Leishmaniasis is a complex infectious parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, belonging to a group of neglected tropical diseases. It poses significant global health challenges, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged regions. Macrophages, as innate immune cells, play a crucial role in initiating the inflammatory response against the pathogens responsible for this disease. Macrophage polarization, the process of differentiating macrophages into pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes, is essential for the immune response in leishmaniasis. The M1 phenotype is associated with resistance to Leishmania infection, while the M2 phenotype is predominant in susceptible environments. Notably, various immune cells, including T cells, play a significant role in modulating macrophage polarization by releasing cytokines that influence macrophage maturation and function. Furthermore, other immune cells can also impact macrophage polarization in a T-cell-dependent manner. Therefore, this review comprehensively examines macrophage polarization's role in leishmaniasis and other immune cells' potential involvement in this intricate process.

Effective waste elimination is critical for the success of construction projects. Although several studies have focused on various aspects of construction waste, limited efforts have investigated the dynamic effect of Making-Do (MD) practices on productivity, rework, defects, and materials wastage. From a lean construction perspective, this study aims to address MD waste using the Last Planner System (LPS) and BIM. First, the casual structure that can cause MD in construction projects was expressed in a casual loop diagram (CLD), and thematic analysis uncovered the strategies of LPS-BIM to eliminate MD identified by reviewing the literature. Secondly, twenty-five strategies from the LPS and BIM strategies to address MD using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were assessed. Subsequently, a system dynamics model (SDM) for investigating LPS-BIM strategies on MD decisions in a construction project was formulated based on the underlying causal loop diagrams and the mathematical relations among the variables. Finally, the model was applied to three projects, and simulations for four LPS-BIM scenarios were carried out. The findings show that dynamic interactions among diverse production planning and control factors are critical in evaluating MD impacts on a construction project. The results demonstrate that the LPS-BIM approach resulted in an average 43.8% reduction in the tasks performed with MD, 45.3% of constraints, 66.5% of construction waste, increasing 13.7% completion rate, and 29.3% cost reduction, demonstrating that LPS-BIM as a more efficient solution for MD mitigation and construction planning.

Rising consumer demand for more safety, healthy and fresh-like food has given new concepts for food packaging. Besides, the growing concern with environmental issues has increased the search for materials from non-petroleum sources and biodegradable ones. Thus, active films based on biopolymers loaded with natural active compounds have potential to be used as food packaging. However, there are a lot of lipophilic active compounds that are a problem to incorporate in hydrophilic matrices, such as polysaccharides and proteins. One way to overcome these challenges is adding these compounds encapsulated in O/W emulsions. The incorporation of emulsion in biopolymeric matrix has influence in the film properties, such as mechanical, barrier, optical, among other. In this way, this review aims to point out the main characteristics of the emulsions systems encapsulating active compounds and its influence in the film properties and to present and discus critically the recent advances in the area.

Environmental and economic needs drive the increased penetration of intermittent renewable energy in electricity grids, enhancing uncertainty in market conditions prediction and network constraints. Thereafter, the importance of energy systems with flexible dispatch is reinforced, ensuring energy storage as an essential asset for these systems to be able to balance production and demand. In order to do so, such systems should participate in whole-sale energy markets, enabling competition among all players, including conventional power plants. Consequently, an effective dispatch schedule considering market and resource uncertainties is crucial. In this context, an innovative dispatch optimization strategy for schedule planning of renewable systems with storage is presented. Based on an optimization algorithm combined with a machine learning approach, the proposed method develops a financial optimum schedule with the incorporation of uncertainty information. Simulations performed with a concentrated solar power plant model following the proposed optimization strategy demonstrate promising financial improvement with a dynamic and intuitive dispatch planning method, emphasizing the importance of uncertainty treatment on the enhanced quality of renewable systems scheduling.

As technology and multimedia production have advanced, there has been a significant rise in attacks on digital media, resulting in duplicated, fraudulent, and altered data and the infringement of copyright laws. This paper presents a robust and secure digital image watermarking technique that has been implemented in the spatial domain and exploits the erratic and chaotic behaviour of the powerful elementary cellular automata rule-30. The crucial characteristics of the watermarking system, i.e., imperceptibility, capacity, and robustness, have been perfectly balanced by the suggested blind watermarking technique. In this approach, prior to embedding, the grayscale watermark image is downsized to its two Most Significant Bits (MSBs). Then, the 2-MSBs watermark is encrypted using an ECA rule-30 so as to level up the security attribute of the system. Then, the host image is scrambled using ECA rule-30 to distribute the watermark pixels throughout the host image and thus achieve the highest robustness against geometrical attacks. Finally, the encrypted watermark data is embedded into the scrambled host image using the ECA rule-30-based embedding key. The proposed method performs better in terms of imperceptibility, capacity, and robustness when compared to several systems with similar competencies. The simulation's findings demonstrate strong imperceptibility as evaluated by the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), which has an average value of 58.3735 dB and a high payload. The experimental outcomes, observed across a diverse range of standardized attack scenarios, unequivocally establish the ascendancy of the proposed algorithm over competing methodologies in the realm of image watermarking.

Correlations among estrus cycle, pyometra, and canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) have been described since the late 1950s, and substantial progress in understanding mechanisms beyond was achieved nowadays. Progesterone-related diabetes mellitus (PRDM) in dogs is known for its particular potential for diabetes remission. Thus, a deep understanding of the physiopathological aspects involved is crucial to postulate treatment guidelines to improve the PRDM remission rate, as well as to inform preventive measures. This narrative review aims to provide relevant detailed information on 1) canine estrus cycle and its impact on CDM etiology and management, 2) the role of pyometra as a further cause of insulin resistance, and 3) useful individual therapeutic and preventive strategies. Pharmacological annulment of progesterone effects, as well as inflammatory and progesterone-related conditions resolution in association with adequate exogenous insulin therapy, and residual beta cell function, are key aspects to achieve remission, or at least to improve diabetic clinical control. In this way, spaying should be considered mandatory in most PRDM cases. Preventive measures against CDM can include spaying recommendations; however, individual-based recommendations should be considered since castration may be associated with some long-term health issues.

This research addresses the strategic issue of why key decision-makers fail to foresee potential extreme ‘black swan’ events. Following a review of the literature, a conceptual framework is developed that identifies two types of organisational blindness that are reflected in Tetlock’s hedgehog cognitive thinking style, being the oversimplification of uncertainty (e.g., inductive biases) and an unquestioned, top-down, reference narrative. This framework is tested using a case study approach and qualitative analysis of secondary data sources available from the Royal Commission of Inquiry and other published reports following the 2010 methane explosion at the Pike River Coal Ltd’s mine (Pike) in New Zealand, that killed 29 miners and caused the loss of all funds invested. The results indicate that the combined effect of both blindness’s meant that Pike’s collective intelligence was limited, and for the three key decision-makers at the Pike River mine, some type of extreme ‘black swan’ event was apparently inevitable. This research provides theoretical and practical contributions to the analysis of business and public policy decision-making under uncertainty.

The blood count is crucial for assessing bone marrow's cell production and differentiation during infections, gauging disease severity, and monitoring therapeutic responses. The profile of blood count in chronic form of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) has been insufficiently explored. To better understand the changes in hematological cells in different stages of the PCM chronic form, we evaluated the blood count, including immature blood cells in automated equipment, before and during the treatment follow-up of 62 chronic PCM patients. Predominantly male (96.8%) with an average age of 54.3 (SD 6.9) years, participants exhibited pre-treatment conditions such as anemia (45.2%), monocytosis (38.7%), and leukocytosis (17.7%) which became less frequent after clinical cure. Anemia was more prevalent in severe cases. Notably, hemoglobin and reticulocyte hemoglobin content increased, while leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, immature granulocytes, and platelets decreased. Chronic PCM induced manageable hematological abnormalities, mainly in the red blood series. Monocytosis, indicating monocytes' role in PCM's immune response, was frequent. Post-treatment, especially after achieving clinical cure, significant improvements were observed in various hematological indices, including immature granulocytes and reticulocyte hemoglobin content, underscoring the impact of infection on these parameters.

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

The adoption of harmful postures due to a sedentary lifestyle, which involves long periods at work in offices, is a factor that exacerbates musculoskeletal risks. To examine these risks, there are numerous postures analysis methods, such as Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA). RULA is a consolidated method to evaluate the exposure of individual workers to ergonomic risk factors associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. In turn, ROSA is a more recent method that quantifies exposure to risk factors in an office work environment. This research aims to identify whether there is harmony between these two methods, ROSA and RULA. Through applied research, from a qualitative perspective, the scientific procedures adopted were direct observation and ROSA and RULA postural assessment instruments. The study was conducted in the radiology service and focused on the outpatient reception workstation. Results indicated that further investigation must occur to make working conditions changes as soon as possible and that both methods are harmonic. As contributions of the analysis, we have discussed the working conditions and suggested improvements to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal morbidity symptoms. We recommend future studies aimed at measuring the levels of complementarity between these methods by quantitative approaches.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a significant role in the aging processes, further regarding as a hallmark of aging. Despite the importance, a lack of monitoring tools has hampered the study of relationship between AGEs and aging. Here, we firstly report a novel AGEs-selective probe, AGO. AGO presented its ability to detect AGEs more sensitively than a conventional approach of measuring autofluorescence from AGEs. In addition, we confirmed that AGO can detect AGEs depending on kinetics, reflecting by a preference to ribose-derived AGEs. Finally, AGO revealed its competence to visualize glycation products in glycation mimicking model, made by collagen framework. We believe that this study will enrich molecular toolboxes to understand physiological processes of AGEs during aging processes.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a set of progressive, chronic, and incurable diseases characterized by the gradual loss of neurons, culminating in the decline of cognitive and/or motor functions. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most common NDs and represent an enormous burden both in terms of human suffering and economic cost. The available therapies for AD and PD only provide symptomatic and palliative relief for a limited period and are unable to modify the diseases’ progression. Over the last decades, research efforts have been focused on developing new pharmacological treatments for these NDs. However, to date, no breakthrough treatment has been discovered. Hence, the development of disease-modifying drugs able to halt or reverse the progression of NDs remains an unmet clinical need. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD and PD and the drugs available for pharmacological treatment. It also sheds light on potential directions that can be pursued to develop of new, disease-modifying drugs to treat AD and PD, thereby decreasing the social and economic burdens linked to these NDs.

As argued by ‘Declaration of Concrete Environment (2010)’ of Korea and ‘Declaration of Asian Concrete Environment (2011)’ of six Asian countries, concrete as a single material has lately shown extremely large impact on environmental issues such as climate change. Assessment of environmental impact from concrete material and production has considerable importance. Concrete is a major material used in the construction industry that emits a large amount of substances with environmental impacts during its life cycle. Accordingly, technologies for the reduction in and assessment of the environmental impact of concrete from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment must be developed. At present, the studies in relation to greenhouse gas emission from concrete are being carried out globally as a countermeasure against climate change. In this study, a sustainable concrete mix design algorithm was designed using correlation analyses, and its carbon emission and cost reduction performances were assessed. Using correlation analyses, the concrete strength, w/b and s/a ratios, and CO₂ emissions were identified as major variables of concrete mix design that influenced other variables. Also, this study aims to evaluate the CO₂ emission reduction performance of the algorithm-deduced sustainable concrete mix design, and therefore, the CO₂ emissions of the sustainable concrete mix design are compared with those of the actual concrete mix design applied to the construction of the office building A in South Korea.

Fungal infections caused by Candida spp. are responsible for high hospital morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, there is a continuous search for new antifungal medicines, particularly ones with anti-Candida activity. This review analyzed articles published between 2002 and 2023 considering the anti-Candida activity of chemical compounds identified or isolated in plants of the Anacardiaceae family. In addition, the in-silico prediction of the isolated compounds described was performed. The analysis of 35 studies showed that extracts, essential oils, and compounds from the anti-Candida activity were frequently determined in vitro using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The most commonly tested species were Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. krusei, and C. guilliermondii, respectively. Essential oils were the most used form (37% of the studies). The isolated compounds with antifungal effects include cardanol, estragole, trans-anethole, β-caryophyllene, myrcene, catechin-3-o-rhamnoside, β-sitosterol-3-O-glucoside, 24Z-isomasticadienolic acid, oleanolic acid, and oleanolic aldehyde. The in-silico evaluation of those isolated compounds revealed the compounds' drug-likeness and possible antifungal activity. However, some of them showed high toxicity. In conclusion, compounds from the Anacardiaceae family show promise for developing new therapeutic antifungal drugs, especially in combination with conventional antifungals.

Piperine, an active plant alkaloid from black pepper (Piper nigrum), has several pharmacological effects: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, which involves inhibiting molec-ular events associated with various stages of cancer development. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms of action of piperine in relation to its potential anticancer effect on head and neck cancer cells. Parameters related to neoplastic potential, analysis of cyto-kine, protein and gene expression were investigated in the head and neck cancer cell lines (HEp-2 and SCC-25) treated with piperine. The results of the tests indicated that piperine modified mor-phology, inhibited viability and the formation of cell colonies. Piperine promoted genotoxicity by triggering apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in G2/M and S. A decrease in cell migration was also observed, and decreased expression of MMP2/9 genes. Piperine also reduced the expression of inflammatory molecules (PTGS2 and PTGER4), regulated the secretion of cytokines (IF-y and IL-8) and modulated the expression of ERK and p38. These results suggest that piperine exerts anti-cancer effects on tumor cells, and could be a promising natural treatment by regulating signaling pathways associated with head and neck cancer.

Skin inflammation associated with chronic diseases has the direct action of keratinocytes in its immunopathogenesis, leading to a series of immune responses. However, there are still no highly targeted treatments, and the development of more specific therapies is highly desirable. In the present work, nanocapsules containing quinizarin (QZ/NC) were developed, evaluating their act in a model of the keratinocytes inflammatory process in vitro with the action of Photodynamic Therapy, analyzing the permeation in a 3D skin model. Physicochemical, stability, cytotoxicity and permeation analyses of the nanomaterials were carried out. The nanocapsules showed desirable physicochemical characteristics and were stable during the analysis period, without spectroscopic modifications. The cell viability test carried out showed no cytotoxicity at the lowest QZ/NC concentrations. The permeation and cellular uptake studies showed the permeation of QZ/NC in 3D skin models and the intracellular incorporation and internalization of the drug, enhancing its action in the drug delivery technique. Promising results were presented using the model developed to induce the inflammatory process in vitro and applying the synthesized nanomaterial in conjunction with PDT, where a decrease in the levels of cytokines analyzed was observed, representing a possible new therapeutic approach for inflammatory skin diseases.

IgE-mediated wheat allergy is a gluten-related disorder. Wheat is one of the five most common food allergens in children. However, the natural history of IgE-mediated wheat allergy has seldom been described in the research literature. This study presents the current state of knowledge about the IgE-mediated wheat allergy in children.

Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) vibrating gyroscope design considerations are always intriguing due to their microscale mechanical, electrical, and material behavior. MEMS vibrating ring gyroscopes have become important inertial sensors in inertial measurement units (IMU) for navigation and sensing applications. The design of a MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope incorporates an oscillating ring structure as a proof mass, reflecting unique design challenges and possibilities. This paper presents a comprehensive design analysis of the MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope from the mechanical, electrical, and damping perspectives. The mechanical design of the MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope investigates the various frame designs of the vibrating ring structure, as well as the various beam structures, including curved, rectangular, and semicircular beam structures, which are analyzed using mathematical models and finite element analysis (FEA) simulations that provide an in-depth analysis of the stiffness and deflection of the vibrating structures. The electrical designs of the MEMS vibrating ring gyroscope were analyzed using various electrode configurations, electrostatic actuation, and capacitive detection mechanisms, respectively. The design analysis of various forms of damping, including viscous, structural, thermoelastic, and anchor damping, has been discussed. The variety of design structures investigated for MEMS vibrating ring gyroscopes' mechanical, electrical, and damping performance.

Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea; Echinodermata) are ecologically significant constituents of benthic marine habitats. We surveilled RNA viruses inhabiting 8 species (representing 4 families) of holothurian collected from four geographically distinct locations by viral metagenomics, including a single specimen of Apostichopus californicus affected by a hitherto undocumented wasting disease. The RNA virome comprised genome fragments of both single-stranded positive sense and double stranded RNA viruses, including those assigned to the Picornavirales, Ghabrivirales, and Amarillovirales. We discovered an unconventional flavivirus genome fragment which was most similar to a shark virus. Ghabivirales-like genome fragments were most similar to fungal totiviruses in both genome architecture and homology, and likely infected mycobiome constituents. Picornavirales, which are commonly retrieved in host-associated viral metagenomes, were similar to invertebrate transcriptome-derived picorna-like viruses. Sequence reads recruited from the grossly normal A. californicus metavirome to nearly all viral genome fragments recovered from the wasting-affected A. californicus. The greatest number of viral genome fragments was recovered from wasting A. californicus compared to any other surveyed holothurian, including the grossly normal A. californicus, which reflects a pattern observed in viral metagenomics study of sea star wasting. These results expand the known host range of flaviviruses, and suggest that fungi and their viruses may play roles in holothurian ecology.

Colours act as stimuli capable of inducing physiological and psychological responses, impacting on human life by influencing behaviour, cognition and emotion. Designers frequently draw upon colour association cues in designing products, packaging and marketing materials to exploit the reported human reactions to them. To date, clinicians and foot orthoses manufacturers appear to have given little thought to how the colour of foot orthoses may have impact within the broader context of a biopsychosocial model of healthcare. Here we examine research regarding colour perception and association and provide rationale for how the use of colour in foot orthoses therapy might be better exploited to improve patient outcomes and to form a focus for future research.

One route to reducing CO2 emissions is to improve the energy efficiency of machines. For example, conventional combustion engines are being downsized (and down-speeded), are now running on lower viscosity engine lubricants (such as SAE 0W-20 or lower viscosity grades) and often also have stop-start systems fitted (to prevent engine idling when the vehicle is stopped). Some of these changes result in higher levels of mixed and boundary friction, and so accurate estimation of mixed/boundary friction losses is becoming of increased importance, both for estimating friction losses, and also for estimating wear volumes. Traditional approaches to estimating mixed/boundary friction, which employ real area of contact modelling such as the Greenwood-Tripp model [1] are widely used, but recent experimental data suggests that these approaches underestimate mixed/boundary friction losses [2-5]. A new model has been developed, based on experimental data, which estimates the proportion of mixed/boundary lubrication, X, as a function of the value (where is the ratio of the oil film thickness separating the surfaces to the combined root mean square surface roughness of the interface surfaces). The precise equation that describes the way in which X varies with takes the form of a “reverse S-curve”, which makes physical sense since S-curves arise naturally in growth processes, and in mixed/boundary lubrication, the real area of contact of rough surfaces grows as the load (and 1/) increases. Numerical estimates of mixed/boundary lubrication losses in internal combustion engines are presented here and compared with published data [2,6]. In addition, the improved method described here is used to estimate both the financial cost of mixed/boundary lubrication for today’s passenger car fleet, and the CO2 emissions associated with these friction losses.

In South Sudan, three case-control studies found a positive association between Nodding Syn-drome (NS) and a Mansonella perstans infection. To investigate whether M. perstans could play the primary and sole causal role in the development of NS, we examined blood films of persons with and without epilepsy in rural villages affected by NS in Mahenge, Tanzania, to identify M. perstans infections. Study participants were also examined for onchocercal nodules and skin lesions and tested for the presence of anti-O. volvulus antibodies (Ov16 ELISA). One hundred and thirteen epilepsy cases and 132 controls were enrolled, with a mean age of 28.3 years (interquartile range 22 – 34 years); 125 (51%) were females. Of the persons with epilepsy, 43 (38.1%) met the probable NS criteria. M. perstans infection was absent in all participants, but Ov16 prevalence and oncho-cerciasis-associated skin manifestations were positively associated with epilepsy, including probable NS. Onchocercal nodules in the mothers of cases were also positively associated with epilepsy. In conclusion, in contrast with O. volvulus, M. perstans is likely not endemic in Mahenge and therefore cannot be a co-factor for NS in the area. Hence, this filaria cannot be the primary and sole causal factor in the development of NS.

There is an important complementarity between experimental methods for the study of high-temperature viscoelasticity in the time and frequency domains, that has not always been fully exploited. Here we show that parallel processing of forced-oscillation data and microcreep records, involving consistent use of either Andrade or extended Burgers creep-function models, yields a robust composite modulus-dissipation dataset spanning a broader range of periods than either technique alone. In fitting this dataset, the alternative Andrade and extended Burgers models differ in their partitioning of strain between the anelastic and viscous contributions. The extended Burgers model is preferred because it involves a finite range of anelastic relaxation times, and accordingly a well-defined anelastic relaxation strength. The new strategy offers the prospect of better constraining the transition between transient and steady-state creep, or equivalently, between anelastic and viscous behaviour.

A deep relationship is identified between the Coulomb Force and Gravity. A gravitational constant for strong gravity is calculated from the relationship. The equivalence between mass and charge is explored. Implications are given for the expansion of Einstein's Field Equations to include vector gravity.

The present work highlights some of the dynamic couplings observed in a series of tests performed in a wave basin with a scaled-model of a FOWT with semi-submersible substructure. The model was moored by means of a conventional chain catenary system and an actively controlled fan was used for emulating the thrust loads during the tests. A set of wave tests comprising regular and irregular waves was done for different wave angles and wind velocities. The experimental records illustrate the main coupling effects involved and how they affect the FOWT motions in waves, especially when the floater presents a non-negligible tilt angle.. In addition, an analysis of the frequency-domain dynamic model was made in order to evaluate its ability to capture these effects properly. The influence of different modes of fan response, floater trim angles (changeable with ballast compensation) and variations of the mooring stiffness with the offsets were investigated in the analysis. Results attest that significant changes in the FOWT responses may indeed arise from coupling effects, thus indicating that caution must be taken when simplifying the hydrodynamic frequency-domain models often used as a basis for the simulation of FOWTs in waves and in in optimization procedures for the design of the floater and mooring lines.

Ozonated oil has several benefits for humans, as it contributes to numerous interventions, maintaining the quality of life and the well-being of individuals. Being a natural product, it has few or almost no side effects. Thus, the study aimed to verify the sensitivity and/or resistance of fixed o “Ozonated” and “Non-Ozonated” oils from Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti), Carapa guaianensis (Andiroba) and essential “Ozonated” oils from Menta piperita (Mint), Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove) in different concentrations, against internationally known bacteria from the American Type Culture Collection – ATCC, comparing with the “Non-Ozonated” versions of the respective oils, using the Agar diffusion technique. Thus, it is evident that the ozonation of the fixed oils of Buriti and Andiroba, as well as the essential oils of Mint and Clove, provided significant results, although they were statistically different. The Buriti and Andiroba oil were ineffective in inhibiting microorganisms. On the other hand, the essential oil of Mint and Clove obtained similar activity of inhibition of microorganisms. With regard to Ozonation, the Essential Oil of “Ozonated” Clove provided greater activity than the “Non-Ozonated” one, which inhibited only one tested microorganism, in addition to producing changes in its chemical composition, requiring individualized studies for the ozonation of each essential oil.

The original purpose of this article was to modify the original SIR equations to allow for a direct source of infection (without which the original equations would have no solutions unless one starts with an already infected population) and also to see to what extent one could obtain multiple outbreaks of an infectious disease. In the course of developing the basic ideas several other factors arose to take prominent roles.Perhaps one of the more salient factors is the point that choosing an arbitrary time to change conditions from say a lock-down for the population to a less stringent social behavior, such as allowing partial or complete opening of businesses and schools, etc. should be based on knowledge of the disease and its evolution. Such decisions are usually made by politicians who have less than full information concerning the consequences of their actions. Several examples are given to illustrate these points.

Nowadays the dynamism induced by the constant change of strategic decisions on the markets produces an extra difficulty in the management of an organization. The strategic decisions made by managers can become obsolete in a short period of time. One of the major difficulties in managing a commercial organization is to predict, with some precision degree, the impact some strategic decisions have on the financial results. Business Intelligence (BI) is an area widely used to help managers to make strategic decisions. But the methods used, behind the scenes, to achieve the conclusions are kept secret by BI company-based services. Modelling the environment can be a good option to study the impact of an action, provided by a strategic decision, in a real environment. A good model should give an approximate result of an action applied to a previous state of the environment. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are proven to be excellent in modeling environments with some level of data noise. The same strategic action can have different results in different organizations. A tool that allows an evaluation of a strategic action applied to an environment should have a major importance in the management scope. Modeling the environment should save time and money for the organization to improve the performance of the strategic plan. If one evaluates the state of the environment after a strategic action being applied, it can be possible to mitigate the risk of failure of the strategic plan. As we will be able to verify, it is possible to use ANNs to model strategic environments that should allow the prediction of sales and operating results by the used strategies with some precision, although the level of success will be directly related with the user’s necessity.

The relationship of the animal with its environment has been of longstanding interest in philosophy and science. Here I provide a brief introduction to concepts that place an emphasis on mutualism as the basis of organism - environment interaction, in contrast to the long standing view that the environment exerts an instrumental role in shaping the organism. Two influential theories have been von Uexküll’s theory of umwelt and Gibson’s theory of affordances. The former envisioned the animal as immersed in its surroundings (umwelt) to form a functional unit. In a similar manner, the latter theory describes a unity between 1) environmental information that provides the animal with opportunities for action (affordances) and 2) the ability of the animal to perceive and engage with those affordances. These views have influenced more recent ecological models of the organism as the functional unit of biology and have also influenced models of immune function. In ecological models, agency is seen as the ability of the organism to predict and control its engagement with the environment in order to maintain its integrity. The predominant contemporary model of neural function in which perception and action are understood to operate through Bayes-like active inference complements the concept of agency as proposed by the mutualism models. However, it is suggested that rather than a constant mutualism, encounters between organism and environment range over a dynamic spectrum from dualism to mutualism. It is also suggested that along this spectrum, agency emerges when the balance of instrumentality shifts from the environment to the organism, and that the balance of this relationship can further progress towards a felicitous mutualism. Meaning emerges between environmental information and an agent as opportunity for action. Implications for opportunities to foster agency in animals within our care is noted.

This work aims to investigate the effect of catalyst content and reaction time by catalytic upgrading from pyrolysis vapors of residual fat at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, on the yields of reaction products, physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, refractive index, and acid value) and chemical composition of organic liquid products (OLP), over a catalyst fixed bed reactor, in semi pilot scale. Pellets of Red Mud chemically activated with 1.0 M HCl were used as catalysts. The experiments were carried out at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a process schema consisting of a thermal cracking reactor of 2.0 L coupled to a catalyst fixed bed reactor of 53 mL, without catalyst and using 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (wt.) Red Mud pellets activated with 1.0 M HCl, in batch mode. Samples of liquid phase products were withdrawn during the course of reaction at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 min in order to analyze the process kinetics. The physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value, and refractive index) of OLP were determined by official methods. The chemical functions present in OLP determined by FT-IR and the chemical composition by GC-MS. The thermal catalytic cracking of residual fat show OLP yields from 54.4 to 84.88 (wt.%), aqueous phase yields between 2.21 and 2.80 (wt.%), solid phase yields (coke) between 1.30 and 8.60 (wt.%), and gas yields from 11.61 to 34.22 (wt.%). The yields of OLP increases with increasing catalyst content while those of aqueous, gaseous and solid phase decreases. For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of OLP decreases with increasing reaction time. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, and aldehydes). For all the thermal and thermal catalytic cracking experiments, the hydrocarbon content within OLP increases with reaction time, while those of oxygenates decrease, reaching concentrations of hydrocarbons up to 95.35% (area.). The best results for the physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, and acid value) and the maximum hydrocarbon content of OLP were obtained at 450 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using a catalyst fixed bed reactor, with 5.0% (wt.) Red Mud pellets activated with 1.0 M HCl as catalyst.

This study investigates the land surface temperature (LST) distribution from thermal infrared data for analyzing the characteristics of surface coverage using the Vegetation-Impervious-Soil (VIS) approach. A set of ten images, obtained from Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper, between 2001 and 2010, were used to study the urban environmental conditions of 47 neighborhoods of Porto Alegre city, Brazil. Porto Alegre has had the smallest population growth rate of all 27 state capitals in the last two decades in Brazil, with an increase of 11.55% in inhabitants from 1,263 million in 1991 to 1,409 million in 2010. We applied the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory in order to test the influence of the economically-related scenario on the spatial nature of social-environmental arrangement of the city at neighborhood scale. Our results suggest that the economically-related scenario exerts a non-negligible influence on the physically driven characteristics of the urban environmental conditions as predicted by EKC theory. The linear inverse correlation R2 between household income (HI) and LST is 0.36 and has shown to be comparable to all other studied variables. Future research may investigate the relation between other economically-related indicators to specific land surface characteristics.

The motivations for the move to electrified vehicles are discussed with reference to their improved energy efficiency, their potential for lower CO2 emissions (if the electricity system is decarbonized), their lower (or zero) NOx/particulate matter (PM) tailpipe emissions, and the lower overall costs for owners. Some of the assumptions made in life-cycle CO2 emissions calculations are discussed and the effect of these assumptions on the CO2 benefits of electric vehicles are made clear. A number of new tribological challenges have emerged, particularly for hybrid vehicles that have both a conventional internal combustion engine and a battery, such as the need to protect against the much greater number of stop-starts that the engine will have during its lifetime. In addition, new lubricants are required for electric vehicle transmissions systems. Although full battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will not require engine oils (as there is no engine) they will require a system to cool the batteries – alternative cooling systems are discussed, and where these are fluid based, the specific fluid requirements are outlined.

Abstract: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive uncurable neurodegenerative disease affect-ing millions worldwide. Various methods, including drug therapies and light emission diode (LED) irradiation, are promising alternatives for preventing and reducing the rapid progression of neurodegenerative diseases, also stimulating the reconstructing of neural tissue structures. In this study, we evaluated the neuroprotective and restorative effects of taurine combined with LED on human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y), under oxidative stress condition, a considerable modulator in AD. We evaluated LED at the wavelength of 660 nm and taurine under different concentrations before and after exposing SH-SY5Y cells to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), assessing mitochondrial activity by the MTT colorimetric test and labeling live cell mitochondria by fluorescence using MitoTracker Orange. Cell viability was also evaluated by the trypan blue exclusion assay, and we verified cellular morphological structures by scan-ning electron microscopy (SEM). It was observed that neuroprotective effects are achieved by both LED and taurine when cells are exposed to them and later are stressed with H2O2. Compar-ing both agents, LED irradiation is sufficient to stimulate cell proliferation, representing an af-fordable candidate to contribute against neurodegeneration.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ocean represents about 662 billion tonnes of C, 200 times more than the living biomass. It is produced mainly by microbial primary production. The largest fraction of this DOM is old (>weeks to months) and both chemically and biologically recalcitrant. The remainder is young (seconds to weeks), more labile and surface active. It also changes the rheological properties in the bulk phase of the water and at interfaces including the sea surface microlayer (SML). In order of abundance, this DOM consists of sugars, amino acids, fatty acids and nucleic acids, often incorporated into complex polymers. The DOM molecules are produced by microbial genes, and are further modified by enzymes themselves produced by genes. The properties of ocean water and its interfaces as well as biogeochemical fluxes may thus be modified by ocean microbial genes. These fluxes influence ocean and atmospheric climate, which in return acts on the biota. Therefore the ocean microbial genomes and the fluxes and climates they influence may be subject to Darwinian-type selection. Research programmes need to integrate ocean ecology, rheology, biogeochemistry and genomics, to find the associations among them. Discovery of commercial bioactive molecules may be a bonus.

The tambaqui Colossoma macropomum is the main species of edible fish originating from fish farming in the Amazon region. This study aimed to determine and compare the hematological and biochemical parameters of tambaqui from fish farms in municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Two fish farms were sampled in a semi-excavated pond-type breeding system in each of the five towns investigated (Presidente Figueiredo, Manaus, Iranduba, Manacapuru and Novo Airão), totaling ten breeders. On each farm, ten specimens were captured, totaling 100 animals. Blood was collected by caudal puncture, and hematological and biochemical parameters were determined using the methodology described for teleosts fish. For the erythrogram in the variables of hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration and erythrocytes, significant differences were observed in Iranduba and Novo Airão, demonstrating indications of anemic processes and dehydration. For plasma biochemistry, low levels were observed in fish from Iranduba and Novo Airão. High values in lipid compounds were found in tambaqui from Manacapuru. High intraspecific variation was found in the leukogram and thrombogram, which determined similarities between tambaqui from different farms and municipalities. On the other hand, fish from Manacapuru have an inappropriate diet, indicated by the high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides found in the blood.

Objective: In this work, we evaluated the chemical composition by chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, antimicrobial and insecticidal activity of essential oils (TrEO) and nanoeffu-sion (NTrEO) of oil from Tetradenia riparia leaves. We also evaluated the acute toxicity in Mus musculus. The results showed that S. aureus showed greater susceptibility to TrEO, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 µg.mL-1, when compared to P. aeruginosa, E. coli, which presented a MIC of 250 µg.mL-1. There was a greater toxic effect on TrEO (LC50 = 630.29 µg.mL-1) and NTrEO (LC50 = 713.68 µg.mL-1) larvae, effect on pupae (LC50 = 630.29 µg.mL-1) and NTrEO (LC50 = 713.68 µg.mL-1) and ovicide (LC50 = 631.184 µg.mL-1) and NTrEO (LC50 = 146.701 µg.mL-1) of Ae. aegypti after 24 h of exposure, when compared to other exposure periods. Chemical analysis re-vealed 20 components, aromadendrene oxide (23.47%) being the main component. Female and male mice were used to assess toxicity and oral administration of NTrEO to mice did not result in acute toxicity. Thus, the essential oil of T. riparia and its nanoemulsion have insecticidal and an-timicrobial potential for Ae. aegypti, S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and has a high toxicological safety threshold at the concentrations evaluated in this study.

The objective of this work was to investigate the deacidification of bio-oils (BOs) from triglyceride-based biomass through the application of liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) in a simple stage, using methanol and water as a binary solvent and feed/solvent ratio of 1/1. For this, the effects of process parameters such as the water content present in the solvent, the content of carboxylic acids present in the bio-oil, and the extraction temperature on the deacidification process through the efficiency and distribution coefficient were evaluated, as well as the effects of such parameters on the quality of deacidified bio-oils through physical-chemical analyzes and GC-MS analysis. The results show that such process parameters significantly affect the quality of deacidified bio-oils. The ideal condition to have the highest acid removal, i.e., the highest deacidification efficiency (72.65%), is the one in which the deacidification process is performed with aqueous methanol (5% water) at 35 °C and for BOs that have a total acid number (TAN) equal to 24.38 mg KOH/g. Therefore, the process of deacidification by LLE using aqueous methanol is a promising alternative for removing carboxylic acids and other oxygenated compounds, contributing significantly to the upgrading or improving biofuels produced by catalytic thermal cracking.

Morphological and phylogenetic (45S nrDNA+RPB1 gene) analyses of three glomoid spore-producing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi revealed the presence of two new species be-longing to the genus Glomus in the family Glomeraceae. In the field, Glomus highlandensis sp. nov. was found in a saltmarsh of the Scottish Highlands and in maritime sand dunes of the Baltic Sea in Poland, both saline environments, while G. mongioie sp. nov. originates from the Italian Alps. Phylogenetic placement analysis using environmental sequences indicated that G. highlandensis could have likely worldwide distribution while G. mongioie seems to be a rare species in the world. The molecular and phylogenetic analysis provided important insights about the presence of ribosomal variants in Glomus, with potential negative implication in phylogeny and species recognition.

Mothers of children with a specific clinical condition such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may experience higher levels of stress predisposing them to a poorer perception of quality of life and alterations in nutritional status. The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and quality of life perception of mothers caring for children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. This research was conducted from July to September 2022, with mothers of children aged 5 to 10 years with diabetes. Data were collected through an online questionnaire including soci-oeconomic information, anthropometric data, clinical data of the children, and the WHO-QOL-abbreviated quality of life questionnaire. For statistical analysis, Statistical Package for Social Science 24 was used. Fifty-five mothers of children with diabetes were evaluated. Over 33% of the mothers were overweight and reported a regular perception of quality of life. Higher BMI was associated with poorer perception of quality of life in the psychological and self-assessment domains, and longer diagnosis time was associated with better perception of quality of life in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. Therefore, it is understood that actions aimed at improving the quality of life of these mothers are necessary.

Maritime ports represent an important ecosystem for pollutant emissions and, taking into account the ongoing energy transition, need to adopt new solutions to mitigate current emission levels. These emissions are partially avoidable if ships and vessels docked at the port use electric energy to feed their internal power needs instead of using their internal combustion engines. In Europe, there is an ongoing discussion on including such emissions in the European Emissions Trading System which will represent added costs for maritime operators. Onshore Power Supply systems can contribute to the ongoing energy transition by allowing the use of electric power to feed docked ships. As a first step to contribute to the development of Onshore Power Supply solutions, it is necessary to evaluate the added power needs that these systems would represent for the port. This paper presents a methodology that allows port operators to verify, straightforwardly and transparently, their power needs for Onshore Power Supply applications. The methodology is based on the historical data of docked ships at the port or quay level and provides an energy analysis of each type of vessel to determine the power to be installed at the port so that it is possible to supply energy to different types of ships and vessels simultaneously. Additionally, the implemented methodology provides economic and technical decision support factors by comparing the fuel costs with electric power costs, assessing the potential for this transition to Onshore Power Supply. The methodology is validated using a real case study for the port of Lisbon and obtained results demonstrate the potential for the installation of Onshore Power Supply in medium to large-dimension maritime ports.

Considering the predictions from the standard model of particle physics coupled with experimental results from particle accelerators, we discuss a scenario in which from the infinite possibilities in the Lie groups we use to describe particle physics, nature needs only the lower dimensional representations - an important phenomenology that we argue indicates nature is code theoretic. We show that the quantum deformation of the SU(2) Lie algebra at the fifth root of unity can be used to address the quantum Lorentz group representation theory through its universal covering group and gives the right low dimensional physical realistic spin quantum numbers confirmed by experiments. In this manner we can describe the spacetime symmetry content of relativistic quantum fields in accordance with the well known Wigner classification. Further connections of the fifth root of unity quantization with the mass quantum number associated with the Poincaré Group and the SU(N) charge quantum numbers are discussed as well as their implication for quantum gravity.

The rise of multi-sided digital platforms has transformed the global economy, enabling individuals and companies to create, deliver, and capture value through innovative connections and network effects. While scholars have studied the core strategy concepts and proposed platform architectures, less attention has been paid to the long-term sustainability of these platforms. This paper addresses this gap by examining the relationship between sustainability and platform architecture. Specifically, it asks what mechanisms characterize digital platforms for sustainability, and whether there are design choices that optimize the business model for sustainability. Using a mixed-methods approach that draws on platform literature, business models, and sustainable innovation, the paper develops an integrative framework to identify elements and design choices in platform businesses which support sustainability outcomes. The framework is then used to classify the business models of the identified platforms, revealing specific design choices for platform architecture that can optimize their business models for sustainability. This contribution to existing literature provides an artifact that allocates key decisions on value creation, delivery, and capture that are key to platforms and includes an additional layer to optimize them for long-term sustainability. As digital platforms continue to drive the economy, this research is relevant not only to platform practitioners, but also to policy makers and society at large.

Native and exotic fruits from the Amazon have varied characteristics, with aroma being a decisive factor in attracting and accepting them and their medicinal use as a nutraceutical supplement. This work aimed to analyze the chemical constituents of the volatile concentrates of some Myrtaceous fruit species sampled in the Brazilian Amazon. The fruit's pulps were subjected to simultaneous distillation-extraction, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze their volatile chemical composition. In the volatile concentrate of Eugenia stipitata (Araçá-boi) were identified α-pinene (17.5%), citronellyl butanoate (15.6%), and pogostol (13.5%) as primary constituents; in Eugenia uniflora (Ginja) were curzerene (30.5%), germacrone (15.4%), atractylone (13.1%), and (E)-β-ocimene (11.1%); in Myrciaria dubia (Camu-Camu) were α-pinene (55.8%), (E)-β-ocimene (13.1%), and α-terpineol (10.0%); in Psidium guajava (Goiaba) were (2E)-hexenal (21.7%), hexanal (15.4%), caryophylla-4(12),8(13)-dien-5-β-ol (10.5%), caryophyllene oxide (9.2%), and pogostol (8.3%); and in Psidium guineense (Araçá) were limonene (25.2%), ethyl butanoate (12.1%), epi-β-bisabolol (9.8%), and α-pinene (9.2%). The analyzed fruit species' volatile concentrates presented a significant diversity of constituents with a predominance of functional groups, such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and fatty acid derivatives, originating from the plant's secondary metabolism and representing significant importance regarding their nutritional and medicinal uses.

Very heavy stratiform precipitation (> 200 mm/per day) occurred in the Hokitika region on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand on 18 June 2015, under north-westerlies with small CAPE (< 25 J/kg). Analyses of model simulations and observations showed that this heavy rainfall was due to cold front lifting enhanced by orographic lifting over the Southern Alps. At 1.5 km grid-length, the model terrain underestimated the average height of the 103 tallest mountains over the South Island by ~ 800 m. This leads to weaker orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a faster-moving and stronger cold front in the Hokitika region. As a result, large errors in the heavy rainfall prediction occur. By increasing either the resolved or the sub-grid mountain heights, the simulated rainfall errors were largely reduced through stronger orographic lifting and mountain blocking, and a better simulation of the cold front movement and strength. All the experiments have the same “flow-over” regime with mountain waves and/or wave breaking (Fm ranges 0.61 – 1.21). However, the rainfall amount and distribution on the windward side of mountains altered significantly. Our new findings were that the Southern Alps can have significant indirect effects on heavy rainfall by altering the speed and strength of the cold front, in addition to the well-known direct dynamical effects (i.e., orographic lifting and mountain blocking). A combination of these direct and indirect effects makes the heavy rainfall simulation sensitive to mountain heights even under the same “flow-over” regime.

Ingrown toenails are a commonly occurring foot complaint. The condition occurs when the nail plate pierces the sulcus, giving rise to pain, inflammation and infection. As the skin attempts to heal itself, hypergranulation tissue may form. This is a case report of phenolic nail surgery treatment for a bilateral presentation with sharp resection of hypergranulation tissue performed in only one (the lateral) of the two affected sulci. Sharp resection of the residual medial hypergranulation tissue was performed two months after the index procedure when this had not settled. The case highlights the potential role of sharp resection in the overall improvement of treatment outcomes.

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.

Lemon oils are amongst the highest volume and most frequently traded of the flavour and fragrance essential oils. Citronellal and citral are considered the key components responsible for the lemon note with citral (neral + geranial) preferred. Of the myriad of sources of citral, the Australian myrtaceous tree, Backhousia citriodora, is considered superior. This review examines the history, natural occurrence, the cultivation, the taxonomy, the chemistry, the biological activity, the toxicology, standardisation and the commercialisation of Backhousia citriodora especially in relation to its essential oil.

While there are many models of epidemic evolution perhaps the basis for such models finds itself in the lumped behavior expressed through the so-called SIR model (Susceptible, Infectious, Recovered) from which spring many related models. This paper discusses multiple analytic solutions to that equation including those that are available in closed analytic form and those for which at least one final integral has to be done numerically, so-called quasi-analytic solutions. The solutions are intrinsically time-dependent of course. The hope is that such an investigation will lead to a better understanding of when and how models can be of use in studying the dynamical evolution of diseases including, perhaps, the great influenza pandemic of 1918 together with later pandemics and epidemics not excluding the Covid-19 pandemic of the present day.

Despite good intentions, the increasing number of plastic bag bans aimed at alleviating marine plastic pollution saw a correlated increase in the number of unintended consequences that emerged alongside the bans, suggesting that human behavior towards plastic bag consumption have not changed, but merely shifted, and are feeding into other major international environmental catastrophes. Nudge theory, which helps people make better choices for themselves without inhibiting their free will, is a potential solution that has been shown to play a subtle but important role in providing options under circumstances where complex information needs to be streamlined for the wider community, avoiding any unintended consequences and behavioural shifts that might arise from instruments that diminishes autonomy. It is therefore timely to look into the insights of nudge theory to encourage a positive behavioural change to reduce plastic bag consumption. Here we apply a systematic literature review to show how successful applications of nudges in supermarkets can be leveraged to reduce plastic bag consumption. We find that the current applications of nudges in various industries worldwide, including supermarkets have produced positive and encouraging results, as well as producing lasting behavioural change among the wider community. Supermarkets are identified as a powerful deployment site of these nudges due to their positioning as a dominant provider of plastic bags to the wider community, as well as being the largest and leading provider of daily food needs. Finally, we synthesise our findings to produce a coherent and testable framework of actionable interventions that supermarkets can employ to nudge customers towards reduced plastic bag reliance, accompanied with a visual timeline of a customer shopping in a supermarket experiencing these nudges.

The use of unmanned aerial aircrafts (UAVs) is governed by strict regulatory frameworks that prioritize safety. To guarantee safety, it is necessary to acquire and maintain situational awareness (SA) throughout the operation. Existing Canadian regulations require pilots to operate their aircrafts in visual line-of-sight. Therefore, the task of acquiring and maintaining SA primary falls to the pilots. However, the development of aerial transport is entering a new era with the adoption of a highly dynamic and complex system known as advanced air mobility (AAM), which involves UAV operating autonomously beyond visual line-of-sight. SA must therefore be acquired and maintained primarily by each UAV through specific technologies and procedures. In this paper, we review these technologies and procedures in order to decompose the SA of the UAV in the AAM. We then use the system modeling language to provide a high-level structural and behavioral representation of the AAM as a system having UAV as its main entity. In a case study, we analyze one of the flagships UAVs of our industrial partner. Results show that this UAV doesn’t have all the technologies and methodologies necessary to achieve all the identified SA goals identified for the safety of the AAM. This work is a theoretical framework intended to contribute to the realization of the AAM, and we also expect to impact the future design and utilization of UAVs.

Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are co-actors in genome-scale decoding and regulatory networks, often targeting common genes. In this paper, we describe the algebraic geometry of both TFs and miRNAs thanks to group theory. In TFs, the generator of the group is a DNA-binding domain while, in miRNAs, the generator is the seed of the sequence. For such a generated (infinite) group $\pi$, we compute the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety, where $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ is simultaneously a \lq space-time' (a Lorentz group) and a \lq quantum' (a spin) group. A noteworthy result of our approach is to recognize that optimal regulation occurs when $\pi$ looks like a free group $F_r$ ($r =1$ to $3$) in the cardinality sequence of its subgroups, a result obtained in our previous papers. A non free group structure features a potential disease. A second noteworthy result is about the structure of the Groebner basis $\mathcal{G}$ of the variety. A surface with simple singularities (like the well known Cayley cubic) within $\mathcal{G}$ is a signature of a potential disease even when $G$ looks like a free group $F_r$ in its structure of subgroups. Our methods apply to groups with a generating sequence made of two to four distinct DNA/RNA bases in $\{A,T/U,G,C\}$. Several human TFs and miRNAs are investigated in detail thanks to our approach.

A critical review of recent work on fuel lubricant interactions is undertaken. The work focusses on liquid fuels used in diesel and gasoline vehicles. The amount of fuel that contaminates the lubricant depends on driving conditions, engine design, fuel type and lubricant type. When fuel contaminates a lubricant, the viscosity of the lubricant will change (it will usually decrease), the sump oil level may increase, there may be a tendency for more sludge formation, there may be an impact on friction and wear, and low speed pre-ignition could occur. The increased use of biofuels (particularly biodiesel) may require a reduction in oil drain intervals, and fuel borne additives could contaminate the lubricant. The move to active regeneration of particulate filters by delayed fuel post-injection and the move to hybrid electric vehicles, and vehicles equipped with stop-start systems will lead to increased fuel dilution. This will be of more concern in diesel engines, since significant fuel dilution could still persist at sump oil temperatures in the range 100-150C (whereas in gasoline engines the more volatile gasoline fuel will have substantially evaporated at these temperatures). It is anticipated that more research into fuel lubricant interactions, particularly for diesel engines, will be needed in the near future.

Equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) is the change in global mean temperature expected to result from doubling atmospheric CO2 concentration from pre-industrial levels. Extensive research during the past 40 years has not reduced the uncertainty associated with ECS. Sherwood et al. [1] applied Bayesian statistics to evidence from climate-process physics, historical observations and earlier proxies to reduce the range of ECS from 1.5 – 4.5 K to 2.6 – 4.1 K. This paper examines their methods and many of the assumptions they made. It also evaluates two additional periods in the Holocene to show that factors other than CO2 drove recent climate change. It identifies potential systematic errors resulting from adding non-equilibrium short-term adjustments to the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases and from underestimating the effects of solar irradiance, ocean currents and aerosols. These factors have resulted in estimates of the forcing by CO2 that far exceed the apparent effects in paleoclimate data.

The Flack Parameter is now almost universally reported for all chiral materials characterized by X-ray crystallography. It’s elegantly simplicity was an inspired development by Flack, and although the original algorithm for its computation has been strengthened by other workers, it remains an essential outcome for any crystallographic structure determination. As with any one-parameter metric, it needs to be interpreted in the context of its standard uncertainty.

Knowledge of a lasers beam’s profile throughout a laser system and experiment can help immensely in diagnosing laser problems and assisting in beam alignment and focusing at a sample. Obtaining such profiles is a trivial task in the ultraviolet-visible wavelength range but more challenging with near-infrared to infrared beams. Scientific grade bolometer arrays, suitable for such a task, do exist but are extremely costly, relatively large and have a large pixel size, of the order of 80 μm, which is adequate for profiling larger beams but poses an issue when trying to profile sub 100 μm beams for example at a focal point. This communication identifies a micro-bolometer array for near- to mid-infrared laser beam profiling, which is extremely low cost. In addition, the device is very compact, enabling use in confined spaces, and has a small, 12 μm, pixel size permitting the profiling of focused laser beams. The best scientific grade device identified has a pixel size of 17 μm. This device is a powerful tool for infrared laser spectroscopists, reducing the time required to measure the spot size of beams and to achieve spatial overlap of multiple infrared beams as used in two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, saving many hours of setup time. The use of the bolometer array as a spectrographic detector and probe of long-term beam drifts is also demonstrated.

This study aimed to know the conditioning factors of the transition process to the self-care of women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. This qualitative study was carried out from June to September 2015 with seven seropositive women, users of a specialized service in sexually transmitted diseases in the municipality of Imperatriz, Maranhão State, Brazil. For the data collection, an individual interview was used, and data analysis was performed by content analysis delineated by Hsieh and Shannon (2005). The resources that influence the self-care in the transition process of women with HIV/AIDS are represented by personal conditioning factors, such as the meaning they attribute to the living with the disease, personal attitudes and cultural beliefs, socioeconomic status, preparation and knowledge about the disease, and by conditioning factors found in the community and society. The transition theory can provide important insights about the resources present in the adaptation process of women diagnosed with HIV so that they can perform their self-care satisfactorily.

: The objetive of this study was to evaluated the quality of sleep, degree of drowsiness, and stress index of dentistry students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study was conducted among dentistry students from two universities, obtaining data at baseline and 10 months after the pandemic. The Pittsburgh questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness scale, and Cohen perceived stress scale were used to assess sleep quality, sleepiness index, and stress level, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using Generalized Estimating Equations, with binary, ordinal, and linear logistic regression. Results: Baseline sleep quality had a positive influence on sleep quality compared with the assessment after 10 months. Drowsiness is influenced by factors, such as the time of assessment, income of up to one salary, and physical activity. There was greater drowsiness 10 months after the pandemic. High stress levels were observed during both assessments. Female sex, deteriorated family relationships, and lack of physical activity increase the risk of stress. Conclusion: The quality of sleep was positively affected during the pandemic period, remaining high, and drowsiness increased.

Numerous studies were published suggesting that troponin level is related to adverse outcomes in chronic cardiac and non-cardiac conditions. Our study investigated whether troponin levels gathered from an unselected blood sample taken during outpatient care are associated with adverse outcomes in a population with stable coronary artery disease. In a cohort of 949 patients with stable coronary artery disease, average age of 67.5 ± 9.5 years, 69.5% male, 52.1% diabetics, 51.6% with previous myocardial infarction, 57.9% with triple-vessel disease, 21.7% of patients encountered new events during an average period of monitoring of 2.07 ± 0.81 years. Troponin I/99th percentile categorized into tertiles emerged as an independent predictor of death and combined events risk (hazard ratio: 2.02 (1.13-3.60), p=0.017; 2.30 (1.37-3.88, p=0.002, respectively). A troponin ratio > 0.24 was able to identify 53.3% of patients at risk of death and heart failure hospitalization. In patients with stable coronary artery disease and adherent to treatment, troponin level is independently associated with death and heart failure hospitalization in a medium-term follow up.

Considering the health benefits of the kombucha, already widely studied, the objective of the study was to development of the beverage with the addition of infusion of special arabica coffee from the first fermentation varying the proportion of special coffee (2% a 13%) and evaluate the pH, volatile acidity, degree of alcohol, centesimal composition, sodium contents, colour parameters as like acceptability of the beverages. With respect to the pH, all the formulations conformed with the kombucha identity standard, but K3 and K4 were below the established minimum for volatile acidity. Except for K4, all the other formulations were classified as alcoholic kombuchas, although the values were very close to the limit for non-alcoholic. The formulations presented low sugar and sodium content, which corroborated the low caloric value. Therefore, coffee-flavored kombucha fermented for 18 days becomes an option for consumers looking for low-calorie, refreshing and healthy drinks. The luminosity of the beverages decreased as the proportion of coffee increased, and consequently the values for a* and b* increased, indicating a strong tendency for a yellowish red colour. Sensorially, the formulations K4 and K3 were the most well accepted in all respects and can therefore be considered formulations with high commercialization potential.

Extracts of Cordyceps militaris which possess the bioactive capacity such as antimicrobial activity and DPPH-free radical scavenging capacity, are applied to the serum product. This finished serum product has been evaluated the in vitro bioactivity and the stability with expect to find out a good extract with a suitable percentage used for serum product as natural materials on preservatives and antioxidation.

A single qubit may be represented on the Bloch sphere or similarly on the 3-sphere S3. Our goal is to dress this correspondence by converting the language of universal quantum computing (UQC) to that of 3-manifolds. A magic state and the Pauli group acting on it define a model of UQC as a positive operator-valued measure (POVM) that one recognizes to be a 3-manifold M3. More precisely, the d-dimensional POVMs defined from subgroups of finite index of the modular group PSL(2, Z) correspond to d-fold M3- coverings over the trefoil knot. In this paper, one also investigates quantum information on a few ‘universal’ knots and links such as the figure-of-eight knot, the Whitehead link and Borromean rings, making use of the catalog of platonic manifolds available on the software SnapPy. Further connections between POVMs based UQC and M3’s obtained from Dehn fillings are explored.

A single qubit may be represented on the Bloch sphere or similarly on the $3$-sphere $S^3$. Our goal is to dress this correspondence by converting the language of universal quantum computing (uqc) to that of $3$-manifolds. A magic state and the Pauli group acting on it define a model of uqc as a POVM that one recognizes to be a $3$-manifold $M^3$. E. g., the $d$-dimensional POVMs defined from subgroups of finite index of the modular group $PSL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ correspond to $d$-fold $M^3$- coverings over the trefoil knot. In this paper, one also investigates quantum information on a few \lq universal' knots and links such as the figure-of-eight knot, the Whitehead link and Borromean rings, making use of the catalog of platonic manifolds available on SnapPy. Further connections between POVMs based uqc and $M^3$'s obtained from Dehn fillings are explored.

The development of compartmentalized neuron culture systems has been invaluable in the study of neuroinvasive viruses, including the alpha herpesviruses Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) and Pseudorabies Virus (PRV). This chapter provides updated protocols for assembling and culturing rodent embryonic superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in Campenot trichamber cultures. In addition, we provide several illustrative examples of the types of experiments that are enabled by Campenot cultures: 1. Using fluorescence microscopy to investigate axonal outgrowth/extension through the chambers, and alpha herpesvirus infection, intracellular trafficking, and cell-cell spread via axons. 2. Using correlative fluorescence microscopy and cryo electron tomography to investigate the ultrastructure of virus particles trafficking in axons.

We consider partition functions, in the form of state sums, and associated probabilistic measures for aperiodic substrates described by model sets and their associated tiling spaces. We propose model set tiling spaces as microscopic models for small scales in the context of quantum gravity. Model sets possess special self-similarity properties that allow us to consider implications on large and observable scales from the underlying (non-ergodic) dynamics. In particular we consider the implication of the underlying aperiodic substrate for the well known problem of time in quantum gravity, and propose a correspondence between small and large scales, the so-called ergodic correspondence, that addresses the emergence of matter properties and spacetime structure. In the process we find a possible bound in the mass spectrum of fundamental particles.

We are witnessing a progressive divestment of some institutions with strong traditions and skills in physical modelling and their consequent impoverishment, to the detriment of numerical modelling. For many reasons, the economic imperatives and the exponential growth of computational means and numerical methods should certainly not be excluded. In this work, we aimed to highlight the new requirements of the recent sophisticated developments in physical modelling, precisely due to the new needs imposed on them by mathematical and numerical modelling and the growing risks in civil construction works. In this context, reflections are reported, justified by scientific and real-world examples, on the need for maintenance and reinforcement of investments in physical modelling, both to support the scientific community and to design buildings of significant economic, social and environmental impact.

The hemodynamic activity of Melipona flavolineata workers was evaluated during restraint stress for a period of 30 minutes. The observed parameters were power variation in the elapsed time, and subsequently six periods of one second were divided and called: A, B, C, D, E and F; in each period the electrocardiographic parameters were evaluated: Heart rate, Amplitude, R-R Interval, Duration of QRS and Q-T interval. The experiment was carried out with 8 worker bees of M. flavolineata, for which electrodes with nickel-chromium alloy were made. The bees were previously anesthetized with isoflurane and properly contained and fixed in a base for stereotaxis in which the electrode was implanted. All these procedures were performed inside a Faraday cage. The results showed power oscillations during the recording with the highest energy level between 300 and 600 s. Heart rate, QRS amplitude and QRS duration parameters underwent changes recorded during the restraint stress period. However, for the Q-T interval there was no difference during the recordings. Thus, the cardiac activity of M. flavolineata can be used as a biomarker and being used to clarify physiological issues or alterations caused by toxic agents and indicate risk factors for these animals.

The authors previously found a model of universal quantum computation by making use of the coset structure of subgroups of a free group $G$ with relations. A valid subgroup $H$ of index $d$ in $G$ leads to a \lq magic' state $\left|\psi\right\rangle$ in $d$-dimensional Hilbert space that encodes a minimal informationally complete quantum measurement (or MIC), possibly carrying a finite \lq contextual' geometry. In the present work, we choose $G$ as the fundamental group $\pi_1(V)$ of an exotic $4$-manifold $V$, more precisely a \lq small exotic' (space-time) $R^4$ (that is homeomorphic and isometric, but not diffeomorphic to the Euclidean $\mathbb{R}^4$). Our selected example, due to to S. Akbulut and R.~E. Gompf, has two remarkable properties: (a) it shows the occurence of standard contextual geometries such as the Fano plane (at index $7$), Mermin's pentagram (at index $10$), the two-qubit commutation picture $GQ(2,2)$ (at index $15$) as well as the combinatorial Grassmannian Gr$(2,8)$ (at index $28$) , (b) it allows the interpretation of MICs measurements as arising from such exotic (space-time) $R^4$'s. Our new picture relating a topological quantum computing and exotic space-time is also intended to become an approach of \lq quantum gravity'.

A popular account of the mixing patterns for the three generations of quarks and leptons is through the characters $\kappa$ of a finite group $G$. Here we introduce a $d$-dimensional Hilbert space with $d=cc(G)$, the number of conjugacy classes of $G$. Groups under consideration should follow two rules, (a) the character table contains both two- and three-dimensional representations with at least one of them faithful and (b) there are minimal informationally complete measurements under the action of a $d$-dimensional Pauli group over the characters of these representations. Groups with small $d$ that satisfy these rules coincide in a large part with viable ones derived so far for reproducing simultaneously the CKM (quark) and PNMS (lepton) mixing matrices. Groups leading to physical $CP$ violation are singled out.

The purpose of this study is to examine the self-esteem levels of visually handicapped individuals who do sports and do’t do sports. There were 106 sportsmen and 94 persons with visual handicapped (200 in total) who participated in the research clubs in the province of Izmir. As the sub-problems, the relationship between the genders of participant who visually handicapped and not visually handicapped was investigated. The study consists of two parts. In the first part, the demographic characteristics of the participants were determined; in the second part Rosenberg Self Value scale consisting of 10 questions was used. Data were analyzed with SPSS 18.00 package program. T test, correlation analysis, descriptive statistics were applied to test hypotheses of the study. The research found that there is a significant difference between the self-esteem levels of individuals with and without visually handicapped sports (P <0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the self-esteem levels of the sportsmen and the sportswomen (P> 0,05). There was no significant difference in the self-esteem levels of visually handicapped individuals who played individual sports and team sports (P> 0,05). As a result, it has been seen that sports have a positive effect on self-esteem in visually handicapped individuals and they contribute and hold to life more meaningful.

Revealing the time structure of physical or biological objects is usually performed thanks to the tools of signal processing like the fast Fourier transform, Ramanujan sum signal processing and many other techniques. For space-time topological objects in physics and biology, we propose a type of algebraic processing based on schemes in which the discrimination of singularities within objects is based on the space-time-spin group SL(2,C). Such topological objects possess an homotopy structure encoded in their fundamental group and the related SL(2,C) multivariate polynomial character variety contains a plethora of singularities somehow analogous to the frequency spectrum in time structures. Our approach is applied to an Akbulut cork in exotic R4, to an hyperbolic model of topological quantum computing based on algebraic surfaces and to microRNAs in genetics. Such diverse topics reveal the manifold of possibilities of using the concept of a scheme spectrum.

The industrial sector plays a crucial role in driving global economic growth by creating employ-ment opportunities, generating local income, and significantly contributing to each country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the manufacturing industry is responsible for produc-ing a substantial amount of polluting effluents, which can harm the environment and compromise the life quality of future generations if not appropriately treated. Various methods, including physical, chemical, and biological processes, have been employed in the treatment of industrial ef-fluents. Filamentous fungi, in particular, have garnered attention as effective bioremediation agents due to their ability to produce enzymes capable of degrading recalcitrant compounds and adsorb different pollutant molecules. This study aimed to assess the collective body of research on using white and brown rot fungi to remove phenolic compounds from industrial effluents. The research employed a systematic review, incorporating scientometric analysis, with the primary goal of constructing a comprehensive overview of the evolution of this technology over time. The analysis also aimed to scrutinize its geographical distribution and identify gaps and trends within these research inquiries. Data for the study were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) data-base using specific search terms (("white rot fung*" OR "brown rot fung*") AND (phenol* OR phenoloxidase OR "polyphenol oxidase*") AND (wastewater OR effluent* OR bioremediation)). The time frame considered ranged from 1945 to 2023, resulting in 464 publications. After refine-ment, 109 studies were selected for further analysis, focusing on using filamentous fungi in the bi-oremediation of industrial effluents. The findings revealed that white rot fungi were the most studied in industrial effluent remediation processes, accounting for 96.3% of the studies assessed, followed by brown rot fungi at 2.7%. Filamentous fungi demonstrate significant potential for treating industrial effluents due to their high capacity to degrade phenolic compounds, especially in wastewater from olive mills, paper production industries, and distilleries. Among the investi-gated species, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes versicolor, and Lentinula edodes have been the most extensively researched for this application. Notably, cultures with free cells (64.15%) stood out compared to cultures with immobilized cells, and cultures with isolated fungi surpassed microbial consortia. Geographically, Italy, Spain, Greece, India, and Brazil emerged as the most prominent countries in publications related to this area during the evaluated period.

The Operational Remote Sensing (ORS) program leverages Landsat and MODIS data to detect forest disturbances across the conterminous United States (CONUS). The ORS program was initiated in 2014 as a collaboration between the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Geospatial Technology and Applications Center (GTAC) and the Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team (FHAAST). The goal of the ORS program is to supplement the Insect and Disease Survey (IDS) and MODIS Real-Time Forest Disturbance (RTFD) programs with imagery-derived forest disturbance data that can be used to augment traditional IDS data. We developed three algorithms and produced ORS forest change products using both Landsat and MODIS data. These were assessed over Southern New England and the Rio Grande National Forest. Reference data were acquired using TimeSync to conduct an independent accuracy assessment of IDS, RTFD, and ORS products. Overall accuracy for all products ranged from 77.64% to 93.51% (kappa 0.09–0.59) in the Southern New England study area and 59.57% to 79.57% (kappa 0.09–0.45) in the Rio Grande National Forest study area. In general, ORS products met or exceeded the overall accuracy and kappa of IDS and RTFD products. This demonstrates the current implementation of ORS is sufficient to provide data to augment IDS data.

The Neotropical region is one of the most diverse regions of the globe in terms of macro-organismic species. Regarding the microbial world, however, little is known about the diversity and biogeography patterns of micro-organisms in the Neotropics. In this context, the study of several microbial taxonomic groups is still missing and/or incomplete, such as the protists. Our goal here was to summarize the available information of Neotropical protists, focusing on molecular data from environmental continental samples, to explore what these data evidence on their ecology and biogeography. For this, we reviewed the findings from all articles that focused on or included the terrestrial protists using metabarcoding approach and identified the gaps and future perspectives in this research field. We found that Neotropical protists diversity patterns seem to be, at least in part, congruent with that of macro-organisms and, different than plants and bacteria, just weakly explained by environmental variables. We argue that studies with standardized protocols including different biomes are necessary to fully characterize the ecology and biogeography on Neotropical protists. Furthermore, dismember evolutionary lineages and functional guilds of protists are important to better understand the relationship between diversity, dispersal abilities and functionality of particular taxa of protists in their habitats.

What drives an individual police officer to activate his body-worn camera (BWC)? Some evidence suggests officer attitudes and resistance to the technology contributes to the equivocal results in studies testing for BWCs effect on use-of-force, complaints, and other outcomes of interest. Leveraging a novel survey and administrative dataset, we investigate the predictors of BWC activation among 147 police officers in a single agency. With a test of three nested models, we find job function covariates offer robust predictive power of how often an officer activates her or his BWC. Neither demographic nor attitudinal measures significantly predict BWC activations, except for a negative relationship with how officers perceive BWC impacts on professional discretion. The study furnishes empirical support for understanding officers as Principled Agents: job function, guided by administrative policy is the most explanatory and parsimonious, while models of attitudes and demographics fail to improve upon the job function model.

Text mining is a technological trend often highlighted in the continuous exchange of information through interconnected media. Its applicability goes beyond private organizations, as the public sector also requires it to treat textual information regarding services offered. Within this scenario, public security emerges as a prominent user of text mining that seeks to ensure the construction of data and knowledgebases to support decision-making about law enforcement actions to ensure citizen welfare. The primary objectives of this article are: (i) to develop a survey to identify text mining applications, techniques, opportunities, and challenges in public security, and (ii) to outline research directions concerning these topics and provide insights so that interested researchers can develop new studies. The literature was searched within four databases: Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Web of Science. A filtering process was applied to extract the works most aligned with the target theme, resulting in the selection of 194 of the most relevant works for a literature review. There were identified nineteen key applications of text mining related to public security and the most recurrent techniques and technologies reported between 2014 to 2021, supporting outlining three axes for future directions: one with possible expansion of objectives for new research; another on changes and adaptations in scopes for the methodological context; and the last one on expansions and changes in application scenarios based on the literature.

Introduction. A needle is inserted into a joint for arthrocentesis or injection of a therapeutic medication(s), commonly a corticosteroid. The aim of this paper is to discuss the first theme identified from a scoping review of corticosteroid injections for the pathology of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Pathology. The two most common pathologies affecting the first metatarsophalangeal joint are osteoarthritis and bunions. An arthritic joint is regularly injected with a corticosteroid, but bunions are not. Other pathologies that may receive an injection include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, sesamoiditis and post-operative arthrofibrosis. Discussion. Most available evidence discusses corticosteroid injections for osteoarthritis, but there is a paucity of high-quality evidence, especially for corticosteroid use in other pathological conditions. Conclusion. Whilst the evidence base suggests that corticosteroid injections are safe short- and mid-term treatment options for a range of soft tissue and joint pathology, the specific indications, and short/long-term outcomes in the first metatarsophalangeal joint pathologies are not clear and warrant further study.

Nail surgery for the permanent removal of all or part of the nail unit can be performed via incisional or physically ablative techniques for conditions such as ingrown, mycotic, or dystrophic toenails. In the United Kingdom podiatric community, where phenol techniques are the standard of care for ablation of the matrix, there remains confusion about the management of patients undergoing nail surgery who are concurrently taking antithrombotic medication(s). The aim of this paper was to review the literature describing treatment strategies for antithrombosed patients undergoing nail surgery. However, having found limited evidence, the authors considered relevant and associated literature in the field of cutaneous/dermatological surgery and extrapolated those findings for patients undergoing nail avulsion surgery. A case-by-case risk assessment is warranted in all patients but as a general rule, the podiatrist can perform nail surgery without the patientceasing their antithrombotic medication.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a focal compressive neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve or one of its associated branches. Brief mention is made in the literature of the use of corticosteroid injections for this condition. The basic technique of hydrodissection is used for other nerve entrapments and includes identifying the region of nerve compression, and the injection of a fluid medium to dissect between structures or fascial planes. We introduce our treatment protocol using a methylprednisolone/sterile water/ropivacaine hydrochloride injectate mix and peripheral nerve stimulation to a perform hydrodissection technique for tarsal tunnel syndrome.

This article sets out to deconstruct and challenge the psychologised and pathologising approach that has come to dominate child protection practice in Aotearoa-New Zealand and comparable societies in neoliberal times. Within a risk and protection focused paradigm circumstances and behaviours associated with material deprivation are construed as indicators of heightened danger and harm as opposed to a means of better understanding family life. In this way, although poverty may be classified as an issue that is worthy of attention in the realm of broader economic and social policy, structural inequality is rendered largely irrelevant to the practice of statutory child protection. This article sets out to trouble this construction. It will be argued that understandings of how the effects of material inequality are played out in the lives of children and their families are critical to the development of more effective child protection social work. This ‘life-world’ is generally populated by young women parenting in poverty. Poverty exacerbates the everyday struggle of parenting - it shames and dis-empowers; reducing confidence and perceptions of competence (Gupta, 2015). A paradigm shift is needed. Child protection policy and practice needs to re-engage with the every-day struggles that accompany the lives of socially marginalised families in increasingly stratified late capitalist society. The future of social work in child protection depends on it.

The influenza virus has been the primary cause of the pandemic, posing a constant threat to human society. Due to its genetic evolution and continuous outbreak, antiviral research currently focuses on exploring a novel lead agent. A comprehensive antiviral screening discovered a marine bacterium whose extract exerted excellent efficacy against influenza viruses. Parerythrobacter sp. M20A3S10, a novel strain under the family Erythrobacteraceae, could produce carotenoids exhibiting antiviral and anticancer activity by enhancing the cellular immune system. Post-treatment of M20A3S10 extract showed outstanding therapeutic indexes: against influenza virus A/PR8 (H1N1) [selectivity index (SI) = 24.0], A/Wisconsin/15/2009 (H3N2) (SI = 30.1) and B/Florida/78/2015 (SI = 38.2). Comparably, the effectiveness was demonstrated against Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus type 2 (DENV2) with an SI of 22.5 and 24.1, respectively, namely broad-spectrum activity. Of note, the antiviral responses resulted from the common replication mechanism between IAV, ZIKV, and DENV2. The stimulation of apoptosis-mediated cellular immunity prevented the viral release and protected the host, suggesting that switching from necroptosis to apoptosis is a novel antiviral target. Although the specific compound affecting the antiviral activity was not identified, its promising efficacy with broad activity will contribute to developing a strategy for preventing future pandemics.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been subject of extensive scientific investigation in the last three decades and, currently, are one of the type of compounds most studied to be potentially applied in a wide range of distinct catalytic processes. Pristine MOF compounds provide several intriguing benefits for catalytic applications, including high interior surface areas and densities of active sites, allowing high catalytic reaction rates per volume, post-synthesis modified with com-plementary catalytic groups, enabling multiple functional groups to catalyze the reaction. Most of large-scale catalytic applications, including those in fuel processing, gas emission reduction and chemical synthesis, nevertheless the pristine MOFs often reveal limited stabilities and opportuni-ties for regeneration at high temperatures. As a result, the real applications of MOFs in these tech-nologies are likely to be constrained, and their controlled thermal modification aiming the prepa-ration of MOF-derivative compounds has been applied to induce crystalline structural changes and increase their structural stability, enhancing its potential applicability in more severe catalytic processes. Recent advances concerning the use of this strategy to boost the catalytic potential of the MOF-derivative compounds are outlined in this short-review article.

Sanitation, water supply and their governance remain major challenges in many Pacific Island Countries. National sustainable development strategies (NSDSs) are promoted throughout the Pacific as overarching improved governance instruments to identify priorities, plan solutions and fulfill commitments to sustainable development. Their relevance to local village-level development priorities is uncertain. The Kingdom of Tonga provides opportunities to compare both. Tonga’s Strategic Development Frameworks (TSDFI 2011-2014 and TSDFII 2015-2025) were developed to focus government and its agencies on national outcomes. From 2007 to 2016, 136 villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Divisions (IDs) formulated Community Development Plans (CDPs) involving separately 80% of women, youth and men in each village. Censuses in 2006 and 2016 show linked improvements in water supply and sanitation systems but reveal IDs with continuing challenges. Sanitation and water are prominent in TSDFI but absent from the current TSDFII. In contrast, CDPs show in one ID, 53% of villages ranked sanitation as a priority with marked differences between IDs and between women, youth and men. CDPs’ sanitation priorities in IDs mostly correspond to sanitation and water metrics in the Censuses, but some reflect impacts of natural disasters. Explanations for differences in sanitation priorities between national and local development plans, as well as suggestions for improving NSDS processes in island countries, are advanced.

Prebiotic oligosaccharides are widely used as human and animal feed additives for their beneficial effects on the gut microbiota. However, there are limited data to assess the direct effect of such functional foods on the transcriptome of intestinal epithelial cells. The purpose of this study is to describe the differential transcriptomes and cellular pathways of colonic cells directly exposed to galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). We have examined the differential gene expression of polarized Caco-2 cells treated with GOS or FOS and their respective mock-treated cells using mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 89 significant differentially expressed genes were identified between GOS and mock-treated groups. For FOS treatment, a reduced number of 12 significant genes were observed to be differentially expressed relative to the control group. KEGG and Gene Ontology functional analysis revealed that genes up-regulated in the presence of GOS were involved in digestion and absorption processes, fatty acids and steroids metabolism, potential antimicrobial proteins, energy-dependent and -independent transmembrane trafficking of solutes and amino acids. Using our data, we have established complementary non-prebiotic modes of action for these frequently used dietary fibers.

Motivated for improving the efficiency and reliability of wind turbine energy conversion, this paper presents an advanced control design that enhances the power regulation efficiency and re-liability. The constrained behaviour of the wind turbine is taken into account, by using the barrier Lyapunov function in the analysis of the Lyapunov direct method. This, consequently, guarantees that the generated power remains within the desired bounds to satisfy the grid power demand. Moreover, a Nussbaum-type function is utilized in the control scheme, to cope with the unpre-dictable wind speed. This eliminates the need for accurate wind speed measurement or estimation. Furthermore, via properly designed adaptive laws, a robust actuator fault-tolerant capability is integrated into the scheme, handling the model uncertainty. Numerical simulations are performed on a high-fidelity wind turbine benchmark model, under different fault scenarios, to verify the effectiveness of the developed design. Also, a Monte-Carlo analysis is exploited for the evaluation of the reliability and robustness characteristics against the model-reality mismatch, measurement errors and disturbance effects.

Acne vulgaris is a prevalent dermatological disorder that impacts the quality of life for millions of people around the world. The multifactorial nature of this disorder requires innovative and effective treatment strategies. Over time, there has been a growing interest regarding the use of natural topical therapies, with cannabinoids emerging as a promising group of compounds for investiga-tion. In the context of acne treatment, cannabinoids are of particular interest due to their anti-acne properties, namely, lipostatic, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities. Among these bioactive compounds, cannabidiol stands out as a notable derivative, exhibiting a promising spectrum of therapeutic actions. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have proven its ability to modulate sebum production, reduce inflammation, and inhibit bacterial proliferation - all of which are critical components in the pathogenesis of this dermatosis. This review provides a comprehen-sive overview of cannabinoids' potential as a novel and holistic approach to acne vulgaris treatment and summarizes recent developments in this area.

UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 6 presents difficulties for small island developing states such as the Kingdom of Tonga, which relies on rainwater and groundwater lenses for freshwater supply. Planning and managing water resources to supply demands in dispersed small islands under variable climate and frequent extreme events is challenging. Tensions between water planning using top-down versus bottom-up processes have long been recognized. Tonga’s overarching national planning instrument is the Tonga Strategic Development Framework, 2015-2025 (TSDFII). This identifies desired national outcomes and is used to direct and resource Ministries and address international and regional commitments. Water supply was a low priority in the three-month consultations that led to TSDFII. Community Development Plans (CDPs), developed by rural villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Groups over nine years, involved participation from 80% of each village population who ranked local priorities. Analysis of priorities in 117 available village CDPs reveals improvements to village water supply was the highest overall priority in all five Island Groups and ranked within the top three priorities by 76% of all villages, with women, youth and men returning figures of 83%, 66% and 80% respectively. The mismatch between top-down and bottom-up priorities appears to result from an urban/rural divide.

Cervical cancer is caused by a persistent and high-grade infection, caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which, when entering cervical cells, alters their physiology and generates serious lesions. HPV 18 - is among those most involved in carcinogenesis in this region, but there are still no drug treatments that cause cure or total remission of lesions caused by HPV. Knowing that L-Asparaginase is an amidohydrolase, which plays a significant role in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the treatment of specific cancers, due to its antitumor properties, some studies have demonstrated its cytotoxic effect against cervical cancer cells. However, the commercial version of this enzyme has side effects, such as hypersensitivity, allergic reactions and silent inactivation due to the formation of antibodies. To mitigate these adverse effects, several alternatives have been explored, including the use of L-asparaginase from other microbiological sources, which is the case with the use of the fungus Aspergillus niger, a high producer of L-asparaginase. The study investigated the influence of the type of fermentation, precipitant, purification, characterization and in vitro cytotoxicity of L-asparaginase. The results revealed that semisolid fermentation produced higher enzymatic activity and protein concentration of A. niger. The characterized enzyme showed excellent stability at pH 9.0, temperature of 50ºC, resistance to surfactants and metallic ions, and an increase in enzymatic activity was also noted with the organic solvent ethanol. Furthermore, it exhibited low cytotoxicity in GM and RAW cells, and significant cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. These findings indicate that L-asparaginase derived from Aspergillus niger may be a promising alternative for pharmaceutical production. Its attributes, including stability, activity and low toxicity in healthy cells, suggest that this modified enzyme could overcome challenges associated with antitumor therapy.

This study aimed to analyze the effect of a flow training program based on mindfulness applied to young and adult elite handball athletes. A quantitative, quasi-experimental, descriptive data analysis approach was carried out. The sample included 105 athletes (51 female and 54 male). The athletes were divided into two groups: i) experimental (n = 53) and ii) control (n = 52). The results of the repeated ANOVA indicated that the experimental group achieved significant improvements compared to the control group in decision making (n2p=.086), mental well-being (n2p=.045), dispositional flow state (n2p=.103), non-judgment (n2p=.040), refocusing (n2p=.052) and mindful trait in daily life (n2p=.058). In the linear regression test, the factor non-judgment was identified as a predictor of decision making (F(103)=7.99, p=.006) and the predictor for the mental well-being were dispositional flow state (F(102)=29.2, p

This investigation aimed to explore the impact of acute and regular physical exercise on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels in individuals with obesity. Using the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design (PICOS) approach, the inclusion criteria were defined as follows: i) population - individuals with overweight or obesity of any age or gender; ii) intervention - acute or chronic interventions involving aerobic or anaerobic methodologies; iii) comparator - for acute effect studies, pre- and post-evaluations served as comparators, while interventions included at least one experimental group or the inclusion of a control group; iv) outcome - BDNF variability concerning the applied methodology; v) study design - restricted to experimental studies exclusively. Conducted in August 2022, the searches were carried out on PubMed, Academic Search Complete, and Web of Science. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS) tool. Out of 98 potentially relevant articles, 16 met the eligibility criteria, encompassing 23 trials. Substantial heterogeneity was observed for both acute (I2 = 80.4%) and long-term effects (I2 = 88.7%). Additionally, RoBANS analysis indicated a low risk of bias for the included studies. The study's findings revealed a significant increase in the concentration of circulating BDNF in individuals with obesity compared to the control group following acute exercise. However, such an effect was not evident in the context of long-term physical exercise, with a small effect size (ES = 0.49) recorded in the latter scenario. The observed significant increase in BDNF levels post-acute exercise suggests a potential acute response mechanism contributing to the intricate interplay between exercise and neurotrophic factors in this population. Nevertheless, the absence of a similar effect in the context of long-term physical exercise implies a potential adaptation or ceiling effect. These findings underscore the importance of considering both the duration and nature of exercise interventions when exploring the neurobiological responses associated with obesity and exercise. The study provides valuable insights for future research and clinical implications in understanding the nuanced relationship between exercise, neurotrophic factors, and obesity.

Docking the tail of lambs is a standard husbandry procedure and is achieved through several techniques including clamps, hot or cold knives and latex rings, the last of which is the most popular. All tail docking methods cause acute pain which can be reduced by application of local anesthetic, however precise anatomical injection for optimal efficacy requires considerable skill. This pen trial evaluated the ability of local anesthetic delivered with a dual function ring applicator / injector to alleviate acute tail docking pain. Thirty ewe lambs were assigned to one of three treatment groups (n = 10 per group): ring plus local anesthetic (Ring LA), ring only (Ring) and sham handled control (Sham). Lambs were videoed and behavior categorized every 5 minutes for the first hour and every 10 min for the subsequent 2 hours after treatment. There was a significant effect (p &lt; 0.001) of treatment on total active pain related behaviors in the first hour, with Ring lambs showing higher counts compared to Ring LA or Sham. Ring lambs also displayed a significantly higher count of combined abnormal postures (p &lt; 0.001) than Ring LA or Sham lambs. Delivery of 1.5ml of 2% lignocaine via the dual action device abolished abnormal behaviors and signs of pain in Ring LA lambs. However, lambs in the Ring LA group spent less time attempting to suckle compared to Ring and Sham lambs, suggesting that some residual discomfort remained.

Relativistic atomic and molecular structure calculations start from very different premises to quantum electrodynamics (QED). QED predicts radiative corrections that can nly be approximated crudely in today's atomic structure programs. This paper describes rigorous simple algorithms for including accurate vacuum polarization and self-energy corrections in the GRASP programs.

This study presents the comparison of heat transfer capacity and pressure drop characteristics between a basic fin-tube heat exchanger and a modified heat exchanger with the structural change of branch tubes and coiled turbulators. All experiments were carried out using an air-enthalpy type calorimeter based on the method described in ASHRAE standards, under heat exchanger experimental conditions. 14 different kinds of heat exchangers were used for the experiment. Cooling and heating capacities of the turbulator heat exchanger were excellent, compared to the basic one. As the insertion ratio of the coiled turbulator and the number of row increased, the heat transfer performance increased. However, the capacity per unit area was more effective in 4 rows than 6 rows, and the cooling performance of the 6 row turbulator heat exchanger (100% turbulator insert ratio) was down to about 6% than that of 4 row one. As the water flow rate and the turbulator insertion ratio increased, the pressure drop of the water side increased. This trend was more pronounced in 6 rows. In the cooling condition, the pressure drop on the air side was slightly increased due to the generation of condensed water, but was insignificant under the heating condition. The power consumption of the pump was more affected by the water flow rate than the coiled turbulator. The equivalent hydraulic diameter of a tube by the turbulator was reduced and then the heat transfer performance was improved. Thus, the tube diameter was smaller, the heat flux was better.

Berberis koreana Palibin is an endemic plant native to Korea. In this study, we aimed to study seed germination in this species using a water imbibition experiment, gibberellic acid (GA3) treat-ment (0, 10, 100, or 1000 mg·L−1), cold stratification (0, 2, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at 4 °C), a move-along experiment, and phenology studies. In the water imbibition experiment, the weight of the seeds increased by more than 120% in 24 h. Analysis of the internal and external morphological char-acteristics of the seed revealed that the embryo was already fully grown from the fruit and did not grow thereafter. The final germination percentages for cold stratification at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks at 4 °C were 12, 32, 59, 59, and 71%, respectively. In the move-along experiment and phe-nology studies, a longer low-temperature treatment period resulted in a higher germination percentage. However, the GA3 treatment had little effect on seed germination. Our results indi-cate that B. koreana exhibits intermediate physiological seed dormancy.

The paper describes problems with the current additive manufacturing chain before considering additive manufacturing as part of a modern manufacturing chain. Additive manufacturing can be used for near net-shape for finishing, for repair or for adding special features which cannot be made with traditional manufacturing. This paper describes how STEP-NC deals with these different scenarios in terms of accuracy, multi-material and variation of slice direction. The possibilities of multi-material objects also raises questions about the design of such objects and how these need to be handled by an advanced controller. The paper also describes non-planar slicing. Curved direction and cylindrical direction are shown to improve the accuracy of curved structure additive manufacturing. STEP-NC using boundary representation has better capability of depicting complex internal structures for additive processes. By using exact model of the final product represented by STEP-NC, the paper demonstrates improvements in data size reduction, slicing accuracy, and precise manipulation of internal structure.

This article offers a pragmatic ‘epistemology of wargaming’ which views wargames as immersive ‘thought experiments’ in which the human players involved use their experiential, empirical, and theoretical knowledge – together with whatever cognitive models they are able to deploy, or develop anew – to generate a conceptual, operational understanding of the adversarial scenario in which they are immersed; and exploit this understanding to craft tactical decisions designed to optimise the likelihood they will achieve their strategic objectives. From this perspective, contemporary interest in the use of ‘AI’-enabled tools to augment the validity of wargaming outputs – where these outputs constitute the decisions players make and the insights such decisions reveal – might most purposefully focus on: the design and implementation of wargames (to strengthen the architecture these provide to support immersive decision-making); and the analysis of players’ decisions (to better understand the cognitive models these involve and reflect). While the focus we suggest might disappoint those keen to replace human players with (semi-) autonomous decision-making machines, as long as the principal objectives of wargaming are to assess and enhance the decision-making capabilities of human players and human personnel, ‘AI’-enabled applications can only ever play a supporting role (albeit a potentially invaluable one) in the design, presentation, implementation, and analysis of wargames. As Irving Berlin might have it: ‘AI’ might soon be able to do most things better than us, but it can never replace humans when only a human will do.

The past two decades have witnessed the introduction of and then a steady increase in the use of computational techniques in the study and development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Molecular dynamics (MD) based studies have had a significant role in this development as they can provide insights concerning the mechanisms governing the molecular level events underlying MIP synthesis and MIP-ligand interactions and can be used for the identification of preferred monomer compositions and for the prediction of MIP properties. We here review the role that MD has played in the development of molecular imprinting and examine the different types of MD strategies that have been used, including their advantages and challenges. Recent trends in the application of MD to the study of MIPs are presented, along with a perspective on the future importance of MD-based studies for the development of molecular imprinting science and technology.

Both auditory and vestibular primary afferent neurons can be activated by sound and vibration. This review relates differences between them to the different receptor/synaptic mechanisms of the two systems as shown by indicators of peripheral function – cochlear and vestibular compound action potentials (cCAPs and vCAPs) to click stimulation as recorded in animal studies. Sound and vibration sensitive type 1 receptors at the striola of the utricular macula are enveloped by the unique calyx afferent ending which has three modes of synaptic transmission. Glutamate is the transmitter for both cochlear and vestibular primary afferents, however blocking glutamate transmission has very little effect on vCAPs but greatly reduces cCAPs. We suggest that the ultrafast non-quantal synaptic mechanism called resistive coupling is the cause of the short latency vestibular afferent responses and related results – failure of transmitter blockade, masking, and temporal precision. This “ultrafast” non-quantal transmission is effectively electrical coupling dependent on the membrane potentials of the calyx and the type 1 receptor. The major clinical implication is that decreasing stimulus rise-time increases vCAP response, corresponding to the increased VEMP response in human subjects . Short rise-times are optimum in human clinical VEMP testing, whereas long rise-times are mandatory for audiometric threshold testing.

The human coronaviruses (CoV) include HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1, some known for decades. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV briefly emerged into the human population but was controlled. In 2012 another novel severely human pathogenic CoV – Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV was identified in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where 80% of over 2,000 human cases have been recorded across five years. Targeted research remains key to developing control strategies for MERS-CoV, a cause of mild illness in its camel reservoir. A new therapeutic toolbox being developed in response to MERS is also teaching us more about how CoVs cause disease. Travel-related cases continue to challenge the world’s surveillance and response capabilities and more data are needed to understand unexplained primary transmission. Signs of genetic change have been recorded but it remains unclear whether any impact on clinical disease. How camels came to carry the virus remains academic to the control of MERS. To date, human-to-human transmission has been inefficient, but virus surveillance, characterisation and reporting are key to responding to any future change. MERS-CoV is not currently a pandemic threat; it is spread mainly with the aid of human habit and error.

The effects of CO₂-water-rock interactions on the mechanical properties of shale are essential for estimating the possibility of sequestrating CO₂ in shale reservoirs. In this study, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests together with an acoustic emission (AE) system and SEM & EDS analysis were performed to investigate the mechanical properties and microstructural changes of black shales with different saturation times (10 days, 20 days and 30 days) in water dissoluted with sub-/super-critical CO₂. According to the experimental results, the values of UCS, Young’s modulus and brittleness index decrease gradually with increasing saturation time in water with sub-/super-critical CO₂. Compared to intact samples, 30-days’ saturation causes reductions of 56.43% in UCS and 54.21% in Young’s modulus for sub-critical saturated samples, and 66.05% in UCS and 56.32% in Young’s modulus for super-critical saturated samples, respectively. The brittleness index also decreases drastically from 84.3% for intact samples to 50.9% for samples saturated in water with sub-critical CO₂, to 47.9% for samples saturated in water with super-critical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂). SC-CO₂ causes a greater reduction of shale’s mechanical properties. The crack propagation results obtained from the AE system show that longer saturation time produces higher peak cumulative AE energy. SEM images show that many pores occur when shale samples are saturated in water with sub-/super-critical CO₂. The EDS results show that CO₂-water-rock interactions increase the percentages of C and Fe and decrease the percentages of Al and K on the surface of saturated samples when compared to intact samples.

This article aimed to evaluate, using statistical tools, the generation and composition of urban solid waste (MSW) in the city of Belém, Pará, from nine urban collection sectors in the municipality, and the average nominal income of the population. Approximately 900kg of urban solid waste were col-lected from the municipality in the period from 2021 to 2022. Statistical tests were carried out on hypotheses with 5% significance in comparative evaluations, and their respective average nominal incomes. The results indicated that the organic fraction corresponds to 55.57% of the waste generated in the municipality, 14.26% is inert waste (potentially contaminating) and 0.67% is miscellaneous waste. It was observed that the waste generated by families with high purchasing power tends to contain higher percentages of recyclables, while in families with lower purchasing power the highest percentages tend to be organic. Knowledge of the generation of MSW is fundamental for the choice and dimensioning of operations and processes involved in the management chain at the municipal level. The decentralization of services offered based on solid waste management would enable greater success in serving the population.