Many sand scorpions are faithful to burrows they dig, however, it is unknown how these animals get back home after hunting excursions. Of the many mechanisms of homing that exist, path integration (PI) is one of the more common tools used by arachnids. In PI, an animal integrates its distance and direction while leaving its home, enabling it to compute an approximate home-bound vector for the return trip. The objective of our study was to test whether scorpions use PI to return home under absolute darkness in the lab. We first allowed animals to establish burrows in homing arenas. Then, after they left their burrow, we recorded the scorpion’s location in the homing arena before we transferred it to the center of a testing arena. We used overhead IR cameras to record its movements in the testing arena. If scorpions exhibited PI, we predicted they would follow a vector in the test arena that approximated the same angle and distance from the capture point to their burrow in their home arena. However, under the conditions of this experiment, we found no evidence that scorpions moved along such home-bound vectors. We speculate that scorpions may need a reliable reference cue to accommodate path integration.

Classification of human actions from uni-modal and multi-modal datasets is an ongoing research problem in computer vision. This review is aimed to scope current literature on data-fusion and action-recognition techniques and to identify gaps and future research direction. Success in producing cost-effective and portable vision-based sensors has dramatically increased the number and size of datasets. The rise in number of action recognition datasets intersects with advances in deep-learning architectures and computational support, both of which offer significant research opportunities. Naturally, each action-data modality - such as RGB, depth, skeleton, and infrared - has distinct characteristics; therefore, it is important to exploit the value of each modality for better action recognition. In this article we will focus solely on areas such as data fusion and recognition techniques in the context of vision with a uni-modal and multi-modal perspective. We conclude by discussing research challenges, emerging trends, and possible future research directions.

Vitamin D, sunshine and UVB phototherapy were first reported in the early 1900s to control psoriasis, cure rickets and cure tuberculosis (TB). Vitamin D also controlled asthma and rheumatoid arthritis with intakes ranging from 60,000 to 600,000 International Units (IU)/day. In the 1980s interest in treating psoriasis with vitamin D rekindled. Since 1985 four different oral forms of vitamin D (D2, D3, 1-hydroxyvitaminD3 (1(OH)D3) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitaminD3 (calcitriol)) and several topical formulations have been reported safe and effective treatments for psoriasis—as has UVB phototherapy and sunshine. In this review we show that many pre-treatment serum 25(OH)D concentrations fall within the current range of normal, while many post-treatment concentrations fall outside the upper limit of this normal (100 ng/ml). Yet, psoriasis patients showed significant clinical improvement without complications using these treatments. Current estimates of vitamin D sufficiency appear to underestimate serum 25(OH)D concentrations required for optimal health in psoriasis patients, while concentrations associated with adverse events appear to be much higher than current estimates of safe serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Based on these observations, the therapeutic index for vitamin D needs to be reexamined in the treatment of psoriasis and other diseases strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency, including COVID-19 infections, which may also improve safely with sufficient vitamin D intake or UVB exposure.

Extensive genomic analyses of Enterococcus cecorum isolates from sepsis outbreaks in broilers suggests a polyphyletic origin likely arising from core genome mutations rather than gene acquisition. This species is normal intestinal flora in avian species with particular isolates associated with osteomyelitis. More recently, the species has been associated with sepsis outbreaks affecting broilers during the first 3 weeks post hatch. Understanding the genetic and management basis of this new phenotype is critical for developing strategies to mitigate this emerging problem. Phylogenomic analyses of 227 genomes suggest that sepsis isolates are polyphyletic and closely related to both commensal and osteomyelitis isolate genomes. Pangenome analyses detect no gene acquisitions that distinguish all sepsis isolates. Core genome SNP analyses identify a number of mutations, affecting protein coding sequence, that are enriched in sepsis isolates. Analysis of the protein substitutions supports mutational origins of sepsis isolates.

This study evaluated batch fermentation modes, namely, separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF), Quasi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (Q-SSF), and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), and fermentation conditions, i.e., enzyme and yeast loadings, nutrient supplementation and sterilization, on high titer bioethanol production from SPORL-pretreated Douglas-fir forest residue without detoxification. The result indicated Q-SSF and SSF were obviously superior to SHF operation in terms of ethanol yield. The enzyme loading showed a strong positive correlation between enzyme loading and the ethanol yield. The nutrient supplementation and sterility was not necessary for ethanol production from SPORL-pretreated Douglas-fir. The yeast loading showed no significant influence on the ethanol yield for typical SSF conditions. The terminal ethanol titer of 43.2 g/L, or 75.1% theoretical based on glucose, mannose, and xylose theoretical was achieved when SSF was conducted at the condition of following: whole slurry solids loading of 15%, enzyme loading of 20 FPU/g glucan, 1.8 g/kg (wet) yeast loading, without nutrition supplementation and sterilization, at 38°C, on shake flask at 150 rpm for 96h. It is believed that with mechanical mixing, enzyme loading can be substantially reduced with affect ethanol yield by using a long fermentation time.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced infection is strongly associated with various coagulopathies that may result in either bleeding and thrombocytopenia or hypercoagulation and thrombosis. Thrombotic and bleeding or thrombotic pathologies are significant accompaniments to acute respiratory syndrome and lung complications in COVID-19. Thrombotic events and bleeding, often occurs in subjects with weak multiple risk factors and co-morbidities. Of particular interest are the various circulating inflammatory coagulation biomarkers involved directly in clotting, with specific focus on fibrin(ogen), D-dimer, P-selectin and von Willebrand Factor (vWF). Central to activity of these biomarkers are their receptors and signaling pathways on endothelial cells, platelets and erythrocytes. In this review, we discuss vascular implications of COVID-19, and relate this to circulating biomarker, endothelial, erythrocyte and platelet dysfunction. During the progression of the disease, these markers may either be within healthy levels, upregulated or eventually depleted. Most significant is that patients need to be treated early in the disease progression, when high levels of vWF, P-selectin and fibrinogen are present with still low levels of D-dimer. Progression to vWF and fibrinogen depletion with high D-dimer levels and even higher P-selectin levels, followed by the cytokine storm, will be indicative of a poor prognosis. We conclude by looking at point-of-care devises and methodologies in COVID-19 management and suggest that a personalized medicine approach should be considered in the treatment of patients.

Is it possible to develop a meaningful measure for the complexity of a simulation model? Algorithmic information theory provides concepts that have been applied in other areas of research for the practical measurement of object complexity. This article offers an overview of complexity from a variety of perspectives and provides a body of knowledge with respect to the complexity of simulation models. Key terms of model detail, resolution, and scope are defined. An important concept from algorithmic information theory, Kolmogorov complexity, and an application of this concept, normalized compression distance, are used to indicate the possibility of measuring changes in model detail. Additional research in this area can advance the modeling and simulation body of knowledge toward the practical application of measuring simulation model complexity. Examples show that KC and NCD measurements of simulation models can detect changes in scope and detail.

Abstract: A primary action of vitamin D is regulation of gene transcription. Many cell types possess genes that make antimicrobial peptides (AMPS) (endogenous antibiotics), recently discovered to be regulated by vitamin D. Two examples are cathelicidin and beta defensins, both bioactive against many different bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria, parasites and viruses. The signal transduction pathway is triggered by sensing microorganisms via cell surface receptors, causing intracellular production of calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D) and vitamin D receptors, leading to upregulation of AMP production. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations required to sustain adequate AMP production to eradicate infections are unknown. Vitamin D3 is photosynthesized in skin in amounts ranging from 10,000 (250 mcg) to 25,000 (625 mcg) International Units (IU) from 7-dehydrocholesterol after whole-body exposure to one minimal erythemal dose (MED) of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, and is impacted by many factors including geographic localities, seasonal changes and skin pigmentation. We and others have reported extended daily oral dosing with these amounts of vitamin D3 safe. We routinely observe serum 25(OH)D concentrations below 20ng/ml on new admissions, which have been reported insufficient to sustain AMP production. In contrast serum 25(OH)D concentrations above 100ng/ml have been reported after serial UVB treatments for psoriasis. Little vitamin D naturally occurs in food, and insufficient sun exposure may be causing worldwide deficiency. We review evidence suggesting that higher daily intakes of vitamin D3 than the currently recommended 600 (15 mcg) IU/day may be necessary to sustain AMP production in the face of an overwhelming infection, particularly in non-Hispanic blacks, a high risk population suffering the worst outcomes from COVID-19. We propose that increased vitamin D supplementation could provide a safe and cost-effective way to protect all populations from infections, in particular those from pandemic COVID-19.

Background/Objectives: Women's reproductive and overall well-being are intricately associated to vitamin D levels. In Morocco, vitamin D deficiency is a major issue for premenopausal women, yet little data exists on their dietary intake of this nutrient. This study explores vitamin D dietary intake, socio-demographic determinants, and its correlation with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D3] in premenopausal Moroccan women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 355 women aged 18-49 in Meknes, Morocco, using validated questionnaires to assess dietary intake and sun exposure. Potential covariates such as physical activity and BMI were also assessed . Serum 25(OH)D was measured via chemiluminescence immunoassay. Chi-square tests and Spearman correlation were used to identify socio-demographic factors influencing vitamin D intake. Linear and multivariate regression analysis determined the main predictors of serum 25(OH)D levels. Results :The median (interquartile range) vitamin D dietary intake was 2.8 (2.7) µg/day , with less than 20% of women meeting the recommended 5 µg/day. Major dietary sources were fish (48%), dairy (24.3%), and meat (9.4%), with fortified foods contributing only for 7%. Lower intake was linked to younger age (p=0.004) and rural living (p=0.024). While no significant association was found between dietary intake and serum 25(OH)D ((β(SE): 0.155(0.094), p=0.340 ) , sun exposure positively predicted serum levels(β(SE): 0.343 (0.128), p=0.008) , and BMI negatively affected them (β(SE): -1.128 (0.337), p=0.001). Conclusions: Our findings highlight insufficient vitamin D intake among premenopausal Moroccan women, especially younger and rural women. Nutritional interventions are needed to address this deficiency, promoting better dietary habits, sun exposure, and healthy weight.

Eastern (EEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses (EEVs) are related, (+)ssRNA arboviruses that can cause severe, sometimes fatal, encephalitis in humans. EEVs are highly infectious when aerosolized, raising concerns for potential use as biological weapons. No licensed medical countermeasures exist; given the severity/rarity of natural EEV infections, efficacy studies require animal models. Cynomolgus macaques exposed to EEV aerosols develop fever, encephalitis, and other clinical signs similar to humans. Fever is nonspecific for encephalitis in macaques. Electrocardiography (ECG) metrics may predict onset, severity, or outcome of EEV-attributable disease. Macaques were implanted with thermometry/ECG radiotransmitters and exposed to aerosolized EEV. Data was collected continuously, and repeated-measures ANOVA and frequency-spectrum analyses identified differences between courses of illness and between pre-exposure and post-exposure states. EEEV-infected macaques manifested widened QRS-intervals in severely ill subjects post-exposure. Moreover, QT-intervals and RR-intervals decreased during the febrile period. VEEV-infected macaques suffered decreased QT-intervals and RR-intervals with fever onset. Frequency-spectrum analyses revealed differences in the fundamental frequencies of multiple metrics in the post-exposure and febrile periods compared to baseline and confirmed circadian dysfunction. Heart rate variability (HRV) analyses revealed diminished variability post-exposure. These analyses support using ECG data alongside fever and clinical laboratory findings for evaluating medical countermeasure efficacy.

The foraging behavior of ruminating ungulates significantly impacts forest ecosystems due to their nutritional requirements. This study focuses on inter-specific comparisons of bark browsing (stripping) between Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.). Field measurements were conducted at the previously established research-demonstration site "Husárik" in the Javorníky Mountains, north-western Slovakia. We didn’t only measure the sizes of wounds on stems but also assessed the dimensions of unrecovered parts of wounds, subsequently calculating areas of recovered bark patches. Then, the total areas of wounds, recovered patches, and unrecovered parts were determined. Additionally, the percentages of wound areas, recovered areas, and unrecovered areas were expressed as their proportions to the total bark surface. Influencing factors such as the position of wounds along the vertical stem profile and stem diameter class were analyzed using two- and three-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD test. The results demonstrate the susceptibility of both tree species to bark browsing by ruminating ungulates, primarily red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in our study site. Douglas fir exhibited slightly less intense browsing compared to silver fir, while silver fir had a slightly higher recovery rate. Specifically, 17.0% of the bark surface in Douglas fir and 21.5% in silver fir were browsed. The proportions of recovered areas on wounds were 62.5% and 69.6% in Douglas fir and silver fir, respectively. Regarding the vertical stem profile, the most intense browsing occurred at a height of 101-125 cm from the ground level, with rates of 40.7% in Douglas fir and 47.0% in silver fir. Browsing intensity showed negligible variation among diameter classes, which were classified as up to 35 mm, 35-50 mm, and over 50 mm. Our findings suggest that, as an introduced species, Douglas fir is not any suitable substitute for other commercially significant tree species in European countries where ruminating ungulates are overabundant.

Power law relationships, which describe scaling relationships of data, are powerful information theoretic descriptive tools in many empirical contexts, including that of music. Zipf’s law (pink noise) describes the optimum case of a power law relation where observations are exactly inversely proportional to their rank. Descriptions that approximate a pink noise signature can be said to maximize the amount of information in a signal, and is thus suggestive of a richness of an understanding. This information density of pink noise signatures is not, however, necessarily a desirable quality for explanations in general, which, by definition, “flattens out” some data while highlighting others, ideally those most relevant to an interpretation. The privileging of data most relevant to comprehension corresponds to a red noise relationship, as opposed to the pink noise of Zipf’s law or the white noise of a description that highlights nothing in particular. Here, I explore and evaluate this concept of red noise explanations in the form of analyses of three comparable short piano works: Robert Schumann’s “Von fremden Ländern und Menschen” (no.1 from Kinderszenen op. 15, 1838), Frédéric Chopin’s Prelude op. 28 no. 20 (1838-9), and Felix Mendelssohn’s “Venetianisches Gondellied” (no. 6 from Lieder ohne Worte op. 19b, 1829-30).

We report the application of a recently proposed approach for modeling biological systems using a maximum entropy production rate principle in lieu of having in vivo rate constants. The method is applied in four steps: (1) a new ODE-based optimization approach based on Marcelin’s 1910 mass action equation is used to obtain the maximum entropy distribution, (2) the predicted metabolite concentrations are compared to those generally expected from experiment using a loss function from which post-translational regulation of enzymes is inferred, (3) the system is re-optimized with the inferred regulation from which rate constants are determined from the metabolite concentrations and reaction fluxes, and finally (4) a full ODE-based, mass action simulation with rate parameters and allosteric regulation is obtained. From the last step, the power characteristics and resistance of each reaction can be determined. The method is applied to the central metabolism of Neurospora crassa and the flow of material through the three competing pathways of upper glycolysis, the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway are evaluated as a function of the NADP/NADPH ratio. It is predicted that regulation of phosphofructokinase (PFK) and flow through the pentose phosphate pathway are essential for preventing an extreme level of fructose 1, 6-bisphophate accumulation. Such an extreme level of fructose 1,6-bisphophate would otherwise result in a glassy cytoplasm with limited diffusion, dramatically decreasing the entropy and energy production rate and, consequently, biological competitiveness.

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

We conducted a study to determine if antenatally collected maternal urine cotinine (a me- 13 tabolite of nicotine) measurements can be used to assess the neonatal impact of nicotine exposure 14 during pregnancy. This was a prospective longitudinal cohort of mother-infant dyads. Only term 15 singleton pregnancies were included. The primary outcome measure was the correlation between 16 maternal urine cotinine and infant birth weight. We analysed data from 238 mother-neonates' dy- 17 ads. Urine cotinine was detected in 50.4 % (120/238) women from the whole cohort, but only 16% 18 (38/238) self-reported as smokers (chi-square 39.7, p<0.0001), and these women had significantly 19 smaller babies (p=0.010). There was a significant negative correlation between maternal urine co- 20 tinine and birth weight (Spearman's coefficient = -0.0226, p=0.013). Female babies born to women 21 with nicotine in the urine were significantly smaller (p= 0.001). The number of women exposed to 22 nicotine during late pregnancy (measured in urine) was markedly higher than self-reported and 23 National smoking percentages, suggesting an urgent need for improvement of medical record re- 24 porting on smoking habits to better assess neonatal outcomes.

The energy supply for isolated systems remains a current challenge in Brazil and worldwide, particularly when known solutions are compared regarding cost, the ability to supply energy on demand, and sustainability. In this context, green hydrogen, which has been considered one of the main paths for the decarbonization of the energy chain, is also seen as a potential solution for energy supply in isolated systems. Based on a literature review of articles addressing the topics of green hydrogen and isolated systems, an analysis is conducted on the application of green hydrogen as an energy supply solution for isolated systems. The review identified and collected data on important parameters for comparing solutions, such as CAPEX, OPEX, energy cost, and the price per kilogram of hydrogen. Using these data, analyses were performed to provide an overview of the application of green hydrogen in isolated systems. One of the objectives of this work is to present a comprehensive analysis of the green hydrogen chain and its application in the context of electricity generation, particularly for isolated systems in Brazil.

The synthesis of enantiomeric forms of D-amino acids can be achieved by a two-step "hydantoinase process" based on the sequential catalysis of substrates by specific enzymes, D-carbamoylase and D-hydantoinase. In addition to our previously studied D-hydantoinase, we describe here the structural features of D-carbamoylase from Pseudomonas, the encoded gene of which was chemically synthesized and cloned into Escherichia coli. A significant fraction of the overexpressed recombinant protein forms insoluble inclusion bodies, which are partially converted to a soluble state upon treatment with N-lauroylsarcosine or upon incubation of the cells at low temperatures. Analysis of the substrate specificity of the purified His-tag protein showed that D-carbamoylase exhibits the highest activity toward N-carbamoyl-D-alanine and N-carbamoyl-D-tryptophan. Molecular docking analysis revealed the location of the substrate binding site in the three-dimensional structure of D-carbamoylase. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the binding pocket of the enzyme in complex with N-carbamoyl-D-tryptophan is stabilized within 100 ns. The free energy of binding indicated a possible role of residues Arg176 and Asn173 in the formation of hydrogen bonds between the enzyme and N-carbamoyl-D-tryptophan. The properties of the studied D-carbamoylase and D-hydantoinase support further development of a combined biotechnological process for the production of new drugs and peptide hormones.

This comprehensive article explores the intricate responsibilities of executives leading AI projects within the framework of Federal Directives, specifically Executive Order 14110 and Executive Order 14091. The executive role is dissected, covering aspects such as defining leadership in the AI context, historical perspectives, current trends, and challenges in AI project leadership. The article delves into the significance of Federal Directives, particularly Executive Order 14110, which emphasizes safe, secure, and trustworthy AI development, and Executive Order 14091, focusing on racial equity and support for underserved communities. Key provisions of these orders are outlined, including safe AI development, secure AI implementation, trustworthy AI use, and commitments to racial equity. The article also highlights steps that should guide documenting case studies that align with successful AI projects, showcasing compliance with Executive Orders and positive impacts on communities and organizations. The future outlook focuses on anticipating regulatory changes, adapting to evolving ethical standards, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement within AI projects. The conclusion summarizes executive responsibilities, emphasizing the call to action for ethical and inclusive AI leadership, contributing to the positive evolution of AI technologies for societal well-being.

Recovery of forest after logging can be tested in many ways: the presence of particular species of fauna or flora, the similarity of the biodiversity of the recovering forest to that on neighbouring areas of undisturbed forest; or the characteristics of soils and streams whose conditions may have drastically changed during logging. Three cases of rainforest recovery after logging and clearance from Australia and Borneo exhibit different starting and different goals for recovery. Faunal indicators of recovery vary with size and with species dependence of the rainforest. Endemic forest species may have difficulty in recovering. Tree species richness and abundance may recover in two decades, but canopy closure takes longer. Compacted soils may retain low infiltration capacities for many decades. This diversity in recovery rates is confirmed when compared with those used elsewhere. Because the starting points for recovery vary, from damage by tropical cyclones and landslides, to clearance for shifting cultivation, pasture or agriculture, to post-logging conditions, universal indicators may be inappropriate. The desired endpoints of recovery also range from a “wilderness” state to a National Park for human enjoyment, biodiversity preservation, safeguarding rights of traditional forest-dwelling peoples, or a second round of selective logging.

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

The question of molecular similarity is core in cheminformatics, and is usually assessed via a pairwise comparison based on vectors of properties or molecular fingerprints. We recently exploited variational autoencoders to embed 6M molecules in a chemical space, such that their (Euclidean) distance within the latent space so formed could be assessed within the framework of the entire molecular set. However, the standard objective function used did not seek to manipulate the latent space so as to cluster the molecules based on any perceived similarity. Using a set of some 160,000 molecules of biological relevance, we here bring together three modern elements of deep learning to create a novel and disentangled latent space, viz transformers, contrastive learning, and an embedded autoencoder. The effective dimensionality of the latent space was varied such that clear separation of individual types of molecules could be observed within individual dimensions of the latent space. The capacity of the network was such that many dimensions were not populated at all. As before, we assessed the utility of the representation by comparing clozapine with its near neighbours, and did the same for various antibiotics related to flucloxacillin. Transformers, especially when as here coupled with contrastive learning, effectively provide one-shot learning, and lead to a successful and disentangled representation of molecular latent spaces that at once uses the entire training set in their construction while allowing ‘similar’ molecules to cluster together in an effective and interpretable way.

The large areas being targeted for tropical forest restoration as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will have major consequences for the flow of water through landscapes. Whilst the prevailing mantra that ‘more forest implies less streamflow’ remains true in terms of annual water yields, we demonstrate that opportunities for increased tree cover to improve seasonal flow regimes of streams, particularly baseflows, are important. We discuss several potential positive feedbacks of forest restoration on hydrological processes at various scales, including ‘trade-offs’ between changes in vegetation water use and infiltration after foresting degraded land; the recovery of the capacity of vegetation to capture ‘occult’ precipitation in specific coastal and montane settings; and enhanced moisture recycling and transport at various scales. Modelled changes in baseflow after foresting all degraded land climatically capable of carrying forest in the tropics suggested a positive effect in 10% of the land. For an additional 8%, the effect was predicted to be about neutral (<2 mm/y). We conclude that a more positive narrative regarding the relationship between tropical forestation and water availability is justified. It is time for greater involvement of hydrologists and atmospheric scientists in the development and assessment of forest landscape restoration efforts.

This study checked whether vitamin D (Vit-D) supplementation improves the efficacy of resistance training (RT) in terms of increasing muscle strength and lean body mass (LBM) and influencing cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) in Vit-D insufficient middle-aged healthy men. Participants (n = 28) were quasi‐randomly assigned to one of the two groups, which, in a double‐blind manner, supplemented their diet daily with either Vit‐D (8000 IU; VD) or placebo (PLC) during participation in a 12‐week supervised RT program. During the intervention, serum Vit‐D concentrations increased 2.6‐fold (p < 0.001) in the VD group, while no changes occurred in the PLC group. Muscle strength gains (p < 0.001) as measured in seven exercises performed on RT equipment and increases (p < 0.001) in LBM were similar in the two groups. Total fat mass, percent total fat, and percent android fat decreased (p < 0.05) to a similar extent in both groups, but there was no change in VO2max in either group. In conclusion, in healthy Vit‐D insufficient middle-aged men engaged in resistance training, Vit‐D supplementation increases serum 25(OH)D levels but does not enhance gains in muscle strength and LBM or decreases in fat mass and fat percentage and does not affect cardiorespiratory fitness.

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

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

The capabilities of autonomous mobile robotic systems have been steadily improving due to recent advancements in computer science, engineering, and related disciplines such as cognitive science. In controlled environments, autonomous robots have been able to achieve relatively high levels of autonomy. In more unstructured environments, however, the realisation of autonomous mobile robots remains challenging due to limitations in the robots’ external environment understanding. Many autonomous mobile robots use classical, learning-based or hybrid approaches for navigation. The classical navigation approach typically includes robot perception, localisation, environmental mapping, path planning and motion control stages. More recent learning-based methods may replace the complete navigation pipeline or selected stages of the classical approach. For effective deployment, autonomous robots need to be able to understand their external environments at a sophisticated level according to their intended applications. Therefore, in addition to robot perception, scene analysis and higher-level scene understanding (e.g., traversable/non-traversable, and rough or smooth terrain) are required for autonomous robot navigation in unstructured outdoor environments. A wide number of alternative approaches have been proposed in recent years to attempt to address these scene understanding requirements. This paper provides a comprehensive review and critical analysis of these methods in the context of their applications to the problems of robot perception and scene understanding in unstructured environments, and the related problems of localisation, environment mapping and path planning. State-of-the-art sensor fusion methods and multimodal scene understanding approaches are also discussed and evaluated within this context. The paper concludes with an in-depth discussion regarding the current state of the autonomous ground robot navigation challenge in unstructured outdoor environments and the most promising future research directions to overcome these challenges.

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

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a comorbidity of a variety of other chronic, inflammatory diseases for which fibrinaloid microclots are a known accompaniment (and in some cases a cause, with a mechanistic basis). Clots are, of course, a well-known consequence of atrial fibrillation. We here ask the question as to whether the fibrinaloid microclots seen in plasma or serum may in fact also be a cause of (or contributor to) the development of AF. We consider known ‘risk factors’ for AF, and in particular exogenous stimuli such as infection and air pollution by particulates, both of which are known to cause AF. The external accompaniments of both bacterial (lipopolysaccharide and lipoteichoic acids) and viral (SARS-CoV-2 spike protein) infections are known to stimulate fibrinaloid microclots when added in vitro, and fibrinaloid microclots are cytotoxic by inducing hypoxia/reperfusion and other means. Strokes and thromboembolisms are also common consequences of AF. Consequently, taking a systems approach, we suggest that it is likely that microclots may well have an aetiological role in the development of AF. This has significant mechanistic and therapeutic implications.

Soil water loss by evaporation influences the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of irrigation drainage water. Evaporation concentrates sodium and magnesium but calcite precipitation has a more complicated effect on soluble calcium and alkalinity. Here we propose a revised sodicity hazard assessment that quantifies the impact of evaporative water loss and calcite precipitation on drainage water SAR. This paper shows sodicity hazard is determined by the initial composition of irrigation water as originally suggested by previous researchers, and provide a simple, accurate way to identify the potential sodicity hazard of any irrigation water. In particular, the initial equivalent concentration of alkalinity and calcium determine the salinization pathway followed during evaporation. If the irrigation water alkalinity exceeds soluble calcium expressed as equivalent concentrations, drainage water SAR approaches an upper limit determined by the initial relative concentration of sodium and magnesium. If irrigation water alkalinity is less than soluble calcium, drainage water SAR approaches a lower limit determined by the initial calcium, magnesium and sodium. In both cases the SAR is scaled by the square root of the concentration factor √Fc quantifying soil water loss. To assess the impact of evaporation and calcite precipitation on the SAR and test the accuracy of the new sodicity hazard assessment, we evaluated data from previously published lysimeter studies. We plotted water composition boundaries for each source water, comparing these boundaries to the drainage water composition recorded in the lysimeter studies. As salinity increased by evaporation, each drainage water followed a distinct salinization path.

For very first time, we report the synthesis of 8-(2-methoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-(1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)quinoline 1. This was achieved in several steps, including usage of Suzuki reaction for functionalization of 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)quinoline moiety. The new compound exhibits blue fluorescence. Its structure was confirmed with 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, IR-spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry and X-ray analysis.

Dairy farming dates to the early Neolithic era in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Over time, the industry has evolved from small ranches and farmhouses milk processing units to large, intensive dairy farms and big, high-tech processing units. Despite the industry’s contribution to the economy and food production, multiple studies have tainted cattle farming as a main contributor to climate change. This study explores literature in dairy farming and sustainable development goals (SDGs) to identify current scholarly developments since the formulation and adoption of SDGs in 2015 and themes for future research. This paper argues that dairy animals are not the source of sustainability shortfalls as depicted by multiple scholarly articles, but human processes associated with dairy farming. Data was analyzed using R package, Excel, NVIVO, and VoS Viewer. A review of literature shows that dairy farming and its contribution to sustainability has gained more intensive scientific interest since 2015. Moreover, livestock management, feed production and management, stakeholder’s management, logistics and supply chain management, and waste management are the sources of environmental adversities associated with dairy farming. Notably, these are human processes developed from commercialization of dairy farming and involve multiple stakeholders across the supply chain. While solutions are embedded within these processes, innovation emerges as a key driver of sustainability and source of opportunities to strengthen sustainability in dairy farming sector and achieve the sustainable development goals.

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

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

The expression of the oncogene zinc-finger protein 217 (ZNF217) has been reported to play a central role in cancer development, resistance, and recurrence. Therefore, targeting ZNF217 has been proposed as a possible strategy to fight cancer, making necessary to discover novel com-pounds. The present work aims to characterize the chemopreventive properties of cucurbitacin D , a compound with a broad range of anticancer effectsin relation to the ZNF217 expression. Different cucurbitacins were isolated from the Vietnamese plant Elaeocarpus hainanensis. The purified compounds were tested on nucleophosmin-mutated acute myeloid leukemia and other hematology cancer to study their effects on viability, apoptosis, cell cycle and on the expression of ZNF217. Cucurbitacin D reduced the number of acute myeloid leukemia cells by increasing apoptosis and blocking cell cycle progression. It also significantly decreased ZNF217 expression but only in the OCI-AML3 Nucleophosmin-mutated cell line, but not in other hematologic cancers. The reduction in ZNF217 expression contributed significantly to the blocking of cell cycle progression but not to apoptosis as established by the silencing of the same gene. The obtained results suggest Cucurbitacin D as a promising molecule to target the mutated Nu-cleophosmin or its pathway in acute myeloid leukemia cells, although further studies are needed for in depth investigatiion of its specificity.

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

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

Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a complex and debilitating condition that impacts millions of people globally. Although various treatment options exist, their effectiveness is often limited, and they can be accompanied by significant side effects. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) as a potential therapeutic approach to alleviate different types of neuropathic pain. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive examination of NMDAR antagonists, specifically ketamine, memantine, methadone, amantadine, carbamazepine, valproic acid, phenytoin, dextromethorphan, riluzole, and levorphanol, in the management of NeP. By analyzing and summarizing current preclinical and clinical studies, this review seeks to evaluate the efficacy of these pharmacologic agents in providing adequate relief for NeP.

Free Floating Car Sharing (FFCS) services are a flexible alternative to car ownership. These transportation services show highly dynamic usage both over different hours of the day, and across different city areas. In this work, we study the problem of predicting FFCS demand patterns -- a problem of great importance to an adequate provisioning of the service. We tackle both the prediction of the demand i) over time and ii) over space. We rely on months of real FFCS rides in Vancouver, which constitute our ground truth. We enrich this data with detailed socio-demographic information obtained from large open-data repositories to predict usage patterns. Our aim is to offer a thorough comparison of several machine learning algorithms in terms of accuracy and easiness of training, and to assess the effectiveness of current state-of-art approaches to address the prediction problem. Our results show that it is possible to predict the future usage with relative errors down to 10%, and the spatial prediction can be estimated with relative errors of about 40%. Our study also uncovered the socio-demographic features that most strongly correlate with FFCS usage, providing interesting insights for providers opening service in new regions.

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

Studies have demonstrated the critical role that safety plays in preserving favourable working conditions in the construction industry, which is necessary to accomplish goals. The aim of this research was to inform stakeholders in the construction industry in developing nations about the value of safety and possible strategies for influencing their opinions regarding safety protocols. The importance of safety to the construction sector, which is crucial to the advancement of the country, has also been emphasized. However, due to a lack of adequate safety understanding among stakeholders in the construction sector, the construction industry is characterized by a great deal of instability and hazard. To determine what factors, affect productive working conditions in the construction production, this study examined safety. A conceptual framework for safe working conditions in the construction sector was developed by considering several aspects, including the person dimension, environment factor, safety behaviour, organization features, technology, and incentives. It is now imperative to bring in these dimensions to improve the safe working conditions in the construction industry, particularly in the developing countries. By putting these safety factors into practice, the construction industry can reduce safety risks, lower the number of accidents and fatalities, cut expenses related to subpar safety performance, safeguard the reputation of construction companies, boost employee morale and satisfaction with their work, enhanced employee retention, reduced absenteeism, and enhanced sustainability goals. Additionally, the proposed conceptual framework is assured to be new and to be widely accepted in the developing nations. Based on this assumption the conceptual framework is designed.

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

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

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

Ulcerative colitis has a significant impact on the quality of life for the patients, and can substantially increase the risk of colon cancer in patients suffering long-term. Conventional treatments provide only modest relief paired with a high risk of side effects, while complementary and alternative medicines can offer safe and effective options. Over the past decade, we have shown that American ginseng has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can suppress mouse colitis and prevent colitis associated colon cancer. With the goal of isolating a single active compound, we further fractionated the hexane fraction, and found the most abundant molecule in this fraction was the polyacetylene, Panaxynol. After isolating and characterizing Panaxynol, we tested the efficacy of Panaxynol in the treatment and prevention of colitis in mice and studied the mechanism of action. We demonstrate here that Panaxynol effectively treats colitis in a Dextran Sulfate Sodium mouse model by targeting macrophages for DNA damage and apoptosis. Positive outcomes from this study could take American ginseng one-step further towards becoming a conventional drug for the treatment of colitis, and possibility exploring other autoimmune diseases associated with macrophage dysfunction.

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

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

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

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

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

Peripheral tissue metabolism of steroids (intracrinology) is now accepted as a key way in which tissues, such as the endometrium, can utilize inactive steroids present in the blood to respond to local physiological demands and ‘fine-tune’ the activation or inhibition of steroid hormone receptor-dependent processes. Expression of enzymes that play a critical role in activation and inactivation of bioactive oestrogens (E1, E2) and androgens (A4, T, DHT), as well as expression of steroid hormone receptors, has been detected in endometrial tissues and cells recovered during the menstrual cycle. There is robust evidence that increased expression of aromatase is important for creating a local microenvironment that can support a pregnancy. Measurement of intra-tissue concentrations of steroids using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry has been important in advancing our understanding of a role for androgens in the endometrium acting both as active ligands for the androgen receptor and as substrates for oestrogen biosynthesis. The emergence of intracrinology, associated with disordered expression of key enzymes such as aromatase, in the aetiology of common women’s health disorders such as endometriosis and endometrial cancer has prompted renewed interest in development of drugs targeting these pathways opening up new opportunities for targeted therapies and precision medicine.

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

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

Structural Units (SU) is a novel unit system, proposed as compatible to the International System of Units (SI), rooted in Spacetime Structure. Unlike SI, which evolved over history without a fixed reference frame, SU defines one Structural Unit as the space and time between two vertices in the Spacetime Structure. This perspective offers a unique viewpoint, where space and time units are proportionate. This correlation results in Natural constants being expressible through algebraic relationships involving the pure numbers π, φ (the Golden ratio), and α (the Fine Structure constant), not only simplifying Fundamental constants but also introducing a harmonious integration of geometric concepts. In contrast, SI currently relies on fixed values for seven constants derived from CODATA. It's crucial for Structural Units to seamlessly integrate with the existing International System of Units, proposing a theoretical framework, hitherto nonexistent, for the values of the various Fundamental Constants that have been experimentally obtained in our scientific endeavor. To ensure compatibility, the four Planck Units, (length, mass, time, and temperature), introduced by Max Planck in 1899, will be recalculated in SU and then converted back to SI using dimensional analysis. Additionally, to further validate this compatibility, we will examine the Schwarzschild radius from Relativity, the photon energy from Quantum Mechanics, and propose a new interpretation of the Uncertainty Principle under the SU framework. This potential harmonization of geometry and Natural constants in SU could offer a deeper understanding of the inherent order in the fabric of the Universe.

Public goods are produced at all levels of the biological hierarchy, from the secretion of diffusible molecules by cells to social interactions in humans. However, the cooperation needed to produce public goods is vulnerable to exploitation by free-riders — the Tragedy of the Commons. The dominant solutions to this problem of collective action are that some form of positive assortment (due to kinship or spatial structure) or enforcement (reward and punishment) is necessary for public-goods cooperation to evolve and be maintained. However, these solutions are only needed when individual contributions to the public good accrue linearly, and the assumption of linearity is never true in biology. We explain how cooperation for nonlinear public goods is maintained endogenously and does not require positive-assortment or enforcement mechanisms, and we review the considerable empirical evidence for the existence and maintenance of nonlinear public goods in microbiology, cancer biology, and behavioral ecology. We argue that it is time to move beyond discussions about assortment and enforcement in the study of cooperation in biology.

In order for robots to attain more general-purpose utility, grasping is a necessary skill to master. Such general-purpose robots may use their perception abilities in order to visually identify grasps for a given object. A grasp describes how a robotic end-effector can be arranged on top of an object to securely grab it between the robotic gripper and successfully lift it without slippage. Traditionally, grasp detection requires expert human knowledge to analytically form the task-specific algorithm, but this is an arduous and time-consuming approach. During the last five years, deep learning methods have enabled significant advancements in robotic vision, natural language processing, and automated driving applications. The successful results of these methods have driven robotics researchers to explore the application of deep learning methods in task generalised robotic applications. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art in regards to the application of deep learning methods to generalised robotic grasping and discusses how each element of the deep learning approach has improved the overall performance of robotic grasp detection. A number of the most promising approaches are evaluated and the most successful for grasp detection is identified as the one-shot detection method. The availability of suitable volumes of appropriate training data is identified as a major obstacle for effective utilisation of the deep learning approaches, and the use of transfer learning techniques is identified as a potential mechanism to address this. Finally, current trends in the field and future potential research directions are discussed.

The risk classification of barrier lake is the key to conducting emergency treatment in a scientific manner. Such difficulties are faced as short time for risk evaluation, complex evaluation indicators, difficulty in obtaining information quickly and quantifying index weights. Based on this, this paper constructs a quantitative risk classification model for barrier lakes based on D-AHP. On the basis of studies on nearly 100 cases of barrier lakes, an 8-factor evaluation index system and quantitative classification are proposed. The methods of rapid calculation of reservoir capacity curve of barrier lake and intelligent identification of particles on the surface of barrier body were developed, which realized the rapid acquisition of 8-factor evaluation index information in emergency environment. The D-AHP method dealt with inconsistent weight assignment to evaluation factors by experts, which helped achieve weight quantification of 8 factors. The risk assessment on15 barrier lakes such as Tangjiashan barrier lake show that the conclusion drawn with risk classification method proposed in this paper is basically consistent with that of the traditional table-lookup method. However, the table-lookup method ignores cumulative loss’s impacts on the risk level of barrier lakes, and considers the extremely severe loss of barrier lakes as a sufficient condition for the evaluation level to be grade I, and thus a deviation in the evaluation. The risk classification method proposed in this paper is more reasonable and reliable.

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

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is concerning issue due to its direct and indirect repercusions on public health, since decreased therapeutic effect of certain antibiotic to treatment complications that can cause death. There are several mechanism as to how ABR can be transferred from one microoorganisms to another, and many of them are dependant many environmental factors. The food supply chain is a environment in which ABR gene transfer can occur is multiple pathways, which generate concerns regarding food safety. Here, we summarize relevant mechanisms which are implied in ABR in food supply chain but also we are addressing routes of transmission and prevalence of ABR, implications on public health, and the application of new alternatives to antibiotics such as antimicrobial peptides, mainly bacteriocins, in order to countermeasure ABR.

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

Vitamin D and iron deficiencies are the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies among women of reproductive age (WRA) in Morocco. Recent studies suggest that Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) may reduce iron bioavailability necessary for erythropoiesis, potentially leading to iron deficiency (ID) and anemia. This study investigates the association between vitamin D status, iron levels, and anemia risk among Moroccan WRA aged 18-49 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 463 participants. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, blood count parameters, iron, ferritin, C-reactive protein, and creatinine were measured. Lifestyle factors, including dietary intake, sun exposure, and physical activity, were evaluated using validated questionnaires, and anthropometric data were collected. Linear and logistic regression models assessed the relationships between variables, while Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated the predictive accuracy of VDD for ID and anemia. VDD (25(OH)D &lt; 20 ng/ml) was significantly associated with lower levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells, and ferritin (all p &lt; 0.01), suggesting a role of vitamin D in erythropoiesis and iron storage. Multivariate logistic regression showed that VDD increased the risk of anemia (OR: 7.17, 95% CI: 3.19-19.28, p &lt; 0.001), ID (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.32-3.77, p = 0.007), and IDA (OR: 4.10, 95% CI: 1.73-12.08, p = 0.004). Dietary iron intake was inadequate among all participants, with minimal protective effect against anemia and ID (β(SE): -0.08(0.03), p = 0.030 and β(SE): -0.05(0.02), p=0.037 respectively). ROC analysis demonstrated moderate discriminative power for VDD in diagnosing IDA and anemia (AUC: 0.643 and 0.603) but reduced accuracy for ID (AUC: 0.575). This study identifies VDD as a significant risk factor for impaired iron status and anemia among Moroccan WRA, underscoring the need for targeted nutritional interventions and further research to explore effective prevention strategies.

CD4+ T cells orchestrate and regulate immunity within jawed vertebrates, yet our understanding of their evolution, development, and cellular physiology has only begun to be unearthed in the past few decades. Discoveries of genetic diseases that ablate this cellular population have provided insight into their critical functions while transcriptomics, proteomics, and highresolution microscopy have recently revealed new insights into CD4+ T cell anatomy and physiology. This article compiles historical, microscopic, and multi omics data which can be used as a reference atlas to dissect cellular physiology within these influential cells and further understand pathologies like HIV infection that inflict human CD4+ T cells.

Background: Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) have shown efficacy in delivering adequate oxygen for various patient scenarios; however, there is a lack of research on POCs’ efficacy across different respiratory rates specifically among COPD patients. Methods: This bench study was conducted using the IngMar Medical Active Servo Lung 5000 attached to flexible tubing, which simulated an adult patient’s nares. An oxygen analyzer (Maxtec Handi+) was connected to the tubing 6 inches below the nares to estimate the inspired oxygen concentration at the adult trachea. A standard nasal cannula was placed in the simulated patient nares, which was also attached to each POC. The IngMar Lung was programmed to simulate a COPD patient at the following respiratory rates: 15, 20, 30, and 40 breaths/min. POC devices were then compared to an oxygen wall outlet and a standard oxygen concentrator (non-portable CAIRE device). The POCs included the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort (with Autosat), CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort (without Autosat), Inogen G4, Inogen G5, Phillips SimplyGo Mini, GCE Zen-O lite, Drive Medical iGo2, and Kingon POCs. Descriptive statistics and ANOVAs were computed to determine statistically significant differences between POCS and control devices (wall oxygen and standalone oxygen concentrator). Results: Across most respiratory rate scenarios, the wall oxygen and standalone oxygen concentrator (control group) resulted higher oxygen measurements compared to the POCs. Among the POCs on setting 2, the highest oxygen measurement for 15, 30, and 40 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort with AutoSat on sensitivity 5 (24.43%, 24.81%, and 25.0%, respectively). On setting 2, the 20 breaths/min highest oxygen measurement was the Inogen G4 (24.43%). For setting 5, the highest oxygen measurement for 15 breaths/min and 40 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort without AutoSat (31.56% and 26.13%, respectively), while the highest oxygen measurement for 20 breaths/min was the Inogen G5 (30.26%), and the highest oxygen measurement for 30 breaths/min was the CAIRE FreeStyle Comfort with AutoSat on sensitivity level 5 (27.89%). Conclusions: The oxygen administered through the wall and the standalone CAIRE oxygen concentrator all delivered higher oxygen levels compared to the POCs (with the exception of the 40 breaths/min scenario on setting 2). However, among the POCs, the CAIRE Freestyle Comfort with AutoSat, CAIRE Freestyle Comfort without AutoSat, and the Inogen G4 all performed the best among the various breathing rate scenarios.

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

Understanding the pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is critical for advancing treatment options. This review explores the novel hypothesis that herpesviruses' infection of endothelial cells (ECs) may underlie ME/CFS symptomatology. We review evidence linking herpesviruses to persistent EC infection and the implications for endothelial dysfunction, encompassing blood flow regulation, coagulation, and cognitive impairment – symptoms consistent with ME/CFS and Long COVID. The paper provides a synthesis of current research on herpesvirus latency and reactivation, detailing the impact on ECs and subsequent systemic complications, including latent modulation and long-term maladaptation. We suggest that the chronicity of ME/CFS symptoms and the multisystemic nature of the disease may be partly attributable to herpesvirus-induced endothelial maladaptation. Our conclusions underscore the necessity for further investigation into the prevalence and load of herpesvirus infection within ECs of ME/CFS patients. This review offers a conceptual advance by proposing an endothelial infection model as a systemic mechanism contributing to ME/CFS, steering future research towards potentially unexplored avenues in understanding and treating this complex syndrome.

Integral atmospheric dispersion models are used widely for flammable hazard and its risk analysis. There is a widespread belief that flammable distances from these models are conservative when flammable ranges are calculated using the 0.5 lower flammability limits (LFL) concentration threshold. This is erroneous. This paper traces through the development of these models and the research that led to the Birch Guidance. It shows that the 0.5 LFL is a necessary factor to transform the results of dispersion models designed for environmental assessment to applications to flammable hazard assessment in quiescent conditions. Current applications do not take account of turbulence due to wind, large and small obstructions, etc. A set of simple guidance is given in the paper to manage flammable hazards based on results from atmospheric dispersion models, including topics for future research.

Background: Renal cancers are among the top ten causes of cancer-specific mortality, of which the ccRCC subtype is responsible for most cases. The grading of ccRCC is important in determining tumour aggressiveness and clinical management. Objectives: The objectives of this research were to predict the WHO/ISUP grade of ccRCC pre-operatively and characterise the heterogeneity of tumour sub-regions using radiomics and ML models, including comparison with pre-operative biopsy-determined grading in a sub-group. Methods: Data were obtained from multiple institutions across two countries, including 391 patients with pathologically proven ccRCC. For analysis, the data were separated into four cohorts. Cohorts 1 and 2 included data from the respective institutions from the two countries, cohort 3 was the combined data from both cohort 1 and 2, and cohort 4 was a subset of cohort 1, for which both the biopsy and subsequent histology from resection (partial or total nephrectomy) were available. 3D image segmentation was carried out to derive a voxel of interest (VOI) mask. Radiomics features were then extracted from the contrast-enhanced images, and the data were normalised. The Pearson correlation coefficient and the XGBoost model were used to reduce the dimensionality of the features. Thereafter, 11 ML algorithms were implemented for the purpose of predicting the ccRCC grade and characterising the heterogeneity of sub-regions in the tumours. Results: For cohort 1, the 50% tumour core and 25% tumour periphery exhibited the best performance, with an average AUC of 77.9% and 78.6%, respectively. The 50% tumour core presented the highest performance in cohorts 2 and 3, with average AUC values of 87.6% and 76.9%, respectively. With the 25% periphery, cohort 4 showed AUC values of 95.0% and 80.0% for grade prediction when using internal and external validation, respectively, while biopsy histology had an AUC of 31.0% for the classification with the final grade of resection histology as a reference standard. The CatBoost classifier was the best for each of the four cohorts with an average AUC of 80.0%, 86.5%, 77.0% and 90.3% for cohorts 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Conclusion: Radiomics signatures combined with ML have the potential to predict the WHO/ISUP grade of ccRCC with superior performance, when compared to pre-operative biopsy. Moreover, tumour sub-regions contain useful information that should be analysed independently when determining the tumour grade. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish the grade of ccRCC pre-operatively to improve patient care and management.

Accurately predicting the power of solar power generation can greatly reduce the impact of the randomness and volatility of power generation on the stability of the power grid system, which is beneficial for the balanced operation and optimized dispatch of the power grid system, and reduces operating costs. Solar PV power generation depends on weather conditions, which are prone to large fluctuations under different weather conditions. Its power generation is characterized by randomness, volatility and intermittency. Recently, the demand for further investigation and effective use on the uncertainty of short-term solar PV power generation prediction has been getting increasing attention in many application of renewable energy sources. In order to improve the predictive accuracy of output power of solar PV power generation and develop a precise predictive model, the authors worked predictive algorithms for the output power of a solar PV power generation system. Moreover, since short-term solar PV power forecasting is one of the important aspects for optimizing the operation and control of renewable energy systems and electricity markets, this review focuses on the predictive models of solar PV power generation, which can be verified in the daily planning and operation of a smart grid system. In addition, the predictive methods in the reviewed literature are classified according to the input data source used for accurate predictive models, and the case studies and examples proposed are analyzed in detail. The contributions, advantages and disadvantages of the predictive probabilistic methods are compared. Finally, the future studies of short-term solar PV power forecasting is proposed.

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

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

Background: Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) is a neuropsychological tool used in clinical practice to measure executive function in clinical and non-clinical populations, in individuals aged 8-89 years, and consists of nine subtests that can be administered either as a single system or separately. Aims: In the present study, were established norms for the Verbal Fluency Test as well as the Design Fluency Test of the D-KEFS in a Greek population aged 20 to 49 years, since there is no previous study conducted in Greece for these age clusters. Methods: The study sample consisted of 100 healthy adults (44.4% male and 55.6% female), aged 20 to 49 years (M=32.81 SD=11.04) with education from 12 to 18 years (M=14.73, SD= .91). First, Spearman and Pearson tests explored the associations of gender, age and education with D-KEFS subtests’ performance. Afterwards, we calculated normative data using raw scores and transformed to percentile scores. Results: The present study is the first attempt to calculate norms for the two fluency subtests of the D-KEFS in Greek adult population stratified by age and educational level. Conclusion: Future research will promote the use of D-KEFS, in order to introduce a widely used tool which measures all basic executive functions subtypes for Greek adult population. Given that the majority of neuropsychological tools are adapted for older adult population, the current study aims at filling the gap in neuropsychological assessment of young adults as well as those who have co existing neurological or psychiatric disorders.

Background/Objectives: The global burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing at an alarming rate. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in MASLD patients, therefore, the therapeutic interventions for MASLD should improve coronary risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia, in addition to improving liver function. The evidence on effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) which have beneficial pharmacological properties for MASLD, especially the long-term effects, on the progression of MASLD in Asian population is very limited. Methods: The retrospective longitudinal study was performed by using the medical records at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Kohnodai Hospital, Japan. We picked up patients with type 2 diabetes who had taken SGLT2is for at least 3 years or longer between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2018. We collected the data on metabolic parameters, including blood tests and anthropometric parameters, and compared the data before and after the initiation of SGLT2is treatment. Results: During the observation period, 324 patients had taken SGLT2is for 3 years. The 3-year-SGLT2is treatment significantly reduced body weight, hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and significantly increased HDL-C. Furthermore, this treatment significantly improved liver function and the markers for hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis. Conclusions: Considering that the development of CVD determines the prognosis of MASLD patients, the long-term SGLT2is treatment may be an ideal therapy for MASLD patients.

We recently demonstrated the effectiveness of long-term treatment with rifaximin and the probiotic VSL#3 at improving urogenital and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with both chronic inflammatory prostatitis (IIIa prostatitis) and diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), relative to patients with IBS-D alone. Because low-grade inflammation of the intestine and prostate may be one of the reasons for co-developing both IIIa prostatitis and IBS-D, we designed the present study to once again evaluate the efficacy of combined rifaximin and VSL#3 treatment in patients affected by IIIa prostatitis plus IBS-D, but we also measured seminal plasma pro-inflammatory (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines before and after treatment. We consecutively enrolled 124 patients with IIIa prostatitis and IBS-D (diagnosed using the Rome III criteria). Patients were randomized into two groups: group A (n=64) was treated with rifaximin (seven days per month for three months) followed by VSL#3, and group B (n=60) was treated with a placebo. At the beginning of the study and after three months of treatment, all patients completed NIH-CPSI and IBS-SSS questionnaires to score the severity of their urogenital and gastrointestinal symptoms, and we measured seminal plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 using ELISA. We defined patients who improved following the treatment as those with a ≥6-point reduction in their NIH-CPSI score or ≥50-point reduction in their IBS-SSS score. By the end of the intervention, 68.7% and 62.5% of patients from group A reported improved NIH-CPSI and IBS-SSS scores, respectively, compared to only 3.3% and 5% of the placebo group. Group A patients also had significantly lower mean seminal plasma levels of IL-6 (11.3 vs 32.4 pg/mL) and significantly higher mean levels of IL-10 (7.9 vs 4.4 pg/mL) relative to baseline, whereas levels of IL-6 and Il-10 did not change in the placebo group. The co-occurrence of two clinical phenotypes (IBS-D plus IIIa prostatitis) result in increased intestinal inflammation and altered immune activation, both of which can be balanced by treatment with rifaximin and VSL#3.

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

Surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) belong to the collectin subfamily of C-type oligomeric lectins. They are pattern-recognition molecules (PRM), able to recognise pathogen- or dan-ger-associated molecular patterns (PAMP, DAMP) in the presence of Ca2+ cations. That property enables opsonisation or agglutination of non-self or altered/abnormal self-cells, and contributes to their clearance. Like other collectins, SP-A and SP-D are characterised by the presence of four distinct domains: a cysteine-rich domain (at N-terminus), a collagen-like region, an α-helical neck domain and a globular carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) (at C-terminus). Pulmonary sur-factant is a lipoprotein complex, preventing alveolar collapse by reducing surface tension at the air-liquid interface. SP-A and SP-D, produced by type II alveolar epithelial cells, and Clara cells, are not only pattern-recognition molecules but also contribute to the surfactant structure and homeo-stasis. Moreover, they are expressed in a variety of extrapulmonary sites where they are involved in local immunity. The term “cancer” includes a variety of diseases: tumours start from uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in any tissue which may further spread to other sites of the body. Many cancers are incurable, difficult to diagnose and often fatal. This short review summarises anti- and pro-tumourigenic associations of SP-A and SP-D as well as perspectives of their usefulness in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin D’s effect on risk health outcomes is often evaluated using prospective cohort studies. Risk ratios (RRs; e.g., hazard ratios or odds ratios) are determined for incidence for participants with baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations below or above specified values. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations vary over time, thereby diluting the effect of 25(OH)D for long follow-up periods. Inverse relationships between RR and follow-up period have been reported for all-cause mortality rate and cancer incidence rates. Here I evaluate the effect for neurological outcomes. Methods: I analyzed how follow-up period affected results from 10 cohort studies of all-cause dementia, 6 studies of Alzheimer’s disease, and 9 for cognitive impairment with respect to vitamin D deficiency. Results: For all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive impairment, respectively, the linear regression fits are RR = 2.9 – 0.14 × years, r = 0.73, p = 0.02; RR = 2.9 – 0.14 × years, r = 0.69, p = 0.13; and RR = 1.8 – 0.066 × years, r = 0.72, p = 0.03. The regression fit to RR for the shortest follow-up period for each outcome is considered the best estimate of vitamin D deficiency’s effect on risk. Those values are approximately twice that found by averaging all RRs without considering the effect of follow-up period. Conclusions: Vitamin D’s effect on risk of neurological conditions should be determined with relatively short follow-up periods after repeated 25(OH)D measurements as warranted during follow-up.

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

Background: This study was designed to adapt the Delis-Kaplan Executive System (D-KEFS) version of the Color-Word Interference (CWIT) and Trail making Tests (TMT) in Greek adult population from 20 to 49 years old, since it is of research as well as clinical importance to detect executive functions’ impairment in young adults with neurological or/and psychiatric conditions. Aims: Norms for the Greek adult population have been calculated to be available for neuropsychologists and health professionals who work in relevant settings. Methods: The study sample consisted of 101 healthy adults (41% male and 60% female), aged 20 to 49 years (M=32.16, SD=11.57) with education from 12 to 19 years of schooling (M=14.51, SD= .89). Pearson correlation test as well as chi square test were conducted to examine potential associations between gender, age, education, and participants’ performance. Afterwards, we calculated normative data using raw scores and transformed them to percentile scores. Finally, Greek norms were compared to the original raw scores, which were transformed in scaled scores by Delis et al. (2001). Results: The findings showed that age was the only variable which affected CWIT, whereas level of education as well as age were predictive factors for most TMT conditions, except for the visual scanning test (Condition 1). Gender did not affect both tests. Finally, D-KEFS norms for CWIT and TMT are available for Greek adult population to help clinicians detect executive functions’ deficits and therefore adjust tailored therapeutic strategies. Additionally, it is of great importance to use these tests for research purposes. Conclusion: Given that executive functions are assumed as high- level skills, which are highly related to everyday functionality, adapted tests contribute not only to assess the progression of any existing neurological as well as psychiatric disorders, but they can also be used to evaluate patients’ ability to live independently, as well as their access to work.

Wang et al. (Nature 623, 340—350; 2023)¹ used satellite observations and phenological signatures to estimate the extent of planted rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Müll.Arg.) and associated deforestation for eight Southeast Asian countries. Their map implies that planted rubber has caused more than 4 Mha of deforestation since 1993 — a value greater than previously assumed. Unfortunately, their approach was flawed. Our assessment indicates that the actual extent of planted rubber is approximately half that reported by Wang et al., while the extent of associated deforestation is approximately one quarter.

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

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

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

In India, the divorce rate is rising year after year. Divorces are thought to have increased by more than a factor of two during the past two decades. India has great cultural diversity, and each of its states has something unique to offer. The divorce rate in India, which differs from state to state, is among the most frequently discussed subjects. More than 30% of marriages end in divorce in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore. Divorce applications have nearly tripled in the past few years in cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Lucknow. In India, the divorce rate has increased, especially in small cities. Hence, the reasons behind divorce in India were explored in this article. In order to analyze the causes of divorce, the current study aimed to combine the critical components of TOPSIS and COPRAS methodologies in a fuzzy environment. Additionally, it is shown that a comparison study may pinpoint the characteristics that influence divorces the most.

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

Background and Objectives. To examine trends in the links between induced abortion and subsequent mental health problems for U.S. women approaching completed fertility. Materials and Methods. Panel data on a nationally-representative cohort of 3,842 ever-pregnant women assessed at mean ages of 15, 22, 28 and 37 years from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were examined for pregnancy outcome-related mental health disorders, with extensive adjustment for confounders including sociodemographic dif-ferences, mental health history, and unwanted pregnancies. Outcomes were defined using pub-lished diagnostic criteria or validated index for depression, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide ideation (affective problems); alcohol abuse, drug abuse, opioid abuse, and cannabis abuse (substance abuse problems); and summary counts of affective problems, substance abuse problems and total disorders. Results were adjusted for abortion under-reporting using cross-wave analysis. Results. The relative risk of mental health disorder with exposure to induced abortion followed an inverted “V” pattern as women aged to midlife, increasing from Wave III (age 22; IRR 1.41) to Wave IV (age 28; IRR 1.67), then dropping sharply by Wave V (age 37; IRR 1.20). The population at-tributable fraction of mental health disorder due to abortion dropped from 18.1% at Wave IV to 8.0% at Wave V. Unlike previous Waves, at Wave V mental health risk was more strongly reduced by exposure to childbirth (IRR 0.70, 95% CI .63, .78, p < .001). Reduced relative metrics at Wave V were not due to reduced prevalence of mental health disorders for ever-aborting women, which increased from Wave IV to Wave V by 1.7%, but increased much more, by 20.5%, for never-aborting women. Conclusion. At midlife approaching completed fertility, differential negative psychological out-comes for ever-aborting U.S. women remained elevated but reduced from younger ages.

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

Analysis of the demographic, temporal and seasonal distribution of hantavirus infections in Barbados was conducted using national surveillance data for 861 laboratory confirmed cases during 2008-2016. The crude incidence rate of hantavirus infections varied from 5.05 to 100.16 per 100,000 persons per year. One major hantavirus epidemic occurred in Barbados during 2010. Hantavirus cases occurred throughout the year with low level transmission during the dry season (December to June) with increased transmission during rainy season (July to November) and a seasonal peak in August. Hantavirus incidence rates were significantly higher in females than males every year during the study period. More than 50% of hantavirus cases were 30 years of age or less. The highest incidence rate (63.36 cases per 100,000 population) was observed among patients 0–4 years of age. This represents the first epidemiological data for hantavirus disease among an entire population in the English-speaking Caribbean.

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

TGF-β signaling transduces immunosuppressive biochemical and mechanical signals in the tumor microenvironment. In addition to canonical SMAD signaling, TGF-β can promote tumor growth and survival by inhibiting proinflammatory signaling and extracellular matrix remodeling. In this article, we will review how TAK1 activation lies at the intersection of proinflammatory signaling by immune receptors and anti-inflammatory signaling by TGF-β receptors. Additionally, we will discuss the role of TGF-β in the mechanobiology of cancer. Understanding how TGF-β dampens proinflammatory responses and induces pro-survival mechanical signals throughout cancer development will be critical in designing therapeutics which inhibit tumor progression while bolstering the immune response.

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

The Jakarta LARP community, established in March 2020 and primarily active in Gelora Bung Karno, fosters inclusivity, diversity, and physical role-playing activities. It adheres to a policy of excluding ultra-nationalist ideologies and integrates new members despite language barriers. Bruhn (2011) defines this kind of community sharing the same goals, values, and lifestyles, while McMillan & Chavis (1986) outline four aspects of the sense of community.The research discovered that communities endure by utilizing solidarity built on the basis of their peculiarities. This study employed ethnographic methods alongside grounded research to identify the community's culture and their efforts to sustain and utilize it as community solidarity.

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

Vitamin D deficiencies are very common in pregnant women, raising concerns about adverse health outcomes in children. This issue has hardly been studied in multiple pregnancies, the prevalence of which has been steadily increasing. Therefore, our study investigated the relationship between newborns’ anthropometric parameters and the concentration of 25(OH)D in maternal blood of women with twin pregnancies and umbilical cord blood. The study included 50 women who gave birth after the 36th week of twin gestation. 25(OH)D was determined in maternal blood collected during the antenatal period and in the umbilical cord blood of 100 newborns. Anthropometric parameters of the newborns (birth weight, length, head and chest circumference) were obtained from hospital records. Data on nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy were collected from the patients during an interview conducted by a dietitian. No relationship between maternal and neonatal cord blood vitamin D concentrations and any of the anthropometric parameters of the newborns was found. However, only 6% of the mothers and 13% of the newborns had vitamin D deficiency (≤20 ng/mL). The type of pregnancy and maternal height were the main factors associated with neonatal size. Newborns from dichorionic pregnancies were on average 202 g heavier (p<0.001) and 1 cm longer (p=0.006) than newborns from monochorionic pregnancies. Newborns of mothers ≤ 160 cm in height had on average 206 g lower birth weight (p=0.006) and were 3.5 cm shorter (p=0.003) compared to newborns of taller mothers. Therefore, in our study, neonatal size of the twins was not related to the vitamin D status but to other factors such as the type of pregnancy and maternal height.

Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital medical staff (HMS) have faced significant personal, workplace, and financial disruption. Many have experienced psychosocial burden, exceeding already concerning baseline levels. This study examines the types and predictors of coping strategies and help-seeking behaviours utilised by Australian junior and senior HMS during the first year of the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of Australian frontline healthcare workers was conducted between 27th August and 23rd October 2020. Data collected included demographics, personal and workplace disruptions, self-reported and validated mental health symptoms, coping strategies, and help-seeking. Results: The 9518 participants included 1966 hospital medical staff (62.1% senior, 37.9% junior). Both groups experienced a high burden of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout. Coping strategies varied by seniority, with maintaining exercise the most common strategy for both groups. Adverse mental health was associated with increased alcohol consumption. Engagement with professional support, although more frequent among junior staff, was uncommon in both groups. Conclusions: Junior and senior staff utilised different coping and help-seeking behaviours. Despite recognition of symptoms, very few HMS engaged formal support. The varied predictors of coping and help-seeking identified may inform targeted interventions to support these cohorts in current and future crises.

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

Metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease that affects more than a quarter of the global population, and is increasing worldwide, due to the pandemic of obesity. Insulin resistance is closely associated with the development and progression of MASLD. Hepatic entry of increased fatty acids (FA) released from adipose tissue, increase in FA synthesis and reduced FA oxidation in the liver, and hepatic overproduction of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins may induce the development of MASLD. Since insulin resistance also induces atherosclerosis, the leading cause for death in MASLD patients is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Considering that the development of CVD determines the prognosis of MASLD patients, the ideal therapeutic interventions for MASLD should reduce body weight, improve coronary risk factors, in addition to an improvement in liver functiom. Lifestyle modification such as diet and exercise and surgical interventions such as bariatric surgery and intragastric balloons have shown to improve MASLD by reducing body weight. Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have been shown to improve coronary risk factors and to suppress the occurrence of CVD. Both SGLT2i and GLP-1 have been reported to improve liver enzymes, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. We recently reported that the selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) modulator, pemafibrate, improved liver function. PPARα agonists have multiple anti-atherogenic properties. Here, we consider the pathophysiology of MASLD and the mechanisms of action of such drugs, and consider whether such drugs and the combination therapy of such drugs could be the ideal treatments for MASLD.

Background/Objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) is a non-invasive marker of atherosclerosis. Low omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake and vitamin D deficiency are potential cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with CKD. The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary intake and status of omega-3 PUFA and vitamin D in pre-dialysis and hemodialysis patients and to examine the link of dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA) and fish consumption with blood pressure and C-IMT in CKD patients. Methods: All 77 selected patients (36 pre-dialysis, 41 on hemodialysis) underwent standardized clinical, nutritional, and laboratory assessments. Repeated 24-hour recalls were performed to assess dietary intake. The fatty acid profile was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Results: Inadequate vitamin D intake and vitamin D status were found in 95% of patients. PUFAs profiles did not differ between hemodialysis and pre-dialysis participants. Dietary intake of ALA was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p=0.007), C-IMT (p=0.002), serum CRP (p=0.044), iPTH (p=0.01) and 25(OH)D3 (p=0.006). ALA intake of more than 0.23 g/daily was associated with lower SBP (p=0.001), serum 25(OH)D3 (p=0.004), and C-IMT (p=0.002). Conclusions: This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between dietary ALA intake and C-IMT in CKD. The results of this study could emphasize the significant role of the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and inadequate omega-3 PUFA intake and status considering CVD health in CKD patients.

Neuronal lesions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are commonly associated with α-synuclein (α-Syn)-induced cell damage that are present both in the central and peripheral nervous systems of patients, with the enteric nervous system also being especially vulnerable. Here we bring together evidence that the development and presence of PD depends on specific sets of interlinking factors that include neuro-inflammation, systemic inflammation, α-Syn-induced cell damage, vascular dysfunction, iron dysregulation, gut and periodontal dysbiosis. We argue that there is significant evidence that bacterial inflammagens fuel this systemic inflammation, and might be central to the development of PD. We also discuss the processes whereby lipopolysaccharides may be involved in causing nucleation of proteins, including of α-Syn. Lastly, we review evidence that pre-and probiotics, as well as antibiotics and faecal transplant treatment might be valuable treatments in PD. A most important consideration, however, is that these therapeutic options need to be validated and tested in randomized controlled clinical trials. However, targeting underlying mechanisms of PD, including gut dysbiosis and iron toxicity, have potentially opened up possibilities of a wide variety of novel treatments which may relieve the characteristic non-motor deficits of PD, and may even slow the progression and/or accompanying gut-related conditions of the disease.

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

CONTEXT: The sustained White corn (Zea mays L.) yield relies on supply of Nitrogen (N), which is an important element in improving soil fertility. OBJECTIVE: The research aim to determine the effect of Nitrogen on white corn yield and grain mass. METHOD: The experimental design was a 4 × 4 factorial arranged in randomized complete block design with 2 replications each. The effect of nitrogen was determined in terms of the flow within the soil, initial component, addition, uptake, loss and use of nitrogen by the White corn plants. Nitrogen was applied as Granular Urea using zero broadcast method. The grain yield was determined hand-harvesting and shelling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were no statistically significant differences between the mean samples from the two replicates (blocks 1 & 2) across the two seasons for corn sugar concentration, corn yield estimates and grain yields. In 2021, the mean yield estimate was 12,552 Kg ha-1, while that of 2022 averaged 12687 Kg ha-1. Similarly, the grain yield achieved in 2022 was 844.1kg more than the average grain yield in 2021. The white corn yield estimate and grain yield increased linearly with an increase in nitrogen application level, with the highest yields achieved when nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 150kg N/ha. This demonstrates that nitrogen has a positive influence on the yield quantity of white corn. SIGNIFICANCE: The White maize model may be used to improve the formulation of decisions and enhance the precision of estimates for yield and N fate within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Further, the findings of this study can significantly enhance agricultural productivity while keeping an eye on the environment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder. Early screening, particularly in blood has been regarded as an effective approach for AD diagnosis and prevention. In addition, metabolic dysfunction has been demonstrated to be closely related to AD, which might be reflected in whole blood transcriptome. Hence, we hypothesized that establishment of diagnostic model based on metabolic signatures of blood is a workable strategy. To the end, we initially constructed metabolic pathway pairwise (MPP) signatures to characterize the interplay among metabolic pathways. Then, a series of bioinformatic methodologies, e.g., differential expression analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and network analysis, etc. were used to investigate the molecular mechanism behind AD. Moreover, an unsupervised clustering analysis based on the MPP signature profile via Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) algorithm was utilized to stratify AD patients. Finally, aimed at distinguishing AD patients from non-AD group, a metabolic pathway-pairwise scoring system (MPPSS) was established using multi-machine learning methods. As a result, many metabolic pathways correlated to AD were disclosed, including oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid biosynthesis, etc. NMF clustering analysis divided AD patients into two subgroups (S1 and S2), which exhibit distinct activities of metabolism and immunity. Typically, oxidative phosphorylation in S2 exhibits a lower activity than that in S1 and non-AD group, suggesting the patients in S2 might possess a more compromised brain metabolism. Additionally, Immune infiltration analysis showed that the patients in S2 might have phenomena of immune suppression, compared with S1 and non-AD group. These findings indicated that S2 probably have a more severe progression of AD. Finally, MPPSS could achieve an AUC of 0.73 in training dataset, 0.71 in testing dataset and an AUC of 0.82 on weighted average in five external validation datasets. Overall, our study successfully established a novel metabolism-based scoring system for AD diagnosis using blood transcriptome, and provided new insight into the molecular mechanism of metabolic dysfunction implicated in AD.