Bigeye grunt Brachydeuterus auritus is an important economic species in the waters off Sierra Leone in West Africa, with great ecological value. Based on the survey data of bottom trawl nets from 6 voyages from 2019 to 2021, the body weight-length relationship (WLR), as well as their relative fatness, were studied in depth using the method of body length and its corresponding mean body weight. This study fitted the WLR of bigeye grunt by gender, calculated its fullness, and analyzed the influence of environmental factors. The results showed that month and gender had a significant impact on body length and weight distribution (P<0.01). There was a highly significant negative correlation (P<0.01) between the condition factor (a) and the allometric factor (b) in the WLR, and salinity significantly affects b (P<0.05). The (lga)/b ratio was less affected by environmental factors which may be related to the body size and density of the fish. The difference in b between male and female populations was extremely significant (P<0.01). The relative fatness had significant seasonal variation characteristics, with highly significant effects of sex and body length (P<0.01). With increasing body length, the relative fatness showed two types of changes, continuously increasing and first increasing then decreasing, with salinity and b significantly affecting the type of change (P<0.05) and depth having a highly significant effect (P<0.01). The bigeye grunt off the coast Sierra Leone exhibited significant seasonal growth characteristics, with significant differences in growth characteristics between male and female individuals. This study suggested that salinity may be the main factor affecting its growth and development. In addition, this study hypothesised that the peak breeding season may occur during the dry season, beginning in December and ending before April of the following year. The study provides updated and more comprehensive insights into the biology and ecology of the bigeye grunt offshore Sierra Leone, West Africa, which can provide scientific basis for its resource assessment, development and utilization, and resource management.

We have carried out a systematic review of the scientific literature published on PM and, more specifically, on its presence in fish and seafood of interest to the population from Mediterranean area. Given its preference and wide acceptability in the scientific community, we followed the PRISMA. The potential functional and clinical toxicity in humans due to MP in fish must be considered by the chemical composition of the microplastics the presence of PM and its additives, associated contaminants and pathogens in fish and shellfish, as well as the possible effects on human health, requires improving legislation on evaluation and providing a basis for consumer protection.

A method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) was developed for quantitative analysis of five active compounds and chemical fingerprint analysis of Rosa rugosa. Ten batches of Rosa rugosa collected from different plantations in the Xinjiang region of China were used to establish the fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of the used UPLC fingerprint were verified for its similarity evaluation by systematically comparing chromatograms with professional analytical software recommended by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of China. In quantitative analysis, the five compounds showed good regression (R²=0.999 5) within the test ranges and the recovery of the method was in the range of 94.2–103.8%. The similarities of the fingerprints of 10 batches of the samples were more than 0.981. The developed UPLC fingerprint method is simple, reliable and validated for the quality control and identification of Rosa rugosa. Additionally, simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive ingredients in the Rosa rugosa samples was conducted to interpret the consistency of the quality test. The results indicated that the UPLC fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation and quantification analysis, can be successfully used to assess the quality and to identify the authenticity of Rosa rugosa.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pathophysiology comprises clinical and genetic factors. In fact, GDM has been associated with several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study aimed to build a prediction model of GDM combining clinical and genetic risk factors. A total of 1588 pregnant women from the San Carlos Cohort participated in the present study, 1069 (67.3%) Caucasian (CAU) and 519 (32.7%) Latin American (LAT), 255 (16.1%) with GDM. The incidence of GDM was similar in both groups (16.1% CAU and 16.0% LAT). Genotyping was performed by IPLEX Mass ARRAY PCR selecting 110 SNPs based on literature references. The SNPs showing the strongest likelihood of GDM development were the rs10830963, rs7651090 and rs1371614 in CAU and rs1387153 and the rs9368222 in LAT. Clinical variables including age, pre-pregnancy body mass index and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at 12 gestational weeks predicted the risk of GDM (AUC 0.648, 95%CI 0.601-0.695 in CAU; AUC 0.688, 95%CI 0.628-9.748 in LAT) and adding the SNPs modestly improved prediction (AUC 0.722, 95%CI 0.680-0.764 in CAU; AUC 0.769, 95%CI 0.711-0.826 in LAT). In conclusion, adding genetic variants enhanced the prediction model of GDM risk in CAU and LAT pregnant women. An RCT is underway to demonstrate its usefulness

Water is one of the most critical factors affecting environmental health. For this reason, estimating and monitoring the behavior of water in nature and preventing water pollution before it occurs are advantageous to avoid problems that may occur in terms of environmental health. In order to predict the behavior of water, the hydrological cycle needs to be evaluated on a basin basis. At this point, hydrological models can be used to make mathematical representations of hydrologi-cal processes. These models play an essential role in predicting and monitoring problems such as poor water quality, pollution, particle and sediment transport, and proliferation of oil and petro-leum derivatives among frequently encountered issues in environmental health. In this study, a 2D surface water model was created using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) to simulate the lotic ecosystem and existing water quality in Tatlıçay Basin and to propose solutions for im-proving environmental health in Cankiri provincial center in Türkiye. The accuracy of the input data and the validity of the model were checked with the calibration and validation studies by using the monthly or 3-monthly observation data of the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works’ flow observation & water quality stations from 2016 to 2020. The aim was to provide the opportunity to produce fast, accurate, and practical solutions in the face of negative scenarios with this model. This modelling study obtained successful results in the calibration and valida-tion process with very few observed data. With this study, a significant contribution to the litera-ture on environmental health is made, as there aren't many examples of hydrological modeling from the Middle East.

This study focuses on the Cereja River, a Permanent Preservation Area located in Amazon coast. The hypothesis tested was that the water quality of the Cereja River has worsened over recent years due to unplanned urban growth. To assess changes in the water quality, seven campaigns were undertaken with data being collected at six fixed points, during two distinct periods (2013–2014 and 2018–2019). High-resolution satellite images from GoogleEarth (2012 and 2019) were used to register unplanned occupation. The DPSWR (Driver-Pressure-State-Welfare-Response) socioecological framework was used to identify potential measures for the management of environmental and anthropogenic problems. The increase in the number of households found on the Cereja margins between 2012-2019 has contributed to the river’s intense trophic condition, low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, high concentrations of pathogenic bacteria, and loss of vegetation cover. The water of the Cereja River is inadequate for any human use, and its contamination is one of the principal factors determining the reduction of the water quality of the Caeté estuary. According to the obtained results, the DPSWR model proved to be an excellent analytical tool for the evaluation of specific local scenarios, through the integrated analysis of socio-environmental issues. The scenario observed can be extrapolated to other rivers located within urban areas in the Amazon region that have relatively unplanned growth.

The Water-Cooled Lead Lithium (WCLL) Breeding Blanket (BB) is one of the two BB concepts candidate to be selected as driver blanket for the EU-DEMO fusion reactor. In this regards, the development of a sound architecture of the WCLL Central Outboard Blanket (COB) Segment, ensuring the fulfilment of the thermal and structural design requirements, is one of the main goals of the EUROfusion consortium. To this purpose, an exploratory research campaign has been launched to preliminarily investigate the thermo-mechanical performances of the Bottom Cap (BC) region of the WCLL COB segment, because of its peculiarities making its design different from the other regions. The assessment has been carried out considering the nominal BB operating conditions, the Normal Operation (NO) scenario, as well as a steady-state scenario derived from the in-box LOCA accident, the Over-Pressurization (OP) scenario. Starting from the reference geometric layout of the WCLL COB BC region, a first set of analysis has been launched in order to evaluate its structural performances under a previously calculated thermal field and to select potential geometric improvements. Then, the analysis of a more complete BC region has been conducted from both the thermal and structural standpoints, evaluating its structural behaviour in compliance with the RCC-MRx code. Finally, after some iterations and geometric updates, a promising geometric layout of the BC region has been obtained even though some criticalities still persist in the internal Stiffening Plates and First Wall. However, the obtained results clearly showed that the proposed layout is worthy to be further assessed to achieve a robust enough configuration. The work has been performed following a theoretical-numerical approach based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and adopting the quoted Ansys commercial FEM code.

Steam boiler has a significant role in the industrial sector. The failure in boiler tubes significantly reduces the availability of the plant. Furthermore, deposits on the inner tube wall contribute to such failure by changing the thermal resistance of the wall, which causes a significant increase in the tube wall's temperature and, consequently, lower allowable stress. The presented thermal-fluid model is developed for the water tube. The model is implemented using ANSYS FLUENT to estimate the wall maximum water tube wall temperature considering the deposits layer and then determine the minimum thickness of the tube wall via ASME standards to assure safe operation. The model is verified via a mesh independence test. The minimum tube thickness is recommended and justified given the thermo-mechanical performance of the water tubes at several operating loads of 50, 75, and 100 %. These loads are implemented by different convective heat transfer coefficients of flue gases under different deposit thicknesses, thermal conductivity, and flue gas temperature. The present work contributes to the literature by recommending the minimum thickness of the water wall tubes and highlighting the thermo-mechanical effect of the deposits on water tube resilience under different operating conditions.

This study used double-bounded dichotomous-choice to estimate and analyze the factors affecting households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for water quality improvement. This study notes that households with higher income, living near polluted water source, using tap water instead of natural water, who are handicraft producers, and who have more members are willing to pay more. However, households who rarely hear about environmental pollution issues and who are offered a higher bid are more likely to refuse to pay. Solutions to improve water quality are suggested such as to raise people's awareness through communication channels and social organizations; to increase income associated with environmental protection policies; to construct wastewater treatment plants; to encourage the relocation of production establishments to industrial parks and industrial complexes; to put regulations on collection, payment and sanctions in case of not declaring and paying fees into village conventions; to promulgate circulars, and bylaws to concretize and simplify regulations and policies of the Government, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Wind energy powered pumps could be an alternative to conventional fuel powered pumps for water abstraction because they rely on a free energy and they are environmentally friendly. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of wind energy to operate water abstraction systems in Teso sub-region of Uganda for livestock watering Daily mean wind speeds recorded at a height of 10 m for a period of ten years (2005–2015) were collected from Amuria and Soroti Meteorological stations in the study area. Data were analyzed using Weibull distribution to evaluate the annual wind speed frequency distributions and consequently assess their potential for water abstraction. The results indicated that warmer months (January, February and March) have higher mean wind speeds than the cold months (August, September and October). High wind speeds in the dry seasons corresponded to the periods of high water demand. The highest shape parameter (k) of 3.07 was registered in 2009 and scale parameter (c) of 3.78 in 2012. The highest wind power density of 43 W/m² was obtained the year 2012 while the lowest wind power density of 15.47 W/m² was obtained for Soroti district in the year 2009. The maximum power extractable in Amuria in 2012 was 324 W/m² which is potentially enough for water abstraction. Maximum discharges of 1.86 m³/s and 1.52 m³/s were obtained for Amuria and Soroti districts respectively at mean wind speeds of 5 m/s. Therefore, Teso sub region winds have potential for water abstraction and Amuria district better sites for livestock watering using wind energy.

Control of nutrients, mainly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), plays a significant role in preventing cyanobacterial blooms (harmful algal blooms (HABs)). This study aimed at evaluating changes in the risk of the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms and advancing the understanding of how N and P affect the growth of cyanobacteria in a eutrophic lake, Lake Vombsjön, in southern Sweden. Statistical analysis was used to demonstrate the pattern of cyanobacterial blooms, that the highest content present in September and the later that algal blooms occur, the more likely it is a cyanobacterial bloom as cyanobacteria became dominating in October and November (90%). Two hypothesises tested in Lake Vombsjön confirmed namely that a high total phosphorus (TP) level correlates with an abundance of cyanobacteria and that low N:P ratio (total nitrogen/total phosphorus < 20) favours the growth of cyanobacteria. To control the growth of cyanobacteria in Lake Vombsjön, the TP level should be kept below 20 µg/L and the N:P ratio be maintained at a level of over 20. The two species Planktothrix agardhii, and Pseudanabaena spp. should be carefully monitored especially in late autumn. Future work should consider any high degree of leakage from the sediment of the dissolved phosphorus available there.

This paper reports the overall thermal performance of a cylindrical parabolic concentrating solar water heater (CPCSWH) with inserting nail type twisted tape (NTT) in the copper absorber tube for the nail twist pitch ratios 4.787, 6.914 and 9.042 respectively. The experiments are conducted for a constant volumetric water flow rate and during the time period 9:00 h to 15:00 h. The useful heat gain, hourly solar energy collected and hourly solar energy stored of this solar water heater are found higher for nail twist pitch ratio 4.787. The above said parameters are found to be a peak at noon and observed to follow the path of variation of solar intensity. At the starting of the experiment, the value of charging efficiency is observed to be maximum. Whereas the maximum value of instantaneous efficiency and overall thermal efficiency are observed at noon. The key finding is that the nail twist pitch ratio enhances the overall thermal performance of the CPCSWH.

HLA class-I (HLA-I) polyreactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reacting to all HLA-I alleles were developed by immunizing HLA-E monomeric heavy chain (HC) (Open Conformers, OCs). Two of the mAbs (TFL-006 and TFL-007) bound to the HC’s coated on a solid matrix. The binding was inhibited by a peptide 117AYDGKDY123, present in all alleles of the six HLA-I isoforms but masked by 2-microglobulin -m) in intact HLA-I trimers (Closed Conformers, CCs). Identical HLA-I polyreactivity is observed in IVIg administered to lower anti-HLA antibodies (Abs) in HLA-sensitized patients, but the mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that the mAbs that mimic IVIg HLA-I polyreactivity might mimic the immunomodulatory functions of IVIg. We tested the relative binding affinity of the mAbs and IVIg for both OCs- and CCs and compared their effects on (a) the phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activation T-cells, (b) the production of anti-HLA-II antibody (Ab) by B-memory cells, and anti-HLA-I Ab by immortalized B-cells, and (c) the upregulation of CD4+, CD25+, and Fox P3+ T-regs. The mAbs bound only to OCs, whereas IVIg is bound to both CCs and OCs. The mAbs suppressed blastogenesis and proliferation of PHA-activated T-cells, anti-HLA Ab production by B-cells and expanded the T-regs, better than IVIg. We conclude that a humanized version of the TFL-mAbs could be an ideal therapeutic IVIg-mimetic.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable disease. There are no defined valid biomarkers for evaluating therapeutic outcomes of this disease. Numerous approaches have been made to meet this impact. Stem cells, one of these approaches, that might give various hopeful results that can be interpreted as a treatment for ALS This study aims to evaluate Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) therapy as a promising novel treatment modality by estimating some parameters, such as immunological and biochemical factors. Methods: This study course involved 15 confirmed patients with ALS and was designed as an open-label, one-arm retrospective study to evaluate potential diagnostic biomarkers of repeated infusions of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) administered at a dose of 1×106cells/kg BW with 1-month interval, in equal amounts in both intravenous (IV) and intrathecal (IT) simultaneously, by various biochemical and immunological parameters were evaluated during the three-month follow-up period. Results: Our study indicated that in the case of Immunological biomarkers ,Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed a significant decrease at month three after transplantation compared to levels at month zero, and the P-value was (P&lt;0.01). No statistically significant changes were observed for other immunological and biochemical parameters and P-value (P&gt;0.05). Conclusions: These results can indicate the benefit of stem cell transfusion in patients with ALS and suggest some diagnostic biomarkers. Several studies are required to approve these results.

In this study, we report a detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of three glycols, namely ethane-1,2-diol, 2-methoxyethan-1-ol and 1,2-dimethoxy ethane. For the first time, the X-Ray spectra of the latter two liquids was measured at room temperature, and they were compared with the newly measured spectrum of ethane-1,2-diol. The experimental diffraction patterns were interpreted very satisfactorily with molecular dynamics calculations, and suggest that in liquid ethane-1,2-diol most molecules are found in gauche conformation, with intramolecular hydrogen bond between the two hydroxyl groups. Intramolecular H-bonds are established in the mono-alkylated diol, but the interaction is weaker. The EDXD study also evidences strong intermolecular hydrogen-bond interactions, with short O···O correlations in both systems, while longer methyl-methyl interactions are found in 1,2-dimethoxy ethane. X-Ray studies are complemented by micro Raman investigations at room temperature and at 80°C, that confirm the conformational analysis predicted by X-Ray experiments and simulations.

Highly realistic media created through Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning, commonly known as deepfakes, presents a serious risk to political stability and the integrity of information. We are entering an era where images and videos, which were once considered reliable evidence, are now being altered to spread false information and incite unrest. This threat is especially heightened in developing nations, where misinformation and manipulation of public sentiment could lead to the collapse of the fragile democracies. This study delves deep into the increased vulnerability of these regions to deepfakes due to slower technological advancement and widespread lack of awareness. This study provides a detailed analysis and sets the stage for future investigations, proposing a combined approach to counteract the consequences of deepfakes. This includes combining technical methods for detection of deepfakes with public awareness campaigns and legal frameworks. Reducing the harmful effects of deepfakes requires cooperation among a diverse group of experts.

Background/Objectives: The aim of the narrative review was to identify information on the impact of technological interventions (such as telehealth and mobile health) on the health promotion of cardiac patients from diverse populations; Methods: Online databases of PubMed, and Cochrane Library were searched for articles in the English language regarding technological interventions for health promotion in cardiac patients. In addition, a methodological quality control process was conducted. Exclusion was based on first reading the abstract and then the full manuscript confirming content was not related to cardiac patients and technological interventions; Results: 11 studies were included in the review after quality control analysis. The sample size reported in these studies ranged from 12 to 1424 subjects. In 8 studies mobile phones, smartphones and apps were used as mHealth intervention with tracking and texting component; 2 studies used videoconferencing as a digital intervention program, while one study focused on using physical activity trackers; Conclusions: This review highlights the digital divide as individuals with limited eHealth literacy and lack of technological knowledge are not motivated or able participate in these interventions. Finding methods to overcome these barriers are important and can be solved to some extent by providing the technology and technical support.

Amidst the backdrop of continually declining total fertility rates and a population structure trending towards super-aging in China, can simple adjustments to birth policies effectively address the challenges of low fertility and aging? This study constructs a three-phase overlapping-generation model that incorporates fertility rates and delayed retirement. It investigates the economic impact of adjustments in birth policies and delayed retirement, and utilizes simulations and analyses based on real-world data from China. The research yields several key findings:1.Although theoretically, the impact of population aging on economic growth rates is uncertain, empirical data simulations indicate that the current level of population aging in China has already exerted a certain adverse impact on economic growth.2.Given the current population structure, delayed retirement can, to some extent, promote economic growth. However, due to potential vulnerabilities of older individuals who choose delayed retirement, such as reduced labor efficiency and learning abilities, the implementation of delayed retirement policies should be flexible and context-specific.3.Increasing fertility rates can mitigate the economic impact of the current demographic challenges. Thus, relaxing birth policies remains a crucial strategy that China must implement. A coordinated adjustment of delayed retirement and fertility rates is more likely to enhance economic growth.

Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) measures the lowest concentration of antibiotic that inhibits in-vitro growth of microorganisms. Canine pyometra is a frequently occurring reproductive disorder where reliable antibiotics along with surgical excision of uterus predicts better prognosis. Scarce literature is available to facilitate proper antibiotic selection to avoid septicemia in clinical cases. The present study was conducted to determine sensitivity and potency of selected antibacterials based on MIC values against bacterial isolates obtained from Canine Pyometra in Kathmandu district, Nepal by Agar Dilution method. Isolates obtained from 63 intra-uterine samples after ovariohysterectomy were Enterococcus spp (n=41), Klebsiella spp. (n=7), Staphylococcus spp. (n=11) and Streptococcus spp. (n=4). Enrofloxacin and Amikacin were found highly sensitive (0% resistance) with a null hypothesis of resistance to all bacterial isolates and were significantly more potent than other antibacterials tested (p<0.05; Kruskal-Wallis test) based on lower MIC ranks. Similarly, ceftriaxone was found to be least potent and was highly resistant to Enterococcus spp. (75.61%) and completely resistant to other bacterial species tested (100%). Comparative results on sensitivity and potency in the study revealed Enrofloxacin and Amikacin to be better antibacterial of choice in pyometra innervation in in-vitro setting. Further clinical trials considering other equally important variables along with MIC should be conducted to predict actual clinical efficacy of antibacterials during therapeutic management of canine pyometra in Nepal.

Background: Historically, in the United States and globally, women have supported other women before, during, and after childbirth. Birth doulas are considered an important component to eliminating racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. To address disparities in birth outcomes, Healthy Women Healthy Futures (HWHF) provides free birth and postpartum doula services to low-income women and communities of color in New York City. Methods: Secondary analysis of program data (n=364) collected between 2020 and 2021 was conducted. Univariate and multivariable analyses focused on: method of delivery, preterm birth, low-birthweight birth, breastfeeding, maternal-infant skin contact. The key exposure variable was total doula hours. Results: Clients who received prenatal doula support had low rates of preterm birth (8.8%) and low birthweight (7.1%), and high rates of vaginal delivery (69.1%), breastfeeding in the hospital (90.9%), and maternal-infant skin contact (78.2%). Multivariable analysis did not identify an association between number of doula hours and any of the five outcomes examined. Conclusion: While descriptive results point to positive birth outcomes, these effects did not persist in multivariable analyses. Data quality concerns from this intervention likely hindered the ability to detect a program impact, emphasizing the importance of funding to support data collection and management activities.

This study investigates the performance and environmental impact of n-butanol blended with Jet-A fuel in turbo-engines, aiming to assess its viability as a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The research involves experimental testing of various blends, ranging from low to high concentrations of methanol, to determine their effects on engine performance and emissions. The experimental setup includes comprehensive measurements of engine parameters such as thrust, fuel consumption rates, and exhaust gas temperatures. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) are also analysed to evaluate environmental impacts. Key findings indicate that n-butanol/Jet-A blends can significantly enhance combustion efficiency and reduce emissions compared to conventional Jet-A fuel. Higher n-butanol concentrations lead to improved thermal efficiency and lower NOx and CO emissions. However, PM emissions slightly increase with higher methanol content. The study underscores the potential of n-butanol as a SAF for turbo-engines, highlighting its ability to mitigate environmental impacts while maintaining or improving engine performance. This research supports the feasibility of integrating n-butanol into Jet-A blends for turbo-engine applications, emphasizing its role in achieving more environmentally friendly aviation operations.

Rice yield underperformance coupled with production instability in Odisha state of India is primarily due to low irrigation potential, the spatiotemporal disparity in rainfall pattern and relentless confrontation with biotic and abiotic stresses. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) was introduced in the state with the promises of higher production horizon. However, the present scenario of patchy adoption pattern has necessitated comprehensive study on dynamics and determinants of adoption of SRI. We found that, 57 percent farmers continued SRI, 28 percent discontinued and rest were practicing conventional rice farming. The focused group discussion among the farmers helped us to triangulate the determinants of SRI adoption.The increased SRI area allocation was observed at the expense of reduced number of adopting farmers. Economic scarcity of skilled labour, difficulties in transplantation and mechanical weeding, low irrigation potential and poor on-farm water management were major constraints in SRI practice. Farmers’ compliance in following different resilient SRI components that also varied spatiotemporally has resulted in realized incremental yield. SRI was proved to be resilient to severe drought during 2015-16 and yielded 27 percentage higher than conventional one with considerable decline in hazardous chemicals usage. Farmers’ decision on SRI adoption/discontinuation was analysed using probit regression analysis. The results indicated that, active social involvements of NGOs, on-farm training and demonstrations, and realized incremental rice income influenced SRI adoption. On the other hand, SRI area expansion hindered mainly because of infeasible land topography, area saturation and lack of farmers’ interest. The sustainability index was developed to analyse SRI’s performance to other conventional methods at farm level. Comparatively, SRI adopters benefitted in terms of incremental net return by enhancing ecological balance and sustained productivity of soil, use of eco-friendly and own farm inputs. Nonetheless, higher women labour displacement observed under SRI can be curtailed by providing training to young farm women.

The mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) regulates ribosome biogenesis and the transcription of ribosomal genes. Its inactivation impacts protein synthesis necessary for transport of cell adhesion molecule. In Dictyostelium discoideum, the activity of mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2 (mTORC2) is crucial for cAMP synthesis and relay, processes that depend on heterotrimeric G-proteins and Ras GTPases. Mutants lacking rip3 or lst-8 genes exhibit impaired adenyl cyclase activation and cAMP signaling, resulting in deficient expression of the cell adhesion protein CsaA. Despite this, rip3^- cells, which have impaired mTORC2, upregulate Cad-1 expression, a cell adhesion protein regulated by Ras-GTPases, to compensate for the loss of CsaA. lst-8^- cells, which have both mTORC1 and mTORC2 inactivated, show reduced nutrient sensing, premature CsaA expression and solitary cell behavior. These cells also show defective transport of adhesion proteins to the cell surface, impeding aggregation. Similar defects are observed with caffeine treatment, suggesting both mTORC1 and mTORC2 inhibition. This study highlights the interplay between mTORC1 and mTORC2 in regulating cell adhesion and aggregation through cAMP signaling and protein synthesis pathways in Dictyostelium.

It is meaningful to monitor and identify the concrete cracks as they will seriously reduce the fatigue life of pavement. In this paper a new method based on distributed long-gauge optic fiber sensing is proposed to implement the crack identification. Firstly, the damage indicator, namely strain curve envelope area ratio (SCEAR), is proposed and calculated with the measured strain in time series when the plane goes across the pavement where the sensors are installed. Then the indicators with different sensors are normalization by the value of the indicator from one referenced sensor where damage normally will not happen. If the crack happens within the sensing gauge of the sensor, the value of damage indicator SCEAR from the sensor will increase. Therefore, the crack will be identified with the change of the damage indicator. The effect of the proposed method is first verified by some simulations of prefabricated pavement as the cracks can be accurately identified by the proposed method. Moreover, the influence from the aircraft, such as taxiing position, aircraft load and aircraft type, is not obvious enough to mislead the identification results. Lastly the static loading tests were implemented with one small-scale model of prefabricated concrete pavement in the lab. From the experimental results the prefabricated cracks inside the pavement slab can be identified accurately with the proposes method as the parameter SCEAR is increased by about 100% at the crack position, while it is only changed by about 3% at the undamaged position.

This paper systematically discusses the application of reinforcement learning in automatic driving system. Reinforcement learning frameworks show significant advantages in optimizing decision making, predictive perception, path planning, and controller design, exceeding the limitations of traditional supervised learning methods. The paper highlights the critical role of components such as scene understanding, positioning, and map making in autonomous driving systems, which provide reliable environmental awareness through deep learning and sensor fusion technologies to support intelligent decision-making in complex urban environments. In addition, the paper discusses innovative approaches to safety reinforcement learning to reduce risk in autonomous driving and ensure that systems adhere strictly to safety constraints while maximizing expected rewards. These findings provide an important theoretical and practical basis for further improving algorithm robustness, managing multi-agent interactions, and integrating ethical considerations in the future.

This study presents the design and comprehensive 3D multiphysics simulation of a novel microfluidic immunosensor for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of pro-inflammatory biomarkers in human sweat. The patch-like device, designed using COMSOL Multiphysics, integrates magnetofluidic manipulation with direct-field capacitive sensing. The sensor comprises two distinct units: an immunocomplex enhancement unit, employing a series of microcoils to optimize the binding efficiency, reaction kinetics, and homogeneity of biomarker-magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) interactions, thereby enhancing the sensor's specificity; and a layered capacitive sensing unit, designed to concentrate and detect biomarker-tagged MNPs, thus amplifying sensitivity. Simulations of the capacitive sensing unit revealed a substantial sensitivity increase of up to 42.48\% at an 85\% MNP concentration within the detection zone. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed immunosensor for efficient and precise real-time biomarker monitoring, which may facilitate early disease diagnosis and enable personalized healthcare interventions.

Vibration problems have become one of the most important factors affecting robot performance. To this end, a terminal residual vibration suppression method based on joint trajectory optimization is proposed to improve the accuracy and stability of robot motion. Firstly, based on the characteristics of the friction nonlinearity due to joint coupling and physical feasibility of dynamic parameters, a semidefinite programming method is used to identify dynamic parameters with actual physical meaning, thereby obtaining an accurate dynamic model. Then, based on the result of the residual vibration time domain analysis, a joint trajectory optimization model with the goal of minimizing joint tracking error is established. The Chebyshev collocation method is used to discretize the optimization model. The dynamic model is used as the optimization constraint, and barycentric interpolation is used to obtain the optimized joint motion trajectory. Finally, industrial robot experiments prove that the vibration suppression method proposed in this article can reduce the maximum acceleration amplitude of residual vibration by 62% and the vibration duration by 71%. Compared with the input shaping method, the method proposed in this paper can reduce the terminal residual vibration more effectively and ensure the consistency of running time and trajectory.

ABSTRACTCaffeine is known to impair both growth and development in the model social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. However, little is known about the transcriptional regulation in response to caffeine treatment in Dictyostelium. In yeast cells, caffeine mimics the effect of rapamycin in inhibiting mTORC1 activity. Here, we investigated whether changes in growth and development of Dictyostelium in the presence of caffeine or rapamycin are mediated by mTORC1 and/or mTORC2. Results: Treatment of wild type cells with caffeine or rapamycin resulted in severely impaired growth and in the formation of small aggregates in comparison to untreated cells. rip3‾ cells (lacking a mTORC2 component) and lst8‾cells (lacking a component of both mTOR complexes) showed higher and slower growth rates, respectively, in comparison to parental AX3 cells. Parental AX3 and rip3‾ cells displayed similar sensitivity to rapamycin and caffeine, while lst8‾ cells were more sensitive to these compounds. When developed in the presence of caffeine or rapamycin, AX3 cells formed aggregates after a long delay. Caffeine did not alter the morphology of small rip3‾ mounds and lst8‾ cells continued to remain solitary. However, in the presence of 1µM rapamycin rip3‾cells failed to form mounds while AX3 cells streamed and formed aggregates. Complementation of lst8‾ cells with the wild type lst8 gene rescued the aggregation phenotype. cDNA microarray analysis to uncover the spectrum of differentially regulated genes in response to caffeine treatment revealed 104 and 193 differentially expressed genes at 3-and 6-hours of development, respectively, in comparison to control cells. After 6 hours of starvation in the presence of caffeine, 25 genes encoding ribosomal proteins and 4 encoding elongation factors were up regulated. Furthermore, we identified that upon caffeine treatment at the 3- and 6-hours’ time points, 12 (10 up and 2 down) and 21 (13 up and 8 down) genes, respectively, encoding proteins involved in early development. Conclusion: We conclude that caffeine and rapamycin have similar effects in decreasing the growth rate and in reducing the aggregate size of D. discoideum. Studies with lst8‾ and rip3‾ cells suggest that these compounds affect cell growth and aggregation by acting on both mTOR complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Analysis of the differentially expressed genes after caffeine treatment suggests a key role of these genes in growth and aggregation.

Although heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has become the predominant heart failure subtype, it remains clinically under-recognized. This, has been attributed to the complex pathophysiological mechanisms that accompany individuals with several co-morbidities and symptoms and signs of HFpEF. Natriuretic peptides have been recognized to have important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but their role in HFpEF remains controversial. Its seems that the role of NtproBNP in the diagnosis of HFpEF, is mainly driven by the pathophysiological characteristics of the patients.

The control of the fine particle emission from the coal-fired power plants has been a big challenge in china. Either the conventional electrostatic precipitator or the fabric filter has some shortages. The electrostatic precipitator is hard to keep high efficiency for the submicron particles. The fabric filter could keep high efficiency but with very high pressure drop. One solution is to combine them together. Several types of hybrid particle collectors (HPC) combining the electrostatic precipitator and the fabric filter together have been developed and applied in a number of projects in China. In recent years, numerical simulation technology has been widely used in the design of the collectors. In this paper, an unsteady numerical model is used to investigate the particle deposition characteristics in a scale hybrid collector. The fluid field is modeled by using incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the RNG turbulence equations. The corona discharge is solved by using a finite volume method. The particle charging is modeled by using a filed-diffusing combined model. And an unsteady cake formation model is used to simulate the filtration process.

Multimedia resources, such as instructional videos, are currently enjoying a certain popularity in training programmes for medical and dental students. The major challenge is to create such resources that have quality content and are acceptable to students. We investigated the opinions of a sample of 551 students from 4 medical universities in Romania in order to identify the characteristics of the instructional videos that students prefer and we comparatively analysed these characteristics according to gender, age group, but also according to their general preferences for using Internet services. We used univariate (hypothesis testing) and multivariate (Two-Step Clustering) data analysis techniques and revealed three clusters of students, primarily determined by perceptions of the visual appearance of instructional videos. The structure of the clusters by gender and age group is relatively similar, but we recorded differences between them associated with students' expressed preferences for certain Internet services compared to others. Students who prefer instructional videos to contain images used only for aesthetic purposes, to fill in breaks, use Internet services mainly for communication, while students who prefer in videos the use of already drawn explanatory diagrams are slightly younger than the others and use Internet services mainly for information and communication.

This literature review paper delves into the synergies between Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and the effective management of food losses. With the escalating challenges posed by climate change and the pressing need to address food security concerns, the intersection of these two critical domains becomes paramount for sustainable agricultural practices. The review explores existing research on the implementation of climate-smart agricultural techniques and their impact on mitigating food losses throughout the agricultural value chain. The paper synthesizes findings related to climate-resilient crop varieties, precision farming, water-use efficiency, and sustainable soil management, highlighting their contributions to reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing overall food security. In addition to summarizing current knowledge, this paper identifies gaps in the literature and proposes avenues for future research. This review serves as a foundation for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to contribute to the advancement of climate-smart agriculture and the reduction of food losses, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient global food system.

Based on the dynamic strength variation mechanism of concrete under complex loading conditions, two approaches were devised: numerical testing and CT scanning, guided by the principle of minimizing energy dissipation. A methodology for calculating concrete's failure area and measuring its strength was developed. The analysis delves into the mechanisms behind failure patterns and variations in concrete specimen strength, focusing on crack initiation, development, and the resultant failure surface formed by crack propagation, along with the stress distribution in concrete specimens subjected to diverse loading conditions. Through evaluating the strength and computed failure area of concrete specimens, it is evident that the loading method influences both the strength and failure area of concrete specimens. In general, a larger failure area correlates with a higher measured strength.

Taeniid infections pose a significant threat to both animal and public health, as certain tapeworms within this group can also infect humans, potentially leading to severe health conditions. Therefore, this calls for preventive and control measures, such as regular deworming of dogs. While the efficacy of deworming has been established in developed countries, there is a paucity of reported deworming practices in rural areas of developing countries, such as Tanzania. This study aims to understand determinants for helminth treatment-seeking behavior towards control of cestodial taeniid infections in rural settings in northern Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in agropastoral and pastoral areas of northern Tanzania. Comprehensive data from household surveys in selected sub-villages were collected to ascertain dog ownership, dog deworming practices, and the availability of dewormers. Analytical methods were employed to discern how various determinants influenced deworming practices among dog owners in these communities. Awareness of dewormers specifically formulated for dogs emerged as a pivotal factor affecting dog deworming practices. Dog owners who were informed about appropriate dog dewormers were nearly two times more likely to engage in deworming compared to those with limited knowledge (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.77 - 4.18, p < 0.001). A majority 32(51.6%, 95% CI: 38.7-64.3) acknowledged accessing dewormers for livestock within their wards. Praziquantel a potent dewormer on cestodes was least known to most dog owners 2(13%, 95% CI: 2.3-41.6). Praziquantel, a potent and common dewormer effective against cestodial taeniid infections, remains relatively unknown in rural areas of northern Tanzania. Therefore, more awareness on appropriate deworming agents against taeniids in dogs should be raised in rural dog-keeping communities.

The building envelope has the most significant contribution in the reduction of the building energy consumption. Application of new, alternative and improved materials and systems has an important impact on the buildings performances. This paper is focused on the thermal transmittance, as an indicator of the thermal conductance of the construction element. It includes comparisons of the U-values, calculated by software, with those measured in situ on three representative façade walls. The walls have been constructed with the new wall system Fragmat NZ-1, a new product in Macedonian buildings. This research provides basic information on the thermal transmittance of the system. The results of the analysis show that the in situ measuring is a useful tool in validation of the precision of analytically calculated values, since it was difficult to obtain precise results from the analytical calculations only, especially when the layers are with non-uniform thickness.

Several studies in recent years have shown that the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, used both in single and in mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae can help produce craft beers with distinctive compositional characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of three Metschnikowia pulcherrima strains, isolated from Albanian vineyards, to be used as starters in the brewing process. Due to its specific enzymatic activities (protease, β-glucosidase and β-lyase) and its low production of hydrogen sulfide, M. pulcherrima 62 was selected as a starter culture for the production of craft beer. Specifically, the aptitude of this yeast to be used in sequential inoculation with S. cerevisiae S04 for the production of an American IPA-style beer and the main volatile compounds produced during fermentation were evaluated. Results showed significant differences in glycerol, isoamyl alcohol and isoamyl acetate content in beer obtained with sequential inoculum of M. pulcherrima 62 with S. cerevisiae S04 compared to beer obtained using S. cerevisiae S04 as a single starter. Therefore, these preliminary data support a candidacy of M. pulcherrima 62 as a new starter in the brewing process.

Lung involvement in rheumatic diseases is a major determinant of patient morbidity and mortality; however, its diagnosis depends on the detection methods used. We compared the incidence of pulmonary involvement in newly diagnosed treatment-naive patients with rheumatic diseases, as assessed by pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). This retrospective study reviewed the symptoms, spirometry results, and HRCT scans of 22 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients and age-matched controls from the University General Hospital “Attikon”, Athens, Greece, between January 2021 and December 2023. Correlations between clinical findings and spirometry parameters were tested. HRCT scans revealed lung abnormalities in all patients, including peribronchial wall thickening (61.5%), ground glass opacities (59.1%), parenchymal bands (54.5%), air-trapping (50%), reticular patterns (45.5%), bronchiectatic changes (40.9%), and parenchymal opacities (31.8%). PFTs, performed in 17/22 (77.3%) patients, revealed definite pathology in 5 patients (restrictive: N=4; obstructive: N=1). No association was found between spirometric indices and clinical parameters. The results indicate a higher prevalence of abnormal chest CT than of PFT abnormalities, suggesting that HRCT is more sensitive in detecting early lung involvement in pediatric patients with rheumatic disease and should be considered in the routine evaluation of these patients.

Mycoviruses are highly genetically diverse, can significantly change their fungal host’s phenotype, yet, they are generally under-described in genotypic and biological studies. We propose Botrytis cinerea as a model mycovirus system in which to develop a deeper understanding of mycovirus epidemiology including diversity, impact, and the associated cellular biology of the host and virus interaction. Over 100 mycoviruses have been described in this fungal host. B. cinerea is an ideal model fungus for mycovirology as it has highly tractable characteristics – it is easy to culture, has a worldwide distribution, infects a wide range of host plants, can be transformed and gene-edited, and has an existing depth of biological resources including annotated genomes, transcriptomes, and isolates with gene knockouts. Focus on a model system for mycoviruses will enable the research community to address deep research questions that cannot be answered in a non-systematic manner. Since B. cinerea is a major plant pathogen, new insights may have immediate utility as well as creating new knowledge that complements and extends the knowledge of mycovirus interactions in other fungi, alone or with their respective plant hosts. In this review we set out some of the critical steps required to develop B. cinerea as a model mycovirus system and how this may be used in the future.

This article provides a literature review on tubal carcinoma to offer an updated insight into its preventative strategies, diagnosis, treatment, and oncological surveillance. In addition to the search string utilized, the authors' focus extended to key scientific studies, consensus statements, guidelines, and relevant case reports essential for the proper clinical management of the disease, providing a methodologically well-structured literature review combined with the practical expertise in the oncological field. The article also includes two emblematic clinical cases that emphasize the importance of understanding the physiopathology and the current state of the art in the anatomopathological advancements of tubal/ovarian/peritoneal carcinoma, often assimilated into a single clinical entity.

This study aims to investigate the interfacial tension, emulsion stability, and the impact on oil displacement effectiveness of mixed systems containing nonionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants at different ratios. To achieve this, three different emulsion stability formulations were prepared by mixing betaine and nonionic surfactants in ratios of 1:1, 3:2, and 3:1 respectively. By adjusting the proportions of betaine and nonionic surfactants, variations in interfacial tension and emulsion formation among the three mixed systems were studied to analyze the mechanism of interaction between betaine and nonionic surfactants and evaluate their effects on crude oil displacement and enhanced oil recovery in reservoirs. Subsequently, microscopic and macroscopic oil displacement experiments were conducted on the three mixed systems, along with experiments on emulsion flow resistance. The aim was to verify the oil displacement effectiveness of different mixed systems and further understand their potential applications in reservoirs. By comprehensively analyzing the experimental results, optimal ratios and conditions for the mixed systems were determined. The experimental results indicate that the emulsification system formed by mixing betaine and nonionic surfactants at a ratio of 3:1 achieves molecular synergies through electrostatic interactions and mixed adsorption with betaine, resulting in a compact arrangement of interface membranes and demonstrating a synergistic effect in reducing interfacial tension to an ultra-low value of 10 -4 mN/m. Additionally, as the proportion of betaine surfactant increases, the viscosity of the aqueous phase liquid film increases, the rate of thinning of the liquid film slows down, the rate of water release slows down, and the stability of the emulsion increases. Microscopic oil displacement experiments verified that the three mixed systems increase oil washing efficiency through low interfacial tension and emulsification stripping action, thereby increasing the oil displacement mechanism's coefficient. Emulsion flow resistance experiments demonstrated that as the proportion of betaine surfactant increases, the system exhibits better plugging ability. However, macroscopic oil displacement experiments revealed differences in compatibility between different emulsion stability solutions and rocks with different permeabilities. The mixed system of betaine and nonionic surfactants at a ratio of 3:1 exhibits the best emulsification plugging ability in rocks with a permeability of 109mD, while the 1:1 mixed system performs best in rocks with a permeability of 12mD. This holds significant theoretical and practical significance for reservoir development and enhanced production.

This article explores the cutting-edge advancement of gypsum and cement building boards infused with shape-stabilized n-octadecane, an organic phase change material (PCM). The primary focus is on improving energy efficiency and providing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities for contemporary buildings. The research investigates the integration of these materials into construction materials, using red-mud Carbon Foam as a stabilizer for n-octadecane (OD@CCF). Various analyses, including microstructural examination, porosity assessment, and additive dispersion, were conducted using X-ray microtomography and density measurements. Thermal conductivity measurements demonstrated the enhancement of composite boards as the OD@CCF content increased, while mechanical tests indicated an optimal additive content of up to 20%. The thermal-regulated capabilities of these advanced panels were evaluated in a custom-designed room model equipped with a homemade environmental chamber, illustrating a consistent temperature environment during heating and cooling cycles. The incorporation of OD@CCF into cement boards exhibited improved thermal energy storage properties. Moreover, the examined composite boards displayed efficient electromagnetic shielding performance within the frequency range of 3.2–7.0 GHz, achieving EMI values of approximately 18 and 19.5 dB for gypsum and cement boards, respectively, meeting the entry-level value required for commercial applications.

Frequent and excessive consumption of alcohol, be it episodic or sustained misuse, ranks among the top causes of mortality globally. This comprehensive analysis seeks to elucidate how alcohol misuse precipitates death, with a particular focus on associated cardiac anomalies. Notably, the phenomenon of "Holiday Heart Syndrome," linked to binge drinking, is recognized for inducing potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Moreover, persistent alcohol consumption is implicated in the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a condition that underlies heart failure and arrhythmic disturbances of the heart. Additionally, individuals undergoing withdrawal from alcohol frequently exhibit disruptions in normal heart rhythm, posing a risk of death. This review further delves into additional alcohol-related mortality factors, including the heightened likelihood of hypertension, cerebrovascular accidents (strokes), and the connection between excessive alcohol use and Takotsubo syndrome.

Nowadays, the identification and characterization of grapevine cultivars resilient to climate and water stress while preserving quality traits is crucial for the wine industry. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize according to their aromatic potential 9 white and 6 red minority cultivars recently recovered from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), subjected at two different water deficit regimes: rainfed, with subsistence irrigation, and irrigated. For this, the varietal aromatic potential index (IPAv) and the detailed aromatic composition were analyzed by HS-SBSE-GC/MS, in extracts of two different ph. For IPAv values, red varieties did not show a clear trend with respect to irrigation. However, in white minority varieties, higher values were obtained under irrigation conditions. Thus, a clear differentiation of the minority varieties in comparison to the references was observed, primarily attributed to the content of esters and acids, in both white and red varieties. A notable contrast was observed at different pH, indicating a greater extractability of certain compounds like linalool, under more acidic conditions. This suggests that some recovered minority cultivars could be promising for cultivation in semi-arid regions with limited water, contributing to the wine sector sustainability in the future.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer tumors frequently have intratumor heterogeneity. Tumors with high intratumor heterogeneity have caused therapeutic resistance and have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) heterogeneity in response to HER2-targeted therapies. This study aimed to investigate whether high HER2 heterogeneity levels were clinically related to poor prognosis for HER2-targeted adjuvant therapies resistance in primary breast cancers. METHODS: This study included patients with primary breast cancer (n = 251) treated with adjuvant HER2-targeted therapies. HER2 heterogeneity was manifested by the shape of HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization amplification (FISH) distributed histograms with HER2 gene copy number within a tumor sample. Those heterogeneity classified each tumor into the biphasic grade graph (high heterogeneity [HH]) group and the monophasic grade graph (low heterogeneity [LH]) group. Both groups were evaluated for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for a median of ten years of annual follow-up. RESULTS: Of 251 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, 46 (18.3%) and 205 (81.7%) were classified into the HH and LH groups, respectively. The HH group had more distant metastases and a poorer prognosis than the LH group (DFS: P < 0.001 (HH:63% vs LH:91% at 10 years), and OS: P = 0.012 (HH:78% vs LH:95% at 10 years). CONCLUSION: High HER2 heterogeneity is a poor prognostic factor in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. A novel approach of heterogeneity, which is manifested by the shape of HER2 FISH distributions, might be clinically useful in the prognosis prediction of patients after HER2 adjuvant therapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development is associated with altered modifications in DNA methylation, changing transcriptional regulation. Emerging evidence indicates that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) plays a key role in carcinogenesis process. This study aimed to investigate how pirfenidone (PFD) modifies this pathway and the effect generated by the association between c-Myc expression and DNMT1 activation. Rats F344 were used for HCC development using 50 mg/kg of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and 25 mg/kg of 2-aminofluorene (2-AAF). HCC/PFD group received simultaneous doses of 300 mg/kg of PFD. All treatments lasted 12 weeks. On the other hand, HepG2 cells were used to evaluate the effects of PFD in restoring DNA methylation in the presence of the inhibitor 5-Aza. Histopathological, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and western blot analysis were carried out and our findings showed that PFD treatment reduced the amount and size of tumors along with decreased Glipican-3, β-catenin, and c-Myc expression in nuclear fractions. Also, this treatment improved lipid metabolism by modulating PPARγ and SREBP1 signaling. Interestingly, PFD augmented DNMT1 and DNMT3a protein expression, which restores global methylation, both in our in vivo and in vitro models. In conclusion, our results suggest that PFD could slow down HCC development by controlling DNA methylation.

Cycle threshold (Ct) values of SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests are associated with infectivity and viral load, and they could be an aid to forecast the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. The objective was to know the Ct values related to the incidence and reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in successive outbreaks, which took place in nursing homes in Castellon (Spain) during 2020-2022, and to test its usefulness as an instrument of epidemic surveillance in nursing homes. Poisson regression and multinomial logistic regression were used in the analysis. We studied four nursing home SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks, and the average infection rate, reinfection rate, and case fatality were 72.7%, 19.9%, and 5.5%, respectively; 98.9% of residents were vaccinated with three doses of a mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Ct values for first infections and reinfections were 27.1±6.6 and 31.9±5.4 (p = 0.000). Considering Ct values ≥30 versus

The presence of clays in copper minerals has a significant negative impact during their processing, leading to low recoveries during the flotation process. In saline environments such as seawater, the presence of clays contribute to an increase in operational problems caused by salinity, a decrease in the grade of the copper concentrate, alteration of the rheology of the mineral pulp, a decrease in the selectivity of copper during the flotation process, a reduction in the quality of clarified water, and excessive corrosion of metallic components. This study explores the electroflotation of kaolinite and montmorillonite clays in NaCl solutions using a modified Hallimond tube coupled with Ti Gr. 2 electrodes for bubble generation via water electrolysis, and the corrosion analysis of these electrodes applying the superposition model. The electroflotation results show recovery of clays close to 72.68% for kaolinite, 88.44% for montmorillonite, and 67.36% for a mixtures of both clays. The presence of clays helps reduce the corrosive effects of Ti Gr. 2 from 0.069 A/m2 in NaCl to 0.0073 A/m2 in NaCl with montmorillonite clay.

The COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by the emergence and succession of SARS-CoV-2 variants able to evade the antibody response induced by natural infection and vaccination. In this study, IgG reactivity and neutralizing capacity of the serum of individuals vaccinated with Sputnik V was determined against the spike glycoprotein (S) of the ancestral and different viral variants. At 42 days’ post vaccination, the frequency of recognition and reactivity to S protein of the omicron variant was lower compared to the other variants. There was higher reactivity to Alpha and Delta S protein compared to ancestral S protein. A higher neutralization titer was seen against the ancestral variant compared to the variants, especially Omicron. Some sera exhibited a higher neutralization titer to the Gamma variant, compared to the ancestral variant. This may be due to exposure to this variant during the period of its spread in the country, which coincided with the period of the clinical trial. A correlation was found between reactivity to S and neutralization titer to each variant. These results suggest that antibodies induced by Sputnik-V can recognize, persist and neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Venezuela, with Omicron being the one that best evades this response.

Vaccine antigens must present the correct conformation of viral fusion glycoproteins to elicit effective immune responses. Virus-like particles (VLPs) serve as promising vaccine platforms because they mimic the membrane-embedded conformations of fusion glycoproteins on native viruses. Here, we employed SARS-CoV-2 VLPs (SMEN) presenting ancestral, Beta, or Omicron spikes to identify the variant that elicits potent and cross-protective immune responses in the highly sensitive K18-hACE2 mouse model. A combined intranasal and intramuscular administration regimen of the SMEN vaccine generated effective immune responses and was predominantly mediated by antibodies with minor contributions from T cells. Immunization with SMEN presenting an ancestral spike resulted in 100, 75, or 0% protection against ancestral, Delta or Beta VOC-induced mortality, respectively, whereas SMEN presenting the most divergent Omicron spike provided only limited protection (50%, 0%, and 25%) against ancestral, Delta, and Beta variants, respectively. By contrast, SMEN with a Beta spike offered 100% protection against the variants used in this study. Thus, the Beta variant not only overcame the immunity produced by other variants, but also elicited diverse and effective immune response. Our findings suggest that leveraging the Beta variant spike protein can enhance SARS-CoV-2 immunity, potentially leading to a more comprehensive vaccine against emerging variants.

Clofazimine and Arbidol have both been reported to be effective in vitro SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors. Both are promising drugs repurposed for treatment of COVID-19 and have been used in several previous and ongoing clinical trials. Small-molecule binding to expressed constructs of the trimeric S2 segment of Spike and the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were measured using a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) binding assay. We demonstrate that Clofazimine, Toremifene, Arbidol and other Arbidol derivatives bind to the S2 segment of the Spike protein. Clofazimine provided the most reliable and highest quality SPR binding data to S2 over the conditions explored. A molecular docking approach was used to identify the most favorable binding sites on the S2 segment in the prefusion conformation, highlighting two possible small-molecule binding sites for fusion inhibitors. Results from molecular docking and modeling the structure-activity-relationship (SAR) of a newly reported series of Clofazimine derivatives supports the proposed Clofazimine binding site on the S2 segment. When the proposed Clofazimine binding site is superimposed with other experimentally determined coronavirus structures in structure-sequence alignments, the changes in sequence and structure may rationalize the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Clofazimine in closely related coronavirus such as (SARS-CoV, MERS, hCoV-229E, hCoV-OC43).

Many metabolic processes at the molecular level support both viral attack strategies and human defenses during Covid-19. This knowledge is of vital importance in the design of antiviral drugs. In this study, we extracted 18 articles (2021-2023) from PubMed reporting the discovery of hub-nodes specific for the liver during covid-19, identifying 142 hub-nodes. They are highly connected proteins from which to get deep functional information on viral strategies when used as functional seeds. Therefore, we evaluated the functional and structural significance of each of them to endorse their reliable use as seeds. After filtering, the remaining 111 hubs were used to get by STRING an enriched interactome of 1111 nodes (13,494 interactions). It shows the viral strategy in the liver is to attack the entire cytoplasmic translational system, including ribosomes, to take control of protein bio-synthesis. We used the SARS2-Human-Proteome Interaction Database (33,791 interactions), de-signed by us with BioGRID data to implement a reverse-engineering process that identified human proteins actively interacting with viral proteins. The results show 57% of human liver proteins di-rectly involved in Covid, a strong impairment of the ribosome and spliceosome, an antiviral defense mechanism against cellular stress of the p53 system, and, surprisingly, a viral capacity for multiple protein attacks against single human proteins that reveal underlying evolutionary-topological molecular mechanisms. Viral behavior over time suggests different molecular strategies for different organs.

The synthesis and characterization of the multicomponent crystals formed by 2,2’-thiodiacetic acid (H2tda) and 2,6-diaminopurine (Hdap) or N9-(2-hydroxyethyl)adenine (9heade) are reported. The crystals are in the salt rather than cocrystal form, as witnessed by single crystal X-ray diffractometry where a structural analysis revealed their ionic nature, confirming the proton transfer from the 2,2’-thiodiacetic acid to the basic groups of the coformers. The new multicomponent crystals have molecular formulas [(H9heade+)(Htda)] (1) and [(H2dap+)2(tda2)]·2H2O (2), and were also characterized by FTIR, elemental analysis as well as thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC) analyses. In the crystal packing the ions interact with each other via O–H···N, O–H···O. N–H···O and N–H···N hydrogen bonds generating cyclic hydrogen bonded motifs with graph-set notation of R22(16), R22(10), R32(10), R33(10), R22(9), R32(8) and R42(8), to form different supramolecular homo- and hetero-synthons. In addition, in the crystal packing of 2, pairs of diaminopurinium ions display an strong anti-parallel ,-stacking interaction, with short inter-centroids and interplanar distances (3.39 and 3.24 Å respectively) and fairly tight angle (17.5°). These assemblies have been further analyzed energetically by using DFT calculations, MEP surface analysis and QTAIM characterization.

We have developed a simple, rapid, high-throughput RBD-based ELISA to assess the humoral immunity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 virus variants. The cDNAs of the his-tagged RBD proteins of the virus variants were stably engineered into HEK cells secreting the protein into the supernatant, and RBD purification was performed by Ni-chromatography and buffer exchange by membrane filtration. The simplified assay uses single dilutions of sera from finger-pricked native blood samples, purified RBD in 96-well plates, and a chromogenic dye for development. The results of this RBD-ELISA were confirmed to correlate with those of a commercial immunoassay measuring antibodies against the Wuhan strain, as well as direct virus neutralization assays assessing the cellular effects of the Wuhan and the Omicron (BA.5) variants. Here we document the applicability of this ELISA to assess the variant-specific humoral immunity in vaccinated and convalescent patients, as well as to follow the time course of selective vaccination response. This simple and rapid assay, easily modified to detect humoral immunity against emerging SARS-CoV-2 virus variants, may help to assess the level of antiviral protection after vaccination or infection.

High hepcidin is linked to low-grade inflammation and lower iron levels. The consequence of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) on inflammation and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is undetermined. We investigate the effect of TRT on the inflammatory cardiovascular risk markers hepcidin-iron, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23)-phosphate-klotho, and calprotectin pathways. Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study at an academic tertiary-care medical center. Interventions were testosterone gel (TRT, n=20) or placebo gel (n=19) for 24 weeks. We included 39 men (50─70 years) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on metformin monotherapy with bioavailable testosterone levels <7.3 nmol/L. Body composition was assessed by DXA- and MRI-scans; main study outcomes were serum hepcidin-iron, FGF23, phosphate, klotho, and calprotectin. Results: Hepcidin levels decreased during TRT (β=-9.5 ng/mL, P<0.001), lean body mass (β=1.9 kg, P=0.001) increased, and total fat mass (β=-1.3 kg, P=0.009) decreased compared to placebo. Delta hepcidin was not associated with changes in lean body mass or fat mass. Iron and the pathways of FGF23-phosphate-klotho and calprotectin were unchanged during TRT. Conclusions: During TRT, the reduction in hepcidin was not associated with circulating iron levels, lean body mass, or fat mass; these findings suggested a direct anti-inflammatory effect of TRT and no indirect effect mediated through these factors.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic clearly has had a great influence on the lifestyle of the population, especially on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. During the COVID-19 outbreak, many countries/regions implemented social isolation measures, leading to an increase in negative behaviors and impairing the capability of diabetic patients to resist the COVID-19, ultimately causing a severe prognosis. Moreover, multiple studies have emphasized the significance of physical exercise in the management of type 2 diabetic patients infected with COVID-19 as the epidemic progressed. In our study, we selected research focusing on COVID-19-infected diabetic patients from Dec 1, 2019 to Aug 9, 2023 and sought to investigate the impact of type 2 diabetes on the immune function, inflammation factor levels, lung injury and mental disorders of patients, as well as to assess the risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia in these patients. And we also summarized the effects of high-intensity, moderate-intensity and low-intensity exercise on novel coronavirus pneumonia infection in type 2 diabetic patients and the mechanisms of their effects. Finally, diabetic patients with COVID-19 are suggested to perform low-intensity exercise to facilitate their recovery. Our study offers guidance for a proper understanding of the dangers of diabetes and the use of appropriate measures to reduce the risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia infections in type 2 diabetic patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) often causes severe viral pneumonia, especially among older individuals and those with underlying health conditions. The C57BL/6 mouse is widely used to develop mouse models of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and immune disorders, conditions that are associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Although many studies using these mouse models have examined the pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pathogenesis remains poorly understood. In vivo imaging analysis using two-photon excitation microscopy is useful for elucidating the pathology of COVID-19, providing pathological insights that are not available from conventional histological analysis. However, there is no reporter SARS-CoV-2 that demonstrates pathogenicity in C57BL/6 mice and emits sufficient light intensity for two-photon in vivo imaging. Here, we generated SARS-CoV-2 expressing the fluorescent protein Venus to facilitate in vivo pathological studies using C57BL/6 mouse models. We generated a mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2, by performing sequential lung-to-lung passages in BALB/c mice, followed by in C57BL/6 mice. We observed that the C57BL/6-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (named MASCV2-p25) replicated efficiently in the lungs of C57BL/6 mice, causing fatal pneumonia. Histopathologic analysis revealed severe inflammation and infiltration of immune cells in the lungs of MASCV2-p25-infected C57BL/6J mice, not unlike that observed in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia. Subsequently, we generated a mouse-adapted reporter SARS-CoV-2 (named MASCV-Venus-p9) by inserting the fluorescent gene Venus into MASCV2-p25, and sequential lung-to-lung passages in C57BL/6 mice. C57BL/6 mice infected with MASCV2-Venus-p9 exhibited severe pneumonia similar to that induced by MASCV2-p25. In addition, two-photon excitation microscopy of the lungs of the infected C57BL/6J mice showed that the infected cells emitted sufficient levels of fluorescence for easy observation. These findings suggest that MASCV2-Venus-p9 will be useful for two photon in vivo imaging studies of the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19 and for the development of therapeutic agents for severe pneumonia.

We investigated humoral immune responses in 222 unvaccinated Japanese people after recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in 2021. Anti-spike protein IgG antibody levels and neutralizing antibody titers were measured in serum samples obtained within 20–180 days after diagnosis. The geometric mean of antibody titers was 1555 ELU/mL (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1257-1923), and the neutralizing activities (50% inhibitory dilution) was 253 (95% CI = 204-313). The antibody titer and neutralizing activity both increased with increasing disease severity, and both values were approximately 4-fold higher for hospitalized patients than for non-hospitalized patients. However, these differences were smaller in older patients. The humoral immune response, which increased with increasing disease severity, gradually decreased over time after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most patients with mild or moderate symptoms sustained neutralizing activity for up to 180 days after the infection, the decay of the neutralizing activity in the patients with asymptomatic was rather faster than other groups. 11.7% (26/222) of patients had very low neutralizing activity, and half of these were in the age of 20s. Our study results show the importance of measuring the neutralizing activity to confirm the immune status and also estimate the timing of vaccine.

The rapid changes in the coronavirus genomes are creating new strains over time after the first variation found in Wuhan in 2019. SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) genotypes need periodically undergo whole genome sequencing. Genome sequencing has been extremely helpful in combating this virus because so many diagnoses, treatments, and vaccinations have been developed against it. To achieve this, we generated 17 high-quality whole-genome sequence data from 48 SARS-CoV-2 genotypes of COVID-19 patients who tested positive by PCR in the Tashkent city of Uzbekistan. We identified nucleotide polymorphisms, including nonsynonymous (missense) and synonymous mutations in the coding regions of the sequenced sample genomes. All whole genome sequences were categorized by phylogenetic analysis into the G clade (or GK sub-clade). A total of 134 mutations were identified, consisting of 65 shared and 69 unique mutations. Collectively, nucleotide changes represented one frameshift mutation, one conservative and disruptive insertion deletion, four upstream region mutations, four downstream region mutations, 39 synonymous mutations, and 84 missense mutations. Furthermore, bioinformatics web tools were used to analyze amino acid changes in virus genomes. Several amino acid mutations were found, which were not found in previously published Delta strain sequences.

The high demand for SARS-CoV-2 tests but limited supply to South African laboratories early in the COVID19 pandemic, resulted in a heterogenous diagnostic footprint of open and closed molecular testing platforms. Novel approaches were required to monitor test quality especially during the introduction of newly circulating variants. The National Health Laboratory Service centrally collected cycle threshold (Ct) values from 1,497,669 test results reported from six commonly used PCR assays in 36 months, and visually monitored changes in their median Ct within a 28-day centered moving average for each assays’ gene targets. This continuous quality monitoring rapidly identified delayed hybridization of RdRp in the Allplex™ SARS-CoV-2 assay due to the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant; S-gene target failure in the TaqPath™ COVID-19 assay due to B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and the B.1.1.529 (Omicron); and recently E-gene delayed hybridization in the Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2 due to XBB.1.5. This near “real-time” monitoring helped inform the need for sequencing and the importance of multiplex molecular nucleic acid amplification technology designs used in diagnostics for patient care. This continuous quality monitoring approach at the granularity of Ct values should be included in ongoing surveillance and with application to other disease use cases that rely on molecular diagnostics.

During COVID-19 pandemic, drug repurposing represented an effective strategy to obtain quick answers to medical emergencies. Basing on previous data on Methotrexate (MTX), we evaluated the anti-viral activity of several DHFR inhibitors in two cell lines. We observed that this class of compounds showed a significant influence on the virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) partly associated to the intrinsic antimetabolic activity of these drugs, but also to a specific antiviral function. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms, we took advantage of our EXSCALATE platform for in-silico molecular modelling and further validated the influence of these inhibitors on nsp13 and viral entry. Interestingly, Pralatrexate and Trimetrexate showed superior effects in counteracting the viral infection compared to other DHFR inhibitors. Our results indicate that their higher activity is due to their polypharmacological and pleiotropic profile. These compounds can thus potentially give a clinical advantage in the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients already treated with this class of drugs.

Dyslipidemia is a disorder where abnormally lipid concentrations circulate in the bloodstream. The disorder is common in type 2 diabetics (T2D) and is linked with T2D comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease. Dyslipidemia in T2D is typically characterized by elevated plasma triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding dyslipidemia in rural parts of Africa, where lipid profiles may not be routinely captured through standard surveillance activities. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and demographic profile of dyslipidemia in T2D patients in the rural community of Ganadougou, Mali. We performed a cross-sectional study of 104 subjects with T2D in Ganadougou between November 2021 and March 2022. Demographic and lipid profiles were collected through cross-sectional surveys and blood tests. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in T2D patients was 87.5% (91/104), which did not differ by sex (p = .368). High low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was the most common lipid abnormality (78.9%, [82/104]). Dyslipidemia was associated with age and hypertension status (p = .013 and p = .036, respectively). High total and high LDL-C parameters were significantly associated with hypertension (p = .029 and p = .006, respectively). In low-resource settings such as rural Mali, there is a critical need to improve infrastructure for routine dyslipidemia screening to guide its prevention and intervention approaches. The high rates of dyslipidemia observed in Gandadougou, consistent with concomitant increases in cardiovascular diseases in Africa suggest that lipid profile assessments should be incorporated into routine medical care for T2D patients in African rural settings.

Abstract: Over the years, several distinct pathogenic coronaviruses have emerged, including the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 which is difficult to curtail despite the availability of licensed vaccines. The difficulty in managing SARS-CoV-2 is linked to changes in the variants’ proteins, especially in the spike protein (S) used for viral entry. These mutations, especially in the S, enable the virus to evade the immune responses induced by natural infection or vaccination. However, some parts of the SP in the S1 subunit and the S2 subunit are considered conserved among coronaviruses. In this review, we will discuss the epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 S1 and S2 subunit proteins that have been demonstrated by various studies to be conserved among coronaviruses and may be immunogenic for the development of vaccine. Considering the higher conservancy of the S2, we will further discuss the likely challenges that could limit the S2 subunit from inducing robust immune responses and the promising approaches to increase their immunogenicity.

A human case of dengue virus 2 was detected from a febrile patient living in the Sare yoba, Kolda region (Southern Senegal). Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial sequence of the NS5 gene reveals that the virus belongs to the DENV2 Sylvatic genotype and is closely related to a strain (JF260983/ 98.98% identity) detected in Spain from a tourist who travelled to Guinee Bissau (bordering Kolda region) in 2009. This highlights a potential recent underreported circulation of sylvatic Dengue in the southern part of Senegal and calls for re-enforced integrated surveillance among humans, non-human primates and arboreal mosquitoes throughout a one-health approach.

The development of antibody therapies against SARS-CoV-2 remains a challenging task during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All approved therapeutic antibodies are directed against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike and lost neutralization efficacy against continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, which especially mutate in the RBD region. Previously, phage display has been used to identify epitopes of antibody responses against several diseases. Such epitopes have been applied to design vaccines or neutralizing antibodies. Here, we constructed an ORFeome phage display library for the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Open reading frames (ORFs) representing the SARS-CoV-2 genome were displayed on the surface of phage particles in order to identify enriched immunogenic epitopes from COVID-19 patients. Library quality was assessed by both, NGS and epitope mapping of a monoclonal antibody with known binding site. The most prominent epitope captured represented parts of Spike´s fusion peptide (FP). It is associated with the cell entry mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 into the host cell and the serine protease TMPRSS2 cleaves Spike within this sequence. Blocking of this mechanism could be a potential target for non-RBD binding therapeutic anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. As mutations within the FP amino acid sequence were rather rare among SARS-CoV-2 variants so far, this may be an advantage in the fight against future virus variants.

Conventional methods of crop mapping need ground truth information to train the classifier. Thanks to the frequent acquisition allowed by recent satellite missions (Sentinel 2), we can identify temporal patterns that depend on both phenology and crop management. Some of these patterns are specific to a given crop and thus can be used to map it. Thus, we can substitute ground truth information used in conventional methods with agronomic knowledge. This approach was applied to identify irrigated permanent grasslands (IPG) in the Crau area (Southern France) which play a crucial role in groundwater recharge. The grassland is managed by making three mows during the May-October period which leads to a specific temporal pattern of leaf area index (LAI). The mowing detection algorithm was designed using the temporal LAI signal derived from Sentinel 2 observations. The algorithm includes some filtering to remove noise in the signal that might lead to false mowing detection. A pixel is considered a grassland if the number of detected mows is greater than 1. A data set covering five years (2016-2020) was used. The detection mowing number was done at the pixel level and then results are aggregated at the plot level. A validation data set including 780 plots was used to assess the performances of the classification. We obtained a Kappa index ranging between 0.94-0.99 according to the year. These results were better than other supervised classification methods that include training data sets. The analysis of land-use changes shows that misclassified plots concern grasslands managed less intensively with strong intra-parcel heterogeneity due to irrigation defects or year-round grazing. Time series analysis, therefore, allows us to understand different management practices. Real land-use change in use can be observed, but long time series are needed to confirm the change and remove ambiguities with heterogeneous grasslands.

Because imbalanced power will cause the loss of the propulsion motor of the railway vehicle, and the increase in temperature will shorten the service life of the electric vehicle. Not only this, but also increase the cost of electricity and maintenance. In the past, the industry only focused on methods to improve power quality such as load capacity, relay setting, and harmonic resolution. Now, the consider of three-phase unbalance rate (TPUR) must be applied. I propose special transformers wiring (STW) to improve the three unbalance rates and provide different transformer wiring methods. According to the IEEE Committee, in the future, power companies will need to install balanced relay stations to improve three-phase unbalance rate. the internal regulations of Taipower must be less than 4.5% (voltage unbalance rate (NPSUR)of 2.5% and motor temperature rise of 12.5%). the derivation of the transformer "three-phase unbalance rate" model is the focus of the railway system. This research is based on the model derivation of different wiring methods to improve the hot problem caused by the three-phase imbalance and improve the service life of the train. And pointed out that Scott, Le-Blanc, Modified-Woodbridge three wiring methods can be applied to future railway system routes to improve the three-phase unbalance rate, in line with the IEEE standard of less than 2%.

Background: Superspreading events are important drivers of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. By analyzing two outbreaks associated with choir rehearsals in March 2020, we demonstrate the risk of indoor, long-range (LR) transmission and singing, to help prevent similar outbreaks. Methods: We conducted two retrospective cohort studies and obtained demographic, clinical, laboratory and contact data, performed SARS-CoV-2 serology, whole genome sequencing (WGS), calculated LR transmission probabilities, measured particle emissions of selected choir members, and calculated particle air concentrations and inhalation doses.Results: We included 65 (84%) and 42 (100%) members of choirs 1 and 2, respectively. WGS confirmed strain identity in both choirs and the primary case of choir 1 (transmitting presymptomatically). Particle emission rate when singing was 7 times higher compared to talking. In choir 1, the median concentration of primary cases’ emitted particles was 8 times higher, exposure at least 30 minutes longer and room volume smaller than in choir 2, resulting in markedly different estimated probabilities for LR transmission (median: 89% vs. 18%, 95%CI: 80-95% vs. 6-36%). Observed AR in choir 1 (89%) was significantly higher than in choir 2 (24%). According to a risk model, first transmission in choir 1 occurred likely after 7 minutes of singing. The number of inhaled particles emitted by an infectious case, sufficient to infect 50% of exposed, was calculated to 1039-2883 particles (95%CI).Conclusions: Even in large rooms, singing of an infectious person may lead to secondary infections through LR exposure within minutes. Given the potential for presymptomatic infectiousness, greatest caution is required wherever aerosols can accumulate.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to wastewater surveillance becoming an important tool for monitoring the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within communities. As a result, molecular methods, in particular reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), have been employed to generate large data sets aimed at the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Although RT-qPCR is rapid and sensitive, there is no standard method that fits all use cases, there are no certified quantification standards and experiments are carried out using numerous different assays, reagents, instruments, and data analysis protocols. These variations can lead to the reporting of erroneous quantitative data resulting in potentially misleading interpretations and conclusions. We have reviewed the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance literature focusing on the variability of RT-qPCR data as revealed by inconsistent standard curves and associated parameters. We find that variation in these parameters and deviations from best practices as described in The Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines suggest a lack of reproducibility and reliability in quantitative measurements of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater.

Physical distancing and wearing a face mask are key interventions to prevent COVID-19. While this remains difficult to practice for millions of firefighters in fire engines responding to emergencies, the delayed forthcoming of evidence on the physical effectiveness of such safety interventions in this setting presents a major problem. In this field experimental study, we provided initial evidence to close this gap. We examined total aerosol burden in the cabin of a fire engine whilst manipulating crew size, natural ventilation, use of FFP2 respirators and use of SCBA full-face masks during 15-minute driving periods. At the same time, we controlled for crew activity and speaking, vehicle speed, cabin air temperature, pressure and humidity. Limiting the crew size, using FFP2 respirators and not donning SCBA full-face masks was associated with a reduction of the arithmetic mean of total aerosol burden of up to 49%. Natural ventilation as tested in this study was associated with both an increase and a decrease of total aerosol burden. This study provided initial evidence on the physical effectiveness of safety interventions in fire engines to reduce potential airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through aerosols. More research about the physical and clinical effectiveness of such safety interventions is needed.

Background: The reference test for SARS-CoV-2 detection is the reverse transcriptase real time PCR (real time RT-PCR). However, evidences reported that real time RT-PCR has a lower sensitivity compared with the droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) leading to possible false negative in low viral load cases. Methods: We used ddPCR for viral genes N1 and N2 on 20 negative (no detection) samples from symptomatic hospitalized COVID-patients presenting fluctuating real time RT-PCR results and 10 suspected samples (Ct value>35) from asymptomatic not hospitalized subjects. Results: ddPCR performed on RNA revealed 65% of positivity for at least one viral target in the hospitalized patients group of samples (35% for N1 and N2, 10% only for N1 and 20% only for N2) and 50% in the suspected cases (30% for N1 and N2, while 20% only for N2). On hospitalized patients’ samples, we applied also a direct ddPCR approach on the swab material, achieving an overall positivity of 83%. Conclusion: ddPCR, in particular the direct quantitation on swabs, shows a sensitivity advantage for the SARS-CoV-2 identification and may be useful to reduce the false negative diagnosis, especially for low viral load suspected samples.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) due to diabetes mellitus remains difficult to treat despite advances in pharmacotherapeutic approaches in the field. Therefore, this study investigated the erectogenic effect of the methanolic extract of Maytenus procumbens roots on type 2 diabetes in rats. The fructose-streptozotocin model was used to induce type 2 diabetes-linked ED in male rats. The sexually active male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two major groups; normal group and high fructose fed group for 120 days. After 120 days, the high fructose fed group rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of a freshly prepared streptozotocin solution (30 mg/kg). The diabetic ED rats were orally administered with the extract at 250 mg/kg, daily for 28 days. The serum, brain and penile tissues were removed for biochemical analysis and protein expression. Increased testosterone level, mounting frequency, reduced blood glucose level and serum fructosamine content was observed after 28 days of treatment in diabetic rats. Methanolic extract also exhibited an inhibitory effect on arginase, AChE, and ACE activities. The crude extract further downregulated proteins PDE-5, RhoA and increased expression of eNOS in the diabetic ED treated rats. The results obtained indicate that the methanolic extract of Maytenus procumbens roots ameliorates erectile dysfunction in type 2 diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction in rats.

Background: Comorbidities have been frequently reported in COVID-19 patients, which often lead to more severe outcomes. The underlying molecular mechanisms behind these clinical observations have not yet been explained. Herein, we investigated the disease-specific gene expression signatures that may induce susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We studied 30 frequently occurring acute, chronic, or infectious diseases of recent times that have shown comorbidity in one or another respiratory disease(s) caused by pathogenic human infecting coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV-2. We retrieved array-based gene expression data for each disease and control from relevant datasets. Subsequently, all the datasets were quantile normalized, and log-2 transformed data was used for analysis. Results The expression of ACE2 receptor and host proteases, namely FURIN and TMPRSS2 that are essential for cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2, was upregulated in all six studied subtypes of leukemia (hereafter, referred as leukemia). The expression of ACE2 was also increased in psoriasis, lung cancer, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), breast cancer, and pulmonary arterial hypertension patients. The expression of FURIN was higher in psoriasis, NAFLD, lung cancer, and in type II diabetic liver, whereas it was lowered in breast cancer. Similarly, the expression of TMPRSS2 was increased during lung cancer and type II diabetes; it was decreased during psoriasis, NAFLD, lung cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer.Furthermore, a heightened expression of genes that are involved in immune response was observed in leukemia patients, as shown by the higher expression of IFNA2, IFNA8, IFNA10, IFNA14, IFNA16, IFNA21, IFNB1, CXCL10, and IL6. The expression of JAK1, STAT1, IL6, and CXCL10 was higher in NAFLD. Besides, JAK1 and STAT1 were upregulated in type II diabetic muscles. In addition, most of the upregulated genes in COVID-19 patients showed a similar trend in leukemia, NAFLD, and psoriasis. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS CoV, were found to commonly alter two genes, namely, CARBONIC ANHYDRASE 11 and CLUSTERIN.Conclusions: The genes that may confer susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection are mostly upregulated in leukemia patients; hence, leukemia patients are relatively more susceptible to develop COVID-19, followed by other chronic disorders, such as, NAFLD, type II diabetes, psoriasis, and hypertension. This study identifies key genes that are altered in the studied diseases types, which may aid in the infection of SARS-CoV-2 and underlie COVID-19 associated comorbidities.

The ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP) belongs to the family of deubiquitinases and plays a critical role in tumors cells’ survival and therefore signifies an important therapeutic target. Previous studies have indicated promising efficacies of potent human USP2 inhibitors including, thiopurine analogues against SARS-CoV papain-like proteases (PLpro). The PLpro have significant functional implications in the innate immune response during SARS-CoV-2 infection and considered an important antiviral target. Both proteases share strikingly similar USP fold with right-handed thumb–palm–fingers structural scaffold and conserved catalytic triad Cys-His-Asp/Asn. In this urgency situation of COVID-19 outbreak, there is a lack of in-vitro facilities readily available to test SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors in whole-cell assays. Therefore, we adopted an alternate route to identify potential USP2 inhibitor through integrated structure-based virtual screening efforts. After a subsequent virtual screening protocol, the best compounds were selected and tested. The compound Z93 showed significant IC₅₀ value against Jurkat (9.67 µM) and MOTL-4 cells (11.8 µM). The binding mode of Z93 was extensively analyzed through molecular docking, followed by MD simulations, and molecular interactions were compared with SARS-CoV-2. The relative binding poses of Z93 fitted well in the binding site of both proteases and showed consensus π-π stacking and H-bond interactions with histidine and aspartate/asparagine residues of the catalytic triad. These results led us to speculate that compound Z93 might be the first potential chemical lead against SARS-CoV-2 PLpro, which warrants in-vitro evaluations.

The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is largely driven by community transmission, after 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV or SARS-CoV-2) crosses the borders. To stop the spread, rapid testing is required at community clinics and hospitals. These rapid tests should be comparable with the standard PCR technology. Isothermal amplification technology provides an excellent alternative that is highly amenable to resource limited settings, where expertise and infrastructure to support PCR are not available. In this review, we provide a brief description of isothermal amplification technology, its potential and the gaps that need to be considered for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Among this emerging technology, loop mediated amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) technologies have been identified as potential platforms that could be implemented at community level, without samples referral to a centralised laboratory and prolonged turn-around-time associated with the standard COVID-19 RT-PCR test. LAMP, for example, has recently been shown to be comparable with PCR and could be performed in less than 30 min by non-laboratory staff, without RNA extractions commonly associated with PCR. More so, it is cost effective and could easily be scaled up to resource limited settings. Diagnostics developers, scientific community and commercial companies could consider this alternative method to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Aims: The sequencing data of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) are rapidly emerging. The mutation profile across SARS-CoV-2 populations is an important inference of the evolution of coronaviruses. Materials & Methods: With 4,521 lines of SARS-CoV-2, we obtained 3,169 unique point mutation sites in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. We counted the numbers and calculated the MAF (minor allele frequency) of each mutation type. Results: Nearly half of the point mutations are C-T mismatches and 20% are A-G mismatches. The MAF of C-T and A-G mismatches is significantly higher than MAF of other mutation types. Conclusions: The excessive C-T mismatches do not resemble the random mutation profile, and are likely to be explained by the cytosine-to-uridine deamination system in hosts. Not only the population analyses in previous studies are questionable, but also the 17% divergence between SARS-CoV-2 and RaTG13 could be erroneous due to the deamination.

Diabetes is a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. However, how the clinical characteristics of type 2 diabetic patients with MCI are linked to sarcopenia and/or its criterion remain to be elucidated. Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were categorized into the MCI group for MoCA-J (the Japanese version of the Montreal cognitive assessment) score <26, and into the non-MCI group for MoCA-J ≥26. Sarcopenia was defined by a low skeletal mass index along with low muscle strength (handgrip strength) or low physical performance (walking speed <1.0 m/s). Univariate and multivariate-adjusted odds ratio models were used to determine the independent contributors for MoCA-J <26. Among 438 participants, 221 (50.5%) and 217 (49.5%) comprised the non-MCI and MCI groups, respectively. In the MCI group, age (61 ± 12 vs. 71 ± 10 years, p < 0.01) and duration of diabetes (14 ± 9 vs. 17 ± 9 years, p < 0.01) were higher than those in the non-MCI group. Patients in the MCI group exhibited lower hand grip strength, walking speed, and skeletal mass index, but higher prevalence of sarcopenia. Only walking speed (rather than muscle loss or muscle weakness) was found to be an independent determinant of MCI after adjusting for multiple factors, such as age, gender, BMI, duration of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, drinking, eGFR, HbA1c, and history of coronary heart diseases and stroke. In subgroup analysis, a group consisting of male patients aged ≥65 years, with BMI <25, showed a significant OR for walking speed. This is the first study to show that slow walking speed is a sole determinant for the presence of MCI in patients with type 2 diabetes. It was suggested that walking speed is an important factor in the prediction and prevention of MCI development in patients with diabetes mellitus.

HTTP/2 video streaming has caught a lot of attentions in the development of multimedia technologies over the last few years. In HTTP/2, the server push mechanism allows the server to deliver more video segments to the client within a single request in order to deal with the requests explosion problem. As a result, recent research efforts have been focusing on utilizing such a feature to enhance the streaming experience while reducing the request-related overhead. However, current works only optimize the performance of a single client, without necessary concerns of possible influences on other clients in the same network. When multiple streaming clients compete for a shared bandwidth in HTTP/1.1, they are likely to suffer from unfairness, which is defined as the inequality in their bitrate selections. For HTTP/1.1, existing works have proven that the network-assisted solutions are effective in solving the unfairness problem. However, the feasibility of utilizing such an approach for the HTTP/2 server push has not been investigated. Therefore, in this paper, a novel proxy-based framework is proposed to overcome the unfairness problem in adaptive streaming over HTTP/2 with the server push. Experimental results confirm the outperformance of the proposed framework in ensuring the fairness, assisting the clients to avoid rebuffering events and lower bitrate degradation amplitude, while maintaining the mechanism of the server push feature.

3CL^pro is the main protease of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for their intracellular duplication. Based on virtual screening technology, we found 23 approved clinical drugs such as Carfilzomib, Saquinavir, Thymopentin and etc., which showed high affinity with the 3CL^pro active sites. These findings suggest that 3CL^pro inhibitors might be potential candidates for further activity detection and molecular modification.

Two 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-based Schiff bases (TPySSB and TPySB) have been synthesized. The TPySSB shows remarkable selective ‘off-on’ fluorescence for Al³⁺ by photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism of sensing. Chemosensor TPySSB binds Al³⁺ in a 1:2 ratio with an association constant 6.8×10⁵ (R²=0.98) and this 1:2 stoichiometric model is established on Job’s plot and ¹H NMR. Compared TPySSB and TPySB, it is of great importance of the existence of salicylidene unit due to its strong binding abilities of both phenol and C=N structure to the Al³⁺.

A B S T R A C T Genital herpes disease is caused mainly by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which is sexually transmitted with a high prevalence in both developed and developing countries. No vaccine is currently available against genital herpes. In this study, we introduced and expressed two genes encoding HSV-2 glycoprotein D (gD) and VP16 protein and a GFP marker gene (control) in tobacco seedlings. Positive plant infection was assessed through characteristic tobacco mosaic virus disease symptoms on leaves and by monitoring the fluorescence emitted by the expressed GFP protein. Expression of the HSV-gD2 and VP16 antigens was verified by RT-PCR, ELISA and Western blot. As a proof of concept, the immunogenicity and the protection ability of the plant produced gD antigen was tested in a mouse model of genital herpes and compared to gD antigen produced in a mammalian expression system. This showed that the plant-gD preparation, when used in combination with a CpG oligodeoxynucleotide as adjuvant, was highly immunogenic and capable of inducing complete immunity to lethal vaginal HSV-2 challenge in mice. Thus, the data presented here may have implications for the development of a production system for highly immunogenic plant-based HSV-2 vaccine antigens.

The gap of standardization for conducted and field coupled electromagnetic interferences (EMI) in the 2–150 kHz frequency range can lead to Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) problems. This is caused by power systems such as PWM controlled rectifiers, photovoltaic inverters or charging battery units in electric vehicles. This is a very important frequency spectral due to interferences generate in a wide range of dives and, specifically, communication problems in the new technologies and devices incorporated to the traditional grid to convert it into Smart Grid. Consequently, it is necessary to provide new solutions to attenuate this kind of interferences, which involve finding new materials able to filter the electromagnetic noise. This contribution is focused on characterizing the performance of different cable ferrite compositions in order to determine the effectiveness of most common materials such as MnZn and NiZn and a new range based on nanocrystalline solutions. This analysis procedure is carried out through two methods: theoretical method by determining the insertion loss through measuring impedance parameter and proposing a new empirical technique based on measuring directly the insertion loss parameter. Therefore, the main aim of this characterization process is to determine the performance of these cable ferrites to reduce the interferences in this controversial frequency range. From the results obtained, it is possible to deduce that nanocrystalline cable ferrites provide the best performance to filter the electromagnetic noise in the 2-150 kHz frequency range.

This paper presents a new scientific contribution on the two-dimensional (2-D) subdomain technique in polar coordinates taking into account the finite relative permeability of the ferromagnetic material. The constant relative permeability corresponds to linear part of the nonlinear B(H) curve. As in conventional technique, the method of separation of variables and the Fourier’s series are used for the resolution of magnetostatic Maxwell’s equations in each region. Although, the general solutions of magnetic field in the subdomains and boundary conditions (BCs) between regions are different in the conventional and proposed method. In this later, the magnetic field solution in each subdomain is a superposition of two magnetic quantities in the two directions (i.e., r- and Q-axis) and the BCs between two regions are also in both directions. For example, the scientific contribution has been applied to an air- or iron-cored coil supplied by a constant current. The distribution of local quantities (i.e., the magnetic vector potential and flux density) has been validated by a corresponding 2-D finite-element analysis (FEA). The obtained semi-analytical results are in very good agreement with those of numerical method.

The most significant assumptions in the subdomain technique (i.e., based on the formal resolution of Maxwell's equations applied in subdomain) is defined by: “The iron parts (i.e., the teeth and the back-iron) are considered to be infinitely permeable so that the saturation effect is neglected”. In this paper, the author presents a new scientific contribution on improving of this method in two-dimensional (2-D) and in Cartesian coordinates by focusing on the consideration of iron. The subdomains connection is carried out in the two directions (i.e., x- and y-edges). For example, the improvement was performed by solving magnetostatic Maxwell's equations for an air- or iron-cored coil supplied by a direct current. To evaluate the efficacy of the proposed technique, the magnetic flux density distributions have been compared with those obtained by the 2-D finite-element analysis (FEA). The semi-analytical results are in quite satisfying agreement with those obtained by the 2-D FEA, considering both amplitude and waveform.

Based on a wealth of evidence, aspirin is one of the cornerstones of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, despite several studies showing efficacy also in primary prevention, an unopposed excess risk of bleeding leading to a very thin safety margin is evident in subjects without a clear acute cardiovascular event. Overall, the variability in recommendations from different scientific societies for aspirin use in primary prevention is a classic example of failure of simple risk stratification models based on competing risks (atherothrombosis vs. bleeding), perceived to be opposed but intertwined at the pathophysiological level. Notably, cardiovascular risk is dynamic in nature and cannot be accurately captured by scores, which do not always consider risk enhancers. Furthermore, the widespread use of other potent medications in primary prevention, such as lipid-lowering and anti-hypertensive drugs, might have reduced the benefit of aspirin in recent trials. Some authors, drawing from specific pathophysiological data, have suggested that specific subgroups might benefit more from aspirin. This includes patient with diabetes and those with obesity, as well as considering sex-based differences. Moreover, molecular analysis of platelet reactivity has been proposed. A beneficial effect of aspirin has also been demonstrated for the prevention of cancer, especially colorectal. This review explores evidence and controversies concerning the use of aspirin in primary prevention, considering new perspectives in order to develop a personalized approach.

Granular material is one of the most common in nature. Recently, there has been a significant amount of interest in the granular materials, such as powders or sand. It is challenging to describe the motion of such kind of macroscopic size matter, because it behaves like solid, fluid or gas. Size division, pattern formation, avalanches, packing and convection - these are just a few examples from a wide range of observed phenomena that occur during the motion process of granular matter. Most of these processes are based by flow and no wonder that much effort has been devoted to obtain a hydrodynamic description in which granular materials are treated as a continuous medium. During the research of vertically shaken granular medium motion in an opened container it was found that experimental and numerical results are explained by hydrodynamic theory. This paper investigates the motion of a granular matter for a shallow, vertically shaken bed. We assume the Leidenfrost state as initial and the matter resembles a fluid heated up from below.A one-dimensional isothermal and a non-isothermal problem of granular material motion,simulatedby a hydrodynamic model are considered, and the material is assumed to be a continuous medium. The local temporal solvability of isothermal and non-isothermal initial boundary-value problem in Sobolev’s spaces is proved. This work presents a numerical study of the one-dimensional model of granular medium flow. The feature of this model is consideration of the Navier-Stokes equations accounting an interpolation form of VanderWaals constitutive equation for pressure. A finite-difference approximation for numerical solution is proposed

Soil compaction is a major environmental stress to root development and plant growth. Meanwhile, drought always results in increasing soil mechanical impedance, which in turn aggravates soil compaction stress. In this study, a column experiment with three levels of compaction stress (low, moderate, and severe, respectively) and two levels of soil water content (well-watered and drought, respectively) was established to investigate the effects of soil compaction combined with drought on soil pore structure, root development and maize growth properties. Results showed that soil compaction combined with soil water stress significantly affected the characteristics of soil pore structure. With the increase of soil compaction, the porosity, larger pores (> 500 μm), and the maximum pore diameter significantly decreased (P < 0.05) regardless of soil water status. Additionally, pore morphology and network parameters were also deteriorated under soil compaction with drought conditions. Soil compaction substantially affected root length, root volume, root surface area and root average diameter in the whole profile (p < 0.05). Compared to well-watered conditions, the effects of soil compaction on root characteristics under drought conditions was more obvious, which indicated that appropriate soil water content could alleviate compaction stress. Aboveground biomass and plant height showed a consistent trend with root traits under soil compaction stress regardless of water status. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that there were significant correlations between most soil pore parameters and maize growth traits. In addition, soil compaction showed a significant effect on stomatal conductance and transpiration rate while soil water showed a significant effect on SPAD.

The rising challenge of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste necessitates efficient collection methods to mitigate environmental impacts. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approaches utilized in this study. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used to rank each alternative according to the objective weight that AHP had produced. Also, sensitivity analysis was performed to determine how robust the findings were when considering equal weights and entropy weights to maximize PET waste collection techniques. The alternative achieved the objective of obtaining the best collection method, Threshold Plastic Bottle Waste Collection (Tpbw), out of all the three alternatives considered. Another MCDA approach, VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), was used to compare the results and validate the ranking result achieved by the TOPSIS method. The VIKOR technique's validation of the TOPSIS approach showed that the outcomes were highly consistent. Data for the study were gathered from the archives of waste management companies on possible practices of plastic waste collection addressing costs, environmental impacts, social acceptance, feasibility, and efficiency. The findings provide a prioritized framework for enhancing PET waste collection strategies, contributing to sustainable waste management. Many criteria are considered when deciding the best collecting method for PET waste recycling, making it challenging. By using criteria importance, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was applied in this study, and the objective weight of the criteria was determined using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The five criteria considered in this study are Initial investment cost, Operational cost, Transportation cost, Environmental risk, Employment potential, and the objective weights allocated to them. AHP results 0.4952, 0.1997, 0.1565, 0.0870, and 0.0616 are respectively determined.

Health management in industrial systems is more critical in maintenance management and it plays an important role in productivity, fault diagnosis, safety, efficiency, and economy in manufacturing industries. Early detection of faults in machinery may increase the effectiveness of maintenance actions and will avoid unwanted consequences in process operations and maintenance. Existing fault diagnosis methods have limitations such as insufficient accuracy, slow detection rate, and handling large and complex data sets. In this digital age, Industry 4.0 techniques have been applied across all fields, including the condition monitoring of machines. This research addresses the gaps in traditional fault diagnosis by using deep learning, a modern AI technique effective for diagnosing faults in various machines. Deep learning algorithms Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Coevolutionary Neural Network (CNN), and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) are tested for fault diagnosis using vibration datasets collected from Spectra Quest Machinery Fault Simulator (SQMFS). In this research work, NI-DAQ (National Instruments- Data Acquisition) system, accelerometer, and LabVIEW software are used to collect vibration signals. Preprocessing of the signals has been done using a sampling strategy, shuffling, standardization, and reshaping data augmentation. The result shows that MLP accuracy in the prediction of fault is 0.9, CNN reached 0.95, and RNN and LSTM with 0.57 and 0.45 respectively. The high performance of CNN is due to its ability to effectively capture spatial patterns in vibration data which is crucial for fault diagnosis in rotating machinery followed by MLP due to its faster convergence during training. However, when scaling the data, MLP outperformed CNN, demonstrating superior adaptability to increased data complexity and volume. Due to the need for larger datasets and temporal patterns in the vibration data, which RNN and LSTM are designed to handle, they resulted in a lower accuracy. This study shows that CNN has given better results than other deep learning algorithms MLP, RNN, and LSTM in fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. Future research could explore the application of these techniques to different types of machinery and fault conditions.

Dental implantology has evolved greatly as a result of the application of biomechanical engineering concepts, notably the utilization of additive manufacturing technologies that recreate the intricate architecture of real bone. This technique intends to improve functional compatibility with bone tissue while also addressing continuing problems of stress distribution inside dental implants. The research examines two types of dental implants: fully gyroid latticed and hybrid gyroid latticed with a solid neck, comprising three different cell sizes—FI-111, FI-222, FI-333, and their hybrid equivalents HI-111, HI-222, and HI-333. Traditional solid implants often cause stress shielding, which reduces long-term osseointegration and implant durability. Developed using nTopology for lattice configuration and meshing, this design undergoes a comprehensive stress analysis using finite element analysis (FEA). The study seeks to determine the most efficient implant design by maximizing stress distribution and mechanical stiffness. Analyses suggest that hybrid latticed implants, notably the HI-222 type, possess superior mechanical characteristics. These implants successfully balance stiffness and flexibility, reducing stress concentrations and improving stress distribution throughout the implant structure. This balance is critical for decreasing micromotions at the bone-implant interface, boosting osseointegration, and, ultimately, increasing implant longevity and success rates in clinical settings. The paper describes a substantial redesign of dental implants by combining biomechanical engineering and modern additive manufacturing. The novel proposed hybrid structure not only addresses typical challenges such as stress shielding, but it also establishes new standards in implantology, potentially leading to better clinical results and patient quality of life. This complete approach emphasizes the ability of personalized implant designs to fulfill individual clinical demands, indicating a significant improvement in dental treatment technology.

Since surface relief transmission gratings have very strict requirements on operators and use environment, according to the semiconductor laser external cavity spectral beam combining system, this paper proposes a design scheme of semiconductor laser array spectral beam combining system based on grating-external cavity. The finite element approach was used to create a wideband, high-efficiency fill-in multilayer dielectric transmission grating structure for a high-power spectrum beam combining system. The incidence angle, ridge height, duty cycle, and sidewall inclination angle of the transmission grating were tuned and evaluated, and a link between the transmission grating's diffraction efficiency and grating characteristics was discovered. The calculated design of the high-power fused silica transmission grating has a negative first-order peak diffraction efficiency of 99.5% in the 800nm range. In the spectral region of 765-872 nm, the transmission grating's diffraction effectiveness exceeds 92%. The filled ultra-high diffraction efficiency multilayer dielectric transmission grating design addresses the issue of resistance to high-power lasers under complicated operating settings, it’s intended to maintain a high diffraction efficiency even after several cleaning cycles, and it’s an ideal component for high-power spectrum beam combining systems.

Photocatalytic ammonia decomposition to produce N2 and H2 was achieved using single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) nanohybrids. Physical modification of ferrocene-dye-encapsulated CNTs by amphiphilic C60-dendron yielded nanohybrids with a dye/CNT/C60 coaxial heterojunction. Upon visible light irradiation, an aqueous solution of NH3 and dye@CNT/C60-dendron nanohybrids produced both N2 and H2 in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:3. Action spectra of this reaction clearly demonstrated that the encapsulated dye acted as the photosensitizer, with an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 0.22% at 510 nm (the λmax of the dye). This study presents the first example of dye-sensitized ammonia decomposition and offers a new avenue for developing efficient and sustainable photocatalytic hydrogen production systems.

Interaction between multiple phases especially liquid-gas is one of the most common phenomena in industrial systems. Computer Vision enables modern systems to derive an automated and robust image-processing technique to address this issue. However, diverse experimental conditions still make it a challenging task to overcome. In Deep Learning, instance segmentation has created a niche in various computer vision applications as it aims to provide different instance IDs to objects belonging to the same class. In this paper, we propose a novel approach employing the YOLO (You Look Only Once) an end-to-end deep learning architecture for the detection and segmentation of bubbles in fluid flows. YOLOv5 offers significant improvements in both speed and accuracy compared to its predecessors like YOLOv3. Therefore, we train the YOLOv5 network on a dataset consisting of annotated images representing instances of bubbles across varied fluid flow environments. This paper provides both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of three YOLOv5 networks (small, medium, and extra-large) in detecting and segmenting bubbles with high accuracy and efficiency. Based on the metrics all three YOLOv5 models achieved high precision above 0.98 for bounding box detection and 0.97 for segmentation mask, and high recall value greater than 0.97 for box and 0.96 for mask quality was achieved. The achieved results indicate that the models accurately localize bubbles within the image frame, and distinguish bubble pixels from the background. Also, mean average precision (mAP50-95) consistently exceeds 0.84 across all models for the bounding box and 0.73 for the segmentation mask. The ascertained results emphasize the potential of YOLOv5 architecture as a powerful tool for automated bubble analysis in real-world applications. Our research contributes to advancing the field of deep neural networks in fluid systems and provides a fresh approach for future developments in automated bubble analysis.

The human eye is a vital source of collecting information worldwide via daily observation. The computer science area recognizes it in research as a human-computer interaction. Human blink is an integral part of this observation as a research topic. Several studies have been conducted on eye blinking and left-right eye movements. Previous studies conducted on the eye blink consider the availability of hardware devices high in the budget, high Precision, and low light expo-sure, unlike our study, which uses low-budget devices as simple as a webcam and more versatile usable techniques, incredibly both dim and high light to name a few. This study offers the observational approach via ResNet101v2, VGG-19, and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) architectures. Outperforming both VGG-19 and CNN in this study, ResNet101v2 achieves an impressive accuracy of 98.2%. In contemporary times, deep learning in AI is taking an advanced form. This study attempts to provide a new insight into the real-world implementation of the eye blink.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered seismic shifts in how we work, and organizations behave. It has caused many organizations to transition from an office-centric culture to more flexible ways of working. This shift is necessitated by health conditions and the need for controls. It is also driven by the assumption that remote work or working from home offer a certain assurance of safety for employees against the threat of infection in highly vulnerable office conditions. The shift to remote work has so far been mainly experimental as most businesses continue to learn about what works and what doesn’t. There is also the assumption that all that matters for the efficient operability of a remote work regime is the availability and effectiveness of computing technologies and internet connectivity. Thus, once those supplies are in place remote work is expected to be fully functional and without problems. As learning continues about what works and what doesn’t, it has also become increasingly clear that beyond the threat of covid-19 and the relative safety that individual homes may offer, there are other vulnerabilities which are ignored or underestimated in the process. In most instances, the home environment of the employee, the conditions under which employees operate from home and the health and safety such environments provide (or not) are either ignored or underestimated in discussions around remote work practices. This paper highlights remote work as an emergent practice while exploring associated, but ignored, health and safety issues in employee homes.

This paper assesses the association of ESG scores with stock returns and highlights the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country's governance. The study uses panel data regressions to analyze how ESG performance influences plain, absolute, and risk-adjusted returns in a sample of European and selected non-European countries. These suggest that higher overall ESG scores are related positively to financial performance, and this relation is enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the two dimensions of ESG that matter most are environmental and governance. Country-level governance is important because firms in well-governed countries amplify the benefits of high ESG scores. The opposite is true for the higher Controversies scores, whose bad financial outcome is magnified during the pandemic. These results present an argument for the resilience of firm financial performance, dependent on strong ESG practices and governance frameworks. This holds great interest for investors and policymakers in associating good ESG considerations with the effective management of financial risks, leading to sustainable returns during periods of widespread economic uncertainty.

In this study, a novel oral formulation of berberine hydrochloride (BBH) hydrogel was successfully synthesized through physical cross-linking using chitosan (CS) and carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CMCD). The characterization results confirmed the successful synthesis of CS/CMCD hydrogel and the subsequent loading of BBH into this composite (CS/CMCD/BBH) was effectively accomplished. BBH was used as a model drug and the resulting hydrogel demonstrated a sustained drug release profile. In addition to its improved solubility and sustained release characteristics, the hydrogel exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against common pathogens such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Candida albicans (C. albicans). Additionally, in vitro studies indicated that the hydrogel was not cytotoxic to NIH3T3 and HaCaT cells, suggesting its safety for biomedical applications. This lack of cytotoxic effects, combined with the mechanical strength, solubility improvements, and antibacterial properties of the hydrogel, positions the CS/CMCD/BBH hydrogel as a promising candidate for effective oral delivery of BBH. By addressing the solubility and delivery challenges of BBH, this hydrogel offers a viable solution for the oral administration of berberine hydrochloride, with potential applications in various biomedical fields.

A low cost, scalable and robust process has been proposed as innovative method for coating solar mirrors with a self-cleaning, transparent in the full solar range and versatile material based on auxetic aluminium nitrides, previously obtained on the laboratory scale. This work presents the scaling-up of fabrication process from laboratory to prototypal scale and pre-liminary results of outdoor self-cleaning solar mirror prototypes testing in the demonstrative CSP plant ENEASHIP located in Casaccia (Rome) ENEA research centre. Prototypes 50x40cm have shown stability in external conditions: no degradation occurs during the test campaign. Their washing restores the initial reflectance affected by soiling and the self-cleaning performance allows the utilization of a reduced quantity of water for cleaning operations with respect to uncoated glass of back surface mirrors. A similar self-cleaning AlN coating could be utilized on other solar components affected by soiling, such as glass envelopes of heat collecting elements, PV panels and everywhere are required self-cleaning performance combined to optical ones.

Although a lot of research has been carried out on hand sanitizer as an effort to prevent Covid-19, there is still limited research on non-alcoholic hand sanitizer lotion from the brown algae Scytosiphon lomentaria (S. lomentaria) as a raw material that provides antibacterial effects and maintains healthy skin. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze microbial inhibitory ability, physical and chemical characteristics of hand sanitizer lotion made from S. lomentaria algae. S. lomentaria powder was tested for phytochemicals, total phenolic content, free radical scavenging activity (IC50), and antibacterial tests. S. lomentaria slurry was prepared by adding distilled water (1:1) for lotion preparations in four treatment groups, such as normal control (lotion base without adding algae), lotion with the addition of algae 20%, 30%, and 40%. The lotion preparations for each treatment group were tested for antibacterial activity of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, phytochemicals, pH, adhesion, spreadability, homogeneity, emulsion type, and hedonic. S. lomentaria powder contains bioactive polyphenolic compounds with a total phenolic content of 117.70±1.40 mg GAE/g dry weight and an IC50 value of 455±3.4 ppm, while lotion with the addition of S. lomentaria contains polyphenols and saponins The best treatment was shown by 40% S. lomentaria hand sanitizer lotion with inhibition of 6.30 ± 0.64 mm E. coli, 6.85 ± 1.12 mm S. aureus, hedonic test for color, texture and absorption with likes to likes very much level, neutral pH, greenish-white color, O/W emulsion type, high adhesion, homogeneous, and easily absorbed by the skin. This research can be an alternative reference in making non-alcoholic hand sanitizer lotion that is safe for the skin.

Non-Vitamin K Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) have revolutionized anticoagulant therapy, offering improved safety and efficacy over traditional agents like warfarin. This review comprehensively examines the dual roles of NOACs—Apixaban, Rivaroxaban, Edoxaban, and Dabigatran—not only as anticoagulants but also as modulators of inflammation via Protease-Activated Receptor (PAR) signaling. We highlight the unique pharmacotherapeutic properties of each NOAC, supported by key clinical trials demonstrating their effectiveness in preventing thromboembolic events. Beyond their established anticoagulant roles, emerging research suggests that NOACs influence inflammation through PAR signaling pathways, implicating factors such as FXa and Thrombin in the modulation of inflammatory responses. This review synthesizes current evidence on the anti-inflammatory potential of NOACs, exploring their impact on inflammatory markers and conditions like atherosclerosis and diabetes. By delineating the mechanisms by which NOACs mediate anti-inflammatory effects, this work aims to expand their therapeutic utility, offering new perspectives for managing inflammatory diseases. Our findings underscore the broader clinical implications of NOACs, advocating for their consideration in therapeutic strategies aimed at addressing inflammation-related pathologies. This comprehensive synthesis not only enhances understanding of NOACs' multifaceted roles but also paves the way for future research and clinical applications in inflammation and cardiovascular health

Questions：SAP in mountainous cities of China serve as crucial carriers for species and wild food, constituting potential green infrastructure. These patches should be recognized as locally specific resources. This study investigates the transformation characteristics of the landscape patterns of SAP, along with their elements, across urban-rural gradients, providing foundational support for the planning of conservation and utilization strategies. Location: Yongchuan area of Chongqing in southwest China. Methods: The study investigated urban-rural gradient-based transformation of SAP. A four-direction transect space was selected and divided into uniform sample squares. Fragstats 4.3 calculated the landscape index of SAP, and Spearman correlation coefficients in SPSS were used to evaluate the influence of landform and artificial factors on agroforestry patch transformation. Results: 1) Patch area (PA), Plaque density (PD), and CLUMPY of SAP systematically transform, showing increased SAP areas and higher connectivity with greater distance from the city, resulting in reduced patch fragmentation. However, Edge density (ED) and Largest plaque index (LPI) exhibit irregular transformation patterns. 2) With increased distance from the city, woodland patch area and connectivity increase, leading to decreased fragmentation, dispersal, and lower fractal dimensions. Conversely, Cultivated land follows the opposite trend. garden land patch area, fractal dimension, fragmentation, and dispersal all increase, while connectivity decreases. 3) Landscape pattern transformations of SPA are significantly influenced by artificial factors. Woodland patches are influenced similarly by landform and artificial factors. In contrast, cultivated land and garden land patches are more significantly impacted by artificial factors. Conclusions: SAP exhibit differentiated conservation and utilization measures across urban-rural gradients. Small patches located far from urban centers may benefit from systematic conservation measures to prevent further fragmentation and erosion in peri-urban areas.