This review article provides useful information on TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts and their derivatives in removing organic contaminants such as different types of dyes, hydrocarbons, pesticides, etc. Also, the reaction mechanism of TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts and their derivatives was investigated. In addition, the impact of adding metallic (e.g., Ag, Co, Pt, Pd, Cu, Au, Ni) and non-metallic (e.g., C, N, O, S) dopants to their structure on the photodegradation efficiency of organic compounds was thoroughly studied. Moreover, advantages and disadvantages of various synthesis procedures of ZnO and TiO2 nanocatalysts were discussed and compared. Furthermore, the impact of photocatalyst dosage, photocatalyst structure, contaminant concentration, pH, light intensity and wavelength, temperature and reaction time on the photodegradation efficiency was studied. According to previous studies, adding metallic and non-metallic dopants to the TiO2 and ZnO structure led to a remarkable enhance in their stability and reusability. Besides, doped TiO2 and ZnO demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic efficiencies in eliminating various types of organic contaminants.

Wicked problems, such as climate change, systemic poverty, and healthcare inequalities, rep- resent the most pressing and intractable challenges facing society today. We propose a novel approach that leverages complex systems theory as a comprehensive framework for understanding and tackling these challenges. By applying concepts such as state space analysis, attractors, and nonlinear dynamics, we offer a sophisticated toolkit for mapping the intricate web of interactions defining wicked problems and exploring potential interventions. Our approach moves beyond tradi- tional reductionist methods, embracing the inherent complexity and dynamism of these issues. We demonstrate how this framework can lead to more nuanced, adaptive, and effective strategies for addressing persistent societal problems. Despite the prevalence of wicked problems and the avail- ability of complex systems theory, practical applications of this approach remain uncommon. This paper aims to bridge this gap, illustrating the potential of complex systems theory to transform our engagement with intractable problems and pave the way for more robust, holistic solutions. By synthesizing insights from mathematics, physics, and social sciences, we present a transdisci- plinary approach that promises to revolutionize how we conceptualize and address society’s most challenging issues.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) presents an enormous global healthcare challenge, especially among rural communities due to limited access. To overcome this, many low- and middle-income countries are resorting to task shifting, using community health workers (CHWs) for diabetes management. However, its successful implementation depends on the practice behaviours and knowledge of these workers. This cross-sectional study from rural South India aimed to evaluate the proficiency of 275 CHWs in diabetes screening and management. A customized questionnaire, developed through experts and government was used to evaluate the practice behaviours and knowledge. Analytical methodologies consisted of descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and mosaic plots for comprehensive data interpretation. Results showed significant deficiencies of mean correct practice behaviours at 48 and 50% respectively. The identified gaps included diabetes diagnosis, HbA1c testing, diet, self-management, complications screening and risk assessment. In several areas, correct practice behaviour was reported by a relatively large number of CHWs despite incorrect answers to the related knowledge questions such as referral to the health centres, self-management and calculation of diabetes risk assessment. Addressing these deficiencies requires a thorough needs assessment and tailored training for improved diabetes management by CHWs. Training of CHWs, should not only identify prior knowledge and/or behaviour but also their interrelationship to help create a robust and flexible set of practice behaviours.

Background: Early postoperative airway management after laryngo-tracheal surgery is crucial. Acute respiratory failure due to glottis’ oedema may occur, requiring reintubation. This can prolong ventilatory assistance, jeopardizing the anastomosis. To date, only judicious steroid administration and fluid management are available to avoid more invasive procedures. High-Flow-Oxygen-Therapy(HFOT) is a noninvasive O2 support method providing humidification, warmed air, Positive-End-Expiratory-Pressure(AIRVO2). No data exist about HFOT use to prevent early complications after laryngo-tracheal surgery. Methods: Between Sept.2020-Sept.2022, 107 consecutive patients underwent laryngo-tracheal surgery received HFOT(Group A). Data and long-term results were compared with those of 80 patients operated between Sept.2018-Aug.2020(Group B), when HFOT was not available. All patients were operated in a single center. No pre- or post-operative settings changed, except for HFOT introduction. We analyzed and compared the risk for “delayed” reintubation (unexpected reintubation within the first 24-48 hours after extubating/laryngeal mask removal) in the two groups. Results: No patients reported HFOT-related adverse events. Control group(B) presented “delayed” reintubation in 37% (p= 0.027), Intensive Care Unit admission in 67%(p=0.005) and longer hospital stay(p=0.001) compared to HFOT group(A). Minor complications rate was 3% in both group and overall mortality was 0%. Re-stenosis was described in 4.6% of HFOT group, without a statistically significant difference (p=0.7006). Conclusions: Our study is the first to investigate HFOT use in patients undergoing laryngo-tracheal surgery, potentially representing a consistent innovation in the peri-operative management of these patients. With the limit of a retrospective series, we would suggest HFOT use for preventing post-operative reintubation rate, possibly reducing ICU admission and hospital stay.

Acute myeloid leukemias are characterized by genetic alterations that lead to a complete or partial block at various stages of myeloid differentiation, leading to continual proliferation of myeloid progenitor cells. These alterations can include a well-documented chromosomal translocation that leads to the synthesis of the PML-retinoic acid receptor fusion protein that leads to a block in differentiation and the ability to induce differentiation with all-trans retinoic acid and other small molecules. In essence, in large part, the disease is due to stem cell-like cells that are blocked in their ability to undergo terminal differentiation to more mature, non-proliferative cell types. We discovered a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), lncRNAp53int1, encoded from the first intron of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Interestingly, lncRNAp53int1 appears to play an important regulatory role in maintaining the undifferentiated and proliferative state in a manner independent from p53 gene expression. lncRNAp53int1 is expressed at high levels in proliferating, undifferentiated promyelocytes and its levels fall significantly during their terminal differentiation to non-proliferating granulocytes or macrophages. Furthermore, forced overexpression of lncRNAp53int1 blocks terminal differentiation. The observation that the expression of this lncRNA is repressed during terminal differentiation of human leukemic cells and its expression blocks differentiation of leukemic myeloid progenitor cells, is likely to have clinical implications with regards to differentiation therapy for myeloid leukemia. Ongoing research aims to identify the molecular partners that it associates with and the signaling pathways that this lncRNA participates in with the long-term goal of identifying molecules that inhibit lncRNAp53int1 activity and serve as potential therapeutic drugs. The goal of this mini-review is to disseminate these novel and interesting findings to readers and to describe where we think this research is headed and the impact it can have on myeloid leukemias.

The uneven immunogenicity of the attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine has created the diffi-culty to achieve a balanced protection against all four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV). To overcome this problem, non-replicative-based vaccines have come into focus as their immuno-genicity is adjustable. This approach is excellent for multivalent vaccines but commonly faces the issue of low immunogenicity. In this present study, we developed a non-replicating dengue vaccine composing of UV-inactivated dengue-2 virus (UV-DENV2) and DENV-2 NS1-279 protein encapsidated within nanoparticles. This vaccine candidate was administered in the presence of BCG cell wall cytoskeleton (BCG-CWS) as an adjuvant. We revealed, here, that encapsidated immunogens with BCG-CWS exerted potent activities on both B and T cells and elicited Th-1/Th-2 responses in mice. This was evidenced by strong neutralizing antibody activity with an unde-tectable antibody enhancing activity in a group of mice receiving encapsidated immunogens with BCG-CWS. Importantly, BCG-CWS significantly augmented antibody-mediated comple-ment-fixing activity, strongly stimulated the antigen-specific polyfunctional T cell responses as well as activated mixed Th-1/Th-2 responses specific to DENV2- and NS1-279 antigens. In conclu-sion, BCG-CWS potently adjuvanted the inactivated DENV-2 and subunit DENV immunogens. The mechanism of adjuvanticity remains unclear. This study revealed the potential use of BCG-CWS in vaccine development.

The worldwide prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prediabetes is rapidly increasing, particularly in children, adolescents, and young adults. Oxidative stress (OxS) has emerged as a likely initiating factor in T2D. The role of natural antioxidant products in combating T2D is best evaluated in the context of the complex physiological processes that modulate T2D-OxS such as glycemic control and exercise. The role of natural antioxidant compounds such as vitamin E in T2D must likewise be considered beyond their roles as inhibitors of OxS. In addition to antioxidant properties, vitamin E vitamers (tocopherols and tocotrienols) also exhibit distinct abilities to regulate cellular signal transduction pathways important to T2D progression. Most research on the role of vitamin E in T2D or prediabetes has been limited to tocopherols (Ts) but emerging trials with tocotrienols (T3s) show promise. Minimizing factors that induce chronic damaging OxS and maximizing natural antioxidant protective factors may provide a means of preventing or slowing T2D progression. This “optimal redox” (OptRedox) approach also provides a framework in which to discuss the potential benefits of natural antioxidant factors such as antioxidant products. Since early, effective intervention is critical, the OptRedox strategy would be optimally effective if implemented in the pediatric population.

We report on an immunofluorescent paper-based assay for the detection of severe acute respiratory symptom coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) humanized antibody. The paper-based device was fabricated by using lamination technique for easy and optimized handling. Our approach utilises a two-step strategy that involves (i) initial coating of the paper-electrode with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen to capture the target SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies, and (ii) subsequent detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using fluorophore-conjugated IgG antibody. The fluorescence readout was observed with fluorescence microscopy. The images were processed and quantified using a MATLAB program. The assay can selectively detect SARS-CoV-2 humanized antibodies spiked in PBS and healthy human serum samples with the relative standard deviation of approximately 6.4% (for n = 3). It has broad dynamic ranges (1 ng to 50 ng/µL in PBS and 5 to 100 ng/µL in human serum samples) for SARS-CoV-2 humanized antibodies with the detection limits of 2 ng/µL (0.025 IU/mL) and 10 ng/µL (0.125 IU/mL) in PBS and human serum samples, respectively. We believe that our assay has the potential to be used as a simple, rapid, and inexpensive paper-based diagnostic device with a portable fluorescent reader to provide point-of-care diagnosis. This assay can be used for rapid examination of a large batch of samples toward clinical screening of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies as a confirmed infected active case or to evaluate the immune response to a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

The current SARS- CoV-2 pandemic underscores the importance of understanding the evolution of RNA genomes. While RNA is subject to the formation of similar lesions as DNA, the evolutionary and physiological impacts RNA lesions have on viral genomes are yet to be characterized. Lesions that may drive the evolution of RNA genomes can induce breaks that are repaired by recombination or can cause base substitution mutagenesis, also known as base editing. Over the past decade or so, base editing mutagenesis of DNA genomes has been subject to many studies, revealing that exposure of ssDNA is subject to hypermutation that is involved in the etiology of cancer. However, base editing of RNA genomes has not been studied to the same extent. Recently hypermutation of single-stranded RNA viral genomes have also been documented though its role in evolution and population dynamics. Here, we will summarize the current knowledge of key mechanisms and causes of RNA genome instability covering areas from the RNA world theory to the SARS- CoV-2 pandemic of today. We will also highlight the key questions that remain as it pertains to RNA genome instability, mutations accumulation, and experimental strategies for addressing these questions.

A recent study from our lab revealed that inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 exclusively reduces the level of PGE2 amongst the prostanoids and hamper the normal development of several structures, strikingly the cranial vault, in chick embryos. In order to unearth the mechanism behind the deviant development of cranial features, the expression pattern of various factors that are known to influence the cranial neural crest cell (CNCC) migration were checked in chick embryo after inhibiting the COX-2 activity using etoricoxib. The compromised level of cell adhesion molecules and their upstream regulators, namely CDH1, CDH2, MSX1, and TGF-β, observed in the etoricoxib treated embryos indicate that COX-2, through its downstream effector PGE2, regulates the expression of these factors perhaps to aid the migration of CNCC. The histological features and levels of FoxD3 as well as PCNA further consolidates the role of COX-2 in migration and survival of CNCC in developing embryo. The results of the current study indicate that the COX-2 plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the proliferation and migration of CNCC during embryonic development of chick.

Abstract: SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infection is associated, alongside with lung infection and respiratory disease, to cardiovascular dysfunction that occurs at any stage of the disease. This includes ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathies. The common pathophysiological link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cardiovascular events is represented by coagulation abnormalities and disruption of factors released by endothelial cells which contribute in maintaining the blood vessels into an anti-thrombotic state. Thus, early alteration of the functionality of endothelial cells, which may be found soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection, seems to represent the major target of SARS CoV-2 disease state and accounts for the systemic vascular dysfunction that leads to detrimental effect in terms of hospitalization and death accompanying the disease. In particular, the molecular interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with ACE2 receptor located in endothelial cell surface, either at the pulmonary and systemic level, leads to early impairment of endothelial function which, in turn, is followed by vascular inflammation and thrombosis of peripheral blood vessels. This highlights systemic hypoxia and further aggravates the vicious circle that compromises the development of the disease leading to irreversible tissue damage and death of patients with SARS CoV-2 infection. The review aims to assess some recent advances to define the crucial role of endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of vascular complications accompanying SARS-CoV-2 infection. In particular, the molecular mechanisms associated to the interaction of SARS CoV-2 with ACE2 receptor located on the endothelial cells are highlighted to support its role in compromising endothelial cell functionality. Finally, the consequences of endothelial dysfunction in enhancing pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are assessed in order to identify early therapeutic interventions able to reduce the impact of the disease in high-risk patients.

The worldwide outbreak of a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 has caused a pandemic of respiratory disease. Due to this emergency, researchers around the globe have been investigating the evolution of the genome of SARS-CoV-2 in order to design vaccines. Here I examined the evolution of GC content of SARS-CoV-2 by comparing the genomes of the members of the group Betacoronavirus. The results of this investigation revealed a highly significant positive correlation between the GC contents of betacoronaviruses and their divergence from SARS-CoV-2. The betacoronaviruses that are distantly related to SARS-CoV-2 have much higher GC contents than the latter. Conversely, the closely related ones have low GC contents, which are only slightly higher than that of SARS-CoV-2. This suggests a systematic reduction in the GC content in the SARS-CoV-2 lineage over time. The declining trend in this lineage predicts a much-reduced GC content in the coronaviruses that will descend/evolve from SARS-CoV-2 in the future. Due to the three consecutive outbreaks (MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) caused by the members of the SARS-CoV-2, the scientific community is emphasizing the need for universal vaccines that are effective across many strains including those, that will inevitably emerge in the near future. The reduction in GC contents implies an increase in the rate of GC→AT mutations than that the mutational changes in the reverse direction. Therefore, understanding the evolution of base composition and mutational patterns of SARS-CoV-2 could be useful in designing broad-spectrum vaccines that could identify and neutralize the present and future strains of this virus.

This study examines whether gas is emitted from the materials used in the fabrication of metal vacuum panels or not and if emitted, their degree as time goes by. As experimental materials, metal sheets, foamed concrete as a core material, and polymer materials as a sealing material between metal sheets were selected. Experiments on the type and the degree of bending of metal materials showed that aluminum’s vacuum reaching time of 0.001 torr was at least 40 sec to 90 sec in its flat plate, but its vacuum reaching time increased from 3 times to 4.5 times in case of 90 ° and 135 ° bending state. For this reason, it is judged that stainless steel or steel material is suitable because aluminum is inadequate in terms of processability at the time of fabricating the metal vacuum panel. Also, vacuum arrival times and weight changes with increasing foam content of inorganic foamed concrete increased from 22,000 sec to 42,000 sec with increasing foaming rate and also, the weight change increased from 1.7% to 8%. Also, the experimental results on the type of honeycomb materials, the PE (polyethylene) with a vacuum reaching time of 30,000 sec and with a weight change of 0.5% and the PTFE (Poly-tetrafluoro ethylene) with a vacuum reaching time of 29,000 sec and with a weight change of 2.2% showed the optimum value.

Lake ice thickness (LIT) is a sensitive indicator of climate change identified as a thematic variable of Lakes as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). Here, we present a novel and efficient analytically based retracking approach for estimating LIT from high-resolution Ku-band (13.6 GHz) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) altimetry data. The retracker method is based on the analytical modeling of the SAR radar echoes over ice-covered lakes that show a characteristic double-peak feature attributed to the reflection of the Ku-band radar waves at the snow-ice and ice-water interfaces. The method is applied to Sentinel-6 Unfocused SAR (UFSAR) and Fully Focused SAR (FFSAR) data, with their corresponding tailored waveform model, referred to as the SAR_LITand FFSAR_LITretracker, respectively. LIT retrievals from Sentinel-6 SAR data at different posting rates are evaluated against those obtained from thermodynamic lake ice model simulations and Low Resolution Mode (LRM) Sentinel-6 and Jason-3 data over two ice seasons during the tandem phase of the two satellites, allowing precise assessment of the continuity between LRM and SAR LIT retrievals. Consistency checks of the Sentinel-6 SAR LIT estimates are also performed using optical/radar images that provide information on the snow/ice conditions on the same dates. The analysis is performed on Great Slave Lake and Baker Lake (Canada) that differ in terms of lake size, bathymetry, snow/ice properties, and seasonal evolution of LIT. The accuracy of the LIT estimates with the SAR LIT retrackers is on the order of 5 cm once the ice is well established on the lakes, meeting the GCOS requirements of LIT measurement uncertainty, which is a factor of 2 to 3 times better than that of LIT obtained with LRM data, bringing a further improvement compared to previous analyses and methods. The SAR LIT retrackers presented are promising tools for monitoring the inter-annual variability and trends in LIT from current and future SAR altimetry missions.

RM (red mud) was acidified with sulphuric acid and the acidified ARM (acidified red mud) was utilized as an innovative adsorption material for treating antibiotic-contained wastewater. The adsorption conditions, kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and mechanism of ARM for CIP (ciprofloxacin) were investigated. Characterization of the ARM involved techniques such as scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscope(TEM), brunauer- emmett-teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and NH3-TPD analysis. Adsorption studies were conducted employing response surface methodology (RSM) for experimental design. The results showed that ARM can absorb CIP effectively. The RSM optimal experiment indicated that the most significant model terms influencing adsorption capacity were solution pH, CIP initial concentration and ARM dosage, under which the predicted maximum adsorption capacity achieved 7.30 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics adhered to a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data fitted the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm, yielding maximum capacity values of 7.35 mg/g. The adsorption process occurred non-spontaneously and absorbed heat, evidenced by ΔG0 values between 2.06 and 0.87 kJ/mol, ΔS0 at 39.41 J/mol/K, and ΔH0 at 13.8 kJ/mol. Analysis using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) indicated there existed complex reaction between Al-O in ARM and the ester group –COO in CIP. The C=O bond in CIP was likely to undergo a slight electrostatic interaction or be bound to the internal spherical surface of ARM. The findings indicate that ARM is a promising and efficient adsorbent for CIP removal from wastewater.

The Midwestern region of the United States has been experiencing periodic forage shortages due to frequent droughts, a growing livestock population, and reliance on traditional farming practices. This study evaluated the dry matter yield (DMY), forage nutritive value, water use efficiency (WUE), and economic viability of forage soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in a no-till winter wheat-based rainfed cropping system in the Midwest, USA. The research aimed to identify alternative summer forage crops that are drought-resilient, require lower inputs, mitigate seasonal gaps, and provide higher DMY and forage nutritive value compared to traditional forages. A four-year field experiment in a randomized complete block design with four replications assessed these parameters at various growth stages and planting dates. Results showed that forage soybean had a high DMY (~13 Mg ha-1), especially when optimally planted and harvested at the R3 stage. Forage nutritive value, including crude protein (CP), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), and relative feed value (RFV), was highest at early vegetative stages (V2-V3), meeting livestock nutritional requirements. Forage soybean also demonstrated good WUE (21 kg ha-1 mm-1), making it suitable for water-limited regions. Economic analysis indicated substantial net profits ($322 per hectare), confirming its economic viability. The study concludes that forage soybean is a promising summer forage option for Midwest growers, offering high-quality forage, efficient water use, and economic benefits. Further research, particularly animal feeding trials, is recommended to validate its potential for widespread adoption in cropping systems.

The energy transition is a challenge that affects all sectors, from transport to civil structures and industry. In the industrial sector, the greatest need is the decarbonisation of energy-intensive in-dustries, such as producers of iron and steel, aluminum, cement, petrochemicals, paper, and more. The steel industry, in particular, is a hard-to-abate high-emissivity industry that, due to chemical processes and high thermal demands (often above 500 °C), contributed to 7.4% of global CO2 emissions in 2021. This paper explores the potential applications of hydrogen in these hard-to-abate sectors, highlighting its versatility and significance in decarbonization efforts, especially as a me-dium to facilitate the transition to green electric energy uses. It provides an overview of hydrogen production methods, emphasizing the importance of sustainable and green hydrogen production. It reviews hydrogen production methods, storage, and potential in blended combustion. In the final part of the article, some considerations are introduced on the possible role of hydrogen in the steel sector (both as a supplementary fuel and as a reducing agent in innovative processes), showing that while there is potential for its inclusion as an element for decarbonization, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the energy balances of the various processes and the methods of hydrogen production, in order to avoid achieving only marginal effects.

The company strategic procurement function makes a significant contribution to overall corporate success, and yet remains under-researched in terms of digitalisation and digital maturity. This research adopts an inductive case study approach, using qualitative data from in-depth inter-views with industry practitioners, to develop and apply a digital maturity model for the deployment of strategic procurement analytics. The research presents a snapshot of the digital maturity of the strategic procurement function of a global aircraft manufacturer, and finds that current exploitation of analytics remains constrained by a range of factors, including the need for close compliance with regulatory norms. Thematic analysis of the interview material provides the basis for the development of the maturity model, which - although geared to a specific industry context - is nevertheless of relevance in other business environments. The research thus con-tributes to the existing literature in this field, and will also be of interest to procurement professionals. However, the research clearly has its limitations, not least in that it is based on just one industry case, and cross-industry generalisations from the findings must therefore be treated with caution.

Accurate segmentation of the Left Ventricle (LV) in Echocardiogram (Echo) images is essential for cardiovascular analysis. Conventional techniques are labor-intensive and exhibit inter-observer variability. Deep learning has emerged as a powerful tool for automated medical image segmentation, offering advantages in speed and potentially superior accuracy. This study explores the efficacy of employing the YOLO (You Only Look Once) segmentation model for automated LV segmentation in Echo images. YOLO, a cutting-edge object detection model, achieves exceptional speed-accuracy balance through its well-designed architecture. It utilizes efficient dilated convolutional layers and bottleneck blocks for feature extraction, while incorporating innovations like path aggregation and spatial attention mechanisms. These attributes make YOLO a compelling candidate for adaptation to LV segmentation in Echo images. We posit that by fine-tuning a pre-trained YOLO based model on a well-annotated Echo image dataset, we can leverage the model's strengths in real-time processing and precise object localization to achieve robust LV segmentation. The proposed approach entails fine-tuning a pre-trained YOLO model on a rigorously labeled Echo image dataset. Model performance has been evaluated using established metrics such as mean Average Precision (mAP) at an Intersection over Union (IoU) threshold of 50% (mAP50) with 98.31%and across a range of IoU thresholds from 50% to 95% (mAP50:95) with 75.27%. Successful implementation of YOLO for LV segmentation has the potential to significantly expedite and standardize Echo image analysis. This advancement could translate to improved clinical decision-making and enhanced patient care.

Zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) open new opportunities for biomedical applications as a strategy against microbes and dye removal in an efficient way. The composite ZnNPs using Rhododendron arboreum (R. arboreum) stem bark were synthesized and characterized for UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The synthesized nanoparticles showed zones of inhibition of 23±0.09, 18±0.1 and 16±0.05 mm, against the Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and E. coli were found to be 34±0.21 and 72.71±0.47, 47±0.11 and 94.86±0.84 and 94±0.18 and 185.43±0.16 µg/mL, respectively. The biosynthesized ZnNPs resulted in significant eradication of the outer and inner membranes of the bacterial cells. Likewise, the synthesized ZnNPs showed time-dependent photocatalytic degradation activity and revealed 65% methyl orange dye degradation with an irradiation period of 6 hours. The findings of this study suggest the suitability of the novel R. arboreum stem bark-based ZnNPs as an effective ameliorant against bactericidal activities and photocatalysts for the removal of hazardous water contaminants.

This study aims to unravel the paradox of perceptions and knowledge of the flood victims towards the causes of the disaster in both internal and external context. Internal context comprises of a comparison of perceptions and knowledge based on individual characteristics (age, gender, education and income). Whereas, the external context includes the factors of the awareness of the victims towards the amount of rainfall, the impact of land use changes as well as the negligence of the responsible parties. The main objective of this study is to determine the differences of perception and knowledge of December 2014 flood victims in Kelantan towards the factors that lead to the flood. This disaster had resulted in huge amount of money loss as well as traumatize the victims in which can be felt to this day. Since that incident, there were various points of view and different perceptions in finding the cause of the disaster occurred. Besides that, the study found that the level of perception and knowledge as to the cause of the disaster is different in the internal context (individual characteristics). This difference has a significant influence on the awareness of the causes of the floods that occurred in the external context. Significant relationships at the level of p <0.05 has existed between perception and knowledge of the causes of the disaster victims affected by environmental changes in the last 10 years. This indicates that although the victim is aware of the physical environment changes happening around them, but all that is seen as not a major contributing factor to the cause of the floods in Kelantan in 2014.

In recent decades the Mediterranean area observed an increase in large fires, despite the decrease in the number of fire ignitions, following a worldwide tendency. Climate change has been the main culprit for large burnt areas, and alterations of forest ecosystems, resulting in the increased recurrence of forest fires. In Portugal, the analogous trend resulted in the destruction of large rural, urban and industrial areas, where after the 2017 months of June and October catastrophic events, the government implemented the 2019 specific policies for preventing fire outbreaks and defending the forest against fires. This compulsory policy demanded that landowners and local governments alike needed to contact specific authorities requesting authorization for their intentions to clean properties in and around urban areas, roads, and forest limits. Despite policy and careful monitoring, ignitions still occur, and in many cases resulting from the implementation of such policies. The study analyses the before and after policy implementation, considering 6904 ignitions records from the period between 2014 and 2023 from the central area of Portugal, covering the transition area between the agricultural fields of the Tagus valley and the Monte-junto-Estrela Mountain range, the district of Santarém. The authorization to use fire in clearance practices is granted according to a set of weather conditions, temperature, wind intensity, and relative humidity, when analyzing fire ignitions with the average daily wind intensity at the site of the occurrence, we observed that more than half of wildfires occur on days with winds between 10 and 20 Km/h, whereas intensities greater than 30 Km/h only 1% of the total occurrences, and of these 22% occurred due to the use of fire in the burning of agricultural leftovers and cut and piled bushes. The circulation of the thermal depression in the Iberian Peninsula gives rise to increasing intensity throughout the day, reaching a maximum in the late afternoon, this factor combined with the misjudgment of safe conditions leads us to suggest stricter intervals and the need for awareness of daily variation in conditions.

A time-sequential working, spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic 3D display design consisting of a fast switchable RGB-color filter array is presented. The wavelength-selective filter barrier emits the light from a display over a larger active area than common autostereoscopic barrier displays. An optical modelling of wavelength-selective barriers has been used for instance to calculate the light ray distribution properties of that arrangement. To find well working display designs, automated searches by simulation and computational evaluation has been proceeded. Wavelength-selective filter barrier arrangements exhibit characteristics different from common barrier displays with similar barrier pitch and ascent. In particular, these constructions show strong angular luminance dependency under barrier inclination specified by correspondent slant angle. In time-sequential implementation it is important to avoid that quick eye or eyelid movement lead to visible color artifacts. In the millisecond regime tunable liquid crystal Fabry-Pérot color filters for the colors red, green and blue are presented. They consist of a sub-micrometer thick nematic layer sandwiched between dielectric mirrors and ITO-electrodes. These cells shall switch narrow-banding light of red, green or blue. An array for a glasses-free 3D display has to be equipped with several thousand switchable filter elements having different color apertures. The newly introduced design is usable as a multi user display as well as a single user system with user adaptive control.

This paper examines the interplay between media and the “social side of soils” whereby climate change action implicates individual and collective capacity to adapt, participate in groups or organizations, networks, and respond to challenges and opportunities across a system. The context examined here is Canadian agriculture, and soil health initiatives in the province of Ontario. Our review of relevant literature points to a knowledge gap on the role of the media in enabling climate action in the Canadian agricultural sector with a focus on soil management practices. This study conducted a media content analysis of 100 English-language news articles published between 2022 and 2024 and conducted 31 surveys with media professionals. Approximately one-quarter of the screened news articles contained any relevant coverage of soil health-related climate change mitigation issues. Journalist surveys identified the resource constraints on soil health media coverage with a wide range of traditional and Internet-based journalism on climate change issues, motivated particularly by crisis communication and one-off “parachute reporting”. Going forward, the engagement of key stakeholders of soil health in Canada such as farmers for media and communication about climate change mitigation needs attention. Key policy structures at the federal and provincial levels can help to make this happen.

Novel Ca3(BTC)2 metal-organic frameworks with different sizes and shapes constructed by Ca2+ and trimesic acid as metal center and ligands respectively were synthesized by a surfactant-assisted method. The relationship between the quantity of surfactant and the particle morphology of the product have been further studied. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope, powder X-ray diffraction and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results indicated that the size and shape of Ca3(BTC)2 could be regulated by changing the quantity of surfactant. Rod- and sheet-like Ca3(BTC)2 MOFs have been readily availabled. The removal kinetics of heavy metals of Pb(II) were also studied by rod-like Ca3(BTC)2. The results showed that as-synthesized Ca3(BTC)2 could effectively remove heavy metals of Pb(II) from the sewage.

As the incidence and prevalence of diabetes increases, intervention through dietary education is becoming more important for diabetes control. This systematic review aimed to confirm the ef-fect of dietary intervention education on diabetes control. The study subjects were type 2 diabet-ic patients, and the main outcome variable was glycosylated hemoglobin level (HbA1c). The target studies were randomized controlled trials. Thirty-six studies were included in the analysis, of which 33 were included in the meta-analysis. The effect size between the dietary education and general intervention, was -0.42 (n=5,639, MD=-0.42; 95% CI -0.53 to -0.31) and was signifi-cantly different (Z=7.73, P<.001). When subgroup analyses were performed following the appli-cation periods, intervention methods, and intervention contents, the mean differences in 4–6-month application, individual education, diet-exercise-psychosocial intervention were -0.51, (n=2,742, 95% CI -0.71 to -0.32), -0.63 (n=627, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.26), and -0.51 (n=3.244, 95% CI -0.71 to -0.32), respectively. Dietary education interventions provided for at least 3 months were highly effective in controlling blood sugar levels. Regarding the education method, individual-ized education was more effective, and for this, contact or non-contact education may be applied. Combining diet, exercise, and psychosocial intervention is more effective than diet education alone.

We analyzed the characteristics of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected children during lock-down period in Catalonia (Spain), and their transmission role within the households. Among 295 traced household contacts of 89 pediatric patients, children were classified as final index cases in only 3.4% of the traced homes.

With firm commitment to energy labelling, it is not a question of if but only of when the European Union will introduce an energy label for electric cars. To support such policy efforts, we conducted a scoping analysis of energy consumption and efficiency trade-offs for 342 electric car models sold in Europe. The results suggest that certified and real-world energy consumption average 19 ± 4 kWh/100 km and 21 ± 4 kWh/100 km, translating into drive ranges of 440 ± 120 km and 380 ± 110 km, respectively. Energy consumption is correlated with vehicle mass, frontal area, and battery capacity, but less so with rated power and vehicle price. Each 100 kg of vehicle mass and 0.1 m2 of frontal area tend to increase energy consumption by 0.20 ± 0.06 kWh/100 km and 0.72 ± 0.05 kWh/100 km. Raising battery capacity by 10 kWh increases vehicle mass by 145 kg, energy consumption by 0.6 kWh/100 km, and drive range by 45 km. Efficient vehicles are available at any price but drive range has a cost. Our findings point to considerable efficiency trade-offs that could be tapped by a dedicated energy label. We propose several options for categorizing vehicles on an efficiency scale from A to G, with and without additional utility parameters. Our analysis provides rationale for energy labelling of electric cars in Europe and could inspire similar analyses for other vehicle categories such as e-scooters, lightweight three- and four-wheelers, e-busses, e-trucks, and electric non-road machinery.

The key to the practical application of organometal–halide–crystals perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is to achieve thermal stability through robust encapsulation. This paper presents a method to significantly extend the thermal stability lifetime of perovskite solar cells to over 5,000 h at 85 °C by demonstrating an optimal combination of encapsulation methods and perovskite composition for carbon–based multiporous–layered–electrode (MPLE)–PSCs. We fabricated the four types of MPLE-PSCs using two encapsulation structures (over– and side–sealing with thermoplastic resin films) and two perovskite compositions ((5–AVA)x(methylammonium (MA))1–xPbI3 and (formamidinium (FA))0.9Cs0.1PbI3), and analyzed the 85 ºC thermal stability followed by ISOS–D–2 protocol. Without encapsulation, FA0.9Cs0.1PbI3 exhibited higher thermal stability than (5–AVA)x(MA)1–xPbI3. However, encapsulation reversed the phenomenon (that of (5–AVA)x(MA)1–xPbI3 became stronger). The combination of (5–AVA)x(MA)1–xPbI3 perovskite absorber and over–sealing encapsulation effectively suppressed the thermal degradation, resulting in the PCE value at 91.2% of the initial value after 5,072 h. On the other hand, another combination (side–sealing on (5–AVA)x(MA)1–xPbI3, over– and side–sealing on FA0.9Cs0.1PbI3) resulted in decreased stability. The FA–based perovskite was decomposed for these degradation mechanisms by the condensation reaction between FA and carbon. For side–sealing, the space between the cell and the encapsulant was estimated to contain approximately 1,260,000 times more H2O than in over–sealing, which catalyzed the degradation of the perovskite crystal. Our results demonstrate that MA–based PSCs, which are generally considered to be thermally sensitive, can significantly extend their thermal stability after the proper encapsulation. Therefore, we emphasize that finding the appropriate combination of encapsulation technique and perovskite composition is quite important to achieve further device stability.

Flexible manipulators have been widely used in industrial production. However, due to the poor rigidity of the flexible manipulator, it is easy to generate vibration. It will reduce the working accuracy and service life of the flexible manipulator. It is necessary to suppress the vibration during the operation of the flexible manipulator. Based on the energy method and Hamilton principle, the partial differential equations of the flexible manipulator are established. Secondly, an improved radial basis function (RBF) neural network is combined with the fuzzy backstepping method to identify and suppress the random vibration during the operation of the flexible manipulator, and the Lyapunov function and control law are designed. Finally, Simulink was used to build a simulation platform, three different external disturbances were set up, and the effect of vibration suppression was observed through the change curves of the final velocity error and displacement error. Compared with RBF neural network boundary control method and RBF neural network inversion method, the simulation results show that the effect of RBF neural network fuzzy inversion method is better than the previous two control methods, the system convergence is faster, and the equilibrium position error is smaller.

Objective: Diabetes disproportionately affects African Americans leading to higher morbidity and mortality. This study explores the experiences of African Americans adults who successfully self-manage their type 2 diabetes (called Peer Ambassadors) and provided phone-based peer support in a 6-month culturally tailored diabetes self-management program for African Americans guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills model. Design: A group discussion using a semi-structured discussion guide was conducted. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify the facilitators and barriers to completing the role of a Peer Ambassador, and to develop strategies for overcoming possible challenges in the future. Setting: Key informant discussions were conducted in a community location to gain insights into Ambassadors’ motivations and challenges in delivering peer support. Participants: Three Peer Ambassadors completed ethics training, peer mentor training and received a phone call guide before providing support to their peers. Results: There were four core themes related to Peer Ambassador experiences: (1) Motivation to be a Peer Ambassador, (2) Program elements that supported Peer Ambassador role, (3) Key elements of achieving engagement, and (4) Challenges related to being a Peer Ambassador. Conclusions: This study showed Peer Ambassadors in a culturally tailored peer-supported self-management program found fulfillment in sharing experiences and supporting peers. They highly valued educational group sessions for knowledge updates and sustaining their health-related goals, suggesting the potential benefits of recognizing milestones or providing advanced training for future program sustainability. Findings suggest the importance of recruiting motivated patients and providing effective facilitation for peer support roles, including addressing barriers such as time commitment and lack of socialization opportunities.

Core chlorophytes possess glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GPDs) with an unusual bidomain structure, consisting of a glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase (GPP) domain fused to canonical GPD domains. These plastid-localized enzymes have been implicated in stress responses, being required for the synthesis of glycerol under high salinity and triacylglycerols under nutrient deprivation. However, their regulation under varying environmental conditions is poorly understood. C. reinhardtii transgenic strains expressing constitutively bidomain GPD2 did not accumulate glycerol or triacylglycerols in the absence of any environmental stress. Although, the glycerol contents of both wild type and transgenic strains increased significantly upon exposure to high salinity. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of cytoplasmic protein synthesis, abolished this response in the wild type. In contrast, GPD2 transgenic strains were still capable of glycerol accumulation when cultured in medium containing cycloheximide and NaCl. Thus, pre-existing GPD2 protein appears to become activated for glycerol synthesis upon salt stress. Interestingly, staurosporine, a non-specific inhibitor of protein kinases, prevented this post-translational GPD2 protein activation. Structural modeling analyses suggested that substantial conformational rearrangements, possibly triggered by high salinity, may characterize an active GPD2 GPP domain. Understanding this mechanism(s) may provide insights into the rapid acclimation responses of microalgae to osmotic/salinity stress.

This study investigates the properties of solution processed hybrid pol-yimide, PI nanocomposites containing a variety of nanofillers, including polyaniline copolymer modified clay, PNEA, nanographene sheets, NGS, and carbon nanotube sheet, CNT-PVDF, respectively. Through a series of experiments, the flow behavior of poly(amic acid), PAA solution and PAA suspension containing polyaniline copolymer modified clay, PNEA was determined as a function of the shear rate, processing temperature and polymerization time. It is shown that the neat PAA solution exhibited a complex rheological behavior ranging from shear thickening to New-tonian behavior with increasing shear rate and testing temperature. The presence of modified clay in PAA solution significantly reduced the viscosity of PAA. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis show that polyimide-nanographene sheets, PI NGS nanocomposites processed at high spindle speed (100 rpm) had lower total heat of decomposition which is indicative of improved fire retardancy. The effect of processing temperature on the specific capacitance of polyimide-CNT-PVDF composites containing electrodeposited polypyrrole fillers was determined by using cyclic voltammetry, CV. It was shown that the hybrid composite working electrode material processed at 90˚C produced a remarkably higher overall stored charge when compared to the composite electrode material processed at 250˚C. Consequently, the specific capacitance ob-tained at a scan rate of 5 mV/s for the hybrid nanocomposite processed at 90°C was about 858 F/g after 1 cycle, which is about 6.3 times higher than the specific capacitance of 136 F/g produced by the hybrid nanocomposite processed at 250°C. These findings show that the properties of the hybrid nanocomposites are remarkably influenced by the processing conditions and highlights the need for process optimization.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of STP1, a combination of ibudilast and bumetanide, tailored for the treatment of a specific subgroup of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), namely ASD Phenotype 1 (ASD-Phen1). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group phase 1b study with two 14-day treatment phases (registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04644003). Nine ASD-Phen1 patients were administered STP1, while three received a placebo. We assessed safety and tolerability, along with electrophysiological markers, such as EEG, Auditory Habituation, and Auditory Chirp Synchronization, to better understand STP1's mechanism of action. Additionally, we used several clinical scales to measure treatment outcomes. The results showed that STP1 was safe and well-tolerated, with electrophysiological markers indicating a significant and dose-related reduction of gamma power in the whole brain and in brain areas associated with executive function and memory. Treatment with STP1 also increased alpha 2 power in frontal and occipital regions and improved habituation and neural synchronization to auditory chirps. Although numerical improvements were observed in several clinical scales, they did not reach statistical significance. Overall, this study suggests that STP1 is safe and well-tolerated in ASD-Phen1 patients and shows indirect target engagement in ASD brain regions of interest.

The emerging of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates globally. One of the most prominent characteristics of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is lymphopenia which is in contrast to other viral infections. This controversy might be explained by the evaluation of impaired innate and adaptive immune responses during the SARS-CoV-2 infection. During the innate immune response, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) hyperactivated due to virus entry and extensive DNA damage sequentially leading to NAD+ depletion, ATP depletion and finally cell death. In contrast to the immune response against viral infections, cytotoxic T lymphocytes decline sharply in SARS-CoV-2 infection which might be due to infiltration and trapping in the lower respiratory tract. In addition, there are more factors proposed to involve in lymphopenia in COVID-19 infection like the role of CD38 which functions as NADase and intensifies NAD depletion which in turn affects NAD+ dependent Sirtuin proteins, as the regulators of cell death and viability. Lung tissue sequestration following cytokine storm supposed to be another reason for lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients. Protein 7a as one of the virus-encoded proteins induces apoptosis in various organ-derived cell lines. These mechanisms proposed to induce lymphopenia, although there are still more studies needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms for lymphopenia in COVID-19 patients.

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) epitomizes the nexus of technological evolution and manufacturing process enhancements, underpinned by four critical pillars: Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Digital Twins (DT), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Cloud Computing (CC). Through the lens of the German Reference Architectural Model Industrie (RAMI) 4.0, these components are integral to fostering Smart Manufacturing (SM) practices. In conjunction, the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) facilitates seamless inter-company communication and enables adaptability to fluctuating market demands. This paper delves into the structural intricacies of AAS and SM within the RAMI 4.0 framework, unveiling three distinct implementation strategies. Furthermore, it meticulously scrutinizes challenges that hinder the full realization of I4.0 potential, such as interoperability, security concerns, and standardized communication protocols. By examining these models and identifying current barriers, the study illuminates pathways for future research, particularly in enhancing the integration of AAS and SM systems, ensuring robust security measures, and advocating for the development of universal standards. This exploration aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on I4.0, proposing avenues for advancing manufacturing technologies and operational frameworks in alignment with the principles of RAMI 4.0.

Laser-Powder Directed Energy Deposition (DED-LB/Powder) is an additive manufacturing process that is gaining popularity in the manufacturing industry due to its numerous advantages, particularly in repairing operations. However, its application is often limited to case studies due to some critical issues that need to be addressed, such as the degree of internal porosity. This paper investigates the effect of the most relevant process parameters of the DED-LB/Powder process on the level and distribution of porosity. Results indicate that, among the process parameters examined, porosity is less affected by travel speed and more influenced by powder mass flow rate and laser power. Additionally, a three-dimensional finite element transient model was introduced, which was able to predict the development and location of lack-of-fusion pores along the building direction.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) can potentially compromise both unassisted conception and success rates with assisted reproductive technology (ART). We aimed to evaluate the rates of HPV vaccination among women presenting for fertility care. This was a prospective study analyzing a self-reported intake form completed by all new patients presenting to a fertility clinic. The primary outcome was HPV vaccination status. Among the 523 new patients included in this study 172 (32.9%) were fully vaccinated, 237 (45.3%) were unvaccinated, and 95 (18.2%) patients didn’t respond. There was a significant age difference between fully vaccinated patients (33.1 years) compared to unvaccinated patients (37.4 years) p&lt;0.001 and a significant difference in gravidity between fully vaccinated patients (average 0.65) and unvaccinated patients (average 1.11) p=0.0005. No significant association was found between HPV vaccination status and history of abnormal Pap smears or relationship status (single vs. married). Less than half of patients presenting to our fertility center were vaccinated against HPV, despite being eligible to receive the vaccine. Younger patients with lower gravidity were more likely to be vaccinated against HPV than older patients with higher gravidity. Reproductive Endocrinologists have the opportunity to recommend HPV vaccination for eligible patients presenting for fertility care.

The rapid growth of the global wearable technologies market is projected to reach $61.30 billion by 2030 which reflects a shift towards personalised health monitoring embedded in everyday activities. This paper explores the potential of embroidered interdigitated transducer (IDT)-based sensors for non-invasive, continuous monitoring of human biomarkers, particularly glucose levels, in human sweat. The study employs innovative embroidery techniques to create flexible fabric-based sensors with gold-coated IDTs. Experimental results demonstrate the sensor’s capability to detect water droplets and glucose concentrations, showcasing promising applications for health monitoring. The embroidered IDT-based sensors offer a unique approach for seamless integration into clothing, paving the way for personalised, continuous health data capture.

The increasing demand for higher power in rocket launchers is driving the development of higher power nozzles, achieved essentially by increasing the expansion ratio. However, this can lead to flow separation and resulting unsteady, asymmetrical forces, called side loads, which can limit the life of both the nozzle itself and other engine components. If this problem can be overcome, engine performance can be significantly increased. Therefore, various separation control methods have been proposed, but none have been fully implemented to date due to the uncertainties associated with modeling and predicting the flow phenomena. A numerical study of high area ratio rocket engine is presented to analyze the aeroelastic performance of the structure under the condition of flow separation. The finite volume method, the 2nd order upwind scheme and the extended wall function are used to analyze the flow inside the rocket nozzle and the transition of the Free Shock Separation (FSS) to Restricted Shock Separation (RSS) separation pattern ) to be discussed in detail. Since the location of the flow separation point depends heavily on the flow.

Induction heating is a fast, reproducible, and efficient heating method used in various manufacturing processes. However, there is no established additive manufacturing (AM) process based on induction heating using wire as feedstock. This study investigates a novel approach to AM based on inductive heating, where a steel wire is melted and droplets are detached periodically using a two-winding induction coil. The process parameters and energy input into the droplets are characterized. The induction generator exhibits sluggish response to the excitation voltage, resulting in a lag in the coil current. The process is captured using a high-speed camera, revealing regular droplet formation and uniform size and shape when operated within an appropriate process window. Larger drops and increased spatter formation occur outside this window. The proposed method allows for the production of droplets with almost spherical shapes. Further analysis and characterization of droplet formation and energy input provide insights into process optimization and overall efficiency.

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate five glacierized river basins that are global in coverage and vary in climate. The river basins included the Narayani (Nepal), Vakhsh (Central Asia), Rhone (Switzerland), Mendoza (Central Andes, Argentina), and Central Dry Andes (Chile) with a total area of 85,000 km2. A modified SWAT snow algorithm was applied in order to consider spatial variation of associated snow melt /accumulation by elevation band across each subbasin. In the previous studies, melt rates varied as a function of elevation resulting from an air temperature gradient while the snow parameters were constant throughout the entire basin. A major improvement of the new snow algorithm is separating the glaciers from seasonal snow based on their characteristics. Two SWAT snow algorithms were evaluated in simulation of monthly runoff from glaciered watershed: 1) the snow parameters are lumped (i.e. constant throughout the entire basin) and 2) the snow parameters are spatially variable based on elevation band-subbasin (i.e. modified snow algorithm). Applying the distributed SWAT snow algorithm improved the model performance in simulation of monthly runoff with snow-glacial regime, so that mean RSR decreased to 0.49 from 0.55 and NSE increased to 0.75 from 0.69. Improvement of model performance was negligible in simulation of monthly runoff from the basins with monsoon runoff regime.

In this study, a basic study was performed to analyze the seasonal temperature status of a research room in the Global Environment Research Building where ceiling-embedded indoor units are installed to study the room temperature status of the building as well as to improve its thermal environment. In addition, a direction for improvement of the indoor thermal environment in the winter was proposed through a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation and was proven by an additional experiment. Through the results of this study, it appeared that if the ceiling-embedded indoor unit was installed in the small indoor space without considering the thermal vulnerability of its perimeter boundary, the air temperature of the upper part was greatly different from that of the bottom part in the winter. Hence, in this study, as a means to improve it, convectors were installed to minimize the effect of the external thermal environment and angle-controllable air flowing fans were installed to mitigate the stratification distribution. With such result, it was intended to present the essential data for improvement of the thermal environment as well as conservation of heating energy in the winter for buildings by reviewing the use of the ceiling-embedded indoor unit in the future.

The ever-increasing demand for seafood-containing diets, especially fish, primarily due to their superior nutritional value, has impacted the availability of wild stocks, necessitating the focus on other underutilised aquaculture species. In this study, the proximate and fatty acid (FA) composition of the indigenous black South African mussel (Choromytilus meridionalis) was investigated. The effects of the hot-smoking as preservation method on the proximate composition for mussels were assessed using the standard AOAC protocols; while gas chromatography-flame ionised detection (GC-FID) was used to determine the FA content. The moisture level in hot-smoked mussels significantly (P

The growing importance of edge and fog computing in the modern IT infrastructure is driven by the rise of decentralized applications. However, resource allocation within these frameworks is challenging due to varying device capabilities and dynamic network conditions. Conventional approaches often result in poor resource use and slowed advancements. This study presents a novel strategy for enhancing resource allocation in edge and fog computing by integrating machine learning with blockchain for reliable trust management. Our proposed framework, called CyberGuard, leverages blockchain’s inherent immutability and decentralization to establish a trustworthy and transparent network for monitoring and verifying edge and fog computing transactions. CyberGuard combines the Trust2Vec model with conventional machine learning models like SVM, KNN, and Random Forests, creating a robust mechanism for assessing trust and security risks. Through detailed optimization and case studies, CyberGuard demonstrates significant improvements in resource allocation efficiency and overall system performance in real-world scenarios. Our results highlight CyberGuard’s effectiveness, evidenced by a remarkable accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-Score of 98.18%, showcasing the transformative potential of our comprehensive approach in edge and fog computing environments.

Submerged aquatic vegetation, also referred to as submerged macrophytes, provides important habitats and serves as a significant ecological indicator for assessing the condition of water bodies and for gaining insights into the impacts of climate change. In this study, we introduce a novel approach for the extensive monitoring of submerged vegetation, validated against established monitoring techniques. Employing full waveform airborne laser scanning, frequently used for topographic mapping and forestry applications on dry land, we extend its application to the detection of underwater vegetation in Lake Constance. The primary focus of this research lies in the automatic classification of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) point clouds, distinguishing the three vegetation classes (i) Low Vegetation, (ii) High Vegetation, and (iii) Vegetation Canopy based on their height. The results reveal detailed three-dimensional representation of submerged vegetation, enabling the identification of vegetation structures and inference of vegetation types with reference to pre-existing knowledge. While the results within training areas demonstrate high precision and alignment with comparative data, the findings in test areas exhibit comprehensible deficiencies that are likely addressable through corrective measures in the future.

Walking of humanoid robots is dependent on precise tracking of the center of gravity and foot trajectories. Trajectory tracking is achieved by mobilizing the robot joints to produce the correct trajectory. Errors are being occurred because of assumptions on tracking the center of gravity and the foot trajectories. In this study, a numerical algorithm has been developed that produces an exact and single kinematic solution in which the center of gravity and foot trajectories can be tracked with the desired precision. The effectiveness of the algorithm was examined with a dynamic simulation and compared with the method given in the literature The main highlight of this study, using the presented algorithm, the robot can walk even if the position of its center of gravity is lower than its hips, resulting tracking error was smaller than reported in the literature.

The prevalence of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in South Africa is increasing annually, with the burden projected to escalate by 2030. Devastatingly, factors such as lifestyle changes, urbani- sation, and an aging population significantly contribute to a rising burden of Cardiovascular disease (CVDs), diabetes, and cancer which directly impact the mortality and morbidity rates seen in South Africa. Recognising this, the South African government has seen the need for emphasis on developing policies and interventions tar- geting physical inactivity to prevent and manage NCD, particularly cost-free and easy to administer training protocols. However, phys- ical inactivity remains a significant issue, leading to various health concerns in rural communities, including injuries and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Despite effort to promote physical ac- tivity, the prevalence of NCDs continues to rise, necessitating target- ed interventions to ensure equitable healthcare among South African citizens. On the Contrast, preservation and promotion of traditional games is vital as they offer indigenous populations accessible and culturally relevant means to maintain health and wellness. In this regard, it is important to recognize the importance of preserving and promoting traditional games as they potentially serve as a method for indigenous people to maintain their health and wellness in a way that is accessible and culturally relevant to them. These games have gained popularity in South Africa, with initiatives underway to show- case them globally fostering cultural exchange. Further, revitalizing and conserving these games can cultivate a culture of health and wellbeing in South Africa.

In this study, we define screening maps for Italy that classify sites based on their potential for triggering landslides. To this end, we analyze seismic hazard maps and hazard disaggregation results on a national scale considering four spectral periods (0.01s, 0.2s, 0.5s, and 1.0s) and three return periods (475, 975, and 2475 years). First, joint distributions of magnitude (M) and distance (R) from hazard disaggregation are analyzed by means of an innovative approach based on image processing techniques to find all modal scenarios contributing to the hazard. In order to obtain the M-R scenarios controlling the triggering of earthquake-induced landslides at any computation node, mean and modal M-R pairs are compared to empirical curves defining the M-R bounds associated with landslide triggering. Three types of landslides are considered (i.e., disrupted slides and falls, coherent slides, and lateral spreads and flows). As a result, screening maps for all of Italy showing the potential for triggering landslides based on the level of seismic hazard are obtained. The maps and the related data are freely accessible at the following web address: https://distav.unige.it/rsni/slideq.php.

Membrane-based sensors (MePSs) exhibit remarkable precision and sensitivity in detecting pressure changes. MePSs are commonly used to monitor catalytic reactions in solution, generating gas products crucial for signal amplification in bioassays. They also allow catalyst quantification by indirectly measuring the pressure generated by the gaseous products. This is particularly interesting to detect enzymes in biofluids associated with disease onset. To enhance the performance of a MePS, various structural factors influence membrane flexibility and response time, ultimately dictating the device's pressure sensitivity. In this study, we fabricated MePSs using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and investigated how structural modifications affect the Young's modulus (E) and residual stress (σ0) of the membranes. These modifications have a direct impact on the sensors' sensitivity to pressure variations, observed as a function of the volume of the chamber (Σ) or of the mechanical properties of the membrane itself (S). MePSs exhibiting the highest sensitivities were then employed to detect catalyst quantities inducing the dismutation of hydrogen peroxide, producing dioxygen as gaseous product. As a result, catalase enzyme was successfully detected using these optimized MePSs, achieving a remarkable sensitivity of (22.7 ± 1.2) µm/nM and a limit of detection (LoD) of 396 pM.

Objective: To employ Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to investigate dietary intake patterns among Sudanese children aged 0 to 2 years and to examine the association of these patterns with sociodemographic factors. Methods: This study leveraged the Sudan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014 data to uncover dietary intake patterns among 7,362 children using latent class analysis (LCA). We investigated class memberships concerning demographic and socioeconomic factors. The model's adequacy was determined using several fit indices, including BIC, AIC, entropy, CAIC, and SABIC, providing a holistic evaluation of the model's accuracy in capturing dietary behaviors. Results: Three latent classes were identified: Class 1 (55%) with an average nutrition composition, Class 2 (28%) with limited nutrition composition, and Class 3 (17%) with good nutrition composition. Significant associations were found between latent class membership and sociodemographic factors, particularly mother's education level and household wealth. The three-class solution provided the best balance between model fit and class distinction. Conclusions: The LCA revealed distinct dietary intake patterns and underscored the influence of sociodemographic factors on child nutrition. The findings suggest that targeted nutritional interventions should be developed according to the specific needs of different latent classes. The study also highlights the utility of LCA as a robust statistical and machine learning tool in public health research, capable of informing tailored interventions and policies for improving child nutrition. Implications: The study emphasizes the importance of maternal education and socio-economic status in shaping dietary behaviors of children in Sudan. It implies the need for policies that address educational disparities, food security, and economic development as part of comprehensive nutritional interventions.

This study aimed to produce single-chain recombinant eel follicle-stimulating hormone (rec-eel FSH) analogs with high activity in Chinese hamster ovary DG44 (CHO DG44) cells. We recently reported that an O-linked glycosylated carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP) of the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) β-subunit plays contributes on high activity and time-dependent secretion in mammalian cells. We constructed a mutant (FSH-M) in which a linker including the eCG β-subunit CTP region (amino acids 115 to149) was inserted between the β-subunit and α-subunit of wild-type single chain eel FSH (FSH-wt). Plasmids containing eel FSH-wt and eel FSH-M were transfected into CHO DG44 cells. Single cells expressing each protein were isolated from 10 and 7 clones, respectively. Secretion increased gradually during the cultivation period and peaked at 4,000–5,000 ng/mL on day 9. The molecular weight of eel FSH-wt was 34–40 kDa, while that of eel FSH-M increased substantially, with two bands at 39–46 kDa. Treatment with PNGase F to remove the N glycosylation sites decreased the molecular weight remarkably to approximately 8 kDa. The EC50 value and maximal responsiveness of eel FSH-M were approximately 1.23- and 1.06-fold higher than those of eel FSH-wt, indicating that the mutant showed slightly higher biological activity. Phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase (pERK1/2) activation exhibited a sharp peak at 5 min, followed by a rapid decline. These findings indicate that the new rec-eel FSH molecule with the eCG β-subunit CTP linker showed potent activity and could be produced in massive quantities using the stable CHO DG44 cell system.

The exponential growth of user-contributed data provides a comprehensive basis for assessing collective perceptions of landscape change. A variety of possible public data sources exist, such as geospatial data from social media or Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI). Key challenges with such ‘opportunistic’ data sampling are variability in platform popularity and bias due to changing user groups and contribution rules. In this study, we use five case studies to demonstrate how intra- and inter-dataset comparisons can help to assess the temporality of landscape scenic resources, such as identifying seasonal characteristics for a given area, or testing hypotheses about shifting popularity trends observed in the field. By focusing on the consistency and reproducibility of temporal patterns for selected scenic resources and comparisons across different dimensions of data, we aim to contribute to the development of systematic methods for disentangling the perceived impact of events and trends from other technological and social phenomena included in the data. The proposed techniques may help to draw attention to overlooked or underestimated patterns of landscape change, fill in missing data between periodic surveys, or corroborate and support field observations. Despite limitations, the results already provide a comprehensive basis for developing indicators with a high degree of timeliness for monitoring perceived landscape change over time.

Precipitation patterns are critical for understanding the hydrological and climatological dynamics of any region. Sicily, the largest island of the Mediterranean sea, with its diverse topography and climatic conditions, serves as an ideal case study for analyzing precipitation data to gain insights into regional water resources, agricultural productivity, and climate change impacts. This paper employs advanced statistical physics methods, particularly Tsallis q-statistics, to analyze sub-hourly precipitation data from 2002 to 2023, provided by the Sicilian Agrometeorological Informative System (SIAS). We investigate several critical variables related to rainfall events, including duration, depth, maximum record, and inter-event time. The study spans two decades (2002-2012 and 2013-2023), analyzing the distributions of relevant variables. Additionally, we examine the simple returns of these variables to identify significant temporal changes, fitting these returns with q-Gaussian distributions. Our findings reveal the scale-invariant nature of precipitation events, the presence of long-range interactions and memory effects, characteristic of complex environmental processes.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals call for the eradication of poverty, and China has proposed the Rural Revitalization Strategy based on the achievements of its poverty alleviation efforts in 2020. As a vital component of this strategy, the impact of land transfer on farmers' income growth has become a hot topic in both theoretical and practical sectors. This paper utilizes data from the CFPS database for the years 2010-2018 to construct OLS regression models and a Heckman two-stage model to analyze the effects of land transfers on the incomes of different types and sources among farmers. The empirical results show: First, land transfers do promote income growth among farmers, but the effect is primarily positive for those transferring out land, with negligible impact on those acquiring land. Second, the impact of land transfers varies between different types of income for transferees and transferors. Wage income contributes up to 88.26% to the income growth of transferors, a significantly higher rate than the decrease in business income; however, the increase in business income for transferees does not offset the decline in wage income, leading to no significant change in overall income. Further sensitivity analysis using the Heckman two-stage model confirms the robustness of these findings. The conclusions of this study provide theoretical and empirical evidence to optimize land transfer policies, enhance participation in land transfers, and ultimately achieve the mission of rural revitalization.

To circumvent the thermodynamic limitation of the synthesis of oxazolidinones starting from 2-aminoethanols and CO2 and realize incorporation CO2 under atmospheric pressure, a protic ionic liquid-facilitated three-component reaction of propargyl alcohols, CO2 and 2-aminoethanols was developed to produce 2-oxazolidinones along with equal amount of α-hydroxyl ketones. The ionic liquid structure, reaction temperature and reaction time were in detail investigated. And 15 mol% [TBDH][TFE] (1,5,7-triazabicylo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene trifluoroethanol) was found to be able to synergistically activate the substrate and CO2, thus catalyzing this cascade reaction under atmospheric CO2 pressure. By employing this task-specific ionic liquid as sustainable catalyst, 2-aminoethanols with different substituents were successfully transformed to 2-oxazolidinones with moderate to excellent yield after 12 h at 80 oC. This three-component reaction running under atmospheric pressure proves to be a clever detour to avoid the thermodynamic issue in the synthesis of 2-oxazolidinones starting from 2-aminoethanols and CO2.

This paper discusses how Marsascala, a coastal town in Malta, has been urbanized over the years, with particular attention to the development of the tourist industry. In this regard, Bruce Young’s (1983) “general model of the process of ‘touristization’ and landscape change” is engaged with in conjunction with other conceptualisations of tourism and urban development. This paper contributes to the following sustainable development goals respectively, 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing); 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities); 14 (Life Below Water); and 15 (Life on Land), in particular with respect to quality of life, urbanization and respective social, environmental, and economic impacts, and through respective recommendations for a sustainable tourism in Marsascala and similar localities.

A hallmark of eutherian pregnancy is its dependency on elevated progesterone levels for its entire length. This fact substantially affected the evolution of pregnancy and even the life history of eutherians. Progesterone synthesis by the ovarian corpus luteum, however, long predates all origins of vertebrate viviparity, which requires reconsidering the role of the corpus luteum and progesterone before and beyond placental mammals. Pregnancy originated repeatedly by co-opting the ancestral luteal phase of the ovarian cycle. Therefore, it represents a physiological equivalent and “serial homolog” of the nonpregnant luteal phase. Because of this relationship, we argue that understanding the origin and evolution of pregnancy can substantially benefit from examining the evolution and regulation of the corpus luteum during nonpregnancy. In the first part of this paper, we investigate what is known about the evolution of the corpus luteum and its changing regulation and function across vertebrates, covering both pregnant and nonpregnant cycles wherever possible. Studying pregnancy in the context of the nonpregnant cycle reveals the key evolutionary innovation that facilitated the characteristically long eutherian pregnancies: the regulatory decoupling of the pregnant and nonpregnant cycle, that is, the evolution of maternal recognition of pregnancy. Only after the two cycles became separately modifiable, could gestation length increase without deleteriously extending the time to the next fertile phase. In this review, we argue that, assuming selection for body size increase, the origin of MRP led to a punctuated increase of gestation length, which could imply that we overestimate pregnancy length in the eutherian ancestor when using conventional phylogenetic inference methods. Mechanistically, decoupling between cycles means that the progesterone-dominated phase in pregnancy is extended beyond that of nonpregnancy. In eutherians, this is achieved by extending the lifespan of progesterone-producing corpus luteum, providing additional corpora lutea, extraovarian sources of progesterone, or a combination of these. Alternatively, it can also be accomplished by shortening the nonpregnant cycle. The differences in underlying mechanisms for decoupling among the major eutherian lineages suggest that they originated independently, which leads us to conclude that eutherian gestation consists of parts that are not homologous across eutherians. Consequently, eutherian gestation length is not a homologous trait that can be productively compared across species directly. Finally, we find no evidence for an increase in gestational length due to maternal-fetal conflict. Rather, as long appreciated, body size explains a major portion of the variation in gestation length in eutherians. This suggests that the increase in eutherian gestation length was driven by the need to accommodate an increasing body size, a well-documented trend (Cope’s rule), once independent evolution of pregnant and non-pregnant cycles became possible.

The stepwise hydrogenation of the C=C bond and C=O group of acrolein on Au₃ and Au₅ model systems is investigated using the density functional theory(DFT) PW91 functional. Our results show that the C=C hydrogenation is more favorable than that of C=O bond on Au₃ with the barriers of the rate-determining step being 0.35 and 0.62 eV respectively. On the other hand, the C=O reduction is preferred over the hydrogenation of the C=C bond on Au₅. The corresponding barriers of the rate-determining steps are 0.45 and 0.54 eV, respectively. This demonstrated that the second hydrogenation step controls the reaction on both Au₃ and Au₅ for C=O and C=C hydrogenation and the C=O hydrogenation on Au₅ is preferred over the hydrogenation of the C=C bond, which is helpful to address the reactivity of small size-selected supported gold clusters.

This study investigated a novel radioimmunotherapy strategy for targeting tumor angiogenesis. We developed a radiopharmaceutical complex by labeling an anti-adenosine triphosphate syn-thase (ATPS) monoclonal antibody (mAb) with the radioisotope 177Lu using DOTA as a chelating agent. 177Lu-DOTA-ATPS mAb demonstrated high labeling efficiency (99.0%) and stability in se-rum. MKN-45 cancer cells exhibited the highest cellular uptake, which could be specifically blocked by unlabeled ATPS mAb. In mice, 177Lu-DOTA-ATPS mAb accumulated significantly in tumors, with a tumor uptake of 16.0 ± 1.5%ID/g on day 7. 177Lu-DOTA-ATPS mAb treatment sig-nificantly reduced the viability of MKN-45 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In a xenograft tumor model, this radioimmunotherapy strategy led to substantial tumor growth inhibition (82.8%). Furthermore, combining 177Lu-DOTA-ATPS mAb with sunitinib, an anti-angiogenic drug, en-hanced the therapeutic efficacy of sunitinib in the mouse model. Our study successfully developed 177Lu-DOTA-ATPS mAb, a radioimmunotherapy agent targeting tumor blood vessels. This ap-proach demonstrates significant promise for inhibiting tumor growth, both as a single therapy and in combination with other anti-cancer drugs.

During the last two decades several cases of venous thrombosis (VTE) after a prolonged period at a computer has been described, denominated “eThrombosis”. Video gaming on a computer has become very popular and can be a social activity where several players are gathered to play against each other or in a virtual environment for several days (“LAN (i.e., Local Area Network) parties”) where the participants are sedentary and consuming calorie-rich food items. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential coagulation activation during a 42 hour LAN party. Nine male gamers volunteered for the LAN party. Citrated blood was sampled before and every 6 hours, and plasma was analyzed for thrombin generation, and Thrombin-antithrombin-complexes (TAT), prothrombin Fragment 1+2 (F1+2), and D-dimer. Thrombin generation increased slightly but not significantly during the LAN party, whereas the coagulation activation markers were unchanged. These results do not indicate that the coagulation system is activated significantly during 42 h gaming with minimal physical activity. Although an increased activity cannot be excluded, it does not directly indicate a risk of VTE in general. It may be specific and particularly susceptible in-dividuals who are prone to thrombosis and, therefore, are at risk of developing e-thrombosis.

First-line treatment for advanced large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC) has limited efficacy. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of everolimus combined with EP regimen chemotherapy (etoposide + cisplatin, EP) in the first-line treatment for LCNEC. The patients were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group, with 20 patients in each group. The experimental group received the mTOR inhibitor everolimus 5 mg once a day combined with EP ivgtt, d1-3, every 3 weeks for 4–6 cycles. The control group received EP only and the infusion method was the same as that of the experimental group. The safety in the experimental group was controllable and not inferior to that in the control group. Serious adverse effects were observed in approximately 10% of patients. Objective response rate (ORR) for the experimental and control groups were 15% vs. 0 (P=0.231), disease control rate (DCR) was 100% vs. 32% (P

In this paper, we introduce the notion of the generalized $w$-group inverse in a Banach algebra with proper involution. This is a natural generalization of generalized (weak) group inverse in Banach *-algebras. Many elementary properties of such new weighted generalized inverse are presented. We further establish the equivalent relations between generalized weighted group inverse and weighted generalized Drazin inverse. Related properties of generalized (weak) group inverse are extended to the wider cases.

Interactive Digital Media have become the most important pillars on which contemporary 21st century scenography is based, allowing for the use of many modern digital media as scenographic elements. With the steady development of digital arts, particularly digital animation, it has become a key role as a 21st century in presenting their theatrical visions. My own issue is the use of digital Media as an Interactive scenographic element, as evidenced by the design of several spatial environments within the framework of an idea and a dynamic scenario that interacts with the Several Scenes of the theatrical Performances and is displayed on screen walls or dropped on thematic elements, resulting in a type of interaction between them and the Scenic Design. My project includes instances of models exhibiting the link of designs to theme composition on stage, such as works utilized in plays, musical/motion drama, and event performances . The design used music synced with digital animated media designs as a scenographic element to reinforce the overall visual picture. The study paper examines a theory of my own project, in which I offer a dynamic exhibition of full-back digital settings in rhythm with the music, suited to its movement and the character of the performance, to be employed as a Scenographic element at a Proscenium Theater (12W x 10D x 7H).

Although being one of the most popular world fibres, wool industry is addressed with severe environmental allegations. While majority of scientific texts does not leave to much doubt about its production negative impact on the ecosystem, wool business does not stop to promote itself via green claims. The internet popular links present a divergent, positive picture of that material, where one might recognize parties being financially involved in such communication. As wool producers or organizations linked to wool business are top positioned in the web as providers of wool green image, the below article brings an interpretation of the industry greenwashing techniques. This comparative analysis of wool umbrella institutions’ webpages exposes myths endorsed about wool’s sustainability. The investigation follows case study of Woolmark brand, where associations to similar, highly ranked websites were conducted likewise. The results have been additionally matched with available scientific data from LCA relative statistics and The Higg Index, to provide contra argumentation from academic sources. The results of this paper could be used both by researchers or fashion lecturers, likewise by fashion marketers to recognize greenwashing techniques, to deliver adequate scientific numbers about unsustainable aspects of wool and to support them in creating a relevant content about wool’s environmental impacts.

Yeasts are gaining increasing attention for their potential health benefits as probiotics in recent years. Researchers are actively searching for new yeast strains with probiotic properties (i.e, Debaryomyces hansenii; Kluyveromyces marxianus; Yarrowia lipolytica; Pichia hudriavzevii; Torulaspora delbrueckii) from various sources, including traditional fermented foods, the human gut, and the environment. This exploration is expanding the pool of potential probiotic yeasts beyond the well-studied Saccharomyces boulardii. Research suggests that specific yeast strains possess properties that could be beneficial for managing conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, skin disorders and allergy. Additionally, probiotic yeasts may compete with pathogenic bacteria for adhesion sites and nutrients, thereby inhibiting their growth and colonization. They might also produce antimicrobial compounds that di-rectly eliminate harmful bacteria. To achieve these goals, the approach that uses probiotics for human health is changing. Next-generation yeast probiotics are emerging as a powerful new approach in the field of live biotherapeutics. By using genetic engineering, scientists are able to give these tools specialized capabilities. However, most research on these probiotic yeasts is still in its early stages, and more clinical trials are needed to confirm their efficacy and safety for various health condi-tions. This review could provide a brief overview of the situation in this field.

The institutionalization of people with intellectual disabilities has been a common international response across cultures and generations that persists to this day. This chapter recounts its inheritance and manifestation in modern service provision. An institutional mind-set persists among clinicians and managers despite policies that emphasise the rights of persons with intellectual disability and anti-discriminatory practice. Alternative provision is rooted in person-centred practice; with a growing body of evidence for the improved quality of life that results from it. A reflective activity encourages readers to examine a recent case when they were associated with an institutional placement and what alternatives might have been sought. Yet alliances with other professionals, self-advocates and family carers will be needed to effect real and lasting changes in our service cultures and even then, the long shadows of institutional care may still persist.

Recent years have witnessed significant advances in reinforcement learning (RL), which has registered remarkable success in solving various sequential decision-making problems in machine learning. Most of the successful RL applications, e.g., the games of Go and Poker, robotics, and autonomous driving, involve the participation of more than one single agent, which naturally fall into the realm of multi-agent RL (MARL), a domain with a relatively long history, and has recently re-emerged due to advances in single-agent RL techniques. Although, typically, the communication protocol between agents is manually specified and not altered during training, recently, some papers have shown signs of trying to emerge a communication between agents on the one hand and, on the other hand, to understand what is exchanged between agents. So, there is a growing body of literature on this topic which includes qualitative and quantitative studies and the ones that apply mixed methods. This study presents the scoping review of the methodological strategies undertaken in a total of 16 research articles. The results present the critical appraisal of quantitative methods in terms of validity and reliability and for qualitative methods considering four trustworthiness factors. In the end, relevant insights are further explored with implications and reflections on how they can benefit one's research in the field.

Floral nectar is a key reward in Leguminosae despite the exceptional diversity of flowers in this family. The paper aims to summarize the available data on structure, ontogeny, regulation, and possible evolution of the leguminous floral nectaries. To date, detailed characterization of ultrastructure and mode of secretion is available only for a few representative of the family whereas the majority remains understudied from this perspective. In most cases, regardless of flower symmetry, nectaries are localized between stamens and a carpel. The nectar is usually exuded from modified stomata although the exact mode of secretion by specialized parenchyma may differ between taxa. The leguminous floral nectaries often have certain features of monosymmetry with preferentially abaxial development. Nectaries were independently lost in several lineages, and equally recurrent is the emergence of substitutive, i.e. evolutionary innovative, nectar-producing structures. Floral nectaries possess a certain degree of evolutionary inertia, i.e. they remain stable even in lineages in which flower morphology underwent significant changes compared with an ancestral plan, such as shifts in merism, symmetry, organ number and alike. Due to their evolutionary stability, floral nectaries are rarely used in taxonomy of Leguminosae.

In the dynamic landscape of the telecommunications industry, understanding and mitigating customer churn is paramount for maintaining competitive advantage and sustaining revenue streams. This comprehensive literature review delves into the intricacies of customer churn prediction, a crucial aspect in fortifying the bond between telecom businesses and their customers. The review methodically analyzes 11 articles published between 2000 and March 2024, spotlighting the strategic role of Customer Relationship Management and the prevalence of high churn rates that necessitate a shift from customer acquisition to retention strategies. Furthermore, the review navigates through the challenges inherent in churn prediction, including the complexities of managing large, imbalanced, and noisy datasets and the intricacies involved in model selection and optimization. Despite these challenges, the paper highlights the superior capability of machine learning techniques in handling complex datasets to provide accurate predictions, albeit acknowledging their practical complexities. The main aim of the study is to provide an overview, serving as a knowledge base for researchers interested in machine learning techniques within the realm of telecommunications.

Volcanic activity essentially consists of the transfer of heat from the Earth’ interior to the surface. The precise signature of this heat transfer relates directly to the processes underway at and within a particular volcano and this can be observed, at a safe distance, remotely, using infrared sensors that are present on Earth-orbiting satellites. For over 50 years, scientists have perfected this art using sensors intended for other purposes, and they are now in a position to determine the particular sort of activity that characterizes different volcanoes. This review will describe the theoretical basis of the discipline and then discuss the sensors available for the task and the history of their use. Challenges and opportunities for future development in the discipline are then discussed.

The fixation and activation of the dinitrogen molecule, N2 by hexametallic clusters of the general formula {[(μ2-L)M)]6(μ-η1:η3-Ν2)}0/+6 (L = CH2-, NH2-, PH2-, OH-, SH-, BH2- and NH2-, M = Ru(II) or Os(II)) were scrutinized by means of density functional theory calculations. In these systems, the dinitrogen molecule, acts as a ligand that bridges the two opposite facing triangular metallic rings, cyclo-M3 of the {[(μ2-L)M)]6(μ-η1:η3-Ν2)}0/+6 clusters The hexametallic clusters, that mimick the six Fe cluster of nitrogenase, were found to strongly activate N2, converting it into a hydrazido-like group, N24-. This is substantiated by the calculated N-N bond lengths, Re(N-N) and the stretching frequencies of the N-N bond of dinitrogen, vs(N-N) found in the ranges 1.299 – 1.487 Å and 780 – 1270 cm-1 respectively. Based on the Re(N-N) and vs(N-N) values, the dinitrogen activation depends upon the nature of the hexametallic cluster. Accordingly, the Os(II) clusters were found to activate more strongly the dinitrogen molecule as compared to their Ru(II) counterparts. The nature of the ligand L also affects the extent of the N2 activation by the hexametallic clusters, which follows the order BH2- &lt; NH2- &lt; OH- &lt; CH2- &lt; NH2- &lt; PH2-, SH- for M = Ru(II) and the order BH2- &lt; NH2- &lt; OH- &lt; NH2- &lt; CH2- &lt; PH2- &lt; SH- for M = Os(II). Thus, the strongest N2 activation is observed for the {[(μ2-SH)Os)]6(μ-η1:η3-Ν2)}+6 cluster and the weakest for the {[(μ2-BH)Ru)]6(μ-η1:η3-Ν2)}0 cluster. The calculated Nitrogen-15 NMR isotropic chemical shielding tensors, σiso(15N) exhibit shielding (upfield) upon N2 fixation to the metal centers of the hexametallic clusters, as a results of electron density transfer towards its constituent N nuclei. A multitude of electronic charge distribution partitioning schemes were applied to assist in delineating the bonding properties of the {[(μ2-L)M)]6(μ-η1:η3-Ν2)}0/+6 clusters. Accordingly, it is found that there is a donation/backdonation interaction between the bridging N2 ligand and the two opposing cyclo-M3 rings located on either side. The dinitrogen ligand forms six bonds of mixed covalent/electrostatic nature with the six metal centers of the {[(μ2-L)M)]6)}0/+6 clusters.

Low efficiency of in vivo transfection of a few fibers revealed a novel tissue network which temporally amplified growth stimulation in the entire regenerating rat soleus muscle. This acupuncture-like effect was demonstrated when the fibers began to grow after complete fiber degradation, synchronous inflammation, myoblast and myotube formation. The first detection of neonatal sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA1b) has been made in this system. The neonatal, fast and slow SERCA isoforms displayed consequent change with innervation and differentiation, recapitulating events in muscle development. In vivo transfection of myotubes with plasmids expressing dominant negative Ras or a calcineurin inhibitor peptide (Cain/cabin) proved that the expression of the slow myosin heavy chain and the slow muscle type SERCA2a are dif-ferently regulated. In vivo transfection of a few nuclei of myotubes with dnRas or SER-CA1b shRNA stimulated fiber size growth in the whole regenerating muscle but only until the full size had been reached. Growth stimulation by Ras and SERCA1b antisense was abolished in co-transfection with Cain or in case of perimuscular injection with IL4 antibody. This revealed a novel signalling network resembling to scale-free networks which, starting from transfected fiber myonuclei as “hubs”, can amplify growth stimula-tion uniformly in the entire regenerating muscle.

Daptomycin is one of the last therapeutic resources for multidrug-resistant gram- positive bacteria. Despite its structural similarities with glycopeptides, its mechanisms of action and resistance are different, and in some respects are not completely understood. Mutations in several genes have been associated to daptomycin resistance, especially in mprF, walkR, rpoB and rpoC, but their role and importance remain to be elucidated. We have studied mutations in 11 genes, which have been previously associated to daptomycin non- susceptibility, in 9 daptomycin non-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates (daptomycin MIC: > 1mg/L). Susceptibility to daptomycin, vancomycin, linezolid, oxacillin, telavancin and dalbavancin were studied. walkR, agrA, cls1, cls2, fakA, pnpA, clpP, prs, rpoB, rpoC and mprF were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The sequences were compared with the S. aureus ATCC 25923 complete genome (GenBank gi: 685631213) by using BLAST® software. We did not find any changes in walkR, pnpA, prs and clpP. All isolates excepting isolate 5 showed a high number of significant mutations (between 13 and 25 amino acid changes) in mprF. Most isolates also showed mutations in rpo genes, cls genes and fakA. Daptomycin non-susceptibility in S. aureus clinical isolates seems to be reached through different mutations combinations when compared to S. aureus ATCC 25293. Especially mprF and cls1 showed a very high polymorphism in most isolates. Meanwhile, one isolate, St5, showed only single mutation in mprF (P314T).

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents around 3% of all cancers, within which clear cell RCC (ccRCC) are the most common type (70–75%). The RCC disease regularly progresses asymptomatically and upon presentation is recurrently metastatic, so an early method of detection is necessary. The identification of one or more spe-cific biomarkers measurable in biofluids (i.e urine) by combined approaches could surely be appropriate for this kind of cancer, especially due to easy obtainability by non invasive method. OLR1 is a metabolic gene that encodes for the Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein re-ceptor-1 (LOX-1), implicated in inflammation, atherosclerosis, ROS and metabolic disor-der-associated carcinogenesis. Specifically, LOX-1 is clearly involved in tumor insurgence and progression of different human cancers. This work reports for the first time the presence of LOX-1 protein in ccRCC urine and its peculiar distribution in tumoral tissues. In parallel, urine samples headspace has been analyzed for the presence of the volatile compounds (VOCs) by SPME-GC/MS and gas sensor array. In particular, it was found by GC/MS analysis that 2-Cyclohexen-1-one,3-methyl-6-(1-methylethyl)- correlates with LOX-1 concentration in urine. Thus, the combined approach of VOCs analysis and protein quantification could led to promis-ing results in terms of diagnostic and prognostic potential for ccRCC tumor.

Introduction: The term 3D printing is commonly used to depict an assembling method whereby the final form of an object is the result of the addition of different layers to build the frame of an object. This procedure is more accurately portrayed as additive manufacturing and is likewise alluded to as fast prototyping. The term 3D printing, in any case, is generally new and has been an active part of current developments in Dentistry. Much publicity encompasses the evolution of 3D printing, which is hailed as an innovation that will perpetually change CAM manufacturing, including in the dental sector. This review is the first part in a 3D Printing series that looks at the history of 3D Printing, the technologies available and reviews the literature relating to the accuracy of these technologies. Conclusions: The recent advancement in digital dentistry to incorporate these tools has modernised dental practices by paving the way for computer-aided design (CAD) technology and rapid prototyping. The use of 3D printing has led to 3D digital models produced with intraoral scanners (IOS), which can be manipulated easily for diagnosis, treatment planning, mockups, and a multitude of other uses. Combining 3D Printing with a 3D intraoral scan eliminates the need for physical storage but makes it to retrieve a 3D models for use within all dental modalities.

It is of great significance to develop sustainable processes of catalytic reaction. We report an efficient and selective procedure for the synthesis of acetylated bioactive compounds in water. The use of 1-acetylimidazole combined with Er(OTf)₃ as Lewis acid catalyst gives high regioselectivity and good to excellent yields for the acetylation of primary hydroxyl groups as well as amino groups. The protection is achieved in short reaction times under microwave irradiation and is successful even in the case of base-sensitive substrates.

Keywords: Forest ecosystem; Biodiversity; Ecosystem multifunctionality

Several questions regarding the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 remain poorly elucidated. One of these questions is the possible evolutionary impact of SARS-CoV-2 after the infection in domestic animals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential role of cats as generators of relevant SARS-CoV-2 lineages during the pandemic. A total of 105 full-length genome viral sequences obtained from naturally infected cats during the pandemic were evaluated by distinct evolutionary algorithms. Analyses were enhanced, including a set of highly related SARS-CoV-2 sequences recovered from human populations. Our results showed the apparent high susceptibility of cats to the infection SARS-CoV-2 compared with other animal species. Evolutionary analyses indicated that the phylogenomic characteristics displayed by cat populations were influenced by the dominance of specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic groups affecting human populations. However, disparate dN/dS rates at some genes between populations recovered from cats and humans suggested that infection in these two species may suppose a different evolutionary constraint for SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the branch selection analysis showed evidence of the potential role of natural selection in the emergence of 5 distinct cat lineages during the pandemic. Although these lineages were apparently irrelevant to public health during the pandemic, our results suggested that additional studies are needed to understand the role of other animal species in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic.

Teaching, learning, research, and development are all supported in a favorable atmosphere at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). The wetland systems made up of freshwater that are extremely biodiverse makeup about 10% of the total land area. Flooding, deforestation, excessive sedimentation, blockages to streams, abuse, overuse, and invasion of wetlands are some of the recent environmental challenges that the university faced. Urban heat island impacts, contaminants in the air, wetland degradation, social issues including stress, and a detachment from nature are all major concerns. With the green corridor behind the faculties of law and management science serving as a model supported by sustainability as a true foundation for UNILAG's campus landscapes, this article investigates the sustainable restoration of wetlands within the boundaries of the university. The use of qualitative techniques was employed, utilizing the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis. Additionally, a geospatial mapping of the wetlands and tributaries that connect the Lagos Lagoon was conducted to evaluate the intrinsic ecological goods and services through a series of analytical steps, beginning with an analysis of the land area, current biodiversity, hydrology, and its potential through landscape mapping and analysis. The biophysical setup, landscape features, climatic data analysis, the ecological goods and services derived from the wetlands, and the records of flooding and rainfall are all included in the geospatial evaluation and analysis. The educational institution's site planning for the remediation of its wetlands takes into account the actual evolution of the area's drainage network. Throughout the wetlands, low carbon emissions are generated by off-road bike lanes, trails for walking, and raised hardwood platforms. Combining native plant species and park furniture, the academic landscape atmosphere will be improved in each of the wetlands and aesthetic values. the country's "University of First Choice" and its biophysically restored wetlands will help illuminate the landscape while the green corridors have an innate ability to attract human affinity within the academic community. All of these elements are implemented following an environmentally friendly landscape planning, management, design model, and enforcement process.

The Arabian Desert is characterised by very low rainfall and high evaporation, yet on its northeastern edge in central Iraq are 210 springs along the Abu Jir lineament, which represents the western depositional margin of a foreland basin infilled by the floodplain sediments of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; there is little evidence of faulting. The springs discharge from gently east-dipping Paleocene-Eocene limestones, either where groundwater flowpaths intersect the ground surface or where groundwater flow is forced to the surface by confining aquitards. Calculated annual recharge to the aquifer system across the Arabian Desert plateau (130-500 million m3) is enough to sustain the Abu Jir springs provided groundwater extraction is not excessive. The hydrochemistry of the springs is determined by evaporation, rainfall composition (high SO4 concentrations are due to dissolution of wind-blown gypsum in the rainfall), and plant uptake of Ca and K (despite the sparse vegetation). Limestone dissolution has relatively little impact; many of the springs are undersaturated with respect to calcite and lack tufa/travertine deposits. The springs at Hit-Kubaysa contain tar and high levels of H2S that probably seeped upwards along subvertical faults from underlying oil reservoirs; the presence of hydrocarbons makes the water reducing and converts the dissolved SO4 to H2S.

This study investigates the utilization of innovative green composites made from hemp shiv, a waste by-product of hemp cultivation, with the aim of promoting sustainability within the construction industry. The manufacturing method involve the application of pressure in a mold to create the samples. These materials were produced using an environmentally friendly binder consisting of colophony, arabic gum and corn starch, moreover white glue and bioepoxy are also used to compare with the green resins. Three different binder compositions for the specimens. The samples underwent mechanical testing through tensile and bending assessments, and their performance was compared to that of non-green binders to validate the effectiveness of the manufacturing processes. The study revealed that decreasing the moisture content during the curing process is crucial for improving the mechanical properties. The best results were achieved when using arabic gum as a binder, yielding a tensile strength of 2.16 MPa and a bending strength of 5.25 MPa, with a composition of 62.5% hemp shiv and a manufacturing process involving a pressure of 5 MPa.

There is a need to develop tools for mastitis management in goats and to measure the effects of milking machines on teats. Infrared thermography (IRT), as shown in cows, was a good candidate for early detection of mastitis and focusing on milking equipment and settings implicated in potential problems. The aim of this study was to test IRT to detect udder inflammation and the effects of mechanical milking on teats in relation to inflammation status, udder balance and teat shape in Alpine goats. IRT spectra were compared before and after milking in 551 goats from three commercial herds compared to their individual SCC (somatic cell count). We found no regression or trend between logSCC and IRT measurement or response to milking, even in highly inflamed goat udders. The effect of milking was significant (P

Cement-free concrete has superior physical performance, such as strength and durability, compared to OPC concrete, however, it has the disadvantage of large shrinkage. Large shrinkage can cause cracks due to shrinkage stress in the long term. In this study, a shrinkage reducing agent (SRA) was used to reduce the shrinkage of cement-free mortar; its content was increased from 0.0 to 1.5 %. For an SRA content of 1.0 %, a calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) expansive additive (EA) (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5%) was added. To calculate the shrinkage stress of cement-free mortar using the SRA and EA, the compressive strength, elastic modulus, and total and autogenous shrinkage were measured. The unit shrinkage stress of cement-free mortar was obtained by multiplying the elastic modulus by the length change and accumulated to obtain the shrinkage stress acting on the mortar according to the age. The shrinkage stress of cement-free mortar showed different tendencies as the age increased. At early ages, the shrinkage rate of the mortar occupied a large proportion of the shrinkage stress. In the long term, the shrinkage stress was significantly affected by the elastic modulus. As a result, SRA was found to be effective in reducing the shrinkage stress by decreasing both the elastic modulus and shrinkage. However, EA increased the shrinkage stress over the long term due to an increase in elastic modulus even though it compensated for early-ages shrinkage.

This study analyzes the efficacy of trapezius muscle electromyography (EMG) in discerning mental states, namely stress and meditation. Fifteen healthy participants were monitored to assess their physiological responses to mental stressors and meditation. Sensors were affixed to both the right and left trapezius muscles to capture EMG signals, while simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) was conducted to validate cognitive states. Our analysis of various EMG features, considering frequency ranges and sensor positioning, revealed significant changes in trapezius muscle activity during stress and meditation. Notably, low-frequency EMG features facilitated enhanced stress detection. For accurate stress identification, sensor configurations can be limited to the right trapezius muscle. Furthermore, the introduction of a novel method for determining asymmetry in EMG features suggests that applying sensors on bilateral trapezius muscles can improve the detection of mental states. This research presents a promising avenue for efficient cognitive state monitoring through compact and convenient sensing.

This paper explores strategies for fostering efficient vocal communication and collaboration between human workers and collaborative robots (cobots) in assembly processes. Vocal communication enables division of attention of the worker, as it frees the visual attention, and the worker’s hands, dedicated to the task at hand. Speech generation and speech recognition are pre-requisites for effective vocal communication. The study focuses on cobot assistive tasks, where the human is in charge of the work and performs the main tasks while the cobot assists the worker in various peripheral jobs, such as bringing tools, parts, or materials, and returning them, or disposing them; or screwing or packaging the products. A nuanced understanding is necessary for understanding how human-robot interactions can be optimized to enhance overall productivity and safety. Through a comprehensive review of relevant literature and empirical studies, this manuscript identifies key factors influencing successful vocal communication, and proposes practical strategies for implementation.

Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are a group of myocardial disorders that are characterized by structural and functional abnormalities of the heart muscle. These abnormalities occur in the absence of coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, valvular disease, and congenital heart disease. CMPs are an increasingly important topic in the field of cardiovascular diseases due to the complexity of their diagnosis and management. In 2023, the ESC guidelines on cardiomyopathies were first published, marking significant progress in the field. The growth of techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and genetics has been fueled by the development of multimodal imaging approaches. For the diagnosis of CMPs, a multimodal imaging approach, including CMR, is recommended. CMR has become the standard for non-invasive analysis of cardiac morphology and myocardial function. This document provides an overview of the role of CMR in CMPs, with a focus on tissue mapping. CMR enables the characterization of myocardial tissues and the assessment of cardiac functions. CMR sequences and techniques, such as late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and parametric mapping, provide detailed information on tissue composition, fibrosis, edema, and myocardial perfusion. These techniques offer valuable insights for early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and therapeutic guidance of CMPs. The use of quantitative CMR markers enables personalized treatment plans, improving overall patient outcomes. This review aims to serve as a guide for the use of these new tools in clinical practice.

Dengue is a viral mosquito-borne disease that rapidly spreads in tropical and subtropical countries, including the Philippines. One of its most distinguishing characteristics is the ability of the Dengue Virus (DENV) to easily surpass the innate responses of the body, thus activating B cells of the adaptive immunity to produce virus-specific antibodies. Moreover, Dengvaxia® is the only licensed vaccine for DENV, but recent studies showed that seronegative individuals become prone to increased disease severity and hospitalization. Owing to this limitation of the dengue vaccine, this study determined and compared consensus and unique B cell epitopes among each DENV (1-4) Philippine isolate to identify potential areas of interest for future vaccine studies and therapeutic developments. An in silico-based epitope prediction of forty (40) DENV 1-4 strains, each serotype represented by ten (10) sequences from The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), was conducted using Kolaskar and Tongaonkar antigenicity, Emini surface accessibility, and Parker hydrophilicity prediction in Immune Epitope Database (IEDB). Results showed that five (5) epitopes were consensus for DENV-1 with no detected unique epitope, one (1) consensus epitope for DENV-2 with two (2) unique epitopes, one (1) consensus epitope for DENV-3 plus two (2) unique epitopes, and two (2) consensus epitopes and one (1) unique epitope for DENV-4. The findings of this study would contribute to determining potential vaccine and diagnostic marker candidates for further research studies and immunological applications against DENV (1-4) Philippine isolates.

Ubiquitin binding domains (UBDs) are modular elements that bind non-covalently to ubiquitin and act as downstream effectors and amplifiers of the ubiquitination signal. With few exceptions, UBDs recognize the hydrophobic path centered on Ile44 (Leu-8, Ile-44, Val-70). Nevertheless, a variety of different orientations, which can be attributed to specific contacts between each UBD and surface residues surrounding the hydrophobic patch, specify how each class of UBD recognizes ubiquitin. Here, we describe the structure of a novel ubiquitin-binding domain that we identified in NEDD4 binding protein 1 (N4BP1). By performing protein sequence analysis, mutagenesis and NMR spectroscopy of the ¹⁵N isotopically labelled protein, we demonstrate that a Phe-Pro motif in N4BP1 recognizes the canonical hydrophobic patch of ubiquitin. This recognition mode resembles the molecular mechanism evolved in the CUE (Coupling of ubiquitin conjugation to ER degradation) domain family, where an invariant proline, usually following a phenylalanine, is required for binding to ubiquitin. Interestingly, the UBD of N4BP1 is evolutionary related to CUBAN (Cullin binding domain associating with NEDD8) (40% identity and 47% similarity), a protein module that also recognizes the ubiquitin-like NEDD8, which is the closest relative of ubiquitin (58% identity and 80% similarity). By performing circular dichroism and ¹⁵N NMR chemical shift perturbation of N4BP1 in complex with ubiquitin, we demonstrate that the UBD of N4BP1 lacks the NEDD8 binding properties observed in CUBAN and it recognizes the Ile44-centered patch of ubiquitin through a dedicated binding site, which share some of the features observed in the CUE domain family. Moreover, we show that, in addition to mediating the interaction with ubiquitin and ubiquitinated substrates, both the CUBAN and the UBD of N4BP1 are poly-ubiquitinated in cells. This modification is dependent on the presence of a functional domain. We believe that the structural and functional characterization of this novel UBD will allow a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing N4BP1 function, while at the same time providing a valuable tool for clarifying how the discrimination between ubiquitin and the highly related NEDD8 is achieved.

The mechanism by which the human nose perceives an odor is complex and involves various chemical reactions in the transformation of the odorous molecule into an electrical impulse sent to the brain that returns the sensation of smell. The smell is classified and quantified, and its instrumental detection can be carried out through the “electronic nose”, an interactive device that lends itself to various applications. In the agri-food sector, the development of portable devices makes possible to smell foods and measure their level of deterioration and maturation; this is undoubtedly useful for reducing waste, identifying the best moment for food consumption, and improving the level of food safety. With regard to the environmental compatibility of materials and techniques for packing and laying conglomerates (for example bituminous), the problem of olfactory nuisance for the population residing in the neighborhood is still an unresolved problem. The approach based on electronic noses is very effective. The electronic nose also represents an important resource in the screening of respiratory pathologies, where there is the need to identify a rapid and reliable diagnostic test for pathologies such as pneumonia or seasonal flu. Environmental monitoring of pollutants is of particular relevance today and the electronic nose is an important candidate for the use in this field. The gas sensor market leverages physics, chemistry and materials engineering to develop highly sensitive, reliable and stable sensor platforms, capable of detecting very small amounts of gas molecules in the environment. To develop competitive gas sensing platforms, new materials are being considered, including polymers, nanostructured metal oxides and nanostructured carbon-based materials (CNTs). In addition to the experimental aspects, in particular Raman and electron spectroscopy techniques together with atomic force microscopy, theoretical-mathematical modeling plays an extremely important role in this sector, with particular attention to the case of micro and nanometric dimensions. Many efforts are now aimed in improving the sensitivity of these devices and this is related to the diffusion of carriers in them. The paper also offers an overview of the mathematical models relating to mechanical processes and dynamics at the micro-nanometric scale, lastly focusing on the Drude-Lorentz type models, with related more recent generalizations.

Forests are crucial natural resources in Indonesia, storing significant biodiversity and providing essential benefits for both the environment and people's livelihoods. They contribute significantly to the country's economy, support local communities, and play a vital role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. This study examines the carbon storage valuation in tree forests of Telaga Warna National Park, Indonesia, highlighting the importance of preserving forests for carbon sequestration and climate resilience. The data was collected within a subplot measuring 10x10 meters, and for trees within a plot measuring 20x20 meters. The study focuses on pole and tree species. Based on the data obtained, it is found that the dominant vegetation in Telaga Warna National Park is Riung Anak / Casitanopsis javanica, with a potential carbon value of US$ 2.96 per Ha for pole species and US$ 98.49 for tree species.

Two heating surfaces with longitudinal fins are located within the closed channel inside the housing made of thermal insulation material. The air flow inside the channel was carried out by an axial fan. The heating of the fins is established by using two positive temperature coefficient heating elements (PTC). Air flows circularly from one finned surface to another, and after reaching the required temperature, it leaves the housing. In the heating system conceived in this way, a methodology based on transient thermal irreversibility of heating sources and circular air flow has been established. Volumetric air flow and circulation time within the channel were varied. The total entropy generated does not include hydraulic irreversibility, but transient thermal irreversibility of the air and heat sources. For conducting analytical modeling, the temperature of the PTC heater was considered constant at 423K and 473K. Volumetric air flow varied in the interval from 0.00001m3s-1 to 0.00006m3s-1. The experimental determination of the transient thermal entropy was performed at a much higher air flow rate of 0.005m3s-1 inside the closed channel. Due to the continuous increase in air temperature, the temperatures of both PTC heaters increased within the examined time interval of 300s. According to experimental testing, the total transient thermal entropy of the described heating system has a minimum after 175s from the start of the circular heating of the air. The minimum of transient entropy also implies the optimal time of channel opening and exit of heated air.

The process of viral integration into the host genome is an essential step of the HIV-1 life cycle. The viral Integrase (IN) enzyme catalyses integration. IN is an ideal therapeutic enzyme targeted by several drugs; raltegravir (RAL), elvitegravir (EVG), dolutegravir (DTG) and bictegravir (BIC) having been approved by the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Due to high HIV-1 diversity, it is not well understood how specific naturally occurring polymorphisms (NOPs) in IN may affect the structure/function and binding affinity of Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors (INSTIs). In this study, we applied computational methods of molecular modelling and docking to analyse the effect of NOPs on the full-length IN structure and INSTI binding. We identified 16 NOPs within the Cameroonian derived CRF02_AG IN sequences and further identified 17 NOPs within HIV-1C South African sequences. The NOPs in the IN structures did not show any effect on INSTI binding. INSTIs displayed similar binding affinities to each IN structure. All INSTIs are clinically effective against diverse HIV-1 strains from INSTI treatment naïve populations. This study supports the use of second-generation INSTI DTG as part of first-line combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) regimens, due to DTG possessing a stronger genetic barrier to the emergence of drug resistance.

The Qiushuwan Cu-Mo deposit, located in the East Qinling molybdenum belt, which is a major mining site recognized for its enormous reserves of medium-sized molybdenum. In order to enhance our comprehension and ascertain supplementary mineral resources, it is critical to conduct an in-depth investigation of both the deep and peripheral regions. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the Qiushuwan Copper Molybdenum Mine, which is located in Zhenping County, Henan Province. The spread spectrum-induced polarization (SSIP) method is utilized as a means of conducting mining exploratory analysis. Significant findings have been obtained through the collection of SSIP data, geological analysis, and electrical parameter study of rock and ore samples along profile-80. By conducting a meticulous examination of the SSIP data at suitable frequencies, two prominent conductive ore bodies, specifically C2 and C4, have been successfully discovered. C2 exhibits a correlation with granite porphyry and molybdenum veins, while C4 is linked to a skarn deposit that contains a concentration of copper ore. The spatial differences in conductivity within the research area have been precisely characterized using resistivity models obtained from the SSIP data. The precision and dependability of our conclusions have been confirmed through the integration of borehole data and the matching of geological sections with inversion models. The recovered core samples show a diverse range of minerals, containing both valuable ores and minerals that have undergone alteration. Pyrite constantly appears with molybdenite in the majority of samples. The aforementioned results provide a strong foundation for future exploration initiatives and sustainable resource exploitation, enabling informed decision-making in the effective use and administration of natural resources. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on the Qiushuwan Cu-Mo deposit and improves exploration methods in the region by utilizing the SSIP approach. The findings are a useful asset for geologists, mining experts, and stakeholders, offering essential knowledge for future exploration and sustainable utilization of resources.

Telecommunication infrastructure, as a technology-intensive industry, provides fundamental support for informatization construction. This paper empirically studies the impact of telecommunication infrastructure construction on economic and social innovative development using provincial panel data from China spanning from 2009 to 2022. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Telecommunication infrastructure significantly promotes innovation in terms of R&amp;D investment, knowledge output, and application output. (2)At various stages of telecommunication technology development, the impact on innovative development varies. Iterative updates in telecommunication technology drive higher R&amp;D expenditures, facilitating better utilization of innovation outcomes in industries. (3) There are regional disparities in the influence of telecommunication infrastructure on economic and social innovative development. In the eastern regions, telecommunication infrastructure construction primarily promotes mobile communication, with clear spillover effects. In contrast, in western regions, it mainly facilitates fixed communication networks. Therefore, in the new development stage of China, further strengthening telecommunication infrastructure construction provides a new impetus and space for economic and social innovative development. It is essential to persistently advance the coordinated construction of mobile and fixed communication infrastructure to achieve regional development coordination.

Introduction: Most industrialized and developed countries now working to implement more advanced transportation systems. These include autonomous vehicle(AV) systems of various forms, such as delivery vehicles, which eliminate the crashes, injuries, and fatalities associated with human-operated machinery. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to make roads safer, but some safety concerns need to be addressed. Before AV systems become commonplace in developing countries, society needs to determine how safe they truly are. Objectives: This paper provides brief descriptions and examines the realities for AV in developing countries using results from infrastructure-based assessment of countries worldwide and from a questionnaire-based survey. Methods: Relevant research papers, articles, reports, and departmental websites were used as the main data sources. Ethiopia was chosen as a representative case. Different aspects of AV infrastructure, its current status in developing countries, and perspectives on AV systems are explored through interviews with approximately 1500 randomly selected individuals. The main variables in the assessment were physical infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and societal perceptions on AV systems. Results: Surprisingly, the results indicated that 55.82%, 78.58%, 87.78%, and 86.09% of Ethiopian interviewees agreed with statements regarding high ease of use, usefulness, positive attitude, and benefits, respectively, of AV. However, it should be noted that some interviewees did not provide a response to certain questions.

Large-scale genetic studies have identified numerous genetic risk factors that suggest a central role for innate immune cells in susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). CD33, an immunomodulatory transmembrane sialic-acid binding protein expressed on myeloid cells, was identified as one such genetic risk factor associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Several studies explored the molecular outcomes of genetic variation at the CD33 locus. It has been determined that the risk variant associated with AD increases the expression of the large isoform of CD33 (CD33M) in innate immune cells and alters its biological functions. CD33 is thought to signal via the interaction of its ITIM domain and the protein tyrosine phosphatase, SHP-1. Here, we utilize different molecular and computational approaches to investigate how AD-associated genetic variation in CD33 affects its interaction with SHP-1 in human microglia and microglia-like cells. Our findings demonstrate a genotype-dependent interaction between CD33 and SHP-1, which may functionally contribute to the AD risk associated with this CD33 variant. We also found that gene-gene interactions impact AD-related traits.

Astronauts at are risk of losing 1.0 – 1.5% of their bone mass for every month they spend in space despite their adherence to high impact exercise training programs designed to preserve the musculoskeletal system. This article reviews the basics of bone formation and resorption and details how exposure to microgravity or simulated microgravity affects the structure and function of osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteoclasts, and their mesenchymal and hematologic stem cell precursors. It details the critical roles that insulin-like growth facor-1 and its receptor IGFR1 play in maintaining bone homeostasis and how exposure of bone cells to microgravity affects the function of these growth factors. Lastly, it discusses the potential of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, syncytin-A, and sclerostin inhibitors and recombinant IGF-1 as a bone-saving treatment for astronauts in space and during their colonization of the Moon.

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

Utilizing NCEP/NCAR monthly reanalysis data alongside precipitation observations from 1936 monitoring stations across China spanning from 1966 to 2022, this study establishes a location index for the thermal low-pressure center situated over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Temporal variations in the location index and summer (July) precipitation patterns in China were studied. Over the past six decades, thermal low-pressure centers have been predominantly positioned near 90°E and 32.5°N on the plateau, with their distribution extending from east to west rather than from south to north. The longitudinal and latitudinal position indices exhibit contrasting linear trends, with a positive trend observed during the 1970s and early 21st century and a negative trend in subsequent decades. Mutation analysis highlights pronounced weakening mutations occurring in 1981 and 1973, with the longitudinal index transitioning from an inter-annual cycle of approximately 6-8 years, while the latitudinal index displays quasi-cyclic oscillations of 5 and 8 and 12-14 years. Strong negative correlations are evident between the location indices and precipitation along the southeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and in Southern China, contrasting with the positive correlations observed in the central-eastern plateau, northwest China, North China, and the Huang-Huai region. The influence of southerly airflow predominates over much of China east of the plateau, while northwest China experiences convergence between northerly and southerly airflow. Higher location indices correspond to weaker surface cold air masses and strengthened Western Pacific Subtropical and South Asian Highs south of the Yangtze River Basin, resulting in significantly reduced rainfall in the southern Yangtze River region and increased rainfall in northwest China.