Background: Multifunctional nanoparticles are known for their wide range of biomedical applications. Controlling the magnetic properties of these nanoparticles is imperative for various applications, including therapeutic angiogenesis. The study was performed to evaluate the magnetic properties and their control mechanisms by the external magnetic field. Methods: A 100nm magnetic nanoparticle was placed in the magnetic field, and parametrically the magnet field strength and distance was evaluated. Various models of magnetic strength and disposition were evaluated. Magnetic flux density, force/weight, and magnetic gradient strength were the parameters evaluated in electromagnetic computational software. Results: The seven-coil method with three centrally placed coils as Halbach array, and each coil with a flux density of 7 Tesla, and with a coil dimension of 20cmx20cm (square model) of each coil showed a good magnetic strength and force/weight parameters in a distance of 15cm from the centrally placed coil. The particles were then evaluated for their motion characteristics in saline. It showed good displacement and acceleration properties. After that, the particles were theoretically assessed in a similar mathematical model after parametrically correcting the drag force. After application of high drag forces, the particles showed adequate motion characteristics. When the particle size was reduced further, the motion characteristics were preserved even with high drag forces. Conclusion: There is potential for a novel method of controlling multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles using high magnetic fields. Further studies are required to evaluate the motion characteristics of these particles in-vivo and invitro.

Due to the demands of personal travels and entertainments, light airplanes and small business aircrafts are developing rapidly. Light airplane structure is simple; however, it lacks crashworthiness design, especially the considerations on the impact of energy absorption. Therefore, in an event of accident, significant damage to passengers will be usually incurred. Airplanes made of composite materials structurally have high specific strength and good aerodynamic configuration. These materials have become the primary choice for new airplane development. This study mainly explores the topology optimization analysis of the light aircraft’s cockpit made of carbon fiber reinforced composites. This paper compares the compression amounts in the original models of composite material and aluminum alloy fuselages with the models after optimization during the crash-landing, in order to investigate the safety of fuselages made of different materials after structural optimization under the dynamic crashing. This study found that the energy absorbed by the aluminum alloy fuselage during crash-landing is still higher than that by the carbon fiber reinforced composites fuselage. On the other hand, the aluminum alloy fuselage after topology optimization could have an energy absorption capability enhanced by 40%, as compared to the that of the original model of aluminum alloy fuselage.

Most empirical work on sources of economic growth for different countries lack country-specific empirical evidence to guide policy choices in individual developing countries and previous studies of factor productivity tend to focus on the entire economy or a single sector. In this study, we use the recently developed growth accounting tools to explicitly determine the sources of economic growth at both national and sectoral levels in Zambia between 1970 and 2013. We use data from World Development Indicators and Zambia’s Central Statistical Office. On average, total factor productivity (TFP) contributes about 5.7% to economic growth. Sectoral analysis shows that agriculture contributes the least to GDP and that within each sector; factors that contribute to growth differ. Structural transformation has been slow and contributed to the observed inefficiency. We outline the implications of the observed growth and provide recommendations.

Agro-meteorology is the relationship between agriculture and weather. All farm activities are affected by weather. Therefore it is always necessary to monitor the weather as a forecast. The aim of the research was to monitor the weather and rainwater samples obtained at Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. For the eight months periods, results were obtained. The mean results for the physicochemical parameters were: TDS (12.25 mg/L), temp (28.13 ^oC), pH (6.63), EC (24.25µS/cm), Free CO₂ (24.38mg/L), nitrate (0.16mg/L), phosphate (0.17mg/L), sulphate (0.18mg/L). The rainwater was colorless and had no odor. The mean meteorological data: The prevailing wind directions were from SE, mostly in May, June, July and November and NE. The dry and wet temperatures were 22-29 ^oC and 20-26 ^oC respectively. The maximum value was observed in the month of July. The correlation matrix showed that there were many strong correlations in the physicochemical properties. The months of May, June and July had the highest wind speed. In these months there would be a need to use a windbreaker around the crops planted to avoid soil erosion and damaging of plants.

Most of the pore-scale imaging and simulations of non-Newtonian fluid are based on the simplifying geometry of network modeling and overlook the fluid rheology and heat transfer. In the present paper, we developed a non-isothermal and non-Newtonian numerical model of the flow properties at pore-scale by direct simulation of the 3D micro-CT images using a Finite Volume Method (FVM). The numerical model is based on the resolution of the momentum and energy conservation equations. Owing to an adaptive meshing technique and appropriate boundary conditions, rock permeability and mobility are accurately computed. A temperature and concentration-dependent power-law viscosity model in line with the experimental measurement of the fluid rheology is adopted. The model is first applied at isothermal condition to 2 benchmark samples, namely Fontainebleau sandstone and Grosmont carbonate, and is found to be in good agreement with the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Finally, at non-isothermal conditions, an effective mobility is introduced that enables to perform a numerical sensitivity study to fluid rheology, heat transfer, and operating conditions. While the mobility seems to evolve linearly with polymer concentration, the effect of the temperature seems negligible by comparison. However, a sharp contrast is found between carbonate and sandstone under the effect of a constant temperature gradient. Besides concerning the flow index and consistency factor, a good master curve is derived when normalizing the mobility for both the carbonate and the sandstone.

Among the many Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) that would benefit from the establish-ment of novel cell models, either patient-derived or genetically engineered, is Mucopolysaccha-ridosis type II (MPS II). In fact, even though a specific therapeutic approach does exist for this disorder (Enzyme Replacement Therapy, ERT, with recombinant human IDS) and haematopoiet-ic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may also hold promise whenever the disorder is diagnosed soon enough, both approaches have their own drawbacks. Here we present our results on the establishment and characterization of two MPS II pa-tient-derived stem cell line(s) from deciduous baby teeth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a stem cell population is isolated from LSD patient samples obtained from the oral cavity. Taking into account our results on the molecular and biochemical characterization of those cells and our first insights on their subcellular MPS phenotype, we consider these cells will be a valuable tool for both pathophysiological assessments and drugs screenings. Ultimately, we believe patient-derived dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) may represent a feasible alternative to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) in many labs with standard cell culture con-ditions and limited (human and economic) resources.

Cryphonectria is a fungal genus associated with economically significant disease of trees. Herein we characterized a novel double-stranded RNA virus from the fungal species Cryphonectria naterciae, a species unexplored as a virus host. De novo assembly of RNA-seq data and Sanger sequencing of RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) clones gave the complete, non-segmented genome (10,164 bp) of the virus termed Cryphonectria naterciae fusagravirus (CnFGV1) that was phylogenetically placed within the previously proposed viral family Fusagraviridae. Of 31 field-collected strains of C. naterciae, 40% tested CnFGV1-positive. Co-cultivation resulted in within-species transmission of CnFGV1 to virus-free strains of C. naterciae. Comparison of the mycelium phenotype and the growth rate of CnFGV1-infected and virus-free isogenic strains revealed frequent sectoring and growth reduction in C. naterciae. Co-culturing also led to cross-species transmission of CnFGV1 to Cryphonectria carpinicola and Cryphonectria radicalis, but not to Cryphonectria parasitica. The virus-infected C. naterciae and the experimentally infected Cryphonectria spp. readily transmitted CnFGV1 through asexual spores to the next generation. CnFGV1 strongly reduced conidiation and in some cases vegetative growth of C. carpinicola, which is involved in the European hornbeam disease. This study is the first report of a fusagravirus in the family Cryphonectriaceae and lays the groundwork for assessing a hypovirulence effect of CnFGV1 against the hornbeam decline in Europe.

A shrimp oil rich in omega-3 lipids and carotenoids is obtained in remarkably high 5 wt% yield extending to pink shrimp processing waste (head and carapace) the circular economy approach to extract fish oil from fish processing by-products using d-limonene. Biobased limonene, a powerful antimicrobial and antioxidant agent, is an excellent solvent for both lipids and astaxanthin-based carotenoids preventing oxidative degradation during the extraction cycle including solvent and oil separation at 85°C. A new low cost route is established to extract valued marine oil from biowaste annually made available in over 2.2 million tonnes.

The soil organic matter (SOM) content and stability in natural gypsum soils and soils from mining/industrial areas were compared, in terms of their physical, chemical and micromorphological properties, to determine whether the old brownfield soils were acting as carbon (C) sinks, counteracting increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. The mining/industrial soils were 50–400 years old, so had been left sufficiently long for full self-restoration. Despite having very different origins, both natural and brownfield soils stored similar amounts of SOM, and had similar pH values, calcium carbonate contents and textures. They were also fully covered with similar grass plant communities. The mining/industrial soils exhibited similar microstructures to the gypsum soils and were often quite porous. The most striking difference between them and the natural gypsum soils was that the mining/industrial soils were strongly polluted with zinc, lead and cadmium. The 50-year-old brownfield soils differed from the others in terms of having a lower state of SOM transformation, with a much higher C/N ratio, lower aggregate water resistance index, lower dehydrogenase activity and greater areas of undecomposed or slightly decomposed plant residues. These parameters in the older (150–400 years) brownfield soils were similar to those of the natural soils.

Internships can foster educational alliances between industry (business environment) and academic institutions, which can facilitate both flexibility and accelerated innovation. The purpose of this research is to search for the factors that determine HRD through the implementation of the Internship program among the students of Democritus University of Thrace and reveal the correlation between the factors. Also, this paper investigated the impact of the COVID-19 Eras on Human Resource Development (HRD) Factors and finally, investigated the correlation between the two variables "Recruitment in the specialization" and "Covid Eras". The sample of the research consisted of 1398 students of DUTh who implemented Internships during the academic years 2015-2016 to 2021-2022. A questionnaire with 60 variables was created for data collection. A random sampling method was applied to collect the sample. From the results of the survey, ten factors were extracted for human resource training that explained 75.512% of the total variance and for each one, Cronbach's Alpha reliability was tested, which was high. In detail, the factors revealed were Learning Outcomes, Efficacy, Emotional Commitment, Satisfaction, Participation, Empowerment, Role Ambiguity, Role Conflict, Supervisor and Collaboration. From the results of the study, it was evident that HR development - training is a multi-dimensional concept and is a necessary condition for the competitiveness of the firms. Training can help to improve the flexibility of the firm, but also to motivate the staff by implementing multidisciplinary training programs. In general, internship programs are valuable ways for students to acquire broad competences, where the practical knowledge gained supports and complements the theoretical studies acquired in educational institutions.

Cloud Computing is a promising and emerging technology that is rapidly being adopted by many IT companies due to a number of benefits that it provides, such as large storage space, low investment cost, virtualization, resource sharing, etc. Users are able to store a vast amount of data and information in the cloud and access it from anywhere, anytime on a pay-per-use basis. Since many users are able to share the data and the resources stored in the cloud, there arises a need to provide access to the data to only those users who are authorized to access it. This can be done through access control schemes which allow the authenticated and authorized users to access the data and deny access to unauthorized users. In this paper, a comprehensive review of all the existing access control schemes has been discussed along with analysis. Keywords: role-based access control, attribute-based access control, attribute-based encryption

Wilms tumor (WT), the most prevalent type of renal cancer in children, exhibits overall survival rates exceeding 90%. However, chemotherapy resistance, which occurs in approximately 10% of WT cases, is a major challenge for the treatment of WT, particularly for advanced-stage patients. In this study, we aimed to discover potential mutation markers and drug targets associated with chemotherapy resistance in advanced stage WT. We performed exome sequencing to detect somatic mutations and molecular targets in 43 WT samples, comprising 26 advanced stage WTs, of which 7 cases are chemotherapy-resistant. Our analysis revealed four genes (ALPK2, C16orf96, PRKDC, and SVIL) that correlated with chemotherapy resistance and reduced disease-free survival in ad-vanced-stage WT. Additionally, we identified driver mutations in 55 genes within the chemo-therapy-resistant group, including 14 druggable cancer driver genes. Based on the mutation profile of the resistant WT samples, we propose potential therapeutic strategies involving platinum-based agents, PARP inhibitors, and antibiotic/antineoplastic agents. Our findings provide insights into the genetic landscape of WT and offer potential avenues for targeted treatment, particularly for patients with chemotherapy resistance.

We present a new theory to explain the expansion of the universe that augments general relativity to create a container within which quantum effects can be explained by treating time as an artefact of a fourth spatial dimension. The theory is tested by accurately modelling against stellar luminosity data that is available for redshifts, z

Postpartum haemorrhage remains a significant contributor to maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. PPH continues to pose challenges in both developed and developing nations despite being preventable. This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding PPH within the context of Vietnam, a country with its unique healthcare landscape. This review identifies critical areas for improvement and future research directions based on a comprehensive literature analysis, including epidemiological insights, risk factors, prevention strategies, and management approaches. Discrepancies in PPH definitions and prevalence rates across regions highlight the need for tailored interventions and policies. Understanding the specific challenges and opportunities related to PPH in Vietnam is crucial for informing evidence-based interventions and policies to improve maternal health outcomes. This review contributes to the broader global effort to reduce maternal mortality by addressing gaps in knowledge and proposing strategies to enhance PPH prevention and management in Vietnam.

Delve into the ebb and flow of human ingenuity as the researcher traces the evolution of writing from papyrus to pixels. Discover how humble instruments like quill pens and typewriters have propelled human into the digital frontier, forever reshaping the art of expression in the modern age. This article examines the evolution of writing tools from traditional pen and paper to digital writing in the modern age. It explores the development of writing materials such as papyrus, parchment, and paper, as well as the invention of writing tools including quill pens, fountain pens, and typewriters. The rise of digital writing tools, including word processing software and smartphones, is also discussed, along with their benefits such as increased efficiency and productivity, enhanced collaboration and sharing capabilities, and greater accessibility and flexibility. However, the article also highlights the challenges of writing in the digital age, including the impact of digital distractions on writing focus and quality, the issue of online plagiarism and copyright infringement, and the potential loss of traditional writing skills. The article concludes with recommendations for educators, school administrators, students, and researchers to strike a balance between digital and traditional writing practices, to embrace digital writing tools while preserving traditional writing skills, and to understand the importance of the evolution of writing. The theoretical frameworks of Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) Theory, Media Ecology Theory, and Activity Theory are also discussed in relation to the evolution of writing tools. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the history, benefits, and challenges of writing in the digital age, as well as suggestions for navigating the future of writing and its tools.

The global movement of inputs, raw materials, products, and the marketing of products requires the use of supply chains. Green logistics refers to the set of policies and measures aimed at reducing the environmental impacts generated by logistics activities. The traditional supply chain has a certain inability to adapt to the rules agreed in Coop 15. The Green Supply Chain deals with the distribution flows of goods with a view to generating low environmental impact. The Green Supply Chain (GSC) involves aspects of reducing negative impacts throughout the logistics chain, from raw material suppliers, production to the distribution of the product to the customer. In this way, this article seeks to identify the factors that generate negative impacts in the traditional Supply Chain, thus helping to decarbonize it, and create a path for the development of the GSC and thus avoid interruptions in the distribution flow due to not meeting environmental targets. The main problem in decarbonizing the Supply Chain is its difficulty in complying with the rules agreed by the nations in COOP 15. To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out based on the available literature. Based on various articles and books, the parameters that define a Green Supply Chain and the factors that generate environmental impacts in conventional chains were identified. As a result, it was possible to verify a positive relationship between the carbon emission reduction factors that are linked to the supply chain performance factors found in the literature. Of the factors relating to the decarbonization of supply chains, some were more clearly related, such as reducing carbon emissions, reducing environmental risks and the ability to operate using new technologies. Future research could build on the limitations of this study.

Microplastics are small plastic pieces with sizes less than 5 mm. They are becoming a global concern due to the potential risk to human health. The potential risks of microplastics may be greater for infants because they do not have sufficiently developed metabolizing enzymes, have a lower ability to remove them, high sensitivity of target organs. Infants should be breastfed for the first six months of life. Breast milk is considered to be the most complete and suitable source of nutrition. However, if breastfeeding during this period is not possible, it is necessary to use formulas designed for infant initial feeding. Infants may be exposed to higher levels of MPs through infant foods or plastics products. The aim of this study is to describe the possible sources of exposure to microplastics such as human placenta, plastic feeding bottles, toys as well as the presence of released microplastics in infants feces, breast milk and infant formulas. There is still not enough data available from the studied area. Therefore, it is necessary to pay increased attention to minimizing the negative effects of microplastics on human health.

The world’s human population is reaching record longevities. Consequently, our societies are experiencing the impacts of prolonged longevity, such as increased retirement age. A major hypothesised influence on ageing patterns is resource limitation, formalised under calorie restriction theory. This theory predicts extended organismal longevity due to reduced calorie intake without malnutrition. However, several challenges face current calorie restriction (CR) research and, although several attempts have been made to overcome these challenges, there is still a lack of holistic understanding of how CR shapes organismal vitality. Here, we conduct a literature review of 222 CR peer-reviewed publications to summarise the state-of-the-art in the field. We use this summary to highlight challenges of CR research in our understanding of its impacts on longevity. Our review demonstrates that experimental research in this field is biased towards short-lived species (98.2% of studies examine species with <5 years of mean life expectancy) and lacks realism in key areas, such as stochastic environments or interactions with other environmental drivers such as temperature. We argue that only by considering a range of short- and long-lived species and by taking more realistic approaches can the impacts of CR on longevity be examined and validated in natural settings. We conclude by proposing experimental designs and study species that will allow the discipline to gain a much-needed understanding of how restricting caloric intake affects long-lived species in realistic settings. Through incorporating more experimental realism, we anticipate crucial insights that will ultimately shape the myriad of socio-bio-economic impacts of senescence in humans and other species across the Tree of Life.

Background: Observational health data has the potential to be a rich resource to inform clinical practice and regulatory decision making. However, the lack of standard data quality processes makes it difficult to know if these data are research ready. The EHDEN COVID-19 Rapid Col-laboration Call presented the opportunity to assess how the newly developed open-source tool Data Quality Dashboard (DQD) informs the quality of data in a federated network. Methods: 15 Data Partners (DPs) from 10 different countries worked with the EHDEN taskforce to map their data to the OMOP CDM. Throughout the process at least two DQD results were collected and compared for each DP. Results: All DPs showed an improvement in their data quality between the first and last run of the DQD. The DQD excelled at helping DPs identify and fix conformance is-sues but showed less of an impact on completeness and plausibility checks. Conclusions: This is the first study to apply the DQD on multiple, disparate databases across a network. While study-specific checks should still be run, we recommend that all data holders converting their data to the OMOP CDM use the DQD as it ensures conformance to the model specifications and that a database meets a baseline level of completeness and plausibility for use in research.

Bacterial conjugation, also referred to as bacterial sex, is a major horizontal gene transfer mechanism where the DNA is transferred from a donor to a recipient bacterium by direct contact. Conjugation is universally conserved among bacteria and occurs in a wide range of environments (soil, plant surfaces, water, sewage, biofilms and host-associated bacterial communities). Within these habitats, conjugation drives the rapid evolution and adaptation of bacterial strains by mediating the propagation of various metabolic properties, including symbiotic life-style, virulence, biofilm formation, or resistance to heavy metals and, most importantly, resistance to antibiotics. These properties make of conjugation a fundamentally important process at the center of extensive study. Here, we review the key steps of conjugation by following the life-cycle of the F plasmid during transfer from the donor to the recipient cell. We also discuss our current knowledge of the extent and impact of conjugation within an environmentally and clinically relevant bacterial habitat, bacterial biofilms.

There is a current pandemic of a new type of coronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The number of confirmed infected cases has been rapidly increasing. This paper analyzes the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in comparison with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and influenza. COVID-19 is similar to the diseases caused by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV virologically and etiologically, but closer to influenza in epidemiology and virulence. The comparison provides a new perspective for the future of the disease control, and offers some ideas in the prevention and control management strategy. The large number of infectious people from the origin, and the highly infectious and occult nature have been two major problems, making the virus difficult to eradicate. We thus need to contemplate the possibility of long-term co-existence with COVID-19.

In this paper, carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (CNTs/SPE) was prepared and the CNTs/SPE was employed for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant substance Chlorogenic acids (CGAs). A pair of well-defined redox peak of CGA was observed at the CNTs/SPE in 0.10 mol∙L^-1 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.2) and electrode process is adsorption-controlled. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for the determination of CGA were proposed based on the CNTs/SPE. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method exhibited linear ranges from 4.73×10^-7 to 4.45×10^-5 mol∙L^-1, the linear regression equation was Ipa(µA) = 4.1993 C (mol∙L^-1)+1.1039 (r = 0.9976) and the detection limit for CGA could reach 3.25×10^-6 mol∙L^-1. The recovery of matrine was 94.74~106.65% (RSD = 2.92%) in coffe beans. The proposed method is quick, sensitive, reliable, and can be used for the determination of CGA.

The escalating global population and subsequent demand for agricultural products have led to a surge in agricultural waste generation, posing significant disposal challenges. Conventional disposal methods such as burning and dumping not only harm the environment but also jeopardize human health and safety. Recognizing the urgent need for sustainable waste management, researchers have increasingly focused on repurposing agricultural plant waste as a valuable resource. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the potential of agricultural plant waste in wealth creation and sustainable development. It highlights the detrimental impacts of current disposal methods and emphasizes the necessity for alternative approaches. By analyzing the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of plant fibers, particularly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, this review underscores their suitability for diverse applications. Moreover, it explores the emerging trend of utilizing pineapple leaf fiber, a sustainable and lightweight material, in structural applications such as UAV construction. With its exceptional mechanical properties and biodegradability, pineapple leaf fiber holds promise as a viable alternative to traditional materials, contributing to a more sustainable future. In conclusion, this review advocates for a paradigm shift towards embracing agricultural plant waste as a valuable asset for economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. It underscores the importance of continued research and technological advancements to unlock the full potential of agricultural waste in fostering a circular economy and driving sustainable development globally.

Musyakalah is one of the Arabic linguistic styles included under the category of majaz. This style is commonly used in Al-Quran. The Indonesian translation of Al-Quran is a case where many of the figures of speech are translated literally, thereby causing serious semantic problems. Thus, the research problem of this is formulated with the following questions: 1) How many musyakalah ayahs are there in Al-Quran?; 2) How are the musyakalah ayahs translated, literally (harfiyya) or interpretatively (tafsiriyya)?; 3) How many ayahs are translated literally and how many are translated interpretatively?; and 4) Which translated musyakalah ayahs have the potential to raise semantic and theological problems? The corpus in this research consists of all musyakalah ayahs in Al-Quran and their translation to Indonesian published by the Department of Religious Affairs of Indonesia. The research adopted a descriptive-semantic method. The findings of this research are: 1) There are only eleven ayahs in Al-Quran using musyakalah style, namely: Alhasyr ayah 19, Ali Imran ayah 54, Annaml ayah 50, Alanfal ayah 30, Asysyura ayah 40, Albaqarah ayah 15, Almaidah 116, Aljatsiah ayah 34, Attaubah ayah 79, Annisa ayah 142, and Albaqarah 194; 2) The musyakalah ayahs translated literally are: Aljatsiah 34, Almaidah 116, Asysura 40, Annaml 50, and Alhasyr 19, whereas the musyakalah ayahs translated interpretatively are Albaqarah 194, Annisa 142, Attaubah 79, Albaqarah 15, Alanfal 30, and Ali Imran 54; 3) Of the eleven musyakalah ayahs, only Alhasyr ayah 19 that is translated correctly and does not have the potential of creating misinterpretation. Meanwhile, the interpretation of the other four ayahs can potentially cause misinterpretation or are against the basic principles of Islam. The six remaining ayahs are translated interpretatively and thus do not have the potential to be misinterpreted; 4) The findings suggest that musyakalah ayahs are more appropriately translated interpretatively. Therefore, the following is recommended: 1) Considering the different characteristics of Arabic and Indonesian languages, studies on Al-Quran translation into Indonesian should continuously be carried out; 2) In order to avoid misinterpretation, it is better that the translation of musyakalah ayahs uses tafsiriyya (interpretative) approach; 3) The harfiyya (literal) and tafsiriyya (interpretative) approaches should be developed for other styles beside musyakalah..

Magnetic pulse welding (MPW) employs high pulsed magnetic field to accelerate parts against each other thus forming an impact joining. Single-turn tool coils and field-shapers (FS) used in MPW operate under the most demanding conditions: a magnetic field of 40-50 T with a period of tens of microseconds. For conventional copper and bronze coils intense thermo-mechanical stresses lead to rapid degradation of the working bore. This work is aimed to improve the efficiency of field-shapers and focused on development of 2- and 4-slit FS with nanocomposite Cu 18Nb wire brazed as FS inner current-carrying layer. The measured ratio of magnetic field to discharge current was 56.3 and 50.6 T/MA for 2- and 4-slit FS respectively. FEM calculations of magnetic field generation showed its 6-9% and 3% variation for 2- and 4-slit FS respectively. The results of copper tube compression have shown an ovality of 27% and 7% for 2- and 4-slit FS respectively. The measured deviation of weld joining length was 11% and 1.4% in 2- and 4-slit FS respectively. Compared to the previous experiments on the whole steel inductor, the novel FS showed significantly better results in terms of efficiency and homogeneity of the magnetic field.

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, the most optimal type of nutritional intervention to prevent GDM in high-risk women is not clearly defined. This study investigates if nutritional treatment based on the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) before 12th gestational week (GW) in women at high risk due to a body mass index (BMI)≥25kg/m2, reduces the rate of GDM and metabolic syndrome (MetS) at 3 years postpartum. We performed a post-hoc analysis of the San Carlos Gestational Prevention Study. A total of 735 women with BMI≥25kg/m2 were evaluated between 2015-2018, 246 in standard diet control group (CG) and 489 in MedDiet intervention group (IG). The rate of GDM was significantly lower in IG compared to CG (25.1%vs31.7%;p=0.037). Postnatal follow-up was completed by 141 women in CG (57%) and 312 women in IG (64%). At 3 years postpartum, we observed a reduction (relative risk 95% confidence interval) in the rates of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (0.51 (0.28-0.92);p=0.019), obesity (0.51 (0.28-0.92),p=0.041), waist circumference (WC)≥89.5cm (0.54 (0.31-0.94);p=0.022) and MetS (0.56 (0.33-0.94);p=0.003). MedDiet reduces the rate of GDM and postpartum MetS in women with BMI)≥25kg/m2, suggesting that its implementation should be routinely recommended from the first GWs.

There are two major proposed forms of dark energy: the cosmological constant and the quintessence scalar field. However, the former has the cosmological constant problem and the latter does not have observational evidence to support the theory. In this paper, we propose a dark energy paradigm to solve the cosmological constant problem and to predict lepton masses as evidence. The dark energy paradigm is a unified dark sector that is based on Planck's dimensional analysis, Lambda CDM, energy conservation, and force equilibrium. We find that dark energy can vary from the cosmological constant to the Planck scale. We find that the predicted values of lepton masses based on the dark energy paradigm agree with the observed values to 1% (or within error ranges).

The escalating frequency and severity of global wildfires necessitate an in-depth understanding and monitoring of wildfire smoke impacts, specifically its contribution to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We propose a data-fusion method to study wildfire contribution to PM2.5 using satellite-derived smoke plume indicators and PM2.5 monitoring data. Our study incorporates two types of monitoring data, the high-quality but sparse Air Quality System (AQS) stations and the abundant but less accurate PurpleAir (PA) sensors that are gaining popularity among citizen scientists. We propose a multi-resolution spatiotemporal model specified in the spectral domain to calibrate the PA sensors against accurate AQS measurements, and leverage the two networks to estimate wildfire contribution to PM2.5 in California in 2020 and 2021. A Bayesian approach is taken to incorporate all uncertainties and our prior intuition that the dependence between networks, as well as the accuracy of PA network, vary by frequency. We find that 1% to 3% increase in PM2.5 concentration due to wildfire smoke, and that leveraging PA sensors improves accuracy.

The cosmetic industry recognizes the importance of natural sources for functional active constit-uents in meeting consumer expectations for safer and more sustainable beauty care products. Ma-rine macroalgae have emerged as promising resources, offering diverse bioactive constituents with potential applications in cosmetics. In this study, we investigated the biochemical profile of Padina boergesenii, a marine macroalga, using various methods to assess its potential as a cosmetic ingre-dient. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis revealed the presence of distinct bioactive functional groups associated with numerous skin-beneficial compounds. Furthermore, the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of P. boergesenii were subjected to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrom-etry (GC-MS) analysis, which identified a total of six and fifteen significant phytocompounds, re-spectively. Additionally, a comprehensive phytochemical profiling of P. boergesenii was performed using High-Resolution Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (HRLCMS-Q-TOF), highlighting the presence of various terpenoids, alkaloids, peptides, fatty acids, derivatives, and coumarins with potential cosmetic applications. To further assess its potential as a cosmetic ingredient, P. boergesenii was subjected to several additional estimations. Pigment estima-tion revealed the presence of specific pigments, while the determination of total phenol content and total protein content highlighted the richness of these bioactive components. The antioxidant analysis using the DPPH method demonstrated the antioxidant potential of P. boergesenii extracts, suggesting their ability to combat oxidative stress-related skin damage. Moreover, the tyrosinase inhibition assay indicated the inhibitory effect of P. boergesenii extracts on tyrosinase activity, which is relevant for addressing hyperpigmentation concerns. Furthermore, the elemental composition of P. boergesenii was evaluated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES), revealing that silicon (Si) exhibited the highest concentration among the measured elements, while copper (Cu) displayed the lowest concentration. Additionally, HRLCMS-Q-TOF analysis was employed to quantify 21 amino acids, with aspartic acid exhibiting the highest con-centration (2034.99 nmol/mL), and tyrosine demonstrating the lowest concentration (233.26 nmol/mL). The accuracy of all the measured elements and amino acids was deemed acceptable. Taken together, the findings of this study highlight the potential of P. boergesenii as an effective ingredient for enhancing skin health. The incorporation of seaweed-based bioactive components, such as P. boergesenii, into cosmetic products is increasingly common due to their beneficial effects on the skin. Further exploration of the potential applications of P. boergesenii in the cosmetics in-dustry is warranted to harness its valuable bioactive properties.

Babies born prematurely are at risk of experiencing visual disturbances, hearing loss, disabilities, the risk of infection and even death. Care for premature babies requires serious attention for both health workers and parents. The role of parents is very important both during hospitalization and at home. Therefore, in order to improve the abilities of parents, it is necessary to make educational efforts with the right method.ObjectivesThis literature review aims to provide an overview of educational methods that nurses can use to improve the ability of parents to care for or care for the development of premature babies. The method used is to search for literature that fits the established theme using 5 data based, namely Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, Elsevier Clinicaly for Nursing and Web of Science. The strategy used in finding literature that fits the theme and is used in this literature review uses the PICOS framework. Then conducted a review with the PRISMA method. The literature selection results obtained 572 publications, after going through the selection obtained 11 literatures that match the theme, with 11 educational methods. These methods can be grouped into ideas, namely increasing parental involvement during treatment, using technology, stress management and continuous monitoring. The ability of parents to care for premature babies is needed in order to minimize complications in infants, reduce morbidity, avoid disabilities, increase growth and development of premature babies optimally and reduce parental stress levels, increase parental confidence and good parents' self-efficacy. Choosing the right educational method can improve the ability of parents to properly care for and provide developmental care for premature babies.

To increase the prediction accuracy of positive oral food challenge (OFC) outcome during stepwise slow oral immunotherapy (SS-OIT) in children with hen’s egg (HE) allergy, we evaluated the predictive value of the combination of antigen-specific IgE (sIgE) with antigen binding-avidity and sIgG4 values. Sixty-three children with HE allergy undergoing SS-OIT were subjected to repeated OFC with HE. We measured the ovomucoid (OVM)-sIgE by ImmunoCAP or densely carboxylated protein (DCP) microarray, sIgG4 by DCP microarray, and the binding-avidity of OVM-sIgE defined as the level of 1/ IC50 (nM) measured by competitive binding inhibition assays. The OFC was positive in 37 (59%) patients undergoing SS-OIT. Significant differences in DCP-OVM-sIgE, CAP-OVM-sIgE, I/ IC50, DCP-OVM-sIgG4, the multiplication products of DCP-OVM-sIgE and binding-avidity of DCP-OVM-sIgE (DCP-OVM-sIgE/IC50) and DCP-OVM-sIgE/sIgG4 were compared between the negative and positive groups (p<0.01). Among them, the variable with greatest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was DCP-OVM-sIgE/IC50 (0.84), followed by DCP-OVM-sIgE/sIgG4 (0.81). DCP-OVM-sIgE/IC50 and DCP-OVM-sIgE/sIgG4 are potentially useful markers for the prediction of positive OFC during HE-SS-OIT and may allow proper evaluation of the current allergic status in the healing process during HE-SS-OIT

In 2021/2022, the re-emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occurred in Europe. The outbreak was seeded from two sources, resident and reintroduced viruses, which is unprecedented in the recorded history of avian influenza. The dominating subtype was H5N1, representing a reversion to the original A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996-like subtype combination. In this study, we present a whole genome sequence and a phylogenetic analysis of 57 H5N1 HPAI and two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5N1 strains collected in the Czech Republic during 2021/2022. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close relationships between H5N1 genomes from poultry and wild birds and secondary transmission in commercial geese. The genotyping showed considerable genetic heterogeneity among Czech H5N1 viruses with six different HPAI genotypes, three of which were apparently unique. In addition, second-order reassortment relationships were observed with the direct involvement of co-circulating H5N1 LPAI strains. The genetic distance between Czech H5N1 HPAI and the closest LPAI segments available in the database illustrates the profound gaps in our knowledge of circulating LPAI strains. The changing dynamics of HPAI in the wild may increase the likelihood of future HPAI outbreaks and present new challenges in poultry management, biosecurity, and surveillance.

Objectives: To evaluate the possible long-term cerebral deposition of amyloid-β in PD patients treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) and its possible influence on axial and cognitive variables. Methods: Consecutive PD patients treated with bilateral STN-DBS with a long-term follow-up were included. Amyloid-β deposition was evaluated postoperatively through a 18F-flutemetamol positron emission tomography (PET) study. Axial symptoms have been assessed using a standardized clinical-instrumental approach. Speech was assessed by perceptual and acoustic analysis while gait by means of the instrumented timed up and go test (iTUG). Motor severity was evaluated applying the UPDRS part III score and subscores while cognitive functions through a complete neuropsychological assessment. Different stimulation and drug conditions were assessed: on-stimulation/off-medication, off-stimulation/off-medication, on-stimulation/on-medication conditions (single and dual task). Results: 19 PD patients (male: 11; age: 63.52 years; on-stimulation/on-medication UPDRS-III: 17.05) with a five-year postoperative follow-up were included. Amyloid-β deposition was found in 21% of patients (4/19) with a prevalent involvement of prefrontal, limbic and parietal areas. Compared with patients without amyloid-β deposition, PD patients with positive 18F-flutemetamol PET study showed higher preoperative UPDRS-I (p=.037) score and lower postoperative Raven's matrices scores (p=.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that in the long-term after STN-DBS a significant percentage of PD patients may present brain amyloid-β deposition. However, larger samples are needed to evaluate the possible role of amyloid-β deposition in the development of axial and cognitive alterations after surgery.

An increased demand for natural products nowadays most specifically probiotics (PRO) is evident since it comes in conjunction with beneficial health effects for the consumers. In this regard, it is well known that encapsulation could affect positively the PRO's viability throughout food manufacturing and long-term storage. This paper aims to analyze and review various multilayer strategies for encapsulation of PRO. Double-layer encapsulation of PRO by electro-hydrodynamic atomization or electrospray technology has been reported along with layer-by-layer assembly and water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions to produce multilayer PRO-loaded carriers. Finally, their applications in food products are presented. The resistance (cover material) and viability of (PRO) to mechanical damage, during gastrointestinal transit and shelf life of these trapping systems are also described. The PRO encapsulation in double and multiple-layer coatings combined with other technologies can be examined to increase the opportunities for new functional products with amended functionalities opening a novel horizon in food technology.

Competent authorities of many countries, including Belgium, impose control measures (preventing wild bird access to feeders and water facilities, indoor confinement of captive birds, or fencing off outdoor ranges with nets) to professional and non-professional keepers of birds to prevent the spread of avian influenza (AI). Flemish laying hen farmers (FAR, n = 33) and private keepers of captive birds (PRI, n = 263) were surveyed about their opinion on, and compliance with, AI-measures legally imposed during the most recent high-risk period before this survey in 2021. Participants answered questions on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = the worst, 3 = neutral, and 5 = the best). FAR indicated better compliance with the AI-measures compared to PRI, except for confinement with nets. PRI and FAR perceived the level of compliance with AI-measures by other private bird keepers to be lower compared to themselves. FAR regarded the AI-measures as more effective than PRI. To prevent the spread of AI more effectively, national authorities could focus on information campaigns explaining to private bird keepers, in particular, the need for the various control measures that they impose, implement alternative control measures that have broader support or implement stricter enforcement of the control measures.

Combining modern thermodynamics theory branches, including finite time thermodynamics or entropy generation minimization, constructal theory and entransy theory, with metallurgical process engineering, this paper provides a new exploration on generalized thermodynamic optimization theory for iron and steel production processes. The theoretical core is to thermodynamically optimize performances of elemental packages, working procedure modules, functional subsystems, and whole process of iron and steel production processes with real finite-resource and/or finite-size constraints with various irreversibilities toward saving energy, decreasing consumption, reducing emission and increasing yield, and to achieve the comprehensive coordination among the material flow, energy flow and environment of the hierarchical process systems. A series of application cases of the theory are reviewed. It can provide a new angle of view for the iron and steel production processes from thermodynamics, and can also provide some guidelines for other process industries.

In tropical developing regions, typhoid fever and malaria often co-occur, posing serious health risks. The two illnesses have similar symptoms, which makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Through a thorough analysis of existing literature on typhoid fever, malaria, and co-infection, including research articles, case studies, and review papers, this review seeks to understand the dynamic interactions between typhoid fever and malaria co-infection. The review highlights important problems with co-infection between typhoid and malaria, such as higher morbidity and death, diagnostics-related challenges, and antibiotic resistance. Overlapping symptoms and limitations in current diagnostic tests impede accuracy. Treatment plans are made more difficult by the advent of typhoid strains that are resistant to drugs. The analysis concludes by highlighting the necessity of developing more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods in order to accurately diagnose co-infections. Going forward, the review emphasizes the need for more investigation into the immunological connections between malaria and typhoid illnesses. Essentially, this paper offers a thorough summary of the difficulties and possibilities related to co-infection between typhoid and malaria. It provides a framework for upcoming studies and initiatives that seek to improve public health and patient outcomes in the face of these intricately linked health problems.

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is one of the major transboundary animal diseases that severely impact livestock production and trade worldwide. An investigation was carried into the seroprevalence and risk factors of PPR in small ruminants, camels, and wild ruminants in Bahrain. A total of 1240 serum samples were collected from 119 sheep flocks and 1224 serum samples from 125 goat herds. In addition, 100 sera from camels and 38 sera from wild ruminants, were collected. Serum samples were tested for the presence of PPR specific antibodies using a competitive ELISA. Flock management and health information of the flocks and herds were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The individual prevalence of PPR in sheep and goats was 26% and 25.5%, respectively. The flock or herd level prevalence of PPR was 22.7% and 29.6% in sheep and goats, respectively. None of the tested camels or wild ruminants were positive for PPR-specific antibodies. Sheep and goats from the Northern governorate were more likely to be seropositive to PPR than in other governorates. On the individual animal level, the univariate analysis suggested; age (&lt;12 months), sex (male), and health status (weak animals) as risk factors for PPR seropositivity. On the flock/herd level, the multivariable logistic regression analysis identified large flock/herd size and semi-intensive farming as risk factors for PPR seropositivity.

This article investigates robust optimality and duality for a class of nonsmooth multiobjective programming problems with vanishing constraints under data uncertainty (in short, UNMPVC) via convexificators. Using the properties of convexificators, we introduce generalized standard Abadie constraint qualification (in short, GS-ACQ) for the considered problem UNMPVC. Moreover, we introduce generalized robust version of nonsmooth stationary conditions, namely, weakly stationary point (in short, RW-Stationary), T-stationary point (in short, RT-Stationary), M-stationary point (in short, RM-Stationary) and S-stationary point (in short, RS-Stationary) for UNMPVC. By employing GS-ACQ, we establish that the RS-Stationary is the necessary first-order optimality condition for a local Pareto solution of UNMPVC. Moreover, under generalized convexity assumptions, we establish sufficient optimality criteria for UNMPVC. Furthermore, we formulate the Wolfe-type (in short, WRD) and Mond-Weir-type (in short, MWRD) robust dual models corresponding to the primal problem UNMPVC.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and compare these results to the 2.2 µg/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)’s Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 µg Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region, and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control community, and increased with increasing distance away from the Madre de Dios headwaters (as the crow flies), did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level. Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species. Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

The superharmonic imaging of tissue has the potential for high spatial and contrast resolutions, compared to the fundamental and second harmonic imaging. For this technique, the spectral bandwidth of an ultrasound transducer is divided for transmission of ultrasound and reception of its superharmonics (i.e., higher than the second harmonic). Due to the spectral division for the transmission and reception, transmitted ultrasound energy is not sufficient to induce superharmonics in media without using contrast agents, and it is difficult that a transducer has a -6-dB fractional bandwidth of higher than 100%. For the superharmonic imaging of tissue, thus, multi-frequency array transducers are the best choice if available; transmit and receive elements are separate and have different center frequencies. However, the construction of a multi-frequency transducer for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is particularly demanding because of its small size of less than 1 mm. Here, we report a recently developed dual-element focused IVUS transducer for the third harmonic imaging of tissue, which consists of a 35-MHz element for ultrasound transmission and a 105-MHz element for third harmonic reception. For high quality third harmonic imaging, both elements were fabricated to have the same focus at 2.5 mm. The results of tissue mimicking phantom tests demonstrated that the third harmonic images produced by the developed transducer had higher spatial resolution and deeper imaging depth than the fundamental images.

The study addressed the following questions: How does continuous lighting (CL) im-pact plant physiology, photosynthetic and stress response? Does the impact of CL de-pend on the source of light and other environmental factors (natural vs artificial)? Do responses to CL differ for native and non-native plant species in the Subarctic and, if differences exist, what physiological reasons might they be associated with? Experi-ments were conducted with three native to Subarctic (Geranium sylvaticum L., Geum rivale L., Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch.) and three non-native plant species (Geranium himalayense Klotzsch, Geum coccineum Sibth. & Sm., Potentilla atrosanguinea Loddiges ex D. Don) introduced in Polar-Alpine Botanic Garden (KPABG, 67°38′N). Obtained re-sults have shown that plants lack specific mechanisms of tolerance to CL. Protective responses are non-specific and induced by developing photo-oxidative stress. In cli-mate chambers under constant environmental conditions artificial CL causes leaf inju-ries due to oxidative stress, the main cause of which is circadian asynchrony. In nature plants are not photodamaged during the polar day as endogenous rhythms are main-tained due to daily fluctuations of several environmental factors (light intensity, spec-tral distribution, temperature and air humidity). The obtained data show that among possible non-specific protective mechanisms, plants use flavonoids to neutralize excess ROS generated under CL. In local subarctic plants, their photoprotective role is signif-icantly higher than in non-native introduced plant species.

Burkholderia are a group of Gram-negative bacteria that can cause a variety of diseases in at-risk populations. B. pseudomallei and B. mallei, the etiological agents of melioidosis and glanders, respectively, are the two clinically relevant members of the B. pseudomallei complex (Bpc). The development of vaccines against Bpc species has been accelerated in recent years, resulting in numerous promising subunits and glycoconjugate vaccines incorporating a variety of antigens. However, a second group of pathogenic Burkholderia species exists known as the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), a group of opportunistic bacteria which tend to affect individuals with weakened immunity or cystic fibrosis. To date there have been few attempts to develop vaccines to Bcc species. Therefore, the primary goal of this review is to provide a broad overview of the various subunit antigens that have been tested in Bpc species, their protective efficacy, study limitations, and known or suspected mechanisms of protection. Then, we assess the reviewed Bpc antigens for their amino acid sequence conservation to homologous proteins found in Bcc species. We propose that protective Bpc antigens with a high degree of Bpc-to-Bcc sequence conservation could serve as components of a pan-Burkholderia vaccine capable of protecting against both disease-causing groups.

Medical ozone is a redox regulator with beneficial effects in oxidative etiology diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to conduct a holistic review from different pharmacological trials involving ozone in model diseases as well as the clinical response of RA patients. The ROS involved in RA and its relationship to the main pathological pathways of this autoimmune disease were here considered. The integrator analysis of experimental results from animals with clinical findings have revealed that both methotrexate (MTX) and medical ozone share common mechanisms via adenosinergic regulation. This finding has enabled us to propose a new pharmacological mechanism in the treatment of RA. We concluded that MTX + medical ozone combined therapy reduces ROS overproduction and the generation of proinflammatory cytokines, and decreases anti-cyclic citrullinate peptide levels by a mutual mechanism involving adenosine A1 receptors.

Osteopetrosis incidence is less than 1:200,000 birth in most populations (Worth, 1963) . It's more common in consanguineous people as it's unusual in two members of the same family. The defined treatment for Osteopetrosis is Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). With a 73% five years disease-free survival in donors. The incidence of Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is 1 in 300–900 newborns. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is due to hypertrophy of the smooth muscle of the pyloric sphincter. The classic age of occurrence is the first few months of life, and the classic presentation is non-bilious projectile vomiting after feeding. We reported a four family members with Osteopetrosis and Pyloric stenosis and their three cousins with Osteopetrosis, which is a very rare presentation and association.

Critically ill patients with COVID-19 may develop serious respiratory difficulties, causing a significant reduction in blood oxygen saturation pressure. Physical Ventilation of the lungs is one of the main methods to help critically ill patients through the acute phase of infection. During extreme situations when dysfunctional lungs are filled with sticky sputum in the alveolus or when there are simply not enough ventilators to match the need, the mortality rate can be dramatically increased. Here, we propose an intravenous injection method that may increase and maintain the blood oxygen pressure at normal levels. The intravenous (IV) infusion contains oxygen nanobubbles in physiological saline solution (ONPS), in which the dissolved oxygen content can be 2-6 times higher than the normal oxygen solubility in pure water. This makes it possible to oxygenate blood with a small limited volume of IV fluid without the risk of gaseous bubble formation in blood vessels.

Molecular dynamics(MD) simulations are playing an increasingly important role in structure-based drug discovery (SBDD). Here we review the use of MD for proteins in aqueous solvation, organic/aqueous mixed solvents (MDmix) and with small ligands, to the classic SBDD problems: binding mode and binding free energy predictions. The simulation of proteins in their condensed state reveals the solvent structure and preferential interaction sites (hot spots) on the protein surface. This information is largely transferable across all classes of protein ligands (from water to drugs) and can be used very effectively to understand ligand recognition and improve the predictive capability of well-established methods such as molecular docking. MD simulations for protein and drug or drug-like compounds are now being used but are still computationally expensive and can only be applied to specific cases. On the other hand, MDmix simulations can now be used in SBDD and we will describe the latest developments and implementations. We expect to see an increase in the application of these techniques to a plethora of protein targets to identify new drug candidates with the advent of new tools and faster computers.

New energy vehicles (NEVs) have been proposed as a promising technology to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. China is one of the leading countries in the development of NEVs, and a wide range of companies, including large and smaller businesses, are involved in the Chinese NEV market. Given that the NEV market involves the creation of nascent technologies, there are significant barriers to the development of NEV companies in the business growth stage. This is particularly significant in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study surveyed 100 NEV SMEs in China using a structured questionnaire to determine the most significant barriers to the growth of their businesses. Calculating the relative importance index (RII) from the collected questionnaire responses revealed that the most significant barrier at the growth stage is the lack of skilled scientists in China. The most important category of barriers is legal and institutional barriers, which suggests that government intervention in business activities, taxes, and unclear regulations are viewed by entrepreneurs as a serous hindrance to further development in the NEV industry.

This paper systematically examines Chinese academic discourse that concurrently addresses Indonesia and Timor-Leste, analysing 137 articles from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and indexed by the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI). The analysis reveals significant publication trends, particularly during periods of heightened geopolitical and economic engagement, such as the global expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It identifies predominant themes such as economic cooperation, security concerns, and historical-cultural dynamics. The findings highlight China’s strategic interests and leadership aspirations in Southeast Asia， providing insights into how Chinese scholars perceive and articulate China’s strategic interests and diplomatic efforts in the region involving Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

This study investigates the utilization of innovative green composites made from hemp shiv, a waste by-product of hemp cultivation, with the aim of promoting sustainability within the construction industry. The manufacturing method involve the application of pressure in a mold to create the samples. These materials were produced using an environmentally friendly binder consisting of colophony, arabic gum and corn starch, moreover white glue and bioepoxy are also used to compare with the green resins. Three different binder compositions for the specimens. The samples underwent mechanical testing through tensile and bending assessments, and their performance was compared to that of non-green binders to validate the effectiveness of the manufacturing processes. The study revealed that decreasing the moisture content during the curing process is crucial for improving the mechanical properties. The best results were achieved when using arabic gum as a binder, yielding a tensile strength of 2.16 MPa and a bending strength of 5.25 MPa, with a composition of 62.5% hemp shiv and a manufacturing process involving a pressure of 5 MPa.

Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has reemphasized the urgent need for broad-spectrum antiviral therapies. We developed a computational workflow using scRNA-Seq data to assess cellular metabolism during viral infection. With this workflow we predicted the capacity of cells to sustain SARS-CoV-2 virion production in patients and found a tissue-wide induction of metabolic pathways that support viral replication. Expanding our analysis to influenza A and dengue viruses, we identified metabolic targets and inhibitors for potential broad-45 spectrum antiviral treatment. These targets were highly enriched for known interaction partners of all analyzed viruses. Indeed, phenformin, an NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase inhibitor, suppressed SARS-CoV-2 and dengue virus replication. Atpenin A5, blocking succinate dehydrogenase, inhibited SARS-CoV-2, dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza A with high selectivity indices. In vivo, phenformin showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in a Syrian hamster model. Our work establishes host metabolism as druggable for broad-spectrum antiviral strategies, providing invaluable tools for pandemic preparedness.

The study presents a comparison of the common Child Restraint Systems (CRS) which reduces the value of dynamic loads affecting the child's body during car accidents. The analyzed systems were: child seats, Combi Booster Seats, and straps adjusting vehicle seat belts to children's sizes. The effectiveness of the analyzed devices was assessed on the basis of experimental tests carried out in the accredited laboratory approving the Child Restraint Systems. The tests were carried out accordingly to the new Regulation No. 129 UN / ECE. Whether the tested devices meet the guidelines of the new Regulations No. 129 despite approval in accordance with Regulation No. 44. Based on the research result, better safety parameters of some new solutions dedicated to children’s safety could be observed. The final results show that there is still space for improving the safety of young vehicle passengers.

The study presents a comparison of the common Child Restraint Systems (CRS) which reduces the value of dynamic loads affecting the child's body during car accidents. The analyzed systems were: child seats, Combi Booster Seats, and straps adjusting vehicle seat belts to children's sizes. The effectiveness of the analyzed devices was assessed on the basis of experimental tests carried out in the accredited laboratory approving the Child Restraint Systems. The tests were carried out accordingly to the new Regulation No. 129 UN / ECE. Whether the tested devices meet the guidelines of the new Regulations No. 129 despite approval in accordance with Regulation No. 44. Based on the research result, better safety parameters of some new solutions dedicated to children's safety could be observed. The final results show that there is still space for improving the safety of young vehicle passengers.

Background: Aberrations in endothelial cells, immune and oxidative pathways are associated with atherosclerosis (ATS) and unstable angina (UA). The role of trace elements, minerals, and the endogenous opioid system (EOS) in UA are less well established. Methods: We measured lipid, insulin resistance (IR), and immune, trace element (copper and zinc), mineral (magnesium, calcium), EOS (β-endorphin and mu-opioid receptor (MOR)) and antioxidant (vitamin D3) biomarkers in patients with ATS (n=60) and UA (n=60) and healthy controls (n=58). Results: ATS patients showed increased atherogenic and IR indices, IL-6, IL-10, β-endorphin, copper and magnesium, and lower zinc than healthy controls. Logistic regression showed that UA was significantly discriminated from ATS without UA with an accuracy of 85.5% using calcium, IL-10, β-endorphin, MOR, triglycerides, IR (all positively), and copper and vitamin D3 (inversely). Neural networks showed that UA was discriminated from ATS without UA with an area under the ROC curve of 0.942 using MOR, β-endorphin, calcium, insulin resistance, vitamin D3 and copper as input variables. We found that 50.0% of the variance in IR was explained by the regression on copper, IL-10, IL-6 (all positively), and zinc (inversely), while 32.9% of the variance in the atherogenic index of plasma was explained by copper, IL-10 (both positively), and magnesium (inversely). Conclusion: UA is not only mediated by insulin resistance, atherogenicity, and immune disorders, but also by aberrations in the endogenous opioid system and trace elements as well as lowered antioxidant levels. Copper appears to play a key role in IR and atherogenicity.

Pretilachlor is a chloroacetamide herbicide, mainly used for the control of weeds and broadleaf weeds in rice, and widely used in China. For the detection of residues of pretilachlor in the en-vironment and food, a highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody against pretilachlor was prepared, and the half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the monoclonal antibody was validated to be 31.47±2.35 μg/L. An indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) based on the antibody with a linear range of 6.25~100 μg/L was developed for the detection of pretilachlor residues in the environment and food crops. The specificity of the antibody was explained by computer simula-tions and experimental validation. No cross-reactivity of this monoclonal antibody to alachlor, acetochlor and metalaxyl, and it cross-reacted less than 3.0% to both butachlor and propisochlor. The limits of detection (LOD) for pretilachlor in lake, rice, and soil samples were 4.83~5.23 μg/L. The recoveries of all samples were 78.3%~91.3%. The ic-ELISA method was validated by high-performance liquid chromatography, thus, it can be used for residue detection of pretilachlor in the environment and grains.

Lirianthe delavayi has valuable ornamental and medicinal value, is an important economic tree, and has a long history of cultivation. As important regulatory molecules, miRNAs are involved in important physiological processes, such as the plant stress response, organ morphogenesis, hormone secretion, and signaling. In this study, based on miRNA sequencing analysis of wild and cultivated Lirianthe delavayi, we explored the differences in posttranscriptional regulation during the cultivation of Lirianthe delavayi from the aspect of miRNA molecular regulation. The results revealed the following: 1. A total of 365 miRNAs were sequenced and identified, and their first bases had obvious uracil (U) base preferences. Among them, 242 miRNAs were classified into 32 miRNA families; 2. Analysis of miRNA expression differences revealed that 39 miRNAs had significant expression differences between wild and cultivated populations; 3. Bioinformatics target gene prediction and target gene enrichment analysis of significantly differentially expressed miRNAs revealed that the target genes were significantly enriched in plant‒pathogen interactions, sphingolipid metabolism, defense responses, and ADP binding. 4. The plant‒pathogen interaction pathway involves seven differentially expressed miRNAs and 30 miRNA‒target gene regulatory pairs, which are involved mainly in pathogen signature molecule recognition and binding, signal transduction, and the regulation of disease resistance molecules or gene expression; Ath-MIR169g-p3_2ss7AG19GA, ath-MIR169g-p5_2ss7AG19GA, and ath-miR408-3p_L-3 are expressed only in wild population, and it is hypothesized that the domestication process from wild to cultivation species may be accompanied by the loss of disease resistance-related miRNAs. This study provides a reference for exploring the posttranscriptional-level regulatory mechanisms of adaptive changes in Lirianthe delavayi from wild to cultivated.

Yerba maté, an herbal tea derived from Ilex paraguariensis, has previously been reported to be protective against obesity-related and other cardiometabolic disorders. Using high-resolution respirometry and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, the effects of four weeks of yerba maté consumption on mitochondrial efficiency and cellular redox status in skeletal muscle, adipose, and liver, tissues highly relevant to whole body metabolism, were explored in healthy adult mice. Yerba maté treatment increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption in adipose, but not in other tissues examined. Yerba maté increased ATP concentration in skeletal muscle and decreased ATP concentration in adipose. Combined with observed changes in oxygen consumption, these data yielded a significantly higher ATP:O2, a measure of mitochondrial efficiency, in muscle and a significantly lower ATP:O2 in adipose, which were consistent with yerba maté-induced weight loss. Yerba maté treatment also altered the hepatic glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) redox potential to a more reduced redox state, suggesting potential protective effects against oxidative stress and preservation of cellular function. Together, these data indicate beneficial, tissue-specific effects of yerba maté supplementation on mitochondrial bioenergetics and redox states in healthy mice that are protective against obesity.

Background: The use of salivary biomarkers offers a non-invasive approach to understanding the metabolic and inflammatory status of hypertensive patients. This study aimed to quantify the salivary nitric oxide (NO), total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) levels in hypertensive individuals and healthy controls in a sub-population in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised diagnosed hypertensive patients (test group, 40–50 years old) and age-matched healthy controls who visited the dental hospital in the College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, for dental treatment. Nitric oxide, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL levels in saliva were assessed. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the results between the hypertensive and control groups. Results: The study included 40 hypertensive patients (20 males and 20 females, aged 40-50) and 40 age-matched healthy individuals (20 males and 20 females). Significant differences in the triglyceride (p = 0.007), cholesterol (p = 0.033), and NO (p = 0.014) levels were observed between the two groups. The triglyceride level was significantly correlated with age in the test group (p = 0.04). Conclusion: This study demonstrated significant differences in the nitrate levels and lipid profiles between hypertensive patients and healthy individuals in a sub-population in Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that saliva can be used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for assessing nitrate levels and the lipid profile. However, additional studies with larger sample sizes and more precise testing parameters are required to validate the findings.

The abundant and renewable resources from fruit byproducts are getting emphasis on their valorization. These byproducts are suspected of possible toxications during cultivation, harvesting, transporting, preservation, or processing. Hence, presenting scientific overviews of the toxicological qualities and detoxification trends of these byproducts is critical to implicating their possible valorization. This review emphasized the toxicological qualities of byproducts from fruits for which the maximum global production occurred in 2022. In this review, heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Hg), mycotoxins, toxicant organic compounds, anti-nutritional factors, and pesticide/fungicide residues of the selected fruit byproducts were discussed. Current trends to reduce possible toxicants of these byproducts during their valorization were emphasized. Novel functional foods valorized from these fruit byproducts and future perspectives of detoxification were also focused on in this review.

This article presents a low-cost insurance system developed for small-hold farms in disaster-prone regions, primarily using free Earth Observation (EO) data and Free Open Source Software (FOSS) – collectively termed sustainable geoinformatics - with a proprietary mobile phone app that enables verification. The study examined 30 farms in Risaralda department, Colombia. A Digital Elevation Model (12.5m pixels) from the ALOS PALSAR satellite sensor was used with a Geographical Information System (GIS) to map the terrain, drainage and geohazards of each farming district. Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used to carry out Time Series Analysis of 15 EO and weather datasets for 1998 to 2020. This analysis enabled the levels of risk from hydrometeorological hazards to be determined for each farm of the study, providing key data for the setting of insurance premiums. A parametric insurance product was piloted using GPS-tagged, time-stamped mobile phone photos to verify crop health. Key features of this insurance system are its low operational cost and rapid damage verification, relative to conventional approaches to farm insurance. It is an affordable form of insurance for small-scale farmers, with the rapid verification and payment of claims. This relatively fast, low-cost and affordable approach to insurance for small-scale farming enhances sustainable development by enabling policy-holder farmers to recover more quickly from disasters.

A study analyzed financial statements in the beer sectors of Italy and Spain during 2019-2021 using compositional data analysis (CoDa) to gauge pre- and post-pandemic financial health and aid sector-level decision-making. Geometric averages were employed to mitigate statistical issues, offering more accurate insights than arithmetic averages. The exploratory, quantitative methodology calculated key financial ratios and profitability metrics. Results indicated satisfactory short-term solvency. Returns and margins remained subpar despite pandemic policies. Geometric averages proved essential in portraying sector health accurately, underscoring the need for their use in classic brewing sector ratios. The study also showcased CoDa's efficacy in diagnosing sectoral financial health for informed decision-making. Furthermore, a web analysis revealed varying transparency levels in communicating non-financial indicators, with Spain excelling in waste, water, and energy disclosures, while Italy prioritized energy and waste with less transparency.

Custom copper smelters, dependent on purchased concentrates, face increasing economic pressures amid falling treatment and refining fees. With declining availability of high-grade, low-impurity concentrates, copper demand is expected to surge to support the transition to renewable energy. This study, based on recent observations of Chinese custom smelters, examines their strategies to address the challenge of purchasing concentrates at record-low treatment and refining charges. By investing in slag flotation technology, smelters can enhance copper, gold and silver recoveries. Through blending of high-grade and low-grade concentrates they can capitalize on the gap between the recoverable and payable metals, which is often referred to as “free metals”, while also benefiting from by-products, mainly sulfuric acid. While this approach offers economic opportunities, it introduces operational complexities. To mitigate these, laboratory testing combined with advanced digital predictive tools based on thermodynamics is crucial. This study demonstrates the use of thermodynamic models supported by experimental work for analyzing furnace operations. FactSage® software and a custom database are employed to define the operating window of two common flowsheets: 1) Flash Smelting + Flash Converting and 2) Bottom-Blown Smelting + Bottom Blowing Converting.

In combustor systems, thermoacoustic instabilities may occur and must be avoided for reliable op-eration. An acoustic network model can be used to predict the eigenfrequencies of the instabilities and the growth rate by incorporating the combustion dynamics with a Flame Transfer Function (FTF). The FTF defines the interconnection between burner aerodynamics and the rate of combus-tion. In the current study, the method to measure the FTF in a pressurized combustor is explored. A siren unit, mounted in the fuel line, induced a fuel flow excitation of variable amplitude and high maximum frequency. This was done here for pressurized conditions at 1.5 bar and 3 bar and at thermal power of 125 kW and 250 kW. In addition to the experimental investigation, a 1-D acoustic network model approach is used. In the model, thermo viscous damping effects and reflection coefficients are incorporated. The model results compare well with experimental data, indicating the proposed method to determine the FTF is reliable. In the approach, a combination of a FTF with a band stop approach and a network modeling approach was applied. The method provides a good match between experimentally observed behavior and analytical approach and can be used for instability analysis.

High temperature stress affects tomato production both in tropical and sub-tropical environments worldwide. To explore genetic variation for heat tolerance in tomato, 329 transcontinental tomato varieties were evaluated at The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) greenhouses near Doha, Qatar. Preliminary phenotypic analysis identified a diverse set of 71 hybrid and pure line tomato varieties for more detailed studies. The selected subset was examined in the greenhouse in a randomized complete block design under heat stress. The materials were phenotyped for fruit size, fruit weight, fruit hardness, fruit locules, fruit set (%), total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit yield. Significant phenotypic differences among genotypes were observed for all the traits assessed. To explore the genetic basis of variation among varieties the subset was genotyped using 104 SNP markers identified in previous heat tolerance genome wide association studies (GWAS). Nineteen QTL associated SNP markers could reliably select heat tolerant varieties in terms of better fruit yield, fruit set, and TSS. These markers are located on Chromosome 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 12. Interestingly, two clusters of markers on chromosome 6 were linked to significant effects on yield, fruit set, and TSS under high temperature. Some markers located within these QTL regions were also reported as associated with heat tolerance in other studies. Eighteen out of nineteen SNP markers were mapped within a gene body. Based on the phenotypic and the genotypic analysis, an elite set of five varieties was selected for approval for heat stress environments in Qatar. These findings have significance not only for Qatar, but they are also valuable for wider application at other locations worldwide. The 19 markers presented here could be adopted by breeders for marker-assisted selection (MAS) for heat tolerance.

The article discusses early diagnosis and intervention for developmental delays in children, emphasizing the role of specialized services and personnel in supporting recovery and development. It presents findings from a pilot project initiated in Bucharest, aiming to assess the incidence of developmental delays in children aged 1-3 years in selected kindergartens, including ASD. The study involved children, parents, and specialists, utilizing systematic behavior observation (SBO) and semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that out of 613 evaluated children, 81 received specialized control recommendations, with 4 cases showing potential risk of ASD. Additionally, 8 children were diagnosed with autism. The incidence of autism in children aged 1-3 years was 1 in 51. Although exploratory, these findings suggest a model of good practice for future early diagnosis campaigns nationally. Conclusively, the study underscores the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for developmental delays, advocating for a responsive community and emphasizing the significance of national-level efforts to address these issues effectively.

CAR-T cell therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking approach in cancer treatment, leveraging the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. While currently focused on hematologic malignancies, the future holds promise for expanding CAR-T cell therapy to diverse cancers, enhancing its efficacy, and improving safety profiles. Recent advances in tumor immunology have propelled CAR-T cell therapy as a game-changer in treating diseases such as relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM). Six CAR-T cell products have received FDA approval for treating R/R B cell malignancies. However, challenges persist, including complications like cytokine release syndrome (CRS), coagulopathy, and cytopenias. Strategies to mitigate these complications involve targeting distinct antigens with dual- or multi-targeted CAR-T cells and enhancing immunogenicity. Additionally, γδ CAR-T cells show promise in recognizing antigen- negative leukemia cells in an MHC-independent manner while reducing the risk of inducing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). As CAR-T cell therapy continues to evolve through innovation and discovery, it holds the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, offering new hope to patients and reshaping the landscape of oncology with its precision and efficacy.

RNA virus polymerases carry out multiple functions necessary for successful genome replication and transcription. A key tool for molecular studies of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) is a ‘minigenome’ or ‘minireplicon’ assay, in which viral RdRps are reconstituted in cells in the absence of full virus infection. Typically, plasmids expressing the viral polymerase protein(s) and other co-factors are co-transfected along with a plasmid expressing an RNA encoding a fluorescent or luminescent reporter gene flanked by viral untranslated regions containing cis-acting elements required for viral RdRp recognition. This reconstitutes the viral transcription/replication machinery and allows viral RdRp activity to be measured as a correlate of reporter protein signal. Here we report the first development of a plasmid-based minigenome assay for species A rotavirus, using a firefly luciferase reporter gene.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was recently appeared all over the world. The viral main protease (3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine enzyme) controls COVID-19 duplication and manages its life cycle, making it a drug discovery target. Therefore, herein, we analyzed the theoretical approaches of 10 structurally different hydrolysable tannins as natural anti-COVID-19 through binding with the main protease of 2019-nCoV using molecular docking modelling via Molecular Operating Environment (MOE v2009) software. Our results revealed that there are top three hits may serve as potential anti-COVID-19 lead molecules for further optimization and drug development to control COVID-19. Pedunculagin, tercatain, and punicalin were found to faithfully interact with the receptor binding site and catalytic dyad (Cys145 and His41) of COVID-19 main protease, showing their successfully inhibit the protease enzyme of 2019-nCoV. We anticipated that this study would pave way for tannins based novel small molecules as more efficacious and selective anti-COVID-19 therapeutic compounds.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) significantly damage biological systems related to reproductive, neurological, and metabolic functions. Approximately 1,000 chemicals are known to possess endocrine-acting properties, including bisphenol A (BPA) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). This study primarily focuses on the potential effects of EDCs on the transcriptional levels of innate immune prophenoloxidase (proPO) system-related genes to oxidative stress in the gonad and stomach of the mud crab Macrophthalmus japonicus, an indicator species for assessing coastal benthic environments, when exposed to BPA or DEHP. After EDC exposure, the expression of lipopolysaccharide and β-1,3-glucan-binding protein (LGBP), a pattern recognition protein that activates the proPO system, was upregulated in the stomach of M. japonicus, whereas LGBP gene expression was downregulated in the gonad. In the gonad, which is a reproductive organ, EDC exposure mainly induced the transcriptional upregulation of trypsin-like serine protease (Tryp) at relatively low concentrations. In the stomach, which is a digestive organ, LGBP expression was upregulated at relatively low concentrations of EDCs over 7 days, whereas all proPO system-related genes (LGBP, Tryp, serine protease inhibitor (Serpin), and peroxinectin (PE)) responded to all concentrations of EDCs. These results suggest that the antioxidant and immune defense responses of the proPO system to EDC toxicity may vary, causing different degrees of damage depending on the tissue type in the mud crab.

Using the phenomenon of transpiration, plants are able to raise soil water to a height of about 100 meters. According to the Cohesion - Tension theory, water moves through the capillaries of plant along a gradient of negative water potential in a single unified flow along a single route from roots to leaves, entering on its way into living cells for their nutrition and evaporating into the atmosphere in significant amounts in the leaves. The paper shows that in a case of artificial transpiration devices (ATD), the flow of rising water can be divided into two streams - the transpiration stream and the passive water stream - and as a result, such devices become capable of raising water to any given height. As proof, the working variant of two-stream ATD is proposed. The development of this ATD was carried out in two stages, discussed in details in the paper. At the first, experimental stage, a physical model was designed and manufactured, in which the flow of rising water was divided into two streams moving along two independent routes. The first route is used exclusively for the purpose of transpiration of water - transporting it into an artificial evaporator for complete evaporation into the atmosphere. The second route is used exclusively to transport passive water using the energy obtained in the first route during the process of transpiration. During many hours of testing, the physical model demonstrated a stable ability to bring masses of passive water, maintaining normal atmospheric pressure in them, to a small height, even in the extreme case not exceeding 10 meters. At the second, analytical stage, this two-stream model was developed into a two-stream multi-stage model, capable of raising water to any given height by choosing the number of stages. The number of stages can be very large, and portions of water can be delivered to any given height, remaining under normal atmospheric pressure. The conclusion part of the paper discusses the prospects of creating on the basis of the developed two-stream ATDs large systems that can, using the phenomenon of transpiration, become a sources of clean energy, similar to how it is realized in the mass of plants.

Honey bee colonies rapidly decline when confined to greenhouses, increasing pollination rental costs as they need to be replaced frequently. We tested a hive system with entrances that can be manipulated to direct bees to inside or outside greenhouses containing a zucchini crop. In one greenhouse, the bees could only forage inside for 15 days; in another, bees were directed to the inside from 5 to 9 AM, after which they foraged outside. This procedure was repeated two more times in each greenhouse with new hives. Data was collected on how the number of bee flower visits affected fruit production, the frequency of flower visits, and the amount of bee brood and food in the hives. Flowers visited by bees four times or more set more and larger fruit. The frequency of flower visits by bees from the hives confined to the greenhouse was reduced after eight days; it was not reduced in the greenhouse with bees that could forage outside. Bee brood area was reduced in the colonies that were confined to the greenhouse, while it was maintained in the semiconfined hives. The hive system with controllable entrances proved effective for pollination, while causing less damage to the bees.

In 2020-2021, the second massive dissemination of a highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of H5Nx subtype occurred in Europe. During this period, the virus caused numerous outbreaks in poultry, including in the Czech Republic. In the present study, we provide an insight into the genetic variability of the Czech/2021 (CZE/2021) H5N8 viruses to determine the relationships between strains from wild and domestic poultry and to infer transmission routes between the affected flocks of commercial poultry. For this purpose, whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 70 H5N8 HPAI genomes representing 79.7% of the cases were performed. All CZE/2021 H5N8 viruses belonged to the 2.3.4.4b H5 lineage and circulated without reassortment, retaining the A/chicken/Iraq/1/2020 H5N8-like genotype constellation. Phylogenetic analysis suggested frequent local transmission of H5N8 HPAI from wild birds to minor poultry and extensive farm-to-farm spread among commercial poultry farms. In addition, the analysis suggested one cross-border transmission event. Indirect transmission via contaminated materials was considered the most likely source of infection. Improved biosecurity and increased collaboration between the field veterinarians and the laboratory are essential to limit the local spread of the virus and to reveal and interrupt critical routes of infection.

Aluminum, a contentious trace element found in the environment, has been demonstrated to have harmful effects on both humans and animals. In contrast, Sempervivum tectorum, an evergreen plant, has been found to offer numerous beneficial effects for both humans and animals. Therefore, this study aims to assess the protective effect of S. tectorum on certain reproductive biomarkers in male rats exposed to aluminum. Thirty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: NTC (no-treatment control) received distilled water; NC (negative control) received drinking water containing 1 mg/L aluminum sulfate (AS); E1 received 1 mg/L AS along with an 8% S. tectorum extract; PC (positive control) received only 8% S. tectorum extract; E2 received 1 mg/L AS for three months followed by 8% extract for one month. The study analyzed testosterone, LH, FSH, body weight, and the histological structure of the testis, epididymis, and prostate, as well as the levels of zinc, manganese, copper, and iron in these organs. Significant decreases in body weight, testis, and epididymis size were observed in the aluminum-exposed groups compared to the control, whereas these decreases were not significant in the S. tectorum-treated groups compared to the control. Aluminum exposure led to significant decreases in testosterone and LH levels, with FSH levels showing a non-significant decrease in males, which were mitigated significantly by the administration of the plant extract. Histological analysis revealed alterations in the testis, epididymis, and prostate of the AS-exposed groups, including necrosis of seminiferous tubule epithelium and Leydig cells in the testis, and basal epithelial necrosis in the epididymis and prostate. Aluminum levels increased in all organs studied, while levels of zinc, copper, iron, and manganese decreased, showing a negative and significant correlation with aluminum levels. The aqueous extract of S. tectorum demonstrated a protective effect on certain studied biomarkers in male rats affected by aluminum exposure.

The term Air Quality (AQ) pertains to the standard of air, which has a direct impact on the health and well-being of individuals. It is crucial to maintain high Air Quality (AQ), for better health and productivity. Though most of people spend more time indoors nowadays, it is not to be overlooked that the pollutant concentration in indoor air is directly linked to the outdoor air quality. Due to the changes in occupancy patterns, outdated maintenance of ventilation systems, and structural flaws in buildings, the indoor air is significantly polluted; pollutants emitted outdoors enter indoor air through open windows, ventilation systems and infiltration. In this paper, we have proposed a new technique, DTMCPM (discrete-time Markov chain (DTMC) model for the analysis and forecasting of AQ, using the power method). Specialized sensors and equipment to measure different pollutants, such as particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, benzene and toluene, are used to collect data by the Institute of Pakistan Air Quality Monitor in various cities; the data is converted to US EPA standard for all pollutant species. This data is used to calculate the transition matrix, steady-state values and mean return rate for the analysis of IAQ. The calculated and actual return rates have been compared and the proposed model is found to have a low average prediction error of 2.356%.

The Linear Fresnel Reflectors are a solar concentration technology that is versatile and can serve many industrial processes or thermal conditioning. Such collectors entail a certain footprint, generating shading on the surface where they are installed. This effect is rarely quantified but may play an indirect role on the surface below. When installed on a roof, the solar radiation heats the building less. In places where the annual heating demand is higher than the cooling demand, this constitutes an asset. However, this becomes a disadvantage when the cooling demand is higher annually than the heating demand. Essentially, the reduced solar radiation allows the growth of plants that would not grow without the shade provided by the collector. The present paper is a quantitative analysis of such shading based on the Linear Fresnel Reflector of the Cyprus Institute. The work was conducted using the Tonatiuh++ ray-tracing software to determine the annual radiation blocking. A total of four years of actual meteorological measurements were applied directly to the ray-tracing model.

We presented unusual case of double left ventricular false aneurysm complicating late presentation AMI successfully treated with the combination of urgent surgical drainage of tamponade, staged PCI of non-culprit lesion, preventive implantation of ICD-DR, guideline directed heart failure medical therapy and delayed but effective reconstructive operation.

The air attenuation of pure tones as a function of temperature and humidity is well known and described in ISO and ANSI standards. However, room acoustic measurements are performed in octave bands, which is the reason for a complicated, nonlinear behavior of the air attenuation. It is known that room acoustic measurement results depend on air temperature and humidity, and these atmospheric data should always be reported in connection with room acoustic measurements. A calculation model for the air attenuation can make it possible to normalize the room acoustic results. For accurate results it is possible to apply a summation method on each time sample in the impulse response. An approximation to the air attenuation at and above 1 kHz is possible by linearization using the pure-tone attenuation of two different frequencies, one frequency valid for the early part of the impulse response, and another frequency valid for the later part of the impulse response. The purpose of the suggested methods is to make it possible to normalize room acoustic measurements to a standard atmosphere.

The coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet), is a key pest in coffee producing countries. During their development, the larvae feed on the palisade parenchyma of the leaves forming mines. As a result, the photosynthetic area of the plant decreases, affecting coffee production. Despite the severity of the damage caused by coffee leaf miner (CLM), morphological aspects of the larval development and the adult genitalia remain unknown. It is important to identify more susceptible targets to an efficient and narrow control by natural or synthetic approaches, relies on determining the larval instars. Equally important is the sexing of the adult, in experiments aiming efficient ways to control CLM, as the study of pheromone-based control methods. This work presents the first morphological description of the four larval instars and the adult genitalia of L. coffeella. In each larval instar, we measured the Mean ± SD (mm) of the cephalic capsules (1^st 0,14±0,03; 2^nd 0,25±0,04; 3^rd 0,32±0,03; 4^th 0,42±0,03) and observed the following morphological details: primary setae, prolegs, crochets and ecdysial line of the cephalic capsule. In the adults, we observed the sexual structures present in both genitalia: male - bulbus ejaculatorius, valva, anellus, gnathos and aedeagus and female - ovipositor, sclerite and corpus bursae. The dissection of the adult specimens confirmed that the external morphology corresponds to the correct sex attribution in CLM adults. These results may support innovative and improved control strategies for CLM Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Genes that affect adaptive traits have been identified, but our knowledge of the genetic basis of adaptation in a more general sense (across multiple traits) remains limited. We combined population-genomic analyses of evolve and resequence experiments, genome-wide association mapping of performance traits, and analyses of gene expression to fill this knowledge gap, and shed light on the genomics of adaptation to a marginal host (lentil) by the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus. Using population-genomic approaches, we detected modest parallelism in allele frequency change across replicate lines during adaptation to lentil. Mapping populations derived from each lentil-adapted line revealed a polygenic basis for two host-specific performance traits (weight and development time), which had low to modest heritabilities. We found less evidence of parallelism in genotype-phenotype associations across these lines than in allele frequency changes during the experiments. Differential gene expression caused by differences in recent evolutionary history exceeded that caused by immediate rearing host. Together, the three genomic data sets suggest that genes affecting traits other than weight and development time are likely to be the main causes of parallel evolution, and that detoxification genes (especially cytochrome P450s and beta-glucosidase) could be especially important for colonization of lentil by C. maculatus.

: Healthcare workers are affected by mental health issues, burnout and turnover, and this burden is even greater during epidemics and pandemics, such as COVID-19. The purpose of this research is to provide an overview of the measures introduced or supported in the institutions of Quebec’s health and social services network during the COVID-19 pandemic with the aim of protecting healthcare workers’ mental health. An online questionnaire survey was administered in 2021 among human resources department personnel in health and social services network institutions involved in workplace mental health in Quebec. A total of 223 key informants representing 31 of the 34 public health and social services institutions in the province of Quebec in Canada responded to the questionnaire. Measures that focus on the needs of staff, involve all levels of authority and the ones that provide flexibility, support and recognition at work were more successful, according to the advisors surveyed. Future research into whether the same measures are considered effective or ineffective outside of a pandemic context is needed.

Background: Disparity in adult mortality (AM) with reference to social dynamics and health care has not been sufficiently examined. This study aimed to identify the gap in the understanding of AM in relation to religion, political stability, economic level, and universal health coverage (UHC). Methods: A cross-national study was performed with different sources of data, using the administrative record linkage theory. We created a new data set using data from the 2013 World Bank data catalogue by region, The Economist (Political instability index 2013), Stuckler David et al. (Universal health coverage, 2010), and religious categories of all UN country members. Descriptive statistics, a t-test, an ANOVA followed by a post hoc test, and a linear regression were used where applicable. Result: The average AM rate for males and females was 0.20 ± 0.10 and 0.14 ± 0.10, respectively. AM was significantly higher in economically weak countries, countries with political instability, countries with traditional religion, without achievement of UHC, and Sub-Saharan Africa (p<0.01). There was high disparity of AM between countries with and without UHC (F = male: 61.89, female: 51.85, p<0.001) and between groups with low and high income (F = male: 36.33, female: 42.39, p<0.001). UHC and political stability would significantly reduce AMR by > 0.41 in both sexes and high economic status would reduce male AMR by 0.44, and female AMR by 0.70, in relation to countries without UHC, with political instability, and low economic status. Conclusions: Disparities in AM can be reduced after the achievement of UHC and economically productive activities for those adults affected by conflict and political unrest.

The advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) has significantly advanced natural language processing (NLP), yet their application to historical texts remains challenging due to archaic language, distinct terminologies, and varied contextual backgrounds. This study introduces Historical Domain Large Language Models, designed to bridge this gap by adapting LLMs for better comprehension and processing of historical data. Our approach leverages context-aware and task-specific prompts to enhance model performance in tasks such as named entity recognition (NER), sentiment analysis, and information extraction within historical contexts. We propose an iterative refinement process to improve prompt quality and model outputs continuously. Instruction tuning on newly collected evaluation data ensures our methods' efficacy, avoiding biases from previously used datasets. Evaluations using GPT-4 demonstrate significant improvements in handling historical texts, underscoring the potential of our approach to unlock profound insights from historical data. This work highlights the importance of tailored LLM adaptations for specialized domains, offering a robust framework for future research in historical NLP.

Burrowing crabs are considered to be the ecosystem engineers in mangrove ecosystems because they have impact on the ecosystem functioning through bio-geochemical transformations. This process depends on the size and shape of burrows. The present study analysed architecture of burrows, constructed by crabs in a restored mangrove habitat. Fourteen crab species were found to construct the burrows of 13 different shapes with predominance of ‘I’,’J’,’L’. The burrow shape was diverse in Metopograpsus messor, followed by Austruca occidentalis, Gelasimus vocans, and A. annulipes. The burrow structural complexity was higher during summer in Avicennia or open zone. Sesarmids were larger in size than fiddlers, making the burrows of wider opening. Fiddlers were relatively smaller in size and they constructed complex burrows at vertical position, making longer and deeper burrows, in contrast to sesarmids, which formed simple burrows at horizontal position, digging shorter and shallower burrows. The sesarmids have smaller burrows without branching in mangrove zones, whereas the fiddler crabs (except Austruca variegata) have larger burrows with or without branching in open and Avicennia zones. The fiddler crabs especially Austruca occidentalis and A.annulipes have separate openings and passage for exit and entry as an adaptation against predators. The present work identified Austruca occidentalis and A. annulipes as the most potent bio-turbating crab species for restored mangrove habitats due to their efficiency in soil excavation and large sized burrows.

The mere co-presence of another person synchronizes physiological signals, but no study has systematically investigated effects of type of emotional context and type of relationship in eliciting dyadic physiological synchrony. In this study, we investigated the synchrony of pairs of strangers, companions, and romantic partners while watching a series of video clips designed to elicit different emotions. Maximal cross-correlation of heart rate variability (HRV) was used to quantify dyadic synchrony. The findings suggest that an existing social relationship might reduce the predisposition to conform one's autonomic responses to a friend or romantic partner during social situations that do not require direct interaction.

Hydroponic farming systems play an increasingly important role in the sustainable production of nutrient-rich foods. The contamination of surfaces in hydroponic fresh produce production poses risks to the food safety of crops, potentially endangering public health and causing economic losses in the industry. While sanitizers are widely used in commercial hydroponic farms, their effectiveness against human pathogens on surfaces, and their impact on plant health and quality are not known. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of chemical sanitizers in eliminating Salmonella Typhimurium from inanimate surfaces in commercial hydroponic Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) systems. Further, we assessed the impact of sanitizers on the yield, quality, and nutritional value of lettuce and basil. Sanitizers (Virkon, LanXess; Sanitate 12.0, Bi-oSafe Systems; Kleen Grow, Pace Chemical Ltd.; Green Shield, United Labs Inc.; Zerotol, BioSafe Systems; Bleach, Pure Bright), were tested against Salmonella Typhimurium inoculated on NFT surfaces (nutrient reservoirs, growing channels, top covers, drain lines). The effective treatments were then tested for their impact on lettuce and basil in a split-plot experiment conducted in commercial NFT units. Crop yield, color, and nutrient content were measured throughout the crop life cycle. While all quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC), SaniDate 12.0 (200ppm), Zorotol (5%), and Virkon (1%) eliminated Salmonella Typhimurium from commercial NFT surfaces, chlorine-based sanitizer treatments were statistically similar to water treatments on most surfaces. All chemical sanitizers impacted the yield, color, and nutritional value of lettuce and basil. SaniDate 12.0 (200ppm) was the least detrimental to crops and was identified as a potential candidate for further validation in commercial hydroponic settings. The findings of this study will be translated into recommendations for the industry and will contribute to the development of future food safety guidelines and policies.

Abstract Objective: To assess wound infiltration with ropivacaine plus magnesium sulfate for pain relief following thyroid surgery. Background: Analgesia with local anesthetics following surgery is a critical element of alleviating postoperative pain. However, such strategies in neck surgery has not been a well-established practice. Methods: This prospective double-blind randomized study enrolled 68 patients who underwent thyroid surgery. Concerning the solution used for surgical wound infiltration the study participants were randomly allocated into three groups: 1) 100 mg of ropivacaine (Group R), 2) 100mg of ropivacaine plus magnesium sulfate 10mg/kg (Group RMg), and 3) normal saline which served as placebo (Group P). Pain perception both at rest and at movement, was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 30 minutes, as well as 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively. The total consumption of analgesics in morphine equivalents was also recorded. Moreover, adverse effects and patient satisfaction were recorded. Cortisol, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were measured 30 minutes before infiltration, 6 hours and 24 hours postoperatively. Results: Demographics and clinical characteristics were similar between the groups. The VAS scores at rest and during movement were significantly lower in the RMg group compared to saline or ropivacaine groups. Total analgesic consumption was also significantly lower in the RMg group. No operational, wound or infiltration-related adverse effects were recorded in the study groups. Better overall satisfaction was obtained for the group RMg. Conclusions: Ropivacaine plus magnesium sulfate wound infiltration provided better pain control and analgesic effect was more significant, contributing to effective postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing thyroid surgery.

The occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of our routine life. Here, we briefly reveal the less paid attention aspect, vocabulary. We extracted words from online news outlets during the first three months of the pandemic. The extracted words included many aspects, which we categorised into eight classes according to their functions and implications. We found out the top three dominant classes of vocabularies with the highest frequency compared to others, namely medical, economic and governance. The temporality in the pandemic timeline was vital in making sense of the predominant vocabulary. This paper is a rare preliminary report which provides a valuable insight into future articles with much more comprehensive data and analysis.

Considering the prevalence of cropping pattern in many Saffron cultivation regions, the continuous cropping obstacle caused the decline in growth and development. These effects justify the necessity of studying agronomic strategies to promote plant quality and production. Herein, the mono cropping, intercrop of Paulownia and Saffron, and intercrop of Soybean and Saffron patterns have been performed. The metabolites of Saffron under three cropping patterns were determined and identified using by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. Uni and multivariate statistical analysis were applied to examine the difference between groups and select the significant differential accumulated metabolites. The results showed that a total of 315 compounds were significantly changed in three comparison groups. Phenylalanine metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathway has been greatly enriched by the changed metabolites. The phenyl lactate, trans-2-Hydroxy-cinnamate, γ-Linolenate, 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, 13-0xo-0ctadecadienoic acid, 9,12,13-TriHOME of those metabolites showed significant differential accumulation in Saffron under three cropping patterns. And the accumulation of safranal and picrocrocin related compounds, such as Crocetin, Crocin showed a similar variation regularity. These indicate that there may be a close internal relationship between the cropping pattern and the biosynthesis of metabolites related to endogenous substances and Saffron quality formation.

Regulation at the level of translation plays an essential role in modulating gene expression. Given the importance of knowledge about translationally active mRNAs as an indicator of translation efficiency, it is crucial for researchers to have at their disposal organised sources of functional information on translation - plant translatomic maps similar to transcription maps. The development of a general experimental and computational methodology for constructing translatome maps is essential to address this challenge. In this manuscript, we discuss what researchers can do to design plant translatome maps, namely, we review: (i) experimental methods to obtain translationally active mRNA fractions, considering their advantages and limitations; (ii) additional methodological approaches to obtain complete pools of translationally active mRNAs; (iii) sequencing methods to qualitatively and quantitatively assess different mRNA fractions; and (iv) multivariate analyses of sequencing results by bioinformatics methods, including metrics for assessing mRNA translational activity.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is a new data-driven business model currently being trialed within the energy sector. Introducing P2P transactions to an essential service such as energy could have far-reaching implications for individuals and the grid. This paper raises considerations and questions from social, economic/markets and regulatory points of view, that should be understood and addressed by societies and policymakers. It does this by considering under what circumstances it is reasonable to conceptualize P2P energy trading as part of the sharing economy, and drawing parallels to the sharing economy experience in other sectors. In order to reap the full societal benefits, while avoiding considerable risks to infrastructure and individuals, a policy approach promoting dialogue and innovation is necessary. We suggest the regulatory sandbox is the most appropriate tool to achieve this and would help avoid the breakdown of trust between policymakers and platform companies observed in other sectors.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) gained and will continue to gain a lot of global attention over the coming months (and maybe the coming few years). Since its outbreak in Wuhan (China), it has turned into one of the major challenges affecting the whole world. In a comparatively short time, the virus outbreak turned into a pandemic that led to massive negative impacts not only on people health and well-being, but also on the global economy, travel industry, pharmaceutical industry, tourism industry, and many other industries. This research paper aims to investigate the different effects of coronavirus on the global Halal tourism and Halal hospitality industry and whether the coronavirus pandemic is the end of Halal tourism and hospitality as we know it or not. The paper offers an in-depth theoretical examination of the different aspect of the pandemic on Halal tourism and hospitality industry and provides guidance on how to address these different aspects. The current paper is one of very few research papers addressing coronavirus on the tourism and hospitality industry.

In recent years, food and drink marketers have become increasingly interested in the question of whether there are any meaningful sex/gender differences in the world of taste/flavour perception. However, it turns out that while there are a large number of individual differences in the experience of food/drink, few, if any, fall neatly along sex/gender lines. As such, the marketers of food and drink need to tread very carefully when it comes to marketing food or beverage products specifically at men, or more usually, women. All too often, the brands entering this space soon find their attempts branded crass and/or sexist. Adopting a stealthy or implicit gender-based product development strategy is therefore perhaps more likely to succeed than the explicit targeting of food/beverage-related products in what is undoubtedly a highly-politicized area. That said, the one area where the public appear willing to accept products that are explicitly targeted at men or women is in the case of nutritional foods/supplements.

Study design: Creating and psychometric testing of a new QoL Questionnaire about Physiotherapeutic Specific Exercises of Scoliosis (Questionnaire of Physiotherapeutic Specific Exercises of Scoliosis -QPSSE). Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create a reliable and valid questionnaire for patients suffering mild and moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who have been treated with Physiotherapeutic Specific Exercises of Scoliosis (PSSE) in order to evaluate their quality of life. Materials and Methods: The developed questionnaire was based on a thorough literature review as well as on authors experience. It consists of 53 questions, of which 37 have a positive meaning, 15 have a negative meaning, and one is multiple choice question, additionally there are six “open” questions. Except for the multiple choice question, all other questions are answered on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5 scores. 5 represents a positive meaning or very much, whereas 1 stands for a negative meaning or not at all. Questions were developed by the authors who subsequently categorized the 53 questions into the following 8 domains: physical functioning, self-image, Physiotherapeutic Scoliosis-Specific Exercises (PSSEs), psychosocial functioning, cognitive functioning, compliance, motivation and pain. A pilot study was conducted so that we could calculate Cronbach’s Alpha based on the outcome. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors worked through the Zoom online platform to structure the questionnaire. Results: Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for all correlations evaluated. P values of less than 0.05 were considered to be significant. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha. Although there were very few missing values, accounting for 0.78% of the total values of the questionnaire, expectation maximization likelihood algorithm was used to impute data. IBM® SPSS® Statistics Software v.25 was used for the analysis. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the overall score was 0.84. Conclusion: This original QPSSE was found to be a reliable and valid tool for AIS treated conservatively with PSSE and for their clinicians.

Members of the Ebolavirus genus demonstrate a marked differences in pathogenicity in humans with Ebola (EBOV) being the most pathogenic, Bundibugyo (BDBV) less pathogenic and Reston (RESTV) causing no severe disease in humans. The VP24 protein encoded by members of the Ebolavirus genus blocks type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling through interaction with host karyopherin alpha nuclear transporters, potentially contributing to virulence. Previously we demonstrated that BDBV VP24 (bVP24) binds with lower affinities to karyopherin alpha proteins relative to EBOV VP24 (eVP24), and this correlated with reduced inhibition of IFN-I signaling. We hypothesized that modification of eVP24-karyopherin alpha interface to make it similar to bVP24 would attenuate the ability to antagonize IFN-I response. We generated a panel of recombinant EBOVs containing single or combinations of point mutations in the eVP24-karyopherin alpha interface. Most of the viruses appeared to be attenuated in both IFN-I-competent 769-P and IFN-I-deficient Vero-E6 cells in the presence of IFNs. However, the R140A mutant grew at reduced levels even in the absence of IFNs in both cell lines, as well as in U3A STAT1 knockout cells. Both the R140A mutation and its combination with the N135A mutation caused almost complete inhibition of genome replication and transcription suggesting the role of these mutations in an IFN-I-independent attenuation. Additionally, we found that unlike eVP24, bVP24 does not inhibit interferon lambda 1 (IFN-λ1), which potentially explains the lower pathogenicity of BDBV relative to EBOV. Thus, the VP24 residues binding karyopherin alpha affect ebolavirus pathogenicity by IFN-I-dependent and independent mechanisms.

This paper aims to provide an overview of the complete process in the development of a Domain-Specific Language (DSL). It explains the construction steps such as preliminary research, language implementation, and evaluation. Moreover, it provides details for different key components which are commonly found in the DSLs such as the abstraction layer, DSL metamodel, and the applications. It also explains the general limitations related to the Domain-Specific Languages for Workflows.

The dysregulation of cellular metabolism is a hallmark of ageing. To understand the metabolic changes that occur as a consequence of the ageing process and to find biomarkers for age-related diseases, we conducted a metabolomic analysis of brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen in young (9-10 weeks) and old (96-104 weeks) wild type (mixed genetic background of 129/J and C57BL/6) mice using NMR spectroscopy. We found differences in metabolic fingerprints of all tissues and identified several metabolites to be altered in most tissues, suggesting that they may be universal biomarkers of ageing. In addition, we found distinct tissue-clustered sets of metabolites throughout the organism. The associated metabolic changes may reveal novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ageing and age-related diseases. Moreover, the identified metabolite biomarkers could provide a sensitive molecular read-out to age determine the age of biologic tissues and to validate the effectiveness and potential off-target effects of senolytic drug candidates on both a systemic and tissue-specific level.

Background Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the world. Due to the prevalence and high morbidity, it is of key importance to make a quick and accurate diagnosis and effective therapy. The use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of endometrial cancer is a significant challenge in conducting clinical trials. PDT is non-invasive, with few side effects, damaging only neoplastic tissue, leaving healthy adjacent structures intact. Thanks to numerous experiments (also in vitro), PDT is gaining more and more recognition as a potential tool in endometrium cancer treatment. Objective The aim of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy on endometrial cancer tissue samples Methods In the in vitro experiment of PDT, sections of endometrial cancer tissue taken from female patients were subjected to. Rose Bengal was used as a photosensitizer in order to assess the usefulness of the applied PDT and to introduce these solutions into the in vivo test procedure. Results Changes on the cellular substrate, such as: chromatin condensation, disturbed structure and shape of cell nuclei were observed in all tissues subjected to PDT. Conclusions The PDT experiment in vitro offers opportunities and hopes for using the chosen procedure also in vivo. Keywords endometrial cancer; photodynamic therapy; in vitro; treatment; rose bengal

Unmanned vehicles (UVs) have become increasingly important in various scenarios of civil and military operations. The present work aims at the conceptual design of a modular Amphibious Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV), that can be easily adapted for different types of land and/or water missions, with low monetary cost (&lt;5k€, without sensors). Basing the design on the needs highlighted in the 2021 review of the Strategic Directive of the Portuguese Navy, the necessary specifications and requirements are established for two mission scenarios. Then a market research analysis focused on vehicles currently available, and their technological advances, is conducted to identify existing UVs solutions and respective characteristics/capabilities of interest to the current work. To study and define the geometry of the hull and the configuration of the A-UGV itself, preliminary computational structural and fluid analyses are carried out to ensure it complies with the specifications initially established. As a result, one obtains a fully electric vehicle, with approximate dimensions of 1050×670×450mm (length-width-height), enabled with 6×6 traction capable of reaching 20km/h in land, possesses amphibious capabilities of independent propulsion in water up to 8kts, and with an estimated autonomy of over 60 minutes.

The communication space allows for the exchange of information and ensures the movement of material flows and passenger flows. By communication space, we mean the movement of information and material flows of various natures based on transport systems, in this case, air transport systems. The direction and intensity of these flows to varying degrees reflect the main social and economic processes. Time series reflecting the intensity of passenger flows and cargo transportation over a given time horizon were selected as a source of information used for analysis. An information-theoretical measure based on the assessment of entropy transfer between time series elements is used as a research tool. Based on the obtained paired estimates of entropy transfer between the selected time series, an entropy transfer matrix is formed, which allows considering a set of time series as a communication system within the framework of system analysis. The resulting matrices are used to form entropy transfer graphs, which allow investigating the properties of time series based on directed graph analysis methods. The article examines examples of the analysis of the cognitive model of transportation, the analysis of the regional communication space, and the analysis of changes in the global communication field.

Three novel iron(II) coordination polymers, [Fe(H2O)2(ttmb)2](ClO4)2·4H2O (1), [Fe(H2O)2(ttmb)2](BF4)2·4H2O (2), [Fe(ttmb)2(NCS)2] (3), were synthesized with the linker 1,3,5-tris(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl)benzene (ttmb). The single-crystal structures show that all three compounds form a double chain structure with the adjacent iron atoms being bridged by two ttmb linkers. The iron(II) ions are octahedrally surrounded by four N4 donor atom from the 1,2,4-triazol-1-yl groups of four different ttmb linkers which form an equatorial plane and two trans-coordinated aqua ligands in 1 and 2 or isothiocyanato ligands in 3 in the axial positions. In view of the neutral bridging ttmb linker, there is a counter-anion in all structures; uncoordinated ClO4– and BF4–in 1 and 2 or coordinated NCS–in 3. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural. Interestingly, the ttmb linker only utilizes two of its three potentially coordinating triazole groups. All iron(II) coordination networks are colorless or have a light-yellow color, being indicative of the high-spin state.