Cancer is amenable to low-cost treatments, given that it has a significant metabolic component, which can be effected through diet and lifestyle change at minimal cost. The Warburg hypothesis states that cancer cells have altered cell metabolism towards anaerobic glycolysis. Given this metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, it is possible to target cancers metabolically by depriving them of glucose. In addition to dietary and lifestyle modifications which work on tumors metabolically, there are a panoply of nutritional supplements and repurposed drugs associated with cancer prevention, and better treatment outcomes. These interventions and their evidentiary basis are covered in the latter half of this review to guide future cancer treatment.

As a typical visual positioning system, monocular ranging is widely used in various fields. However, when the distance increases, there is a greater error. YOLOv8 network has the advantages of fast recognition speed and high accuracy. This paper proposes a method by combining YOLOv8 network recognition with a monocular ranging method to achieve target localization and grasping for the NAO robots. By establishing a visual distance error compensation model and applying it to correct the estimation results of the monocular distance measurement model, the accuracy of the NAO robot's long-distance monocular visual positioning is improved. Additionally, a grasping control strategy based on pose interpolation is proposed. Throughout, the proposed method's advantage in measurement accuracy was confirmed via experiments, and the grasping strategy has been implemented to accurately grasp the target object.

Background and Objectives: C-arm free MIS techniques can offer significantly reduced rates of postoperative complications such as blood loss and hospitalization time. Another advantageous long-term aspect is the notably diminished exposure to radiation which is known to cause ma-lignant changes. This study emphasizes that, in some cases of spinal conditions which require a procedural intervention, C-arm free MIS techniques hold stronger indications than open surgeries guided by image intensifier. Materials and Methods: In this research, a retrospective analysis and review of various cervical and thoracic spinal procedures, performed in our hospital, by applying C-arm free techniques. The course of the study explains the basic steps of the procedures and demonstrating postoperative or intra-operative results. For anterior cervical surgery, we performed OPLL resection, while for posterior cervical surgery, we performed posterior fossa decompression for Chiari malformation, minimally invasive cervi-cal pedicle screw fixation (MICEPS) and modified Goel technique with C1 lateral mass screw for atlantoaxial subluxation. Re-garding the thoracic spine, we performed anterior correction for Lenke type 5 scoliosis, and transdiscal screw fixation for DISH fractures. Results: C-arm free techniques are safe procedures that offer precise and high-quality postoperative results by offering sufficient spine alignment and adequate decompression depending on the case. Blood loss, postoperative pain and wound infection are other important aspects of spine surgery that must be always taken into consideration. Conclusions: Navigated C-arm free techniques are safe and precise procedures implemented in the treatment of surgically demanding conditions. They can significantly increase accuracy while decreasing the operative time. They represent the advancement in the field spine surgery and are hailed as the future of the same

Marine soft corals are prolific sources of various natural products that have served as a wealthy reservoir of diverse chemical scaffolds for new drug leads. The genus Litophyton contains almost 100 species but only a small part of them had been classified and chemically investigated, which calls for more attentions from the global researchers. In the current work, 109 secondary metabolites have been discussed based on published data from 1975 to July, 2023, covering a period of near five decades. The studied species of the genus Litophyton inhabited various tropical and temperate regions and afforded a variety of biologically active natural products such as terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, and lipids. A wide spectrum of pharmacological effects of these compounds had been evaluated, including cytotoxic, anti-HIV, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-malarial, antifeedant, molluscicidal, PTP1B inhibitory, and insect growth inhibitory activities. This review aims to provide an up-to-date literature survey and comprehensive insight into chemical structures, taxonomical distributions, and biological activities of the reported metabolites from the title genus whenever available.

Sewage sludge is an organic waste generated in waste-water treatment plants with certain content of nutrients, what may potentially be used as a source of slow release fertilizer, especially as phosphorus (P) source, but it demands some pre-treatment and the content of P is much lower compared to soluble mineral fertilizers. For these reasons, composted sewage sludge was used to manufacture pelletized organomineral fertilizers, mixing it with the inorganic sources monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and AshDec® (ASD) (thermochemically incinerated sewage sludge). The fertilizers were physiochemically characterized and evaluated as to the dynamics of soil P solubilization, and the forms of P remaining according to its lability. The sources evaluated were: organic compost of sewage sludge powder (SSC), pelletized SSC (SCP), pelletized organominerals SSC+MAP (S+MAP) and SSC+ASD (S+ASD), ASD alone, all compared to a soluble mineral fertilizer (MAP), and a control without P fertilizer. A test was conducted in leaching columns with 50 g of soil (Oxisol), where the fertilizers were applied at a dose of 100 mg P/column, and 30 mL of water or 2% citric acid were added daily for 30 consecutive days. The collected leachates had pH measured and P content determined. Pelletizing process resulted in denser products and promoted more gradual P release. The organomineral S+MAP was the most water-soluble recycled source, solubilizing about 70% of the total P, while the others presented much lower solubilization (<20%). In contrast, all fertilizers showed high solubility in 2% citric acid (except for S+ASD). After leaching, the greatest amount of P remaining in the soil as labile and moderately labile. Composting and the AshDec process produced materials with slow P solubilization, which would be favoured to solubilize in acidic soils and acidic rhizosphere conditions. In turn, the organomineral mixture of SSC with a highly soluble mineral fertilizer (MAP) resulted in a promising product with intermediate nutrient solubility, better synchronized with crop demand, thus increasing efficiency in P use.

This study investigates the synergistic impact of fermenting kale juice with Limosilactobacillus strains on its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Kale's rich nutrient profile, especially its flavonoids, offers potential health benefits. Probiotic lactic acid bacteria are employed in kale fermentation to enhance nutrient bioavailability and generate bioactive compounds. Kale juices fermented with L. reuteri EFEL6901 or L. fermentum EFEL6800 exhibited superior microbial growth. Free sugars and amino acids were converted to alcohols and organic acids, affecting the organoleptic and health-related properties of product. In addition, fermentation increased quercetin and kaempferol content, indicating improved availability. Furthermore, the fermented juice exhibited notable antioxidant activity and suppressed NO production, revealing anti-inflammatory potential. Gene expression analysis confirmed reduced pro-inflammatory markers and elevated anti-inflammatory cytokines. This research highlights the promising potential of fermented kale juice, enriched with Limosilactobacillus strains, as a functional food with combined antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

During the last forty years, the use of strontium isotopes in archaeology and biogeochemical research has spread widely. These isotopes, alone or in combination with others, can contribute to trace past and present environmental conditions. However, the interpretation of the isotopic values of strontium is not always simple and requires good knowledge of geochemistry and geology. This short paper on the use of strontium isotopes is aimed at those who use this tool (archaeologists, but not only) but who do not have a thorough knowledge of mineralogy, geology, and geochemistry necessary for a good understanding of natural processes involving these isotopes. We report basic knowledge and suggestions for a correct use of these isotopes. The isotopic characteristics of bio-assimilable strontium depend not so much on the isotopic characteristics of the bulk rock as, rather, on that of its more soluble minerals. Before studying human, animal and plant remains, the state of conservation and any conditions of isotopic pollution should be carefully checked. Samples should be collected according to random sampling rules. The data should be treated by a statistical approach. To make comparisons between different areas, it should be borne in mind that the study of current soils can be misleading since the mineralogical modification of the soil over time can be very rapid.

The suspension cross-linking technique has been utilized to create the magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, which were then applied to the magnetic carrier method at 80°C. First the FeCl2 and FeCl3 solution co-precipitated and synthesized Fe3O4 for utilization in the formation of magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, it has been characterized by utilizing DLS (Dynamic light scattering), XRD (X-ray diffraction spectrometer), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), which identified structure, size, FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope) and HR-TEM (High-resolution transmission electron microscopy) which identified structure and particle size whereas magnetic behavior of chitosan nanoparticles was determined by VSM (Vibrating sample magnetometer). According to the results collected, the magnetic chitosan nanoparticles have been spherical in form and size ranging from around 250 to 400 nm.

We have investigated the effect of electron-beam irradiation by a forevacuum-pressure plasma-cathode electron source on the surface roughness and hardness of Al2O3- and AlN-based ceramics. The roughness increases with increasing temperature of the processed surface, while the hardness slightly decreases. For aluminum nitride ceramic, we find that the thermal conductivity increases by a factor of 1.5 to 2 depending on the electron-beam irradiation regime.

This article presents a method for extracting neural signal features to identify the imagination of left and right hand grasping movements. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment is employed to identify four brain regions with significant activations during motor imagery(MI) and the effective connections between these regions of interest (ROIs) were calculated using Dynamic Window-level Granger Causality (DWGC). Then, a real-time fMRI(rt-fMRI) classification system for left and right hand MI is developed using the Open-NFT platform. The experimental results show that incorporating effective connections can enhance the average accuracy of real-time three-class classification (rest, left hand and right hand) by 3% in comparison to traditional multivoxel pattern classification analysis(MVPA). Moreover, it significantly improves classification accuracy during the initial stage of MI tasks while reducing the latency effects in real-time decoding. The study suggests that the effective connections obtained through the DWGC method serve as valuable features for real-time decoding of MI using fMRI. Moreover, they exhibit higher sensitivity to changes in brain states. This research offers theoretical support and technical guidance for extracting neural signal features in the context of fMRI-based studies.

Vaccination has proven highly effective against severe acute res-piratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the long-term immunogenicity and the functional preserved im-mune responses of vaccines are needed to inform evolving evi-dence-based guidelines for boosting schedules. We enrolled 205 healthcare workers into a cohort study; all had received three doses of BBIBP-CorV (China Sinopharm Bio-Beijing Company) inactivated vaccine. We assessed SARS-CoV-2 specific binding antibodies, neutralizing antibody, and peripheral T and B cell responses. We demonstrated that more robust antibody re-sponses to SARS-CoV-2 were elicited by booster immunization compared to primary vaccination. Neutralizing antibody titers to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were also efficiently elevated post homologous vaccine booster despite in a lower titer compared to the prototype stain. In addition to S specific humoral and cellular immunity, BBIBP-CorV also induced N-specific antibody and ef-fector T cell responses. The third-dose vaccination led to further expansion of critical polyfunctional T cell responses, likely an essential element for vaccine protection. In particular, a func-tional role for Tfh cell subsets in immunity was suggested by the correlation between both CD4+Tfh and CD8+Tfh with total anti-body, IgG, B cell responses and neutralizing antibodies. Our study details the humoral and cellular responses generated by the BBIBP-CorV booster vaccination in a seven-month follow up study. There is a clear immunologic boosting value of homolo-gous inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine boosters, a consideration for future vaccine strategies.

The use of spherical radial basis functions (SRBFs) in regional gravity field modeling has become popular in recent years. However, to our knowledge, their potential for combining gravity data from multiple sources, particularly data with different spectrum information in the frequency domain, has not been extensively explored. Therefore, band-limited SRBFs, which have good lo-calization characteristics in the frequency domain, are the main tool in this study. We propose a residual and a-prior accuracy comparative analysis method to determine the optimal degree of expansion of SRBFs for gravity data. Using this methodology, we constructed a high-resolution geoid model called ColSRBF2023 in Colorado. The degrees of expansion for terrestrial and airborne data were set to 5200 and 1840, respectively. Results indicate that ColSRBF2023 has a standard deviation (STD) value of 2.3 cm compared to the GSVS17 validate data. This value is 2-6 mm lower than models obtained using different degrees of expansion for gravity data and models from other institutions considered in this study. Additionally, at the 1'×1' grid in the entire target area, ColSRBF2023 has an STD value of 2.4 cm when compared to the validation model. This value is also the best among the options examined in this study. These findings highlight the importance of determining the optimal expansion degree of gravity data, particularly when constructing high-resolution gravity field models in rugged mountainous regions.

Deep reinforcement learning is one of the research hotspots in artificial intelligence and has been successfully applied in many research areas, however, the low training efficiency and high demand for samples are problems that limit the application To address these problems, a hierarchical episodic control model extending episodic memory to the domain of hierarchical reinforcement learning is proposed in this paper. The model is theoretically justified and employs a hierarchical implicit memory planning approach for counterfactual trajectory value estimation. Starting from the final step and recursively moving back along the trajectory, a hidden plan is formed within the episodic memory. Experience is aggregated both along trajectories and across trajectories, and the model is updated using a multi-headed backpropagation similar to bootstrapped neural networks. This model extends the parameterized episodic memory framework to the realm of hierarchical reinforcement learning and is theoretically analyzed to demonstrate its convergence and effectiveness. Experiments conducted in Four Room, Mujoco, and UE4-based active tracking , highlight that the hierarchical episodic control model effectively enhances training efficiency. It demonstrates notable improvements in both low-dimensional and high-dimensional environments, even in cases of sparse rewards.

Background. We created agent-based model for short- and longterm forecasting of COVID-19 and for evaluation how the actions of the regulator affected the human and material resources of the healthcare system. Methods. The model was implemented in the AnyLogic software. It includes two state charts – social network and disease transmission. The COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool (COVID-ESFT, version 2.0) was used to determine healthcare resources needed. Results. Satisfactory results were obtained with long-term (up to 50 days) forecasting in the case of a monotonous change in total cases curve. However, if periods of relative stability are accompanied by sudden outbreaks, relatively satisfactory results were obtained with short-term forecasting, up to 10 days. Simulation of various scenarios showed that the most important place for the spread of infection are families. Wherein the maximum number of cases of COVID-19 is observed in the age group of 26-59 years. Due to a set of measures taken by government agencies, the number of cases in Karaganda city was 3.2 times less than was predicted in “no intervention” scenario. Economic effect is estimated at 40 %. Conclusion. Performed model is an attempt to consider as much as possible the peculiarities of the socio-demographic situation in the country. In the future, we will be prepared to some extent for challenges like those we have experienced in the past three years.

Background: Muscle wasting is a common phenomenon in oncology and appears to be alleviated by exercise training. This study aims to determine the degree of aggressiveness of cancer-induced muscle wasting in two different phenotypic muscles, and whether exercise training can attenuate this muscle dysfunction. Methods: Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, two control groups (sedentary and exercised) and two breast cancer model groups (sedentary and exercised) induced by 1-methyl-1-nitrosoureia (MNU). After 35 weeks of endurance training the animals were sacrificed and the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were harvested for morphometric analysis. Results: A significant reduction in cross-sectional area (P < 0.05) was found in both muscles of sedentary tumor-bearing animals. Interstitial fibrosis was significantly higher in the gastrocnemius of sedentary tumor-bearing animals (P < 0.05), but not in the soleus. A shift from large to small fibers was observed in the gastrocnemius of sedentary tumor-bearing animals. Long-term exercise training was able to prevent this cancer-related mus-cle dysfunction. Conclusions: The Gastrocnemius muscle showed a very pronounced reduction in cross-sectional area and marked interstitial fibrosis in sedentary animals with tumors. The soleus muscle showed a less pronounced but significant reduction in cross-sectional area, and collagen deposition did not differ between tumor groups. These contrasting results confirm that can-cer-induced muscle wasting can affect specific fiber types, and specific muscles, namely fast glycolytic muscles, and that exercise training can act to improve it.

Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) over prime fields relies on scalar point multiplication realized by point addition and point doubling. Point addition and point doubling operations consist of many modular multiplications of large operands (256 bits for example), especially in projective and Jacobian coordinates which eliminate the modular inversion required in affine coordinates for every point addition or point doubling operation. Accelerating modular multiplication is therefore important for high-performance ECC. This paper presents the hardware implementations of modular multiplication algorithms, including 1) Interleaved modular multiplication (IMM), 2) Montgomery modular multiplication (MMM), 3) Shift-sub modular multiplication (SSMM), 4) SSMM with advance preparation (SSMMPRE), and 5) SSMM with CSAs and sign detection (SSMMCSA) algorithms, and evaluates their execution time (the number of clock cycles and clock frequency) and required hardware resources (ALMs and registers). Experimental results show that SSMM is 1.76 times faster than IMM, and SSMMCSA is 3.21 times faster than IMM. We also present the ECC hardware implementations based on the Secp256k1 protocol in affine, projective, and Jacobian coordinates using the IMM, SSMM, SSMMPRE, and SSMMCSA algorithms, and investigate their cost and performance. Our ECC implementations can be applied to the design of hardware security module systems.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a dominant cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently it was shown that HBV and woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) integrate into hepatocyte genome minutes after invasion. Retrotransposons and transposable sequences were frequent sites of the initial insertions suggesting a mechanism for spontaneous HBV DNA disperse throughout hepatocyte genome. Several somatic genes were also identified as early insertional targets in infected hepatocytes and woodchuck livers. Head-to-tail joints (HTJs) dominated amongst fusions indicating their creation by non-homologous-end-joining (NHEJ). Their formation coincided with robust oxidative damage of hepatocyte DNA. This was associated with activation of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-mediated dsDNA repair as reflected by augmented transcription of PARP1 and XRCC1, the PARP1 binding partner, OGG1, a responder to oxidative DNA damage, and by increased activity of NAD+, a marker of PARP1 activation, and HO1, an indicator of cell oxidative stress. The engagement of the PARP1-mediated NHEJ repair pathway explains HTJ format of the initial merges. The findings showed that HBV and WHV are immediate inducers of oxidative DNA damage, hijack dsDNA repair to integrate into hepatocyte genome and by this may initiate pro-oncogenic process. Tracking initial integrations may uncover early markers of HCC and help to explain HBV-associated oncogenesis.

Paving blocks are concrete pieces placed in exposed places to the weather, which are sub-jected to loads and wear. Hence, quality control in the manufacture of paving blocks is es-sential to guarantee the properties and durability of the product in construction projects. In Ecuador, the requirements are described in the Ecuadorian technical standard "NTE INEN 3040", and tensile splitting strength is a fundamental requirement to guarantee product quality. It is analyzed using quality control measurements such as dimensions, the weight of the fresh paving block in the vibro-compacted process, and the percentage of water absorption in order to know how the variables influence and manage to predict the tensile splitting strength to avoid product non-conformity in advance, having a timely and better control of the manufacturing process. The data was obtained from a company that can produce 30 000 units per day of rectangular paving blocks with 6 cm thickness. Mul-tivariate models such as multiple linear regression, regression trees, random forests and neural networks are performed to predict the tensile splitting strength variable through two groups of predictors; the first group is the thickness mm, width mm, length mm, mass of fresh paving block g and percentage of water absorption %. The second group of pre-dictor variables is the density of the fresh paving block kg/m3 and the percentage of water absorption %. It is concluded that the multiple linear regression method performs better in predicting the first group of predictor variables with a mean square error (MSE) of 0.110086, followed by the neural network without hidden layers resulting in an MSE of 0.112198. The best method for the second set of predictors was the neural network with-out hidden layers with a mean square error ( MSE ) of 0.112402, closely followed by the multiple linear regression model with an MSE of 0.115044.

Microemulsions with excellent properties have shown significant potential for enhancing oil recovery from tight formations through spontaneous imbibition. This work present a high-temperature-tolerant lower-phase microemulsion (HTLP-ME) using a microemulsion dilution method. The properties and morphological characteristics of HTLP-ME were evaluated and proposed a enhanced spontaneous imbibition oil recovery mechanism using imbibition tests and CT scanning technology. The results show that the optimum concentration of HTLP-ME is 0.2wt% has a superior thermal stability, small particle size, lower IFT, good wettability alteration ability, and minimum adsorption loss. Imbibition and CT experiments showed that the longer the imbibition distance, the better is the effect on spontaneous imbibition oil recovery. Furthermore, the solubilization coefficient and self-driving force were defined and calculated to quantitatively analyze the imbibition mechanisms. The imbibition mechanisms demonstrate that the reduction of oil/solid adhesion is due to the synergistic effect of IFT reduction and wettability alteration, and the ability to increase the imbibition distance through a larger self-driving force.

The authors recently proposed a method for on-site dosimetry by a combination of radiochromic film and portable colorimeter. To test and expand the applicability of this method, dosimetric properties of radiochromic reactions were examined for six combinations of two popular Gafchromic films (EBT3 and EBT-XD) and three commercially-available portable colorimeters (nix pro2, nix spectro2 and Spectro1 Pro; abbreviated to “NixP”, “NixS” and “SpoP”, respectively). EBT3 and EBT-XD were irradiated with 160 kV X-rays at 0.3 to 40Gy and 1 to 80 Gy, respectively, and the radiation-induced color levels of RGB and CMMK components were measured with the three colorimeters. Angle dependence was examined by reading at 15° intervals. As results, it was judged that all combinations would work effectively as tools for on-site dosimetry. NixP and NixS showed advantages that they were applicable to a wider dose range for both films, while Spo1 worked better in a lower dose range. On the other hand, Spo1 had an advantageous feature of no angular dependence in reading films, while NixP and NixS showed significant angle-dependent changes. These differences were presumed to attribute to the different geometries of LED light emission; it came from all directions (ring-shape source) in Spo1, 4 directions in NixP, and 8 directions in NixS. These findings would expand the applicability of the proposed on-site dosimetry method to various occasions.

The concept of collecting data of people using a domestic space is not novel. However, the methods and processes used to decipher this raw data and transform it into useful and appropriate information (i.e., sequence, duration, and timing derived from domestic activities) have been challenging and the focus of many research groups. But how are the results of the decoded transposition received, interpreted and used by the various professionals (e.g., occupational therapists and architects) who consume the information? This paper describes the inclusive evaluation process undertaken, which involved architects, engineers and end-users (not the occupant, but the care team managing the occupant). Finally, our study evidence the importance of making accessible to a multidisciplinary audience spatial, temporal and sequential aspects derived from people's domestic routines. Shedding light on how a systematic approach to collecting, processing and mapping low-level sensor data into higher forms and representations can be a valuable source of knowledge for improving the domestic living experience.

Increasing HIV drug resistance (DR) among children with HIV (CHIV) on antiretroviral treatment (ART) is concerning. CHIV ages 1-14 years enrolled March 2019 to December 2020 from five facilities in Kisumu County, Kenya were included. Children were randomized 1:1 to control (standard-of-care) or intervention (point-of-care viral load (POC VL) testing every three months with targeted genotypic drug resistance testing (DRT) for VF (&gt; 1000 copies/ml)). A multidisciplinary committee reviewed CHIV with DRT results and offered treatment recommendations. We describe DR mutations and present logistic regression models to identify factors associated with clinically significant DR. We enrolled 704 children in the study; median age was 9 years (interquartile range (IQR) 7,12), 344 (49%) were female and median time on ART was 5 years (IQR 3, 8). During the study period, 106 (15%) children had DRT results (84 intervention and 22 control). DRT detected mutations associate with DR in all participants tested, with 93 (88%) having major mutations, including 51 (54%) with dual class resistance. A history of VF in prior 2 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 11.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.3, 20.0) and less than 2 years on ART at enrollment (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1, 4.4) were associated with increased odds of major DR. DR is highly prevalent among CHIV on ART with VF in Kenya. Factors associated with drug resistance may be used to determine which children should be prioritized for DRT.

Syphilis continues to be a significant global health concern, and understanding the latest advancements in immunology and pharmacological treatment is crucial for effective disease management. This review article provides an in-depth exploration of these advancements, aiming to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on syphilis research. The epidemiology of syphilis sets the stage for this review, highlighting the persistent burden of the disease worldwide. Current trends and challenges in disease control are discussed, shedding light on the need for comprehensive prevention strategies and improved surveillance systems. The immunological aspects of syphilis are the focus of this review. The intricate interplay between the host immune response and the evasive strategies employed by Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, are explored. These include the mechanisms of immune evasion, the role of adaptive and innate immunity, and the development of immune-mediated tissue damage. The article also highlights advancements in diagnostic methods, with emphasis on the importance of accurate and timely detection. From traditional serological tests to the emergence of novel molecular and point-of-care assays, these developments have significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of syphilis diagnosis. In terms of pharmacological treatment, the review covers the current recommendations and emerging strategies for managing syphilis infections. The challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance are addressed, emphasizing the importance of appropriate treatment regimens and close monitoring of therapeutic efficacy. Looking to the future, this review highlights the potential of vaccine development as a preventive measure against syphilis. Promising vaccine candidates and ongoing research efforts are discussed, offering hope for an effective means of disease prevention. In conclusion, this comprehensive review explores the advancements in syphilis research, from the understanding of immunological complexities to the development of innovative treatment strategies. By collectively advancing our knowledge, we can strive towards better disease management and minimize the impact of syphilis on global public health.

Consumption of prunes has been shown to slow bone loss after menopause in American women but there is no data on its effects in Asian women. 135 postmenopausal Korean women with osteopenia were randomized to 100g/day of prunes or no prunes with 600U vitamin D and 800mg of calcium for 12 months. Bone density was measured at baseline and 12 months in the lumbar spine, both hips and the L forearm. Serum levels of CTX and P1NP and vitamin D calcium and phosphate were measured at baseline, 6 and 12 months. PTH was measured at baseline if vitamin D was low Four women dropped out of each group over the 12 months. There was no difference between groups in blood measures or bone density in any region over the 12 month trial., In conclusion 100g/day of prunes has no effect in Korean woman on bone density or bone markers.

Urban agriculture is an early practice, especially for cities in the Global South that are expanding at an unprecedented rate, and in African cities, it can be a way to attend to essential social and health needs. However, it is unclear whether architects and urban planners have expressed interest or already incorporated urban farming within their designs of African cities. This literature review was conducted to understand to what extent architects and urban planners have researched urban agriculture and health. Comprehensive searches based on urban agriculture, health, and Africa were conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science from 2000 to December 2020. Zotero, Mozilla Firefox search engine, and Google Chrome were used to collect paper metadata. The duplicate articles were excluded, and all the n = 240 publications remaining were included in the analysis. Food security and the immediate health impact of urban agriculture on health were the most addressed topics. These studies reported the harmful effects of urban agriculture on malaria and the wastewater irrigation of plants. The evidence on urban agriculture is increasing from public health researchers, but not in the field of urban planning or architecture. Future research on urban agriculture's impacts on urban health should be increasingly done by architects and planners to help shape urban planning practices and regulations that could help create urban agriculture that benefits urban health.

Following on from work already carried out in our laboratory on a new biomass-derived green solvent, eucalyptol, we are now turning our attention to sabinene as a new green solvent. Sabinene is also derived from biomass. We have shown that it can be used as such or distilled to synthesize thiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine heterocycles by thermal or microwave activation. This new solvent was compared with various conventional and green solvents. The conditions were optimized to enable us to carry out the syntheses in good yields, and we were able to show that sabinene, a natural bicyclic monoterpene, could be used effectively as a solvent.

An investigation of pair partial radial distribution functions and molecular pair potentials within a system has established that the existing potential functions are rooted in the assumption of a static arrangement of atoms, overlooking their distribution and vibration. In this study, Hill’s proposed radial distribution function polynomials are applied for the pure gaseous state to a binary liquid alloy system to derive the pair potential energy. The partial radial distribution functions of 36 binary liquid alloy systems reported in literature were examined and then validated using four thermodynamic models. Results show that the molecular interaction volume model (MIVM) and regular solution model (RSM) outperform other models when an asymmetric method is used to calculate the partial radial distribution function. The MIVM exhibits a mean standard deviation (SD) of 0.095 and a mean absolute relative difference (ARD) of 32.2%. Similarly, the RSM demonstrates a mean SD of 0.078 and an ARD of 32.2%. The Wilson model yields a mean SD of 0.124 and a mean ARD of 226%. The nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) model exhibits a mean SD of 0.225 and a mean ARD of 911%. On applying the partial radial distribution function symmetry method, the MIVM and RSM outperform the other approaches, with a mean SD of 0.143 and a mean ARD of 165.9% for the MIVM. The RSM yields a mean SD of 0.117 and an ARD of 208.3%. The Wilson model exhibits the mean values of 0.133 and 305.6% for SD and ARD, respectively. The NRTL model shows an average SD of 0.200 and an average ARD of 771.8%. Based on this result, the influence of the symmetry degree on the thermodynamic model is explored by examining the symmetry degree as defined by the experimental activity curves of the two components.

This study investigated gender differences in exposure to hazardous factors, health problems, and work environment satisfaction and identified the effects of such differences on farmworkers in Korea. Through the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS) conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute (OSHRI), the raw data on 2,347 farm-workers were analyzed to present descriptive statistics for demographic characteristics, exposure to hazardous factors, health problems, and work environment satisfaction. We compared be-tween genders using chi-squared tests and investigated the effects of gender-specific working conditions on work-related health problems and work environment satisfaction using multi-variate logistic analysis. The results were presented as an odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval. Job position predicted work-related health problems in male farmworkers and work environment satisfaction in female farmworkers. Furthermore, female farmworkers perceived themselves to have more health problems than male farmworkers. Nevertheless, female farm-workers received less health and safety information and had lower work environment satisfac-tion compared to male farmworkers. The findings may improve the occupational welfare of farmworkers through continuous enhancement of the agricultural labor environment. Keywords: work-related; working condition; farmworker; agriculture; musculoskeletal; KWCS

An automatic recognizing system of white blood cells can assist hematologists in the diagnosis of many diseases, where accuracy and efficiency are paramount for computer-based system. In this paper, we present a new image processing system to recognize the five types of white blood cells in peripheral blood with marked improvement in efficiency when juxtaposed against mainstream methods. The prevailing deep learning segmentation solutions often utilize millions of parameters to extract high-level image features and neglect the incorporation of prior domain knowledge, which consequently consume substantial computational resources and increase the risk of overfitting, especially when limited medical image samples are available for training. To address these challenges, we propose a novel memory-efficient strategy that exploits graph structures derived from the images. Specifically, we introduce a lightweight superpixel-based Graph Neural Network (GNN) and break new ground by introducing superpixel metric learning to segment nucles and cytoplasm. Remarkably, our proposed segmentation model (SMGNN) achieves state-of-the-art segmentation performance while utilizing at most 10000$\times$ less than the parameters compared to existing approaches. The subsequent segmentation-based cell type classification processes show satisfactory results that such automatic recognizing algorithms are accurate and efficient to execeute in hematological laboratories.

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

Background: The oldest old people (≥ 85 years) represent the fastest growing age group in Western populations. Knowledge on early outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in very old female patients remains limited. Methods: We assessed gender differences and female-specific clinical data and in-hospital mortality in very old patients with AIS. Acute cerebral infarction was diagnosed in 506 very old female patients from a total of 4,600 acute cerebrovascular infarctions available in an ongoing 24-year hospital stroke data bank. A comparative analysis of vital status at discharge (alive versus dead) was performed in terms of cardiovascular risk factors, clinical data, and early outcomes. Results: The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 20.4%. In multivariate analysis, sudden onset, altered level of consciousness, and neurological, respiratory, cardiological or hemorrhagic complications, and lacunar infarcts appeared to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: Female patients ≥85 years with AIS are an unfavorable subgroup of stroke patients with a high risk of early mortality, which may be due to comorbidity, stroke subtype distribution, and higher frequency of medical complications. However, the presence of lacunar infarcts showed a significant protective effect.

Ensuring fire safety is an important condition for the successful operation of industrial enterprises. It is necessary to detect the threat of fire before ignition. An indicator of danger is the appearance of gas, which occurs as a result of unauthorized heating of equipment. Gas sensors make it possible to detect the appearance of gases characteristic of the decomposition of materials at the stage of smouldering and pyrolysis, which cause a change in the composition of the atmosphere. This paper presents a mathematical method for the rational placement of gas analyzers for premises of potentially hazardous industries. It is the rational placement of gas sensors, which ensures safety, taking into account economic feasibility that determines the effectiveness of their use. For the first time, the analysis of gas accumulation during the movement of the flow from the source to the ceil-ing, then propagation to the location of the sensors, is used for the first time to select the placement of gas sensors. Depending on the permissible values of the gas volume, the placement and number of gas sensors are selected. The calculation of the conditions for the rational placement of gas sen-sors for the most common indicators, such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen at different sizes and heights of rooms, is carried out. The method of calculating the location of gas analyzers makes it possible to diagnose and predict fire hazard at technological facilities on the basis of gas control, and compare the obtained values with the maximum permissible values. This method provides cal-culation of the coordinates of the gas source from the coordinates of the triggered sensors. Knowing the coordinates of all sensors, the coordinates of the sensors that gave the alarm, and the formula for determining the volume of the gas cloud under these sensors, it is possible to assess the localization of the source of dangerous gas in the protected room. This increases the efficiency of the fire safety system. The method makes it possible to control the layout of sensors depending on the volume of protected premises, types of production, the creation of new sensors, changes in the composition of hazardous gas in different technological conditions.

The Necessity of Human resources beyond perception of human understanding towards the Evaluation of video quality or Data screening methodology is conducted based on human perception level since it is concerned with how visual content is perceived by a observer based on observations with his/ her perception on a particular video sequence. Therefore, we considered that the subject has to grade the encoded video sequences under certain test environment conditions based on ITU-Recommendations. Since Human perception is considered as the true judgment and precise measurement of visual content, data screening has became quite essential and quite comfortable to general public due to introduction of User Experience(UX) concept by User Experience community. The translations of A recurrent neural network is based on certain principles, for instance we considered natural language processing which is certainly adaptable towards understanding sequential data and use patterns to predict the consistency within observers. In our research, we adapted principles based on Recurrent Neural Networks while assuming consistency within observers for predicting video quality within data screening environment towards subjective experiments. Moreover,this research work explores the trade offs between Human perception on visual content and consistency of observations within individual observer.

Infection with Ebola virus (EBOV) is responsible for haemorrhagic fever in humans with a high mortality rate. Combined efforts of prevention and therapeutic intervention are required to tackle highly variable RNA viruses, whose infections often lead to outbreaks. Here, we have screened the 2P2I3D chemical library using a nanoluc-based protein complementation assay (NPCA) and isolated two compounds disrupting the interaction of the EBOV protein fragment VP35IID with the N terminus of the dsRNA-binding proteins PKR and PACT, involved in IFN response and/or intrinsic immunity, respectively. The two compounds inhibited EBOV infection in cell culture as well as infection by measles virus (MV) independently of IFN induction. Consequently, we propose the compounds are antiviral by restoring intrinsic immunity driven by PACT. Given that PACT is highly conserved across mammals, we support further testing of the compounds in other species, as well as against further negative sense RNA viruses.

Debris flows have generated major disasters worldwide due to their great destructive capacity, which is associated with their high energy levels and short response times. To achieve an adequate risk management of these events, it is necessary to define as accurately as possible the different hazard levels to which the territory is exposed. This article develops a new methodology to estimate this hazard based on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow and the granulometry of the sediments that can be mobilized by the flow. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow are determined through a mathematical modeling that considers the rheology of non-Newtonian flows and the different volumes of sediments that could be transported during events corresponding to different return periods. The proposed methodology was implemented in the Jamundí River basin (Colombia). The results obtained indicate that in the upper part of this basin there is a low hazard level, while in the lower part of the basin approximately 15% of the affected territory has a medium hazard level and the remaining 85% has a low hazard level. The methodology developed is simple to implement but technically rigorous since it considers all relevant aspects in the generation of debris flows.

With worsening environmental degradation and increasing international demand for human health, plant cell based technology will be more important. The aim of this review is to give an overview regarding key points of current progress and development trend of nature medical and edible plants from the framework of whole plant cell engineering including cell cultures, cell fusion and cell splitting derived biotechnology. Here we sum up three main application trends of medical plants cell cultures covering industrial output, technology upgrading and potential resource development. We also provide classification and typification insights to summarize the development of somatic hybridization in cereal, vegetables crops and other medicinal and edible plants as well as application of artificial polyploidy induction in major medicinal herbs. Development medicinal and edible homologous plants based on modern plant cell engineering will bring us a promising future.

The changes in storage loss, water distribution status, gel characteristics, TBARS, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total plate count of cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter during cold storage at 4 °C were investigated. The storage loss, content of free water, pH, hardness, TBARS, total volatile basic nitrogen value and total plate count of all cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batters significantly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing the cold storage time. Meanwhile, the content of immobilized water, whiteness, springiness, and cohesiveness decreased significantly (P < 0.05). At the same cold storage time, the sample of cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter has lower water mobility, darker colour and better texture characteristics, but the values of TBARS, total volatile basic nitrogen and total plate count were not significantly different (P > 0.05). To sum up, the use of potassium bicarbonate instead of sodium tripolyphosphate could produce the cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter with better water holding capacity and gel characteristics during cold storage.

Process induced defects during thermoforming are widespread problems in laminate manufacturing. The aim of this study is to describe the effects of holding time and pressure on several properties of the manufactured laminate. A design of experiments is performed, followed by an analysis of variance to examine significant effects. Subsequently, a regression model is created to predict the laminate’s properties, which is also validated. The highest values of tensile strength and elongation at break are found for low settings of holding time and pressure. The fibre volume fraction is not affected by the process parameters. As holding time and pressure increase, significant fibre misalignment takes place, leading to a decrease of the mechanical properties. The regression model corresponds well with the validation and should be extended with further variables in subsequent studies.

Australia has recently declared its commitment to a circular economy. Policy and initiatives to date have focused on recycling and waste management and research to date has highlighted the need for more ambitious policy, clearer definitions, collaboration, and consensus on goals. There are also calls from some government and non-business sectors for more inclusive circular models, including Doughnut Economics. In a context of competing mainstream circular economy and inclusive circular society discourses, circular intermediary organizations and their representatives are key to achieving change. Compared to the green growth business narrative of policy and industry media, intermediary representatives are aware of the diversity of challenges and solutions for Australia. Based on semi-structured interviews with twenty representatives of circular intermediaries in Australia and thematic discourse analysis, this study finds circular economy, circular society and de-growth discourses informing themes about government, business, growth, consumers, society, and policy present and future. The study concludes with recommendations for a more holistic policy and practice beyond the current circularity for circularity’s sake.

Transferrin (TF) is a key iron carrier protein. Studies in human cohorts and in cultured adipocytes suggested that decreased transferrin expression and intracellular iron in adipocytes leads to impaired insulin responsiveness and causes differential expression of genes involved in metabolism, insulin action, and obesity. While suggestive, these studies did not definitively prove in an intact organism that altering TF expression in adipocytes is sufficient to affect glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance. In this study we created a mouse model of decreased transferrin expression only in adipocytes (Trf+/-Cre+/-) to test the hypothesis that iron trafficking in adipose tissue is sufficient to affect insulin sensitivity. Area under the glucose curve (AUCg) after intraperitoneal glucose administration was increased in the Trf+/-Cre+/- mice compared to wild type (WT) mice on a normal chow diet, and the mice were slightly heavier (p=0.02 for both). Homeostasis Model of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) values were also significantly higher in the Trf+/- Cre+/- mice (p<0.05). Thus, supporting our hypothesis, analysis of mice with decreased expression of TF restricted to adipocytes showed that a decrease in adipocyte TF is sufficient to affect insulin resistance, weight, and glucose homeostasis.

Zero-dose children, or children who have not received any routine vaccination, are a priority population for global health policy makers as these children are at high risk of mortality from vaccine-preventable illnesses. We conducted a narrative review to identify potential interventions, both within and outside of the health sector, to reach zero-dose children. We reviewed peer-reviewed and grey literature and identified 59 relevant resources. Additionally, we interviewed six key informants to enhance synthesis of our findings. Data were organized into three priority settings: (1) urban slums, (2) remote or rural communities, and (3) conflict settings. We found that zero-dose children in the three-priority settings face differing barriers to vaccina-tion and, therefore, require context-specific interventions, such as leveraging slum health commit-tees for urban slums or integrating with existing humanitarian response services for conflict set-tings. Three predominant themes emerged for grouping the various interventions: (1) community engagement, (2) health systems strengthening and integration, and (3) technological innovations. The barriers to reaching zero-dose children are multifaceted and nuanced to each setting, there-fore, no one intervention is enough. Technological interventions especially must be coupled with community engagement and health systems strengthening efforts. Evaluations of the suggested interventions are needed to guide scale up, as the evidence-base around these interventions is rel-atively small.

Abstract: Background: Neonatal sepsis continues to be one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity, particularly in under development and underdeveloped countries. We aim to compare laboratory parameters between the early-onset sepsis (EOS) and non-EOS groups and to evaluate the association between TLR2- Arg753Gln, TLR4 -Asp299Gly, IL6-174G/C and IL10-1082G/A gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and EOS susceptibility in preterm newborns. Methods: Genotyping of the TLR2, TLR4, IL6 and IL10 polymorphisms was performed in 36 preterm neonates by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP). Logistic regression analysis was used to test the associations between the studied gene polymorphisms and EOS susceptibility. Results: Statistically significant differences in gestational age and birth weight were observed between the two groups, preterm neonates with EOS having a lower mean of gestational age (weeks, 29.4 ± 2.8 versus 32.6 ± 1.1, p = 0.00002) and lower mean of birth weight (gr., 1342.1 ± 446.5 vs. 1984 ± 376.9) than preterm neonates without EOS. C-reactive protein (CRP) values measured at first day significantly increased in EOS group compared with non-EOS group (median, 95% CI: 0.80 [0.40, 1.15] versus 0.30 [0.02, 0.50]). Mean of neutrophils significantly decreased in the EOS preterm neonates (mean difference: 17.3%, 95% CI: [4.0%, 30.5%], p = 0.0126) and non-EOS group (mean difference: 20.8%, 95% CI: [1.8%, 39.9%, p = 0.0354) between the first day and 7th hospitalization day. The minor IL10-A1082 allele frequency was higher in the EOS group than in the nonEOS group (50% versus 25%) with a marginal statistical significance (p=0.0550). In the dominant model, the A/G + A/A variant genotype of IL10- 1082G/A polymorphism significantly increased the odds of EOS compared with GG genotype (OR= 5.25, p = 0.0322). Conclusions: The results of the current study suggests the IL10- 1082G/A gene polymorphism as significant risk factor for early onset sepsis development in preterm neonates.

Since the first published genome sequence of Trypanosoma cruzi in 2005, there has been tremendous technological advance in genomics, reverse genetics, and assay development for this elusive pathogen. However, there is still an unmet need for new and better drugs to treat Chagas disease. Here we introduce a T. cruzi assay strain that is useful for drug research as well as basic studies in host-pathogen interaction. Trypanosoma cruzi STIB980 is a strain of discrete typing unit TcI that grows well in culture as axenic epimastigotes or intracellular amastigotes. We have evaluated the optimal parameters for genetic transfection and constructed derivatives of T. cruzi STIB980 that express reporter genes for fluorescence- or bioluminescence-based drug efficacy testing, as well as a Cas9-expressing line for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. The genome of T. cruzi STIB980 was sequenced by combining short-read Illumina with long-read Oxford Nanopore technologies. The latter served for the primary assembly, the former to correct mistakes and fill the gaps. This resulted in a high-quality nuclear haplotype assembly of 28 Mb in 400 contigs, containing 10,043 open-reading frames with a median length of 1077 bp. We believe that T. cruzi STIB980 is a useful addition to the antichagasic toolbox, and propose that it can serve as a DTU TcI reference strain for drug efficacy testing.

This article presents a comprehensive study on enhancing grid resilience through advanced forecasting and optimization techniques in the context of power outages. Power outages pose significant challenges to modern societies, affecting various sectors such as industries, households, and critical infrastructures. The research combines statistical analysis, machine learning algorithms, and optimization methods to address this issue to develop a holistic approach for predicting and mitigating power outage events. The proposed methodology involves the use of Monte Carlo simulations in MATLAB for future outage prediction, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks for forecasting solar irradiance and load profiles, and a hybrid LSTM-Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) model to improve accuracy. Furthermore, the role of Battery State of Charge (SoC) in enhancing system resilience is explored. The study also assesses the techno-economic advantages of a grid-tied microgrid integrated with solar panels and batteries over conventional grid systems. The results highlight the potential of the proposed approach in strengthening grid resilience, reducing downtime, and fostering sustainable energy utilization.

During meat processing, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have to competitively adapt to the hostile en-vironment produced by curing additives (CA). The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of Latilactobacillus curvatus CRL 705, a bioprotective strain of meat origin, to adapt to CA. A physiological and proteomic approach was performed. CRL 705 was grown in a chemically de-fined medium (CDM) containing specific concentrations of CA (NaCl, nitrite, sucrose and ascor-bic acid). The results showed minor differences in growth kinetics in the presence of CA. Glucose consumption, present in CDM, and production of lactic acid and bacteriocins were not signifi-cantly affected. Proteomic analyses indicated that most of the identified proteins (36 out of 39) mainly related to carbohydrate metabolism (18%), posttranslational modifications (15.6%), energy production and conversion (11.1%), translation (11.1%) and nucleotide metabolism (8.9%), were under expressed. In response to the studied CA, CRL 705 slowed down its general metabolism, achieving slight changes in physiological and proteomic parameters. The observed performance is another characteristic that extends the well-known competitive profile of CRL 705 as a meat starter- and -bioprotective culture. This is the first report dealing with the impact of CA on LAB proteomics.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize and share the field experiment results of KEPCO's project consortium to create a TSO-DSO-DERA interaction scheme. The field experiment was conducted based on the prequalification algorithm proposed in the previous research from the same consortium and was designed to verify the validity of the algorithm under realistic grid conditions. In addition, during the course of the field experiment, it was found that points that were missed or not given much importance in the existing prequalification algorithm could affect the completeness of the overall system, and then practical improvements were made to improve it. The demonstration results confirm that the proposed algorithm is effective in real-world grid environments and can help DSOs ensure the reliability of the distribution system while supporting DERA's participation in the wholesale market using the proposed prequalification scheme.

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

Flaxseed has been recognized as a valuable source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, including proteins that possess various health benefits. In recent years, studies have shown that flaxseed proteins, including albumins, globulins, glutelin, and prolamins, possess anti-cancer properties. These properties are attributed to their ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and interfere with cancer cell signaling pathways, ultimately leading to the inhibition of metastasis. Moreover, flaxseed proteins have been reported to modulate cancer cell mechanobiology, leading to changes in cell behavior and reduced cancer cell migration and invasion. This review provides an overview of the anti-cancer properties of flaxseed proteins, with a focus on their potential use in cancer treatment. Additionally, it highlights the need for further research to fully establish the potential of flaxseed proteins in cancer therapy.

Sarocladium and Fusarium species are commonly identified as causal agents of rice sheath rot disease worldwide. However, limited knowledge exists about their genetic, pathogenic, and toxigenic diversity in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, where an increasing incidence of this disease has been observed. This study aimed at identifying, characterizing, as well as assessing the genetic, pathogenic, and toxigenic diversity of the pathogens associated with rice sheath rot disease in Mali, Nigeria, and Rwanda. In this study seventy fungal isolates were obtained from rice plants displaying disease symptoms on research and farmer’s fields in Mali, Nigeria, and Rwanda. Thus, an extensive comparative analysis was conducted to assess their genetic, pathogenic, and toxigenic diversity. The Fusarium spp. were characterized using the translation elongation factor (EF-1α) region, while a concatenation of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) and Actin-encoding regions were used to resolve Sarocladium species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four Fusarium species complexes. The dominant complex in Nigeria was the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC), comprising F. hainanense, F. sulawesiense, F. pernambucatum, and F. tanahbumbuense, while F. incarnatum was found in Rwanda. The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) was predominant in Rwanda and Mali, with species such as F. andiyazi, F. madaense, and F. casha in Rwanda, and F. annulatum and F. nygamai in Mali. F. marum was found in Nigeria. Furthermore, Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) members, F. callistephi and F. triseptatum, were found in Rwanda and Mali, respectively. Two isolates of F. acasiae-mearnsii, belonging to the Fusarium sambucinum species complex (FSAMSC) were obtained in Rwanda. Isolates of Sarocladium which were previously classified in three phylogenetic groups were resolved into three species which are: attenuatum, oryzae and sparsum. S. attenuatum was dominant in Rwanda, while S. oryzae and S. sparsum were found in Nigeria. Also, the susceptibility of FARO44, a rice cultivar released by Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) was tested against isolates from the four Fusarium species complexes and the three Sarocladium species. All isolates evaluated could induce typical sheath rot symptoms albeit with varying disease development levels. In addition, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine variation in the in vitro mycotoxins of the Fusarium species. Regional differences were observed in the in vitro mycotoxins profiling. Out of the forty-six isolates tested, nineteen were able to produce one to four mycotoxins. Notably, very high zearalenone (ZEN) production was specific to the two F. hainanense isolates from Ibadan-Nigeria, while Fusarium nygamai isolates from Mali produced high amounts of fumonisins. To the best of our knowledge, it seems this study is the first to elucidate genetic, pathogenic, and toxigenic diversity of Fusarium species associated with the rice sheath rot disease complex in selected countries in SSA.

Soybean seed sugars are among the most abundant beneficial compounds for human and animal consumption in soybean seeds. Higher seed sugars such as sucrose are desirable as it contributes to taste and flavor in soy-based food. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to use ‘Forrest’ by ‘Williams 82’ (F×W82) recombinant inbred line (RIL) soybean population (n=309) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and candidate genes that control seed sugar (sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose) contents in two environments (North Carolina and Illinois) over two years (2018 and 2020). A total of 26 QTL that control seed sugars contents were identified and mapped on 16 soybean chromosomes (chrs.). Interestingly, five QTL regions were identified in both locations, Illinois and North Carolina, in this study on chrs. 2, 5, 13, 17, and 20. Amongst 57 candidate genes identified in this study, 16 were located within 10 Megabase (MB) of the identified QTL. Amongst them a cluster of four genes involved in the sugars’ pathway was collocated within 6 MB with two QTL that were detected in this study on chr. 17. Further functional validation of the identified genes could be beneficial in breeding programs to produce soybean lines with high beneficial sucrose and low raffinose family oligosaccharides.

The hepatic sinusoids are lined by thin endothelium containing transcellular pores dubbed fenestra. These fenestrations are completely open channels connecting the sinusoidal lumen to the underlying Space of Disse (SoD) and the hepatocytes of the liver parenchyma. The fenestrations are in the size range 0.05-0.35µm in diameter and cover between 5-15% of the sinusoidal endothelial surface area depending on their location along the sinusoids. Motivation/Research Question: So far, the narrowness of the sinusoids prevented the direct measurement of hemodynamic features such as sinusoidal pressure and flow velocity. A better understanding of these parameters might help in better understanding the physiology of the hepatic niche and possible implications in liver diseases. Few simulations of liver blood flow focus on the level of the individual sinusoid, fewer still include the transcellular pores (fenestrations) of the sinusoidal endothelium, and none have included i) a porosity gradient along the sinusoid wall modelled with through-all pores rather than a porus medium, ii) the presence of the Space of Disse, iii) lymphatic drainage. Model: Computed fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations performed using a numerical model with relevant anatomical characteristics (length, diameter, porous size and porosity). Boundary conditions included physiological/pathological values of inlet/outlet pressure and lymphatic outflow from the portal region of the SoD. Results: The pressure and flow velocity of the sinusoidal lumen was entirely dependent on the shape, i.e. constant versus divergent radius and not dependent on porosity in the sinusoidal wall. The velocity through the space of Disse (SoD) was affected by the addition of lymphatic drainage and increases in porosity in the pericentral area of the model. Variations in porosity also affected flow velocity through the fenestrations. Conclusions: The flow velocity in the SoD was modified by differences in porosity, while the flow velocity in the lumen of the sinusoids was unaffected, even by the absence of fenestrations. The overall shape of the vessel is the singular most important factor in the pressure flow behavior of the sinusoidal lumen. The flow rate over the hepatocytes is the flow rate through the SoD, and is modestly affected by the distribution of porosity along the sinusoid, and by the addition of a lymphatic drainage, this parameter would be of interest for modelling blood exchange with the hepatic parenchyma, especially if accounting for zonation.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body's overwhelming response to an infection, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection. It occurs when the immune system releases cytokines into the bloodstream, triggering widespread inflammation. If not treated, it can lead to organ failure and death. Unfortunately, sepsis has a high mortality rate, with studies reporting rates ranging from 20% to over 50%, depending on the severity and promptness of treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual death toll in the world is about 11 million. One of the main toxins responsible for inflammation induction are lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) from Gram-negative bacteria, which ranks among the most potent immunostimulants found in nature. Antibiotics are consistently prescribed as a part of anti-sepsis-therapy. However, antibiotic therapy (i) is increasingly ineffective due to resistance development and (ii) most antibiotics are unable to bind and neutralize LPS, a prerequisite to inhibit the interaction of endotoxin with its cellular receptor complex, namely Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2, responsible for the intracellular cascade leading to pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2 has infected hundreds of millions of humans worldwide since its emergence in 2019. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease-19) caused by this virus is associated with high lethality, particularly for elderly and immunocompromised people. As of August 2023, nearly 7 million deaths were reported worldwide due to this disease. According to some reported studies, upregulation of TLR4 and the subsequent inflammatory signaling detected in COVID-19 patients “mimics bacterial sepsis”. Furthermore, the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 was described by others as “mirror image of sepsis”. Similarly, the cytokine profile in sera from severe COVID-19 patients was very similar to those suffering from the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis. Finally, the severe COVID-19 infection was frequently accompanied by bacterial co-infections, as well as by the presence of significant LPS concentrations. These data indicate similarity and interdependences of both syndromes, but also significant differences which will be discussed in the present review.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recently revised its strategy for shipping de-carbonization, deepening the ambition to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions until 2050. The accomplishment of this strategy requires the large-scale deployment of alternative maritime fuels, whose diversity and technical characteristics impose transition challenges. While several studies address the production of these fuels, a notable gap lies in the analysis of the required adaptations in vessels and ports for their usage. This study aims to fill this gap through a comprehensive re-view of material compatibility, storage in ports/vessels, and bunkering technology. Firstly, we an-alyze key aspects of port/vessel adaptation: physical and chemical properties; energy conversion for propulsion; fuel feeding and storage; bunkering procedures. Then, we perform a maturity as-sessment, placing each studied fuel on the technological readiness scale, revealing the most prom-ising options regarding infrastructure adaptability. Finally, we develop a case study for Brazil, whose economy is grounded on maritime exports. Findings indicate that multi-product ports may have potential to serve as multi-fuel hubs, while the remaining ports are inclined to specific fuels. In terms of vessel categories, we find that oil tankers, chemical ships and gas carriers are the most ready for conversion in the short-term

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease worldwide and significantly increases the risk of premature death due to cardiovascular diseases. Elevated urinary albumin levels are an important clinical feature of DKD. Effective control of albuminuria not only delays glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline but also markedly reduces cardiovascular disease risk and all-cause mortality. New drugs for treating DKD proteinuria, including sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and endothelin receptor antagonists (REAs), have shown significant efficacy. Auxiliary treatment with proprietary Chinese medicine has also yielded promising results; however, it also faces a broader scope for development. The mechanisms by which these drugs treat albuminuria in patients with DKD should be described more thoroughly. The positive effects of combination therapy with two or more drugs in reducing albuminuria and protecting the kidneys warrant further investigation. Therefore, this review explores the pathophysiological mechanism of albuminuria in patients with DKD, the value of clinical diagnosis and prognosis, new progress and mechanisms of treatment, and multidrug therapy in patients who have type 2 diabetic kidney disease (T2DKD), providing a new perspective on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of DKD.

Cyrene was evaluated for the first time as a potential sustainable mobile phase solvent in re-versed-phase chromatography. As a benign biodegradable solvent, Cyrene is an attractive re-placement to classical non-green organic chromatographic solvents such as acetonitrile and a modifier, co-eluent to known green solvents such as ethanol. Compared to ethanol, Cyrene is less toxic, non-flammable, bio-based, biodegradable and cheaper solvent. A fire safety spider Chart was generated to compare the properties of Cyrene to ethanol and show its superiority as a greener solvent. Cyrene's behaviour, advantages, and drawbacks in reversed-phase chromatography, including cut-off value, elution power, selectivity, and effect on the column, were investigated using a model drug mixture of moxifloxacin and metronidazole. A monolithic C18 (10 x 4.6 mm) column was used as a stationary phase. Different ratios of Cyrene: ethanol with an aqueous portion of sodium acetate buffer mobile phases were tested. A mobile phase consisting of Cyrene: ethanol: 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer pH 4.25 (8:13:79, v/v) was selected as most suitable mobile phase system for separating and simultaneously determining metronidazole and moxifloxacin. The greenness and whiteness of the method were evaluated using the qualitative green assessment tool AGREE and the white analytical chemistry assessment tool RGB12. Further potentials of Cyrene as a solvent or modifier in normal phase chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and supercritical fluid chromatography are discussed.

Abstract: In recent years, low frequency (LF) electroencephalogram (EEG) signals have been decoded to obtain kinematic trajectories with the aim of achieving closed loop natural control. However, decoded trajectories suffer variability and low correlation against the measured movement. This paper suggests that if EEG features of motor intents are directly associated with fixed points along a given range of motion, then the natural kinematic parameters can be quantified. A novel classification method is proposed to evaluate this hypothesis along with equations for obtaining the movement parameters (velocity, acceleration). Furthermore, this implies that the force of an end-effector and work done in moving the end-effector may be computed, leading to natural control of EEG-based robotic arms and neuroprostheses. Finally, expectations are that combining the proposed method with existing classification methods will increase the accuracy and scalability of brain-computer interface (BCI) applications.

The creation of nano-zero-valent iron (nZVI) by implementing plant extracts is an environmentally friendly process. High antioxidant capacity and phenol content indicated the possibility of oak-nZVI synthesis using oak leaf extract as a stable material with minimal agglomeration. Simultaneously removal of Cd and phosphates and Ni and phosphates was optimized by a statistically designed experiment with a definitive screening design. In terms of significance, 4 input parameters on process productivity were monitored: initial metal concentration (1 - 9 mgL-1), initial ion concentration (1- 9 mgL-1), pH value (2 - 10) and oak-nZVI dosage (2 - 16 ml). Phosphate removal efficiency, in the presence of cadmium, was the most influenced by oak-nZVI dose and cadmium concentration, while pH gave three statistically significant interactions with oak-nZVI dosage, cadmium concentration, and phosphate concentration. Phosphate removal efficiency, in the presence of Ni, is the most influenced by nickel concentration, phosphate concentration, pH, two-factor interaction between nZVI dose and Ni concentration, and quadratic phosphate interaction. The process optimization yielded the highest simultaneous removal efficiency of 98.99% and 87.30% for cadmium and phosphate ions, respectively. Also, the highest simultaneous removal efficiency of nickel and phosphates ion was 93.44% for 96.75%, respectively. The optimization process fits into the confidence intervals, confirming the assumption that the adopted regression model describes the process well. This work demonstrated an enormous potential and prosperous application for the Cd(II), Ni(II), and phosphate removal from water matrices.

A significant electromotive force is induced in the rotor circuit of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) due to its high vulnerability to grid faults. Therefore, the system performance must be increased with appropriate control actions that can successfully offset such abnormalities in order to provide consistent and stable operations during grid disturbances. In this regard, this paper presents a solution based on a combination of an energy storage-based crowbar and a rotor-side crowbar that makes the effective transient current and voltage suppression for wind-driven DFIG possible. The core of the solution is its ability to restrict the transient rotor and stator overcurrents and DC-link overvoltages within their prescribed limits, aiming to protect the DFIG and power converters, and consequently, improve the system’ ability to ride-through faults. Further, the capacity of an energy storage device for transient suppression is estimated. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective in achieving transient control objectives precisely and maintaining a stable grid connection during the faults.

This study aims to assess the interface shear adhesion behaviour between compacted clay and a metallic surface. A new testing approach was developed in this study for this purpose. The proposed method is simple and requires neither advanced equipment nor special test procedures, and thus represents an improvement on existing practice in this field. The experimental program involves determining the interface shear adhesion strength of reconstituted Kaolin clay/metallic surface where the Kaolin clay testing specimens were compacted dynamically at different energy levels and moisture contents. In general, the results show that the interface shear adhesion strength increases as the dry density of the clay increases, whereas it decreases as the moisture content increases. Furthermore, the results in this study reveal a unique multistage interfacial shear adhesion strength behaviour as the moisture content changes that could be related to the compaction curve of the clay. The observed behaviour, in this study, could be interpreted in terms of the effect of clay dry density and moisture content on the contact area and moisture-induced capillary adhesion at clay particles-continuum interface surface.

The zero-catch problem is a key issue in CPUE(Catch Per Unit Effort) standardization, and previous studies have treated all zero-catch data uniformly, but this actually loses some correctly-labeled samples. On the other hand, for the main catches with few zero-catch samples, the problem of low performance of fisheries forecasting remains unsolved even though the forecasting model structure is updating constantly, since we cannot know whether the samples are correctly recorded. In this paper, we propose a method based on confident learning theory to detect anomalous samples in the datasets and unify zero-catch and non-zero samples as noise through an overarching framework of learning with noisy labels, which reveals the heterogeneity among zero-catch samples (as well as among non-zero samples) and the homogeneity between zero-catch samples and non-zero samples. Using three species of tuna in the tropical Atlantic Ocean with the spatial resolution of 0.5 ◦ × 0.5 ◦ and time resolution of days from 2016 to 2019 as experimental material, performance on all three classical machine learning models(Random forest, Support Vector Machine and XGBoost) is significantly improved compared to each baseline.This confirms that we propose a self-adaptive, effective method for detecting and repairing anomalous samples in the fishery dataset.

Kidney diseases are worldwide public health problems affecting millions of people. However, there are still limited therapeutic options against kidney diseases. Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) is the secreted and membrane-associated proteins, which regulate diverse functions, including immune regulation, cell survival, migration and angiogenesis, thus involving in the several pathogeneses of diseases, including eyes and neurons, as well as kidneys. SEMA3A is expressed in podocytes and tubular cells in the normal adult kidney, and recent evidence revealed that excess SEMA3A expression and subsequent signaling pathway aggravates kidney injury in a variety of kidney diseases, including nephrotic syndrome, diabetic nephropathy, acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, several reports demonstrated that inhibition of SEMA3A ameliorated kidney injury via reduction of cell apoptosis, fibrosis and inflammation, thus SE-MA3A may be a potential therapeutic target for kidney diseases. In this review article, we summarized current knowledges regarding the role of SEMA3A signaling in kidney pathophysiology and their potential use in kidney diseases.

Human prion diseases (HPDs) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders characterized by abnormal prion proteins (PrPSc). Numerous techniques have been devised to detect prion seeding activity, each with limitations. Here, we developed a technology for in vitro amplification of abnormal prion proteins (PrPSc), thereby enabling their sensitive detection. Using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) PrPSc amplification assay, we could detect ≥1 fg of PrPSc in diluted human prion disease brain homogenate. Although RT-QuIC assay is suitable for detecting prion seeding activity in a variety of specimens, its accuracy in whole blood, blood plasma, or blood-contaminated tissues is reduced. To circumvent this issue and move toward developing a blood test for prions, we introduced an immunoprecipitation step at the beginning of the RT-QuIC reaction. We refer to this enhanced method as “eQuIC”. eQuIC utilizes three types of human monoclonal antibodies, which significantly increased its sensitivity—making it approximately 1000 times more sensitive than the original RT-QuIC assay. Nevertheless, when we tested the blood (serum, plasma, and whole blood) of six patients with sporadic human prion disease using eQuIC, we were unable to detect prion activity. Therefore, we concluded that the detection of prion seeding activities in blood samples from patients with sporadic prion disease remains challenging; thus, alternative methods beyond RT-QuIC and eQuIC will be necessary for future research.

ESBL-producing E. coli is a growing public problem in healthcare settings and the community. Between 2009 and 2018, a total of 187 ESBL-producing pathogenic E. coli isolates were confirmed, and clonal complex (CC) 10 was the predominant clone. This study aimed to characterize ESBL-producing pathogenic E. coli CC10 strains obtained from diarrheal patients to improve the understanding of CC10 distribution in the Republic of Korea. A total of 57 CC10 strains were selected for molecular characterizations, such as the identification of serotype, antibiotic resistance genes, genetic environments, plasmid profiles, and the genetic correlation between CC10 strains. In the CC10 isolates, the most prevalent serotype was O25:H16, followed by O6:H16. ESBL genes were identified as blaCTX-M, and the most dominant ESBL gene was blaCTX-M-15 (56%) and blaCTX-M-14 (30%). Most blaCTX-M genes were located on plasmids, and these plasmid profiles were confirmed as IncB/O/K/Z, IncF, IncI1 and IncX1. The mobile elements located up-and down-stream mainly included ISEcp1 (complete or incomplete) and IS903 or orf477 were found, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the CC10 strains were genetically diverse and divided into several distinct lineages. In this study, we found that CC10 ESBL-producing pathogenic E. coli has been steadily isolated; particularly, CTX-M-15-producing E. coli O25:H16 isolates were the major type related with distribution in CC10 clones during the last decade. Identification of ESBL-producing pathogenic E. coli CC10 isolates highlights the possibility of the emergence of resistant isolates with epidemic potential within this CC. Therefore, continuous monitoring will be conducted to prevent further spread of resistant ESBL-producing E. coli CC10 strains.

While biologic originators’ patents are expiring, biosimilars are emerging to take their place, offering significant cost savings to healthcare systems. Many challenges still need to be addressed in the clinical practice of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A global survey was organized to highlight physicians’ current knowledge and beliefs and to gain insight about their practical management and remaining concerns and obstacles associated with starting a biosimilar, switching from an originator to a biosimilar, or switching from one biosimilar to another (multiple switches and reverse switching). Fifteen physicians with expertise in the field of IBD from 13 countries attended a virtual international consensus meeting to develop practical guidance regarding biosimilar adoption worldwide, considering the survey results. Consensus was reached on 10 statements regarding biosimilar effectiveness, safety, indications and rationale, multiple switches, therapeutic drug monitoring of biosimilars, non-medical switching and future perspectives.

The paper discusses the experience of implementing an efficient economic management system at the University of Vigo in Spain. This system, which focuses on managing secondments, aims to minimize bureaucracy and standardize economic procedures for various staff groups. By adopting a qualitative methodology and utilizing content analysis, the study compares the University of Vigo's fully digital administrative procedure with other universities in the CRUE network. The results show significant time and cost savings due to this implementation. The improved traceability and information for users support the administrative change, and the positive environmental impacts highlight the commitment to a more sustainable approach. The paper's originality lies in demonstrating how this approach enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and improves sustainability within a Spanish public administration setting.

Feeling pain means feeling oneself, as the body feels discomfort as a kind of "disturbance experi-ence". Endometriosis is a disease in which the predominant symptom is pain felt by women pri-marily within the pelvis, but also outside of the body. The clinical biomarker used in the diagnosis of this disease is microRNAs. Treatment of endometriosis is complex and is based mainly on phar-macotherapy. Physiotherapy can complement pharmacological treatment in reducing pain using non-invasive treatments for the body. Therefore, databases have been searched to find the most effective forms of physiotherapy for the treatment of endometriosis. The literature review conducted here suggests that it is necessary to perform multicentre studies in order to establish which forms of physical therapy may be most effective in reducing pain and improving the quality of life of women suffering from endometriosis. Certainly, this type of research in conjunction with the assessment of pain and endometriosis markers would be of great clinical value in order to develop an interdisci-plinary treatment model.

Among the various generalizations of persistent topology, the one based on rank functions and leading to indexing-aware functions appears to be particularly suited to catch graph-theoretical properties without the need for a simplicial construction and a homology computation. This paper defines and studies "simple" and "single-vertex" features in directed and undirected graphs, by which several indexing-aware persistence functions are produced, within the scheme of steady and ranging sets. The implementation of the "sink" feature and its application to trust networks provide an example of the ease of use and meaningfulness of the method.

Recognizing highly occluded objects is believed to arises from the interaction between the brain's vision and cognition controlling areas, although supporting neuroimaging data is currently limited. To explore the neural mechanism during this activity, we conducted an occlusion object recognition experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During magnet resonance examinations, 66 subjects engaged in object recognition tasks with three different occlusion degrees. Generalized linear model (GLM) analysis showed that the activation degree of occipital lobe (inferior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, and occipital fusiform gyrus) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) was related to the occlusion degree of the objects. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) further unearthed a considerable surge in classification precision when dACC activation was incorporated as a feature. This suggested the combined role of dACC and occipital lobe in occluded object recognition tasks. Moreover, psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis disclosed that functional connectivity (FC) between the dACC and the occipital lobe was enhanced with increased occlusion, highlighting the necessity of FC between these two brain regions in effectively identifying exceedingly occluded objects. In conclusion, these findings contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms of highly occluded objects recognition, augmenting our appreciation of how the brain manages incomplete visual data.

This study focuses on the recently emerged Internet of Vehicles (IoV) concept to provide an integrated agricultural vehicle/machinery tracking system through two leading low power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies, namely LoRa and NB-IoT. The main aim is to investigate the theoretical coverage limits by considering the urban, suburban, and rural environments. Two vehicle tracking units (VTUs) have been designed for LoRa and NB-IoT connectivity technologies that can be used as reference hardware in coverage analysis. On this basis, the closed-form explicit analytical expressions of the maximum transmission range have been derived using the Hata path loss model. Besides, the computer simulation results have been validated via the maps from XIRIO online radio planning tool. In light of the obtained findings, several evaluations have been made to enhance the LPWAN-based agricultural vehicle tracking feasibility in smart farms.

Road marking recognition is of great importance for the deployment of automated driving systems and for already existing driver line-keeping assistance systems. For proper and reliable function of machine vision systems that include LiDAR and camera, road markings must be visible to them to facilitate planning of driving trajectory. In this study, LiDAR intensity and the number of LiDAR points collected from a field analysis of two road markings systems reflectorised with premium and standard glass beads were analysed. In the lateral direction, it was demonstrated that the use of premium glass beads for road markings lead to 56% higher LiDAR intensity and 14% more LiDAR points captured than in case of standard road markings. In the longitudinal direction, premium road markings showed less distance attenuation, which is seen as advantageous for trajectory planning by machine version systems. The outcomes of this study offer insights for road infrastructure decision-makers, developers of automated driving systems, and researchers in the field of transportation technology.

Accretionary and collisional orogeny are often accompanied by the disturbance of the geothermal gradient, leading to high-temperature metamorphism. High-temperature metamorphic rocks are significant in their ability to help the reconstruction of the thermal histories of orogenic belts. The Tianshan Orogenic Belt, at the southwest margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, is a record of the long-term subduction–collision–post-collision orogenic process that has taken place in the Phanerozoic Eon. Here, we report the discovery of mafic granulites in the Muzhaerte area, SW Tianshan. Petrographic observation reveals that the mafic granulites underwent two metamorphic stages. The peak mineral assemblages of the first stage are dominated by clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz + hornblende ± biotite, and the post-peak mineral assemblages of the second stage are dominated by clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz + amphibole + biotite. The calculated results obtained from the two-pyroxene thermobarometers and the Al-in-hornblende barometer for the mafic granulites indicate that the metamorphic conditions of mafic granulites are 760–860 ℃ and < 0.39–0.41 Gpa. The mafic granulites recorded a high-grade granulite facies thermal metamorphic event with the highest temperature limit currently recorded in the Central Tianshan Block.

Alternative splicing can produce transcripts that affect cancer development and shows potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, intron retention (IR), a type of alternative splicing, has been less systematically studied in cancer biology research. Here, we generated a pan-cancer IR landscape for more than 10,000 samples across 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We characterized differentially retained introns between tumor and normal samples and identified retained introns associated with survival. We discovered 988 differentially retained introns in 14 cancers, some of which demonstrated diagnostic potential in multiple cancer types. We also inferred a large number of prognosis-related introns in 33 cancer types, and the associated genes included well-known cancer hallmarks such as angiogenesis, metastasis, and DNA mutations. Notably, we discovered a novel intron retention event inside 5′UTR of STN1 that is associated with the survival of lung cancer patients. The retained intron reduces translation efficiency by producing upstream open reading frames (uORFs) and thereby inhibits colony formation and cell migration of lung cancer cells. Besides, the IR-based prognostic model achieved good stratification on certain cancers, as illustrated in acute myeloid leukemia. Taken together, we performed a comprehensive IR survey at a pan-cancer level, and the results implied that IR has the potential to be diagnostic and prognostic cancer biomarkers, as well as new drug targets.

: This work introduces the instrument design of the medium energy proton detector (MEPD, detection range: 30keV-5MeV) mounted on the Chinese Fengyun-4B (FY-4B) satellite. Compared with the similar detector on the Fengyun-3E (FY-3E) satellite, the instrument has undergone significant changes due to the different orbital radiation environment and solar lighting conditions. Based on the calculation of radiation model AP8, the geometry factor is reduced to 0.002 cm2sr, while the MEPD on FY-3E satellite is 0.005 cm2sr. Another difference is that sensors in some directions is exposed to direct sunlight for 80 minutes every day on this orbit, depending on the attitude angle of the satellite, which is much worse than that on FY-3E satellite. According to the calculation results of permeability of photons through different materials, a 100 nm thickness nickel film is added in front of sensors in order to eliminate light pollution completely. The experiment on the solar simulator shows that the measure is effective and the detector has no error counts when the solar irradiance coefficient is 1.0. In addition, Geant4 software is applied to simulate particle transportation process under complete machine condition so that to check the contamination of electrons on sensors among all directions after magnetic deflection. Data obtained in orbit shows that the instrument works properly, and the data is in good agreement with the AP8 model. The observations of the MEPD on board the FY-4B satellite can provide important support for the safety of the spacecraft and the theoretical research related to space weather.

Groundwater modeling is a useful tool for assessing sustainability in water resources planning. However, groundwater models are difficult to construct in regions with limited data availability. We illustrated how remote sensing data can be used leverage limited in situ data to build and calibrate a regional groundwater model in the Goulbi Maradi alluvial aquifer in Southern Niger in Western Africa. We used data from the NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission to estimate recharge rates, the primary source of water to the aquifer. Additionally, we incorporated groundwater storage changes obtained from GRACE data from 2009 to 2021 to establish an overall water budget from which we could back-calculate groundwater withdrawals from pumping in the region. This approach allowed us to calibrate the model and then convert it to a predictive tool to analyze the impact of various assumptions about future recharge and groundwater extraction patterns associated with the development of groundwater infrastruction in the region. The results indicate that the Goulbi Maradi alluvial aquifer is sustainable, even an increase of groundwater extraction up to 28%.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic foodborne virus with an annual infection prevalence of 20 million human cases, which seriously affects public health and economic development in both developed and developing countries. To better understand the epidemiology of HEV in the Centre of Portugal, a cross-sectional study was conducted from 2016 to 2023 with sera samples from wild ungulates. The seroprevalence and risk factors for HEV seropositivity were evaluated in the present study. Specifically, antibodies against HEV were determined by a commercial enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). Our results show that in the 650 sera collected from 298 wild red deer and 352 wild boars from Portugal, 9.1% red deer (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.312.9%) and 1.7% wild boar (95% CI: 0.63.3%) were positive for antibodies to HEV. Regarding age, the seropositivity in juvenile wild ungulates was 1.3% (95% CI: 0.273.72%) and 7.2% in adults (95% CI: 4.910.11%). Logistic regression models investigated risk factors for seropositivity. The odds of being seropositive was 3.6 higher in adults than in juveniles (95% CI: 1.7218.11%) and the risk was 4.2 higher in red deer than in wild boar (95% CI: 1.64–10.69%). Both wild ungulate species were exposed to HEV. The higher seroprevalence in red deer suggests that this species may have a major contribution to the ecology of HEV in the Centre of Portugal. Further research is important to understand how wildlife affects the epidemiology of HEV infection in Portugal.

Contrary to pig farming in developed western countries, in a large part of the world, pigs are still traditionally kept, in small backyard farms, usually for family needs. Their main characteristics are low biosecurity, swill feeding, natural breeding and uncontrolled trade. Given the high number of backyard farms in Serbia and the risk they are thought to pose to intensive pig farming, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of major viral diseases of swine among traditionally kept pigs in small holdings with low biosecurity. For this investigation, 222 serum samples from 69 backyard holdings were randomly selected and tested for PRRS, Aujeszky`s disease, PPV infection and Swine influenza by ELISA. The herd-level seroprevalence of PRRS, Aujeszky`s disease and PPV infection was 2.9%, 27.5% and 37.7%, respectively. Swine influenza seroconversion was not confirmed in any of the tested holdings. Despite widely distributed PPV and AD in backyard farms in Serbia, almost 50% of them are still negative for the all-tested disease. The backyard farms must be monitored, and owners educated as their role in eradication programs and obtaining country-free status may be crucial.

Virtual validation of radar sensor models is becoming increasingly important for the safety validation of adf. Therefore, methods for quantitative comparison of radar measurements in the context of model validation need to be developed. This paper presents a novel methodology for accessing and quantifying validation measurements of radar sensor models. This method uses edf and the so-called dvm to effectively quantify deviations between distributions. By applying this metric, the study measures the consistency, reproducibility and repeatability of radar sensor measurements. Different interfaces and different levels of detail are investigated. By comparing the radar signals from real world experiments where different objects are present, valuable insights are gained into the performance of the sensor. In particular, the research extends to assessing the impact of varying rain intensities on the measurement results, providing a comprehensive understanding of the sensor’s behaviour under these conditions. This holistic approach significantly advances the evaluation of radar sensor capabilities and enables the quantification of the maximum required quality of radar simulation models.

In order to solve the problems of complicated steering control of unmanned vehicles in the field and difficult steering on complex roads, we designed a wheel-track composite vehicle equipped with a novel power differential steering mechanism with dual driving, which drove the steering of the vehicle through the differential rotation of the rear two wheels. The unmanned vehicle was simple to control, small in size, and able to work under the conditions of complex roads, such as hills, mountains, and muddy land. Firstly, a steering mechanism with both differential speed and force was designed to prevent the vehicle from skidding into muddy land and stopping motionless. Secondly, the kinematics model and dynamics model of the two drive shafts and the two output shafts (wheel shafts) were established. Thirdly, according to the relationship between the rotational speed of the two output shafts and the steering radius of the vehicle, the kinematic model of the rotational speed of the two input shafts and the steering radius of the wheel-track composite vehicle was obtained. Finally, according to the test data, the mathematical model of rotational speeds of the two input shafts and the actual steering radius of the vehicle was obtained by neural network fitting, and the maximum relative error between the model results and the actual steering radius value was 3.53%. The combination of power differential steering mechanism and wheel-track composite unmanned vehicle increased the adhesion with the ground and could better adapt to the complex road environment. In conclusion, the unmanned vehicle had the advantages of continuous radius steering, deceleration and torsion increase, differential lock, etc. It was suitable for all-terrain military and civilian vehicles and various special equipment mobile platforms of the walking device, and the research results could provide theoretical references for the steering control and structural optimization of the wheel-track composite vehicle under the environment of complex road surface.

The Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) counting problem remains a complex issue without a universal solution in biomedical and food safety domains. A multitude of sophisticated heuristics and segmentation-driven approaches have been proposed by numerous researchers. Among those, U-Net is the most frequently cited and popular Deep Learning method. The latter approach provides a segmentation output map and requires an additional counting procedure which accounts for unique segmented regions and detected microbial colonies. However, because of pixel-based targets it tends to generate irrelevant artifacts or errant pixels, leading to inaccurate and mixed post-processing results. In response to these challenges, we propose a novel hybrid counting approach, incorporating a multi-loss U-Net reformulation and a post-processing Petri dish localization algorithm. First of all, our unique innovation lies in the multi-loss U-Net reformulation. We introduce an additional loss term at the bottleneck U-Net layer, focusing on delivering an auxiliary signal indicating where to look for distinct CFUs. Second, our novel localization algorithm accurately incorporates an agar plate and its bezel into the CFU counting routines. Finally, our proposition is further enhanced by the integration of a fully automated solution. This comprises a specially designed uniform Petri dish illumination system and a counting web application. The latter application is capable of directly receiving images from the camera, which are subsequently processed, and the segmentation results are sent back to the user. This feature provides an opportunity to correct the CFU counts, offering a feedback loop that contributes to the continued development of the Deep Learning model. Through extensive experimentation, we have found that all probed multi-loss U-Net architectures incorporated in our hybrid approach consistently outperform their single-loss counterparts which utilize exclusively the combination of Tversky and Cross-Entropy training losses at the output U-Net layer. We report further significant improvements by the means of our novel localization algorithm. This reaffirms the effectiveness of our proposed hybrid solution in addressing contemporary challenges of the precise in-vitro CFU counting.

The objectives of this study are threefold. First, we evaluate the applicability of the information–motivation–behavioral skills (IMB) model for predicting organic food purchase intention (OFPI) in adults with chronic conditions. Second, we examine the indirect effects of organic food knowledge, attitudes toward organic food purchase, and subjective norms on OFPI through self-efficacy. Third, we examine whether these indirect effects are moderated by gender and educational attainment. Data were collected from Indian adults with chronic conditions using a self-administered questionnaire. The results show significant indirect effects of organic food knowledge, attitude toward organic food purchase, and subjective norm on OFPI through self-efficacy. Moreover, the mediating effect of knowledge was moderated by gender and education attainment, with the effect being stronger for females and among individuals with a lower level of education. Organic food marketers, social marketers, and public health agencies promoting organic food consumption to people with chronic conditions should aim to increase their confidence in comprehending organic food. This study contributes to the literature by assessing the applicability of Fisher and Fisher’s (1992) IMB model in understanding behavioral intention toward organic food.

Background: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the reliability of two 15-sec sprint cycling tests in men and women to estimate the maximum rate of glycolysis or lactate production (VLa-Max). Methods: Eighteen men and twelve women completed two sprint sessions over 1-week. A 10-min warm-up preceded a 3 µl blood lactate (BLC) sample, after which a 15-sec sprint was completed; cyclists then rested passively while multiple lactate samples were taken until levels peaked. VLaMax was calculated as (Peak BLC – Pre BLC) * (15-sec – Talac)-1. Trial differences and reliability across trials were analyzed using a paired-sample t-test, Pearson correlation, ICC, and Bland-Altman analysis with α=0.05 for all tests; data are reported as mean ± sd. Results: Power (W) was similar across trails (773.0 ±143.5 vs. 758.2 ± 127.4; p = 0.333) and coefficient of varia-tion (CV) of 4.7%. VLaMax was similar (0.673 ± 0.024 vs 0.635 ± 0.237; p = 0.280), but only moder-ately reliably across trials with a CV, ICC, and R value of 18.6%, 0.661, and 0.67, respectively. Conclusions: A 15-sec VLaMax cycling sprint is moderately reliable being affected both by the lac-tate measurement and other variables used in the calculation. More research may offer ways to improve reliability.

The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a hyperinflammatory response. The mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation are scantly known. Methylglyoxal (MG) is a glycolysis-derived by-product, endowed with a potent glycating action, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the major of which is MG-H1. MG-H1 exerts strong pro-inflammatory effects, frequently mediated by the receptor for AGEs (RAGE). Here, we investigated the involvement of MG-H1/RAGE axis as a potential novel mechanism in SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation by resorting to human bronchial (BEAS-2B) and alveolar (A549) epithelial cells, expressing different levels of ACE2 receptor (R), exposed to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein 1 (S1). Interestingly, we found in BEAS-2B cells that do not express ACE2-R, that S1 exerted a pro-inflammatory action through a novel MG-H1/RAGE-based pathway. RAGE expression levels in nasopharyngeal swabs from SARS-Cov-2 positive and negative individuals, as well as glyoxalase 1 expression, the major scavenging enzyme of MG, seem to support the results obtained in vitro. Altogether, our findings reveal a novel mechanism involved in the inflammation triggered by S1, paving the way to the study of MG-H1/RAGE inflammatory axis in SARS-CoV-2 infection as a potential therapeutic target to mitigate COVID-19 associated pathogenic inflammation.

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a valuable platform for many applications, including communication networks. UAV-enabled wireless communication faces challenges in complex urban and dynamic environments. UAVs can suffer from power limitations and path losses caused by non-line-of-sight connections, which may hamper better communication performance. To address these issues, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) have been proposed as a helpful tool to enhance UAV communication networks. However, due to the high mobility of UAV, complex channel environments, and dynamic RIS configurations, it is challenging to estimate the link quality of ground users. In this paper, we propose a link quality estimation model using a gated recurrent unit (GRU) to assess the link quality of ground users for a multi-user RIS-assisted UAV-enabled wireless communication system. Our proposed framework uses a time series of user channel data and RIS phase shift information to estimate the quality of the link for each ground user. Simulation results showed that the proposed GRU model effectively and accurately estimates the link quality of the ground users in the RIS-assisted UAV-enabled wireless communication network.

Good hand hygiene has proven to be essential in reducing the uncontrolled spread of human pathogens. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) may provide an alternative to disinfecting hands with ethanol-based handrubs when hand washing facilities are unavailable. CAP can be safely applied to the skin if the energy is well controlled. In this study, RF and DC plasma sources was built with a pin-to-mesh electrodes configuration inside a fused silica tube of 5 mm of inner diameter. Microbiological assays based on EN 13697:2015+A1:2019 using Escherichia coli DSM 682 or Staphylococcus epidermidis DSM 20044 were used to examine the antimicrobial effect of various plasma conditions. Metal and silicone disks that model skin were used as inoculation matrices. The prototype air radio frequency (RF) CAP achieved significant disinfection in the MHz range on stainless steel and silicone substrates. This is equivalent to half the performance of direct current CAP, which is only effective on conductive substrates. Using only electricity and air CAP could, with further optimization, replace or complement current hand disinfection methods, and mitigate the economic burden of public health crises in the future.

With the realization of the Grand Canal's full water supply and the strong pursuit of green and low-carbon transportation in contemporary society, the value of the Grand Canal's water transport has been further affirmed, and its coordinated development with other transportation modes has become inevitable and important. This paper analyzes and combs through the characteristics, development status and existing problems of Grand Canal water transport and other transport modes in depth, and takes Jiangsu as an example. A collaboration model of Grand Canal water transport and other transport modes was built and their collaboration degree has been calculated. It is believed that the coordinated development of Grand Canal water transport and other transport modes can be greatly promoted via four aspects: optimizing the construction and governance of Grand Canal water transport, building an integrated management platform of transport modes, improving the integrated transport network structure, and promoting the deep integration of integrated shipping and tourism.

Photosystem II (PSII) is a quinone-utilising photosynthetic system that converts light energy into chemical energy and catalyses the splitting of water. PsbA (D1) and PsbD (D2) are the core subunits of the reaction centre that provide most of the ligands to the redox-active cofactors and exhibit photooxidoreductase activities that convert quinone and water into quinol and oxygen. This analysis explored the putative uncoupled electron transfer pathways surrounding P680+ induced by far-red light (FRL) based on photosystem II (PSII) complexes containing substituted D1 subunits in Halomicronema hongdechloris. Chlorophyll f-synthase (ChlF) is a D1 protein paralog. Modelling PSII-ChlF complexes determined several key protein motifs of ChlF. The PSII complexes showed a dysfunctional Mn4CaO5 cluster if ChlF replaced the D1 protein. We propose the mechanism of chlorophyll f synthesis from chlorophyll a via free radical chemistry in an oxygenated environment created by over-excited pheophytin a and an inactive water splitting reaction due to an uncoupled Mn4CaO5 cluster in PSII-ChlF complexes. The role of ChlF in the formation of an inactive PSII reaction centre is under debate and the putative mechanisms of chlorophyll biosynthesis are discussed.

Antibiotics have played a crucial role in the reduction of TB incidence globally as evidenced by the fact that before the mid-20th century, the mortality rate within five years of the onset of the disease was 50%. The use of antibiotics has eliminated TB as a devastating disease, but the challenge of resistance to anti-TB drugs, which had already been described at the time of the introduction of streptomycin, has become a major global issue in disease management. Mismanagement of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases, resulting from intermittent drug use, prescription errors and non-compliance of patients, has been identified as a critical risk factor for the development of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in TB is a multi-factorial, complex problem of microbes evolving to escape antibiotics, the gradual decline of antibiotic development, and different economic and social conditions. In this review, we summarise recent advances in our understanding of how Mycobacterium tuberculosis evolves drug resistance. We also highlight the importance of developing shorter regimens that rapidly reach bacteria in diverse host environments, eradicating all mycobacterial populations and preventing the evolution of drug resistance. Lastly, we also emphasise that the current burden of this ancient disease is driven by a combination of complex interactions between mycobacterial and host factors, and that only a holistic approach that effectively addresses all the critical issues associated with drug resistance will limit the further spread of drug-resistant strains throught the community.

Psychological readiness following Anterior Cruciate ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) correlates with different return to sport outcomes. However, the relationship between strength and power and psychological readiness remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport After Injury (ACL-RSI) scores and various hamstrings and quadriceps strength and power variables. Twelve participants (20.7±2.5 years old; 174.2±7.5 cm; 70.2±8.5 kg; 18.2±8.3% of body fat) who had an ACLR nine months or more before the study completed the ACL-RSI questionnaire and isokinetic strength testing of the hamstrings and quadriceps (60°.s-1 and 180°.s-1). Based on ACL-RSI scores, they were divided into “cases” and “controls”, deemed not psychologically ready and psychologically ready to return to previous sport performance (PILOS), respectively. The main findings are that quadriceps’ and hamstrings’ rate of torque development (RTD) and time since surgery were determinants of psychological readiness following ACLR. Furthermore, compared to controls cases showed significantly lower angle-specific quadriceps and hamstrings torque close to extension and lower RTD, but no difference in peak torque. These results suggest that physiotherapists should facilitate athletes’ RTS by focusing on the restoration of RTD and strength at angles close to full knee extension.

Monoterpenes as natural products are the subject of increased attention in the search for new pharmacological agents because of their numerous biological activities including antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, antispasmodic, hypotensive, vasodilating effects, etc. In vitro and in vivo studies reveal their antidepressant, anxiolytic, and memory-enhancing in experimental dementia and Parkinson’s disease effects. Chemical modification of natural substances by conjugation with various synthetic components is a modern method of obtaining new biologically active compounds. The discovery of new potential drugs among monoterpene derivatives is a progressive direction in experimental pharmacology and a promising approach to the therapy of various pathologies. Biologically active substances such as monoterpenes borneol, camphor, geraniol, pinene, and thymol, were used to synthesize compounds with different properties, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-depressant, anti-Alzheimer’s, anti-parkinsonian, antiviral and antibacterial (anti-tuberculosis). Myrtenal is a perspective monoterpenoid with therapeutic potential in various fields of medicine. Its chemical modifications often lead to new or more pronounced biological effects. As an example, conjugation of myrtenal with the known pharmacophore adamantane allows one to enhance some of its key properties. Myrtenal-adamantane derivatives exhibited a variety of beneficial properties – antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, anxiolytic, and neuroprotective, which are worth examining in more detail and at length.

This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of total leukocyte count (TLC) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels upon admission for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), considering the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) model for mortality risk. 1622 patients from a regional PE registry were included. Decision tree statistics were employed to evaluate TLC and Hb's prognostic value, both independently and in conjunction with the ESC model. Results indicated all-cause and PE-related in-hospital mortality rates of 10.7% and 6.5% respectively. Subgrouping patients based on TLC cutoff values (≤11.2, 11.2-16.84, &gt;16.84 x10^9/L) revealed increasing all-cause mortality risks (7.0%, 11.8%, 30.2%). Incorporating Hb levels (≤126 g/L or above) further stratified the lowest risk group into two strata with all-cause mortality rates of 10.1% and 4.7%. Similar trends were observed for PE-related mortality. Notably, TLC improved risk assessment for intermediate-high risk patients within the ESC model, while Hb levels enhanced mortality risk stratification for lower risk PE patients in the ESC model for all-cause mortality. In conclusion, TLC and Hb levels upon admission can refine the ESC model's mortality risk classification for patients with acute PE, providing valuable insights for improved patient management.

Existence of hybrid electric vehicles nowadays is one of the emerging technologies worldwide. Different countries are using this technology on their transportation, and nowadays, a lot of other countries are gradually adapting on using this kind of innovation in their transport system. Philippines is among these countries which aims to have a sustainable mobility by embracing the use of hybrid - electric vehicles but still lots of consumers are lacking awareness on this technology. Lack of information on the social, environmental, and economic potential benefits are among the main issues of Philippines consumers that really affect its uptake. The goal of this study was to evaluate the consumer’s perception and purchase intention on the transition of hybrid - electric vehicles for sustainable mobility and transportation here in the Philippines. It aimed to assess consumer awareness with hybrid - electric vehicles and its potential benefits to human beings in terms of social, environmental, and economic aspects. The study also gauged the impact of this perception on consumer’s purchase intention on hybrid - electric vehicles. These objectives were attained using the Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis. Using these methods, the results revealed that majority of the consumers believed on the positive benefits of transitioning to hybrid - electric vehicles in terms of social, environmental, and economic aspects. This study also showed that these benefits have high impact on the consumer’s intention of buying or having a hybrid – electric vehicle. Electric vehicle is one of the most effective measure of decarbonizing the transport system. Furthermore, government and automotive businesses must strengthen their drive in spreading awareness of hybrid – electric vehicle’s benefits to consumers to further support country’s effort for development.

In this paper, we constructed and analyzed a modified SIR-type model for the epidemic problem which considering waning-immunity class in the population, with the nonlinear incidence and recovery rates. Depending on the basic reproduction ratio, we investigated conditions for both non-endemic and co-existing cases. The RouthHurwitz criteria is used to verify the local stability of equilibria, whereas for the global stability, the suitable Lyapunov function is selected to analyze the behavioral stability for each equilibria. Moreover, we studied the optimal control problem for this case. Numerically, we give some simulations to support our analitycal findings.

Τhe building automation control is a crucial factor for improving buildings energy efficiency and management, as well as improving the electricity grid's reliability indices. This paper presents the methodology, describes the necessary technology requirements and presents the decentralized building automation novel algorithm for Efficient demand side management in a building. All these are applied in an experimental university microgrid and the results are presented in terms of energy saving in kWh, money in € and working hours.

Entrepreneurship education in South Africa holds significant promise in empowering the youth and fostering economic growth. This article explores the impact of entrepreneurship education on youth empowerment, focusing on case studies of successful young entrepreneurs, evaluation of entrepreneurial skills development, and analysis of employment and economic outcomes. While effective models of entrepreneurship education emphasize experiential learning and collaboration with local businesses, resource constraints and infrastructure gaps pose challenges. Moreover, socio-cultural perceptions and gender disparities influence youth's willingness to engage in entrepreneurship, hindering inclusivity. Evaluating the long-term impact remains challenging, requiring robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The article concludes with recommendations to enhance the impact of entrepreneurship education, including increasing funding, challenging stereotypes, fostering collaboration, and developing evaluation mechanisms to support South Africa's youth in realizing their entrepreneurial potential.

The standard approach to integrable nonlinear evolution equations (NLEE) usually uses the following steps: 1) Lax representation $[L,M]=0$; 2)~construction of fundamental analytic solutions (FAS); 3) reducing the inverse scattering problem (ISP) to a Riemann-Hilbert problem (RHP) $\xi^+(x,t,\lambda) =\xi^-(x,t,\lambda) G(x,t\lambda)$ on a contour $\Gamma$ with sewing function $G(x,t,\lambda)$; 4) soliton solutions and possible applications.Step 1) involves several assumptions: the choice of the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ underlying $L$, as well as its dependence on the spectral parameter, typically linear or quadratic in $\lambda$. In the present paper we propose another approach which substantially extends the classes of integrable NLEE.Its first advantage is that one can effectively use any polynomial dependence in both $L$ and $M$. We use the following steps: A) Start with canonically normalized RHP with predefined contour $\Gamma$; B) Specify the $x$ and $t$ dependence of the sewing function defined on $\Gamma$; C) Introduce convenient parametrization for the solutions $ \xi^\pm(x,t,\lambda)$ of the RHP and formulate the Lax pair and the nonlinear evolution equations (NLEE); D) use Zakharov-Shabat dressing method to derive their soliton solutions. This needs correctly taking into account the symmetries of the RHP. E) Define the resolvent of the Lax operator and use it analyze its spectral properties.

In South Korea, the residential real estate market is influenced not just by traditional supply and demand dynamics, but also by external factors such as housing policies and macroeconomic conditions. Given the significant role of housing assets in individual wealth, market fluctuations can have profound implications. While prior research has utilized variables like GDP growth rate, patent issuance, and birth rates, and employed models like LSTM and ARIMA for housing price predictions, many overlook key localized factors. Notably, the impact of subway stations and living SOC facilities on housing prices, especially in metropolitan areas, remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing usage trends across subway stations, assessing the influence of living SOC facilities on housing values, and identifying the optimal machine learning model for price predictions near transport hubs. Through a comparative analysis of machine learning techniques, we aim to provide insights for more informed housing price determinations, promoting a more stable real estate market.

Efforts to enhance quality control (QC) practices in chip seal construction have predominantly relied on single surface frictional metrics such as mean profile depth (MPD) or friction number. These metrics assess chip seal quality by targeting issues such as aggregate loss or excessive bleeding, which may yield low friction numbers or texture depths. However, aggregate loss particularly due to snowplow operations doesn't always result in slippery conditions and may lead to uneven surfaces. The correlation between higher MPD or friction number and superior chip seal quality isn't straightforward. This research introduces an innovative machine learning-based approach to enhance chip seal QC. Using a hybrid DBSCAN-Isolation Forest model, anomaly detection is conducted on a dataset comprising 183,794 20-meter MPD measurements from actual chip seal projects across six districts in Indiana. This results in typical 20 m-segment MPD ranges of [0.9, 1.9], [0.6, 2.1], [0.3, 1.3], [1.0, 1.7], [0.6, 1.9], and [1.0, 2.3] for the respective six districts in Indiana. A two-step QC procedure tailored for chip seal evaluation is proposed. The first step calculates outlier percentages across 1-mile segments, with an established limit of 25% outlier segments per wheel track. The second step assesses unqualified rates across projects, setting a threshold of 50% for 1-mile unqualified wheel track segments. While the results are data-specific, this framework offers pavement construction practitioners a foundational QC standard for chip seal projects.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common movement disorder in children with a prevalence rang-ing from 1.5 to 4 per 1000 live births. CP is caused by a non-progressive lesion of the developing brain, leading to progressive alterations of the musculoskeletal system, including spasticity, often leading to the development of fixed contractures, necessitating tendon lengthening surgery. Total RNA-sequencing analysis was performed on semitendinosus tendons from diplegic and tetraple-gic CP patients subjected to tendon lengthening surgery compared to control patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery. Tetraplegic CP patients showed increased ex-pression of genes implicated in collagen synthesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover, while only minor changes were observed in diplegic CP patients. In addition, tendons from tetra-plegic CP patients showed an enrichment for upregulated genes involved in vesicle-mediated transport and downregulated genes involved in cytokine and apoptotic signaling. Overall, our results indicate increased ECM turnover with increased net synthesis of collagen in tetraplegic CP patients without activation of inflammatory and apoptotic pathways similar to observations in athletes where ECM remodeling results in increased tendon stiffness and tensile strength. Never-theless, the resulting increased tendon stiffness is an important issue in clinical practice, where surgery is often required to restore joint mobility.

The effects of exogenous inorganic [i.e., nitrate (NO3-)/ammonium (NH4+)] and organic [i.e., glutamate (Glu)/argine (Arg)] N alone and in combination on the accumulation of proline (Pro) in rice plant under trivalent chromium [Cr(III)] stress were studied through the mass balance matrix model (MBMM). ‘NH4+’ application showed the largest contribution to the Pro content in rice shoots under different concentrations of Cr(III), followed by ‘NO3-’, ‘Arg’, and ‘Glu’ application respectively. While, ‘Arg’ application displayed the largest contribution to the Pro content in roots under Cr(III) stress, followed by ‘NH4+’, ‘Glu’, and ‘NO3-’ application. Among the combination cases of N sources used, the application of ‘NH4++Arg’ showed the greatest contribution to the Pro content in both roots and shoots of Cr(III)-treated rice seedlings, while the application of ‘NO3-+Glu’ showed the least contribution to the Pro content in rice seedlings under Cr(III) stress. Results from this study indicated that the level of indigenous Pro in rice seedlings is quite sensitive to Cr(III) stress under different N sources, and mathematical modeling showed a reliable result to estimate the relationship between Pro content and N source application in rice plants in response to Cr(III) exposure .

Over a century ago, low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy was introduced to treat prostate cancer (PCa). Since then, it has been widely applied worldwide, including in East Asia. LDR brachythera-py has been performed in 88 institutes in Japan. Beneficial clinical outcomes of LDR brachytherapy for intermediate-to-high-risk PCa have been demonstrated in large clinical trials. These clinical outcomes were achieved through advances in methods, such as urological precise needle puncture and seed placement, and the quantitative decision-making regarding radiological parameters by radiation oncologists. Combined use of LDR brachytherapy with other therapeutical modalities, such as external beam radiation and androgen deprivation therapy, for clinical risk classification of PCa has led to better anticancer treatment efficacy. In this study, we summarized basic LDR brachytherapy findings that should remain unchanged and be passed down in urology depart-ments. We also discussed the applications of LDR brachytherapy for PCa in various clinical settings, including focal and salvage therapies. In addition, we highlighted technologies associated with brachytherapy that are under development.