taiwan's supply security and green transformation challenges, while Silicon Glen emphasizes Scotland's wind energy generation technologies. Both regions are committed to the development of renewable energy and smart grids. Regarding environmental aspects, CTSP and Silicon Glen prioritize environmental protection and sustainable development by implementing measures for environmental monitoring. In terms of economic management, CTSP, and Silicon Glen serve as key technology industry hubs in Taiwan and Scotland, respectively, attracting numerous high-tech and startup enterprises. Various means facilitate the growth of industries and foster innovations in different industrial spheres. Important factors contributing to this growth include policy support, availability of research materials, and provision of infrastructure. This research paper compares the successful case studies of two industrial parks, along with their environmental and economic management strategies. It explores the management principles that ensure the sustainable development and economic growth of industrial parks, aiming to assist decision-makers and relevant stakeholders in evaluating the sustainable development planning of industrial parks.

The introduction of digitization has changed all spheres of business on a global level, including geospatial data. In the Republic of Serbia, the process on this topic should begin with the introduction of the terms ePlan and eSpace. The general goal of the paper implies the construction and implementation of the ePlan as a future part of the eSpace for digital management of geospatial data, by creating co-creating value. For this purpose, the authors conducted research in which representatives of local self-governments and holders of public authority participated, by means of structured online research. The focus was on the digitization of urban and planning documents and the establishment a central database of spatial and planning documents in electronic format, and its further distribution through the one system. In that way, easy access to digital plan data expands the user community, and enables communication with different stakeholder groups. Ac-cording to the results of the research, the authors point out that it is necessary to form a new model for managing geospatial data through a eSpace system. This is achieved by shifting the focus from urban and spatial planning to other databases and their registers that are related to geospatial data. The goal of the paper indicates that it is necessary to raise the awareness of society, to introduce the concept of value co-creation, because conditions are created for the implementation of all measures aimed at digitization and management of electronic services in sustainable project society, at all countries.

This paper assesses the performance of an embankment constructed in 2010 with a stabilised expansive soil. Two types of treatment were employed at construction time: 4% lime and a mix of 2% lime and 3% cement. A sampling campaign was carried out in 2021 to evaluate the long-term performance of the stabilised soil properties. To assess the compressibility of the soil, oedometer tests were carried out on samples from different parts of the embankment. The results were compared to the compression curve of the untreated soil, also sampled in the same embankment. Complementary shrinkage tests were performed to investigate the effect of the treatment on swelling and shrinkage. The obtained results showed that the behaviour of the material from the outer part was similar to the mechanical performance of the untreated soil, demonstrating strong alteration in the effect of both treatments over time. This alteration was noticeable to a distance of approximately two metres from the external surface. Beyond this distance, the performance of the soil was comparable to the behaviour of recently treated soil. These observations, similar for each treatment dosage, raise questions as to the durability of the treatment on the outer part of the backfill.

Background and Objectives: Despite advancements in modern medicine, the survival rate of patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains low. The proportion of OHCA patients that could be saved under ideal circumstances is unknown. A significant portion of patients experience cardiac arrest due to irreversible conditions. The survival of patients with reversible causes de-pends on the prompt initiation of basic life support (BLS) and early defibrillation. In order to in-crease the chances of survival, the motorcycle paramedic project was implemented in Ljubljana in 2003. The motorcycle paramedic is equipped with an AED. In the case of OHCA with a shockable rhythm, he performs defibrillation before the arrival of the emergency medical team (EMT). The purpose of the research is to determine whether the motorcycle paramedic, by reducing the re-sponse time to patients experiencing OHCA, increases the survival rate of these patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of OHCA within the area covered by Ljubljana Emergency Medical Service (EMS) was conducted for the period from January 2003 to December 2022. Results: Between January 2003 and December 2022 EMT performed resuscitation on 3352 patients. The motorcycle paramedic was simultaneously activated and arrived at the scene before the EMT in 316 cases. In 16 patients, Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) was achieved before the arrival of the EMT. The group in which the motorcycle paramedic arrived at the scene before the EMT showed a higher ROSC compared to the other group (44.3 % vs 36.9%) and a larger proportion of patients were discharged from the hospital (18.7% vs 13.0%). The proportion of patients with favorable neurological outcomes was also statistically significantly higher (15.9% vs 10.6%, p=0.004). Con-clusion: The study has demonstrated that the implementation of the motorcycle paramedic into the EMS in Ljubljana has increased the survival rate of OHCA patients.

The motion of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) is frequently disturbed by the ocean wind, wave and current. A poorly designed controller will lead to failures and even safety problems during actual navigation. In order to obtain satisfied control performance of the motion for the USVs, a Model Predictive Control (MPC) based on improved Nonlinear Disturbance Observer (NDO) is proposed. Firstly, the USV model is approximately linearized and MPC is designed for the multivariable system with constraints. In order to compensate the influence of disturbances, an improved NDO is designed, with which the calculation time for the MPC saved a lot. Finally, comparison experiments are conducted between the MPC with NDO and the MPC with improved NDO, and the results show that they have similar performance to the USVs. However, the proposed method has less parameter to be tuned and it is much more time-saving compared to the MPC with traditional NDO.

Digital technology makes energy systems more dynamic, efficient, reliable and sustainable. Promoting the digital governance of renewable energy is not only a key part of energy transformation, but also an important initiative to cope with the global energy crisis, which provides a new impetus for realizing the goal of net-zero emissions. In order to achieve the "dual-carbon" goal, China has been actively promoting energy reform and enhancing the wide application of digital technologies in the development and utilization of renewable energy. The digital governance system and governance capacity of renewable energy is an important support for the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Although the digital governance of renewable energy in China has better policy support and advantages, the dilemmas it faces are still relatively prominent, including unsound laws and policies, insufficient governance capacity, and security loopholes in digital technology, etc. Therefore, this paper proposes a problem-oriented approach to the digital governance of renewable energy. Therefore, this paper puts forward problem-oriented optimization suggestions to innovate the legal system of renewable energy digital governance, promote the digital transformation of China's renewable energy industry, provide development space for renewable energy digital governance in a diversified mode, and enhance the digital governance capacity by improving the renewable energy security system.

Increasing evidence supports the direct healing effects of forests, partly attributed to the exposure to plant-emitted monoterpenes available in the forest atmosphere. The potential benefits on respiratory functions from inhaling monoterpenes have gained attention, especially due to the global rise in respiratory diseases. This study involved 42 asthmatic adolescents attending a summer rehabilitation camp at an Altitude Pediatric Asthma Center within a densely forested area in the Eastern Italian Alps. Volatile organic compound measurements indicated a pristine atmosphere, enabling modeling of continuous hourly monoterpenes concentration. Monoterpene concentration exposure and total inhaled dose were assessed over a 14-day stay, during which spirometry, lung oscillometry, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were measured. Statistically significant correlations were observed between modifications in lung function parameters among asthmatic adolescents and monoterpenes exposure. These findings suggest a potential localized airway effect specific to monoterpenes. This pilot cohort study might pave the way for further investigations into the therapeutic effects of forest monoterpenes on lung function tests, asthma, and the broader healing potential of forest environments.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based simulation has been the traditional way to model complex industrial systems and processes. One very large and complex industrial system that has benefited from CFD-based simulations is the steel blast furnace. The problem with the CFD-based simulation approach is that it tends to be very slow to generate data. The CFD-only approach may not be fast enough for use in real-time decision-making. To address this issue, in this work, the authors propose the use of machine learning techniques to train and test models based on data generated via CFD simulation. Regression models based on neural networks are compared to tree boosting models. In particular, several areas (tuyere, raceway, and shaft) of the blast furnace are modeled using these approaches. The results of the model training and testing are presented and discussed. The obtained R2 metrics are, in general, very high. The results look promising and may help to improve the efficiency of operator and process engineer decision-making when running a blast furnace.

Currently, the majority of industrial metal processing involves the use of taps for cutting. However, existing tap machines require relocation to specialized inspection stations and only assess the con-dition of the cutting edges for defects. They do not evaluate the quality of the cutting angles and the amount of removed material. Machine vision, a key component of smart manufacturing, is com-monly used for visual inspection. Taps are employed for processing various materials. Traditional tap replacement relies on the technician's accumulated empirical experience to determine the ser-vice life of the tap. Typically, inspecting tooth wear involves removing the tap and evaluating the degree of wear to determine if regrinding or replacement is necessary. Therefore, we propose the use of visual inspection of the tap's external features to determine whether replacement or regrinding is needed. We examined the bearing surface of the tap and utilized single images to identify the cutting angle, clearance angle, and cone angles. By inspecting the side of the tap, we calculated the wear of each cusp. We further investigated whether the cutting portion affected the length of the tool by measuring changes in tooth surface area and the amount of removed thread. This inspection process can facilitate the development of a tap life system, allowing for the estimation of the durability and wear of taps and nuts made of different materials. Statistical analysis can be employed to predict the lifespan of taps in production lines.

Background: Metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is associated with poor patient prognosis. Metastasis is a complex process involving various proteins, tumor cell alterations including changes caused by the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we investigate a combined protein marker system consisting of connexin 43 (Cx43), EMMPRIN (CD147), E-cadherin and vimentin during the invasive metastatic process of OSCC and the possibility of using this system for prognosis prediction. Methods: The protein expression profiles of Cx43, EMMPRIN, E-cadherin and vimentin were investigated by immunohistochemistry in tissue samples from 24 OSCC patients. The metastatic process was mapped through different regions of interest (ROI) of adjacent healthy oral mucosa (OM), center of primary OSCC, invasive front (IF), and local cervical lymph node metastases (LNM). Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were the primary clinical endpoints. Results: Significant changes in the expression profiles of the different marker proteins were detected between the different ROIs (all p values &lt; 0.05). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed a significant effect of increased EMMPRIN expression towards IF on DFS (p = 0.019) and OS (p = 0.023). The combined predictive analysis showed a significant predictive value of the marker system for DFS (p = 0.0017) and OS (p = 0.00044). Conclusions: The combined marker system was able to significantly predict patient prognosis. An increase in EMMPRIN expression towards IF showed the strongest effect and could be an interesting new antimetastatic therapy approach.

Intestinal microbiota attracts daily attention of a growing number of study which have attempted to link gut dysbiosIs with a variety of disease states: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflamed bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD), leaky gut syndrome (LGS), food intolerance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, etc.. In our study we analyzed how intestinal dysbiosis may be related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and depression through the exchange of information through the gut-brain axis (GBA). We studied 33 subjects, 13 males and 20 females, who reported CFS or/and depression: we investigated their salivary cortisol levels, blood serotonin, omega 3/6 ratio, intestinal dysbiosis (calculated on the urinary levels of indoxyl sulfate and skatole), and we looked for the presence of Candida a. or mycetes in the stool; the data accumulated with this research show a correlation between the presence of Candida a./miceti, indoxyl sulfate urine values beyond the physiological and low serotonin levels. In addition, data analysis showed that the EPA/DHA values also show pro-inflammatory levels in case of dysbiosis and low serotonina levels. The relationship, however, with cortisol levels requires further research although this study showed a statistically significant positive correlation between these values, measured at specific times, and serotonin levels. Aims its connections with We investigated the relationship between stress (evaluated through the measurement of salivary cortisol levels) and gastrointestinal efficiency measured as a function of intestinal fermentative and putrefactive dysbiosis, evaluating the levels of urinary indoxyl sulfate in the first case (a possible correlation with the presence of Candida spp or Mycetes in the subjects feces was investigated), urinary skatole levels in the second one, in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (SFC) and depression. In these patients we also have studied omega 3/6 ratio, and finally we have analized the impact that the alteration of these parameters can have on the serotonin levels. This research attemps to highlight the contact points, in some cases not so obvious, among these topics, contact points that, although they give us interesting indications, show the need to be further deepened by analyzing a larger amount of data.

Myofascial pain is the most common cause of chronic pain in the masticatory region and can be assessed through clinical analysis and muscle palpation. Generally, it appears with headache and orofacial pain associated with sensitive points (trigger points) due to the excessive contraction of the masticatory muscle fibres. The study aims to evaluate how a correct treatment of myofascial pain can improve the life quality of the affected patients. In this case series, 300 patients with myofascial pain were divided into two groups: 150 with intra- and extra-articular disorder and 150 with the only extra-articular disorder. Each group included 75 males and 75 females. All the patients were treated with gnathological therapy through passive aligners and biofeedback exercises for 4 months. They underwent pain assessment (through a visual analogue scale and muscular palpation test) before, during and after the treatment, and nuclear magnetic resonance of the temporomandibular joint before and after the gnathological treatment. The treatment considerably reduced the pain in all patients, without drugs, in 4 months, according to the visual analogue scales and the palpation test. The temporomandibular magnetic resonance in each patient was similar before and after the gnathological treatment. The improvement in pain did not depend on a change in the relationship between the articular condyle and the disc.

Diabetes mellitus is a cluster of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia. Since this epidemic growing worldwide, the usage of phototherapeutics to manage diabetes is vital. Coccinia grandis (Aka ivy gourd) belongs to cucumber family is identified as a most effective herb, especially for diabetes and many other disease conditions. Hence, an instant herbal porridge cube incorporating Coccinia grandis leaf powder was produced and sensory acceptability of the porridge was evaluated using trained panelists. The bioactive activity of Coccinia grandis leaf powder showed that 66.77±0.74 mg/g GAE of Total Phenolic Content, 27.65±6.79% of DPPH radical scavenging activity, 5.72% of alpha-amylase inhibition activity and 59.64% of alpha-glucosidase inhibition activity. The effect on postprandial blood sugar levels after consuming the developed porridge was measured using healthy adults and it was observed there was no blood sugar elevation during the 2 hours of time. As a further development, Coccinia grandis leaf extract was nano-encapsulated with food grade Sodium alginate and it was incorporated into the same porridge as a safe delivery method of bioactive compounds. In-vitro digestion assay was conducted and the results show that alpha-amylase inhibition activity for the gastric phase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition activity for the intestinal phase was higher in nano-encapsulated porridge. The study concludes that, consuming nano-encapsulated Coccinia grandis leaf extract with porridge is more beneficial for diabetic patients.

The flow field around a straight chain of multiple slip spherical particles rotating steadily in an incompressible Newtonian fluid about their line of centers is analyzed at low Reynolds numbers. The particles may vary in radius, slip coefficient, and angular velocity, and they are permitted to be unevenly spaced. Through the use of a boundary collocation method, the Stokes equation governing the fluid flow is solved semi-analytically. The interaction effects among the particles are found to be noteworthy under appropriate conditions. For the rotation of two spheres, our collocation results for their hydrodynamic torques are in good agreement with the analytical asymptotic solution in the literature obtained by using a method of twin multipole expansions. For the rotation of three spheres, the particle interaction effect indicates that the existence of the third particle can influence the torques exerted on the other two particles noticeably. The interaction effect is stronger on the smaller or less slippery particles than on the larger or more slippery ones. Torque results for the rotation of chains of many particles visibly show the shielding effect among the particles.

Understanding the infiltration and solidification processes of liquid 5083Al alloy into Al2O3 three-dimensional reticulated porous ceramic (Al2O3(3D) RPC) is essential for optimizing the microstructure and properties of Al2O3(3D)/5083Al interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) prepared by low-pressure infiltration process (LPIP). This study employs ProCAST software to simulate the infiltration and solidification processes of liquid 5083Al with pouring velocities (PV) of 0.4 m/s infiltrating into Al2O3(3D) RPC preforms with varying porosities at different pouring temperatures (PT) to prepare Al2O3(3D)/5083Al IPCs using LPIP. The results demonstrate that pore diameter of Al2O3(3D) RPC preforms and PT of liquid 5083Al significantly influence the of the infiltration. Solidification process analysis reveals that the Al2O3(3D) RPC preform with smaller pore diameters allows the lower pouring velocity of 5083Al to solidify faster compared to the preform with larger pore diameters. Al2O3(3D)/5083Al IPCs were prepared successfully from Al2O3(3D) RPC porosity of 15 PPI with liquid 5083Al at PV 0.4 m/s and PT 800 °C using LPIP, resulting in nearly fully dense composites, where both Al2O3(3D) RPCs and 5083Al interpenetrate throughout the microstructure. The infiltration and solidification defects were reduced under air pressure of 0.3 MPa (corresponding to PV of 0.4 m/s) during LPIP. Finite volume method simulations are in good agreement with experimental data, validating the suitability of the simplified model for Al2O3(3D) RPCs in the infiltration simulation.

The methanation of CO2 is of great interest in power-to-gas systems and contributes to the mitigation of climate change through carbon dioxide capture and the subsequent production of high value-added products. This study investigated CO2 methanation with three Ni catalysts supported on Al2O3 and ZrO2, which were simulated using a mathematical model of a packed bed reactor designed based on their chemical kinetics reported in the literature. The simulated reactive system was fed with syngas obtained from residual coffee pulp, obtained after solvent phytochemical extraction process, under several gasification conditions. The results reflect a high incidence of catalyst support, preparation method, and syngas composition on CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity. For all the syngas compositions, Ni/ZrO2 catalysts show the best values for CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity for Ni/Al2O3 catalyst.

Based on the plate tectonic theory, using seismic, geology, and public literature data, the proto-type basins and lithofacies paleogeography during the main geological periods of the passive continental margin of East Africa are restored, and the architecture characteristics of the basins and the differences in sedimentary fillings are analyzed. Combined with the dissection of discovered oil and gas reservoirs, four types of hydrocarbon accumulation models are established, the favorable hydrocarbon accumulation combinations (plays), and the next exploration directions in this region are explored. The passive continental margin basins in East Africa experienced three proto-type stages: intracontinental aborted rift during the Late Carboniferous-Triassic Karoo period, intracontinental-intercontinental rift during the Jurassic period, and passive continental margin basin since the Cretaceous period. Affected by the difference in sedimentary filling thickness between the rift period and depression period, four types of passive continental margin basins are formed: rifted type, depressed type, faulted depression type, and reformed delta type. The maximum sedimentary thickness of the rifted basins during the rift period is greater than 3500 m, and that during the depression period is less than 4000 m, forming a "single-source structure type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. The exploration of rifted basins should focus on giant structural traps at the top of the rifted sequences. The maximum sedimentary thickness of the depressed basins during the depression period exceeds 4000 m, forming a "single-source fan group type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. The dominant exploration directions of depressed basins are sedimentary sand bodies and structural-lithologic traps during the depression and drift periods. The maximum sedimentary thickness of the faulted depression basins during the rift period is greater than 3500 m, and that during the depression period is greater than 4000 m, forming a "double-source and double-combination type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. The exploration of rifted basins should focus on giant slip-collapse-debris flow sedimentary sand bodies on the upper and middle slopes. In addition to the large sedimentary thickness of the early rift and the central depression, the delta thickness of the reformed delta basins during the late depression period since the Miocene is more than 4000 m, and four structural belts (growth fault, mud diapir, thrust fold, and foredeep gentle slope) were formed from onshore to offshore, forming a "three-source and multi-combination type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. All four structural belts can form giant oil and gas fields.

With the gradual improvement of coal mining efficiency, the disturbance of groundwater system caused by the high-intensity mining mode also increases, which is a more severe challenge to the prevention of mine safety and the protection of water resources in mining areas. How to accurately describe the dynamic changes of the groundwater system under mining and quantitatively predict mine water inflow is a major problem in the current research. Based on the full analysis of the response characteristics of groundwater system to the extraction disturbance, this paper forms a kind of method to establish a mine hydrogeological conceptual model that can accurately represent the water inrush process, and uses the MODFLOW non-structural division grid to accurately characterize the formation structure, and finally make accurate water inflow prediction. Taking the Caojiatan Coal Mine in Shaanxi Province, China as an example, a numerical model of unstructured mine water inrush was established for the first time, and the changes of water inflow source and water inflow intensity were quantitatively evaluated. Compared with the traditional water inflow prediction method, it is found that the prediction accuracy is improved by 12%~17% by detailing the response characteristics of complex groundwater system under high-strength coal seam mining conditions. The method is of great significance and promotion value for the comprehensive understanding of the disturbance characteristics of human underground engineering activities, such as coal mining, on the groundwater system, and for accurately predicting water inflow.

Motivated by assumptions that Quantum Mechanics (QM) is not the basement of reality and that additional dimensionality (XD) is required to complete and extend the Standard Models (SM) of Particle Physics and Cosmology, experimental protocols utilizing putative properties of Kaluza-Klein-like (KK) cyclicality embedded within Dirac’s electron hypertube model in conjunction with a Dirac covariant polarized vacuum is developed to produce a new type of low-energy tabletop cross section based on topological phase transitions rather than high energy collision sprays as in the LHC. The model is presented in a highly theoretical axiomatic manner utilizing off-the-shelf parameters generally marginalized by the mainstream physics community. When successful the protocol leads to obsolescence of the highly efficacious 100-year supercollider run producing a paradigm shift with an inherent new set of Unified Field (UF) transformations beyond the Galilean Lorentz-Poincaré transformations of the SM to 3rd regime natural science: Classical – Quantum - UF.

Different methodologies are being used to study the effects of autonomous vehicle (AV) in the mixed traffic indicating the interaction among autonomous and human-driven vehicles. Micro-scopic simulation tools are popular in such assessment as it offers scope to experiment in eco-nomical, robust, and optimistic way. Lack of reliable real-world data to calibrate and evaluate the connected autonomous vehicles (CAV) simulation model is a major challenge. One interesting methodology could be dealing the CAVs as conventional human driven vehicles and predict its possible characteristics based on the simulation inputs. The conventional human driven vehicles from real world, in this methodology, come to aid as benchmark to offer the measure of effective-ness (MoE) for the calibration and validation. For the three most common driving modules, a sensitivity analysis of the driving behaviors of AVs and an effect assessment of CAVs in a mixed traffic environment were done to explore the human alike autonomous technology. The findings show that, up to a point, which is directly re-lated to the quantity of interacting vehicles, the impact of CAVs is typically favorable. This study validates the approach and supports past studies by showing that CAVs perform better in traffic than AVs for traffic performance and safety aspects. On top of that, the sensitivity analysis has shown that enhancements in technology are required for obtaining the maximum advantages.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most serious extra-articular complications of rheu-matoid arthritis (RA), which increases the mortality of RA. Because the pathogenesis of RA-ILD remains poorly understood, appropriate therapeutic strategies and biomarkers have not yet been identified. Thus, the goal of this review was to summarize and analyze the reported data on the etiology and pathogenesis of RA-ILD. The incidence of RA-ILD increases with age, and is also generally higher in men than in women and in patients with specific genetic variations and eth-nicity. Lifestyle factors associated with an increased risk of RA-ILD include smoking and exposure to pollutants. The presence of an anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, high RA disease activity, and rheumatoid factor positivity also increase the risk of RA-ILD. We also explored the roles of biological processes (e.g., fibroblast–myofibroblast transition, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and immunological processes), signaling pathways (e.g., JAK/STAT and PI3K/Akt), and the his-topathology of RA involved in RA-ILD pathogenesis based on published preclinical and clinical models of RA-ILD in animal and human studies.

Comprehensive studies into the various causes of this ubiquitous disease have been prompted by the worldwide increase in cancer incidence. There are many potential causes of cancer, but environmental factors are of particular concern now. This abstract explores the complex link between environmental factors and the growing cancer epidemic, shedding light on the role that our immediate environment plays in the emergence of cancers. The environment can contain carcinogenic agents that gradually influence the course of cancer, including air pollutants, water contaminants, workplace exposures, and industrial activities. The ways through which environmental carcinogens may cause DNA damage and unchecked cell proliferation are discussed in this abstract. Environmental justice and the moral necessity to reduce inequities in exposure and health effects are highlighted to underline the disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups. The study presented here highlights the need for preemptive action to reduce environmental risks. Society can reduce the hidden threat posed by environmental carcinogens through strict legislation, sustainable practices, and community-driven initiatives. In order to lessen the cancer burden and secure a healthier future for all, the authors of this abstract argue that there must be a concerted effort to create surroundings that promote health and well-being.

Elevation of the intermediate amino acid metabolite Homocysteine (Hcy) causes Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), a metabolic disorder frequently associated with mutations in the methionine-cysteine metabolic cycle as well as with nutritional deficiency and aging. Previous literature suggest that HHcy is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Severe HHcy is well established to correlate with vascular pathologies primarily via endothelial cell death. Though moderate HHcy is more prevalent and associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular abnormalities in later part of life, its precise role in endothelial physiology is largely unknown. In this study, we report that moderate elevation of Hcy causes endothelial dysfunction through impairment of their migration and proliferation. We established that unlike severe elevation of Hcy, moderate HHcy is not associated with suppressed endothelial VEGF/VEGFR signaling and oxidative stress induction. We further showed that moderate HHcy induces a sub-lethal ER stress that causes defective endothelial migration through abnormal actin cytoskeletal remodeling. We also found that sub-lethal increase of Hcy causes endothelial proliferation defect by suppressing mitochondrial respiration and concomitantly increases glycolysis to compensate the consequential ATP loss and maintain overall energy homeostasis. Finally, analyzing an available microarray dataset, we confirmed that these hallmarks of moderate HHcy are conserved in adult endothelial cells as well. Thus, we identified adaptive UPR and metabolic rewiring as two key mechanistic signatures in moderate HHcy-associated endothelial dysfunction. As HHcy is clinically associated with enhanced vascular inflammation and hypercoagulability, identifying these mechanistic pathways may serve as future targets to regulate endothelial function and health.

Powder metallurgy is a preferred manufacturing method in various industries because it offers design flexibility, material efficiency and a cost-effective production. In this work, we study the effects of different compaction directions on the strength of parts produced by powder metallurgy. Al–4wt.%Cu alloys are used due to their recyclability, and three distinctive compaction pressures are applied, resulting in two sample groups. One group is air-cooled after sintering, while the other is water-quenched and naturally aged (T4 temper). Both the compressive and tensile strengths are measured and analyzed. The study reveals that both heat treatments and compaction directions significantly influence anisotropic strengths. The novelty of this research lies in the use of powders that can be reused from machining, turning, or foundry rejection. By omitting or reducing the melting stage and employing simple powder metallurgy, the cost-effective and environmentally friendly processes are achieved. The planning of compaction load, compaction direction, and heat treatments is found to play a crucial role in determining the final mechanical performance. Notably, this approach aligns with the environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices that have been increasingly adopted by industry.

Cancer metastasis accounts for approximately 90% of cancer deaths, and elucidating markers in metastasis is the first step in its prevention. To characterize metastasis marker genes of breast cancer (MGs), XGBoost models that classify metastasis status were trained with gene expression profiles from TCGA. Then, a metastasis score (MS) was assigned to each gene by calculating the inner product between the feature importance and AUC performance of the models. As a result, the 54, 202, and 357 genes with the highest MS were characterized as MGs by empirical P-value cutoffs of 0.001, 0.005, and 0.01, respectively. The three sets of MGs were compared with those from existing metastasis marker databases, which provided significant results in most comparisons. We noticed that the set of MGs with the median EP cutoff showed better performance than the other two sets, suggesting the importance of the cutoff used in determining MGs. They were also significantly enriched in biological processes associated to breast cancer metastasis. The MGs that could not be identified by statistical analysis (e.g., GOLM1, ELAVL1, UBP1, and AZGP1) as well as the MGs with the highest MS (e.g., ZNF676, FAM163B, LDOC2, IRF1, and STK40) were verified via the literature. Additionally, we checked how close the MGs are located to each other in the protein–protein interaction networks. We expect that the characterized markers will help understand and prevent breast cancer metastasis.

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

The main aim of this study is to examine the effects of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices (leadership of management, decision making, continuous improvement, customer focus, employee involvement, process management and relations with suppliers) on the financial and operational performance of hospitals in service industry. The data of the study were collected by the questionnaire prepared in the light of published studies and the suggestions of medical and administrative staff. Medical and administrative staff were chosen as target participants that reflect perspectives of hospitals. 1069 questionnaires were answered in 6 private and 26 public hospitals in the Marmara region in Turkey. The results claim that “customer focus” affects both operational performance as well as the financial performance of hospitals more than other TQM practices. While “process management” and “customer focus” explain the variance of financial performance significantly. “Process management” does not explain variance of operational performance.

In the following article, we analyse the determinants of the number of physicians in the context of ISTAT BES-Benessere Equo Sostenibile data among twenty Italian regions in the period 2004-2022. We apply Panel Data with Random Effects, Panel Data with Fixed Effects, and Pooled OLS-Ordinary Least Squares. We found that the number of Physicians among Italian regions is positively associated, among others, to “Trust in the Police and Firefighters”, “Net Income Inequality”, and negatively associated, among others, to “Research and Development Intensity” and “Soil waterproofing by artificial cover”. Furthermore, we apply the k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette Coefficient and we find the presence of two clusters. Finally, we confront eight different machine-learning algorithms to predict the future value of physicians and we find that the PNN-Probabilistic Neural Network is the best predictive algorithm.

Hydraulic fracturing is an efficient method to develop oil/gas resources economically. Temporary plugging and diverting fracturing (TPDF) can generate diversion fractures perpendicular to the initial fractures and enhance the stimulated area. The aperture of the diversion fractures determines its conductivity and the oil/gas production. This work established a fluid-solid fully coupled simulation model to investigate the fracture aperture influenced by various factors during TPDF. The factors include the permeability of the tight plug, the length of the tight plug, Young’s modulus, rock tensile strength, in-situ stress contrast, the leak-off coefficient of the fracture surface, and fluid injection rate. Results show that the aperture of the previous fracture can be enlarged, and the aperture of the diversion fracture can be decreased by the tight plug. The aperture at the diversion fracture mouth is much smaller than that along the diversion fracture. Reservoirs with low Young’s modulus and high rock tensile strength can generate the diversion fracture with a wider aperture. Moreover, increasing the fluid injection rate can effectively increase the fracture mouth aperture. In this way, the risk of screenout can be lowered. This work is beneficial for the design of the TPDF and ensures safe construction.

Early debridement and stabilization for pyogenic spondylodiscitis allow early mobilization of the patient and prevent subsequent spinal deformity. Tantalum (Ta) trabecular metal (TM) components have several potential advantages over conventional implant materials, such as its uniformity and structural continuity, strength, low stiffness, high porosity, high coefficient of friction and tantalum trabecular metal enhances the host defense mechanism by increasing leukocyte chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and the bacterial killing rate. A single-stage surgery with a tantalum trabecular metal cage combining two different approaches is sufficient to maintain vertebral stability. This retrospective cohort study included 57 patients, 31 (54%) patients were treated with single-stage debridement and reconstruction with trabecular metal cages, and 26 (45.6%) patients received spine surgery without trabecular metal cages received surgery between January 2018 and March 2021 in our tertiary academic teaching hospital. The CRP values dropped borderline significantly in the TM cage group compared with the non-TM cage group postoperatively. In patients with spondylodiscitis, it is advisable to perform single-stage debridement and reconstruction with a trabecular metal cage, which allows abscess drainage and rapid mobilization, prevents deformity.

Owing to the upsurge in the number of endangered species and understanding animal patterns in general as well as population demographics; the monitoring of wildlife species is an essential for the conservation and safety of animals. In order to organize and manage the reserves, the nature bequeaths to us, we need to have hands-on information of their population and food trends, conditions where they survive and other species in the ecosystem. The paper presents a vision-based approach to monitor wildlife using an aerial platform. A quad-rotor based aerial platform is used for the very first time for this purpose. Field imaging is done using a digital cellphone camera mounted on the platform to acquire video of horses in the field. Two techniques, Lucas-Kanade and Horn-Schunck methods are applied on the acquired set of images and the results are compared. Noise due to fluctuations and light conditions are minimized using Gaussian and HSV filters. Experiments show results with an absolute mean difference of 2.84 pixels and 8.50 pixels for changes in X and Y directions respectively for the two approaches.

The circular economy (CE) has emerged as a viable alternative for tackling the problems caused by rising consumption, including solid waste (SW). The present study conducted a meta-analysis of research published between 2012 and 2022 on CE and solid waste management (SWM). A bibliometric analysis was used from the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. By studying the articles, we briefly discussed the connections between them and how one contributes to the evolution of the other. Some findings point to greater collaboration between Italy and Bolivia, followed by China and Malaysia. However, they move away from the traditional axes as the United States and Canada. In addition, it was found that the adoption of reuse and selective collection, in fact, allow the reduction of the volume of discarded materials. In this way, it was possible to conclude that a greater connection between CE and GRS makes it possible to optimize the useful life of landfills through the treatment of organic waste and recycling, to encourage waste picker cooperatives and selective collection programs, and to reduce the financial costs of the system as a whole, making it more durable and sustainable.

The collective considerations presented here lead to a crucial question: What truly constitutes the primary public health challenge posed by SARSCoV-2 infection and its variants?The findings of Bowen et al.(1) and Noé et al.(4) have offered us new insights into the actual repercussions of SARSCoV-2 virus infections on public health. They unmistakably point to the late sequelae and complications arising as secondary effects of the viral infection, causing severe and long-term damage to global public health. Rather than the acute infection which has a very low mortality rate in the general population, as initially and commonly believed.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for degrading and recycling different cellular components in both normal development and stress conditions. Our recent research demonstrated that autophagy-mediated compartmental cytoplasmic deletion is essential for pollen germination. However, how autophagy regulates pollen germination to ensure its fertility remains largely unknown. Here, we applied multi-omic analyses to investigate the downstream pathways of autophagy in the process of pollen germination. Although ATG2 and ATG5 play similar roles in regulating pollen germination, high-throughput transcriptomic analysis reveals that silencing ATG5 has greater impact on the transcriptome than silencing ATG2. Cross-comparisons of transcriptome and proteome analysis reveal that gene expression at mRNA level and protein level are differentially affected by autophagy. Furthermore, high-throughput metabolomics analysis demonstrates that pathways related amino acid metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis can be affected by both ATG2 and ATG5 silencing. Collectively, our multi-omic analyses reveal a central role of autophagy in cellular metabolism, which is critical for the initiation of pollen germination and the guarantee of pollen fertility.

We present a mixing length based algebraic turbulence model calibrated to pipe flow; the main purpose of the model is to capture the increasing turbulence production-to-dissipation ratio observed in connection with the high Reynolds number transition region. The model includes the mixing length description by Gersten and Herwig which takes the observed variation of the von Kármán number with Reynolds number into account. Pipe wall roughness effects are included in the model. Results are presented for area-averaged (integral) quantities which can be used both as a self-contained model and as initial inlet boundary conditions for computational fluid dynamics simulations.

This study aimed evaluating 7 years’ outcome in 118 very preterm newborn (VPN, gestational age=26±1.4wks) involved in a randomized controlled trial. They presented neonatal respiratory distress (RDS) requiring ventilation for 14±2 days post-natal age (PNA). Repeated instillation of 200mg/kg Poractant alfa (SURF) did not improve early bronchopulmonary dysplasia, but SURF infants needed less re-hospitalization than controls for respiratory problem at 1- and 2-years PNA. There was no growth difference at 7.1±0.3 years for 41 SURF vs. 36 controls (80% eligible children); 7.9% SURF vs. 28.6% controls presented asthma (p=0.021). Children underwent cogni-tive assessment (WISC IV) and pulmonary function testing (PFT) measuring spirometry, lung volumes and airway resistance. Spirometry showed differences (p<0.05) between SURF and con-trols (mean±standard deviation (median z-score)) for FEV1 (L/s) (1.188±0.690(-0.803) vs. 1.080±0.243(-1.446)); FEV1 after betamimetics (1.244±0.183(-0.525) vs. 1.091±0.209(-1.342)); FVC (L) (1.402±0.217 (-0.406) vs. 1.265±0.267(-1.141)), and FVC after betamimetics 1.452±0.237 (-0.241) vs. 1.279±0.264(-1.020)). PFT showed no difference in volumes or airway resistance. Global IQ median [Inter-quartile Range] was 89[82:99] vs. 89[76:98] with 61% children >85 in both groups. Former VPN presenting severe neonatal RDS treated with repeated Surfactant have improved lung function and less asthma at 7 years PNA. There were no differences in neurodevelopmental outcome

Hispidulin is a natural bioactive flavonoid that has been studied for its potential therapeutic properties, including its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. The aim of this study was to explore whether hispidulin could inhibit endothelial inflammation triggered by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The adhesion of monocytes to vascular endothelium was evaluated by in vitro and ex vivo monocyte adhesion assays. We analyze the migration of monocytes across the endothelial layer using transmigration assay. The result showed that treatment with hispidulin decreased P. gingivalis LPS-induced the adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells and their migration by suppressing P. gingivalis LPS-triggered expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) through downregulating nuclear factor-қB (NF-қB). In addition, hispidulin inhibited P. gingivalis LPS-induced mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and AKT in endothelial cells. Altogether, the results indicate that hispidulin suppresses vascular inflammation induced by P. gingivalis LPS. Mechanistically, it prevents the adhesion of monocytes to the vascular endothelium and migration and inhibits NF-қB, MAPKs, and AKT signaling in endothelial cells.

The integrated stress response is a signaling network comprised of four branches, each of which senses different cellular stressors, converging on the phosphorylation of eIF2α to depress global translation and initiate recovery. One of these branches is composed of GCN2, which senses cellular amino acid insufficiency and participates in the maintenance of amino acid homeostasis. Previous studies have shown that GCN2 is a viable cancer target when amino acid stress is provoked by inhibiting an additional target. In this light, we screened a combination of drugs to identify biologically active compounds which synergize with the GCN2 inhibitor TAP20. First, a panel of 25 compounds was assayed in six cancer cell lines for drug sensitivity. Each compound was then combined with TAP20 at concentrations below their IC50, and the impact on cell growth was assessed. Selected strongly synergistic combinations were further characterised using synergy analyses and matrix-dependent invasion assays. Inhibitors of proteostasis, of the MEK-ERK pathway and pan-CDK inhibitors flavopiridol and seliciclib were found to potently synergize with TAP20 in two of the tested cell lines. Among their common CDK targets is CDK7, which was selectively targeted with THZ-1 and found to synergize with TAP20. Finally, these combinations were found to be partially synergistic when assessed using matrix-dependent invasion assays. However, we found that TAP20 alone was sufficient to restrict invasion at concentrations well below its growth-inhibitory IC50. We conclude that GCN2 can be targeted for treating cancers by polytherapy or even monotherapy.

Axonal degeneration resulting from optic nerve damage can lead to the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), culminating in irreversible vision loss. We contrasted two methods for inducing optic nerve damage: optic nerve compression (ONCo) and optic nerve crush (ONCr). These were assessed for their respective merits in simulating traumatic optic neuropathies and neurodegeneration. We also administered neural progenitor cells (NPCs) into the subtenon space to validate their potential in mitigating optic nerve damage. Our findings indicate that both ONCo and ONCr successfully induced optic nerve damage, as shown by increased ischemia and expression of genes linked to neuronal regeneration. Post NPCs injection, recovery in the expression of neuronal regeneration-related genes was more pronounced in the ONCo model than in the ONCr model, while inflammation-related gene expression saw a better recovery in ONCr. In addition, proteomic analysis of R28 cells in hypoxic conditions identified Vps35 and Syntaxin12 genes. Vps35 preserved mitochondrial function in ONCo, while Syntaxin12 appeared to restrain inflammation via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in ONCr. NPCs managed to restore damaged RGCs by elevating neuroprotection factors and controlling inflammation through mitochondrial homeostasis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hypoxia-injured R28 cells and in both animal models. Our results suggest that ischemic injury and crush injury cause optic nerve damage via different mechanisms, which can be effectively simulated using ONCo and ONCr, respectively. Moreover, cell-based therapies such as NPCs may offer promising avenues for treating various optic neuropathies, including ischemic and crush injuries.

Climate change-induced temperature fluctuations pose a significant threat to crop production, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. This study investigates the transcriptome and physiological responses of rapeseed to post-flowering temperature increases, providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying rapeseed tolerance to heat stress. Two rapeseed genotypes, Lumen and Solar, were assessed under control and heat stress conditions in field experiments conducted in Valdivia, Chile. Results showed that seed yield and seed number were negatively affected by heat stress, with genotype-specific responses. Lumen exhibited a 9.3% average seed yield reduction, while Solar showed a 28.7% reduction. RNA-seq analysis of siliques and seeds revealed tissue-specific responses to heat stress, with siliques being more sensitive to temperature stress. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified distinct gene clusters reflecting different aspects of heat stress adaptation in siliques, with a role for protein folding in maintaining silique development and seed quality under high temperature conditions. In seeds, three distinct patterns of heat-responsive gene expression were observed, with genes involved in protein folding and response to heat showing genotype-specific expression. Gene coexpression network analysis revealed major modules for rapeseed yield and quality, as well as the trade-off between seed number and seed weight. Overall, this study contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying rapeseed tolerance to heat stress and can inform crop improvement strategies targeting yield optimization under changing environmental conditions.

PDMS samples may be used in various microfluidic applications by hydrophilizing their surfaces. This study examines the effects of air plasma jet (APJ) and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on the surface hydrophilicity of polydimethylsiloxane. In order to increase the hydrophilicity of PDMS sample surfaces, two plasma sources including APJ and DBD were compared. Both DBD and APJ setups were measured for voltage and current, and their respective power was calculated and compared based on their characteristics. It is important to note that the electrical specifications of APJ and DBD were identical, and the source power rates for APJ and DBD plasma were 306W and 300W respectively. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to characterize the plasma, and an electrical characterization of the plasma's power supply was carried out. The effects of parameters such as the distance from the nozzle tip, the duration of the process, and the source voltage on the hydrophilicity of the surfaces during the treatment by APJ were also examined, and samples were then examined for a period of time to determine whether surface hydrophilicity was preserved. On the PDMS surface, a contact angle of about 5.1° was observed using short-term plasma treatments of 10 seconds. In the same conditions, the effect of DBD treatment was superior to that of APJ treatment.

Anthracnose (ANT) and angular leaf spot (ALS) are significant diseases in common bean, leading to considerable yield losses under specific environmental conditions. The California Dark Red Kidney (CDRK) bean cultivar is known for its resistance to multiple races of both pathogens. Previous studies have identified the CoPv01CDRK/PhgPv01CDRK resistance loci on chromosome Pv01. Here, we evaluated the expression levels of ten candidate genes near the CoPv01CDRK/PhgPv01CDRK loci and plant defense genes using quantitative real-time PCR in CDRK cultivar inoculated with races 73 of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and 63-39 of Pseudocercospora griseola. Gene expression analysis revealed that the Phvul.001G246300 gene exhibited the most elevated levels, showing remarkable 7.8-fold and 8.5-fold increases for ANT and ALS, respectively. The Phvul.001G246300 gene encodes an abscisic acid (ABA) receptor pyrabactin resistance - PYR1-like (PYL) protein, which plays a central role in crosstalk between ABA and jasmonic acid responses. Interestingly, our results also showed that the other defense genes were initially activated. These findings provide critical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying plant defense against these diseases and could contribute to the development of more effective disease management strategies in the future.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of bovine and human hemoglobin yields a diversity of bioactive peptides, some of which are recognized for their antimicrobial properties. Certain small antimicrobial and anticancer peptides target protein synthesis inhibition. This study aims to produce bioactive peptides through enzymatic hemoglobin hydrolysis and evaluate their effects on cell growth inhibition, potentially serving as candidates for biological anticancer drugs. Rapid screening of candidate anticancer peptides derived from enzymatic hydrolysis of bovine and human hemoglobin was conducted using the Lepidium sativum radicle growth technique. The results demonstrate that: 1) the degree of hydrolysis (DH) significantly influences the production of bioactive peptides. DH levels of 3-10% yield considerably stronger radicle growth inhibition compared to DH 0 (native hemoglobin form), exhibiting three to four times greater intensity. 2) Certain peptide fractions from bovine hemoglobin exhibit higher activity than those from human hemoglobin. 3) The structural characteristics of peptides play a crucial role in the observed biological effects. 4) The α137-141 peptide is the most active among the fractions obtained from bovine (IC₅₀ = 29 ± 1 µg/mL) and human hemoglobin (IC₅₀ = 48 ± 2 µg/mL), standing out 10 to 15 times more potent than other hemoglobin fractions. In conclusion, these findings affirm the bioactivity of peptide fractions obtained from bovine and human hemoglobin. The study highlights how enzymatic hydrolysis of bovine and human hemoglobin can yield peptides that inhibit protein synthesis. Ultimately, these results suggest the feasibility of obtaining candidate peptides for biological anticancer drugs from both human and bovine hemoglobin sources. These scientific advances show new hope in the fight against cancer which affects a large number of people around the world.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is still a relatively new field of research, and its potential for use in the healthcare and medical sectors is enormous. In the last five years, IoT has been a go-to option for various applications such as using sensors for different features, machine-to-machine communication, etc., but precisely, in the medical sector, it is still lagging far behind compared to other sectors. Hence, this study emphasizes the IoT applications in medical fields, Medical IoT sensors and devices, IoT platforms for data visualization, and artificial intelligence in medical applica-tions. A systematic review considering PRISMA guidelines on research articles as well as the websites on IoMT sensors and devices have been carried out. A total of 986 articles after the year 2001 have been initially selected, and by applying the inclusion-exclusion criterion, a total of 597 articles have been identified. From these, 23 studies have been finally selected for this systematic review. This review analyzes different sensor monitoring circuits in detail, considering an Inten-sive Care Unit (ICU) scenario, device applications, and the data management system, including IoT platforms for the patients. Lastly, detailed discussion and challenges have been outlined, and possible prospects have been presented.

Background: Mood disorders, especially depression, and emotional difficulties such as anxiety are very common problems among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The loss of physical training may deteriorate their mental state, which in turn has a significant impact on the improvement of functioning. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of innovative rehabilitation approaches involving robotic assisted gait therapy (RAGT) on mood and anxiety symptoms in pa-tients with SCI. Methods: To this single-centre, single-blinded, single-arm, prospective study, 110 participants with subacute SCI were enrolled; patients were divided into experimental (robotic assisted gait therapy -RAGT) and control (conventional gait therapy with dynamic parapodium - DPT) groups. They received five training sessions per week over 7- weeks. The severity of de-pression was assessed by Depression Assessment Questionnaire (KPD) and anxiety symptoms by State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI X-1) on the beginning and end of therapy. Results: SCI patients experienced significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression-related symptoms after completing the seven-week rehabilitation program (KPD: Z=6.35; p<0.001; r=0.43; STAI X-1: Z=-6.20; p<0.001; r=0.42) in both group of patients. In the RAGT group, post-rehabilitation measurements also indicated an improvement in psychological functioning, i.e., a decrease in depression and anxiety, and an increase in self-regulation. Significant results were noted for each variable (STAI X-1: Z = -4.93; KPD: Z = -5.26; SR: Z = -3.21). In the control group, there was also a decrease in the effect on the depression, anxiety-state and an increase in self-regulation ability (STAI X-1: Z=-4.01; KPD: Z=-3.65; SR: Z=-2.83). Rehabilitation modality did not appear to have a statistically significant relationship with the magnitude of improvement in KPD (including SR) and STAI scores. However, there were some significant differences when comparing the groups by extent and depth of injury and type of paralysis. The study also did not find a significant rela-tionship between improvements in physical aspects and changes in psychological factors. Conclusion: Subjects in RAGD and DPT groups experienced a decrease in anxiety and depres-sion after a 7-week rehabilitation program. However, the rehabilitation modality (DPT vs. RAGT) did not differentiate patients with SCI in terms of the magnitude of this change. Our results may suggest that individuals with severe neurological condition and complete spinal cord injury (AIS A) may experience more benefit in terms of change in psychological parameters after rehabilitation with RAGT.

Recent scholarship highlights the significant environmental impact of the expanding hydraulic fracturing industry, necessitating up-to-date, comprehensive, national-scale assessments. Addressing this gap, this literature review provides a thorough analysis of the contamination and induced seismicity associated with shale-gas hydraulic fracturing in the United States. Employing systematic reviews of literature and federal reports up until July 2023, this study reveals multiple areas of concern. Notably, water and soil contamination, seismic activity, and air pollution are identified as significant challenges linked to shale gas extraction. However, ongoing studies are actively exploring remediation strategies, including advancements in monitoring and treatment technologies, aimed at mitigating the impact of contamination. These findings underscore the need for stringent regulations, continuous research, and effective management practices. This work emphasizes the importance of a collaborative approach that leverages field studies, experimental investigations, and computational advancements to ensure the responsible development of shale gas resources.

The term "Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome" (ODS) is synonymous with central pontine myelinolysis (CPM), denoting a condition characterized by brain damage, particularly affecting the white matter tracts of the pontine region. This damage arises due to rapid correction of metabolic imbalances, primarily cases of hyponatremia. Noteworthy triggers encompass severe burns, liver transplantations, anorexia nervosa, hyperemesis gravidarum, and hyperglycaemia, all linked to the development of CPM. Clinical manifestations encompass a spectrum of signs and symptoms, including dysphagia, dysarthria, spastic quadriparesis, pseudobulbar paralysis, ataxia, lethargy, tremors, disorientation, catatonia, and, in severe instances, locked-in syndrome and coma. A recent case involving a 45-year-old woman illustrates these complexities. Upon admission to the Medicine Intensive Care Unit, she presented with symptoms indicative of diminished responsiveness and bilateral weakness in upper and lower limbs. Of significance, the patient had a pre-existing medical history of hyperthyroidism. Extensive diagnostic investigations were undertaken, revealing compelling evidence of profound hyponatremia through blood analyses. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, unveiling conspicuous areas of abnormal hyperintensity located in the central pons, intriguingly accompanied by spared peripheral regions. These radiological findings align with the characteristic pattern associated with osmotic demyelination syndrome, illuminating the underlying pathology.

Introduction: Real-world safety studies can provide important evidence on the thromboembolic risk associated with COVID-19 vaccines, considering that millions of people have been already vaccinated against COVID-19. In this study, we aimed to estimate the incidence of thromboembolic events after COVID-19 vaccination and to compare the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine with other COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: We conducted a retrospective real-world safety study using data from two different data sources: the Italian Pharmacovigilance database (Rete Nazionale di Farmacovigilanza, RNF) and the Campania Region Health system (Sistema INFOrmativo saNità CampanIA, SINFONIA). From the start date of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign (December 27th, 2021) to September 27th, 2022, information on COVID-19 vaccinations and thromboembolic evets were extracted from the two databases. The reporting rate (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of thromboembolic events for 10,000 doses was calculated for each COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, the odds of being vaccinated with the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine vs. the other COVID-19 vaccines in cases with thromboembolic events vs. controls without thromboembolic events were computed. Results: A total of 12,692,852 vaccine doses were administered in Campania Region, of which 6,509,475 (51.28%) were in female and mostly related to the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine (65.05%), followed by Moderna (24.31%), Oxford–AstraZeneca (9.71%), Janssen (0.91%), and Novavax (0.02%) vaccines. A total of 641 ICSRs with a COVID-19 vaccines and a vascular events were retrieved from the RNF for the Campania Region, of which 453 (70.67%) were in female. Most ICSRs reported the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine (65.05%), followed by Oxford–AstraZeneca (9.71%), Moderna (24.31%), and Janssen (0.91%). A total of 2,451 events were reported in the ICSRs (3.8 events for ICSRs) of which 292 were thromboembolic events. The highe RRs of thromboembolic events were found with the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine (RR: 4.62, 95%CI: 3.50-5.99) and Janssen vaccine (RR: 3.45, 95%CI: 0.94-8.82). Thromboembolic events were associated with a higher likelihood of exposure to the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine compared to Pfizer-BioNtech (OR: 6.06; 95%CI: 4.22-8.68) and Moderna vaccines (OR: 6.46; 95%CI: 4.00-10.80). Conclusion: We observed a higher reporting of thromboembolic events with viral-vector based vaccines (Oxford–AstraZeneca and Janssen) and an increased likelihood of being exposed to the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine compared to the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna) among thromboembolic cases.

BRAF is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes, with an overall frequency of about 50%. Targeting BRAF and its effector mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) is now a key therapeutic strategy for BRAF-mutant tumors, and therapies based on dual BRAF/MEK inhibition showed significant efficacy in a broad spectrum of BRAF tumors. Nonetheless, BRAF/MEK inhibition therapy is not always effective for BRAF tumor suppression, and significant challenges remain to improve its clinical outcomes. First, certain BRAF tumors have an intrinsic ability to rapidly adapt to the presence of BRAF and MEK1/2 inhibitors by bypassing drug effects via rewired signaling, metabolic, and regulatory networks. Second, almost all tumors initially responsive to BRAF and MEK1/2 inhibitors eventually acquire therapy resistance via an additional genetic or epigenetic alteration(s). Overcoming these challenges requires identifying the molecular mechanism underlying tumor cell resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors and analyzing their specificity in different BRAF tumors. This review aims to update this information.

Image registration (IR) is a process that deforms images to align them with respect to a reference space, making it easier for medical practitioners to examine various medical images in a standardized reference frame, such as having the same rotation and scale. This document introduces image registration using a simple numeric example. It provides a definition of image registration along with a space-oriented symbolic representation. This review covers various aspects of image transformations, including affine, deformable, invertible, and bidirectional transformations, as well as medical image registration algorithms such as Voxelmorph, Demons, SyN, Iterative Closest Point, and SynthMorph. It also explores atlas-based registration and multistage image registration techniques, including coarse-fine and pyramid approaches. Furthermore, this survey paper discusses medical image registration taxonomies, datasets, evaluation measures, such as correlation-based metrics, segmentation-based metrics, processing time, and model size. It also explores applications in image-guided surgery, motion tracking, and tumor diagnosis. Finally, the document addresses future research directions, including the further development of transformers.

A wide panel of microtubule-associated proteins and kinases is involved in coordinated regula-tion of the microtubule cytoskeleton and may thus represent valuable molecular markers contrib-uting to major cellular pathways deregulated in cancer. We previously identified a panel of 17 microtubule-related (MT-Rel) genes that are differentially expressed in breast tumors showing resistance to taxane-based chemotherapy. In the present study, we evaluated the expression, prognostic value and functional impact of these genes in breast cancer. We show that 14 MT-Rel genes (KIF4A, ASPM, KIF20A, KIF14, TPX2, KIF18B, KIFC1, AURKB, KIF2C, GTSE1, KIF15, KIF11, RACGAP1, STMN1) are up-regulated in breast tumors compared with adjacent normal tissue. Six of them (KIF4A, ASPM, KIF20A, KIF14, TPX2, KIF18B) are overexpressed by more than 10-fold in tumor samples and four of them (KIF11, AURKB, TPX2 and KIFC1) are essential for cell survival. Overexpression of all 14 genes, and underexpression of 3 other MT-Rel genes (MAST4, MAPT and MTUS1) are associated with poor breast cancer patient survival. A Systems Biology approach highlighted three major functional networks connecting the 17 MT-Rel genes and partners, which are centered on spindle assembly, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. Together our studies identified mitotic Aurora kinases and their substrates as major targets for therapeutic approaches against breast cancer.

This study investigates the stochastic dynamics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection using a newly proposed stochastic model. Contrary to deterministic models that fail to encapsulate the inherent randomness and fluctuations in biological processes, our stochastic model provides a more realistic representation of HBV infection dynamics. It incorporates random variability, thereby acknowledging the changes in viral and cellular populations and uncertainties in parameters such as infection rates and immune responses. We examine the solution's existence, uniqueness, and positivity for the proposed model, followed by a comprehensive stability analysis. We provide the necessary and sufficient conditions for local and global stability, offering deep insight into the infection dynamics. Furthermore, we utilize numerical simulations to corroborate our theoretical results. This research provides a robust tool for understanding the complex behavior of HBV dynamics, contributing significantly to the ongoing quest for more effective HBV control and prevention strategies.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key molecule in promoting neurogenesis, dendritic and synaptic health, and neuronal survival, plasticity, and excitability, all of which are disrupted in neurological and cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Extracellular aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the form of plaques and intracellular aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein have been identified as major pathological insults in AD brain, along with immune dysfunction, oxidative stress, and other toxic stressors. Although aggregated Aβ and tau lead to decreased brain BDNF expression, early losses in BDNF prior to plaque and tangle formation may be due to other insults such as oxidative stress and contribute to early synaptic dysfunction. Physical exercise, on the other hand, protects synaptic and neuronal structure and function, with increased BDNF as a major mediator of exercise-induced enhancements in cognitive function. Here, we review recent literature on mechanisms behind exercise induced BDNF upregulation and its effects on improving learning and memory and on Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Mechanisms include elevations in peripheral BDNF-inducing hormones such as osteocalcin, FNDC5/irisin, and lactate. The fundamental mechanisms of how exercise impacts BDNF and cognition are unclear but are a prerequisite to developing new biomarkers and therapies to delay or prevent cognitive decline.

Technical sectors are an inseparable and elementary part of a critical infrastructure (CI) complex system. The services they provide are essential to the functioning of all the dependent sectors of CI on whose services society depends, especially in areas with high levels of urbanisation. The starting point for effective CI elements protection of is permanent assessing and strengthening their resilience to the negative effects of internal and external threats. Current perceptions of resilience focus primarily on repressive components responsive to incident (i.e., robustness, recoverability, and adaptability), while little attention is paid to preventative components. Therefore, the benefit of the article is to define resistance which could be seen as the CI element ability or characteristic to prevent the occurrence of incidents. Based on that, the article defines 1) the individual factors (variables and parameters) determining the CI resistance and 2) the methodological procedure for infrastructure elements resistance assessment in order to identify weak points and subsequently strengthen them. The essence of the article is defining the starting points for extending the CIERA method by a component strengthening the critical infrastructure resilience in the prevention phase. A practical example of resistance assessment for a selected critical energy infrastructure element is presented at the end of the article.

Background: Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin with important cellular functions and is an essential vitamin. The aim of this study is to determine the B12 levels of children in the period from the 6th month when they start taking additional foods to the age of 7 and the risk factors affecting them. Methods: One hundred pediatric patients aged 6-72 months who were diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency and their parents who agreed to participate in Istanbul Atlas University, Medical Faculty, “Medicine Hospital” Pediatric Clinic between September 2022 and June 2023 were prospectively included in this study. Results: B12 deficiency was significantly higher in the 6-11 (25%) month group than those in the 12-23 (5.8%) and 24-47 (2.8%) month groups. Homocysteine levels were highest in those with insufficient B12 levels compared to the other groups. There was no statistically significant difference in weekly dairy and meat consumption levels between age groups. B12 levels were lower in the 6-11-month group than in the other groups. Homocysteine levels were highest in those with insufficient B12 levels [<200 pg/mL (148 pmol/L)]. Folic acid levels were lower in the 24-47 month and 48-72 month groups than in the 6-11 month and 12-23 month groups. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study showed that low vitamin B12 and increased homocysteine levels seem to be important risk factors in children, especially from the 6th month when they start taking additional foods. The diagnosis of B12 deficiency can be confirmed by elevated serum total homocysteine levels, which are evidence of functional cobalamin deficiency.