Micro channel tube (MCT) is widely employed in industry due to its excellent efficiency in heat transfer. An MCT is commonly produced through extrusion within a porthole die, where severe plastic deformation is inevitably involved. Moreover, the plastic deformation, which dramatically affects the final property of the MCT, varies significantly from location to location. In order to understand the development of the microstructure and its effect on the final property of the MCT, the viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) model, together with the finite element analysis and the flow line model, is employed in the current study. The flow line model is used to reproduce the local velocity gradient within the complex porthole die, while VPSC model is employed to predict the evolution of the microstructure accordingly. In addition, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurement and mechanical tests are used to characterize the evolution of the microstructure and the property of the MCT. The simulation results agree well with the corresponding experimental ones. The influence of the material’s flow line on the evolution of the orientation and morphology of the grains, and the property of the produced MCT are discussed in detail.

Corporate governance is developing rapidly in many countries across the world. In this article, the existing state of corporate governance in Jordan is examined. Jordan does not have a corporate governance code per se. The article reveals that overall Jordan has in place some of the features of corporate governance best practice, but that there remains further progress to be made in areas such as independence of directors, compensation, and correlation between shareholding and entitlement to seats on the board. The article recommends legal reforms in order to enhance corporate governance in Jordan.

Road Safety Education (RSE) is widely known as a reliable determinant of future results for what concerns health and welfare, and as an undisputable factor which contributes to the social behavior of individuals and to their mid and long-term road safety outcomes. However, its development has been relatively scarce in most countries, fact which has contributed to letting matters as delicate as traffic crashes produced by road misbehaviors continue to be a prevalent problem, thus affecting the health of the community. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between demographic and RSE-related variables and the self-reported road risky behavior of Spanish students. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a representative sample of 4,062 (51.5 males and 48.5% females) participants attending primary (47.5%), secondary (40.7%) and high school (11.7%) was gathered through a national survey on RSE and road behaviors. Results: A set of significant associations between demographic factors, RSE variables and self-reported road behaviors was found. Furthermore, the SEM modelling allowed us to establish that age, observed misbehaviors, attitudes towards road safety and risk perception keep a direct link with the road risky behavior of children and young people. The knowledge of traffic rules was not a significant predictor of road behavior. Conclusions: The results of this study show that, together with demographic factors such as age, RSE-related variables have an effect on the road behavior of children and young people. They also suggest the need of strengthening actions to be implemented in road safety (Road Safety Education), into scholar and community levels.

The aim of the existing study is to investigate the influence of teacher expectation on students’ achievement and their attitudes towards English lesson and to increase the students’ academic success and positive attitudes towards this issue. In the study, a process which defined the existing situtation and which provided the educational processes to improve by changing the existing situation could be seen. For this reason, emancipatory/improving/critical action research model was used. The study was carried out on a sample group consisting of 87 students; 43 6th graders and 44 8th graders attending a school located in the city center of Düzce during the 2015-2016 academic year. In order to collect the data, “Teacher Expectancy Scale” developed by the researchers, “Attitude Scale towards English Course” and 7 test exams prepared by Turkish Ministry of National Education (MoNE) were used. The study was conducted for a total 48 hours in 12 weeks, 4 hours a week. As the result of the study, it was revealed that teacher expectation influenced the attitudes of the students towards the English lesson in a positive way and increased their academic achievements.

The number of patients with bone metabolic disorders including osteoporosis is increasing worldwide. These disorders often facilitate bone fractures, which seriously impact the patient’s quality of life and could lead to further health complications. Bone homeostasis is tightly regulated to balance bone resorption and formation. However, many anti-osteoporotic agents are broadly categorized as either bone forming or anti-resorptive, and their therapeutic use is often limited due to unwanted side effects. Therefore, safe and effective therapeutic agents are needed for osteoporosis. This study aims to clarify the bone protecting effects of oat bran water extract (OBWE) and its mode of action. OBWE inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation by blocking c-Fos/NFATc1 through the alteration of I-κB. Furthermore, we found that OBWE enhanced BMP-2-stimulated osteoblast differentiation by the induction of Runx2 via Smad signaling molecules. In addition, the anti-osteoporotic activity of OBWE was also evaluated using an in vivo model. OBWE significantly restored ovariectomy-induced bone loss. These in vitro and in vivo results showed that OBWE has the potential to combat bone metabolic disorders including osteoporosis

We report, for the first time in onychophorans, food hiding, parental feeding investment and an ontogenetic diet shift, from adhesive to prey, after their first two weeks of life.

Hyperkalemia burden in non-dialysis CKD under nephrology care is undefined. We prospectively followed 2443 patients with two visits (referral and control with 12-month interval) in 46 nephrology clinics. Patients were stratified in four categories of hyperkalemia (sK≥5.0 mEq/L) by sK at visit 1 and 2: Absent (no-no), Resolving (yes-no), New Onset (no-yes), Persistent (yes-yes). We assessed competing risks of ESKD and death after visit 2. Age was 65±15 y, eGFR 35±17 mL/min/1.73 m2, proteinuria 0.40 (0.14-1.21) g/24h. In the two visits sK was 4.8±0.6 and levels ≥6 mEq/L were observed in  4%. Hyperkalemia was absent in 46%, resolving 17%, new onset 15% and persistent 22%. Renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors (RASI) were prescribed in 79% patients. During 3.6-year follow-up, 567 patients reached ESKD and 349 died. Multivariable competing risk analysis [sub-hazard ratio-sHR, 95%Confidence Interval-CI] evidenced that new onset [sHR 1.34, 95%CI 1.05-1.72] and persistent [sHR 1.27, 95%CI 1.02-1.58] hyperkalemia predicted higher ESKD risk versus absent, independently from main determinants of outcome including eGFR change. Conversely, no effect on mortality was observed. Results were confirmed by testing sK as continuous variable. Therefore, in CKD under nephrology care, mild-to-moderate hyperkalemia status is common (37%) and predicts per se higher ESKD risk but not mortality.

The abnormal assembly of α-synuclein (α-Syn) is an initial step in the formation of Lewy bodies in the brain, which finally causes the neuronal death, being considered as a pathological hallmark in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Certain food bioactives or their metabolites at very low concentrations can trespass the blood brain barrier (BBB) that might, thereafter, act simultaneously. The aim of this work was to evaluate the inhibitory and destabilising capacities on α-Syn kinetics and the neuroprotective effects of three well-known bioactive compounds able to cross the BBB and present in foods; melatonin (MEL), protocatechuic acid (PCA) and hydroxytyrosol (HT), and their combinations. For this purpose, different in vitro techniques (Thioflavin T (ThT), Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM), electrophoresis and MTT assay) were used. All tested compounds and their combinations were able to abolish the toxicity induced by α-Syn. In addition, the combination of PCA (100 µM) +HT (100 µM) showed the highest inhibitory effect against α-Syn fibril formation and destabilises α-Syn fibrils (88 and 62%, respectively). This is the first time that MEL, PCA and HT prove a joint effect against α-Syn aggregation and toxicity when they are tested together.

Hybrid woven kenaf-carbon composite were fabricated in this study using epoxy resin as matrix. Effects of different fabric material namely weave designs (plain and satin) and fabric counts (5×5 and 6×6) on the properties of laminated woven kenaf polymer composite were evaluated. This study evaluates the mechanical and morphological properties of hybrid fabric kenaf-carbon from kenaf yarn of 500tex. Kenaf and carbon fabrics were used in this work, where vacuum infusion technique was selected to prepare the composite and epoxy resin was used as a matrix. The fibre weight content is 30% and four specimens were prepared for each samples and tested for their tensile, flexural, and impact strengths. The morphological properties of composites were analysed through the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results revealed that plain woven fabric is favourable in terms of tensile and impact strengths compared to satin woven fabric. Meanwhile, 5×5 of fabric count gives better flexural modulus than composite fabricated with 6×6 fabric count. The morphologies of the fractured surface investigated by SEM demonstrated better adhesion properties and less fibre pull-out on plain woven fabric.

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), a neglected tropical disease (NTD) remains a major health problem all over the world including Ghana, which has STH prevalence of 25.4%. To control the disease, the government of Ghana currently concentrates on implementing mass drug administration (MDA) efforts focusing only among school-aged children. However, various studies have suggested that focusing on only a specific group for MDA may not be cost-effective. Moreover, some adults such as teachers and school-workers spend large fraction of their time with children, who shed more parasite in environment due to unhygienic behavior, and thus have a higher risk of getting infected as compared to other adults. In this study we use a mathematical model to evaluate age-structured and risk-based policies for implementing MDA while capturing transmission dynamics of STH in Ghana. A cost model was developed that included various costs related to MDA to study cost-effectiveness of current policies of MDA in Ghana against novel policies to control STH in Ghana. We carry out analysis for five different scenarios— I: no MDA (baseline), II: current MDA policy (focusing children) in Ghana, III: MDA for different age groups (adults and children groups) for unlimited budget, IV: MDA for different age groups with limitations of number of individuals treated, and, V: MDA for different groups based on their risk of getting infected (adults school workers (high-risk group), adults non-school workers and children groups). Our results suggest that it might be more cost-effective to allocate treatment through MDA to at least some proportion of adults along with children. In case of unlimited budget, the best strategy in Scenario IV would be to treat approximately 22% of adults and approximately 45% of children. The most cost-effective among the 5 scenarios is suggested through scenario V, where high-risk adults group and children are provided MDA at higher level than low-risk adults. In conclusion, age-structured and risk-based allocation of treatment and resources is crucial to reducing STH load in developing countries.

Microbial populations involved in forming the distinctive precipitates of the S, Fe, Mn, and Ca cycles in the San Diego River watershed reflect an interplay between mineralogy of the rocks in the watershed, sparse rainfall, ground- and surface-water anoxia, and runoff of high sulfate, treated imported water. In the less developed headwaters, Temescal Creek tributary emerges from pyrite-bearing metamorphic rocks, and thus exhibits both an oxidized Fe and reduced S cycle. In the middle reaches, the river moves through developed land where treated, imported high sulfate Colorado River water enters from urban runoff. Mast Park surrounded by caliche-bearing sedimentary rocks is a site where marl is precipitating. Cobbles in riffles in the river are coated black with Mn oxide. When the river encounters deep-seated volcanic bedrock, it wells up to precipitate both Fe and Mn oxides at Old Mission Dam. Then, directly flowing through caliche-laced sedimentary rocks, Birchcreek tributary precipitates tufa. Further downstream, at a site that periodically receives full sunlight, a sulfuretum sets up during the summer when the river is deoxygenated. Such a rich geochemistry results in activity of iron and manganese oxidizing bacteria, sulfur oxidizers and reducers, and cyanobacteria precipitating calcareous marl and tufa.

The CAALA (Complex Augmentation of ALA) regimen was developed with the goal of redressing some of the weaknesses of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) use in glioblastoma treatment as it now stands. 5-ALA is approved for use prior to glioblastoma surgery to better demarcate tumor from brain tissue. 5-ALA is also used in intraoperative photodynamic treatment of glioblastoma by virtue of uptake of 5-ALA and its selective conversion to protoporphyrin IX in glioblastoma cells. Protoporphyrin IX becomes cytotoxic after exposure to 410 nm or 635 nm light. CAALA uses four currently marketed drugs - the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, the iron chelator deferiprone, the antimetabolite 5-FU, and the xanthine oxidase inhibitor febuxostat - that all have evidence of ability to both increase 5-ALA mediated intraoperative glioblastoma demarcation and photodynamic cytotoxicity of in situ glioblastoma cells. Data from testing the full CAALA on living minipigs xenotransplanted with human glioblastoma cells will determine safety and potential for benefit in advancing CAALA to a clinical trial.

Research Highlights: The study determined that selective thinning causes different responses, the initial size of the tree released is an influential factor in the growth of species. The temporality of climate and physiological conditions of each species are influential in the growth. It is evident that the defoliation of certain species is an important factor that limits the growth of the species causing thinning to have a negative response. Background and Objectives: The objective is to analyze the behavior of nine timber species, respective to diametric growth after their liberation. This research aims to answer the following questions: (i) How do the selected tree species react to the liberation? (ii) Can the productivity of the trees (diametric growth) be enhanced by liberation? (iii) Are there other factors that influence the diametric growth of the released trees? Materials and Methods: The study was executed in the “Reserva Biológica San Francisco” were 488 trees were monitored, including nine timber species. Therefore, 197 trees were released (removal of competitors) and 251 trees served as reference. To check whether the initial DBH or other factors, like the selective thinning or climate conditions, determine the diameter growth a linear mixed model GLMM was applied. To adjust the linear mixed model a one-way Anova test was executed. Results: Timber species responded differently to the thinning in comparing to reference trees. Therefore, the species analyzed were separated into three groups (positive, negative, and no response to liberation). Conclusions: Liberation potentiates the growth of certain timber species that do not defoliate and considered semi-tolerant to shade. Precipitation and temperature affect all species, but in the defoliate species, it would not be convenient to release them or at least the evidence of these first three years does not show clear differences with control trees. Increase in trees released are higher in trees of the first two diametric classes in all species, this means that larger trees (i.e., older) release does not affect them in a positive way so release should occur in the youngest trees.

This present study was designed to find out whether the acankoreagenin showed the antidiabetic and renoprotective effects in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) rats. Type I diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (70 mg/kg). At the end of the experiment, rats were euthanized and serum/plasma was separated for the determination of glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-peptide, biochemical parameters, and kidney function. One kidney was used for determining glutathione, superoxide dismutas, malondialdehyde, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels. The other kidney and pancreas were used for histopathological studies and immunohistochemical measurement of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) or NF-κB. Acankoreagenin (2 mg/kg) treatments led to a significant reduction in blood glucose assessed via oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in diabetic rats at 2 h. The treatment also resulted in improved body weight, decreased HbA1c, restored lipid profile, and renal oxidative stress. By inhibiting NF-κB, the release of proinflammatory cytokines was suppressed and by inhibiting TGF-β, the renal fibrosis was suppressed in STZ-induced diabetic rat model. Histopathological injury was also observed in pancreatic and renal tissues. These findings support the beneficial effect of acankoreagenin treatment in DN, which could be attributed to its antidiabetic and renoprotective effects.

Based on the key molecule of humoral adaptive immunity, the antibody, evolution of the system comprises molecular genetic, cell biologic and immunologic mechanisms, and as a network the system is likely governed and can be characterized by physical rules as well. While deep sequencing can provide vast amounts of data related primarily to clonal relationships, functional interpretation of such data is hampered by the inherent limitations of converting sequence to structure to function. In this paper a novel model of structural interaction space, termed radial adjustment of system resolution, or RADARS, is proposed. The model is based on the radial growth of resolution of structural recognition, corresponding to increasing affinity of immune reactivity, and the virtual infinity of directions of growth, corresponding to the ability to respond to almost any molecular structure. Levels of interaction strength appear as shells of the sphere representing the system. B-cell development and immune responses can be readily interpreted in the model and quantitative properties of the antibody network can be inferred from the physical properties of a quasi-spherical system growing multi-radially. The system is described by double-Pareto distribution, sampling the lognormally distributed equilibrium constants at a rate of phi square. Finally, general strategies for merging antibody sequence space into structural space are outlined.

The high sensitivity of chiroptical responses to conformational changes and supramolecular interactions has prompted an increasing interest in the development of chiroptical applications. However, prediction and understanding the chiroptical responses of the necessary large systems may not be affordable for calculations at high levels of theory. In order to facilitate the development of chiroptical applications, methodologies capable of evaluating the chiroptical responses of large systems are necessary. Exciton chirality method has been extensively used for the interaction between two independent chromophores through the Davydov model. For systems presenting C2 or D2 symmetry one can get to the same results by applying the selection rules. In the present article, analysis of the selection rules for systems with symmetries Cn and Dn with n = 3 and 4 is used to uncover the origin of their chiroptical responses. We hope that the use of the chiroptical symmetry analysis (CSA) for systems presenting the symmetries explored herein as well as for systems presenting higher symmetries will serve as a useful tool for the development of chiroptical applications.

We develop a technique for realizing lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) waveguides of a multi-centimeter-length with a propagation loss as low as 0.027 dB/cm. Our technique relies on patterning a chromium (Cr) thin film coated on the top surface of LNOI into a hard mask with a femtosecond laser followed by the chemo-mechanical polishing for structuring the LNOI into the waveguides. The surface roughness on the waveguides is determined to be 0.452 nm with an atomic force microscope (AFM). The approach is compatible with other surface patterning technologies such as optical and electron beam lithographies or laser direct writing, enabling high-throughput manufacturing of large-scale LNOI-based photonic integrated circuits.

The objective of this study was to identify circulating miRNAs affected by disease duration in newly diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes. Forty children and adolescents from The Danish Remission Phase Cohort were followed with blood samples drawn at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 60 months after diagnosis. Pancreatic autoantibodies were measured at each visit. Cytokines were measured only the first year. miRNA expression profiling was performed by RT-qPCR and quantified for 179 human plasma miRNAs. The effect of disease duration was analyzed by mixed models for repeated measurements, adjusted for sex and age. Eight miRNAs (hsa-miR-10b-5p, hsa-miR-17-5p, hsa-miR-30e-5p, hsa-miR-93-5p, hsa-miR-99a-5p, hsa-miR-125b-5p, hsa-miR-423-3p and hsa-miR-497-5p) were found to significantly change expression (adjusted p-value < 0.05) with disease progression. Three pancreatic autoantibodies ICA, IA-2A, GADA65 and 4 cytokines IL-4, IL-10, IL-21, IL-22 were associated with the miRNAs at different time points. Pathway analysis revealed association with various immune-mediated signaling pathways. Eight miRNAs, involved in immunological pathways changed expression levels during the first five years after diagnosis in children with type 1 diabetes, and were associated with variations in cytokine and pancreatic antibodies, suggesting a possible effect on the immunological processes in the early phase of the disease.

The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) produces new global spatial information, evidence-based analytics and knowledge describing the human presence on the planet based mainly on two quantitative factors: i) the spatial distribution (density) of built-up structures and ii) the spatial distribution (density) of resident people. Both factors are observed in the long-term temporal domain and per uniform surface units in order to support trends and indicators for monitoring the implementation of international framework agreements. The GHSL uses various input data including global, multi-temporal archives of fine-scale satellite imagery, census data, and volunteered geographic information. In this paper, we present the characteristics of GHSL information to demonstrate how original frameworks of data and tools rooted on Earth Observation could support Sustainable Development Goals monitoring. In particular, we demonstrate the reach of gridded, open and free, local yet globally consistent, multi-temporal data in filling the data gap for the Sustainable Development Goal 11. Our experiments produce a global estimate for the Land Use Efficiency indicator (SDG 11.3.1) for 10,000 urban centers, calculating the ratio of land consumption to population growth rate that took place between 1990 and 2015. The results of our research demonstrate that there is a potential to lift SDG 11.3.1 from a tier 2 as GHSL provides a global baseline for the essential variables called by the SDG 11.3.1 metadata.

Purpose: This paper extends previous works to include the role of therapeutic gardens in the healing environment as an intervention for bettering the clinical outcomes of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, the positive impact of healing gardens and the innovative application of technologies with nature, for promoting cognitive rehabilitation in this particular patient population.Methods: Using ISI Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest Central, MEDLIN, Scopus and Google Scholar, a relevant literature search on the positive health implications of therapeutic gardens on Alzheimer’s and dementia patients’ in the healthcare milieu was conducted.Results: Health implication of therapeutic gardens on Alzheimer’s and dementia patients’ spans across physical, social, psychological and cognitive effects. Virtual reality (VR) technologies offer positive cognitive outcomes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia patients.Conclusion: Therapeutic gardens should be extended for speedier recovery of other patient populations. Future directions in the design of healthcare gardens with a focus on patient experience are inferred.

In the present study, Electrocoagulated Metal Hydroxide Sludge (EMHS) was analyzed as adsorbent material to remove both fluoride ion (F-) and arsenic V (As(V)) from aqueous effluents. This material was generated during an electrocoagulation process using Aluminum anode. It was characterized by using specific surface areas and the surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adsorbent fixed-beds are generally studied to remove different class of contaminants. EMHS was evaluated using a continuous flow rate column test with an experimental design. The effect of initial concentration of F- (2.5–10 mg L⁻¹) and the Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT (0.4–0.8 min)) was studied following a central composite design methodology. The experimented parameters had a significant influence on saturation time, breakthrough volume, and breakthrough time. A response surface analysis was a tool for analyzing the adsorption study, showing interactions that are complicated to identify by others methods. The results, here reported, revealed that EMHS is an efficient and promising adsorbent material in order to remove F- and As(V) from water contaminated by these pollutants.

In modern physics, it is assumed that the Planck length is a derived constant from Newton's gravitational constant, the Planck constant and the speed of light, $l_p=\sqrt{\frac{G\hbar}{c^3}}$. This was first discovered by Max Planck in 1899. We suggest a way to find the Planck length independent of any knowledge of Newton's gravitational constant or the Planck constant, but still dependent on the speed of light (directly or indirectly).

Hypercholesterolemia accelerates atherosclerosis, and extensive research has been undertaken to ameliorate this abnormality. Plant sterols have been shown to inhibit cholesterol absorption and lower plasma cholesterol level since the 1950s. This ingredient has recently been reappraised as a food additive that can be taken daily in a preclinical period to prevent hypercholesterolemia, considering that cardiovascular-related diseases are the top cause of death globally even with clinical interventions. Intestinal cholesterol handling is still elusive, making it difficult to clarify the mechanism for plant sterol-mediated inhibition. Notably, although the small intestine absorbs cholesterol, it is also the organ that excretes it abundantly, via trans-intestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE). In this review, we show a model where the brush border membrane (BBM) of intestinal epithelial cells stands as the dividing ridge for cholesterol fluxes, making cholesterol absorption and TICE inversely correlated. With this model, we tried to explain the plant sterol-mediated inhibitory mechanism. As well as cholesterol, plant sterols diffuse into the BBM but are effluxed back to the lumen rapidly. We propose that repeated plant sterol shuttling between the BBM and lumen promotes cholesterol efflux, and plant sterol in the BBM may disturb the trafficking machineries that transport cholesterol to the cell interior.

With a low rate of new building construction and insufficient rate of existing building renovation, there is the need for stepping up the pace of building renovation with ambitious performance targets to achieve EU climate change policies. However, effective technologies alone cannot solve the low renovation rate of existing buildings in Europe that is hindering the reaching of EU-wide targets. A workshop was held at the Sustainable Place Conference 2018 to present successful experiences with an integrative approach from H2020 innovation actions (4RinEU, P2ENDURE, Pro-GET-OnE, MORE-CONNECT) aiming at improving building energy performance through deep renovation. This article presents the outcomes of the joint workshop and interactive discussion, by focusing on the different technical, financial and social added values, barriers and challenges in building renovation as well as on the identification of open questions to address future innovation opportunities.

The present study was carried out at the north-eastern part of Bangladesh to investigate organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues and microbiological quality of dried barb (Puntius sophore). Samples were collected from both producers and retailers from December 2016 to April 2017. A control sample was also prepared with the same raw fish used by the producers in the laboratory to compare the result. Gas Chromatography with Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD) was used to detect and quantify OCP residues. Around 22 % (6) samples out of 27 were found contaminated with OCP residues. Among these six adulterated samples, four were from retailers and two from producers. Only Aldrin was detected in four samples and rest two samples were detected with both Aldrin + Dieldrin and Aldrin + Endrin. Aldrin was found between 0.332 to 0.967 ppm, Dieldrin 0.762 ppm, and Endrin 0.828 ppm. All these values were much higher than the Maximum Residual Limit (MRL) 0.1 ppm. Aerobic Plate Count (APC) of producer samples were ranged between log5.3 ± 0.02 to log5.4 ± 0.03, log6.2 ± 0.02 to log6.4 ± 0.02 for retailer samples and log5.0 ± 0.03 to log5.2 ± 0.04 for control samples. While fungal count was ranged between log3.2 ± 0.04 to log3.5 ± 0.04, log3.4 ± 0.04 to log3.6 ± 0.03 and log2.2 ± 0.05 to log2.5 ± 0.03 for producer, retailer and control samples respectively. All the producer and retailer samples and one-third of the control samples were found contaminated with Escherichia coli. Whereas, Salmonella sp. was detected as 13.3% in producer samples, 20% in retailer samples except for the control. In case of Vibrio sp., maximum count was found for retailer samples (13.3%), whereas, producer and control samples showed no detection. The finding of the present study revealed the presence of pesticides and poor microbiological quality of dried barb are alarming for the consumers of Bangladesh and which may cause chronic disease and potential long-term risk for human health.

The present work is focused on the numerical solution of the complete energy equation used in fluid film lubrication. The work was motivated by the fact the complete energy equation has no analytic solution that could be used for validations. Its accuracy and computation time are related to the employed numerical method and to the grid resolution. The natural discretization method (NDM) applied on different grids is systematically compared with the spectral method (the Lobatto Point Colocation Method or LPCM) with different polynomial degrees. A one dimensional inclined slider is used for the numerical tests and the energy equation is artificially decoupled from Reynolds. This approach enables to focus all the attention on the numerical solution of the energy equation. The results show that the LPCM is one or two orders of magnitudes more efficient than the NDM in terms of computation time. The energy equation is then coupled with Reynolds equation in a thermo-hydrodynamic analysis of the same 1D slider; the numerical results confirm again the efficiency of the LPCM. A thermo-hydrodynamic analysis of a two-lobe journal bearing is then presented as a practical application.

We discuss the influence played by different statistical models in the prediction of porosity and litho-fluid facies from logged and post-stack inverted acoustic impedance (Ip) values. We compare the inversion and classification results obtained under three different a-priori statistical assumptions: an analytical Gaussian distribution, an analytical Gaussian-mixture model and a non-parametric mixture distribution. The first model assumes Gaussian distributed porosity and Ip values, thus neglecting their facies-dependent behaviour caused by different lithologic and saturation conditions. Differently, the other two statistical models relate each component of the mixture to a specific litho-fluid facies, so that the facies-dependency of porosity and Ip values is taken into account. Blind well tests are used to validate the final predictions, whereas the analysis of the maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) solutions, the coverage ratio and the contingency analysis tools are used to quantitatively compare the inversion outcomes. This work points out that the correct choice of the statistical petrophysical model could be crucial in reservoir characterization studies. Indeed, for the investigated zone it turns out that the simple Gaussian model constitutes an oversimplified assumption, while the two mixture models provide more accurate results, although the non-parametric one yields slightly superior predictions with respect to the Gaussian-mixture assumption.

Background: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has gradually come to be regarded as an effective therapy, but the hospital mortality rate after ECPR is still high and unpredictable. The present study tested whether age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) can be used as an objective selection criterion to ensure the most efficient utilization of medical resources. Methods: Adult patients (age ³ 18 years) receiving ECPR at our institution between 2006 and 2015 were included. Data regarding ECPR events and ACCI characteristics were collected immediately after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) setup. Adverse events during hospitalization were also prospectively collected. The primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge. The second endpoint was short-term (2-year) follow-up outcome. Results: A total of 461 patients included in the study were grouped into low ACCI (ACCI 0–3) (240, 52.1%) and high ACCI (ACCI 4–13) (221, 47.9%) groups. The median ACCI was 2 (IQR: 1–3) and 5 (IQR: 4–7) for the low and high ACCI groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)-to-ECMO duration was comparable between the groups (42.1 ± 25.6 and 41.3 ± 20.7 min in the low and high ACCI groups, respectively; P = 0.754). Regarding hospital survival rate, 256 patients (55.5%) died on ECMO support. A total of 205 patients (44.5%) were successfully weaned off ECMO, but only 138 patients (29.9%) survived to hospital discharge (32.1% and 27.6% in low and high ACCI group, P = 0.291). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed CPR-to-ECMO duration and CPR cause of septic shock as significant risk factors for hospital survival after ECPR (P = 0.043 and 0.014, respectively), whereas age and ACCI were not (P = 0.334 and 0.164, respectively). The 2-year survival rate after hospital discharge for the 138 hospital survivors was 96% and 74% in the low and high ACCI groups, respectively (P = 0.002.)Conclusions: High ACCI before ECPR does not predict poor outcome of hospital survival. Therefore, ECPR should not be rejected solely due to high ACCI. However, high ACCI in hospital survivors is associated with a higher 2-year mortality rate than low ACCI, and patients with high ACCI should be closely followed up.

Intense physical efforts performed at maximal or near-maximal speeds and the ability to recover among sprint are important characteristics of soccer player. Considering that women's soccer is a markedly growing sport, the aim of the study was to analyse the performance (total time –TT-; fatigue index percentage -IF%) and physiological (aerobic and anaerobic) responses to Repeated Sprint Ability Test (RSA, 7×30 m sprints with 25 s of active recovery among sprints) in an elite female player (age: 30 yrs; BMI: 20.3 kg/m²). A repeated measure MANOVA over the 7 sprints time series was applied (p < 0.05). Results showed that TT was 58.71 s (Ideal Time: 56.98 s) with IF% of 3.0%. Energy contributions were given for 80.3% by aerobic, 19.2% by anaerobic lactid, and 0.5% by anaerobic alactid sources. Considering that 1) we have different kinetics in heart rate (HR) and maximum oxygen uptake with oxygen uptake that reach the peak when HR is still rising, and 2) the energy consumption during intermittent exercises requires different metabolism as a result of physiological stimuli proposed, the present findings substantiate the need to choose specific and adequate training methods for female soccer players that aim at increasing their RSA performances.

1) Background: In service business areas, design enhances the customer experience through the elements which anticipate specific emotional responses of customers. Many service companies are keen to develop and examine design elements from the customer perspective. Furthermore, recently, having considered the significance of customers’ emotional responses by design elements, categorising design elements into manageable dimensions can facilitate the evaluation of design elements. However, design elements and dimensions of design value are not defined in the current service marketing literature, and companies need a measurement tool and managerial guideline to their innovative value creation and compelling service delivery. For these reasons, this research aims to categorise the design value dimensions and propose the managerial implication for the innovative use of design; 2) Methods: This study used the mixed methodology; two stages of interviews and SEM (Structural Equation Modelling); 3) Results: Interview analyses facilitate the identification of design elements in the service delivery process. SEM results underpin the relevance of the categorised design elements and their impact on customer loyalty by comparing different groups (country and time elapsed from experience); and 4) Conclusions: Findings are the fundamentals of developing measuring tool for design and trigger future studies for conceptualising intangible assets.

In this study, four kinds of animal bone marrow powders were extracted with n-hexane using the Soxhlet extraction method. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were enriched by urea inclusion and low temperature crystallization method, then were further evaluated antioxidant and antibacterial activities. These results showed that the oil composition of the n-hexane extracts of four kinds of animal bone marrow primarily consisted of palmitic acid (18.57–31.01%), stearic acid (3.6–20.95%), and oleic acid (40.22–58.69%). The ratios of saturated fatty acids (SFA)/unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) were 1/1.417, 1/1.327, 1/2.140, and 1.285/1 for sheep, bovine, horse, and camel bone marrow oil, respectively. The SFA/UFA ratios determined by the urea inclusion method were 1/1.518, 1/1.390, 1/2.037, and 1.216/1, respectively. The SFA/UFA ratios according to the low temperature crystallization method with acetone were 1/1.920, 1/2.141, 1/2.360, and 1/1.157 for sheep, bovine, horse, and camel bone marrow oil, respectively. These enrichment methods effected the concentrations of UFAs from the camel bone marrow oil. Among the methods, the low temperature crystallization method effectively enriched the UFAs. All four bone marrow oils exhibited strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The horse bone marrow oil showed the strongest antioxidant activity. Both antioxidant and antimicrobial activity improved after enrichment of the UFAs. These results lay a theoretical basis for application bone marrow oil resources in food and medicine.

Abstract: The frequency and intensity of air pollution are two of most critical issues the world faces in dealing with global environmental problems. They are both important areas that need to be improved. Our previous research [20] examines the assessment of fine dust pollution in Baekryeong island by statistical reasoning through one specific example of inland city (Yanggu) in Republic of Korea; however, given that Baekryeong Island is a remote island, there has been little focus on in-depth examination of its effect on the high density of fine dust in Baekryeong Island. The purpose of this article is twofold: (i) to examine the effect of a remote island on the high density of fine dust on Baekryeong Island using statistical reasoning and to provide a more specific statistical basis for the claim that one of the non-negligible factors influencing the high density of fine dust on Baekryeong Island is the geographic proximity to China; and (ii) to present brief discussion of fundamental cause of fine dust and global air pollution issues, which are not discussed in [20].

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) intoxication can lead to the disease botulism, characterized by flaccid muscle paralysis that can cause respiratory failure and death. Due to the significant morbidity and mortality costs associated with BoNTs high toxicity, developing highly sensitive, rapid, and field-deployable assays are critically important to protect the nation’s food supply against either accidental or intentional contamination. We report here that the B-cell based biosensor assay (CANARY^® Zephyr) detects BoNT/A in buffer and various food matrices rapidly in ≤ 40 min, in small volumes ≈ 50 μL, with minimal processing of samples, and is extremely portable (suitcase-sized equipment). BoNT/A was detected at limits of detection (LOD) < 0.075 ng ± 0.02 in assay buffer while milk matrices (non-fat, 2 %, whole milk) increased the LOD to < 0.175 – 0.314 ng. Limits of detection for the assay in complex foods were < 1 ng ± 0.0 (neutralized acidic juices-carrot, orange and apple); < 16.7 ng ± 7.7 (liquid egg); and varied from < 0. 39 – 3.125 ng for solid complex foods (ground beef, green bean baby puree, smoked salmon). These results show that the CANARY^® Zephyr assay can be a highly useful tool in clinical, environmental, and food safety surveillance programs.

The concept of sustainable management in culture has been recognised in global strategic documents on sustainable development for more than a decade. It is also increasingly reflected in the cultural polices of particular states, and – very importantly –cultural managers responsible for shaping the cultural offer in cities are becoming more interested in this concept. Despite the increasing attention being paid to this topic among both practitioners and theoreticians of management, in none of these documents or other works can we find any content directly related to the possibility of applying this concept in a town which, due to political turmoil, has been divided by a national border. Hence, this gap was the direct impulse for taking up research in this field. In the article, by using different notions of the market, our own definition of a cross-border market for cultural services was developed, and the conditions for the functioning of this market were presented based on the example town of Cieszyn (Poland) and Český Těšín (Czech Republic). In the opinion of the authors of the article, the development and functioning of a cross-border market for cultural services is essential for the application of the concept of sustainable management of the cultural offer in a town divided by a border. For the purpose of the article, a survey and individual interviews with experts shaping the cultural offer in Cieszyn and Český Těšín were conducted. The results of the research prove that despite numerous cross-border Czech-Polish projects carried out by cultural institutions, there are still many barriers in the town which make it difficult for the residents to benefit from the cultural offer available on the other side of the border. These barriers limit the full implementation and application of the concept of sustainable management of the cultural offer.

Hospital-based adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring and reporting programs intend to identify and quantify the risks associated with the use of drugs. To examine the causality, preventability and severity of ADR in a hospital setting; a prospective cohort study on spontaneous ADR reporting was conducted from December 2015 to May 2016. Incidence of ADRs, causality, type, severity and preventability were assessed using necessary assessment scales. The study included 3157 hospitalized individuals, in whom 51 ADRs were detected among 49 patients. The overall incidence of suspected ADRs was found to be 1.6%. According to the causality assessment, most of the ADRs reported were probable (n = 26, 51.0%), and type A (augmented/pharmacological) reactions (n = 39, 76%) were the most common type of ADR found. The majority of ADRs were moderate to severe (n = 35, 68.6%), of which 37.3% were found to be potentially preventable. Predictability was observed in 28 (54.9%) reported ADRs. The drugs most frequently associated with ADRs were antibiotics, antiepileptics and antihypertensives. This feasibility study was able to highlight the clinical pharmacist’s role in ADR monitoring service and create awareness about the way it could be done to promote safer drug use. Similar ADR reporting programs are necessary to educate and to improve awareness among the healthcare professionals in developing countries.

Porous asphalt (PA) pavement systems with and without a geotextile layer were investigated in laboratory experiments to determine the impacts of the geotextile layer on processes leading to lead ion (Pb2+) removal from stormwater runoff. Two types of geotextile membranes placed separately at upper and lower levels within the PA systems were tested in an artificial rainfall experiment using synthetic rainwater. The effect of storage capacity within the system on Pb2+ removal was also investigated. Results indicated that the use of a geotextile layer resulted in a longer delay to the onset of effluent. The non-woven geotextile membrane placed below the reservoir course improved the Pb2+ removal rate by 20% over removal efficiency of the system using a woven geotextile placed just below the surface but before the choker course. Pb2+ ions were reduced by over 98% in the effluent after being held for 24 hours in reservoir storage. Results suggest that temporary storage of stormwater in the reservoir course of a PA system is essential to improving Pb2+ ion removal capability.

Brillouin-Enhanced Four-Wave-Mixing techniques, which couple four optical beams through Brillouin nonlinearity, have gained popularity in the 1980's largely owing to their phase conjugation properties. Experiments were mainly conducted in liquid cells. The interest in Brillouin-Enhanced Four-Wave-Mixing has reawakened in the 2000's, following the quest for dynamically reconfigurable gratings in optical fibers. Termed Brillouin Dynamic Grating this time around, it is, in fact, an acoustic wave, optically generated by stimulated Brillouin scattering process between two pump waves. The acoustic wave either carries the coherent information encoded by the pump beams, or in the case of sensing applications, its properties are determined by the environmental parameters. This information, in turn, is imparted to the third phase-matched optical probe wave through the elasto-optic effect. Over the last decade, this mechanism allowed for the realization of many all-optical signal processing functions and has proven instrumental in distributed sensing applications. This paper describes the basics, as well as the state of the art, of BDG-based applications in optical fibers. It also surveys the efforts being done to carry over these concepts to the photonic chip level.

The Circular Economy has been of growing significance within academic, policymaking and industry groups. Latest developments in the field of Circular Economy has led to an expansion of CE studies focused on interrogating CE as a paradigm, its relationship with sustainability and concepts and definitions of the Circular Economy. Research has also identified the significant potential of applying circular approaches to areas of the economy, including manufacturing and Industry 4.0, which, with data, is enabling latest the advances in digital technologies. This is the first review paper to integrate the fields of CE and digital technologies resulting in a framework which provides directions for policymakers and guidance for future research. To achieve this, we conduct a systematic literature review of the empirical literature related to digital technologies, industry 4.0 and circular approaches, from the point of the 9 Rs. The systematic literature review (SLR) is based on peer-reviewed articles published between 2000-2018. The findings reveal that while research on the circular economy has been on an annual rise, research on digital technologies enabled circular economy is still relatively an untouched area of research across all nine (9) circular approaches. As such this is an area rife for further research. This paper also presents illustrative charts and graphs to summarize the current trends in circular economy research in manufacturing. From this, a framework for future circular economy research for manufacturing for digital technologies is proposed.

A timely inventory of agricultural areas and crop types is an essential requirement for ensuring global food security. Satellite remote sensing has proven to be an increasingly more reliable tool to identify crop types. With the Copernicus program and its Sentinel satellites, a growing source of satellite remote sensing data is publicly available at no charge. Here we use joint Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical imagery to create a crop map for Belgium. To ensure homogenous radar and optical input across the country, Sentinel-1 12-day backscatter composites were created after incidence angle normalization, and Sentinel-2 NDVI images were smoothed to yield dekadal cloud-free composites. An optimized random forest classifier predicted the 8 crop types with a maximum accuracy of 82% and a kappa coefficient of 0.77. We found that a combination of radar and optical imagery always outperformed a classification based on single-sensor inputs, and that classification performance increased throughout the season until July, when differences between crop types are largest. Furthermore we showed that the concept of classification confidence derived from the random forest classifier provided insight in the reliability of the predicted class for each pixel, clearly showing that parcel borders have a lower classification confidence. We concluded that the synergistic use of radar and optical data for crop classification led to richer information increasing classification accuracies compared to optical-only classification. Further work should focus on object-level classification and crop monitoring to exploit the rich potential of combined radar and optical observations.

The increased consumption of high fat-containing foods has been linked to the prevalence of obesity and abnormal metabolic syndromes. Rhizopus oligosporus, a fungus in the family Mucoraceae, is widely used as a starter for homemade tempeh. Although R. oligosporus can prevent the growth of other microorganisms, it grows well with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Lactobacillus plantarum can produce β-glucosidase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucoside isoflavones into aglycones (with greater bioavailability). Therefore, the development of a soybean-based functional food by the co-inoculation of R. oligosporus and L. plantarum is a promising approach to increase the bioactivity of tempeh. In this study, the ameliorative effect of L. plantarum in soy tempeh on abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperglycemic rats was evaluated. The co-incubation of L. plantarum with R. oligosporus during soy tempeh fermentation reduced the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, HbA1c, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, insulin, and low-density lipoprotein contents and significantly increased the high-density lipoprotein content in HFD rats. It also increased the LAB counts as well as the bile acid, cholesterol, triglyceride, and short-chain fatty acid contents in the feces of HFD rats. Our results suggested that the modulation of serum glucose and lipid levels by LAB occurs via alterations in the internal microbiota, leading to the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis and promotion of lipolysis. Tempeh, produced with both L. plantarum and R. oligosporus, may be a beneficial dietary supplement for individuals with abnormal carbohydrate metabolism.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to improve health and well-being in adolescents with chronic illnesses. Because they are most often delivered in person in a group setting, there are several barriers that limit access to MBIs for youth with limited mobility or who cannot access in-person MBIs in their communities. The objective of this study was to determine if eHealth is a viable platform to increase accessibility to MBIs for teens with chronic illnesses. This study reports the qualitative results of a mixed method randomized trial describing the experience of the Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) program, an 8-week MBI, delivered either in person or via eHealth. Participants were adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 with a chronic illness recruited at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Toronto, Canada. Individual semi-structured post-participation audio-video interviews were conducted by a research assistant. A multiple-pass inductive process was used to review interview transcripts and interpret emergent themes from the participants’ lived experiences. Fifteen participants completed post-participation interviews. Four distinct themes emerged from participants in both the in-person and eHealth groups: creation of a safe space, fostering peer support and connection, integration of mindfulness skills into daily life and improved well-being through the application of mindfulness. Results from this study suggest that eHealth may be an acceptable and feasible mode of delivery for MBIs in adolescents with chronic illnesses. EHealth should be considered in future studies as a promising avenue to increase access to MBIs in this population.

Novel 1,2,3-triazole compounds 3–4 were synthesised via the regioselective addition and cyclization reaction of 1,1-enediamines (EDAMs) 1 with p-methylbenzenesulfonyl azide (TsN₃) 2 in 1,4-dioxane at refluxing for 5 hours. As a result, 1,2,3-triazoles 3–4 can be easily and efficiently obtained via catalyst-free click chemistry. The reactions have some advantages such as metal-free catalyst, excellent yield, inexpensive raw materials, and convenient final treatment.

Studies comparing provider and patient views and experiences of self-management within primary healthcare are particularly scarce in disadvantaged settings. In this qualitative study, patient and provider perceptions of self-management were investigated in five socio-economically disadvantaged communities in Stockholm. Twelve individual interviews and three group interviews were conducted. Semi-structured interview guides included questions on perceptions of diabetes diagnosis, diabetes care services available at primary health care centers, patient and provider interactions, and self-management support. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Two overarching themes were identified. These were characterized by inherent dilemmas representing confusions and conflicts that patients and providers experienced in their daily life or practice respectively: adopting and maintaining new routines through practical and appropriate lifestyle choices (patients); and balancing expectations and pre-conceptions of self-management (providers). Patients found it difficult to tailor information and lifestyle advice to fit their daily life. Healthcare providers recognized that patients were in need of support to change behavior, but saw themselves as inadequately equipped to deal with the different cultural and social aspects of self-management. This study highlights patient and provider dilemmas that influence the interaction and collaboration between patients and providers with respect to communication and uptake of self-management advice.

Application of protocols without parameter standardization and rigorous controls has led manual therapy (MT) and other physiotherapy approaches to controversial outcomes. Thus, there is an urgency to carefully define standard protocols that elevate physiotherapy treatments to rigorous scientific demands. One way this can be achieved is by studying gene expression and additional physiological changes that associate to particular, parameter-controlled, treatments in animal models and translating this knowledge to properly design objective, quantitatively-monitored clinical trials. Here, we propose a Molecular Physiotherapy Approach (MPTA), requiring multidisciplinary teams, to uncover the scientific reasons behind the numerous reports of MT that historically attribute benefits to these treatments. The review focuses in the identification of MT-induced physiological and molecular responses that could be used for the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) and CFS/ME. The systemic effect associated to mechanical-load responses is considered of particular relevance as it suggests that defined, low-pain areas could be selected for treatments with overall benefits, an aspect that might result essential to treat FM. Additionally, MT can provide muscle conditioning to sedentary patients without demanding strenuous physical effort, detrimental for CFS/ME patients, placing MT as a real option for integrative medicine programs to treat FM and CFS/ME.

This paper presents a review of cloud application architectures and its evolution. It reports observations being made during the course of a research project that tackled the problem to transfer cloud applications between different cloud infrastructures. As a side effect we learned a lot about commonalities and differences from plenty of different cloud applications which might be of value for cloud software engineers and architects. Throughout the course of the research project we analyzed industrial cloud standards, performed systematic mapping studies of cloud-native application related research papers, performed action research activities in cloud engineering projects, modeled a cloud application reference model, and performed software and domain specific language engineering activities. Two major (and sometimes overlooked) trends can be identified. First, cloud computing and its related application architecture evolution can be seen as a steady process to optimize resource utilization in cloud computing. Second, this resource utilization improvements resulted over time in an architectural evolution how cloud applications are being build and deployed. A shift from monolithic servce-oriented architectures (SOA), via independently deployable microservices towards so called serverless architectures is observable. Especially serverless architectures are more decentralized and distributed, and make more intentional use of independently provided services. In other words, a decentralizing trend in cloud application architectures is observable that emphasizes decentralized architectures known from former peer-to-peer based approaches. That is astonishing because with the rise of cloud computing (and its centralized service provisioning concept) the research interest in peer-to-peer based approaches (and its decentralizing philosophy) decreased. But this seems to change. Cloud computing could head into future of more decentralized and more meshed services.

The accurate quantification of $\frac{F{e}^{3+}}{\Sigma Fe}$ ratios for Mössbauer spectroscopic room temperature measurements involves many steps and, when shown in a composite Mössbaur data table, does not allow enough space for more Mössbauer parameters to be presented in the composite table. So a simple formula is derived, (presented as a short communication) which users will find helpful when they have to determine corrected $\frac{F{e}^{3+}}{\Sigma Fe}$ ratios in their room temperature Mössbauer experiments.

Bidirectional gene promoters affect the transcription of two genes, leading to the hypothesis that they should exhibit protection against genetic or epigenetic changes in cancer. Therefore, they provide an excellent opportunity to learn about promoter susceptibility to somatic alteration in tumors. We tested this hypothesis using data from genome-scale DNA methylation (14 cancer types), simple somatic mutation (10 cancer types), and copy number variation profiling (14 cancer types). For DNA methylation, the difference in rank differential methylation between tumor and tumor-adjacent normal matched samples based on promoter type was tested by Wilcoxon rank sum test. Logistic regression was used to compare differences in simple somatic mutations. For copy number alteration, a mixed effects logistic regression model was used. The change in methylation between non-diseased tissues and their tumor counterparts was significantly greater in single compared to bidirectional promoters across all 14 cancer types examined. Similarly, the extent of copy number alteration was greater in single gene compared to bidirectional promoters for all 14 cancer types. Furthermore, among 10 cancer types with available simple somatic mutation data, bidirectional promoters were slightly more susceptible. These results suggest that selective pressures related with specific functional impacts during carcinogenesis drive the susceptibility of promoter regions to somatic alteration.

The design of biomaterial platforms able to release bioactive molecules is mandatory in tissue repair and regenerative medicine. In this context, electrospinning is a user-friendly, versatile and low-cost technique, able to process different kinds of materials in micro- and nano-fibers with a large surface area-to-volume ratio for an optimal release of gaseous signalling molecules. Recently, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the endogenous gasotramsmitter hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as well as its ability to stimulate relevant biochemical processes on the growth of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), have been investigated. Therefore, in this work, new poly(lactic) acid fibrous membranes (PFM), doped and functionalized with H2S slow-releasing donors extracted from garlic, were synthetized. These innovative H2S-releasing mats were characterized for their morphological, thermal, mechanical and biological properties. Their antimicrobial activity and effects on the in vitro human cardiac MSC growth, either in the presence or in the absence of oxidative stress, were here assessed. On the basis of the results here presented, these new H2S-releasing PFM could represent promising and low-cost scaffolds or patches for biomedical applications in tissue repair.

1) Background: Sexual violence (SV) is a major public health issue with negative socio-economic and physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health consequences. Migrants, applicants for international protection and refugees (MAR) are identified as a vulnerable group for SV. Since many European countries have been confronted with high migratory pressure, developing prevention strategies and care paths focusing on those MAR affected by SV is needed. To this end, this study reviews evidence on the prevalence of SV among MAR groups in Belgium. 2) Methods: A critical interpretive synthesis was applied to 25 peer-reviewed articles and 22 grey literature documents based on the socio-ecological model. 3) Results: The evidence shows that prevalence rates of SV are high among MAR in Belgium, but comparable prevalence data are lacking. Several challenges for conducting prevalence studies SV in this population are identified and discussed. 4) Conclusions: Sexual violence in MAR in Europe is probably more frequent than in the general population, however representative studies confirming this hypothesis are lacking. Future research should start with a clear definition of the concerned population and acts of SV to generate comparable data. Participatory qualitative research approaches should be applied to fully grasp the complexity of interplaying determinants of SV in MAR.

External impact on the development of fluvial systems is generally exerted by changes in sea level, climate and tectonic movements. In this study it is shown that regional to local differentiation of fluvial response may be caused by semi-direct effects of climate change and tectonic movement, as for instance vegetation cover, frozen soil, snow cover and longitudinal gradient. Such semi-direct effects may be responsible for specific fluvial activity resulting in proper drainage patterns, sedimentation series and erosion-accumulation rates. These conclusions are exemplified by the study of the Tis(z)a catchment in the Pannonian Basin in Hungary and Serbia from the middle of the last glacial to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Previous investigations in that catchment are supplemented here by new geomorphological-sedimentological data and OSL-dating. Specific characteristics of this catchment in comparison with other regions are the preponderance of meandering systems during the last glacial and the presence of very large meanders in given time intervals.

Immunomodulation as means of immunotherapy has been studied in major research and clinical laboratories for many years. T-Regulatory (Treg) cell therapy is one of the modulator used in immunotherapy approaches. Similarly, nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) has extensively been shown to play a role as an immuno-modulator during inflammation. Given their mutual roles in downregulating the immune response, current study examined the influence of PPARγ ligands i.e thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of drugs on Foxp3 expression and possible crosstalk between PPARγ and nTreg cells of NOD and NOR mice. Results showed that TZD drug, ciglitazone and natural ligand of PPARγ 15d-prostaglandin downregulated Foxp3 expression in activated nTreg cells from both NOD and NOR mice. Interestingly, addition of the PPARγ inhibitor, GW9662 further downregulated Foxp3 expression in these cells from both mice. We also found that PPARγ ligands negatively regulate Foxp3 expression in activated nTreg cells via PPARγ-independant mechanism(s). These results demonstrate that both natural and synthetic PPARγ ligands capable of suppressing Foxp3 expression in activated nTreg cells of NOD and NOR mice. This may suggest that the effect of PPARγ ligands in modulating Foxp3 expression in activated nTreg cells is different from their reported effects on effector T cells. Given the capability to suppress foxp3 gene, it is possible to be tested as immunomodulators in cancer-related studies.

The present study investigation, our results on characterization of commercially pure-Ti alloy brazed with metallic glass ribbons of Ti20Zr20Cu60-xNix (x = 30, 40, and 50) metallic glass ribbons were produced using a vacuum melt spinner. These ribbons were then used as filler materials for vacuum brazing of two Ti alloy plates at 1268, 1277 and 1279 K for a period of 10 min. Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The as-spun ribbons showed fully amorphous structure when examined on both surfaces by XRD and also verified by TEM investigation. The brazing joint of two Ti-plates using the metallic glass ribbon when brazed with Ni50 was found to be of very high strength. FESEM characterization of the cross-section of the brazed joints shows sub-micron size grains uniformly distributed in the matrix with brighter appearance. FESEM and EDX analysis revealed that the sub-micron grains are rich in Ti & Ni while the matrix phase mainly consisted of Ti. BSE image along with EDS Analysis indicated that the brazed joint has a presence of NiTi2 and Cu2 (Ni Zr) phases which could be responsible for increase in the strength of the brazed joint.

In the recent past about 40 botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) subtypes belonging to serotypes A, B, E, and F pathogenic to humans were identified among hundreds of independent isolates. BoNTs are the etiological factors of botulism and represent potential bioweapons, but are also recognized pharmaceuticals for efficient counteraction of hyperactive nerve terminals in a variety of human diseases. The detailed biochemical characterization of subtypes as the basis for development of suitable countermeasures and possible novel therapeutic applications is lagging behind the increase in new subtypes. Here we report the primary structure of a ninth subtype of BoNT/F. Its amino acid sequence diverges by at least 8.4% at the holotoxin and 13.4% on the enzymatic domain level from all other known BoNT/F subtypes. We found that BoNT/F9 shares the scissile Q⁵⁸/K⁵⁹ bond in its substrate vesicle associated membrane protein 2 with the prototype BoNT/F1. Comparative biochemical analyses of four BoNT/F enzymatic domains showed that the catalytic efficiencies decrease in the order F1 > F7 > F9 > F6 and vary by up to factor eight. K_M values increase in the order F1 > F9 > F6 ≈ F7, whereas k_cat decreases in the order F7 > F1 > F9 > F6. Comparative substrate scanning mutagenesis studies revealed a unique pattern of crucial substrate residues for each subtype. Based upon structural coordinates of F1 bound to an inhibitor polypeptide the mutational analyses suggest different substrate interactions in the substrate binding channel of each subtype.

A novel nor-phragmalin-type limonoid, named carapanosin D (1), and two novel mexicanolide-type limonoids, carapanosins E (2) and F (3), were isolated from the seeds oil of Carapa guianensis AUBLET (andiroba), a traditional medicine in Brazil and Latin American countries. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses using 1D and 2D NMR techniques and HRFABMS. Compounds 1—3 were evaluated for their effects on the production of NO in LPS-activated mouse peritoneal macrophages. The NO inhibitory assay suggested that compound 2 may be valuable as potential inhibitors of macrophage activation.

Mosquitoes have distinct developmental and adult life history, and the vectorial capacity of females has been shown to be affected by the larval nutritional environment. However, little is known about the effect of developmental nutrition on insulin-signaling and nutrients storage. In this study, we used Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, to determine whether larval nutrition affects insulin gene expression. We also determined the traits regulated by insulin signaling, such as stored-nutrients levels and fecundity. We raised mosquito larvae on two different diets, containing either high protein or high carbohydrates. Development on a high-carbohydrate diet resulted in several life-history phenotypes indicative of suboptimal conditions, including increased developmental time and decreased fecundity. Additionally, our data showed that insulin transcript levels are affected by a high-carbohydrate diet during development. Females, not males, reared on high-carbohydrate diets had much higher transcript levels of insulin-like peptide 3 (ILP3), a mosquito equivalent of human insulin, and these females more readily stored sugar from the meal into lipids. We also found that AaILP4, not AaILP3, transcript levels were much higher in the males after a sugar meal, suggesting sex-specific differences in insulin-signaling pathway. Our findings suggest a conserved mechanism of carbohydrate-mediated hyperinsulinemia in animals.

The application of graph theory in chemical and molecular structure research far exceeds people's expectations, and it has recently grown exponentially. In the molecular graph, atoms are represented by vertices and bonded by edges. Closed forms of multiplicative degree-based topological indices which are numerical parameters of the structure and determine physico-chemical properties of the concerned molecular compound. In this article, we compute and analyze many multiplicative degree-based topological indices of silicon-carbon Si₂C₃-I[p,q] and Si₂C₃-II[p,q].

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), short single-stranded polymers based on DNA or RNA chemistries and synthesized in vitro, regulate gene expression by binding in a sequence-specific manner to an RNA target. The functional activity and selectivity in the action of ASOs largely depends on the combination of nitrogenous bases in a target sequence. This simple and natural property of nucleic acids provides an attractive route by which scientists can create different ASO-based techniques. Over the last 50 years, planned and realized applications in the field of antisense and nucleic acid nanotechnologies have produced astonishing results and posed new challenges for further developments, exemplifying the essence of the post-genomic era. Today the majority of ASOs are chemically modified and/or incorporated within nanoparticles to enhance their stability and cellular uptake. This review critically analyzes some successful cases using the antisense approach in medicine to address severe diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy, and suggests some prospective directions for future research. We also examine in detail the elaboration of unmodified insect-specific DNA insecticides and RNA preparations in the areas of agriculture and forestry, a relatively new branch of ASO that allows circumvention of the use of non-selective chemical insecticides. When considering the variety of successful ASO modifications with an efficient signal-to-noise ratio of action, coupled with the affordability of in vitro oligonucleotide synthesis and post-synthesis procedures, we predict that the next half-century will produce a fruitful yield of tools created from effective ASO-based end products.

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in the urinary system and a highly aggressive neoplasm. The prognosis is not favourable usually and its evolution for particular patients is very difficult to find out. In this paper we propose a dynamic mathematical model that describes the bladder tumor growth and the immune response evolution. This model is customized for a single patient, determining appropriate model parameter values via model calibration. Due to the uncertainty of the tumor evolution, using the calibrated model parameters, we predict the tumor size and the immune response evolution over the next few months assuming three different scenarios: favourable, neutral and unfavourable. In the former, the cancer disappears; in the second a 5mm tumor is expected around the middle of August 2018; in the worst scenario, a 5mm tumor is expected around the end of May 2018. The patient has been cited around June 15th, 2018, to check the tumor size, if it exists.

Optoelectronic devices are gold standard for 3D evaluation in clinics but due to the complexity of such kind of hardware and the lack of access for patients affordable, transportable and easy to use systems must be developed to be largely used in daily clinics. The Kinect^TM sensor presents various advantages compared to optoelectronic devices: price, transportability but also some limitations: (in)accuracy of the skeleton detection and tracking as well as the limited amount of available points that make 3D evaluation impossible. To overcome these limitations a novel method has been developed to perform 3D evaluation of the upper limbs. This system is coupled to rehabilitation exercises allowing functional evaluation while performing physical rehabilitation. To validate this new approach a double step method was used. The first step is a laboratory validation where the results obtained with the Kinect^TM have been compared with results obtained with an optoelectronic device, 40 healthy young adults participated in this first part. The second step was to determine the clinical relevance of such kind of measurement. Results of the healthy subjects were compared with a group of 22 elderly adults and a group of 10 chronic stroke patients to determine if different patterns can be observed. The new methodology and the different steps of the validations are presented in this paper.

Fibrillin (FBN) is a plastid lipid-associated protein found in photosynthetic organisms from cyanobacteria to plants. In this study, 10 CsaFBN genes were identified in genomic DNA sequences of cucumber (Chinese long and Gy14) through database searches using the conserved domain of FBN and the 14 FBN genes of Arabidopsis. Phylogenetic analysis of CsaFBN protein sequences showed that there was no counterpart of Arabidopsis and rice FBN5 in the cucumber genome. FBN5 is essential for growth in Arabidopsis and rice; its absence in cucumber may be because of incomplete genome sequences or that another FBN carries out its functions. Among the 10 CsaFBN genes, CsaFBN1 and CsaFBN9 were the most divergent in terms of nucleotide sequences. Most of the CsaFBN genes were expressed in the leaf, stem, and fruit. CsaFBN4 showed the highest mRNA expression levels in various tissues, followed by CsaFBN6, CsaFBN1, and CsaFBN9. High-light stress combined with low temperature decreased photosynthetic efficiency and highly induced transcript levels of CsaFBN1, CsaFBN6, and CsaFBN11, which decreased after 24 h treatment. Transcript levels of the other seven genes were changed only slightly. This result suggests that CsaFBN1, CsaFBN6, and CsaFBN11 may be involved in photoprotection under high-light conditions at low temperature.

A record-breaking dust episode took place in Crete on 22 March 2018. The event was characterized by surface concentrations exceeding 1 mg m-3 for a period of 4-7 hours, reaching record values higher than 6 mg m-3 at the background station of Finokalia. We present here a detailed analysis of the atmospheric dynamical processes during this period, to identify the main reasons that resulted in such extreme dust advection over Crete. At synoptic scale, the weakening of the polar vortex and the meridional transport of polar air masses at upper tropospheric layers resulted in a strong jet streak over N. Africa and Central Mediterranean and corresponding tropospheric folding that brought cold stratospheric air in mid and upper troposphere. Cyclogenesis occurred at the Gulf of Sirte in Libya, resulting on strong winds over the NE parts of Libya, enhancing particle emissions. The dust plume traveled at low heights (0.5-3 km) along the warm conveyor belt preceding the depression cold front. This type of dusty southerly wind is commonly known as “Khamsin”. As the flow approached Crete, Foehn winds at the lee side of the island favored the downward mixing of dust towards the surface, resulting in local maxima of PM10 in Heraklion and Finokalia. The analysis is based on the synergy of high resolution WRF-Chem simulations reaching up to 1×1 km grid space over Crete, ground-based and satellite remote sensing of the dust plumes (PollyXT lidar, MSG-SEVIRI, MODIS) and detailed surface aerosol in-situ measurements at urban (Heraklion, Chania) and background (Finokalia) stations in Crete.

The brain of Drosophila melanogaster is comprised of some 100,00 neurons, 127 and 80 of which are dopaminergic and serotonergic, respectively. Their activity regulates behavioral functions equivalent to those in mammals, e.g. motor activity, reward and aversion, memory formation, feeding, sexual appetite etc. Mammalian dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons are known to be heterogeneous. They differ in their projections and in their gene expression profile. A sophisticated genetic tool box is available, which allows for targeting virtually any gene with amazing precision in Drosophila melanogaster. Similarly, Drosophila genes can be replaced by their human orthologs including disease-associated alleles. Finally, genetic manipulation can be restricted to single fly neurons. This has allowed for addressing the role of individual neurons in circuits, which determine attraction and aversion, sleep and arousal, odor preference etc. Flies harboring mutated human orthologs provide models, which can be interrogated to understand the effect of the mutant protein on cell fate and neuronal connectivity. These models are also useful for proof-of-concept studies to examine the corrective action of therapeutic strategies. Finally, experiments in Drosophila can be readily scaled up to an extent, which allows for drug screening with reasonably high throughput.

Accurate forest reference and emission level (FRL, FREL) with related policies and regulations are the key determinants in establishing sustainable forest ecosystem management programmes (e.g. REDD+). This fundamental is for promoting and sustaining climate smart agricultural practices in a changing climate. With the aim to deliver better knowledge to the scientific community and policy makers on regulations and existing tools for more rigorous scientific communication when it comes to FRL and FREL accountability and policies. Thus, this review investigates forest in the changing climate and policies and underlines the performance of land use transition and intensity analysis towards deforestation with some key examples and achievements (e.g. Togo). Simply put, (i) forest as break of greenhouse gas (GHGs) and ecosystem regulator, (ii) policies and REDD+ actions, (iii) potential drivers and (iv) transition and intensity analysis approach for their accountability are discussed. In sum, impressive studies, policies and regulations are under initiations and implementations regarding the role, place and evaluation of forest losses and its ecosystem functions and services. However, there are still some gaps when it comes to: the choice of the evaluation methods in the real context of a specific ecosystem as well as the firm implementations of formulating policies in developing countries. This paper concludes with some policy measures for forest sustainability, carbon enhancement and accountability.

Carbon nanotubes are hybridized with metal crystals to impart multifunctionality into the nanohybrids (NHs). Simple but effective synthesis techniques are desired to form both zero-valent and oxides of different metal species on carbon nanotube surfaces. Sol-gel technique brings in significant advantages and is a viable technique for such synthesis. This study probes the efficacy of sol-gel process and aims to identify underlying mechanisms of crystal formation. Standard electron potential (SEP) is used as a guiding parameter to choose the metal species; i.e., highly negative SEP (e.g., Zn) with oxide crystal tendency, highly positive SEP (e.g., Ag) with zero-valent crystal-tendency, and intermediate range SEP (e.g., Cu) to probe the oxidation tendency in crystal formation are chosen. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction are used to evaluate the synthesized NHs. Results indicate that SEP can be a reliable guide for the resulting crystalline phase of a certain metal species, particularly when the magnitude of this parameter is relatively high. However, for intermediate range SEP-metals, mix phase crystals can be expected. For example, Cu will form Cu₂O and zero-valent Cu crystals, unless the synthesis is performed in a reducing environment.

Molecular and morphological properties of poly(vinyl chloride) grains produced by suspension polymerization of VCM in the presence of a mixture of three kind of initiators (i.e. fast, mild and slow) (named as Cok process) was experimentally investigated in a pilot-scale reactor. The results obtained here were initially compared with a isothermal regular process (named as control process) and then with those obtained already for other productivity-enhancing polymerization techniques (i.e. nonisothermal and fast initiator dosage process). The results showed that, in contrast to nonisothermal and fast initiator dosage process, the addition of initators mixture at the beginning of the reaction has the smallest influence on molecular weight and polydispersity index compared to control process. It is obvioused that Cok-PVC grains have the lowest cold plasticizer absorption and porosity among these mentioned processes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the particles produced by Cok process are more regularly shaped, with a smoother surface compared with the control product. According to the literatures, all three productivity-enhancing techniques lead to an apparent quality enhancement, higher flowability and greater bulk density of final grains. While both processes of continous initiator dosage and nonisothermal polymerization broaden the particle size distribution of final PVC grains, applying initiator mixture produces particles with the same particle size distribution as control process. The SEM images processing showed that Cok process deccelerates the formation of a three-dimensional skeleton of primary particles relative to the control polymerization. In comparison with nonisothermal trajectory and continous fast initiator dosage system, the Cok polymerization process leads to the most delay of motionless conversions and fusion time as well.

The volume of electronic waste (e-waste) received in Nigeria is reportedly on the increase and the effects on environmental health are yet to be fully ascertained. This study aimed to investigate haematological indices, lead and serum iron levels in workers occupationally exposed to electronic wastes in South-South, Nigeria. In this pilot study, 104 participants were enrolled from Benin City, South-South Nigeria; consisting of 63 E-waste Workers (EW) sex- and aged-matched with 41 Unexposed Participants (Control). Blood levels (5 mL) of the metals (lead and iron) were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry while the haematological parameters [white blood cells (WBC), Lymphocytes ( LY); monocytes (MO), granulocytes(GR), red blood cells (RBC), haemoglobin (Hgb), haematocrit (HCT), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and platelets (PLT)] were determined using standard methods. Results obtained from this study show a significantly low serum iron (11.5 ± 2.14 µg/dL) in the EW compared with Control (168.9 ± 2.39 µg/dL); while blood lead level in EW (1.07±0.02 µg/dL) was significantly elevated compared with Control (0.72 ± 0.12). Total WBC and RBC, HCT, MO and MCV were all significantly elevated in EW compared with Control while LY and PLT in the EW were significantly decreased compared with Control. This study concludes that chronic occupational e-waste exposure may increase blood lead level, lower serum iron status and may have adversely altered some important haematological parameters in the studied population.

Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest induction are targeted in the strategy of cancer therapy. Furthermore, bacterial toxin such as shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli has been suggested to be used as novel therapeutic agent against tumor malignancies either as independent anti-neoplastic agents or in combination treatment with chemo or radiotherapy. The aim of study was to investigate the potency of shiga-like toxin originated from local strains of E. coli O157:H7 as a new cancer therapy. As many as 10 culture cells T47D cell line were subjected by crude extract Shiga like toxin originated from five local isolates of E. coli O157:H7 i.e. KL-48(2), SM-25(1), SM-7(1), DS-21(4), and one isolate ATCC 43894 as a control with IC50 doses, respectively. The treatment was observed for 24 h, with two replications. An FITC-Annexin V and PI assay was used to observe apoptosis and necrosis effect, and simultaneously with cell cycle analysis using propidium iodide (PI) staining. Results of study showed T47D cell treated with Shiga-like toxin from local strain KL-48 (2) show the lowest viable cell, followed by SM 7(1), ATCC 43894, SM-25(1), DS-21(4) and contrary with control with each percentages as 15.20, 16.36, 22.17, 22.64, 33.86, and 94.36%, respectively. The results were also confirmed by the induction of the cell cycle arrest in phase G0-G1 as inactive phase, i.e. 66.41, 63.37, 61.52, 55.36 and 47.28% for T47D cell treated with toxin of KL-48(2), ATCC 43894, SM 25(1), SM 7(1), and DS 21(4), respectively. These results show tendency deleterious effect of Shiga-like toxin from local isolates on T47D cell, so that concluded they have potency as a good anticancer drug in Gb3-expressing breast cancer.

Obesity is a universal health concern that can lead to serious diseases. The side effects of synthetic anti-obesity drugs necessitate the finding of suitable natural/herbal alternatives. Mother nature offers a wide range of plants with medicinal properties that include crude extracts and isolated compounds which are effective for controlling and reducing weight gain. Obesity was induced in 60, 3-week-old male ICR mice, using high-fat diet (60% dietary energy from fat) for 16-week. The mice were divided at random into six groups with 10 mice: mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD) only, mice fed normal diet only (NC), and orlistat at 15.9 mg/kg (HFD+Orlistat), and mice in three other high-fat diet groups treated with methanolic leaf extract of Clinacanthus nutans (MECN) at 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg. After 21-day of the treatment, MECN significantly reduced (P<0.05) the body weight, visceral fat and muscle saturated fatty acid compositions. There was also significant downregulation of HSL, PPAR α and PPAR γ and SCD genes expressions in the obese mice treated with 1500 mg/kg MECN compared to the HFD group. Therefore, MECN is a potentially useful natural supplement for alleviating obesity and obesity-mediated metabolic diseases.

Nowadays, we live in a world in which people are facing with a lot of data that should be stored or displayed. One of the key methods to control and manage this data refers to grouping and classifying them in clusters. Today, clustering has a critical role in information retrieval methods for organizing large collections inside a few significant clusters. One of the main motivations for the use of clustering is to determine and reveal the hidden and inherent structure of a set of data. Ensemble clustering algorithms combine multiple clustering algorithms to finally reach an overall clustering system. Ensemble clustering methods by lack of information fusing utilize several primary partitions of data to find better ways. Since various clustering algorithms look at the different data points, they can produce various partitions from such data. It is possible to create a partition with high performance by combining the partitions obtained from different algorithms, even if the clusters to be very dense from each other. Most studies in this area have examined all the initial clusters. In this study, a new method is used in which the most sustainable clusters are utilized instead of all primary produced clusters. Consensus function based on co-association matrixes used to select more stable clusters. The most stable clusters selection method is done by cluster stability criterion based on F-measure. Optimization functions are used to optimize the obtained final clusters. The genetic algorithm is the optimizer used in this article to find the ultimate clusters participated in a consensus. Experimental results on several datasets show that the output of proposed method is various clusters with high stability.

NCDs are the leading cause of mortality globally which estimated 40 million death per year (68% of total death), with cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), around 60% of all deaths are attributed to NCDs. Two-thirds of NCD premature deaths are linked to 4 shared modifiable behavioural risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. These unhealthy behaviours lead to 4 key metabolic/biological changes that increase the risk of NCDs: raised blood pressure, overweight/obesity, high blood glucose levels/diabetes, and hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood). Globally, countries are already working towards agreed global goals on maternal and infant nutrition and on the prevention of NCDs, and both these include halting the increase in overweight and obesity and reducing NCD diet-related risk factors including reducing saturated fatty acids (SFA) and Trans fatty acid (TFA) intake. According to values reported for countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, average SFA intake is estimated at 10.3% of energy intake (EI), thus exceeding the WHO recommended level of 10% EI. Average TFA intake in EMR countries is estimated at 1.9% EI, which also exceeds the WHO recommended levels of 1% EI. The EMR region was reported amongst the regions with the highest levels of TFA intake. The highest SFA intake was reported from Djibouti, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia and Yemen, while the highest TFA intakes were reported from Egypt and Pakistan. If countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region receive immediate public health attention, that toll of NCD-related morbidity and mortality can be considerably decreased if evidence-based preventive interventions are implemented effectively. In this context, reductions in saturated fat and trans fat intakes have been highlighted as cost-effective strategies that may hamper the growth of the NCD epidemic.

The precipitate phases often play an important influence on the corrosion resistance of 2205 Duplex stainless steel (DSS). In the presented paper, the microstructure and corrosion resistance in the hot-rolled and cold-rolled 2205 DSS aging for different time at 850 °C was investigated by XRD, SEM and potentiodynamic polarization. It has been found that the Chi(χ) phase and Sigm(σ) phase were precipitated in turn after aging treatment of hot-rolled and cold-rolled materials, but the precipitate amount in cold-rolled material is much more than that of hot-rolled samples. The corrosion resistance of the solution-annealed cold-rolled material is similar to the hot-rolled material, but the corrosion resistance of cold-rolled material with precipitate is weaker than that of hot-rolled material after aging treatment. Pitting initiates preferentially in the Cr-depleted region from σ phase in aged hot-rolled 2205, and severe selective corrosion occurs on sigma/ferrite interfaces aged for a long aged lime. However, the initiation of pitting corrosion may take place at the phase boundary, defect and martensite in the aged cold-rolled 2205. The σ phase is further selectively dissolved by electrochemical method to investigate the difference of microstructure and corrosion behavior in hot-rolled and cold-rolled 2205 duplex stainless steel.

In a world where conventional sources of energy are fast depleting, the quest for alternative energy sources may hold the key for the survival of humanity. In the present work, emphasis has been given to the idea of producing energy from perovskite based solar cells. In order to bring this idea into fruition, a unique and novel nano structured perovskite material n-propyl ammonium lead chloride (C₃H₇NH₃⁺PbCl₃⁻) was prepared through a unique co-precipitation route using n-propyl amine (n-C₃H₇NH₂) and hydrochloric acid as the starting precursors with aqueous solution of Pb(CH₃COO)₂3H₂O. Finally acetic acid was added to the solution and this solution was allowed to concentrate and then gradually cooled down to room temperature. After math, the synthesized material was spin-coated on TiO₂ film to fabricate the solar cell. The device was then undergone systematic analysis using XRD, SEM, UV and Photo Conversion to get a transparent idea regarding its structural, electrical and optical properties. When experimentally applied, this perovskite-based solar cell has shown energy conversion efficiency (η) of around 6.01 % which is noticeably good. Thus it can be concluded that this material is promising for fabrication of vastly efficient solar cells. This technology can be tried in large scale as an alternative of conventional energy in the near future.

Employment implies economic independence, social inclusion, non-discrimination and impacts people’s life in areas beyond work. Therefore, for persons with disabilities (PwD), that include persons with chronic diseases (PwCD), equal employment opportunities must be provided and reasonable accommodation (RA) in employment carefully designed. The objectives of this study done in Slovenia were: (i) to translate and adapt RA Factor Survey (RAFS; Dong et al., 2010); (ii) to examine psychometric properties of its expanded Slovenian modification Aspects of RA survey (ARAS); (iii) to find out the views of professionals in the field by ARAS; (iv) to present Slovenian model of employment rehabilitation concerning PwD and PwCD. ARAS was developed with the collaboration of professionals performing focus groups, it consists of three parts Influencing factors, Contents areas and Barriers with 78 items. Data were collected from 140 professionals and underwent descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The results showed that the key factors for RA implementation are attitude and support of employer/organization. Other important factors are employee and his/her employment, the conditions to implement RA, and the awareness of employee and work environment. ARAS might be used as a framework to assist in the development, improvement, and implementation of RA in practice. This is discussed in the broader context of equal opportunities for employment of PwD including PwCD and the welfare model in Slovenia.

Scrub typhus threatens one billion people in the Asia-Pacific area and cases have emerged outside this region. It is caused by infection with any of the multitude of strains of the bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi. A vaccine that affords heterologous protection and a commercially available molecular diagnostic assay are lacking. Herein, we determined that the nucleotide and translated amino acid sequences of outer membrane protein A (OmpA) are highly conserved among 51 O. tsutsugamushi isolates. Molecular modeling revealed the predicted tertiary structure of O. tsutsugamushi OmpA to be very similar to that of the phylogenetically related pathogen, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, including the location of a helix that contains residues functionally essential for A. phagocytophilum infection. PCR primers were developed that amplified ompA DNA from all O. tsutsugamushi strains, but not from negative control bacteria. Using these primers in quantitative real-time PCR enabled sensitive detection and quantitation of O. tsutsugamushi ompA DNA from organs of mice that had been experimentally infected with the Karp or Gilliam strains. The high degree of OmpA conservation among O. tsutsugamushi strains evidences its potential to serve as a molecular diagnostic target and justifies its consideration as a candidate for developing a broadly protective scrub typhus vaccine.

This paper focuses on the new users cold-start issue in the context of recommender systems. New users who do not receive pertinent recommendations may abandon the system. In order to cope with this issue, we use active learning techniques. These methods engage the new users to interact with the system by presenting them with a questionnaire that aim to understand their preferences to the related items. Example of questions may include "do you like this book?" and the users answer,"yes", "no", "I have not read it (unknown)", will reflect the degree of interest for the item by the users. As a consequence, the system can learn the users' preferences from these answers. The goal of active learning is to correctly choose the questions (items) for users. Thus it is necessary to personalize the questionnaires to retrieve the maximum information by avoiding "unknown" answers. In this paper, we propose an active learning technique that exploits past users' interests and past users' predictions in order to identify the best questions to ask.

Biofilter application for treatment of stormwater containing de-icing chemicals commonly applied in airports, propylene glycol and potassium formate, was investigated. Lab-scale adsorption tests using filter media made of crushed clay (Filtralite) and granular activated carbon showed that adsorption was unsuitable for removal of propylene glycol and potassium formate. Column filtration experiment testing two different crushed clay size ranges was conducted. The results showed that DOC removal was dependent on a number of factors. This study investigated the impact of filter depth, nutrients addition, and filtration rate. DOC removal suggested that DOC degradation occurred on the top filter layer. It was shown that the most active separation occurred in the first ~20 cm of filter depth. This was confirmed by results from water quality analysis (i.e. DOC removal and ATP measurement) and calculations based on a filtration performance analysis (Iwasaki model) and filter hydraulic evaluation (Lindquist diagram). It was shown that for the highest C:N:P ratio tested (molar ratio of 24:7:1), 50-60% DOC removal was achieved. Addition of nutrients was found important and determining the biofilter performance.

This article takes an approach to explaining the behavioral manifestations of the decision making in US companies’ offer of health insurance that is grounded not only on their cost minimizing behavior, but also in a humanness dimension based on the African concept of Ubuntu. In this way, we define an Ubuntu based Random Utility modeling framework, describing the choice process as a tripartite decision making, and implemented using a nationally representative random sample of 1,061 American companies from the Dunn and Bradstreet Business data, supplied by Survey Sampling International to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The results from the three sequentially implemented specifications showed that the relationship between management culture and health plan offering strategy is dependent on other relevant co-variates, which when left out, leads to the problem of omitted variables bias. However, when all variables are included but assumed to enter the relationship exogenously, this results in management culture not having any statistically significant effect on companies' decisions about scope of health plan offering. When the exogeneity assumption is relaxed through a recursively Bivariate Probit model, the system of two equations produces a highly significant management culture effect. In fact, in this later case we see that companies with groups and formal committee management culture are 1.58 times less likely to choose a multiple plan strategy over a single plan strategy, hence failing to show the more wholesome plan offering that would theoretically prevail under Ubuntu style management.

Worldwide epidemiological data indicates insufficient diagnosis of diabetes as an increasing problem of public health. Searching for solutions in this disadvantageous situation, occupational medicine health services seem to open up a unique opportunity to recognize some abnormalities in early steps, especially among the asymptomatic working-age population. 316 workers underwent obligatory prophylactic examinations. In patients with twice assayed FGL ≥ 126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) the additional intervention was implemented, including further diagnostic process and therapy in General Practice (GP), followed by examination by an occupational health specialist within 3 months. The diagnosis of previously unknown diabetes was established among 2.5% of examined workers. All patients referred to the GP due to detected glycaemia impairment visited their doctor and finished the diagnostic process, took up therapy constrained by the occupational health physician to show the effects of intervention within 3 months. Prophylactic medical check-ups allow improved compliance and medical surveillance over glycaemia impairment in patients with prediabetes states, unknown diabetes or uncontrolled clinical course of diabetes. Considering fasting glucose level during mandatory prophylactic examination helps effective prevention of diabetes and its complications and thus give public health system benefits.

To understand the molecular mechanism associated with growth variability in bivalves, the Solexa/Illumina technology was employed to analyze the transcriptomic profiles of extreme growth rate differences (fast- VS. slow-growing individuals) in one full-sib family of the ark shell Scapharca subcrenata. De novo assembly of S. subcrenata transcriptome yielded 276,082,016 raw reads, which were assembled into 98,502 unique transcripts by Trinity strategy. A total of 6,357 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained between fast- and slow-growing individuals, with 580 up-regulated expression and 5777 down-regulated expression. Functional annotation revealed that the largest proportion of DEGs were classified to the large or small subunit ribosomal protein, all of which showed significantly lower expression levels in fast-growing group than those in slow-growing group. GO enrichment analysis identified the maximum of DEGs to biological process, followed by molecular function and cellular component. Most of the top enriched KEGG pathways were related to energy metabolism, protein synthesis and degradation. These findings reveal the link between gene expression and contrasting phenotypes in ark shells, which support that fast-growing individuals may be resulted from decreased energy requirements for metabolism maintenance, accompanying with greater efficiency of protein synthesis and degradation in bivalves.

The objective of this work is to evaluate the potential effect of cardiac stress exercise on the accumulation of [¹²³I]IAZA, a radiopharmaceutical used to image focal tissue hypoxia, in otherwise normal myocardium in healthy volunteers, and to determine the impact of exercise on [¹²³I]IAZA pharmacokinetics. The underlying goal is to establish a rational basis and a baseline for studies of focal myocardial hypoxia in cardiac patients using [¹²³I]IAZA. Three healthy male volunteers ran the ‘Bruce’ treadmill protocol, a clinically-accepted protocol designed to expose myocardial ischemia in patients. The ‘Bruce’ criterion heart rate is 85% of [220 – age]. Approximately one minute before reaching this level, [¹²³I]IAZA (5.0 mCi/0.85 mg) was administered as a slow (1–3 min) single intravenous (i.v.) injection via an indwelling venous catheter. The volunteer continued running for an additional 1 min before being transferred to a gamma camera. Serum samples were collected from the arm contralateral to the administration site at pre-determined intervals from 1 min to 45 h post injection and were analyzed by radio HPLC. Pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were derived for [¹²³I]IAZA and total radioactivity (total[¹²³I]) using compartmental and noncompartmental analyses. Whole-body planar scintigraphic images were acquired from 0.75 to 24 h after dosing. PK data and scintigraphic images were compared to previously published [¹²³I]IAZA data from healthy volunteers rest. Following exercise stress, both [¹²³I]IAZA and total[¹²³I] exhibited bi-exponential decline profiles, with rapid distribution phases [half-lives (t_1/2α) of 1.2 and 1.4 min, respectively], followed by slower elimination phases [t_1/2β of 195 and 290 min, respectively]. Total body clearance (CL_TB) and the steady state volume of distribution (V_ss) were 0.647 L/kg and 185 mL/min, respectively, for [¹²³I]IAZA and 0.785 L/kg and 135 mL/min, respectively, for total[¹²³I]. The t_1/2β, CL_TB and V_ss values were comparable to those reported previously for rested volunteers. The t_1/2α was approximately 4-fold shorter for [¹²³I]IAZA and approximately 3-fold shorter for total[¹²³I] under exercise relative to rested subjects. The heart region was visualized in early whole body scintigraphic images, but later images showed no accumulated radioactivity in this region, and no differences from images reported for rested volunteers were apparent. Minimal uptake of radiotracer in myocardium and skeletal muscle was consistent with uptake in non-stressed myocardium. Whole-body scintigrams for [¹²³I]IAZA in exercise-stressed healthy volunteers were indistinguishable from images of non-exercised volunteers. There was no evidence of hypoxia-dependent binding in exercised but otherwise healthy myocardium, supporting the conclusion that exercise stress at Bruce protocol intensity does not induce measurable myocardial hypoxia. Effects of exercise on PK parameters were minimal; specifically, the t_1/2α was shortened, reflecting increased cardiac output associated with exercise. It is concluded that because [¹²³I]IAZA was not metabolically bound in exercise-stressed myocardium, a stress test will not create elevated myocardial background that would mask regions of myocardial perfusion deficiency. [¹²³I]IAZA would therefore be suitable for the detection of viable, hypoxic myocardium in patients undergoing stress-test-based diagnosis.

Background: Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder that has a large impact on patients’ lives. In addition to Western medicine, the use of additional treatments, such as acupuncture, in treating the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms is increasing. Methods: We conducted a systematic review on the use of acupuncture as an add-on treatment for patients with schizophrenia that are in regular care, with a special focus on the treatment of the often accompanying co-morbid sleep disorders. In this study, we searched the Medline, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ERIC databases with a cut-off date of December 31, 2017, thereby following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) protocol. Results: Our search resulted in 26 eligible studies. Most studies showed limited evidence for the use of acupuncture as add-on therapy in the treatment of clinical symptoms, but beneficial effects have been reported in the treatment of co-morbid sleep disorders. Conclusions: Limited evidence was found for the use of acupuncture as add-on therapy in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia; however, positive results were found in the treatment of sleep disorders, but this result needs to be confirmed in large, randomized, controlled trials.

Soil microbial fuel cells (sMFC) are a novel technique that use organic matters in soils as an alternative energy source. External resistance (ER) is a key factor influencing sMFC performance and, furthermore, alters the soil’s biological and chemical reactions. However, little information is available on how the microbial community and soil component changes in sMFC with different ER. Therefore, the effects of anodes of sMFC at different ER (2000 Ω, 1000 Ω, 200 Ω, 80 Ω and 50 Ω) were examined by measuring organic matter (OM) removal efficiency, trace elements in porewater and bacterial community structure in contaminated paddy soil. The results indicated that ER has significant effects on sMFC power production, OM removal efficiency and bacterial beta diversity. Moreover ER influences iron, arsenic and nickel concentration as well in soil porewater. In particular, greater current densities were observed at lower ER (2.4mA, 50Ω) compared to a higher ER (0.3mA, 2000Ω). The removal efficiency of OM increased with decreasing ER whereas it decreased with soil distance away from the anode. Furthermore, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that ER may shape the bacterial communities that develop in the anode vicinity but have minimal effect on that of the bulk soil. The current study illustrates that lower ER can be used to selectively enhance the relative abundance of electrogenic bacteria and lead to high OM removal.

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with the addition of an epoxy-functionalized oligomer (ADR). The FTIR analysis and SEM characterization demonstrated that PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between sisal fibers and PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between fibers and PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and PLA matrix. These conclusions were further investigated by the calculated activation energies of glass transition relaxation (△Ea) of composites via dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened via addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of composites are key points of this study.

Direct measurement of strain within muscle is important for understanding muscle function in health and disease. Current technology (kinematics, dynamometry, electromyography) provides limited ability to measure strain within muscle. Regional fiber orientation and length are related with active/passive strain within muscle. Currently, ultrasound imaging provides the only non-invasive means of observing regional fiber orientation within muscle during dynamic tasks. Previous attempts to automatically estimate fiber orientation from ultrasound are not adequate, often requiring manual region selection, feature engineering, providing low-resolution estimations (one angle per muscle), and deep muscles are often not attempted. Here, we propose deconvolutional neural networks (DCNN) for estimating fiber orientation at the pixel-level. Dynamic ultrasound images sequences of the calf muscles were acquired (25 Hz) from 8 healthy volunteers (4 male, ages: 25–36, median 30). A combination of expert annotation and interpolation/extrapolation provided labels of regional fiber orientation for each image. We then trained DCNNs both with and without dropout using leave one out cross-validation. Our results demonstrated robust estimation of regional fiber orientation with approximately 3° error, which was an improvement on previous methods. The methods presented here provide new potential to study muscle in disease and health.

The iridoids of H. diffusa play an important role in the anti-inflammatory process, but the specific iridoid with anti-inflammatory effect and its mechanism is lack of study. An iridoid compound named scandoside (SCA) was isolated from H. diffusa and its anti-inflammatory effect was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism was confirmed by in intro experiment and molecular docking analysis. As results, SCA significantly decreased the productions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and inhibited the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. SCA treatment suppressed the phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear transcription factor kappa-B alpaha (IκB-α), p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The docking data suggested that SCA had great binding abilities to COX-2, iNOS and IκB. Taken together, the results indicated that the anti-inflammatory effect of SCA is due to inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators via suppressing the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, which provided useful information for its application and development.

High mountain areas are an appropriate indicator of anthropogenic lead (Pb), which can reach the remote mountain ranges through long distance atmospheric transport. We compared the content of Pb in ecologically equivalent rodent species from Tian-Shan with European mountain ranges Tatra, Vitosha and Rila mountains. We used bone tissues from terminal tail vertebrae of small rodents for detection of Pb levels by using electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The tail bones of Tian-Shan rodents had significantly lower Pb levels than snow voles from Tatra mountains, but there was no significant difference in comparison with Vitosha and Rila mountains. We can conclude that Tian-Shan shows lower pollution by Pb than Tatra mountains, what may be a reason of longer lasting industrialization of north-western Europe and strongly prevailing west winds in Tatra mountains.

Objective: Regeneration of bone defects remains a challenge for maxillofacial and reparative surgeons. The purpose of this histological study was to assess the osteogenic potential of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) and bone matrix gelatin (BMG) alone and in combination in artificially created mandibular bone defects in rats. The quality of the newly formed bone was also evaluated. Methods: Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats (6-8 weeks old with 120-150 g weight) were randomly divided into four groups. Defects (3 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth) were created in the mandible of rats and filled with 6 mg of OCP, BMG or a combination of both (1/4 ratio), respectively. Defects were left unfilled in the control group. To assess osteoinduction and bone regeneration and determine the quality of the newly formed bone, tissue specimens were harvested at seven, 14, and 21 days post-implantation. The specimens were processed, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and histologically analyzed under light microscopy. Results: In the experimental groups, new bone formation was initiated at the margins of defects from seventh day after implantation. At the end of the study period, the amount of the newly formed bone increased and the bone was relatively mature. Osteoinduction and new bone formation were greater in OCP/BMG group. In the control group, slight amount of new bone had been formed at the defect margins (next to host bone) on day 21. Conclusion: Combination of OCP/BMG may serve as an optimal biomaterial for treatment of mandibular bone defects.

The overarching aim of this paper is to investigate the lake ecosystem response to different drivers over a long term period by a paleolimnological study in Lake Narlay (46°64N, 5°91E) located in the Jura Mountains of France. It is a small, hard-water lake with a maximum water depth of 40 m and extended anoxic condition of the bottom water. Previous results on sediments analysis have documented a differential response of the lake to the environmental changes that occurred in AD 1600 when major shift in the trophic reliance on methane of the benthic food web were observed. From 1920 with intensification of modern agriculture, animal farming and the construction of a cheese making facility, the lake become eutrophic, with Oscillatoria rubescens bloom. However, the lake showed pronounced changes in an older period that remained unanswered. In this paper we aim at reconstructing in more detail the limnological conditions of this Lake over the last 1200 yrs. using combined analyses of specific algal carotenoids and subfossil diatom remains. A comparison with other proxies (chironomid, pollen, and instrumental climatic reconstruction) will be used to better identify, between the complex combination of climate and anthropogenic pressure, the driving factors that determined the ecological trajectory of Lake Narlay.

The LiCl and LiNO₃ water solutions in the presence of small amounts of 3-helium have been investigated by means of multinuclear resonance spectroscopy. The resulting concentration dependences of the ³He, ^6,7Li⁺, ¹⁴NO₃^¯ and ³⁵Cl^¯ resonance radiofrequencies are reported in the infinite limit. This data along with new theoretical corrections of shielding lithium ions was analyzed by a known NMR relationship method. Consequently, the nuclear magnetic moments of ⁶Li and ⁷Li were established against that of the helium-3 dipole moment: μ(⁶Li)=+0.822046(5)μ_N and μ(⁷Li)=+3.256418(20)μ_N. The new results were shown to be very close to the previously obtained values of the (ABMR) atomic beam magnetic resonance method. This experiment proves that our helium method is well suited for establishing dipole moments from NMR measurements performed in water solutions. This technique is especially valuable when gaseous substances of the needed element are not available. All shielding constants of species present in water solutions are consistent with new nuclear magnetic moments and these taken as a reference. Both techniques – NMR and ABMR – give practically the same results providing that all shielding corrections are properly made.

Synthesis of new series of 1-phenyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl) phenyl) urea derivatives and its in vitro antiproliferative activities against NCI-60 human cancer cell lines of nine different cancer types are described. Fourteen compounds 5a-n have been synthesized with three different hydrogen bondable moieties (4-hydroxylmethylpiperidinyl and trimethoxyphenyloxy and 4-hydroxyethylpiperazine) attached to the core structure 1-phenyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl) phenyl) urea. Different substituents with different π and σ values were added on the terminal phenyl group. Compounds with 4-hydroxymethylpiperidine moiety showed higher mean percentage inhibition values over the 60-cell line panel at 10-µM concentration. They showed broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity over many cell lines of different cancer types. For instance, compound 5a elicited some lethal rather than inhibition effects on SK-MEL-5 melanoma cell line, 786-0, A498, RXF 393 renal cancer cell lines, and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell line by 146.1, 108.7, 136.2, 134.8, 116.6 % at 10 µM, respectively. Compounds 5a-e exhibited superior antiproliferative activity than Paclitaxel and Gefitinib against the most sensitive cell lines. Two compounds, 5a and 5d showed promising mean growth inhibitions and thus were further tested at five-dose testing mode to determine their IC₅₀ values. The data revealed that 5a and 5d urea compounds are the most active derivatives with significant efficacies and superior potencies than Paclitaxel in 21 different cancer cell lines, belonging particularly to renal cancer and melanoma cell lines. Moreover, 5a and 5d had superior potencies than Gefitinib in 38 and 34 cancer cell lines, respectively; belonging particularly to colon cancer, breast cancer and melanoma cell lines.

Cloudburst is one of the most devastating and frequently occurring natural hazardous events in Indian Himalayan region. Localized deep cumulus convective clouds have a capability of giving enormous amount of rainfall over a limited horizontal area, within a short span of time. Whenever, such events occur, lead to flash floods causing landslides, house collapses, dislocation of traffic, and human casualties on a large scale. Therefore, it is necessary to predict the cloudburst inundation zones accurately to avoid damage associated with them. For this, high resolution Digital Elevation Model generated from CartoSat-1 (Stereo pair) were integrated in MIKE 11 Hydrodynamic 1D model to generate longitudinal profile of the study area and to find water level, peak discharge, flow velocity, flow width at different reaches along the Asi ganga and Bhagirathi river, to know the Cloudburst flood inundation scenario. On 3^rd August 2012 one of the major Cloudburst event occurred in Asi Ganga Valley in Indian Himalayan region which was considered for simulation of hydrodynamic model. For a Cloudburst event, 100 mm/hr rainfall was considered for the simulation of the hydrodynamic model. It is observed that the discharge rise from 50 m³/s to 549.164 m³/s (an abrupt increase of about 10 times) within 1 hr at Sangamchetty in Asiganga river and at Joshiyara area rise from 600 m³/s to 3378.69 m³/s (an abrupt increase of about 5 times) within 4 hr in Bhagirathi river. Similarly the water level rises around 3 m and 6m in Asi Ganga and Bhagirathi rivers respectively. Flash Flood inundation areas due to Cloudburst on 3^rd August 2012 were demarcated from the simulation results in GIS environment.

In this paper, some new properties of the fundamental solution to the multi-dimensional space- and time-fractional diffusion-wave equation are deduced. We start with the Mellin-Barnes representation of the fundamental solution that was derived in the previous publications of the author. The Mellin-Barnes integral is used to get two new representations of the fundamental solution in form of the Mellin convolution of the special functions of the Wright type. Moreover, some new closed form formulas for particular cases of the fundamental solution are derived. In particular, we solve an open problem of representation of the fundamental solution to the two-dimensional neutral-fractional diffusion-wave equation in terms of the known special functions.

Starting from the environmental issues related to global warming, climate change and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, this review paper describes how CO₂ recycling can represent a challenging strategy suitable to explore new concepts and opportunities for catalytic and industrial development. In this view, the production of dimethyl ether (DME) from catalytic hydrogenation of CO₂ appears as a viable technology, able to meet also the ever-increasing need for alternative environmentally-friendly fuels and energy carriers. Basic considerations on thermodynamic aspects controlling DME production from CO₂ are presented, then summarizing the main catalytic systems developed in such a field. Special attention is paid on the role assumed during last years by zeolite-based systems, either in the methanol-to-DME dehydration step or in the one-pot CO₂-to-DME hydrogenation. On the whole, the productivity of DME results significantly to be dependent on several catalyst features, linked not only to the metal-oxide phase responsible for CO₂ activation/hydrogenation, but also to specific properties of the zeolites (i.e., topology, porosity, surface area, acidity, interaction with active metals, distributions of metal particles, …) influencing activity and stability of hybridized bifunctional heterogeneous catalysts.

This research is related to the eco-hydrological problems of herbaceous wetland drying and biodiversity loss in the floodplain lakes of the Middle Basin of the Biebrza river (Poland). An experiment was set up, whose main goals were: (i) mapping the vegetation types and the temporarily or permanently flooded areas, and (ii) comparing the usefulness of C-band Sentinel-1A (S1A) and X-band TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X (TSX/TDX) for mapping purposes. The S1A imagery was acquired on a regular basis using the dual polarization VV/VH and the Interferometric Wide Swath Mode. The TSX/TDX data were acquired in quad-pol, a fully polarimetric mode, during the Science Phase. The paper addresses the following aspects: i) wetland mapping with S1A multi-temporal series; ii) wetland mapping with fully polarimetric TSX/TDX data; iii) comparing the wetland mapping using dual polarization TSX/TDX subsets, i.e. HH-HV, HH-VV and VV-VH; iv) comparing wetland mapping using S1A and TSX/TDX data based on the same polarization (VV-VH); v) studying the suitability of the Shannon Entropy for wetland mapping; and vi) assessing the contribution of interferometric coherence for wetland classification. The experimental results show main limitations of the S1A dataset, while they highlight the good accuracy that can be achieved using the TSX/TDX data, especially those taken in fully polarimetric mode.

In the British setting, the deployment of the phrase ‘doing god’ has become increasingly common to refer to an emerging trend whereby religion has acquired an increasingly prominent role in political spaces and discourses. This was particularly prominent while David Cameron was Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party. While historically, religion has not had a prominent place in either the former Prime Minister David Cameron. Here, the findings from critical analyzing a series of Cameron’s public pronouncements about religion—and Christianity in particular—is set out to try and better understand his own adherence to Christianity (the personal) how this intersected with his politics and role as Prime Minister (the political), and more importantly how this shaped his views about Britain being a Christian country (the national). Contextualised within the embryonic scholarly literature relating to the phenomenon of ‘doing god’ in the contemporary British setting, this article concludes by considering alternative and analogous frames through which greater elucidation of the true motivations of his pronouncements might be understood.

The main objective of this paper is to find a close link between the adaptive level of significance, presented here, and the sample size. We, statisticians, know of the inconsistency, or paradox, in the current classical tests of significance that are based on p-value statistics that is compared to the canonical significance levels (10%, 5% and 1%): "Raise the sample to reject the null hypothesis" is the recommendation of some ill-advised scientists! This paper will show that it is possible to eliminate this problem of significance tests. The Bayesian Lindley's paradox – "increase the sample to accept the hypothesis" – also disappears. Obviously, we present here only the beginning of a possible prominent research. The intention is to extend its use to more complex applications such as survival analysis, reliability tests and other areas. The main tools used here are the Bayes Factor and the extended Neyman-Pearson Lemma.

Semi-solid feedstock of AZ80 magnesium alloy modified by minor rare-earth Y element (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 wt.%) were fabricated by strain induces melting activated (SIMA) in the form of extrusion and partial remelting. The effect of Y addition on the microstructure evolution of extruded and isothermal treated alloy was observed by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and quantitative analysis. The results show that the Y addition can refine the microstructure and make the β-Mg17Al12 phases agglomerating. During the subsequent isothermal treatment at 570℃, the average solid grain size, shape factor and liquid fractions increased with prolonged soaking time. Smaller spheroidal solid grains and the larger shape factor were obtained due to Y addition. The coalescence and Ostwald ripening of solid grains operated the coarsening process simultaneously. The coarsening rate constants of AZ80M1 (0.2 wt.% Y addition) of 164.22 μm3s-1 was approximately four times less than the un-modified AZ80 alloy of 689.44 μm3s-1. In contrast, the desirable semi-solid structure featured by fine, well globular solid grains and appropriate liquid fractions and shape factor was achieved in AZ80M1 alloy treated at 570℃ for 20-30 min.

Cordyceps sinensis is one rare medicinal fungus produced in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Its quality and price varies hugely with different habitat, and its numerous substitutes have sprung up in functional food markets. This paper aims to discriminate the geographic origin of wild C. sinensis and its substitutes via the element analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The δ¹³C values of major fatty acids in the lipids of Cordyceps sinensis are characterized unanimously by the variation relation C_18:0 ﹤ C_18:2 ≈ C_16:0 ﹤ C_18:1; while their fluctuation intervals are notably different between those of neutral and polar lipids. The comparative analysis of the δ¹³C ratios of major fatty acids in lipids of Cordyceps sinensis suggests that the δ¹³C patterns may be sensitive potential indicators to discriminate its geographical origin. The δ¹³C values of individual major fatty acids of lipids from the cultivated stromata of Cordyceps militaris (SCM), the fermented mycelia of Hirsurella sinensis (FMH) and Paecilomyces epiali (FMP) range from −31.2‰ to −29.7‰, −16.9‰ to −14.3‰, and −26.5‰ to −23.9‰, respectively. Their δ¹³C pattern of individual major fatty acids may be used as a potential indicator to discriminate the products of natural C. sinensis and its substitutes.

Various natural disasters such as floods, fires, earthquakes, etc. have affected human life. Detection and classification of large and small earthquakes caused by natural or abnormal events have been always important to Earth scientist. One of the most important research challenges in this field is the lack of an effective method for identifying and categorizing various types of seismic events at less important and important levels. Based on latest achievements of Data Mining international institutions such as Rexer-KDnugget-Gartner and also newest authentic articles, SVM, KNN, C4.5, MLP are from most important and popular and leading classifiers in data world.Therefor in present study, a boost learning system consisting support vector machine algorithms with linear regression, MLP Neural Network ، C4.5 decision tree and KNN near neighborhood have been utilized in a combined form to detect and categorize micro seismic events. In general, the steps involved in the proposed method are: 1) performing artificial seismic tests, 2) data gathering and analysis, 3) conducting preprocessing and separating training and testing samples, 4) generating relevant models with training samples and detecting and categorizing test samples and 5) extracting a cluster with the maximum candidate using boost learning. After simulations, it was observed that the accuracy of proposed boost method to the best answer was about 6.1% higher compare to other methods and the error rate was 0.082% of recalling. Accuracy of detection and classification to the best answer were also improved compare to other methods up to 2.31% and 6.34%, respectively.

The hazard and the carcinogenic risks due to the exposure to some potentially toxic elements by the Santiago Island (Cape Verde) population where calculated, considering soil ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact as exposure pathways. The topsoil of Santiago Island is enriched in Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn, Mn and Cd to upper crust values. Hazard indices (HI) were calculated for these metals and As exposures, of Santiago Island population and the calculations were performed for children and adults. For children HI are higher than 1 for Co, Cr and Mn. So there is indication of potential non-carcinogenic risk for children, due to the high Co (HI=2.995), Cr (HI=1.329) and Mn (HI=1.126), values in soils. For the other elements and for adults there is no potential non-carcinogenic risk. Cancer risk was calculated for As, Cd, Cr and Ni exposures, for adults and children and the results are always lower than the carcinogenic target risk of 1x10-6, for As, Cd, and Ni. However, cancer risk are higher than the carcinogenic target risk for Cr, for adults. Regarding As, for children the fraction due to Riskingestion represents 51.6%, while Riskinhalation represents 48.0% and Riskdermalcontact represents only 0.4% of total risk. For adults Riskinhalation represents 81.3%, Riskingestion represents 16.6% and Riskdermal contact represents 2.1%. These results reflect the higher daily ingestion dose for children and the higher inhalation rate and higher dermal contact surface for adults. For the other elements and for adults the cancer risk due to Cr, Ni and Cd inhalation is always higher than for children, reflecting the higher inhalation rate for adults.