Adults’ with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) experiences on occupational participation were explored through the prism of Occupational Justice model (MOJ) aiming to shape and develop an occupation-centered model of Quality of Life (QoL). In this qualitative study participated thirteen adults with ID (N=13). A semi-structured interview based on MOJ was constructed and administered to explore perspectives on QoL, as well as injustices regarding occupational participation. The interviews were processed with QSR NVivo8 following content analysis research methodology. An Occupational – Quality of Life (O-QoL) model with an everyday occupations core component has been formed. This model includes three core O-QoL domains: (i) social well-being, (ii) emotional – physical well-being and (iii) material adequacy. Main indicators of O-QoL were the recreational occupations and social activities, while socio-environmental factors such as occupational deprivation have been identified as aggravating. In addition, specific occupations such as leisure activities, physical exercise / sports, art, video games and vocational training could also be beneficial for O-QoL. Moreover, the importance of promoting and supporting the rights of people with ID for employment, independent living and sexual expression was highlighted. The O-QoL could be a valuable conceptual framework in the field of ID, however further research for developing specialized assessment tools and Occupational Therapy interventions to promote O-QoL is needed.

Groundwater is becoming increasingly important in the Pacific Northwest of the USA due to declining snowpack volumes and shifts in precipitation type and timing, all connected with climate change. The Upper Williamson Basin of the Klamath Watershed is a groundwater dominated watershed with massive fluctuations in year-to-year streamflow volumes over the past four decades, including the complete absence of any live flow for several years. The precise relationship between groundwater and streamflow in the basin has been difficult to assess due to a limited number of monitoring wells and significant gaps in the water level time history. To address this challenge, we use a novel imputation technique that leverages Earth observations and machine learning to impute gaps in water level records. We use these more complete datasets to compute a groundwater storage change time series for the basin. We show that groundwater storage is highly correlated to streamflow and that groundwater storage is correlated to rainfall with a three- to four-year delay that appears variable depending on groundwater storage volumes. The tools and relationships we present make it possible for water managers to estimate when streamflows will return to the basin and be more informed to support better management.

This study examines the differential impact of proactive and reactive job crafting behaviors on job well-being, drawing from the perspective of boundary theory. The increasing popularity of work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA) after work has attracted widespread attention from scholars on the relationship between WCBA and employee well-being. One view suggests that the impact of WCBA is negative, while another view suggests it is positive. Obviously, the impact of (WCBA) on well-being at work is still contradictory. To clarify the complexity of the impact of WCBA on well-being at work, based on boundary theory, we divided WCBA into proactive WCBA (PC) and reactive WCBA (RC), and examined the double-edged sword effect of WCBA on well-being at work, as well as the mediating mechanisms of job control and work-to-home conflict, and the moderated effects of boundary segmentation preferences. This study uses empirical sampling method to collect data from 125 employees for a period of five days for quantitative research. The results show that, first, PC has an inverted U-shaped effect on job control, and job control is negatively related to well-being at work. Thus the mediating effect of job control is significant. Second, RC has a negative impact on job control, and there is also a negative relationship between job control and well-being at work. Therefore, the mediating effect of job control is significant. Third, PC and RC are positively correlated with work-to-home conflict, and work-to-home conflict has a significant positive impact on well-being at work. Therefore, the mediating effect of work-family conflict is significant. Fourth, the study also found that integration preference moderates the relationship between work-to-home conflict and PC on well-being at work, that is, the mediating effect of work-to-home conflict is stronger for employees with low integration preference. This study enriches our understanding of WCBA, PC and RC from the perspective of proactive and passive employee behaviors. The study also provides a new interpretation of the impact of WCBA on well-being at work and offers valuable insights for the sustainable development in digital social transformation and the application of boundary theory and the theory of empowerment-subjugation in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the study deepens our understanding of the heterogeneous regulatory role played by work-family integration preferences in influencing well-being at work under different types of WCBA.

The emergence of prosumers, who actively participate in designing and producing goods, has generated interest in domestically manufactured products. Factors such as innovation, design methods, component reuse, prototyping, and digital fabrication empower prosumer designers to realize their ideas and enhance products to meet their specific design requirements. This article presents a case that combines bioinspired design methods with prosumer characteristics from the perspective of a designer who uses biological research results acting as a prosumer. By analyzing prosumer needs, bioinspired design, and domestic fabrication requirements, designers define the methods that best suit their possibilities. As a result of using biological information, the geometry of Samara seeds, propeller sizing, wind tunnel tests, and subsequent improvements, the custom design of a bioinspired microgenerator has been refined to the final design of a bicycle flashlight. The aim is to popularize a working approach that facilitates the interaction of design methods and reinforces domestic manufacturing processes. Implementing bioinspired design methods within the prosumer context offers a methodological alternative to transform the current economic model, promoting systemic sustainability and the development of proprietary technologies.

Based on research data from the renovation of old residential areas in Chengdu, China, this study provides empirical evidence regarding the causal relationship between urban renewal and the transformation of residents' pro-environmental behaviors. The research findings demonstrate a significant enhancement in residents' engagement in pro-environmental behaviors due to the renovation of old residential areas. Robustness tests based on replacement samples and two-stage difference-in-difference models also confirm the reliability of the conclusions. The preliminary mechanism test indicates that the mechanism of the impact of renovation of old residential areas on the transformation of residents' pro-environmental behaviors can be attributed to two main factors. Firstly, the improvement of environmental infrastructure provides residents with better conditions for participating in pro-environmental activities. Secondly, there is an elevation in residents' environmental protection awareness, prompting a more voluntary engagement in pro-environmental behavior. This study suggests that decision-makers should fully recognize that urban renewal activities nationwide are not only a process of improving urban hardware and functionality, but also a realistic and vivid "environmental education" course for the whole nation. Taking urban renewal as an opportunity to enhance citizens' awareness of environmental protection will effectively promote the transformation of pro-environmental behaviors among residents.

COVID-19 infection is extremely dangerous for persons with comorbidities such as kidney disease and diabetes. Although many people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds have suffered due to this pandemic, those with underlying medical conditions like kidney disease and diabetes are more vulnerable to becoming infected with COVID-19 related to weak immunity. However, the role of vaccination in the co-infection of COVID-19 with diabetics is not available in the literature. Therefore, we examine the unique challenges presented by the co-infection of COVID-19 in individuals with diabetes, focusing on its disease transmission dynamics. A mathematical modelling technique is to be employed in this work to analyse the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreaks with seven compartments, including vaccination with comorbidities such as diabetes. We also investigated analytically by displaying the solutions' existence, boundedness, positivity and sensitivity. After calculating the basic reproduction numbers, the stability analysis of model equilibrium points is also covered. If the reproduction numbers are less than unity, the disease-free equilibrium points of the model appear to be both locally and globally stable. The findings of this study are that as the vaccination rate rises, the incidence of COVID-19 and its co-infections with diabetes decreases. Effective disease treatment strategies may be based partly on the possible impact of vaccination on the co-infection of COVID-19 related to diabetic disease insights.

Background: A Morel–Lavallée lesion (MLL) is a traumatic, internal closed degloving injury that results from shearing of subcutaneous tissue away from underlying fascia, usually associated with high-velocity trauma. Case presentation: A 52-year-old man was transported to hospital for further follow-up of a superficial femoral artery injury. Examination on admission showed bruising seen around the left thigh. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the left thigh revealed hematoma with extravasation from a branch of the left superficial femoral artery, but no apparent aneurysms or femoral fractures. The patient was treated with compression bandages and discharged on hospital day 6. He left hospital able to walk unaided. He subsequently complained of left thigh pain with swelling and visited the hospital several times. He was treated at another outpatient clinic and was diagnosed with MLL. Single-use disposable portable negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was applied for about 2 months, achieving a stable wound site. Conclusion: We encountered a case of MLL successfully treated with single-use portable NPWT. This report presents the case of a patient with isolated MLL without fracture in the left thigh, in which the diagnosis was missed on initial admission. Finally, the patient received minor interventions including drainage along with tissue debridement and portable NPWT. We reviewed the relevant literature and summarize the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment strategies for MLL. Emergency physicians require an increased understanding of MLL to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

This research critically examines the dichotomies in urban public space and discussions on city evolution over the past two centuries. The original discourse identified amplifies the importance that inclusivity needs to address issues deeper than physical accessibility. The growing diversity and changes seen in urban public open spaces are followed throughout history along a timeline of important socio-political and planning injectors in the Western world. These public spaces are the important spine connecting all the private and semi-private parts of the city. Urban public spaces have seen population changes due to globalisation, resulting in mobility and changes due to the different needs of its diverse user base. In this paper, a rigorous quasi-chronological investigation is presented. Firstly, the context of the evolution of space is established. Secondly, a closer focus on inclusion research provides a thorough analysis of the utopian city plans, the development of Haussmann's Paris and the later plans of the Centrist and the Decentrist. Thirdly, a critical and analytical understanding of the effect these precursors have had on the city's public spaces, and the hierarchies it established in a nuanced manner are made explicit. The culmination of this research process is the identification of outcomes associated with inclusivity. Findings are established across three significant themes—a) Understanding public space as social space, b) Components of inclusivity, and c) Values of inclusivity including accessibility, sense of place, conviviality and resilience. Key insights and guidance for inclusivity as a key constituent of social sustainability are the unique contribution.

A central hypothesis on brain functioning is that plasticity regulates the signals transfer function by modifying the efficacy of synaptic transmission. In the cerebellum, granular layer has been shown to control the gain of signals transmitted through the mossy fiber pathway. Until now, the impact of plasticity on incoming activity patterns was analyzed by combining electrophysiological recordings in acute cerebellar slices and computational modeling, unraveling a broad spectrum of different forms of synaptic plasticity in the granular layer, often along with forms of intrinsic excitability changes. Here, we attempt to provide a brief overview of the most prominent forms of plasticity at excitatory synapses formed by mossy fibers onto principal neurons (granule cells, Golgi cells and unipolar brush cells) in the granular layer. Specifically, we will highlight current understanding of the mechanisms and their functional implications of the synaptic and intrinsic plasticity, providing valuable insights into how inputs are processed and reconfigured at the cerebellar input stage.

Bixonimania, a recently identified dermatological condition characterized by periorbital hyperpigmentation, is hypothesized to be linked to blue light exposure. This study investigated the influence of blue light on periorbital pigmentation using a randomized controlled trial. Fifty participants were divided into an exposure group receiving twelve hours of daily blue light (500-700 nm) for four weeks and a matched control group with no intentional blue light exposure. Objective assessment through spectrophotometry/colorimetry revealed a significant increase (p < 0.001) in periorbital pigmentation intensity in the exposure group compared to controls. Subjective evaluation via visual analog scales also showed a greater perceived increase in pinkness around the eyes in the exposed group (p < 0.01). Notably, individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types Q and Z exhibited a more pronounced rise in pigmentation. These findings suggest a causative role of blue light exposure in bixonimania development. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and explore preventative strategies to mitigate bixonimania.

Global optimization is widely adopted nowadays in a variety of practical and scientific problems. In this context, a group of techniques that is widely used is that of evolutionary techniques. A relatively new evolutionary technique in this direction is that of Giant Armadillo Optimization, which is based on the hunting strategy of giant armadillos. In this paper, a number of modifications to this technique are proposed, such as the periodic application of a local minimization method as well as the use of modern termination techniques based on statistical observations. The proposed modifications have been tested on a wide - series test functions, available from the relevant literature and it was compared against other evolutionary methods.

The integration of diverse distributed generation (DG) units, encompassing both Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and non-RES technologies delves into voltage levels, current distributions, and power flows, aiming to optimize and effectively manage the distribution network. An RES-based DGs such as photovoltaic systems and wind turbines, alongside non-RES units like fuel cells and micro turbines. This study proposes a hybrid approach the Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm - Grey Wolf Optimizer (MOGA-GWO). By merging the strengths of multi-objective genetic algorithms with the efficiency of the Grey Wolf Optimizer, this advanced algorithm seeks semi-optimal solutions for multi-objective optimization problems. The algorithm aims to improve convergence speed without compromising solution quality, offering a promising solution for optimizing the characteristics of DG and RES integration in distribution networks compared to Cuckoo Search and Simulation Annealing Techniques. Key algorithmic operations include individual representation, initialization, fitness function computation, selection, crossover, mutation, and ending conditions. The DG optimal power flow problem is explored with a focus on minimizing generation costs, improving voltage profiles, minimizing losses, enhancing reliability, integrating renewable energy, reducing environmental impact, managing congestion, and ensuring compliance with operational constraints. Beyond traditional considerations, the study emphasizes neglected objectives and constraints, such as cyber-security concerns, real-time operation, regulatory frameworks, social acceptance, lifecycle environmental impact, grid resilience, data privacy, aging infrastructure compatibility, and economic viability.

Color image binarization plays a pivotal role in image preprocessing work, significantly impacting subsequent tasks, particularly in text recognition. This paper concentrates on Document Image Binarization (DIB), aiming to separate a image into foreground (text) and background (non-text content). Through a thorough analysis of conventional and deep learning-based approaches, we conclude that prevailing DIB methods leverage deep learning technology. Furthermore, we explore the receptive fields pre- and post-network training to underscore the Transformer model's advantages. Subsequently, we introduce a lightweight model based on the U-Net structure, enhanced with the Mobile ViT module to better capture global information features in document images. Given its adeptness at learning both local and global features, our proposed model exhibits superior performance on two standard datasets (DIBCO2012 and DIBCO2017) compared to state-of-the-art methods. Notably, our proposed DIB method presents a straightforward end-to-end model devoid of additional image preprocessing or post-processing. Moreover, its parameter count is less than a quarter of the HIP'23 model, which achives best results on three datasets(DIBCO2012, DIBCO2017 and DIBCO2018). Finally, two sets of ablation experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed binarization model.

Uterine Tumor Resembling Ovarian Sex Cord Stromal Tumor (UTROSCT) is a rare uterine mesenchymal neoplasm, which resembles ovarian sex cord tumors of the ovary. Although, in general, UTROSCT exhibits benign behavior with a favorable prognosis, this neoplasm is nonetheless classified as being of an uncertain ma-lignant potential, given its low rate of recurrence and the fact that it rarely pro-duces metastases (lymph nodes, epiploic appendix, omentum, small bowel, subcutaneous, lungs). Its histogenesis too is uncertain. Typically, UTROSCT oc-curs in peri-menopausal or menopausal women but can sometimes be observed in young women. Usually, this neoplasm can be found in the uterine corpus as a nodular intramural lesion, less frequently submucosal, subserosal or poly-poid/intracavitary. UTROSCT can cause abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, enlarged uterus, mass sensation, but sometimes it is found purely by chance. This neo-plasm can be considered polyphenotypic on morphological, immunohistochem-ical, and genetic analyses. Generally, on microscopic examination, UTROSCT shows a predominant pattern of the cords, nests, and trabeculae typical of sex cord tumors of the ovary while, immunohistochemically, it is characterized by a co-expression of epithelial, smooth muscle, and sex cord markers. The aim of this review is to report clinical and pathological data and genetic alterations to estab-lish its impact on the prognosis and management of patients affected by this rare entity.

Quasi-solid composited electrolytes were produced by LiFSI initiated polymerized poly-(Dioxolane) (PDOL) with garnet-LLZO (Li7La2Zr3O12) nanofibers and used in lithium-metal batteries. Linear sweep voltammetry shows that the initial oxidation voltage of 4.6 V for Gel-10% (G10, 10% wt. LLZO in PDOL) vs Li/Li+. EIS test of stainless steel// stainless steel symmetric cells for Gel-1% (G1), Gel-5% (G5) and Gel-10% (G10) show ion conductivity (5*10-5 S/cm). Li/G10/Li symmetric cells have stable stripping-plating cycling performance over 1300 hours continuously with the current density of 0.1 mA/cm2 at 25 oC, indicating a good interface contact and stable lithium-ion transport pathway through the composite electrolytes. LFP/G10/Li batteries have stable charge-discharge plateau, low polarization voltage of 0.07-volt, energy efficiency of 95% and coulombic efficiency of ~99% at current density of 26.3 mA/g at 25 oC for over 100 cycles.

Taiwan’s auditors have suffered from processing excessive audit data, including drawing audit evidence. This study advances sampling techniques by integrating machine learning with sampling. This machine learning integration helps avoid sampling bias, keep randomness and variability, and target the risker samples. We first apply a Naive Bayes classifier to classify data into some classes. Next, a user-based, item-based, or hybrid approach is employed to draw audit evidence. The representativeness index is the primary metric for measuring the representativeness of audit evidence. The user-based approach denotes the selection of samples between two percentiles in a class as audit evidence. It may be equivalent to a combination of monetary and variable sampling methods. The item-based approach represents the choice of risky samples as audit evidence. It may be identical to a combination of non-statistical and monetary sampling methods. Auditors can hybridize those user-based and item-based approaches to balance representativeness and riskiness in selecting audit evidence. Three experiments show that sampling using machine learning integration has the benefits of drawing unbiased samples, handling complex patterns, correlations, and unstructured data, and improving efficiency in sampling big data. However, the limitations are the classification accuracy output by machine learning algorithms and the range of prior probabilities.

We prove an analog of the removable singularity theorem for bounded harmonic functions on stratified sets. The harmonic functions are understood in the sense of the soft Laplacian. The result can become one of the main technical components for extending the well-known Poincaré–Perron’s method of proving the solvability of the Dirichlet problem for the soft Laplacian.

Analyzing the material metabolism of infrastructure provides insights into resource flow and accumulation, offering policymakers new perspectives on resource management and planning. This study comprehensively analyzed the material stock (MS) of infrastructure on Miao Island using a bottom-up approach and Pleiades stereo images. Key findings include: (1) in 2020, the total in-use MS was 249.8 kt, with stone, gravel, and sand accounting for 80%. Transportation infrastructure held the largest share (40.8%), followed by non-residential buildings (30.1%), residential buildings (26.7%), and pipeline infrastructure (2.4%); (2) Stone and wood are abundant resources on the island, whereas steel, ceramics, aluminum, and glass are entirely dependent on external supply; (3) Over the past 40 years, the MS has grown significantly, with a net addition stock of 179.6 kt (256% growth). Development periods from 1980-1990, 2000-2005, and 2015-2020 were closely linked to China's reform and opening-up, infrastructure stimulus plans, and local government policies; (4) Compared to urban areas, Miao Island has lower construction intensity, with a per capita MS growth rate of 10.12 t/yr versus the national average of 13 t/yr. The steel stock in residential buildings is 15.62 kg/m², only 37.82% of the urban average. However, the potential conversion of infrastructure stock into waste still poses a significant challenge to the island's environmental carrying capacity.

Background: In the field of brain-computer interfaces, neural decoding plays a crucial role in translating neural signals into meaningful physical actions. These signals are transmitted to processors for decoding via wired or wireless channels, often encountering data loss, commonly referred to as "packet loss." Despite its importance, the impact of different types and degrees of packet loss on neural decoding has yet to be comprehensively studied. Understanding this impact is critical for advancing neural signal processing and data filtering. Methods: This paper addresses this gap by constructing four distinct packet loss models, simulating congestion packet loss, distributed packet loss, and burst packet loss scenarios. Using macaque superior arm-movement decoding experiments, we evaluate the effects of these packet loss types on decoding performance. Results: Our findings reveal that continuous burst packet loss significantly degrades decoding performance at the same packet loss probability, and decoding parameters that are sensitive to data continuity are more heavily impacted by packet loss. Conclusions: This study provides an analysis of the relationship between packet loss and neural decoding results, offering valuable insights for future strategies aimed at preventing and handling packet loss in neural signal acquisition.

Nocardia is an emerging bacterial disease that often affects patients with compromised immune systems. As survival increases, more and more patients are receiving solid organ transplantations, and more patients are cancer survivors and receiving long-term immune system modifying agents or corticotherapy and immunosuppressive agents, organisms that are not harmful in usual circumstances become a public health problem. Carbapenems are usually a second-line therapy in the setting of Nocardia infections. We present the case of a patient who had an immunocompromised status and was diagnosed with Nocardia farcinica, which showed in vitro resistance to carbapenems. The symptoms were non-specific and had a common presentation, although the infection was disseminated and had severe CNS and ocular involvement. The clinical course was more severe when the carbapenem was withdrawn based on the provided antibiogram and markedly improved when clinical judgment considered it might be beneficial. The first case in our region to describe an „in vitro” carbapenem-resistant Nocardia species, that responded „in vivo” differently and we believe it is important to remind clinicians of this potentially severe disease in difficult cases.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used in intensive care units; however, ECMO can modify drug pharmacokinetics (PK), leading to underexposure and associated treatment failure. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of ECMO on the PK of dexmedetomidine (DEX). In vivo rat models were developed, both of which involved a bolus injection of DEX and concentration monitoring. In the in vivo model experiment, rats which underwent ECMO were compared with a control group. PK analysis of in vivo data (noncompartmental analysis and nonlinear mixed-effects modelling) was carried out to determine the effect of ECMO. In vivo PK exploration showed that ECMO induced a decrease in DEX clearance. Because the effect of ECMO on the PK of DEX is not clinically significant, normal DEX dosing for critically ill patients should be effective for patients undergoing ECMO.

Worldwide the severity of abiotic stress like heat, drought, salinity, cold, waterlogging, etc. are being increased because of global warming. Wheat crops must adapt to harsh environments through physiological, molecular, and genetic manipulation. Because of abiotic stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) produced in wheat plants break down DNA and RNA bases, protein, lipid, and other macro- and micromolecules, resulting in stunted growth and yield decline. Abiotic stress also induces the crop's molecular functions, physiological, biological, and cellular processes, and their compositions. Different stressors like high light intensity, heat, drought, and salinity also impair photosynthesis damaging various pigments. Antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), etc. synthesized in harsh environments can ameliorate ROS/RNS produced in oxidative stress. Under abiotic stress, heat shock proteins (HSPs) heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) in heat stress, and dehydration-responsive element binding proteins (DREBs) in drought stress are activated to synthesize proteins to mitigate the deleterious effects of those stressors. Na⁺ exclusive genes (NAX1, NAX2) and Na⁺/H⁺ (K⁺) antiporter genes (NHX1, NHX2) hinder those ions from uptake into leaf sheaths and blades of wheat resulting in the declination of salinity in plants. Exogenous hormones like gibberellic acid, salicylic acid, and melatonin, etc., and osmoprotectants like proline, and gene manipulation in plants through genetic engineering are being employed to mitigate the toxic effects of abiotic stress on plants, as portrayed in many literatures. The review depicts how abiotic stress affects phenotypic, physiological, and molecular structures and functions of wheat crops, and their mitigation strategies to lessen their noxious effects on wheat.

Crawling robots are the focus of intelligent inspection research, and the main feature of this type of robot is the flexibility of in-plane attitude adjustment. The crawling robot HIT_Spibot is a new type of steam generator heat transfer tube inspection robot with a unique mobility capability different from traditional quadrupedal robots. This paper introduces a hierachical motion planning approach for HIT_Spibot, aiming to achieve efficient and agile maneuverability. The proposed method integrates three distinct planners to handle complex motion tasks: a nonlinear optimization-based base motion planner, a TOPSIS-based base orientation planner, and a Mask-D3QN (MD3QN) algorithm-based gait motion planner. Initially, the robot's base and foot workspace are delineated through envelope analysis, followed by trajectory computation using Larangian methods. Subsequently, the TOPSIS algorithm is employed to establish an evaluation framework conducive to foundational turning planning. Finally, the MD3QN algorithm trains foot points to facilitate robot movement along predefined paths. Experimental results demonstrate the method's adaptability across diverse tube structures, showcasing robust performance even in environments with random obstacles. Compared to the D3QN algorithm, MD3QN achieves a 100% success rate, enhances average overall scores by 6.27%, reduces average stride lengths by 39.04%, and attains a stability rate of 58.02%. These results not only validate the effectiveness and practicality of the method but also showcase the significant potential of HIT_Spibot in the field of industrial inspection.

1) Background: Several studies have shown the benefit of drawing when learning anatomy. Virtual Reality (VR) also appears to be useful to increase the understanding of the location of anatomical structures. This study aims to describe how students in an Operating Room Nursing (OR nursing) master study program perceive the benefit of active learning methods, including drawing and the use of VR. 2) Methods: We combined these two methods in a class of 29 students. 38 half-finished drawings of anatomical structures were made. The students were to complete these during lectures with guidance from the teacher. The students also attended a two-hour VR session where they were to find various anatomical structures. A paper questionnaire was applied to evaluate the teaching program. Data were analyzed statistically. 3) Results: The students highly appreciated these learning methods. They reported that drawing made them work more actively during lectures and increased their learning outcome. They also perceived that the use of VR technology increased their understanding of the location of anatomical structures. 4) Conclusion: The combination of drawing and VR technology may be of benefit to OR Nursing students when learning anatomy by both increasing student activity and learning outcomes.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections represent the fourth-leading cause of death attributable to antimicrobial resistance globally, but a standardized therapy is still lacking. In this narrative review we focused the antibiotic treatment of CRAB infections in view of newly β-lactam agents (NBLs) like sulbactam/durlobactam and cefiderocol, discussing the main hot points such as the superiority of combination treatment over monotherapy and the best antibiotic partner to use in combination. Sulbactam/durlobactam seems to be the best candi-date to replace current back-bone agents. Cefiderocol, could play a crucial role in combina-tion-regimen. Due to toxicity and the PK/PD limitations, colistin (or polymyxin B) should be used as an alternative agent (when no other options are available). Tigecycline (or minocycline) and fosfomycin could represent suitable partners for both NBLs. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are needed to better evaluate the role of NBLs in CRAB infection treatment and to compare the ef-ficacy of tigecycline and fosfomycin as partner antibiotics. Synergism should be tested between NBLs and “old” drugs (rifampicin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole). Huge efforts should be made to accelerate pre-clinical and clinical studies on safer polymyxin candidates with lung im-proved activity, as well as on the i.v. rifabutin formulation.

Underwater visual detection technology plays a pivotal role in fields such as marine exploration. With the increasing demand for underwater monitoring, the quest for efficient and reliable methods for underwater target recognition has become particularly significant. To address this requirement, this study developed an innovative underwater object detection architecture based on YOLOv8, named YOLOv8-MU, aimed at significantly enhancing detection accuracy.By integrating the LarK module proposed in UniRepLKNet to optimize the backbone network, YOLOv8-MU aims to achieve a larger receptive field without increasing the model’s depth. Further, this research introduces C2fSTR, an innovative method that combines Swin Transformer with the C2f module. Additionally, we have incorporated the SPPFCSPC_EMA module, which combines Cross-Stage Partial Fast Spatial Pyramid Pooling (SPPFCSPC) with attention mechanisms, significantly improving the detection accuracy and robustness of various biological targets. Moreover, by introducing a fusion block based on DAMO-YOLO into the neck of the model, we further enhanced the model’s capability in multi-scale feature extraction. Finally, the adoption of the MPDIoU loss function, designed around vertex distance, effectively tackles the challenges of localization accuracy and boundary clarity in underwater organism detection. Experimental results on the URPC2019 dataset demonstrate that the YOLOv8-MU model achieved an mAP@0.5 of 78.4%, marking improvements of 5.6%, 1.1%, and 4.0% over YOLOv5s, YOLOv7, and YOLOv8n respectively, indicating the leading performance (SOTA) of this method. On the other hand, further evaluation on the URPC2020 dataset confirmed the generalization capability of the YOLOv8-MU architecture, with its mAP@0.5 reaching 80.4%, surpassing various models including YOLOv5x and YOLOv8n, showcasing the wide applicability of our proposed improved model architecture.

In this paper, a continuous power management for a decentralized DC microgrid (DCMG) is proposed to achieve voltage regulation and power balance even under system uncertainty and voltage sensor failure. The DCMG system achieves a continuous power management through only the primary controller to reduce the computational burden of each power agent. To enhance the reliability and resilience of the DCMG system under voltage sensor failure, a DC bus voltage (DCV) sensor fault detection algorithm is proposed. In this algorithm, the DCV sensor failure is detected by comparing the measured DCV with the estimated DCV. When the power agent identifies the DCV sensor failure, it changes the operation properly according to the proposed control mode decision algorithm to maintain the stability of the DCMG system. When uncertain conditions such as the power variation of the distributed generations, sudden grid disconnection, DCV sensor failure, electricity price change, and critical battery status occur, the DCMG system is changed to transitional operation modes. These transitional operation modes are employed to transmit the power agent information to other agents without digital communication links (DCLs) and to accomplish power sharing even under such uncertain conditions. In the transitional operation modes of the DCMG system, the DCV levels are temporarily shifted to an appropriate level, enabling each power agent to detect the uncertainty conditions, and subsequently to determine its operation modes based on the DCV levels. Simulation and experimental results under different test conditions confirm the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

This study aimed to identify miRNA editing sites during adipose tissue development in Ningxiang pigs and analyze their characteristics and functions. Based on the small RNA-seq data from subcutaneous adipose tissue samples of Ningxiang pigs at four stages (30, 90, 150 and 210 days), we constructed a developmental atlas of the miRNA editome in adipose tissue of Ningxiang pigs. The characteristics and functions of this editome were further explored through bioinformatics analysis. The findings revealed that a total of 505 miRNA editing sites were identified with C-to-U editing types being the most prevalent, followed by U-to-C, A-to-G and G-to-U. Importantly, these four types of miRNA editing exhibited a base preference. The number of editing sites showed obvious differences among age groups, with the highest occurrence of miRNA editing events observed at 90 days of age and the lowest at 150 days of age. In the miRNA seed region, a total of 9 miRNA editing sites were identified with significant differences in editing levels (P &lt; 0.05), and located in ssc-miR-23a, ssc-miR-27a, ssc-miR-30b-5p, ssc-miR-15a, ssc-miR-497, ssc-miR-15b, and ssc-miR-425-5p, respectively. Target gene prediction and enrichment analysis revealed that the editing of miR-497 may potentially regulate fat deposition by inhibiting adipose synthesis via influencing target binding. These results provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of pig fat deposition.

Introduction. Autopsy is a medical procedure that consists of the corpse’s examination to determine the cause of death and obtain information on pathological conditions or injuries present in the body. In recent years there has been a reduction in hospital autopsies and an increase in forensic autopsies. Material and methods. A retrospective observational study was conducted on the reports of all the 645 hospital autopsies performed at Polyclinic of Bari from 2006 to 2021.Results. Group A, 2006-2009, 174 cases were studied: 58% male, 58% adults, 55% neonatology, pulmonary disease was the cause of death in 23%, and 55% of discrepancy between clinical and autopsy diagnosis. Group B, 2010-2013, comprised 119 cases: 52% male, 46% infants, 48% neonatology, pulmonary disease was the cause of death in 25%, and 56% of discrepancy between clinical and autopsy diagnosis. Group C, 2014-2017, comprised 168 cases: gender equality, 37% infants, 25% gynecology, pulmonary disease was the cause of death in 24%, and 58% of discrepancy between clinical and autopsy diagnosis. Group D, 2018-2021 comprised 184 cases: 56% male, 38% adult, 32% gynecology, pulmonary disease was the cause of death in 27%, and 58% discrepancy between clinical and autopsy diagnosis.Conclusion. The study of hospital autopsies at the Polyclinic of Bari shows that the discrepancy between clinical and autopsy diagnosis is around 56.75%. Thus, the hospital autopsy is helpful in the modern age, especially for diagnosing fetal and neonatal diseases.

The advancement in science and technology has led to luffa sponge (LS) being widely used as a natural material in industrial application as its polyporous structure and light texture. In order to enhance the utility of LS fibers as the reinforcement of lightweight composite materials, this study investigate its water absorption, mechanical properties, anatomical characteristic and thermal performance. Hence, moisture regain, tensile properties of LS fiber bundles were measured in accordance with standards and the structural characteristics were investigated via microscopic observation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the surface morphology and fracture surface of fiber bundles. Test results shows that the special structure where the phloem tissues degenerate to cavities had a significant influence on the mechanical properties of LS fiber bundles. Additionally, the transverse sectional area occupied by fibers in a fiber bundle (SF), wall thickness and ratio of wall to lumen of fiber cell, and crystallinity of cellulose had an impact on the mechanical properties of LS fiber bundles. Furthermore, the fiber bundles density of LS varies range of 385.46-468.70 kg/m³, much less than that of jute (1360.40 kg/m³) and Arenga engleri (950.20 kg/m³) while LS fiber bundles has superior specific modulus.

The aim of this study was to examine the oxidation of human serum albumin (HSA) caused by oxidative stress after an exhaustive exercise such as ultra-marathon race. Thus, blood samples from 12 adult runners who underwent a 103 km mountain ultra-marathon race were collected pre- and 24, 48 and 72 h post race. HSA was partially purified using affinity chromatography and then was subjected to Western blot analysis for disulfide dimers determination, indicating oxidation. The results were correlated with those from a previous study in which the same samples were analyzed using different oxidative stress markers and a good correlation with protein carbonyls (PC) at all time points was observed. Moreover there was a significant correlation with static oxidation-reduction potential (sORP) at 24 h, and a negative correlation with capacity oxidation-reduction potential (cORP) at 24 and 48 h. In addition, an individual analysis of albumin dimers exhibited great inter-individual differences. This inter-individual variability in the oxidation of HSA may suggest different interventions (e.g. through diet) in order to confront the effects on athletes’ organism after a strenuous exercise. In conclusion, this study supported the importance of the assessment of albumin dimers as a predictive marker for exercise-induced oxidative stress.

The supply chain has incorporated products by putting them into hair scarfs. This study introduces the use of mini chips in health and beauty products and can reduce fatigue through enhanced sleep patterns. The mini chip could be placed in the scarf and used as a prototype. RFID technology provides the supply chain with specific information that is used to identify products and make communication easier. (Muhammad, et. al. 2013) This paper presents a new tool herein referred to as a scarf prototype which is developed to analyse EMG (electromyogram), ECG (electrocardiography), EEG (electroencephalogram), and EOG (electro-oculogram) signals that focuses in the area of sleep disorders. The mini chips used can be used to determine a solution for sleep disruption by using automated analytics. This could lead to improvement in our understanding of sleep disruption and overall sleep physiology. Automated technology allows repeated measurements, evaluation of sleep patterns, and provide suggestions to improve a person’s quality of sleep. This analysis compares the use of polysomnography and the scarf prototype. The analytics provide models and shows correlation between variables, such as EMG, ECG, EEG, and EOG. This study shows that the results from the scarf prototype is just as reliable as the original method, polysomnography.

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in host metabolism, influencing the production of small metabolites from non-digestible compounds, which can accumulate in tissues and play important role in fatty acids synthesis for improving the meat quality. We investigate the breed-specific differences in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle fatty acid profile, gut microbiota, and metabolites across the cecum, ileum, and rectum in Chinese Songliao Black pigs (SBP) and commercial Large White × Landrace crossbred pigs (LWLDP) and interactions. Significant correlations highlighting potential microbiota-metabolite interactions that contribute to muscle fatty acid composition. LWLDP pigs exhibited a higher number of significant fatty acids and maintained higher operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the cecum and rectum, with no differences observed in the ileum between breeds. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Spirochaetes were the predominant phyla across both breeds. Differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were more abundant in the cecum and ileum of LWLDP, while rectum showed higher expression in SBP. Integrative analysis identified significant correlations between fatty acids, metabolites, and microbial taxa. DHA was linked to cecal metabolites and rectal microbial families, while saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were associated with different microbes and metabolites. This study demonstrates distinct breed-specific interactions between gut microbiota, metabolites, and fatty acid composition, offering insights into potential microbial interventions to enhance pork quality through fatty acid modulation.

EUS–TA in unresectable pancreatic cancer requires not only a tissue diagnosis but also tissue collection in anticipation of comprehensive genomic profiling. However, the optimal puncture target remains controversial. Therefore, the Primary and Metastatic Lesions in Pancreatic Cancer (PRIMATE) study was designed to clarify the optimal target by comparing the success rates for meeting OncoGuide NCC Oncopanel (NOP) analysis criteria on pre-check primary and metastatic lesion specimens obtained during the same EUS–TA session in patients with invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In this ongoing prospective study, two specimens, each from primary and metastatic lesions, are obtained by EUS–TA (typically using a 19G fine-needle biopsy needle) in patients with invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The primary endpoint is the proportion of EUS–TA specimens that meet NOP analysis criteria during pre-check (i.e., tumor cellularity ≥ 20% and tissue area ≥ 4 mm2), which are then compared between primary and metastatic lesions. This study has been approved by the National Cancer Center Institutional Review Board (Research No. 2022-168). The results of this study will be reported at an international conference and published in an international peer-reviewed journal. The trial registration number is UMIN 000048966.

As an important civil and military infrastructure, airport runway pavement is faced up with threats from cluster munitions, since it is vulnerable to projectile impact with internal explosion. Aiming at the damage assessment of island airport runway pavement under impact, this work dealt with discrete modeling of rigid projectile penetration into concrete pavement and calcareous sand subgrade multi-layer structure. First, Discrete Element Method (DEM) is introduced to model concrete and calcareous sand granular material features like cohesive fracture and strain hardening due to compression, with mesoscale constitutive laws governing the normal and shear interactions between adjacent particles. Second, sequent DEM simulations of uniaxial and triaxial compression were performed to calibrate the DEM parameters for pavement concrete as well as subgrade calcareous sand. Piror to multi-layer structure investigations, penetration into sole concrete or calcareous sand is validated in terms of projectile deceleration and depth of penetration (DOP) with relative error

Background: This study introduces a novel dexamethasone (DEX) mixed micellar system (DEX-MM) using Soluplus® and Pluronic F-127 (PF127) to enhance ocular drug delivery. The enhancement of ocular application properties was achieved by creating a chitosan-coated DEX-MM (DEX-CMM), which promotes better adherence to the ocular surface, thereby improving drug absorption; Methods: Using the solvent evaporation method, a formulation was developed with a Soluplus® to drug ratio of 1:10, enhanced with 0.25% PF127. After dispersing in water, 1% chitosan (CS) was added. The stability and integrity of DEX within the micelles were verified using attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, in vitro and ex vivo drug release studies were con-ducted; Results: DEX-CMM (F6) demonstrated a particle size of 151.9±1 nm and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.168±0.003, suggesting uniformity and high electrostatic stability with a zeta po-tential of +35.96±2.13 mV. The non-Fickian drug release mechanism indicated prolonged drug retention. Comparative analyses showed DEX-CMM outperforming a standard DEX suspension in drug release and ocular tissue permeation, with flux measurements significantly higher than the DEX suspension; Conclusion: The study confirmed the efficacy of DEX-CMM in enhancing drug delivery to ocular tissues, evidenced by improved permeability. Safety evaluations using the HET-CAM test demonstrated that DEX-CMM was non-irritant, supporting its potential for effective ocular drug delivery.

The spatial expansion of urban agglomerations is a direct manifestation of regional urbanization, reflecting the changes in scale and morphological characteristics of urban in temporal and spatial dimensions, which affects the efficiency of regional urbanization. This study employed a range of analytical techniques, including the urban spatial intensity index, center-of-gravity model, synergy index, inverse distance weighting interpolation method, and Geodetector, to examine the spatiotemporal evolution pattern and driving factors of the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration in Guangxi, China between 2012 and 2022. The findings indicate that: (1) The Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration in Guangxi has been in a stable expansion trend over the past decade. However, the polarization effect of the central city space has gradually weakened, and the spatial expansion differences between cities have gradually narrowed, indicating an extensional development mode. (2) The economic and social gravity centers show a tendency of "eastward and southward" migration, which is opposite to the direction of the urban gravity center's displacement. The displacement directions of population and ecological gravity centers are roughly consistent with that of urban center. The distribution of economic and social resources are not aligned with the configuration of urban development, and the trajectory of the center of gravity of various development dimensions has shifted. (3) Economic and social expansion is significantly faster than population and ecology, but slower than urban expansion. The intensity of urban expansion is inconsistent with the distribution of synergies. The spatial differences in synergies between cities are gradually narrowing. The central city's radiation-driven role is insufficient. The development of nodal cities is less than expected. However, the benefits of urbanization in coastal cities are constantly being strengthened. (4) The disposable income of urban residents and per capita arable land area are the primary driving forces of urban expansion, while population density and urban green space area are significant contributors to urban expansion. Based on the above findings, it is recommended that the Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration of Guangxi should continue to enhance the scale efficiency of population agglomeration, optimize economic development and industrial resource allocation, promote urban-rural integration, strengthen inter-city connections, optimize spatial layout, and improve the overall production and living efficiency of regional cities and towns.

Background/Objectives: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5.29%-7.2% of children worldwide. Research supports the use of physical activity programs for children with ADHD, which have been shown to provide benefits in neuropsychological and cognitive parameters, executive functions, and social-emotional development. One such program that incorporates physical activity is group psychomotor therapy (GPT), which utilizes inclusion as a key design and implementation principle. However, there is limited data on the effectiveness of GPT for children both with and without ADHD. This study investigated the effects of group psychomotor therapy (GPT), a physical activity-based approach emphasizing inclusion, on the socio-emotional competence and motor competence of preschool aged children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: A total of 54 children (19 with ADHD and 35 without; Mage= 61.80±5.40 months) participated in a 27-week GPT program. Assessments of motor competence and socio-emotional competence were conducted pre- and post- programme’s implementation, using the DEMOST-PRE© and the Psychosocial Adjustment Test, respectively. Results: Children without ADHD scored statistically higher scores across all assessed variables. However, both groups presented significant improvements in both motor and social-emotional competence. Conclusions: Children without ADHD scored statistically higher scores across all assessed variables. However, both groups presented significant improvements in both motor and social-emotional competence.

It is documented that maternal diseases or treatments influence a newborn’s clinical status at birth; autoimmune diseases with circulating antibodies are often clinically expressed transiently in newborns due to the crossover of the specific IgG through the placenta during pregnancy. The offspring can inherit maternal genetic anomalies, but clinical expression usually becomes patent later in life. If prenatal medical history is not available or if signs or symptoms of a mother’s disease are revealed for the first time during pregnancy or postpartum, their effects on the newborn may be misattributed. In this article, we present three cases of pregnant women, without any known pathology before or during pregnancy, who gave birth to very sick preterm newborns that required admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The neonates’ complications were considered initially as consequences of prematurity or infection, but later investigations revealed transient autoimmune disease in two of the cases (myasthenia gravis and hyperthyroidism) and a severe form of thrombophilia in the third case. In all cases, mothers were asymptomatic and unaware of their subclinical disease. Preemies’ diagnosis has contributed to the identification of their mothers’ pathology and adequate treatment was prescribed with favourable short- and long-term outcomes. In one of the cases (myasthenia gravis) both mother and child had associated infectious diseases in the perinatal period that complicated the clinical picture and created problems of diagnosis. This article intends to emphasize the paramount importance of prenatal care, for both mother and newborn. Repeated medical visits and investigations throughout the pregnancy are a good opportunity to detect subclinical diseases or predispositions. As newborns usually develop non-specific signs, one should have experience and pay attention to differentiate among etiologies. Our paper takes a reversed approach to the usual medical diagnosis pathway: from infant to mother instead of mother towards the infant, proving that inter-speciality collaboration can work bi-directionally.

The Mining Industry has changed significantly in recent decades with the introduction of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). These innovations contribute to the creation of expert systems that help in optimizing processes, increasing the safety and sustainability of operations. This article is a literature review of modern AI and ML methods and technologies used in the Mining Industry. Discusses various intelligent and expert systems used to improve productivity, reduce operating costs, improve occupational safety, environmental sustainability, machine automation, predictive analytics, quality monitoring and control, and inventory and logistics management. The advantages and disadvantages of different approaches are analyzed, as well as their potential impact on the future of the Mining Industry. The review highlights the importance of integrating AI and ML into mining processes to achieve more efficient and safer solutions.

Rock materials failures are accompanied by the co-existence of various failure mechanisms, in-cluding rock fracturing, shearing, and compaction yield. These mechanisms manifest macro-scopically as multiple failure modes and nonlinear strength characteristics related to stress levels. Considering the limitations of current rock mechanics strength theories, which are primarily derived from single failure mechanisms, this study evaluates the applicability of alternative strength theories. Based on the extensional-strain criterion and the PMC (Paul-Mohr-Coulomb) model, a piecewise linear strength model was proposed that is suitable for analyzing multiple failure mechanisms in rocks and revealing the intrinsic mechanisms of multi-mechanism rock material failure. A multiple failure mechanism strength model in the form of inequalities was proposed, using the generalized shear stress, mean stress, and stress Lode angle as parameters. Strength tests conducted on sandstone and granite rock material samples under different stress conditions revealed distinct piecewise linear strength characteristics for both rock types, vali-dating the rationality and applicability of the multiple failure mechanism model. The findings construct a multi-mechanism failure model for rocks, providing enhanced predictive capabilities and aiding in the prevention of rock structural failures.

(1) Background: Youths with multiple risks and severe disadvantages experience poorer health and educational outcomes than less disadvantaged peers. To address problems with coping and self-regulation in this group, mental skills training (MST) approaches more commonly used in sport are an emerging intervention approach. (2) Methods and Results: This narrative review synthesizes literature to explain the need for MST, how it works, and evidence to support it works by focusing on two well evaluated programmes: LifeMatters and My Strengths Training for Life™. (3) Conclusions: To support positive youth development, MST is a strengths-based, flexible and adaptable approach to help fill the shortage of available evidence-based programs for those youths facing multiple disadvantages. The findings of this review may facilitate policy makers, commissioners, program planners, and researchers in the uptake of MST or similar psychoeducational approaches in future.

This paper presents a methodology based on deep learning models and metaheuristic algorithms for the optimization of airfoils for the design of aircraft wings with large endurance. The use of AZTLI-NN (a neural network with an architecture composed of a multilayer perceptron and a variational autoencoder) is implemented for the prediction of graphs of the aerodynamic coefficients of the airfoil as a function of the angle of attack. This neural network presents good predictions of the aerodynamic coefficients, similar to the coefficients obtained with computational fluid dynamics simulations. AZTLI-NN in combination of metaheuristic algorithms and the CST profile parameterization method show excellent performance in single-objective and multi-objective profile optimization tasks.

As the demand of heating and air conditioning is increasing day by day due to getting a comfortable life, for that reason, the market for heat pump and air conditioning systems or both, is seeing a steady increase in low global warming potential. All researchers on heat pump and air conditioning systems are searching for environmentally friendly refrigerants. However, a significant number of contemporary refrigerants (HCFCs) have the potential to cause global warming and ozone depletion, such as those found in heat pump air conditioning systems. Using more environmentally friendly refrigerants, including hydrocarbon and blend refrigerant mixtures, is one way to lower GWP and Ozone depletion potential. This study examines the performance of several alternative refrigerants, including R32, R134A, R410A, R22, and R290. In order to examine the performance of R290, theoretical and simulation results are compared on various refrigerants while taking into account a number of performance parameters, including the refrigerant energy efficiency ratio, mass flow rate, coefficient of performance, cooling capacity, and compressor work for one ton of refrigeration (1TR) air conditioners. One player with a very low GWP is R290. However, the only drawback is that it can catch fire and is hazardous to use in split-type commercial heat pump air conditioning applications. The environmental and thermo physical properties of HC-290 are significantly better than those of other materials, according to theoretical and simulation studies utilizing Cool Pack software, hence it is a viable replacement.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can act as a nonpermeating cryoprotectant, reducing the toxicity of glycerol. The dog spermatozoa were diluted and frozen in freezing extender supplemented with 0 (control), 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 % (w/v) CMC. Post-thaw, the sperm kinematic parameters (CASA), viability (SYBR-14/PI), and acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA) were evaluated. The expression of genes related to apoptosis (BCL2, BAX, and ANAXA), motility (BACTIN), cold shock proteins (YBX3), and ROS (CAT, ROMO1, and SMOX) was evaluated using qPCR. The total motility was higher in the 0.1 % CMC group compared to the other groups (p<0.05). In addition, the expression of the antiapoptotic gene BCL2 was upregulated in 0.1 % CMC group compared to the control, whereas the gene expression of BAX and SMOX exhibited lower levels in 0.1 and 0.25 % CMC groups than the control group (p<0.05). The expression of YBX3 genes was significantly decreased with 0.25 % CMC supplementation. No significant differences were found in viability, acrosome integrity, or the relative expression of ANAXA, BACTIN, CAT, and ROMO1 genes between the groups. In conclusion, the addition of CMC to a freezing extender improved sperm motility and alleviated cryostress by regulating the gene expression of BCL2, BAX, SMOX, and YBX3.

Wear-resistant steel/carbon steel composite plate not only has the double performance advantage of high strength and wear-resistance, but also can reduce energy consumption and production cost. Based on 50% reduction rate, the wear resistance of BTW1/Q345 composite was studied at different annealing temperatures, and the dry friction and wear tests of BTW1/Q345 composite at different annealing temperatures were carried out by using RETC MFT-5000. The macro-micro morphology and wear mechanism of wear marks at different annealing temperatures were analyzed by using white light interference three-dimensional surface profiler, Scanning electron microscope scanning electron microscope (SEM) and backscatter electron diffraction (EBSD) . The results show that with the increase of annealing temperature, the grain size near the scratch of BTW1 in the wear-resistant layer of the composite plate is refined, and the wear-resistant property is higher than that of the original sample.When the annealing temperature is 860℃,the wear resistance is the best.

As the number of end-of-life vehicles continues to grow, the field of separation technology for broken copper and aluminium parts of end-of-life vehicles has emerged as a significant area of research. As a key technology for the separation of non-magnetic non-ferrous metals, such as copper and aluminium, eddy current separation can achieve efficient separation of non-magnetic non-ferrous metals according to their differing conductivity and density. Nevertheless, further research is required in the separation of large-scale broken copper and aluminium parts of end-of-life vehicles. This paper presents a novel magnetic roller model comprising circumferential and axial periodic arrangements of permanent magnets. A single permanent magnet was constructed as an equivalent current model, and the magnetic scalar potential equations were solved using simulation tools. This allowed the distribution of the magnetic field outside the magnetic roller to be studied. The results demonstrate that the novel permanent magnet array magnetic roller can enhance the magnetic field intensity and action distance of the external magnetic field, which is more conducive to the separation of large-scale broken copper and aluminium parts of scrap cars. The findings of this research provide a theoretical foundation for the separation of scrap car broken copper and aluminium parts.

Background: Our previous study highlighted important healthcare access and utilization concerns among new immigrants. Hence, in this study, we aimed to explore the role of public and patient involvement (PPI) may have in enhancing the accessibility and their contribution to migration health studies. Method: An open and in-depth interactive consecutive virtual discussion was conducted among volunteer asylum seekers and refugees from Eritrea and Syria in Switzerland. The novel PPI establishment had three phases; inception, training phase, and contribution phase. Result: At the beginning, the concept of PPI was apprehensive to grasp, as it was a new approach. After training and consecutive discussions, volunteers were ardent to engage actively. Hence, among the prime findings were the PPI's role and effect in raising awareness, PPI's role in exploring and communicating the healthcare system accessibilities and utilization among their community, the impact of PPI in echoing the healthcare needs of their fellow migrants, and PPI's contribution in enhancing and strengthening migration health researches. Conclusion: The PPI volunteers in the study were keen to raise their community's awareness through their networks, and bridge the research gap between researchers and the public.

Sinojackia Hu. comprises five to eight Chinese endemic species with high ornamental and medicinal value. However, the generic limits, interspecific relationships and evolutionary history of the genus remain unresolved. In this study, we newly sequenced and assembled three plastomes of S. oblongicarpa and compared them with those of the other congeneric species to explore the taxonomic delimitation of the species and the evolutionary history of the genus. Plastomes structure of Sinojackia species were extremely conserved in terms of number of genes, sequence length and GC content. Codon usage patterns revealed that natural selection may be the main factor shaping codon usage bias. Our phylogenetic tree shows that Sinojackia is monophyletic and can be divided into two clades. Sinojackia oblongicarpa as a distinct species is supported for it is distantly related to S. sarcocarpa. The evolutionary analysis of morphological features indicates that woody mesocarp is an ancestral feature, while mesocarp undeveloped, spongy and fleshy are the later derived. Sinojackia originated in Central-Southeast China during the early Miocene. In this period, it experienced elevated diversification and migrated from the Central-Southeast China to Hunan Province and Sichuan Province with the development of the Asian monsoon and East Asian flora. Sinojackia experienced elevated diversification at intraspecies levels that mainly occurred in the Quaternary. Glacial-interglacial interactions with the monsoon climate may provide favorable expansion conditions for Sinojackia on a small-scale.

Electrochemical methods are used for the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewater, either independently or in conjunction with biological methods. This conjunction is used for pretreatment or posttreatment of biologically treated wastewater. In our work, we focused on the combination of these processes, where pre-electrolysis was used to produce dissolved iron before the activation process. Electrolysis was also directly introduced into the activation using either iron or carbon electrodes. The surface of one iron electrode was 32.2 cm2, the applied voltage was 21 V, and the supplied current was 270 mA. The surface of one carbon electrode was 7.54 cm2, the supplied current was 82.5 mA, and the applied voltage was 21 V. From laboratory research on the treatment of synthetic municipal wastewater using a combination of electrolysis and activation processes, it resulted that the use of iron electrodes increased the efficiency of phosphorus removal compared to its precipitation with iron salts. The electrolysis had a positive effect on the sedimentation properties of sludge and the destruction of filamentous microorganisms. Electrolysis negatively affected the respiration rates of activated sludge and the efficiency of denitrification. However, it did not have a negative impact on the nitrification activity of the sludge.

Attribute reduction is a core technique in the rough set domain and an important step in data preprocessing. Researchers have proposed numerous innovative methods to enhance the capability of attribute reduction, such as the emergence of multi-granularity rough set models, which can effectively process distributed and multi-granularity data. However, these innovative methods still have many shortcomings, such as how to deal with complex constraints and how to perform multi-angle effectiveness evaluations. Based on the multi-granularity model, this study proposes a new method of attribute reduction, namely using multi-granularity neighborhood information gain ratio as the measurement criterion. This method combines both supervised and unsupervised perspectives, and by integrating multi-granularity technology with neighborhood rough set theory, constructs a model that can adapt to multi-level data features. This model can select the optimal granularity level or attribute set according to the requirements. Finally, the proposed method is experimented with on 15 UCI datasets against six other attribute reduction algorithms. The experimental outcomes, upon analysis and comparative review, substantiate the reliability and consistency of the attribute reduction approach introduced in this study.

Computer vision is a rapidly developing field that focuses on highly sophisticated picture analysis, manipulation, and comprehension. Its objective is to analyze what is happening in front of a camera and utilize that understanding to control a computer or robotic system or to present users with fresh visuals that are more enlightening or appealing than the original camera images. Computer vision technologies make it feasible for new user interfaces, augmented reality gaming, biometrics, automobile, photography, movie creation, Web search, and many more applications. This essay seeks to explain how computer vision can be utilized to play blackjack successfully.

Background: Approximately 10-20% of subjects vaccinated with HBsAg-based hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines are non-responders. BM32 is a recombinant grass pollen allergy vaccine containing the HBV-derived preS surface antigen as immunological carrier protein. PreS includes the binding site of HBV to its receptor on hepatocytes. We investigated if immunological non-responsiveness to HBV after repeated HBsAg-based vaccinations can be overcome by immunization with VVX001 (i.e., Alum-adsorbed BM325, a component of BM32). Methods: A subject failing to develop protective HBV-specific immunity after HBsAg-based vaccination received five monthly injections of 20 µg VVX001. PreS-specific antibody responses were measured by ELISA and micro-array technology. Serum reactivity to subviral particles of different HBV genotypes was determined by sandwich ELISA. PreS-specific T cell responses were monitored by CFSE staining and subsequent FACS analysis. HBV neutralization was assessed using cultured HBV-infected HepG2 cells. Results: Vaccination with VVX001 induced a strong and sustained preS-specific antibody response composed mainly of the IgG1 subclass. PreS-specific IgG antibodies were primarily directed to the N-terminal part of preS containing the NTCP attachment site. IgG reactivity to sub-viral particles as well as to the N-terminal preS-derived peptides was comparable for HBV genotypes A-H. A pronounced reactivity of CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes specific for preS after the complete injection course remaining up to one year after the last injection was found. Maximal HBV neutralization (98.4%) in vitro was achieved 1 month after the last injection which correlated with the maximal IgG reactivity to the N-terminal part of preS. Conclusion: Our data suggest that VVX001 may be used as a preventive vaccination against HBV even in non-responders to HBsAg-based HBV vaccines.

Adjunctive treatment of periodontitis lacks solutions allowing enough time for wound healing in the periodontal pockets by avoiding a fast re-colonization. Such a solution might be an antibiotic containing formulation with a controlled release over weeks. Here, a recently described minocycline containing approach is qualified for further clinical development by focusing on proof-of-concept, systemic burden, resistance development and degradation studies. Animal studies were done in two different (mouse-chamber, rat Porphyromonas gingivalis challenging) models, including effects on inflammation markers, bone loss and bone structure. Also, serum concentrations of minocycline after local application were determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The resistance status of bacterial clinical isolates against minocycline was investigated and the degradation of the formulation was characterized by laser scanning- and scanning electron microscopy. Animal studies clearly demonstrated the applicability of the new formulation in the investigated models. Inflammation markers decreased dosage dependent and reduced bone loss compared to non-treated group was observed. Thereby, the systemic burden of the antibiotic was neglectable. Minocycline is still effective against oral pathogens; resistance development was not seen. The biodegradable thread was first swollen and subsequently degraded over weeks. The results support the continued clinical development of this new formulation. A phase I clinical trial is planned to further evaluate its safety and efficacy.

(1) Background: In a society with an advancing aging rate, medical systems are coming under pressure due to an increasing flow of elderly patients with multiple somatic diseases, exacerbated by their fragile psychological and sociological backgrounds. We aimed to investigate the relationship be-tween frailty and loneliness in elderly people. Our research question was “Is there a link between the loneliness and frailty in elderly people?” (2) Methods: To assess the link between loneliness and frailty, we conducted a search accessing Index Medicus and PubMed; the timeframe of our research was from 2013 till 2023. Data regarding the study population, as well as loneliness and fragility assessments and approaches, were extracted. (3) Results: A positive relationship between loneliness and the appearance and progression of frailty in elderly people is argued for. (4) Conclusions: Maintaining a balance in the body’s functionality for as long as possible requires the diagnosis and periodic assessment of health status at any age and, due to the various socio-financial and emotional implications, is particularly imperative for elderly patients. Frailty can be prevented, and it appears that it could even be reversed if early diagnosis and appropriate interventions are made. Therefore, knowledge of relevant risk factors—most likely including loneliness—is an absolute necessity to slow down, stop, and even reverse the frailty process.

Nanocomposites of TiO₂ Degussa P25 nanoparticles/activated carbon (TiO₂/AC ) were prepared at various mass ratios of (4:1), (3:2), (2:3), and (1:4) by a facile process. The effects of TiO₂/AC mass ratios on the structural, morphological, and photocatalytic properties were systematically studied in comparison with bare TiO₂ and bare AC. TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibited dominant anatase and minor rutile phases, and a crystallite size of approximately 21 nm; while AC had XRD peaks of graphite and carbon, and a crystallite size of 49 nm. The composites exhibited tight decoration of TiO₂ nanoparticles on micron-/submicron AC particles, and uniform TiO₂/AC composites were obtained as evidenced by the uniform distribution of Ti, O, and C in an EDS mapping. Moreover, Raman spectra show the typical vibration modes of anatase TiO₂ (e.g., E_1g⁽¹⁾, B_1g⁽¹⁾, E_g⁽³⁾) and carbon materials with D and G bands. The TiO₂/AC with (4:1), (3:2), and (2:3) possessed higher reaction rate constants (k) in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) than that of either TiO₂ or AC. Among the investigated materials, TiO₂/AC = 4:1 achieved the highest photocatalytic activity with a high k of 55.2×10^-3 min^-1 and an MB removal efficiency of 96.6% after 30 min treatment under UV-Vis irradiation (120 mW/cm²). The enhanced photocatalytic activity for TiO₂/AC is due to the synergistic effect of the high adsorption capability of AC and the high photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. Furthermore, TiO₂/AC promotes the separation of photoexcited electron/hole (e^-/h⁺) pairs to reduce their recombination rate and thus enhance photocatalytic activity. The optimal TiO₂/AC composite in this study can be used for treating industrial or household wastewater with organic pollutants.

To analyze the viral titers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at the anterior nasal site (ANS) and nasopharyngeal site (NS), evaluate their virological dynamics, and validate the usefulness of a newly developed two antigen-detecting rapid antigen diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) that simultaneously detects SARS-CoV-2 and RSV using clinical specimens. This study included 195 asymptomatic to severely ill patients. Overall, 668 specimens were collected simultaneously from the ANS and NS. The cycle threshold (Ct) values calculated from real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze temporal changes in viral load and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Ag-RDT. The mean Ct values for SARS-CoV-2-positive, ANS, and NS specimens were 28.8, 28.9, and 28.7, respectively. The mean Ct values for RSV-positive, ANS, and NS specimens were 28.7, 28.8, and 28.6, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 and RSV showed the same trend in viral load, although the viral load of NS was higher than that of ANS. The sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed Ag-RDT were excellent in specimens collected up to 10 days after the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection and up to 6 days after the onset of RSV infection.

Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been pivotal in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic yet understanding the subsequent outcomes and immunological effects remain crucial, especially for at-risk groups e.g. people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH). In this study we report the longitudinal IgA and IgG antibody titers, as well as antibody-mediated angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding blockade, against the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) proteins after 1 and 2 doses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in a population of Black PLWH. Here, we report that PLWH (N = 103) did not produce an anti-S IgA response after infection or vaccination, however, anti-S IgG was detected in response to vaccination and infection, with the highest level detected for infected vaccinated participants. The anti-IgG and ACE2 blockade assays revealed that both vaccination and infection resulted in IgG production, however, only vaccination resulted in a moderate increase in ACE2 binding blockade to the ancestral S protein. Vaccination with a previous infection results in the greatest anti-S IgG and ACE2 blockade for the ancestral S protein. In conclusion, PLWH produce an anti-S IgG response to the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and/or infection, and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination with a previous infection produced more neutralizing antibodies than vaccination alone.

A significant number of persons with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience persistent, recurrent, or new symptoms several months after the acute stage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) infection. This phenomenon, termed Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) or Long COVID, is associated with high viral titers during acute infection, a persistently hyperactivated immune system, tissue injury by NETosis-induced micro-thrombofibrosis (NETinjury), microbial translocation, complement deposition, fibrotic macrophages, the presence of auto-antibodies, and lymphopenic immune environments. Here, we review the current literature on the immunological imbalances that occur during PASC. Specifically, we focus on data supporting common immunopathogenesis and tissue injury mechanisms shared across this highly heterogenous disorder including NETosis, coagulopathy, and fibrosis. Mechanisms include changes in leukocyte subsets/functions, fibroblast activation, cytokine imbalances, lower cortisol, autoantibodies, co-pathogen reactivation, and residual immune activation driven by persistent viral antigens and/or microbial translocation. Taken together, we develop the premise that SARS-CoV-2 infection results in PASC as a consequence of acute and/or persistent single or multiple organ injury mediated by PASC determinants to include degree of host response (inflammation, NETinjury), residual viral antigen (persistent antigen) and exogenous factors (microbial translocation). Determinants of PASC may be amplified by co-morbidities, age, and sex. Keywords: long COVID, PASC, long haulers, NETosis, T cell, NK cell, DC, neutrophil,

The recent outbreak of a new Coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic with about 10,5 million reported cases and over 500,000 deaths worldwide. Our prospective paper reports an updated analysis of the impact that this pandemic had on the Italian agri-food sector during the national lockdown and discusses why and how this unprecedented economic crisis could be a turning point to deal with the overall sustainability of food and agricultural systems in the frame of the forthcoming European Green Deal. Its introductory part includes a wide-ranging examination of the first quarter of pandemic emergency, with a specific focus on the primary production, to be understood as agriculture (i.e. crops and livestock, and their food products), fisheries and forestry. The effect on the typical food and wine exports, and the local environment tourism segments is also taken into account in this analysis, because of their old and deep roots into the cultural and historical heritage of the country. The subsequent part of the paper is centered on strategic lines and research networks for an efficient socio-economic and territorial restart, and a faster transition to sustainability in the frame of a circular bio-economy. Particular emphasis is given to the urgent need of investments in research and development concerning agriculture, in terms of not only a fruitful penetration of the agro-tech for a next-generation agri-food era, but also a deeper attention to the natural and environmental resources, including forestry. As for the rest of Europe, Italy demands actions to expand knowledge and strengthen research applied to technology transfer for innovation activities aimed at providing solutions for a climate neutral and resilient society, in reference to primary production to ensure food security and nutrition quality. Our expectation is that science and culture return to play a central role in national society, as their main actors are capable of making a pivotal contribution to renew and restart the whole primary sector and agri-food industry, addressing also social and environmental issues, and so accelerating the transition to sustainability.

Background Diabetic patients have an increased risk of infections; however, the association between type 2 diabetes and hospital outcomes of sepsis remains controversial when the diabetes severity is not considered. We examined this association using nationwide and hospital-based databases concomitantly. Methods The first part of this study was conducted using 2 nationwide databases: the Longitudinal Cohort of Diabetes Patients and the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000. The diabetic complication burden was evaluated using the adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index score (aDCSI score). In the second part, we used the hospital-based database with laboratory data, such as initial blood glucose and HbA1c levels, to make comparisons between surviving and dead patients with type 2 diabetes and sepsis. Results The nationwide study included 19,719 type 2 diabetic sepsis patients and an equal number of non-diabetic patients. The diabetic sepsis patients had an increased odds ratio (OR) of 1.14 (95% CI 1.1-1.19) for hospital mortality. The OR for mortality increased as the complication burden increased (diabetic sepsis patients with aDCSI scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥5 had ORs of 0.91, 0.87, 1.14, 1.25, 1.56, and 1.77 for mortality, respectively (all P<0.001 and P for trend <0.001)). A total of 1,054 diabetic sepsis patients were included from the hospital-based database. Initial blood glucose levels in the surviving and dead diabetic sepsis patients did not differ significantly: 273.9 ± 180.3 versus 266.1 ± 200.2 (mg/dL) (P=0.095). Moreover, the surviving diabetic sepsis patients did not have a lower HbA1c (%): 8.4 ± 2.6 versus 8.0 ± 2.5 (P=0.078). Conclusions In the case of type 2 diabetic sepsis patients, the diabetes-related complication burden is the major determinant of hospital mortality rather than the diabetes itself. Contrary to popular belief, initial blood glucose and HbA1c levels may not be as important as previously thought.

Despite advances in our knowledge of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has increased over time, there are still many challenges in deciphering the precise mechanisms involved in the development and progression of the disease. Recent evidence has raised questions about the effectiveness of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in suppressing autoreactive CD4+ T cells during the autoimmune response. Research has ventured into investigate the potential impact of PD-1 on various CD4+ T cell subpopulations, including T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, circulating Tfh (cTfh) cells, and T peripheral helper (Tph) cells, all of which exhibit substantial PD-1 expression and have been closely related with several autoimmune disorders including SLE. This review aims to highlight the complex role of PD-1 in autoimmunity and emphasizes the imperative for further research to elucidate its functions during autoreactive T-cell response. Additionally, we address the potential of PD-1 or its ligands as a possible therapeutic target in SLE.

Base excision repair (BER) is the predominant pathway to remove most forms of hydrolytic, oxidative and alkylative DNA damage. The precise functioning of BER is achieving by the regulation of each step by regulatory/accessory proteins, with the most important of which being poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1). The PARP1 regulatory functions extend to many cellular processes including regulation of mRNA stability and decay. PARP1 can therefore affect BER both at the level of the BER proteins and at the level of their mRNAs. Systematic data on how the PARP1 content affects the activities of key BER proteins and the levels of their mRNAs in human cells are extremely limited. In this study the CRISPR/Cas9 based technique has been used to knocked out the PARP1 gene in the human HEK 293FT line. The obtained cell clones with putative PARP1 deletion were characterized by several approaches including: PCR analysis of deletions in genomic DNA, Sanger sequencing of genomic DNA, qPCR analysis of PARP1 mRNA, western-blot analysis of whole-cell-extract proteins with anti-PARP1 antibodies, and the PAR synthesis in the whole-cell-extracts. qPCR analysis of mRNAs coding the BER related proteins: PARP2, uracil DNA glycosylase 2, AP endonuclease 1, DNA polymerase β, DNA ligase III and XRCC1 did not reveal crucial influence of PARP1 knockout. The corresponding catalytic activities in the whole-cell extracts (WCEs) evaluated in parallel did not differ significantly between mutant and parental cell lines. No considerable influence of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis on the activity of the above WCE enzymes was revealed.

This paper presents an innovative testing framework, testFAILS, designed for the rigorous evaluation of AI Linguistic Systems, with a particular emphasis on various iterations of ChatGPT. Leveraging orthogonal array coverage, this framework provides a robust mechanism for assessing AI systems, addressing the critical question, "How should we evaluate AI?" While the Turing test has traditionally been the benchmark for AI evaluation, we argue that current publicly available chatbots, despite their rapid advancements, have yet to meet this standard. However, the pace of progress suggests that achieving Turing test-level performance may be imminent. In the interim, the need for effective AI evaluation and testing methodologies remains paramount. Our research, which is ongoing, has already validated several versions of ChatGPT, and we are currently conducting comprehensive testing on the latest models, including ChatGPT-4, Bard and Bing Bot, and the LLaMA model. The testFAILS framework is designed to be adaptable, ready to evaluate new bot versions as they are released. Additionally, we have tested available chatbot APIs and developed our own application, AIDoctor, utilizing the ChatGPT-4 model and Microsoft Azure AI technologies

Vascular calcification (VC) is associated with increased cardiovascular risks in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, like empagliflozin, can improve cardiovascular and renal outcomes. We assessed the expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in inorganic phosphate–induced VC in mouse VSMCs to investigate the mechanisms underlying empagliflozin’s therapeutic effects. We evaluated biochemical parameters, mean artery pressure (MAP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), transcutaneous glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and histology in an in vivo mouse model with VC induced by an oral high-phosphorus diet following a 5/6 nephrectomy in ApoE−/− mice. Compared to the control group, empagliflozin-treated mice showed significant reductions in blood glucose, MAP, PWV, and calcification, as well as increased calcium and GFR levels. Empagliflozin inhibited osteogenic trans-differentiation by decreasing inflammatory cytokine expression and increasing AMPK, Nrf2, and HO-1 levels. Empagliflozin mitigates high phosphate–induced calcification in mouse VSMCs through the Nrf2/HO-1 anti-inflammatory pathway by activating AMPK. Animal experiments suggested that empagliflozin reduces VC in CKD ApoE−/− mice on a high-phosphate diet.

Background/Aim: To evaluate the association between baseline [18F]FDG-PET/CT tumor burden parameters and disease progression rate after first-line target therapy or immunotherapy in advanced melanoma patients. Materials and Methods: 44 melanoma patients who underwent [18F]FDG-PET/CT before first-line target therapy (28/50) or immunotherapy (16/50) were retrospectively analyzed. Whole-body and per-district metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated. Therapy response was assessed according to RECIST 1.1 on CT scan at 3 (early) and 12 (late) months. PET parameters were compared with Mann-Whitney test. Optimal cut-offs for predicting progression were defined using the ROC curve. PFS and OS were studied using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Median(IQR) MTVwb and TLGwb were 13.1 mL and 72.4 respectively. Non-responders patients were 38/44, 26/28 and 12/16 at early evaluation, and in 33/44, 21/28 and 12/16 at late evaluation in the whole-cohort, target and immunotherapy subgroup respectively. At late evaluation, MTVbone and TLGbone were higher in non-responders compared to responder patients (all p<0.037) in the whole-cohort and target subgroup and also MTVwb and TLGwb (all p<0.022) in target subgroup. No significant differences were found for immunotherapy subgroup. No metabolic parameters were able to predict PFS. Controversy, MTVlfn, TLGlfn, MTVsoft+lfn, TLG-soft+lfn, MTVwb and TLGwb were significantly associated (all p<0.05) with OS in both the whole-cohort and target therapy subgroup. Conclusion: Higher values of whole-body and bone metabolic parameters were correlated with poorer outcome, while higher values of whole-body, lymph node and soft tissue metabolic parameters were correlated with OS.

Most oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) arise from oral epithelial dysplasia; however, there is no useful marker for early OSCC detection, likely owing to the inability to continuously observe the carcinoma sequence. We aimed to establish an experimental model to observe changes in the sequential expression pattern of mRNA and protein in the same rat using liquid-based cytology techniques. Cytology specimens were collected from a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced rat tongue cancer model at 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 21 weeks. We examined candidate biomarker expression using immunocytochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR. The percentage of positively stained nuclei was calculated as the labeling index (LI). All rats had OSCC of the tongue at 21 weeks. Brd4 (Brd4), Myc (c-Myc), and Tp53 (p53) mRNA levels were upregulated during progression from negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy to SCC. Brd4- and c-Myc-LI were increased in low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and SCC specimens. p53-LI was significantly increased in SCC specimens. Our experimental model allowed the observation of sequential morphological changes and mRNA and protein expression patterns in the same rat during carcinogenesis. By reducing the false negative rate, BRD4 and c-Myc can be useful markers for the early detection of OSCC.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, causing inflammation of joints, cartilage destruction and bone erosion. Biomarkers and new drug targets are actively sought and progressed to improve available options for patient treatment. The Collagen Triple Helix Repeat Containing 1 protein (CTHRC1) may have an important role as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis, as CTHRC1 protein concentration is significantly elevated in the peripheral blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients, compared to osteoarthritis (OA) patients and healthy individuals. CTHRC1 is a secreted glycoprotein that promotes cell migration and has been implicated in arterial tissue-repair processes. Furthermore, high CTHRC1 expression is observed in many types of cancer and this is associated with cancer metastasis to the bone and poor prognosis. However, the function of CTHRC1 in RA is still largely undefined. The aim of this review is to summarize recent findings on the role of CTHRC1 as a potential biomarker and pathogenic driver of RA progression that may be linked to the pathogenic behavior of fibroblast-like synoviocytes, cartilage destruction, and bone erosion.

HIV-1 is a complicated and perplexing virus. It infects T cells, reverse transcribes its RNA into DNA, utilizes its host DNA machinery to replicate its HIV-DNA, translates the HIV-DNA into proteins, assembles itself for a budding escape from the T cell, and rapidly mutates its conformation. Partially, due to its complexity, there remains no cure for HIV or AIDs. However, recently with the discovery of TALENs, the use of zinc fingers, and most of all the applications of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, has given researchers new hope in finding alternative gene therapies and treatments for diseases. With more focus on CRISPR-Cas9, this new and novel technology uses a guiding RNA, sgRNA, to lead a Cas9 nuclease to its target for deletion or to change that DNA site. CRISPR-Cas9 can delete point mutations and multiple DNA sites. Because CRISPR can alter DNA sequences, several scientists have conducted research into CRISPR, possibly treating more diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and even HIV. HIV-1 drew the focus of a researcher named Dr. Ebina in 2013 when he was the first to design and apply CRISPR-Cas9 to genes found in the binding sites of HIV-1, inhibiting HIV-1 gene expression. Since 2013, several other researchers have blocked HIV replication and infection through CRISPR-Cas9 targeting the receptors of T cells called the CC chemokine receptor 5 or CCR5. HIV-1 binds to the CD4 receptor of T cells, which consists of co-receptors CCR5 and CXCR4. If CCR5 expression can be removed, the HIV virus cannot bind to T-cells, blocking the initial attachment stage, and discontinuing the infection. However, there remain obstacles and issues for the CRISPR deletion of CCR5 for treating HIV-1. The issues include: 1) finding new and safe methods of CRISPR-Cas9 delivery, 2) clearing the latent HIV reservoirs, 3) improving the sgRNA design to avoid off-target mutations or deletions, and 4) effectively analyze the viral escape of HIV from CRISPR-Cas9 modifications. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss possible techniques for removing the obstacles that can lessen the potential of CRISPR to delete CCR5, repressing HIV-1 into long-term remission or a functional cure.

Despite the publication in 2009 of a paper on ‘terms and definitions of immune thrombocytopenia’, (ITP) some unresolved issues remain and are reflected by the disagreement in the treatment suggested for primary ITP in adults. Considering that these disagreements could be ascribed to non-shared goals, a ‘consensus’ to classify the different lines of treatment for primary ITP in adults according to their indications and goals was proposed in October 2018 to the XIX annual meeting of the Italian Gruppo di Studio delle Piastrine (GSP), a non-profit platelet study group of scientists and physicians. Having approved the project, 60 potential co-authors and experts in the world were invited to take part to a consensus through e-Delphy method and nine of the 12 who initially accepted the invitation completed the work. Agreement was reached on a classification of four lines of treatment for primary ITP in adults based on their indications and goals. The consensus obtained regarded also the criteria, ‘timing’ included, to consider practicable elective splenectomy in these patients. In our opinion, the classification of the lines of treatment for primary ITP in adults here proposed could facilitate the realization of better shared evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of the disease.

Candida (C.) infections represent a serious health risk for people affected by inflammatory bowel disease. An important fungal virulence factor is the capacity to form biofilms on the colonized surface of the host. This research study aimed to determine the effect of C. tropicalis and C. albicans co-infection on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Colitis severity was evaluated using histology and colonoscopy. Mice were mono-inoculated with C. albicans, C. tropicalis or co-challenged with both species. Mice were administered 3% DSS to induce acute colitis. Biofilm activity was assessed using (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl] 2H-tetrazoliumhydroxide (XTT) assay. Abundance of C. albicans in the colon tissues was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Co-challenged mice showed decreased colitis severity compared to mono-inoculated mice. The XTT assay demonstrated a marked decrease of C. albicans biofilm production in a C. albicans culture incubated with C. tropicalis supernatant. Immunohistochemical staining showed that C. albicans was more abundant in the mucosa of C. albicans mono-inoculated mice compared to the co-inoculated group. These data indicate an antagonistic microbial interaction between the two Candida species, where C. tropicalis may produce molecules capable of limiting the ability of C. albicans to adhere to the host intestinal surface leading to a reduction in biofilm formation.

Land Surface Temperature is a one of the key variable of Global climate changes and model which estimate radiating budget in heat balance as control of climate model. It is a major influenced factor by the ability of the surface emissivity. In this study, were used Landsat 8 satellite image that have Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor to calculate Land Surface Temperature through geospatial technology over Ampara district, Sri Lanka. The Land Surface Temperature was estimated with respect to Land Surface Emissivity and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values determined from the Red and Near Infrared channels. Land Surface Emissivity was processed directly by the thermal Infrared bands. Pixels based calculation were used to effort at LANDSAT 8 images that thermal Band 10 various dates in this study. The results were achievable to compute Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Land Surface Emissivity, and Land Surface Temperature with applicable manner to compare with land use/ land cover data. It determines and predicts the changes of surface temperature to favorable to decision making process for the society. Study area faces seasonal drought in Sri Lanka, the prediction method that how land can be efficiently used with the present condition. Therefore, the Land Surface Temperature estimation can prove whether new irrigation systems for agricultural activities or can transformed source of energy into useful form that introducing solar hubs for energy production in future.

In this paper, we investigate a class of hierarchical variational inequalities (HVIPs, i.e., strongly monotone variational inequality problems defined on the solution set of multiple-set split common fixed point problems) with quasi-pseudocontractive mappings in real Hilbert spaces, which special cases can be found in many important engineering practical applications such as image recognizing, signal processing and machine learning. In order to solve HVIPs of potential application value, inspired by the primal-dual algorithm, we propose a novel accelerated cyclic iterative algorithm that combines the inertial method with a correction term and a self-adaptive step-size technique. Our approach eliminates the need for prior knowledge of the bounded linear operator norm. Under appropriate assumptions, we establish strong convergence of the algorithm. Finally, we apply our novel iterative approximation to solve multiple-set split feasibility problems and verify the effectiveness of the proposed iterative algorithm through numerical results.

Background: Bacterial resistance to several antibiotic classes is seen as a grave threat worldwide. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics was mostly caused by the abuse and overuse of antibiotics, particularly penicillins and first-generation cephalosporins, in Egypt's primary healthcare facilities. Aim of the study: To investigate the main resistant bacteria to a few chosen penicillins and first-generation cephalosporins, as well as the characterization of these antibiotics' resistant genes and their detrimental effects in Egypt's main medical facilities. Methodology: Two hundred respiratory and urinary tract infection (RTI and UTI) specimens were gathered from Egyptian primary medical center patients. The turbidimetric assay at 630 nm wavelength, the broth dilution technique, and the nanopore sequencing homology approach were used to characterize the major resistant pathogenic bacteria and their resistant genes to cefadroxil (first generation cephalosporins) and nafcillin (antipseudomonal penicillin). Moreover, adverse outcomes resulting from antibiotic resistance were noted. Results: Out of 200 specimens with RTI and UTI, 186 samples showed the proliferation of resistant bacteria isolates. Enterococcus faecium strain NFC and Staphylococcus aureus strain CDX were among them. Nanopore sequencing confirmed that the antibiotic-resistant gene in Enterococcus faecium was the NFC gene, whereas the antibiotic-resistant gene in Staphylococcus aureus was the CDX gene. Penicillin-binding proteins with modest affinity were encoded by both genes. These bacterial resistance patterns were linked to a low death rate of 5% and a high morbidity rate of 47%. Conclusion: By expressing low-affinity penicillin-binding proteins through resistant NFC and CDX genes, Enterococcus faecium strain NFC and Staphylococcus aureus strain CDX were found to be the predominant bacterial isolates that cause antibiotic resistance to first-generation cephalosporins and penicillins.

The digital transformation of the global economy presents new challenges and opportunities for businesses and nations. With the growing role of digital technologies and the dynamic changes in the structure of the economy, there is a need for a better understanding of the processes shaping contemporary enterprises. This article analyzes the impact of digital transformation on businesses and the global economy, identifying key areas where these changes are most evident. As part of this discussion, a modification of the “9 Pillars of Industry 4.0” concept is proposed, incorporating solutions that have emerged since its inception. The resulting model, “11 Pillars of Industry 4.0,” enabled the analysis of the “born digital” and “born global” concepts, highlighting their numerous common features in the context of the digital transformation of economies. This became the basis for proposing a new concept: “born digibal” — enterprises that from the outset operate in multiple markets, with their main sphere of activity based on digital solutions.The conclusions of the article provide an assessment of the changes occurring in businesses and the global economy in the digital age. They suggest that the dynamics of globalization in the 21st century will be shaped by complex interactions between digital transformation and the actions of businesses and nations, requiring flexibility and innovation in adapting to new economic realities.

The demand for improved service in mobile networks is always increasing. That means signal transmission with higher capacity is required. To achieve that goal a combined optical and wireless link using double polarization multiplexing has been developed. A high quality signal transmission is achieved by applying high polarization extinction ratio. The new concept is validated by experiments varying the bit rate and fiber length. A signal with 12 Gbit/s bit rate was transmitted over a 25 km long combined link with about 1.10-8 bit error rate. That result is much better than the already published data which were measured on links transmitting information with 2.5 Gbit/s bit rate. The polarization multiplexing technique is very practical for capacity enhancement in a specific section of an existing optical fiber by inserting a new link into it without deploying a new fiber.

Determining the general-name-derived semantic relationships between geographic names often requires consulting many geographic name documents for verification. In geographic name translation and geographic name knowledge graphs, this method cannot meet the needs of large-scale extraction of general-name-derived semantic relationships between geographic entities. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a general-name derivation relation recognition method based on Prompt learning and Semantic Spatiotemporal Distribution Attention Feature Fusion (SSD-AFF). This method adopts a pipe-based relationship recognition strategy. First, the Prompt learning method is adopted to form a general-name derivation pattern with the general-name-derived geographical name category and the original geographical name category as the prompt word, and then the derivation pattern is combined with the geographical name as the input of the model so that the recognition problem of the general-name derivation of the geographical name can be transformed into a classification problem using the bidirectional language model. Then, by analyzing the characteristics of the semantic association and geographical spatio-temporal distribution between the general-name-derived geographical name and the original geographical name, the semantic spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of the general-name-derived geographical name are constructed. Finally, the network model based on the semantic spatio-temporal distribution Attention Feature Fusion (SSD-AFF) is used to distinguish the general-name-derived semantic relationships. The experimental results show that the proposed method has good performance. It can effectively mine the general-name-derived semantic relations between the vector data of geographical entities and has important application value in geographical name translation and geographical name knowledge maps.

This article aims to identify the relationship between sustainability and strategic management to determine whether sustainability can be considered a strategic management research fashion. This involves a bibliometric analysis of recent academic literature from 2021 to 2023 to identify the latest academic research, key trends, collaboration and keyword networks within this relationship. The analysis was conducted using two datasets from the Scopus database. These datasets focus on English-language journal articles on business, management and accounting. The first covers academic research on strategic management, while the second expands to sustainability and sustainable development. The results show that strategic management research focusing on sustainability has recently grown faster (24.70%) than the whole strategic management research area (14.30%). Furthermore, the geographical analysis of co-authorship identified articles from 88 countries, suggesting a broad interest in this relationship. Notably, the strategic management network mapping revealed a unique, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and sustainability cluster. Moreover, extended mapping revealed four clusters covering crisis management, strategic and creative sustainable development, operational and regulatory sustainability, sustainable supply chains, and resource management. The results thus confirm the rapid growth and widespread coverage of research on sustainability and strategic management, highlighting sustainability as a strategic management research fashion.

In order to make full use of the complementarity of existing navigation systems to improve the navigation and positioning accuracy, this paper investigates the visual/INS integrated navigation system based on the factor graph optimization (FGO) algorithm. In the traditional visual/INS integrated navigation system, there is often the problem of image blurring due to the rapid change of light and shadow captured by the vision sensor and the attitude change of the carrier, which leads to the decrease of the positioning accuracy of the combined navigation system. Therefore, this paper firstly introduces Retinex algorithm and BID algorithm to carry out the design of image de-blurring method; then implements the visual/INS integrated navigation algorithm based on the factor graph optimization method; finally, the experimental scheme is designed, comparative experiments are carried out, and the researched method is verified by using the public dataset. The experimental results show that the combined navigation algorithm realized in this paper has high accuracy, and its positioning accuracy is improved by 40% compared with visual positioning.

Background: Across the world, antibiotic resistance is a critical challenge. To address such a problem, it has to be done to investigate new antibiotic sources. Aim of the study: Study of the antibacterial activity of Corallopyronin A in preclinical animal testing and randomized human clinical trials stages 1/2, as well as investigating the purification of Corallopyronin A from different soil conditions in Egypt. Type of the study: Screening experimental study. Methodology: Egypt's various soil conditions were tested to develop bacterial isolates that produced the antibiotic compound Corallopyronin A. Reversed phase HPLC was used to purify Myxopyronin A. The broth microdilution method and the paper disc diffusion assay determined the test antibiotic's minimum inhibitory concentration( MIC) and in vitro antibacterial activity. Moreover, in vivo antibacterial spectrum, adverse medication responses, and pharmacokinetics were found in phases 1/2 of randomized clinical studies involving humans and animal models. Results: Corallopyronin A was generated from the culture supernatant of the soil bacterial isolate Corallococcus coralloides M2, cultivated on a Casein yeast peptone( CYP) plate. The test antibiotic prevented the growth of several Gram-ve bacteria, including Escherichia coli, at MICs higher than 100 mcg/ ml; while blocking the development of many Gram +ve bacteria, with MICs ranging from 3 to 15 mcg/ ml. However, eukaryotic cells—such as those found in fungi and humans—were unaffected. A bactericidal consequence of the test antibiotic was detected in the inhibition of prokaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase( RNLP). Conclusion: The synthesis of the bactericidal antibiotic Corallopyronin A from Corallococcus coralloides M2 isolated from different soil settings in Egypt intrigued the current investigation.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is an overwhelming serious difficulty globally. This necessitates the exploration of novel sources of antibiotics to overcome this challenge. Aim of the study: Bacterial Myxopyronin A production from various soil environments Egypt; as well as testing its antimicrobial activity in preclinical animal testing and randomized human clinical trials phases 1/2. Type of the study: Screening experimental study. Methodology: Different soil environments in Egypt were screened for the growth of bacterial isolates producing Myxopyronin A as an antimicrobial agent. Purification of Myxopyronin A was performed via reversed-phase HPLC. Paper disc diffusion assay, as well as the Broth dilution technique, were exploited to assess the invitro antimicrobial and minimum inhibitory concentration( MIC) of the test antibiotic. Furthermore, in vivo antimicrobial spectrum, adverse drug reactions, and pharmacokinetics were detected during animal model testing stages and human randomized clinical trials phases 1/2. Results: From the culture supernatant of the Myxobacterium Myxococcus fulvus 124B02 which was the predominant soil bacterial isolate grown on the Casein yeast peptone plate, Myxopyronin A was produced. The test antibiotic blocked the growth of many Gram +ve bacteria with MICs less than 100 mcg/ ml. In contrast, it inhibited the growth of a few Gram -ve bacteria such as Escherichia coli at MICs greater than 100 mcg/ ml. On the other hand, Eukaryotic cells such as fungal and human cells were not affected. Prokaryotic DNA-dependant-RNA polymerase( RNLP) was noticed to be inhibited via the test antibiotic suggesting its bactericidal action. The maximum concentration was 7-8 mcg/ ml at a maximum time of 2 hours when 600 mg dose was orally administered in randomized human clinical trials phases 1/2, and T1/2 reached 2.5 hours following first-order kinetics of elimination. The duration of its action was nearly 12 hours after oral administration. Rare toxicity was detected during preclinical and randomized human clinical trials phases 1/2 in the form of mild diarrhea and cholestatic jaundice in less than 5 % of experimental candidates. Conclusion: The present study was promising due to the bactericidal antibiotic Myxopyronin A production from Myxococcus fulvus 124B02 isolated from different soil environments in Egypt.

The Active Distribution Networks (ADNs) are Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) systems with coupled dynamics which cause interactions among the control loops of the Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). This undesired effect lead to performance degradation in the voltage control. To mitigate the effects of these unavoidable coupling, the present paper proposes a systematic design procedure based on the analysis of the interaction's sources. In details, each DER is equipped with a double loop PI to control the active and reactive powers output by the Voltage Source Converter (VSC) which connects the DER to the network's node. Furthermore, to guarantee Ancillary Services (ASs), the two loops are coupled by a simple mechanism of cooperation of the active power to voltage regulation realized by a filtered droop law. To achieve voltage regulation with reduced loop interactions, the PI parameters and the filter's pulse are designed according to a two sequential steps procedure based on the (Internal Model Control) IMC technique. Simulation studies are finally presented to demonstrate that the proposed design method achieves both reduction of the loop interaction and robust voltage control in presence of model parameter uncertainty in the MIMO model.

In this paper, we studied the problem of early detection of natural phenomena associated with the formation of severe floods and the possibility of constant monitoring of their occurrence. The test object for the study was severe floods on the Crimean Peninsula, which occurred due to heavy rainfall in the summer of 2021. Based on the selected satellite and other data related to this period, an analysis carried out and key atmospheric objects identified, according to the proposed algorithm for their identification and grouping. Based on the results of the work, a positive conclusion made on the issue of their use to identify the likelihood of natural disasters that could lead to floods. In addition, the authors proposed to develop a portal for collecting and processing a large amount of satellite data related to flood prevention and monitoring the development of such processes, and stressed the need to create it.

As argued by ‘Declaration of Concrete Environment (2010)’ of Korea and ‘Declaration of Asian Concrete Environment (2011)’ of six Asian countries, concrete as a single material has lately shown extremely large impact on environmental issues such as climate change. Assessment of environmental impact from concrete material and production has considerable importance. Concrete is a major material used in the construction industry that emits a large amount of substances with environmental impacts during its life cycle. Accordingly, technologies for the reduction in and assessment of the environmental impact of concrete from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment must be developed. At present, the studies in relation to greenhouse gas emission from concrete are being carried out globally as a countermeasure against climate change. In this study, a sustainable concrete mix design algorithm was designed using correlation analyses, and its carbon emission and cost reduction performances were assessed. Using correlation analyses, the concrete strength, w/b and s/a ratios, and CO₂ emissions were identified as major variables of concrete mix design that influenced other variables. Also, this study aims to evaluate the CO₂ emission reduction performance of the algorithm-deduced sustainable concrete mix design, and therefore, the CO₂ emissions of the sustainable concrete mix design are compared with those of the actual concrete mix design applied to the construction of the office building A in South Korea.

In sustainable floriculture, the integration of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and salicylic acid (SA) in the cultivation of statice flowers presents a promising ecofriendly approach to enhancing crop health and productivity. AMF improve nutrient uptake, particularly phosphorus, in plants, leading to stronger growth and abundant flowering while reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. Additionally, AMF enhance soil structure and water retention, fostering robust root systems and increasing the plant's resilience to drought and soil-borne pathogens thus improving soil health and minimizing environmental impact. Complementarily, the application of salicylic acid boosts the plant’s innate defense mechanisms, elevating its resistance to diseases, enhancing stress tolerance, helping statice flowers withstand adverse conditions such as drought and salinity, and promotes vigorous root development for better nutrient absorption. Hence, this study evaluates the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation and salicylic acid treatment on ornamental statice (Limonium sinuatum [L.] Mill.) cv. Qis White. The investigation involves two primary factors: mycorrhizal inoculation and salicylic acid concentration. For mycorrhizal inoculation, the study compares the untreated control with treatments including Glomus mossae, Gigaspora margarita, and a mixture of both fungi (applied as basal during transplanting). For salicylic acid, the study assesses the untreated control alongside treatments with Salicylic Acid at 100 mg L-1, 150 mg L-1, and 200 mg L-1 (applied as foliar spray at 45 and 90 days after transplanting) in a factorial RCBD experiment with three replications. Growth, flowering, yield and biomass parameters were assessed in this study. The results indicated that statice plants benefited from mycorrhizal inoculation, particularly with Glomus mosseae, when paired with salicylic acid @ 200 mg L-1. This was further validated by principal component analysis. AMF inoculated plants showed improved growth, and superior flower qualities compared to non-inoculated plants. Additionally, the application of salicylic acid demonstrated positive effects across various parameters. Notably mycorrhization led to a delay of 4 to 9 days in the flowering time of statice. In conclusion, mycorrhizal inoculation and salicylic acid can enhance the growth and flowering attributes of statice by choosing the appropriate mycorrhizal inoculum and optimal salicylic acid concentrations. In the future they can contribute to more sustainable and productive statice cultivation by reducing the need for chemical inputs and supporting overall plant health.

Background: Front-of-pack-labels (FOPLs) on packaged foods provide consumers with essential information about the nutritional content of food products, enabling them to make informed choices and align their dietary habits with their health goals. However, evidence on the comprehensibility, use, and effectiveness of FOPLs remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya. Objective: In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three FOPLs in helping consumers identify excess nutrients of concern in packaged food products and their potential influence on food purchases in Kenya. Methods: A total of 2198 shoppers with diverse backgrounds were recruited from selected supermarkets in three Kenyan main cities (Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu) and a small town (Garissa). Participants were randomized to three FOPLs: Red and green Octagon label (RG), Red and Green Octagon with icons (RGI) and a black Octagon Warning label (WL). In the control phase, participants were shown unlabeled images of packaged food products and they responded to a set of questions. In the experimental phase, the same product images were presented with one of the three front-of-pack labels they were randomized to, and participants answered the same questions again. Differences in the proportions of participants correctly identifying the nutrients of concern and the changes in intention to purchase unhealthy foods before and after exposure to FOPLs were analyzed using frequency tables and Chi-Square tests. The effectiveness of the three FOPLs was further assessed using a modified Poisson regression. Results: Results showed that exposure to FOPLs significantly improvement participants' ability to correctly identify nutrients of concern across various food categories. Additionally, FOPLs reduced consumers’ intentions to purchase unhealthy foods, with the Warning Labels (WL) emerging as particularly effective in enhancing consumers' understanding of product healthiness and reducing the intention to purchase unhealthy foods compared to the other two FOPLs. Conclusion: These findings underscore the potential role of FOPLs, particularly the WL as an effective regulatory tool for promoting healthier food choices in Kenya.

The present study aimed to undertake a detailed investigation of pathological epidemiology and molecular confirmation of Ehrlichia canis among pet dogs in smart city Bhubaneswar, Odisha, a state in eastern India. A total of 178 dogs were screened for Ehrlichiosis on the basis of history, clinical signs, blood, and buffy coat smear examination, resulting in only 56 dogs (31.46%) screening positive. The epidemiological study recorded an increase in incidences among dogs less than one year of age (41%), males (68%), German Shepherds (25%), dogs more than 20 kg body weight (75%), summer months (55%) and dogs housed on pukka houses with exposure to the outside (59%). The majority of the infected dogs had a history of tick infestation (79%) at some point in their life. Clinical signs showed non-typical manifestations like fever, lethargy, diarrhoea, epistaxis, hind limb edema, and corneal opacity. Haematological studies revealed anaemia and thrombocytopenia along with neutrophilia with relative lymphopenia and monocytosis. A decreasing trend was observed in the levels of total protein and albumin with an increase in the levels of globulin, AST, ALT, BUN, and creatinine. The ultrasonography studies revealed hepatosplenomegaly along with hyper-echogenicity in various organs. Pro-teinuria and haematuria were consistent, along with the presence of bile salts in the urine of affected dogs. Molecular confirmation from n-type PCR data using Ehrlichia-specific primers targeting p28 gene (843 bp) was done, and the identified gene sequences submitted to NCBI databases have accession numbers OQ383671-OQ383674 and OP886674-OP886677. Ticks collected from dogs were identified morphologically through microscopy and scanning electron microscopy as Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

Detecting small objects in images poses significant challenges due to their limited pixel representation and the difficulty in extracting sufficient features, often leading to missed or false detections. To address these challenges and enhance detection accuracy, this paper presents an improved small object detection algorithm, CRL-YOLOv5. The proposed approach integrates the CBAM attention mechanism into the C3 module of the backbone network, which enhances the localization accuracy of small objects. Additionally, the Receptive Field Block (RFB) module is introduced to expand the model's receptive field, thereby fully leveraging contextual information. Furthermore, the network architecture is restructured to include an additional detection layer specifically for small objects, allowing for deeper feature extraction from shallow layers. When tested on the VisDrone2019 small object dataset, CRL-YOLOv5 achieved an mAP50 of 39.2%, representing a 5.4% improvement over the original YOLOv5, effectively boosting the detection precision for small objects in images.

Deploying Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) devices in urban and remote areas faces significant energy efficiency challenges. This is especially true for Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) devices, which are expected to function on a single charge for up to 10 years while transmitting small amounts of data daily. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced energy-saving mechanisms in Releases 13 to 16, including Early Data Transmission (EDT) and Preconfigured Uplink Resources (PUR). These mechanisms extend battery life and reduce latency by enabling data transmission without an active Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection or Random Access Procedure (RAP). This paper examines these mechanisms using the LENA-NB simulator in the ns-3 environment, which is a comprehensive framework for studying various aspects of NB-IoT. The LENA-NB has been extended with PUR, and our analysis shows that PUR significantly enhances battery life and latency efficiency, particularly in high-density environments. Compared to the default RAP method, PUR reduces energy consumption by more than 2.5 times and increases battery life by 1.6 times. Additionally, PUR achieves latency reductions of 2.5-3.5 times. The improvements with PUR are most notable for packets up to 125 bytes. Our findings highlight PUR’s potential to enable more efficient and effective CIoT deployments across various scenarios. This study represents a detailed analysis of latency and energy consumption in a simulated environment, advancing the understanding of PUR’s benefits.

Adolescence is a central phase for the development of a person’s identity involving complex multidimensional changes and increasing vulnerability to distress. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychological well-being of adolescent students in Brescia (Northern Italy), two years after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. An online survey investigated the extent and the reasons reported by high school students for their emotional distress (ED), also considering other factors such as physical activity, diet, sleep and smartphone overuse. The main reasons for ED were classified through a qualitative analysis of the freetext answers. 1686 students agreed to participate, 50% showed a presence of ED. According to a multiple logistic analysis, the main factors associated to ED were female gender (AdjOR 2.3, p<0.0001), age (AdjOR 1.6, p<0.0001), sleep duration <8 hours (AdjOR 1.5, p=0.0003), anxiety perception (AdjOR 3.4, p<0.0001), and certain eating behaviors, e.g. comfort food consumption (AdjOR 2.0, p<0.0001). According to free-text answers, the main reasons for ED were: “school pressure”, “ relationships with family and peers”, “negative emotional states” and “the pandemic”. The results show a high level of ED among adolescents and the reported reasons may help to better address their psychological needs after the pandemic.

Radial nerve palsies present a challenging clinical scenario, often leading to substantial functional impairment. This study focuses on evaluating the outcomes of tendon transfer surgeries in patients with post-traumatic radial nerve injuries. The radial nerve, vital for upper limb movements, faces various etiologies such as trauma, compression, or idiopathy. Patients with radial nerve palsy encounter difficulties in daily activities, emphasizing the need for effective management strategies. The research introduces a novel evaluation protocol, aiming to comprehensively assess tendon transfer outcomes. This protocol incorporates functional movements of wrist and finger joints, encompassing both objective and subjective parameters. The retrospective study includes eleven patients treated between 2010 and 2022, with a minimum follow-up of one year post-surgery. Tendon transfers demonstrated positive results. The evaluation protocol covers a wide range of parameters, including wrist and finger mobility, thumb function, grip strength, and patient satisfaction. The results indicate successful restoration of motor function, with an average grip strength of 70% compared to the healthy arm. The proposed evaluation protocol facilitates standardized and reproducible assessment, minimizing subjective errors in clinical evaluations. Despite the study's limitations, such as a relatively small sample size, the findings underscore the effectiveness of tendon transfers in treating radial nerve palsies. The introduced evaluation scheme provides a comprehensive and reproducible approach to assess outcomes, contributing to the global standardization of tendon transfer assessments in radial nerve injuries.

The decarbonization of the electricity grid as one among the actions to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and thus their impact on global warming in the future, will be achieved mainly via the integration and widespread diffusion of renewable power sources. This is going to be supported also by the shift from the paradigm production-transmission-distribution, where electricity production oversees large-size power plants, to renewable-based distributed/diffused production, where electricity is generated very close or even by the same (group of) user(s) (or prosumers in the latter case). The number of mid-/small-size installations based on renewable energy technologies will therefore increase substantially, and the related renewable generation will be dominant against that from large-size power plants. Unfortunately, this will reduce the reliability of the grid very likely, unless appropriate countermeasures are taken/implemented, hopefully at the same time the paradigm shift is being achieved. To this aim, it is important to identify the anomalies and main fault causes that might determine in renewable-based power systems. This paper surveys the current state-of-the-art on anomalies and faults affecting wind-PV-storage hybrid power systems, i.e., the main renewable technology ensemble that will establish the future grid, and highlights possible research directions that may help to fill the literature gaps.

The sustainable development of resource-based cities has long been a focal point for both governmental policies and academic research. A wealth of academic literature identifies the 'resource curse' as a critical barrier to sustainable development in these urban areas. Despite extensive studies, a consensus on effective strategies to circumvent or resolve this challenge remains elusive. Recent empirical data reveals a noticeable pattern of economic growth differentiation in China's resource-based cities. Why do some resource-based cities experience economic decline while others achieve sustainable economic growth? Therefore, this paper analyzes the reasons for the divergence of economic growth in resource cities from the perspective of heterogeneity. The results of the study show that the phenomenon of the resource curse is conditional, and the heterogeneity of demo-graphic changes, geographic location and institutional environment has a significant impact on the economic growth of resource cities. These factors are investigated to elucidate the observed diversification and heterogeneity in the economic growth of resource-based cities. Building upon this analysis, the paper proposes a framework for differentiated sustainable development pathways tailored to the unique contexts of these cities. This approach not only contributes to the current understanding of the 'resource curse' but also offers novel insights for future research aiming to adopt a more nuanced and context-specific perspective in examining sustainable urban development.

The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between body condition score (BCS) and body carcass fat (BCF) of ewes at two key stages of the production cycle. Data were collected from 88 Coopworth ewes including BCS measurements manually evaluated by the farm manager, BCF measurements determined by computerized tomography (CT) and body parameter measurements automatically determined by an image processing application. Artificial neural network (ANN) statistical analysis method was used to develop a relationship between the body parameters and the BCF with an r2=0.96 and RMSE=1.01 using all top and side variables.

Aiming at the problems of high labor intensity and high cost of manual picking, high loss rate of mechanical picking seeds, low mechanization level and difficult to guarantee the quality of picking plates in the process of picking plates of edible sunflower. Based on the principle of manual plate taking, a plate taking control system for sunflower harvesting table was designed. Through the research and analysis of the principle of taking the plate of the edible sunflower harvesting table. According to the actual operation requirements, the overall scheme of the sunflower plate control system is determined, and the control strategy of imitating artificial low loss harvesting is designed. To reduce the grain loss in the process of taking the plate and improve the control accuracy of the system on the movement speed and displacement of the key components in the process of taking the plate, a trapezoidal acceleration and deceleration control algorithm is designed as the control algorithm of taking the plate. To verify the working performance of the plate control system, with the absolute error, relative error and total loss rate of the harvest as objectives. The bench and field verification experiments were both carried out. The bench experiment showed that the speed error of the plate parts was not more than 0.028 m/s. In the bench experiments of the device, the maximum positioning error was 1.25 mm, the average relative error is only 0.94 %, and the grain loss rate was not more than 2.26 %. It result showed that the system algorithm was reliable, the positioning accuracy was high, and the taking plate operation can be completed well. The field verification experiment showed that the forward speed of the unit was in the range of 0.4~0.8 m/s, and the total loss rate of harvest was less than 5 %. When the forward speed is 0.6 m/s, the minimum harvest loss rate is 2.32 %, and which indicated the control system meets the requirements of sunflower harvesting operation.

Accurately estimating shrub biomass in arid and semi-arid regions is critical for understanding ecosystem productivity and carbon stocks at both local and global scales. However, capturing the shrub biomass accurately by satellite observations is challenging due to the short and sparse features of shrubs. In this study, we presented a framework to estimate shrub biomass at a 10m spatial resolution by integrating ground in-situ data, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-1 observations. The pilot study was conducted in the Helan mountains of Ningxia province, China. First, the spatial distribution map of shrubland and other land cover types was generated in 2023. Then, a prediction model of shrub biomass was developed in a Random Forest Regression (RFR) approach driven by different predicted variable datasets based on in-situ measurements, UAV, and satellite images. Finally, the developed model was used to produce the biomass map of shrubland in 2023. The uncertainty was characterized by creating a standard deviation (SD) map using the Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV) method in the shrub biomass estimates. The resultant shrubland distribution map in 2023 has an F1 score of 0.92. The shrub biomass model driven by spectral bands and vegetation indices (R2= 0.62) demonstrated superior performance than that only driven by spectral bands (R2=0.33) or vegetation indices (R2=0.55). The uncertainty of the estimated biomass was lower than 4%, with the lowest values (<2%) happening in the high shrub coverage (>30%) and biomass production (>30kg/m2) regions. Furthermore, the findings show that the magnitude of shrub biomass was affected by the aridity and precipitation significantly in the study region. This study provides a workflow to accurately monitor the biomass of shrublands in a complicated environment based on remote sensing images from multi-platform observations.

Background: Ankle fractures, comprising about 10% of musculoskeletal injuries, pose a significant healthcare burden with an increasing incidence, particularly among an aging population. This study focuses on isolated Danis-Weber type B fractures. Recent trends lean towards surgical intervention for anatomical restoration, quicker recovery, albeit with associated complications. This report aims to assess the safety and efficacy of NewClip narrow locking plate system with early weight bearing in treating isolated fibular fractures. Methods: The study includes patients with Danis-Weber type B fractures surgically treated with NewClip narrow locking plate system. Exclusions involved nondisplaced fractures, open fractures, or those requiring additional fixation.Results: Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study. Minor complications, including wound swelling, were observed in two cases. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain exhibited a steady decline postoperatively, with almost complete resolution by the third month. At three months, the FAOS demonstrated excellent results, and final follow-up at twelve months revealed complete osseous healing without complications.Conclusions: The use of this type of plates in treating isolated fibular fractures with early weight bearing shows promising results in terms of fracture healing, pain resolution, and functional outcomes warranting further investigation with larger cohorts.

In March 2013, a novel avian influenza A H7N9 virus was emerged in China, which cause rapidly progressive pneumonia and with a high fatality rate. Serologic studies to evaluate neutralizing antibodies of infected patients and birds are invaluable tools for immunogenicity research of H7N9 and epidemiological investigation. Conventional neutralization assays are laborious and time-consuming which also hampered by biosafety requirement. In this study, We construct and produce pseudovirus bearing the full-length hemagglutinin (HA) of H7N9 virus in the Env-defective, luciferase-expressing HIV-1 backbone. The production of lentiviral pseudovirus was analysed by HA gene specific real-time reverse-transcription PCR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Western Blot assay to prove the nucleic acid replication, the morphology of virus, and the expression of HA protein in pseudovirus. After that pseudovirus based inhibition assay was established to detect neutralizing antibodies of a panel of serum samples. Our results demonstrated that H7N9 pseudovirus which had single-cycle infection was generated. By comparing the neutralization antibody titers, pseudovirus based neutralization test could be recognized as an alternative of conventional microneutralization (MN). Hence, we conclude that it is possible to use pseudovirus inhibition assay to screen sera samples, as well as evaluate vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies against H7N9 virus.

Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive fibroinflammatory disorder with no currently satisfactory treatment. Emerging evidence suggests an association between gut microbial dysbiosis and chronic pancreatitis. Although direct causative evidence is lacking, it is hypothesized that the gut microbiota may play a pivotal role in modulating pancreatic function via the gut-pancreas axis. Thus, modulating the gut microbiota through the administration of probiotics or prebiotics may alleviate pancreatic disorders. In this review, we first propose the potential mechanisms by which specific probiotics or prebiotics may ameliorate chronic pancreatitis, including the alleviation of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), facilitation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production, activation of the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) in the pancreas. Since there are currently no probiotics or prebiotics used for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis, we have discussed research in other disease models that use probiotics or prebiotics to modulate pancreatic endocrine and exocrine functions and prevent pancreatic fibrosis. This provides indirect evidence for their potential application in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis. We anticipate that this research will stimulate further investigation into the gut-pancreas axis and the potential therapeutic value of probiotics and prebiotics in chronic pancreatitis.

The advancement of performance in the domain of flexible wearable strain sensors has become increasingly significant due to extensive research on laser-induced graphene (LIG). An innovative doping modification technique is required owing to the limited progress achieved by adjusting laser parameters to enhance LIG’s performance. By pre-treating with AgNO3, we successfully manufactured LIG with a uniform dispersion of silver nanoparticles across its surface. The experimental results for the flexible strain sensor exhibit exceptional characteristics, including low resistance (183.4 Ω), high sensitivity (426.8), a response time of approximately 150 ms, and a relaxation time of about 200 ms. Moreover, this sensor demonstrates excellent stability under various tensile strains and remarkable repeatability during cyclic tests lasting up to 8,000 s. Additionally, this technique yields favorable results in finger bending and hand back stretching experiments, holding significant reference value for preserving the inherent characteristics of LIG preparation in a single-step and in situ manner.