High pressure crystallization technique has been successfully used to prepare an elusive form II of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Mefenamic acid. Single crystal of form II was grown at 0.3 GPa from an 4:1 methanol/ ethanol mixture as a solvent using Diamond Anvil Cell. Comparison of crystal structures show that the efficient packing of MA molecules in Form II results from the structural flexibility of MA acid molecules. Compression studies performed on the single crystal of form I resulted in 14 % decrease of unit cell volume up to 2.5 GPa. No phase transition was observed up to this pressure. A reconstructive phase transition is required to induce conformational changes in the structure, which is confirmed by crystallization at high pressure results.

Daily vitamin D supplementation using higher than normal dosing (up to the upper limit, UL) and intermittent (once or twice per week) dosing were studied in patients with increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Using a PubMed database an adequate search for published randomized control trials and other studies was done and results were analyzed. This review provides overview of use of 7000 IU daily, 30,000 IU per week or twice weekly and 50,000 IU weekly of vitamin D on rapid restore of 25(OH)D concentrations to at least 30 ng/mL in different groups of patients at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. The above mention dosing should be considered in adults with obesity or multi-diseased patients on requiring multi-treatment with the use of several drugs, including drugs affecting vitamin D metabolism. The simple schedule for 7000 IU/day, 30,000 IU/week or twice weekly or 50,000 IU/week, all for 6-8 weeks of use by patients representing the increased risk of vitamin D deficiency were provided for consideration. It appeared that higher daily doses or intermittent doses suggested above are effective, safe and responsive for patient’s preferences.

This paper provides a thorough examination of important themes critical to understanding and tackling modern cyber threats. It explores the revolutionary significance of AI and machine learning in cybersecurity, emphasizing their dynamic influence on defense systems. It also addresses how zero-trust designs have caused a paradigm change in network security, highlighting the significance of trust verification in current cybersecurity frameworks. Furthermore, the article investigates the integration of cybersecurity with corporate strategy, arguing for a collaborative approach to efficiently mitigating risks while minimizing operational impact. Furthermore, it investigates the idea of cyber resilience, highlighting an organization's ability to recover from assaults and adapt to changing threats. Furthermore, the paper discusses the issues faced by deepfakes in the synthetic media revolution and emphasizes the rising worry about data privacy in the digital era. Finally, it looks into the introduction of behavioral biometrics as a possible way to improve authentication and security methods. This paper contributes to the discussion of effective tactics for mitigating cyber threats in today's digital ecosystem by providing a thorough overview of these subjects.

The development of solar energy on a regional scale necessitates a thorough understanding of available resources. Cuba, facing prolonged economic, environmental, and energy crises, urgently needs to enhance its sustainability through solar energy. While solar resource mapping is widespread, Cuba lacks extensive field measurements, often relying on models that may not be ideally suited for large regions like Matanzas province. Spanning over 12,000 km² with nearly 150 km between its northern and southern extremes, Matanzas presents challenges for high-resolution solar mapping. This study introduces a methodology that integrates various methods and databases to achieve maximum resolution in the resulting solar map. The approach is designed for large areas where conventional high-resolution models fall short. By optimizing calculation times and parameterizing the entire surface latitudinally, a high-resolution solar resource map for Matanzas has been developed. This map significantly enhances the understanding of solar resources in Cuba and proposes new methodologies for analyzing solar potential in similarly large regions.

The state detection of power cable is very important to ensure the reliability of power supply. Traditional sensors are mostly based on electric field detection, the operation is complex, and its efficiency needs to be improved. This paper optimizes the design and development of the magnetic field detection sensor for AC power cables. Firstly, through the establishment of the magnetic field sensor model, it is determined that permalloy is the material of the magnetic core, the optimal aspect ratio of the magnetic core is 20, and the ratio of coil length to core length is 0.3. Secondly, the coil simulation model is established, and it is determined that the optimal number of turns of the coil is 11000 turns, the diameter of the enamelled copper wire is 0.08mm, and the equivalent magnetic field noise of the sensor is 0.06pT. Finally, the amplifying circuit based on negative magnetic flux feedback is designed and the sensor is assembled, and the experimental circuit is built for sensitivity test. the results show that the sensitivity of the magnetic field sensor is 327.6mV/μT. The sensor designed in this paper has the advantages of small size, high sensitivity, easy to carry and high reliability.

The number of individuals meeting criteria for genetic counseling and testing for hereditary cancer syndromes (HCS) is far less than the number that actually receive it. To facilitate identification of patients at risk for HCS, Counsyl developed a digital identification tool (digital ID tool) to match personal and family cancer history to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) BRCA-related Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC), Lynch syndrome, and polyposis testing criteria in one-to-one, automated fashion. The purpose of this study was to validate the ability of the digital ID tool to accurately identify histories that do and do not meet NCCN testing criteria. Methods: Third-party recorded three-generation pedigrees were retrospectively reviewed by a certified genetic counselor (CGC) to determine if independent events included in pedigree histories met NCCN guidelines, and were then sorted into groups: high risk events (meets criteria) and low risk events (does not meet criteria). Events were entered into the digital ID tool to determine the extent of its concordance with events sorted by CGC review. Statistical tests of accuracy were calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: 197 pedigrees were reviewed consecutively representing 765 independent events for analysis across groups. 382/382 (100%) high risk events identified by the digital ID tool and 381/383 (99.47%) low risk events identified by the digital ID tool were concordant with CGC sorting. The digital ID tool had a sensitivity of 100% (99.04-100% CI) and specificity of 99.48% (98.13-99.94% CI). The overall accuracy of the digital ID tool was estimated to be 99.74% (99.06-99.97% CI), reflecting the rate at which the digital ID tool reached the same conclusion as that of CGC review of pedigree events for the recommendation of genetic testing for individuals at risk for HCS. Conclusions: The digital ID tool accurately matches NCCN criteria in one-to-one fashion to identify at-risk individuals for HCS and may be useful in clinical practice, specifically for BRCA-related HBOC and Lynch Syndrome.

Among solar thermal collectors, the evacuated flat panel is emerging as a reference technology for operation at higher temperatures of up to 200 °C with an increased annual energy production owing to both direct and diffuse light capture. Accurate measurements of the optical properties of the selective absorbers used in such devices are key for a reliable estimation of the overall performance. These optical properties must be measured under high vacuum at high temperatures, conditions under which the panels are meant to operate. In this study, we accurately measured these properties using a calorimetric technique. The measurement procedure is based on a power balance equation for a flat sample suspended in a high-vacuum chamber with minimal thermal losses and is well adapted for this class of devices. Calorimetric measurements obtained under Sun and LED light revealed excellent reproducibility and good agreement with those obtained using traditional optical analysis at low temperatures in air. When extended up to the absorber stagnation temperature, which often exceeds 300 °C, the calorimetric measurements started to deviate from the optical measurements, indicating the importance of measuring under the operating conditions.

As new treatment modalities are being explored in neuro-oncology, viruses are emerging as a promising class of therapeutics. Virotherapy consists of introduction of either wild-type or engineered viruses to the site of disease, where they exert anti-tumor effect. These viruses can either be non-lytic, in which case they are used to deliver gene therapy, or lytic, which induce tumor cell lysis and subsequent host immunologic response. Replication-competent viruses can then go on to further infect and lyse neighboring glioma cells. This treatment paradigm is being explored extensively in both preclinical and clinical studies for a variety of indications. Virus-based therapies are advantageous due to the natural susceptibility of glioma cells to viral infection, which improves therapeutic selectivity. Furthermore, lytic viruses expose glioma antigens to the host immune system and subsequently stimulate an immune response that specifically targets tumor cells. This review surveys the current landscape of oncolytic virotherapy clinical trials in high-grade glioma, summarizes preclinical experiences, identifies challenges associated with this modality across multiple trials, and highlights potential to integrate this therapeutic strategy into promising combinatory approaches.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of global cancer-related mortality resulting in ~1.8 million deaths annually. Systemic, molecular targeted, and immune therapies have provided significant improvements of survival outcomes for patients. However, drug resistance usually arises and there is an urgent need for novel therapy screening and personalized medicine. 3D patient-derived organoid (PDO) models have emerged as a more effective and efficient alternative for ex vivo drug screening than 2D cell culture and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. In this review, we performed an extensive search of lung cancer PDO-based ex vivo drug screening studies. Lung cancer PDOs were successfully established from fresh or biobanked sections/biopsy of lung tumors, PDXs, and pleural affusion. PDOs were subject to ex vivo drug screening with chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immune therapy agents. PDOs mainly recapitulated the genomic alterations, transcriptomic landscape and drug sensitivity of primary tumors. Although sample sizes of the previous studies were limited and some technical challenges remained, PDOs showed promise to screen novel therapy drugs. With the technical advance of high throughput, tumor-on-chip, combined microenvironment, and air-liquid interface (ALI), the drug screening using PDOs would serve better for precision care of lung cancer patients.

As time progresses and technology improves, biological data sets are continuously increasing in size. New methods and new implementations of existing methods are needed to keep pace with this increase. In this paper, we present a high performance computing(HPC)-capable implementation of Iterative Random Forest (iRF). This new implementation enables the explainable-AI eQTL analysis of SNP sets with over a million SNPs. Using this implementation we also present a new method, iRF Leave One Out Prediction (iRF-LOOP), for the creation of Predictive Expression Networks on the order of 40,000 genes or more. We compare the new implementation of iRF with the previous R version and analyze its time to completion on two of the world's fastest supercomputers Summit and Titan. We also show iRF-LOOP's ability to capture biologically significant results when creating Predictive Expression Networks. This new implementation of iRF will enable the analysis of biological data sets at scales that were previously not possible.

Biofuels have many environmental and practical benefits as a transportation fuel. They are among the best alternatives to fossil fuels due to their capacity for negative carbon emissions, which is vital for archiving the global ambition of a Net-Zero Economy. However, conventional biofuel production takes place on inland sites and relies on freshwater and edible crops (or land suitable for edible crop production), which has led to the food vs fuel debate. It also suffers technical and economical barriers due to the energy balance and the cost of production compared to fossil fuels. Establishing a coastal integrated marine biorefinery (CIMB) system for the simultaneous production of biofuels, high-value chemicals, and other co-products could be the ultimate solution. The proposed system is based on coastal sites and relies on marine resources including seawater, marine biomass (seaweed) and marine microorganisms (marine yeasts and marine microalgae). The system will not require the use of arable land and freshwater in any part of the production chain and will be linked to offshore renewable energy sources to increase its economic and environmental value. This article aims to introduce the CIMB system as a potential vehicle for addressing global warming and speeding the global effort on climate change mitigation as well as increasing global water, food and energy security. I hope this perspective may serve to draw attention into research funding for this approach.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and evolving neurodegenerative disease with an insidious onset that can lead to memory loss and cognitive impairment. There is no effective treatment for this disease. However, early diagnosis plays an important role in treatment planning to slow down its progression, as treatment has the greatest impact in the early stages of the disease. Neurological images obtained through different imaging techniques provide powerful information and help diagnose the disease. With the wide application of deep learning techniques in disease diagnosis, especially the prominence of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in computer vision and image processing, more and more studies are proposing the use of this algorithm for the diagnosis of AD. In this paper, we first systematically introduce the impact of AD on people, detailing the biomarkers, early clinical symptoms, and risk factors of this disease. Secondly, it goes on to detail the development of CNNs, their form, and methods to help diagnose AD. It is proposed that CNNs can help diagnose AD by analyzing medical imaging data, particularly structural brain scans such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional scans such as positron emission tomography (PET). Finally, it is concluded that CNNs are of great importance for the diagnosis of AD and that they are likely to play an increasingly important role in the early detection of the disease, the understanding of disease mechanisms, and ultimately, in the development of effective AD therapies and interventions. CNNs are playing an increasingly important role in the Their potential impact on healthcare emphasizes the importance of continued research and innovation in neural networks and medical imaging.

A space charge density wireless measurement system based on the idea of distributed measurement is proposed for collecting and monitoring the space charge density in an ultra-high-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) environment. The proposed system architecture is composed of a number of wireless nodes connected with space charge density sensors and a base station. The space charge density sensor based on atmospheric ion counter method is elaborated and developed, and the ARM microprocessor and Zigbee radio frequency module are applied. The wireless network communication quality and the relationship between energy consumption and transmission distance in the complicated electromagnetic environment is tested. Based on the experimental results, the proposed measurement system demonstrates that it can adapt to the complex electromagnetic environment under the UHVDC transmission lines and can accurately measure the space charge density.

Background: Resistant hypertension (HTN) is associated with high risk of cardiovascular complications. Our study aimed to assess prevalence, characteristics and treatment of patients with resistant HTN; Methods: We screened 4340 consecutive cardiovascular patients and identified 3762 with HTN. Of them 128 fulfilled criteria for resistant HTN and were included in our study. We matched these patients to 128 hypertensive patients with controlled HTN; Results: Resistant HTN patients were 3.4% of all hypertensives. Most of these patients (67.2%) were at high or very high cardiovascular risk compared to controlled HTN patients (40.6%), p<0001. Resistant HTN patients had more frequently concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) (60.9%), overweight/obesity (52.3%), dyslipidemias (35.2%), smoking (27.3%) and diabetes (21.9%) compared to controlled HTN patients (37.5%, 29.7%, 28.1%, 14.1% and 7.8% respectively), p<0.001. Regression analysis showed strongest association of resistant HTN with CKD (OR 6.64), stage III HTN (OR 3.07) and obesity/overweight (OR 2.60). In contrast, single-pill combinations (SPCs) were associated with lower likelihood of uncontrolled HTN (OR 0.58); Conclusions: Resistant HTN represented a small proportion of all hypertensives in our study, but it was characterized by high/very high cardiovascular risk. Optimized therapy including increased usage of SPCs could improve blood pressure control and long-term prognosis of these patients.

Third and fourth-degree anal sphincter injuries are among the most severe traumas women can experience during childbirth, often leading to lifelong continence issues. Despite extensive research, current repair techniques are often inadequate, failing to provide long-term solutions. Women with previous severe injuries face a higher risk of recurrence in subsequent deliveries, making caesarean sections a safer option in many cases. The existing WHO classification system is outdated, as it doesn't account for injuries to muscles like the levator ani, which are crucial for continence. Effective repairs require skilled surgeons and often involve more than just fixing the sphincter. Smaller hospitals may not have the necessary expertise and resources for these complex repairs. Delaying repairs to allow specialists to perform them can be just as effective as immediate repairs. Comprehensive care that includes thorough anatomical knowledge and surgical skill is essential. As maternal age increases and birth rates decline, it's crucial for specialized centers to handle severe perineal injuries to ensure the best outcomes and long-term care for patients.

Indices such as Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC) and Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR) have emerged as tools to assess cardiovascular risks associated with abdominal obesity. The Timed Up and Go Test (TTUG) assesses mobility and the risk of falls, especially in the elderly and individuals with physical limitations. Objective: To correlate anthropometric indicators of cardiovascular risk (BMI, WC, WHtR) and performance in the TTUG in elderly people who practice physical activity. Methods: Cross-sectional study, CAAE: 27116319.1.0000.8044, elderly people, both sexes, average age 68 years. Anthropometric data was collected: BMI, WC, WHtR and TUG test results. Results: Average values: weight (67.8 ± 12.7 kg), height (157.2 ± 8.4 cm), TTUG (10.3 ± 2.5 26 seconds), WC (93.3 ± 10.9 cm), waist-to-height ratio (0.59) and BMI (27.4 ± 4.4): Correlations between 27 TTUG and age (r = -0.086, p = 0.683), TTUG and BMI (r = 0.29, p = 0.892) WC and WHtR (r = 0.927, p 28 < 0.001). Conclusion: This study revealed correlations between anthropometric indicators of cardio vascular risk (BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio) and performance in the TUG test in the elderly.

Throughout its history Western science has tended to treat complexity as a problem to be avoided or solved. A philosophy of simplification achieved significant improvements in human life and prevails as a model for achieving societal good. However, misplaced efforts to control complexity worsen our sustainability challenges. Effective responses to modern day dilemmas such as floods and climate change require ways of thinking that are more congruent with the complexity of the world. Further, governmental programs to reduce flood risk depend on the support of an informed and engaged public. It has proven difficult to communicate risk in ways that align scientific and technical expertise based on an objective worldview, with communal and individual under-standings of risk based on subjective experiences and perspectives. I introduce Paul Cilliers’ philosophy of critical complexity as the basis of a new conceptual framework that values and balances complexity and simplicity. This paper shows how objective strategies that rely on analytic and probabilistic thinking can be integrated with subjective approaches that draw on the experiential and possibilistic. An example depicts how the problematic framing of the “100-year flood” can be replaced by a model of the data that covers a range of possibilities within an experiential time frame. Cilliers’ work opens an ethical dimension in which we make more intentional choices and acknowledge our limitations. Complexability – understanding how to live with complexity rather than aiming to simplify it – is a vital component of sustainability communication and education.

Background: The practice of self-medication is common worldwide and is an important component of medical self-care. However, the practice can be dangerous and is linked to various risks for the patients and the entire community. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication among Bangladeshi adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2021 among Bangladeshi adults (aged &gt;19 years) using convenient sampling. A total of 1320 data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with self-medication practice (SMP). Results: Overall, 41% of adults in our survey reported SMP. The most common illnesses that prompted SMP were common cold/flu (66.4%), gastric problems (65%), and headache (64.4%). The most frequent reasons for SMP were to get better services (30.59%), perceive SMP without side effects (23.28%), and save time with effectiveness (14.56%). Potential risk factors included 10 years (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.04 - 3.50) and &gt;12 years of schooling (AOR = 5.03; 95% CI: 2.27 - 11.15), being a businessman (AOR = 4.64; 95% CI: 1.74 - 12.37), having ≤6 family members (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.40 - 3.24), being a member of a social group (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.10 - 2.12), a health status check after every six months (AOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.08 - 2.13), and current ill-health (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06 - 1.87). Protective factors identified included ≤30 years of age (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17 - 0.93), and practice of modern (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22- 0.69) and herbal (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21- 0.97) healing types. Conclusion: More than one-third of the study participants reported practicing self-medication. Increasing the community’s awareness of the extreme consequences of SMP and not just the average experience might sway individuals away from SMP, and implementing strict jurisdiction could be a way to minimize the SMP.

Background and Objectives: Although researchers suggested that non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) and vaccination together can provide the best protection from the COVID-19 [1], people’s willingness to adopt personal NPIs seems to decrease through the COVID-19 waves. This study seeks for an explanation for this observation based on the framework of risk perception. Materials and Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys (N = 407 in Survey 1 and N = 505 in Survey 2) were administered before and in the first outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan. The survey items were designed to measure people’s recognized severity of COVID-19, worry of COVID-19, intention to adopt personal NPIs, and attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines. We established a structural model according to the framework of risk perception, which was applied to fit the data of the two surveys. Results: The multigroup SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) results showed that worry (i.e., emotional component of risk perception) fully mediates the influence of recognized severity of COVID-19 (cognitive component of risk perception) on the intention to adopt NPIs in each survey. Before the outbreak (i.e., Survey 1), people’s attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines has nothing to do with their worry of COVID-19. However, when people have experienced the real outbreak of COVID-d19 (i.e., Survey 2), their attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines negatively predicts their worry of COVID-19, forming an indirectly negative effect on their intention to adopt personal NPIs, suggesting the occurrence of the Peltzman effect. That is, receiving vaccination makes people feel safer, that the other way around relaxes their alert for COVID-19, thus, declining the intention to adopt personal NPIs.

The epidemiological patterns of Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) in North Africa and Mediterranean Basin (MB) are endemic with highly socio-economic impacts. The objective of the study was conducted to investigate the level of sero-prevalence of BVDV in Libya and the associated risk factor. A total of 1599 serum samples were collected from herds of cattle which belonging to seven Libyan regions. All sera were assayed by using screening ELISA assay for detection of antibodies against BVDV. An overall seroprevalence of BVDV was estimated to be 48.6% (95% CI, 46.08%-50.98%). Considering the age group, a seroprevalence of 36.8% was detected in cattle &lt;1 year, 41.0% in cattle between 1 and 2 years of age and 48.6% in cattle aged more than 2 years. Statistically significant differences (p&lt;0.001) between age groups were reported. Seroprevalence of BVDV was significantly associated with geographical region (P=0.033). This is the first study on BVD in Libya and the results of this study would suggest that BVD is endemic in Libya.

Japanese encephalitis virus is a mosquito-borne member of the Flaviviridae family. JEV is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia and is characterized by encephalitis, high lethality and neurological sequelae in survivors. The virus also causes severe disease in swine, which are an amplifying host in the transmission cycle, and in horses. US agricultural authorities have recently recognized the threat to the swine industry and initiated preparedness activities. Other mosquito-borne viruses exotic to the Western Hemisphere have been introduced and established in in recent years, including West Nile, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, and JEV has recently invaded continental Australia for the first time. These events amply illustrate the potential threat of JEV to US health security. Susceptible indigenous mosquito vectors, birds, feral and domestic pigs, and possibly bats, constitute the receptive ecological ingredients for spread of JEV in the US. Fortunately, unlike the other virus invaders mentioned above, an inactivated whole virus JE vaccine (IXIARO®) has been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration for human use in advance of a public health emergency, but there is no veterinary vaccine. This paper describes the risks and potential consequences of introduction of JEV in the US, the need to integrate planning for such an event in public health policy and the requirement for additional countermeasures, including antiviral drugs and an improved single dose vaccine that elicits durable immunity in both humans and livestock.

Foot lesions are among the most frequent causes of morbidity and disability in the diabetic population. Thus, exploration of means of preventive control are vital for detecting early signs and symptoms of this disease, Infrared thermography has been proven effective in the control of diabetic foot is among the complementary diagnostic tools available for this disease. The last review on this topic was published in 2015 and so, here we conducted a bibliographic review of the main databases (PubMed, the Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Scopus) during the third quarter of 2023. We aimed to identify the effectiveness of infrared thermography as a diagnostic element in pre-ulcerous states in diabetic patients and to detect diabetic foot ulcer complications. We obtained a total of 200 articles, 22 of which were included in this present review; 17 articles had been published after 2017. After analysing the use of infrared Thermography in diabetic patients both with and without ulcers, as well as in healthy individuals, we concluded that is an effective tool for detecting early-stage ulcers in diabetic foot patients.

Energy, with very low demand and replacement elasticity, is a key component of production as well as a good for consumption. Inflation as a whole is instantly impacted by rising energy prices. After lockdowns were lifted in 2020–2021 and the global economy started to recover, oil prices began to rise. This trend continued with escalating geopolitical tensions and the eventual crisis in Ukraine brought on by Russia's invasion in February 2022. The current paper examines how the tourism industry has been impacted by rising energy commodity prices from the perspectives of travelers and hotel managers. Hereby a qualitative and a quantitative process is being used for a thorough examination of the consequences of inflated prices. More specifically, the three methods which were used are: descriptive analysis, correlation matrices and regression analysis. For the latter, all models appear to explain well the variation of the variables and provide reliable results. This study concludes that, although the overall inflation caused by higher energy prices was impactful for the individuals as well as for the businesses, however the touristic season of 2023 is expected to be one of the most fruitful ones yet, especially for the Greek economy, since strong numbers are reported (in revenues, expenditure and percentage of expected guests), while tourists are seemingly not willing to sacrifice their holidays altogether, but make other modifications in their lifestyle and choices. Finally, it is important to stress that governments should start integrating sustainable energy as a key component.

The primary objective of this systematic review was to analyze the main physical agents representing risk factors for commercial aircrew, together with their consequences. The secondary objective was to identify the countries in which studies on the topic were conducted, as well as the quality of the publications available. Thirty-five articles, published between 1996 and 2020, were selected for the review, having met all inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States, Germany and Finland and had moderate or low methodological quality of evidence. The main risk factors for aircrew identified in publications were exposure to abnormal air pressure, cosmic radiation, noise, and vibrations. Hypobaric pressure was explored in response to demands for studies on this agent, a factor which may lead to otic and ear barotraumas, as well as acceleration of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery. However, there is a dearth of research exploring this phenomenon.

Based on ten months of ethnographic fieldwork in marginal, low-income, Belenino river communities located in Iquitos, a fluvial city in the Amazon basin. By using ethnographic methods and semi-structured interviews, this article traces how risk is associated with life in Belenino communities and how the identity of Beleninos and the river at the heart of a resettlement project are politically constructed rather than empirically constructed. In this case study of resettlement, understandings of risk and development by Belenino river communities and the government both conflicted and overlapped, I identified three elements that help to shape the concept of risk in both groups that highlight the disjunctive meanings provided by culture and demonstrate the complexity of the analysis of both populations. Finally, by putting the state’s weak presence after a developmental project failure under ethnographic approximation, the article reveals an imbalance in validity and power in terms of the perspectives of the river and Belen.

Background: Currently, completed suicide, suicide ideation, suicide behavior, and suicide attempts are major public health problems worldwide. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental disorders associated with an increased risk of suicide. Since the relationship between suicide and cholesterol levels is still controversial, in this study, we explore the association between SNPs rs754203 and rs4900442 of CYP46A1 with suicide risk in Mexican patients with major depressive disorder. Methods: We evaluated 188 unrelated suicide completers and compared them to 144 non-suicidal individuals (controls) and 126 MDD patients. Genotypes were analyzed using the Real Time-polymerase chain reaction method and two allele-specific probes to detect specific SNP targets. A chi-square test was used to identify a possible risk genotype or allele type for suicide. Results: Statistical analysis showed significant differences between completed suicide and controls in their allelic and genotypic frequencies in rs754203 SNP. The genotype G/G of CYP46A1 rs754203 was significantly associated with suicide. Also, the G allele was associated with an increased risk of suicide (OR= 1.370, 95% CI= 1.002-1.873). No differences in either genotype distribution or allele frequencies of CYP46A1 rs4900442 were observed. Conclusions: The results of the current study report the first association between G allele carriers (A/G + G/G) of rs754203 and increased risk for suicide, especially in males.

Human perception of nature and God have always been inextricably linked. In order to understand nature and its inherent processes, including various natural hazards, the reasons for their origin were often attributed to God's will, suffering for sin and the similar. Fear of material and human losses prompted a man to pray and offer sacrifices/gifts and other rituals to appease the "wrath of the gods". The progress of civilization and technology has not alleviated the destruction and trauma that natural disasters inflict on all aspects of social life. A major obstacle to this is the exponential population growth in vulnerable areas. The frequency of natural disasters and the fatalistic attitudes that limit the effective fight against them have motivated religious communities and individuals to cooperate with international and international organizations and institutions to reduce the risk of local disasters. Believers thus receive the necessary psychological and financial assistance and support from religious communities during all phases of disaster management. Therefore, the subject of this paper is a comprehensive examination relationship between the degree of religiosity of the population and how this connection impacts the policy of reducing disaster risk. The aim of the research is to scientifically describe the nature of the relationship between the degree of religiosity of citizens and different segments of disaster risk reduction.

Human monkeypox, caused by monkeypox virus, has spread unprecedentedly to more than 100 countries since May 2022. Here we summarized the epidemiology of monkeypox through a literature review and elucidated the risks and elimination strategies of this outbreak mainly based on the summarized epidemiology. We demonstrated that monkeypox virus became more contagious and less virulent in 2022, which could result from the fact that the virus entered a special transmission network favoring close contacts (i.e., sexual behaviors of men who have sex with men outside Africa) and the possibility that the virus accumulated a few adaptive mutations. We gave the reasons to investigate whether cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs are susceptible to monkeypox virus and whether infection with monkeypox virus could be latent in some primates. We listed six potential scenarios for the future of the outbreak (e.g., the outbreak could lead to endemicity outside Africa with increased transmissibility or virulence). We also listed multiple factors aiding or impeding the elimination of the outbreak. We showed that the control measures strengthened worldwide after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) could eliminate the outbreak in 2022. We clarified eight strategies, i.e., publicity and education, case isolation, vaccine stockpiling, risk-based vaccination or ring vaccination, importation quarantine, international collaboration, and laboratory management, for the elimination of the outbreak.

Every year around 800 000 people commit suicide, this represents one death every 40 seconds. In the search for possible biological biomarkers associated with suicide and/or psychiatric disorders, serum cholesterol levels have been extensively explored. Several studies have indicated that cholesterol and associated proteins, especially apolipoproteins (Apos), may play an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and susceptibility of suicide. Here, we describe the current knowledge and findings in the relationship between apolipoproteins and suicide.

Reinforced Concrete (RC) durability is a crucial feature to estimate the long-term quality and structural performance. Since life span estimation is vital for maintenance resource planning, a degradation model of RC component extracts by updating the status of structures and trending the components’ state over time in terms of durability. Surface erosion, spalling, cracks, and other expose defects on the RC component lead to increase factors adversely affecting concrete durability in structures. This research presents an approach based on automated visualization for extracting quantitative indexes beside or instead of visual inspection without subjective interspersion of humans or probable human errors during the inspection. The durability index (D_i) will extract based on damage probability and its growth in order to extract the severity of failure and risk. Measurement operation by automated software has been double-checked by manual measurement tools, and data will verify randomly in this method. The result shows damage growth in this load-bearing component by 24 percentages over the definite time. According to degradation models, it shows this component may pass the relative thresholds as a limit state of operation to fail. This significant difference between expected time and designing time determines the D_i equal to 5 out of 10.

This work reviews three frameworks for responding to economic disruption: risk mitigation, systemic recovery, and economic resilience. Specifically, by reviewing extant literature in economics, communication, and other disciplines, we argue that current approaches to understanding resilience in economics largely fail to address ongoing and emergent disruptions to the economic and social world. In response to these issues, we work to synthesize economic frameworks and the communication theory of resilience to forward a new way of examining the overlapping questions of economic resilience related to metatheoretical commitments, analytic contexts, and implications for theory, method, and practice.

Pneumonic plague outbreaks are relatively infrequent in modern times but in the early part of the 20th century, they were commonplace including several well-documented epidemics responsible for the deaths of thousands. The transmissibility of this disease seems to be discontinuous since in some outbreaks few transmissions occur, while in others, the progression of the epidemic is explosive. Modern epidemiological studies explain that transmissibility within populations is heterogenous with relatively few subjects likely to be responsible for most transmissions and that ‘super spreading events’, particularly at the start of an outbreak, can lead to a rapid expansion of cases. These findings concur with outbreaks observed in real-world situations. It is often reported that pneumonic plague is rare and not easily transmitted but this view could lead to unnecessary complacency since future risks such as the spontaneous incidence of anti-microbial strains, climate change leading to a disruption of natural cycles within plague foci and use of plague as a bioweapon cannot be discounted. Carers and first responders are vulnerable, particularly in poorer countries where access to medicines may be limited, out-breaks occur in inaccessible areas or where there is a lack of surveillance due to a paucity of funds.

Background and Objectives: Overuse and inappropriate use of testing and hospital admission are common in syncope evaluation and management. Though guidelines are available to optimize syncope care, study suggested that the current clinical guidelines have not significantly impacted resource utilization surrounding emergency department (ED) evaluation of syncope. Matching implementation strategies to barriers and facilitators and tailoring strategies to local context hold significant promise for a successful implementation of clinical practice guideline (CPG). Our team applied implementation science principles to develop a stakeholder-based implementation strategy. Methods and Materials: We partnered with patients, family caregivers, frontline clinicians and staff, and health system administrators at four health systems to conduct quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews for context assessment. The identification of implementation strategies was done by applying the CFIR-ERIC Implementation Strategy Matching Tool and soliciting stakeholders’ inputs. We then co-designed with patients and frontline teams, developed and tested specific strategies. Results: 114 clinicians completed surveys and 32 clinicians and stake-holders participated in interviews. Results from the surveys and interview indicated low awareness of syncope guidelines, and communication challenges with patients, lack of CPG protocol integration into ED workflows, and organizational process to change were recognized as major barriers. Thirty-one patients and their family caregivers participated in interviews and ex-pressed their expectations: clarity regarding their diagnosis, context surrounding care plan and diagnostic testing, and a desire to feel cared about. After identifying change methods to address those barriers, the multilevel, multicomponent implementation strategy, MISSION, included pa-tient educational materials, mentored implementation, academic detailing, Syncope Optimal Care Pathway and corresponding Mobile App, and Lean quality improvement methods. The pilot of MISSION demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and initial success on appropriate testing. Con-clusions: Effect multifaceted implementation strategies that target individuals, teams, and healthcare systems can be employed to plan successful implementation and promote adherence to syncope CPGs.

The data for the study on the epidemiology of bovine mastitis were collected fromNovember 2015 to February 2016 to investigate the prevalence of mastitis in administrative towns of three selected districts of Arsi zone, Oromia Regional State, namely Iteya, Sagure, and Asella, Ethiopia; and to analyze the association between the risk factors and mastitis occurrence. Sample cows were selected and examined for clinical mastitis and at the same time, milk samples were evaluated both clinically and using the California Mastitis Test (CMT). Some parameters of the cows which have biological relation with this disease together with other potential risk factors were collected along with primary data collection. The analysis of the primary data showed that overall mastitis prevalence in the locations covered by the study was 28.6% of which 83.3% was subclinical, while 16.7% were clinical mastitis cases. Analysis related to the investigation of the existence of an association between risk factors and mastitis revealed that there was a significant association between the occurrence of mastitis and two of the risk factors evaluated, breed and age of the cow. The other risk factors investigated (i.e. parity, location, and lactation stage had no significant association with mastitis occurrence). Since mastitis is a complex disease that results from the interaction of different factors, it may be difficult to limit it to only some given factors. Environment and management factors and their combination may also have an additional impact on the epidemiology of the disease. A prevalence with the indicated magnitude together with the added effect of a lower level of awareness of the society about milk-associated zoonoses implies that this disease causes significant public health problems. In addition, mastitis may cause silent economic loss through unnoticed production loss along with reduced milk yield from subclinical and clinical (e.g. blind teats) cases. Due to a lack of awareness about mastitis and/or negligence, farmers in all corners of the country are suffering from economic and public health problems imposed by mastitis. This lack of awareness about mastitis-associated problems and/or negligence could be a possible reason for the use of raw milk which is a common scenario particularly in pastoral areas and the selling of adulterated milk which is becoming increasingly practiced in Ethiopia which is also true in these specific localities.

Abstract: The study aimed to determine the factors associated with the avoidance of dental preventive care in adolescents and their parents in the framework of The Youth and Parents Risk Factor Behavior Survey in Slovakia has been initiated during the years 2015/2016. The data were collected using two separate standardized questionnaires: (i) the questionnaire for adolescents (n=515) and (ii) the questionnaire for parents (n=681). The study group consisted of 57 adolescents (54.4% males) who did not visit the dentist for preventive care in the previous year. The control group consisted of 458 adolescents (35.8% males) who visited a dentist for preventive care at least once in the previous year. A significantly higher number of males (54.4%), older adolescents (21.4%) were not visiting dental preventive care regularly. Incomplete family (56.1%), stressful situations at home (17.5%), and feeling unwell were observed as the factors contributing to the avoidance of dental preventive care. More than 34.5% of adolescents were not visiting either dental preventive care but also pediatric preventive care (AOR=5.14; 95%CI=2.40, 10.99). Divorced mothers and mothers with household income lower than 900 € had significantly higher dental care avoidance in their children. A significantly higher percentage of fathers from the exposed group were not visiting dental preventive care regularly (47.8%; p&lt; .05). The results of the study can be used as an educational intervention steps focusing on the influence of parental and adolescent behavior in dental preventive care.

All transmission disease depends on the transmission opportunity or medium like humans in COVID-19. Due to globalization and regular movement of people from one country to another, spread of COVID 19 reached to 208 countries till May 10, 2020. For any society health is major concern for humanity as well as administration. Any pandemic is declared as and when it reached at a particular severity level and control vice versa. So, we have continued the daily COVID 19 cases analysis and segregated till May 10, 2020. We have included at least 25 countries for the analysis purpose due to limitation of number of observations in the analysis. Maximum number of day’s data available for China is for 100 days, followed by Iran for 81 days, minimum number of days data is for 16 days for Western Sahara and Tajikistan.

This paper models and estimates the volatility of nonfinancial, innovative and hi-tech focused stock index, the Nasdaq-100, using univariate symmetric and asymmetric GARCH models. We employ GARCH, EGARCH and GJR-GARCH using daily data over the period January 4, 2000 through March 19, 2019. We find that the volatility shocks on the index returns are quite persistent. Furthermore, our findings show that the index has leverage effect, and the impact of shocks is asymmetric, whereby the impacts of negative shocks on volatility are higher than those of positive shocks of the same magnitude.

Contract between grower and integrator has been used extensively in broiler industry all over the world. One important advantages of contract is risk management, in which contract shifts a portion of grower risk to integrator. Thus, this paper attempted to measure the amount of risk shifted from grower to integrator and the consequences of this benefit to grower. Using a panel data of actual production records of 46 Indonesian broiler growers for the period of January 2014 through December 2017, we systematically measure the amount of risk shifted to integrator and its consequences to grower. The results showed that 78.43% grower risk is shifted to integrator. However, to acquire this benefit grower receive 15% less income. Furthermore, grower face the possibility of losing their asset and stopping their production as the consequences of entering contract.

The effects of buckwheat intake on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have not been systematically investigated. The aim of the present study was to comprehensively summarise studies in humans and animals evaluating the impact of buckwheat consumption on CVD risk markers and to conduct a meta-analysis of relevant data. Thirteen randomised, controlled human studies, two cross-sectional human studies and twenty-one animal studies were identified. Using random effects models, the weighted mean difference of post-intervention concentrations of blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly decreased following buckwheat intervention compared with controls [differences in blood glucose: -0.85 mmol/L (95% CI: -1.31, -0.39), total cholesterol: 0.50 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.80, -0.20) and triglycerides: 0.25 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.49, -0.02)]. Responses of a similar magnitude were seen in two cross-sectional studies. For animal studies, nineteen of twenty-one studies showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol of between 12 and 54%, and fourteen of twenty studies showed a significant reduction in triglycerides of between 2 and 74%. All exhibited high unexplained heterogeneity. There was inconsistency in HDL cholesterol outcomes in both human and animal studies. It remains unclear whether increased buckwheat intake significantly benefits other markers of CVD risk, such as weight, blood pressure, insulin, and LDL-cholesterol, and underlying mechanisms responsible for any effects are unclear.

The current study aimed to: i) Monitor levels of PM₁₀, at Shebika, Haram, Masfala, Azizia, Awali and Mina in Makkah city, KSA during the period of 01 Shawwal 1436H – 27 Rabi Al-Awwal 1437H, by using LVS instruments; and; 2) assess health risk (non-cancer and cancer risks) on humans (children and adult) exposed to PM₁₀ in ambient air of Makkah city.The results showed that: the high PM₁₀ levels were found in Haram site, while the lower levels were found in Awali site. These levels were lower than that set for PM₁₀ by PME (Daily limit of 340 µg/m³). Vehicles emissions and constructions sources may be the main source of PM₁₀ levels in Makkah city. The human health risk assessments showed that: the daily exposure doses of PM₁₀ were ranked in the order: D_ing > D_dermal > D_inh for children and adult in Makkah city. Ingestion of PM₁₀ particles was the main exposure pathway for both children and adults. The HIs and cancer risk values were within the safe level, indicating that (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic) risks for humans exposed to PM₁₀ in Makkah city were negligible.

This paper aims to develop a hierarchical risk assessment model using the newly-developed evidential reasoning (ER) rule, which constitutes a generic conjunctive probabilistic reasoning process. In this paper, we first provide a brief introduction to the basics of the ER rule and emphasize the strengths for representing and aggregating uncertain information from multiple experts and sources. Further, we discuss the key steps of developing the hierarchical risk assessment framework systematically, including (1) formulation of risk assessment hierarchy, (2) representation of both qualitative and quantitative information, (3) elicitation of attribute weights and information reliabilities, (4) aggregation of assessment information using the ER rule and (5) quantification and ranking of risks using utility-based transformation. The proposed hierarchical risk assessment framework can potentially be implemented to various complex and uncertain systems. A case study on the fire/explosion risk assessment of marine vessels demonstrates the applicability of the proposed risk assessment model.

Severe early childhood caries remains the most common chronic disease affecting children. Its multifactorial etiology has established a controversy about which risk factors were more significant to its development. Therefore our study aimed through meticulous statistical analysis to arrange the “well agreed upon” common risk factors in order of significance, to aid the clinician in tailoring an adequate preventive program for this affected age group. The study reshuffled the risk factors contributing to severe early childhood caries and placed them in the order of their significance as follows: snacking of sugary food several times a day, increased number of siblings to 3 or more, night feeding, child self-employed brushing, mother caries experience, 2 siblings, on demand feeding, once/day sugary food, sharing utensils, 1 Sibling, male gender, father’s education, late first child dental visit, brushing time, mother’s education, no dental visit, decreased brushing frequency & no night brushing.

Even though Greece is considered a vulnerable region in terms of climate hazards, public perception and attitude do not always identify climate change as an important environmental area of concern, especially when compared to socio-economic issues. The key issue of this paper is to investigate and analyse public perception in Greece as regards to climate change risk. Through a questionnaire survey this paper analyses trends that exist, peoples’ opinion and awareness with regards to climate risk and how willing they are to change current lifestyle, to pay or to act to minimize or to prevent the risk. Conventional wisdom of this paper is to highlight factors that influence individual perception and point out drivers of behavior change that can support efficiently future adaptation plans.

The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) to produce ethane and ethylene (C2 compounds) as platform chemicals involves complex chemistry with reactions both in the gas phase and on the catalyst surface, resulting in a distribution of products at the expense of C2 selectivity. This work uses experimental data from a variety of mixed metal oxides on supports at different reaction conditions (temperature, contact time, and reactant flow rates) to train a random forest regressor that predicts methane conversion and C2 selectivity (key performance indicators (KPIs)), and deploys it to locate optimal conditions that maximize C2 yield for a catalyst. Investigating the regressor interpretability via feature importance reveals that the choice of metals and support are crucial to C2 selectivity predictions, while the predictions of methane conversion are driven by the reaction conditions. The machine learning (ML) regressor is used as a surrogate to develop performance curves for each of the catalysts via a multi-objective optimization routine that seeks to maximize the KPIs in the decision space of reaction conditions, is seen to locate optimal conditions at which the maximum C2 yields for catalysts are predicted to be 15%, higher on average. Analyzing the catalysts in the space of their performance curves with respect to a popular OCM catalyst, Mn-Na2WO4/SiO2, reveals distinct patterns based on intrinsic properties of metals and supports. Further, the decision space with catalyst descriptors and reaction conditions is optimized for high C2 yields using the ML surrogate, in a static multi-objective optimization routine, and an adaptive Bayesian routine, where the latter was found to have a wider field focus in proposing catalyst formulations and conditions. Transition metal oxides on a variety of supports were proposed but not their lanthanide oxide counterparts.

Molecular dynamics simulation is currently the theoretical technique eligible to simulate a wide range of systems from soft condensed matter to biological systems. However, of the excellent results that the technique has arrogated, this approach remains computationally expensive, but with the emergence of the new supercomputing technologies bases on graphics processing units graphical processing units-based systems GPUs, the perspective has changed. The GPUs allow performing large and complex simulations at a significantly reduced time. In this work, we present recent innovations in the acceleration of molecular dynamics in GPUs to simulate non-Hamiltonian systems. In particular, we show the performance of measure-preserving geometric integrator in the canonical ensemble, that is, at constant temperature. We provide a validation and performance evaluation of the code by calculating the thermodynamic properties of a Lennard-Jones fluid. Our results are in excellent agreement with reported data reported from literature, which were calculated with CPUs. The scope and limitations for performing simulations of high-throughput MD under rigorous statistical thermodynamics in the canonical ensemble are discussed and analyzed.

Background: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is an uncommon and aggressive pediatric central nervous system neoplasm. However, a universal clinical consensus or reliable prognostic evaluation system for this malignancy is lacking. Our study aimed to develop a risk model based on comprehensive clinical data to assist in clinical decision-making. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study by examining data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) repository, spanning 2000 to 2019. The external validation cohort was sourced from the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, China. To discern independent factors affecting overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), we applied Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Random Forest (RF) regression analyses. Based on these factors, we structured nomogram survival predictions and initiated a dynamic online risk-evaluation system. To contrast survival outcomes among diverse treatments, we used propensity score matching (PSM) methodology. Molecular data with the most common mutations in AT/RT were extracted from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database. Results: The annual incidence of AT/RT showed an increasing trend (APC, 2.86%; 95% CI:0.75-5.01). Our prognostic study included 316 SEER database participants and 27 external validation patients. The entire group had a median OS of 18 months (range 11.5 to 24 months) and median CSS of 21 months (range 11.7 to 29.2). Evaluations involving C-statistics, DCA, and ROC analysis underscored the distinctive capabilities of our prediction model. An analysis via PSM highlighted that individuals undergoing triple therapy (integrating surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy) had discernibly enhanced OS and CSS. The most common mutations of AT/RT identified in the COSMIC database were SMARCB1, BRAF, SMARCA4, NF2, and NRAS. Conclusions: In this study, we devised a predictive model that effectively gauges the prognosis of AT/RT and briefly analyzed its genomic features, which might offer a valuable tool to address existing clinical challenges.

Over the last decade, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has severely affected poultry production systems across the globe. In particular, massive pre-emptive depopulation of all poultry within the certain distance has raised concerns regarding animal welfare and food security. Thus, alternative approaches to reducing unnecessary depopulation, such as risk-based depopulation, are highly demanded. This paper proposes a data-driven method to generate a rule table and risk score for each farm to identify preventive measures against HPAI. To evaluate the proposed method, 105 cases of HPAI occurring in a total of 381 farms in Jeollanam-do from 2014 to 2023 were evaluated. The accuracy of preventive measure identification was assessed for each case using both the conventional culling method and the proposed data-driven method. The evaluation showed that the proposed method achieved an accuracy of 84.19%, significantly surpassing the previous 10.37%. The result was attributed to the proposed method reducing the false-positive rate by 83.61% compared with the conventional method, thereby enhancing the reliability of identification. The proposed method is expected to be utilized in selecting farms for monitoring and management of HPAI.

As for most Mediterranean countries, groundwater is the main resource for irrigation and drinking supply in most parts of Syria, however this resource suffers from mismanagement. In the study area (Northeast of Mt. Hermon), the lack of information makes water management in this area extremely difficult. Assessing groundwater pollution risk is the most essential issue for water resources management, especially in the regions where complex interaction between climate, geology, geomorphology, hydrogeology, water scarcity and water resource mismanagement exist. This complexity leads to significant complication in determining pollution risk of studied system. In the present work, we adopted an Integrative Approach to assess groundwater pollution risk in the study area. This methodology is based on the analysis of hydrogeological characteristic of aquifer system and the available information about socio-economic context and physio-chemical groundwater condition that might affect this system. This approach allowed us to delineate the groundwater pollution risk map based on the analysis of concerning parameters/ indicators. The degree of risk was assessed based as the sum and average of rating of these parameters and indicators for each subarea. Typically, very high pollution risk index was identified over the Quaternary/Neogene horizon, i.e shallow and unconfined aquifer and in the lower part of Jurassic aquifer. In these two parts, the majority of anthropogenic activities are concentrated. Low pollution risk index was found for the outcropping of low permeable Quaternary basalt at the Southern part of the study area. A moderate pollution index was identified for the low/moderate permeability of silt, clay and marly limestone rich horizons of the major part of Neogene aquifer outside of the intersected zones with Quaternary aquifer and for the Paleogene formations. The spatial analysis shows that about 50% of the study area is characterized as being at very high and high pollution risk index. Hence, the overall natural protective capacity of this area is still poor. This study demonstrates the flexibility of the proposed approach to assess groundwater pollution risk in local complex aquifer system characterized by lack of information and data in order to reduce the risk of future groundwater pollution.

In this work, we introduce a scalable and efficient GPU-accelerated methodology for volumetric particle advection and finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) calculation, focusing on the analysis of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) in large-scale Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) datasets across incompressible, supersonic, and hypersonic flow regimes. LCS play a significant role in turbulent boundary layer analysis, and our proposed methodology offers valuable insights into their behavior in various flow conditions. Our novel owning-cell locator method enables efficient, constant-time cell search, and the algorithm draws inspiration from classical search algorithms and modern multi-level approaches in numerical linear algebra. The proposed method is implemented for both multi-core CPUs and Nvidia GPUs, demonstrating strong scaling up to 32,768 CPU cores and up to 62 Nvidia V100 GPUs. By decoupling particle advection from other problems, we achieve modularity and extensibility, resulting in consistent parallel efficiency across different architectures. Our methodology was applied to calculate and visualize the FTLE on four turbulent boundary layers at different Reynolds and Mach numbers, revealing that coherent structures grow more isotropic proportional to the Mach number, and their inclination angle varies along the streamwise direction. We also observed increased anisotropy and FTLE organization at lower Reynolds numbers, with structures retaining coherency along both spanwise and streamwise directions. Additionally, we demonstrated the impact of lower temporal frequency sampling by upscaling with an efficient linear upsampler, preserving general trends with only 10% of the required storage. In summary, we present a particle search scheme for particle advection workloads in the context of visualizing LCS via FTLE that exhibits strong scaling performance and efficiency at scale. Our proposed algorithm is applicable across various domains requiring efficient search algorithms in large structured domains. While this manuscript focuses on the methodology and its application to LCS, an in-depth study of the physics and compressibility effects in LCS candidates will be explored in a future publication.

Greek consumers perceive an increased risk of pesticide residues in food. This study examined Greek consumers' perceptions on the safety of Greek plant-based food compared to those originating from other EU countries. Half of Greek consumers believe that Greek food is as safe as other European foods, while the other half disagree. According to a principal components analysis and a bivariate logistic regression, several factors, such as perceived safety of plant foods, education, age, gender, traceability, perceived benefits and risks of pesticides, actual pesticide use, and authoritative information sources, influence this attitude. Authoritative knowledge in this field can reduce risk perception and improve Greek consumers’ attitudes towards food safety. Latent class analysis identified two categories of consumers. The first class receives limited information about pesticides, leading to a lower perceived pesticide benefits, higher mistrust of traceability and concerns about pesticide residues. In contrast, the second class actively searches for information from credible sources, endorses the Greek plant foods safety, acknowledges the pesticides benefits, and trust traceability. Official information is associated to reduced risk perception. Regulators should consider the impact of socio-demographic and other intrinsic characteristics on individuals' risk perceptions and prioritise transparency in risk communication strategies.

This article offers a theoretical framework to contextualise the concept of "Safety Culture" in the field of public safety and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), with the aim of supporting its understanding and measurement in our communities and finally attaining more disaster resilient societies. The work discusses the role of cultural dimensions in risk management and DRR and highlights the relevance of building knowledge and practices based on the consideration of culture and cultural variability in all phases of the risk management process. After an overview of the Safety Culture concept, including its origins, developments and applications, the text explores the transferability of this concept to the context of public safety. Then, based on the existing Safety Culture models, metrics and indicators from other sectors, the paper proposes an original definition of Safety Culture for the DRR context, shaped on a series of elements and dimensions specifically outlined for this context. Finally, the expected benefits of the application of Safety Culture concepts and techniques for further advances in DRR is discussed.

Risk modelling along with multi-objective optimization problems have been at theepicenter of attention for supply chain managers. In this paper, we introduce a datasetfor risk modelling in sophisticated supply chain networks based on formal mathematical models. We have discussed the methodology and simulation tools used to synthesize the dataset. Additionally, the underlying mathematical models are discussed in granular details along with providing directions to conducting statistical analyses or neural machine learning models. The simulation is performed using MATLAB ™Simulink and the models are illustrated as well.

This study explores individual and contextual risk factors for the onset of work interfering with private life (WIL) and private life interfering with work (LIW) among self-employed men and women across European countries. It also studies the relationship between interference (LIW and WIL) and wellbeing among self-employed men and women and the effect of macro level risk factors. Data from the fifth round of European Working Conditions Survey was utilized and a sample of self-employed men and women with active businesses was extracted. Applying multilevel regressions, results show that though business characteristics are important for level of WIL, time demand is the most evident risk factor for WIL and LIW. There is a relationship between wellbeing and WIL and LIW respectively, and time demands is the most important factor in this relationship. Gender equality on the labor market did not relate to level of interference, nor did it mediate the relationship between interference and wellbeing. However, the main and most important risk factor for experiencing WIL and LIW and for how interference relate to wellbeing is gender relation processes in work and life, both on individual and contextual level.

In response to increasing urbanization and the need for infrastructure resilient to natural hazards, this study introduces an AI-driven predictive model designed to assess the risk of soil liquefaction. Utilizing advanced ensemble machine learning techniques, the model integrates geotechnical and geographical data to accurately predict the potential for soil liquefaction in urban areas, with a specific focus on Yokohama, Japan. This methodology leverages comprehensive datasets from geological surveys and seismic activity to enhance urban planning and infrastructure development in smart cities. The primary outputs include detailed soil liquefaction risk maps that are essential for effective urban risk management. These maps support urban planners and engineers in making informed decisions, prioritizing safety, and promoting sustainability. The model employs a robust combination of neural networks and gradient boosting decision trees to analyze and predict data points, assessing soil susceptibility to liquefaction during seismic events. Notably, the model achieves high accuracy in predicting soil classifications and N-values, which are critical for evaluating soil liquefaction risk. Validation against an extensive dataset from geotechnical surveys confirms the model’s practical effectiveness. Moreover, the results highlight the transformative potential of AI in enhancing geotechnical risk assessments and improving the resilience of urban areas against natural hazards.

This transdisciplinary review of research about international cooperation on social and environmental change builds the case for replacing Sustainable Development as the dominant framework for an era of increasing crises and disasters. The review is the output of an intentional exploration of recent studies in multiple subject areas, based on the authors’ decades of work in related fields since the Rio Earth Summit 30 years ago (rather than a keyword search of databases). It summarizes the research which documents failure to progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consequently, the extensive scholarship critiquing the conceptual framework behind those ‘Global Goals’, and the economic ideology they arose from and support, is used to explain that failure. Although the pandemic set back the SDGs, it further revealed the inappropriate strategy behind those goals. This suggests the Global Goals constitute an ‘own-goal’ scored against people and nature. From this conclusion, alternative frameworks for organizing action on social and environmental issues become more important and are therefore briefly reviewed. It is argued that such a future framework must relate a new eco-social contract between citizen and state, and engage existing organizations and capabilities that are relevant to an increasingly disrupted world. Therefore, the case is made for considering an upgraded form of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) as an overarching framework. The proposed upgrades include detaching from economic ideologies, and recognizing that a wider metadisaster from climate chaos may reduce the future availability of external support. Therefore, self-reliant resilience and locally-led adaptation are identified as important to the future of DRM. Some options for professionals continuing to use the term sustainability, such as this journal, are discussed.

In the quest for more efficient solar thermal systems, accurately determining the thermal emittance of low-emissive materials is crucial in determining the power losses. This paper describes the calorimetric method designed to precisely measure the thermal emittance of Selective Solar Absorbers (SSAs) to be used in High Vacuum Flat Plate Collectors (HVFPCs). The method's capability is demonstrated through the successful correction of thermal emittance values for copper samples of varying sizes, including dimensions down to 49 cm². Results highlight the method's potential to significantly reduce measurement errors associated with small-size and/or low-emittance samples, providing a path forward to improve the design and efficiency of SSAs. This research marks a significant step in advancing solar thermal technology by enabling emittance measurements with a precision better than 0.003, which is essential for the development of high-performance solar thermal absorbers. The method has also been applied to correct the thermal emittance value of SSA measured in previous measurement campaigns, and it allows a better estimation of the SSA efficiency conversion curve.

This paper is concerned with developing an efficient numerical algorithm for fast implementation of the sparse grid method for computing the $d$-dimensional integral of a given function. The new algorithm, called the MDI-SG ({\em multilevel dimension iteration sparse grid}) method, implements the sparse grid method based on a dimension iteration/reduction procedure, it does not need to store the integration points, nor does it compute the function values independently at each integration point, instead, it reuses the computation for function evaluations as much as possible by performing the function evaluations at all integration points in a cluster and iteratively along coordinate directions. It is shown numerically that the computational complexity (in terms of CPU time) of the proposed MDI-SG method is of polynomial order $O(Nd^3 )$ or better, compared to the exponential order $O(N(\log N)^{d-1})$ for the standard sparse grid method, where $N$ denotes the maximum number of integration points in each coordinate direction. As a result, the proposed MDI-SG method effectively circumvents the curse of dimensionality suffered by the standard sparse grid method for high-dimensional numerical integration.

The increased demand for resources and energy that is developing with rising global consumption represents a key challenge for our generation. Biogas production can contribute to sustainable energy production and closing nutrient cycles using organic residues or as part of a utilization cascade in the case of energy crops. Compared to hydrogen (H2), biogas with a high methane (CH4) content can be fed into the gas grid without restrictions. For this purpose, the CH4 content of the biogas must be increased from 52 to 60 % after anaerobic digestion to more than 96 %. In this study, biological hydrogen methanation (BHM) in trickling-bed reactors (TBR) is used to upgrade biogas. Design of experiments (DoE) is used to determine the optimal process parameters. The performance of the reactors is stable under all given conditions, reaching a “low” gas grid quality of over 90 %. The highest CH4 content of 95.626 ± 0.563 % is achieved at 55 °C and 4 bar, with a methane formation rate (MFR) of 5.111 ± 0.167 m³/(m³·d). The process performance is highly dependent on the H2:CO2 ratio in the educts, which should be as close as possible to the stochiometric ratio of 4. In conclusion, BHM is a viable approach to upgrade biogas to biomethane quality and can contribute to a sustainable energy grid.

Aerial image classification has become popular and has attracted extensive research efforts in recent decades. The main challenge lies in its very high spatial resolution but relatively insufficient spectral information. To this end, spatial-spectral feature extraction is a popular strategy for classification. However, parameter determination for that feature extraction is usually time-consuming and depends excessively on experience. In this paper, an automatic spatial feature extraction approach based on image raster and segmental vector data cross-analysis is proposed for the classification of very high spatial resolution (VHSR) aerial imagery. First, multi-resolution segmentation is used to generate strongly homogeneous image objects and extract corresponding vectors. Then, to automatically explore the region of a ground target, two rules, which are derived from Tobler’s First Law of Geography (TFL) and a topological relationship of vector data, are integrated to constrain the extension of a region around a central object. Third, the shape and size of the extended region are described. A final classification map is achieved through a supervised classifier using shape, size, and spectral features. Experiments on three real aerial images of VHSR (0.1 to 0.32 m) are done to evaluate effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach. Comparisons to state-of-the-art methods demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method in VHSR image classification.

In the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for rotorcraft, two significant challenges are resolving the complex vortex structures in rotor wakes, and representing the moving rotor blades in the ambient airflow. This study addresses the first challenge by using a third-order unstructured finite volume solver, which, compared to its second-order counterpart, has substantially lower dissipation. Consequently, even relatively coarse meshes are capable of resolving small vortices. With this background flow field solver, the second challenge is addressed by modeling each rotor as an Actuator Disk Model (ADM), or describing individual rotor blades as actuator lines, designated as the Actuator Line Model (ALM). Both of these models are equipped with an improved correction for aerodynamic losses at blade tips, which is thoroughly presented in the methodology section. The numerical experiments section centers on analyzing errors linked to various sampling approaches. Additionally, the article discusses comparisons between vortex theory and ALM, specifically regarding calculations for fixed-wing aircraft. Furthermore, high-order precision and parallel efficiency are exemplified in scenarios encompassing rotors engaged in both hovering and forward flight rotors. The results in this paper demonstrate that the combination of the ALM/ADM with the improved tip loss correction and the third-order finite volume solver presents a new way of developing efficient tools for the aerodynamic analysis of helicopter rotors.

Aiming to diminish the defects caused by high-speed pulsed GMAW welding, such as non-penetration, non-fusion, humping and undercut, the paper proposed an improved twin-wire double-pulsed high-speed welding process by introducing the impact of additional shielding gas on the welding pool and the effects of different shielding gas flowrates on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded seam was investigated. The 2205 duplex stainless steel plate was used as the base material for the butt welding test, and the welded seams were subjected to tensile test, metallographic analysis, hardness analysis, and nondestructive testing. The results indicate that as the flowrate of additional shielding gas increases in the range of 8 L/min~16 L/min, the width of the welded seam increases and the height of reinforcement decreases gradually. However, a grooved seam with a lower middle region and higher sides will appear when the gas flowrate becomes excessively large. The test results indicate that the jet impact force is relatively moderate when the flowrate of the additional shielding gas is 12 L/min and thus, is optimal for the welded seam.

As the whisky industry applies circular economy principles to maximize resource utilization and minimize environmental impact, companies become exposed to several risks, which require complex assessments to ensure reliable outcomes. This study provides an organized framework to identify, prioritize and rank various risk factors commonly observed in whisky industry through the development of an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) multi-criteria analysis model. Experts from 18 small European distilleries identified five main risk criteria and nineteen sub-criteria from brainstorming workplace observations, and categorized them as: environmental (5), operational (4), technological innovation (3), food safety (3) and economical (4) risks. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach was used to determine the weights and ranks of the main criteria and sub-criteria based on the survey responses received from experts from each distillery. The final judgements are consistent, as indicated by consistency values (CR) of less than 0.1 for all risk criteria. Unlike traditional risk assessment methods, the AHP model effectively integrates qualitative and quantitative data, aiding strategic decision-making in the whisky industry by breaking down complex problems into manageable sub-problems. Future research directions may expand the criteria and explore additional sustainable practices.

The firmware developed for the readout and trigger processing of the information emerging from BIS78-RPC Muon Spectrometer chambers in the ATLAS experiment at CERN, is presented here, together with data processing techniques, data acquisition software and tests of the readout chain system, on the road to make these chambers operational in the ATLAS experiment. This work is performed in the context of the BIS78-RPC project, which deals with the pilot deployment of a new generation of sMDT+RPC chambers in the experiment. Such chambers are planned to be fully deployed in the whole barrel inner layer of the Muon Spectrometer during the Phase-II upgrade of the ATLAS experiment. On-chamber front-ends include an amplifier, a discriminator ASIC and an LVDS transmitter. The signal is digitized by CERN HPTDC chips and then processed by an FPGA which is the heart of the readout and trigger processing, using various techniques. The work presented here is a continuation of the work presented in [1].

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have garnered considerable attention in academic and industrial circles due to their potential applications in flat panel displays and solid-state lighting technologies, leveraging the advantages offered by organic electroactive derivatives over their inorganic counterparts. The thin and flexible design of OLEDs enables the development of innovative lighting solutions, facilitating the creation of customizable and contoured lighting panels. Among the diverse electroactive components employed in the molecular design of OLED materials, the benzophenone core has attracted much attention as fragment for synthesis of organic semiconductors. On the other hand, the benzophenone also functions as a classical phosphor with high intersystem crossing efficiency. This characteristic makes it as compelling candidate for effective reverse intersystem crossing, potentially leading to the development of thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitters. These emitting materials witnessed a pronounced interest in recent years due to their incorporation in metal-free electroactive frameworks and the capability to convert triplet excitons into emissive singlet excitons through reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), consequently achieving exceptionally high external quantum efficiencies (EQEs). This review article comprehensively overviews the synthetic pathways, thermal characteristics, electrochemical behaviour and photo-physical properties of the derivatives based on benzophenone. Furthermore, we explore their applications in OLED devices, both as host materials and emitters, shedding light on the promising opportunities that benzophenone-based compounds present in advancing OLED technology.

In recent years, there is a growing concern about the alarming spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in different environments. Increasingly, many species of bacteria, fungi and viruses are becoming immune to the most commonly used pharmaceuticals. One of the causes of the development of the resistance is the persistence of these drugs, excreted by humans, in municipal and hospital wastewater (WW). Consequently, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a primary source of antimicrobial resistance genes as novel pollutants. This systematic review sought to examine the relevant literature on pharmaceutical residues (PRs) responsible for AMR in municipal and hospital WW in order to propose a classification of the PRs of greatest concern and provide an updated source for AMR management in WWTPs. Among 546 studies collected from four databases, 18 were included in the present review. The internal and external validity of each study was assessed, and the risk of bias was evaluated on a 20-parameter basis. Results were combined in a narrative synthesis discussing influents and effluents PR concentrations at 88 WWTPs, seasonal variations, differences between hospital and municipal WW, environmental risk assessment values of antimicrobial substances and treatment facilities removal efficiencies. Among the 45 PRs responsible for AMR evaluated in this study, the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, metronidazole, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim constitute a considerable risk in terms of ubiquitous distribution, worrying concentrations, risk quotients values, and resistance to removal treatments. Gaps in knowledge, data and information reported in this review provide a valuable source for managing AMR in WWTPs.

Groundnut is an important cash crop and a diet component for rural households in sub-Saharan Africa. However, Aflatoxin contamination remains a barrier to promoting groundnut-based food products as food levels above maximum limit (ML) can adversely affect human health. Three objectives were set, namely, (i) to characterize the post-harvest operations and risk factors affecting aflatoxin contamination, (ii) to assess aflatoxin incidence in on-farm stores and, iii) to assess agronomic practices that can be integrated to improve yield and reduce aflatoxin contamination. The average aflatoxin levels in on-farm stores were 11.3-16.4μg/kg, in which the proportions of ML were 25.7% at 4μg/kg, 56.3% at 15μg/kg, and 80% at 20μg/kg (~5-7 months after harvest). The application of Aflasafe® resulted in safe or no aflatoxin contamination across the locations. Significant hazards identified during postharvest operations include intermittent rain at harvest and drying (6.5), insect pests attacks after harvest (6), prolonged harvest to stripping interval (6.6), drying on bare ground (6.2), storing on bare floor (6.9), use of poorly efficient shelling machines (6.5), and re-use of rejected nut (6.1). This study provides solutions to minimize aflatoxin risk if appropriate technologies (e.g. improved variety, fertilizer, rhizobia inoculant, and Aflasafe®) and policies are deployed.

The origin and significance of the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) units and the familiar metabasite xenoliths they host in the Yangtze Craton, China, remain controversial, and resolving these issues is important if we are to understand the evolution of the early Yangtze Craton. We focused on biotite–tremolite schist xenoliths in the Archean TTG units of the Kongling high-grade metamorphic terrane, and U–Pb dating of their zircons yielded ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages of ca. 3.00 Ga, which provides a minimum age for the formation of the pre-metamorphic basic igneous rock. The host TTGs and late intrusive granitic dikes yield three groups of upper intercept ages at 2.87–2.88, 2.91–2.94, and 3.07 Ga, and a concordant age at 2.94 Ga, which suggest that the Yangtze continental nucleus underwent three important metamorphic–magmatic events in the Mesoarchean at ca. 3.00, 2.94, and 2.87 Ga. The biotite–tremolite schists have high ratios of K₂O/Na₂O and high contents of CaO, Cr, and Ni, thus showing the characteristics of high-K calc-alkaline island-arc volcanic rocks (basalt–andesite) that form by the partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. The data also provide further proof that a Mesoarchean metamorphic basement exists in the Yangtze Plate. Derivation of the magmatic protoliths of the biotite–tremolite schist enclaves from an oceanic crust during slab subduction, and the presence of these xenoliths within the TTG suite, indicate the existence of the initiation of plate tectonics during the Mesoarchean (≤2.94 Ga).

Background/Aim: Performing emergency surgery for bowel obstruction continues to place a significant strain on the healthcare system. Conventional assessment methods for outcomes in bowel obstruction cases often concentrate on isolated factors, and the evaluation of results for individuals with bowel obstruction remains poorly studied. This study aimed to examine the risk factors associated with major postoperative complications. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 99 patients undergoing surgery from 2015 to 2022. We divided the patients into two groups: 1) benign related obstruction (n=68), 2) cancer related obstruction (n=31). We used logistic regression, KNN and XGBOOST. We calculated the receiver operating characteristic curve, and accuracy of the model. Results: Colon obstructions were more frequent in the cancer group (p=0.005). Operative time, intestinal resection and stoma were significantly more frequent in the cancer group. Major complications were 41% for the cancer group vs. 20 in the benign group (p=0.03). Uni-and multivariate analysis shows that significant risk factors for major complication were cancer related obstruction and CRP. The best model was KNN with an accuracy of 0.82. Conclusion. Colonic obstruction is associated with a tumor-related blockage. Malignant cancer and an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP) are significant risk factors for patients who have undergone emergency surgery due to major complications. KNN could improve the process of counseling and the perioperative management of patients with intestinal obstruction in emergency settings.

Recently, due to the decrease in labor force, increase in labor costs, and the desire for improved quality of life, research on robots has been actively conducted to address these issues. However, it is currently difficult to find robots that physically interact with humans. The reason is that the actuators of robots do not have high torque density on their own. To solve this problem, high torque density motors, such as proprioceptive actuators, are being researched. However, the torque density is still insufficient for physical interaction with humans, so we have developed a motor with higher torque density. However, high torque density motors have the disadvantage of lower speed characteristics due to increased Back-EMF. Therefore, to address the deterioration of speed characteristics in the developed motor, we applied the Independent 3-Phase winding structure to improve the speed characteristics. Consequently, through comparison with Y-Connection and Delta-Connection, we propose the most suitable winding structure for high torque density motors intended for physical interaction with humans.

Transarterial embolization (TAE) for high-flow pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) aneurysms in patients with celiac-trunk stenosis by the median arcuate ligament (MAL) has been found effective both after rupturing and to prevent rupture. The objective was to describe the TAE techniques used and their effectiveness in excluding PDA aneurysms due to MAL syndrome. This single-center retrospective study done at the Dijon-Bourgogne University Hospital included all patients treated by TAE in 2010–2022 for ruptured or unruptured high-flow PDA aneurysms caused by MAL syndrome. We identified 14 patients (7 women and 7 men; mean age, 64 years). Packing and trapping techniques were used alone or together. Occlusion was with microcoils, co-polymer, or cyanoacrylate glue, used separately or combined. Technical success was achieved in 13 (93%) patients. Clinical success was achieved in 12 (86%) patients. One major and two minor complications were recorded within the first 30 days. No complications occurred after 30 days. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 84 months. No cases of aneurysm recanalization were recorded to date. TAE had high technical and clinical success rates in our patients with unruptured or ruptured PDA aneurysms due to MAL syndrome.

Land-cover classification that uses very-high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing images is a topic of considerable interest. Although many classification methods have been developed, there is still room for improvements in the accuracy and usability of classification systems. In this paper, a novel post-processing approach based on a dual-adaptive majority voting strategy (D-AMVS) is proposed for improving the performance of initial classification maps. D-AMVS defines a strategy for refining each label of a classified map that is obtained by different classification methods from the same original image and fusing the different refined classification maps to generate a final classification result. The proposed D-AMVS contains three main blocks. 1) An adaptive region is generated by extending gradually the region around a central pixel based on two predefined parameters (T1 and T2) in order to utilize the spatial feature of ground targets in a VHR image. 2) For each classified map, the label of the central pixel is refined according to the majority voting rule within the adaptive region. This is defined as adaptive majority voting (AMV). Each initial classified map is refined in this manner pixel by pixel. 3) Finally, the refined classified maps are used to generate a final classification map, and the label of the central pixel in the final classification map is determined by applying AMV again. Each entire classified map is scanned and refined pixel by pixel based on the proposed D-AMVS. The accuracies of the proposed D-AMVS approach are investigated through two remote sensing images with high spatial resolutions of 1.0 and 1.3 m, respectively. Compared with the classical majority voting method and a relatively new post-processing method called general post-classification framework, the proposed D-AMVS can achieve a land-cover classification map with less noise and higher classification accuracies.

Obesity and overweight are associated with many metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, which are closely related to a sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise. Aerobic exercise effectively increases the high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and decreases the triglyceride (TG) levels. The consumption of Cuban policosanol (Raydel®) is also effective in enhancing the HDL-C quantity and HDL functionality to treat dyslipidemia and hypertension. On the other hand, no study has examined the effects of a combination of high-intensity exercise and policosanol consumption in obese subjects to improve metabolic disorders. In the current study, 17 obese subjects (average BMI 30.0±1.1 kg/m2, eight male and nine female) were recruited to participate in a program combining exercise and policosanol (20 mg) consumption for 12 weeks. After completion, their BMI, waist circumference, total fat mass, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by approximately 15% (p=0.022), 12.7% (p=0.008), 33% (p=0.006), 11% (p<0.046), and 13% (p=0.007), respectively. In the serum lipid profile, at week 12, they showed a remarkable decrease in the total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels, up to 17% (p<0.019) and 54% (p<0.002) from the baseline, respectively. Although the serum HDL-C was increased by approximately +12% from the baseline, the percentage of HDL-C in TC, HDL-C/TC (%), was increased by up to +32% (p=0.007) at week 12. The serum coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) level was increased 1.2-fold in all participants at week 12 from the baseline. In particular, the male participants showed a 1.4-fold increase (p=0.027) from the baseline. The larger increase in serum CoQ10 was correlated with the larger increase in the serum HDL-C during 12 weeks. The hepatic function parameters were improved; the serum -glutamyl transferase decreased at week 12 by up to 55% (p<0.007), while the aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase levels decreased within the normal range. In the lipoprotein level, the extent of oxidation and glycation were reduced significantly in VLDL and LDL, with a remarkable decrease in the TG content in particles. The antioxidant abilities of HDL2 and HDL3, such as paraoxonase (PON) and ferric ion reduction ability (FRA), were enhanced significantly by up to 1.8-fold (p<0.001) and 1.6-fold (p<0.001) at week 12. The particle size and number of HDL2 were increased up to +10% during the 12 weeks with a remarkable decrease in the TG content, glycation extent, oxidation up to 32% (p=0.032), 18% (p=0.043), and 11% (p=0.023), respectively. The particle number and diameter of HDL3 were increased by up to +9% with a remarkable increase in the PON activity, FRA activity, and TC content of +82% (p<0.001), +56% (p<0.001), and +32% (p=0.009), respectively. Expression of apolipoproteinA-I in HDL2 and HDL3 were significantly elevated more in both gender around 30~48% with more distinct band intensity and less glycation at week 12. These improvements in HDL quality and functionality were linked to the higher survivability of adult zebrafish and their embryos. Under the co-presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML), a microinjection of HDL2 to zebrafish embryo from week 0 resulted in approximately 47% survivability with developmental defects and attenuated speed. On the other hand, the HDL2 microinjection from week 12 resulted in remarkably higher survivability (~ 70%). In conclusion, 12 weeks of Cuban policosanol (Raydel®, 20 mg) consumption with high-intensity exercise showed significant improvement in blood pressure, body fat mass, blood lipid profile without liver damage, CoQ10 metabolism, and renal impairment. At week 12, all participants showed a remarkable decrease in oxidation and glycation extent in the VLDL and LDL with a decrease in the TC and TG content. Significant enhancement of the qualities and functionalities in HDL2 and HDL3 by the policosanol consumption were also detected: increase in apoA-I content, TC content, particle size, and particle numbers along with antioxidant abilities, such as PON and FRA.

Insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia as an independent risk factor for the development and worsening of HFpEF. Serafino Fazio MD¹, Valentina Mercurio MD, PhD2, Valeria Fazio MD3, Antonio Ruvolo MD⁴, Flora Affuso MD, PhD⁵. Authors’ Affiliation: ¹ Department of Internal Medicine (retired Professor). Federico II University, Via Sergio Pansini 5. 80135 Naples, Italy. 2 Department of Translational Medical Sciences. Federico II University. Via Sergio Pasini 5. 80135 Naples, Italy. ³ UOC Medicina Interna, Azienda Ospedaliera di Caserta, 81100 Caserta, Italy, ⁴ UOC Cardiologia AORN dei colli PO CTO, Viale Colli Aminei 21, 80100 Naples, Italy. ⁵ Independent researcher, Viale Raffaello 74, 80129 Naples, Italy. Abstract Heart failure (HF) has become a subject of continuous interest since it has been declared new pandemic in 1997 because of the exponential increase in hospitalizations for HF in the latest years. HF is the final state to which all heart diseases of different etiologies lead if not adequately treated, therefore it is highly prevalent worldwide, with a progressive increase with age, reaching a prevalence of 10% in subjects over the age of 65 years. It should also be underlined that lately, while the prevalence of HF with left ventricular reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is slowly decreasing, the incidence of HF with left ventricular preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is progressively increasing. In deed, among patients consecutively hospitalized for HF between 1987 and 2001 in a study from the Mayo Clinic Hospitals in Olmsted County, Minnesota, prevalence of HFpEF increased from 38% to 54%. HFpEF is typically characterized by concentric remodeling of the left ventricle (LV) with impaired diastolic function and increased filling pressures. Over the years, also the prevalence of insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia in the general adult population has progressively increased, primarily due to lifestyle changes, particularly in developed and developing countries, with a range that globally ranges between 15.5% and 46.5%. Notably, insulin resistance (IR)/hyperinsulinemia (Hyperins) is present in up to 60% of patients with HF and is significantly higher in subjects with HfpEF. In the scientific literature it has been well highlighted that the increased circulating levels of insulin are associated with conditions of insulin resistance are responsible for progressive cardiovascular alterations over the years. In the setting of HFpEF, insulin stimulates the concentric remodeling of the left ventricle with associated diastolic dysfunction, which, coincidentally. Unfortunately, IR/Hyperins, despite being a well-known cardiovascular risk factor, is still not screened in the general population and is not treated as promptly as it should be, and this could at least in part concur in the progressive increase in prevalence of HFpEF in the general adult population. The aim of this manuscript was to review scientific literature that support a pathophysiologic connection between IR/Hyperins and HFpEF to stimulate the scientific community towards the identification of hyperinsulinemia associated with insulin resistance as an independent cardiovascular risk factor in development and worsening of HF, believing that its adequate screening in the general population and appropriate treatment could reduce the prevalence of HFpEF and improve its progression.

Lymphadenopathy is a common manifestation of both reactive and malignant diseases, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) is an effective and inexpensive screening method. It can prevent unnecessary invasive surgery and excisional biopsy, especially in benign cases. Unfortunately, the lack of universally accepted terminology for reporting results has hindered its widespread support. The Sydney system proposal for lymph node cytopathology categorization and reporting introduced five diagnostic categories to address the lack of universally accepted terminology for reporting results in lymphadenopathy. Our study analyzed 188 lymph node FNC samples from King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia, examining clinical follow-up data, pathology records, patient information, and final diagnosis from January 2019 to December 2022. Most specimens were from axillary LNs, with 99.5% tissue correlation. The Sydney System Category classification identified 56.9% of cases as malignant, while 26.1% were benign. The final surgical specimen diagnosis revealed a higher percentage of malignant diagnoses, with the highest ROM in malignant/Category V. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that LN-FNAC offers high diagnostic accuracy for LN aspirates, with the Sydney approach potentially aiding risk stratification and achieving consistency in cytologic diagnosis, but further multi-centric research is needed.

The study focuses on a novel porous TiNi-based material for ophthalmic orbital implants which was produced by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) and, after proper surface modification, possesses a specific microstructure of its surface pores, which makes it attractive for biomedical use in implants. After preparation via SHS, the obtained porous TiNi material was etched in acidic environment, to get rid of its surface Ti2Ni secondary-phase particles. This was found to improve the material’s surface morphology, adding micro-roughness to its macro-rough pores. As a result, cell growth tests conducted on the material demonstrated improved cell adhesion and growth kinetics on such a porous material with improved roughness. Finally, the material was tested in vivo as an ophthalmic orbital implant, demonstrating good biocompatibility, good degree of biointegration with surrounding eyeball tissues, and no signs of rejection after as long as 180 days. Thus, the novel porous TiNi-based material shows promise for its use in ophthalmic implantology, for instanse for manufacturing musculoskeletal stumps of the eyeball after evisceration, as it is biocompatible, has a high tissue-implant integration potential and demonstrates reduced risks of exposure and rejection of the implant.

An approach based on the OpenFOAM library has been developed to solve a high-speed, multicomponent mixture of a reacting, compressible flow. This work presents comprehensive validation of the newly developed solver called compressibleCentralReactingFoam with different supersonic flows, including shocks, expansion waves, and turbulence-combustion interaction. The comparisons of the simulation results with experimental and computational data confirm the fidelity of this solver for problems involving multicomponent high-speed reactive flows. The gas dynamics of turbulence-chemistry interaction are modeled using a partially-stirred reactor formulation and provide promising results to better understand the complex physics involved in supersonic combustors. A time-scale analysis based on local Damköhler numbers reveals different regimes of turbulent combustion. In the core of the jet flow, the Damköhler number is relatively high indicating that the reaction time scale is smaller than the turbulent mixing time scale. This means that the combustion is controlled by turbulent mixing. In the shear layer, where the heat release rate and the scalar dissipation rate have the highest value, the flame is stabilized due to finite rate chemistry with small Damköhler numbers and a high fraction of fine structure. This solver allows three-dimensional gas dynamic simulation of high-speed multicomponent reactive flows relevant to practical combustion applications.

NASA mission systems proposals are often compared using an equivalent system mass (ESM) framework wherein all elements of technology to deliver an effect- its components, operations and logistics of delivery- are converted to effective masses since this has a known cost scale in space operations. To date, ESM methods and the tools for system comparison have not considered complexities wherein systems that serve a mission span multiple transit and operations stages, such as would be required to support a crewed mission to Mars, and thus do not account for the different mass equivalency factors operational during each period and the inter-dependencies of the costs across the mission. Further, ESM does not account well for the differential reliabilities of the underlying technologies. Less reliability should incur an equivalent mass cost for technologies that might otherwise provide a mass advantage. We introduce an extensions to ESM to address these limitations and show that it provides a direct method for analyzing, optimizing and comparing different mission systems. We demonstrate our extended ESM (xESM) calculation with crop production technologies -- an aspect of the developing offworld biomanufacturing suite -- since it represents a case with strong coupling among stages of the mission and a relatively high-risk profile.

EV transmissions operate at high speeds, upto 30,000 rpm. High speed operation puts higher demands on bearings, seals, and gears. Bearings in EV transmissions are prone to electrically induced bearing damage and may exhibit signs of pitting and fluting. Surface-initiated rolling contact fatigue is another common problem gaining increased attention lately. Most EV transmissions require a coupling between an oil-lubricated gearbox to an electrical motor that runs with minimal lubrication at very high rpm. High mechanical and thermal stresses the seals are exposed to under starved lubrication conditions have a detrimental impact on their service life. Hence, proper lubrication is critical. In general, EV transmission fluids call for a somewhat different spectrum of properties compared to conventional ATF. Gear tribology simulations open new ways to the design and optimization of lubrication for EV transmissions. Additionally, such simulations can also provide valuable insights into the effects of different oil properties on cooling and lubrication efficiencies, thereby helping in matching the lubricant and hardware characteristics for optimal performance. In the present communication, we demonstrate the effects of different lubricants and surface finishing technologies on the tribology of high-speed gears using tribological tests and advanced thermal elastohydrodynamic (TEHD) simulations. Important roles of lubricity additives and surface finish optimization are highlighted in conjunction with a move towards ultralow viscosity EV transmission fluids.

Balanced fear supports human rational decision making and useful behavioral responses. In contrast, overwhelming, persistent, and unbalanced fear can paralyze the individual and result in heightened anxiety, lack of cognitive flexibility, fear-based public compliance and serious mental health issues. Psychobiotics research has established that a healthy microbiome is required for balanced fear and mental health protection via control of fear extinction. The recent Covid-19 pandemic featured daily, persistent, fear-of-a single contagion conditioning on a global scale paired with various behavioral mandates (e.g., lockdowns of the healthy, masks, isolation from environmental microbes and each other) that degraded the human microbiome and isolated us from each other and useful environmental microbes. It also ignored the historic role of secondary bacterial pathobionts, in pandemic deaths. This narrative review examines how institutional promotion of fear-of-a single contagion, lack of balanced risk communication, and appalling disregard of our fundamental nature (as majority-microbial human superorganisms) resulted in problems rather than solutions. This review concludes that government-public health-media promotion of pervasive fear and microbiome-degrading behaviors: 1) increased public compliance, 2) reduced cognitive flexibility, and 3) increased risk of mental health conditions. It further argues that microbiome-first public health should be embraced to ensure that human freedom, rather than paralyzing fear, dominates our future.

This qualitative study explores the multifaceted strategies organizations employ to build resilient supply chains through effective procurement risk management. Conducted over a six-month period in 2024, the research involved semi-structured interviews with 25 industry professionals from sectors including manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and technology, alongside document analysis and case studies. The study identifies four key themes: risk identification and assessment, supplier relationship management, digitalization in risk management, and strategic resilience practices. The findings reveal that organizations face diverse risks, including supplier, supply market, and external environmental risks, necessitating comprehensive risk assessment methodologies. Supplier relationship management emerges as a critical factor in mitigating risks, with practices such as regular audits, collaborative risk management, long-term partnerships, and supplier diversification being crucial. The adoption of digital technologies like predictive analytics, blockchain, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence enhances risk management capabilities, providing data-driven insights and fostering transparency. Strategic resilience practices, including inventory buffering, flexible sourcing, redundancy, and scenario planning, are essential for maintaining supply chain continuity amidst disruptions. The study underscores the importance of an integrated and proactive approach to procurement risk management that leverages robust assessment, strong supplier relationships, digital tools, and strategic planning. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how organizations can effectively manage procurement risks and build resilient supply chains in a dynamic global environment. The insights offer valuable guidance for procurement professionals and organizational leaders in developing resilient and adaptable supply chain strategies to navigate the complexities of today's market.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is a chronic inflammatory disease, linked to a state oxidative stress, with several well-identified culprits, of which low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and lipoprotein(a). No specific treatment is currently available to lower lipoprotein(a). It is, therefore, of paramount importance to identify nutritional factors that could lower lipoprotein(a). Growing evidence shows that although reducing saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake decreases LDL-C, it could increase lipoprotein(a). Optimal dietary recommendations may therefore differ depending on an in-dividual’s baseline lipoprotein(a) and LDL-C levels. Assessing the diet-induced true LDL-C response and net balance of these two atherogenic entities is difficult because LDL-C measurement is confounded by lipoprotein(a) cholesterol content. We have estimated, for the first time, the net atherogenic result of diet-induced variations of both LDL-C and lipoprotein(a), thanks to our new concept of LDLapoB risk equivalent=apoB+lp(a)x5 (in nmol/L). This is illustrated, via the rare case of a physician with very high lipoprotein(a) and hypobetalipoproteinemia. She experiences twice a considerable lipoprotein(a) increase (+32%, + 28mg/dL, + 67nmol/L) and higher LDLapoB risk equivalent (138mg/dL versus 123mg/dL) on a mediterranean diet, low in SFA. A reasonable SFA intake, despite causing marginal LDL-C increase, may be advisable in patients with high lipoprotein(a) who need personalized dietary recommendations.

Phytoplasma diseases pose a substantial threat to diverse crops of agricultural importance. Management measures are usually implemented only after the disease has already occurred. Early detection of such phytopathogens, prior to disease outbreak, has rarely been attempted but would be highly beneficial for phytosanitary risk assessment, disease prevention and mitigation. In this study we present the implementation of a recently proposed proactive disease management protocol (DAMA: Document, Assess, Monitor, Act) for a group of vector-borne phytopathogens. We used insect samples collected during a recent biomonitoring program in southern Germany to screen for the presence of phytoplasmas. Insects were collected with Malaise traps in different agricultural settings. DNA was extracted from these mass trap samples and subjected to PCR-based phytoplasma detection and COI sequence metabarcoding. In about 1% of the analyzed samples, phytoplasma DNA was detected. Phytoplasma group identification was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and the detected phytoplasmas could be assigned to the 16SrI subgroups B and L. Insect species in the sample were identified by DNA metabarcoding. By using established databases, checklists, and archives, we documented historical associations and records of phytoplasmas and its hosts in the study region. For the assessment in the DAMA protocol, phylogenetic triage was performed in order to determine the risk for tri-trophic interactions (plant-insect-phytoplasma) and associated disease outbreaks in the study region. A phylogenetic heat map constitutes the basis for risk assessment and was used here to identify a minimum number of seven leafhopper species suggested to be monitored by stakeholders in this region. A proactive stance in monitoring changing patterns of association between hosts and pathogens can be a cornerstone in capabilities to prevent future phytoplasma disease outbreaks. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the DAMA protocol has been applied in the field of phytopathology and vector-borne plant diseases.

In the Mediterranean, the probability of tsunamis is lower than in other coastal areas such as the Pacific Ring, where tsunamis are more familiar and memory of past events and anticipatory signals and protective measures is preserved by local culture, along with media and scientific sources, therefore tsunami risk is more likely to be downplayed or neglected. Past research identified socio-demographic and spatial factors that may affect tsunami risk perception. This research is based on a sample of 5842 CATI interviews to investigate whether and how risk perception and risk knowledge were affected by a major event such as the 1908 Reggio Calabria Messina tsunami, by making a comparison between areas hit by that event and unaffected areas, also providing some explanatory hypotheses. Despite differences between Calabria and Sicily, data anyway show higher levels of tsunami risk perception in the area affected by the 1908 event, along with a major role of interpersonal sources, playing a relevant role in information gathering and understanding. Research also suggests the need to better integrate different sources of knowledge to improve people’s understanding as to effectively cope with tsunami risk.

To safeguard against meat supply shortages during pandemics or other catastrophes, this study analyzed the potential to provide the average household’s entire protein consumption using either soybean production or distributed meat production at the household level in the U.S. with: 1) pasture-fed rabbits, 2) pellet and hay-fed rabbits, or 3) pellet-fed chickens. Only using the average backyard resources, soybean cultivation can provide 80%-160% of household protein and 0%-50% of a household’s protein needs can be provided by pasture-fed rabbits using only the yard grass as feed. If external supplementation of feed is available, raising 52 chickens while also harvesting the concomitant eggs or alternately 107 grain-fed rabbits can meet 100% of an average household’s protein requirements. These results show that resilience to future pandemics and challenges associated with growing meat demands can be incrementally addressed through backyard distributed protein production. Backyard production of chicken meat, eggs, and rabbit meat reduces environmental costs of protein due to savings in production, transportation, and refrigeration of meat products and even more so with soybeans. Generally, distributed production of protein was found to be economically competitive with centralized production of meat if distributed labor costs were ignored.

The result of the multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers from different areas of knowledge to validate a solar radiation model is presented. The MAPsol is a 3D local-scale adaptive solar radiation model that allows to estimate direct, diffuse and reflected irradiance for clear sky conditions. The model includes the adaptation of the mesh to complex orography and albedo, and considers the shadows cast by the terrain and buildings. The surface mesh generation is based on surface refinement, smoothing and parameterisation techniques and allows the generation of high quality adapted meshes with a reasonable number of elements. Another key aspect of the paper is the generation of a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM). This high-resolution DEM is constructed from LiDAR data and its resolution if two times more accurate than the publicly available DEMs. The validation process uses direct and global solar irradiance data obtained from pyranometers at the University of Salamanca located in an urban area affected by systematic shading from nearby buildings. This work provides an efficient protocol for studying solar resources, with particular emphasis on areas of complex orography and dense buildings where shadows can potentially make solar energy production facilities less efficient.

Economic risks for livestock production are caused by volatile commodities and market conditions, but also by environmental drivers like increasing uncertainties due to weather anomalies and global warming. These risks impact the gross margin of farmers and can stimulated investment decisions. For confined pig and poultry production, farmers can reduce the environmental impact by implementing specific adaptation measures to reduce heat stress. A simulation model driven by meteorological data was used to calculate heat stress impact as a projection for 2030. For a business-as-usual livestock building, the indoor climate for several adaptation measures was calculated. The weather-related value-at risk quantified the economic risks caused by global warming and the stochastic component of the weather. The results show that only energy-saving adaptation measures to reduce the inlet air temperature are appropriate to reduce the economic risk to the level of the year 1980. The efficiency of other adaptation measures to reduce heat stress is distinctly lower. The results in this study can support the decision making of farmers concerning adaptation management and investments. It can inform agricultural policy design as well as technological development.

Software quantum simulators are the most accessible tools for designing and testing quantum algorithms. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to building a software-based quantum simulator based on classical computing architectures. We explore fundamental quantum computing concepts, including state vector representations, quantum gates, and memory management techniques. The simulator prototype implements various memory optimization strategies, such as full-state representation, dynamic state pruning, and shared memory parallelization with OpenMP and distributed memory models using MPI. Additionally, data compression techniques, like ZFP, are explored to enhance simulation performance by reducing memory footprint. The results are validated through performance comparisons with leading open-source quantum simulators, such as Intel-QS, QuEST, and qsim. Our findings highlight the trade-offs between computational overhead and memory efficiency. This demonstrates that a hybrid approach using distributed memory and compression offers the best scalability for simulating large quantum systems. This work provides a foundation for developing efficient quantum simulators supporting more complex quantum algorithms on classical hardware.

High-grade advanced ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal (HGAOC) cancer are malignancies in which, apart from surgical treatment, systemic treatment plays an important role. The improvement in treatment results is associated with the introduction of polyADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPis). The aim of this study is to present a cross-section of patients treated for HGAOC, in one center, including the distribution of treatment principles following the most up-to-date guidelines. We observed patients who reported to the Department of Gyneacological Oncology between January 2018 and December 2023. We analyzed 437 women with a first diagnosis of HGAOC, who had not been treated before. The introduction of combined treatment with bevacizumab and PARPi into the first line of treatment, regardless of any remnants left during cytoreductive surgery, was introduced in November 2022. Since then, 30% (18/60) of patients (14 with olaparib and 4 with niraparib) have used the above regimen. Previously, in May 2021 - October 2022, it was 27% of patients (13/81 with olaparib and 9/81 with niraparib). Among patients starting treatment in January 2018 - April 2021, only 4.7% (5/106) received the platinum + paclitaxel + olaparib regimen. In both groups – with and without BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely- pathogenic variant, significantly more patients used PC + PARPi or PC + BEV + PARPi in periods II and III than in period I (p<0.01). The introduction of modern treatment in our center very quickly changed the structure of patient treatment. Carriers of BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant had previously received only chemotherapy, disappeared after the introduction of PARPi, in favor of new therapies. Most patients with no BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant, who used PARPi in therapy in our center – received niraparib and therefore they are beneficiaries of molecular diagnostics in the field of HRD.

Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain tumor and is considered to be the most common primary one. Recurrence after treatment is a major problem. The recurrence of GBM is related to different cellular mechanisms and molecular signaling. Therapies to prolong survival are not completely effective. Epigenetics and non-coding genetic elements play a crucial role in gliomagenesis. Non-coding RNAs are novel regulatory RNAs that play key roles in different physiological processes such as gene regulation, cell differentiation, and proliferation. Interestingly, some LncRNAs have a tumor suppressor role while others are oncogenic. In this review article, we are going to illustrate the role of a well-known lncRNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) in glioma and highlight the possible functions in glioma in both pre-clinical and clinically evident studies.

In this letter, we propose a pattern-diversity antenna with different radiation patterns at two different frequency bands (f1 and f2) (f1: broadside radiation pattern, f2: conical radiation pattern). The proposed structure consists of a central circular antenna and two annular ring antennas; each of the three antennas has individual ports. Two of the ports exhibit orthogonal broadside radiation patterns; the other two ports exhibit orthogonal conical radiation patterns. Thus, they have polarization diversity characteristics. To improve isolation between ports, the inner part of the annular ring antennas is shorted via array, and the outermost port is positioned orthogonal to the other ports. Using this configuration, the isolation between ports was measured as -26.7 dB and -30.1 dB at the two frequency bands, respectively. Experimental results based on the fabricated prototype show that the proposed antenna achieves -10 dB bandwidths of 240 MHz (5.71~5.95 GHz) and 210 MHz (7.69~7.9 GHz) at f1 and f2, respectively.

Background: Glioma surgery was remarkably renewed in the past 2 decades, with improved safety and limited but yet improved life expectations. Fluorescence-guided resection of high-grade gliomas (HGG) plays a central role in this sense, by allowing higher degrees of extent of resection (EOR). The introduction of the exoscopic guided surgery may be considered an implementation for fluorescence techniques over the traditional microscopes. We present the application and the advantages of the exoscopic guided surgery compared to the microscopic surgery in tumor resection guided by 5-ALA fluorescence in patients with HGG. Methods: ten consecutive patients underwent a surgery for HGG resection. The surgery was performed via an exoscopic-guided procedure (Olympus Orbeye) and after oral administration of Gliolan 5 hours before the procedure. During surgery, the procedure was shifted to microscope (Kinevo 900, Zeiss) view. The intensity of the fluorescence under the two different was subjectively measured in different picture samples during the surgery in a 1 to 5 (from minimum to maximum) scale. The brightness of the surgical field and the detailing of the anatomy were also analyzed comparatively. Results: among the ten patients the histopathological diagnosis was an high grade glioma in all cases. In 9 cases was possible to achieve the gross total resection. There was no perioperative mortality. The median fluorescence intensity, on a scale of 1–5, was 4.5 in the exoscope group and 3.5 in the microscope group (p<0.01). Conclusions: The exoscopic guided surgery adds advantages to the traditional fluorescence- guided surgery with 5-aminolevulinic acid. Beyond the important advantage of low cost and the possibility to perform collaborative surgeries, it adds a plain and continuous visualization of the tumor and the surgical field in the fluorescence guided glioma surgery compared to the microscopic guided one.

Since the implementation of the Materials Genome Project by the Obama administration in the United States, the development of various computational materials databases has fundamentally expanded the choices of industries such as materials and energy. In the field of thermoelectric materials, the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT quantifies the performance of the material. From the viewpoint of calculations for vast materials, the ZT values are not easily obtained due to their computational complexity. Here, we show how to build a database of thermoelectric materials based on first-principles calculations for the electronic and heat transport of materials. Firstly, the initial structures are classified according to the values of bandgap and other basic properties using the clustering algorithm K-means in machine learning, and high-throughput first principles calculations are carried out for narrow-bandgap semiconductors which exhibiting potential thermoelectric application. The present framework of calculations mainly includes deformation potential module, electrical transport performance module, mechanical and thermodynamic properties module. We have also set up a search webpage for the calculated database of thermoelectric materials, providing searching and viewing the related physical properties of materials. Our work may inspire the construction of more computational databases of first-principle thermoelectric materials and accelerate research progress in the field of thermoelectrics.

Abstract:High-pressure water jet technology has received extensive attention and application due to its high efficiency and environmental protection characteristics. The high-pressure water jet nozzle is its core component, and the research on the high-pressure water jet nozzle is conducive to improving the jet performance and improving the jet efficiency. This paper introduces the characteristics of water jet and the working principle of pure water jet, abrasive water jet, pulsed water jet and cavitation water jet, reviews the theoretical analysis and experiment of the predecessor's nozzle, briefly explains the application of high-pressure water jet and looks forward to the development trend of this technology.

Under the influence of various factors, the bronze ware unearthed by archaeology has various diseases of different degrees, and the mineralization problem is more prominent. The physical properties of mineralized bronzes have been destroyed, and the whole is loose and fragile, which is in urgent need of reinforcement and protection. Common reinforcement and protection materials mainly consider surface sealing, matrix bonding reinforcement and penetration reinforcement. Considering the low matrix strength and complex disease types of fragile bronzeware, it is difficult to achieve targeted protection with commonly used reinforcement and protection materials. In view of the problems such as poor permeability and easy discoloration of commonly used protection materials, this paper uses self-developed reinforcement and protection material AMC to compare its reinforcement and protection performance with B72, which has a high comprehensive evaluation on the performance of commonly used reinforcement and protection materials. The matrix strength was increased, and the appearance intervention degree was less than B72.

In this paper, a dual-band WiFi antenna and its Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system application is designed, fabricated, and measured based on the Chinese characters “Men” and “Wei”. The antenna uses a 40×40×1.6 mm3 Fr4 substrate to analyze the combinatorial structure of Chinese characters using the theory of characteristic modes (TCM), to optimize the antenna dimensions by analyzing the mode current distribution, and to broaden the antenna bandwidth by etching rectangular slots on the ground. The measured and simulated results show that the four-element MIMO antenna covers 5.68-8.01 GHz, the isolation between the antennas is higher than 20 dB in the working band, the Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) and the channel capacity losses (CCLs)of the simulation is lower than 0.001 and 0.18 bits/s/HZ, respectively. The efficiency of the antenna is higher than 90%, and it can be used for WiFi communication band (5.8 GHz and 6 GHz).

Conventional phenotyping breeding approaches for vegetable crops like Solanaceae, Bulb, Root crops, have made a significant contribution by developing many varieties. Despite this, conventional phenotyping approaches are not sufficient due to the longer time taken to develop a variety, low genetic gain, environmental factors and some other externalities that affect the phenotype-based selection. To address the challenges of conventional phenotype, a new recent method of high throughput phenotyping (HTP) is considered a promising tool. The development of high-throughput phenotyping technology began in the preceding decade as advancements in sensor, computer vision, automation, and advanced machine learning technologies. HTP platforms are being utilized to undertake non-destructive assessments of the complete plant system in a range of crops. HTP provides the precise measurements and suggests the collection of high-quality and accurate data which is necessary for standardizing phenotyping for the collection of genetic dissection and genomic assisted breeding such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), linkage mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS). The remainder of this chapter discusses how high-throughput phenotyping technologies can be used in genomic-assisted breeding for vegetable crops

In the process of deflagration of energetic materials, strong electromagnetic radiation is to be generated, which causes the surrounding electronic equipment to fail to work normally. To solve this problem, it is necessary to clarify the mechanism of electromagnetic radiation generated by energetic materials. The mechanism of plasma changed by the deflagration of energetic materials is an important topic in the aerospace and geophysics fields. The academic community holds two main viewpoints on the mechanism of electromagnetic radiation generated by energetic materials: one is that the solid material is squeezed and deformed during the deflagration of energetic materials, and the charges of different polarities rub in space to form effective electric dipoles, which eventually generate electromagnetic radiation. Another view is that the deflagration of energetic materials causes the temperature of the medium to rise sharply, and bremsstrahlung is formed during the compression and diffusion of the high-temperature wave front, resulting in the generation of electromagnetic radiation. This paper, based on theoretical analysis and experimental data, holds the view that electromagnetic radiation is generated by the high-temperature thermal effect. It studies the relationship between temperature and electromagnetic radiation and obtains quantitative analysis conclusions.

The giant challenge breeding flood-irrigated rice is to identify superior genotypes that present high-yielding with specific grain qualities, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, excellent adaptation to the target environment. Thus, the objectives of this study were to propose a bayesian multi-trait model, estimate genetic parameters, and select flood-irrigated rice genotypes with better genetic potentials in different evaluation environments. For this, twenty-five rice genotypes belonging to the flood-irrigated rice improvement program were evaluated. The grain yields, grain length, width and thickness, grain length, and grain width and weight of 100 grains in the agricultural year 2016/2017. The experimental design used in all experiments was a randomized block design with three replications. The Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm estimated genetic parameters and genetic values. The grain thickness trait was considered highly heritable, with a credibility interval ranging from: h^2: 0.9480; 0.9440; 0.8610, in environments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The grain yields showed a low correlation estimate between grain thickness and 100-grain weight, in all environments, with a credibility interval ranging from (ρ= 0.5477; 0.5762; 0.5618 and 0.5973; 0.5247; 0.5632, grain thickness and 100-grain weight, in environments 1, 2, and 3, respectively). The Bayesian multi-trait model proved to be an adequate strategy for the genetic improvement of flood-irrigated. Genotypes 2 and 15 had similar potential in the three environments, they should be selected as high-performance multi-trait genotypes for the genetic breeding of flood-irrigated rice in the program.

A supernova close enough to the Earth is a spectacular event: it can appear as a \new star" as luminous as Venus, or even more, visible for several days. The rate of Galactic supernovae is expected to be of about one in 30 years, with a fraction visible at naked eye; however in all the history of human civilization only seven supernovae in the Milky Way have been reported, the last two (1572 and 1604) during Galilei's life. The supernova of 1604, today called Kepler's Supernova, was observed by Galilei, Kepler and other astronomers in Europe, Korea, and China. Like the supernova SN1572, today called Tycho's supernova, it has been the subject of extensive studies, and inspired observational measurements and philosophical considerations on the nature of the heavens. The remnant of SN1604 has been indicated by recent X- and gamma-ray data to be a likely site of cosmic ray acceleration. The first recorded data of optical observations, together with new data, can still tell us a lot about the early evolution of this supernova.

Major progress in the field of regenerative medicine are expected from the design of artificial scaffolds that mimic both the structural and functional properties of the ECM. The bionanocomposites approach is particularly well fitted to meet this challenge as it can combine ECM-based matrices and colloidal carriers of biological cues that regulate cell behavior. Here we have prepared bionanocomposites under high magnetic field from Tilapia fish scale collagen and multifunctional silica nanoparticles (SiNPs). We show that scaffolding cues (collagen), multiple display of signaling peptides (SiNPs) and control over the global structuration (magnetic field) can be combined into a unique bionanocomposite for the engineering of biomaterials with improved cell performances.