The accurate prediction of the solar Diffuse Fraction (DF), sometimes called the Diffuse Ratio, is an important topic for solar energy research. In the present study, the current state of Diffuse Irradiance research is discussed and then three robust, Machine Learning (ML) models, are examined using a large dataset (almost 8 years) of hourly readings from Almeria, Spain. The ML models used herein, are a hybrid Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), a single Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and a hybrid Multi-Layer Perceptron-Grey Wolf Optimizer (MLP-GWO). These models were evaluated for their predictive precision, using various Solar and Diffuse Fraction (DF) irradiance data, from Spain. The results were then evaluated using two frequently used evaluation criteria, the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The results showed that the MLP-GWO model, followed by the ANFIS model, provided a higher performance, in both the training and the testing procedures.

2S-hesperidin is a flavanone (flavonoid) found in high concentrations in citrus fruits. It has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, improving performance in animals. This study investigated the effects of chronic intake of an orange extract (2S-hesperidin) or placebo on aerobic-anaerobic and metabolic performance markers in amateur cyclists. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out between late September and December 2018. Forty amateur cyclists were randomized into two groups: one taking 500mg/day 2S-hesperidin and other taking 500 mg/day placebo (microcellulose) for 8 weeks. All participants completed the study. Performance and metabolic aerobic-anaerobic markers were measured using incremental and rectangular tests by indirect calorimetry. The anaerobic power was determined using Wingate tests. After 8 weeks supplementation, there was a significant increase in the incremental test in estimated functional threshold power (FTP) (3.23%; p≤0.05) and maximum power (2.68%; p≤0.05) with 2S-Hesperdin compared to placebo. In the rectangular test, there was a significant decrease in VO₂ (-8.26%; p≤0.01) and VO₂R (-8.88%; p≤0.01) at VT2 in placebo; however, there were no significant differences between groups. In the Wingate test, there was a significant increase (p≤0.05) in peak and relative power in both groups, but without significant differences between groups. Supplementation with an orange extract (2S-hesperdin) 500mg/day improves estimated FTP and maximum power performance in amateur cyclists.

The World Health Organization’s Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling is a user-friendly web-based tool to assess health impacts of active travel. HEAT, developed over 10 years ago, has been used by researchers, planners and policymakers alike in appraisals of walking and cycling policies of both national and more local scales. HEAT has undergone regular upgrades adopting the latest scientific evidence. This article presents the most recent upgrades of the tool. Health impacts of walking and/or cycling in a specified population are quantified in terms of premature deaths avoided (or caused). In addition to the calculation of benefits from physical activity, HEAT was recently expanded to include assessments of the burden associated with air pollution exposure and crash risks while walking or cycling. Further, impacts on carbon emissions from mode shift to active travel modes can now be assessed. Monetization of impacts using Value of Statistical Life and Social Costs of Carbon now uses country-specific values. As active travel inherently results in often substantial health benefits as well as not always negligible risks, assessments of active travel behaviour or policies are incomplete without considering health implications. The recent developments of HEAT make it easier than ever to obtain ballpark estimates of health impacts and carbon emissions related to walking and cycling.

Susceptibility of four blood orange cultivars (‘Moro’, ‘Tarocco’, ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Sanguine’) to chilling injury (CI) was studied. Antioxidant enzymes, physiological and biochemical changes were measured monthly at 2 and 5 °C plus 2 days at 20 °C for shelf life. At 2 °C, CI symptoms were higher than at 5 °C, and ‘Moro’ and ‘Tarocco’ had significantly higher CI than ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Sanguine’. ‘Moro’ and ‘Tarocco’ had the highest electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, H2O2 and polyphenol oxidase activity and lower phenylalanine ammonia-lyase compared with ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Sanguine’. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs revealed that ‘Moro’ and ‘Taroco’ showed severe fractures in the flavedo due to CI. ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Sanguine’ were more tolerant to CI due to an increase of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, which could prevent the loss of membrane integrity and alleviate CI symptoms. The order of susceptibility of cultivars to CI was ‘Moro’> ‘Tarocco’> ‘Sanguine’> ‘Sanguinello’.

Patients with degenerative diseases refer to feeling more pain during the night. However, it is unknown whether spinal nociception can be circadian and how is it controlled. We investigated whether the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) could exhibit physiological circadian behavior as well as the contribution of the dopaminergic A11 nucleus and the spinal dopamine (DA) receptors (DRs) on the circadian PWT and the spinal clock gene transcription. Results revealed that control rats present a circadian PWT. Injecting 6-hydroxidopamine (6-OHDA) into the dopaminergic A11 nucleus reduced DA tissue content in the lumbar spinal cord, abolished the circadian PWT, induced allodynia, and reduced Period 1 and 2 (Per1 and 2), retinoid-related orphan receptor α (Rorα), Cryptochrome 1 (Cry1), and brain and muscle aryl-hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein (Bmal) mRNA. Likewise, administration of D1-like and D2-like DR antagonists blunted circadian PWT, producing allodynia, and altered the clock genes mRNA. In contrast, administration of D1-like or D2-like DR agonists blocked 6-OHDA-induced allodynia. This study shows that the spinal cord has physiological circadian PWT, which is modulated by the descending dopaminergic A11 through differential activation of the spinal DRs. Also, A11 nuclei and spinal DRs can regulate the clock gene transcription, which can likely modulate the circadian PWT.

COVID-19 is a severe global problem, and AI can play a significant role in preventing losses by monitoring and detecting infected persons in early-stage. This paper aims to propose a high-speed and accurate fully-automated method to detect COVID-19 from the patient's CT scan images. We introduce a new dataset that contains 48260 CT scan images from 282 normal persons and 15589 images from 95 patients with COVID-19 infections. At the first stage, this system runs our proposed image processing algorithm to discard those CT images that inside the lung is not properly visible in them. This action helps to reduce the processing time and false detections. At the next stage, we introduce a novel method for increasing the classification accuracy of convolutional networks. We implemented our method using the ResNet50V2 network and a modified feature pyramid network alongside our designed architecture for classifying the selected CT images into COVID-19 or normal with higher accuracy than other models. After running these two phases, the system determines the condition of the patient using a selected threshold. We are the first to evaluate our system in two different ways. In the single image classification stage, our model achieved 98.49% accuracy on more than 7996 test images. At the patient identification phase, the system correctly identified almost 234 of 245 patients with high speed. We also investigate the classified images with the Grad-CAM algorithm to indicate the area of infections in images and evaluate our model classification correctness.

The energy loss of photons due to the cosmological red shift is interpreted, here, as a periodical process of transferring electromagnetic field energy into the space. The transferred energy portions are independent on photon energy if this transfer occurs with their frequency. The amounts of periodically released energy are so small that the related ultra-long wave length photons have to be understood as perfectly delocalized. Thus, the described point of view bridges the quantum micro cosmos with the macro cosmos. It is proposed to regard this energy exchange as a typical property of universal time arrow and to interpret the “large numbers”, in particular the dimensionless reciprocal of product of Hubbles constant and Planck time as the fundamental parameter describing cosmic evolution.

Litchi orchards of 15 year age in Pantnagar were subjected to different fruit bagging treatments in study entitled “Impact of pre-harvest fruit bagging technology on growth and quality traits in litchi cv. Rose Scented under Indian prospective”. The combination includes white and pink polypropylene bags practiced on three dates i.e. 15, 25 and 30 days after fruit set and a control. Hence, study comprised of 7 treatment combination in total. The data of year 2017 and 2018 as well as pooled data revealed that T1 i.e. white polypropylene bags + bagging 15 days after fruit set was found to be promising in attributes such as fruit cracking (%) and Sun burn (%). T3 White Polypropylene bags + bagging 30 days after fruit set was found best for fruit Weight (g) and Acidity (%), T4 Pink Polypropylene bags + bagging 15 days after fruit set was found promising for TSS (0Brix), T6-Polypropylene Pink + 10th May (30 days after fruit set) was observed to be best for most of the desired attributes viz. Fruit breadth (mm), Yield (Kg/tree), Acidity (%), Anthocyanin (mg/100g), Fruit colour (visual), borer infestation (%) and B:C Ratio. However, fruits without bagging i.e. control were found to have inferior appearance and have maximum fruit cracking (%) and sun burn (%). Thus the bagging of litchi fruits with white polypropylene bags 15 days after fruit set resulted in lesser cracking and sunburn incidence. For other attributes, polypropylene pink bagged 30 days after fruit set was found promising. In Litchi under Indian condition, the novel technique of fruit bagging significantly enhance the fruit appearance and quality.

Remote sensing data are essential for monitoring Earth’s surface waters, especially since the number of publicly available in-situ data is declining. Satellite altimetry provides valuable information on water level and its variations for lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. In combination with satellite imagery, the derived time series allow for monitoring lake storage changes and river discharge. However, satellite altimetry is limited in spatial resolution due to its measurement geometry, only providing information in nadir direction beneath the satellite’s orbit. In a case study in the Mississippi River Basin (MRB), this study investigates the potential and the limitations of past and current satellite missions to monitor basin-wide storage changes. For that purpose an automated target detection is developed and the extracted lake surfaces are merged with the satellites’ tracks. This reveals that the current altimeter configuration misses about 80% of all lakes larger than 0.1 km2 in the MRB, and still 20% of lakes larger than 10 km2, corresponding to 30% and 7% of surface area, respectively. Past altimetry configurations perform even worse. From the water bodies represented by a global hydrology model, at least 91% of targets and 98% of storage changes are captured by the current altimeter configuration. This will significantly improve with the launch of the planned SWOT mission.

The expanding use of devices emitting Pulsed Telecommunication Signals (PTS) has launched a serious debate over the possible effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on living organisms. Our previous work has indicated that PTS exposure alters Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and alpha-synuclein (α-syn) metabolism in human cells of neural origin, providing a possible connection between exposure and neurodegeneration. This investigation aimed to reveal, in vitro in human non-neural cells (HEK293), the aftermath of the same exposure on the processing of APP and α-syn. Data presented here, indicate changes in APP metabolism, acquisition of different cellular topologies of the newly generated APP fragments, changes in monomeric α-syn accumulation and multimerization, indicating that APP and α-syn processing is possibly altered in the periphery by EMR. These effects are accompanied by a substantial increase in the levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Further investigation is required in order to provide insights into the interaction of PTS with non-neural cells affecting the peripheral systemic functional stability. This is necessary because nowadays whole body human exposure from various EMR sources is a fact in normal life with the valid estimation that they may be increased in view of the forthcoming 5G telecommunications network implementation.

In this four-month-long study (from April 1, 2020 to August 1, 2020), we have collected, modeled, and analyzed COVID-19 data from the top five most infected counties per top six most infected states in the United States (30 counties total). More specifically, we collected data on each state’s total COVID-19 cases, deaths, tests conducted, and their counties’ population, density, percentage of seniors, number of hospitals, total COVID-19 cases, and total COVID-19 related deaths. In this study, we have models illustrating the growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths per county, growth of COVID-19 cases and deaths per state (which is really the sum of our chosen five counties), and growth of COVID-19 tests conducted per state. In addition, our study also contains models illustrating the statistics of several variables that might have affected a county’s COVID-19 data, which has been mentioned above: population, density, percentage of seniors, and number of hospitals. An interesting finding we have noticed upon modeling the 30 counties’ density and total COVID-19 cases as an xy scatter plot is that there is a considerably strong relationship between the two variables. Los Angeles County (which was an extreme outlier), in particular, supports the idea that a county’s most populous city can greatly affect its entire county’s COVID-19 cases; if the largest city is extremely dense, it appears that the entire county has a greater total COVID-19 case count.

The translocator protein (TSPO) is a transmembrane protein present in the three domains of life. Its functional quaternary structure consists of one or more subunits. In mouse, the dimer-to-monomer equilibrium is shifted in vitro towards the monomer by adding cholesterol, a natural component of mammalian membranes. Here, we present a coarse-grained molecular dynamics study on the mouse protein in the presence of a physiological content and of an excess of cholesterol. The latter turns out to weaken the interfaces of the dimer by clusterizing mostly at the inter-monomeric space and pushing the contact residues apart. It also increases the compactness and the rigidity of the monomer. These two factors might play a role for the experimentally observed incremented stability of the monomeric form with increased content of cholesterol. Comparison with simulations on bacterial proteins suggests that the effect of cholesterol is much less pronounced for the latter than for the mouse protein.

Background: Ongoing Primary and Secondary Education Development Program (PEDP & SEDP) has led to increase in enrollment of children in schools. This created a high demand for facilities such as classroom, chairs, laboratories, latrines and water supply. Water and latrines did not receive equal attention like others. National strategic plan for School Water Sanitation and Hygiene (SWASH) 2012-2017 was to address such challenges with objectives to improve SWASH by 2017. Hence this study aimed to evaluate the implementation of SWASH program in Ukerewe. Methodology: A cross sectional survey was done among 42 schools in the district with 40 schools being government owned. Systematic random sampling was used and data were collected using a structured interview which was pre-tested and amended prior to conducting fieldwork. UNICEF, WASH in Schools Monitoring Package observational check-list was used to assess sanitation facilities. Results: Findings from this study showed the latrine-hole to student ratio was 1:71 with only 31.3% of the latrines being in good clean condition and about half (59.5%) of the schools have no facilities for washing hands. For the schools with hand washing facilities only 21.4% have an effective hand washing practice (presence of soap and water). The most common source of water used was lake water (35.7%) with (42.9%) having water storage facilities. Conclusion: The study shows that most of the objectives of national strategic plan are yet to be implemented at Ukerewe. There is a need for minor repairs to complete new construction of SWASH facilities in Ukerewe.

7β-(3-ethyl-cis-crotonoyloxy)-1α-(2-methylbutyryloxy)-3,14-dehydro-Z-notonipetranone (ECN), a sesquiterpenoid obtained from a natural origin (Tussilago farfara)has proved to be effective in minimizing various side effects associated with opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The current study focused on investigating the effects of ECN on neuropathic pain induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) by mainly focusing on oxidative stress, inflammatory and apoptotic proteins expression in mice. Neuropathic pain was induced in mice by PSNL surgery performed on day 1 and ECN (1 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.), was administered once daily for 11 days, starting from the third day after surgery. ECN post-treatment was found to reduce hyperalgesia and allodynia in a dose dependent manner. ECN significantly reversed the severity of neuropathic pain by improving distress symptoms and survival rate. ECN remarkably reversed the histopathological abnormalities associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation. Furthermore, ECN prevented the suppression of antioxidants (glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), hemeoxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase) by PSNL. Moreover, pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrotic factor alpha, interleukin 1 beta, interleukin 6, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase) expression was reduced by ECN administration. Treatment with ECN was successful in reducing caspase-3 level consistent with the observed modulation of pro-apoptotic proteins. Additionally, ECN showed protective effect on the lipid content of myelin sheath as evident from FTIR spectroscopy which showed the shift of lipid component bands to higher values. Thus, anti-neuropathic potential of ECN might be due to inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammatory mediators and pro-apoptotic proteins.

In this paper a full state feedback control of a double inverted pendulum on a cart (DIPC) are designed and compared. Modeling is based on Euler-Lagrange equations derived by specifying a Lagrangian, difference between kinetic and potential energy of the DIPC system. A full state feedback control with H infinity and H 2 is addressed. Two approaches are tested: open loop impulse response and a double inverted pendulum on a cart with full state feedback H infinity and H 2 controllers. Simulations reveal superior performance of the double inverted pendulum on a cart with full state feedback H infinity controller.

In this work, we show that a late fusion approach to multi-modality in sign language recognition improves the overall ability of the model in comparison to the singular approaches of Computer Vision (88.14%) and Leap Motion data classification (72.73%). With a large synchronous dataset of 18 BSL gestures collected from multiple subjects, two deep neural networks are benchmarked and compared to derive a best topology for each. The Vision model is implemented by a CNN and optimised MLP and the Leap Motion model is implemented by an evolutionary optimised deep MLP topology search. Next, the two best networks are fused for synchronised processing which results in a better overall result (94.44%) since complementary features are learnt in addition to the original task. The hypothesis is further supported by application of the three models to a set of completely unseen data where a multi-modality approach achieves the best results relative to the single sensor method. When transfer learning with the weights trained via BSL, all three models outperform standard random weight distribution when classifying ASL, and the best model overall for ASL classification was the transfer learning multi-modality approach which scored 82.55% accuracy.

A multilayer structure on a metallic substrate has been optically simulated and the optimization procedure aimed at obtaining Selective Solar Absorber (SSA) is discussed. This study refers to flat high vacuum thermal collectors and the overall Sun-to-thermal conversion efficiency has been evaluated using analytical formula and numerical thermal model. Both methods are in agreement and they have been validated using experimental results on a commercial absorber. The importance of a low emittance value to obtain high thermal efficiency at high temperatures and high stagnation temperature in selective solar absorber is highlighted. Optimized absorbers can be 8% more efficient than the commercial alternative at 250 °C operating temperatures and up to 27% more efficient at 300 °C. A stagnation temperature higher than 400 °C can be reached without Sun concentration if the proper design is adopted.

Muscle mass and strength decrease with aging, but habitual exercise can maintain muscle health. β-Hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate calcium (HMB) and black ginger (BG) are anti-oxidants that have been reported to improve muscle protein metabolism and energy production; these molecules may have synergistic effects. The senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) model is a useful model of muscle aging. Therefore, in this study, we explored how the combination of habitual exercise, HMB, and BG affected muscle aging. We used 28-week-old SAMP8 mice divided into five groups: control, exercise (Ex), Ex+BG, Ex+HMB, and Ex+BG+HMB (Ex+Comb). Mice were required to run on a treadmill for 16 weeks at 5 days per week. In 44-week-old mice, grip strength tests and dissection were conducted. Muscle weight was measured, and the gastrocnemius muscle was subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting. Muscle mass and strength were preserved in the Ex+Comb group, and mitochondrial function was preserved through suppressing oxidative stress. Muscle protein synthesis signaling was improved in the Ex+Comb group. Autophagy and the ubiquitin system were normalized by Ex+Comb treatment. Overall, habitual exercise and HMB plus BG treatment maintained muscle health by suppressing oxidative stress, preserving mitochondrial function, and maintaining muscle protein metabolism in SAMP8 mice.

Endemically infected European wild boar are considered a major reservoir of African swine fever virus in Europe. While high lethality was observed in the majority of field cases, strains of moderate virulence occurred in the Baltic States. One of these, “Estonia 2014”, led to a higher number of clinically healthy, antibody-positive animals in the hunting bag of North-Eastern Estonia. Experimental characterization showed high virulence in wild boar but moderate virulence in domestic pigs. Putative pathogenic differences between wild boar and domestic pigs are unresolved and comparative pathological studies are limited. We here report on a kinetic experiment in both subspecies. Three animals each were euthanized at 4, 7 and 10 days post infection (dpi). Clinical data confirmed higher virulence in wild boar although macroscopy and viral genome load in blood and tissues were comparable in both subspecies. The percentage of viral antigen positive myeloid cells tested by flow cytometry did not differ significantly in most tissues. Only immunohistochemistry revealed consistently higher viral antigen loads in wild boar tissues in particular 7 dpi, whereas domestic pigs already eliminated the virus. The moderate virulence in domestic pigs could be explained by a more effective viral clearance.

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SCM) among medium to large scale household dairy farms in southwestern district, Jhenaidah, Bangladesh during July to December 2019. A total of 78 (n=100) lactating cows from household dairy farms (N=32) having three or more dairy cows were selected randomly as sampled populations. Milk samples were screened for SCM by using Surf Field Mastitis Test (SFMT). The prevalence of SCM varied among farm level [71.9% (95% CI: 53.3-86.3)], individual animal level [67.9% (95% CI: 56.4-86.3)] and quarter level [29.5% (95% CI: 24.5-34.9)]. Descriptive statistics represented the farmers and farm demography, characteristics of the sampled population, and overall management feature. Random Effect Logistic Regression identified, Body Condition Score (BCS) [OR=3.8 and 2.9, at cows level and quarter level respectively (BCS-2 vs. BCS-≥3)], and breed [OR=5.1 and 2.9, at cows level and quarter level respectively (HF× Sahiwal vs. HF × Local)] as potential risk factors. This study shows that SCM is highly prevalent in the study area, which is a major threat to the dairy industry's production performance. Regular screening by SFMT, proper hygiene, improve the management system, and farmer’s awareness is required to control the disease.

Although the failure of antibiotic treatment is normally attributed to resistance, tolerance and persistence display a significant role in the lack of response to antibiotics. Due to the fact that several nosocomial pathogens show a high level of tolerance and/or resistance to chlorhexidine, in this study we analyzed the molecular mechanisms associated with chlorhexidine adaptation in two clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae by phenotypic and transcriptomic studies. These two strains belong to ST258-KPC3 (high-risk clone carrying β-lactamase KPC3) and ST846-OXA48 (low-risk clone carrying β-lactamase OXA48). Our results showed that K. pneumoniae ST258-KPC3CA and ST846-OXA48CA strains exhibited a different behavior under CHLX pressure, adapting to this biocide through resistance and tolerance mechanisms, respectively. Furthermore, the appearance of cross-resistance to colistin was observed in the ST846-OXA48CA strain (tolerant to CHLX), using the broth microdilution method. Interestingly, this ST846-OXA48CA isolate contained a plasmid that encodes a novel type II toxin/antitoxin (TA) system, PemK/PemI. We characterized this PemK/PemI TA system by cloning both genes into the IPTG-inducible pCA24N plasmid, and found their role in persistence and biofilm formation. Accordingly, the ST846-OXA48CA strain showed a persistence biphasic curve in the presence of a chlorhexidine-imipenem combination, and these results were confirmed by the enzymatic assay (WST-1).

Development of rovers and development of infrastructure which enables them to probe other planets (such as Mars) have sparked a lot of interest recently specially with increasing public attention in Moon and Mars program by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This is designed to be achieved by various means such as advanced spectroscopy and artificial intelligent techniques such as deep learning and transfer learning to enable the rover to not only map the surface of planet but to get a detailed information about its chemical makeup in layers beneath (deep learning) and in areas around point of observation (transfer learning). In this work, which is part of a proposal, later approach is explored. A systematic strategy is presented which make use of aforementioned techniques developed for metallic glass matrix composites as benchmark and helps develop algorithms for chemistry mapping of actual Martian surface on Perseverance Rover launching shortly.

Carbonaceous material (CM) is common in meta-sediments and is generally interpreted to be intimately associated with gold mineralization. For the Bumo deposit in Hainan Province, South China, CM is mainly hosted by greenschist facies- to amphibolite-facies metamophic rocks of the Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic Baoban Group and by auriferous veins and is used as an important gold prospecting indicator. However, the genesis of CM and the relationship with gold mineralization are still not clear. Field work and thin section observation indicates that two types of CM occur, i.e., layered and veinlet. Layered CM, up to meters thick, prevails in the deposit. More importantly, Au-bearing sulfides are commonly distributed along the boundary between the quartz veins and layered CM. In contrast, veinlet CM, co-precipitated with gold and sulfides, has the thickness of micro- to centi- meters, and these thin veins occur in quartz veins and hydrothermally altered rocks. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis indicates that layered CM has a stringy shape and laminate structure, while veinlet CM occurs as isometric particles. Raman carbonaceous material geothermometer indicates that layered CM with high maturity is formed at elevated temperatures of 400 – 550°C, consistent with X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. In contrast, veinlet CM with low maturity is formed at 200 – 350°C, generally consistent with gold mineralization. In addition, layered CM has δ13C values ranging from -30 to -20%, demonstrating a biogenic origin. Consequently, it is interpreted that layered CM is formed by a pre-ore metamorphic event during Caledonian, and its reducing nature promotes gold precipitation via destabilization of aqueous Au bisulfide complexes or facilitating sulfidation. Veinlet CM is hydrothermal origin, and its precipitation modified the chemical conditions of ore fluids, leading to the destabilization of Au complexes and thus favorable for mineralization.

[Background] Previous research achievements of the service-oriented tourist city network have often focused on the analysis of its geographical distribution and service role of the important cities instead of the connections and hierarchical tendencies between the whole city in a large region.[Method]Using big data approaches on the regional connections of 38 tourism organizations including famous hotels, air passenger transport, tourism service agencies across 63 most important tourist cities in China. Fuzzy c-means clustering analysis is used to define 8 city arena clusters. [Results]According to the distributions of connectivity between 63 cities, these eight clusters play different service functional roles in the urban tourism network at four hierarchies. With their “center-edge” memberships, these arena clusters are formed by the interweaving process of regional and hierarchical tourism service connections. The results include the analysis of the various service-oriented tourist city in China and point out the geography “gap” faced by network. [Conclusion] Service-oriented tourist cities need to find their hierarchies and positioning in the network scientifically to avoid blind development, to make regional urban tourism sustainable development.

There are not many exhaustive works emphasizing the amount of genetic diversity among the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) genotypes in Morocco. This work aims to assess the biochemical composition of strawberry tree fruits, as well as to establish the variation of this composition among them. In this study, total phenols, total flavonoids, condensed and hydrolyzable tannins, total anthocyanins and free radical scavenging activity through ABTS were investigated in strawberry tree fruits. Furthermore, qualitative and quantitative analyses of individual phenolic compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were carried out. Color parameters such as lightness (L*), Chroma (c*) and hue angle (h°) were also investigated. All studied variables showed highly significant differences among all samples with the exception of hydrolyzable tannins and chromatic coordinates. Total phenolics varied from 22.63 ± 1.74 to 39.06 ± 2.44 mg GAE/g dry wt, total flavonoids varied from 3.30 ± 0.60 to 8.62 ± 1.10 mg RE/g dry wt and total anthocyanins ranged between 0.12 ± 0.06 and 0.66 ± 0.15 mg cya-3-glu/100g dry wt. In addition, condensed and hydrolyzable tannins amounts were in the range of 10.41 ± 1.07 - 16.08 ± 1.50 mg TAE/g dry wt and 4.08 ± 2.43 - 6.34 ± 3.47 respectively. Moreover, the IC50 value (ABTS) ranged between 1.75 and 19.58 mg AAE/g dry wt. 17 phenolic compounds were detected in strawberry tree fruits. Gallocatechol and catechin were the most abundant phenolic compound. Matrix of correlations revealed significant positive and negative correlations among variables particularly c*, a* and b*. Principal component analysis showed that the first three components formed than 68% of the total inertia. The following variables gallic acid, protocatechuic, gallocatechin, gallic acid derivative, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, ellagic acid derivative II, L* and h* were the most involved in the total variance explained. Hierarchical clustering classified samples into one main cluster, with a single branch. The results highlight a high biochemical diversity within studied strawberry genotypes, which is probably more genetically related

Wound healing involves a complex cascade of cellular, molecular, and biochemical responses and signaling processes. It consists of successive interrelated phases, the duration of which depends on multifactorial processes. Wound treatment is a major healthcare issue that can be resolved by development of effective and affordable wound dressings based on natural materials and biologically active substances. Proper use of modern wound dressings can significantly accelerate wound healing with minimal cosmetic defects. The innovative biotechnologies for creating modern natural interactive dressings are based on sulfated polysaccharides from seaweeds with their unique structures and biological properties, the availability of their sources in the form of wild bushes, and in the form of aquaculture, as well as with a high potential for participation in process control wound healing. These natural biopolymers are a novel and promising biologically active source for designing wound dressings based on alginates, fucoidans, carrageenans, and ulvans, which serve as active and effective therapeutic tools. The aim of this review is to summarize available information about the modern wound dressing’s technologies based on seaweed-derived polysaccharides, including those successfully implemented in commercial products, with the emphasis on promising and innovative designs. The further prospect of using marine biopolymers is related to the need to analyze the results of numerous in vitro and in vivo experiments, summarize clinical trial data, develop a scientifically based approach and relevant practical recommendations for the treatment of wounds.

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), greatly varies from patient to patient. In the present study, we explored and compared mutation profiles of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from mildly affected and severely affected COVID-19 patients in order to explore any relationship between mutation profile and disease severity. Genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were downloaded from GISAID database. With the help of Genome Detective Coronavirus Typing Tool, genomic sequences were aligned with the Wuhan seafood market pneumonia virus reference sequence and all the mutations were identified. Distribution of mutant variants was then compared between mildly and severely affected groups. Among the numerous mutations detected, 14,408C>T and 23,403A>G mutations resulting in RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) P323L and spike protein D614G mutations, respectively, were found predominantly in severely affected group (>82%) compared with mildly affected group (<46%, p<0.001). The 241C>T mutation in the non-coding region of the genome was also found predominantly in severely affected group. The 3,037C>T, a silent mutation, also appeared in relatively high frequency in severely affected group. We concluded that RdRp P323L and spike protein D614G mutations predominate in severely affected COVID-19 patients. Further studies will be required to explore whether these mutations have any impact on the severity of COVID-19.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) and age-related degeneration (ARD) are stimulants for the development of the fabella in the knee joint. This meta-analysis updates previous studies and reviews on the prevalence of the fabella in OA or ARD knee joints. In addition, it provides a quantitative estimation of the fabellar prevalence in knees having OA and ARD. Methodology: Twenty studies comprising of data from 11,056 knee joints were included in the analysis, consisting of 6,819 Knees of OA subjects (including those with age more than 40 years) and 4,237 knees of non-OA subjects (including less than 40years) knees, respectively. 2,434 knees had fabellae present in OA subjects (including more than 40years), and 844 fabellae were present in non-OA subjects (including less than 40years). The Odds and Risk Ratios were calculated. Sensitivity analysis and cumulative analysis were conducted to assess the robustness of the findings. Results: Prevalence of fabella was found to be higher in OA knees, where the Risk Ratio of developing fabella was 2.50 (2.07-3.01). Compared with this, the Risk Ratio for the incidence of fabella in OA with ARD knee was 1.84 (1.66-2.03). The bilateral occurrence of fabella was more common than unilateral. The risk of developing fabella in individuals aged less than forty-year was 63% less than individuals aged more than forty years. Conclusion: OA and ARD would increase the prevalence of fabella by 84%, thus acting as stimulants and risk factors for ossified fabella.

Background: The information on the difference in clinical characteristics between severe and non-severe cases is limited in some countries including Iran. The objective of this case series is to compare the clinical characteristics, radiologic features, and laboratory findings between COVID-19 severe cases who received the intensive care unit (ICU) care with non-severe cases who did not receive ICU care. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 186 laboratory-confirmed patients with COVID-19 diagnosed from 1 March 2020 to 30 March 2020 were investigated. Results: This study population included 186 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19. The median age was 47 years, and 88 (47.31%) were female. Of these patients, 48 were admitted and transferred to ICU. Of 186 patients, 44.62% had medical comorbidities including hypertension and diabetes. The most common clinical manifestation were shortness of breath 86.56%, myalgia 74.19%, and headache. Higher neutrophil counts, CRP, and LDH as well as the lower levels of lymphocytes were the most important laboratory finding among COVID-19 patients. As of April 15, 2020, 33 were still hospitalized. A total of 116 patients (62.70 %) had been discharged, and 36 patients (19.94 %) had died. Of the 48 patients admitted to the ICU, 33.33% have died. Conclusion: In the present study, shortness of breath was the most common clinical symptom, and the mortality rate in patients admitted to the ICU was about 33%, indicating that about one-third of patients with severe illness who admitted to the ICU section died.

In order to meet the needs of an increasingly complex research landscape, researchers engage in “collaborative prosumption” through open data sharing and reuse. Although significant gains have been achieved in this regards because of growing requirements from funding agencies, governments and journals, the question of how reuse of openly available data for new research contribute to sustainability is yet to be appropriately addressed in the literature. Therefore, relying on a three stage stratified clustered random sampling of the Journal of Applied Econometrics data archive (JAEDA), the present research provides a case study of the value of research data recycling for sustainable research and economic development. More specifically our analysis show that reformatting from wide to long format, openly shared equity price index data on eleven European countries’ extracted from JAEDA, and augmented with country level geospatial Meta data, provides a new basis for interesting descriptive analytics and spatio-temporal econometric modeling and inference. Given the ever-increasing volume of openly available research data, our study provides a first-hand insight on open data reuse, which should benefit all stakeholders in the research community, as they seek sustainable solutions for scientific productivity and progress.

Objective: To describe outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the outpatient setting after early treatment with zinc, low dose hydroxychloroquine, and azithromycin (the triple therapy) dependent on risk stratification. Design: Retrospective case series study. Setting: General practice. Participants: 141 COVID-19 patients with laboratory confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in the year 2020. Main Outcome Measures: Risk-stratified treatment decision, rate of hospitalization and all-cause death. Results: Of 335 positively PCR-tested COVID-19 patients, 127 were treated with the triple therapy. 104 of 127 met the defined risk stratification criteria and were included in the analysis. In addition, 37 treated and eligible patients who were confirmed by IgG tests were included in the treatment group (total N=141). 208 of the 335 patients did not meet the risk stratification criteria and were not treated. After 4 days (median, IQR 3-6, available for N=66/141) of onset of symptoms, 141 patients (median age 58 years, IQR 40-67; 73% male) got a prescription for the triple therapy for 5 days. Independent public reference data from 377 confirmed COVID-19 patients of the same community were used as untreated control. 4 of 141 treated patients (2.8%) were hospitalized, which was significantly less (p<0.001) compared with 58 of 377 untreated patients (15.4%) (odds ratio 0.16, 95% CI 0.06-0.5). Therefore, the odds of hospitalization of treated patients were 84% less than in the untreated group. One patient (0.7%) died in the treatment group versus 13 patients (3.5%) in the untreated group (odds ratio 0.2, 95% CI 0.03-1.5; p=0.16). There were no cardiac side effects. Conclusions: Risk stratification-based treatment of COVID-19 outpatients as early as possible after symptom onset with the used triple therapy, including the combination of zinc with low dose hydroxychloroquine, was associated with significantly less hospitalizations and 5 times less all-cause deaths.

We performed a global analysis with data from 149 countries to test whether temperature can explain the spatial variability of the spread rate and mortality of COVID-19 at the global scale. We performed partial correlation analysis and linear mixed effect modelling to evaluate the association of the spread rate and motility of COVID-19 with maximum, minimum, average temperatures and temperature extreme (difference between maximum and minimum temperature) and other environmental and socioeconomic parameters. After controlling the effect of the duration after the first positive case, partial correlation analysis revealed that temperature was not related with the spatial variability of the spread rate of COVID-19. Mortality was negatively related with temperature in the countries with high-income economies. In contrast, temperature extreme was significantly and positively correlated with mortality in the low-and middle-income countries. Taking the country heterogeneity into account, mixed effect modelling revealed that inclusion of temperature as a fixed effect in the model significantly improved model skill predicting mortality in the low-and middle-income countries. Our analysis suggest that warm climate may reduce the mortality rate in high-income economies but in low and middle-income countries temperature extreme may increase the mortality risk.

While it is not new that Nigeria is challenged by a huge infrastructure deficit, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the country’s comatose healthcare system. Given the country’s dwindling revenue, massive debt profile and the inability of the public-sector to efficiently manage public facilities in the country, this paper examines how the public-private partnership model of infrastructure procurement can be deployed as a solution for Nigeria’s healthcare crisis. In addition to the above, this paper takes a look at how a partnership with the private sector can aid Nigeria’s quest towards achieving healthcare-related Sustainable Development Goals. The paper also considers two healthcare-based projects as case studies to serve as lessons for future projects in the country. Among others, the paper recommends a holistic long-term solution for the country’s healthcare needs.

Background: The healthcare workers are exposed to dangerous pathogen agents during the outbreak of the new coronavirus COVID-19. To minimize the risk of becoming infected by this virus, healthcare workers need to wear the most appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the guidelines that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend for the rational use of EPP to protect healthcare workers against the novel coronavirus COVID-19.Methodology: To learn how to effectively protect healthcare workers against the COVID-19, a detailed analysis and comparison of the WHO and CDC guidelines related to the proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE) in different healthcare settings was carried out. Results: The results of this study based on an analysis of PPE recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that the safety and protection of healthcare workers can be maximized if the guidelines suggested by these institutions are followed. In general, the WHO and CDC recommendations based on medical practices are similar, and depending on the healthcare activities and settings where the healthcare workers perform their work, suggest wearing medical/surgical facemasks, respirators, googles and face shields (eye protection), gloves, gowns and aprons. Conclusions: The protection and safety of the healthcare workers can be maximized during the outbreak of COVID-19 by following the WHO and CDC recommendations described in this study. The general guidelines offered by these institutions are similar and based on medical practices.

The current pneumonia epidemic could evolve into a pandemic on a global scale if not effectively contained. The COVID-19 virus possesses a 61-amino acid open reading frame resembling SARS-CoV virulence factor - ORF6 peptide. The isoleucine content is 15.9% in ORF6 of SARS-CoV versus 16.4% of that in SARS-CoV-2. Given the proton affinity in the carbonyl oxygen in isoleucine, augmented proton traffic can enhance proton-ion antiport and prompt cell swelling. Calorie restriction has been confirmed in animal studies to extend lifespan, and its underlying mechanism is not fully known. As the content of essential amino acids in the open reading frame of SARS-CoV-2 reaches 57.4%, a starch/vitamin diet served for short period of time does not give rise to essential amino acids and halts virion production, which could be adopted as prophylactic approach of many viral infections. Plant-based diet or fasting/boiled rice water can also minimize the intake of essential amino acids or all amino acids respectively. Furthermore, several proteins of SARS-CoV-2 possess high valine plus glycine content which is implicated in heart disease, justifying the aforementioned approaches.

The spread of the infection caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) became pandemic on March 11, 2020. From the time of the first cases (in November 2019, Wuhan, China), to date, a large number of COVID-19 observations have been accumulated in different age groups of patients both in China and abroad. Published scientific data allows us to conclude that children suffer from COVID-19 much less often than adults and tolerate the disease in a milder form, often appear to be asymptomatic. There is currently no final answer why children are less susceptible to this virus; however, scientists are increasingly inclined to consider a complex effect of the immune response and components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which according to recent studies affects not only the cardiovascular system, but is also responsible for the activation of inflammatory reactions. A hypothesis of genetic predisposition to the development of severe forms of COVID-19 has recently been made. We conducted a search for publications in the databases and showed current scientific ideas about COVID-19 pathogenesis and factors influencing the disease development in childhood. Childhood immunity may have several protective features against SARS-CoV-2: immaturity of particular elements of the innate immune response, constitutional lymphocytosis with a shift towards anti-inflammatory Th2-response, as well as "trained" immunity. The influence of renin-angiotensin system reactions in this review is shown from two perspectives: expression of ACE2 receptors and polymorphisms of certain genes of this system. It was established that ACE2 transmembrane protein is not only the entry point for the virus but also plays a regulatory role, turning the pro-inflammatory vasoconstrictor angiotensin II into anti-inflammatory angiotensin (1-7), which has vasodilating properties. Higher ACE2 content in children compared with adults helps maintain balance in the renin-angiotensin system and prevents the development of complications. It was also shown that the presence of certain genetic polymorphisms (AGTR1, AGTR2, ACE2, ACE) could determine the imbalance inside the RAS, leading to more pronounced reactions of alveolocytes, vascular endothelium and smooth muscle fibers in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to a shift towards vasoconstrictor, proliferative and profibrotic mechanisms.

In this article we present a SCILAB implementation of algebraic iterative reconstruction methods for discretisation of inverse problems in imaging. These so-called row action methods rely on semi-convergence for achieving the necessary regularisation of the problem. We implement this method using SCILAB and provide a few simplified test problems: medical tomography, seismic tomography and walnut tomography.Numerical results show the capability of this method for the original and perturbed right-hand side vector.

The SARS-Cov-2 virus, which causes COVID 19, uses the cell surface protein ACE2 as receptor for entry into cells. Critically ill COVID-19 patients often require prolonged mechanical ventilation which can cause mechanical stress to lung tissue. In vitro studies have shown that expression of ACE2 in alveolar cells is increased following mechanical stretch and inflammation. Therefore, we analyzed transcriptome datasets of 480 (non-COVID-19) lung tissues in the GTex tissue gene expression database. We found that mechanical ventilation of the tissue donors increased the expression of ACE2 by more than two-fold (p<10^-6). Analyses of transcriptomes of mechanically ventilated mice in the GEO database indicate that this alveolar cell response to stretch and inflammation is mediated by the chemokine midkine. Using a novel big knowledge network approach (SPOKE) we also found in transcriptomes of pharmacological perturbations (LINCS) that corticosteroids down-regulate midkine in pulmonal cells, and confirmed this in GEO transcriptomes of animal studies. Thus, mechanical ventilation of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia may eo ipso facilitate viral propagation in the lung, further accelerating the pulmonal pathology that has necessitated mechanical ventilation in the first place. This vicious cycle presents a rationale for the temporary treatment with corticosteroids to modulate the midkine-ACE2 axis in ventilated COVID19 patients and for gentler ventilation protocols.

There are many types of coronavirus on the bases of important hosts including human, rat, turkey, rabbit, etc. The virus looks like a crown or corona of the sun with its round projection, spike. Now a day, newly emerged coronavirus disease (COVID 19) was first detected at Wuhan, China in December 2019 and it became a public health emergency international concern. Although a couple of researches has been conducting, much secretes of the virus and disease is still not understood and not reached a common understanding yet. However, sharing basic information is crucial based on the existing published research articles and updated information. Therefore, this review aimed to draw attention to the COVID 19 pandemic facts, opportunities, and challenges based on up to date information on cases in Ethiopia. Accordingly, the coronavirus is a single-stranded, non-segmented RNA genome virus. Two third of the genome (5'end) consists of two genes that code nonstructural proteins and the other 2-7 genes (3' end) code structural proteins including spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid. The virus transmits from animal to human and suggested as it might be originated from a bat and/or seafood. Coronavirus transmit human to human by direct contact and droplets during coughing and sneezing and common symptoms like fever, dry cough, and tiredness, short breathing, etc. can be seen from the patient. So that stay at home and social distancing are the most practicing pre-prevention methods. The disease causes high economic loss, face to face education closure, community cultural practice, and mass gathering activities are prohibited. However, various charity associations and creativities found increase than before. To this end, peoples should accept and follow governmental advice and instructions to escape from the pandemic.

We present a modification of the logistic model of epidemics that takes into account the possibility that an epidemic can develop from multiple physically-distinct hot spots with a range of starting times. This produces an improved understanding of the time evolution of the COVID-19 epidemic taking place in the United States in the spring of 2020.

Rural households across developing countries rely on diversified sources of income and forest resource play important role in this regard. This study is designed with the objectives of assessing the contribution of forests to annual income of rural households and identifying its determinants with the case of Essera woreda forest in western Ethiopia. It also examined the gender dimensions of forest income and how this income varies with the wealth status of households key informants interview focus group discussion and household based questionnaire survey were used to collect data. On average income from crop production accounted for (40.7%) of the total annual household income. Forest income is second in importance contributing (32.6%), income from livestock off and non-farm activities and woodlots accounted for (13.6%), (11.4%) and (1.7%) of the total household income respectively. Firewood is the most used forest product and constituted the largest proportion (79%) of the total forest income. Forest income is more important for poor households (47.3%) than for medium (30.5%) or rich (20.2%) households. It is also more important for female headed households (58.2%) than for male headed households (29%). The gender dimension of forest income is also important within the household. Female members generated about four times more forest income (77% of the household forest income) than male members (23%). Policy to promote new forest management arrangement such as participatory forest management (PFM) needs to take in to account the major forest users and the types of products they depend on and be accompanied with other poverty reduction measures so that improved forest conservation outcome will not have negative consequences on local livelihoods particularly on poor and women who depend most on the forest.

COVID-19 Pandemic management has become the top priority of Government Institutions globally, which is justifiable seeing the high mortality of the disease. In India, Lockdowns by National, State and Local level administrations have greatly reduced the spread of the SARS COV-2 Virus. Some areas with a greater proportion of COVID-19 patients have been declared hotspots with increased restrictions on public activities through law enforcement. But quite often delay in identification of these hotspots leads to community transmission of the Virus thus aggravating the problem. A method to identify the areas which are at risk of becoming the next hotspot for the disease is the need of the hour[1]. In this Research document we will find the probable risk factors and make an appropriate scale to measure the vulnerability of an area, identified by its Postal code. To help with this a Pan India survey by the title of “Survey on General Indian population on the level of preparedness for COVID-19 pandemic” was launched and received around 1250 submissions, with the acquired data we will evaluate the risk factors and make appropriate scale to identify ‘pre-hotspots’.

Coronaviruses such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), and newly emerged SARS-CoV-2, also called 2019-nCoV and COVID 19, have caused worldwide outbreaks in different time periods. There are many studies about chemical and natural drugs to treat these coronaviruses by inhibiting their proteases or their protein receptors through binding to amino acid residues. Plants secondary and primary metabolites are considered as potential drugs to inhibit various types of coronaviruses. IC50 value (the concentration in which there is 50% loss in enzyme activity) and molecular docking score and binding energy are parameters to understand the metabolites ability to inhibit the specific virus. In this study we did review on more than 110 papers on plant metabolites effect on different coronaviruses. Secondary plant metabolites such as polyphenols (flavonoids, coumarins, stilbenes), alkaloids, terpenoids, organosulfur compounds saponins, saikosaponins, lectins, essential oils, nicotianamine and primary metabolites such as vitamins.

Aim of the study: Aim of he study was to analyse correlation of daily maximum temperature on corona virus daily growth rate as well as effect of lockdown on daily growth rate of cases. Materials and Methods:All the data regarding new cases of covid 19 Pandemic in Gujarat was collected from Gujarat health department website., Temperature details were collected from www.accuweather.com. Growth rate was calculated as a percent increase of new cases daily compared to previous day active cases. Relations between trends were calculated from correlation and regression studies. MANNOVA analysis was performed. Results:Total 6625 cases, 4729 active cases and 380 deaths were reported as on 6th May 2020 in Gujarat. Daily maximum temperature was significantly correlated inversely with daily growth rate. (p value= 0.010) with Pearson correlation coefficient =-0.363. Correlation between time since lock down to daily case growth rate was non significant. (p=0.123). Phases of lockdown and growth rates showed significant inverse correlation. (p=0.002). Multivariate ANOVA showed there was statistical significant difference in case growth rate based on daily temperature [p= 0.006 F=4.71] and progression of phases of lockdown (p=0.018, F=3.55). Conclusion:Conclusion increase in temperature has inverse relationship in growth rate in covid 19 pandemic. Lockdown may be useful in decreasing growth.

Draconian defensive measures have been implemented to combat the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. These important measures constitute a vital current priority but do little to increase communal immunity and avoid future outbreaks. A longer-term exit strategy for a sustainable return to normalcy has yet to be identified. The development of vaccines or effective therapeutics could largely solve the problem, but their timely development cannot be guaranteed. In this setting, and under the expected societal isolation fatigue from extended social distancing, we here propose the idea that at some point after the outbreak’s peak, hospitals, in addition to providing care for infected people who need it, could also be involved in the development of a controlled exit strategy designed to avoid future outbreaks. We postulate that controlled voluntary deliberate infection in a hospital setting and under continuous and close medical observation may offer a safer alternative compared to random en-masse exposure. We discuss potential risks and benefits, highlighting the need for careful consideration of the associated critical ethical issues.

The presented research faces the problem of early detection of sepsis for patients in the Intensive Care Unit. The PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2019 facilitated the development of automated, open-source algorithms for the early detection of sepsis from clinical data. A labeled clinical records dataset for training and verification of the algorithms was provided by the challenge organizers. However, a relatively small number of records with sepsis, supported by Sepsis-3 clinical criteria, led to highly unbalanced dataset (only 2% records with sepsis label). A high number of unbalanced data records is a great challenge for machine learning model training and is not suitable for training classical classifiers. To address these issues, a number of various models were investigated. A solution including feature selection and data balancing techniques was proposed in this paper. In addition, several performance metrics were investigated. Results show, that for successful prediction, a particular model having few or more predictors based on the length of stay in the Intensive Care Unit should be applied.

Background: After allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), acute leukemia relapse is common, and asymmetric bone marrow recurrence hasn’t been reported. Because the anatomical distribution of acute leukemia clones in the bone marrow after allo-HSCT is presumed to be diffuse, bone marrow aspirations are performed in single site. Case presentation: We identified two acute leukemia patients, whose leukemic burden in bilateral bone marrow specimens differed significantly. The first case was a 20-year-old man who was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia and received haploidentical allo-HSCT. He had been in complete remission for two years and off immunosuppressive medications for a year, with normal peripheral blood count. Routine bone marrow biopsy of his left posterior iliac bone marrow showed 52% leukemia blasts, while the right side had 0% blasts ten days later. Due to the discordant results, the patient refused further intervention and died of high leukocyte syndrome four months later. The second case was a 23-year-old woman who was diagnosed with acute B lymphoblastic leukemia and received HLA-identical sibling allo-HSCT. Although 62% of blasts were found in her left iliac marrow on day +122, 0 % of blasts were found on a sample obtained from the right iliac crest on day +128. Whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT scans confirmed that the leukemic infiltration in her bone marrow was asymmetric. Considering the higher leukemic burden on the left, we chose the left posterior iliac crest aspiration for further response evaluation. After chemotherapy combined with donor lymphocyte infusion, she achieved transient hematologic complete remission. She died of septic shock with heart failure at +258 days after allo-HSCT before infusion of anti-CD19 donor chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Conclusions: To our knowledge, these are the first case reports of asymmetric bone marrow infiltration of blasts in acute leukemia patients after allo-HSCT. Bilateral posterior iliac crest aspirations or 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans may help distinguish such distribution. If discordant bone marrow specimens are observed, physicians should restrict future bone marrow studies to the more involved side.

Breast cancer (BC) is among the leading causes of mortality from cancer in women. Many of the available anticancer drugs have various side effects. Therefore, researchers are seeking novel anticancer agents particularly from natural compounds and in this regard, snake venom is still one of the main sources of drug discovery. Previous studies showed potential anticancer effects of Cytotoxin II (CTII) from Naja naja oxiana against the different types of cancers. In this study, a pET-SUMO-CTII vector was transformed into SHuffle® T7 Express, an Escherichia coli strain, for recombinant protein expression (rCTII) and the cytotoxic effects of this protein was assessed in MCF-7 cells. The flow cytometry assay was applied to measure the apoptosis and cell cycle. Also, mRNA levels of the Bax, Bcl2, P53, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-10, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-3, and MMP-9 were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR to determine the underlying cellular pathways affected by rCTII. The results of this study showed that treatment with 4 µg mL-1 of rCTII enhanced apoptosis through the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Also, the increase of the cells' proportion in the sub-G1 phase as well as a reduction in S phase was observed. In addition, the expression of MMP-3 and MMP-9 was decreased in the treated group in comparison to the control group that may contribute to the reduced migratory ability of tumor cells. These experimental results indicate that rCTII has anti-proliferative potential, and so this protein could be a potential drug for BC therapy in combination with other drugs.

Jumping side volley has created breathtaking moments and cherished memories for us. Regrettably, a scientific study on the skill has not been found in literature. Relying on talent of athletes to improvise on the fly can hardly be considered a viable learning strategy. This study targets to fill the gap by quantifying factors contributing to develop its coaching method. Using 3D motion capture (12-cameras, 200Hz) and full-body biomechanical modeling, our study aimed to identify elements that govern entrainment of the skill by examining jumping, kicking and falling phases of its execution. Given the rarity of players who have acquired this skill, we found five subjects for the study. Twenty-three trials were captured and quantified. The results unveil the following key elements: 1) the control of trunk rotation during the jumping, 2) the angle between thighs upon take-off, 3) the whip-like control of the kicking leg during airborne, 4) timing between ball motion and limbs’ coordination, and 5) damping mechanism during falling. An accurate kick can only be achieved through repetitive training. This underlines the need for athletes to master a safe landing technique that minimizes risk of injury during practice. Therefore, training should begin with learning a safe falling technique.

Among the rust diseases, leaf rust of wheat caused by Puccinia triticina, is the most prevalent worldwide and causes significant yield losses. This study aimed to determine the genomic location of loci that control adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust in the pre-Green Revolution landrace accession, Aus27506, from the ‘Watkins Collection’. An Aus27506/Aus27229-derived F7 recombinant inbred (RIL) population was screened under field conditions across three cropping seasons and genotyped with the iSelect 90K Infinium SNP bead chip array. One QTL on each of chromosomes 1BL, 2B and 2DL explained most of the leaf rust response variation in the RIL population and were named QLr.sun-1BL, QLr.sun-2B and QLr.sun-2DL, respectively. QLr.sun-1BL and QLr.sun-2DL were contributed by Aus27506. QLr.sun-1BL is likely Lr46, while QLr.sun-2DL appeared to be a new APR locus. The alternate parent, Aus27229, carried the putatively new APR locus QLr.sun-2B. Comparisons of average severities among RILs carrying these QTL in different combinations indicated that QLr.sun-2B does not interact with either of the other two QTL; however, the combination of QLr.sun-1BL and QLr.sun-2DL reduced disease severity significantly. In-planta fungal quantification assays validated these results. The RILs carrying QLr.sun-1BL and QLr.sun-2DL did not differ significantly from parent Aus27506 in resistance. Aus27506 can be used as a source of adult plant leaf rust resistance in breeding programs.

COVID-19 pandemic provoked a number of restrictive measures, such as the closure or severe restriction of border transit for international trading traffic, quarantines and self-isolation. This caused a series of interrelated consequences that not only prevent or slow down the spread of disease, but also impact the medical systems’ capability to treat the patients and help their recovery. In particular, steeply growing demand for medical safety goods cannot be satisfied by regular suppliers due to the shortage of raw materials originating from other countries or remotely located national sources, under conditions of quarantined manpower. The current context inevitably brings back memories (and records!) of the situation 80 years ago, when WWII necessitated major effort directed at the rapid build-up of low cost mass production to satisfy all aspects of war-time need. In the present short report we document a successful case of fast mass-production of light transparent medical safety face shields (thousands per day) realized in Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) fabrication laboratory (FabLab). The demand for safety face shields by tens of hospitals in Moscow City and Region rapidly ramped up due to the need to protect medical staff during patient collection and transportation to hospitals, and within both the infected (“red”) and uninfected (“green”) zones. Materials selection for sterilizable transparent materials was conducted based on the analysis of merit indices, namely, minimal weight at given stiffness and minimal cost at given stiffness. Due to the need for permanent wear, design was motivated by low weight and comfortable head fixation, along with high production efficiency. The selection of minimal tooling in University fabrication workshops and the use of distributed volunteer labor are discussed.

Introduction: Dental health care workers, particularly dental medicine students (DMS), are at an increased risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of our study was to assess the level of knowledge on HBV and HCV, estimate needlestick injury (NSI) prevalence and reporting practice in DMS at the University of Zagreb and analyze how enrolment in obligatory and supplemental courses affects knowledge and needlestick injury reporting practice. Materials and methods: The knowledge was assessed by our questionnaires based on Centers for Disease Control general handouts. Additional information was collected to examine the prevalence and reporting practice of NSI. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis, independent-samples t-tests, proportion analyses and combined factor analyses of categorical and quantitative variables in SPSS and R. Results: In total, 206 students participated. The overall level of HBV and HCV-related knowledge was poor with average scores being 61.90% and 51.35% respectively. Moreover, students enrolled in the first year demonstrated significantly lower levels of knowledge in comparison with their older peers. Of all participants 18.2% sustained a needlestick injury, and majority of them (78.95%) never reported the injury. Conclusion: In conclusion, DMS have low levels of knowledge on important occupational pathogens and poor NSI reporting practice. Moreover, formal education in the current form failed to significantly improve competence of students and theoretical knowledge translates poorly into more conscientious injury reporting practice. We should look for a better way to increase student awareness and level of knowledge on this topic.

Purpose: Pandemic Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has emerger centered from wuhan, China. Structurally homologous spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 receptor is taxonomically homologous with SARS-Cov and SARS associated bat coronavirus. Still now scientists are trying to find out proper vaccine and treatments for this disease. Methods: Systematically we modeled and compared the structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein along with Bat Cov, Bat SARS Cov and SARS Cov Urbani. S1 and S2 unit of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) are attached with ACE2 and furin, here we docked 5 Ca+ chelating drugs with these two proteins. Results: Structural comparison with all these spike proteins revealed that less significant but not negligible difference exists among them. Inserted stable nucleotide sequences and corresponding surface exposed peptidal region may be considered as epitope. Docking result with Toxicokinetics and half life of Penicillamine can effectly inhibit the attachment site of spike protein of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Conclusions: Docking summery and the pharmacokinetics with toxicokinetics index recommend that Penicillamine can able to inhibit the infection of SARS-CoV-2.

With the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is a need for efficient management of patients with mild or no symptoms, which account for the majority. The aim of this study is to introduce the structure and operation protocol of a living and treatment support centre (LTSC) operated by Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea. The existing accommodation facility was converted into a 'patient centre' where patients was isolated. A few Medical staff here performed medical tests and responded to emergencies. Another part of the LTSC was 'remote monitoring centre'. In this center, patients’ self-measured vital signs and symptoms were monitored twice a day, and the medical staff staying here provided video-consultation via a smartphone. During the 3 weeks from March 5 to March 26, 2020, 113 patients were admitted and treated. LTSC could be an efficient alternative to hospital admission in pandemic situation like COVID-19.

At least one ultrasound is recommended to predict fetal growth restriction and low birthweight earlier in pregnancy. However, in low-income countries imaging equipment and trained manpower are scarce. Hence, we developed and validated a model and risk score to predict low birthweight using maternal characteristics during pregnancy, for use in resource limited settings. We conducted a prospective cohort study among 379 pregnant women in South Ethiopia. A step-wise multivariable analysis was done to develop the prediction model. To improve clinical utility, we developed a simplified risk score to classify pregnant women at high- or low-risk of low birthweight. The accuracy of the model was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) and calibration plot. We evaluated the clinical impact of the model using a decision curve analysis across various threshold probabilities. Age at pregnancy, underweight, anemia, height, gravidity, and presence of comorbidity remained in the final multivariable prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of the model was 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.78 to 0.88). The decision curve analysis shows the model provides a higher net benefit across ranges of threshold probabilities. In general, this study showed the possibility of predicting low birthweight using maternal characteristics during pregnancy. The model could help to identify those at higher risk of having a low birthweight baby. This feasible prediction model would offer an opportunity to reduce obstetric-related complications and thus improving the overall maternal and child healthcare in low- and middle-income countries.

Chronic exposure of workers to powder containing crystalline silica (SiO₂) can lead to chronic lung diseases (lung cancer, silicosis, etc.). The aim of the study was to evaluate the exposure of Greek construction workers to SiO₂ and describe their pulmonary function. The study involved 86 outdoor and underground workers. Medical and professional history was obtained, and breath samples were collected at morning hours through a mask for the determination of SiO₂ levels. Pulmonary function tests, radiological examination and evaluation of radiographs were, also performed. During the examination of the pulmonary function, the majority of the workers were within normal range (61.4%) while the rest were diagnosed with mild (26.5%) and more severe impairment (7.2%). Working conditions (underground-outdoor) were statistically significantly related to the categorization of pulmonary function (p = 0.038). During radiological examination, the type of working conditions (underground-outdoor) were statistically significantly related to the categorization of these findings (p = 0.044). Of the 69 employees, 52 did not present findings (75.4%) and five (5) were diagnosed with findings specific to occupational diseases (7.2%). The environmental exposure to RCS (Respirable crystalline silica) was detected at 0,0125 mg/ m³ in the workplace, which is not beyond the legal limits. Underground workers with more than 15 years of exposure to SiO₂ are more likely to present chronic silicosis compared to the workers of outdoor activities.

Nanofluids are a novel class of heat transfer fluid that plays a vital role in industries. In mathematical investigations, these fluids are modeled in terms of traditional integer-order partial differential equations (PDEs). It is recognized that traditional PDEs cannot decode the complex behavior of physical flow parameters and memory effects. Therefore, this article intends to study the mixed convection heat transfer in nanofluid over an inclined vertical plate via fractional derivatives approach. The problem in hand is modeled in connection with Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivatives without singular and local kernel having strong memory. The human blood is considered as base fluid dispersing carbon nanotube (CNTs) (single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs )) into it to form blood-CNTs nanofluid. The nanofluids are considered to flow in a saturated porous medium under the influence of an applied magnetic field. The exact analytical expressions for velocity and temperature profiles are acquired using the Laplace transform technique and plotted in various graphs. The empirical results indicate that the memory effect decreases with increasing fractional parameters in the case of both temperature and velocity profiles. Moreover, the temperature profile is higher for blood-SWCNTs by reason of higher thermal conductivity whereas, this trend is opposite in case of velocity profile due densities difference.

Aims: In late December 2019, early reports predicted the onset of a potential Coronavirus outbreak in china, given the estimate of a reproduction number for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Because of high ability of transmission and widespread prevalence, the mortality of COVID-19 infection is growing fast worldwide. Absent of an anti-COVID-19 has put scientists on the urge to repurpose already approved therapeutics or to find new active compounds against coronavirus. Here in this study, a set of computational approaches were performed in order to repurpose antivirals for dual inhibition of the frontier proteases involved in virus replication, papain-like protease (PLpro; corresponding to nsp3) and a main protease (Mpro), 3C‑like protease (3CLpro; corresponding to nsp5). Materials and Methods: In this regard, a rational virtual screening procedure including exhaustive docking techniques was performed for a database of 160 antiviral agents over 3CLpro and PLpro active sites of SARS-CoV-2. The compounds binding energies and interaction modes over 3CLpro and PLpro active sites were analyzed and ranked with the aid of free Gibbs binding energy. The most potent compounds, based on our filtering process, are then proposed as dual inhibitors of SARSC-CoV-2 proteases. Key findings: Accordingly, seven antiviral agents including two FDA approved (Nelfinavir, Valaganciclovir) and five investigational compounds (Merimepodib, Inarigivir, Remdesivir, Taribavirine and TAS106-106) are proposed as potential dual inhibitors of the enzymes necessary for RNA replication in which Remdesivir as well as Inagrivir have the highest binding affinity for both of the active sites. Significance: The mentioned drug proposed to inhibit both PLpro and 3CLpro enzymes with the aim of finding dual inhibitors of SARSC-CoV-2 proteases.

There are guidelines on lactation following maternal analgo-sedative exposure, but these do not consider the effect of maternal fasting, nor fluid abstention on human milk macronutrient composition. We therefore performed a structured search (PubMed) on ‘human milk composition’ and screened title, abstract and full paper on ‘fasting’ or ‘abstention’ and ‘macronutrient composition’ (lactose, protein, fat, solids, triglycerides, cholesterol). This resulted in 6 papers and one abstract related to religious fasting (n=129 women) and observational studies in lactating women (n=23, healthy volunteers, fasting). These data reflect two different ‘fasting’ patterns: an acute (18-25h) model in 71 (healthy volunteers, Yom Kippur/Ninth of Av) women and a chronic fasting (Ramadan) model in 81 women. Changes were most related to electrolytes and were moderate, with almost no changes in macronutrients during acute fasting. We therefor conclude that neither short term fasting nor fluid abstention (18-25h) affect human milk macronutrient composition, so that women can be reassured when this topic were raised during consulting. Besides the nutritional relevance, this also matters as clinical research samples – especially to estimate analgo-sedative exposure by lactation - are commonly collected after maternal procedural sedation, associated with maternal fasting and physiology-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models assume stable human milk composition.

COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) is a pandemic disease with an estimated mortality rate of 3.4% (estimated by the WHO as of March 3, 2020). Until now there is no antiviral drug and vaccine for COVID-19. The current overwhelming situation by COVID-19 patients in hospitals is likely to increase in the next few months. About 15 percent of patients with serious disease in COVID-19 require immediate health services. Rather than waiting for new anti-viral drugs or vaccines that take a few months to years to develop and test, several researchers and public health agencies are attempting to repurpose medicines that are already approved for another similar disease and have proved to be fairly effective. This study aims to identify FDA approved drugs that can be used for drug repurposing and identify biomarkers among high- risk and asymptomatic groups. In this study gene-disease association related to COVID-19 reported mild, severe symptoms and clinical outcomes were determined. The high-risk group was studied related to SARS-CoV-2 viral entry and life cycle by using Disgenet and compared with curated COVID-19 gene data sets from the CTD database. The overlapped gene sets were enriched and the selected genes were constructed for protein-protein interaction networks. Through interactome, key genes were identified for COVID-19 and also for high risk and asymptomatic groups. The key hub genes involved in COVID-19 were VEGFA, TNF, IL-6, CXCL8, IL10, CCL2, IL1B, TLR4, ICAM1, MMP9. The identified key genes were used for drug-gene interaction for drug repurposing. The chloroquine, lenalidomide, pentoxifylline, thalidome, sorafenib, pacitaxel, rapamycin, cortisol, statins were proposed to be probable drug repurposing candidates for the treatment of COVID-19. However, these predicted drug candidates need to be validated through randomized clinical trials. Also, a key gene involved in high risk and the asymptomatic group were identified, which can be used as probable biomarkers for early identification.

The effect of proteolytic enzymes including Cathepsin K, a cysteine cathepsin, in onset and progression of cancers in human has been research intensive. Cathepsin K involves in many aspects and stages of cancers including apoptosis, cell proliferation, cancer immunology, inflammatory cell recruitment to tumors and aiding in the process of mobilization of normal healthy cells from their tissue compartments assisting in metastasis and angiogenesis. The objective of this review is to collect together and summarize and analyze the biochemical and physiological pathways of how cathepsin K is involved in onset and progression of cancers with more emphasis on breast and prostate cancers and cathepsin K regulated mechanisms underlying metastasis of such cancers to bones. Information for the review was gathered through published literature from global databases such as Google Scholar, PUBMED and NCBI on different studies on physiological interactions between enzymatic activity of cathepsin K with cancers and metastasis to bones. Analysis of published studies reveal that immunohistochemical studies of breast cancer cells indicate that they overexpress cathepsin K resulting in induction of aberrant mechanisms of cell signaling in breast cancers, creating a higher tendency for their metastasis to bones. Immunohistochemical, immunoprecipitation and fluorgenic assays of several studies done on the association of the same enzymatic activity on prostate cancers shows elevated levels of cathepsin K. Lesions derived from prostate cancer cell masses were observed to undergo increased bone formation and resorption levels. Such resorption levels cause secretion of biological factors promoting tumor expansion. In addition, studies indicate that Cathepsin K was observed to be a key component promoting higher bone resorption levels in patients suffering from cancer. Authors suggest that, to completely understand the association of cathepsin K on cancerous cells and their mechanism in metastasis, distributary patterns of cathepsin K in healthy human tissues needs to be extensively studied initially. It is also suggested that metastasis of breast and prostate cancers to bone could be terminated and overcome by successful production of efficient and precise inhibitory therapeutics targeting the enzymatic activity of Cathepsin K with minimum unintended adverse health effects.

SARS-CoV2 RNA depended RNA polymerase is an essential enzyme for the survival of the virus in hosts as it helps in the replication of viral RNA. There are no human polymerases that share either sequence or structural homology with viral RNA depended RNA polymerase. These make it a good target for inhibitor discovery, as a specific inhibitor cannot cross-react with the human polymerases. We have used virtual screening, docking, binding energy calculation and simulation to show that valproic acid Co-A, a metabolite from prodrug valproic acid, forms stable interaction with nsP12 of CoV. Our results suggest valproic acid Co-A could be a potential inhibitor of nsP12 of SARS-CoV2.

With the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that results in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), corporate entities, federal, state, county and city governments, universities, school districts, places of worship, prisons, health care facilities, assisted living organizations, daycares, homeowners, and other building owners and occupants have an opportunity to reduce the potential for transmission through built environment (BE) mediated pathways. Over the last decade, substantial research into the presence, abundance, diversity, function, and transmission of microbes in the BE has taken place and revealed common pathogen exchange pathways and mechanisms. In this paper, we synthesize this microbiology of the BE research and the known information about SARS-CoV-2 to provide actionable and achievable guidance to BE decision makers, building operators, and all indoor occupants attempting to minimize infectious disease transmission through environmentally mediated pathways. We believe this information is useful to corporate and public administrators and individuals responsible for building operations and environmental services in their decision-making process about the degree and duration of social-distancing measures during viral epidemics and pandemics.

Dry mouth, hyposalivation, or xerostomia is a significant problem in diabetic patients; however, there was no way to relieve these symptoms. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of Ixeris dentata (IXD) in combination with lactobacillus extract on the salivation rate in diabetes-induced dry mouth, and its mechanism was also investigated. In the streptozotocin-induced diabetes model, dry mouth condition was established as a model. Both control and diabetic rats were treated with a sublingual spray of either water or IXD and subsequently treated with or without a spray of lactobacillus extract. In diabetes condition, the salivary flow rate, amylase activity, and aquaporin-5 and Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE-1) expressions were markedly decreased, whereas they were more significantly recovered in the sequential treatment of IXD-lactobacillus extract than each single treatment. Furthermore, oxidative stress and its related ER stress response were especially regulated in the IXD/lactobacillus extract condition, where the following anti-oxidative enzymes; GSH:GSSG ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were involved. This study suggests that the combination of IXD and lactobacillus would be a potential alternative medicine against diabetes-induced hyposalivation and xerostomia.

We investigated the effect of helium atmospheric-pressure plasma (PL) and deep-ultraviolet (UV) light treatments on the adhesive properties of fiber-reinforced poly(ether-ether-ketone)polymer (PEEK). PEEK disks reinforced with carbon (CPEEK) or glass (GPEEK) fibers were polished, modified with PL and UV for 60 s, and the surface energy was calculated by measuring the contact angles. The disk surfaces were analyzed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Shear bond strength testing was performed using a universal testing machine, and the fracture surfaces were observed by electron probe microanalyzer. Data were analyzed with one and two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test (p < 0.05). The surface energies were increased by the modifications, which created OH functional groups on the surfaces. The bond strengths of CPEEK were increased by PL and those of GPEEK were increased by PL and UV, owing to chemical bonding at the interface.

The IRRESISTIBLE Project (FP7, Grant 612367) had the aim of involving teachers, students and the public in the discussion on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), promoting both the construction of knowledge on cutting-edge (and controversial) research topics and the discussion about the criteria that these research/innovation processes should respect in order to be considered as responsible. These criteria also represent a strong contribution to a more sustainable future for all. This quantitative research evaluates the impact of IRRESISTIBLE’s student-curated exhibitions – about the RRI dimensions of cutting-edge research topics (socio-scientific issues) – on students’ perceptions regarding their scientific competences and the science classes. A pre and post-questionnaire was developed, validated and applied to students from 10 countries. The overall results of the statistical analysis indicate that students improved their perceptions regarding their competences for developing exhibitions in science classes as a way of creating awareness on topics relating science-technology-society. This activity reinforced students’ perceptions that in science classes they: a) discuss current issues and how they impact their lives; b) develop socially and relevant projects; and c) learn how to influence other citizens’ decisions about social issues related to science, technology and environment with the aim of assuring a more sustainable future.

Nowadays, the uses of laser and optics in the medical areas are extremely vivid, especially low-level laser therapy. The light with the wavelength of 633 nm to 1200 nm could penetrate and propagate deep in biological tissue. To develop the low-level laser therapy device, optimizing light delivery is critical to accurately stimulate the biological effects inside the biological tissue. Nevertheless, each form of the tissues at each zone on the body had various refractive optic, absorption, scattering, and anisotropy coefficients. This paper describes the simulation results of low-level laser propagation from skin surface at the lower spine, the knee, the femur and the prostate gland with four wavelengths (633 nm, 780 nm, 850 nm, and 940 nm) by the Monte Carlo method. These simulation results are the base for developing the low-level laser therapy device, that could be used in clinical for treating the fracture, knee osteoarthritis, spinal degeneration, and benign prostatic hypertrophy.

In current severe global emergency situation of 2019-nCov outbreak, it is imperative to identify vulnerable and susceptible groups for effective protection and care. Recently, studies found that 2019-nCov and SARS-nCov share the same receptor, ACE2. In this study, we analyzed five large-scale bulk transcriptomic datasets of normal lung tissue and two single-cell transcriptomic datasets to investigate the disparities related to race, age, gender and smoking status in ACE2 gene expression and its distribution among cell types. We didn’t find significant disparities in ACE2 gene expression between racial groups (Asian vs Caucasian), age groups (>60 vs <60) or gender groups (male vs female). However, we observed significantly higher ACE2 gene expression in former smoker’s lung compared to non-smoker’s lung. Also, we found higher ACE2 gene expression in Asian current smokers compared to non-smokers but not in Caucasian current smokers, which may indicate an existence of gene-smoking interaction. In addition, we found that ACE2 gene is expressed in specific cell types related to smoking history and location. In bronchial epithelium, ACE2 is actively expressed in goblet cells of current smokers and club cells of non-smokers. In alveoli, ACE2 is actively expressed in remodelled AT2 cells of former smokers. Together, this study indicates that smokers especially former smokers may be more susceptible to 2019-nCov and have infection paths different with non-smokers. Thus, smoking history may provide valuable information in identifying susceptible population and standardizing treatment regimen.

Betadine (Providone-Iodine) solution is a topically applied antiseptic, which has been used for wound care and surgery for decades for the prevention and treatment of skin and wound infections. However, several studies have documented the ineffectiveness of Betadine solution. Other topical antimicrobial dressings, including those that contain silver, have been used in the management of infected wounds. The present study was undertaken to determine if the combination of 5% Betadine solutions and silver colloidal gel (Ag-gel), is more effective than the individual materials in inhibiting the growth of both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. These determinations were carried out by both the colony forming unit (CFU) assay, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Ag-gel showed complete inhibition on all the bacteria, except Klebsiella pneumoniae CI strain while 5% Betadine concentrations did not completely kill any of the tested bacteria. However, K. pneumoniae was completely eliminated in the presence of the combination of 5% Betadine solution plus Ag-gel. Confocal laser microscopy confirmed the CFU results. Thus this study demonstrated that while the individual treatments are not effective in killing all the bacteria tested, the combination of 5% Betadine solution and Ag-gel completely kill all bacteria tested, including K. penumoniae CI.

During its first month, the recently emerged 2019 Wuhan novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has already infected many thousands of people in mainland China and worldwide and took hundreds of lives. However, the swiftly spreading virus also caused an unprecedentedly rapid response from the research community facing the unknown health challenge of potentially enormous proportions. Unfortunately, the experimental research to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the viral infection and to design a vaccine or antivirals is costly and takes months to develop. To expedite the advancement of our knowledge we leverage the data about the related coronaviruses that is readily available in public databases, and integrate these data into a single computational pipeline. As a result, we provide a comprehensive structural genomics and interactomics road-maps of SARS-CoV-2 and use these information to infer the possible functional differences and similarities with the related SARS coronavirus. All data are made publicly available to the research community at http://korkinlab.org/wuhan .

Background: Chronic kidney disease and renal replacement therapy are associated with reduced physical activity, which may result in the presence of mineral-bone disorders and an increase in inflammation markers. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the performance of daily physical activity, expressed in the number of steps performed by patients undergoing hemodialysis and the concentration of selected biochemical parameters (SCL, IL-6). Materials and Methods: The study involved 33 patients aged 59.8 ± 9.8 years from the dialysis station at the Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine PUM. Group C consisted of 30 people aged 54.9 (9.37), with GFR over 60 mL/min/1.73m. The study group was divided into S-N and N-S. Participants of the S-N group were assigned the task of performing the appropriate daily number of steps, and the N-S group was to perform spontaneous physical activity. The tasks were replaced after the third month of the research project. Physical activity was measured with pedometers. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline, after the third and sixth month of the study. Descriptive statistics, intergroup comparisons using Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlation analysis were performed. The level of significance was set at p≤0.005. Results: Patients from the S-N and N-S groups compared to group C performed significantly fewer steps in the 0-3 month and 4-6 month periods. In the S-N group, with an increase in steps performed in the period of 4-6 months, sclerostin levels dropped in the 6th month. In group C, the concentration of SCL and IL-6 decreased with the increase in the number of steps taken. Only in group C the waist circumference decreased with the increase of the number of steps performed. Conclusions: Patients receiving renal replacement therapy by hemodialysis showed significantly lower physical activity compared to people without kidney disease. Performing bigger number of steps can lower sclerostin levels in hemodialysis patients.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) decreases across the lifespan, and chronic conditions such as dementia and stroke accelerate this decline. Impaired CBF results in reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients, which can damage the brain over time. Thus, there is a need to identify lifestyle interventions including diet and exercise to maintain CBF with aging and in the presence of chronic disease. In the present study, we used transcranial Doppler ultrasound to record middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), a surrogate measure of CBF, during moderate-intensity exercise in sedentary, cognitively-normal older adults (N = 90). A multiple linear regression model (F(4, 85) = 3.21, p = 0.02) showed self-reported omega-3 supplement use significantly moderated the association between age and mean exercising MCAv in these individuals (p = 0.01). Older age was associated with lower exercising MCAv in the group not taking omega-3 supplements, while exercising MCAv showed no decline with increasing age in the group who reported omega-3 supplement use. These findings suggest omega-3 supplementation may have an important role in the preservation of CBF with aging.

Malignant gliomas are heterogeneous neoplasms. Glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) are undifferentiated and self-renewing cells that develop and maintain these tumors. These cells are the main population that resist current therapies. Genomic and epigenomic analyses has identified various molecular subtypes. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) reduces the number of GSCs through differentiation and induction of apoptosis, thus increasing therapeutic sensitivity. However, the short half-life of BMP4 impedes its clinical application. We have previously reviewed BMP4 signaling in central nervous system development and glioma tumorigenesis and its’ potential as a treatment target in human gliomas. Recent advances in understanding both adult and pediatric malignant gliomas highlight critical roles of BMP4 signaling pathways in the regulation of tumor biology, and indicate its’ potential as a therapeutic molecule. Furthermore, significant progress has been made on synthesizing BMP4 biocompatible delivery materials, which can bind to and markedly extend BMP4 half-life. Here, we review current research associated with BMP4 in brain tumors, especially in pediatric malignant gliomas. We also summarize BMP4 delivery strategies, with a focus on biocompatible BMP4 binding peptide amphiphile nanostructures as promising novel delivery platforms for treatment of these devastating tumors.

We develop a mathematical model to provide epidemic predictions for the 2019-nCov epidemic in Wuhan, China. We use reported case data up to January 31, 2020 from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission to parameterize the model. From the parameterized model we identify the number of unreported cases. We then use the model to project the epidemic forward with varying level of public health interventions. The model predictions emphasize the importance of major public health interventions in controlling 2019-nCov epidemics.

A mathematical model given by a two - dimensional differential system is introduced in order to understand the transition process from the normal hematopoiesis to the chronic and accelerated acute stages in chronic myeloid leukemia. A previous model of Dingli and Michor is refined by introducing a new parameter in order to differentiate the bone marrow microenvironment sensitivities of normal and mutant stem cells. In the light of the new parameter, the system now has three distinct equilibria corresponding to the normal hematopoietic state, to the chronic state, and to the accelerated acute phase of the disease. A characterization of the three hematopoietic states is obtained based on the stability analysis. Numerical simulations are included to illustrate the theoretical results.

Galectin-3 is considered a cancer biomarker and bioindicator of fibrosis and cardiac remodeling, and, therefore, it is desirable to develop convenient methods for its detection. Herein, an approach based on the development of multivalent electrochemical probes with high galectin-3 sensing abilities is reported. The probes consist of multivalent presentations of lactose–ferrocene conjugates scaffolded on poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers and gold nanoparticles. Such multivalent lactose–ferrocene conjugates are synthesized by coupling of azidomethylferrocene-lactose building blocks on alkyne-functionalized PAMAM, for the case of the glycodendrimers, and to disulfide‐functionalized linkers that are then used for the surface modification of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles. The binding and sensing abilities towards galectin 3 of both ferrocene-containing lactose dendrimers and gold nanoparticles have been evaluated by means of isothermal titration calorimetry, UV-vis spectroscopy, and differential pulse voltammetry. The highest sensitivity by electrochemical methods to galectin-3 was shown by lactosylferrocenylated gold nanoparticles, which are able to detect the lectin in nanomolar concentrations.

Being a chilling-sensitive staple crop, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is vulnerable to climate change. The competence of rice to withstand chilling stress should, therefore, be enhanced through technological tools. The present study employed chemical intervention like application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as nitric oxide (NO) donor and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of NO-mediated chilling tolerance in rice. At germination stage, germination indicators were interrupted by chilling stress (5.0 ± 1.0°C for 8 h day‒1), while pretreatment with 100 μM SNP markedly improved the indicators. At seedling stage (14-day-old), chilling stress caused stunted growth with visible toxicity along with alteration of biochemical markers, for example, increase in oxidative stress markers (superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde) and osmolytes (total soluble sugar; proline and soluble protein content, SPC), and decrease in chlorophyll (Chl), relative water content (RWC), and antioxidants. However, NO application attenuated toxicity symptoms with improving growth performance which might be attributed to enhanced activities of antioxidants, mineral contents, Chl, RWC and SPC. Furthermore, principal component analysis indicated that water imbalance and increased oxidative damage were the main contributors to chilling injury, whereas NO-mediated mineral homeostasis and antioxidant defense were the critical determinants for chilling tolerance in rice. Collectively, our findings revealed that NO protects against chilling stress through valorizing cellular defense mechanisms, suggesting that exogenous application of NO could be a potential tool to evolve cold tolerance as well as climate resilience in rice.

In healthy ageing, capacity declines in the neural, muscular, and skeletal systems, and each system decline has its effect on the execution of complex motor tasks. This decline in capacity can result in the inability to stand up (sit-to-stand, sit-to-walk), which is a key movement for independence. The mechanisms leading to mobility limitations or inabilities are complex, overlapping, and interdependent and the complementary fields of biomechanics, motor control, and physiology need to be combined to understand these mechanisms. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of age-related compensation in standing up and to consider the limitations of these results when analysing standing up in daily life using the Capacity, Reserve, Movement Objectives, and Compensation (CaReMoOC) framework that combines biomechanics, motor control, and physiology. A literature search was performed in the search engine Scopus, using the keywords and their synonyms: strateg*(approach, technique, way) AND, sit-to-walk OR sit-to-stand OR rise (raise, arise, stand, stand-up) AND chair (seat). Inclusion criteria were: biomechanics or motor control on sit-to-stand or sit-to-walk in healthy and/or frail adults (<60y) and elderly (>60y), and/or osteoarthritis patients as a specific case of ageing related decline. The review shows that movement compensations in standing up manifest as changes in planned trajectory (Compensation by Selection) and in muscle recruitment (Compensation by Reorganisation). However, as most studies in the literature typically use standardized experimental protocols where movement compensation is restricted, these studies cannot be directly translated to functional tasks, such as the mobility of the elderly in their homes, communities, and clinic. Compensation must be included in future studies in order to facilitate clinical translation. Specifically, future studies in the standing up task should 1) determine the effect of varying arm use strategies (e.g., armrests, knees, chair, cane) on trunk and both lower limb and upper limb joint loading, 2) analyse control strategies in elderly people, 3) determine the biomechanical implications of asymmetry, and 4) incorporate assessments of age-related physical and neural decline as well as changes in psychological priorities.

The garnet Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) has been widely investigated because of its high conductivity, wide electrochemical window and chemical stability to lithium metal. However, the usual preparation process of LLZO requires a long time of high-temperature sintering and a lot of mother powders against the lithium evaporation. The submicron Li₆.6La₃Zr₁.6Nb₀.4O₁₂ (LLZNO) powders are prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method and attrition milling process, which are stable cubic phase and have high sintering activity, and Li stoichiometric LLZNO ceramics are obtained by sintering at a relative lower temperature or for a short time by using these powders which are difficult to control under high sintering temperature and long sintering time. The particle size distribution, phase structure, microstructure, distribution of element, total ionic conductivity, relative density and activation energy of submicron LLZNO powders and LLZNO ceramics are tested and analyzed by laser diffraction particle size analyzer, XRD, SEM, EIS and Archimedean method. The total ionic conductivity of sample sintered at 1200 °C for 30 min is 5.09 × 10-4 S·cm-1, the activation energy is 0.311 eV, and the relative density is 87.3%, and sintered at 1150 °C for 60 min total ionic conductivity is 3.49 × 10-4 S·cm-1, the activation energy is 0.316 eV, and the relative density is 90.4%. At the same time, all-solid-state batteries are assembled with LiMn₂O₄ as positive electrode and submicron LLZNO powders as solid state electrolyte. After 50 cycles, the discharge specific capacity is 105.5 mAh/g and the columbic efficiency is above 95%.

Daily rainfall data was collected for the arid district of Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh state, India from 1981 to 2016 at the sub-district level and aggregated to monthly, annual and seasonal rainfall totals and the number of rainy days. The objective of this study is to evaluate the homogeneity, trend, and trend change points in the rainfall data. After quality checks and homogeneity analysis, a total of 27 rain gauge locations were considered for trend analysis. A serial correlation test was applied to all the time series to identify serially independent series. Non-Parametric Mann-Kendall test and Spearman’s rank correlation tests were applied to serially independent series. The magnitude of the trend was calculated using Sen’s slope method. For the data influenced by serial correlation, various modified versions of Mann-Kendall tests (Pre-Whitening, Trend Free Pre-Whitening, Bias Corrected Pre-Whitening and two variants of Variance Correction Approaches) were applied. A significant increasing summer rainfall trend is observed in 6 out of 27 stations. Significant decreasing trends are observed at two stations in the south-west monsoon season and at two stations in the north-east monsoon season. To identify the trend change-points in the time series, distribution-free Cumulative SUM test and sequential Mann-Kendall tests were applied. Two open-source library packages were developed in R language namely, ‘modifiedmk’ and ‘trendchange’ to implement the statistical tests mentioned in this paper. The study will benefit water resource management, drought mitigation, socio-economic development and sustainable agricultural planning in the region.

Background: the primary care service in Catalonia has operated an asynchronous teleconsulting service between GPs and patients since 2015 (eConsulta), which has generated some 500,000 messages. New developments in big data analysis tools, particularly those involving natural language, can be used to accurately and systematically evaluate the impact of the service. Objective: the study was intended to examine the predictive potential of eConsulta messages through different combinations of vector representation of text and machine learning algorithms and to evaluate their performance. Methodology: 20 machine learning algorithms (based on 5 types of algorithms and 4 text representation techniques)were trained using a sample of 3,559 messages (169,102 words) corresponding to 2,268 teleconsultations (1.57 messages per teleconsultation) in order to predict the three variables of interest (avoiding the need for a face-to-face visit, increased demand and type of use of the teleconsultation). The performance of the various combinations was measured in terms of precision, sensitivity, F-value and the ROC curve. Results: the best-trained algorithms are generally effective, proving themselves to be more robust when approximating the two binary variables "avoiding the need of a face-to-face visit" and "increased demand" (precision = 0.98 and 0.97, respectively) rather than the variable "type of query"(precision = 0.48). Conclusion: to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate a machine learning strategy for text classification using primary care teleconsultation datasets. The study illustrates the possible capacities of text analysis using artificial intelligence. The development of a robust text classification tool could be feasible by validating it with more data, making it potentially more useful for decision support for health professionals.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) are associated with diseases and drug response variabilities in humans. Elucidating the damaging and disease-associated SNPs using wet-laboratory approaches can be challenging and resource-demanding due to the large number of SNPs in the human genome. Due to the growth in the field of computational biology and bioinformatics, algorithms have been developed to help screen and filter out the most deleterious SNPs that are worth considering for wet-laboratory studies. Here we review the existing in-silico based methods used to predict and characterize the effects of SNPs on protein structure and function. This cutting-edge approach will facilitate the search for novel therapeutics, help understand the etiology of diseases and fast-track the personalized medicine agenda.

In our tactic to construct bio-active molecules, a series of novel pyrimido[2,1-c][1,2,4]triazine-3,4-diones based heterocycles, were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial impacts. The exploratory bioassay results declared that, the majority of the evaluated compounds exhibited considerable anti-microbial activity comparable to the reference drugs. Conjugates 15j, 15f, 15i, 15h, 15g and 15a were found to be the most potent antibacterial, indicating that conjugates bearing electron-attracting substituents exhibited higher potency than these with electron-releasing substituents.

Due to the advantages such as low power consumption and higher concealment, deceptive jamming against synthetic aperture radar (SAR) receives extensive attention during the past decades. However, the large scene deception jamming is still a challenge because of the huge computing burden. In this paper, we propose a new large scene deceptive jamming algorithm. First, the time-delay and frequency-shift (TDFS) algorithm is introduced to improve the jamming processing speed. The system function of jammer (JSF) for a fake scatter is simplified to the multiplication of the scattering coefficient, a time-delay term in range dimension and a frequency-shift term in azimuth dimension. Then, in order to solve the problem that the effective region of the TDFS algorithm is limited, the scene deceptive jamming template is divided into several blocks according to the SAR parameters and imaging quality control factor. The JSF of each block is calculated by the TDFS algorithm and added together to achieve the large scene jamming. Finally, the correction algorithm in squint mode is derived. The simplification and parallel block processing could improve the calculation efficiency significantly. The simulation results verified the validity of the algorithm.

An investigation was carried out to study the effects of television and internet on academic performance of senior secondary schools students in Rigachukun Inspectorate of Kaduna state. A well structured and designed questionnaire was adopted in eliciting information from the respondents. The respondents were sampled from schools within Kaduna state. The information obtained showed that the percentage of senior secondary school students who made use of internet for academic purpose was as much as those who could not operate a computer or even browse the internet. Good number of students applied internet mostly through phones and computer with internet access in solving their assignment. A larger percentage of students devoted their time to watching non-educative programs on television, even though it was discovered that some of them also watch educative programs. Positive impacts of television and internet are however obscuring and not glaring. Investigation carried out revealed that students in senior secondary schools need to be sensitized and oriented on how they can derive the best from internet and television. Schools should be encouraged in using television and internet as an instrument of learning and teaching.

Critically ill patients with sepsis require a multidisciplinary approach, as this situation implies multiorgan distress, with most of the bodily biochemical and cellular systems being affected by the condition. Moreover, sepsis is characterized by a multitude of biochemical interactions and by dynamic changes of the immune system. At the moment, there is a gap in our understanding of the cellular, genetic, and molecular mechanisms involved in sepsis. One of the systems intensely studied in recent years is the endocannabinoid signaling pathway, as light was shed over a series of important interactions of cannabinoid receptors with biochemical pathways, specifically for sepsis. Furthermore, a series of important implications on inflammation and the immune system that are induced by the activity of cannabinoid receptors stimulated by the delta-9-tetrahidrocannabinol and cannabinol have been noticed. The aim of this review paper was to present, in detail, the important mechanisms modulated by the endocannabinoid signaling pathway, as well as of the molecular and cellular links it has with sepsis. At the same time, we wish to present the possible implications of cannabinoids in the most important biological pathways involved in sepsis, such as inflammation, redox activity, immune system, and epigenetic expression.

Excitotoxicity related to the dysfunction of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) has been indicated to play an integral role in the pathophysiology of multiple disease states, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. There is a notable gap in the market for novel NMDAR antagonists, however current methods to analyze potential antagonists rely on indirect measurements of calcium flux and hazardous radioligand binding assays. Recently, a fluorescent NMDAR ligand, N-adamantan-1-yl-dimethylamino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, known as AM-DAN was developed by our group. Additional studies on this ligand is necessary to evaluate its potential as a biological tool in NMDAR research. Therefore, this study was aimed at conducting structural analyses, fluorescence experiments, high-accuracy NMDAR molecular modelling and NMDAR phencyclidine (PCP) site competition binding studies using AM-DAN. Results revealed that AM-DAN has appropriate structural properties, significant fluorescent ability in various solvents and is able to bind selectively and compete for the PCP-binding site of the NMDAR. Therefore, AM-DAN holds promise as a novel fluorescent ligand to measure the affinity of prospective drugs binding at the NMDAR PCP-site and may circumvent the use of radioligands.

Indonesia is one of the largest banana producing countries in the world remaining abundance solid waste of banana fruit bunch. The banana fruit bunch contains high natural fibers which were obtained by an impregnation process using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and followed by a carbonization process under steam at 250°C for 5 h. The nanomaterial of TiO₂/fibre was prepared by a hydrothermal process at 200°C for 4 h. Surface morphology proved that the TiO₂ was loaded into the fibre by an increasing roughness of the surface and irregular size of porosity. The development of amorphous to crystalline phase of TiO₂/fibre was clearly observed. The effectiveness of TiO₂/fibre for removal of rhodamine B was investigated from different parameters of adsorptions in aqueous solution. The equilibrium adsorptions show that the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm exhibited the best correlation coefficient (R² > 0.94) relating to the chemisorption and physisorption interaction in the adsorption process. Kinetic models were well described by the pseudo-first and second-order with the best correlation coefficient (R² > 0.99). These results indicate that nanomaterial TiO₂/fibre can be used as an effective adsorbent for removal of rhodamine B in aqueous solution.

This study measures the noise levels in a baseball stadium and analyzes baseball fans’ attitude of effect of recreational noise exposure on their hearing. In the baseball stadium, noise levels were measured in four seating sections using a sound level meter during the games. The LAeq average of the 16 measures produced 91.7 dBA, showing a significantly high noise level in the red and navy sections. As a function of frequency by LZeq analysis, the noise levels were significantly higher in low frequencies than other frequencies. For the survey sample, 688 randomly selected participants completed a 16-question survey on their noise exposure during the game and on the potential risk of hearing loss. Despite the very high noise levels, 70% of the respondents preferred sitting in either the red or the navy section to be closer to the cheerleaders and to obtain a good view. Most respondents reported that they did not consider wearing earplugs, and one-third experienced hearing muffled speech after the game. We conclude that the noise levels in baseball stadiums are high enough to cause hearing damage and/or tinnitus later, but expect these results to improve public education regarding safe noise exposure during popular sports activities.

Neutron computed tomography (nCT) has been established at many major neutron sources worldwide, using high-end equipment requiring major investment and development. Many older and smaller reactors would be capable of doing nCT as well, but cannot afford the investment before feasibility is proven. We have developed a compact low-cost but high-quality detection system using a new cooled CMOS camera that can either be fully integrated into a sophisticated setup, or used with a rudimentary CT control and motion system to quickly evaluate feasibility of neutron CT at a given beam line facility. Exchanging the scintillation screen makes it feasible for X-rays as well, even for visible light (and transparent samples) using a matte screen. The control system uses a hack to combine motion control with existing imaging software so it can be used to test several dozen different cameras without writing specific drivers. Freeware software can do reconstruction and 3D imaging.

Evidence of familial inheritance in non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) has accumulated over the last few decades. However, known variants account for a very small percentage of the genetic burden. Here, we focused on the identification of common pathways and networks enriched in NMTC families to better understand its pathogenesis with the final aim of identifying one novel high/moderate-penetrance germline predisposition variant segregating with the disease in each studied family. We performed whole genome sequencing on 23 affected and 3 unaffected family members from five NMTC-prone families and prioritized the identified variants using our Familial Cancer Variant Prioritization Pipeline (FCVPPv2). In total, 31 coding variants and 39 variants located in upstream, downstream, 5′ or 3′ untranslated regions passed FCVPPv2 filtering. Altogether, 210 genes affected by variants that passed the first three steps of the FCVPPv2 were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. These genes were enriched in tumorigenic signaling pathways mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases and G-protein coupled receptors, implicating a central role of PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK signaling in familial NMTC. Our approach can facilitate the identification and functional validation of causal variants in each family as well as the screening and genetic counseling of other individuals at risk of developing NMTC.

Intrinsically disordered proteins mediate crucial biological functions through their interactions with other proteins. Mutual synergistic folding (MSF) occurs when all interacting proteins are disordered, folding into a stable structure in the course of the complex formation. In these cases, the folding and binding processes occur in parallel, lending the resulting structures uniquely heterogeneous features. Currently there are no dedicated classification approaches that would take into account the particular biological and biophysical properties of MSF complexes. Here we present a scalable clustering-based classification scheme, built on redundancy-filtered features that describe the sequence and structure properties of the complexes, and the role of the interaction, which is directly responsible for structure formation. Using this approach, we define six major types of MSF complexes, corresponding to biologically meaningful groups. Hence, the presented method also shows that differences in binding strength, subcellular localization, and regulation are encoded in the sequence and structural properties of proteins. While current structure classification methods can also handle complex structures, we show that the developed scheme is fundamentally different, and since it takes into account defining features of MSF complexes, it serves as a better representation of structures arising through this specific interaction mode.

Breast (BC) and gynecological (GC) cancers constitute a group of female neoplasms that has a worldwide significant contribution to cancer morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that polymorphisms influencing miRNA function can provide useful information to predict the risk of female neoplasms. To facilitate the genetic screening of miRNA polymorphisms even during childhood or adolescence, and their use as predictors of future malignancies, inconsistent findings in the literature should be detected and resolved. This study represents a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between miRNA polymorphisms and the risk of female neoplasms. Meta-analysis was performed by pooling odds-ratios (ORs) and generalized ORs using a random-effects model for 15 miRNA polymorphisms. The results suggest that miR-146a rs2910164 is implicated in the susceptibility to GC. Moreover, miR-196a2 rs11614913-T had a moderate protective effect against female neoplasms, especially GC, in Asians but not in Caucasians. MiR-27a rs895819-G may pose a protective effect against BC among Caucasians. MiR-499 rs3746444-C may slightly increase the risk of female neoplasms especially BC. MiR-124 rs531564-G may be associated with a lower risk of female neoplasms. The current evidences do not support the association of the remaining polymorphisms and the risk of female neoplasms.

In addition to provide an extremely clean environment for primary loop of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR), the primary helium circulator (PHC) using electromagnetic levitation technology also provides an effective means for vibration control. Besides synchronous vibration produced by mass imbalance and sensor runout, double-frequency vibration produced by unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP) is serious in PHC engineering prototype (PHC-EP). In this paper, we firstly analyzed the mechanism of UMP and the multi-frequency vibration characteristics in combination with the PHC-EP. Then we put forward a distributed iterative learning control (ILC) algorithm and a parallel control scheme to suppress the periodic vibrations. Finally, we verified the methods by carrying out experimental researches on the active magnetic bearing (AMB) bench of PHC-EP. The results show that the methods put forward in this paper have significant control effect on the double-frequency vibration generated by UMP of the PHC-EP, and provide theoretical and practical references for the PHC safe operation in HTR.

In recent times, with the increase of Artificial Neural Network (ANN), deep learning has brought a dramatic twist in the field of machine learning by making it more Artificial Intelligence (AI). Deep learning is used remarkably used in vast ranges of fields because of its diverse range of applications such as surveillance, health, medicine, sports, robotics, drones etc. In deep learning, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is at the center of spectacular advances that mixes Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and up to date deep learning strategies. It has been used broadly in pattern recognition, sentence classification, speech recognition, face recognition, text categorization, document analysis, scene, and handwritten digit recognition. The goal of this paper is to observe the variation of accuracies of CNN to classify handwritten digits using various numbers of hidden layer and epochs and to make the comparison between the accuracies. For this performance evaluation of CNN, we performed our experiment using Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) dataset. Further, the network is trained using stochastic gradient descent and the backpropagation algorithm.

Tungsten oxides play a pivotal role in a variety of modern technologies e.g., switchable glasses, wastewater treatment, and modern gas sensors. Metallic tungsten is used as armor material, for e.g., gas turbines as well as future fusion power devices. In the first case, oxides are desired as functional materials, while in the second case, oxides can lead to catastrophic failures, so avoiding the oxidation of tungsten is desired. In both cases, it is crucial to understand the reactivity of tungsten oxides with other chemicals. In this study, the different reactivities of tungsten oxides with the highly-oxophilic beryllium are studied and compared. Tungsten-(IV)-oxide and tungsten-(VI)-oxide layers are prepared on a tungsten substrate. In the next step, a thin film of beryllium is evaporated on the samples. In consecutive steps, the sample is heated in steps of 100 K from r. t. to 1273 K. The chemical composition is investigated after each experimental step by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of all involved core levels as well as the valence band. A model is developed to analyze the chemical reactions after each step. In this study, we find that tungsten trioxide was already reduced by beryllium at r. t. and started to react to form the ternary compounds BeWO₃ and BeWO₄ at temperatures starting from 673 K. However, tungsten dioxide is resistant to reduction at temperatures of up to 1173 K. In conclusion, we find WO₂ to be much more chemically resistant to the reduction agent Be than WO₃.

The present study uses the 3 years of data from a vertically pointed profile Radar (VPPR) at the mountain site (Huancayo at 3.2 km msl; HYO) in Peru to investigate the precipitation characteristics/patterns including diurnal variation, bright band (BB) characteristics and vertical structure of rain (VSR). VPPR provides continuous 1­min profiles of radar reflectivity (Ze), rain rate (RR), liquid water content (LWC) and Doppler velocity. At the same time, field campaign data are used to investigate the role of the surface and atmospheric variables in generating the rainfall and organization of the cloud systems over HYO. The precipitation shows the bimodal distribution; frequent and higher RR during afternoon and nighttime. The BB height also shows a diurnal pattern and BB height is higher during the afternoon and nighttime compared; and follows the diurnal heating of the Andes. More than 70% BB height lies between ~4.3­4.7 km and only 20% BB has altitude higher than 5 km. The austral summer monsoon (December to March months) have higher intense vertical profiles (higher Z e ) compared to pre monsoon seasons (September to November) and shows the nega­tive gradient for most of the altitude. The RR and LWC show the opposite characteristics, and both have a positive gradient below the 6 km altitude and then negative gradient above 6 km altitude. The raindrop size distribution (DSD) parameters show most of the variation below the freezing level, and a higher concentra­tion of large sized of hydrometeors are observed for higher RR, however the dominant modes of Dm are less than 1 mm. The changes in the VSR in DSD parameters are significant for the RR>20 mm/h, whereas for RR<2 mm/h the vertical structure in DSD parameters do not have much differences during monsoon and premonsoon seasons. Satellite and reanalysis data reveal the short periods of convective activity with higher ac­ cumulated rainfall over HYO compared to stratiform precipitation, which is more common in the nighttime and sustain for many hours. Wet spells (higher rainy days) have low pressure circulation, which favours the transport of moisture from the Amazon to the central Sierra of Peru, while the anticyclonic circulation at high levels favours the divergence at higher pressure levels and, enhances the convective in the region. During the dry spells, low level weaker circulation at the west of Brazil, restricts the transport of moisture to the central Sierra, while the circulation at high levels does not favor rain processes. The improved understanding of the tropical Andes precipitation would be very important for assessing climate variability and changes as well as to forecast precipitation using the numerical models.

Tornadoes remain an active subject of observational and numerical research due to the damage and fatalities they cause worldwide as well as poor understanding of their behavior, such as what processes result in their genesis and what determines their longevity and morphology. A numerical model executed on a supercomputer run at high resolution can serve as a powerful tool for exploring the rapidly evolving tornado-scale features within a simulated storm, but saving large amounts data for meaningful analysis can result in unacceptably slow model performance, an unwieldy amount of saved data, and saved data spread across millions of files. In this paper, a system for efficiently saving and managing hundreds of terabytes of compressed model output is described in order to support a supercomputer simulation of a tornadic supercell thunderstorm. The challenges of managing a simulation spanning over a quarter trillion grid volumes across the Blue Waters supercomputer are also described. The simulated supercell produces a long-track EF5 tornado, and the near-tornado environment is described during tornadogenesis, where single upward-growing vortex undergoes several vortex mergers before transitioning into a multiple vortex tornado.

Histone Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) is overexpressed in many cancers and become a new target for anticancer drugs. In recent years, the small molecule inhibitors with various structures targeting LSD1 have been reported. Here we report the binding interaction modes of a series of thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole-5-carboxamides LSD1 inhibitors using molecular docking, three dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR). Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA q²=0.783, r²=0.944, r²_pred=0.851) and Comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA q²=0.728, r²=0.982, r²_pred=0.814) were used to establish 3D-QSAR models, which had good verification and prediction capabilities. Based on the contour maps and the information of molecular docking, 8 novel small molecules were designed in silico, among which compounds D4, D5 and D8 with high predictive activity were subjected to further molecular dynamics simulations (MD), and their possible binding modes were explored. It was found that Asn535 plays a crucial role in stabilizing the inhibitors. Furthermore, the ADME and bioavailability prediction for D4, D5 and D8 were carried out. The results would provide valuable guidance for designing new reversible LSD1 inhibitors in the future.

A large body of evidence has linked unhealthy eating patterns with an alarming increase in obesity and chronic disease worldwide. However, existing methods of assessing dietary intake in nutritional epidemiology rely on food frequency questionnaires or dietary records that are prone to bias and selective reporting. Herein, metabolic phenotyping was performed on 42 healthy participants from the Diet and Gene Intervention (DIGEST) pilot study, a parallel two-arm randomized clinical trial that provided complete diets to all participants. Matching urine and plasma specimens were collected at baseline and following 2 weeks of provision of either a Prudent or Western diet with a weight-maintaining menu plan designed by a dietician. Targeted and nontargeted metabolite profiling was conducted using three complementary analytical platforms, where 80 plasma metabolites and 84 creatinine-normalized urinary metabolites were reliably measured (CV < 30%) in the majority of participants (> 75%) after implementing a rigorous data workflow for metabolite authentication with stringent quality control. We classified a panel of metabolites with distinctive trajectories following 2 weeks of food provisions when using complementary univariate and multivariate statistical models. Unknown metabolites associated with contrasting dietary patterns were identified with high resolution MS/MS and/or co-elution after spiking with authentic standards. Overall, 3-methylhistidine and proline betaine concentrations increased consistently after participants were assigned a Prudent diet (q< 0.05) in both plasma and urine samples with a corresponding decrease in the Western diet group. Similarly, creatinine-normalized urinary imidazole propionate, hydroxypipecolic acid, dihydroxybenzoic acid, and enterolactone glucuronide, as well as plasma ketoleucine and ketovaline increased with a Prudent diet (p< 0.05) after adjustments for age, sex and BMI. In contrast, plasma myristic acid, linoelaidic acid, linoleic acid, a-linoleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, alanine, proline, carnitine and deoxycarnitine, as well as urinary acesulfame K increased among participants following a Western diet. Most metabolites were also correlated (r > ±0.30, p< 0.05) to changes in average intake of specific nutrients from self-reported diet records reflecting good adherence to assigned food provisions. Our study revealed robust biomarkers sensitive to short-term changes in habitual diet for accurate monitoring of healthy eating patterns in free-living populations, which is required for validating evidence-based public health policies for chronic disease prevention.