Obesity in children is associated with vitamin D (VD) deficiency and cardiometabolic abnormalities. To analyze the effects of VD supplementation in adolescents with obesity enrolled in a weight-loss program. Adolescents with obesity (n=26) and with normal weight (n=23; controls) were matched for age, sex, and puberty stage. The obesity group followed a 3-month weight-loss program that combined a reduced caloric intake with interval training physical activity and during which they received or not VD supplementation (4000 IU/d) (n=13/group; random assignation). The anthropometric parameters (BMI z-score, fat mass); serum levels of 25(OH)D, calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH), cardiometabolic factors (triglycerides, HDL, and LDL cholesterol), fasting glucose and insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index; diastolic, systolic and mean blood pressure, and inflammatory status (C-reactive protein, CRP) were measured at baseline and at the end of the 3-month program. At baseline, 25(OH)D concentration was lower and VD insufficiency (25(OH)D levels <50 nmol/L) rate was higher (73% vs 22%) in the obesity than in the normal-weight group. All cardiometabolic factors were altered in the obesity compared with the normal-weight group. After the 3-month weight-loss program, 25(OH)D levels was >50 nmol in all adolescents with obesity, but only in 46% of normal-weight adolescents. Moreover, the weight-loss program improved the cardiometabolic factors, inflammatory status (CRP) and physical performance, but VD supplementation did not have any additional effect. Analysis only of the adolescents with obesity and VD deficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/L) at baseline showed a significant correlation between the change in PTH and CRP (p=0.02) in the supplemented obesity group, while the increase in 25(OH)D only tended to be correlated with CRP decrease. Vitamin D supplementation could reduce VD insufficiency in adolescent with obesity, but does not have any additional effect on cardiometabolic factors when combined with a weight-loss program.

The research is based on the inspection performed in June 2002 for carrying out a research program for the eradication of a termite infestation due a desertic species in the area of the Saint Catherine Holy Monastery at Mount Sinai - Egypt. The paper describes the application of the registered European bait system SentritechTM and the trend of eradication during the first year. The application of bait system blocked the termite infestation inside the Katholikon (Main church) and in the surrounding after 6 months. Nevertheless, the infestation restarted and even increased again in the surrounding of the main church. An explanation of this surprising event is attempted in this paper.

Existing implants used with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), and other joint reconstruction treatments, have displayed premature failures and frequent needs for revision surgery in recent years, particularly with young active patients who represent more than 55% of all joint reconstruction patients. Bone cement and stress shielding have been identified as the major reasons for premature joint failures. A breakdown of the cement may happen, and revision surgery may be needed because of the aseptic loosening. The significant mismatch of stiffness properties of patient trabecular bones and metallic implant materials in joint reconstruction surgery results in the stress shielding phenomenon. This could lead to significant bone resorption and increased risk of bone fracture and the aseptic loosening of implants. The present project introduces an approach for development of customized cellular structures to match the mechanical properties and architecture of human trabecular bone. It consists of four modules:1- characterization of geometry, microarchitecture, and stiffness properties of patient’s bones; 2- developing customized lattice structures tailored to mimic properties established in module 1; 3 - integration of developed lattice structure into full scale implant design and manufacturing; 4- implementation of the developed technology for use in implants that would overcome most of the issues related to aseptic loosening phenomenon. The present work aims at fulfilling the objectives of module 2 by exploring new designs of customized lattice structures and texture tailored to mimic closely patients’ bone anisotropic properties and that can incorporate an engineered biological press-fit fixation technique. The effects of various lattice design variables on mechanical performance of the structure are examined through systematic experimental plan using statistical design of experiments technique and analysis of variance method. All tested lattice designs were explored under realistic geometrical, biological, and manufacturing constraints. Of the four design factors examined in this study, strut thickness was found to have the highest percent contribution (41%) regarding the structure stiffness, followed by unit cell type, and cell size. Srut shape was found to have the lowest effect with only 11% contribution. The introduced solution offers lattice structure designs that can be adjusted to match bone stiffness distribution and promote bone ingrowth and hence eliminating the phenomenon of stress shielding while incorporating biological press-fit fixation technique.

Serious outbreaks of foodborne disease have been caused by Listeria monocytogenes found in retail delicatessens and the severity of disease is significant, with high hospitalization and mortality rates. Little is understood about the formidable public health threat of L. monocytogenesin all four niches, humans, animals, food and environment in Egypt. This study analyzed the presence of L. monocytogenes collected from the four environmental niches and bioinformatic analysis was implemented to analyze and compare the data. PCR was used to detect virulence genes encoded by pathogenicity island (LIPI-1). prfA amino acid substation that causes constitutive expression of virulence was common in 77.7% of isolates. BLAST analysis did not match other isolates in the NCBI database suggesting this may be a characteristic of the region associated with these isolates. A second group included the NH1 isolate originating in China, and BLAST analysis showed this prfA allele was shared with isolates from other global locations such as Europe and North America. Identification of possible links and transmission pathways between the four niches, helps to decrease the risk of disease in humans, to take more specific control measures in the context of disease prevention, to limit economic losses associated with food recalls and highlightens the need to treatment options.

Guided by the Conceptual Model of Implementation Research, we explored the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of: 1) automated screening approaches utilizing existing health data to identify those who require subsequent diagnostic evaluation for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and 2) family communication methods including chatbots and direct contact to communicate information about inherited risk for FH. Focus groups were conducted with 22 individuals with FH (2 groups) and 20 clinicians (3 groups). These were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using deductive (coded to implementation outcomes) and inductive (themes based on focus group discussions) methods. All stakeholders described these initiatives as: 1) acceptable and appropriate to identify individuals with FH and communicate risk with at-risk relatives; and 2) feasible to implement in current practice. Stakeholders cited current initiatives, outside of FH (e.g., pneumonia protocols, colon cancer and breast cancer screenings), that gave them confidence for successful implementation. Stakeholders described perceived obstacles, such as nonfamiliarity with FH, that could hinder implementation and potential solutions to improve systematic uptake of these initiatives. Automated health data screening, chatbots, and direct contact approaches may be useful for patients and clinicians to improve FH diagnosis and cascade screening.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and survival rates of same session ab interno trabeculectomy with the trabectome and Ahmed glaucoma valve implant (AT) in comparison to the Ahmed glaucoma valve alone (A). Method: A total of 107 eyes undergoing primary glaucoma surgery were enrolled in this retrospective comparative case series, including 48 eyes which underwent AT and 59 eyes which received A alone. Participants were identified using the procedural terminology codes, and their medical records were reviewed. The primary outcome measure was surgical success, defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) > 5 mmHg, ≤ 21 mmHg, and IOP reduction ≥ 20% from baseline at two consecutive visits after three months, no reoperation for glaucoma. Secondary outcome measures were IOP, the number of glaucoma medications, incidence of a hypertensive phase, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Results: The cumulative probability of success at one year was 70% in AT, and 65% in A (p=0.85). IOP decreased significantly from 26.6 ± 10.1 mmHg at baseline to 14.7 ± 3.3 mmHg at the final follow-up in AT (p= 0.001). The corresponding numbers for A were 28.8 ± 10.2 and 16.7 ± 4.9, respectively (p= 0.001). The final IOP was significantly lower in AT (p= 0.022). The number of medications at baseline was comparable in both groups (2.6 ± 1.2 in AT and 2.5 ± 1.3 in A, p=0.851). Corresponding number at 1 year visit was 1.2±2 in AT and 2.8±1.8 in A (p=0.001). The incidence of a hypertensive phase was 18.7% in AT and 35.5% in A (p=0.05). HP resolved in only 30% of eyes. The criteria for HP resolution were fulfilled in 9 eyes (30%). There was no difference in the rate of resolution of the hypertensive phase between AT and A (33.3% and 28.5%, respectively, p=0.67). Conclusion: Ahmed glaucoma valve implant with same session trabectome surgery significantly decreased the rate of the hypertensive phase and postoperative IOP as well as the number of glaucoma medications.

Automotive aerodynamics comprises of the study of aerodynamics of road vehicles. Its main goals are reducing drag, minimizing noise emission, improving fuel economy, preventing undesired lift forces and minimizing other causes of aerodynamic instability at high speeds. The Ahmed body has the form of a highly simplified car, consisting of a blunt nose with rounded edges fixed onto a box-like middle section and a rear end that has an upper slanted surface, the angle of which can be varied. It retains vital features of real vehicles in order to study the flow fields around it and the related turbulence models which characterizes the actual flow at elevated Reynolds number. In the present study, the aerodynamic behavior of this body is investigated numerically by the aid of commercial CFD tool: Ansys Fluent. The results of the simulation are validated with available experimental data and results of the simulations from other literatures. The numerical data were obtained for a fixed free stream velocity of 25 m/s at the inlet. The simulations were performed at a fixed slant angle of 25 degree and zero yaw angle. The present study focuses on how local refinement of mesh inside the concerned body and the outside, helps affect the results and for which grid dependency test is the primary objective of this paper. The present study also helps demonstrate how the drag of the body behaves, which is mainly the effect of pressure drag force generated at the rear portion of the body. The study also focuses on important properties like the velocity magnitude at different locations for different meshing cases, and to capture the flow pattern in the front or near the wake region. The study can be further helpful to future researchers in determining resistance, fuel efficiency etc. helping designers to optimize in specialized areas for better efficiency.

Pervasive and wide-ranging cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia and an important determinant of long-term functional outcome. The lack of sufficiently effective treatments for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) represents a major unmet need and a central roadblock towards recovery. This is partly due to the current therapeutic focus on clinical symptoms, and the relative neglect of cognitive impairments despite their functionally disabling effects. Furthermore, effective treatment is impeded by our limited knowledge of the complex pathophysiology, which gives rise to perturbed information processing. Here, we review mechanisms and effectiveness of available pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for CIAS. Current evidence indicates, that while techniques which broadly enhance neural plasticity show the greatest therapeutic potential, effect sizes are at best moderate. Among other reasons, this is due to a considerable heterogeneity of responses to individual interventions. Furthermore, we discuss how recent conceptual advances in operationalizing cognitive impairments based on cognitive neuroscience have the potential to address these issues and facilitate the development of novel treatment strategies for CIAS. This includes more clearly elucidating pathophysiological mechanisms in both humans and animal models, identifying new treatment targets as well as establishing biomarkers for a better prediction of treatment responses.

To stabilize the Earth’s climate a large-scale transition is needed to non-carbon emitting renewable energy technologies like wind and solar energy. Although these renewable energy sources are now lower-cost than fossil fuels, their inherent intermittency make them unable to supply a constant load without storage. To address these challenges rechargeable electric batteries are currently the most promising option; however, their high capital costs limit current deployment velocities. To both reduce the cost as well as improve performance 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution. This literature review provides the state-of-the-art enhancements of battery properties with 3D printing including efficiency, mechanical stability, energy and power density, customizability and sizing, production process efficiency, material conservation and environmental sustainability as well as the progress in solid-state batteries. The principles, advantages, limitations, and recent advancements associated with the most common types of 3D printing are reviewed focusing on their contributions to the battery field. 3D printing batteries offer design flexibility, material flexibility, reduces pack weight, minimizes material waste, increases the range of applications and has the potential to reduce costs. As 3D printing technologies become more accessible, the prospect of cost-effective production for customized batteries is extremely promising.

The design of highly efficient sensitizers is one of the most significant areas in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) research. We have studied a series of benzothiadiazole-based D-π-π-A organic dyes, putting emphasis on the influence of the donor moiety on the DSSC’s efficiency. Using linear response time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with the CAM-B3LYP functional different donor groups were characterized in terms of electronic absorption spectra and key photovoltaic parameters. As a reference a dye has been considered which has a benzothiadiazole fragment linked via thiophene rings to a diphenylamine donor and a cyanoacrylic acid acceptor. The different systems are first studied in terms of individual performance parameters, which are eventually aggregated into the power conversion efficiency. Here only the amino-substituted species shows a modest increase, whereas the dimethylamino case even shows a decrease.

Choosing the optimal location for a city based on sound environmental geomorphology planning is of the utmost importance to achieving environmental sustainability, as it can spare the State and other decision-making entities a great deal of stress in the long run. GIS offers great potential for environmental planners to choose the most appropriate places for the cities of the future, especially when coupled with environmental geomorphological analyses. The State of Kuwait seeks sustainable development through the implementation of clear and specific urban plans, some of which suffer from a severe lack of geomorphological and spatially based environmental planning. This study aims to: 1) Conduct suitability modelling for establishing new cities in Kuwait, 2) Assess the current 2005-2030 urban plan, and 3) Propose possible recommendations and solutions for potential urban problems. The study relies on integrating several methods to devise a framework that will aid researchers and decision-makers in selecting optimal locations for built structures based on analysis and modelling (e.g., digital elevation model, geologic mapping, geomorphology, natural hazards, heritage/archaeological sites, military areas, oil fields, soils). Using this methodology in choosing city sites contributes to achieving sustainable development, reducing city problems, saving countries’ budgets, and saving lives. Results from this study enhance understanding of how environmental geomorphology, when combined with GIS, can be harnessed to achieve sustainable urban development in the Arabian Gulf countries and other desert countries.

Among non-conventional yeasts of industrial interest, the dimorphic oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica appears as one of the most attractive for a large range of white biotechnology applications, from heterologous proteins secretion to cell factories process development. The past, present and potential applications of wild type, traditionally improved or genetically modified Yarrowia lipolytica strains will be resumed, together with the wide array of molecular tools now available to genetically engineer and metabolically remodel this yeast. The present review will also provide a detailed description of Yarrowia lipolytica strains and highlight the natural biodiversity of this yeast, a subject little touched upon in most previous reviews. This work intends to fill this gap by retracing the genealogy of the main Yarrowia lipolytica strains of industrial interest, by illustrating the search for new genetic backgrounds and by providing data about the main publicly available strains in yeast collections worldwide. At last, it will focus on exemplifying how advances in engineering tools can leverage a better biotechnological exploitation of the natural biodiversity of Yarrowia lipolytica and of other yeasts from the Yarrowia clade.

The current study focused on reviewing the rapid growing of using magnetic water in different fields of science and measure the influence of several intensities of magnetization on the chemical and electrical properties of tap water treated by reverse osmosis. The work includes circulation of water for 24 h. in magnetic fields of intensity 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 G. The magnetization of water causes increasing some positive and negative ions in water such as (Mg, K, Na, Cl¯, Alkaline and SiO₂) and decreasing some positive and negative ions (Ca and SO₃). In the near future, the application of concepts of sustainability development in civil engineering have the to produce structures in harmony with these concepts through using of high-performance materials with less impacts on the environmental and have low cost. The main application of using magnetic water is improvement the geotechnical properties of soil through precipitation of calcite which increases the bond between soil particles and then strength of soil.

In this paper, we study the asymptotic behavior of the sequential empirical process and the sequential empirical copula process, both constructed from residuals of multivariate stochastic volatility models. Applications for the detection of structural changes and specification tests of the distribution of innovations are discussed. It is also shown that if the stochastic volatility matrices are diagonal, which is the case if the univariate time series are estimated separately instead of being jointly estimated, then the empirical copula process behaves as if the innovations were observed; a remarkable property. As a by-product, one also obtains the asymptotic behavior of rank-based measures of dependence applied to residuals of these time series models.

The State of Kuwait seeks sustainable development through implementation of clear and specific urban plans, some of which suffer from a severe lack of geomorphological and spatially-based environmental planning, such as the use of geographic information systems (GIS). Choosing the optimal location for a city based on sound environmental planning is of the utmost importance to achieving environmental sustainability, as it can spare the State and other decision-making entities a great deal of stress in the long run. GIS, in particular, offers great potential for the environmental planner and decision-maker to choose the most appropriate places for the cities of the future, especially when coupled with geomorphological analyses. To achieve the Vision of Kuwait 2035, one of the State’s planning objectives focuses on Urban Planning for the Establishment of Environmental Cities that Achieve (UPEECA) environmental sustainability criteria. To gain a more holistic analysis related to the Vision, this study aims to: 1) Conduct suitability modelling for establishing new cities in Kuwait, 2) Assess the current 2005-2030 urban plan, and 3) Propose possible recommendations and solutions for potential urban problems. The study relies on integrating several methods to devise a framework that will aid researchers and decision-makers in selecting optimal locations for built structures based on analysis and modelling (e.g., digital elevation model, geologic mapping, geomorphology, natural hazards, heritage/archaeological sites, military areas, oil fields, soils)

Failaka Island, located in the far east of Kuwait Bay, is about 20 km from the State of Kuwait’s coast, and represents a focal point for regional geography and history, with pristine beaches and archaeological sites dating to the Bronze, Iron, Hellenistic, Christian and Islamic periods. According to environmental data and in coordination with local authorities to develop an urban plan, the island is set to become the first tourist destination for the State of Kuwait. To achieve the Vision of Kuwait 2035, one of the planning objectives focuses around Urban Planning for the Establishment of Environmental Cities that Achieve (UPEECA) environmental sustainability criteria. The paper then, aims to propose the environmental urban plan for Failaka Island. Based around Environmental Analytical Hierarchical Processes (EAHP), and using the Field Calculator and ModelBuilder functions in ArcGIS, this research centres on the feasibility of carrying out an urban plan using suitability modelling that includes four factors and 13 criteria covering the island’s ecological and human composition. This study utilizes both remote sensing (UAVs for 3D imaging) and field study (ground truthing) to identify changes in land use and land cover – such as using sample analysis of the historical sites and soils for tracing evidence and creating/updating a soil map – and create the first GIS database for the island that can lead to generating a suitability model.

In this paper, the problem of autonomous optimal absolute orbit keeping for a satellite mission in Low Earth Orbit using electric propulsion is considered. The main peculiarity of the approach is to support small satellite missions in which the platform is equipped with a single thruster nozzle which provides acceleration on a single direction at a time. This constraint implies that an attitude maneuver is necessary before or during each thrusting arc to direct the nozzle into the desired direction. In this context, an attitude guidance algorithm specific for the orbit maneuver has been developed. A Model Predictive Control scheme is proposed, where the attitude kinematics are coupled with the orbital dynamics in order to obtain the optimal guidance profiles in terms of satellite state, reference attitude, and thrust magnitude. The proposed control scheme is developed exploiting Formation Flying techniques where the reference orbit is that of a virtual spacecraft that the main satellite is required to rendezvous with. In addition to the controller design, the closed loop configuration is presented supported by numerical simulations. The efficacy of the proposed autonomous orbit keeping approach is shown in several application scenarios.

Chitosan decorated copper nanoparticles (CS/CuNPs) catalysts were synthesized via reduction methods utilizing green protocol. The CS/CuNPs hybrid catalysts were tested for the synthesis of quinoline derivatives utilizing one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) under ultrasonic irradiation. The best catalyst (CS/CuNPs) that provided good conversion reaction yield and high turnover frequency (TOF) was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), , scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Generalization of the scope of the proposed catalytic process was studied using different aldehydes. Excellent products yield and high TOF in even shorter reaction time (~5 min) was attained. Recyclability performance of the catalyst over five times re-use without detectable loss in product yield was recorded. The current method is green process utilizing environmentally benign catalyst and considered to be promising sustainable protocol for the synthesis of fine chemicals.

D-dimer testing in combination with clinical assessment is commonly used to diagnose suspected DVT and pulmonary embolism. However, as D-dimer levels are physiologically higher in elderly patients, this test loses clinical specificity in the setting of geriatric patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the changes in D-dimer levels with age and the specificity of the D-dimer test in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. 1617 elderly patients consecutively admitted to the Geriatric Emergency Care Department of the INRCA-IRCCS hospital between January 2013 and February 2014 and for whom D-dimer results were available were included. The D-dimer immunoturbidimetric assay was performed on a cs-2100i Sysmex Siemens using a conventional cut-off level of 500 µg/L. The median D-dimer level was 1200 [550-2990] µg/L FEU, and the percentage of patients with D-dimer levels below the conventional cut-off was only 22.1%. As expected, there was a significant age-related increase in D-dimer, even when sex was considered, and a significant decrease in the specificity of D-dimer assay with age. The most established use of D-dimer testing is in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Our study confirms the need for an age-adjusted cut-off for D-dimer testing in geriatric patients.

The application of smartphone-based color evaluation of passive sampling devices for gases has only been sparsely reported. The present review aims to compile available publications with respect to the configuration of the passive samplers, conditions of smartphone photographing, analytical procedure for color detection and quantification (including calibration processes), and their application to different target gases. The performance of the methods - whenever available - is presented regarding the analytical specifications selectivity, sensitivity, and limit of detection in comparison with other color evaluation methods of passive samplers. Practical aspects like requirements of instrumentation and ease of use will be outlined in view of the potential employment in education and citizen science projects. In one section of the review the inconsistent terminology of passive and diffusive sampling is discussed in order to clarify the distinction of information obtained from the uptake of the passive samplers between gas-phase concentration and the accumulated deposition flux of gaseous analytes. Colorimetric gas sensors are included in the review when applied in passive sampling configurations and evaluation is performed with smartphone-based color evaluation. Differences in the analytical procedures employed after the passive sampling step and prior to the detection of the colored compounds are also presented.

Ship detection from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is crucial for various fields in real-world applications. Numerous deep learning-based detectors have been investigated for SAR ship detection, which require a substantial amount of labeled data for training. However, SAR data annotation is time-consuming and demands specialized expertise, resulting in that deep learning-based SAR ship detectors struggle due to a lack of annotations. With limited labeled data, semi-supervised learning is a popular approach for boosting detection performance by excavating valuable information from unlabeled data. In this paper, a semi-supervised SAR ship detection network is proposed, termed as Multi-Teacher Dempster-Shafer Evidence Fusion Net-work (MTDSEFN). The MTDSEFN is an enhanced framework based on the basic teacher-student skeleton frame, comprising two branches: the Teacher Group (TG) and the Agency Teacher (AT). The TG utilizes multiple teachers to generate pseudo-labels for different augmentation versions of unlabeled samples, which are then refined to obtain high-quality pseudo-labels by using Dempster-Shafer (D-S) fusion. The AT not only serves to deliver weights of its own teacher to the TG at the end of each epoch, but also updates its own weights after each iteration, enabling the model to effectively learn rich information from unlabeled data. The combination of TG and AT guarantees both reliable pseudo-label generation and learning comprehensive diversity information from numerous unlabeled samples. Extensive experiments were performed on two public SAR ship datasets, and the results demonstrated the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach.

The Bcl-2 family plays a crucial role in regulating cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of indole-based compounds, U1-6, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against BCL-2-expressing cancer cell lines. The binding affinity, safety profile, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis effects of the compounds were tested. The designed compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar IC50 concentrations against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines. Notably, U2 and U3 demonstrated the highest activity, particularly against MCF-7 cells. Respectively, both U2 and U3 showed potential Bcl-2 inhibition activity with IC50 values of 1.2 ± 0.02 and 11.10 ± 0.07 µM using an ELISA binding assay compared to 0.62 ± 0.01 µM for gossypol, employed as positive control. Molecular docking analysis suggested stable interactions of compound U2 at the Bcl-2 binding site through hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, U2 demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase. Importantly, U2 displayed a favorable safety profile on HDF human dermal normal fibroblast cells at 10-fold greater IC50 compared to MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of compound U2 as a Bcl-2 inhibitor and provide insights into its molecular mechanisms of action.

The nuclear hormone family of receptors regulates gene expression. The androgen receptor (AR) shuttles upon ligand binding and homodimerization from the cytosol into the nucleus to activate gene expression. Thyroid hormone receptors(TR), retinoic acid receptors (RAR), and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) are present in the nucleus bound to chromatin as a heterodimer with the retinoid X receptors (RXR) and repress gene expression. Ligand binding leads to transcription activation. The hormonal ligands for these receptors play crucial roles to ensure the proper conduct of very many tissues and exert effects on prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Androgens support PCa proliferation and deprivation alone or with chemotherapy is the standard therapy for PCa. RAR activation and 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) stimulation of TR support the growth of PCa cells. Ligand stimulation of VDR drives growth arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis of PCa cells. Often these receptors are explored as separate avenues to find treatments for PCa and other cancers. However, there is accumulating evidence to support receptor interactions and crosstalk of regulatory events whereby a better understanding might lead to new combinatorial treatments.

Management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) presents challenges to even the most experienced wound care providers. Because of the chronic, non-healing nature of many DFUs, advances in the treatment and care of this disease process are particularly relevant. This case study aims to report the efficacy of the application of dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft (DAMA) to a diabetic foot ulcer. The patient in this study is a 44-year-old male who presented with an aggressive infection on his right foot, which resulted in an open wound of 18 months duration. This patient received weekly applications of dual-layer DAMA over seven weeks. Upon examination at the initial application, the wound was classified as a Wagner grade 3 with necrosis of the underlying muscle. Upon inspection at the final visit, the wound was closed entirely. The results that were shown include improvements in the size, depth, edges, necrotic tissue amount, and epithelization of the wound. This case study demonstrates that the ap-plication of DAMA has the potential to augment the body’s natural DFU healing response; however, future nonrandomized and randomized controlled trials are needed to establish its efficacy further.

This study aims to theoretically address the design and analysis of an efficient pressure sensor designed by using a polymer-based defective 1D annular photonic crystal (APC). The 1D APC comprises an alternate arrangement of Si and SiO2 in a cylindrical fashion, incorporating a central defect layer. The investigation of the reflectance characteristics of the proposed structure is conducted by separately considering the polystyrene (PS) and the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer materials as the defect layer. The pressure-sensitive refractive index of the polymers and the constituent materials of the APC plays a vital role in envisaging the pressure-sensing application. The cornerstone of this study is represented by the shift analysis in the wavelength of the defect mode inside the band gap using different applied pressures by employing the modified transfer matrix method (MTMM). Various geometrical parameters like the defect polymer layer’s thickness and the APC period were carefully optimized to achieve higher sensing performance. The proposed design demonstrated a remarkable pressure sensitivity and FoM of 51.29 nm/GPa and 301.7 GPa-1, respectively, which is considerably high in the current research scenario. It is believed that the proposed structure can be an apt candidate as an innovative high-performance pressure sensor, and it can play a key role in photonic integrated circuits.

Direct assessments of executive function (EF) are increasingly used in research and clinical settings, with a central assumption that they assess “universal” underlying skills. Their use is spreading globally, raising questions about the cultural appropriateness of assessments devised in Western, industrialized countries. We reviewed multidisciplinary evidence and theory to identify sets of cultural preferences that may be at odds with the implicit assumptions of EF assessments. These preferences relate to motivation and compliance; cultural expectations for interpersonal engagement; contextualized vs. academic thinking; cultural notions of speed and time; the willingness to be silly, be incorrect, or do the opposite; and subject-matter familiarity. In each case, we discuss how the cultural preference may be incompatible with the assumptions of assessments, and how future research and practice can address the issue. Many of the cultural preferences discussed differ between interdependent and independent cultures and between schooled and unschooled populations. Adapting testing protocols to these cultural preferences in different contexts will be important for expanding our scientific understanding of EF from the narrow slice of the human population that has participated in the research to date.

This research aims to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, specifically Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), to design an optimal control strategy for a multivariable control plant. Two specific industrial control approaches are investigated: I-PD (Integral-Proportional Derivative) and PI-D (Proportional-Integral Derivative) control. The motivation for using these variations of PID controllers is that they are functionally implemented in modern industrial controllers, where they provide precise process control. The research results in a novel solution to the control synthesis problem for the industrial system. In particular, the research deals with the synthesis of I-P control for a two-loop system in the technological process of a distillation column. This synthesis is carried out using the AIS algorithm, which is the first application of this technique in this specific context. Methodological approaches are proposed to improve the performance of industrial multivariable control systems by effectively using optimization algorithms and establishing modified quality criteria. The numerical performance index ISE justifies the effectiveness of the AIS-based controllers in comparison with conventional PID controllers (ISE₁ = 1.865, ISE₂ = 1.56). The problem of synthesis of the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) control system is solved, considering the interconnections due to the decoupling procedure.

This is a single tertiary center in southwest Romania, population-based, study. We retrospectively compared data obtained in two periods: January 2008 - December 2013 and January 2018 - De-cember 2023, respectively. The global incidence of transposition of great arteries (TGA) - the ter-minated cases added to the ones resulting in live-born pregnancies, remained almost constant. The live-born incidence of TGA decreased (0.34% to 0.013%). The prenatal detection rate increased slightly (71.42% to 87.5%). The median gestational age at the diagnosis decreased, from 29.3 ges-tational weeks (mean 25.4) to 13.4 weeks (mean 17.2). The proportion of terminated pregnancies significantly increased (14.28% to 75%, p = 0.019).

Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between poor vitamin D status and respiratory infections and diarrhea among young children. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and diarrhea are among the two most important causes of death in under-5 children. In this analysis, we examine the extent to which vitamin-D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) predicts these outcomes using data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily folic acid and/ or vitamin B12 supplementation for six months in 6 to 30 months old children conducted in Delhi, India. Of the 960 subjects who had vitamin-D concentrations measured, 331(34.5%) were vitamin-D deficient. We found, after controlling for relevant potential confounders (age, sex, breastfeeding status, wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia status at base line and season), the risk of ALRI was significantly higher among vitamin-D deficient (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.55) compared to vitamin-D-replete children in the six months follow-up period. Vitamin-D status was not significantly associated with episodes of diarrhea and clinical pneumonia. The extent of causal relationship of vitamin-D status and ALRI needs to be explored in further studies.

Although vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), there are few data on the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) and atherogenic indices predictive of CVD. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of vitamin D status with lipid profile and atherogenic indices in adult women in Morocco. Three hundred healthy women, aged 18 to 50 years, from Meknes were included. Fasting 25(OH) D and lipid concentrations were determined using a one-step electrochemiluminescence-based immunoassay and an enzymatic method, respectively. Atherogenic indices (Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), non-HDL cholesterol (Non-HDL-C), Atherogenic coefficient (AC), Castelli risk indices I and II (CRI-I and II), and CHOLIndex (CI)) were calculated using conventional lipid parameters. Logistic regression models and operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were used to assess the relationship of the variables and estimate the threshold of 25(OH) D levels associated with high atherogenic indices. 25(OH) D below 20 ng/ml was significantly associated with an enhanced risk of hypertriglyceridemia and elevated values of AIP, AC, Non-HDL-C, and CRI-I with an OR (95% CI) of 4.904 (1.856-12.959); 3.637(2.149-6.158); 3.589(1.673-7.700); 2.074(1.215-3.540), and 2.481(1.481-4.123), respectively. According to ROC analysis, the likelihood of hypertriglyceridemia and high values of AIP, AC, Non-HDL-C, and CRI-I were associated with 25(OH)D thresholds ≤15.15 ng/ml, ≤ 17.5 ng/ml, ≤ 19.8 ng/ml, ≤ 20.1 ng/ml and ≤ 19.5 ng/ml, respectively, all p &lt; 0.01. Based on atherogenic indices, this study indicates that vitamin D below 20 ng/ml may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in adult women. Additional health efforts are needed to raise awareness among women and healthcare providers in preventing and controlling cardiovascular risk factors.

Over the last decades, in addition to the improvement of pathophysiological knowledge regarding the role and mechanisms of action of Vitamin D, there has been a progressive advancement in analytical technologies for its determination, as well as in methodological standardization. A significant number of scientific works, meta-analyses, and guidelines have been published on the importance of Vitamin D and the need for supplementation in deficient individuals. However, it appears necessary to clarify the fundamental elements related to the determination of Vitamin D (both at the strictly analytical and post-analytical levels) and the scientific evidence related to the efficacy/safety of supplementation. Additionally, given the important interrelations between Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), the analytical issues and clinical utility of these biomarkers will be discussed.

Little is known about how differences in water availability within the “super humid” tropics can influence the distribution of understory plant species and the composition of understory plant communities. We investigated variation in the physiological drought tolerances of understory plants and plant communities across a large elevation and precipitation gradient. We established 58 understory plots along a gradient of 400 – 3600 m asl elevation and 1000 – 6000 mm yr-1 rainfall in and around Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. Within the plots, we sampled all understory woody plants and measured three metrics of physiological leaf drought tolerance - turgor loss point (TLP), cuticular conductance (Gmin), and solute leakage (SL) - and assessed how the community-level means of these traits related to mean annual precipitation (MAP) and elevation (in the study gradient temperature decreases linearly and vapor pressure deficit increases monotonically with elevation). We did not find any correlations between the three metrics of leaf drought tolerance, suggesting that they represent independent strategies for coping with low water availability. Despite being widely used metrics of leaf drought tolerance, neither TLP nor Gmin showed any significant relationships with elevation or MAP. In contrast, SL, which has only recently been developed for use in ecological field studies, increased significantly at higher precipitations and at lower elevations (i.e., plants in colder and drier habitats have lower SL, indicating greater drought tolerances). Our results illustrate that differences in water availability may play a strong role in structuring plant communities even in in the wet tropics and highlight the potential for SL assays to be an efficient and effective tool for measuring drought tolerances in the field.

The microstructure evolution, superplasticity, and room temperature mechanical properties of Ti-4%Al-1%V-3%Mo alloys modified with 0.01-2 wt.% boron were investigated. Increasing the boron content from 0 to 0.1 wt.% effectively refined prior β-grains, reducing a mean grain size from ~700 µm to ~210 µm. Whiskers of the TiB phase with a size in a range of 0.7-2.9 µm were observed after solidification and thermomechanical processing. Alloys with 0.01-0.1 wt.% boron exhibited similar superplastic elongations and strain rate sensitivity coefficient m of 0.4-0.5 at a strain rate of 1×10-3 s-1 and the elongation to failure decreased from 1000% at 875°С to 400-500% at 700°С. Along with this, the minor boron addition effectively decreased flow stress values, especially at 775 °C, that was explained by the acceleration of the recrystallization and globularization of the microstructure at the initial stage of deformation. Recrystallization-induced decrease in yield strength from 770 MPa to 680 MPa was observed with an increase in boron content from 0 to 0.1 wt.%. Heat treatment increased post-forming strength characteristics for the alloys with 0.01-0.1 wt.% boron by 90–140 MPa without ductility reduction. Alloys with 1-2 wt.% B demonstrated the opposite behavior. The grain refinement effect was not revealed, and prior β grain sizes were ~670-750 µm after solidification. Thermomechanical processing promoted the fragmentation of boride whiskers and the formation of near-spherical particles with a size of ~1 μm for the alloy with a eutectic concentration of 2 wt.% B. A high fraction of borides, ~5-11%, in the alloys with 1-2 wt.% B deteriorated the superplastic properties and drastically decreased ductility at room temperature. The alloy with 2 wt.% B demonstrated non-superplastic behavior and a low level of mechanical properties, meanwhile, the alloy with 1% boron exhibited high-temperature superplasticity at 875 °C with elongation of ~500%, and yield strength of 830 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 1020 MPa at a room temperature after 100% of superplastic deformation.

This paper aims to demonstrate that, beyond the small world of Riemann-Liouville and Caputo derivatives, there is a vast and rich world with many derivatives suitable for specific problems and various theoretical frameworks to develop, corresponding to the different paths taken. Notions of time and scale sequences are introduced and general associated basic derivatives, namely right/stretching and left/shrinking, are defined. A general framework for fractional derivative definitions is reviewed and applied to get both known and new fractional order derivatives. Several fractional derivatives are considered, mainly: Liouville, Hadamard, Euler, bilinear, tempered, q-derivative, and Hahn.

Mental wellness can be related to healthier living, the learning process and working environments for people in the university community. A wide range of mental wellness programmes have been explored to provide students with pleasant and satisfying experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of integrating Zen meditation(禪)and music listening on the mindfulness and happiness levels of university music therapy students. Qualitative methodology was used, and data were collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews. To investigate various aspects of data regarding the role of meditation and music (MM) programme for mindfulness and happiness, this study used thematic analysis within a qualitative research design. The results of this study indicate that the 8-week MM programme is effective in enhancing mindfulness and happiness and has positive responses to daily life stress (e.g., exam anxiety, financial difficulties, and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic). The role of meditation and music in promoting mental health and well-being has long been discussed and the combination of the two has been recognised as a beneficial intervention. This paper could contribute to the support of mental health resources and coping strategies in higher education, as well as expand the potential range of integrating practices involving music and meditation.

Lifestyle is the primary prevention of diabetes, especially type-2 diabetes (T2D). Nutritional intake of olive oil (OO), the key Mediterranean diet component has been associated with the prevention and management of many chronic diseases including T2D. Several OO bioactive compounds such as monounsaturated fatty acids, and key polyphenols including hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, have been associated with preventing inflammation and cytokine-induced oxidative damage, glucose lowering, reducing carbohydrate absorption and increasing insulin sensitivity and related gene expression. However, research into the interaction of OO nutraceuticals with lifestyle components, especially physical activity is lacking. Promising postprandial effects have been reported when OO or other similar monounsaturated fatty acids was the main dietary fat compared with other diets. Animal studies have shown a potential anabolic effect of oleuropein. Such effects could be further potentiated via exercise, especially strength training, which is an essential exercise prescription for individuals with T2D. There is also an evidence from in vitro, animal and limited human studies for a dual preventative role of OO polyphenols in diabetes and cancer, especially that they share similar risk factors. Putative anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms and associated gene expressions resulting from OO phenolics, have produced paradoxical results making suggested inferences from dual prevention T2D and cancer outcomes difficult. Well-designed human interventions and clinical trials are needed to decipher such a potential dual anti-cancer and anti-diabetic effects of OO nutraceuticals. Exercise combined with OO consumption, individually or as part of a healthy diet is likely to induce reciprocal action for T2D prevention outcomes.

Short-range Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes operating at 2.4 GHz need to provide ubiquitous wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with energy-efficient, wide-range output power (POUT) and fully integrated on a single chip for wireless body area networks (WBANs) and wireless personal area networks (WPANs) using low-power Bluetooth (BLE) and Zigbee standards. The proposed fully integrated transmitter (TX) utilizes a digitally controllable current-mode class-D (CMCD) power amplifier (PA) with a second harmonic distortion (HD2) suppression to reduce VCO pulling in an integrated system while meeting harmonic limit regulations. The CMCD PA is divided into 7-bit slices that can be reconfigured between differential and single-ended topologies. Duty cycle distortion compensation is performed for HD2 suppression, and an HD2 rejection filter and a modified C-L-C low-pass filter (LPF) reduce HD2 further. Implemented in a 28 nm CMOS process, the TX achieves a wide POUT range of from 12.1 to -31 dBm and provides a maximum efficiency of 39.8% while consuming 41.1 mW at 12.1 dBm POUT. The calibrated HD2 level is -82.2 dBc at 9.93 dBm POUT, resulting in a transmitter figure of merit (TX_FoM) of -97.52 dB. Higher order harmonic levels remain below -41.2 dBm even at 12.1 dBm POUT, meeting regulatory requirements.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) develops when the immunotolerant environment of the liver is compromised due to excessive alcohol consumption. ALD progression involves variations in the expression of multiple genes, resulting in liver inflammation and the development of a leaky gut. Molecular mechanism involved for ALD progression is still unclear, and due to that there are currently no FDA-approved drugs available for its treatment. In this study, the protective effects of Graphene oxide nanoparticles (GO) was investigated against ethanol-induced damage in the gut-liver axis in in vitro. GO was synthesized using a modified Hummer's method and characterization was done. Given the general concerns regarding nanoparticle toxicity, assessment of cell viability, lipid accumulation, DNA damage, cell death, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were conducted using various techniques. Furthermore, gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines was done using RT-qPCR. The findings revealed that GOs promoted cell viability even against ethanol treatment. Additionally, lipid accumulation significantly decreased when cells were treated with GO alongside ethanol compared to ethanol treatment alone, with similar trends observed for other assays. Gene expression analysis indicated that GO treatment reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines while enhancing the expression of antioxidant genes. Moreover, GO treatment led to improvements in gut permeability and a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines in colon cells damaged by ethanol. These findings suggest that GO holds promise as a drug carrier, exhibiting no observed toxic effects. By shedding light on the protective effects of GO against ethanol-induced damage, this study contributes to the burgeoning field of nanoparticle-mediated therapy for ALD.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is essentially featured by self-tissue destruction by means of the adaptive immune responses that evade immune regulation. Vitamin D carries out an immunomodulatory role that appears to promote immune tolerance. The aim of this study is to elaborate a narrative review about the relationship between vitamin D status and HT and the role of vitamin D supplementation to reduce HT risk by modulating the immune system. There is an extensive literature confirming that vitamin D levels are significantly lower in HT patients compared to healthy people. On the other hand, after the supplementation with cholecalciferol in patients with HT and vitamin D deficiency, thyroid autoantibody titer decreased significantly, However, there are no conclusive results on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the thyroid function. The confirmation of the beneficial effects of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of autoimmune thyroid diseases require additional randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with longer follow-up.

Phytochemicals have a long and successful history in drug discovery. With recent advancements in analytical techniques and methodologies, discovering bioactive leads from natural compounds has become easier. Computational techniques like molecular docking, QSAR modelling and machine learning, and network pharmacology are among the most promising new tools that allow researchers to make predictions concerning natural products' potential targets, thereby guiding experimental validation efforts. Additionally, approaches like LC-MS or LC-NMR speed up compound identification by streamlining analytical processes. Integrating structural and computational biology aids in lead identification, thus providing invaluable information to understand how phytochemicals interact with potential targets in the body. Emerging computational approach is machine learning involving QSAR modelling and deep neural networks that interrelate phytochemical properties with diverse physiological activities such as antimicrobial or anticancer effects.

Article explores participant specific study of muscle inherehit dynamics hidden inside the diognostic electromyography (D-EMG) signals during load pull exercises, aiming to uncover underlying patterns and nonlinear behaviors. Employing a multi-step analytical framework, the study first evaluates signal stationarity through Quantile-Quantile (Q-Q) plot and surrogate data analyses, revealing insights into signal stability. Subsequent use of phase space reconstruction techniques exposes intrinsic dynamics within the EMG signals, visualized through Poincar´e maps, elucidating attractor geometry and system dynamics. Histogram analysis further dissects the Poincar´e maps, offering insights into signal behavior relative to physiological processes. Additionally, the study quantifies the largest Lyapunov exponent from the Poincar´e maps, providing a measure of dynamical complexity within the muscle EMG signals during load pull exercises. By integrating these methods, this research sheds light on the nuanced interplay between EMG signals and muscle activity during dynamic exercises, offering valuable insights for rehabilitation strategies.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are highly prevalent conditions, each significantly contributing to the global burden of morbidity and mortality. CVD and CKD share a great number of common risk factor, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking among others. Their relationship extends beyond these factors, encompassing intricate interplay between the two systems. Within this complex network of pathophysiological processes, vitamin D has emerged as a potential linchpin, exerting influence over diverse physiological pathways implicated in both CKD and CVD. In recent years, scientific exploration has unveiled a close connection between these two prevalent conditions and vitamin D, a crucial hormone traditionally recognized for its role in bone health. This article aims to provide an extensive review of vitamin D's multifaceted and expanding actions concerning its involvement in CKD and CVD.

Studies of discrete pride in the workplace are both few and on the rise. We examined what has, to date, been yet unstudied: the impact that a leader’s expressions of authentic and hubristic pride can have on the followers at that moment, and on their feelings about their task, leader, and group. Students working in groups building Lego structures rated their perceived leader regarding expressions of pride, both authentic and hubristic. Students who perceived the leader as expressing more authentic pride rated the task, group (satisfaction and cohesion), and leader more positively; while the reverse was generally true for perceptions of expressions of hubristic pride. We found these effects both at the individual level, and at the group level. We also predicted and found moderation for the type of task worked on, creative or detailed. Implications abound for leader emotional labor and emotion management.

Machines for direct digital inkjet printing on cylindrical containers are a new technology out on the market. Their commercialization in the industrial sector has been affected by their high precision. This leads to the use of mechanisms with narrow manufacturing tolerances and to the search for topologies that have the least accumulated error without affecting quality. Machines with topologies to work on flat substrates have printing and productivity problems working on cylindrical substrates. This research paper presents the qualitative design of a direct digital inkjet printer working over cylindrical substrates comparing five mechanical topologies; three topologies with radial distribution and two topologies with parallel distribution. The aim of these topologies is to find the precision, quality and efficiency of the printer taking into account the restrictions present in its construction. Each topology has separate constitutive mechanisms, it is analyzed the tolerance ranges between the print head and the substrate whose cumulative error maximizes the inkjet print resolution to determine precision. From five Topologies, number 1, 2 and 5 meet the requirements. the topology 2 meets the requirements but it is not able to be developed due to current technological limitations.

Knowledge about one’s innate health is central to a variety of positive mental health markers. However, men living in prison rarely receive education about how to access these internal resources. As such, this study seeks to replicate and extend emerging data on an innate health intervention. Volunteers from HMP Nottingham, England (n=126) participated in normal prison programming and the intervention group (n=65) received an additional 3-day intensive. The primary question: Does innate health function as a mediator in the same way self-control does within an incarcerated population? We conducted a mediation analysis, tested social desirability bias, and examined the impact of the intervention on crucial variables. This study found higher levels of innate health, self-control, wellbeing, and prosocial behavior and lower levels of aggression in the intervention group as compared to the control group. Importantly, innate health did play a mediating role equivalent to and/or partnering with self-control.

Background: The frequency of visits to restaurants has been suggested to contribute to the pandemic of obesity. However, few studies have examined how individual use of these restaurants is related to BMI using new technology of reminding to avoid memory error. Aim: To investigate the association between the usage of different types of food outlets and BMI among adults in Scotland. Method: The study was cross-sectional. Participants (n = 681) completed an online survey for seven consecutive days where all food purchased at food outlets was reported each day. We explored the relationship between BMI and usage of these restaurants using auto-reminder text system. Results: Body Mass Index (BMI) of both males and females was not related to frequency of use of Full-Service Restaurants (FSRs), Fast Food Restaurants (FFRs), delivery or takeaways, when assessed individually, or combined (TFO= Total Food Outlet). Conclusion: These data do not support the widespread belief that consumption of food out of the home at fast-food and full-service restaurants, combined with that derived from deliveries and takeaways, is a major driver of obesity in UK.

Aseptic implant loosening after total joint replacement is partially influenced by material-specific factors when cobalt-chromium alloys are used, including osteolysis induced by wear- and corrosion products, and stress shielding. Here, we aim to characterize a hybrid material consisting of alumina-toughened zirconia ceramics (ATZ) and additively manufactured Ti-35Nb-6Ta (TiNbTa), joined by a glass solder. The structure of the joint, static and fatigue shear strength, the influence of accelerated aging, and the cytotoxicity using an elution assay with human osteoblasts is characterized. Furthermore, the biomechanical properties of functional demonstrators of a femoral component for total knee replacements are evaluated. TiNbTa-ATZ specimens showed a homogenous joint with statistical distributed micro-pores and a slight accumulation of Al-rich compounds at the glass solder-TiNbTa interface. The static shear strength was 26.4 ± 4.2 MPa (Ti-ATZ reference: 38.2 ± 14.4 MPa, p = 0.117), all specimens survived 107 cycles of shear loading to 10 MPa, and aging did not reduce the strength. TiNbTa-ATZ did not impair the proliferation and metabolic activity of human osteoblasts. Functional demonstrators of TiNbTa-ATZ provided a maximum bearable extension-flexion moment of 40.7 ± 2.2 Nm. Biomechanical and biological properties of TiNbTa-ATZ demonstrate potential application for endoprosthetic implants.

OPMDs (Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders) are a group of disorders affecting the oral mucosa that are characterized by aberrant cell proliferation and a higher risk of malignant transformation. Vitamin D (VitD) and its receptor (VDR) have been extensively studied for their potential contributions to the prevention and therapeutic management of a range of diseases and neoplastic conditions, including oral cancer. Observational studies suggest correlations between VitD deficiency and higher cancer risk, worse prognosis, and increased mortality rates. Interestingly, emerging data also reveals a link between VitD insufficiency and the onset or progression of OPMDs. Understanding the role of the VitD-VDR axis not only in established oral tumors but also in OPMDs might thus enable early detection and prevention of malignant transformation. With this article, we want to provide an overview of current knowledge about OPMDs and VitD, and investigate their potential association and ramifications for clinical management of OPMDs.

In the present work we revise and extend the Characteristic Crystallographic Element (CCE) norm, an algorithm used to simultaneously detect radial and orientational similarity of computer-generated structures with respect to specific reference crystals and local symmetries. Based on the identification of point group symmetry elements, the CCE descriptor is able to gauge local structure with high precision and finely distinguish between competing morphologies. As test cases we use computer-generated monomeric and polymer systems of spherical particles interacting with the hard-sphere and square-well attractive potentials. We demonstrate that the CCE norm is able to detect and differentiate, between others, among: hexagonal close packed (HCP), face centered cubic (FCC), hexagonal (HEX) and body centered cubic (BCC) crystals as well as non-crystallographic fivefold (FIV) local symmetry in bulk 3-D systems; triangular (TRI), square (SQU) and honeycomb (HON) crystals, as well as pentagonal (PEN) local symmetry in thin films of one-layer thickness (2-D systems). The descriptor is general and can be applied to identify the symmetry elements of any point group for arbitrary atomic or particulate system in two or three dimensions, in the bulk or under confinement.

We bring a strength-based and socially-oriented lens to behaviors observed in profound autism. Social deficits are a defining characteristic of autism. Yet humans’ biological drive for social connection is sufficiently strong that is should be observable, in some form at least, in individuals with autism. We describe a case that validates this view. Mahad is a 20-year-old Pakistani-American male, with intellectual disability, and minimal verbal abilities. Mahad has an intense interest in food and the steps involved in food preparation. He employs and capitalizes on his family’s meal routines to ensure continual social attention from his mother. When not immersed in food, Mahad uses his limited capacities to pursue the additional biological needs of exploring his environment, seeking information, and developing his cognitive abilities.

Appropriate diagnosis, treatment and care contributes to better service engagement, improvements to wellbeing, cost savings, reductions in morbidity and mortality for people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage. In the North-East of England large amounts of alcohol are consumed, reflected in the number of alcohol-related deaths in the region. However, the pathway for people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage to receipt of diagnosis, treatment and care is unknown and could be unwittingly influenced by stigma. Qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews were completed with 25 health and social care professionals from organisations involved with people with Alcohol Related Brain Damage recruited via snowball-sampling. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analysed. People with Alcohol Related Brain Damage were stigmatised both by society and professionals which inhibited entry into services therefore Alcohol Related Brain Damage remained underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. There was no dedicated service but silos with revolving doors and underfunded generic care with long waiting lists typically excluding those with alcohol or neurological problems. Professionals need to be challenged on the assumption that Alcohol Related Brain Damage is self-inflicted via training aimed at challenging unconscious bias. Reducing stigmatising processes associated with Alcohol Related Brain Damage could counteract professionals’ reluctance to provide care.

This study develops a hybrid machine learning (ML) algorithm integrated with IoT technology to improve the accuracy and efficiency of soil monitoring and tomato crop disease prediction in Anakapalle, a south Indian station. An IoT device collected one-minute and critical soil parameters—humidity, temperature, pH values, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—essential for assessing soil health and optimizing crop growth. Kendall's correlations were computed to rank these parameters for utilization in hybrid ML techniques. Various ML algorithms including K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Logistic Regression (LR) were evaluated. A novel hybrid algorithm, 'Bayesian Optimization with KNN', was introduced to combine multiple ML techniques and enhance predictive performance. The hybrid algorithm demonstrated superior results with 95% accuracy, precision, and recall, and an F1 score of 94%, while individual ML algorithms achieved varying results: KNN (80% accuracy), SVM (82%), DT (77%), RF (80%), and LR (81%) with differing precision, recall, and F1 scores. This hybrid ML approach proved highly effective in predicting tomato crop diseases in natural environments, underscoring the synergistic benefits of IoT and advanced ML techniques in optimizing agricultural practices.

With the increase of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN), machine learning has taken a forceful twist in recent times. One of the most spectacular kinds of ANN design is the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a technology that mixes artificial neural networks and up to date deep learning strategies. In deep learning, Convolutional Neural Network is at the center of spectacular advances. This artificial neural network has been applied to several image recognition tasks for decades and attracted the eye of the researchers of the many countries in recent years as the CNN has shown promising performances in several computer vision and machine learning tasks. This paper describes the underlying architecture and various applications of Convolutional Neural Network.

The most recent National Research Council Nutrient Requirements for Sheep and Goats was published in 2007, one of the most consequential nutrient requirement recommendations for sheep and goats in the world. It is pertinent to continue the refinement and discussion of nutrient utilization and requirements for the purposes of enhancing the efficiency of production systems, maximizing resource economy, and minimizing the carbon footprint, among others. Progress has been made in the estimation of energy and protein requirements in sheep and goats, mainly utilizing empirical feeding experimentation, comparative slaughter technique and minimum endogenous loss method. In sheep, newer estimates of energy and protein requirements for maintenance and growth and partial efficiencies had been reported since 2007. There were suggestions that energy and protein requirements could have been affected by breed, wool growth, gender and size; with these reported values being similar or lower than the recommended values in international feeding systems such as NRC, ARC, INRA and AFRC. In goats, energy and protein requirements for growing goats were reported to be either higher or lower than the established recommendations, depending upon meat or dairy breeds. Effect of gender on energy requirement appeared to be related to the stage of growth or degree of maturity. Newer data also suggested that the guidelines of the major feeding systems for the entire growth phase may not be adequate for non-pregnant and non-lactating pubertal females. In multiparous pregnant goats, energy and protein requirements for maintenance did not appear to be affected by days of pregnancy, but efficiencies of metabolizable energy and metabolizable protein utilization for pregnancy were. There were suggestions that that metabolizable protein synthesis in the rumen can be predicted from energy intake using combined equations that encompass both sheep and goats, but more data on goats were called for to account for specific differences in nutrition. In addition to sulfur, there has been progress made on the estimation of maintenance and growth requirements of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in goats, with suggestions on the consideration of gender and breed differences. Species, level of Intake, genotype, mature size, age, gender, body composition, use of tissue energy, activity, season, and acclimatization continue to be important considerations for the estimation of nutrient requirements in sheep and goats, with emerging factors such as climate change, heat stress, parasitism and secondary plant compounds. Model equations and partial efficiencies used by NRC to predict energy and protein requirements for maintenance, growth, lactation, and fiber have been highlighted and discussed for the purpose of a more focus discussion and refinement for the future. Potential and limitation of both traditional and emerging methodologies in determining the nutrient requirements in sheep and goats were discussed. To justify the research investment, emerging methodologies such as nutrigenomics will have to be linked more directly to the improvement of production efficiency via more precise prediction of nutrient requirement.

Abstract: NFinFET transistors with fin channel length 90nm and a planar MOSFET transistor with channel length 180nm and 90nm are presented with characteristic curves at various gate biases. A finalized algorithm with kink effects is effectively responsible for addressing the field effect transistors. The algorithm includes the modified conventional current-voltage formula and a nonlinear heat-associated kink solution which is simplified as a Gaussian form. Three parameters in modified model includes kN (related with channel width, channel length, and gate oxide capacitor, and proportional to the mobility of carriers)Vth(Threshold Voltage), and (the inverse of Early Voltage). Those parameters are determined to minimize the discrepancies between the measured data and the fitting values, but leave kinks located at around (VGS－Vth), which are deliberately eliminated by the Gaussian form because of the agitation of thermal kink effects. The whole fitting is made to be as close as the as-measured IDS-VDS. In the mean time, those determined parameters are physically meaningful after the analysis has been done.

One of the most prevalent illnesses, diabetes does not directly result in patient mortality. But, it increases the risk of death. Any disease that may be predicted in its early stages can lessen its fatal effects while also enhancing the quality of the healthcare system. For the early-stage prediction of diabetes or such types of non-communicable diseases, we need the proper set of influential features. This research has developed a machine learning-based disease prediction model to identify the influential features for diabetes prediction and give a near-perfect classification accuracy. This model includes Min-Max normalization for data normalization, Isolation Forest (iForest) for outlier removal, Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) for oversampling, Random Forest based Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE-RF) test, Chi-Square test, and Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevancy (mRMR) test based feature selection methods for identifying the influential features, and Support Vector Machine (SVM), K Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Naive Bayes (NB) for the classification. The results clarify that the proposed model outperforms the previous models and studies. The SVM has attained an accuracy of 99.58% in classification using the five features chosen from the Chi-Square test. Lastly, SHAP, an explainable AI model, has been used to assess the classifier model’s performance. These selected features and the classifier model can be used for early-stage diabetes prediction.

Despite of being an exceptionally biodiversity rich country, the forest coverage of Bangladesh is declining at an alarming rate. Declaration and management of protected areas in this regard is one of the efforts from government side to tackle the loss of biodiversity. The limited numbers of forest-protected areas (FPA), established to conserve the dwindling forest biodiversity of the country with high pressure on them for timber, non-timber forest products, and fuelwood - makes their management challenging. Moreover, most of the FPAs of the country declared only in the recent decades with very limited infrastructure, manpower and policy support for monitoring and governance. Some people-centred approaches for the management of FPAs and alternative livelihood and income generation subsidies although made available through a few project interventions, their number are still inadequate and performance remains less than satisfactory. This chapter provides a critical review of the FPAs of Bangladesh looking at their role in biodiversity conservation, management challenges, and key lessons from previous management interventions with recommendations for the future. It has been revealed that the FPA system of Bangladesh still poorly represents the diverse forest ecosystems with relatively small forest size and lack of corridors for the movement of wildlife. There are ample opportunities to render co-management of FPAs an effective strategy to minimize the conflicts in FPAs management in the country. It is, however, important to ensure the access of local forest-dependent people to different alternative income generating options that may adequately support their livelihoods.

Relationships of the three bryophyte lineages (liverworts, mosses, and hornworts) to vascular plants is a pivotal question in the study of origin and evolution of land plants. In recent decades, this question has been subject to intense phylogenetic analyses using morphological characters, multigene DNA sequences, and genome structural characters. A tentative consensus reached ten years ago suggested that bryophytes are a paraphyletic group, with liverworts being sister to all other land plants and hornworts being sister to vascular plants. However, several more recent nuclear phylogenomic studies have concluded that bryophytes represent a monophyletic group that is sister to vascular plants. A discussion is presented here on strengths and weaknesses of different types of characters (morphological traits, nucleotide sequences, and genome structural arrangements), and their suitability for resolving deep phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, several criteria for credible phylogenetic reconstruction are proposed. Strong statistical support for reconstructed relationships should be derived from high quality, independent characters selected for suitability to the particular question being addressed. The relationships inferred in a study should be congruent with those from as many other lines of phylogenetic evidence as possible. Any incongruities should be explicable by well-understood biological mechanisms. It is concluded that the relationships of the three bryophyte lineages to vascular plants should currently be viewed as unresolved. This is a difficult phylogenetic problem; the land plants underwent a rapid radiation a long time ago. Yet, further exploration of analytical methods and careful choice of characters should lead to eventual elucidation of diversification patterns among early land plants.

D-type cyclins encode G1/S cell cycle checkpoint proteins, that play a crucial role in defining cell cycle exit and progression. Precise control of cell cycle exit is vital during embryonic development, with defects in the pathways regulating intracellular D-type cyclins resulting in abnormal initiation of stem cell differentiation in a variety of different organ systems. Furthermore, stabilisation of D-type cyclins is observed in a wide range of disorders characterised by cellular over-proliferation, including cancers and overgrowth disorders. In this review, we will summarise and compare the roles played by each D-type cyclin during development and provide examples of how their intracellular dysregulation can be an underlying cause of disease.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of graft-free short tunnel small flap (STSF) technique with that of scleral patch graft (SPG) in Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation. Design: Randomized clinical trial. Participants: Eighty-eyes of eighty patients with medically uncontrolled glaucoma including 41 in STSF and 39 eyes in SPG. Methods: Patients were enrolled and assigned randomly to STSF or SPG. Main Outcome Measures: tube exposure, Intraocular pressure (IOP), number of glaucoma medications, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), surgical complications, and success rate ( defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) >5 mmHg, ≤21 mmHg, and IOP reduction ≥20% from baseline at two consecutive visits after three months, no reoperation for glaucoma). Results: only one case in SPG developed tube exposure at 1-year follow-up. The cumulative probability of success during the first year of follow-up was 70% in the STSF and 65% in SPG (P = 0.36). IOP decreased significantly from 29.6 ± 8.6 mmHg at baseline to 16.4 ± 3.6 mmHg at the final follow-up in STSF (p = 0.001). The corresponding numbers for SPG were 30.9 ± 11.2 and 15.8 ± 4.7, respectively (p = 0.001). The final IOP was comparable between both groups (p = 0.65). Mean ± standard deviation of the number of glaucoma medications was 1.8 ± 0.9 in STSF and 1.6 ± 0.9 in SPG at final follow-up (P = 0.32). Postoperative complications developed in 8 patients (19%) in STSF and 9 patients (23%) in SPG (P = 0.81). Conclusions: STSF and SPG techniques had comparable complication rate at one-year follow-up. Both techniques were comparable in terms of success rate, postoperative IOP, and glaucoma medications.

Study Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, a marker of Vitamin D status, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), expressed as increased scores of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), in a group of prospectively enrolled patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with OSA, divided into two groups, those with EDS (ESS>10) and those without EDS (ESS

Diffuse midline gliomas are among the deadliest human cancers and have had little progress in treatment in the last 50 years. Cell cultures of these tumors have been developed recently, but it is unknown the degree to which such cultures retain the characteristics of the source tumors. DNA methylation profiling offers a powerful tool to look at genome-wide epigenetic changes that are biologically meaningful and can help assess the similarity of cultured tumor cells to their in vivo progenitors. Paraffinized diagnostic tissue from three diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas with H3 K27M mutations was compared with subsequent passages of neurosphere cell cultures from those tumors. Each cell line was passaged 3-4 times and analyzed with DNA methylation arrays and standard algorithms that provided comparison of diagnostic classification and cluster analysis. All samples tested maintained high classifier scores and clustered within the reference group of H3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas. There was a gain of 1q in all cell lines, with two cell lines initially manifesting the gain of 1q only during culture. In vitro cell cultures of H3 K27M-mutant gliomas maintain high degrees of similarity in DNA methylation profiles to their source tumor, confirming their fidelity even with some chromosomal changes.

The rapid urbanization that takes place in developing regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa is associated with a large range of environmental and social issues. In this context, remote sensing is essential to provide accurate and up-to-date spatial information to support risk assessment and decision making. However, mapping urban areas remains a challenge because of their heterogeneity, especially in developing regions where the highest rates of misclassification are observed. Nevertheless, urban areas located in arid climates --- which are among the most vulnerables to anthropogenic impacts, suffer from the spectral confusion occurring between built-up and bare soil areas when using optical imagery. Today, the increasing availability of satellite imagery from multiple sensors allow to tackle the aforementioned issues by combining optical data with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). In this paper, we assess the complementarity of the Landsat 8 and Sentinel-1 sensors to map built-up areas in twelve Sub-Saharan African urban areas, using a pixel-level supervised classification based on the Random Forest classifier. We make use of textural information extracted from SAR backscattering data in order to reduce the speckle noise and to introduce contextual information at the pixel level. Results suggest that combining both optical and SAR features consistently improves classification performances, mainly by enhancing the differentiation between built-up and bare lands. However, the fusion was less beneficial in mountainous case studies, suggesting that including features derived from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) could improve the reliability of the proposed approach. As suggested by previous studies, combining features computed from both VV and VH polarizations consistently led to better classification performances. On the contrary, introducing textures computed from different spatial scales did not improve the classification performances.

In the multicenter, non-randomized, exploratory C-reactive protein (CRP) Apheresis in Myocardial Infarction (CAMI-1) study, CRP apheresis after ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) significantly decreased blood CRP concentrations in humans. Cardiac damage was assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR1) 3-9 d after onset of STEMI symptoms and quantified by myocardial infarct size (IS; %), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; %), circumferential strain (CS) and longitudinal strain (LS) Compared with the control group (n=34), cardiac damage was significantly lower in the apheresis group (n=32). These findings suggested improved wound healing due to CRP apheresis already within few days after the STEMI event. In the current supplementary data analysis of CAMI-1, we have tested by a follow-up CMR (CMR2) after an average of 88 (65-177) d whether the effect of CRP apheresis is clinically maintained. After this time period wound healing in STEMI is considered complete. Whereas patients with low CRP production and a CRP gradient cut off of &lt;0.6 mg/L/h in the hours after STEMI (9 of 32 patients in the CRP apheresis group) did not significantly benefit from CRP apheresis in CMR2, patients with high CRP production and a CRP gradient cut off of &gt;0.6 mg/L/h (23 of 32 patients in the CRP apheresis group) showed significant treatment benefit. In the latter patients, CMR2 revealed a lower IS (-5.4%; p=0.05), a better LVEF (+6.4%; p=0.03), and an improved CS (-6.1%; p=0.005). No significant improvement, however, was observed for LS (-2.9%; p=0.1). These data suggest a sustained positive effect of CRP apheresis on the heart physiology in STEMI patients with high CRP production well beyond the period of its application. The data demonstrate the sustainability of the CRP removal from plasma which is associated with less scar tissue.

It is a well-established fact that inadequate Vitamin D (Vit-D) levels have negative effects on the development and progression of malignant diseases, mainly cancer. The purpose of this paper was to elucidate the effects of Vit-D intake and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) levels on cancer incidence and mortality, the current evidence in this field, and the biases of this evidence using the meta-meta-analysis method. Meta-analyses focusing on Vit-D intake, serum 25(OH)D levels, and cancer risk/mortality were identified. A structured computer literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus electronic databases using predetermined keyword combinations. Primary and secondary meta-meta-analyses were carried out, combining odds ratios (ORs), risk ratios (RRs), and hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes reported in selected meta-analyses. A total of 35 eligible meta-analyses assessing the association between Vit-D and cancer incidence and/or mortality were included in this study. In the pooled analysis, higher Vit-D intake and serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with lower cancer risk (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.90-0.96, p < 0.001; OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.72-0.89, p < 0.001, respectively) and cancer-related mortality (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86-0.93, p < 0.001; RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58-0.78, p < 0.001, respectively). When meta-analyses whose primary reports included only randomized controlled trials were pooled, there was no significant association between Vit-D intake and cancer risk (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.97-1.01, p = 0.320). In subgroup analysis, Vit-D consumption was associated with a significant decrease in colorectal and lung cancer incidence (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83-0.96, p = 0.002; OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.83-0.94, p < 0.001, respectively). Taken together, both Vit-D intake and higher 25(OH)D levels may provide remarkable benefits in terms of cancer incidence and mortality, however, careful evaluation according to cancer types is critically important and recommended.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has emerged as an attractive state-of-the-art tool for precisely fabricating functional materials with complex geometries, championing several advancements in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and therapeutics. However, this technology has an untapped potential for biotechnological applications, such as sensor and biosensor development. By exploring these avenues, the scope of 3D printing technology can be expanded and pave the way for groundbreaking innovations in the biotechnology field. Indeed, new printing materials and printers would offer new possibilities for seamlessly incorporating biological functionalities within the growing 3D scaffolds. Herein, we review the extrusion-based 3D printing modalities emphasizing biosensor applications. We highlighted the application of natural, synthetic, and composite biomaterials as 3D-printed soft hydrogels. Emphasis was placed on the approach by which the sensing molecules were introduced during the fabrication process. Finally, the future perspective was provided.

In recent years, Web APIs have become a de facto standard for exchanging machine-readable data on the Web. Despite this success though, they often fail in making resource descriptions interoperable due to the fact that they rely on proprietary vocabularies that lack formal semantics. The Linked Data principles similarly seek the massive publication of data on the Web, yet with the specific goal of ensuring semantic interoperability. Given their complementary goals, it is commonly admitted that cross-fertilization could stem from the automatic combination of Linked Data and Web APIs. Towards this goal, in this paper we leverage the micro-service architectural principles to define a SPARQL Micro-Service architecture, aimed at querying Web APIs using SPARQL. A SPARQL micro-service is a lightweight SPARQL endpoint that provides access to a small, resource-centric, virtual graph. In this context, we argue that full SPARQL Query expressiveness can be supported efficiently without jeopardizing servers availability. Furthermore, we demonstrate how this architecture can be used to dynamically assign dereferenceable URIs to Web API resources that do not have URIs beforehand, thus literally ``bringing'' Web APIs into the Web of Data. We believe that the emergence of an ecosystem of SPARQL micro-services published by independent providers would enable Linked Data-based applications to easily glean pieces of data from a wealth of distributed, scalable and reliable services. We describe a working prototype implementation and we finally illustrate the use of SPARQL micro-services in the context of two real-life use cases related to the biodiversity domain, developed in collaboration with the French National Museum of Natural History.

Phosphorus (P) is a vital macronutrient crucial for crop productivity. Plants absorb P salts, mainly orthophosphate, from soil, yet the primary P source resides in organic materials. Soil phosphomonoesterases (APases) play a vital role in releasing P from organics via hydrolysis. Acid and alkaline phosphatases are crucial for alleviating P deficiency in plants. In this review focused on agricultural soils, we studied the relationship of biophysicochemical, agricultural management, and climate factors on APases also its connection with crop growth and yields. Our findings indicate a strong linkage between both APases and soil pH, positively influenced by clay content, organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, and nitrogen. Adopting healthy soil practices like balanced organic fertilizer usage, optimal soil water levels, reduced tillage, crop rotation, and using beneficial plant microbes help boost APase activity. However, the connection between APases and crop productivity remains uncertain due to insufficient research in this area. Our review emphasizes the vital need to evaluate the relationship between APases and meso-macrofauna, alongside essential plant nutrients such as potassium, nutrient ratios, and the synergistic effects of various factors. Understanding the rapid, efficient assimilation of P through APases in the plant-soil and/or plant-microbiota ecosystem it can be crucial for crop productivity and yields.

The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea is a native aquatic species in Eastern Asia and Africa but has become one of the most ecologically and economically harmful invasive species in aquatic ecosystems in Europe, North America, South America. Due to their natural characteristics as a hermaphroditic species with high fecundity and dispersal capacity, Asian clams are extremely difficult to eradicate once they have infiltrated a waterbody. This is an emerging issue for states in the Northeastern United States as Asian clams expand their range farther North due to climate change. There has been extensive research conducted to develop chemical treatments to reactively control invasive mollusc populations and proactively prevent their further spread. However, treatments are mostly targeted toward biofouling bivalves in industrial settings. A comprehensive review of Asian clam chemical treatments used in open water systems was performed to evaluate molluscicides and identify toxicity ranges of emerging treatments that maximize Asian clam mortality and minimize negative impact to water quality and non-target species. The potential chemical applications in Asian clam control and management are summarized in this report to assist resource managers and practitioners on invasive Asian clam management.

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.

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM SPA) has recently emerged as an exceptionally well-suited technique for determining the structure of membrane proteins (MPs). Indeed, in the last years, it was observed a huge increase in the number of MPs solved by cryo-EM SPA at a resolution better than 3.0 Å in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). However, sample preparation remains a significant challenge in the field. Here, we evaluated in the MPs solved by cryo-EM SPA deposited in the PDB in the last two years at a resolution below 3.0 Å the most critical parameters for sample preparation: i) the surfactant used for protein extraction from the membrane, ii) the surfactant, amphiphiles, nanodiscs or other molecules present in the vitrification step, iii) the vitrification method employed, and iv) the type of grids used. The aim is not to provide a definitive answer on the optimal sample conditions for cryo-EM SPA of MPs, but rather assess the current trends in the MP structural biology community towards obtaining high-resolution cryo-EM structures.

In a safety-critical system typically not all provided services have the same criticality, which we call mixed-criticality systems. Criticality arithmetic, also called SIL arithmetic, is an approach to lower the development effort of a service by providing redundancy with tasks that are developed for a lower criticality level. In this paper we present ATMP-CA, which is a derivation of the multi-core scheduler ATMP. ATMP-CA is able to take into account the knowledge about the use of criticality arithmetic. ATMP-CA has a modified core allocation and procedure for utility optimisation, considering the context of the replicated tasks. We conducted experiments that show that ATMP-CA is able to provide the services using criticality arithmetic, while the reference schedulers were not.

Traditional metals such as stainless steel, titanium and cobalt chrome are used in biomedical applications (implants, scaffolds etc.) but suffer from issues such as osseointegration and compatibility with existing bone. One way to improve traditional biomaterials is to incorporate ceramics with these metals so that their mechanical properties can be similar to cortical bones. Tricalcium phosphate is such a ceramic with properties so that it can be used in human body. This research explores the use of binder jetting based additive manufacturing process to create a novel biocomposite made of cobalt chrome and tricalcium phosphate. Experiments were conducted and processing parameters were varied to study their effect on the printing of this biocomposite. Layer thickness, binder saturation and drying time affected the dimensional tolerance and the density of the green samples. This effect is important to understand so that the material can be optimized for use in specific applications.

Contrasting results have suggested that the prevalence and intensity of post abortion emotional distress (PAD) either diminishes rapidly or persists over time. Few studies have followed women for longer than five years. This study examines retrospective population data on 226 ever aborting U.S. women aged 41-45, at an average of 20 years following the abortion, with extensive measures of PAD. Most post abortive women (55.2%) experienced little or no distress from their abortion(s) and 74.6% were confident it had been the right decision, but 44.8% reported moderate (20.7%) to high (24.1%) distress related to their abortion(s), including 37.7% who reported negative emotions; 31.2% “frequent feelings of loss, grief or sadness;” 24.6% “frequent thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks;” 23.2% for whom thoughts and feelings about their abortion “negatively interfered with life, work, or relationships.” Time since the abortion (mean 20 years, range 0-31 years) was not correlated with PAD (r = -.02, p .71). For the minority of women who experienced it, PAD did not diminish but persisted for decades. An estimated 7.5 million U.S. women currently experience persistent high PAD. Further research to specify risk factors and possible interventions for postabortion distress would be of value for this group of women.

The occurrence of ovarian dysfunction is often due to the imbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the (in)effectiveness of the antioxidative defense mechanisms. Primary sources of ROS are the respiratory electron transfer and the activity of NADPH oxidases (NOX), while Superoxide dismutases (SOD) are the main key reg-ulators that control the levels of ROS and reactive nitrogen species intra- and extracel-lularly. Because of their central role, SODs are the subject of research on human ovarian dysfunction, but the sample acquisition is low. The high degree of cellular and molecular similarity between Drosophila melanogaster ovaries and human ovaries provides this model organism with the best conditions for analyzing the role of ROS during ovarian function. In this study, we clarify the localization of the ROS producing enzyme dNox within ovaries of Drosophila melanogaster and by a tissue specific knockdown, we show that dNox derived ROS are involved in the chorion hardening process. Furthermore, we analyze the dSod3 localization and show that reduced activity of dSod3 impacts egg laying behavior, but not the chorion hardening process.

This work addresses the problem of automatic head pose estimation and its application in 3D gaze estimation using low quality RGB--D sensors without any subject cooperation or manual intervention. The previous works on 3D head pose estimation using RGB--D sensors require either an offline step for supervised learning or 3D head model construction which may require manual intervention or subject cooperation for complete head model reconstruction. In this paper, we propose a 3D pose estimator based on low quality depth data, which is not limited by any of the aforementioned steps. Instead, the proposed technique relies on modeling the subject's face in 3--D rather than the complete head, which in turn, relaxes all of the constraints with the previous works. The proposed method is robust, highly accurate and fully automatic. Moreover, it does not need any offline step. Unlike some of the previous works, the method only uses depth data for pose estimation. The experimental results on the Biwi head pose database confirm the efficiency of our algorithm in handling large pose variations and partial occlusion. We also evaluate the performance of our algorithm on IDIAP database for 3D head pose and eye gaze estimation.

Vitamin D has important anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties and plays a central role in host immune response. Due to the crucial role of the kidneys in the metabolism of vitamin D, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), are prone to vitamin D deficiency. The resultant reduction in the production of calcitriol, the activated form of vitamin D in patients with CKD is responsible for exacerbating the existing renal impairment and periodontal inflammation. Recent evidence suggests a bidirectional, causal relationship between periodontitis and renal functional status. Both conditions have shared pathophysiologic mechanisms including oxidative stress, increases in the systemic inflammatory burden and impaired host response. This review explores the association between vitamin D, CKD and periodontitis. The review summarises the current evidence base for the classical and non-classical vitamin D metabolic pathways, the biological mechanisms linking vitamin D deficiency, CKD and periodontitis, as well as the bidirectional relationship between the two chronic inflammatory conditions. Finally, the paper explores the impact of vitamin D deficiency on CKD, periodontitis, and related co-morbidities.

Companion animals play a central role in many families and are especially valued by those who are socially isolated. Crisis situations such as acute hospitalizations, homelessness and natural disasters can make it difficult to preserve the human-animal bond and can result in animals being surrendered or euthanized. Social support programs like the RSPCA NSW Emergency Boarding and Homelessness program support people experiencing crisis situations with emergency pet boarding, access veterinary treatment and individualized case management. This study aimed to estimate the social return on investment (SROI) for this program using standard SROI methodology. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 program stakeholders and questionnaire responses were received from 29 program clients. Outcomes were quantified for four stakeholder groups: program clients, client’s animals, RSPCA Inspectors, animal pounds and shelters. Clients and their animals experienced the bulk of the benefit from the program, estimated to have a combined value of over $5 million AUD for the 2020-21 financial year. The estimated social return on investment was $8.21 for each $1 invested. The study demonstrates that keeping people together with their companion animals, or ensuring they are reunited as soon as possible, can reduce stressors, and improve outcomes for people and animals.

Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging tick-borne pathogen in the Northern hemisphere and is the causative agent of Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD). B. miyamotoi is vectored by the same hard-bodied ticks as Lyme disease Borrelia, yet phylogenetically groups with relapsing fever Borrelia, and thus has been uniquely labeled a hard tick-borne relapsing fever Borrelia. Burgeoning research has uncovered new aspects of B. miyamotoi in human patients, nature, and the lab. Of particular interest are novel findings on disease pathology, prevalence, diagnostic methods, ecological maintenance, transmission, and genetic characteristics. Herein we review recent literature on B. miyamotoi, discuss how findings adapt to current Borrelia doctrines, and briefly consider what remains unknown about B. miyamotoi.

This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurship and sustainable devel-opment in Saudi Arabia from 2006 to 2022, focusing on the economic, social, and en-vironmental dimensions. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the research investigates both short-run and long-run dynamics to understand how entre-preneurial activities influence sustainable development within the framework of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative. The findings indicate that entrepreneurship significantly contributes to economic growth through job creation and innovation, thereby aiding in the diversification of the economy away from oil dependency. Socially, entrepreneurial ini-tiatives have a positive impact on gender equality and social inclusion by empowering women and integrating youth into the labour market. Environmentally, entrepreneurship helps reduce carbon emissions and promotes sustainable business practices. Despite these positive outcomes, challenges such as regulatory barriers, limited access to finance, and the need for a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem remain. Recommendations include enhancing entrepreneurial education, providing financial incentives, and streamlining regulatory processes to better support start-ups and SMEs. The study highlights the ne-cessity of addressing these challenges to fully realize the potential of entrepreneurship for sustainable development in Saudi Arabia. By providing empirical evidence on the sig-nificant role of entrepreneurship in driving sustainable development, this research offers actionable insights for policymakers aiming to foster a more resilient and diversified economy in line with Vision 2030. .

This study investigates the impact of intellectual capital on the sustainable performance of banks in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the period from 2012 to 2022. Utilizing data from ten major Saudi banks, the research examines how different components of intellectual capital—Human Capital Efficiency (HCE), Structural Capital Efficiency (SCE), and Capital Employed Efficiency (CEE)—influence key financial performance indicators such as Return on Equity (ROE) and Net Profit Margin (NPM). The study is grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, which suggests that a firm’s internal resources can provide a sustainable competitive advantage. The analysis employs panel data techniques, including fixed and random effects models, to assess the relationships between intellectual capital components and bank performance while controlling for variables like bank size, financial leverage, GDP growth, inflation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal that intellectual capital significantly enhances bank performance in Saudi Arabia, with human capital efficiency showing the most decisive influence on ROE and NPM. Structural capital and capital employed efficiency also contribute positively but vary in their impact on different performance measures. This research contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding of the role of intellectual capital in promoting sustainable banking practices. It underscores the importance of strategic management of intellectual capital in enhancing financial performance and achieving sustainability goals, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. The study's insights are relevant for bank managers and policymakers who leverage intellectual capital for economic diversification and sustainable development.

Saudi Arabia is an oil-reliant nation as a large percentage of its GDP comes from oil resources. Oil dependency leaves a county at the mercy of the international crude market, and a decrease in the price of crude can seriously destabilize the economy of such nations. An example is the case of Venezuela whose dependence on oil caused a national disaster (McCarthy, 2017). As such, the nation’s exports, GDP, and government revenue are primarily dependent on oil revenue, and the recent decrease in the oil prices has decreased Venezuela’s national revenue resulting in economic collapse as well as inflation. A shift from a resource based economy to a knowledge based economy will help Saudi Arabia become less reliant on its oil revenues for its economic stability and growth (Nurunnabi, 2017).

Calcium carbonate cements have been synthesized by mixing amorphous calcium carbonate and vaterite powders with water to form a cement paste and study how mechanical strength is created during the setting reaction. In-situ XRD was used to monitor the transformation of ACC and vaterite phases into calcite and a rotational rheometer was used to monitor the strength evolution. There are two characteristic time scales of the strengthening of the cement paste. The short timescale of the order 1 hour is controlled by smoothening of the vaterite grains, allowing closer and therefore adhesive contacts between the grains. The long timescale of the order 10-50 hours is controlled by the phase transformation of vaterite into calcite. This transformation is, unlike in previous studies using stirred reactors, found to be mainly controlled by diffusion in the liquid phase. The evolution of shear strength with solid volume fraction is best explained by a fractal model of the paste structure.

From the hospital wastewater, a novel bacteriophage was isolated and characterized. According to characterization properties, this bacteriophage belongs to the Siphoviridae family, the maximum bacteriophage titer was recorded at 37°C and a pH of 7.2, had a 44,789 bp linear double-strand DNA genome, and within the genome sequence, there are 61 genes, all of which are encoded into proteins. Although this bacteriophage does not have any virulence factors or antimicrobial resistance genes and had specific lytic activity against some antimicrobial resistance S. aureus clinical isolates.

Background: given the various clinical manifestations that characterize coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the scientific community is constantly searching for biomarkers with prognostic value. Surfactant protein A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) play a crucial role in ensuring proper alveolar function and an alteration of their serum levels have been reported in several pulmonary diseases characterized by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Consid-ering that such clinical manifestations can also occur during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we wondered if these collectins could act as prognostic markers. Methods: in this regard, serum levels of SP-A and SP-D were measured by enzyme immunoassay in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=51) at admission (T0) and after 7 days (T1) and compared with healthy donors (n=11). Results: SP-D increased in COVID-19 patients com-pared to healthy controls during the early phases of infection, while a significant reduction was observed at T1. Stratifying SARS-CoV-2 patients according to disease severity, increased serum SP-D levels were observed in severe compared to mild patients. Conclusions: In the light of these results SP-D, but not SP-A, seems to be an eligible marker of COVID-19 pneumonia and the early detection of SP-D serum levels could be crucial for a preventive clinical management.

The climate crisis necessitates a global shift to achieve a secure, sustainable, and affordable energy system toward a green energy transition reaching climate neutrality by 2050. Because of this, renewable energy sources have come to the forefront and the research interest in microgrids which rely on distributed generation and storage systems has exploded. Furthermore, many new markets for energy trading, ancillary services, and frequency reserve markets have provided attractive investment opportunities in exchange for balancing the supply and demand of electricity. Artificial intelligence can be utilized to locally optimize energy consumption, trade energy with the main grid, and participate in these markets. Reinforcement learning (RL) is one of the most promising approaches to achieve this goal because it enables an agent to learn optimal behavior in a microgrid by executing specific actions that maximize the long-term reward signal/function. The study focuses on testing two optimization algorithms: logic-based optimization and reinforcement learning. This paper proposes an optimization algorithm based on reinforcement learning in an industrial microgrid that is capable of trading energy with the main grid, providing significant cost savings. The RL-based approach is implemented in Python based on real data from the site and in combination with MATLAB-Simulink to validate its results. The application of the RL algorithm achieved an average monthly cost saving of 20% compared to logic-based optimization and 86% savings compared to not using any optimization. These findings contribute to digitalization and decarbonization of energy technology and support fundamental goals and policies of the European Green Deal.

This study delves into the dynamic field of medical education research, emphasizing the integration of research training within medical curricula. It seeks to understand the impact of such integration on the competencies of future medical professionals. The primary aim is to systematically categorize and analyze the current trends and future directions in medical education research. This involves assessing the influence of research training on medical students' skills and the methodologies used in such research. Methods: The research employs an extensive bibliographic literature review across multiple databases. It classifies studies into categories like experiential or case studies, editorials, and original research articles. This classification is based on criteria such as geographical location, research objectives, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies. Results: Findings reveal a diverse landscape in medical education research, with a significant emphasis on research training. The research showcases varying methodologies and approaches used globally, highlighting the thematic focus and geographical distribution of these studies. Conclusion: Medical education research is a globally expansive and evolving field. It underscores the importance of continuous investigation, particularly focusing on integrating research elements at curricular levels and exploring innovative educational strategies. The study also points out potential gaps in research, especially in underrepresented regions, indicating directions for future research efforts.

Inteins, often referred to as protein introns, are highly mobile genetic elements that invade conserved genes throughout the tree of life. Inteins have been found to invade a wide variety of key genes within actinophages. While in the process of conducting a survey of these inteins in actinophages we discovered that one protein family of methylases contained a putative intein, and two other unique insertion elements. These methylases are known to occur commonly in phages as orphan methylases (possibly as a form of resistance to restriction-modification systems). We found that the methylase family is not conserved within phage clusters and has a disparate distribution across divergent phage groups. We determined that two of the three insertion elements have a patchy distribution within the methylase protein family. We also found that the third insertion element is likely a second homing endonuclease, and that all three elements (the intein, the homing endonuclease, and what we refer to as the ShiLan domain) all have different insertion sites that are conserved in the methylase gene family. Furthermore, we find strong evidence that both the intein and ShiLan domain are partaking in long distance horizontal gene transfer events between divergent methylases in disparate phage hosts within the already dispersed methylase distribution. The reticulate evolutionary history of methylases and their insertion elements reveals high rates of gene transfer and within-gene recombination in actinophages.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) affect a high percentage of children and adults worldwide. Surgery may be indicated in severe or recalcitrant case. Several recent advancements in the TMD and temporomanidbular joint (TMJ) surgery have elevated understanding and ability to treat affected patients. We discuss recent advances in TMD epidemiology, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) of the TMJ, and surgical techniques and technologies. Technical advancements have been identified in TMJ arthroscopy, treatment of TMJ subluxation and dislocation, and extended prosthetic total TMJ reconstruction (eTMJR). Overall, this review provides valuable insights into significant recent advancements of TMJ disorders and their surgical management.

The purpose of this review is to elucidate the actual threat of the most prevalent mycotoxins in agricultural commodities and human/animal food/feed for appearance of foodborne ailments and diseases. The underestimated hazard of joint mycotoxin uptake of animals or humans is critically discussed with regards to synergistic or additive interaction between some target mycotoxins. The real toxicity of target mycotoxin combinations as it happens in practice is evaluated and possible lower limit values or control measures are suggested in such cases. Some critical points in adequate risk assessment, hygiene control and regulation of mycotoxns are discussed. The efficiency of current mycotoxin regulations and control measures is evaluated in regards to human/animal health hazard. The risk assessment in the case of multiple mycotoxin exposure of humans/animals via the food/feed or agricultural commodities is evaluated and some suggestions are proposed in such cases. Appropriate control measures and food safety issues throughout the food supply chain are proposed in order to prevent target foodborne diseases. Some preventive measures and possible veterinary hygiene control or risk assessment are proposed in some practical cases of foodborne diseases for preventing mycotoxin contamination of animal products designed for human consumption and to avoid possible public health issues.

In atomic GdFe$_2$ films capped by 4$d$ and 5$d$ transition metals, we show that skyrmions with diameters smaller than 12 nm can emerge. The Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction (DMI), exchange energy, and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy were investigated based on density functional theory. Since DMI and MCA are caused by spin--orbit coupling (SOC), they are increased with 5$d$ capping layers which exhibit strong SOC strength. We discover a skyrmion phase by using atomistic spin dynamic simulations at small magnetic fields of $\sim$1 T. In addition, a ground state that a spin spiral phase is remained even at zero magnetic field for both films with 4$d$ and 5$d$ capping layers.

This paper presents a concise mathematical framework for investigating both feed-forward and backward process, during the training to learn model weights, of an artificial neural network (ANN). Inspired from the idea of the two-step rule for backpropagation, we define a notion of F_adjoint which is aimed at a better description of the backpropagation algorithm. In particular, by introducing the notions of F-propagation and F-adjoint through a deep neural network architecture, the backpropagation associated to a cost/loss function is proven to be completely characterized by the F-adjoint of the corresponding F-propagation relatively to the partial derivative, with respect to the inputs, of the cost function.

As prominent oil producers, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have played a significant role in the global energy market. However, as the world's attention increasingly shifts towards environmental sustainability, understanding the implications of the GCC's economic activities on CO2 emissions becomes indispensable. This research paper investigates the relationship between specific economic indicators and their impact on CO2 emissions in the GCC from 2001 to 2021. The study employs quantile regression, a powerful statistical method that estimates the conditional quantiles of a response variable given a set of predictor variables. The findings reveal several important insights: Financial institution efficiency is significant and negative at a 1% level at the lower (10th) -83537.3 and the higher quantile (90th) -549002.3. The relationship between GDP per capita and CO2 emissions varies across quantiles, highlighting the complexity of the growth-environment nexus. Total patents exhibit a positive and significant relationship with emissions, underscoring the importance of directing innovation towards environmentally sustainable solutions. Renewable energy consumption displays a nuanced relationship with CO2 emissions, with a stronger negative impact observed at higher consumption levels. This underscores the potential of renewable energy to mitigate emissions when integrated at scale. The study's outcomes hold crucial policy implications for the GCC countries as they seek to align economic growth with environmental sustainability. The findings emphasize the importance of fostering financial institution efficiency, promoting green innovation, and expanding renewable energy sources to reduce emissions

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has significant negative effects on health and behavior in childhood including depression, failure to thrive, neurocognitive impairment, and behavioral issues. It is strongly associated with an increased risk for chronic adult disease such as obesity and diabetes, accelerated atherosclerosis, and endothelial dysfunction. Accumulating evidence suggests that adult-onset non-communicable diseases may originate from early life through a process by which an insult applied at a critical developmental window causes long-term effects on the structure or function of an organism. Recently, much attention has been paid to the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of adult disease susceptibility. Epigenetic mechanisms that influence adaptive variability include histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, and DNA methylation. This review will highlight what is currently known about the phenotypic associations of epigenetic modifications in pediatric OSA and will emphasize the importance of epigenetic changes as both modulators of chronic disease and potential therapeutic targets.

Folk nomenclature is habitually established for species that have attained high utilitarian and cultural significance by custodians of such plants worldwide. Such folk names assigned to species often carry etymological values such as therapeutic effects, morphological features, mythical connotations, and their allegorical values. This research sought to unveil the etymology in folk nomenclatures of Sphenostysis stenocarpa (Hosch ex A. Rich) Harms (African Yam Bean). Three hundred and fifty respondents were randomly selected from 13 local communities in Ebonyi State in South-eastern, Nigeria. Data were collected through oral interviews with semi-structural questionnaires, along with focused group discussions. Analysis of data was carried out using simple statistical methods involving frequencies and percentages. The results recorded ten folk nomenclatures assigned to this species in seven dialects affiliated to cultural values within these communities. Etymologically, the results also revealed that out of the ten folk names of AYB cryptic connotations, five reflected their trust in the gods that answered their prayers, two were attributed to the healing potentials inherent in this crop for medicine, three names were associated with the seeds, while one referred to feminist attachment to the crop, another to its resilience/ adaptability to climatic stress and one as a sustainer of farmers. Considering that folk nomenclature is based mainly on qualitative data and the information outside the scientific domain, they are nonetheless highly valued because they are based on long-term interactions, utilization and observations of the custodians of these natural resources. However, these data are equally vulnerable to erosion if not properly documented and conserved for posterity.

Care coordination (CC) for children with special healthcare needs and medical complexity (CSHCN-CMC) is challenging, and medication management is especially difficult for providers, parents/caregivers, and patients alike. While numerous strategies for CC have been suggested and implemented, barriers to medication optimization remain. The report describes the creation of a pediatric clinical pharmacotherapy practice, related standard operating procedures to assure consistent application of screening tools and care provision through comprehensive medication management (CMM), and establishment of a collaborative practice agreement (CPA) to guide drug therapy delegation, monitoring, and modification. The methodology of a prospective case series is also presented to highlight drug therapy problems and their resolution in CSHCN-CMC. Future opportunities to expand the practice for engagement in population health management as well as prior authorization activities on behalf of physicians will be discussed.

Abstract: Plasma hemopexin (HPX) is the key antioxidant protein of the endogenous clearance pathway that limits the deleterious effects of heme released from hemoglobin and myoglobin. During intra-vascular hemolysis, heme partitioning to protein and lipid increases as the plasma concentration of HPX declines. Therefore, the development of HPX as a replacement therapy during high heme stress could be a relevant intervention for hemolytic disorders. A logical approach to enhance HPX yield involves recombinant production strategies from human cell lines. The present study focuses on a biophysical assessment of heme binding to recombinant human HPX (rhHPX) produced in the Expi293FTM (HEK293) cell system. In this report, we examine rhHPX in comparison with plasma HPX using a systematic analysis of protein structural and functional characteristics related to heme binding. Analysis of rhHPX by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), SEC-HPLC and catalase-like activity demonstrated a similarity to HPX fractionated from plasma. In particular, the titration of HPX apo-protein(s) with heme was performed for the first time using a wide range of heme concentrations to model HPX-heme interactions to approximate physiological conditions (from extremely low to more than 2-fold heme excess). The CD titration data showed an induced bisignate CD Soret band pattern typical for plasma and rhHPX versions at low heme-to-protein molar ratios and demonstrated that further titration is dependent on the amount of protein-bound heme to the extent that the arising opposite CD couplet results in a complete inversion of the observed CD pattern. The data generated in this study suggests more than one binding site in both plasma and rhHPX. Further, our study provides a useful analytical platform for detailed characterization of HPX-heme interactions and potentially, novel HPX fusion constructs.

Majority of the studied MADS box members are linked with flowering and fruit traits. However, higher volumes of studies on the type II of their two types so far suggest that florigenic effect of the gene members could just be tip of the iceberg. In current study we used a systematic approach to have general overview on the MADS box members their cross-trait and multifactor associations as well as their pleiotropic potentials based on local reference database curated for MADS box members. While doing so, we screened for the co-occurrence of the terms of interest within the title or abstract of each reference with threshold of 3 hits. Analysis results showed that our approach can retrieve multi-faceted information on the subject of study (MADS box gene members in current case) which could otherwise have been skewed depending on the authors’ expertise and/or volume of literature reference base. Overall, our study discusses on the roles of MADS box members in association with plant organs and traits-linked factors among plant species. Our assessment showed that plants with majority of the MADS box member studies include tomato, apple, rice etc., after Arabidopsis. Furthermore, based on the degree of their multi-trait associations, FLC, SVP, SOC1, etc. are suggested to have relatively higher pleiotropic potential among others in plant growth, development and flowering process. The approach devised in this study is expected applicable for having basic understanding on any study subject of interest regardless of depth prior knowledge.

It is unclear whether military shoes (combat boots and sports shoes) attenuate loading rate or affect force transfer during walking. Therefore, this study compared ground reaction forces (GRF) related to impact and force transfer between combat boots, military sports shoes and running shoes. Ten army recruits walked over a walkway with two force plates embedded. GRF were measured when walking barefoot (for data normalization) and with combat boots, military sports shoes and running shoes. Loading rate, first and second peak forces and push-off rate of force were computed along with temporal analysis of waveforms. Reduced loading rate was observed for the running shoe compared to the combat boot (p = 0.02 and d = 0.98) and to the military sports shoe (p = 0.04 and d = 0.92). The running shoe elicited a smaller second peak force than the combat boot (p < 0.01 and d = 0.83). Walking with military shoes and combat boots led to larger force transfer then running shoes potentially due to harder material used in midsole composition (i.e. styrene-butadiene rubber). These results could lead to a potentially larger risk of injuries while long duration walking in military shoes and boots compared to traditional running shoes.