This study addresses the motivations behind Generation Z's attendance at conferences and aims to contribute to a better understanding of their conference participation behavior. The study identified six latent factors that influence conference attendance motivation: Green and Digital Conference Experience, Educational and professional opportunities, Conference costs, Destination and conference stimuli, Stimulating factors, and Conference accessibility. These factors align with Generation Z's unique characteristics and preferences, such as their environmental consciousness, reliance on digital technologies, desire for continuous learning, career advancement, and experiences. The study also found that destination characteristics and educational and professional opportunities are significant motivators for Generation Z's conference attendance across different cultural contexts. Additionally, Generation Z's strong interest in sustainability and financial challenges highlights the need for eco-friendly practices and affordable registration fees to make conferences more appealing and accessible. The study further explores the impact of socio-demographic characteristics, revealing the gender and past conference attendance differences in motivation. Finally, the study discusses the implications for the conference industry and suggests areas for future research to enhance the understanding of conference attendance motivation among Generation Z.

Accurate rainfall measurement is vital when investigating spatial and temporal precipitation variability at different scales. However, there are many regions around the world, such as North Darfur State in Sudan, where ground-based observations are few. Satellite-based precipitation products can fill such regions' spatial and temporal rainfall data gaps. Six satellite rainfall prod-ucts, namely the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA), African Rainfall Climatology Version 2 (ARC2.0), Climate Hazards Group In-frared Precipitation with Station Data (CHIRPS2.0), the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurements (GPM) Final Run v 6 (GPM IMERG6), Precipitation Estima-tion from Remote Sensing Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), and the Tropical Applications of Meteorology using SATellite and ground-based observations (TAMSAT) v3.1 were evaluated to assess their accuracy in estimating rainfall amounts variability trends in the study area. The global-based satellite rainfall products were assessed at monthly and annual time scales by applying a point-to-pixel comparison with ground-based rain gauge data for the period 2000–2019. Based on the overall statistical results at monthly and temporal yearly scales, five satellite precipitation products (TMPA, CHIRPS, GPM IMERG6, PERSIANN-CDR, and TAMSATv3.1) overestimated rainfall amounts by values ranging from 1.49% to 82.69%. In contrast, the ARC2 product underestimated rainfall amounts by values ranging from-16.9% to-20.25%. The TAMSATv3.1, CHIRPS, and TMPA performed relatively better, showing stronger correlations and higher values of Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency. This study showed that the TAMSATv3.1 and CHIRPS products could reasonably estimate rainfall amounts in the North Darfur State.

HepG2 cells reconstituted with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) entry receptor sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) are widely used as a convenient in vitro cell culture infection model for HBV replication studies. As such, it is pertinent that HBV infectivity is maintained at steady-state levels for accurate interpretation of in vitro data. However, variations in HBV infection efficiency due to imbalanced NTCP expression levels in the HepG2 cell line may affect experimental results. In this study, we performed single cell cloning of HepG2-NTCP-A3 parental cells via limiting dilution and obtained multiple subclones with increased permissiveness to HBV. Specifically, one subclone (HepG2-NTCP-A3/C2) yielded more than 4-fold higher HBV infection compared to the HepG2-NTCP-A3 parental clone. In addition, though HBV infectivity was universally reduced in the absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG), subclone C2 maintained relatively greater permissiveness under PEG-free conditions, suggesting the functional heterogeneity within parental HepG2-NTCP-A3 may be exploitable in developing a PEG-free HBV infection model. The increased viral production correlated with increased intracellular viral antigen expression as evidenced through HBcAg immunofluorescence staining. Further, these subclones were found to express different levels of NTCP, albeit with no remarkable morphology or cell growth differences. In conclusion, we isolated subclones of HepG2-NTCP-A3 which support efficient HBV production and thus provide an improved in vitro HBV infection model.

In the present protocol, we determined the presence and concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) spiked in surface water samples using EEM fluorescence spectroscopy in conjunction with modelling using partial least squares (PLS) and parallel factor (PARAFAC). PARAFAC modelling of the EEM fluorescence data obtained from surface water samples contaminated with BPA unraveled four fluorophores including BPA. The best outcomes for BPA concentration (R2 = 0:996; Standard deviation to prediction error's root mean square ratio (RPD) = 3.41; and a Pearson's r value of 0.998). With these values of R2 and Pearson's r, the PLS model showed a strong correlation between the predicted and measured BPA concentrations. The detection and quantification limits of the methods were 3.512 and 11.708 micro molar (µM), respectively. In conclusion, BPA can be precisely detected and its concentration in surface water predicted using the PARAFAC and PLS models developed in this study and fluorescence EEM data collected from BPA-contaminated water. It is necessary to spatially relate surface water contamination data with other datasets in order to connect drinking water quality issues with health, environmental restoration, and environmental justice concerns.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is an urgent issue everywhere in the globe. It is necessary to look into new sources of antibiotics to address this issue. Aim of the study: studying the purification of Corallopyronin B from various soil conditions in Egypt, as well as the antibacterial effectiveness of Corallopyronin B in preclinical animal testing and randomized human clinical trials phases 1/2. Type of the study: Screening experimental study. Methodology: Several soil conditions in Egypt were examined to create bacterial isolates that generated the antibiotic chemical Corallopyronin B. Using reversed-phase HPLC, Myxopyronin B was purified. The test antibiotic's minimum inhibitory concentration( MIC) and in vitro antibacterial activity were ascertained using the paper disc diffusion assay and the broth microdilution technique. Furthermore, in stages 1/2 of randomized clinical trials including human and animal models, pharmacokinetics, adverse drug reactions, and the in vivo antibacterial spectrum were discovered. Results: The soil bacterial isolate Corallococcus coralloides DSM 2259, which was grown on a Casein yeast peptone( CYP) plate, produced Corallopyronin B from its culture supernatant. At MICs more than 100 mcg/ml, the test antibiotic inhibited the growth of many Gram -ve bacteria, including Escherichia coli, while also preventing the growth of numerous Gram +ve bacteria, with MICs ranging from 1 to 10 mcg/ml. Eukaryotic cells, on the other hand, including those in humans and fungi, were unharmed. The test antibiotic was shown to have a bactericidal effect by inhibiting bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase( RNLP). In phases 1/2 of randomized human clinical trials, when 600 mg of the dose per 70 kg of body weight was administered SC, the Cmax was 8.6 mcg/ml at Tmax 1 hour; T1/2 reached 136 min following first-order kinetics of elimination. It stopped acting around 6-7 hours after SC was administered. In the preclinical and randomized human clinical trial phases 1/2, less than 6 percent of experimental candidates had uncommon toxicity, which showed up as reduced bile flow. Protein binding with plasma albumin was detected which reached about 83%. Conclusion: The current work was noteworthy since it involved the production of the bactericidal antibiotic Corallopyronin B from Corallococcus coralloides DSM 2259 which was isolated from several soil environments in Egypt.

Fluorescent bioprobes are invaluable tools for visualizing live cells and deciphering complex biological processes by targeting intracellular biomarkers without disrupting cellular functions. In addition to protein-binding concepts, fluorescent probes utilize various mechanisms, including membrane, metabolism, and gating-oriented strategies. This study introduces a novel fluorescent mechanism distinct from existing ways. Here, we developed a B-cell selective probe, CDrB, with unique transport mechanisms. Through SLC-CRISPRa screening, we identified two transporters, SLCO1B3 and SLC25A41, by sorting out populations exhibiting higher and lower fluorescence intensities, respectively, demonstrating contrasting activities. We confirmed that SLCO1B3, with comparable expression levels in T and B cells, facilitates the transport of CDrB into cells, while SLC25A41, overexpressed in T lymphocytes, actively exports CDrB. The observation suggests that SLC25A41 plays a crucial role in discriminating between T and B lymphocytes. Furthermore, it reveals the potential for reversible localization of SLC25A41 to demonstrate its distinct activity. This study is the first report to unveil a novel strategy of SLC by exporting the probe. We anticipate that this research will open up new avenues for developing fluorescent probes.

β-Ga2O3 is a well-known semiconductor material for power devices and other applications. Recently, β-Ga2O3 has also been reported as a scintillator material with a light yield of approximately 8400 ph./MeV, scintillation decay time of <1 μs, and density of 6.44 g/cm3. In this study, 2-inch diameter β-Ga2O3 single crystals were prepared by oxide crystal growth using the cold crucible (OCCC) method under various oxygen partial pressures. In the OCCC method, as in the cold crucible method, a high frequency is applied directly to the oxide materials, which are heated and melted, and the melt is held by the outermost solid material itself that is cooled by water using a copper hearth. In the OCCC method, crystal growth is performed while rotating the seed crystal, as in the Czochralski method, to increase the crystal diameter. The optical properties and radiation responses of the crystals grown under various oxygen partial pressures were evaluated.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. In order to improve its overall survival, early diagnosis is required. Since current screening methods still face some pitfalls, such as high false positive rates for low-dose computed tomography, researchers are still looking for early biomarkers to complement existing screening techniques in order to provide a safe, faster and more accurate diagnosis. Biomarkers are biological molecules found in body fluids, such as plasma, that can be used to diagnose a condition or disease. Metabolomics has already shown to be a powerful tool in the search for cancer biomarkers since cancer cells are characterised by impaired metabolism, resulting in an adapted plasma metabolite profile. The metabolite profile can be determined using nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR. Although metabolomics and NMR metabolite profiling of blood plasma are still under investigation, there is already evidence for its potential for early-stage lung cancer diagnosis, therapy response, and follow-up monitoring. This review highlights some key breakthroughs in this research field, where the most significant biomarkers will be discussed in relation with their metabolic pathways and in light of the altered cancer metabolism.

Annually, more than 1.5 million preventable new hepatitis B (HBV) infections continue to occur, with an estimated global burden of 296 million individuals living with chronic hepatitis B infection. This substantial health challenge results in over 820,000 annual deaths attributed to complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV vaccination remains the cornerstone of public health policy to prevent chronic hepatitis B and its related complications. It serves as a crucial element in the global effort to eliminate HBV, as established by the World Health Organization (WHO), with an ambitious 90% vaccination target by 2030. However, reports on global birth dose coverage reveal substantial variability, with an overall coverage rate of only 46%. This comprehensive review thoroughly examines global trends in HBV vaccination coverage, investigating the profound impact of vaccination on HBV prevalence and its consequences across diverse populations, including both high-risk and general demographics. Additionally, the review addresses the formidable challenges and facilitating factors essential for achieving WHO's HBV vaccination coverage objectives and elimination strategies in the coming decade and beyond.

Developmental hazard evaluation is an important part of assessing chemical risks during pregnancy. Toxicological outcomes from prenatal testing in pregnant animals result from complex chemical-biological interactions, and while New Approach Methods (NAMs) based on in vitro bioactivity profiles of human cells offer promising alternatives to animal testing, most of these assays lack cellular positional information, physical constraints, and regional organization of the intact embryo. Here, we engineered a fully computable model of the embryonic disc in the compucell3d.org modeling environment to simulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition of epiblast cells and self-organization of mesodermal domains (chordamesoderm, paraxial, lateral plate, posterior/extraembryonic). Cell fate in the model is determined by an autonomous homeobox (HOX) clock driven by morphogenetic signals (e.g., FGF, WNT, ATRA, CDX). Executing the model renders a quantitative cell-level computation of mesodermal subpopulations and consequences of perturbation based on known embryogeny. For example, synthetic perturbation of the control network rendered altered phenotypes (cybermorphs) mirroring experimental mouse embryology, with 50% reductions in FGF4, FGF8 and BMP4 signaling resulting in 86%, 98% and 59% reductions, respectively in the posterior mesodermal population, while ATRA exposure also resulted in a 78% decrease in this population. This model enables integration of in vitro chemical bioactivity data for specific molecular targets with known embryology to test mechanistic veracity and quantitative prediction of altered development.

Microarray gene expression analysis is a powerful technique used in cancer classification and research to identify and understand gene expression patterns that can differentiate between different cancer types, subtypes, and stages. However, microarray databases are highly redundant, inherently nonlinear, and noisy. Therefore, extracting meaningful information from such a huge database is a challenging one. The paper adopts the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Mixture Model (MM) for dimensionality reduction and utilizes the Dragonfly optimization algorithm as the feature selection technique. The classifiers employed in this research are Nonlinear Regression, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, Random Forest and SVM (RBF). The classifiers' performances are analyzed with and without feature selection methods. Finally, Adaptive Moment Estimation (Adam) and Random Adaptive Moment Estimation (RanAdam) hyper-parameter tuning techniques are used as improvisation techniques for classifiers. The SVM (RBF) classifier with the Fast Fourier Transform Dimensionality Reduction method and Dragonfly feature selection achieved the highest accuracy of 98.343% with RanAdam hyperparameter tuning compared to other classifiers.

The information on the land use and soil conservation practice based on year 2006, 2010 and 2014, hence offering an opportunity to model the impacts of land use change on erosion, deposition and surface water runoff. Limitation in the use of hydrological models had been their inability to handle the large amount of input data that describe the heterogeneity of the natural system. In this study, a procedure that takes into account soil conservation practice based on the land use change, the response of soil erosion and sediment export from the George Town Conurbation catchment area, and average annual sediment yields were estimated for each grid cell of the watershed to identify the critical erosion areas of rural and urban planning proposes. Average annual sediment yield and data on a grid basis estimated using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and an emerging technology represented by Geographic Information System (GIS) used as a tool to produce a map for erosion rate. The changing of the land use from forest to agriculture and then to an urban area is a challenging task to research on land use demand for population, and environmental impact assessment is important for the planning of natural resources management, allowing research the modification of land use properly and implement more sustainable for long term management strategies. The challenge is to formulate strategies that would promote an integrated approach to the land use planning at an appropriate level as to address the issues that arose. Modelling for creating urban growth boundary for the George Town Conurbation must have to be controlled surface runoff and soil loss and sediment export from land use of the George Town Conurbation catchment.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise a diverse class of non-protein coding transcripts that regulate critical cellular processes associated with cancer. Advances in RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) have led to the characterization of non-coding RNA expression across different types of human cancers. Through comprehensive RNA-Seq profiling, a growing number of studies demonstrate that ncRNAs, including long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNA), play central roles in progenitor B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) pathogenesis. Furthermore, due to their central roles in cellular homeostasis and their potential as biomarkers, the study of ncRNAs continues to provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of B-ALL. This article reviews the ncRNA signatures reported for all B-ALL subtypes, focusing on technological developments in transcriptome profiling and recently discovered examples of ncRNAs with biologic and therapeutic relevance in B-ALL.

A traditionally salient topic of empirical investigation in the sociology of religion, this paper seeks to offer a recent investigation into the intergenerational transmission of religion and the parental forms of religious engagement that predict adult engagement with religion. The study of this paper explores the intergenerational transmission of religion, focusing on the parental forms of religious identity and engagement that influence religious identity, beliefs, and practices in adulthood. By analyzing the 2018 GSS dataset in the United States with multiple regression analyses, I find strong parental and childhood influences on adult religiosity, religious service attendance, and belief in God. Indeed, this engagement often mirrors parental engagement for these variables. However, while paternal religious identity often predicts these religious variables, I find that the religious identity and engagement of parents generally does not predict religious identity in adulthood. Ultimately, while these results generally show strong predictive mechanisms of intergenerational transmission, they also illustrate that these relationships are variably dependent on the form of parental and adult religious engagement and which parent participates or is associated with that engagement.

Tourmalines are a group of minerals which may concentrate various accessory components, e.g. Cu, Ni, Zn, Bi, Ti, Sn. The paper presents fluor-elbaite and elbaite from a dyke of the Julianna pegmatitic system at Piława Górna, at the NE margin of the Bohemian Massif, SW Poland, containing up to 6.32 and 7.37 wt.% ZnO, respectively. Such high amounts of ZnO are almost two times higher than in the second most Zn-enriched tourmaline known to date. The compositions of the Zn-rich tourmalines from Piława Górna, studied by electron microprobe and Raman spectroscopy, correspond to the formulae: (Na0.73Ca0.01•0.25)Σ1(Al1.03Li0.79Zn0.76Fe2+0.33Mn0.09)Σ3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(F0.66OH0.34), and (Na0.78Ca0.01•0.21)Σ1(Al1.06Li0.87Zn0.88Fe2+0.10Mn0.09)Σ3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(OH0.84F0.16), respectively, with Zn as one of the main octahedral occupants. A comparison with other tourmalines and associated Zn-rich fluor-elbaite and elbaite from the pegmatite indicates that atypically high Zn-enrichment is not a result of Zn-Fe fractionation, but dissolution and reprecipitation induced by a late (Na,Li,B,F)-bearing fluid within the assemblage of gahnite spinel and primary schorl-type tourmaline. This strongly suggests Na-Li-B-F metasomatism of gahnite-bearing mineral assemblages as that is the only environment that can promote crystallization of a hypothetical Zn-dominant tourmaline. The compositions of the Zn-rich fluor-elbaite and elbaite suggest three possible end-members for such a hypothetical tourmaline species: NaZn3Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(OH), •(Zn2Al)Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3(OH) and Na(Zn2Al)Al6B3Si6O27(OH)3O.

(1) Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the full arch scan accuracy (precision and trueness) of nine digital intra-oral scanners and four lab scanners. Previous studies have compared the accuracy of some intra-oral scanners, but as this is a field of quickly developing technologies, a more up-to-date study was needed to assess the capabilities of currently available models.; (2) Methods: The present in vitro study compared nine different intraoral scanners (Omnicam 4.6; Omnicam 5.1; Primescan; CS 3600; Trios 3; Trios 4; Runyes; i500 and DL206) as well as four lab light scanners (Einscan SE; 300e; E2 and Ineos X5) to investigate the accuracy of each scanner by examining the overall trueness and precision. Ten aligned and cut scans from each of the intra-oral and lab scanners in the in vitro study were brought into CloudCompare. A comparison was made with the master STL using the CloudCompare 3D analysis best-fit algorithm. The results were recorded along with individual standard deviation and a colorimetric map of the deviation across the surface of the STL mesh; a comparison was made to the master STL, quantified at specific points. ; (3) Results: In the present study, the Primescan had the best overall trueness (17.3 ± 4.9). Followed by (in order of increasing deviation) the Trios 4 (20.8 ± 6.2), i500 (25.2 ± 7.3), CS3600 (26.9 ± 15.9), Trios 3 (27.7 ± 6.8), Runyes (47.2 ± 5.4), Omnicam 5.1 (55.1 ± 9.5), Omnicam 4.6 (57.5 ± 3.2) and Launca DL206 (58.5 ± 22.0). Regarding the lab light scanners, the Ineos X5 had the best overall trueness with (0.0 ± 1.9). Followed by (in order of increasing deviation) the 3Shape E2 (3.6 ± 2.2), Up3D 300E (12.8 ± 2.7), and Einscan SE (14.9 ± 9.5); (4) Conclusions: This study confirms that all current generations of intra-oral digital scanners can capture a reliable, reproducible full arch scan in dentate patients. Out of the intra-oral scanners tested, no scanner produced results significantly similar in trueness to the Ineos X5. However, the Primescan was the only one to be statistically of a similar level of trueness to the 3Shape E2 lab scanner. All scanners in the study had mean trueness of under 60-micron deviation. While this study can compare the scanning accuracy of this sample in a dentate arch, the scanning of a fully edentulous arch is more challenging. The accuracy of these scanners in edentulous cases should be examined in further studies.

Currently Single Board Computers (SBCs) are sufficiently powerful to run Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) and applications with real-time attributes and requirements. SBCs serve as a foundation in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The NXP Semiconductors produces a series of SBCs based on ARM-processors for a variety of industrial applications. The continuous increase in real-time data generated by IoT devices adds further research issues about the efficiency of such systems and applications. The purpose of this research was to investigate the timing performance of an NXP TWR-K70F120M device with μClinux OS on running concurrently tasks with real-time features and constraints. A custom-built multithreaded application with specific compute-intensive sorting and matrix operations was developed and applied to obtain measurements in specific timing metrics, including task’s execution time, threads waiting time, and response time, under different threads variations. The performance of this device was additionally benchmarked and validated against favorite platforms, a Raspberry Pi4 and BeagleBone AI SBCs. The experimental results showed that this device stands well both in terms of timing and efficiency metrics. Execution times were quite lower than the others, by approximately 56% in the case of two threads, and by 29% in the case of thirty-two threads configurations.

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

This paper examines hybrid threats to maritime transportation systems, and their governance re-sponses; focusing on the congested Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) as an illustrative case study. The methodology combines secondary sources with primary data from 42 expert in-terviews, a 30-respondent survey, and two maritime security roundtables. Key findings were that ships’ critical systems are increasingly interconnected, yet aging IT infrastructure and minimal cybersecurity awareness among crews heighten risks. Meanwhile, regional terrorist groups have previously targeted shipping and shown considerable skill in exploiting online tools, aligning with broader calls for jihadist violence. Further, opportunistic piracy persists in the SOMS with the po-tential to disrupt shipping. Experts confirmed maritime cybersecurity lags other critical infra-structure sectors and needs updated governance. Initial International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines lack specificity but revisions and updated IMO guidance are in process, while Port state implementation of maritime cybersecurity standards varies. Crucially, information sharing remains inadequate, even as recorded attacks increase. Findings underscore that although major hybrid incidents have not occurred, simulations and threat actors’ capabilities demonstrate potential for catastrophic collisions or cascading disruption in congested waterways. Mitigating factors like redundancy and crew training are deficient currently. Some alignment between SOMS states on maritime security cooperation exists, but not cyber threats specifically. Key recommen-dations include an anonymous cyber-attack reporting system, reinforced training and shipboard systems, and consolidated regional frameworks. Until these priorities are addressed, the analysis concludes that hybrid vulnerabilities in this vital global chokepoint remain a serious concern.

Large-span post-tensioned (PT) beams play a crucial role in maximizing the benefits of post-tensioning techniques. Bonded and unbonded systems are prevalent, with the latter being more widespread in the United States. While bonded systems are advantageous for creating long spans when multiple tendons are grouped in ducts, limited literature exists on their demolition. In a case study, this paper addresses the unique challenge of demolishing large-span bonded post-tensioned beams due to a building's functional change. Emphasizing insights for engineers, it explores the use of cutting and dismantling methods, considering the presence of prestressed cables. The demolition process is distinctive due to the presence of numerous pre-stressed cables along the beams, necessitating a specialized and cautious cutting approach. This is accomplished through the use of a drilling technique that selectively distresses the tendons, ensuring they are not all affected simultaneously. An intriguing observation discussed in this paper pertains to the occurrence of horizontal cracks accompanied by loud sounds following the drilling process, offering insights from the design perspective of PT systems. The paper details an innovative method for safely demolishing large-span bonded PT beams, using ground-penetrating radar and computer models to navigate structural complexities and ensure nearby structures' safety.

Acidic ostreolysin A/pleurotolysin B (OlyA/PlyB, formerly known as ostreolysin (Oly), and basic 20 kDa equinatoxins (EqTs) are cytolytic proteins isolated from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and the sea anemone Actinia equina, respectively. Both toxins, although from different sources, share many similar biological activities: (i) colloid-osmotic shock by forming pores in cellular and artificial membranes enriched in cholesterol and sphingomyelin; (ii) increased vascular endothelial wall permeability in vivo and perivascular oedema; (iii) dose-dependent contraction of coronary vessels; (iv) haemolysis with pronounced hyperkalaemia in vivo; (v) bradycardia, myocardial ischemia and ventricular extrasystoles accompanied by progressive fall of arterial blood pressure and respiratory arrest in rodents. Both types of toxins are haemolytic within nanomolar range concentrations, and it seems that hyperkalaemia plays an important role in toxin cardiotoxicity. However, it was observed that the haemolytically more active EqT III is less toxic than EqT I, the most toxic and least haemolytic EqT. In mice, EqT II is more than 30 times more toxic than OlyA/PlyB when applied intravenously. These observations imply that haemolysis with hyperkalaemia is not the sole cause of the lethal activity of both toxins. Additional mechanisms responsible for lethal action of the two toxins are direct effects on heart, coronary vasoconstriction and related myocardial hypoxia. In this review, we appraise the pathophysiological mechanisms related to the chemical structure of OlyA/PlyB and EqTs, as well as their toxicity.

Viruses can induce the fusion of infected and neighboring cells, leading to the formation of syncytia. Cell-cell fusion is mediated by viral fusion proteins on the plasma membrane of infected cells that interact with cellular receptors on neighboring cells. Viruses use this mechanism to spread rapidly to adjacent cells or escape host immunity. For some viruses, syncytium formation is a hallmark of infection and a known pathogenicity factor. For others, the role of syncytium formation in viral dissemination and pathogenicity remains poorly understood. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients and the leading cause of congenital infections. Clinical HCMV isolates have broad cell tropism but differ in their ability to induce cell-cell fusions, and little is known about the molecular determinants. We developed a system to analyze HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) variants in a defined genetic background. HCMV strains TB40/E and TR were used as vectors to compare the fusogenicity of six gB variants from congenitally infected fetuses with those from three laboratory strains. Five of them conferred the ability to induce fusion of MRC-5 human embryonic lung fibroblasts to one or both backbone strains, as determined by a split GFP-luciferase reporter system. The same gB variants were not sufficient to induce syncytia in infected ARPE-19 epithelial cells, suggesting that additional factors are involved. The system described here allows a systematic comparison of the fusogenicity of viral envelope glycoproteins and may help to clarify whether fusion-promoting variants are associated with increased pathogenicity.

The access to agricultural information in Sudan continues to be challenging to farmers due to use of inadequate sources and traditional extension approaches. The rapid growth of smart-mobile phones usage in developing countries resulted in several advantages compared to other alternatives in term of costs, geographic coverage and ease of use. This research was conducted in North Kordofan Sate to explore the role of smart-mobile phone in accessing agricultural information. Primary data were obtained by structured questionnaires and focus group discussion through participatory rural appraisal and observation while secondary data were collected from scientific journals, books and authenticated web sources. A number of 230 respondents (10% from total farmers) were interviewed and five focus group discussions were done. Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 was used to analyze the data with aid of descriptive statistics and Chi-squire Test. The result indicated that most of the respondents fall in age group between 21-40 years, and they depend on farm activity. There was 90% of farmers processed mobile phone since more than three years ago, 90.8%continuedto use smart mobile phone to access agricultural information and showed positive contribution towards income generation. The results also revealed that there was positive perception towards using mobile phones which showed more efficient in use than radio and TVs. The results showed great advantages of using smart mobile phone where 75.2 % of respondents preferred to get agricultural information, logistics and other needs through successful communication in the mid of agricultural season. Results of Chi-squire test showed significant differences between the parameters tested. The study recommended that farmers should be connected with mobile phones to admit ease communication with agricultural extension offices and quick access to their needs and logistics.

Blood has certain significant physical properties, which the authors investigated. This paper provides values of surface tension and viscosity of blood at 37 °C, as well as relationship between them plotted on a cross-plot. By applying Hagen- Poiseuille equation and Jurin's law to the experimentally obtained data, the authors calculated with great accuracy viscosity and surface tension of blood. Evaluating both of the properties using described methods required from the authors to know the density of investigated liquid, which was found to be on average $\rho=1063,56 \frac{kg}{m^3}$. The authors took blood samples from 30 healthy subjects and determined aforementioned physical properties. There has been made a distinction in regard of a sex of the blood donor. Results indicate that both surface tension and viscosity are independent from sex of a subject, as well as indicate that there is no correlation between viscosity and surface tension of blood at 37\degree C. Average values of surface tension and viscosity were found to be $\sigma=5,241\pm 0,262 \cdot 10^{-2}\frac{J}{m^2}$ and $\eta=3,352\pm0,360 \cdot 10^{-3} Pa \cdot s$, respectively.

To advance probiotic research, a comprehensive understanding of bacterial interactions with human physiology at the molecular and cellular levels is fundamental. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LGG® is a bacterial strain that has long been recognized for its beneficial effects on human health. Probiotic effector molecules derived from LGG®, including secreted proteins, surface-anchored proteins, polysaccharides, and lipoteichoic acids, that interact with host physiological processes have been identified. In vitro and animal studies have revealed that specific LGG® effector molecules stimulate epithelial cell survival, preserve intestinal barrier integrity, reduce oxidative stress, mitigate excessive mucosal inflammation, enhance IgA secretion, and provide long-term protection through epigenetic imprinting. Pili on the cell surface of LGG® promote adhesion to the intestinal mucosa and ensure close contact to host cells. Extracellular vesicles produced by LGG® recapitulate many of these effects through their cargo of effector molecules. Collectively, the effector molecules of LGG® exert a significant influence on both the gut mucosa and immune system, that promotes intestinal homeostasis and immune tolerance.

Background: Despite their generally favorable prognosis, hepatic fibrosis remains a possible complication for hepatitis B virus (HBV) inactive carriers. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of significant fibrosis and associated risk factors among Omani HBV inactive carriers. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of 200 Omani HBV inactive carriers visiting a tertiary hospital in Muscat, Oman, between January 2017 and December 2018. Significant fibrosis (stage F2 or higher) was identified using two-dimensional shear-wave elastography. Baseline clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were analyzed to determine associations. Results: Of the total sample, 106 patients (53%) were male, and the mean age was 44.6 ± 9.3 years. The prevalence of significant fibrosis was 20% (n = 40). Male gender (p = 0.007), age ≥60 years (p = 0.024), and fatty changes in liver ultrasound (p = 0.044) were found to be independent factors for significant fibrosis. Conclusion: the prevalence of significant fibrosis was relatively high among a sample of Omani HBV inactive carriers, with several sociodemographic and clinical risk factors identified. Periodic assessment of liver function is needed for patients with these risk factors; moreover, routine biochemical parameters could be useful predictors of disease prognosis. Further research is recommended to substantiate these findings.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the dominant risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV X protein (HBx) plays crucial roles in HCC carcinogenesis. HBx interferes with several signaling pathways including Notch1 pathway in HCC. In our study, we found that Notch1 was highly expressed in HCC especially in large HCC. Notch1 and HBx co-localized in HCC and their levels were positively correlated with each other. Notch1 expression was more elevated in HepG2.2.15 than that in HepG2. HBx activated Notch1 pathway in HepG2.2.15. Repression of HBx and Notch1 pathway attenuated the growth of HepG2.2.15. Notch1, ERK and AKT pathways were inhibited after a γ-secretase inhibitor treatment. Dual-specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were up-regulated after the γ-secretase inhibitor treatment and Hes1 inhibition. Luciferase reporter assays showed that Hes1 repressed the promoters of DUSP1 and PTEN and this was reverted by γ-secretase inhibitor treatment. Western blotting demonstrated that DUSP1 dephosphorylated pERK and PTEN dephosphorylated pAKT. Collectively, we reported a link among HBx, Notch1 pathway, DUSP1/PTEN, and ERK/AKT pathways, which influenced HCC cell survival and could be a therapeutic target for HCC.

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of cognitive and physical disability worldwide, affecting 15% of the global population. Due to the demographics of aging, the prevalence of neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, will double over the next two decades. Unfortunately, while available therapies provide symptomatic relief for cognitive and motor impairment, there is an urgent unmet need to develop disease-modifying therapies that slow the rate of pathological progression. In that context, biomarkers could identify at-risk and prodromal patients, monitor disease progression, track response to therapy, and parse causality of molecular events to identify novel targets for further clinical investigation. Thus, identifying biomarkers that discriminate between diseases and reflect specific stages of pathology would catalyze the discovery and development of therapeutic targets. This review will describe the prevalence, known mechanisms, ongoing or recently concluded therapeutic clinical trials, and biomarkers of three of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Determining the vibration environment is crucial to analyzing a design of any mechanical system, especially such dynamic systems as sounding rockets. Accuracy of measurement using accelerometers could be improved by application of mechanical vibration filtering and amplifying devices. This work presents a theoretical description of a tunable filter and amplifier. Principle of work is provided as well as results from application of the device on a sounding rocket are provided. It is shown that implementation of such devices allowed for enhancing the accuracy of acceleration measurements. Conclusions on future implementations are also provided.

A previous report showed that the urine output of HPLBII-P in patients with diabetes mellitus and SARS-Cov-2 infection was increased as a sign of glomerular dysfunction. . The aim of this report was to investigate the relation of urine output of HPLBII-P to diabetes mellitus in two large community-based elderly populations i.e. the ULSAM and PIVUS cohorts. Methods HPLBII-P was measured by ELISA in the urine of a community-based cohort of 839 men (ULSAM) collected at 77 years of age and in urine of a community-based cohort of 75-year-old men, n=387, and women, n=401 (PIVUS). KIM-1, NGAL and Albumin were measured in urine and Cathepsin S and Cystatin C in serum. Results HPLBII-P was significantly raised among males with diabetes in the ULSAM (p

This feature study attempts on setting a granules involving mesoscopic matter-aggregation context as a problem of passing locally by the matter-aggregating system from classical stochastic (mesoscopic limit) to a quantum description (nanoscale quantum-size effect limit). A d-dimensional entropy-production aggregation of the granules-involving matter is considered in terms of a (sub)diffusive realization. It turns out that when taking a full d-dimensional pathway of the aggregation toward the nanoscale, one is capable of disclosing a Heisenberg type (diffusional) relation, setting up an upper uncertainty bound for the (sub)diffusive very slow granules-including environment that matches the quantum limit of h/2pm (m– average mass of a granule; h – the Planck’s constant) for the diffusion coefficient of the aggregation, likely first proposed by Fürth in 1933, and qualitatively foreseen by Schrödinger some years before, both in the context of a diffusing particle cluster. The classical-quantum passage uncovered here, also termed insightfully the quantum-size effect (as borrowed from the quantum dots’ parlance), works properly for the three-dimensional (d=3) case, making use of a substantial physical fact that the (nano)granules interact readily via their surfaces with the also granular surroundings in which they are immersed. This natural observation is embodied in the basic averaging construction of the diffusion coefficient of the aggregation of interest. Certain, possibly biomedical, applications of the model can also be viewed by prospective inspection of tiny inhomogeneities in nanofibrillar and/or lamellar matter for which certain numerical realizations are plausible to prepare based on thorough nanoscale experiments.

This paper presents four key results in the philosophy of language. Firstly, it distinguishes between partial and consistent assertion of a sentence, and introduces the concept of an equivocal sentence, which is both partially asserted and partially denied. Secondly, it proposes a novel definition of truth, stating that a true sentence is one that is consistently asserted. This definition avoids the Liar paradox, does not restrict classical logic, and applies to declarative sentences in the language used by any particular person. Thirdly, the paper introduces an epistemic model of language, called assertional language, which formalizes the definition of truth. Finally, it provides an argument for the falsity of so-called Liar sentences. The proposed definition of truth can be viewed as a formal account of the correspondence theory. The epistemic model is a powerful concept that allows for combining different languages in a meaningful way. This model is uniquely capable of reflecting on epistemic inconsistencies, such as logical paradoxes, in a consistent manner and without resorting to non-classical solutions.

This literature review has been compiled to form an evidenced-based review on the standards for Dental Practices in their choice and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) within the COVID-19 Pandemic and beyond: it is prepared on the basis of the current best available evidence. The review encompasses risk management strategies for both Dental Personnel and Patients in the application and use of Face Masks & Respirators.In summation, from the evidence available, it is apparent that in the lab setting N95/FFP2 masks are superior in their efficiency but in the clinical setting such a difference is not seen as clearly. As such the minimum standard of care should be that of a standard surgical mask. Faced with the emergence of the virulent disease that is Covid-19, it is logical to use FFP2/N95 respirator masks in aerosol generating procedures where they offer greater resistance to fluid penetration and a better face seal when adequately fit tested as a gold standard. But if a dry field isolation technique involving high volume evacuation is used, there is no clear benefit of respirator masks (N95/FFP2 or N99/FFP3) when balanced with the extra risk of compliance, cost and comfort in wearing a standard fluid-resistant surgical mask.

The BRightest Target Explorer (BRITE) is the pioneering nanosatellite mission dedicated for photometric observations of the brightest stars in the sky. The BRITE CCD sensors are poorly shielded against extensive flux of energetic particles which constantly induce defects in the silicon lattice. In this paper we investigate the temporal evolution of the generation of the dark current in the BRITE CCDs over almost 4 years after launch. Utilizing several steps of image processing and employing normalization of the results it was possible to obtain useful information about the progress of thermal activity in the sensors. The outcomes show clear and consistent linear increase of induced damage despite the fact that only about 0.14% of CCD pixels were probed. By performing the analysis of temperature dependencies of the dark current, we identified the observed defects as phosphorus-vacancy (PV) pairs, which are common in proton irradiated CCD matrices. Moreover, the Meyer-Neldel empirical rule was confirmed in our dark current data, yielding E_MN=24.8 meV for proton-induced PV defects.

The paper presents research results on biocomposites made from a combination of extruded apple pomace (EAP) and potato starch (SP). The products were manufactured by hot pressing using a hydraulic press with a mold for producing samples. The prepared biocomposites were subjected to strength tests, surface wettability was determined and color analysis was carried out. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and cross section observed in Scanning electron microscope (SEM) were also performed. The obtained test results showed that the combination of apple pomace (EAP) and starch (SP) enabled the production of compact bicomposite materials. At the same time, it was found that each increase in the share of starch in the mixture for producing biocomposites increased the strength parameters of the obtained materials. With the highest share of starch in the mixture, 40%, and a raw material moisture content of 14%, the material had the best strength parameters and was even characterized by hydrophobic properties. It was also found that materials with a high content of starch are characterized by increased temperature resistance. Analysis of SEM microscopic photos showed well-glued particles of apple pomace, pectin, gelatinized starch and a smooth external structure of the samples. Research and analyzes have shown that apple pomace reinforced only with the addition of starch can be a promising raw material for the production of simple, biodegradable biocomposite materials.

The Planning and implementation of construction projects are difficult processes and are burdened with many risk elements. The budget spread over time, which is developed on the basis of the schedule, presents the expected distribution of costs throughout the duration of the works, which during the implementation of the project is subject to constant changes resulting from time, cost and organizational factors. Managing construction contracts requires managers to be able to analyze on an ongoing basis the variances of production costs - from the values calculated in the offer cost estimate and assumed in the Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled. The article attempts to analyze the emerging time and cost deviations using proprietary T/S and T/C monitoring, based on simple indicators of the EVM method. An example of construction of a multi-family housing development was used to study the variances of planned and incurred costs.

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.

Green spaces localized in cities create favourable environmental conditions for Ixodes ricinus, the most widespread and important vector of tick-borne pathogens in Central Europe. In this study, we described the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and Babesia species found in mono- and double infections among I. ricinus ticks occurring in urban areas of the city of Poznań, west-central Poland. Two tick groups were examined: (i) a group of 1,029 host-seeking ticks (460 nymphs, 289 females, and 280 males and (ii) a group of 1,268 engorged female ticks removed from 1,115 tick-infested animals, dogs and cats. The overall prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l. found in host-seeking ticks was almost two-fold higher in comparison to ticks derived from pets (8.7 vs. 4.7%, respectively, χ2 test, P = 0.001). Borrelia afzelii and B. garinii were the most prevalent species both in ticks from vegetation (3.7% and 3.7%, respectively) and from pets (3.7% and 0.6%, respectively). Babesia infections were slightly more common in feeding ticks compared to those from vegetation (6.0 vs. 4.7%, respectively), however, the difference was not significant. Three Babesia species including Ba. microti, Ba. venatorum and Ba. canis were identified. Babesia canis and Ba. microti were the most prevalent in host-seeking (2.6% and 1.4%, respectively) and feeding ticks (2.8% and 2.2%, respectively), whereas Ba. venatorum was the rarest piroplasm. All Ba microti obtained sequences (n=42) were identical to Ba. microti genotype "Jena/Germany" that is considered as pathogenic to humans. Furthermore, the sequences of Ba. venatorum (n=17) were identical with those isolated from patients in Italy, Austria and Poland. Altogether, out of 121 Babesia-positive ticks, 19.8% were simultaneously infected with B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes. We found similar prevalences of co-infections in host-seeking (1.1%) as well as in feeding ticks (1.0%). In the first group, Ba. canis prevailed in coinfections (73%), mostly with B. afzelii and B. garinii, in the second group, Babesia microti dominated with B. afzelii (92.7%). This is the first finding documenting the co-occurrence of both pathogens in ticks from companion animals. The detection of Ba. microti and Ba. venatorum sequences identical to strains pathogenic to humans as well as predominance of LB spirochetes, B. afzelii and B. garinii in I. ricinus from vegetation and animals indicates that there is a potential risk of acquiring human babesiosis and/or Lyme borreliosis in urban areas of the city of Poznań. Although, the overall risk of encountering a Ba. microti and B. burgdorferi s.l. co-infected tick was low (1.0%), the potential for more severe clinical symptoms and complications deserves notice. A relatively high infection rates of Ba. canis in dog-derived ticks (3.2%) and in host-seeking ticks (2.6%), suggests that I. ricinus could potentially be involved in the circulation of this piroplasm in areas, where the competent vector, Dermacentor reticulatus is absent or rare.

Rice provides ~20% of human dietary energy and, for many people, a similar share of their protein. Rice cultivation, however, produces significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, comparable to those from the aviation sector. The main GHG from rice production is methane, mostly a result of conventional rice cultivation (CRC) keeping rice fields continuously flooded during the crop cycle. There is extensive evidence that alternate wetting and drying (AWD) of rice fields substantially reduces methane emissions. AWD is one component of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an agroecological approach to the management of plants, water, soil and nutrients practiced by millions of farmers in both lowland irrigated rice and upland rainfed cultivation. Thirteen countries have included SRI in their Nationally Determined Contributions to GHG reduction or climate change mitigation. This article reviews 16 field studies of the net reduction in GHG emissions from the adoption of AWD, eight from the adoption of SRI, and two that compared SRI and AWD. Where available, the review includes data on yield and therefore on carbon dioxide-equivalent GHG emissions per kilogram of rice produced. The evidence indicates that AWD and SRI offer a similar and substantial reduction (~35–41%) in GHG emissions per hectare compared with conventional rice cultivation. However, SRI offers ~66% greater yield than CRC, and therefore greater reduction in emissions per kilogram of rice, ~54% more than AWD. The limited data directly comparing SRI and AWD support this finding. SRI also appears to have greater potential to sequester carbon in the soil. SRI lowers rice farmers’ costs of production, adds to their income and can make climate-friendly methods more attractive. Both AWD and SRI are greatly preferable to current conventional practices, but SRI offers opportunities to contribute to food security while directly addressing the drivers of climate change.

Planning and implementation of construction projects are difficult processes and are burdened with many risk elements. The budget spread over time, which is developed on the basis of the schedule, presents the expected distribution of costs throughout the duration of the works, which during the implementation of the project is subject to constant changes resulting from time, cost and organizational factors. Managing construction contracts requires managers to be able to analyze on an ongoing basis the variances of production costs - from the values calculated in the offer cost estimate and assumed in the Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled. The article attempts to analyze the emerging time and cost variances using proprietary C-S and S-C monitoring, based on simple indicators of the EVM method. An example of construction of a multi-family housing development was used to study the variances of planned and incurred costs.

The AtomDB project provides models of X-ray and EUV emitting astrophysical spectra for optically thin, hot plasma. We present the new software package, PyAtomDB, which now underpins the entire project, providing access to the underlying database, collisional radiative model calculations, and spectrum generation for a range of models. PyAtomDB is easily extensible allowing users to build new tools and models for use in analysis packages such as XSPEC. We present two of these, the kappa and ACX models for non-Maxwellian and Charge-Exchange plasmas respectively. In addition, PyAtomDB allows full open access to the apec code which underlies all of the AtomDB spectra and has enabled development of a module for estimating the sensitivity of emission lines and diagnostic line ratios to uncertainties in the underlying atomic data. We present these publicly available tools and results for several X-ray diagnostics of Fe L-shell ions and He-like ions as examples.

Introduction: The current generation of 3D printers are lighter, cheaper, and smaller, making them more accessible to the chairside digital dentist than ever before. 3D printers in general in the industrial and chairside setting can work with various types of materials including, metals, ceramics, and polymers. Evidence presented in many studies show that an ideal material used for dental restorations is characterised by several properties related to durability, cost-effectiveness, and high performance. This review is the second part in a 3D Printing series that looks at the literature on material science and applications for these materials in 3D printing as well as a discussion on the potential further development and future evolution in 3D printing materials. Conclusions: Current materials in 3D printing provide a wide range of possibilities for providing more predictable workflows as well as improving efficiency through less wasteful additive manufacturing in CAD/CAM procedures. Incorporating a 3D printer and a digital workflow into a dental practice is challenging but the wide range of manufacturing options and materials available mean that the dentist should be well prepared to treat patients with a more predictable and cost effective treatment pathway. As 3D printing continues to become a commonplace addition to chair side dental clinics, the evolution of these materials, in particular reinforced PMMA, resin incorporating zirconia and glass reinforced polymers offer increased speed and improved aesthetics that will likely replace subtractive manufacturing milling machines for most procedures.

The voluminous daily output of autism research has become increasingly disconnected, existing largely within highly specific subspecialty areas, and lacking cross-disciplinary linkages of context, theory, and findings to inform a unified body of knowledge. Robust syntheses of published research across the fields of psychiatry, cellular and molecular biology, neurology, endocrinology, immunology, behavioral and social sciences, and pedagogy may help clarify and extend current knowledge by guiding more efficient future research efforts investigating underlying causes, developmental divergences, novel treatments, and specific, sensitive biological markers in autism. This synthesis of interdisciplinary research indicates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis may be at the center of an interaction among sex steroids, immune function, signaling protein transcriptions, neurogenesis, and dysregulation of brain structures sending or receiving projections from the HPA stress axis. These interaction manifest observably as a range of sexually dimorphic behaviors and functional limitations often falling within the current diagnostic features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The pathogenicity of endocrine dysregulation may serve as a valuable model for developing a cohesive theory of ASD by explaining how the HPA and connected brain areas respond to extreme conditions of dysregulated endocrine signaling to cause symptoms associated with autism.

Lamin A, B and C, the nuclear intermediate-filament proteins, play a role in epigenetic regulation. While Lamin B is expressed in all nucleated cells studied, Lamin A/C are transcribed in most somatic cell types except mature B lymphocytes. Since Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human gammaherpesvirus, is associated with tumorigenic processes and is known to alter the epigenotype of its host cells, we studied the expression of the LMNA gene and its epigenetic marks in EBV-carrying human lymphoid cell lines. We observed a high lamin A/C mRNA and protein expression in EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and in group III Burkitt lymphoma (BL) lines where hypomethylated first exons were observed with activating histone marks. In most cell lines with low promoter activity a highly methylated first exon could be detected. Our data showed that methylation of the first exon of LMNA was associated with the downregulation of LMNA expression whereas euchromatic histone marks were enriched at active LMNA promoters in EBV-immortalized LCLs. These data suggest a role for viral latency products to activate LMNAp in EBV-infected latency type III B cells in vitro. Expression of lamin A/C may contribute to the establishment of activated B cell phenotype that needs further explorations.

The proliferation and survival signals emanating from the B-cell receptor (BCR) constitute a crucial aspect of mature lymphocyte’s life. Dysregulated BCR signaling is considered a potent contributor to tumor survival in different subtypes of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs). In the last decade, emergence of BCR-associated kinases as rational therapeutic targets has led to the development and approval of several small molecule inhibitors targeting either Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), or phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), offering alternative treatment options to standard chemoimmunotherapy, and making some of these drugs valuable assets in the anti-lymphoma armamentarium. Despite their initial effectiveness, these precision medicine strategies are limited by primary resistance in aggressive B-cell lymphoma like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), especially in the case of first generation BTK inhibitors. In these patients, BCR-targeting drugs often fail to produce durable responses, and nearly all cases eventually progress with a dismal outcome, due to secondary resistance. This review will discuss our current understanding of the role of antigen-dependent and antigen-independent BCR signaling in DLBCL and MCL and will cover both approved inhibitors and investigational molecules being evaluated in early preclinical studies. We will discuss how the mechanisms of action of these molecules, and their off/on-target effects can influence their effectiveness and lead to toxicity, and how our actual knowledge supports the development of more specific inhibitors and new, rationally based, combination therapies, for the management of MCL and DLBCL patients.

The main motive of this study was to find an auxiliary application of the discarded agricultural remnants and poultry waste. Rice straw and chicken feathers are disposed off as landfills or incinerated causing pollution and environmental threats after their primary consumption. In this study epoxy composites were made using varying proportions of these raw and alkali treated materials. Flexural strength of the composites decreased till 35% fiber loading, followed by an increase. Chicken feather composites showed increased impact strength with fiber addition. Alkali treatment improved the mechanical properties of rice straw composites. Alkali treated chicken feather composites showed better impact strength but no significant change in flexural strength. Hybrid composites explicated enhanced properties both before and after alkali treatment corroborating noteworthy interfacial adhesion and synergistic effect of these fibers as ascertained from SEM images. The study evinced a better option for averting environmental problems by recycling these disposed materials.

The study of the concentrations and effects of fine particulate matter in urban areas have been of great interest to researchers in recent times. This is due to the acknowledgment of the far-reaching impacts of fine particulate matter on public health. Remote sensing data have been used to monitor the trend of concentrations of particulate matter by deriving aerosol optical depth (AOD) from satellite images. The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) has released the second version of its global PM_2.5 data with improvement in spatial resolution. This paper revisits the study of spatial and temporal variations in particulate matter in Saudi Arabia by exploring the cluster analysis of the new data. Cluster analysis of the PM_2.5 values of Saudi cities is performed by using Anselin local Moran’s I statistic. Also, the analysis is carried out at the regional level by using self-organizing map (SOM). The results show an increasing trend in the concentrations of particulate matter in Saudi Arabia, especially in some selected urban areas. The eastern and south-western parts of the Kingdom have significantly clustering high values. Some of the PM2.5 values have passed the threshold indicated by the World Health Organization (WHO) standard and targets posing health risks to Saudi urban population.

This review describes how resonance in amides is greatly affected upon substitution at nitrogen by two electronegative atoms. Nitrogen becomes strongly pyramidal and resonance stabilisation, evaluated computationally, can be reduced to as little as 50% that of N,N-dimethylacetamide. However, this occurs without significant twisting about the amide bond, which is borne out both experimentally and theoretically. In certain configurations, reduced resonance and pronounced anomeric effects between heteroatom substituents are instrumental in driving the HERON (Heteroatom Rearrangement On Nitrogen)^† reaction, in which the more electronegative atom migrates from nitrogen to the carbonyl carbon in concert with heterolysis of the amide bond, to generate acyl derivatives and heteroatom-substituted nitrenes. In other cases the anomeric effect facilitates S­_N1 and S_N2 reactivity at the amide nitrogen.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is known to cause severe liver diseases such as acute or chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a major health problem with nearly 300 million individuals infected worldwide. Currently, nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) and interferon alpha are clinically approved treatments for HBV infection. NAs are potent antiviral agents that bind to HBV polymerase and block viral reverse transcription and replication. Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV) is a newly developed NA against HBV in the form of acyclic nucleotide phosphonate that is available for oral administration similar to adefovir and tenofovir. Until now, resistance to BSV treatment has not been reported. In this study, we found a CHB patient who showed viral breakthrough after long-term treatment with BSV. The isolated HBV DNA from patient’s serum were cloned into the replication-competent HBV 1.2mer and the sequence of reverse transcriptase (RT) domain of HBV polymerase were analyzed. We also examined the drug susceptibility of generated clones in vitro. Several mutations were identified in HBV RT domain. A particular mutant harboring ten RT mutations showed resistance to BSV treatment in vitro. The ten mutations include rtV23I (I), rtH55R (R), rtY124H (H), rtD134E (E), rtN139K (K), rtL180M (M), rtM204V (V), rtQ267L (L), rtL269I (I) and rtL336M (M). To further identify the responsible mutations for BSV resistance, we performed in vitro drug susceptibility assay on several artificial clones. As a result, our study revealed that rtL180M (M) and rtM204V (V) mutations, already known as lamivudine-resistant mutations, confer resistance to BSV in the CHB patient.

This study describes the seasonal course of denitrifying and nitrate reducing bacteria in a dimictic mesotrophic lake (Lake Scharmützelsee, Brandenburg, Germany) within a three-year period from 2011 to 2013. The bacterial cell numbers were quantified by fluorescence microscopy, most probable number (MPN) and PCR dependent quantification of the chromosomal 16S rDNA and of the nirS and nirK gene copy number. The highest seasonal differences (up to three orders of magnitudes) has been measured by MPN in the epilimnion. This variation was not reflected by PCR dependent approaches or direct microscopical enumeration. At adverse conditions (low temperature and/or low nitrate concentrations), the differences between MPN and gene copy numbers increased up to five orders of magnitudes and decreased to one magnitude at favorable environmental conditions. These results can be explained best by an increasing ratio of viable but not cultivable (VBNC) cells or dead cells at impairing conditions. In the hypolimnion, the courses of MPN and nir gene copy numbers were similar. This can be explained by higher feeding pressure and therefore smaller amounts of dormant cells. In the pelagial in general, the total cell numbers enumerated by either microscopical or molecular approaches were similar. In the sediment, more than 99 % of the DNA was obviously not related to viable bacteria but was rather “dead DNA” in dead cells or adsorbed to particle surfaces.

Chronic joint inflammatory disorders such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have in common an upsurge of inflammation, and oxidative stress, resulting in progressive histological alterations and disabling symptoms. Currently used conventional medication (ranging from pain-killers to biological agents) is potent, but frequently associated with serious, even life-threatening side effects. Used for millennia in traditional herbalism, medicinal plants are a promising alternative, with lower rate of adverse events and an efficiency frequently comparable with that of conventional drugs. Nevertheless, their mechanism of action is in many cases elusive and/or uncertain. Even many of them have been proved effective in studies done in vitro or on animal models, there is a scarcity of human clinical evidence. The purpose of this review is to summarise the available scientific information on these joint-friendly medicinal plants, which have been already tested in human studies: Arnica montana, Boswelliaspp., Curcuma spp., Equisetum arvense, Harpagophytumprocumbens, Salix spp., Sesamumindicum, Symphytumofficinalis, Zingiberofficinalis, Panaxnotoginseng, Whitaniasomnifera.

The review scrutinizes the currently performed research on the new methods for enhancing bituminous binder performance through radiation and radical grafting of polymer modifers of bitumen. It investigates innovative methods, including using waste polymers as modifiers, and applying radiation for polymer grafting, to overcome challenges like high costs, low aging resistance and storage stability issues, of which separation of phases polymer/bitumen is the most significant obstacle. These advanced modification techniques promise sustainability through the decrease of the carbon footprint of transportation systems by improving the properties and durability of binders. Additionally, the review discusses the parameters and mechanistic aspects from a scientific perspective, shedding light on the underlying processes that contribute to the improved performance of modified bituminous binders.

The paper presents an analysis of the possibility of producing traction brushes from waste materials. Brushes are used to ensure good electrical contact between the rail and the pantograph. Slides are produced in the process of hot pressing, with parameters of heating up to max 175 ⁰C, at the minimal pressure value of 200 MPa. The developed brushes with a high (55-60%) content of recycled materials have comparable characteristics to commercial brushes, and some of the prototypes are even more durable and break-resistant.

Abstract: Medication overuse headaches is a frequent phenomenon observed in individuals suf-fering from chronic headaches. It arises due to the excessive consumption of pain-relief medica-tions, resulting in the escalation and continuous persistence of headache symptoms. Nevertheless, the prevalence and distinctive characteristics of medication overuse headaches in the pediatric population have not been comprehensively explored. The primary objective of this research is to delineate the features of medication overuse headaches in children, particularly emphasizing the investigation of its epidemiology and the diagnostic patterns for headaches. We conducted a ret-rospective study by and analyzed the medical records of children and adolescents who were evaluated at outpatient pediatric headache clinic at the Bnai Zion medical center for headache during the period spanning 2007 to 2017. Our study encompassed a cohort of 1008 patients expe-riencing headaches. Among these participants, 268 individuals (26.6%) were diagnosed with mi-graine, 250 (24.8%) exhibited tension-type headaches (TTH), and 490 (48.6%) were classified as having undifferentiated headaches. Out of the whole group, 65 had chronic headaches: 35 (54%) with migraine, 20 (30%) with tension-type headaches (TTH), and 10 (15%) with undifferentiated headache of childhood, with the majority (73%) being female.In summary, medication overuse headaches are a prevalent issue among children grappling with chronic headaches. Intriguingly, they appear to be more pronounced within the tension-type headache (TTH) group compared to migraine sufferers, and exhibit a higher prevalence among females. This study underscores the significance of early detection and careful management of medication overuse headaches in pedi-atric cases, shedding light on its distinct characteristics in the realm of childhood headache disor-ders. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying factors contributing to the ob-served gender disparity and the distinct prevalence rates among different headache subtypes.

The present paper presents findings from the follow-up of 185 of these nurses who had been involved in the front-line care of COVID-19 patients in urban centres in Northern England, during and after the “second wave” of COVID patients in November, 2020. Measures of adjustment, stress (including PTSD), and Maslowian self-actualization were added to earlier measures of personality, adjustment, work-life stress, and career intention. Cluster analysis identified three types in the 2020-2023 cohort: I ‘Actualizing Professionals’; (N=62); II ‘Strong Professionals’ (N=56); III ‘Highly Stressed Nurses’ (N=45). These latter very stressed nurses included all nurses (N=16) identified as having PTSD symptoms.

In this work, an innovative numerical approach for polylinear approximation (polylinearization) of non-self-intersecting compact sensor characteristics (transfer functions) specified either pointwise or analytically is introduced. The goal is to optimally partition the sensor characteristic, i.e. to select the vertices of the approximating polyline (approximant) along with their positions on, the sensor characteristics so that the distance (i.e. the separation) between the approximant and the characteristic is rendered below a certain problem-specific tolerance. To achieve this goal, two alternative non-linear optimization problems are solved, whose essential difference is in the adopted quantitative measure of the separation between the transfer function and the approximant. In the first problem, which relates to absolutely integrable sensor characteristics (their energy is not necessarily finite, but they can be represented in terms of convergent Fourier series), the polylinearization is constructed by numerical minimization of the L^1--metric (a distance-based separation measure), concerning the number of polyline vertices and their locations. In the second problem which covers the quadratically integrable sensor characteristics (whose energy is finite, but they do not necessarily admit a representation in terms of convergent Fourier series), the polylinearization is constructed by minimizing numerically the L^2-metric (area-, or energy-based separation measure) for the same set of optimization variables –the locations, and the number of polyline vertices.

To close the nutrient-related yield gaps in maize, balanced nutrition using primary and secondary macronutrients as well as micronutrients is recommended. Multi-nutrient diagnostic field trials were conducted in Guinea Savanna of Nigeria to assess the interactive effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on maize grain yields, nutrient uptake as well as N, P and K use efficiencies. The treatments consisted of a control (zero fertilizer applied), an NPK treatment and 10 other treatments in which macronutrient (Mg, S) and/or micronutrients (B, and Zn) were added to the NPK. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications. Data collected were subjected to mixed model with nutrient management strategy as fixed effects while replication nested in location and interaction between location and nutrient management strategy as random effects. The results revealed significant effects (P < 0.05) of nutrient management strategy on maize yield, nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiencies of N, P and K. The study revealed that yield advantage over the recommended NPK fertilizer as a result of application macronutrients and micronutrients were highest with Mg in Lere (2.4 t ha⁻¹), S + B + Zn in Faskari (2.8 t ha⁻¹), S + B in Doguwa (1.5 t ha⁻¹) and S + Zn in Toro (2.4 t ha⁻¹). Addition of Mg, S and B significantly increases macronutrient uptakes over the recommended NPK only. Agronomic use efficiency, internal utilization efficiency, apparent recovery efficiency and partial factor productivity were significantly increased with the addition of S, Mg, and B but were not improved with Zn application. It was concluded that nutrient limitations to maize in the Guinea Savanna go beyond N, P and K. This study recommends that S, Mg, and B are needed to improve maize productivity and engender improve the use efficiency of NPK fertilizers.

The BNT162b2 vaccine is globally used for preventing morbidity and mortality related to COVID-19. Cancer patients have had priority for receiving the vaccine due to their diminished immunity. This study reports the response of administering the 3rd and 4th vaccine doses to can-cer patients receiving active anti-neoplastic treatment. 142 patients have received two doses of the mRNA-based BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine, while 76 and 25 patients have received three and four doses, respectively. The efficacy of the humoral response following two vaccine doses was diminished in cancer patients, especially in the group of patients receiving chemotherapy. In a multivariate analysis, patients after three and four BNT162b2 vaccine doses were more likely to have antibody titers in the upper tertile compared to patients after two doses of the vaccine (odds ratio (OR) 7.62 (95% CI 1.38-42.12), p=0.02 and 17.15 (95% CI 5.01-58.7), p<0.01, respective-ly). Unlike the response after two doses, the 3rd and 4th BNT162b2 vaccine booster doses, had an increased efficacy of 95-100% in cancer patients while on active treatment. This result could be explained by different mechanisms including the development of memory B cells.

Abstract Aim of the study: Presentation of ophthalmic symptoms of Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infracts and Leucoencephalopathy (CADASIL). Material and methods: Clinical presentation of female patient with diagnosed CADASIL, manifested by transient loss of vision, migraine, convergence insufficiency, diplopia, increased deep tendon reflexes of upper left limb, subcortical infarcts, mood disturbances and dementia. Results: Confirmed NOTCH3 gene mutation (p.Cys212Gly), and presence of granular osmiophilic material (GOM) in cutaneous small vessel wall in immunohistochemistry laboratory test (IHC). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed bilateral focal vasogenic lesions in white matter of cerebral hemisphere with single micro-focal infarct in the left external capsule. Furthermore, a left eye exophoria, a bilateral peripheral visual field loss of 20 degrees and a loss of nasolabial fold was confirmed during ophthalmic tests. An eye fundus examination as well as a fluorescein angiography (FA) revealed vessel constriction of retinal arteries and a peripheral retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy with focal drusen in the left eye. The doppler ultrasonography (USG) confirmed a decreased blood flow and an increased vascular resistance of the extraocular vessels. The pattern electroretinogram (PERG) revealed a reduced P50 wave amplitude in the patient’s left eye. Conclusions: intermittent blindness, migraine, convergence failure, diplopia with specific MRI signs, NOTCH3 mutation, and the presence of GOM in the skin of small blood vessels in a young or middle-aged patient suggests CADASIL. New observations include: atrophic changes in the RPE, hemodynamic disturbances in blood flow in the short posterior ciliary arteries and in the central retinal artery, single drusen in the retina, and a reduced amplitude of the P50 wave in PERG.

Highly-doped graphene samples show the conductance reduced and the shot-noise power enhanced compared to standard ballistic systems in two-dimensional electron gas. These features can be understood within a model assuming incoherent scattering of Dirac electrons between two interfaces separating the sample and the leads. Here we find, by adopting the above-mentioned model for the edge-free (Corbino) geometry and by means of the computer simulation of quantum transport, that another graphene-specific feature should be observable when the current flow through a doped disk is blocked by high magnetic field. In case the conductance drops to zero, the Fano factor approaches the value of $F\approx{}0.56$, with a very weak dependence on the disk radii ratio. The role of finite source-drain voltages and the system behavior upon tuning the electrostatic potential barrier from a rectangular to parabolic shape are also discussed.

Biochar is a carbonaceous material derived from the thermochemical conversion of biomass under oxygen-lean conditions. Its properties render it many applications in agriculture, environmental remediation, and catalysis. Commonly produced by pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere, the biochar composition is influenced mainly by residence time, heating rate, and process temperature. The existing literature primarily assesses biochar properties, such as ultimate, proximate, calorific, porosity, and combustibility, generated under various thermo-conversion conditions. However, there is a notable lack of sufficient investigation and attention given to the practical application of biochar. This article seeks to bridge that gap by enhancing the comprehension of the necessary experimental assessment for specific biochar applications and proposing process optimization methods using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). By delving into these aspects, the study offers a concise overview of biochar production and presents a comprehensive panorama based on articles and patents. Additionally, the research explores the physicochemical characterization techniques associated with biochar and its various applications in conjunction with MCDA. This comprehensive approach aims to uncover valuable insights that could further advance the practical and sustainable utilization of biochar in a wide range of fields.

Dams are a critical infrastructure system for many communities, but they are also one of the most challenging to inspect. Dams are typically very large and complex structures, and the result is that inspections are often time-intensive and require expensive, specialized equipment and training to provide inspectors with comprehensive access to the structure. The scale and nature of dam inspections also introduces additional safety risks to the inspectors. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have the potential to address many of these challenges, particularly when used as a data acquisition platform for photogrammetric three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and analysis, though the nature of both UAV and modern photogrammetric methods necessitates careful planning and coordination for integration. This paper presents a case study on one such integration at the Brighton Dam, a large-scale concrete gravity dam in Maryland, USA. A combination of multiple UAV platforms and multi-scale photogrammetry was used to create two comprehensive and high-resolution 3D point clouds of the dam and surrounding environment at intervals. These models were then assessed for their overall quality, as well as their ability to resolve flaws and defects that were artificially applied to the structure between inspection intervals. The results indicate that the integrated process is capable of generating models that accurately render a variety of defect types with sub-millimeter accuracy. Recommendations for mission planning and imaging specifications are provided as well.

Antibiotic resistance is a pressing global and planetary health challenge. Links between climate change, antibiotic use and the emergence of antibiotic resistance have been well documented, but less attention has been given to the impact(s) of earth systems on specific bacterial livestock diseases at a more granular level. Understanding the precise impacts of climate change on livestock health – and in turn the use of antibiotics to address that ill-health – is important in providing an evidence base to tackle such impacts and to develop practical, implementable and locally acceptable solutions within and beyond current antibiotic stewardship programmes. In this paper, we set out the case for better integration of earth scientists and their specific disciplinary skill set (specifically, problem-solving with incomplete/fragmentary data; the ability to work across four dimensions and at the interface between the present and deep/geological time) into planetary health research. We then discuss a methodology that makes use of risk mapping, a common methodology in earth science but less frequently used in health science, to map disease risk against changing climatic conditions at a granular level. This will enable predictions of future disease risk and risk impacts based on predicted future climate conditions, and thus provide an evidence base for planetary health activists to influence policy and develop mitigations. Our case study – of climate conditions’ impact on livestock health in Karnataka, India – clearly evidences the benefit of integrating earth scientists into planetary health research.

Late onset Pompe disease is a recessive lysosomal storage disease. Clinical features include skeletal muscles deficiency and diaphragm weakness. Clinical management relies on supportive treatment and mechanical ventilation in patents with chronic respiratory failure. M mode ultrasound and tissue Doppler imaging can be used to assess and to follow up diaphragm function.

We have now identified two thermodynamically distinct types (A and B) of energetic processes naturally occurring on Earth. Type A energy processes such as the classical heat engines, apparently well follow the second law of thermodynamics; Type B energy processes, such as the newly discovered thermotrophic function that isothermally utilizes environmental heat energy to do useful work in driving ATP synthesis, which follows the first law of thermodynamics (conservation of mass and energy) but does not have to be constrained by the second law, owing to their special asymmetric functions. Several Type-B energy processes such as asymmetric-function-gated isothermal electricity and epicatalysis have been created through human efforts. The innovative efforts on Type-B processes to enable isothermally utilizing endless environmental heat energy could help to liberate all peoples from their dependence on fossil fuel energy, thus helping to reduce greenhouse gas CO2 emissions and control climate change towards a sustainable future for the humanity on Earth.

Areas covered with vegetation play a key role for life on Earth and should be inventoried in a clear and complete manner in order to improve the process of its protection and development. Data showing the amount of greenery in areas most deformed by humans, i.e. urbanized areas, are particularly important. Local governments need to know how to invest theirs limited sources in the quality of life of residents by supplementing the urban fabric with additional vegetation. The article presents a proposal for how to calculate the degree of greenness of cities based on remote sensing data. Additionally, a novel method was proposed to help in planning the development of areas covered with vegetation, taking into account the spatial distribution of the local population. The result was a comprehensive method presenting the actual natural situation in a specific city.

This scientific article outlines the Artificial Intelligence Integrated Energy Education Framework (AI-IEEF), a transformative model designed to revolutionize energy education and management practices. The framework is organized into five distinct layers: Organizational (AI-enhanced administration systems), Financial (dynamic AI financial models), Technology (advanced simulation and modeling), Methodology (AI in curriculum development and personalized learning), and Social (AI for community engagement and impact). An expert panel used the fuzzy Delphi method to achieve consensus on twenty key factors within these layers, establishing a solid foundation for analysis. Following this, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to calculate precise weights for each layer and their respective factors, providing a quantitative assessment of their relative importance. These weight calculations are crucial, as they guide resource allocation and strategic decision-making to ensure the framework is optimized for the evolving needs of energy management. Furthermore, the article introduces five tailored variants of the AI-IEEF, each addressing specific aspects of energy education and offering a comprehensive approach to navigating the challenges in the field. The five variants include the Smart Campus Energy Education, Global Energy Policy Analysis, Renewable Energy Research and Development, Energy Workforce Development, and Community Engagement and Outreach variants. Each provides a distinct approach to energy education, from transforming campuses into living labs for hands-on learning to fostering international collaborations that explore the global implications of energy policy. These variants emphasize practical skills, policy analysis, and community-focused solutions, ensuring that students are well-prepared to contribute effectively to the energy sector.

This paper considers the application of two selected algorithms (Cuckoo Search CS, Firefly Algorithm FA) to determine and maximize the reliability of a two complex system known from the literature. This system operates with resource constraints. In addition, several classical methods for determining the reliability of systems have been applied. Although the CS algorithm is known for its effectiveness as it uses the Lévy flight, for the presented optimization tasks the FA firefly algorithm in the considered parameter range proved to be more effective. The presented results broaden the existing discussion on the application of nature-inspired algorithms for solving RRAP (Reliability Redundancy Allocation Problem) problems. From this point of view, two described test scenarios can be considered as a suitable tool for validating other algorithms in RRAP problems. Not only the values of the criterion functions can be compared, but also other introduced parameters and statistical analyse of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc RIR Tuckey test was discussed.

Analgesic products for piglet castration are critically needed. This requires extensive animal experimentation such as to meet regulatory-required proof of efficacy. At present, there are no validated methods of assessing pain in neonatal piglets. This poses challenges for investigators to optimize trial design and to meet ethical obligations to minimize the number of animals needed. Pain in neonatal piglets may be subtle, transient and / or variably expressed and, in the absence of validated methods, investigators must rely on using a range of biochemical, physiological and behavioural variables, many of which appear to have very low (or unknown) sensitivity or specificity for documenting pain, or pain-relieving effects. A previous systematic review of this subject was hampered by the high degree of variability in the literature base both in terms of methods used to assess pain and pain mitigation, as well as in outcomes reported. In this setting we provide a narrative review, to assist in determining the optimal methods currently available to detect piglet pain during castration and methods to mitigate castration-induced pain. In overview, the optimal outcome variables identified are nociceptive motor and vocal response scores during castration, and quantitative sensory-threshold response testing and pain-associated behaviour scores following castration.

Magnetic properties of soft magnetic composites are highly sensitive to the processing conditions. In this paper we focus on the possibility to model this effect using the Jiles-Atherton-Sablik theory. It is assumed that the effect of varying compaction pressure may be described by direct introduction of stress-dependent term in the model equations. The values of model parameters are kept constant. Verification of the proposed approach is carried out using measurement data from self-developed iron-based composite cores.

The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 require community water systems in the United States to send consumers Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs). CCRs contain information on detected contaminants and required educational information about drinking water. The authors of this study developed a survey to evaluate how utilities track consumer feedback, understanding, and the role of the CCR in shaping consumer perceptions about water quality. Responses from this survey indicate it is common for utilities to indirectly track the effectiveness of their CCRs, but few utilities indicated directly evaluating consumer understanding or the effect of CCRs on consumer perceptions.

The prevalence of hepatitis B and delta viruses (HBV/HDV) among people who use drugs (PWUD) remains largely unknown. In the context of one Philadelphia-based harm reduction organization (HRO), this study aimed to assess HBV/HDV prevalence and facilitate linkage to care. Participants completed a demographic HBV/HDV risk factor survey and were screened for HBV and reflexively for HDV if positive for HBV surface antigen or isolated core antibody. Fisher’s exact tests and regression were used to understand relationships between risks and HBV blood markers. Of the 498 participants, 126 (25.3%) were susceptible to HBV, 52.6% had been vaccinated against HBV, and 17.9% had recovered from a past infection. Eleven (2.2%) participants tested positive for isolated HBV core antibody, 10 (2.0%) for HBV surface antigen, and one (0.2%) for HDV antibody. History of incarceration was associated with current HBV infection, while transactional sex and experience of homelessness were predictive of previous exposure. This study found high rates of current and past HBV infection, and a 10% HBV/HDV co-infection rate. Despite availability of vaccine, one quarter of participants remained vulnerable to infection. Findings demonstrate the need to improve low-threshold HBV/HDV screening, vaccination, and linkage to care among PWUD. The study also identified gaps in the HBV/HDV care cascade, including lack of point-of-care diagnostics and lack of support for HROs to provide HBV services.

Fire accidents are common accidents amongst residential house occupants in Libya. Some of the factors that can mitigate fire accidents in Libyan residential houses include fire safety awareness and knowledge. This study investigated the level of awareness and knowledge of fire safety amongst residential house occupants in Libya. The possibility and consequences of fire hazards and risk existing in residential houses in Libya were also studied. Experimental data obtained for 1.5 m/s and 3.5 m/s as walking and running evacuation time, respectively amongst residential house occupants in Libya were also compared. The sample consist of 90 respondents with instruments of fire safety awareness and knowledge, fire hazard and consequences, and the involvement of residential house occupants in fire emergency. Statistical analysis was performed at p < 0.05 to determine the levels of residential awareness and knowledge regarding fire safety and the hazard and consequences. The findings illustrated that the items were highly reliable (α > 0.7) and normally distributed. Also, the results illustrated that the majority of residential house occupants in Libya have fair level of fire safety awareness and knowledge with overall percentage of 80% and 90%, respectively. On the other hand, the results further showed that majority of residential house occupants have good level of fire emergency involvement with 90%. This paper proposes a fire safety assessment method which may form the basis of future fire safety practice in Libya.

Road alleys, especially on areas of Warmia (north-east Poland), are multifunctional features in open landscapes. They serve as ecological corridors connecting habitats and play an important role in sustaining ecological stability. However, multiple road authorities claim that tree-lined routes are a threat for traffic safety and therefore should be removed. The aspect of safety seems to be crucial to them, significantly overwhelming alley benefits. The vitality problems of the trees (which are mainly mature and aging) deliver arguments to cutting them down. The aim of this paper is examination of environmental and natural value of the road alleys (based on a 14 km long-distance of the Gamerki – Jonkowo road), and verification of the degree of hazard posed by trees designated for cutting because of safety reasons. The six-examination framework for the research was developed. Tree risk assessment and vitality evaluation, pulling tests, examination of protected beetle species - hermit beetle, the lichens species, and examination of bat fauna were performed. The results revealed no trees in the resignation phase and confirmed that the alley is a unique natural and landscape habitat with protected species of lichens, a few bats species and valuable insect species, among others hermit beetle (Osmoderma barnabita) existing there. The environmental value of the alley is, therefore, hard to overestimate and cannot be perceived only as a component of the road infrastructure. The maintenance of the trees seems to be essential when taking into account environmental stability of the region.

Generative adversarial networks (GAN) opened new possibilities for image processing and analysis. Inpainting, dataset augmentation using artificial samples or increasing spatial resolution of aerial imagery are only a few notable examples of utilizing GANs in remote sensing. This is due to a unique construction and training process expressed as a duel between GAN components. The main objective of the research is to apply GAN to generate an artificial Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using panchromatic images. The NDVI ground-truth labels were prepared by combining RGB and NIR orthophoto. The dataset was then utilized as input for a conditional generative adversarial network (cGAN) to perform an image-to-image translation. The main goal of the neural network was to generate an artificial NDVI image for each processed 256px × 256px patch using only information available in the panchromatic input. The network achieved 0.7569 ± 0.1083 Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), 26.6459 ± 3.6577 Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PNSR) and 0.0504 ± 0.0193 Root-Mean-Square Error (RSME) on the test set. The perceptual evaluation was performed to verify the usability of the method when working with a real-life scenario. The research confirms that the structure and texture of the panchromatic aerial remote sensing image contains sufficient information for NDVI estimation for various objects of urban space. Even though these results can be used to highlight areas rich in vegetation and distinguish them from urban background, there is still room for improvement in terms of accuracy of estimated values. The purpose of the research is to explore the possibility of utilizing GAN to enhance panchromatic images (PAN) with information related to vegetation. This opens interesting possibilities in terms of historical remote sensing imagery processing and analysis. The panchromatic orthoimagery dataset was derived from RGB orthoimagery.

In the following work, the assessment of the strength properties of the critical area of the rotor stage of the turbine jet engine was undertaken. This is the place of fixing the blade in the rotor disc. An important aspect of this issue are characteristic geometrical dimensions and operating factors e.g., change in rotor speed. In this paper, the assessment of the strength properties of the existing trapezoidal blade-disc connection was undertaken using parametric analysis considering FSI. Virtual models of the compressor rotor stage were developed, including parametric blade-disc connections and discrete models for FEM and CFD analyses. In the parametric analysis of the blade-disc connection, one-way fluid-structure coupling was used. The parametric analysis was aimed at assessing selected geometric parameters in terms of their impact on the maximum reduced stresses in the blade root. It was examined how the adopted value of the friction coefficient influences the maximum reduced stresses in the rotor stage of the compressor.

Oxalate is a divalent organic anion that has implications across many biological and commercial processes. It is derived from plant sources, such as spinach, rhubarb, tea, cacao, nuts, and beans, and therefore is commonly found in raw or processed food products. Oxalate can also be made endogenously by humans and other mammals as a byproduct of hepatic enzymatic reactions. It is theorized that oxalate is useful for plants to store calcium and protect against herbivory. Clinically, oxalate is best known to be a major component of kidney stones, which commonly contain calcium oxalate crystals. Oxalate can induce an inflammatory response that decreases the immune system’s ability to remove renal crystals. When formulated with platinum as oxaliplatin (an anticancer drug), oxalate has been proposed to cause neurotoxicity and nerve pain. There are many sectors of industry that are hampered by oxalate, and some that depend on it. For example, calcium oxalate is troublesome in the pulp industry and the alumina industry as it deposits on machinery. On the other hand, oxalate is a common active component of rust removal and cleaning products. Due to its ubiquity, there is interest in developing efficient methods to quantify oxalate. Over the past four decades several diverse methods have been reported. These approaches include electrode-based detection, liquid chromatography or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, enzymatic degradation of oxalate with oxalate oxidase and detection of hydrogen peroxide as a product, and indicator displacement-based methods employing fluorescent or UV light-absorbing compounds. It has become clear that no single method will work best for every purpose. This review describes the strengths and limitations of each method, and may serve as a reference for investigators to decide which approach is most suitable for their work.

The recent approval of 177Lu PSMA-617 (Pluvicto®) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the culmination of decades of work in advancing the field of targeted radionuclide therapy for metastatic prostate cancer. 177Lu PSMA-617, along with the bone specific radiotherapeutic agent, 223RaCl2, are now commonly used in routine clinical care as a tertiary line of therapy for men with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer and for osseus metastatic disease respectively. While these radiopharmaceuticals are changing how metastatic prostate cancer is classified and treated, there is relatively little guidance to the practitioner and patient as to how best utilize these therapies, especially in conjunction with other more well-established regimens including hormonal, immunologic, and chemotherapeutic agents. This review article will go into detail about the mechanism and effectiveness of these radiopharmaceuticals and less well known classes of targeted radionuclide radiopharmaceuticals including alpha emitting prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) -, gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) -, and somatostatin targeted radionuclide therapeutics. Additionally, a thorough discussion of the clinical approach of these agents is included and required futures studies.

Victor Vasarely’s (1906-1997) important legacy to the study of human perception is brought to the forefront and discussed. A large part of his impressive work conveys the appearance of striking three-dimensional shapes and structures in a large-scale pictorial plane. Current perception science explains such effects by invoking brain mechanisms for the processing of monocular (2D) depth cues. Here in this study, we illustrate and explain the local effects of 2D color and contrast cues on the perceptual organization in terms of figure-ground assignments, i.e. which local surfaces are likely to be seen as “nearer” or “bigger” in the image plane. Paired configurations are embedded in a larger, structurally ambivalent pictorial context inspired by some of Vasarely’s creations. The figure-ground effects these configurations produce reveal a significant correlation between perceptual solutions for “nearer” and “bigger” when no other monocular depth cues are given in the image. In consistency with previous findings on similar, albeit simpler visual displays, a specific color may compete with luminance contrast in resolving the planar ambiguity of a complex pattern context. Vasarely intuitively understood, and successfully exploited, this kind of subtle context effect in his art, well before empirical investigations had set out to study and explain their genesis in terms of information processing by the visual brain.

In this paper we develop and explore a methodical pipeline for swimmer localisation in outdoor environments. The developed framework is intended to be used for enhancing swimmer safety. A main issue we deal with by the proposed approach is the lack of real world training data in such outdoor environments. Natural lighting changes, dynamic water textures and possibly barely visible swimming persons are key elements to approach. We account for these difficulties by adopting an effective background removal technique with available training data. This allows us to edit swimmers into natural environment backgrounds for the use in subsequent image augmentation. We created 17 training datasets with real images, synthetic images and a mixture of both to investigate different aspects and characteristics of the proposed approach. The datasets are used to train a YOLO architecture for the possible future application in real-time detection. The trained framework is then tested and evaluated on outdoor environment imagery acquired by a safety drone to investigate and confirm the usefulness for outdoor swimmer localisation.

Soil amendments with composted organic materials are recommended to increase soil organic matter (SOM), promote soil fertility, and the Circular Economy. Growing areas of hedged olive groves in southern Iberia peninsula generate huge amounts of olive leaves whose potential as soil organic amendment is not fully studied. An experimental field trial in a hedged olive grove (cv. “Cobrançosa”) was set up near Portalegre, Portugal, to test a compost of olive leaves plus sheep manure (2:1) applied in the row, at soil surface. Three nominal rates (0 or control, 2.5 and 5.0 kg m-2) were used, in a complete randomized block setup (3 treatments, 3 replicas, 9 plots) and soil chemical properties of layers 0-5, 5-15, and 15-30 cm deep were annually monitored. Results (mainly in layer 0-5 cm) showed increases in total N, carbon of the particulate organic matter (POM-C), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POX-C), extractable phosphorus, and zinc, after one year, and increases in soil organic carbon (SOC), C-stock, pHKCl, extractable phosphorus, and zinc, after two years. POX-C was the most sensitive SOM-related indicator, showing increases up to 30 cm deep after one year. This compost improved soil fertility, but should be monitored over longer periods of time, namely for SOC and extractable zinc content.

Biochar application to soil has been proposed as a means for reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. The effects, however, of interactions between biochar, moisture and temperature on soil CO₂ and N₂O emissions, remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the applicability of lab-scale observations to field conditions in diverse agroecosystems remains uncertain. Here we investigate the impact of a mixed wood gasification biochar on CO₂ and N₂O emissions from loess-derived soils using: (1) controlled laboratory incubations at three moisture (27, 31 and 35%) and three temperature (10, 20 and 30°C) levels, and (2) a field study with four cropping systems (continuous corn, switchgrass, low diversity grass mix, and high diversity grass-forb mix). Biochar reduced N₂O emissions under specific temperatures and moistures in the laboratory and in the continuous corn cropping system in the field. However, the effect of biochar on N₂O emissions was only significant in the field, and no effect on cumulative CO₂ emissions was observed. Cropping system also had a significant effect in the field study, with soils in grass and grass-forb cropping systems emitting more CO₂ and less N₂O than corn cropping systems. Observed biochar effects were consistent with previous studies showing that biochar amendments can reduce soil N₂O emissions under specific, but not all, conditions. The disparity in N₂O emission responses at the lab and field scales suggests that laboratory incubation experiments are not reliable for predicting the impact of biochar at the field scale.

Abstract: The contribution of breakfast to diet quality (DQ) can inform future dietary guidelines. This study examined breakfasts that were associated with highest-quality diets. Dietary data came from the first reported day of the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 (n=14,488). DQ measures were the Nutrient Rich Foods Index (NRF9.3) and the USDA Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI 2015). Analyses of breakfast intakes were conducted by NRF9.3 tertiles and by age and socioeconomic groups. Four out of 5 NHANES participants ate breakfast. Breakfast provided 19-22% of dietary energy depending on age. Breakfast intakes of complex carbohydrates and total sugars were higher and intakes of protein and fats were lower relative to energy intakes. Breakfast provided more that 20% of daily intakes of B vitamins, vitamins A and D, folate, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. Eating breakfast was associated with higher NRF9.3d scores. Breakfasts associated with top tertile of NRF9.3d had more carbohydrates and less added sugars and fats. Such breakfasts had more fruit and juices, more whole grains, more milk and yogurt and less meat and eggs. Breakfast patterns that favored fruit, whole grains, and dairy were associated with healthiest diets.

Increased proliferation of IT services in all sectors has reinforced the adoption and diffusion across all levels of education and training institutions. However, lack of awareness of and knowledge about the key challenges and opportunities of elearning, seem to allude policymakers, resulting in low adoption or increased failure rate of many e-learning projects. Our study tries to address this problem through a review of relevant literature in e-learning. Our goal was to draw from the existing literature, insights into the opportunities and challenges of e-learning diffusion, and the current state-of-research in the field. To do this, we employed a systematic review of literature on some of the salient opportunities and challenges of e-learning innovation for educational institutions. These results aimed to inform policymakers and suggest some interesting issues to advance the research and adoption and diffusion of e-learning. Moreover, the bibliometric analysis shows that the field is experiencing high research attraction among scholars. However, several research areas in the field witnessed relatively low research paucity. Based on these findings, we discussed topics for possible future research.

Image recovery by dictionary learning is of potential interest for many possible applications. To learn a dictionary, one needs to solve a minimization problem where the solution should be sparse. The K-SVD formalism, which is a generalization of the K-means algorithm, is one of the most popular methods to achieve this aim. We explain the preprocessing that is needed to bring images into a manageable format for the optimization problem.The learning process then takes place in terms of solving for sparse representations of the image batches. The main contribution of this paper is to give an experimental analysis of the recovery for highly textured imagery. For our study, we employ a subset of the Brodatz database. We show that the recovery of sharp edges plays a considerable role. Additionally, we study the effects of varying the number dictionary elements for that purpose.

Quantum logic is a well-structured theory, which has recently received some attention because of its fundamental relation to quantum computing. However, the complex foundation of quantum logic borrowing concepts from different branches of mathematics as well as its peculiar settings have made it a non-trivial task to device suitable applications. This article aims to propose for the first time an approach to use quantum logic in image processing at hand of a process for shape classification. We show how to make use of the principal component analysis to realize quantum logical propositions. In this way we are able to assign a concrete meaning to the rather abstract quantum logical concepts, and we are able to compute a probability measure from the principal components. For shape classification we consider encrypting given point clouds of different objects by making use of specific distance histograms. This enables to initiate the principal component analysis. At hand of experiments, we explore the possibility to distinguish between different geometrical objects and discuss the results in terms of quantum logical interpretation.

The conventional explanation of delayed-choice experiments seems to violate our causal intuition. This apparent violation is caused by a misinterpretation of the conventional formulation of quantum mechanics. I reanalyze these experiments using advanced and time-symmetric formulations of quantum mechanics. All three formulations give the same experimental predictions, but the advanced and time-symmetric formulations violate our causal intuition that effects only happen after causes. I explore reasons why our causal intuition may be wrong at the quantum level. I also suggest how conventional causation might be recovered in the classical limit, and speculate on cosmological boundary conditions.

Recent studies have demonstrated silk fibroin’s ability to extend the shelf life of foods by mitigating the hallmarks of spoilage, namely oxidation and dehydration. Due to the potential for this protein to become more widespread, its safety was evaluated comprehensively. First, a bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames test) was conducted in five bacterial strains. Second, an in vivo erythrocyte test was conducted with Sprague Dawley rats at doses up to 1,000mg/kg-bw/day. Third, a range-finder study was conducted with Sprague Dawley rats at the highest consumption amount given solubility and oral gavage volume constrains (500mg/kg-bw/day). Fourth, a 28-day study in Sprague Dawley rats was conducted at the 500mg/kg-bw/day amount. Fifth, an in vitro pepsin digestion assay was performed to assess the potential for protein allergenicity. Sixth, allergenic potential was further assessed using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy for detection of allergenic insect proteins. Seventh, the protein sequences were subjected to bioinformatic analyses. Together, these studies raise no mutagenic, carcinogenic, toxicological, or allergenic concerns with the oral consumption of silk fibroin.

226Ra and 228Ra are typically monitored for groundwater and surface water compliance at legacy U mining and milling sites. Groundwater monitoring results for combined Ra (226Ra+228Ra) reported by the existing contract laboratory at a former U mine and mill Site (Wyoming, USA) have been highly variable and with increasing trends at the Site compliance and background wells since the method was changed in 2005. Sample reanalysis has indicated poor reproducibility and significant analytical error in 228Ra measurements. An interlaboratory comparison was conducted to evaluate the potential causes of the high variability and analytical error. Two different methods were used for 226Ra (M903.0 and M903.1) and 228Ra (M904.0 and Ra-05). 226Ra results were less variable compared to 228Ra, and 228Ra data from the existing laboratory were qualified as estimated with high bias due to detection of 228Ra in the field blank. Compliance with the 226Ra+228Ra groundwater standard was either met or not met, depending on which laboratory conducted the analyses. Specific laboratory techniques, rather than the analytical method, are contributing to elevated 228Ra values being reported. It was recommended that samples whose 226Ra+228Ra results exceed the Site standard in the future be reanalyzed by the existing laboratory with a sample split also being sent to an outside laboratory for confirmatory analysis.

Given the remarkable progress in global health and overall quality of life, the significant rise in life expectancy has become intertwined with the surging occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders (ND). This emerging trend is poised to pose a substantial challenge to the fields of medicine and public health in the years ahead. In this context, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is regarded as a ND that causes recent memory loss, motor impairment and cognitive deficits. AD is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly and its development is linked to multifactorial interac-tions between the environment, genetics, aging and lifestyle. The pathological hallmarks in AD are the accumulation of beta amyloid (A) peptide, the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, neuro-toxic events and impaired glucose metabolism. Due to pharmacological limitations and in view of the prevailing glycemic hypometabolism, the ketogenic diet (KD) emerges as a promising non-pharmacological possibility for managing AD, an approach that has already demonstrated efficacy in addressing other disorders, notably epilepsy. KD consists of a food regimen in which carbohydrate intake is discouraged at the expense of increased lipid consumption, inducing met-abolic ketosis, whereby the main source of energy becomes ketone bodies, instead of glucose. Thus, under these dietary conditions, neuronal death through lack of energy would be decreased, inasmuch as the metabolism of lipids is not impaired in AD. In this way, the clinical picture of patients with AD would potentially improve, through the slowing down of symptoms and delaying the progression of the disease. Hence, this review aims to explore the rationale behind utilizing the KD in AD treatment while emphasizing the metabolic interplay between KD and the improvement of AD indicators, drawing insights from both pre-clinical and clinical investigations.

Abstract: This article reports the results of an ecological study of cancer incidence rates by state in the US for the period 2016-2020. The goals of this study were to determine the extent to which solar UVB doses still reduced cancer risk compared to findings reported in 2006 for cancer mortality rates for the periods 1950–1969 and 1970-1794 as well as cancer incidence rates for the period 1998–2002 and to determine which factors were recently associated with cancer risk. The cancer data for non-Hispanic white (European American) men and women were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indices were obtained for solar UVB at the surface for July 1992, and alcohol consumption, and diabetes and obesity prevalence near the 2016–2020 period. Lung cancer incidence rates were also used in the analyses as a surrogate for smoking, diet, and air pollution. The cancers for which solar UVB is significantly associated with reduced incidence are bladder, brain (males), breast, corpus uteri, esophageal, gastric, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, pancreatic, and renal cancer. Lung cancer was significantly associated with colorectal, laryngeal, and renal cancer. Diabetes was also significantly associated with breast, liver, and lung cancer. Obesity prevalence was significantly associated with breast, colorectal and renal cancer. Alcohol consumption was associated with bladder and esophageal cancer. Thus diet has become a very important driver of cancer incidence rates. The role of solar UVB in reducing risk of cancer has been reduced due to people spending less time outdoors, wearing sunscreen that blocks UVB but not UVA radiation, and population increases in overweight and obesity, which lowers 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and generates systemic inflammation, a risk factor for cancer. The dietary approach that would reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, lung cancer, and, therefore cancer, would be one based mostly on whole-plants and restrictions on red and processed meats and ultraprocessed foods. Solar UVB exposure for a few minutes before applying sunscreen and taking vitamin D supplements would also help reduce risk of cancer.Keywords: alcohol consumption; cancer incidence;

California and most other coastlines around the world are being impacted by both long-term sea-level rise and short-term extreme events. Because of California’s long and intensively developed coastline, it is an important area for evaluating responses to these challenges. The predominant historic approach to coastal erosion in California and globally has been the construction of hard coastal armoring such as seawalls and rock revetments. The concept of living shorelines – defined as using natural elements like plants, sand or rocks to stabilize the coastline – has been widely proposed as a soft or green response to coastal erosion and flooding. These approaches have very limited application in high-energy environments, however, such as California’s 1,100-mile-long outer coast and are not realistic solutions for protection from wave attack at high tides or long-term sea-level rise. Each of the state’s coastal communities need to identify their most vulnerable areas, develop adaptation plans, and plan eventual relocation strategies in response to an accelerating sea-level rise.

Obtaining a genetic diagnosis of a primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) is often framed as a diagnostic odyssey. Yet, even after receiving a diagnosis, parents of affected children experience ongoing therapeutic and prognostic uncertainty, and considerable psychosocial challenges. Semi-structured interviews (N= 24) were conducted with parents of 13 children (aged 2-19 years) with a genetically confirmed PMD. Paternal (N=11) and maternal (N=13) perspectives were obtained, and thematic analysis performed on all interviews. A genetic diagnosis was valuable and empowering for parents, despite eliciting varied emotional responses. While the diagnosis helped focus management decisions, families often felt overwhelmed and unsupported in navigating the healthcare system. Most parents reported a serious impact on their romantic relationship. The sources of social support varied with a preference for established friendship and family support networks over disease-specific community support groups. Most parents favored prenatal genetic testing in the event of a future pregnancy. This study provides insight into the lived experiences of parents after a genetic diagnosis of PMD in their children. The findings draw awareness to supportive care needs and highlight important gaps that should be addressed to ensure that parents feel supported within a holistic framework of management for PMDs.

Natural vegetation restoration can take decades to achieve and requires information on species composition and trend to inform management strategies. Here we demonstrate the potential and portability of drone, dove and Sentinel-2 imagery for species level classification and trajectory monitoring using three study sites with different revegetation histories. Drone imagery (4 cm) was classified using random forests. Dove (3 m) and Sentinel-2 (10 m) images were acquired close to the anniversary of the drone flights and converted into fractional cover maps showing the proportion of exotics, natives and other land covers using ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR). The time series of fractional cover maps were converted into positive and negative slope and second-order curvature and summarised as one RGB composite to illustrate trend and observe exotic expansion. Drone classification accuracies ranged from 73%-76% when applied to the full plant species list and between 93% and 97% when grouped into natives, exotics, and other land covers. GWR outperformed OLS for all fractional cover mapping and GWR with dove imagery was more accurate than with Sentinel imagery. The combination of very high-resolution drone acquired imagery with the versatility of dove acquired imagery arms land managers with highly accurate species composition and their spatio-temporal dynamics to promote timely intervention.

Plant transcriptomes are an extremely dynamic entities shaped spatially and temporally by many intracellular and environmental cues. In this review, we first summarize the complexity and diversity of plant genomes and transcriptomes as a start point for the multitude of transcriptomic responses. Numerous alterations within various tissue and organ-specific transcriptomes as well as the most relevant transcriptomic responses associated with plant acclimation to selected abiotic and biotic stress conditions, from the current studies employing high-throughput transcriptomic analysis are widely discussed. Understanding changes within plant transcriptomes, revealed by in silico functional analysis, allows for the characterization of stress-affected genes and stress acclimatory mechanisms, as well as allows to perform plant metabolic engineering. The latter allow cultivars to produce more secondary metabolites in the future, which are often desirable substances in the biomedical industry. Accordingly, in this review special attention was also paid to characterize the potential of transcriptomic analyses of medicinal species, particularly to search for new cultivars. Extensive characterization of transcriptomic responses in stress would also result in the development of new cultivars that display physiological and molecular mechanisms that allow them to cope with adverse environmental conditions more adequately.

(1) Background: The prediction of cervical lesions evolution is a challenge for clinicians. The prospective study aimed to determine and compare the predictive accuracy of cytology, HPV genotyping, and p16/Ki67 dual staining alone or in combination with personal risk factors for the prediction of progression, regression or persistence of cervical lesions in human papillomavirus (HPV)-infected patients; (2) Methods: This prospective study included HPV-positive patients with or without cervical lesions that underwent follow-up. Descriptive statistics and sensitivity analysis for individual or combined index tests were used for data analysis; (3) Results: The highest predictive performance for the progression of cervical lesions was achieved by a model that comprised a Pap smear suggestive of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), the presence of 16/18 HPV strains, a positive p16/Ki67 dual staining result along with the presence of at least 3 clinical risk factors, which had a sensitivity (Se) of 74.42%, a specificity of 97.92%, an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.961, and an accuracy of 90.65%. The prediction of cervical lesions regression or persistence was modest; (4) Conclusions: Multiple testing or new biomarkers should be used to improve HPV-positive patient surveillance, especially for cervical lesion regression or persistence prediction.

The large-scale processing of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) generates significant quantities of solid wastes annually. Cassava peels (CP) account for 5 wt.% - 30 wt.% of wastes from the processing of cassava tubers. The poor disposal and management of CP pose risks to human health, safety and the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify and examine low cost, socially acceptable and environmentally friendly strategies to mitigate the immediate and long terms disposal and management challenges. Lack of such measures results in the accumulation of CP wastes, which are currently buried, combusted, or dumped in open fields. Therefore, this paper reviewed the potential routes for the biochemical, thermochemical, and plasma valorisation of CP. The literature reviewed revealed that biochemical technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD) and fermentation are the most widely utilised approaches currently adopted for CP valorisation. AD produces biogas (methane 50-72 vol. % and carbon dioxide 25-45 vol. %), whereas fermentation yields bioethanol. However, the numerous challenges such as substrate-induced inhibition, associated with the biochemical processes hamper microbial degradation, methane formation, and process efficiency. Furthermore, the processes generate secondary wastes or digestate/sludge, which requires additional processing before disposal. Therefore, innovative thermal, thermochemical, and plasma technologies were proposed to valorise CP into syngas, biofuels, bioenergy, biochemicals, and fertilizers, among others. However, the waste products of fermentation cannot be effectively utilised as bio-fertilizers, whereas bioethanol causes corrosion in engines. Overall, the biochemical, thermal, thermochemical and plasma technologies can effectively valorise CP for effective net energy generation.

This study presents a preliminary analysis of the chemical and thermal fuel properties of Afuze (AFZ) coal extracted from coalfields in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. The chemical properties of AFZ were examined by combined scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), whereas the thermal properties were deduced by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under flash (50 °C/min heating rate) oxidative (combustion) and non-oxidative (pyrolysis) conditions. The microstructure and morphology analysis of AFZ revealed has a compact structure comprising small-to-large, irregular shaped and exfoliated grains with a vitreous appearance typically ascribed to metal elements (Ti and Fe) kaolinite, quartz, and other clay minerals. Chemical analysis revealed carbon, oxygen, aluminium, silicon, sulphur, calcium, titanium, and iron in major and minor (trace) quantities. Thermal analysis under oxidative and non-oxidative conditions revealed degradation occurs in three stages, namely; drying or demineralisation, devolatilization or maceral degradation and the formation of char/coke or ash. Lastly, the findings showed that the temperature range for the oxidative thermal degradation process (338.58 - 756.76 °C) was higher than the non-oxidative process (378.43 - 615.34 °C). This observation can be explained by the exothermic nature of the oxidative (combustion) process, which ensures greater heat supply required to thermally soften or degrade the maceral coal components. Overall, the oxidative process yielded the residual mass (RM = 21.97%) and mass loss (ML = 78.03%). The lower ML (49.03%) but higher RM (50.97%) observed during non-oxidative degradation of AFZ could be ascribed to the largely endothermic nature of the process.

Although the phenomenon of serial killers has received great attention from media, governments, and public, very little information is known about them and very few theories are presented by researchers specifically their definition and motives for killing. Through cross tabulation analysis of top ninety-eight serial killers, this present study poses six questions that investigate the correlations between, offender's gender, offender's level of education, time span of killing, killing severity, number of victims, killer's type of abuse, motives for killing, and victim's profile. Findings show that males kill more than females and for longer time, less educated serial killers kill more horribly, female serial killers consider their family members easy target, and finally males kill most for enjoyment and sex and females kill for financial gains.

This paper continues the review study on antimicrobial properties relevant to the periodontal diseases. Inflammation as a major response of the periodontal tissues attacked by pathogenic microbes can significantly exacerbate the condition. However, the bidirectional activity of phytochemicals that simultaneously inhibit bacterial proliferation and proinflammatory signaling can provide a substantial alleviation of both cause and symptoms. The modulatory effects on various aspects of inflammatory and overall immune response has been covered, including confirmed and postulated mechanisms of action, structure activity relationships and molecular targets. Further, the clinical relevance of flavan-3-ols and available outcomes from clinical studies has been analyzed and discussed. Among the numerous natural sources of flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins the most promising are, similarly to antibacterial properties, constituents of various foods, such as fruits of Vaccinium species, tea leaves, grape seeds, and tannin-rich medicinal herbs. Despite a vast amount of in vitro and cell-based evidence of immunomodulatory there is still much less studies using animal models and only a few clinical studies. Most of the studies, regardless of the used model indicated efficiency of these phytochemicals from cranberries and other Vaccinium species and tea extracts (green or black). Other sources such as grape seeds and traditional medicinal plants, were seldom. In conclusion, the potential of flavan-3-ols and their derivatives in prevention and alleviation of periodontitis is remarkable but clinical evidence is urgently needed for issuing credible dietary recommendation and complementary treatments.