The traditional manual recording of vaccination records in Germany faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the introduction of a Covid smartphone app with QR codes. However, this solution brought new challenges, emphasizing the need for a centrally managed European digital vaccination record for efficiency and validity. Thus, this study assesses the feasibility of using the HL7 FHIR standard in the healthcare industry for implementing a digital vaccination pass management and monitoring system. The system aims to offer convenience and improved efficiency for both patients and healthcare providers while promoting interoperability with other healthcare systems. We developed a prototype using modern technologies, such as React, Quarkus, and Keycloak, evaluating the applicability of FHIR in promoting interoperability within the healthcare industry. Results indicate potential benefits for patients and healthcare providers, offering secure access to immunization records, personalized recommendations, and streamlined management. However, challenges in integrating nuanced vaccination processes into the standardized FHIR system, necessitating custom extensions, and issues with manual data entry and identity provider integration, pose obstacles. Despite these challenges, the study suggests that implementing HL7 FHIR can enhance efficiency, data accessibility, and accuracy in the vaccination process, supporting broader digitization efforts in the German healthcare system and beyond.

To answer Wheeler's question "Why the quantum?" via quantum information theory according to Bub, one must explain both why the world is quantum rather than classical and why the world is quantum rather than superquantum, i.e., "Why the Tsirelson bound?" We show that the quantum correlations and quantum states corresponding to the Bell basis states, which uniquely produce the Tsirelson bound for the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt quantity, can be derived from conservation per no preferred reference frame (NPRF). A reference frame in this context is defined by a measurement configuration, just as with the light postulate of special relativity. We therefore argue that the Tsirelson bound is ultimately based on NPRF just as the postulates of special relativity. This constraint-based/principle answer to Bub's question addresses Fuchs' desideratum that we "take the structure of quantum theory and change it from this very overt mathematical speak ... into something like [special relativity]." Thus, the answer to Bub's question per Fuchs' desideratum is, "the Tsirelson bound obtains due to conservation per NPRF."

Purpose: To meet the challenges of the precision medicine era, quality assessment of shared sarcoma care becomes pivotal. The MDT approach is the most important parameter for succesfull outcome. Because of all MDTs disciplines surgery is the key step to render sarcoma patients disease free, defining the spectrum of a sarcoma surgeon is critical. To the best of the authors knowledge, a comprehensive interoperable digital platform to assess the scope of sarcoma surgery and the experience of a sarcoma surgeon in its full complexity is lacking. Methods: A web-based real-world data (RWD) registry on sarcoma surgery has been created to assess the clinical exposure, tumor characteristics, and surgical settings and techniques applied for both resections and reconstructions of sarcomas and thereby the surgical exposure of an individual surgeon over time. Results: During 10 years, there were 723 sarcoma board/MDT meetings discussing 3130 patients. A total of 1094 patients underwent 1250 surgical interventions on mesenchymal tumors by one single sarcoma surgeon. These included 615 deep soft tissue tumors (197 benign, 102 intermediate, 281 malignant, 27 simulator, 7 metastasis, 1 blood), 116 superficial soft tissue tumors (45 benign, 12 intermediate, 40 malignant, 18 simulator, 1 blood) and 519 bone tumors (129 benign, 112 intermediate, 182 malignant, 18 simulator, 46 metastasis, 14 blood and 18 sequelae of 1st treatment). Detailed types of resections and reconstructions were analyzed. Conclusion: A web-based RWD sarcoma surgeon registry with transparent real-time descriptive analytics is feasible and enables large scale definition of the surgical complexity and ultimately quality of sarcoma care.

Various autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune hypothyroidism (AHT), are associated with a higher risk of developing mood disorders throughout life. Depression is accompanied by the changes in the levels of inflammatory and trophic factors, including interleukines (IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-6), interferon alpha (IFN-alpha), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), C-reactive protein (CRP) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Similar disturbances in the cytokine profile are seen in AHT patients and their relatives. Disclosure of the relationship between the co-existence of depression and autoimmune subclinical thyroiditis indicates that the pathomecha-nism of depression may be related to the changes in the immune system, it is possible that both conditions may be caused by the same immune processes. The above hypothesis is indirectly sup-ported by the observations that the treatment with both antidepressants and levothyroxine leads to a decrease in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines with an increase in BDNF concentrations, simultaneously correlating with an improvement in the clinical parameters. However, so far there are no long-term studies determining the causal relationship between depression, thyroid auto-antibodies, and cytokine profile, which could bring us closer to understanding the interrelation-ships between them and facilitate the use of an adequate pharmacotherapy, not necessarily psy-chiatric. We consider the above issues insufficiently investigated but of great importance. This ar-ticle is an overview of the available literature as well as an introduction to our research project.

This paper presents a methodology for indirectly estimating the scale of seabird bycatch using existing data, eliminating the need for regular monitoring. The study focuses on five species of ducks that winter in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea and are highly susceptible to bycatch: Long-tailed Duck, Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Greater Scaup, and Tufted Duck. The evaluation units used are divided into the Bornholm and Gotland Groups within the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone (PEEZ). The analysis acknowledges the lack of data for certain areas known to have high concentrations of diving birds and fishing activity. The population sizes of waterbirds were assessed using ship-based surveys and a distance sampling approach. Fishing effort data from the winter seasons between 2015/2016 and 2019/2020 were analyzed. Bycatch rates were estimated based on surveys conducted in previous seasons, and threshold values for bycatch were established using the concept of "small numbers" defined in EU directives. The results show that within the Gotland subdivision of the PEEZ, the estimated average abundance of all diving waterbirds was 207,114 individuals, with an average bycatch of 7,921 birds (3.8% of the total). The Velvet Scoter was the most abundant species, followed by the Long-tailed Duck. Benthivorous ducks constituted the majority of the bird population in the area. In the Bornholm subdivision, the estimated average abundance of diving waterbirds was 600,845 individuals, with an average bycatch of 5,056 birds (0.8% of the total). The Long-tailed Duck was the most numerous species, followed by the Velvet Scoter. Benthivorous ducks also dominated in this area. The findings highlight the need for effective management and conservation measures to address the high mortality of seabirds due to bycatch. The methodology presented in this study offers a valuable approach for estimating bycatch scale and can support efforts to minimize the impact on seabird populations in the Baltic Sea.

Emerging semiconductor devices often lack accurate analytical models. The same is usually true of any devices working under extreme conditions like cryogenic temperatures. The usual workaround involves the use of approximation models, usually based on lookup tables or neural networks individually fitted to measurement data. In the case of experimental devices or ones working under extreme conditions, the number of units available for measurement is limited. As a result, the number of approximation-model instances is too small to enable a statistical simulation of even middle-sized circuits, which is a necessary step in integrated-circuit design since it provides the realistic picture of the circuit’s behavior in the presence of manufacturing process variations. Approximation models using structure parameters as inputs do exist in the literature, but are only useful if the end user knows the statistical distributions of those parameters, which is not usually the case. We propose a technique based on generative machine learning, namely the variational autoencoder, that uses only a small sample of devices to capture the essential features of their I–V curves under process variations and subsequently generates an arbitrary number of similarly disturbed curves. The model trained on as few as 20 instances per device type is shown to precisely reproduce the distributions of period and power consumption of a ring oscillator.

Retention mechanisms in HILIC have been investigated and reported in literature. However, the current understanding of the retention mechanisms is qualitative and lacks quantitative details. Previously, mechanism elucidation was based on indirect evidence, and unambiguous assignment of retention mechanisms has not been reported based on direct data. This study aims to quantitatively determine the contributions of two major retention mechanisms in HILIC, hydrophilic partitioning and surface adsorption to the overall retention of neutral compounds. Using the methodologies we developed previously, the phase ratio for adsorbed water layer and distribution coefficients were measured and used to calculate the retention factors attributed to hydrophilic partitioning. The methodology allows the determination of the contribution of surface adsorption simultaneously. The evaluation of five test compounds demonstrates that the retention may be controlled by hydrophilic partitioning, surface adsorption or both depending on compound characteristics. Quantitative assessment of retention mechanisms also makes it possible to better understand the effect of acetonitrile on retention in HILIC.

This article discusses the outcomes of a quantitative analysis of the competitiveness of grain and its recycling in the countries-members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) through econometric panel data models. The analysis is based on the data of public authorities’ statistics of the countries-members of the EEU, as well as the United Nations Comtrade Database which is a repository of official international trade statistics. The results of the analysis allow to assess the level of competitiveness of produced agro-food products in the countries-members of the EEU and determine the extent to which various factors affect it. The research conclusions can be used to develop and adjust the agreed with the agro-food policy in the EEU.

Depression and metabolic diseases often coexist having several features in common, e.g., chronic low-grade inflammation and intestinal dysbiosis. Different microbiota interventions have been proposed to be used as a treatment for these disorders. In the paper we review the efficacy of probiotics in depressive disorders, obesity, metabolic syndrome and its liver equivalent based on the published experimental studies, clinical trials and meta-analyses. Probiotics seem to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms when administered in addition to antidepressants. Additionally, probiotics intake may ameliorate some of the clinical components of metabolic diseases. However, standardized methodology regarding probiotics clinical trials has not been established yet. In this narrative review we discuss current knowledge on the recently used methodology with its strengths and limitations and propose criteria that may be implemented to create a new study of the effectiveness of probiotics in depressive disorders comorbid with metabolic abnormalities. We put across our choice on type of study population, probiotics genus, strains, dosages and formulations, intervention period, as well as primary and secondary outcome measures.

Metabolic disorders, metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and depression are those of the most common and debilitating disorders worldwide that often coexist further increasing mortality risks. Although the exact mechanisms underlying this association are poorly known, several hypotheses have been proposed: antipsychotic medication and antidepressants use, diet and physical activity or any other lifestyle factors. However, the high co-occurrence rate of depression and metabolic disorders suggests a possible pathophysiological overlap. In this paper I review several raised mechanisms for this overlap which are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, immune alterations with chronic inflammation, as well as oxidative stress. In my view, there is one common thread running through all the aforementioned areas of pathophysiology which is microbiota alteration. So far, several possible interventions in our microbiota have been introduced into clinical practice - dietary and other lifestyle changes, supplementation with prebiotics or probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation – but with vague indications. A better characterization of the above associations may represent a critical step at phenotyping, and a more targeted approach to the treatment of both depressive and metabolic disorders. At the end of the paper, I give several practical applications for future studies.

The authors undertook pilot studies to assess the accuracy of the reverse engineering process of worn nonstandard spur gears (non-standardized modulus value, unusual profile/pressure angle, high or low teeth), using conventional techniques and measuring instruments. Eight gears were tested, the module of which ranges from 1.020 to 4.98 mm and the number of teeth from 13 to 42. The key parameter, the basic pitch, was selected to estimate the accuracy of the process. The goal is to determine the value of the profile angle. Eleven models were proposed to estimate the nominal tolerance field, using various types of random data distribution. The tested gears were made in IT grade: 6, 7, 8 and 9 according to DIN 3961. Vernier disc micrometers with various measurement ranges were used for research. It has been shown that the nominal module does not have to be treated as a random variable in the population. EIG (Equation of Identity) was developed, allowing conversion of any gear with specific values of geometric parameters into an identical gear with alternative values of these parameters. The directions and degrees of shifts of the estimated tolerance fields relative to the nominal field were determined. The most effective estimating model was selected in the context of the percentage filling of the nominal tolerance field, taking into account the symmetric Student-Fisher distribution with a confidence level of 60%. Further directions of the research activities were described.

The ascomycete Trichoderma atroviride is well known for its mycoparasitic lifestyle. Similar to other organisms, light is an important cue for T. atroviride. However, besides triggering of conidiation, little is known on the physiological responses of T. atroviride to light. In this study, we analyzed how cultivation under different light wavelengths and regimes impacted the behavior of two T. atroviride wild-type strains, IMI206040 and P1. While colony extension of both strains was slightly affected by light, massive differences in the photoconidation response between the two strains became evident. T. atroviride P1 colonies conidiated under all conditions tested including growth in complete darkness, while IMI206040 required white, blue or green light to trigger asexual reproduction. Interestingly, deletion of the stress-activated MAP kinase-encoding gene tmk3 abolished the ability of strain P1 to conidiate in red and yellow light as well as in darkness. Furthermore, light-dependent differences in the mycoparasitic activity of T. atroviride and in the biosynthesis of the secondary metabolite 6-pentyl--pyrone (6-PP) became evident. 6-PP production was highest upon dark incubation while light, especially exposure to white light as light/dark cycles, had an inhibitory effect on its biosynthesis. We conclude that the response of T. atroviride to light is strain-dependent and impacts differentiation, mycoparasitism and 6-PP production and hence should be considered in experiments testing the mycoparasitic activity of these fungi.

Materials characterised by magnetorheological properties are non-classic engineering materials. A significant increase in the interest of scientific community in materials from this group can be observed over the recent several years. The results of research presented in this article are oriented on the examination of said materials’ mechanical properties. In order to do so, stress relaxation tests were conducted on cylindrical samples of magnetorheological elastomers loaded with compressive stress for various values of magnetic induction (B1 = 0 mT, B2 = 32 mT, B3 = 48 mT, and B4 = 64 mT) and temperature (T1 = 25° C, T2 = 30° C, and T3 = 40° C). The results of these tests indicate that the stiffness of examined samples increases along with the increase of magnetic field induction and decreases along with the increase of temperature. On this basis, it has been determined that: the biggest stress amplitude change caused by the influence of magnetic field was σ0ΔB = 12.7% and the biggest stress amplitude change caused by the influence of temperature was σ0ΔT = 11.3%. As a result of applying a mathematical model, it has been indicated that the stress relaxation in the examined magnetorheological elastomer for the adopted time range (t = 3600 s) has a hyperbolic decline nature. The collected test results point to examined materials being characterised by extensive rheological properties, which leads to a conclusion that it is necessary to conduct further tests in this scope.

(1) Background: The study presents an assessment of the psychometric properties of the Polish version the Short Schema Mode Inventory (SMI) adaptation. (2) Methods: First, the original version of the scale was translated. Subsequently, a validity and reliability study was conducted on a sample of 240 patients and 400 non-patients. In particular: the factor structure of the inventory was checked, internal reliability and intercorrelations between subscales were tested, differences between the clinical and non-clinical groups in terms of the severity of each factor were examined, and construct validity was assessed by comparing the association of results with external variables. (3) Results: The results did not conclusively confirm the 14-factor structure postulated in the original scale. Nevertheless, relatively the best fit indices were obtained for such a model. Internal reliability for the 14 subscales was in the acceptable to excellent range. Correlations between subscales took moderate to high values. The existence of differences between the clinical and non-clinical groups and the construct validity were confirmed. (4) Conclusions: The psychometric evaluation performed is mostly similar to the results obtained for other adaptations, and the results entitle the inventory to be used for research and clinical purposes with the knowledge of its limitations.

Based on the example of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea, we show a method that is useful in setting priorities for species management. The Value Factor (VF) shows which species in the region are the most valuable and on which ones conservation measures need to focus. Every year 4,400,000 waterbirds winter in the Baltic. Among which the highest priority species are velvet scoter Melanitta fusca (VS, VF=153) and long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis (LTD, VF=204): 74% and 40%, respectively, of the world populations and over 90% of the EU populations of both species spend the winter there. Management plans (MP) regulating the protection of marine Natura 2000 sites (MPA) and dedicated to the protection of VS and LTD have been implemented in 65% and 51%, respectively, of MPAs in the Baltic. Poland, a key country for the survival of these species, has not implemented a single MP despite the existence of documentation confirming their crucial importance for seaducks, and on the pressures occurring there. We suggest using the VF concept to define priority species. On this basis, it will be possible to identify gaps in the protection of the most seriously threatened species and implement conservation measures in the most appropriate sites

Overcoming terrain obstacles presents a major problem for people with disabilities or with limited mobility who are dependent on wheelchairs. An engineering solution designed to facilitate the use of wheelchairs are assisted propulsion systems. The objective of the research described in this article is to analyse the impact of the hybrid manual-electric wheelchair propulsion system on the kinematics of the anthropotechnical system when climbing hills. The tests were carried out on a wheelchair ramp with an incline degree of 4°, using a prototype wheelchair with a hybrid manual-electric propulsion system in accordance with the patent application P.427855. The test subjects were three people whose task was to propel the wheelchair in two assistance modes supporting manual propulsion. The first mode is hill climbing assistance, while the second one is assistance with propulsion torque in the propulsive phase. During the tests, a number of kinematic parameters of the wheelchair were monitored. An in-depth analysis was performed for the amplitude of speed during a hill climb and the number of propulsive cycles performed on a hill. The tests performed showed that when propelling the wheelchair only using the hand rims, the subject needed an average of 13 pushes on the uphill slope, and their speed amplitude was 1.8 km/h with an average speed of 1.73 km/h. The climbing assistance mode reduced the speed amplitude to 0.76 km/h, while the torque assisted mode in the propulsive phase reduced the number of cycles required to climb the hill from 13 to 6. The tests were carried out at various values of assistance and assistance amplification coefficient, and the most optimally selected parameters of this coefficient were presented in the results. The tests proved that electric propulsion assistance has a beneficial and significant impact on the kinematics of manual wheelchair propulsion when compared to a classic manual propulsion system when overcoming hills. In addition, assistance and assistance amplification coefficient were proved to be correlated to operating conditions and the user's individual characteristics.

Plants harbor a large diversity of endophytic microbes. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) is a cool-season grass known for its symbiotic relationship to the systemic and vertically- via seeds - transmitted fungal endophyte Epichloë uncinata but the effect of the endophyte on the microbial endophyte community and phytohormones is largely unexplored. Here, we sequenced the endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in the leaves and roots, analyzed phytohormone concentrations and plant performance parameters in Epichloë-symbiotic (E+) and Epichloë-free (E-) individuals of two meadow fescue cultivars. The endophytic leaf microbial community differed between leaf and root tissues independent of endophyte symbiosis while the fungal community was different in leaves of Epichloë-symbiotic and Epichloë-free plants in both cultivars. At the same time, endophyte symbiosis decreased salicylic acid and increased auxin concentrations in leaves. Epichloë-symbiotic plants showed a higher biomass, chlorophyll content (SPAD) and higher seed mass at the end of the season. Our results demonstrate that Epichloë-symbiosis alters the leaf fungal microbiome, which coincides with changes in phytohormone concentrations, indicating that Epichloë endophytes affect both, plant immune responses and other fungal endophytes. Whether the effect of Epichloë endophytes on other fungal endophytes is connected to changes in the phytohormone concentrations remains to be elucidated.

A rapid synthesis of chiral sulfoxide-functionalized meta-terphenyl derivatives by a 2,5-[C4+C2] ring transformation reaction of pyrylium salts with in-situ generated enantio-merically pure .alpha.-sulfinylacetaldehydes is described. This synthetic method demonstrates for the first time the use of .alpha.-sulfinylacetaldehydes in a reaction sequence initiated by nu-cleophilic attack of pyrylium salts by .alpha.-sulfinylcarbanions to generate chiral aromatic systems. The method presented shows broad applicability starting with various methyl sulfoxides and a number of functionalized pyrylium salts, furnishing meta-terphenyls with complex substitution patterns from readily accessible starting compounds.

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.

This study aimed to develop a laboratory-scale direct air capture unit for evaluating and comparing amine-based adsorbents under temperature vacuum swing adsorption conditions. The experimental campaign conducted with the direct air capture unit allowed for the determination of equilibrium loading, CO2 uptake capacity, and other main performance parameters of the investigated adsorbent Lewatit VP OC 1065®. The investigations also helped to understand the co-adsorption of both CO2 and H2O on the tested material, which is crucial for improving temperature vacuum swing adsorption processes. This was achieved by obtaining pure component isotherms for CO2 and H2O as well as three different co-adsorption isotherm models from literature. It was found that the weighted average dual-site Toth model emerged as the most accurate and reliable model for simulating this co-adsorption behavior. Its predictions closely align with experimental data, particularly in capturing the adsorption equilibrium at various temperatures. It was also observed that this lab-scale unit offers advantages over thermogravimetric analysis when conducting adsorption experiments on the chosen amine. The final aim of this study is to provide a pathway to develop devices for testing and developing efficient and cost-effective adsorbents for direct air capture.

Epidemiological studies indicate that skipping breakfast as a universal behavior, may have adverse effects on cardiovascular diseases [CVDs}and metabolic diseases. However, eating breakfast regularly, may increase satiety, thereby reducing overeating later in the day which prevents weight gain. Recent studies indicate that skipping breakfast increases the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), coronary artery disease (CAD), and cardiovascular mortality as well as all-cause mortality. However, many studies also reported that regular taking of breakfast decreases the risk of CVDs and T2DM and all-cause mortality. Previous studies reported that heavy breakfast, in particular eating western diet may increase circadian rhythm of CVDs and sudden cardiac death. It seems that those who do not eat breakfast, they tend to eat refined and sweetened products, possibly, more in the night resulting in to greater risk of CVDs and T2DM. Breakfast skipping and eating in the night, may be associated with circadian misalignment in the central and peripheral clocks, leading to oxidative stress and inflammation. Increased systemic inflammation damages the adipocytes, beta cells of pancreas, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells as well as neurons, which may produce dysfunction in these cells resulting in to related diseases. The beneficial effects of breakfast, may also be, at least in part, due to nutrient dense foods rather than time of eating. Eating regular breakfast, in particular rich in Indo-Mediterranean foods; vegetables, whole grains, fruits, spices and nuts may be protective against circadian increase in oxidative stress in the morning, resulting in to significant decline in the risk of CVDs and T2DM.

Understanding African swine fever virus (ASFV) transmission is essential for strategies to minimize virus spread during an outbreak. ASFV can survive for extended time periods in animal products, carcasses, and the environment. While ASFV genome was found in the environment around infected farms, data on the virus survival in soil are scarce. We investigated different soil matrices spiked with ASFV-positive blood from infected wild boar to see if ASFV can remain infectious in the soil beneath infected carcasses. As expected, ASFV genome detection was possible over the entire sampling period. Soil pH, structure, and ambient temperature played a role for the stability of infectious ASFV. Infectious ASFV was demonstrated in specimens originating from sterile sand for at least three weeks, from beach sand for up to two weeks, from yard soil for one week, and from swamp soil for three days. Virus was not recovered from two acidic forest soils. All risk mitigation experiments with citric acid or calcium hydroxide resulted in complete inactivation. In conclusion, stability of infectious ASFV is very low in acidic forest soils but rather high in sandy soils. However, given the high variability, treatment of carcass collection points with disinfectants should be considered.

The motivation of this work is to investigate experimentally the influence of non-thermal plasma (NTP) application on the reaction kinetics of atmospheric pressure steam gasification of charcoal using a thermostatically controlled drop tube reactor. A gliding-arc generator provides about 1 kW electrical power NTP. For comparison thermal gasification is investigated under comparable flow and specific energy input conditions providing additional heat to the steam. Optical temperature measurement 20 cm flow down of the NTP zone is utilized to characterize the specific enthalpy of the reactive flow. The composition of produced syngas is measured by a gas analyzer and used for the calculation of gas flow rates. The results show a NTP-enhancement on the production of individual syngas components (H2, CO, CH4), especially on hydrogen production by around 39%. The syngas-based carbon conversion and hydrogen release are calculated from the carbon and hydrogen balance between the correspondent content in syngas and in the feedstock. The NTP promoted the carbon conversion and hydrogen release by 25% and 31%, respectively. The first-order reaction kinetics are determined by data-fitting in an Arrhenius diagram. The plasma enhanced the reaction rate coefficients by 27%. Based on experimental results and other literature, possible plasma-induced reactions are proposed.

Current conventional methods of evaluating microstructures are characterized by a high degree of subjectivity and a lack of reproducibility. Modern machine learning (ML) approaches have already shown great potential in overcoming these challenges. Once trained with representative data in combination with an objective ground truth, the ML model is able to perform a task properly in a reproducible and automated manner. However, in highly complex use cases, it is often not possible to create a definite ground truth. This study addresses this problem using the underlying showcase of microstructures of highly complex quenched and quenched and tempered (Q/QT) steels. A patch-wise classification approach combined with a sliding window technique provides a solution for segmenting entire microphotographs where pixel-wise segmentation is not applicable due to the problem of reproducibly creating unambiguous training masks. Using correlative microscopy, consisting of light optical microscope (LOM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs as well as corresponding data from electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), a training dataset of reference states that covers a wide range of microstructures was acquired in order to train accurate and robust ML models. Despite the enormous complexity associated with the steels treated here, classification accuracies of 88.8% in the case of LOM images and 93.7% for high-resolution SEM images were achieved. These high accuracies are close to super-human performance, especially in consideration of the reproducibility of the automated ML approaches compared to conventional methods based on subjective evaluations through experts.

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection. Recent in-vitro studies have investigated the effects of CytoSorb hemoadsorption on endothelial function in sepsis showing a reduction in markers of endothelial dysfunction, but to this day there is a lack of clinical studies showing whether this approach could actually positively influence the disturbed vascular barrier function in septic conditions. We analyzed the data on administered fluid volumes and catecholamines to determine the potential benefit of CytoSorb hemoadsorption therapy on endothelial function in a clinical scenario. We performed a retrospective analysis of 124 septic shock patients who had undergone adjunctive treatment with CytoSorb hemadsorption therapy. We collected volume requirements, and calculated the volume balance within different time periods to obtain an assumption on the stability of the vascular barrier. We also calculated catecholamine requirements. With regard to the entire study cohort our findings revealed a significant reduction in fluid balance at 72 hours (T72) compared to both baseline (T0) and the 24-hour mark (T24). Fluid balances from T72 – T0 were significantly lower in hospital survivors compared to non-survivors. Patients who received a second catecholamine had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality. Our findings showed that use of hemoadsorption therapy results in a reduced positive fluid balance paralleled by reductions in vasopressor needs suggesting a positive effect on endothelial integrity. These results, derived from a large cohort of patients, provide valuable insights that may greatly improve our understanding of the multiple effects of hemoadsorption treatment in septic shock patients.

Sarcosine (N-methylglycine), a glutamatergic modulator, reduces the primary negative symp-toms of schizophrenia. These beneficial changes might be mediated by trophic factors such as ep-idermal growth factor (EGF). We assessed associations between initial serum EGF levels or changes in serum EGF levels and symptom severity during the addition of sarcosine to stable an-tipsychotic treatment and thereby evaluate the associations between glutamatergic modulation, clinical changes and peripheral EGF concentrations. 58 subjects with a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia with dominant negative symptoms, stably treated with antipsychotics completed a prospective 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects received orally 2 grams of sarcosine (n=28) or placebo (n=30) daily. Serum EGF levels and symptom se-verity (using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale - PANSS and Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia - CDSS) were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 6 months follow-up. Augmenta-tion antipsychotic treatment with sarcosine had no effect on EGF serum levels at any time-points. Only the sarcosine group showed a significant improvement in negative symptoms, general psy-chopathology subscales, and the overall PANSS score. We found reduction of serum EGF levels in the placebo group, but levels in the sarcosine remained stable during the study. Our data indicate that improvement in negative symptoms due to sarcosine augmentation is not mediated by EGF, but effective treatment may induce the production or block the decrease in EGF concentrations, which indicates the neuroprotective effect of treatment and confirms the relationship between neuroprotection and EGF levels.

Over the years, chitosan has been the subject of numerous studies and has gained significant popularity as a biomaterial due to its various characteristics, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. In this work, chitosan fibres surface was modified with ursolic acid to improve their antibacterial properties by wet impregnation method. Five specimens of chitosan fibres were immersed in ursolic acid (UA) solution for varying immersion times of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. Characterization was carried out by means of FTIR, SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy; the results indicated an ongoing chemical reaction between chitosan and ursolic acid resulting in changes to the chemical structure. After 2 hours, the absorbance ratio remained constant; suggesting that the reaction had reached completion and the chemical structure of the sample remained stable. Antibacterial tests were performed on the resulting chitosan fibres against two bacterial strains. The fibres without ursolic acid did not exhibit any noteworthy antibacterial activity against either strain. However, the chitosan fibres modified with ursolic acid showed significant and almost strong antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive strain, S. aureus. These results suggest that chitosan fibres modified with ursolic acid could have potential applications as antibacterial materials, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a phenomenon predominantly observed as a result of the long-term use of dopamine receptor blockers (antipsychotics). TD is a group of involuntary, irregular hyperkinetic movements, mainly in the muscles of the face, eyelid muscles, lips, tongue, and cheeks, and less frequently in the limbs, neck, pelvis, and trunk. In some patients, TD takes on an extremely severe form, massively disrupting functioning, moreover, causing stigmatization and suffering. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a method used, among others, in Parkinson's disease, is also an effective treatment for TD and often becomes a method of last resort, especially in severe, drug-resistant forms. The procedure is relatively new in TD, so the available reliable clinical studies are few and consist mainly of case reports. Unilateral and bilateral stimulation of two sites has proven efficacy in TD treatment. Most authors describe stimulation of the globus pallidus internus (GPi); less frequent descriptions involve the hypothalamic nucleus (STN). In the present paper, we provide up-to-date information on the stimulation of both mentioned brain areas. We also compare the efficacy of the two methods by comparing the two available studies, which included the largest groups of patients. Although GPi stimulation is more frequently used clinically, our initial analysis indicates comparable results (reduction of involuntary movements) with STN DBS.

Two once-through steam generators and a combination of a steam generator and a gas preheater for supplying feed gases to solid-oxide electrolysis stacks were evaluated for their carryover characteristics of contaminants from the feed-water into the steam phase. The concentrations of various trace impurities in the steam were determined by sampling the steam condensates and screening them with inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry for 19 elements and liquid ion chromatography and continuous flow analysis for chloride and ammonium. Steam soluble species like boric acid undergo complete volatilization and transfer into the steam phase. During unstable evaporation in the steam generators an extensive physical carryover of alloying metal species was observed. At realistic operation conditions for steam electrolysis, the gas preheater caused a considerable release of silicon into the steam phase. Two stack experiments were performed with common preheater temperatures and showed largely increased cell voltage degradation at higher operation temperatures. The post-test chemical analysis of cell samples revealed significant concentrations of silicon in the samples that are regarded as primary cause for increased degradation. These findings could partially explain the wide spread of degradation rates reported for solid-oxide steam electrolysis experiments.

Increasing traffic loads and changes in code provisions lead to deficits in shear and flexural capacity of many existing highway bridges. Therefore, a lot of structures in Europe and North America are expected to require refurbishment and strengthening in the future. This projection is based on the current condition of many older road bridges. Different strengthening methods for bridges exist to extent their service life, all having specific advantages and disadvantages. By applying a thin layer of carbon textile reinforced mortar (CTRM) to bridge deck slabs and the webs of prestressed concrete bridges, the fatigue and ultimate strength of these members can be increased significantly. The CTRM-layer is a combination of a corrosion resistant carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric and an efficient mortar. In this paper, the strengthening method and the experimental results obtained at RWTH Aachen University are presented.

Exploring new ways to represent and discover organic molecules is critical for developing novel therapies. With recent advances in bioinformatics, virtual screening of databases is possible. However, biochemical data must be encoded using computer algorithms to make them machine-readable, taking into account distance and similarity measures to support tasks such as similarity searching. Motivated by the ubiquity of the carbon element and the structured patterns that emerge, we propose a parametric approach to molecular encodings of carbon-based multilevel atomic neighborhoods. It implements a walk along the carbon chain of an organic molecule to compute different representations of its feature encoding in the form of a binary or numerical array that can be exported later into an image. Resulting encodings are reproducible and readily formatted for various domain tasks including machine learning tasks. This approach was evaluated using a 10-fold stratified cross validation for binary classification with eight data sets and six different encodings (384 models) in the domain knowledge of cell-penetrating peptides. The parametric approach is built on open-source software and is implemented as a Python package (cmangoes). Source code and documentation are available at https://github.com/ghattab/cmangoes.

Decision-making using evidence-based practice (EBP) is generally universally accepted by nurses. Such acceptance may affect the personnel’s behaviour towards patients, which is also demonstrated by taking into consideration the patient’s preferences, including the patient’s spiritual needs, in the care plan. The provision of such care requires the development of an attitude of approval and an adequate level of communicative competence, which will enable the actual implementation of the EBP. The purpose of our study was to assess the perception of spirituality and the nurse’s role in providing spiritual care, as well as the perception of the significance of communication skills in the approval of EBP in professional practice. A multi-centre cross-section study was conducted on a population of 1176 participants (459 undergraduate (Bachelor programme, BP) and 717 postgraduate students (Master programme, MP)) from 10 medical universities in Poland. Three tools were used in the study to evaluate the participants’ approach: Evidence-Based Practice Competence Questionnaire (EBP-COQ), The Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS), and Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). Structural equation modelling was used for the analysis. An analysis of structural equations revealed the presence of positive relationships of the attitude to spiritual care and the role of communicative competences with the approach to EBP regardless of the cohort. A significant difference was found related to the influence of age on the attitude toward learning communicative competences. The approval in this respect was observed to decrease with age in the MP group. Increasing approval of EBP requires strengthening the approach to activity-centred spiritual care, with the simultaneous development of a positive attitude towards learning communicative competences. The model reveals the need to integrate a humanistic approach with EBP, which can be achieved by planning different interventions in different groups of recipients: nurses, academic teachers and students.

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

The prevalence of obesity and eating disorders varies by sex, but the extent to which sex influences eating behaviors, especially in childhood, has received less attention. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on sex differences in eating behavior in children and present new findings supporting the role of sex in child appetitive traits and neural responses to food cues. In children, the literature shows sex differences in basic taste response, food acceptance, eating self-regulation, and appetitive traits. New analyses demonstrate that sex interacts with child weight status to differentially influence appetitive traits and neural responses to food cues. Further, neuroimaging results suggest that obesity in female children is positively related to brain reactivity to higher-energy-dense food cues in regions involved with learning, memory, and object recognition, while the opposite was found in males. In addition to differences in how the brain processes information about food, other factors that may contribute to sex differences include parental feeding practices, societal emphasis on dieting, and peer influences. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings, as they may have implications for the development of effective intervention programs to improve dietary behaviors and prevent obesity.

To investigate this suitability of Black Mustard (Brassica Nigra L.) and Camelina (Camelina Sativa L.) for pulp manufacturing the nitrate-alkaline method was used. The non-wood plants were characterized by chemical analysis, especially lignin, cellulose, ash, extractives and alpha-, beta-, gamma-cellulose. The pulp was cooked in 6% nitric acid and then underwent the extraction by 5% sodium-hydroxide and neutralized by 1% acetic acid. The cooked pulp was characterized by delignification degree – Kappa number. The laboratory sheets were made from this cooked pulp and they were characterized by tensile index, breaking length, smoothness and compared with commonly available papers.

The characteristics of powders on a bulk scale are heavily influenced by both the material properties and the size of their primary particles. Throughout the stages of storage and transportation in the powder processing industry, various forms of deformation and stress, such as pressure and shear, impact these materials. Recognizing the point at which a powder undergoes yielding becomes particularly significant in numerous applications. There are also times when you need to understand the level of stress needed to maintain it. Measurement of powder yield and flow properties remains a challenge and is addressed in this study. As part of the CALIPER collaborative project, a number of shear experiments were performed using two shearing devices: Schulze ring shearing device and Anton Paar Powder Cell (APCC). These experiments have three purposes: i) Test reproducibility/consistency between two shear devices and test protocols. ii) To relate bulk behavior to microscopic particle properties, focusing on bulk density and thus the effect of cohesion between particles; iii) Investigate the influence of the temperature of heated powders on the powder flow properties, which is important for the industrial reactors. Interestingly, for samples with small particle size, bulk cohesion increases slightly, but bulk friction increases significantly, because of particle interaction effects. The experimental data not only provide useful insight into the role of microscopically attractive van der Waals gravitational and/or compressive forces on the macroscopic flow behavior of bulk powders, but also have industrial relevance. We also provide a robust datas of cohesive and attritional fine powder for silo design used for calibration and validation of silos, models and computer simulations.

Thyroid surgery has been for years one of the most common elective procedures performed in general surgery. In the last 25 years, there have been significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders, and new technologies are being implemented. The aim of this study was to ana-lyze 25 years of experience in thyroid surgery in the Department of General, Minimally Invasive and Endocrine Surgery at the Medical University of Wroclaw in terms of demographic changes, indica-tions for surgical treatment, the type of thyroid surgery performed and complications. The impact of recent advances on changes in endocrine surgery was evaluated. For this purpose, clinical material from the years 1996-2020 was analyzed, with a total of 3748 patients (7285 RLN at risk of injury). Period I included the years: 1996-2003, period II: 2011-2015 and 2018-2020. Results: In the last 25 years, the percentage of patients operated on for thyroid cancer has increased threefold (p <0.00001); the extent of thyroid surgery has changed: in 1996-2003, subtotal thyroid operation was performed in more than 90% of patients vs. 1.7% of total thyroid gland surgery; 2011-2015 and 2018-2020 were more than 94% of total thyroid surgery vs. 4% of subtotal surgery (p<0.00001). The increase in the extent of surgery did not affect the percentage of total amount recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLN palsy) (5.17% vs. 4.38% p = 0.1785), it did affect the percentage of transient RLN palsy in group II vs. group I (0.41% vs. 1.34%, p<0.00001), while the percentage of permanent RLN palsy in group I was statistically significantly higher than in group II (4.77% vs. 3.05%, p=0.0016). An increase in the percentage of postoperative clinical hypoparathyroidism in group II was observed: 4.84% vs. 8.93% (p<0.00001). Conclusions: Over 25 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of sur-geries performed for thyroid cancer, the range of surgeries from partial resections to total excision of the thyroid gland has changed, and the increased range of surgeries did not have a statistically signifi-cant effect on the number of vocal fold paralysis, but increased the percentage of postoperative hypo-parathyroidism. Intraoperative neuromonitoring had a significant impact on changing the scope of surgery and preventing complications.

(1) Background: In orthognathic surgery, segmental Le Fort I osteotomies are a valuable method to correct maxillary deformities or transversal discrepancies. However, these procedures are technically challenging, and osteosynthesis can be prone to error. (2) Methods: In this retrospective, monocentric cohort study, patients were enrolled who underwent a virtually planned segmental maxillary osteotomy during their combined treatment. Positioning and osteosynthesis were achieved by either a 3D-printed splint and conventional mini plates or Patient-Specific Implants (PSI). The preoperative CT data, virtual planning data, and postoperative CBCT data were segmented. The deviation of all segments from the desired virtually planned position was measured using the analysis function of the IPS Case Designer. (3) Results: 28 Patients in the PSI Group and 22 in the conventional groups could be included. The PSI group showed significantly lower deviation from the planned position anteroposteriorly (-0.63±1.62mm vs. -1.3±2.54mm) and craniocaudally (-1.39±1.59mm vs. -2.7±3.1mm). For rotational deviations, the Pitch (0.64±2.59° vs. 2.91±4.08°) as well as the inward rotation of the lateral segments was positively influenced by PSI. (4). Conclusions: The presented data show that patient-specific osteosynthesis significantly reduces deviations from the preoperative plan in virtually planned cases. Especially transversal expansions and vertical positioning can be addressed better.

Aim: Evaluation of role of supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on endothelial function in patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Total of 80 patients with metabolic syndrome were enrolled to two groups. We evaluated endothelial function in subjects before and after three-month treatment with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in dose 2.4g daily (800mg 3 times a day) vs placebo. Using the Endo-PAT2000 device (Itamar Medical Ltd. Caesarea, Israel), reactive hyperemia index – a parameter of endothelial function and augmentation index– a parameter of arterial stiffness were measured. Plasmatic level of glutation peroxidase, homocysteine, apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein (a) were also evaluated. Results: The average values of reactive hyperemia index before the treatment with n-3PUFA was 1.62 ± 0.42 , whereas 1.96 ± 0.62 at the end of the study (p<0.005). Augmentation index changed from 14.66 ± 19.55 to 9.21 ± 15.64 after the treatment (p=0.003). We also observed statistically significant decrease of apolipopotein B (0.94 ± 0.36 vs 1.13 ± 0.35, p = 0.001) and homocysteine (19.31 ± 5.29 vs. 13.78 ± 3.05, p = 0.001) and increase of the glutathion perxidase plasma levels (41.65 ± 8.90 vs. 45.20 ± 8.01), p=0.001. Conclusion: We have observed significant improvement of the endothelial function in subjects with metabolic syndrome treated with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in dose 2.4g daily.

(1) Background: Stereological estimations significantly contributed to our anatomical and physiological understanding of the lung by providing an average distribution of measured parameters over the entire lung parenchyma. However, most structural lung diseases show a very inhomogeneous pattern of alterations. (2) Methods: We developed a novel protocol for the analysis of all pulmonary airspaces. Our pipeline starts with high-resolution synchrotron radiation-based X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) and consists of (i) image segmentation with the combination of the free machine-learning tool Ilastik and ImageJ and (ii) calculation of the airspace diameter distribution of an entire lung using a diameter map function. To evaluate the new pipeline, lungs from adult mice with cystic fibrosis (CF)-like lung disease (ENaC-transgenic mice) or mice with elastase-induced emphysema were compared to healthy controls. (3) Results: We were able to show the distribution of airspace diameters throughout the entire lung, as well as separately for the conducting airways and the gas-exchange area. In the pathobiological context, we observed an irregular widening of parenchymal airspaces in mice with CF-like lung disease and elastase-induced emphysema. Comparable results were obtained when analyzing lungs imaged with μCT, suggesting that our pipeline is applicable to different kinds of imaging modalities. (4) Conclusions: We conclude that the airspace diameter map is well suited for a detailed analysis of unevenly distributed structural alterations in chronic muco-obstructive lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and COPD.

During the recent pandemics of COVID-19, sequencing technics became powerful tool for gaining information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and using this knowledge in our advantage. Thanks to this advantage, scientists over the world were able to search for emerging variations, watching the virus evolving in real time. Assembly of the virus genomes is crucial part of getting this kind of useful information. In our study, we sequenced 79 samples from nasopharyngeal swabs of COVID-19 patients. Positivity on disease was evaluated by qRT-PCR. By studying assembly success rate, we noticed, that Ct-value of qRT-PCR can predict success of genome assembly and SARS-CoV-2 lineage assignment. In this work we described the relationship between Ct-value and further steps of genome construction and its assignment to specific viral strain.

Cancer metastasis into the brain constitutes one of the most severe but not uncommon development of cancer growth. Several factors control how cancer types interact with the brain to establish metastasis These factors include system of migration, system of infiltration of the blood-brain barrier and the interaction with host cells (e.g., neurons, astrocytes) and the immune system fight against metastasis in the brain. Although, brain radiotherapy is the main treatment procedure carried out to treat, new therapies are emerging that constitute a glimpse of hope for increasing the diminutive life expectancy currently forecasted to cancer patients who are facing the prospectus of brain metastasis. However applying these therapeutic strategies has been has not been effective. Thus there is a need for better understanding of the metastasis process in order to suggest novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we follow the journey of various cancer cells from their primary location through the various process that they undergo including EMT, penetration of the ECM, intravasation, extravasation and infiltration of the blood brain barrier ending up with colonization and angiogenesis. In each phase, we focus on molecules that could potentially be drug target candidates.

In Ultra-wideband (UWB)-based wireless ranging or distance measurement, differentiation between line-of-sight~(LOS), non-line-of-sight~(NLOS), and multi-path (MP) conditions are important for precise indoor localization. This is because the accuracy of the reported measured distance in UWB ranging systems is directly affected by the measurement conditions (LOS, NLOS or MP). However, the major contributions in literature only address the binary classification between LOS and NLOS in UWB ranging systems. The MP condition is usually ignored. In fact, the MP condition also has a significant impact on the ranging errors of the UWB compared to the direct LOS measurement results. Though, the magnitudes of the error contained in MP conditions are generally lower than completely blocked NLOS scenarios. This paper addresses machine learning techniques for identification of the mentioned three classes (LOS, NLOS, and MP) in the UWB indoor localization system using an experimental data-set. The data-set was collected in different conditions at different scenarios in indoor environments. Using the collected real measurement data, we compare three machine learning (ML) classifiers, i.e., support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) based on an ensemble learning method, and multilayer perceptron (MLP) based on a deep artificial neural network, in terms of their performance. The results show that applying ML methods in UWB ranging systems are effective in identification of the above-mentioned three classes. In specific, the overall accuracy reaches up to 91.9% in the best-case scenario and 72.9% in the worst-case scenario. Regarding the F1-score, it is 0.92 in the best-case and 0.69 in the worst-case scenario. For reproducible results and further exploration, we (will) provide the publicly accessible experimental research data discussed in this paper at PUB - Publications at Bielefeld University. The evaluations of the three classifiers are conducted using the open-source python machine learning library scikit-learn.

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse, and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy, and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.

Hepatic vein outflow obstruction causes congestion of the liver, leading to necrosis, fibrosis, and portal hypertension (PH). Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) reduces congestion and PH by providing artificial outflow. The aim of the study was to investigate fibrosis progression in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and TIPS using transient elastography (TE). From 2010 to 2022, 25 patients received 80 TEs using FibroScan® (3.2±2.1 per patient). TIPS function was assessed using Doppler ultrasound or radiological intervention. At the time of TE examination, 21 patients had patent shunts. Four patients had occluded shunts but normal pressure gradients during the intervention. The first TE measurement performed 9.8±6.8 years after the BCS diagnosis showed stiffness values of 24.6±11.5 kPa. A second or last measurement performed 7.0±2.9 years after the first measurement showed similar stiffness values of 24.1±15.7 kPa (p=0.943). Except for three patients, the liver stiffness was always >12 kPa, indicating advanced fibrosis. Stiffness values obtained <5 years (n=8, 23,8±9,2 kPa) or >5 years after the BCS diagnosis (24,9±12,7 kPa) did not differ (p=0.907). In addition, stiffness was not related to the interval between BCS and TIPS implantation (p=0.999). One patient received liver transplantation, and two patients died from non-hepatic causes. Most patients develop mild to moderate cirrhosis, possibly during the early phase of the disease. Timing of TIPS did not influence fibrosis progression. This and the release of portal hypertension may argue in favor of a generous TIPS implantation practice in patients with BCS.

There is a huge need to search for new treatment options and potential biomarkers of therapeutic response to antidepressant treatment. Depression and metabolic syndrome often coexist while pathophysiological overlap, including microbiota changes, may play a role. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of probiotic supplementation on symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, metabolic parameters, inflammation and oxidative stress markers, and faecal microbiota in adult patients with depressive disorders depending on the co-occurance of MetS. The trial will be a four-arm, parallel group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design that will include 200 participants and will last 20 weeks. The probiotic preparation will contain Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52, Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175. We will assess the level of depression, anxiety and stress, quality of life, blood pressure, body mass index and waist circumference, white blood cells count, serum levels of C-reactive protein, HDL cholesterol, triglicerides, fasting glucose, faecal microbiota composition and the level of some faecal microbiota metabolites, as well as inflammation markers and oxidative stress parameters in serum. The trial may establish a safe and easy-to-use treatment option as an adjunct in a subpopulation of depressive patients only partially responsive to pharmacologic treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ).

During the infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus is changing infected host cell into its own factory producing new viral particles. As infection progresses, infected cell undergoes many changes in various pathways. One of the events caused by changes is cytokine storm, which leads to the severe symptoms. In this study, we investigated transcriptomic changes caused by COVID-19 disease using RNA-seq data obtained from COVID-19-positive patients and COVID-19-negative donors. RNA-seq data were collected for the purpose of identification of potential biomarkers associated with a different course of the disease. Here, the first datasets of 96 samples were analyzed to validate the methods. The aim of this publication is to report pilot results. In search of potential biomarkers associated with different disease severity, we performed differential expression analysis of human transcriptome, focusing on COVID-19 positivity and symptom severity. Since we detected plenty of potential biomarkers, we performed KEGG enrichment analysis to get better view of altered pathways. Results show, that affected were pathways related to immune processes and response to infection, also multiple signaling pathways, while most of them were also reported to be influenced by SARS-CoV-2 infection in previous studies.

Neutron beams are an essential tool to investigate material structure and perform non-destructive analysis, as they give unique access to element composition, thus ideally complementing density analysis allowed by standard X-rays investigation. Laser-driven neutron sources, though compact and cost-effective, currently have lower average flux than conventional neutron sources, due to the limited repetition rate of the lasers used so far. However, advancements in laser technology allow nowadays to address this challenge. Here we report results obtained at the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) characterizing stable production of broadband (0.1-2 MeV) neutrons produced at a high repetition rate (0.5 Hz). The interaction of laser pulses of 22 fs duration and 3.2 J on-target energy with 2-µm-thick tantalum targets produced protons in the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) regime up to 7.3 MeV. These protons were subsequently converted into neutrons by (p,n) reactions in Lithium fluoride (LiF). Activation measurements and bubble detectors were used to characterize neutron emissions, with a neutron fluence of up to ~ 1.4 × 10⁵ neutrons/shot/sr, and energies mainly between a few hundred of keV and 2 MeV. The total neutron yield was ~ 5 × 10⁵ neutrons/shot. This paves the way for numerous applications, e.g. in homeland security, material science or cultural heritage.

The focus of recent research shifts towards complex ‘whole organism’ responses (i.e., in multiple functional traits) in adaptation to or to defend against stressors under complex environmental conditions. This increasing complexity is challenging to analyse and demands sophisticated tools to drive meaningful conclusions from those data. Trait-based regression models, multivariate analyses, like principal component analyses, and plasticity indices can be used to tackle challenges with those complex investigations. But those methods have substantial limitations, like the need for high sample size, multi-dimensionality of results or the need for trait coordination in high-dimensional space, or the calculation on the population level, which might buffer or cover the de facto occurring individual effects. To improve and simplify studies on ‘whole organism’ responses, analyses, and their interpretation, we developed the Index for Adaptive Responses. This straightforward framework can unite all traits of an organism in one number. A newly developed transformation method, included in this framework, comprises a normalisation and standardisation to a baseline or control without changing the data or variance structure of the original data. We assessed the performance and accuracy of the framework with an application in an extensive predator-prey case study, with simulations and application examples using literature data. We show that the Index for Adaptive Responses respects adaptations as well as maladaptations and outperforms established approaches. The framework is robust against outliers and non-gaussian distribution. We further show that the qualitative prediction of the adaptiveness of included traits is highly accurate, even under challenging conditions, e.g., low replicate numbers. Functions and algorithms of the framework are provided with an R package but can easily be translated into other programming languages. The Index for Adaptive Responses will simplify future research on complex adaptive responses and improves our understanding of these responses’ ecological as well as evolutionary implications.

The synthesis of chelating NHC complexes with considerable π-acceptor properties can be a challenging task. This is due to the dimerization of free carbene ligands, the moisture sensitivity of reaction intermediates or reagents, and challenges associated with the workup procedure. Herein, we report a general route using transmetalation from magnesium NHCs. Notably, this route gives transition metal complexes in quantitative conversion without the formation of byproducts. Accordingly, it allows for the facile access to transition metal complexes where the conventional routes via the free or lithium coordinate carbene, the silver complexes, or in situ metalation in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) fail. We therefore propose transmetalation from magnesium NHCs as a convenient and general route to NHC complexes.

The analysis of network structure is essential to many scientific areas, ranging from biology to sociology. As the computational task of clustering these networks into partitions, i.e., solving the community detection problem, is generally NP-hard, heuristic solutions are indispensable. The exploration of expedient heuristics has led to the development of particularly promising approaches in the emerging technology of quantum computing. Motivated by the substantial hardware demands for all established quantum community detection approaches, we introduce a novel QUBO based approach that only needs number-of-nodes many qubits and is represented by a QUBO-matrix as sparse as the input graph's adjacency matrix. The substantial improvement on the sparsity of the QUBO-matrix, which is typically very dense in related work, is achieved through the novel concept of separation-nodes. Instead of assigning every node to a community directly, this approach relies on the identification of a separation-node set, which - upon its removal from the graph - yields a set of connected components, representing the core components of the communities. Employing a greedy heuristic to assign the nodes from the separation-node sets to the identified community cores, subsequent experimental results yield a proof of concept. This work hence displays a promising approach to NISQ-ready quantum community detection, catalyzing the application of quantum computers for the network structure analysis of large scale, real world problem instances.}

Rapid progress in the development of highly efficient nanoparticle-based construction technologies has not always been accompanied by a corresponding understanding of their effects on human health and ecosystems. Here, we compare toxicological effects of pristine TiO₂, ZnO and SiO₂, and coated SiO₂ nanoparticles and evaluate their suitability as additives to consolidants of weathered construction materials. First, WST-1 and LDH assays were used to determine the viability of human alveolar A549 cells at various nanoparticle concentrations (0–250 μg mL⁻¹). While the pristine TiO₂ and coated SiO₂ nanoparticles did not exhibit any cytotoxic effect up to the highest tested concentration, the pristine SiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles significantly reduced cell viability. Second, as all the developed nanoparticle-modified consolidants increased the mechanical strength of weathered sandstone, the decisive criterion for the selection of the most suitable nanoparticle additive was as low toxicity as possible. We believe that this approach will be of high importance for industry to identify materials representing top functional properties and low toxicity at an early stage of the product development.

More and more people quantify their sleep using wearables and are getting obsessed in their pursuit of optimal sleep (“orthosomnia”). However, it is criticized that many of these wearables are giving inaccurate feedback and even can lead to negative daytime consequences. Acknowledging these facts, we here aim to extend previous findings [] in a new sample of 136 self-reported poor sleepers by implementing optimization procedures to minimize erroneous classification when ambulatory sensing sleep. Firstly, here, we introduce an advanced interbeat-interval (IBI) quality control using a random forest method to account for wearable recordings in naturalistic and more noisy settings. We further aim to improve sleep classification by opting for a loss function model instead of overall epoch-by-epoch accuracy to avoid model biases towards the majority class (i.e., “light sleep”). Using these implementations, we compare the classification performance between the optimized (loss function model) and the accuracy model. We use signals derived from PSG, one-channel ECG, and two consumer wearables: the ECG breast belt Polar® H10 (H10) and the Polar® Verity Sense (VS), an optical Photoplethysmography (PPG) heart-rate sensor. Results reveal high overall accuracy for the new model for ECG (86.3 %, κ=.79), H10 (84.4%, κ=.76), and VS (84.2%, κ=.75) with intended improvements in deep sleep and wake. In addition, the new optimized model displays moderate to high correlations and agreement with PSG on primary sleep parameters, while measures of reliability, expressed in intra-class correlations, suggest excellent reliability for most sleep parameters. Finally, it is demonstrated that the new model is still classifying sleep accurately in 4-classes in users taking heart-affecting and/or psychoactive medication which can be considered a prerequisite for use also in high age groups and/or with common disorders. Further improving and validating sleep stage classification algorithms with affordable wearables may resolve existing scepticism and open the door for such approaches in clinical practice.

In light of the globally increasing prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), new scalable and non-invasive dietary monitoring techniques are urgently needed. Automatically collected digital receipts from loyalty cards have the potential to serve as an objective and automatically traceable digital biomarker for individual food choice behavior and do not require patients to manually log each individual meal item. Until recently, such electronic purchase records were hard to collect for researchers and were only validated in national empirical studies. Multiple quantitative indicators for purchase quality have been suggested, but so far no comparison has validated the potential of these alternative indicators to discriminate between health-beneficial and -detrimental food choices. With the introduction of the General Data Privacy Regulation in the European Union, millions of consumers gained the right to access their purchase data in a machine-readable form, representing a historic chance to leverage purchase data for scalable monitoring of food choices. This study hence is the first study comparing the calibration capacity and validating the discrimination potential of previously suggested purchase indicators for the nutritional quality of purchased groceries, incl. HEI-2015, HETI, GPQI, and FSA-NPS DI. To assess the indicators' potential, 464 study participants were asked to complete a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and to donate their digital receipts from the loyalty card programs of the two leading Swiss grocery retailers, representing 69\% of the national grocery market. 89 participants fulfilled the eligibility criteria, i.e. completed the FFQ and were frequent users of the loyalty card systems. Compared to absolute food and nutrient intake, correlations between density-based relative food and nutrient intake and food purchase data are stronger. Counterintuitively, although the frameworks of the HETI and the GPQI are centered around food groups, both indicators do not capture food group intake such as vegetables or sweets very well. The FSA-NPS DI has the best calibration and discrimination performance in classifying participants' consumption of nutrients and food groups, and seems to be a superior indicator to estimate nutritional quality of a user's diet based on digital receipts from grocery purchases in Switzerland.

Background & Aims: Globally, liver diseases account for 2 million deaths per year. For those with advanced liver disease the only curative approach is liver transplantation. However, less than 10% of those in need get a liver transplant due to limited organ availability. To circumvent this challenge, there has been a great focus in generating a bioengineered liver. Despite its essential role in liver functions, a functional biliary system has not yet been developed. In this framework, exploration of epithelial cell self-organogenesis and microengineering-driven geometrical cell confinement allow to envision the bioengineering of a functional biomimetic intrahepatic biliary tract. Approach: Three-dimensional (3D) bile ducts were built in vitro by restricting cell adhesion to two-dimensional (2D) patterns to guide cell self-organization. Tree shapes mimicking the configuration of the human biliary system were micropatterned on glass slides, restricting cell attachment to these areas. Different tree geometries and culture conditions were explored to stimulate self-organogenesis of normal rat cholangiocytes (NRCs) used as a biliary cell model, either alone or in coculture with human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs). Results: Pre-seeding the micropatterns with HUVECs promoted luminogenesis with higher efficiency to yield functional branched biliary tubes. Lumen formation, apico-basal polarity, and preservation of the cholangiocyte phenotype were confirmed. Moreover, intact and functional biliary structures were detached from the micropatterns for further manipulation. Conclusion: This study presents physiologically relevant 3D biliary duct networks built in vitro from 2D micropatterns. This opens opportunities for investigating bile duct organogenesis, physiopathology, and drug testing.

Chromium poisoning strongly influences the performance of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks. A three-dimensional, time-dependent, computational fluid dynamics model of a single channel of a F10 SOFC stack in Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH is developed to investigate chromium poisoning for different stack designs, temperatures and absolute air humidities. The model takes into account both chemical and electrochemical mechanisms of chromium poisoning and is able to predict the spatial distribution of SrCrO4 and Cr2O3. The voltage degradation over 100 kh can be simulated quantitatively. According to the simulation results, chromium poisoning is almost eliminated by the application of the protective coating fabricated by the atmospheric plasma-spraying (APS) technology. Besides, with the help of the APS protective coating, operating a SOFC stack with less dehumidified air at 650 oC is possible according to the simulation.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disease characterised by insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose levels, affecting millions of people worldwide. T2DM patients with dyslipidaemia have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A complex interplay of risk factors such as hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress favour the development of atherosclerosis, a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Dyslipidaemia, a hallmark of T2DM, is characterised by elevated triglycerides, decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the presence of small, dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, all of which promote atherosclerosis. In this article, we have attempted to present various treatment strategies that include pharmacological interventions such as statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, fibrates and omega-3 fatty acids. We have also tried to highlight the pivotal role of lifestyle modifications, including physical activity and dietary changes, in improving lipid profiles and overall cardiovascular health in T2DM patients. We have also tried to present the latest clinical guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemia in T2DM patients. In conclusion, the treatment of dyslipidaemia in T2DM patients is of great importance as it lowers lipid particle levels, slows the progression of atherosclerosis and ultimately reduces susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.

In this study, we investigate the influence of control type and strain rate on the lifetime of specimens manufactured from 50CrMo4. This influence is described by a strain rate dependent method that uses cyclic stress strain curves to correct displacement controlled cyclic test results. The objective of this correction is to eliminate the stress related differences between displacement controlled cyclic test results and force controlled cyclic test results. The method is applied to the results of ultrasonic fatigue tests of six different combinations of heat treatment, specimen geometry (notch factor) and atmosphere. The corrected results show an improved agreement with test results obtained on conventional fatigue testing equipment with similar specimens: the standard deviation in combined data sets is significantly reduced (p=4.1%). We discuss the literature on intrinsic and extrinsic strain rate effects in carbon steels.

Background: Extracellular Vesicles are pivotal mediators in intercellular communication, facilitating the exchange of biological information among healthy, pathological and tumor cells. Between the diverse subtypes of extracellular vesicles, exosomes have unique properties, clinical and therapeutical applications, even towards cancer. Breast cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent malignancies across the globe. Both the tumor core and its surrounding microenvironment engage in a complex, orchestrated interaction that facilitates the cancer’s growth and spread. Methods: The most valuable and significant PubMed Literature about extracellular vesicles and adipose–derived stem cells exosomes was selected and analyzed in order to report their biological properties and potential applications, in particular on the Triple–Negative Breast Cancer. Results: Adipose–derived stem cells exosomes represent a potential tool to target the tumor core of the Triple–Negative Breast Cancer, its microenvironment and surrounding tissues including metastasis. The authors are developing a supportive Triple–Adipose–derived stem cells Exosomes [T.A.E.] Technology against breast cancer in order to perform a selective preconditioning of the cancer before or while the traditional oncological treatments are running. Conclusion: The possibility to exploit the impact of Adipose–derived stem cells exosomes within the T.A.E. Technology against the Triple–Negative breast cancer is real, highlighting a new era for supportive measures against breast cancer.Keywords: Extracellular vesicles; Exosomes; Adipose–derived stem cells, Tumor microenvironment, Triple–Negative Breast Cancer, T.A.E. Technology.

Microalloying of low carbon steel with niobium (Nb) and titanium (Ti) is standardly applied in high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels enabling austenite conditioning during thermo-mechanical controlled processing (TMCP), which results in pronounced grain refinement in the finished steel. The metallurgical effects of microalloying elements are related solute drag and precipitate particle pinning, both acting on the austenite grain boundary thereby delaying or suppressing recrystallization of the deformed grain. In that respect it is important to better understand the precipitation kinetics as well as the precipitation sequence in a typical Nb-Ti-microalloyed steel. Various characterization methods have been utilized in this study for tracing microalloy precipitation after simulating different austenite TMCP conditions in a Gleeble apparatus. Atom probe tomography (APT), scanning transmission electron microscopy in a focused ion beam equipped scanning electron microscope (STEM-on-FIB) and electrical resistivity measurements provide complementary information on the precipitation status and are correlated with each other. It will be demonstrated that accurate electrical resistivity measurements can monitor the general consumption of solute microalloys (Nb) during hot working which was complemented by APT measurements of the steel matrix. On the other hand, STEM revealed that a large part of Nb-containing particles during hot working are co-precipitated with titanium during cooling from the austenitizing temperature. Precipitates that form during cooling or isothermal holding can be distinguished from strain-induced precipitates by corroborating STEM measurements with APT results. APT specifically allows obtaining detailed information about the chemical composition of precipitates as well as the distribution of elements inside the particle. Electrical resistivity measurement, on the contrary, provides macroscopic information on the progress of precipitation and can be calibrated by APT. The current paper highlights the complementarity of these methods and shows first results within the framework of a larger study on strain-induced precipitation.

Dust storms and wildfires occur frequently in southeastern Australia. Their effects on ecology, environment and population exposure have been the focus of many studies recently. Dust storms do not emit ground-sequestered carbon but wildfires emit significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. However, both natural events promote phytoplankton growth in water bodies because carbon, and other trace elements such as iron, deposit on the surface water of oceans. Carbon dioxide is reabsorbed by phytoplankton via photosynthesis. The carbon balance cycle due to dust storms and wildfires are not well known. Recent studies on the carbon emission of the 2019-2020 summer wildfires in eastern Australia indicated that this megafire event emitted approximately 715 million tonnes of CO2 (195 Tg C) into the atmosphere from burned forest areas. The projected increase in the frequency of wildfires due to climate change alters what was a carbon neutral process of reabsorbing emitted carbon by the forests, and subsequently cannot be achieved. With the result of net loss of sequestered carbon to the atmosphere, subsequently further promotes a warming climate. This study focusses on the association of dust storms and wildfires in southeastern Australia with phytoplankton growth in the Tasman Sea due to the February 2019 dust storm event and the 2019-2020 Black Summer wildfires. Central Australia and western New South Wales were the sources of the dust storm emission (11 to 16 February 2019) and the Black Summer wildfires occured along the coast of New South Wales and Victoria (from early November 2019 to early Januaray 2020). The results show the similarities and differences in the deposition of particulate matter, phytoplankton growth and carbon reabsorption patterns in the Tasman Sea from these events. Using WRF-Chem model, during the 5 days dust storm event in February 2019, approximately ~1230 tons of total dust were predicted to be deposited in the Tasman Sea while ~132,000 tons of PM10 were deposited in the early stage of the wildfires from 1 to 8 November 2019.

The 2019-2020 summer wildfire event on the east coast of Australia was a series of major wildfires occurring from November 2019 to end of January 2020 across the states of Queensland, New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and South Australia. The wildfires were unprecedent in scope and the extensive extend of the wildfires has caused smoke pollutants transported not only to New Zealand but across the Pacific Ocean to South America. At the height of the wildfires, smoke plumes were injected into the stratosphere at height up to 25km and hence transported across the globe. Based on meteorological and air quality simulation using WRF-Chem model, air quality monitoring data collected during the bushfire period and remote sensing data from MODIS and CALIPSO satellites, the extend of the wildfires and the pollutant transport, and their impacts on air quality and health on exposed population in NSW can be analysed. The results showed that WRF-Chem model using Fire Emission Inventory from NCAR (FINN) predicts the dispersion and transport of pollutants and the predicted concentration of PM2.5 and other pollutants from wildfires reasonably well when compared with ground-based and satellite data. The impact on health endpoints such as mortality, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases hospitalisation across the modelling domain is then estimated. The estimated health impact is comparable with previous study based only on observation data, but the results in this study provide much more detailed spatially and temporally with regards to the health impact from the 2019-2020 wildfire.

The recent global emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has accelerated research in several areas of science whose valuable outputs and findings can help to address future health challenges in the event of emerging infectious agents. We performed a multifocus shotgun analysis to compare differences in bacterial spectrum and viral presence through culture-independent RNA sequencing. We compared the microbiome of healthy people versus those with varying degrees of COVID-19 severity. We observed a significant increase in the diversity of microbial species in patients with COVID-19 regardless of disease severity. Some bacterial phyla, such as Actinobacteria, are significantly more abundant in healthy people than in infected people, whereas Bacteroides are less abundant in the latter. Infected people, regardless of severity and symptoms, have the same proportional representation of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteriales the same. In addition to SARS-CoV-2 and numerous phage groups, we identified sequences of clinically significant viruses such as Human Herpes Virus 1, Human Mastadenovirus D, Molluscum Contagiosum Virus, and Rhinovirus A in several samples. Analyses were performed retrospectively, therefore, in the case of SARS-CoV-2 various WHO variants such as Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2), Omicron (B.1.1.529), and 20C strains are represented. Additionally, the presence of specific virus strains has a certain effect on the distribution of individual microbial taxa.

Brain tumors are neoplasms with one of the highest mortality rates. Therefore, the availability of methods that allow the quick and effective diagnosis of brain tumors and selection of appropriate treatments is of critical importance for patient outcomes. In this study, coated blade spray-mass spectrometry (CBS-MS), which combines the features of microextraction and fast ionization methods, is applied for the analysis of brain tumors. In this approach, a sword-shaped probe is coated with a sorptive material to enable the extraction of analytes from biological samples. The analytes are then desorbed using only a few microliters of solvent, followed by the insertion of the CBS device into the interface on the mass spectrometer source. The results of this proof-of-concept experiment confirmed that CBS coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) enables the rapid differentiation of two histologically different lesions: meningiomas and gliomas. Moreover, quantitative CBS-HRMS/MS analysis of carnitine, the endogenous compound, previously identified as discriminating metabolite showed good reproducibility with the variation below 10% when using a standard addition calibration strategy and deuterated internal standards for correction. The resultant data show that the proposed CBS-MS technique can be useful for on-site qualitative and quantitative assessments of brain tumor metabolite profiles.

We discuss two methods to detect the presence and location of a person in a small-scale room and compare the performances. The first method is Direct Intersection, which determines a coordinate point based on the intersection of spheroids defined by observed distances of high-intensity reverberations. The second method, Sonogram analysis, overlays all channel’s room impulse responses to generate an intensity map for the observed environment. We demonstrate that the former method has lower computation complexity and higher accuracy for small numbers of channels, while the latter performs more robustly.

Antioxidant activity is an essential feature required for oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging as well as materials used in cosmetics and biomedicine. For example, vanillin, one of the most prominent antioxidants, is fabricated from lignin, the second most abundant natural polymer in the world. Antioxidant potential is primarily related to the termination of oxidation propagation reactions through hydrogen transfer. The application of technical lignin as a natural antioxidant has not yet been implemented in the industrial sector, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. Thus, current research focuses on various isolation and purification strategies to improve the compatibility of lignin material with substrates and enhancing its stabilizing effect. This contribution presents antioxidant capacity studies of various lignins depending on purification degree of the raw material. In detail, the antioxidant potential of lignin-based compounds is studied using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay. The purification procedure was monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and showed that double-fold selective extraction is the most efficient purification procedure (confirmed by UV-Vis, FTIR, HSQC and 31P NMR spectroscopy, SEC and XRD analysis). Results are discussed regarding the dependency of antioxidant activity on lignin structure and biomass source. Thus, lignins obtained from industrial black liquor are compared with beech wood samples. In addition, the influence of lignin isolation (kraft versus organosolv) is discussed. Values of the antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition) of kraft lignin fractions were 62-68% while beech and spruce/pine-mixed lignins showed values between 26, 64 and 42%, respectively. TPC values of the different isolated kraft lignin fractions varied between 26-35%, while beech, spruce/pine lignins were 34, 30 and 34%, respectively. Storage decreased the TPC values and increased the DPPH inhibition.

Among extensive studies on click chemistry the inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction between 1,2,4,5-tetrazine (Tz) and trans-cyclooct-2-en (TCO) has gained increasing attraction due to its exceptionally fast reaction kinetics and high selectivity for in vivo pretargeting applications including PET imaging. The facile two-step approach utilizing TCO-modified antibodies as targeting structures has not made it into clinic though as the increase in blood volume from mice to human seems to be the major limitation. This study aimed to show if the design of multimeric Tz-ligands by chelator scaffolding can improve the binding capacity and may lead to enhanced PET imaging with gallium-68. For this purpose we utilized the macrocyclic siderophore Fusarinine C (FSC) which allows to conjugate up to three Tz-residues due to three primary amines available for site specific modification. The resulting mono- di- and trimeric conjugates were radiolabelled with gallium-68 and characterized in vitro (logD, protein binding, stability, binding towards TCO modified rituximab (RTX)) and in vivo (biodistribution- and imaging studies in normal BALB/c mice using a simplified RTX-TCO tumour surrogate). The 68Ga-labelled FSC-based Tz-ligands showed suitable hydrophilicity, high stability, high targeting specificity and the binding capacity to RTX-TCO was increased by the grade of multimerization. Corresponding in vivo studies showed a multimerization typical profile but generally suitable pharmacokinetics with low accumulation in non-targeted tissue. Imaging studies in RTX-TCO tumour surrogate bearing BALB/c mice confirmed this trend and revealed improved targeting by multimerization as increased accumulation in RTX-TCO positive tissue was observed.

Drained peatlands are significant sources of the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide. Rewetting is a proven strategy to protect carbon stocks; however, it can lead to increased emissions of the potent GHG methane. The response to rewetting of soil microbiomes as drivers of these processes is poorly understood, as are biotic and abiotic factors that control community composition. We analyzed the pro- and eukaryotic microbiomes of three contrasting pairs of minerotrophic fens subject to decade-long drainage and subsequent rewetting. Also, abiotic soil properties including moisture, dissolved organic matter, methane fluxes and ecosystem respiration rates. The composition of the microbiomes was fen-type-specific, but all rewetted sites showed higher abundance of anaerobic taxa compared to drained sites. Based on multi-variate statistics and network analyses we identified soil moisture as major driver of community composition. Furthermore, salinity drove the separation between coastal and freshwater fen communities. Methanogens were more than tenfold more abundant in rewetted than in drained sites, while their abundance was lowest in the coastal fen, likely due to competition with sulfate reducers. The microbiome compositions were reflected in methane fluxes from the sites. Our results shed light on the factors that structure fen microbiomes via environmental filtering.

Bioactive compounds are the food constituents, providing beneficial health effects to functional foods and nutraceuticals. These compounds have antioxidants activity including anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and have additional preventative actions. Since these compounds are important constituents enhancing function of the foods, therefore, these constituents are necessary to be incorporated under the umbrella of functional foods. Functional foods provides health benefits though bioactive compounds, as these compounds target mechanisms that manage, prevent, and/or treat chronic or acute diseases. The bioactive compounds are quite essential for functional foods that are crucial for optimal health, thereby leading to the inclusion of these compounds in the most recent definition of functional foods. Some experts have defined that bioactive compounds are the chemical components that contributes and regulates in biological mechanisms. These bioactive compounds are more accurately defined by Dr. Martirosyan and Pisarski as the “primary and secondary metabolites of nutritive and non-nutritive natural components generating health benefits by preventing or managing chronic disease or its symptoms”. These compounds have potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which provide benefits to health. Although they are a small proportion of a food source, these compounds can also trigger the mechanisms that will alter and can improve human health. Certain bioactive compounds present in foods are extremely beneficial, but if consumed in excess, they can cause toxicity. Therefore, each bioactive compound must be fully evaluated in order to establish a beneficial and a toxic threshold amount.

To reduce the risk of infection of SARS-CoV-2 during the commute to the clinic or due to the contact with medical staff, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended ar-ranging part of the appointments in the form of “telehealth”. The aim of the study was to assess the access to medical care in pregnancy during the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic and the role of telehealth in implementation of prenatal care standards. This is a cross-sectional study. The study group in-cluded 618 women that were pregnant and or gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. The majority of participants experienced difficulties in access to medical care because of the pandemic. Correlation between this experience and the use of hybrid healthcare model was es-tablished. However, affiliation to public or private healthcare group was irrelevant. There was no relationship between healthcare (private/public or in-person/hybrid) and implementation of the prenatal care standards. To ensure safe access to prenatal care for pregnant women, recommen-dations for a hybrid pregnancy management model should be created with detailed information for which appointments patients must be present and which can be done remotely. To reduce movement risk and interpersonal contact, all visits during which tests and screenings take place should be done in-person. Other appointments can be arranged in the form of telehealth

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

We propose an asynchronous acoustic chirp slope keying to map bit sequences on single or multiple bands without preamble or error correction coding on the physical layer. Details of the implementation are disclosed and discussed, the performance verified on laboratory scale in a pool measurement, as well as simulated for a channel containing Rayleigh fading and Additive White Gaussian Noise. For time-bandwidth products of 50 in single band mode, a raw data rate of 100~bit/s is simulated to achieve bit error rates below 0.001 for signal-to-noise ratios above -6~dB. In dual-band mode and a data rate of 200~bit/s, this bit error level was achieved for signal-to-noise ratios above 0~dB for time-bandwidth product of 25. The packet error rates follow this behavior with an offset of 1~dB.

The molecular study of fat cell development in the human body is essential for our understanding of obesity and related diseases. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are the ideal source to study fat formation as they are the progenitors of adipocytes. In this work, we used human MSCs, received from surgery waste, and differentiate them into fat adipocytes. The combination of several layers of information coming from lipidomics, metabolomics and proteomics enabled comprehensive analysis of the biochemical pathways in adipogenesis. Simultaneous analysis of metabolites, lipids and proteins in cell culture is challenging due to the compound’s chemical difference so that most studies involve separate analysis with unimolecular strategies. In this study, we employed a multimolecular approach using a two–phase extraction to monitor the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and protein-based signaling in a single sample (~105 cells). We developed an innovative analytical workflow including standardization with in-house produced 13C-isotopically labeled compounds, hyphenated high-end mass spectrometry (high-resolution Orbitrap MS) and chromatography (HILIC, RP) for simultaneous untargeted screening and targeted quantification. Metabolite and lipid concentrations ranged over 3-4 orders of magnitude and were detected down to the low fmol (absolute on column) level. Biological validation and data interpretation of the multiomics workflow was performed based on proteomics network reconstruction, metabolic modelling (MetaboAnalyst 4.0) and pathway analysis (OmicsNet). Comparing MSCs and adipocytes, we observed significant regulation of different metabolites and lipids such as triglycerides, gangliosides and carnitine with 113 fully reprogrammed pathways. The observed changes are in accordance with literature findings dealing with adipogenic differentiation of MSC. These results are a proof of principle for the power of multimolecular extraction combined with orthogonal LC-MS assays and network construction. Considering the analytical and biological validation performed in this study, we conclude that the proposed multiomics workflow is ideally suited for comprehensive follow-up studies on adipogenesis and is fit for purpose for different applications.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

In early 2020 from April to early June, the metropolitan area of Sydney as well as the rest of New South Wales (NSW, Australia) experienced a period of lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus in the community. The effect of reducing anthropogenic activities including transportation had an impact on the urban environment in term of air quality which is shown to have improved for a number of pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxides (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), based on monitoring data on ground and from satellite. Besides primary pollutants CO and NOx emitted from mobile sources, PM2.5 (primary and secondary) and secondary ozone (O3) during the lockdown period will also be analysed using both air quality data and modelling method. The results show that NO2, CO and PM2.5 levels decreased during the lockdown, but O3 instead increased. The change in the concentration levels however are small considering the large reduction in traffic volume of ~30%. By estimate the decrease in traffic volume in Sydney region, the corresponding decrease in emission input to the WRF-CMAQ (Weather Research and Forecasting - Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System) air quality model is then used to estimate the effect of lockdown on the air quality especially CO, NO2, O3 and PM2.5 in the Greater Metropolitan Region (GMR) of Sydney. COVID-19 lockdown period is an ideal case to study the effect of motor vehicle and mobile source contribution to air pollutants such as those listed above in the GMR.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

This paper is focused on typical rural settlements in the Stara Planina Mountain area in Serbia. They are distinguished by their authenticity, identity and character, and they have still not been destroyed by inappropriate development as is the case in some other mountain areas in Serbia, where the effects of urbanization, globalization and homogenization are obvious. Consequently, there is a need to prevent these effects in mountain areas where there is a threat of disbalance between development and the inherited natural and cultural values. The paper starts from several important concepts that relate contemporary approaches to cultural heritage preservation, place morphology and planning future development. The concept definitions from recent documents from related fields are used. These concepts are then applied to the area of Stara Planina Mountain and its rural settlements. The necessity for an integrative approach to planning this area with significant natural and anthropogenic potential is pointed out, including its integration into international programs of sustainable development.

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Promoting green development has become an important way to optimize the ecological and economic structure and promote sustainable development. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important economic corridor in China, and it remains to be examined whether the implementation of environmental regulations has enhanced the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of cities. This paper calculates the green total factor productivity of 107 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt by using the super-efficient SBM model and the GML index with Chinese city panel data from 2007-2019 and measures the intensity of environmental regulations through textual analysis. The bidirectional fixed-effects model constructed in this paper suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and GTFP, which is confirmed by a series of robustness tests. Green technology innovation and advanced industrial structure play a mechanism role in this. In regions with lower levels of green technology and industrial structure, the inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green total factor productivity is more significant. In addition, the phenomenon of GTFP rising and then falling because of environmental regulation is more obvious in cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and outside the urban agglomerations. Therefore, when formulating environmental regulation policies, it is necessary to balance the relationship between economic development and environmental protection and harmonize the environment and economic development of the entire Yangtze River Basin.

The wetlands in northeastern Bangladesh are home to some of the most prolific and valuable ecosystems on the planet, offering a wide range of benefits to both the local and wider communities. A limited number of research on this topic have been carried out in various wetlands in coastal hilsa, but none have been located in the northeastern region of Bangladesh. Thus, the goal of this study was to better understand the most commercially relevant species (anadromous hilsa) in northeastern Bangladesh as well as to assess the wetland ecosystem services more thoroughly with the contribution of their fish genetic resources. In addition to laboratory studies, fieldwork was done in the fishing settlements along the Surma River, Hakaluki Haor, and Tanguar Haor. The study classified 77 fish species into 21 subcategories of ecosystem services, of which 56% were not threatened, 17% were vulnerable, and 10% were highly endangered. The species Hilsa was found to be the most economically significant, accounting for 1% of the GDP overall. The study determined if the hilsa stock of the examined wetlands maintains a single or several subpopulations in comparison to other parts of the country when they migrate from saline water to northeastern Bangladesh (freshwater). But when compared to other groups, the FST score was between 0.000 to 0.017, indicating that the populations are identical and that there is genetic material sharing between them. Additionally, these statistics imply that the Sylhet haor and adjacent river systems contain a single stock of Hilsa fish. Nevertheless, a number of stresses and risks, including overexploitation, illicit and destructive fishing, siltation, and natural disasters like flash floods, have been linked to changes in the supply of hilsa and other ecosystem services. This study also emphasizes the necessity of policy attention and research to address the concerns.

In this paper, we introduce a specialized, fully automated experimental arrangement designed for assessing the effectiveness of augmented and virtual reality technologies in healthcare setting and explore its design principles focusing on depth sensor characterization. The main goal of this project is to establish a robust benchtop platform for the quantitative evaluation of extended reality technologies in a controlled environment, emphasizing the practical assessment of augmented reality head-mounted devices. We outline a design concept and considerations for an experimental configuration aimed at creating a realistic testing environment. This apparatus comprises an observation platform mounted on a three-degree-of-freedom motorized system and a test phantom stage. Focusing on real-case scenarios, we utilized a range of sensors, including readily available range-sensing cameras and commercial augmented reality headsets, such as the Intel RealSense L515 LiDAR camera, mounted on the motion control system. The setup enabled automated data collection and facilitates controlled assessments and validation of various facets of augmented reality technologies, including object, hand, and head tracking, as well as static and dynamic image registration. This paper describes the system architecture, the process of automated data collection, and presents several evaluation studies conducted with this setup, providing insights into the quality and temporal noise associated with static or moving objects or observers in augmented reality applications.

(1) Infective endocarditis is a severe inflammatory disease associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels have been shown to change significantly during sepsis additionally we previously found higher initial AP drop after cardiac surgery is associat-ed with unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, the course of AP after surgery for endocarditis is of special interest. (2) 314 patients with active isolated left-sided infective endocarditis at the De-partment of Cardiac Surgery (Medical University of Vienna, Austria) between 2009 and 2018 were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Blood samples were analyzed at different time points (baseline, postoperative day 1-7, postoperative days 14, and 30). Patients were categorized ac-cording to relative alkaline phosphatase drop (≥30% vs. <30%). (3) The rate of postoperative renal replacement therapy with or without prior renal replacement therapy (7.4 vs. 21.8%; p=0.001 and 6.7 vs. 15.6%; p=0.015, respectively) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (2.2 vs. 19.0%; p=0.000) was observed after a higher initial alkaline phosphatase drop. Short-term (30-day mor-tality 3.0 vs. 10.6%; p=0.010) and long-term mortality (p=0.008) were significantly impaired after a higher initial alkaline phosphatase drop. (4) The higher initial alkaline phosphatase drop was accompanied by impaired short and long-term outcomes after cardiac surgery for endocarditis. Future risk assessment scores for cardiac surgery should consider alkaline phosphatase.

Biphasic bone substitutes (BBS) are nowadays established biomaterials. Through their constant development even natural components like hyaluronic acid (HY) are added to improve both their handling and also their regenerative properties. However, low knowledge exists regarding the consequences of the HY addition for their biocompatibility and the inflammatory tissue reactions. Thus, the present study was conducted aiming to analyze the influence of two different amounts of high molecular weight HY (HMWHY) combined with a BBS on the in vitro biocompatibility and the in vivo tissue reaction. Established in vitro procedures using L929 cells were used for cytocompatibility analyses under the test conditions of DIN EN:ISO 10993-5. For the in vivo study part, calvarial defects were created in 20 Wistar rats and subsequently filled with the BBS and the BBS combined with two different HMWHY amounts, i.e., BBS+HY(L) and BBS+HY(H). As controls empty defects were used. Established histological, immunohistochemical and histomorphometrical methods were applied to analyze the tissue reactions to the three different materials, including the induction of pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophages and multinucleated giant cells (BMGCs). The in vitro results showed that none of the materials or compositions caused biological damages to the L929 cells and can considered to be non-toxic. The in vivo results showed that only the addition of high doses of HY to a biphasic bone substitute significantly decreases the occurrence of proinflammatory macrophages (* p < 0.05) comparable to the numbers found in the control group, while no significant differences within the three study groups for M2-macrophages nor BMGCs were detected. In conclusion, the addition of different amounts of HMWHY does not seem to affect the inflammation response to the BBS while improving the material handling properties.

Compared to conventional allothermal gasification of solid fuels (e.g. biomass, charcoal, lignite etc.), plasma-assisted gasification offers an efficient method to apply energy into the gasification process to increase the flexibility of operation conditions and to increase the reaction kinetics. In particular, non-thermal plasmas (NTP) are promising, in which thermal equilibrium is not reached and electrons have substantially higher mean energy than gas molecules. Thus it is generally assumed that in NTP the supplied energy is utilized more efficiently for generating free radicals initiating gasification reactions than thermal plasma processes. In order to investigate this hypothesis, we compared purely thermal to non-thermal plasma assisted gasification of biomass in steam in a drop tube reactor at atmospheric pressure. The NTP was provided by means of gliding arcs between two electrodes aligned in the inlet steam flow. Electric power of about 1 kW was supplied using a high voltage generator operating at frequencies between 70 and 150 kHz and voltage amplitudes up to 10 kV. A laser-assisted optical method (Raman spectroscopy) was applied for measuring the gas temperature both in the conventionally heated steam and flow-down of the visible plasma filaments of the gliding arcs. Reaction yields and rates were evaluated using these measured gas temperatures. The first experimental results have shown that the non-thermal plasma not only promotes the carbon conversion of the fuel particles, but also accelerates the reaction kinetics. The carbon conversion is increased by nearly 10% using wood powder as the fuel. With charcoal powder more than 3% are converted into syngas.

To conduct high-precision and high-resolution numerical simulation of complex flow structures in turbomachinery, a high-order finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for the large eddy simulation (LES) is improved and embedded into the three-dimensional viscous unsteady CFD solver NUAA-Turbo. Firstly, the spectral characteristics and unsteady convergence of the improved WENO scheme are studied. Compared with the classical WENO scheme, the improved WENO scheme has better dissipation and dispersion characteristics and faster convergence speed. Then, the coefficient CW of the Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity (WALE) model is calibrated by decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence (DHIT) test case. Finally, the scheme is applied to conduct high-precision LES calculations of turbulent boundary layer flow, supersonic compression corner flow, and low-pressure turbine cascade separation flow. The numerical simulation results show that this WENO scheme has excellent shock wave capture ability and turbulence resolution and can capture more flow field details with less mesh size, greatly reducing the computational cost and laying a foundation for large-scale engineering application of LES.

To secure logic circuits against the illegal copying the insertion of the so-called key bit inputs using XOR/XNOR gates has been proposed in . The inserted gates modify (lock) the behavior of the original circuit and only the correct choice of the secret key bits guarantees the equivalent behaviour of the locked circuit to the original circuit. To break this kind of security, i.e. to find the secret key bits, there was a SAT solver based attack proposed in . The aim of this work is to experimentally verify this attack on several locked circuits with various number of primary inputs and outputs and with various number of gates. Except for the random placement of the key gates we evaluate also the positioning with chaining elimination. The obtained and presented results show that we were able to unlock 10 of 11 circuits within few minutes on a common PC.

Intermetallic compounds are increasingly being expected to utilize in tribological environments, but to date the works are hindered by insufficient ductility at low and medium temperature. This paper presents a novel multiphase intermetallic alloy with the chemical composition of Mo-40Ni-13Si (at.%). Microstructure characterization reveals that a certain amount of ductile Mo phases formed during the solidification process of ternary Mo-Ni-Si alloy melt, which is undoubtedly beneficial to the ductility improvement of intermetallic alloy. Tribological properties of the designed alloy, including wear resistance, friction coefficient and metallic tribological compatibility, were evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results suggested that the multiphase alloy possesses an excellent property for room-temperature wear applications, which is attributed to the unique microstructural features and thereby good combination in hardness and ductility. The corresponding wear mechanism is also reported by observing the worn surface, subsurface and wear debris of alloy, which to be found is soft abrasive wear.

With the integrated development of the Internet, wireless sensor technology, cloud computing, and mobile Internet, there has been a lot of attention given to research about and applications of the Internet of Things. A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one of the important information technologies in the Internet of Things; it integrates multi-technology to detect and gather information in a network environment by mutual cooperation, using a variety of methods to process and analyze data, implement awareness, and perform tests. This paper mainly researches the localization algorithm of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network. Firstly, a multi-granularity region partition is proposed to divide the location region. In the range-based method, the RSSI (Received Signal Strength indicator, RSSI) is used to estimate distance. The optimal RSSI value is computed by the Gaussian fitting method. Furthermore, a Voronoi diagram is characterized by the use of dividing region. Rach anchor node is regarded as the center of each region; the whole position region is divided into several regions and the sub-region of neighboring nodes is combined into triangles while the unknown node is locked in the ultimate area. Secondly, the multi-granularity regional division and Lagrange multiplier method are used to calculate the final coordinates. Because nodes are influenced by many factors in the practical application, two kinds of positioning methods are designed: the unknown node is in the positioning unit or not. When the unknown node is on the side of the positioning unit, we use the method of vector similarity. Moreover, we use the centroid algorithm to calculate the ultimate coordinates of unknown node. When the unknown node is not on the side of the positioning unit, we establish a Lagrange equation containing the constraint condition to calculate the first coordinates. Furthermore, we use the Taylor expansion formula to correct the coordinates of the unknown node. In addition, this localization method has been validated by establishing the real environment.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of brain activity. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology formed by the EEG signal has become one of the hotspots at present. How to extract the feature signal of EEG is the most basic research of BCI technology. In this paper, A new method of recognizing fatigue, conscious, concentrated state of human brain is proposed by the combination of discrete wavelet transform and the neural network based on EEG signal. First of all, the law signal is preprocessed by the wavelet denoising method because the law EEG signal contains a large number of high frequency noise, which is decomposed into multi-layer high frequency signal and low frequency signal. thus, δ wave, θ wave, α wave, β wave are obtained by the wavelet transform. And then, frequency band energy of the different wave is regards as the feature signal of EEG. In the experiment, the feature signal is classified by radial basic function (RBF) and annealed chaotic competitive learning network (ACCLN). RBF and ACCLN networks are trained with 500 sets of sample data and are tested by 100 sets of samples in different mental states. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of RBF network under three conditions are 88.75%, 88.25%, 88.5%, respectively, and the correct rate of ACCLN network is 97%, 98%, 98%, respectively.

Early discharge after childbirth has led to a rise in neonatal readmission, becoming a major concern in recent decades. Our research aimed to identify the risk factors and incidence of neonatal readmission, as well as explore preventive measures. Our study at the Clinical Hospital of Pediatrics in Ploiești, Romania included 108 neonates admitted during the neonatal period. This accounted for 2.06% of all admissions (5226). The most prevalent cases were malnutrition (25%), fever (20.3%) and bronchiolitis (17.5%). Diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis were also observed (14.8%), along with acute rhinoconjunctivitis (9.2%) and late onset sepsis (3.7%). No deaths were recorded. The most significant characteristics identified were number of children (p&lt;0.001) and age at maternity discharge (p&lt;0.001). By following the prevention rules, malnutrition, feeding errors, and infections can be avoided. This includes practicing proper hand hygiene for both mothers and medical staff, as well as educating and demonstrating to mothers the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition, all newborns discharged from the maternity ward should benefit from follow-up at 7-10 days of life. Our results confirm the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team and endorse promoting breastfeeding. Implementing quality control measures and regularly evaluating the surveillance program will help improve its effectiveness.

Wearable technology has been proposed as a potential tool to change the way of human life, such as the smart bracelet and the Google Glass. In the wearable technology, the inertial sensor has great significance in tracking the object movements. The paper focused on detecting the movements of user’s finger based on the inertial sensor to give the control signals. Firstly, the attitude matrix, which represented the transformation relation of carrier coordinate system and the navigation coordinate system, was obtained. Secondly, the attitude matrix was expressed based on the quaternions. Thirdly, the finger gesture was processed by the attitude matrix to get the attitude angle. Finally, the robot was controlled by attitude angle to make the moving action. The experimental results showed the detection of the finger movement is effective.

Two interesting compounds such as quaternary ammonium lignin(QAL) and 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (P507) were synthesized as ionic liquids(QP-ILs) for the extraction of metal ions. The extraction behavior of Co(II) and Ni(II) from chloride solution was compared between QP-ILs and P507. The results showed that the extraction rates of Co(II) and Ni(II) in the two solutions varied with the extraction conditions, but QP-ILs has stronger extractability for cobalt than P507, while Ni is on the contrary. Under the same conditions, the Co/Ni separation performance(βCo/Ni) in QP-ILs is superior to that in p507. At pH4.0, 55℃, concentration of 20%, extraction time of 10 minutes, the βCo/Ni of QP-ILs reached to 2703, while that of P507 was only 164. In conclusion, QP-ILs was more efficient than P507 for separating Co from mixed solutions.

Brain aging causes a wide variety of changes at molecular and cellular levels, leading to the decline of cognitive functions and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders. The research aimed at understanding the aging of the brain has made much progress in recent decades. Technological innovations such as single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), proteomic analyses, and spatial transcriptomic analyses have facilitated the research on the dynamic changes occurring within neurons, glia, and other cells along with their impacts on intercellular communication during aging. In this review, we introduce recent trends of how neurons and glia change during aging and discuss the impact of the brain microenvironment such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

In this paper, we study the semilinear pseudo-parabolic equations $\displaystyle u_{t} - \triangle_{\mathbb{B}}u - \triangle_{\mathbb{B}}u_{t} = \left|u\right|^{p-1}u$ on a manifold with conical singularity, where $\triangle _{\mathbb{B}}$ is Fuchsian type Laplace operator investigated with totally characteristic degeneracy on the boundary $x_{1} = 0$. Firstly, we discuss the invariant sets and the vacuum isolating behavior of solutions with the help of a family of potential wells. Then, we derive a threshold result of existence and nonexistence of global weak solution: for the low initial energy $J(u_{0})<d$, the solution is global in time with $I(u_{0}) >0$ or $\displaystyle\Vert \nabla_{\mathbb{B}}u_{0}\Vert_{L_{2}^{\frac{n}{2}}(\mathbb{B})} = 0$ and blows up in finite time with $I(u_{0}) < 0$; for the critical initial energy $J(u_{0}) = d$, the solution is global in time with $I(u_{0}) \geq0$ and blows up in finite time with $I(u_{0}) < 0$. The decay estimate of the energy functional for the global solution and the estimates of the lifespan of local solution are also given.

Multimodal remote sensing data classification can enhance the model’s ability to distinguish land features through multimodal data fusion. In this context, how to help models understand the relationship between multimodal data and target tasks is the focus of researchers. Inspired by human feedback learning mechanisms, causal reasoning mechanisms, and knowledge induction mechanisms, this paper integrates causal learning, reinforcement learning, and meta learning into a unified remote sensing data classification framework and proposed the causal meta-reinforcement learning (CMRL). First, based on feedback learning mechanisms, we have overcome the limitations of traditional implicit optimization of fusion features and customized a reinforcement learning environment for multimodal remote sensing data classification tasks. Through feedback interactive learning between agents and the environment, we help them understand the complex relationships between multimodal data and labels, thereby achieving full mining of multimodal complementary information. Second, based on the causal inference mechanism we designed causal distribution prediction action, classification reward, and causal intervention reward, capturing pure causal factors in multimodal data and cutting off false statistical associations between non-causal factors and class labels. Finally, based on the knowledge induction mechanism, we designed a bi-layer optimization mechanism based on meta-learning. By constructing a meta training task and meta validation task simulation model in the generalization scenario of unseen data, we helped the model induce cross-task shared knowledge, thereby improving its generalization ability for unseen multimodal data. The experimental results on multiple sets of multimodal datasets show that the proposed method achieved state-of-the-art performance in multimodal remote sensing data classification tasks.