The quality and safety of fermented milk products, which make up a sizeable portion of human nutrition, are greatly influenced by both the milk itself and the starting cultures employed to ferment it. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) create a variety of metabolites throughout the fermentation process, altering the organoleptic properties of the substrates. The final product’s nutritional value and digestibility are enhanced by fermentation of the raw materials, which also adds vitamins, vital amino acids, and fatty acids. The quality and safety of fermented milk products, which make up a sizeable portion of human nutrition, are greatly influenced by both the milk itself and the starting cultures employed to ferment it. The inhibition of the growth of pathogenic microbes, which lowers the likelihood of the emergence of foodborne diseases, is another crucial function of LAB. A variety of pathogenic bacteria are frequently present in raw (unpasteurized) milk, and other raw materials; these pathogenic bacteria should be removed during the fermentation process. As a result, a variety of LAB metabolites, such as hydrogen peroxide, organic acids, and bacteriocins, function as bio preservative agents, enhancing food safety and lengthening the shelf life of the finished products.

Diverse development models, including waterfall development, iterative development, and agile development, have been put forth and implemented across real-world contexts. When engaging in discussions on project management, the examination and exploration of development models assume paramount importance and are integral. This paper embarks upon an investigation and scrutiny of these development models, culminating in the proposition of "Quasi" Development Models: Quasi-Waterfall and Quasi-Agile.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays a role in several inflammatory diseases and is capable of inducing the release of inflammatory mediators in several cell types. The objective was to investigate the potential of Ang II to induce mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators by cultured primary human periodontal cells. A synergistic effect of a co-treatment with Ang II and IL1β on mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was also explored. Primary cultures of human fibroblast-like cells isolated from gingival and periodontal ligament tissues from 3 subjects were established using explant techniques. Immunophenotyping of STRO-1, Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and Ang II type 2 receptor (AT2R) was performed by flow cytometry analysis. Cell cultures were challenged with Ang II (1M) for 3, 6 and 24h with or without a co-treatment with IL1β (0.1ng/mL) for 24h. mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was performed by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We present, for the first time, a precise quantification for AT1R and AT2R on human gingival and periodontal fibroblast-like cell types; the percentage of positive immunostaining compared to the total population of cells varied from 3.35% through 5.29% for AT1R and 2.97% through 4.57% for AT2R. Ang II slightly upregulated mRNA expression of IL6 and CCL2/MCP1 in gingival cells and IL8 and PTGS2/COX2 in periodontal ligament cells. IL1β induced upregulation of IL8, IL6 CCL2/MCP1, PTGS2/COX2 and IL1β mRNA in both cell types. Co-treatment with Ang II and IL1β did not show a synergistic effect under these experimental conditions. Ang II shows a low potential to induce mRNA upregulation of inflammatory mediators in cultured primary human gingival and periodontal ligament cells, most likely due to the low percentage of Ang II receptors in such cells, and no synergistic effect with the co-treatment with IL1β.

A nation's vitality, dynamism and economic strength will always be related to its demographic component, and a healthy and vigorous population will ensure its long-term future. However, the current realities demonstrate the existence of an obvious population decrement at the level of the entire country particularly triggered by the birth rate decrease and the high demographic aging to which other factors add ap specific to local communities, which in their turn determined a particular type of demographic behaviour. Therefore we aim to analyze those elements with a major population dynamics impact such as family stability and demographic potential that can generate a specific demographic behaviour, as a result of the major changes that have occurred in the last period of time. These elements are translated through several demographic indicators that characterize the family, such as the nuptiality index and the divorce index whose evolution was registered and analyzed for the period 1992-2021. Their evolution indicates the demographic potential of Romania, as well as of Bihor county.

Multimodal traveling is expected to enhance mobility for users, reduce inequalities of car ownership and reduce emissions. In the same context, ride-sharing aims to minimize negative impacts related to emissions, reduce travelling costs and congestion, and increase passenger vehicle occupancy, and public transit ridership when planned for first/last mile trips. The goal of this study is to present the planning of a multimodal pilot demonstration and the challenges that emerged during and after its implementation in Athens, Greece. The demo aims to enhance the connection of low-density Attica Region areas to public transport (PT) modes, and specifically to the metro, through the provision of demand responsive ride-sharing services. During the demo period two different applications were utilized: the “Travel Companion” app and the “Driver Companion” app, which refer to passengers and drivers of the ride-sharing service. Identification of demo participants is performed through a Stated Preference (SP) experiment. Results of the demo implementation, as well as challenges that were faced show that although participants are willing to try new mobility solutions, the readiness and reliability of the new service are essential attributes towards maintaining existing users and engaging new ones.

Inhibition of quorum sensing (QS)-dependent biofilm formation and virulence is extensively investigated as a novel approach to combat bacterial pathogens by impeding their ability to cause antibiotic-tolerant diseases. Such strategies are considered a promising alternative to conventional antibacterial therapy since interrupting the central cell-to-cell communication system imposes less selective pressure on the target pathogen. In this study, novel hybrid compounds composed of anthranilic acids substituted with halogens at different positions of the phenyl ring, and 4-(2-aminoethyl/4-aminobuthyl)amino-7-chloroquinoline linked via 1,3,4-oxadiazole were synthesized using standard procedures. Their anti-QS activities were evaluated using Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC31532 (anti-biofilm and bactericidal activities) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (anti-biofilm/-virulence activities). The results showed that compounds 15–19 and 23 inhibited the production of violacein, the QS-inducible pigment, in C. violaceum to a similar extent as the model QS inhibitor - quercetin (83.5–90%). Compound 15 exhibited the strongest effect on P. aeruginosa in the anti-biofilm screening, reducing its ability to form biofilm by almost 50%, while compounds 16 and 19 were able to reduce the biofilm formation by approximately 30%. However, compound 23 did not demonstrate significant anti-biofilm activity and only inhibited pyocyanin production in P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, this study suggests that 1,3,4-oxadiazoles 15, 16, and 19 are the most promising compounds for future research as novel QS inhibitors against Gram-negative bacteria equipped with different QS signaling pathways.

This study investigated the mechanical properties and fatigue behavior of FH36 steel plate rolled in different directions. By adopting a sequential rolling process in the rolling direction (RD) and transverse direction (TD), the differences in properties between RD and TD were eliminated, resulting in nearly identical tensile properties. The steel plate exhibited a yield strength of approximately 420 MPa, a tensile strength of approximately 506 MPa, and an elongation of approximately 25%. Fatigue tests conducted at room temperature and -60℃ showed a fatigue limit of the maximum stress of 488 MPa at room temperature and 500 MPa at -60℃, indicating improved low-temperature fatigue performance. The fracture surfaces displayed distinct characteristics, such as oblique shearing fractures for high-cycle fatigue and cup-cone shape fractures for low-cycle fatigue. The fatigue source zone were both on the surface of the specimens. As the maximum stress increased, the area of the crack propagation zone for high-cycle fatigue decreased, while the area of the final fracture zone, the number of dimples and the proportion of the LAGBs increased.

Although numerous citrus varieties have recently been developed to enhance their quality, information on their quality characteristics is limited. We assessed the quality characteristics of Yellowball, a novel citrus variety, by evaluating its appearance, storability, sensory properties, functionality, and metabolite profiles and comparing these characteristics with those of its parent varieties: Haruka and Kiyomi. The metabolite profiles between the citrus varieties differed significantly, resulting in distinct physicochemical and functional qualities. The storability of Yellowball was significantly increased compared with that of its parent varieties owing to its strong antifungal activity and unique peel morphology, including the stoma and albedo layers. While we did not investigate the volatile compounds, overall functional activities, and detailed characteristics of each metabolite, our data provide valuable insights into the relationship between citrus metabolites, peel morphology, physicochemical properties, and storability and demonstrate the potential of Yellowball as a promising variety in the citrus industry.

The concept of artisanal products has been largely discussed mainly due to concerns about the inappropriate use of the term that may cause confusion for the consumers. Cheeses are important food models to evaluate consumers’ and producers’ perception about artisanal foods worldwide. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the perception of consumers and cheesemakers towards artisan foods, focusing on artisanal cheeses. For this purpose, two focus group were performed either with cheese producers and with consumers to discuss the topic. Colonial and Serrano cheeses, traditional and cultural dairy products in Brazil, were used as food model for the discussion. Producers and consumers related artisan foods to small scale of production, handicraft and freshness. Affective memories were also an important issue related to artisanal cheeses. For cheesemakers, artisan cheeses must be produced with unpasteurized milk, which was not cited by consumers. Consumers disclosed the intention of pay a premium price for food products that present artisan seals on front-package-label, mainly due to the guarantee of acquiring a quality product. The confusion about artisanal and traditional food concepts were observed, which is a subject to be deeply evaluated further. The findings provide useful implications to policy makers and institutions that can influence citizens’ attitudes and consumption patterns of artisanal products.

The present work was performed to evaluate the levels of phytochemical constituents and the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of marine red seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) and seagrass (Cymodocea serrulata). Quantitative phytochemical analysis, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity against 5 potential pathogenic bacteria was investigated. In both cases were found presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, glycosides, steroids, carbohydrates and ashes. Alkaloids were only found in K. alvarezii, buy not in C. serrulata. The antimicrobial properties of both K. alvarezii and C. serrulata chloroform extracts were found to be antagonis-tically effective against the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the gram-negative bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio harveyi and Klebsiella pneu-moniae. GC‒MS analysis revealed the presence of 94 bioactive compounds in K. alvarezii and 104 C. serrulata, including phenol, decane, dodecane, hexadecane, vanillin, heptadecane, diphenyla-mine, benzophenone, octadecanoic acid, dotriaconate, benzene, phytol, butanoic acid, and 2-hydroxyl-ethyl ether, which played a vital role in antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Thus, in view of the results, both K. alvarezii and C. serrulata could be considered as sources of ingre-dients with appreciable nutritional and medicinal value.

We aimed to determine if infection-associated urine biomarkers can differentiate true urinary tract infection (UTI) from non-UTI controls. Midstream clean-catch urine samples were collected from asymptomatic volunteers and symptomatic subjects > 60 years old diagnosed with presumptive UTI in a specialty setting. Microbial identification and density were assessed using multiplex PCR/pooled antibiotic susceptibility test (M-PCR/P-AST) and standard urine culture (SUC). Three biomarkers (NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β) were measured in the same urine specimens. Definitive UTI cases were symptomatic and had positive microorganism detection by SUC and M-PCR, while definitive non-UTI cases were asymptomatic volunteers regardless of microbial detection. We observed a strong positive correlation (R2 ≈ 1) between microbial density and the biomarkers NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β. Biomarker consensus criteria of two or more positive biomarkers had sensitivity 90.2%, specificity 91.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) 91.7%, negative predictive value (NPV) 89.7%, accuracy 90.7%, positive likelihood ratio of 10.28, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.11 in differentiating definitive UTI from non-UTI cases, regardless of microbial density. NGAL, IL-8, and IL-1β showed a significant elevation in symptomatic cases with positive microbe identification compared to asymptomatic cases with or without microbe identification. Biomarker consensus exhibited high accuracy in distinguishing UTI from non-UTI cases.

This qualitative study unveils the intricate interplay between blended learning, language and literature learning, internationalization, and the development of 21st century skills within the realm of higher education. Set against the backdrop of the environment of St. Michael's College in Iligan City, this exploration seeks to unravel the profound significance and transformative implications of these educational dimensions. By delving into the rich perspectives and experiences of 30 college students, this study addresses critical gaps in the literature and sheds light on the potential of these integrated elements. Guided by a robust theoretical framework that amalgamates renowned scholars' insights on blended learning, language acquisition, internationalization, and 21st century skills, the study employs a qualitative research design, employing interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings illuminate the dynamic nature of blended learning, empowering students with enhanced engagement, flexibility, and accessibility in language and literature education. The incorporation of diverse literary texts and cultural perspectives fosters intercultural competence and global awareness. Moreover, the study underscores the cultivation of critical 21st century skills through immersive learning experiences. Drawing upon the insights gained, the study provides practical recommendations for educators and curriculum designers to harness the potential of blended learning, foster diversity in literary texts, and facilitate the application of 21st century skills. Recognizing the inherent limitations, including the specific context of St. Michael's College and the modest sample size, this study encourages future research to explore broader contexts and diverse participant cohorts. Overall, this illuminating study contributes to the scholarly discourse on integrating blended learning, language and literature learning, internationalization, and 21st century skills in college education. It beckons educators and policymakers to embark on a transformative journey, nurturing an enlightened future where students are equipped with the competencies to navigate the complexities of the 21st century.

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles has been emerging as an environmentally benign and eco-friendly method owing to its cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. Recently, the biological synthesis of semiconductor and metal-doped semiconductor nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency and anticancer and antibacterial properties have gained tremendous attention. In pursuit of this purpose, for the first time, we biosynthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) and silver/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) as semiconductor and metal-doped semiconductor nanoparticles, respectively, using the cell-free filtrate (CFF) of Lysinibacillus sphaericus bacterium. The biosynthesized ZnO and Ag/ZnO were characterized by various techniques such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy, Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation potential of these semiconductor/metal-semiconductor nanoparticles was evaluated against the degradation of azo dye methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar irradiation. Ag/ZnO showed 90.7 ± 0.91% photocatalytic degradation of MB, compared to 50.7 ± 0.53% by ZnO in 120 min. The cytotoxicity of ZnO and Ag/ZnO on human cervical HeLa cancer cells was determined using an MTT assay. Both nanomaterials exhibited cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner on HeLa cells. The antibacterial activity was also determined against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus). Compared to ZnO, Ag/ZnO NPs showed higher antibacterial activity. Hence, the biosynthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles could be a promising strategy for developing hybrid metal/semiconductor nanomaterials for different biomedical and environmental applications.

Significant attribute selection in machine learning is one of the key aspects aimed at simplifying the problem and reducing its dimensionality, and consequently speeding up computation. This paper proposes new algorithms for selecting not only relevant features but also for evaluating and selecting a subset of relevant objects in a dataset. Both algorithms are mainly based on the use of a fuzzy approach. The research presented here yielded preliminary results of a new approach to the problem of selecting relevant attributes and objects, and, in fact, to selecting appropriate ranges of their values. Detailed results obtained on the Sonar dataset show the positive effects of this approach. Moreover, the observed results may suggest the effectiveness of the proposed method in terms of identifying a subset of truly relevant attributes from among those identified by traditional feature selection methods.

In this paper, a distinction is first made between environmental, sustainable and green chemistry; the last two are then examined in relation to the more general problem of the environmental education. A brief historical digression on the STS (Science, Technology and Society) movement tries to dissect the reasons why chemistry is seen by the general public as a problem, not as a decisive resource for the realization of the ecological transition. Although sustainable and green chemistry can be decisive in overcoming the insularity of chemical disciplines in the high school, it fails to effectively embed itself in educational practices. Specific operational goals, supporting a real scientifical and technological literacy in sustainable and green chemistry, can help chemical educators. They are provided at the end of an examination of the founding axes of sustainable and green chemistry, according to the criteria of scientific and technological literacy.

Grain shape and chalkiness are important appearance quality traits of rice, which also affect the yield and milling quality. In this study, 190 F2 families derived from the cross between Hua 5178S and Hua 611 were sequenced to construct a genetic linkage map. Combined with F2 and F2:3 generations grain shape and chalkiness phenotype, a total of 15 QTL were detected. There are 8 grain shape QTL distributed on chromosomes 2, 5, 6, 8, and 10; 7 chalkiness QTL distributed on chromosomes 2, 3, and 6. A QTL cluster affecting multiple chalkiness traits was found on chromosome 6, qWBR6.1, qWCR6 and qCR6 were selected for genetic effect verification. It was found that qWBR6.1, qWCR6 and qCR6 explained 13% and 24%, and 29% of the phenotypic variations respectively, and qWCR6 and qCR6 were co-mapped. This study laid a foundation for further cloning of rice appearance quality genes.

Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles (BEVs) generated from the bacteria has high feasibility of intracellular interactions with other cells, can be used as a cargo to deliver any therapeutic substances like monoclonal antibodies, proteins, plasmids, siRNA and small molecules for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). BEVs have a high ability for delivering therapeutic molecules across the blood-brain barrier to treat Alzheimer's Disease (AD) via various mechanisms. In this review, we have sum up in-depth research details of the role and advancement of BEVs in NDs, AD and its Therapeutics. Moreover, details about offensive and defensive functions of BEVs in ND pathogenesis and examine the critical BEV networks in the microbiome-gut-brain axis and their role in neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally determining the roles of BEVs in the neuroimmune system and their interaction with neurodegenerative disorders and exploring the risk factors of BEVs in the autophagy-lysosomal pathway and their possible effects on neurodegenerative disorders are summarised in detail. In conclusion, this review seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the potential function of BEVs in NDs and to identify new therapeutic intervention strategies.

Sleep timing is one of the dimensions of sleep that refers to the time of day when sleep occurs. It was included in sleep-related research because of the potential associations between overweight and consumption of meals and snacks. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate associations between sleep timing, meal and snack consumption, and weight status in 1333 schoolchildren aged 7-14 years. The midpoint of sleep was used as a sleep timing measure obtained by the midpoint between bedtime and wake-up time and classify as Early, intermediate, and Late. Schoolchildren in the Early group were less likely to be overweight (OR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.69; 0.99), had higher odds of mid-morning snack consumption (OR: 1.95, 95%CI 1.56; 2.44) and lower probability to consume the evening snack (OR: 0.75, 95%CI 0.59; 0.94) compared with the Intermediate group. The Late group had lower odds of mid-morning snack consumption (OR: 0.67, 95%CI 0.55, 0.80) than the Intermediate group. The consumption of mid-morning and evening snacks was associated with the Early and the Late midpoint of sleep. These results suggest that bedtime and wake-up time are relevant to consuming meals and snacks and may also be related to a greater probability of being overweight in children and adolescents.

In the depths of inquiry, where thoughts unfurl like tendrils of smoke, this qualitative study ventures into the enigmatic realms of diaspora, migration, and the elusive brain drain within the tapestry of the Philippines. It is a journey guided by a sturdy theoretical framework, traversing the multifaceted dimensions of society, culture, and psyche. Here, the lens expands beyond the confines of economics, delving into the essence of these phenomena, seeking profound insights that dance beneath the surface. Through meticulous analysis of empirical data, hidden truths emerge, illuminating the intricate dynamics of diaspora, the intricate patterns of migration, and the intricate threads that shape migration decisions. Moreover, it peers into the intricate tapestry of impacts that diaspora and migration have on both sending and receiving societies, casting a beam of understanding upon their social, economic, and cultural implications. The study, in its wisdom, extends its reach to offer valuable policy recommendations, serving as a compass for stakeholders and decision-makers. It emphasizes the pivotal importance of harnessing the vast potential held within diaspora, fostering social integration, and bridging the gaps in knowledge that lie in wait. In its entirety, this research harmonizes with the existing body of knowledge, blending seamlessly with the symphony of understanding, and ignites the path towards evidence-based strategies that pave the way for sustainable development and the well-being of societies near and far.

NAD⁺ is known classically as a metabolite that participates in catabolic and anabolic pathways throughout the metabolism that is taught to students in introductory biochemistry courses. However, non-classical studies starting over a decade ago found that NAD⁺ is also involved in higher order functions, in part because of its involvement in the activation of SIRTs and the support of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. Many studies since have suggested that NAD⁺ is involved in an extensive spectrum of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiomyopathy, obesity, and diabetes, Further, healthy aging and longevity appear to be closely related to NAD⁺ and its related metabolites, including NAR and NMN. Together, these studies show that this system has value as a dietary supplement to improve general health overall, as well as mitigating specific disease conditions. Accordingly, many are now recommending the consumption of materials in this system as dietary supplements. Nicotinamide riboside (NAR) appears to have special value in this regard. It appears to be better tolerated than other molecules in this system, as well as better pharmacodynamics and greater potency. Unfortunately, NAR is a reactive molecule, often unstable during its manufacturing, transport, and storage. Indeed, HPLC analyses of many commercial samples of NAR shows that they contain substantial amounts of material that are not, in fact, NAR. In some of these commercial preparations, NAR is a minority component. Therefore, more stable derivatives of NAR that are easily converted upon consumption into NAR are therefore desired. Recently work related to prebiotic chemistry provided the borate derivative of NAR. NARB is considerably more stable than NAR itself. However, immediately upon consumption, the borate dissociates from NARB, and is lost in the body through dilution and binding to other species, notably carbohydrates such as fructose and glucose. The NAR left behind is expected to behave pharmacologically in ways identical to NAR itself. This review provides a comprehensive summary (through Q1 of 2023) of literature that makes the case for the consumption of NAR as a dietary supplement. It then summarizes the challenges of delivering quality NAR to consumers using standard synthesis, manufacture, shipping, and storage approaches. It concludes by outlining the advantages of NAR-borate in these processes.

In order to better understand the extent to which global climate variability is linked to the frequency and intensity of heat waves and overall changes in temperature throughout the United States (US), correlations between long-term monthly mean, minimum, and maximum temperatures measured at sites throughout the contiguous US and low-frequency variability of multiple climate indices (CIs) are analyzed over the period 1948 to 2018 using correlation analysis. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient is used to assess correlation strength, while Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation and a bootstrapping technique (p-value) are used to address potential serial and spurious correlation and assess the significance of each correlation. Three parameters defined the sliding windows over which surface temperature and CI values were averaged: window size, lag time between the temperature and CI windows, and the beginning month of the temperature window. A 60-month sliding window size and 0 lag time resulted in the strongest correlations overall; beginning months were optimized on an individual site basis. Strong (r >= 0.60) and significant (p-value <= 0.05) correlations were identified. The Western Hemisphere Warm Pool (WHWP) and El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibited the strongest links to temperatures in the western US, tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures to temperatures in the central US, the WHWP to temperatures throughout much of the eastern US, and atmospheric patterns over the northern Atlantic to temperatures in the Northeast and Southeast. The final results were compared to results from previous studies focused on precipitation and coastal sea levels. Regional consistency was found regarding links between the northern Atlantic and overall weather and coastal sea levels in the Northeast and Southeast as well as on weather in the upper Midwest. Though the MJO and WHWP revealed dominant links with precipitation and temperature, respectively, throughout the West, ENSO revealed consistent links to sea levels and surface temperatures along the West Coast. These results help focus future research regarding specific mechanisms of climate variability that appear the exhibit strong links to US regional weather and sea level variability and prediction.

In the present study we tested the effect of small molecular weight redox molecules on collagen-induced platelet aggregation. We used N-acetylcysteine amide (AD4), the amide form of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a thiol antioxidant with improved lipophilicity and bio-availability compared to NAC, and the thioredoxin mimetics (TXM) peptides, TXM-CB3, TXM-CB13, and TXM-CB30. All compounds significantly inhibited platelet aggregation induced by collagen, with TXM-peptides and AD4 being more effective than NAC. The levels of TxB2 and 12-HETE, the main metabolites derived from the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways following platelet activation, were significantly reduced in the presence of AD4, TXM-peptides, or NAC, when tested at the highest concentration (0.6 mM). The effect of AD4, TXM-peptides, and NAC was tested also on the clotting time (CT) of whole blood. TXM-CB3 and TXM-CB30 showed the highest increase of CT. Furthermore, two representative compounds, TXM-CB3, and NAC, showed an increase in the an-ti-oxidant free sulfhydryl groups of plasma detected by Ellman’s method, suggesting a contribution of plasma factors to the antiaggregating effects. Our results suggest that these small molecular weight redox peptides might become useful for the prevention and/or treatment of oxidative stress conditions associated with platelet activation.

Living with a chronic disease involves a variety of daily life limitations that severely affect people in their daily life. Identifying and promoting self-management strategies may improve health outcomes and increase patients’ autonomy. The purpose of the present study was to explore the perceived limitations and self-management strategies of elder patients suffering from chronic diseases. An inductive content analysis was applied, with a purposive sampling of 21 patients living with chronic conditions. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Two main-categories were emerged from content analysis, namely “Limitations of daily life” and “Disease Management”. Physical restrictions and negative feelings were referred to as daily burdens, while scheduling and self-care, supporting environment and technology were related to disease management. Information, training and provision of digital literacy may increase patients' self-efficacy in managing their chronic condition.

Dietary inclusion of trace minerals (TM), such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) is of importance to cover the ever-evolving requirements for growth, production, and reproduction in ruminants. Various sources of TM are commercially available, such as inorganic (ITM), organic (OTM) or hydroxy (HTM) forms, however their bioavailability and efficiency to improve ruminant zootechnical parameters may be highly influenced by ruminal solubility and effects on the rumen environment. The objective of this review was to compile the most up-to-date information on the ruminal solubility of ITM, OTM and HTM, and their effects on fermentation parameters and rumen microbiota, aiming to support specialists from the animal feed industry when choosing TM products for ruminant supplementation. Some commonly used ITM sources, like sulfates, have a high ruminal solubility, while oxides are less soluble. The ruminal solubility of OTM is mostly found to be high, however data on these TM forms are still lacking. Regarding HTM, ruminal solubility is reported to be low, nevertheless results are inconsistent. Considering rumen fermentation, ITM show a negative effect, OTM might improve, while HTM do not affect parameters like dry matter degradability, volatile fatty acid production, pH, or microbial protein synthesis. As to rumen microbiota, ITM do not affect microbial populations; OTM could decrease abundance of some specific bacteria, like fibrolytic microorganisms, while studies with HTM are missing or inconclusive. Further research is necessary to better understand the ruminal solubility kinetics of TM sources and the different interactions with fermentation parameters and rumen microbiota to successfully apply precision TM supplementation of ruminants, tackling deficiency occurrences.

Since the global request for freight transportation is continuously increasing to face the requirements of the modern economy, 5G infrastructures and companion technologies are becoming essential to support the digital transformation in logistics and transportation, in particular for their capability to allow data collection through a multitude of different sources across the supply chain, improving the connectivity and making more effective the secure and reliable data sharing. The objective of this work is to assess the penetration and implementation levels of innovative technologies to optimize port operations, by interviewing a set of actors and stakeholders directly involved in the logistics chain of ports.

Smart Living, an increasingly prominent concept, entails incorporating sophisticated technologies in homes and urban environments to elevate the quality of life for citizens. A critical success factor for Smart Living services and applications, from energy management to healthcare and transportation, is the efficacy of human action recognition (HAR). HAR, rooted in computer vision, seeks to identify human actions and activities using visual data and various sensor modalities. This paper extensively reviews the literature on HAR in Smart Living services and applications, amalgamating key contributions and challenges while providing insights into future research directions. The review delves into the essential aspects of Smart Living, the state of the art in HAR, and the potential societal implications of this technology. Moreover, the paper meticulously examines the primary application sectors in Smart Living that stand to gain from HAR, such as smart homes, smart healthcare, and smart cities. By underscoring the significance of the four dimensions of Context Awareness, Data Availability, Personalization, and Privacy in HAR, this paper serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners striving to advance Smart Living services and applications.

With the introduction of more and more monoclonal antibodies selectively targeting various mediators of the immune-system, together with Janus-Kinase (JAK)-inhibitors with variable affinities towards different JAK subtypes, the available therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have undergone an acceleration in the last five years. On the other hand, the prevalence of IBD patients over 65-years of age is steadily increasing and, with this, there is a large population of patients that presents more comorbidities, polypharmacy, and, more frequently, frailty compared to younger patients, exposing them to potentially major risks for adverse events deriving from newer therapies, e.g. infections, cardiovascular risks, and malignancies. Unfortunately, pivotal trials for the commercialization of new therapies rarely include older IBD patients and those with serious comorbidities are virtually excluded. In the present review, we focus on existing literature from pivotal trials and real-world studies, analyzing data on efficacy/effectiveness and safety of newer therapies in older IBD patients with special emphasis on comorbidities and frailty, two distinct but intercorrelated aspects of the older population since age by itself seems to be of minor importance.

Cancer cells show an increased glutamine consumption. The glutaminase (GLS) enzyme controls a limiting step in the glutamine catabolism. Breast tumors, especially the triple negative subtype, have a high expression of GLS. Our recent study demonstrated that GLS activity and ammonia production are inhibited by Sirtuin 5 (SIRT5). We have developed MC3138, a selective SIRT5 activator. Treatment with MC3138 mimicked the deacetylation effect mediated by SIRT5 overexpression. Moreover, GLS activity is regulated by inorganic phosphate (Pi). Considering the interconnected role of GLS, SIRT5 and Pi for cancer growth, our hypothesis is that activation of SIRT5 and reduction of Pi could represent a valid anti-tumoral strategy. Treating cells with MC3138 and lanthanum acetate, a Pi chelator, decreased cell viability and clonogenicity. We also observed a modulation of LC3 and ULK1 with MC3138 and lanthanum acetate. Interestingly, inhibition of mitophagy marker BNIP3 was observed only in the presence of MC3138. Such autophagy and mitophagy modulation was accompanied by an increase of cytosolic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, our results show how SIRT5 activation and/or Pi binding can represent a valid strategy to inhibit cell proliferation by reducing glutamine metabolism and mitophagy leading to a deleterious accumulation of ROS.

Proactivity is a particularly important attribute of knowledge-intensive organizations, where the work required to increase the potential of knowledge-intensive employees is crucial. A priority challenge for these firms is also to understand the increasing importance of the functioning of cognitive mechanisms leading to increased knowledge workers' well-being following the implementation of the psychological contract. The aim of this article is to identify the relationship between inclusive leadership, the fulfillment of the psychological contract, two dimensions of well-being: workplace and life well-being and knowledge workers' proactivity. Based on survey data collected through the CAWI method from 1.000 knowledge workers employed in Polish companies in the business services sector, the research hypotheses were tested using a stepwise equation modelling (SEM) technique, leading to a model containing all the main constructs. The results obtained indicate that inclusive leadership positively impacts the fulfillment of the psychological contract. Furthermore, the fulfillment of the psychological contract positively affects proactive working behavior with and the wellbeing of knowledge workers. Along with proactive work behavior, two dimensions of well-being, were examined as outcome variables. The analysis also shows that knowledge-intensive organizations, intending to build the proactivity of their employees and nurture a high level of well-being in their lives and in the workplace, should take care to fulfil the expectations and obligations of the psychological contract. However, one way to achieve this is for managers to use an inclusive management style, which supports an atmosphere of a safe working environment in a diverse setting and leads to employees feeling comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas. The study of inclusive leadership in the context of knowledge-intensive organizations provides human resource professionals and employee man-agers with important insights into how inclusive leadership can effectively contribute to the psychological contract, which will consequently lead to proactive work behavior and also improve employees' workplace and life well-being.

Abstract: Background: Adolescents frequently self-report pain, according to epidemiological research. The knee is one of the sites where the pain is most common. One of the main factors contributing to the number of years people spend disabled and having substantial personal, societal, and economic burdens globally is musculoskeletal disorders. Insidious, slowly building onset that neither the adolescent nor the parent is aware of [5]. Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) is a clinical knee pain commonly affecting adolescents. In the present study, the authors aimed to estimate the frequency of knee pain in Saudi adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional survey carried out from June to November 2022 included 676 adolescents, ages 10 to 18. The data are presented as frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare means between groups, while the chi-square test was used for the comparison of categorical variables. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Adolescents were invited to take part in the study; 57.5% were female and 42.5% were male, and 68.8% were aged between 15 and 18. The prevalence of knee pain was considerably high among females (26%), while it was 19.2% among males. Moreover, age was a significant predictor for knee pain, and BMI was as well. We also found a significant difference between BMI classification and stiffness of the knee (p = 0.008). There is a difference between adolescents who do physical activities in leisure and difficulty bending (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Our study noted a high rate of knee pain among adolescents, so we need to raise awareness about risk factors. Adolescent knee pain can be prevented with conservative methods and some minor lifestyle/activity modifications.

Delve into the ebb and flow of human ingenuity as the researcher traces the evolution of writing from papyrus to pixels. Discover how humble instruments like quill pens and typewriters have propelled human into the digital frontier, forever reshaping the art of expression in the modern age. This article examines the evolution of writing tools from traditional pen and paper to digital writing in the modern age. It explores the development of writing materials such as papyrus, parchment, and paper, as well as the invention of writing tools including quill pens, fountain pens, and typewriters. The rise of digital writing tools, including word processing software and smartphones, is also discussed, along with their benefits such as increased efficiency and productivity, enhanced collaboration and sharing capabilities, and greater accessibility and flexibility. However, the article also highlights the challenges of writing in the digital age, including the impact of digital distractions on writing focus and quality, the issue of online plagiarism and copyright infringement, and the potential loss of traditional writing skills. The article concludes with recommendations for educators, school administrators, students, and researchers to strike a balance between digital and traditional writing practices, to embrace digital writing tools while preserving traditional writing skills, and to understand the importance of the evolution of writing. The theoretical frameworks of Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) Theory, Media Ecology Theory, and Activity Theory are also discussed in relation to the evolution of writing tools. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the history, benefits, and challenges of writing in the digital age, as well as suggestions for navigating the future of writing and its tools.

The identification and quantitative determination of wool and fine animal fibers are of great interest in the textile field because of significant price differences between them and common adulterations in raw and processed textiles. Since animal fibers have remarkable similarities in their chemical and physical characteristics, specific identification methods have been studied and proposed following advances in analytical technologies. The identification methods of wool and fine animal fibers are reviewed in this paper and the results of relevant studies are listed and summarized, starting from classical microscopy methods which are still used today not only in Small to Medium Enterprises but also in large industries, research studies and quality control laboratories. Particular attention has been paid to image analysis, Nir spectroscopy and proteomics which constitute the most promising technologies of quality control in the manufacturing and trading of luxury textiles and can find application in forensic science and archeology.

In the current socio-economic context, pension systems have become a crucial topic in the agenda of governments and international bodies. In this paper, an empirical study regarding the economic and social sustainability of pension systems in Central and Eastern European Countries was performed. The goal of the research is to establish the sustainability of pension systems with econometric modeling techniques on three dimensions as the research hypotheses are revealed: first, by strengthening the financial soundness of pension systems; second, consolidating the economic environment of pension systems; third, increasing the degree of social security systems with a direct effect of reducing poverty. The results led to relevant insights emphasizing the need for more inclusive economic, financial, and social reforms. From a policy perspective, these findings could be a starting point for the enhancement of the financial adequacy and economic and social sustainability of pension systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. The econometric techniques in this study highlight those modern pensions systems that need to be addressed in a more complex and empirical context that must encompass the main technical aspects. The conclusions suggest that in the future it needs judicial, economic, and social adjustments for the enhancement of the financial soundness of the pension systems.

The positive impact of nature on human health has been explored by researchers. Although studies have indicated that olfaction and odors have an impact on both memory and health, re-search on the odor perception in relation to perceived health is scarce. A recent study found that the naturenatural scent from stem cuttings and potted plants of a specific rose-scented geranium Pelargonium graveolens, ‘Dr. Westerlund,’Westerlund’ had positive effects on stress-related mental disorders. reduction. Essential oils from many Pelargonium species, in particular ‘Dr. Westerlund’, are known to have phytochemical properties and pharmacological activities. No study has, so far, explored and identified the chemical com-pounds and the sensory perception of these compounds in stem cuttings and the potted ´Dr. Westerlund´ plantplants. Such knowledge would be an important contribution forto an increased understanding of the effects of plants’ chemical odor properties on human well-being and link this to the expressed perceived scents. Resulting sensory profiles of P.This study aimed to identify the sensory profile and suggest responsible chemical compounds of Pelargonium graveolens ´Dr. Westerlund´ as a potted plant and as stem cuttings were reported, as well as´. The sensory and chemical analysis results revealed sensory profiles of Pelargonium graveolens ´Dr. Westerlund´s, and suggestions for the chemical compounds that are attributed to the sensory profiles. Further studies are recommended to investigate the odor experience of scented pelargonium species in relation to various levels ofcorrelation between volatile com-pounds and possible stress hormones. reduction in humans.

In the last two decades many detailed full transcriptomic studies on complex biological samples have been published and included in large gene expression repositories. These studies primarily provide bulk expression signal for each sample, including multiple cell-types mixed within the global signal. The cellular heterogeneity in these mixtures does not allow the activity of specific genes in specific cell types to be identified. Therefore, inferring relative cellular composition is a very powerful tool to achieve a more accurate molecular profiling of complex biological samples. In recent decades, computational techniques have been developed to solve this problem by applying cell deconvolution methods, designed to decompose cell mixtures into their cellular components and calculate the relative proportions of these elements. Some of them, only calculate the cell proportions (supervised methods), while other deconvolution algorithms can also identify the gene signatures specific for each cell type (unsupervised methods). In these work, five deconvolution methods (CIBERSORT, FARDEEP, DECONICA, LINSEED and ABIS) were implemented and used to analyze blood and immune cells, and also cancer cells, in complex mixture samples (using three bulk expression datasets). Our study provides three analytical tools (corrplots, cell-signature plots and bar-mixture plots) that allow a thorough comparative analysis of the cell mixture data. The work indicates that CIBERSORT is a robust method optimized for the identification of immune cell-types, but not as efficient in the identification of cancer cells. We also observed that LINSEED is a very powerful unsupervised method that provides precise and specific gene signatures for each of the five main immune cell-types analyzed: neutrophils and monocytes (in the myeloid lineage), B-cells, NK cells and T-cells (in the lymphoid lineage).

Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays a role in several inflammatory diseases and is capable of inducing the release of inflammatory mediators in several cell types. The objective was to investigate the potential of Ang II to induce mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators by cultured primary human periodontal cells. A synergistic effect of a co-treatment with Ang II and IL1β on mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was also explored. Primary cultures of human fibroblast-like cells isolated from gingival and periodontal ligament tissues from 3 subjects were established using explant techniques. Immunophenotyping of STRO-1, AT1 and AT2 receptors was performed by flow cytometry analysis. Cell cultures were challenged with Ang II (1M) for 3, 6 and 24h with or without a co-treatment with IL1β (0.1ng/mL) for 24h. mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was performed by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We present, for the first time, a precise quantification for AT1 and AT2 receptors on human gingival and periodontal fibroblast-like cell types; the percentage of positive immunostaining compared to the total population of cells varied from 3.35% through 5.29% for AT1 and 2.97% through 4.57% for AT2. Ang II slightly upregulated mRNA expression of IL6 and CCL2/MCP1 in gingival cells and IL8 and PTGS2/COX2 in periodontal ligament cells. IL1β induced upregulation of IL8, IL6 CCL2/MCP1, PTGS2/COX2 and IL1β mRNA in both cell types. Co-treatment with Ang II and IL1β did not show a synergistic effect under these experimental conditions. Ang II shows a low potential to induce mRNA upregulation of inflammatory mediators in cultured primary human gingival and periodontal ligament cells, most likely due to the low percentage of Ang II receptors in such cells, and no synergistic effect with the co-treatment with IL1β.

Background: This literature review investigates qualitative and quantitative uses of indocyanine green (ICG) in surgical treatment, as this novel technique has become increasingly popular in ORs (operating rooms) worldwide due to its many advantages. Method: An extensive literature review was performed by searching for relevant terms in 5 international databases (www.pubmed.gov, www.sciencedirect.com, www.scopus.com, www.Oxfordjournals.com, www.reaxys.com). The results of this search were summarized into the main advantages of employing ICG in colorectal surgery as follows: a) intraoperative fluorescence angiography capability; b) fluorescence-guided identification of lymph node involvement in colorectal cancer and the sentinel lymph node method; c) positive fluorescence flagging of a liver tumour as small as "only" 200 tumour cells; d) facilitation of fistula diagnosis; and e) tumour tattooing. Moreover, in addition to qualitative intraoperative ICG use, this technique can be combined with quantitative methods and parameters, such as maximum intensity, relative maximum intensity, and different inflow parameters (time-to-peak, slope, and t1/2max). The conclusion of this article is that fluorescence surgery with ICG aided by near-infrared (NIR) light is a relatively recent technology, an advantage of which is improving the specific anatomic and functional information provided, thus allowing more comprehensive and safer tumour removal as well as preservation of important structures.

Due to the impacts from climate change, the allocation of water resources must urgently be optimized worldwide to ensure that the needs of both water managers and farmers are balanced. In this study, manager-oriented and farmer-oriented assessment models were developed for irrigation water optimization and allocation. The distance from water sources and hydraulic head were the main factors in the manager-oriented assessment model; crop value, water demand of crops, and soil type were additional factors in the farmer-oriented assessment model. The developed assessment models were used to assess irrigation water allocation in five villages in Neimen District. Cadasters at high elevation were discovered to not be suitable for cultivation of crops because of the difficulties in constructing irrigation facilities and the loss of irrigation water during transportation. The result obtained from the manager-oriented assessment system was related to the costs involved in the construction and maintenance of irrigation facilities, which indicated that cadasters located at long distances from water sources and at high elevation are unsuitable for cultivation. By contrast, the result obtained from the farmer-oriented assessment system was related to the profits of farmers and revealed that more cadasters would be suitable for cultivation if suitable crops were chosen.

The article presents the results of the γ-ray and fast neutrons impact on various rice species, in order to obtain mutant forms resistant to salinity (NaCl) and drought factors (sorbite). They are going to be used as initial forms in synthetic selection when creating varieties, adapted to the stressful conditions of, both, soil and climate in the Kazakhstan Aral Sea. The average lethal doses (LD50) of γ-rays and fast neutrons, as well as, the average NaCl and sorbite lethal concentrations were established. A distinct dependence on the effect of ionizing radiation and stress factors on the number of induced resistant mutant forms has been related to the initial rice variety. The largest number of mutant forms was obtained from the local variety Syr Suluy, followed by Leader and Aikerim varieties. Out of all varieties, only 1% of the initially irradiated by γ-rays seeds survived, while after fast neutron irradiation – 4,3%. M1 mutant plants significantly differ from the initial forms in terms of morphological features – plant height, panicle length, and grain size. They are tolerant to lodging, and have short and highly sterile panicles, indicating that they are mutants.

The genus Allium L. attracts the attention of researchers due to the presence of valuable medicinal, nutritional and decorative properties, adaptive capabilities, resistance to pests and diseases, ecological plasticity in its representatives, which contributes to the competitiveness of species and the manifestation of a high degree of adaptation outside natural areas and wide geographical distribution. Allium resources in Russia are a potential source of genes for expanding the genetic base of agricultural crops. The leaves of Allium crops have a short freshness period and quickly deteriorate due to spoilage and loss of water. Spoilage and loss of water affect their freshness and properties. The aim of the work was to establish the yield and change in the quality of green leaves of Allium species introduced into the Moscow region during short-term storage, depending on the type of packaging, storage period and temperature. 4-5-year-old plants of 4 species (A. altyncolicum, A. chyatophorum, A. nutans and A. turkestanicum) were grown on the collection plot of perennial onions of VNIIO, a branch of the FGBNU FNTSO. In the conditions of the Moscow region, the yield per leaf generation varied from 2.7 kg/m2 (A. altyncolicum) to 4.9 kg/m2 (A. cyathophorum). The maximum yield of marketable products was noted in hermetically sealed plastic bags when stored for 10 days at a temperature of +6 ... + 80С in a refrigerator with controlled conditions: A. turke-stanicum - 70.0%, A. cyathophorum - 75.5%, A. altyncolicum - 84.9%, A. nutans - 92.9%. However, an increase in the dry matter content (10.1-15.5%) was found during storage in an open polymer box in all tested species. The maximum content of vitamin C during storage in hermetically sealed bags with a density of 100 μm was found in A. altyncolicum (37.1 mg%) and A. nutans (42 mg%). In other species, the maximum value of this indicator was noted before storage. A slight increase in the amount of sugars after storage for 10 days was noted in species with a linear leaf shape when stored in a polymer box. Temperature control is the most effective approach to extend the shelf life of fresh green leaves by measuring its weight loss and vitamin C. Packaging cannot prevent spoilage of vegetables but can protect it against contamination, damage and excessive moisture loss.

Background: Hepatic erythrophagocytosis is augmented in NASH and amplifies inflammation and fibrosis. Although various pro-phagocytic signals have been identified on erythrocytes of NASH patients, the role of bound thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), which acts as an “eat-me” signal, arginase-1, which regulates the levels of nitric oxide in erythrocytes, and phosphatidylethano-lamine (PE) which can amplify erythrophagocytosis and hepatic inflammation have not been explored. Hence, we sought to investigate the levels of arginase-1 and TSP-1 in erythrocyte lysate and PE in erythrocyte membranes of NASH patients. Methods: Twenty-four patients and 14 healthy controls participated in our study. The levels of TSP-1 and arginase were quantified by ELISA in erythrocyte lysates, and the levels of PE in erythrocyte membranes by thin layer chro-matography. Results: Erythrocytes of NAFLD patients exhibit lower levels of arginase-1 and TSP-1 (p<0.01). Erythrocyte-bound TSP-1 levels correlated with the levels of erythrocyte surface CD47. Phosphatidylethanolamine was increased in erythrocytes of NASH patients and was accompanied by increased release, indicating exposure. Conclusion: Our results imply reduced TSP-1 binding by erythrocytes which could allow free TSP-1 molecules to act on macrophages, enhancing erythrophagocytosis. Increased PE which could amplify inflammation after efferocytosis, while downregulation of arginase-1 could lead to defective efferocytosis.

Background: The electroretinogram is a clinical test used to assess the function of the photoreceptors and retinal circuits of various cells in the eye, with the recorded waveform being the result of the summated response of neural generators across the retina. Methods: The present investigation involved an analysis of the electroretinogram waveform in both the time and time-frequency domain through the utilization of the discrete wavelet transform and continuous wavelet transform techniques. The primary aim of this study was to monitor and evaluate the effects of treatment in a New Zealand rabbit model of endophthalmitis via electroretinogram waveform analysis and to compare these with normal human electroretinograms Results: The wavelet scalograms were analyzed using various mother wavelets, including the Daubechies, Ricker, Wavelet Biorthogonal 3.1 (bior3.1), Morlet, Haar, and Gaussian wavelets. Distinctive variances were identified in the wavelet scalograms between rabbit and human electroretinograms. The wavelet scalograms in the rabbit model of endophthalmitis showed recovery with treatment in parallel with the time -domain features. Conclusions: The study compared Adult, Child, and Rabbit electroretinogram responses using DWT and CWT, finding that Adult signals had higher power than Child signals, and Rabbit signals showed differences in a-wave and b-wave depending on the type of response tested, while Haar Wavelet was found to be superior in visualizing frequency components in electrophysiological signals in following the treatment of endophthalmitis and may give additional outcome measures for the management of retinal disease.

Breast and Cervical cancer are significant causes of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. Usually, conventional therapies and early detection has shown success in metastasis and relapse rates and improved overall survival of the patients. The elimination of the efficacy of chemotherapies and target therapies because cancer stem cells create resistance against chemotherapy, metastasis, and relapse. Studies reveal that cancer stem cell markers are important for improving efficiencies of targeted therapies. Our study aims to analyze the stem cell markers and target the most significant stem cell marker by phytochemicals and their derivates. Through the analysis, it was observed that CXCR4 and SOX-2, mir-1, mir-125, and mir-429 may have a crucial role in stemness of breast and cervical cancer respectively, while BPMD & MD simulations revealed Di-valinoyl curcumin as a potential compound for CXCR4 targeting.

Solid oxide cells are capable of efficiently converting various chemical energy carriers to electricity and vice versa. The urgent challenge nowadays is the faster degradation rate compared with other fuel cell/electrolyzer technologies. To understand the degradation mechanisms, simulation of a solid oxide cell is helpful. Since most previous research developed models using commercial software, such as COMSOL and ANSYS Fluent, a gap for knowledge transfer is being gradually formed between academia and industry due to licensing issues. This paper introduces a multiphysics model, developed by a computational code, openFuelCell2. The code is implemented with an open-source library, OpenFOAM. It accounts for momentum transfer, mass transfer, electrochemical reactions and metal interconnect oxidation. The model can precisely predict I-V curves under different temperatures, fuel humidity and operation modes. Comparison between OpenFOAM and COMSOL simulations shows good agreement. The metal interconnect oxidation is modelled, which can predict the thickness of the oxide scale under different protective coatings. Simulations are conducted by assuming an ultra-thin film resistance on the rib surface. It is revealed that coatings fabricated by atmospheric plasma spraying can efficiently prevent metal interconnect oxidation, with a contribution of only 0.53 \% to the total degradation rate.

Voids in face-centered cubic (fcc) metals are commonly assumed to form by the aggregation of vacancies; however, the mechanisms of vacancy clustering and diffusion are not fully understood. In this study, we use computational modeling to provide a detailed insight into the structures and formation energies of primary vacancy clusters, mechanisms and barriers for their migration in bulk copper, and how these properties are affected at simple grain boundaries. The calculations were carried out using Embedded Atom Method (EAM) potentials and Density Functional Theory (DFT) and employed the Site-Occupation Disorder code (SOD), the Activation Relaxation Technique nouveau (ARTn) and the Knowledge Led Master Code (KLMC). We investigate stable structures and migration paths and barriers for clusters of up to six vacancies. Migration of vacancy clusters occurs via hops of individual constituent vacancies with di-vacancies having a significantly smaller migration barrier than mono-vacancies and other clusters. This barrier is further reduced when di-vacancies interact with grain boundaries. This interaction leads to the formation of self-interstitial atoms and introduces significant changes into the boundary structure. Tetra-, penta-, and hexa-vacancy clusters exhibit increasingly complex migration paths and higher barriers than smaller clusters. Finally, the direct comparison with the DFT results shows that EAM can accurately describe the vacancy-induced relaxation effects in the Cu bulk and in grain boundaries. Significant discrepancies between the two methods were found in structures with a higher number of low-coordinated atoms, such as penta-vacancies and di-vacancy absortion by grain boundary. These results will be useful for modeling the mechanisms of diffusion of complex defect structures and provide further insights into the structural evolution of metal films under thermal and mechanical stress.

The exceptional Jordan algebra is the algebra of $3 \times 3$ Hermitian matrices with octonionic entries. It is the only one from Jordan’s algebraic formulation of quantum mechanics which is not equivalent to the conventional formulation of quantum theory. It has often been suggested that this exceptional algebra could explain physical phenomena not currently explained by the conventional approach, such as values of the fundamental constants of the standard model of particle physics, and their relation to gravitation. We show that this is indeed the case; and this also unravels the connection between general relativity and the weak force. The exceptional Jordan algebra also predicts a new U(1) gravitational interaction which modifies general relativity, and which provides a theoretical basis for understanding the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND).

Document deskewing is a fundamental problem in document image processing. While existing methods have limitations, such as Hough Line Transformation that can deskew images upside down, and Deep Learning models that require huge amounts of human labour and computational resources and still fail to deskew while taking care of orientation, OCR-based methods also struggle to read text when it is tilted. In this paper, we propose a novel, simple, cost-effective deep learning method for fixing the skew and orientation of documents. Our approach reduces the search space for the machine learning model to predict whether an image is upside down or not, avoiding the huge search space of predicting an angle between 0 and 360. We finetuned a MobileNetV2 model, which was pre-trained on imagenet, using only 200 images and achieve good results. This method is useful for automation-based tasks, such as data extraction using OCR technology, and can greatly reduce manual labour.

(1) Background: This paper investigates the epidemiological risk related to temperature before and during COVID-19 in Italy; (2) Methods: Deaths in 2015-2019 and temperatures were correlated. Excess and COVID-19 deaths were examined to estimate the relationships with temperatures; (3) Results: Annual deaths were higher during the cold months (+45,000, SD = 4,700, S = 21). The scenario worsened during COVID-19. Mortality was higher during minimum temperature periods, although the curve moderately rose in the warmest months (r = -0.75, 95% CI = [-0.87; -0.56], S = 23). COVID-19 deaths showed a decreasing seasonality. Monthly excess deaths during COVID-19 were high (+4,200, IQR = [2,800; 8,000], S = 28) with a doubt of seasonality. COVID-19 mortality was correlated with regional latitude (r = 0.86, 95% CI = [0.68; 0.94], S = 20). Discrepancies between COVID-19 and excess deaths were found. The exposed population was subject to aging; (4) Conclusions: The epidemiological risk in Italy is seasonal and geographically dependent. Low and very high temperatures can lead to mortality peaks. Therefore, COVID-19 and any other epidemiological risk must be evaluated in light of this evidence. Health systems need to be strengthened during cold and extremely hot periods. Future research should investigate these phenomena at the causal level.

The effects of 0.4wt.% Sc addition on a typical Al-Si10-Mg alloy were systematically investigated in the present research. Samples with and without Sc produced refined dendritic arranged microstructures with sensitivity to the aging treatment after solidification, particularly in the case of the alloy without Sc. After being exposed to 300°C for 90 minutes, the dendritic spacing nearly doubled in the Al-10wt.%Si-0.45wt.%Mg samples. The rapidly solidified microstructures were constituted by the -Al dendritic phase surrounded by eutectic phases/intermetallics such as Si, Mg2Si and Al3Sc (in the case of the alloy containing Sc). 255°C and 300°C were deemed most appropriate temperatures for aging treatments, with four exposure times of up to 120 minutes tested for each alloy. The heat treatments allowed the Vickers hardness profiles to be plotted and compared. Moreover, in order to detect both Sc- and Mg- precipitates after aging, specific samples have been prepared for either SEM or TEM analyses. At first, the results pointed to a strong precipitate-related hardening effect formed as a result of the Sc addition to the alloy. All samples containing Sc showed a higher hardness value when compared to their respective treated samples without Sc. Secondly, when comparing the Al-10Si-Mg-Sc alloy samples among themselves after being treated at different conditions, high temperatures and excessive treatment times can become detrimental to the hardness. This was due to the growth of larger Sc-bearing precipitates of approximately 1 µm in size under such conditions, having less pronounced hardening effect. The best condition (255°C for 60 min) for as centrifuged samples in Cu-mold produced very fine dispersion of Mg- and Sc- intermetallics (~200 nm in size) with a peak hardness of 110 HV.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has both harmful and beneficial effects on human health. It can cause skin damage and cancer, but also provides the primary source of vitamin D. Additionally, UV radiation affects energy metabolism in mice with metabolic diseases and has protective effects on hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of metabolic dysfunctions such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, abdominal/central obesity, and insulin resistance. Chronic UVR exposure suppressed obesity and type 2 diabetes in high-fat diet-fed mice, while vitamin D supplementation did not replicate these effects. On the other hand, topical application of nitric oxide (NO) donors replicated UV effects on mice, and NO scavengers prevented the positive impact of UV. UVR may prevent the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome through mechanisms that depend on UVR-induced NO, not vitamin D. Exposure to sunshine has a protective impact on blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Although lower vitamin D concentration is linked to increased hypertension and the incidence of CVD, oral vitamin D supplementation does not decrease blood pressure or the risk of CVD, indicating that vitamin D may not mediate the beneficial effects of sun exposure. Instead, NO plays a crucial role as an endogenous vasodilator, produced by the vascular endothelium. Solar UVA may release nitrogen oxides from skin storage into the bloodstream, lowering blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality.In conclusion, UVR exposure could be a promising non-pharmacological intervention for metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and CVD prevention, and NO may play a crucial role in mediating these effects. Further research is needed to explore the precise mechanisms and identify the optimal doses and exposure times of UVR.

Fruits are commonly used, fresh or processed, to prepare different industrial products with superior nutritional and health-promoting properties. Currently, the demand for processed fruit products has motivated the rapid growth of the fruit processing industries, persuading them to produce an enormous amount of by-products with less utilization. Furthermore, people's shifting dietary habits and lack of awareness of nutritional properties result in an avoidable load of fruit by-products. The knowledge of the value of by-products urges exploration with proper documentation, emphasizing the health benefits of some such products. Hence, this review is prepared by carefully analyzing the recent literature on industrial applications of fruit by-products and their nutritional and health-promoting properties. The use of fruit by-products in food industries for various purposes has been reported in the past and has been reviewed and described here. Fruit by-products are a good source of nutrients and bioactive components, including polyphenols, dietary fibers, and vitamins, implying that they could have an important role for novel, value-added functional food properties. Furthermore, fruit by-products are used as the substrate for the production of organic acids, essential oils, enzymes, fuel, biodegradable packaging materials, and preservatives.

Polyacetylene phytochemicals are emerging as potentially responsible for the chemoprotective effects of consuming apiaceous vegetables. There is some evidence suggesting that polyacetylenes impact carcinogenesis by influencing a wide variety of signalling pathways, which are important in regulating inflammation, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, etc. Studies have shown a correlation between human dietary intake of polyacetylene-rich vegetables with reduced risk of inflammation and cancer. Polyacetylene supplementation can influence cell growth, gene expression, and immunological responses, and reduce tumour number in rat and mouse models. Cancer chemoprevention by dietary polyacetylenes involves several mechanisms, including effects on inflammatory cytokines, the NF-κB pathway, antioxidant response elements, UPR pathway, growth factor signalling, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. This review summarises the published research on falcarinol-type polyacetylene compounds and their mechanisms of action regarding cancer chemoprevention and treatment, and also identifies some gaps in our current understanding of the health benefits of these polyacetylenes.

Transcription factors are diverse intracellular proteins facilitating cellular responses to inducing factors via gene expression. Regulatory signalling cascades from the membrane proteins (sensors) to transcription factors (effectors) are paramount to accurate phenotypic display against external factors. This review examines several transcription factors germane to Cryptococcus (C.) neoformans adaptation and survival for human infection. These opportunistic pathogenic single-cell yeasts (fungi) possess several gene duplications and peculiar membrane proteins due to adaptive phenotypes and morphological plasticity. Consequently, hundreds of responsible pleiotropic genes have been studied to understand how these genes are induced, regulated, and coordinated. However, these findings are sparsely converged and interlinked, making it cumbersome to relate one gene to the other or group them by their functions. We reviewed several wide-ranging transcriptional analysis works associated with C. neoformans into comparable phenotypic traits that necessitate adaptation, survival, and human infection. We present a robust work that addresses several transcription factors and their inducing factors. Lastly, we converge, link, and group several of these factors according to their multifunctional expression pattern. We also provide adequate information on certain genes critical to this fungus, which could be explored pharmaceutically in drug targeting for more effective antifungal management.

This research is completed in development of researches devoted to relations between elastic modulus (MoE) and thermal expansivity (CTe) of different materials. This study experimentally confirmed the relation of MoE and CTe for thermosetting polymers and FRPs both under normal and heating temperatures. As the thermosetting polymers, the epoxy compositions were used and glass fiber and mineral additives for FRP. The experiment was based on dilatometric and elastic deformations’ testing. Also, the relaxation model of MoE/CTe was proposed, that is based on physical properties of polymers’ supramolecular structures. The comparative analyzing of MoE/CTes’ different models is done. The most accurate models are determined, and the relaxation model has demonstrated the high accuracy.

The G2 gas cloud motion data and the scarcity of observations on the event horizon-scale distances have challenged the comprehensiveness of the central supermassive black hole model. In addition, the Planck Legacy 2018 release has preferred a positively curved early Universe with a confidence level higher than 99%. This study investigates the impact of the background curvature and its evolution over the conformal time on the formation and morphological evolution of central compact objects and the consequent effect on their host galaxies. The formation of a galaxy from the collapse of a supermassive gas cloud in the early Universe is modeled based on interaction field equations as a 4D relativistic cloud-world that flows and spins through a 4D conformal bulk of a primordial positive curvature considering the preference of the Planck release. Owing to the curved background, this scenario of galaxy formation reveals that the core of the galaxy undergoes a forced vortex formation with a central event horizon leading to opposite vortices (traversable wormholes) that spatially shrink while evolving in the conformal time. It indicates that the galaxy and its core are formed in the same process whereas the surrounding gas clouds form the spiral arms due to the frame-dragging induced by the fast-rotating core. It demonstrates that the accretion flow onto the central supermassive compact object only occurs at the central event horizon of the two opposite vortices while their other ends eject the relativistic jets. This can elucidate the relativistic jet formation and explain the G2 gas cloud motion if its orbit is around one of the vortices but at a distance from the central event horizon. The gravitational potential of the early curved bulk could contribute to galaxy formation while the present spatial flatness deprives the potential of bulk which could lead to galaxy quenching. The formation of a galaxy and its core simultaneously could explain the growth of the supermassive compact galaxy core to a mass of ~10⁹ M_⊙ at just 6% of the current Universe age.

Mental health could worsen in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder during the Covid19 pandemic. In addition, their parents could be more at risk for an increase in anxiety and depression symptomatology. This study aims to understand the adaptation and the psychosocial well-being in a sample of 16 males aged 10-21 years old with Asperger syndrome after the quarantine for Covid19 when they return to school and partially to their activities in September 2020, The approach adopted is multi-informant with a battery of questionnaires on psychological health and adaptation given by a secure online web data Qualtrics both to adolescents and also to their parents. Paralleling matched peers with typically development were assessed adopting the same methodology. The results evidenced several difficulties in Asperger’s psychological health, especially in anxiety and socialization. Also adaptation is put in crisis, even if they reported a good comprehension and adoption of the behaviors anti-Covid19. Parents of children with Asperger reported similar psychological difficulties and general health than those of the group of children typically developing. Some clinical indications could be discussed for psychologists who follow children and adolescents with Asperger.

This paper discussed the concept of quality assurance (QA) in higher education and its implications to higher education institutions (HEIs) and the possible challenges. The study evaluated literature concerning QA in Zambia and elsewhere. The findings of the study show that QA is implemented through external and internal mechanisms such as accreditation, registration, institutional auditing, and the use of external examiners, self-evaluation, and peer reviews. The QA implications to HEIs in Zambia are that there is a need for accreditation of academic programmes with the Higher Education Authority (HEA) by HEIs. Further, HEIs should establish QA units to spearhead quality issues, reactive, and introduce the use of external examiners to ensure quality. The challenges identified in the implementation of QA in HEIs include inadequate funding, infrastructure, shortage of qualified academic staff, and lack of standalone QA units in some HEIs. In this regard, it has been recommended among other things, government improve funding in public HEIs, construct infrastructure, HEIs establish QA units, and recruit and retain qualified academic staff to ensure the quality of education.

We are in amidst of COVID-19 pandemic. Since Dec 2019, severe acute respiratory corona virus (SAR-CoV-2) has infected more than half a billion people killing nearly 7 million people worldwide. Now the BA.5 variant of SARS-CoV-2 is causing mayhem and driving the global surge. Epidemiologist are aware of the fact that this virus is capable of escaping immunity and likely to infect the same person multiple times despite adequate vaccination status. Elderly people of age more than 60 years and those with underlying health conditions are considered as high-risk who are likely to suffer complications and death. While it is tempting to frame complications and mortality from COVID-19 as a simple matter of too much of a virulent virus in too weak of a host, much more is at play here. Framing the pathophysiology of COVID-19 in the context of the Chrousos and Gold model of the central stress response system can shed insight into its complex pathogenesis. Understanding the mechanisms by which pharmacologic modulation of the central stress response system via administration of clonidine and/or dexamethasone may offer an explanation as to why a viral pathogen can be well tolerated and cleared by one host while inflaming and killing another.

Due to the rising dependency on digital technology, cybersecurity has emerged as a more prominent field of research and application that typically focuses on securing devices, networks, systems, data and other resources from various cyber-attacks, threats, risks, damages, or unauthorized access. Artificial Intelligence (AI), also referred to as a crucial technology of the current Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0 or 4IR), could be the key to intelligently dealing with these cyber issues. Various forms of AI methodologies, such as analytical, functional, interactive, textual as well as visual AI can be employed to get the desired cyber solutions according to their computational capabilities. However, the dynamic nature and complexity of real-world situations and data gathered from various cyber sources make it challenging nowadays to build an effective AI-based security model. Moreover, defending robustly against adversarial attacks is still an open question in the area. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive view on "Cybersecurity Intelligence and Robustness", emphasizing multi-aspects AI-based modeling and adversarial learning that could lead to addressing diverse issues in various cyber applications areas such as detecting malware or intrusions, zero-day attacks, phishing, data breach, cyberbullying and other cybercrimes. Thus the eventual security modeling process could be automated, intelligent, and robust compared to traditional security systems. We also emphasize and draw attention to the future aspects of cybersecurity intelligence and robustness along with the research direction within the context of our study. Overall, our goal is not only to explore AI-based modeling and pertinent methodologies but also to focus on the resulting model's applicability for securing our digital systems and society.

: This study was aimed at assessing adaptation and bonding of discontinuous (short) glass fiber-reinforced composite to intraradicular dentin EverX Flow (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), when used as intracanal composite filling and anchorage instead of traditional fiber posts. (2) Methods: Seventy intact extracted human teeth were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10), depending on the materials used in the post space. In Group 1, a 2-bottle universal adhesive G2 Bond Universal + EverX Flow were tested. In group 2, a single-component universal adhesive G-Premio Bond + EverX Flow were used. In groups 3 and 4 the same materials are tested, but after cleaning of the canal walls with 17% EDTA and final irrigation with 5.25% NaOCl Ultrasound Activated. In the last three Groups (5-7) traditional prefabricated GC Fiber Posts 1.6 mm silanized with G-Multi Primer for 1 minute are cemented with a dual-cured composite resin cement (GradiaCore), after ultrasonic irrigation in the groups 6 and 7. In each group, 1 mm-thick slices from each sample (n=10) were cut for light microscope and SEM inspection for study materials adaption to the dentin and for measuring push-out strength of post / cemement material to the dentin / prefabricated post. These results were statistically analyzed: as the data distribution was not normal, the Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance by Ranks had to be applied. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Push-out forces varied between 6.66-8.37 MPa. No statistically significant differences were recorded among the groups. Microscopic examination showed that ultrasonic irri-gation increased adaptation of the materials to the dentin surface. There was a trend of higher bond strength among the tested groups when EverX Flow was used. Also, the type of failure was more often cohesive when ultrasonic irrigation and two-step adhesive system were used. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it may be concluded that when EverX Flow was used for intracanal anchorage in the post-endodontic recon-struction, similar push-out retentive forces and strength to those of traditional fiber posts cemented with particulate filler resin composite cements were achieved. Although further studies are necessary, EverX Flow represents an effective alternative to traditional fiber post adhesion in particular when used in combination with the two-step adhesive system and ultrasonic activation.

The by-products of the juice and cider industry in forms of pomace and peels are rich sources of pectin which further can be used in the food, cosmetic and non-food industries. The aim of the research was to use by-products from fruits and berries grown in Latvia: Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum); Apples (Malus domestica); Plums (Prunus domestica); Red Currants (Ribes rubrum); Black Currants (Ribes nigrum); Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa); Sour Cherries (Prunus cerasus); Pumpkins (Cuccurbita spp.) for pectin extraction. Citric acid (0.1 N) was used for the hot water extraction. The yield of pectin (PY = 4.47 – 17.8 % DM) and physicochemical parameters of obtained pectin were determined: methoxy degree (ME = 4.27 – 8.13 %), esterification degree (DE = 45.16 % – 64.06 %), anhydrouronic acid content (AUA = 38.23.% - 84.74 %); moisture content (5.2 – 7.4 %), ash content (1.42 - 2.88 g 100 g-1), total phenolic content (TPC = 2.076 – 4.668 GAE, mg L-1) and antiradical scavening activity (DPPH Method (0.56 – 37.29 %)). Pectin analysis was performed by FT-IR and the rheological properties of pectin gels were determined.

Previous studies have shown that agricultural works bear a disproportionately higher burden of HIV, which is the highest HIV prevalence ever reported in any working population in South Africa. This study aimed to assess HIV knowledge, attitudes and practices of agricultural workers, as a precarious and vulnerable workforce. A cross-sectional study design was employed. A pre-piloted paper-based questionnaire was administered to a consenting sample of agricultural workers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using stata version 16.1 software, 0.05 level was used as a measure of significance. The majority of agricultural workers had adequate knowledge level (72.1%) regarding HIV/AIDS. Knowledge was significantly associated with having some level of education,) secondary education (AOR: 1.46, 95% CI:1.01-2.12), and post-matric qualification (AOR: 3.07, 95% CI: 1.61-5.83). The attitudes level of workers towards HIV was good (88.1%). Attitude was negatively associated with residing in informal settlements (AOR: 0.64, 95% CI 0.43-0.97). Majority of participants exhibited poor prevention practices regarding HIV (60.9%). Half of participants reported low condom usage (50.9%) and multiple sexual partners (50.6%). The portrayed risky sexual behavior establishes agricultural workers as an HIV high-risk population. Strategizing non-conventional approaches to HIV prevention and behavior change communication targeting agricultural workers is recommended.

QTc interval measurement is a widely used screening tool to assess the risk of cardiac diseases, arrhythmias, and is a useful biomarker for pharmacovigilance. However, interpretation of QTc is difficult in neonates due to hemodynamic maturational changes and uncertainties on reference values. To describe trends in QTc values throughout infancy (1 year of life), and to explore the impact of (non)-maturational changes and medicines exposure, a structured systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42022302296) was performed. In term neonates, a decrease was observed over the first week of life, whereafter values increased until two months of age, followed by a progressive decrease until six months. A similar pattern, with longer QTc values was observed in preterms. QTc is influenced by cord clamping, hemodynamic changes, therapeutic hypothermia, illnesses and sleep, not by sex. Cisapride, domperidone and doxapram result in QTc prolongation in neo-nates. Further research in this age category is needed to improve primary screening practices, earlier detection of risk factors and precision pharmacovigilance.

The addition of prebiotics is one of the most important ways to improve the techno-functional properties of bread. In this study, the effects of resistant starch, polydextrose, and inulin on the wheat flour, dough, and bread properties were investigated. In farinography results, resistant starch significantly increased the development time (2:18) with a boosting effect, but polydextrose (1:48) and inulin (1:36) weakened the dough (P &lt;0.05). Inulin, polydextrose, and resistant starch had the most effect on reducing water absorption (40, 43.2, and 48.9) respectively (P &lt;0.05). According to extensography data, inulin had the best result in baking compared to other polysaccharides. In terms of baked breads, samples containing resistant starch had high moisture that could be due to starch gelatinization and moisture-retaining, which delays the staling process of bread. Inulin, polydextrose, and resistant starch prebiotic ingredients affected dough rheological properties and bread quality, and organoleptic characteristics, however, resistant starch was the best.

Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise, and there aren't enough new treatments to combat it. This might send the modern world back to the pre-antibiotic age. The molecular hybrids of pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine and triazole have been designed, synthesized, and analyzed for their drug-like molecule nature and in vitro analyses for their inhibition potentials against S. Aureus and K. Pneumoniae. The compounds CY-R2-25 and CY-R2-28 have been identified as the high potential molecules in this series based on in vitro experiments. CY-R2-25 has zone of inhibition values of 15 0.82 and 14 0.7, whilst CY-R2-28 has the zone of inhibition values of 18 0.95 and 16 0.82 against S. Aureus and K. Pneumoniae, respectively. MIC and MIB values for CY-R2-25 and CY-R2-28 against S. Aureus and K. Pneumoniae are 0.25 and 0.5, respectively.

Contamination with Arsenic, a toxic metalloid, is increasing in the marine environment. Additionally, global warming can alter metalloids toxicity. Polychaetes are key species in marine environments. By mobilizing sediments, they play vital roles in nutrient and element (including contaminants) cycles. Most studies with marine invertebrates focused on the effects of metalloids on either adults or larvae. Here we bring information on the effects of temperature increase and arsenic contamination on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor in different growth stages and water temperatures. Feeding activity and biochemical responses – neurotransmission, indicators of cell damage, antioxidant and biotransformation enzymes and metabolic capacity - were evaluated. Temperature rise combined with As imposed alterations on feeding activity and biochemical endpoints at different growth stages. Small organisms have their antioxidant enzymes increased, avoiding lipid damage. However, larger organisms are the most affected class due to inhibition of superoxide dismutase, which resulted in protein damage. Oxidative damage was observed on smaller and larger organisms exposed to As and 21 °C, demonstrating higher sensibility to the combination of temperature rise and As. The observed alterations may have ecological consequences, affecting the cycle of nutrients, sediment oxygenation and the food chain that depend on the bioturbation of this polychaete.

Physical roots, exemplifications and consequences of periodic and aperiodic ordering (represented by Fibonacci series) in biological systems are discussed. The role and physical and biological roots of symmetry and asymmetry appearing in biological patterns is addressed. Generalization of the Curie-Neumann Principle as applied to biological objects is presented, briefly summarized as: “asymmetry is what creates a biological phenomenon”. The “up-bottom approach” and “bottom up” approaches to the explanation of symmetry in organisms are presented in detail. The “up-bottom approach”, implies that the symmetry of the biological structure follows the symmetry of media in which this structure is functioning; the “bottom-up” approach, in turn, adopt that the symmetry of biological structures emerges from the symmetry of molecules constituting the structure. A diversity of mathematical measures applicable for quantification of ordering in biological patterns is introduced. The continuous, Shannon and Voronoi measures of symmetry/ordering and their application to biology objects are addressed. The fine structure of the notion of “ordering” is discussed. Informational/algorithmic roots of ordering inherent for the biological systems are considered. Ordered/symmetrical patterns provide economy of biological information, necessary for algorithmic description of a biological entity. Application of the Landauer principle bridging physics and theory of information to the biological systems is discussed.

Hilbert arithmetic in a wide sense, including Hilbert arithmetic in a narrow sense consisting by two dual and anti-isometric Peano arithmetics, on the one hand, and the qubit Hilbert space (originating for the standard separable complex Hilbert space of quantum mechanics), on the other hand, allows for an arithmetic version of Gentzen’s cut elimination and quantum measurement to be described uniformy as two processes occurring accordingly in those two branches. A philosophical reflection also justifying that unity by quantum neo-Pythagoreanism links it to the opposition of propositional logic, to which Gentzen’s cut rule refers immediately, on the one hand, and the linguistic and mathematical theory of metaphor therefore sharing the same structure borrowed from Hilbert arithmetic in a wide sense. An example by hermeneutical circle modeled as a dual pair of a syllogism (accomplishable also by a Turing machine) and a relevant metaphor (being a formal and logical mistake and thus fundamentally inaccessible to any Turing machine) visualizes human understanding corresponding also to Gentzen’s cut elimination and the Gödel dichotomy about the relation of arithmetic to set theory: either incompleteness or contradiction. The metaphor as the complementing “half” of any understanding of hermeneutical circle is what allows for that Gödel-like incompleteness to be overcome in human thought.

Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) Virus infection is major etiological factor for liver cirrhosis and/ or liver cancer. The viral protein, major contributor in predisposition of chronicity and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is Hepatitis B x (HBx) protein. Its dynamic subcellular distribution to an extent determines its multifactorial role. It is a regulatory protein which modulates viral as well as host machinery in favours to HBV persistence. An insight on HBx stabilising factors is critical for therapeutic purpose. The precise role of HBx in the pathogenesis of Chronicity of HBV is not known. Summary: This review comprehensively summarizing different mechanisms and their regulation by HBx protein with respect to chronicity and HCC emphasising viral persistence. Key Messages 1. HBx is a key protein for viral persistence. 2. Dynamic subcellular distribution of HBx determines its function. 3. HBx modulates cellular machinery to favours HBV survival. 4. HBx affects various intermediary mechanisms contributing to disease progression. 5. HBx may be a potent target to prevent the disease progression towards HCC.

Oral immunization with the choleric toxin (CT) elicits a high level of protection against its enterotoxin activities and can control cholera in endemic settings. However, the complete B-cell epitope map of the CT responsible for protection remains to be clarified. Here, we have mapped the B-cell linear epitopes of the three chains of the CT protein (CTP) prepared by Spot synthesis. The immunoreactivity of sera from mice immunized with an oral, inactivated vaccine (Schankol†™) was measured against membrane-bound peptides for mapping. Results: Eighteen IgG epitopes were identified; eight in the CTA, three in the CTB, and seven in the protein P. Three epitopes, TQTGFVRHDDGYVST (aa 66-77, Vc/TxA-3), KNGAIFQVE VPGSQN (aa 64-78, Vc/TxB-11), and LNDEHK (aa 90-95, Vc/TxP-16), were chosen to synthesize a multiple antigen peptide that was used to coat ELISA plates to screen immunized mouse sera as a test for an in vitro diagnostics for cholera. Conclusion: Vaccination with inactive CT-generated antibodies against multiple linear epitopes and the selected epitopes can be used to construct immunological reagents for rapid serological diagnosis of cholera with high sensitivity and specificity.

Various factors, such as uncertainty of component parameters and uncertainty of sensor meas-urement values, contribute to the difficulty of fault detection in the landing gear retrac-tion/extension hydraulic system. In this paper, we introduce linear fractional transformation technology and uncertainty analysis theory for the construction of the diagnostic bond graph of the landing gear retraction/extension hydraulic system. In this way, interval analytical redundancy relations and fault signature matrix can be derived. Using the fault signature matrix, existing faults of the system can be preliminarily detected and isolated. Additionally, interval analytical re-dundancy relations can be used to detect system faults in detail, and cases analysis can be carried out to determine if the actuator is externally or internally leaky, and if the landing gear selector valve is reversing stuck. Compared to the traditional analytical redundancy relations, this method takes into account the negative factors of uncertainty; and compared to the traditional absolute diagnostic threshold, the interval diagnostic threshold is more accurate and sensitive.

Emerging RNA virus infections are a growing concern among domestic bird and poultry industries due to the severe impact it can have on the flock health and economic livelihoods. Avian paramyxoviruses (APMV) are pathogenic, negative sense RNA viruses that cause serious infections in the respiratory and central nervous system. APMV was detected in multiple avian species during the 2017 migration season in Ukraine, and studied using PCR, virus isolation, and sequencing. Of the 4090 wild bird samples, eleven swabs were isolated in chicken embryos and identified for APMV serotype by hemagglutinin inhibition test: APMV-1, APMV-4, APMV-6, APMV-7. At a variety of sites in Ukraine we characterized the virulence of the virus and further analyzed and predicted the potential risks of spillover to immunologically naïve populations. RNA was extracted and amplified using a multiplex-tiling primer approach to encompass full cDNA genomes. Full-length APMV-1 (n=5) and APMV-6 (n=2) genomes were sequenced on an Oxford Nanopore MinION device in Ukraine. All APMV-1 and APMV-6 fusion (F) proteins possessed a monobasic cleavage site, suggesting these APMV were likely low virulence, annually circulating strains. Utilization of this low-cost method will identify gaps in viral evolution and circulation in this understudied but important critical region for Eurasia.

Pathologies of the blood brain barrier (BBB) have been linked to a multitude of CNS disorders whose pathology is poorly understood. Cortical spreading depression (CSD) has long been postulated to be involved in the underlying mechanisms of these disease states, yet full understanding remains elusive. This study utilized an in vitro model of the BBB with b.End3 murine endothelial cells to investigate the role of CSD in BBB pathology by characterizing effects of the release of major pronociceptive substances on BBB functional integrity using TEER screening, transcellular uptake, and immunoreactive methods in concert with global proteome and phospho-proteomic approaches. Findings demonstrated relocalization and functional alteration to proteins associated with the cytoskeleton and endothelial tight junctions. Pathologic mechanisms induced by individual substances released during CSD were found to have unique phosphorylation signatures in phospho-proteome analysis, identifying Zona Occludens 1 as a possible pathologic “checkpoint” of the BBB. Utilizing these phosphorylation signatures, possible novel diagnostic methods may be developed for neurological diseases and warrants further investigation.

The aims of the study are: a) Describe the reactogenicity of WHO-approved two mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) and two non-RNA vaccines (Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinovac) among lactating mother and baby pairs; and b) compare and contrast the reactogenicity between mRNA and non-mRNA vaccines. A cross-sectional, self-reported survey was conducted amongst 1784 lactating women who received COVID-19 vaccinations. The most common maternal adverse reaction was a local reaction at the injection site; the largest minority of respondents, 43.7% (780/1784), reported experiencing worse symptoms when receiving the second dose compared to the first dose. There were no major reported adverse effects or behavioural changes in the breastfed infants. Among the respondents who received non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations, a majority reported no change in lactation but those who did more commonly reported an increase in milk supply, decrease in milk supply and pain in the breast. The more commonly reported lactation changes (fluctuations in breastmilk supply and pain in the breast) for the non-mRNA vaccines were similar to that of respondents who received mRNA vaccines. Our study, with a large cohort and wide geographical and racial mix, further augments earlier reported findings that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for breastfeeding mothers and her children.

The voltage-gated potassium channel KV1.3 has been recognized as a tumor marker and represents a promising new target for the discovery of new anticancer drugs. We designed a novel structural class of KV1.3 inhibitors through structural optimization of benzamide-based hit compounds and structure-activity relationship studies. The potency, and selectivity of the new KV1.3 inhibitors were investigated using whole-cell patch- and voltage-clamp experiments. 2D and 3D cell models were used to determine antiproliferative activity. Structural optimization resulted in the most potent and selective KV1.3 inhibitor 44 in the series with an IC50 value of 470 nM in oocytes and 950 nM in Ltk cells. Kv1.3 inhibitor 4 induced significant apoptosis in Colo-357 spheroids, while 14, 37, 43, and 44 significantly inhibited Panc-1 proliferation.

In the current research work, electrical resistance tomography (ERT) was employed for crystallization process monitoring and visualization. A first-of-its-kind MATLAB-based interactive GUI application “ERT-Vis” is presented. Two case studies involving varied crystallization methods were undertaken. The experiments involving calcium carbonate reactive (precipitative) crystallization for the high conductivity solution-solute media and the cooling crystallization for sucrose crystallization representing the lower conductivity solution-solute combination were designed and performed. The software successfully provided key insights regarding the process progress in both crystallization systems. It could detect and separate the crystal agglomerations in the low as well as high conductivity solutions using visual analytics tools provided. The performance and utility of the software were studied using a software evaluation case study involving domain experts. Participant feedback indicated that ERT-Vis software helps in reconstructing images instantaneously, interactively visualizing, and evaluating the output of the crystallization process monitoring data.

Good child protection systems and processes require reliable and accurate data. A retrospective study of the case records of 452 children referred to a major UK children’s tertiary centre for suspected child maltreatment was undertaken to determine whether routinely collected data on a child’s journey through the child protection system, together with a study of related multidimensional factors, can be used to develop an enhanced dataset to protect children in the UK and in other countries. Child maltreatment was substantiated in 65% of referred cases, with the vast majority of referrals coming from children living in the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. Domestic violence and abuse, and the child’s previous involvement with statutory bodies was associated with case substantiation. Physical abuse predominated, with soft tissue injuries, including dog bites, and burns. Burns were related almost exclusively to supervisory neglect. There were also cases of medical neglect. Emotional abuse was associated with exposure to domestic violence and abuse, and to self-harm. The strengths and weaknesses for single centre data systems were explored, concluding with a recommendation to establish an agreed national and international minimum data set to protect children from maltreatment.

About 70% of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy experience gait impairments which affect their autonomy and well-being. Robotic-assisted gait training using the Lokomat is particu-larly promising for rehabilitation as it provides a standardized environment favoring the massive repetition of the movement, in which physical demands are low on the therapist and high training loads can be achieved. As no guidelines exist regarding training protocols and Lokomat settings, the goal of this study was to review the literature on Lokomat-assisted gait therapy and possibly make training recommendations. The twelve studies reviewed reported both positive and null effects of Lokomat training on gait. Half of the studies combined Lokomat with other types of training and only five used a control intervention to assess its benefit. Overall, training was administered 1-5 times per week for 20-60 minutes, over 1-12 weeks. Although Lokomat settings were not always described, progressively decreasing body-weight support and guidance, while increasing treadmill speed appear to be prioritized. The variety of training protocols and settings used did not allow pooling of the studies to assess effects of interventions on gait parameters in children and adoles-cents with cerebral palsy. This review highlights the need for homogenization of interventions so that clear guidelines can emerge and be applied in rehabilitation centers.

Hyphal and germling fusion is a common phenomenon in ascomycetous fungi. Due to the formed hyphal network, this process enables coordinated development, interaction with plant hosts and efficient nutrient distribution. Recently, our lab showed a positive correlation of germling fusion with the formation of penetrating hyphopodia on maize leaves outgoing from Colletotrichum graminicola oval conidia. To investigate the probable interconnectivity of these processes, we have generated a deletion mutant in Cgso, which homologs are essential for cellular fusion in other fungal species. Indeed, plant infection studies combined with microscopy revealed a significant decrease in symptom development of the ∆Cgso mutant on maize leaves. However, hyphopodia development was not affected, indicating that both processes are not directly connected. Instead, we were able to link the decreased symptom development to a reduced formation of acervuli, asexual fruiting bodies of C. graminicola, which give rise to falcate conidia. Monitoring of a fluorescent labelled autophagy marker eGFP-CgAtg8 revealed a high autophagy activity in hyphae surrounding acervuli. Since the ∆Cgso mutant shows no hyphal fusions at these sites, we conclude that efficient nutrient transport of degraded cellular material by hyphal fusions enables proper acervuli maturation and symptom development on leaves.

In order to solve the labor-intensive and time-consuming problem in the process of measuring yak body ruler and weight in yak breeding industry in Qinghai Province, a non-contact method for measuring yak body ruler and weight was proposed in this experiment, and key technologies based on semantic segmentation, binocular ranging and neural network algorithm were studied to boost the development of yak breeding industry in Qinghai Province. Main conclusions: (1) Study yak foreground image extraction, and implement yak foreground image extraction model based on U-net algorithm; select 2263 yak images for experiment, and verify that the accuracy of the model in yak image extraction is over 97%. (2) Develop an algorithm for estimating yak body ruler based on binocular vision, and use the extraction algorithm of yak body ruler related measurement points combined with depth image to estimate yak body ruler. The final test shows that the average estimation error of body height and body oblique length is 2.6%, and the average estimation error of chest depth is 5.94%. (3) Study the yak weight prediction model; select the body height, body oblique length and chest depth obtained by binocular vision to estimate the yak weight; use two algorithms to establish the yak weight prediction model, and verify that the average estimation error of the model for yak weight is 10.7% and 13.01% respectively.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), the most common cause of vaginal discharge, is characterized by a shift in the vaginal microbiota from lactobacillus dominance to a diverse array of facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria which form a multi-species biofilm on vaginal epithelial cells. The rate of recurrence after therapy is high, often >60%. While the BV biofilm itself likely contributes to recurrent and/or refractory disease after treatment by reducing antimicrobial penetration, antimicrobial resistance in BV-associated bacteria including those, both within the biofilm and the vaginal canal, may be the result of independent, unrelated bacterial properties which are discussed in this paper. Our current recommendations for the treatment of refractory and recurrent BV are also provided.

In this paper, we study the weak deflection angle using Gauss-Bonnet theorem and bounding greybody factor for electric and magnetic black holes in the background of nonlinear electrodynamics. Using Gibbons and Werner's approach, first we acquire the Gaussian optical curvature to use in Gauss-Bonnet theorem and calculate the bending angle for spherically symmetric electric and magnetic black holes in both non-plasma and plasma mediums in the weak field limits. Later, we calculate the rigorous bounds of the greybody factor for the given black holes. Furthermore, we look into the graphical behaviour of bending angles and greybody bounds at some specific values of multiple parameters as well as black holes charges. It is to be mention here that all the results for the electric and magnetic charged black holes solutions reduce into the Schwarzschild black hole solution in the absence of the black holes charges.

This paper aims to raise awareness on certain interoperability issues as we intend to shape industry 5.0 in order to enable a human-centric resilient society. We advocate that the need of sharing small and specific data will become more intensive as AI-based solutions will become more pervasive. Consequently, dataspaces should be carefully designed to address this need. We advance the conversation by presenting a case study from HR demonstrating how to predict the possibility of an employee experiencing attrition. Our experimental results show that we need more than 500 samples for developing a machine learning model to be sufficiently capable to generalize the problem. Consequently, our experimental results show the feasibility of the idea. However, in small and medium sized companies this approach cannot be implemented due to the limited number of samples. At the same time, we advocate that this obstacle may be overcome if multiple companies will join a shared dataspace, thus raising interoperability issues

The Environmental interactions contributed to the processes of settlement and development of the first settlers at southern Peru 15,000 BC. The determination of this process is based on paleoclimatic studies at southern Peru and ethnoarchaeological evidence. The determination of this process is based on paleoclimatic studies of southern Peru and ethnoarchaeological evidence; establishing as a result of this analysis the hypothesis of environmental interaction and territorial occupation of the first hunter-gatherer populations until their consolidation, dominating the geographical space from Tacna. The Disruptive disaster events and their effects on climate during the Peruvian Paleolithic resulted in the origin of local societies that shaped the Tiawanaku societies of the early horizon at Southern Peru and Northern Chile.

Background: Different drugs damage the frontal cortices, particularly the prefrontal areas involved in both emotional and cognitive functions, with a consequence of decoding emotion deficits for people with substance abuse. The present study aims to explore the cognitive impairments in drug abusers through facial, body and disgust emotion recognition, expanding the investigation of emotions, processing, measuring accuracy and response velocity. Method: We enrolled 13 addicted to cocaine and 12 alcohol patients attending treatment services in Italy, comparing them with 33 matched controls. Facial emotion and body posture recognition tasks, a disgust rating task, and the Barrat Impulsivity Scale were included in the experimental assessment. Results: We found that emotional processes are differently influenced by cocaine and alcohol, suggesting that these substances impact diverse cerebral systems. Conclusion: The contribution made by the duration of consumption on emotional processing seems far less important than for cognitive processes. Drug abusers seem to be slower on elaboration of emotions and, in particular, of disgust emotion. Considering that the participants were not impaired in cognition, our data support the hypothesis that emotional impairments emerge independently from damage to cognitive functions.

Arguments of Mises and Hayek, who opposed the planned economy (PE), are used in the paper as a starting point for establishing the objective area of effective application of the PE. The abstract model of PE, based on the definitions of Mises and Hayek, leads to the conclusion that for the effective use of PE, it must be a part of mixed economy and it must produce a limited amount of essential goods of irreducible demand. These goods must be distributed among all members of society free of charge, evenly, without competition. Examples of a mixed economy are given that meet this requirement. Calculations of the personal benefit in the transition to a mixed model of the economy have been carried out. The positive and negative qualities of the planned and market methods of organization are considered. Mixed economy model combines these qualities in optimal construction. An analytical framework has been introduced for the construction of product characterization curves. Such curves provide criteria for determining the efficiency of manufacturing of this product in a planned economy. The general economic prerequisites for the usability of the PE are clarified. The applicability and advantages of the PE for the organization of the universal basic income (UBI) system are demonstrated. The possibility of using PE to solve the problem of guaranteed employment is mentioned.

Seaports are well known as the medium that has evolved into the central link between sea and land for complex marine activities. The growth in maritime logistics especially necessitates a large volume of energy supply to maintain the operation of sea trade, resulting in an imbalance between the generation and demand sides. Future projections for three major concerns show an increase in load demand, cost of operation, and environmental issues. In order to overcome these problems, integrating microgrids as an innovative technology in the seaport power system appears to be a vital strategy. It is believed that microgrids enhance the seaport operation by providing sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective energy. Despite the fact that microgrids are well established and widely used in a variety of operations on land, their incorporation into the seaport is still limited. The involvement of a variety of heavy loads such as all-electric ships, cranes, cold ironing, and buildings infrastructure makes it a complicated arrangement task in several aspects, which necessitate further research and leave space for improvement. In this paper, an overview of the seaport microgrids in terms of their concepts, requirements, and operation management is presented. It provides the perspectives of integrating the microgrid concept into a seaport from both shore side and seaside as a smart initiative for the green ports vision. Future research directions are discussed towards the development of more efficient marine power system.

Macroautophagy/autophagy plays an important role in cellular copper clearance. The means by which the copper metabolism and autophagy pathways interact mechanistically is vastly unexplored. Dysfunctional ATP7B, a copper-transporting ATPase, is involved in the development of monogenic Wilson disease, a disorder characterized by disturbed copper transport. Using in silico prediction, we found that ATP7B contains a number of potential binding sites for LC3, a central protein in autophagy pathway, so-called LC3 interaction regions (LIRs). The conserved LIR3, located at the C-terminal end of ATP7B, was found to directly interact with LC3B in vitro. Replacing the two conserved hydrophobic residues W1452 and L1455 of LIR3 significantly reduced interaction. Furthermore, autophagy was induced in normal human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) leading to enhanced colocalization of ATP7B and LC3B on the autophagosome membranes. By contrast, HepG2 cells deficient of ATP7B (HepG2 ATP7B-/-) showed autophagy deficiency at elevated copper condition. This phenotype was complemented by heterologous ATP7B expression. These findings suggest a cooperative role of ATP7B and LC3B in autophagy-mediated copper clearance.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a prototypical neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons to severely effect the functionality to control voluntary muscle movement. Most of the non additive genetic aberrations responsible for ALS make its molecular classification very challenging along with limited sample size, curse of dimensionality, class imbalance and noise in the data. Deep learning methods have been successful in many other related areas but have low minority class accuracy and suffer from the lack of explainailbilty when used directly with RNA expression features for ALS molecular classification. In this paper we propose a deep learning based molecular ALS classification and interpretation framework. Our framework is based on training a convolution neural network (CNN) on images obtained from converting RNA expression values into pixels based on DeepInsight similarity technique. Then we employed Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) to extract pixels with higher relevance to ALS classifications. These pixels were mapped back to the genes which made them up. This enabled us to classify ALS samples with high accuracy for a minority class along with identifying genes that might be playing an important role in ALS molecular classifications. Taken together with RNA expression images classified with CNN, our preliminary analysis of the genes identified by SHAP interpretation demonstrate the value of utilising Machine Learning to perform molecular classification of ALS and uncover disease-associated genes.

The development of electric aircrafts is becoming an important technology for achieving the goals set by the European Commission for the reduction of gases emissions by 2050 in the aeronautical transportation system. However, there is a gap between the values of specific power in commercial electric machines and the ones required for aeronautical applications. Therefore, the search for alternative materials and non-conventional designs is mandatory. One emergent solution is using superconducting machines and systems to overcome the current limits of conventional electrical machines. This work reviews the new hybrid and all-electric aircraft tendencies, complementing it with recent research on the design and development of high specific power superconducting machines. This includes the main topologies for hybrid and all-electric aircraft, with an overview of the ongoing worldwide projects of these types of aircrafts, systematizing the main characteristics of their propulsion systems. It also includes the research on superconducting machines for the purpose of high specific power, considering the impact on the redesign of aircraft systems in the electrical, cooling, and fuel source sense.

Cancer is a prevalent disease worldwide and treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy sometimes lead to adverse events. Oral mucositis is one of the most disabling and clinical guidelines do not take into account nutritional interventions. The primary endpoint was to gather the evidence about the efficacy of nutritional interventions in the prevention and/or treatment of antineoplastic induced oral mucositis in oncological patients. It was carried out a bibliographic review in PubMed data base by combining MesH terms with boolean operators. Articles were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria; 50 final articles were found. Although further evidence is needed, glutamine, honey and vitamins appear to be a good therapeutic option. The rest of the compounds presented controversial or insufficient results to draw conclusions over their utilization as prevention or treatment options. Low evidence is reported about oral mucositis nutritional interventions in spite of being attainable and affordable compounds. Scarce evidence is shown in paediatric patients compared to adults. Developing higher quality studies and combinations with the compounds researched is necessary to create stronger evidence.

We report the development of in vitro propagation protocols through adventitious shoot induction pathway for a rare and medicinal Scutellaria havanensis. In vitro propagation studies using nodal explants showed MS medium supplemented with 10µM 6-Benzylaminopurine induced highest number of adventitious shoots in a time dependent manner. A ten - day incubation was optimum for shoot bud induction as longer exposures resulted in hyperhydricity of the explants and shoots induced. We also report preliminary evidence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 - mediated gene transfer transiently expressing of green fluorescent protein in this species. Transformation studies exhibited amenability of various explant tissues, internode being the most receptive. As the plant has medicinal value, research was carried out to evaluate its potential antioxidant capacity and the efficacy of methanolic leaf extracts in curbing the viability of human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. Comparative total polyphenol, and flavonoid content measurement of fresh and air dried leaf extract revealed that the fresh leaf extracts contain higher total polyphenol and flavonoid content. The HCT 116 cell viability assessed by colorimetric assay using a 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, showed a steady growth inhibition after 24 hours of incubation. Scanning Electron Microscopy of leaf surface revealed high density of glandular and non-glandular trichomes. This research provides basis for the conservation of this rare plant and future phytochemical screening and clinical research.

The national study analyzes sea level rise (SLR) impacts based on 36 different SLR and storm surge scenarios across 5.7 million geographic locations and 3 time periods. Taking an approach based on engineering design guidelines and current cost estimates, the study details projected cost impacts for states, counties, and cities. These impacts are presented from multiple perspectives including total cost, cost per-capita, and cost per-square mile. The purpose of the study is to identify specific locations where infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The study finds that Sea Level Rise (SLR) and minimal storm surge is a $400 billion threat to the United States by 2040 that includes a need for at least 50,000 miles of protective barriers. The research is limited in its scope to protecting coastal infrastructure with sea walls. Additional methods exist and may be appropriate in individual situations. The study is original in that it is a national effort to identify infrastructure that is vulnerable as well as the cost associated with protecting this infrastructure.

This article explores the lack of unanimity regarding the nomenclature used to refer to the field of research that explores the intersection between art and science. A series of examples of nomenclatures and the context in which they are applied are listed and referenced. The diverse terminology reflects the heterogeneity, transdisciplinarity, and complexity of a research field in full expansion.

In this paper, the notion of θ∗-weak contraction is introduced, which is utilized to prove some fixed point results. These results are helpful to give a positive response to certain open question raised by Kannan [Amer. Math. Monthly 76:1969] and Rhoades [Contemp. Math. 72:1988] on the existence of contractive definition which does not force the mapping to be continuous at the fixed point. Some illustrative examples are also given to support our results. As applications of our result, we investigate the existence and uniqueness of a solution of non-linear matrix equations and integral equations of Volterra type as well.

Potential of co-digestion mixing thickened secondary sludge (TS) from extended aeration wastewater treatment plant and locally available substrates (whey, grease and septage) has been studied using three steps. The first step was a batch test to determine biological methane potential (BMP) of different mixtures of the three co-substrates with TS. The second step has been carried out with lab-scale reactors (20 L) simulating anaerobic continuous stirred tank reactors fed by three mixtures of co-substrates determined according to previous step results. Modelling using ADM1 as a mechanistic model was applied in the third step to help understanding the co-digestion process. According to BMP step, septage used as co-substrate has a negative effect on performance and addition of 10 to 30% grease or 10% whey would lead to a higher production of biogas and with an increase of the methane content. The results from the reactor showed less evi-dence of the positive effects observed with the BMP assay. Protein and lipid fractions of particu-late biodegradable COD are important variables for digester stability and methane production as predicted by modelling. Results of simulations with ADM1 model adapted to co-digestion confirmed that this model is a powerful tool to optimize the process of biogas production.

The increasing amount of municipal sludge in China requires safe and effective management to protect human health and ensure environmental sustainability. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process that that decompose organic matter at elevated temperature and under anaerobic conditions, and it has attracted an increasing attention in sludge treatment in the recent years. However, comprehensive environmental and economic assessment of sludge pyrolysis in China's context is rare, due to the small quantities of full-scale sludge pyrolysis plant. In this paper, we applied our design and operation parameters of full-scale sludge pyrolysis plants to generate the material and energy consumptions of the pyrolysis system under various of conditions, including sludge organic content and moisture content, system size, system energy distribution, and whether or not heat substitution is applied. Life cycle assessment and techno-economic assessment were then applied to investigate the environmental and economic performance of the system Our results demonstrate the significant environmental and economic impacts associated with sludge properties and system size. Generally, sludge with higher organic content and lower moisture content requires less natural gas consumption, which leads to a simultaneous improvement of the system environmental and economic performance. The system economic performance is more sensitive to the system size, and centralized sludge handling using a larger pyrolysis is more economic favorable. In the most ideal case, the average global warming potential and minimum sludge handling price of sludge pyrolysis could be as low as -32.5 kg CO₂-Eq/t DS and 188.8 $/t DS, respectively. Based on these results, we discussed the pathways that could be taken to further optimize the environmental and economic performances of the pyrolysis system.

The devastating impact of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on public health, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has made fighting of the COVID-19 pandemic is a top priority in medical research and pharmaceutical development. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 mutations is essential for the comprehension of SARS-CoV-2 variant diversity and their impact on virulence and pathogenicity. The SARS-CoV-2 open reading frame 10 (ORF10) protein interacts with multiple human proteins CUL2, ELOB, ELOC, MAP7D1, PPT1, RBX1, THTPA, TIMM8B, and ZYG11B expressed in the lung tissues. Mutations and co-mutations in the emerging SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 variants are expected to impact the severity of the virus and its associated consequences. In this article, We highlight 128 single mutations and 35 co-mutations in the unique SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 variants in this article. The possible predicted effects of these mutations and co-mutations on the secondary structure of ORF10 variants and host protein interactomes are presented. The findings highlight the possible effects of mutations and co-mutations on the emerging 140 ORF10 unique variants from secondary structure and intrinsic protein disorder perspectives.

Microglia are resident immune cells of the central nervous system such as brain-specific macrophages and also known to regulate the innate immune functions of astrocytes through secretory molecules. This conversation plays an important role in brain functions and homeostasis as well as in neuropathologic disease. In this study, we aimed to elucidate whether astrocytes and microglia can cross-talk to induce microglial polarization and proliferation, which can be further regulated under the brain stroke-mimic microenvironment. Microglia in mixed glial culture increased their survival and proliferation and altered to the M2 microglia, whose role was provided by CD11b-GFAP+ astrocytes by showing approximately tenfold increase in microglia cell proliferation after the astrocyte reconstitution. Furthermore, GM-CSF stimulated microglial proliferation approximately tenfold and induced to CCR7+ M1 microglia, whose phenotype could be suppressed by anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-10, and Substance-P. Also, astrocyte in the microglia co-culture revealed A2 phenotype, which could be activated to A1 astrocyte by TNFα and IFNγ under the stroke-mimic condition. Altogether, astrocyte in the mixed glial culture stimulated the microglia proliferation and M2 polarization possibly through its acquisition of A2 phenotype, both of which could be converted to M1 microglia and A1 astrocytes under the inflammatory stroke-mimic environment. This study demonstrated that microglia and astrocyte can be polarized to M2 microglia and A2 astrocytes respectively through the cross-talk in vitro and provided a system to explore how microglia and astrocyte may behave in the inflammatory disease milieu after in vivo transplantation.

The increased global incidence of myopia requires the establishment of therapeutic approaches. Previous studies have suggested that inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of myopia. We used human retinal pigment epithelial cell to study the molecular mechanisms on how FJE and PVE lowering the inflammation of the eye. The effect of FJE and PVE in MFD induced hamster model and explore the role of inflammation cytokines in myopia. Expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were upregulated in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells treated with IL-6 and TNF-α. FJ extract (FJE) + PV extract (PVE) reduced IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression in RPE cells. Furthermore, FJE and PVE inhibited inflammation by attenuating the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B (NF-κB) pathway. In addition, we report two resveratrol + ursolic acid compounds from FJ and PV and their inhibitory activities against IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α expression levels in RPE cells treated with IL-6 and TNF-α. FJE, PVE, and FJE + PVE were applied to MFD hamsters and their axial length was measured after 21 days. The axial length showed statistically significant differences between phosphate-buffered saline- and FJE-, PVE-, and FJE + PVE-treated MFD eyes. FJE + PVE suppressed expressions of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. They also inhibited myopia-related transforming growth factor-beta (TGF)-β1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and NF-κB expression while increasing type Ⅰ collagen expression. Overall, these results suggest that FJE + PVE may have a therapeutic effect on myopia and be used as a potential treatment option.