Consuming fish sustainably means consuming less and better, considering environmental, social, and economic impacts. This demands more knowledge to make informed decisions. In this study, the main goal was to understand how sustainability education can be used as a tool to raise awareness and promote new habits regarding the sustainable consumption of fish in 4th-grade students at primary school. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face and online learning methodologies were used in two different groups of students to understand whether the teaching method impacted learning. A sequential explanatory mixed methodology was applied, with a pre-test/post-test design, combined with focus group sessions. Between the pre and post-tests three learning modules were performed. The results showed that the students were unaware of many aspects related to fish sustainable consumption, but the developed activities significantly increased their knowledge of the subject and impacted students to change their consumption behaviours. It was also found that the construction of knowledge by the students after the activities was achieved either by face-to-face or online learning. Interviews from focus group sessions showed that students got to know new fish species, learned about the concept of minimum landing size and closure season and that fish are labelled like other types of food.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the self-regulated learning and the ability to write scientific papers of students after learning with the Project-Based Digital Science Module (DSM). This research is a mixed methods by analyzing quantitatively and qualitatively. The research instrument used to obtain data is using a product assessment sheet and a self-regulated learning questionnaire. Data analysis uses N-Gain to determine the increase in self-regulated learning scores and student scientific writing skills scores, and uses linear regression analysis to determine the effect of self-regulated learning on student scientific writing skills. The results obtained showed N-Gain score of learning independent is 0,65 and scientific writing ability is 0,94, then significant’s score from linear regression by using SPSS is 0,22 < 0,05. This result showed an increase in self-regulated learning and the ability to write scientific papers of students on each indicator after learning using the Project-Based Digital Science Module (DSM). In addition, based on the results of data analysis, it can be seen that there is an influence of self-regulated learning on the ability to write scientific papers of students after learning using the Project-Based Digital Science Module.

As the most important city in China, Beijing has experienced an economic soar, large-scale population growth and eco-environment changes in recent 20 years.Evaluating climate and human-induced vegetation changes could reveal the relationship of vegetation-climate-human activities and provide important insights for the coordination of economic growth and environmental protection. Based on a long-term MODIS vegetation index dataset, meteorological data (temperature, precipitation) and impervious surface data, the Theil-Sen regression and the Mann-Kendall method are used to estimate vegetation change trend in this study and the residual analysis is utilized to distinguish the impacts of climate factors and human activities on vegetation restoration and degradation from 2000 to 2019 in Beijing. Our results show that the increasing vegetation areas account for 80.2\% of Beijing. The restoration of vegetation is concentrated in the urban core area and mountainous area, while the degradation of vegetation is mainly concentrated in the suburbs. In recent years, the vegetation in most mountainous areas has changed from restoration to significant restoration, indicating that the growth of mountain vegetation has continued to restore. We also found that in the process of urban expansion, vegetation browning occurred in 53.1\% of the urban built-up area, while vegetation greening occurred in the rest part. We concluded that precipitation is the main climatic factor affecting the growth of vegetation in Beijing mountain areas through correlation analysis. Human activities have significantly promoted the vegetation growing in the northern mountainous area thanks to the establishment of environmental protection areas. The negative correlation between vegetation and the impervious surface tends to gradually expand outwards, which is consistent with the trend of urban expansion. The positive correlation region remains stable, but the positive correlation is gradually enhanced. The response of vegetation to urbanization demonstrated a high degree of spatial heterogeneity. These findings indicated that human activities played an increasingly important role in influencing vegetation changes in Beijing.

We report a simple and high-performance flexible strain sensor based on liquid metal nanoparticles (LMNPs) on polyimide substrate by laser induced deposition. The LMNPs were prepared by ultrasonic method, and then the femtosecond laser direct writing technology was used to induce the assembly and deposition of the LMNPs to form liquid metal microwires. Laser local sintering enhances the connection between particles, and a wearable strain sensor was fabricated with the high sensitivity as high as 76.18, the good linearity (a correlation coefficient of 0.999) in a wide sensing rage, the fast response/recovery time of 159 ms/120 ms. Attributed to these extraordinary strain sensing performances, the sensor can sense various dynamic strains in real time, monitor both subtle physiological activities and large human motions. It can be adhered to human skin, and well reflect the change of facial expression and realize real-time monitoring of facial expression. And the vocal cord vibration can be detected for speech recognition while the sensor attached to the outside of the throat.

Background: Caffeine is an ergogenic aid that still needs to be investigated in female sports per-formance. Methods: Eight semi-professional female volleyball (Heigth=1.63±0.08 m; Weigth= 66.67 ± 4,.74 kg) players voluntarily participated in this study. A randomised crossover design was carried out. Players went through the caffeine and placebo condition. In the caffeine condi-tion, participants consumed 5 mg/kg of caffeine. The evaluations were performed over two weeks of training. In both conditions, the countermovement jump test, repeated jumps for 15s and hand-grip were performed. Change of direction was assessed using the 505 test. Well-being was also assessed by a wellness questionnaire. A repeated measures Anova and correlation analysis were performed. Results: The repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a main effect of supplementation (F (1.7) = 8.41, p = 0.02, η2 = 0.54) across the training week on physical performance. Besides, there was a positive effect on perceived fatigue (F (1.7) = 7.29, p = 0.03, η2 = 0.51). Conclusions: Caf-feine improved performance and fatigue parameters over one week of training.

Abstract: This study investigates the effect of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) on light-duty Electric Vehicle sales and the Total California rebates. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) are infrastructure facilities that allow for the charging of electric vehicles (EVs). I applied the before and after model with California state county using its community-level attributes and used the difference-in-difference design to identify a strategy for estimating the causal effects of these attributes. These attributes include EVCS installations by time, EV sales by time, rebate applications by time, the number of multi-unit housing units, and the median income levels. The empirical ev-idence of this study shows the estimated relationship between public EV charging installation and EV sales overall by community income level, housing density, and other relevant factors, the result shows that EVCSs is highly correlated with light duty Electric Vehicle adoption. For the investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders, this study provides evidence of a threshold of EVCS on Light Duty Electric Vehicle adoption and rebate in California.

The pro-protein convertase FURIN (PCSK3) is implicated in a wide range of normal and pathological biological processes such as infectious disease, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Previously, we performed a systemic inhibition of FURIN in a mouse model of atherosclerosis and demonstrated significant plaque reduction and alterations in macrophage function. To understand the cellular mechanisms affected by FURIN inhibition in myeloid cells, we optimized a CRISPR-mediated gene deletion protocol for successfully deriving hemizygous (HZ) and nullizygous (NZ) FURIN knockout clones in U937 monocytic cells using lipotransfection based procedures and a dual guide RNA delivery strategy. We observed differences in monocyte and macrophage functions involving phagocytosis, lipid accumulation, cell migration, inflammatory gene expression, cytokine release patterns, secreted proteomics (cytokines) and whole-genome transcriptomics between wild-type, HZ and NZ FURIN clones. These studies provide a mechanistic basis on the possible roles of myeloid cell FURIN in cardiovascular disorders.

In this study, we focused on the eco-driving of electric vehicles (EVs). The target vehicle is an electric bus developed by our research team. Using the parameters of the bus and speed pattern optimization algorithm, we derived the EV eco-driving speed pattern. Compared to eco-driving of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICVs), we found several different characteristics. We verified these characteristics with actual vehicle driving test data of the target bus, and the results confirmed its rationality. The EV eco-driving method can improve electricity consumption by about 10% - 20% under the same average speed.

The removable partial denture, despite new technologies and new materials, continues to play a significant role in clinical dental practice. The purpose of the following study was to evaluate the design of new retention devices in Kennedy's second grade classrooms. For the study of "lamellar" retentive devices, 4 prosthetists were chosen and selected, according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 patients, 8 women and 8 men, whose upper arch had to be rehabilitated with a removable partial prosthesis. The results showed that the parameters taken into consideration such as satisfaction, stability, aesthetics and retention had an average score higher than 3.30 (range 1-4), with an average standard deviation of 0.6225 in the 4 indicative parameters that the data they are relatively homogeneous and coherent. In conclusion we can state that the skeletonized prosthesis with lamellar retentions, designed in Kennedy's second grade classes, has shown good acceptance in selected patients

Transitional vertebra has been reported along of the spine in many researches focused especially on carnivores. The current study had the objectives to identify the presence of transitional lumbosacral and sacrocaudal vertebra in domestic mammals, to realize a comparative analysis of the localization and conformation of this abnormal condition. For this purpose the researches included animals belonging to next species: cow – 29 specimens, sheep – 32 specimens, horse – 31 specimens, pig – 26 specimens, rabbit – 33 specimens, dog – 89 specimens and cat – 57 specimens. The most of the animals, respectively their spine were analysed post mortem, after the dissection performed in the anatomy laboratory, except the dogs and 48 cats that were examined radiologically. The investigations revealed the presence of transitional vertebra in all species as follow: in cows – 3 cases (8,7%), all being about the lumbarization of first sacral vertebra (S1); in sheep – 3 cases (9,37%), two lumbarization cases of S1 and one caudalisation of S4 (the last sacral vertebra); in horses – 4 cases (12,9%), all about the sacralisation of Cd1 (first caudal vertebra); in pigs – 3 cases (11,53%), two lumbarisation cases of S1 and one sacralisation of Cd1; in rabbits – 3 cases (9,09%), a lumbar supernumerary vertebra (L8) and two cases of caudalisation of S4; in dogs – 4 cases (4,49%), a lumbar supernumerary vertebra (L8) and 3 cases of sacralisation of last lumbar vertebra (L7 or L8); in cats – 3 cases (5,26%), two sacralisation cases of last lumbar vertebra and one caudalisation of last sacral vertebra (S3). A strong lumbarization process was observed in ruminants (especially in cows), then in pigs, the sacralisation being prevalent in carnivores. The sacrocaudal transitional vertebrae was predominant in horses, but occurred as an ossification process especially in old animals.

The use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) leads to an increase, in variable amounts, of milk production in buffalo, but there is a lack of information on the influence of rbST on their metabolism. This study looked at the effects of a single 500 mg dose of rbST on lipid profile, liver and kidney function and physical, chemical and cellular constitution of milk in 14 buffalo over 14 days, from the 100th day of lactation, and compared them with 14 animals in a control group. From the 1st day after rbST, there was a rise in beta hydroxybutyrate (β-HBO), possibly due to the higher dry matter intake or by biotransformation of NEFA into β-HBO. Treatment did not influence blood glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, AST, GGT, bilirubin, urea or creatinine. In 71.3% of the buffalo there was a gradual increase in milk production with maximal response in the first week that was then followed by a gradual decrease, whilst in 21.4%, the increase in production occurred between 7 and 10 days, and only 7.1% of animals did not respond. On the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th days after treatment, an increase was found in milk production between the two groups equal to 1.04, 1.52, 1.42 and 1.06 liters, respectively. In relative terms this means an increase in milk production, respectively, of 15.1%; 21.0%; 19.8 % and 15.1 %. The constitution of the milk showed no difference in the amounts of fat, lactose, total solids or somatic cell count; however, on the 3rd day after rbST, there was a decrease in protein; notably, from the 5th day, protein values show no statistical difference. It can be concluded that the application of rbST in buffalo from the 100th day of lactation is metabolically safe, since the treatment neither caused imbalances in fat metabolism nor overloaded the liver or renal function, and the changes in milk composition were transient and limited to a decrease in milk protein.

The aim of the scoping review was to map out studies that compared the effect of smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco on periodontal health. The review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework. The search for articles was conducted in five electronic databases namely: Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline, and PubMed. The search yielded two eligible articles for full-text screening. The two studies were cross-sectional in design, conducted in India and they both used bivariate analysis for comparison of the effects of tobacco smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco on the health of the periodontium without adjusting for confounders. The two studies used 10 measures to assess the health of the periodontium namely: Periodontal probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, and periodontal index, plaque index score, debris index score, calculus index score, gingival inflammation, bleeding on probing and pocket depth. Periodontal probing depth, periodontal index, calculus index score and pocket depth worse for tobacco smoking when compared with smokeless tobacco users. Both studies seem to concur on worse pocket depths for tobacco smokers than for users of smokeless tobacco.

Land-use planning plays an important role in agricultural development, however it lacks tools to support planner in proposing land-use planning solutions especially, under saltwater intrusion condition in the coastal regions. This study aims to apply optimization in analyzing land-use solutions for agricultural land-use planning. In which a multi-objective optimization model is developed to optimize land-use area including land-use allocation taking into account socio-economic and environmental factors. The model has been applied in three districts of Soc Trang province, Vietnam (Long Phu, My Xuyen and Tran De) representing three ecological regions including salt water, brackish water and freshwater in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The results showed that two multi-objective optimization scenarios (in terms of profit, labor, environment benefits and risk reduction) have been implemented: (i) Multi-objective optimization of agricultural land-use until 2030 under normal conditions; (ii) Optimizing agricultural land-use until 2030 under climate change conditions similar to the 2016 drought and saltwater intrusion phenomenon in the Mekong Delta. The results showed that the second scenario is the option considered for implementing land-use plan thanks to the balance between good profits and minimizing economic and environmental risk. The land allocation was carried out taking into account household economic, the influence of adjacent production types, local traffic and canal systems factors to allocate optimal land-use areas. The combination of land-use optimization and spatial allocation process can help planners improve the quality of agricultural land-use planning.

: Clay covers a substantial portion of the Earth. Such soil covers Iraq’s central and southern regions, where the depth of the clay may reach 150 m. All enhancement techniques and methods for transporting large loads cease to function or become prohibitively expensive in such soils. In this case, thermal treatment is the most effective method. In this study, a novel heating system was created and produced utilizing gas as the heat source via boreholes that simulate reality. The borehole heating cases were planted inside soft clay soil to enhance the soil. Different parameters were investigated, including the spacing between boreholes (3, 4, and 5 times the outer diameter of the borehole), the heating depth (1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 times the width of the model footing), the duration of heating (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hrs), and the pattern (square, circular, triangular). The results showed the strength and behavior of the soil treated with heated boreholes at varying spacings, depths, patterns, and heating periods. The best results were found for a spacing, depth, and heating time of three times the outer diameter of the borehole, two times the width of the footing model, and eight hours, respectively. The effect of the heated borehole casing pattern was small when the heated borehole casing was used. The experiments conducted on heated soil showed that the undrained shear strength (Cu) increased from 14 to 360 kPa and then dropped to 140 kPa (as an average with depth). In contrast, the average angle of internal friction (Ø) rose from 0 to 52 degrees and decreased to 16 degrees (as an average with depth) from the center of the heating model to the furthest point affected by heating. In addition, the EDS pattern showed that components like silicon, aluminum, and iron dropped at 300 °C and rose at 400 °C in the treated soils. At 200 °C, the calcium content rose, and then dropped dramatically at 400 °C. The carbon percentage increased at 300 °C and decreased at 400 °C. The elements’ proportions showed little change or remained stable at temperatures between 400 °C and 600 °C.

The enormous potential of renewable bioresources is expected to play a key role in the development of the EU’s sustainable circular economy. In this context, inexhaustible, biodegradable, non-toxic and carbon-neutral forest-origin resources are very attractive for the development of novel sustainable products. The main structural component of wood is cellulose, which, in turn, is the feedstock of nanocellulose, one of the most explored nanomaterials. Different applications of nanocellulose have been proposed, including packaging, functional coatings, insulating materials, nanocomposite fields among others. However, the intrinsic flammability of nanocellulose restricts its use in some industries where fire risk is a concern. This paper overviews the most recent studies of the fire resistance of nanocellulose-based materials, focusing on thin films, coatings and aerogels. Along with effectiveness, increased attention to sustainable approaches is considered in developing novel fire-resistant coatings. The great potential of bio-based fire-resistant materials, combined with conventional non-halogenated fire retardants FRs, has been established. The formulation methods, types of fire retardants and their action modes, and methods used for analysing fire retardancy are discussed in the frame of this overview.

A magnetite (CDC@Fe3O4) heterogeneous photocatalyst was synthesized via treated and modified cotton in two steps. The designed nanocomposites were characterized by FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and VSM analyses. The Fenton-photocatalytic decomposition efficiency of the synthesized magnetic catalyst was evaluated under visible sunlight using Methyl Orange (MO) as a model organic pollutant. The impacts of several degradation parameters, including the light source, catalyst load, irradiation temperature, oxidant dose, and pH of the dye aqueous solution and its corresponding concentration on the Fenton photodegradation performance, were methodically investigated. (CDC@Fe3O4) heterogeneous catalyst showed a remarkable MO removal rate of 97.9% at 10 min under visible-light irradiation. (CDC@Fe3O4) nanomaterials were also used in a heterogeneous catalytic optimized protocol for a multicomponent reaction procedure to obtain nine tetra-substituted imidazole derivatives. The green protocol afforded imidazole derivatives in 30 min with good yields (91-97%) at room temperature and under ultrasound irradiation. Generally, a synthesized recyclable heterogeneous nano-catalyst is a good example and is suitable for wastewater treatment and organic synthesis.

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rising in the West, but little is known in Asia. This study elucidated changes in the incidence and HPV-positive portion of OPSCC in Hong Kong. Data from population-based cancer registry were used to analyze the incidence of OPSCC in associate with other head and neck cancers. Archived tumour tissues were tested for HPV. From 1986 to 2020, there was a marked decrease in the incidence of nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, but a persistent increase in OPSCC from 36 cases in 1986 to 116 cases in 2020. The average positive rate for high-risk HPV was 36.1% (112/310) among OPSCC diagnosed in 2010-2020. The HPV positive rate in recent years was significantly higher than earlier cases (tonsil SCC: 64.7% (55/85) in 2016-2020 vs. 40.4% (19/47) in 2010-2015, P = 0.007). Patients with HPV-positive tonsil cancers were significantly younger than those negative (mean [SD]: 58.9 [9.9] vs. 64.3 [13.3] years, P = 0.006), but no significant difference between genders. A persistent increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer over the last few decades was observed in Hong Kong, which can be explained by the remarkable increase in HPV-positive tonsil cancers.

To ensure sustainable production and consumption in the agricultural sector, it is necessary to assess the contribution of each element of the nexus in the agricultural production chain. The aim of this study is to make a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the contributions of each element of the energy, water, waste and land nexus to agricultural products. A composite method approach combining aspects based on input-output model, Location Quotient (LQ) as well as competitive position is adopted. A database of nexus elements over a period from 2009 to 2018 is used for Cameroon, with ten regions considered. The results show proportions of around 0.42% energy, 67.88% water withdrawal, 11.91% harvested area, 97.81% waste for agricultural products. The geolocation of harvested areas shows that the largest portion is in the far north (1,373,829 ha) and the smallest in Adamawa (224,038 ha). Maximum production is in the central region (4,334,095 tons) and minimum in the Adamawa region (915,841 tons). The central, littoral and west regions are more representative of agricultural products. The analysis of the competitive position of agricultural products contributes to a better orientation of national strategies for agricultural sustainability according to existing potentials.

While Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) are gaining increasing interest in various domains as innovative methods for novel view synthesis and image-based reconstruction, their potential application in the realm of Cultural Heritage remains unexplored. Purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of applying NeRF to sets of images of digital heritage objects and sites. The study’s findings demonstrate that NeRF could be valuable when used in combination with or as a comparison to other well-established techniques such as photogrammetry, to expand the possibilities of preserving and presenting heritage assets with enhanced visual fidelity and accuracy. Particularly, NeRF show promising results in improving the rendering of translucent and reflective surfaces, objects with homogeneous textures, and elements with intricate details. In addition, we demonstrate that, when considering the same set of input images (with known camera poses), reducing the image quality or the number of images results in significantly less information loss with NeRF compared to photogrammetry. This suggests that NeRF is preferentially suited for scenarios involving sparse information or low-quality photos or videos, which could be especially valuable in risky or challenging situations.

Anion doping of tungsten trioxide by nitrogen is used to obtain electrochrome cathode material, the spectral transmittance of which can be controlled by the doping level. A series of samples was synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering of a metal tungsten target in a mixture of argon, nitrogen and oxygen gases. Warm-colored tungsten oxynitride films were prepared at higher doping levels and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. Optical properties were measured making use of transmission spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry. These extensive experimental studies revealed an increase in absorption towards shorter wavelengths with increasing the doping level. At the same time, it was found that with increasing the doping level, the fraction of non-stoichiometric oxygen also steadily increases to half the total oxygen content. The imperfection of the doped material can stimulate its intercalation with electrolyte ions, accelerating the coloring/bleaching process and increasing the dynamical range between the dark and clear states, thus improving the consumer qualities of electrochemical materials and devices.

The number of new financing options has increased quickly, including alumni crowdfunding and strategic investments. The antecedents and consequence of these funding mechanisms have not been thoroughly studied in research yet. In this study, the efficacy of leveraging alumni crowdfunding and strategic investments to overcome the perennial funding challenges in French language education was rigorously examined. The study examined the funding challenges plaguing French language education, casting a spotlight on the urgency of creative financial solutions and the strategic provisions of alumni engagements. The study further covered the various roles of strategic investments, synergy of alumni crowdfunding and investments. The analysis proffers a balanced perspective, delving into challenges and concerns that can potentially hinder the smooth operation of these innovative funding channels. Practical recommendations for successful alumni crowdfunding and effective strategic investments were provided. A synthesis of the key findings reveals profound implications for the future of French language education. It was concluded that effective fundraising for French language education relies on well-structured policy and institutional guidance. With these policies in place, educational institutions can navigate the complexities of funding French language programs and secure their future.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) may progress to severe forms of dementia, so therapy is needed to maintain cognitive abilities. The neural circuitry for oculomotor control is closely linked to that which controls cognitive behavior. In this study, we tested whether training the oculomotor system with gaze-controlled video games could improve cognitive behavior in MCI patients. Patients played a simple game for a month while a control group played the same game using a mouse. Cognitive improvement was assessed using the MoCA screening test and CANTAB. We also measured eye pupil and vergence responses in an oddball paradigm. The results showed an increased score on the MoCA test specifically for the visuospatial domain and on the Rapid Visual Information Processing test of the CANTAB battery. Pupil responses also increased to target stimuli. Patients in the control group did not show significant improvements. This pilot study provides evidence for the potential cognitive benefits of gaze-controlled gaming in MCI patients.

Docking results suggest that Amentoflavone has a higher affinity for investigated Serine/threonine-protein kinases, indicating potential interactions that may influence the activities of these kinases. The negative values of the binding energies signify strong and stable interactions, suggesting that Amentoflavone could be a key molecule in modulating the functions of these kinases, which play crucial roles in cellular processes such as cell cycle regulation and apoptosis.

The lack of tactile experience is a significant flaw in online product evaluation and purchase, but visual information can be utilized to compensate for tactile deficits. In this study, we constructed a mechanistic model of the role of tactile perceived diagnosticity on consumer purchase intention based on visual compensation based on mental imagery theory, innovativeness theory, and personal goals framework. We collected data from consumers (n=406) in the Chinese market and tested the research hypotheses using structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that visually compensated tactile perceptual diagnosticity promotes mental imagery and sensory similarity, which in turn affects purchase intention. Theoretically, this study enriches current explanations of online haptics by explaining the mechanisms by which haptic demonstration videos influence consumers' haptic evaluations and behavioral responses, as well as the moderating role of personal goals therein; practically offers advice for retailers seeking to build or expand their tactile marketing strategies.

Given the remarkable progress in global health and overall quality of life, the significant rise in life expectancy has become intertwined with the surging occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders (ND). This emerging trend is poised to pose a substantial challenge to the fields of medicine and public health in the years ahead. In this context, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is regarded as a ND that causes recent memory loss, motor impairment and cognitive deficits. AD is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly and its development is linked to multifactorial interac-tions between the environment, genetics, aging and lifestyle. The pathological hallmarks in AD are the accumulation of beta amyloid (A) peptide, the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, neuro-toxic events and impaired glucose metabolism. Due to pharmacological limitations and in view of the prevailing glycemic hypometabolism, the ketogenic diet (KD) emerges as a promising non-pharmacological possibility for managing AD, an approach that has already demonstrated efficacy in addressing other disorders, notably epilepsy. KD consists of a food regimen in which carbohydrate intake is discouraged at the expense of increased lipid consumption, inducing met-abolic ketosis, whereby the main source of energy becomes ketone bodies, instead of glucose. Thus, under these dietary conditions, neuronal death through lack of energy would be decreased, inasmuch as the metabolism of lipids is not impaired in AD. In this way, the clinical picture of patients with AD would potentially improve, through the slowing down of symptoms and delaying the progression of the disease. Hence, this review aims to explore the rationale behind utilizing the KD in AD treatment while emphasizing the metabolic interplay between KD and the improvement of AD indicators, drawing insights from both pre-clinical and clinical investigations.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) constitute a group of more than 200 disorders, being idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) one of the most frequent. Telomere length (TL) shortening causes loss of function of the lung parenchyma. However, little is known about its role as prognostic factor in ILD patients. With the aim of investigating the role of TL and telomerase activity in the prognosis of patients affected by ILDs, we analysed lung tissue samples from 61 patients. We measured relative TL and telomerase activity by conventional procedures. Both clinical and molecular parameters were associated with overall survival by the Kaplan-Meier method. Patients with IPF had poorer prognosis than patients with other ILDs (p = 0.034). When patients were classified according to TL, those with shortened telomeres reported lower overall survival (p = 0.085); differences reached statistical significance after excluding ILD patients who developed cancer (p = 0.021). In a Cox regression analysis, TL behaved as a risk-modifying variable for death associated with rheumatological disorders (RD) co-occurrence (p = 0.029). Also, in patients without cancer, ferritin was significantly increased in cases with RD and IPF co-occurrence (p = 0.032). In relation to telomerase activity, no significant differences were detected. In conclusion, TL in lung tissue emerges as a prognostic factor in ILD patients, Specifically, in cases with RD and IPF co-occurrence, TL can be considered as a risk-modifying variable for death.

The contemporary landscape of education is witnessing a paradigm shift towards innovative instructional methods, with the flipped learning approach gaining considerable attention. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of the flipped learning approach on students' perception and acceptance throughout an entire semester in the 'Introduction to Programming with Java' course, using a research design with a quantitative approach, ultimately aiming to inform educational practice and advance our knowledge of innovative teaching methods in higher education. This study was conducted at a university with 174 students involved, divided into two groups, 87 students in the experimental group and 87 students in the control group. The data collected through the scales were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques in statistical software. At the end of the measurements, the technology acceptance level and self-directed learning perceptions of engineering students who received education with flipped learning were high. The results suggest that educators should consider students' readiness for self-directed learning when implementing the flipped learning approach and focus on creating an environment that supports their autonomy and engagement. This research offers valuable guidance for instructors, curriculum designers, and educational policymakers seeking to enhance the effectiveness of flipped learning in higher education courses.

Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) are becoming more common on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as permafrost thaws, but the hydraulic characteristics of these slumps have not been extensively studied. To fill this knowledge gap, we used the ''space-for-time substitution method'' to differentiate three stages of RTSs: original grassland, collapsing, and collapsed. Our study included on-site investigations, measurements, and simulated analyses of soil water characteristics, environmental factors, and hydrological properties. Our findings show that the measurements and simulated analyses of soil water characteristics were highly consistent across RTSs, indicating the accuracy of the V-G model in reproducing soil hydraulic parameters for different stages of RTSs. The original grassland stage had the highest soil water retention and content due to its high SOM content and fine-textured micropores. In contrast, the collapsed stage had higher soil water retention and content compared to the collapsing stage, primarily due to increased proportions of soil micropores, SOM content, and lower bulk density (BD). Freeze-thaw cycles had a significant impact on the soil texture and structure of RTSs, resulting in a decrease in SOM content and an increase in BD. However, the absence of soil structure and compaction led to the subsequent accumulation of organic matter, increasing SOM content. Changes in field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point (PWP), and soil micropore distribution aligned with variations in SOM content and water content.These findings highlight the importance of managing SOM content and water content to mitigate the adverse effects of freeze-thaw cycles on soil structure and stability at different stages of RTSs. Effective management strategies may include incorporating organic matter, reducing soil compaction, and maintaining optimal water content. Further research is needed to determine the most suitable management practices for different soil types and environmental conditions.

The practical application of a pH-responsive Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System (NDDS) in cancer treatment is often hampered by several issues such as the protection of therapeutic molecules from external stresses, inefficient targeted delivery, sustained drug release, and poor efficacy. This study presents an effective design strategy for the synthesis of a pH-sensitive controlled hydrophobic drug delivery method based on the formulation of chitosan (CS)-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) through the sol-gel method, where hydrolysis takes place in the acidic medium followed by polycondensation of the hydrolyzed products. For this purpose, NH2 modified-MSNs were prepared by using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursor and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template, and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) for amine modification, followed by hydrophobic drug loading and CS coating of various concentrations. Camptothecin (CPT) was used as a model drug. Fabricated monodispersed functionalized nanoparticles had sizes ranging from 200nm to 245nm with an encapsulation efficiency as high as 90%. The highest encapsulation efficiency was found for 1% CS coating, which released 50% drug in 120h at pH 6.4 and 20% at pH 7.4 respectively. These nanoformulations exhibited pH-responsive release patterns of CPT under two different pH values (pH=7.4 and pH=6.4). These results contribute to the optimization of NDDS, with potential implications for nanoformulations designed for controlled and sustained drug release particularly to tumors without affecting healthy cells owing to differences in the pH of the tumor microenvironment and the normal physiological environment of cells.

Proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) are constantly exposed to potentially toxic metabolites and xenobiotics. The regenerative potential of the kidney enables the replacement of damaged cells either via the differentiation of stem cells or the regain of proliferative properties of the PTEC. Nevertheless, it is known that renal function declines, suggesting that the deteriorated cells are not replaced by fully functional cells. To understand the possible causes of this loss of kidney cell function, it would be beneficial to understand the role of toxins during the regeneration process. Therefore, we investigated the sensitivity and function of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), hiPSC differentiating, and hiPSC differentiated into proximal tubular epithelial-like cells (PTELC) to known nephrotoxins. hiPSC were differentiated into PTELC, exhibiting a similar morphology to PTEC, expressing prototypical PTEC markers and performing albumin endocytosis. When treated with two nephrotoxins, hiPSC and differentiating hiPSC were more sensitive to cisplatin than differentiated PTELC, whereas all stages were equally sensitive to cyclosporin A. Both toxins also had an inhibitory effect on albumin uptake. Our results suggest a high sensitivity of differentiating cells towards toxins, which could have an unfavorable effect on regenerative processes. To study this, our model of hiPSC differentiating into PTELC appears suitable.

It remains unclear in the literature what is the cause of the so-called alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR) damage to concrete yet, a consensus is reached when considering dedolimitization as non-expansive. However, expansion and cracks as distress features are often attributed to alkali-silica reaction (ASR) when evidence of a reactive mineral is found in the aggregate. Evidently, different types of aggregates may produce different types and degrees of damage. Therefore, this work aims to assess the damage to concrete generated and propagated by the so-called ACR susceptible reactive Kingston coarse aggregate through mechanical testing (i.e., direct shear test), microscopy (the damage rating index – DRI), and other techniques. Distinct induced expansion levels (i.e., 0%, 0.05%, 0.12%, and 0.20%) were selected to compare the distress caused by ACR to concrete affected by ASR. Result show that the behaviour of ACR, namely as captured through the DRI, is inconsistent with that of ASR thus attesting to ACR being a distinct distress mechanism.

This study was conducted to recover valuable metals (silicon and silver) using acid leaching and substitution reactions with copper powder from the pulverized solar cell separated from the PV ribbon. Leaching experiments were conducted according to nitric acid concentration by molar solution as 1M, 2M, and 3M using an ultrasonic cleaner at a reaction temperature of 60 °C for the leaching times of 30 to 120 minutes. Si phases were detected at all leaching reaction times, it was confirmed that the aluminium was removed effectively if the nitric acid leaching time was more than 30 minutes, and silicon with a purity above 99% could be recovered. The silver was precipitated by adding copper, which has greater reducibility than Cu, Al, Si, Pb, and Sn. When the addition of copper powder was 0.75 and 1.0 g, precipitate was produced 0.23 and 0.55 g, respectively. The optimal condition for the recovery of silver by the addition of copper powder was 1 g, where is recovery rate reached 93.3%.

The global predicament of solid waste generation looms as a mounting crisis, profoundly impacting the world, particularly in developing nations. Each day, the world's population contributes millions of tonnes of municipal solid waste, with projections pointing toward further escalation in the coming years. This surge in waste, predominantly composed of cellulose-rich materials, correlates directly with heightened pollution, a threat that transcends borders and imperils humanity as a whole.To confront this ever-growing issue, cellulase, a potent hydrolytic enzyme capable of digesting cellulose, a chief component of solid waste, is explored as a potential solution. In this study, we harness cellulase enzymes derived from the digestive tracts of both Archachatina marginata and Oryctes rhinoceros larvae, employing them as biodegradation agents for cellulose-based waste materials.The cellulase enzymes are methodically isolated and partially purified via ammonium sulfate precipitation at 65% saturation. Their efficacy in breaking down a variety of waste categories, encompassing kitchen waste, leaves, paper, wood, and industrial waste, is meticulously assessed and benchmarked against carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a well-established laboratory substrate. The study also ascertains the specific activity of these enzymes.Spectrophotometric analyses of the cellulase enzymes' actions on the diverse waste materials unveil intriguing results. Archachatina marginata and Oryctes rhinoceros larvae exhibit distinct performance metrics, registering percentage ranges of (11.04% - 28.31%) and (33.69% - 189.11%) on wood waste, (76.52% - 196%) and (108.56% - 567.01%) on paper waste, (78.57% - 148.14%) and (163.33% - 436.76%) on leaf waste, (57.16% - 179.95%) and (63.38% - 457.05%) on kitchen waste, and (59.95% - 77.51%) and (117.26% - 155.23%) on industrial waste, respectively. This study underscores the substantial biodegradation potential inherent in cellulase enzymes from both Oryctes rhinoceros larvae and Archachatina marginata when applied to diverse waste materials. While the rates and impacts of waste degradation vary between these sources, their promising contributions to waste management come into focus, offering sustainable and innovative approaches to tackle the pressing global challenge of solid waste proliferation.

This paper explores the application of various machine learning techniques for predicting customer churn in the telecommunications sector. We utilized a publicly accessible dataset and implemented several models, including Artificial Neural Networks, Decision Trees, Support Vector Machines, Random Forests, Logistic Regression, and gradient boosting techniques (XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost). To mitigate the challenges posed by imbalanced datasets, we adopted different data sampling strategies, namely SMOTE, SMOTE combined with Tomek Links, and SMOTE combined with Edited Nearest Neighbors. Moreover, hyperparameter tuning was employed to enhance model performance. Our evaluation employed standard metrics such as Precision, Recall, F1-Score, and the Receiver Operating Characteristic Area Under Curve (ROC AUC). Regarding the F1-Score metric, CatBoost demonstrates superior performance compared to other machine learning models, achieving an outstanding 93% following the application of Optuna hyperparameter optimization. In the context of the ROC AUC metric, both XGBoost and CatBoost exhibit exceptional performance, recording remarkable scores of 91%. This achievement for XGBoost is attained after implementing a combination of SMOTE with Tomek Links, while CatBoost reaches this level of performance after the application of Optuna hyperparameter optimization.

In the research we consider a structure-fluid interaction of oscillating piezodevice and acoustic liquid. Such problem requires finding resonance or anti-resonance frequencies of the solid structure to use them in the latter frequency-response analyses step. After finite element discretization of the issue, we need to solve a generalized eigenvalue problem (GEP). The most efficient numerical method for solving the partial GEP is the shift-and-invert Lanczos method. Each step of this algorithm requires solving a large scale system of linear algebraic equations (SLAEs) with special properties. Various ways of ordering grid nodes lead to coefficient matrices with different structure. Several methods are compared in terms of efficiency. The results of the numerical experiments are presented.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is mostly diagnosed at advanced or even metastasized stages limiting patient´s prognosis. Metastasis requires high tumor cell plasticity implying phenotypic switching in response to changing environments. Here, Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT), being associated with the gain of cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, and its reversion are important. Since it is poorly understood whether different CSC-phenotypes exist along the EMT-axis and how these impact malignancy-associated properties, we aimed to characterize CSC-populations of epithelial and mesenchymal PDAC cells. Single-cell cloning revealed CSC (Holoclone) and non-CSC (Paraclone) clones from the PDAC cell lines Panc1 and Panc89. Panc1 Holoclone cells showed a mesenchymal phenotype dominated by high expression of the stemness marker Nestin, while Panc89 Holoclone cells exhibited a SOX2-dominated epithelial phenotype. Panc89 Holoclone cells showed enhanced cell growth and self-renewal capacity but slow cluster-like invasion. Contrarily, Panc1 Holoclone cells showed slower cell growth and self-renewal ability but were highly invasive. Moreover, cell variants differentially responded to chemotherapy. In vivo, Panc1 and Panc89 cell variants significantly differed regarding number and size of metastases as well as organ manifestation leading to different survival outcomes. Overall, these data support the existence of different CSC-phenotypes along the EMT-axis in PDAC manifesting in different metastatic propensities.

In this study, Fe-Mo-B based hardfacing electrodes containing different amounts of Mo were coated on an AISI 1020 steel substrate using the electric arc welding method. The findings show that molybdenum is highly effective on the microstructure and minor changes in the coating composition affect the phases and morphological properties. In the hardness tests, an increase of 73% was achieved in the Fe14Mo2B4 based hardfacing coating compared to the base material and a 30% increase compared to the Fe16B4 based coating. The highest macro hardness value was measured as 56.4 HRC and the highest phase hardness was measured as 3228 HV in the FeMo2B2 phase. The lowest wear rate was measured in the Fe14Mo2B2 based coating. The wear rate of the Fe14Mo2B4 based coating was 8.1 times lower than that of the substrate material and 4.7 times lower than that of the Fe16B4 based coating. According to corrosion test results, the highest corrosion resistance was obtained in Fe16B4 based coating. The current density value of the Fe16B4 based coating was measured to be 13.6 times lower than that of the substrate material.

The 2021/2022 influenza season was not characterised by a well-defined incidence peak. A high value of incidence was recorded in week 13, but it was still lower than in other influenza seasons. This abnormal circulation was probably due to relaxation of the COVID-19 pandemic restriction measures, which greatly reduced the circulation of respiratory-transmitted viruses, including human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). The symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are quite similar, sharing the human-to-human transmission route via respiratory droplets. The aim of this study was to estimate the rate of coinfection with influenza viruses and/or HRSV in SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects (N=940) in a population of central Italy during the 2021/2022 season. A total of 54 cases of coinfection were detected during the study period, 51 cases (5.4%) of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus and three cases (0.3%) of SARS-CoV-2 and HRSV coinfection. These results highlight the importance of continuous monitoring of the circulation of influenza virus and other respiratory viruses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to obtain the good match between yield strength and low-temperature toughness, the short-time partial austenitization (SPA) process was employed for V-microalloying 0.22C-5.24Mn steel. The initial microstructure after intercritical tempering was dual-phase ferrite and reversed austenite (RA), while the final microstructure was consisted of ferrite, RA and secondary martensite (SM) after subjected to SPA process. (V, Mo)C with disc-like morphology mainly precipitated during intercritial tempering, and the aspect ratio of particle decreased, leading to the appearance of near-spherical morphology. After subjected to SPA process, the resultant multiphase hierarchical microstructure (three layers: out layer of ferrite, interlayer of SM and inner layer RA) enabled high yield strength of 1097 MPa, total elongation of 14%, and impressive impact energy of 33.3 J at -20 °C. The strengthening contribution of (V, Mo)C precipitation was estimated about 108 MPa.

The high demands of caring for and raising a child with autism spectrum disorder on a daily basis fatally lead parents to the appearance of physical and mental fatigue. This study aimed to assess the effect of social support and spirituality on the fatigue of parents with children with autistic spectrum disorder. A cross-sectional study with a convenience sample was conducted in Schools of Special Education in Attica (Greece). The sample consisted of 123 parents who completed The Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT Sp-12) to measure the levels of fatigue, social support, and spirituality, respectively. Demographic data were, also, recorded. Data analysis was applied using IBM SPSS 21.0. The mean age was 47.3 years old, 81.3% were women, and 38.9% stated much / very much religious. The mean of total FAS was 28.4 (SD±7.5), of total FACIT Sp-12 was 31.5 (SD±8.7), and of total MSPSS 5.1 (SD±1.1). Higher levels of total MSPSS and FACIT Sp-12 were associated with lower total FAS (r= -0.50, p &lt;0.001 and r= -0.49, p&lt;0.001 respectively). Social support and spirituality are significant predictors of fatigue.

The linkage between the salt wedge, tidal patterns, and the Magdalena River discharge is established by assessing the ensuing parameters: stratification (ϵ), buoyancy frequency (β), potential energy anomaly (φ), Richardson number (RL), and bottom turbulent energy production (P). The salinity, temperature, density, and water velocity data utilized were derived from MOHID 3D, a previously tailored and validated model for the Magdalena River Estuary. To grasp the dynamics of the river, a flow regime analysis was conducted during both wet and dry climatic seasons of the Colombian Caribbean. The utilization of this model aimed to delineate the estuary's spatial reach, considering flow rates spanning from 2000 to 6500 m³/s across two tidal cycles. This approach facilitates the prediction of the position, stability, and stratification degree of the salt front. Among the conclusions drawn, it is highlighted that: 1. The river flow serves as the principal conditioning agent for the system, inducing a strong estuary response to weather stations; 2. The extent of wedge intrusion and the river discharge exhibit a non-linear, inversely correlation; 3. Tidal waves cause differences of up to 1000 m in the horizontal extent of the wedge; 4. Widespread channel erosion occurs during the rainy season when the salt intrusion does not exceed 2 km; 5. Flocculation processes intensify during the transition between dry and wet seasons; 6. The stability of the salt layering and the consolidation of the FSI-TMZ are contingent upon the geometric attributes of the channel.

Background: Xenogenous bone has been proposed as an alternative to overcome the disadvantages of autogenous grafting. The aim of the present study was to study bone dynamics at inlay and onlay xenografts used for bone augmentation applying a ring technique. Methods: The bone at the lateral surface of the mandibular angle of 12 adult male New Zealand White rabbits was exposed bilaterally. The cortical layer received multiple perforations at one side of the mandible and a xenograft block of collagenated cancellous equine bone, 7 mm in diameter and 3 mm in width, was fixed on the prepared surface using an implant (onlay group). On the opposite side, a defect 7 mm in diameter and 3 mm in depth was prepared, the xenograft block was adapted to the defect and fixed with an implant (inlay group). Results: After ten weeks of healing, in the onlay grafts, new bone was mainly formed on the trabeculae surface, reaching in some specimens the most coronal regions of the block. In the inlay grafts, new bone was found arranged on the trabecular surfaces but also occupying the spaces among the trabeculae. The entrance of the defect was often found close at the top of the block by newly formed bone. A higher percentage of new bone was found in the inlay (19.0 ±9.3%) compared to the onlay (10.4 ±7.4%) groups (p=0.031). The mean gain in osseointegration at the implant in relation to the base of the original 3 mm deep defect was 0.95 ±1.05% at the onlay group and 0.78 ±0.71% at the inlay group (p=0.603). Conclusion: The inlay grafts exhibited a higher new bone percentage than the onlay grafts possibly due to the defect conformation that presented more sources for bone formation. The trabecular conformation and the composition of the grafts made possible the expression of the osteoconductive properties of the material used. This resulted, in several specimens, in growth of bone on the graft trabeculae toward the most superior regions in both groups, and in the closure of the coronal entrance of the defects in the inlay group.

Colistin [polymyxin E] is a veterinary exclusive antimicrobial and one of the oldest antibiotics that is currently recognised as one of the highest priority critically important antimicrobials for humans. It is extensively used for multiple medical and non-medical purposes particularly for growth promotion, prophylaxis/metaphylaxis and therapeutic in food animals. As a result, colistin resistance was widespread along the food-chain linking to multidrug resistant bacterial infections in humans reflected by greater use of colistin in healthcare settings resulted in different types of bans/restrictions in food-producing animals, around the world. This report debates the testimonies of 23 countries representing the bulk of global food producing animal production, providing robust evidence on the essential need for colistin in animal production.

Aging and obesity make humans more prone to cardiovascular and metabolic syndrome diseases, leading to several serious health conditions, including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, and sleep disturbance. Hyperlipidemia means elevated blood lipid levels, including cholesterol and triglycerides. This study aimed to explore the hypolipidemic effect of fermented citrus lemon juice using a hyperlipidemic hamster model. Sugar-free lemon juice’s fermentation was optimized, and the characteristics of fresh and fermented lemon juice (FLJ) were evaluated and compared. In addition, tests were conducted to determine the appropriate hamster feed for the functional animal tests. Then, experiments were conducted to evaluate the hypolipidemic effect of the FLJ, which contained polyphenols and superoxide dismutase-like activity, on a hyperlipidemic hamster model. This study’s pre-fermentation efficiency evaluation found that 21–30 days of bacterial DMS32004 and DMS32005 fermentation of fresh lemon juice provided the best fermentation benefits. In addition, the fermentation evaluation showed that a sugar-free fermentation method provided FLJ with the best benefits. Results showed that the absorption and utilization efficiency of FLJ was higher compared with the unfermented lemon juice. After six weeks of feeding, the total cholesterol and triglyceride values in the blood and liver of the FLJ treatment groups were de-creased compared with the high-fat diet (HFD) group. In addition, the blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the FLJ treatment groups compared with the HFD group. In contrast, the blood high-density lipoprotein to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio increased considerably in the FLJ treatment groups, and the total to high-density lipoprotein ratio was significantly lower than in the HFD group. Compared with the HFD group, the total cholesterol content in the FLJ treatment groups’ feces increased significantly. This study demonstrated that the sugar-free fermentation method and fermentation cycle management provided FLJ with the potential to regulate blood lipids. Further research and verification will be carried out to isolate specific substances from the FLJ and identify their mechanisms of action.

(1) Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that affect various areas of chil-dren’s development, such as language. There is an emerging idea that ADHD is characterised by the presence of language difficulties, which could be explained by the high comorbidity between ADHD and DLD. The purpose of this study is to analyse the empirical evidence of language com-petence in children aged 6–17 years old, diagnosed with ADHD and/or DLD. (2) Method: Fifteen studies with experimental designs were identified from Scopus, PsycINFO and WoS databases, reporting on language skills in children diagnosed with ADHD and/or DLD. Studies relating ex-ecutive functioning to language skills in this target population were also included. (3) Results: The literature is heterogeneous and different components of language are also examined. Even though the results are contradictory they convincingly demonstrate that there are overlapping symptoms between ADHD and DLD, such as language skills and executive functions. (4) Conclusions: the differences in the samples limit the generalisability of the results. Therefore, this review highlights the importance of considering language skills when designing individualised interventions for the population with ADHD and DLD, both in comorbidity and in isolation.

The Galápagos archipelago is a vast reservoir of terrestrial and marine biodiversity and is particularly susceptible to human, animal, and environmental impacts. Climate change, globalization, and the blurring of human-domestic animal-wildlife interfaces are poised to bring new threats and challenges to the region. A One Health perspective that simultaneously considers human, animal, and environmental health is imperative in assessing and mitigating the challenges facing the Galápagos Islands. Many challenges facing biodiversity in the Galápagos Islands can ultimately be linked to anthropogenic factors. In Part I of this review, we reviewed the impacts of invasive species and identified infectious diseases of importance. In Part II of this review, we discuss the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification, and highlight the effects of several direct human activities, including tourism, overfishing, pollution, land use, and human-wildlife conflict. We also review the socioeconomic and political context of the Galápagos Islands, including current challenges in water and energy use, sanitation, and economic stability. We examine the importance of investment in local development for building resiliency and sustainability in the archipelago. Finally, we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. Throughout this two-part review, we build a cohesive picture of One Health in the Galápagos Islands by integrating past work, current needs, and emerging threats. We also consider overarching goals for conservation, ecosystem management, and socioeconomic sustainability that have been previously defined by both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, and identify discrete, implementable, and interdisciplinary recommendations that will facilitate achievement of those goals.

Today, there is a time series analysis that has gained significant popularity across various industries to provide effective solutions for any specific challenges. Artificial intelligence logic is generally used to solve time-series problems with the help of various frameworks that are available for the development of AI-based applications. Currently, there is a significant framework in Python that is driven by its comprehensive libraries and their practical implementations. Time series analysis can be built with the help of some specific models that give results to differentiate the efficiency and domains of great work. This paper focuses on three diverse libraries of Python to predict the Gulf stock exchange market. These libraries are prediction models that are helpful in predicting future values. These models utilized include SARIMA (Seasonal Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average), Neural Prophet Model, and Fb Prophet model. Each model is trained using the provided datasets, which are followed by evaluation parameters such as MSE, RMSE, recall, MDAPE, accuracy, precision, etc. The main purpose of using these three models for stock market prediction is to find the better-suited models. In the past few decades, the stock market industry has seemed to have promising growth after 2022 onwards. This paper will help us make a significant decision about model usage for addressing such complex challenges. Especially, the research findings indicate that all three models demonstrate in different domains. SARIMA can perform well in overall prediction tasks, while the Prophet model works great with smaller datasets that contain seasonality trends.

Graphene-based Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) integrated with microstrip patch antennas offer a promising approach for Terahertz signal radiation. In this study, a dual-stage simulation methodology is employed to comprehensively investigate the device’s performance. The initial stage, executed in MATLAB, delves into charge transport dynamics within a FET under asymmetric boundary conditions, employing hydrodynamic equations for electron transport in the graphene channel. Electromagnetic field interactions are modeled via Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) techniques. The second stage, conducted in COMSOL Multiphysics, focuses on the microstrip patch antenna’s radiative characteristics. Notably, analysis of the S11 curve reveals minimal reflections at the FET’s resonant frequency of 1.34672 THz, indicating efficient impedance matching. Examination of the radiation pattern demonstrates the antenna’s favorable directional properties. This research underscores the potential of graphene-based FETs for Terahertz applications, offering tunable impedance matching and high radiation efficiency for future Terahertz devices.

In the last two decades, the development of high-throughput diagnostic methods and availabil-ity of effective treatments has increased interest in newborn screening for lysosomal storage disorders. However, long-term follow-up experience is needed to clearly identify risks, benefits and challenges. We report our 8-year experience of screening and follow up on about 250,000 neonates screened for four lysosomal storage diseases (Pompe disease, mucopolysaccharidosis type I, Fabry dis-ease, Gaucher disease), using enzyme activity assay by tandem mass spectrometry, and bi-omarker quantification as second tier test. Among the 126 positive newborns (0.051%), 51 infants were confirmed as affected (positive pre-dictive value 40%), with an overall incidence of 1:4,874. Of these, 3 infantile-onset Pompe dis-ease, 2 neonatal-onset Gaucher disease and 4 mucopolysaccharidosis type I patients were imme-diately treated. Furthermore, another four Gaucher disease patients needed treatment in the first years of life. Our study demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of newborn screening for lysosomal storage diseases. Early diagnosis and treatment allow the achievement of better patient out-comes. Challenges such as false positive rates, the diagnosis of variants of uncertain significance or late-onset forms, and the lack of treatment for neuronopathic forms, should be addressed.

Tendon injuries, while prevalent, present a significant challenge in fully restoring their structural and functional integrity. Utilizing alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-Ai9-scleraxis (Scx)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice, which exhibit both Scx (a tendon cell marker) and α-SMA (a myofibroblast marker), we explored Met's effects on tendon healing and repair and its mechanisms of action. Our findings revealed that intraperitoneal (IP) injections of Met -administered before or after injury, as well as both - effectively prevent the release of HMGB1 into the tendon matrix and reduce circulating levels of HMGB1. Additionally, Met treatment increased and activated AMPK and suppressed TGF-β1 levels within the healing tendon. These interventions also improved tendon healing by blocking the migration of α-SMA+ myofibroblasts, reducing the prevalence of disorganized collagen fibers and collagen type III, and enhancing the presence of collagen type I. These outcomes highlight Met's anti-fibrotic properties on acutely injured tendons and suggest its potential for repurposing as a therapeutic agent to minimize scar tissue formation in tendon injuries, which could have profound implications in clinical practice.

The health and stability of trees are essential information for the safety of people and property in urban greenery, parks or along roads. The stability of the trees is linked to root stability but essentially also to trunk decay. Currently used internal tree stem decay assessment methods, such as tomography or penetrometry, are reliable but usually time-consuming and unsuitable for large-scale surveys. Therefore, a new method based on close-range remote sensed data, specifically close-range photogrammetry and iPhone LiDAR, was tested to detect decayed standing tree trunks automatically. The proposed study used the PointNet deep learning algorithm for 3D data classification. It was verified in three different datasets consisting of pure coniferous trees, pure deciduous trees or mixed data to eliminate the influence of the detectable symptoms for each group and species itself. The mean achieved validation accuracies of the models were 65.5 % for Coniferous trees, 58.4 % for Deciduous trees and 57.7 % for Mixed data classification. The accuracies indicate promising data, which can be either used by practitioners for preliminary surveys or for other researchers to acquire more input data and create more robust classification models.

The pharmaceutical industry is making significant strides in enhancing process comprehension through the development of concepts like Quality by Design (QbD) and Process Analytical Technology (PAT). This shift has moved from traditional offline testing methods to real-time estimation of product quality. The dissolution characteristics of pharmaceutical tablets play a crucial role in maximizing the release of medications and their bioavailability. One factor that can affect dissolution is the blending procedure. Inadequate mixing can lead to patches of concentrated active components or excipients within the tablet, resulting in inconsistent dissolution behavior. A study investigated the impact of blending time and speed on the dissolution behavior of Amlodipine tablets using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate modeling. NIR spectra were collected for Amlodipine tablets produced under various blending conditions using a 2-level central composite design. Dissolving profiles were analyzed using a USP dissolution device. Multivariate analysis techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), were applied to the collected NIR spectra. The findings demonstrated that blending speed and time had a significant influence on the dissolving properties of Amlodipine tablets. Blending at faster speeds and for shorter durations resulted in excessive shear and insufficient mixing, ultimately reduced drug release. The multivariate models constructed using ANN outperformed SVM and PLS in predicting dissolution profiles based on NIR spectra. This research highlights the effectiveness of NIR spectroscopy and multivariate modeling in optimizing tablet dissolution. These advancements enable continuous manufacturing of high-quality pharmaceutical products.

Photoelectric smoke detectors are the most cost-effective devices for very early fire alarms. However, due to different light intensity response values for different fire smoke and interference from interferential aerosols, they have a high false alarm rate, which limits their popularity in Chinese homes. To address these issues, an embedded spatial-temporal convolutional neural network (EST-CNN) model is proposed for real fire smokes identification and aerosols (fire smokes and interferential aerosol) classification. EST-CNN consists of three modules including information fusion, scattering feature extraction, and aerosol classification. Moreover, a two dimensional spatial-temporal scattering (2D-TS) matrix is designed to fuse the scattered light intensities in different channels and adjacent time slices, which is the output of the information fusion module and the input of the scattering feature extraction module. EST-CNN is trained and tested with experimental data measured on the established fire test platform using the developed dual-wavelength dual-angle photoelectric smoke detector. The optimal network parameters are selected through extensive experiments resulting in an average classification accuracy of 95.6% for different aerosols with only 66 kB network parameters. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the designed EST-CNN model to be directly installed in existing commercial photoelectric smoke detectors to realize aerosol classification.

In our article in Genome Biology Ecology six years ago, one complete plastid genome of Belian was assembled for comparative analyses of the plastomes in Lauraceae. However, Ariati et al. (2023) concluded that our sequenced Belian individual could be located in the clade of Myristicaceae instead of that of Lauraceae. Here, we performed re-analyses of additional two Belian plastomes, along with 42 plastomes from plants spanning ten families of the Magnoliids. The plastomes of the three Belian individuals range from 157,535 to 157,577 bp in length. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 170 mutation sites in their plastomes, which include 111 substitutions, 53 indels, and six microinversions. Phylogeny was reconstructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches for 44 magnoliids species indicated that our three Belian individuals are nested among the species in the family Lauraceae rather than Myristicaceae.

This study presents virtual reality (VR) videos as an effective technique for delivering extension educational materials on manure and mortality management. Virtual reality is a technology that can enable immersive distance learning. Using VR tours can enable the public to learn manure and mortality management technologies without in-person farm visits, thus saving traveling time and money and avoiding exposure to pathogens and noxious odors in farms. As the first part of this project, 360° VR tours were created on multiple aspects of manure management, including composting, anaerobic digestion, and preliminary wastewater treatment. These videos were presented to a diverse audience of agricultural producers, extension specialists, and researchers through in-person and online extension events and the Texas Manure YouTube channel. The effectiveness of videos was evaluated using surveys, which measured the audience's awareness of the topics before and after watching VR videos. Statistical analysis revealed that the increase in awareness after watching the videos was statistically significant, with a p-value of less than 0.0001. Statistical analysis also revealed that job classification and professional experience significantly impacted the change in awareness. Researchers, extension specialists/agents, and participants with less experience in manure and mortality management experienced a greater change in awareness than agricultural producers and participants with more experience. Interest and impression of the audience on the VR videos was also evaluated. According to survey data, the majority of the audience rated these videos as an effective technique for educating the public about manure and mortality management, found the VR videos interesting, were willing to learn more content through VR videos, and were likely to recommend them to their colleagues. A statistically significant correlation could be observed between the awareness change and the effectiveness rating given to the videos by the participant.

Advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) have a wide range of applications in equipment safety and lightweight design, and enhancing the strength of AHSS to the ultra-high level of 2 GPa is currently a key focus. In this study, a new process of thermo-mechanical control process followed by direct quenching and partitioning (TMCP-DQP) is developed based on Fe-0.4C-1Mn-0.6Si (wt.%) low-alloy steel, and the effects of microstructure evolution on mechanical properties under TMCP-DQP process and conventional hot rolled quenched and tempered process (HR-QT) are comparatively studied. The results show that the TMCP-DQP process not only shortened the processing steps but also achieved outstanding comprehensive mechanical properties. The TMCP-DQP steel exhibits a tensile strength of 2.23 GPa, accompanied by 11.9% elongation and a Brinell hardness of 624 HBW, with an impact toughness of 28.5 J at -20 ℃. In contrast, the HR-QT steel exhibits tensile strengths ranging from 2.16 GPa to 1.7 GPa and elongations between 5.2% and 12.2%. The microstructure of TMCP-DQP steel primarily consists of lath martensite, containing thin-film retained austenite (RA), nanoscale rod-shaped carbides, and a minor number of nanoscale twins. The volume fraction of RA reaches 7.7%, with an average carbon content of 7.1 at.% measured by three-dimensional atom probe tomography (3DAP). Compared to the HR-QT process, the TMCP-DQP process results in finer microstructure, with a prior austenite grain (PAG) size of 11.91 μm, forming packets and blocks with widths of 5.12 μm and 1.63 μm. The TMCP-DQP process achieves the ultra-high strength of low-alloy steel through the synergistic effects of grain refinement, dislocation strengthening, and precipitation strengthening. The dynamic partitioning stage stabilizes the RA through carbon enrichment, while the relaxation stage reduces a small portion of the dislocations generated by thermal deformation, and the self-tempering stage eliminates internal stresses, all guaranteeing considerable ductility and toughness. The TMCP-DQP process may offer a means for industries to streamline their manufacturing processes and provide a technological reference for producing 2.2 GPa grade AHSS.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a ubiquitous organism that normally colonizes the human body and causes food poisoning. Aim: This study aimed to determine the rate of nasal carriage of S. aureus among food handlers in Sana’a restaurants in, Yemen and performed an antibacterial susceptibility test. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among healthy food handlers from November 2022 to March 2023. Approximately 420 nasal swabs were collected and S. aureus was isolated and identified according to standard bacteriological procedures. Moreover, the antibacterial susceptibility pattern was determined using the disc diffusion method. Additionally, the required data were obtained by using the pretested questionnaire. Results: Of 420 nasal swabs, 78 (18.6%) food handlers were S. aureus nasal carriers. The prevalence rate of S. aureus was significantly higher among subjects aged >30 years (23.1%), males (18.8%), and uneducated subjects (25%). Additionally, a higher rate of S. aureus nasal carriers was observed among food handlers who worked as cooks (19.4%), had less than 2 years of experience (20.5%), and had low hygiene (29%). The S. aureus isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin (71.8%), vancomycin (76.9%), and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (61%). Conversely, the isolated S. aureus was resistant to oxacillin (69.2%) and methicillin (66.7%). Conclusion: These data stress that food handlers with a high S. aureus nasal carrier rate may pose significant risks to consumers. Therefore, creating restaurant policies and rules is necessary to provide safe and healthy food to consumers.

This study investigates the spatio-temporal variability of the onset, offset, and Length of the rainy season in Senegal over the 1981-2018 period. The onset, offset dates, and length of the rainy season are crucial parameters for agricultural planning in West Africa, which exhibits high interannual and spatial variability in rainfall. The objective is to detect and spatially classify these phenological parameters across Senegal using different approaches. Daily precipitation data from the Climate Hazards group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) dataset over the study period and ERA5 reanalysis were used. The method of was applied to detect the onset, offset dates, and length of the rainy season. The Kohonen algorithm was then used to spatially classify these parameters on topological maps. A hierarchical ascendant classification was also performed to reduce the number of classes obtained. Finally, a composite analysis of moisture transport before the onset and end of the 1984 and 2007 seasons was conducted with ERA5 data. The results show a meridional gradient of the start of the season, progressively later from southeast to northwest, while the end follows a north-south gradient. The duration of the rainy season ranges from 45 days in northern Senegal to 150 days in the south. The maximum number of dry days also decreases from north to south. The Kohonen self-organizing maps allow spatial prediction of the onset, end date, and duration of the rainy season across Senegal. The dynamics analysis reveals that early onset years are associated with stronger and earlier northward moisture transport over West Africa, underscoring the role of this parameter in triggering the rainy season. These promising results can provide an early warning to policymakers and farmers on the start and end dates of the season in each area of Senegal.

A study was conducted on the power system of a forklift equipped with PEM fuel cells. A fuel cell assembly relies on several components for proper functioning, and among these, the air compressor holds paramount importance due to its significant energy consumption when compared to other Balance of Plant components. The air supply system, in turn, plays a critical role in ensuring the stable and efficient operation of the entire fuel cell system. To enhance system efficiency, we delved into the impact of varying the stoichiometric ratio of air and air pressure on the validated and optimized power module model. This investigation was carried out under real loading conditions, replicating the conditions experienced by the power module when fuel cells are in use within a forklift. The air compressor, being a pivotal component of a PEM fuel cell system, can be oper-ated at different excess air and pressure ratios, which in turn influence both the fuel cell's performance and the overall efficiency of the power module system. Our research focused on assessing the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells under different load cycles, adhering to the VDI60 requirements for forklift applications. This comprehensive examination encompassed the system's minimum and maximum load scenarios, with the primary goal of optimizing excess air and pressure ratio parameters, especially under dynamic load conditions. The results revealed that higher air pressures and lower excess air ratios were con-ducive to increasing system efficiency, shedding light on potential avenues for enhancing the performance of PEM fuel cell systems in forklift applications.

In the natural environment, sand accumulation and desertification can influence the efficiency of photovoltaic arrays. In this study, PV module output characteristics were examined under different sand particle size, varying sand densities and inclination angles, and at wind speeds of 5m/s, 10m/s, and 15m/s. Both theoretical and experimental results showed that the output power of the module declines with increasing sand density. As the sand particle size increases, the module maximum output power rises and then stabilizes. The two control variables, namely sand density and sand particle size, influence the module temperature and light transmittance distinctly. Contrary to the impact of sand density on the module filling factor curve, the module filling factor exhibits varying trends under different sand particle sizes. Additionally, the pattern of the module filling factor as a function of sand density contrasts with that of the module temperature under analogous conditions. Specifically, when the sand density on the PV module surface increases from 0 to 40g/m², there is a 32.2% reduction in maximum output power. At a wind speed of 15m/s, this reduction was found consistent across all wind speed categories. Furthermore, the trend of the module filling factor rel-ative to sand accumulation density contrasts with the module temperature trend under analogous conditions. Notably, the filling factor reached its apex at a sand accumulation density of 35g/m², which corresponded to the module temperature's nadir during the experiment.

Leishmania spp. is the aetiologic agent of leishmaniasis, a disease endemic in several developing countries. The parasite expresses and secretes several virulence factors that subvert macrophage function and immune response. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can carry molecules of the parasites that show immunomodulatory effects on macrophage activation and disease progression. In the present work, we detected a significantly higher expression of lpg3 and gp63 genes in Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes recovered after successive experimental infections (IVD-P) compared to those cultured for a long period (LT-P). In addition, we observed a significantly higher percentage of infection and internalized parasites in groups of macrophages infected with IVD-P. Macrophages previously treated with EVs from LT-P showed higher percentages of infection and production of inflammatory cytokines after challenge with the parasite compared to untreated ones. However, macrophages infected with parasites and treated with EVs did not reduce the parasite load. In addition, no synergistic effects were observed in infected macrophages treated with EVs and reference drugs. In conclusion, parasites cultured for a long period in vitro and recovered from animals’ infection differently affect the macrophage response. Furthermore, EVs produced by these parasites affected macrophage response in the early infection of these cells.

As distinct human societies, three unique intentional communities are investigated regarding their preferred consensus decision-making practices. It is Identified that each has adopted a different form of consensus decision-making to solve potential group-wide interpersonal conflict. The individual attributes of these three consensus decision-making practices are considered, both from the perspective of maintaining group stability and in relation to individual member's mental health. The communities are a Canadian self-directed public senior elementary and secondary school, an annual English conference for those self-identifying as on the autistic spectrum, and a self-producing Korean popular music (K-pop) group. It is found that the intentional community and participants’ mental health are sustained regarding each of the three consensus decision-making practices. Nevertheless, the resulting decisions generate various stresses within the communities, both as a whole and concerning the individual members. To retain group cohesion and maintain individual mental health, these stresses must be recognized and understood by participants. The novel finding of this research is that, dependent on the time available for decision-making, and the members’ perspective adopted, intentional communities might practice more than one form of consensus decision-making and still support both group cohesion and individual mental health, maintaining the democracy of these distinct societies.

Escherichia coli causes several infections like intestinal diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia, which are difficult to treat due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared carbapenem-resistant E. coli a critical pathogen and called for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Phage therapy, a century-old technique, has been revitalised recently with many successful applications against multi-drug resistant infections. As such, phage therapy is considered one of the most effective alternatives or adjuvants to antibiotics and is also effective in treating multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. However, few phages that can kill pathogenic E. coli strains from Southeast Asia have been studied at a molecular level, although the burden of MDR, particularly carbapenem resistance, is high in this region. In this study, three closely related obligately virulent Escherichia phages (øEc_Makalu_001, øEc_Makalu_002, and øEc_Makalu_003) that could infect uropathogenic E. coli were isolated from sewage samples and characterized using morphological as well as sequence-based analysis. Further, a comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis was done to predict the functional genes and evolutionary relationships. Electron microscopy and genome-based classification revealed that all three phages belonged Krischvirus genus of Straboviridae family. One-step growth curve showed that the latent period of the phages ranged from 15-20 min, the outbreak period was about 50 min, and the burst size ranged between 74-127 PFU/bacterium. Moreover, the phages could tolerate a pH range of 6 to 9 and a temperature range of 25-37°C for up to 180 minutes without significant loss of phage viability. Spotting the purified phages in different clinical isolates showed a broad host-range of isolated Escherichia phages and could lyse up to 30% of the tested pathogenic clinical isolates, including an intra-genus isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The genome organization of all three phages was almost identical and similar to T4-like phage with a full-length genome of ~163 kb. Around 284 coding sequences (CDS) were predicted in each phage, of which only 40% were functional with an average gene length of 951 bp. The coding density in all phages was approximately 95%, while the gene density was 1.73 gene/kbp. Putative lysin, holin, endolysin, and spanin genes were found in the genomes of all three phages, resembling that of T4-like phages implying their phylogenetic relatedness. Furthermore, various in silico sequence analysis tools confirmed that all three phages were strictly virulent with functional lysis modules but devoid of any known virulence or toxin genes, integron-associated genes and antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) genes. In summary, pre-clinical experimental analysis and exploration of genomic features suggest that all three phages may be suitable candidates for therapeutic applications against uropathogenic E. coli.

In this study, Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) was synthesized using a coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor, benefiting from the elevated capacity of air-flow-assisted DBD discharges to enhance nitrogen-based species concentration. By manipulating operational parameters, including gas flow rate, activation time, and DI water volume, we achieved significant concentrations of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS). As a result, the PAW obtained displayed pronounced physicochemical attributes: a pH of 2.06, an ORP of 275mV, conductivity of 3mS/cm, and TDS of 1200 mg/L. A pivotal aspect of this research was the evaluation of the reactor's efficiency, as indicated by metrics like the specific input energy and ozone efficiency yield. The antimicrobial potential of the PAW was also assessed against pathogenic microbes, with remarkable reductions in viability for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (99.99%) and a more moderate decrease for Candida albicans (37%). These findings underscore the capability of the coaxial DBD reactor in crafting high-quality PAW with significant antimicrobial properties, necessitating further studies to validate its broad-spectrum and safe application.

Enzymes used in the synthesis of natural products are potent catalysts, capable of efficient and stereoselective chemical transformations. Lsd18 catalyzes two sequential epoxidations during the biosynthesis of lasalocid A, a polyether polyketide natural product. We performed protein engineering on Lsd18 to improve its thermostability and catalytic activity. Utilizing structure-guided methods of FoldX and Rosetta-ddG, we designed 15 mutants of Lsd18. Screening of these mutants using thermal shift assay identified stabilized variants Lsd18-T189M, Lsd18-S195M, and the double mutant Lsd18-T189M-S195M. Trypsin digestion, molecular dynamic simulation, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography provided insights into the molecular basis for the improved enzyme properties. Notably, enhanced hydrophobic interaction within the enzyme core and interaction of the protein with the FAD cofactor appear to be responsible for better thermostability.

The UV/Vis absorption energies (νmax) of different solvatochromic probes measured in co-solvent/water mixtures are analysed as a function of the average molar concentration (Nav) of the solvent composition. Nav is discussed in terms of the underlying average molar mass (mol average or mass average) of the mixture. ET(30) of Reichardt`s dye B30 is the focus of the analysis. Methanol, ethanol, 1,2-ethanediol, 2-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, 2-butoxyethanol, formamide, N-methylformamide (NMF), dimethylformamide (DMF), N-formylmorpholine (NFM), 1,4-dioxane and DMSO were used as co-solvents. Significant linear dependencies of ET(30) as a function of Nav can be demonstrated for formamide/water, 1,2-ethanediol/water, NMF/water and DMSO/water mixtures over the whole composition range. These mixtures belong to the group of solvents that do not enhance the water structure according to the Marcus classification. The specifics of the 1,4-dioxane/water mixtures are discussed. For alcohol/water mixtures with enhanced water structure, the influence of the solvent microstructure on ET(30) is particularly evident.

Consciousness pervades our daily experiences, yet it remains largely unaccounted for in contemporary physics and chemistry theories. Several existing theories, such as the Integrated Information Theory (IIT), Global Workspace Theory (GWT), Electromagnetic Field Theory (EMF Theory of Consciousness), and Orchestrated Objective Reduction Theory (Orch-OR), attempt to clarify the essence of consciousness. Yet, they often encounter significant challenges. These challenges arise due to the intricate nature of our neural systems and the limitations of current measurement and computational technologies, which often prevent these theories from being rigorously mathematically described or quantitatively tested. Here we introduce a novel theory that hypothesizes consciousness as an inherent property of certain particle configurations. Specifically, when a group of particles align in a particular state, they exhibit consciousness. This relationship between particle states and conscious perceptions is governed by what we term the "universal consciousness code". And we propose a possible practical mathematical method to decipher the complex relationship between neural activities and consciousness and to test our theory using the latest artificial intelligence technologies.

Cement paste backfill (CPB) is an effective waste management method allowing the storage of fine process tailings into underground mined-out voids. CPB performance generally depends on the sulfur content of the tailings and the type of binder. In recent years, there has been an in-creasing trend on the use of alkali-activated slag (AAS) to improve the performance properties of CPB. This study focuses on the ultrasonic and microstructural investigation of the effect of slag fineness on the mechanical, geochemical and durability properties of CPB made up of AAS (AAS-CPB) over 360 days. In this scope, AAS-CPB samples were prepared at three different fineness (3100-4650-6300 cm2/g). Fineness of slag significantly improved the early age- and long-term strength (~2.3 fold and ~6.6 fold, respectively) of CPB. However, further increase of slag fineness may have adverse effect on CPB microstructure and strength in the long term. Ultrasonic pulse velocity monitoring displayed very high relation with the strength evolution and durability assessment of CPB. Slag fineness at a degree was seen to improve the pore structure evolution of AAS-CPB. Microstructural studies are in good agreement with the geochemical and durability behavior of AAS-CPB. Microstructural and ultrasonic findings suggest that while slag fineness enhances the mechanical properties of AAS-CPB, further increase of the fineness of slag has no additional important technical advantages.

Obesity induces inflammation in the hypothalamus and adipose tissue, resulting in metabolic disorders. A novel hypothalamic neuropeptide, neurosecretory protein GM (NPGM), was previously identified in the hypothalamus of vertebrates. While NPGM plays an important role in lipid metabolism in chicks, its metabolic regulatory effects in mammals remain unclear. In this study, a novel Cre driver line, NPGM-Cre, was generated for cell-specific manipulation. Cre-dependent overexpression of Npgm led to fat accumulation without increased food consumption in NPGM-Cre mice. Chemogenetic activation of NPGM neurons acutely promoted feeding behavior and chronically resulted in a transient increase in body mass gain. Furthermore, the ablated NPGM neurons exhibited a tendency to be glucose intolerant, with infiltration of proinflammatory macrophages into the adipose tissue. These results suggest that NPGM neurons may regulate lipid storage and inflammatory responses, thereby maintaining glucose homeostasis.

With 500+ papers and 20+ books spanning many scientific disciplines, Mark Burgin has left an indelible mark and legacy for future explorers of human thought and information technology professionals. In this paper, I discuss his contribution to the evolution of machine intelligence using his general theory of information (GTI) based on my discussions with him and various papers I co-authored during the past eight years. His construction of a new class of digital automata to overcome the barrier posed by the Church-Turing Thesis, and his contribution to Super-Symbolic Computing with Knowledge Structures, Cognizing Oracles, and Structural Machines are leading to practical applications changing the future landscape of information systems. GTI provides a model for the operational knowledge of biological systems to build, operate, and manage life processes using 30+ trillion cells capable of replication and metabolism. The schema, and associated operations derived from GTI are also used to model a digital genome specifying the operational knowledge of algorithms executing the software life processes with specific purposes using replication and metabolism. The result is a digital software system with a super-symbolic computing structure exhibiting autopoietic and cognitive behaviors that biological systems also exhibit. We discuss here one of these applications.

The human body contains 60-70% of water, depending on age. As a body fluid, it is not only a medium in which physical and chemical processes take place, but it is also one of the active mediators. Water is the richest substance with non-covalent hydrogen bonds. Water molecules, by themselves (in vacuum), are diamagnetic, but when organized into clusters, become diamagnetic or paramagnetic. Also, biomolecules (DNA, collagen, clathrin, and other proteins) have non-covalent hydrogen bonds in their structure. The interaction, as well as signal transmission, between water and biomolecules is achieved through the vibrations of covalent and non-covalent hydrogen bonds, which determine the state and dynamics of conformational changes of biomolecules. Disruptive conformational changes of biomolecules, cells, and tissues lead to their dysfunctionality, so they are a frequent cause of many disorders and diseases. For example, the rearrangement of hydrogen bonding due to mitochondrial disease mutation in cytochrome bc1 disturbs heme bH redox potential and spin state. In order to prevent and repair the dysfunctional conformational changes, a liquid substance was developed based on the second derivative of the C₆₀ molecule (SD-C₆₀), which has classical and quantum properties. Characterization of SD-C₆₀ by UV-VIS-NIR, FTIR, TEM, and AFM/MFM was done and it is shown that SD-C₆₀ water layers generate vibrations with near-zero phase dispersion which are transmitted through the Fibonacci’s water chains to biomolecules. In comparison to previously published SD-C₆₀ derivate (3HFWC, size until 10 nm, and 1-5 water layers), improved formulation (3HFWC-W, size 10-25 nm, and 6-9 water layers) showed multiplied cytotoxic activity against melanoma cell lines of different aggressiveness. Apart from this, the mode of action was preserved and based on induction of senescence rather than cell death. Importantly, high selectivity toward malignant phenotype was detected. Observed effects can be ascribed to a machinery of hydrogen bonds, which are generated in SD-C₆₀ and transmitted through water to biomolecules. This approach may open a new field in science and healthcare - a “water-based nanomedicine”.

Objectives: The aim of our current study was to analyze whether the use of important measures of methodological quality and reporting of randomized clinical trials published in the field of cardiovascular disease research have changed over time. Further aim was to investigate whether there was an improvement over time in the ability of these trials to provide a good estimate of the true intervention effect. Methods We conducted two searches in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTAL) database to identify cardiovascular clinical research trials published in either 2012 or 2017. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) trials in cardiovascular disease research with adult participants were eligible to be included. We randomly selected 250 RCTs for both publication year 2012 and 2017. Trial characteristics, data on measures of methodological quality and reporting were extracted and risk of bias for each trial was assessed. Results As compared to 2012 in 2017 there were significant improvements in the reporting of the presence of a data monitoring committee (42.0% in 2017 compared to 34.4% in 2012), and a positive tendency of registering cardiovascular disease research RCTs in clinical trial registries (83.6% in 2017 compared to 72.0% in 2012). On the other hand, we also observed that significantly fewer RCTs reported sample size calculation (60.4% in 2017 compared to 98.4% in 2012) in 2017 as compared to 2012. RCTs in 2017 were more likely to have low overall risk of bias ( RoB ) than in 2012 (29.2% in 2017compared to 21.2% in 2012). Conclusion: As compared to 2012 in 2017 there were significant improvement in some, but not all the important measures of methodological quality. Although more trials in the field of cardiovascular disease research had a lower overall RoB in 2017, the improvement over time was not consistently perceived in all RoB domains.

Due to the low content, few studies are focused on the volatile compounds of Phlomoides rotata (Benth. ex Hook. f.) Mathiesen (PR, syn. Lamiophlomis rotata (Benth.) Kudô). However, such volatile compounds may have important pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer. In order to identify the chemical markers (CMs) in the essential oils (Es) and explore the potential bioactivities, we first conduct a thoroughly investigation on the volatile compounds and evaluate their anti-oxidant activities (AOAs), to the best of our knowledge. Light yellow Es with a fresh and elegant smell are obtained by hydro-distillation with an average yield of 0.11% (mL/g). After separation through cryoprecipitation, the crystals (Cs) and EOs removed crystals (RCs) were gotten, respectively. A total of 81 components are qualified and quantified in the Es, Cs and RCs, in which 44 ones are first reported from PR. As for content, the main compounds are long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and their esters. Among them, palmitic acid (PA), myristic acid (MA), linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA) and methyl palmitate are highlighted, Besides, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone and phytol are also prominent Four kinds of C13-norisoprenoids are first reported from PR, in which, trans-β-damascenone is potent in flavour. In sum, these eight representative compounds can be chosen as the CMs. The AOAs of Es, Cs, RCs and four CMs such as PA, MA, LA and OA are evaluated by in vitro assays. In general, PA and MA present pro-oxidant activities (POAs) or weak AOAs. LA and OA show POAs or weak AOAs in lower concentration group, whereas demonstrate medium or strong AOAs in higher concentration group. Usually, the RCs demonstrate stronger AOAs and the Cs present weaker AOAs compared with those of the corresponding Es, which should be related to their different content of PA. This study can give some hints on the utilization of such Es which are abundant in LCFAs.

This article is a study on the (k,s)-Riemann-Liouville fractional integral, a generalization of the Riemann-Liouville fractional integral. Firstly, we introduce several properties of the extended integral of continuous functions. Furthermore, we make the estimation of the Box dimension of the graph of continuous functions after the extended integral. It presents that the upper Box dimension of the (k,s)-Riemann-Liouville fractional integral for any continuous functions is no more than the upper Box dimension of the functions on the unit interval I=[0,1], which indicates that the upper Box dimension of the integrand f(x) will not be increased by the σ-order (k,s)-Riemann-Liouville fractional integral ksD−σf(x) where σ&gt;0 on I. Additionally, we prove that the fractal dimension of ksD−σf(x) of one-dimensional continuous functions f(x) is still one.

The rapid expansion of livestock production sector to meet the world population demand is posing a big challenge to environmental sustainability. Plant-based feed additives extracted from food by-products could potentially result in a double outcome: improving animal zootechnical performances and mitigating environmental impacts of meat production chains. This presented study was carried out to assess the environmental impacts of the supplementation of a commercial Citrus extract feed additive (CEFA) in swine and broiler farming. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to assess the impact of manufacturing and distributing 1 bag of 25 kg of CEFA and its use in feed in broiler and swine productions. With regard to CEFA manufacturing and distribution, results showed that the majority of impact came from the production of CEFA ingredients, accounting for 70% impact generated. The remaining 30% effect was divided to transportation to customer (25%), CEFA packaging (3%), CEFA manufacture, and production loss (2%). When enlarging the scope, the use of CEFA in piglet and broiler diets showed improving the measured environmental indicators, compared to such standard systems. Indeed, feed supplemented CEFA have demonstrated in elevating zootechnical performances, hence saving feed consumed. Consequently, that helped reduce environmental issues from animal feed ingredients’ agriculture. To be more specific, the supplementation of 25 kg of CEFA in feed led to a reduction of 6 tons of CO2 emitted along the life cycle of broiler production and 5 tons in the case of fattening pig. 0.7 hectares of land used had been saved as well as, 201 m3 of water (broiler) and 82 m3 (swine) were economized. Environmental performance assessment showed the interest in using this CEFA in swine and broiler diets to mitigate the environmental impacts.

As urban populations continue to grow, efficient traffic management becomes paramount in reducing congestion, enhancing air quality, and improving overall quality of life. This study addresses the critical issue of intersection efficiency through the implementation of smart green time allocation strategies at a signalized intersection equipped with two LiDAR sensors. This research aims to investigate optimal green time allocations provided by two LiDAR sensors and analyze the LiDAR results by microsimulation in AIMSUN. The research first introduces the concept of LiDAR-equipped signalized intersections and their potential to enhance traffic control precision. Two LiDAR sensors are strategically placed at the intersection of Marlboro Pike and Brooks Dr. in Coral Hills, MD, USA to capture real-time data on vehicle and pedestrian movements. The data are then processed to generate accurate and dynamic traffic profiles, ensuring the responsiveness of the green time allocation system to varying traffic conditions.The heart of this study lies in the integration of AIMSUN microsimulation with LiDAR data. Through meticulous modeling and simulation, the research explores the optimal green allocation at morning, mid-day, and afternoon peak hours’ scenarios to comprehensively assess the impact of LiDAR-enabled dynamic signal control. The findings demonstrate that smart green time allocation, informed by real-time LiDAR data and implemented through AIMSUN microsimulation, significantly enhances intersection efficiency. By adapting signal timings to real-time traffic demands, congestion, travel times, and emissions are reduced. Furthermore, this research highlighted that the optimal green time allocation in morning, mid-day, and afternoon peak hour intervals can improve the delay time by 55.3%, 59.7%, and 55.6%, respectively.In conclusion, this paper sheds light on the potential of LiDAR technology to transform intersection management. Through a case study involving two LiDAR sensors and AIMSUN microsimulation, it reveals the tangible benefits of dynamic signal control in enhancing intersection efficiency and creating more sustainable urban environments. These findings are pivotal in advancing the discourse on modern urban traffic management and promoting data-driven solutions for the challenges of today's cities.

Conclusion: When applied to the air-abraded Filtek™ Bulk Fill Flowable Restorative composite surface, 10-MDP-containing adhesives perform better than 10-MDP-free adhesives. The binding strength was unaffected by the 10-MDP-containing adhesives' chemical makeup. The bond strength endurance of adhesives containing 10-MDP decreases with age. Keywords: keyword 1; keyword 2; keywords: low-viscosity bulk fill composite, universal adhesives, self-etch adhesive, 10-MDP, aging, bond strength.

The effective implementation of a sustainable supply chain leadership (SSCL) strategy at each organization’s level, positively impacts on corporation’s competitive advantage and sustainable development. While fears have been acknowledged in previous literature, the benefit of designing Sustainable supply chain models for operational excellence and sustainable development is a noteworthy exploration. The study collected statistical data using an online Survey- monkey questionnaire from 46 of the top 100 JSE-listed companies with the intention to elucidate the large firms’ transition from longstanding linear approaches to sustainable production and consumption to a more circular approach. A bivariate data analysis was used to generate the results in SPSS. The results indicate a positive contribution of SSCL strategy to operational excellence and sustainable development of large corporations if only the entire supply chain system is well-coordinated and implemented. This study makes a vital contribution by proposing a new SSCL model for fast-tracking corporate sustainability and enhancing corporate contributions to sustainable growth.

Prosthetic attack is a problem that must be prevented in the current finger vein recognition application. To solve this problem, a finger vein living detection system was established in this article. The system first captures short-term static finger vein video by uniform near-infrared lighting, segments the veins by Gabor filters with current removing, calculates the multi-Scale spatial-Temporal maps(MSTmap) from the selected vein blocks, and trains the MSTmaps in the proposed Light-ViT network for the liveness detection. The MS maps are used to extract the coarse feature and Light-ViT is used to refine the liveness feature and predict the liveness result. Light-ViT, featuring an enhanced L-ViT backbone as its core, is constructed by interleaving multiple MN blocks and L-ViT blocks. This architecture effectively balances the learning of local image features, controls network parameter complexity, and substantially improves the accuracy of liveness detection. The accuracy of the Light-ViT network is verified to be 99.63% on the self-made living / prosthetic finger vein video dataset. This proposed system can also be directly applied to the finger vein recognition terminal after the model lightweighting.

This study aims to develop a novel retention method combining the retrievability of the screw retention method with the ideal occlusal table and the aesthetics capability of cement retention. Coping was developed to have lateral screw access allowing the screw to lock coping using lateral forces from screw tightening and friction between the tip of the screw and the sandblasted surface of an abutment. Sandblasting parameters varied based on particle size. Results show a positive correlation to surface roughness and indicate a positive correlation to retention force. The highest surface roughness and retention force result was shown by groups that were sandblasted using 686 μm of aluminum oxide. Experiment on the tightening strength of 48 subjects measured in simulated conditions similar to assembly conditions of lateral screw retention implant resulted in a mean of 69.75 Nmm with the highest and lowest values of 120.67 Nmm and 34.67 Nmm. This result became the basis of tightening torque variation. Each group's retention capability is measured and compared to cement-retained dental implants. Results show that tightening torque correlates positively with retention force, with the highest average retention score showed by lateral screw retained under tightening torque of 200 Nmm with 317.87 N higher than cement-retained.

Spinal metastatic tumors are common and often cause debilitating symptoms. Image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation (IPTA) has gained significant recognition in managing spinal column tumors due to its exceptional precision and effectiveness. Conventional guidance modalities, including computed tomography, fluoroscopy, and ultrasound, have been important in targeting spinal column tumors while minimizing harm to adjacent critical structures. This study presents a novel approach utilizing a fusion of Cone Beam Computed Tomography with Magnetic Resonance Imaging to guide percutaneous thermal ablation for four patients with secondary spinal column tumors. The visual analog scale (VAS) evaluated procedure effectiveness during an 18-month follow-up. Percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed in two cases, and a thermostat was used during all procedures. Imaging was performed using the Stealth Station navigation system Spine 8 (SSS8) and a 1.5T MRI machine. The fusion of CBCT with MRI allowed precise tumor localization and guidance for thermal ablation. Initial results indicate successful tumor ablation and symptom reduction, emphasizing the potential of CBCT-MRI fusion in spinal column tumor management. This innovative approach is promising in optimizing therapy for secondary spinal column tumors. Further studies are necessary to validate its efficacy and applicability.

The behaviour and bifurcations of solutions to three-dimensional (three-phase) quadratic polynomial dynamical systems (DSs) are considered. The integrability in elementary functions is proved for a class of autonomous polynomial DSs. The occurrence of bifurcations of the type twisted fold is discovered on the basis and within the frames of the elements of the developed DS qualitative theory. The discriminant criterion applied originally to two-phase quadratic polynomial DSs is extended to three-phase DSs investigated in terms of their coefficient matrices. Specific classes of D- and S-vectors are introduced and complete description of the symmetry relations inherent to the DS coefficient matrices is performed using the discriminant criterion.

Due to growing concerns about environmental pollution from plastic waste, plastic recycling research is gaining momentum. Traditional methods, such as incorporating inorganic particles, increasing cross-linking density with peroxides, and blending with silicone monomers, often improve mechanical properties but reduce flexibility for specific performance requirements. This study focuses on synthesizing silica nanoparticles with vinyl functional groups and evaluating their mechanical performance when used in recycled plastics. Silica precursors, namely sodium silicate, and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), combined with a surfactant, were employed to create pores, increasing silica's surface area. Early-stage introduction of vinyl functional groups prevented the typical post-synthesis reduction in surface area. Porous silica was produced in varying quantities of VTMS, and the synthesized porous silica nanomaterials were incorporated into recycled Polyethylene to induce cross-linking. Despite a decrease in surface area with increasing VTMS content, a significant surface area of 883 m2/g was achieved. In conclusion, porous silica with the right amount of vinyl content exhibited improved mechanical performance, including increased tensile strength, compared to conventional porous silica. This study shows that synthesized porous silica with integrated vinyl functional groups effectively enhances the performance of recycled plastics.

Recreational and leisure areas play a special role. These areas mitigate or eliminate the disadvantages of living in large cities, and they enhance the quality of life in small towns. The aim of this study was to analyze the share of recreational and leisure areas in Polish counties in 2022. In Poland, recreational and leisure areas constitute a separate land-use category in cadastral registers. Annual cadastral data from the Land and Building Register at county level (in tabular form) were the main source of data for the study. The analysis revealed that the share of recreational and leisure areas was higher in counties situated in western and south-western Poland, as well as in cities. The spatially varied influence of socioeconomic factors on the share of recreational and leisure areas in Polish counties in 2002 was determined with the use of local Moran's I statistic and geographically weighted regression (GWR). The study confirmed that population density was significantly related to the share of recreational and leisure areas in Polish counties. The impact of the remaining socioeconomic factors associated with spatial and economic development varied across regions. The study also revealed that in addition to the current socioeconomic determinants, the share of recreational and leisure areas in Polish counties was also influenced by historical factors and the counties' development since their establishment.

Drug delivery through Liposomes has shown tremendous potential in terms of the therapeutic application of nanoparticles. There are several drug-loaded liposomal formulations approved for clinical use that help mitigate harmful effects of life-threatening diseases. Developments in the field of liposomal formulations and drug delivery have made it possible for clinicians and researchers to find therapeutic solutions for complicated medical conditions. A key aspect in the development of drug-loaded liposomes is a careful review of optimization techniques to improve the overall formulation stability and efficacy. Optimization studies help in improving/modulating the various properties of drug-loaded liposomes and are vital for the development of this class of delivery systems. A comprehensive overview of the various process variables and factors involved in the optimization of drug-loaded liposomes is presented in this review. The influence of different independent variables on drug release and loading properties with the application of a statistical experimental design is also explained in this article.

Severe COVID-19 patients show impaired IFN-I response due to decreased IFN-β production, allowing persistent viral load and exacerbated inflammation. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein has been implicated in inhibiting IFN-I response through interfering with IFN-I signaling. This study reveals that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein enhances interaction between human SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9 and MAVS. Increased MAVS-UBC9 interaction leads to enhanced SUMOylation of MAVS, inhibiting its ubiquitination, resulting in the inhibition of phosphorylation events involving IKKα, TBK1, and IRF3, disrupting IFN-I signaling. These results provide essential insights into the intricate regulation of the host's innate immunity during SARS-COV-2 invasion. Understanding these complex molecular mechanisms is crucial in developing effective therapeutic interventions against COVID-19 and potential future viral outbreaks.

Myocardial involvement among critical patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a worse outcome. The occurrence of an imbalance in oxygen supply results in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines which leads to increased ventilation support requirement and increase risk of mortality. Our aim was to evaluate the association between hs-Troponin I level and global longitudinal strain as evidence of myocardial involvement among critical COVID-19 patients. Methods. We performed prospective cohort study from February 1st – July 31st, 2021 at Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya as referral center for COVID-19 care. Of the 65 critical COVID-19 included, 41 (63.1%) were men, with a median (interquartile range) age of 51.0 years (20.0-75.0).Subjects were recruited according to WHO criteria for severe COVID-19 and CDC criteria for myocarditis. All subjects recruited were examined using echocardiography to measure global longitudinal strain (GLS) and blood samples were taken to measure hs-Troponin. Subjects were then followed to assess their needs for mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality. Severe COVID-19 subjects with cardiac injury were associated with an increased need for intubation (78.5%) and an increased incidence of myocarditis (50.8%). There was an association between the use of intubation and the risk of mortality in patients (66.7% vs. 33.3%, p-value &lt;0.001). Both reduced GLS and increased hs-troponin are associated with increased myocarditis (p-value &lt;0.001 and 0.004 respectively). Reduced GLS is associated with higher mechanical ventilation needs (12.17 + 4.79 vs.15.65 + 4.90, p-value 0.02) and a higher mortality rate (11.36 + 4.64 vs. 14.74 + 4.82; p-value 0.005). Increased hs-troponin is associated with higher mechanical ventilation needs (25.33% vs. 3.56%, p-value 0.002) and a higher mortality rate (34.57% vs. 5.76%, p-value 0.002). Compared with contemporary controls, critical COVID-19 patients with myocardial involvement and elevated cardiac troponin level are associated with higher mechanical ventilation needs and a higher mortality rate.

Low-complexity ultrasound systems are increasingly desired for wearable point-of-care ultra-sound and massive-channel ultrasound for 3-D matrix imaging. However, the system complexity is closely associated with the imaging capabilities, remaining as a challenge. To resolve this limitation, this study revisits the general structures of analog and digital beamformers and in-troduces a hybrid approach to implement efficient ultrasound systems. The suggested hybrid beamforming takes two stages, where the first analog stage partially beamforms M-channel RF signals to N sum-out data (M-to-N beamforming), and the second digital stage beamforms N partial sums to single final beamformed data (N-to-1 beamforming). Our approach was systematically designed and implemented, which was demonstrated with a customized 64-channel 1-D phased array using a tissue mimicking phantom. The demonstrated results indicate that the analog-digital hybrid beamforming can be applied to any kind of arrays for sophisticated 3-D imaging and tiny wearable ultrasound applications.

The formation and functioning of membrane-less organelles (MLOs) is one of the main driving forces in the molecular life of the cell. These processes are based on the separation of biopolymers into phases regulated by multiple specific and nonspecific inter- and intramolecular interactions. Among the realm of MLOs, a special place is taken by the promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs or PML bodies), which are the intranuclear compartments involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism, transcription, maintenance of genome stability, response to viral infection, apoptosis, and tumor suppression. According to the accepted models, specific interactions, such as SUMO/SIM, formation of disulfide bonds, etc., play a decisive role in the biogenesis of PML bodies. In this work, a number of bioinformatics approaches were used to study proteins found in the proteome of PML-bodies for their tendency to spontaneous liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is usually caused by weak nonspecific interactions. 205 proteins found in PML bodies have been identified. It has been suggested that UBC9, P53, HIPK2, and SUMO1 can be considered as the scaffold proteins of PML bodies. It was shown that more than half of the proteins in the analyzed proteome are capable of spontaneous LLPS, with 85% of the analyzed proteins being intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), and remaining 15% being proteins with intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs). About 44% of all proteins analyzed in this study contain SUMO binding sites and can potentially be SOMYylated. These data suggest that weak nonspecific interactions play a significantly larger role in the formation and biogenesis of PML bodies than previously expected.

The use of nitrogen fertilizers can be a source of environmental pollution; the use of or-ganomineral fertilizers can become a nutritional source for crops, ensuring sustainability in the production system. Another alternative approach is through the inoculation and co-inoculation of microorganisms. The objective was to evaluate the development, nutrition, and agronomic yield of common bean through fertilization with organomineral formula "FMO" derived from sewage sludge biosolids, combined with Rhizobium tropici inoculation and co-inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense techniques. Three bean cultivars from different commercial groups, Pérola, BRS Esteio, and BRS Pitanga, were tested. They were subjected to organomineral fertilizer application, orga-nomineral fertilizer application combined with seed inoculation with R. tropici and re-inoculation; seed co-inoculation with R. tropici + A. brasilense prior to sowing, and foliar re-inoculation with R. tropici + A. brasilense. Seed inoculation, combined with foliar re-inoculation at the V4 stage, resulted in higher productivity of common bean. The combination of R. tropici with co-inoculation with A. brasilense generally led to increased productivity compared to mineral nitrogen fertilization. The use of organomineral fertilizer alone enabled gains in development, as well as productivity. The Pérola bean cultivar showed better adaptation to the applied treatments.

The importance of utilizing an optimal and efficient braking system is emphasized in this study. Braking system optimization and efficiency were practically determined through successive tests on the brake dynamometer, according to road safety regulations. Subsequently, the results were correlated with practical tests involving consecutive braking at different speeds, tracking both the time and distance of braking. The coefficient of friction (COF) was established for each braking instance by utilizing the braking force measured on the brake dynamometer. This paper aims to highlight the genuine impact of the braking system by measuring and establishing its braking efficiency depending on the car’s speed, time, and distance of braking.

The study is devoted to analyzing the economic sustainability of the town of Amherst, MA. The city's top employer and core enterprise is the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with over 32,000 students and almost 2,000 staff members. Based on a literature review, a hypothesis was put forward that a university city should have a high level of economic sustainability. To assess economic sustainability, the USCESI Index was developed. It evaluates sustainability in three groups of parameters: society, economy, and ecology. The first group includes the level of racial diversity, the level of education of the population, and the access to medical services. The second group consists of the Gini coefficient by income level, the median cost of housing, and the unemployment rate. The environmental situation is assessed according to the Air Quality Index developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. For comparison, the town of Braintree, MA, was taken. The USCESI was calculated for both locations. The analysis showed that both Amherst and Braintree have a high degree of economic sustainability. However, it was revealed that proximity to a significant economic center has a more powerful positive impact on economic sustainability than the location of a large university.

We previously developed a highly sensitive and specific anti-PDPN mAb, LpMab-23 (mouse IgG1, kappa). In this study, we produced a humanized IgG1 version (humLpMab-23) and its defucosylated form (humLpMab-23-f) of an anti‑PDPN mAb to potentiate the ADCC activity. The humLpMab-23 could recognize PDPN‑overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 (CHO/PDPN) and PDPN-positive PC-10 and LN319 cells by flow cytometry. Furthermore, we found that humLpMab-23-f exerted ADCC and complement-dependent cytotoxicity against CHO/PDPN, PC-10 and LN319 cells in vitro and exhibited potent antitumor activities in the xenograft models. These results indicated that humLpMab-23-f could be useful for an antibody treatment regimen for PDPN-positive human cancers.

The work analyses the way in which symptoms and life themes manifest in middle-aged adults diagnosed with major recurrent depression. Specifically, the relationships between symptoms, life themes, and life themes - symptoms have been analyzed. For this purpose, Spearman correlation, and the methods of Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) were used. Seven symptoms and twenty-six life themes were identified in the patients analyzed as well as similarities of symptoms/life themes (at patient level), the ranking of the importance of symptoms on each life theme (at the level of the group of patients), the rankings of the similarities of life themes in relation to different symptoms or various groups of symptoms (at the level of the group of patients), and dysfunctional cycles of symptoms and life themes (at patient level). The findings only refer to the patients analyzed. Although our findings cannot be generalized, there is a possibility that some of them may also be encountered in other patients. However, the design of the work can be used to initiate other similar studies.

Since severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, it has spread rapidly, and many coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases have occurred in Gwangju, South Korea. Viral mutations following the COVID-19 epidemic have increased interest in the characteristics of epidemics in this region, and pathogen genetic analysis is required for infection control and prevention. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome analysis was performed on samples from patients with COVID-19 in Gwangju from 2020 to 2022 to identify the trends in COVID-19 prevalence and to analyze the phylogenetic tree of dominant variants. B.41 and B.1.497 prevailed in 2020, the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak; then, B.1.619.1 mainly occurred until June 2021. B.1.617.2, classified as sublineage AY.69 and AY.122, occurred continuously from July to December 2021. Since strict measures to strengthen national quarantine management had been implemented in South Korea until this time, mutations phylogenetic analysis was also able to infer the epidemiological relationship between infection transmission routes. Since the first identification of the Omicron variant in late December 2021, the spread of infection has been very rapid, and weekly whole-genome analysis of specimens has enabled us to monitor new Omicron sublineage occurring in Gwangju. Our study suggests that conducting reginal surveillance in addition to nation-level genomic surveillance will enable more rapid and detailed variant surveillance, which will be helpful in the overall prevention and management of infectious diseases.

Nickel is widely used in industrial processes and plays a crucial role in many applications. However, most of the nickel resource mainly exists as nickel oxide in laterite nickel ore with complex composition, resulting in difficulty in upgrading the nickel content using physical separation methods. In this study, high-grade ferronickel concentrates were obtained through a carbothermal reduction and magnetic separation using laterite nickel ore and anthracite as raw materials. The effects of different types of additives (CaF2, Na2SO4 and H3BO3), carbon ratio (nc/no in metal oxides) and grinding time on the recoveries and grades of ferronickel concentrates were experimentally investigated, along with the microstructure and chemical composition of the products. CaF2 was proved to be the primary active additive in the aggregation and growth of the ferronickel particles, and the improvement of the grade of the product. Under the optimal conditions of CaF2 addition of 12 wt.%, carbon ratio of 1.4, and grinding time of 240 s, high-grade magnetically separable ferronickel concentrate with nickel grade 8.93 wt.% and iron grade 63.96 wt.% was successfully prepared. This work presents a practical method for the highly efficient recovery and utilization of iron and nickel from low-grade laterite nickel ore, contributing to the development of strategies for the sustainable extraction and utilization of nickel resources.

Wirobond C is a commercial dental casting alloy suitable for the fabrication of crowns, bridges as well as metal-ceramic restorations. This work aims with the study of the effect of ready-to-use Listerine® and Meridol® mouthwashes and sodium fluoride on corrosion resistance of the CoCrMo dental alloy to electrochemical corrosion in artificial saliva at 37 °C. SEM, EDS, SKP, and microhardness investigations were carried out to characterize the material under study. In vitro corrosion resistance of the CoCrMo alloy was conducted by the open circuit potential method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and anodic polarization curves. The presence of Co 59.8(8) wt.%, Cr 31.5(4) wt.%, and Mo 8.8(6) wt.% was confirmed. The CoCrMo alloy was characterized by Vickers microhardness of 445(31) µHV0.3. Based on EIS data, the capacitive behavior and high corrosion resistance of CoCrMo alloy was revealed. The kinetics of pitting corrosion in the artificial saliva was lower after the modification with NaF and Listerine and Meridol mouthwashes. The potentiodynamic characteristics revealed the passive behavior of CoCrMo alloy in all solutions. Based on the SKP measurements of the CoCrMo alloy after corrosion tests, the effect of artificial saliva modification on electronic properties of Bego Wirobond C dental alloy was found.

Systemic sclerosis (also known as scleroderma) is a chronic fibrosing autoimmune disease with both skin and multisystem organ involvement. Scleroderma has the highest mortality among all rheumatic diseases. The pathophysiology mechanism of systemic sclerosis is a progressive self-amplifying process, which implicates the widespread microvascular damage, followed by a dysregulation of innate and adaptive immunity and inflammation, and diffuse fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. Fibrosis of internal organs is a hint for systemic sclerosis, moreover associated with interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is a complex process. We report a case of a 56 years old female, diagnosed with Systemic Sclerosis 16 years ago. The systemic and clinical manifestations, respiratory functional tests, radiological aspects and specific therapy were discussed.

Polyamide 11 (PA11) is a plant-based nylon made from castor beans. Powder bed fusion laser sintering (PBF-LS) is an additive manufacturing process used for PA11 which allows the reuse of the unsintered powder. The unsintered powder is mixed with virgin powders at different refresh rates which has been studied extensively for most semi-crystalline polyamides. However, there is lack of information on the effect of using 100% reused PA11 powder and the number of times it is reused on its own during powder bed fusion laser sintering. This paper investigates the effect of reusing PA11 powder in PBF-LS and number of times it is reused on the dimensional accuracy, density, thermal and tensile properties. From 100% virgin powder to 3rd use of the powder, there is a decrease in powder wastage, decrease in crystallinity and tensile strength. These was associated with the polymerisation and cross-linking process of polymer chains, upon exposure to high temperature. This results in a higher molecular weight and hence density. From the 4th use to 10th reuse, the opposite was observed which was associated to an increase in high-viscosity and un-molten particles which resulted in defects in the PBF-LS parts.

The water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) system comprises multiple complex and nonlinear interactions related to society, economy, water resources and the water environment. A full understanding of its internal mechanism is conducive to the further improvement of the regional WRCC. This article focuses on the temporal and spatial variability of WRCC to explore a method of dynamic successive assessment. Firstly, the Pressure-State-Response (PSR)framework is used to develop a systematic and causal indicator system. Then, The Variable Fuzzy Pattern Recognition (VFPR) model and an analytic hierarchy process-entropy (AHP-E) model are combined to successively and dynamically assess WRCC. The proposed method is applied to the dynamic successive assessment of WRCC in Hebei Province, and it is obtained that the poor water resources carrying capacity in Hebei Province is mainly due to the basic attribute of the decision of the water resources shortage, but Hebei Province actively adopts a variety of measures to save water and pressurize mining, which makes the province's water resources carrying capacity have a tendency to become better gradually. At the same time, the system dynamics model (SD) of water resources carrying capacity based on the analysis of the model structure was established. Moreover, three scenarios were designed, including existing continuation, high-efficiency water-saving, cross-regional water transfer and coordinated development, each scenario divided into high and low-speed economic development and population growth schemes, then total 6 schemes between 2023 and 2030 were simulated and predicted respectively. The results indicate that if the current development model is adopted, the water resource carrying capacity will continue to maintain low levels. It was concluded that the high-speed development of economy and population, the efficient water conservation and inter-basin transfer scenario (scenario 2 with high-speed) is the best choice for sustainable development of water resources and social economy in Hebei.