The length of time it takes to experimentally make one-sided choppers, as found in the fossil record, bears a linear relationship to the knapping process of fabricating them. In addition, this temporal frame appears to be related to human heart rates measured as beats per minute, which act as a physiological metronome. We achieved these observations assuming that any paleolithic one-sided chopper has the information needed to estimate quantitatively the number of strikes on it. The experimental data allow us to establish the total timing needed for the standard fabricating of any one-sided chopper. We discuss issues derived from these experimental results, showing the evolution of human neurological abilities from 2.4 million years ago to the Modern period through the duration of time needed for making one chopper to that needed to play a 19th-century music score on a piano. Given that the neuronal and physiological distance between both actions differs by a factor of 6, we propose the concept of “technome” to measure human evolution by using methodological homogeneous metrics applied to these two human technologic objects, the chopper and the piano.

the main objective was to determine the association between sleep hygiene and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Chilean schoolchildren from rural public schools in southern Chile. Non-experimental, analytical, cross-sectional study. A total of 265 students (56.6% women, mean age 13.5±1.8) from a rural community in southern Chile were recruited. Sleep habits were evaluated with the Life Habits and Adolescence Questionnaire, section 6: Sleep and Rest; and adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed with the KIDMED Mediterranean Diet Adherence Questionnaire. Main results indicated that 52.8% of schoolchildren need to improve adherence to the Mediterranean diet and 16.6% have a low-quality Mediterranean diet. A high percentage of schoolchildren have behaviors related to poor sleep hygiene (going to bed late (46%), waking up tired and wanting to continue sleeping (63.8% and having problems falling asleep (42.6%). schoolchildren who got up after 8:30 a.m., those who fell asleep after 12:00 a.m., those who woke up tired and those who had trouble falling asleep had a lower level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet compared to schoolchildren who got up earlier 8:30 a.m., fell asleep before 12:00 a.m., did not wake up tired, and those who did not find it difficult to fall asleep, respectively. In conclusion, having poor sleep hygiene is associated with less adherence to the Mediterranean diet in schoolchildren from rural public schools in southern Chile. It is important to monitor these variables in schoolchildren, as well as to promote healthy lifestyle habits within the educational community.

This study analyzes the academic performance of students from an official school in Bogotá (Colombia) who had asymmetric access to Information and Communication Technologies during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Classical Linear Regression Model is employed using data from a survey of a representative group of students in the year 2020. Results show technological gaps between students that are associated with asymmetric academic performance against students with limited or null access to the Internet and electronic devices. Results also show that, among students with permanent access to the Internet, women have better scores compared to men’s scores, which implies that women can achieve better academic results than men in virtual education. It is also noted that the sole access to an electronic device does not guarantee good academic achievements if there is no full access to the Internet, and if ICT-use skills have not been developed.

The indole-3-pyruvic acid pathway is the major route for auxin biosynthesis in higher plants. Tryptophan aminotransferases (TAA1/TAR) and members of the YUCCA family of flavin-containing monooxygenases catalyze the conversion of L-tryptophan via indole-3-pyruvic acid into indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). It has been described that locally produced jasmonic acid (JA) in response to mechanical wounding, triggers de novo-formation of IAA through the induction of two YUCCA genes, YUC8 and YUC9. Here, we report the direct involvement of a small number of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors of the MYC family in this process. We show that the JA-mediated regulation of YUC8 and YUC9 gene expression depends on the abundance of MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4. In support of this observation, seedlings of myc knockout mutants displayed a strongly reduced response to JA-mediated IAA formation. In addition, transactivation assays provided experimental evidence for the binding of the MYC transcription factors to a particular tandem G-box motif abundant in the promoter regions of YUC8 and YUC9, but not in those of the other YUCCA genes. Moreover, we clearly demonstrate that YUC8ox and YUC9ox overexpressing plants show less damage after spider mite infestation, thereby underlining a role of auxin in plant responses toward biotic stress cues.

Cumulus parameterization schemes model the subgrid-scale effects of moist convection, affecting the prognostic of cloud formation, rainfall, energy levels reaching the surface, and air quality. Working with a spatial resolution of 1 km, we studied the influence of cumulus parameterization schemes coded in the Weather Research & Forecasting with Chemistry Version 3.2 (WRF-Chem 3.2) for atmospheric modeling in Cuenca, an Andean city of Southern Ecuador (2500 masl), during September 2014. For assessing the performance, we used meteorological records from the urban area and stations located mainly over the Cordillera, with heights above 3000 masl, and air quality records from the urban area. Firstly, we did not use any cumulus parameterization (0 No Cumulus). Then we considered four schemes: 1 Kain-Fritsch, 2 Betts-Miller-Janjic, 3 Grell-Devenyi, and 4 Grell-3 Ensemble. On average, the 0 No Cumulus option was better for modeling meteorological variables over the urban area, capturing 66.5% of records and being the best for precipitation (77.8%). However, 1 Kaint-Fritsch was better for temperature (78.7%) and 3 Grell-Devenyi for wind speed (77.0%) and wind direction (37.9%). All the options provided acceptable and comparable performances for modeling short-term and long-term air quality variables. The results suggested that using no cumulus scheme could be beneficial for holistically modeling meteorological and air quality variables in the urban area. However, all the options, including deactivating the cumulus scheme, overestimated the total amount of precipitation over the Cordillera, implying that its modeling needs to be improved, particularly for studies on water supply and hydrological management. New WRF-Chem versions and microphysics parameterization, the other component directly related to cloud and rainfall processes, must be assessed.

This document makes a comprehensive analysis of the inequality of the water market in Chile, measured by the Gini coefficient method. The situation of water rights in Chile is of particular interest because it is a completely privatized system, where rights are traded in the market and therefore water is presented as a commodity. This privatization of water in Chile occurred as part of the process of neoliberalization since the 1981 Water Code. The results of this study indicate that both the concentration and the inequality in the distribution of water rights is very high. It proposes a profound revision of applying a mercantile logic to a scarce basic resource for life such as water and exploring the importance of its role as a national good for public use.

In recent years the yield of fruits and vegetables have been decreasing in Colombia, threatening national food security. Analysis of crop production data may lead to identifying cropping systems that have shown better adaptability to changes in climatic and non-climatic factors associated with agricultural production. The open database AGRONET keeps data of the agricultural activities conducted in Colombia, allowing to find the information organized by crops, regions and years; each row of the database registers farm information in Colombia. Aiming to identify resilient crops systems, agricultural data of fruits and vegetables were analyzed. First, trends in crop production were studied by year and locations, detecting the regions and crops with highest yields in the period from 2006 until 2020. Then, mixed linear regression and principal components analysis were applied to elucidate the relation between non-climatic factors and crop yield. In Colombia, vegetable production was more efficient than fruits, observing yields of 10.23 and 13.33 t ha^-1, respectively. On the other hand, the Colombian central region showed high yields for vegetables, while for fruits this was exhibited in northern and eastern locations. In the present study, yield variation responded to changes in the location of crop systems, while years had no effect on vegetable production. Furthermore, the price of the agricultural product and the cost of fertilizers were associated with the yield of the analyzed crops systems. In Colombia, carrot, cabbage, tomato papaya and pineapple are resilient crops whose yield increases especially by the regions where they are cultivated.

Organophosphate pesticides are used in large quantities. However, they exhibit toxic effects on non-target organisms. Dimethoate and its oxo-analog omethoate inhibit acetylcholinesterase and are toxic for mammals. Moreover, they show extreme toxicity for bees. Once in the environment, they undergo chemical transformations and decomposition. We show that dime-thoate and omethoate decompose rapidly in alkaline aqueous solutions (half-lives 5.7 and 0.89 days) but are highly stable in acidic solutions (half-lives 124 and 104 days). These differences are explained using quantum chemical calculations, indicating that a weaker P–S bond in omethoate is more susceptible to hydrolysis, particularly at a high pH. The toxicity of these pesticides solutions decreases over time, indicating that no or very little highly toxic omethoate is formed during hydrolysis. Presented data can be used to predict dimethoate and omethoate concentrations in contaminated water depending on pH. Presented results suggest that alkaline hydrolysis of organophosphates has an advantage over other techniques for their removal since there is no risk of omethoate accumulation and increased toxicity of contaminated water.

In recent years, the class of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials emerged. These materials' unique properties can be assigned to their structure, containing inorganic nodes connected with organic linkers. Due to their porosity and flexibility, MOFs have become suitable for various energy-related applications, including gas storage, hydrogen production and heterogeneous catalysis, and photocatalysis. Using DFT+U calculations, we show that the substitution of metal centers in inorganic nodes and the strain engineering of UiO-66 alters the electronic and optical properties of this material. We show that applying mechanical strain on UiO-66 enables the control of absorption coefficient in the UV-Vis spectrum and the photocatalytic processes' selectivity when reactants for several photocatalytic processes are present. The presented findings could lead to general strategies for designing novel MOFs for sustainable energy conversion applications.

This paper provides a concise review of remote sensing of ocean fronts and its applications in marine ecology and fisheries, with a particular focus on the most popular front detection algorithms/techniques: Canny (1986), Cayula and Cornillon (1990, 1992, 1995), Miller (2004, 2009), Shimada et al. (2005), Belkin and O’Reilly (2009), and Nieto et al. (2012). A case is made for feature-based approach in marine ecology and fisheries that emphasizes fronts as major structural and circulation features of the ocean realm that play key roles in various aspects of marine ecology.

Understanding the catalytic performance of different materials is of crucial importance for further technological advancements. This especially relates to the behavior of different classes of catalysts under operating conditions. Here we analyze the effects of local coordination of metal centers (Mn, Fe, Co) in graphene-embedded Single-Atom Catalysts (SACs). We have started from well-known M@N4-graphene catalysts and systematically replaced nitrogen atoms with oxygen or sulfur atom to obtain M@OxNy-graphene and M@SxNy-graphene SACs (x+y=4). We show that local coordination strongly affects the electronic structure and the reactivity towards hydrogen and oxygen species. However, the stability is even more affected. Using the concept of Pourbaix plots, we show that the replacement of nitrogen atoms coordinating metal center with O or S destabilizes SACs towards the dissolution, while the metal centers get easily covered by O and OH acting as additional ligands at high anodic potentials and high pH values. Thus, not only should local coordination be considered in terms of the activity of SACs, but it is also necessary to consider its effects on the speciation of SACs' active centers under different potential and pH conditions.

We review the main features of the non-local gauge, named the contour gauge. The contour gauge belongs to the axial type of gauges and extends the local gauge used in the most of approaches. The geometry of gluon fields and the path-dependent formalism are the essential tools for the description of non-local gauges. The principle feature of the contour gauge is that there are no the residual gauges which are left in the finite domain of space. In the review, we present the useful correspondence between the contour gauge conception and the Hamiltonian (Lagrangian) formalism. The Hamiltonian formalism is turned out to be a very convenient framework for the understanding of contour gauges. The comprehensive comparison analysis of the local and non-local gauges advocates the advantage of the contour gauge use. As an example of practical worth, we consider the Drell-Yan process and discuss the gauge invariance of the corresponding hadron tensor. We show that the appropriate use the contour gauge leads to the existence of extra diagram contributions. These additional contributions, first, restore the gauge invariance of the hadron tensor and, second, give the important terms for the observable quantities. We also demonstrate the significant role of the additional diagrams to form the relevant contour in the Wilson path-ordered exponential. Ultimately, it leads to the spurious singularity fixing. Moreover, in the present review, we discuss in detail the problem of spin and orbital angular momentum separation. We show that in SU(3) gauge theories the gluon decomposition on the physical and pure gauge components has a strong mathematical evidence provided the contour gauge conception has been used. In addition, we prove that the contour gauge possesses the special kind of residual gauge that manifests at the boundary of space. Besides, the boundary field configurations can be associated with the pure gauge fields.

The Self-determination theory and The Vallerand's Hierarchical Model has been studied with different types of social factors that can bring different consequences. The purpose of this work was if responsibility and social climate could predict the social and prosocial behaviors and vio-lence. For this, 429 students (M = 11.46, SD = 1.92) participated in this study answering a ques-tionnaire with five variables: school climate, responsibility, motivation, satisfaction of psycholog-ical needs, prosocial and antisocial behaviors and violence. The main results saw that the most part of variables were correlated positive and directly except with antisocial behaviors and vio-lence. On the other hand, prediction model (X2 = 584.145 (98); RMSEA = 0.104 [90% CI = 0.096, 0.112]; TLI = 0.849; CFI = 0.894) showed that responsibility and school climate can predict psy-chological basic needs and these needs, can improve the autonomous motivation and finally have positive consequences improving prosocial behaviors and reducing antisocial behaviors and vio-lence. In conclusion, school climate and responsibility can improve positive consequences to the classroom, specifically, prosocial behaviors and reducing violence and antisocial behaviors.

Animal welfare assessment protocols are important for identifying welfare problems in conservation programs. This study aimed to develop a baseline welfare protocol for the assessment of welfare in huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) in conservation centers. This protocol is based on the Welfare Quality® (WQ) framework for cattle, considering the available literature on the behaviours, ecology, conservation plans, captive management of this species, and welfare assessment protocols for other ungulate species. As a result, the protocol was specifically developed for huemuls and included four principles, 12 criteria, and 23 animal- and resource-based indicators. The 12 criteria of the WQ protocol were reduced to nine, and three new criteria were added because they were both feasible and essential for welfare assessment in captive huemuls. This protocol is mainly intended to identify welfare problems in endangered species in the context of conservation centers (reproduction, rescue, rehabilitation, or treatment centers). Thus, aggregation of different measures to obtain a global score has not been proposed. However, a scoring system that assigns a value on a 0-2 scale (0= No welfare concern; 1= welfare concern; 2= urgent welfare concern) is proposed for each category. Although further research is still needed to fully validate the protocol, this is the first development of a completed protocol for huemul welfare assessment.

Healthcare personnel must face two problems of growing importance: violence in the workplace and the loss of work ability due to ageing of the workforce. Studying the relationship between these two phenomena can help to prepare effective prevention measures. In a public health company, we asked nurses to self-assess their work ability using the Work Ability Index (WAI) and we analysed the relationship between this indicator and the violence experienced in the previous and following years. 321 out of 344 nurses (99.3%) participated. In a logistic regression model, the WAI score was a significant protective factor for violence experienced in the previous year (OR=0.94 CI95%=0.90; 0.98 p<0.01) and in the following year (OR=0.88 CI95%=0.84; 0.92 p<0.01). In a hierarchical logistic regression model, social support acted as a protective factor (OR = 0.87 CI95% = 0.79; 0.95 for violence experienced in the previous year), while occupational stress was a significant determinant of the risk of aggression (OR=3.65 CI95%=1.90; 7.03 in the previous year, OR=3.54 CI95%=1.801; 6.947 in the following year). The difficulties that nurses encounter in carrying out their growing work demands in an environment that is not promptly adapted to their changing physical and mental conditions can lead to an increased risk of violence. Prevention of workplace violence should include organizational and ergonomic measures that reduce stress and increase staff support and work ability.

Background: The concept of Quality of Work Life (QWL) has been built multidimensionally through social reproduction; it is impacted by the perceptions of each individual and by the relationship between workers and the work environment. Objective: to analyze the Work Process and QWL of assisting nurses in public health. Methods: Research in a critical paradigm, descriptive, exploratory with a qualitative approach. The population corresponds to Nurses who work in care work. Semi-structured guiding questions were applied and were analyzed with content analysis. Results: seven participants declared female; all Chilean; seven are young adults; six singles; only one has children, and one has a person dependent on her care; six are heads of household, and five receive help with housework. All have a nursing degree, five have a diploma, but none have a postgraduate. Work Process has three subcategories: work object, instrument, organization, and work conditions; the QWL category has six subcategories: definition and perception of QWL, QWL potentiating factors, QWL exhausting factors, QWL improvement strategies, the emotional burden associated with QWL, and Health problems. Conclusions: In this way, the lifestyle built by the assistance in the health area has repercussions on the quality of life and health in general.

This paper explores benefits of using VR technologies in higher education. Theoretical part investigates classical education system and its features in order to compare advantages of using VR systems in education. VR technologies and its current state in industry and in education were explored as well as which branches of higher education uses these systems. Survey was conducted through online questionnaire where respondents (N = 55) gave their opinion on VR and the implementation of VR technologies in education. Three hypotheses related to the use of VR technology, student interest, and learning outcomes as well as the effectiveness, immersiveness and the effect of VR systems on the users were tested through 27 questions.

Hydrogen and carbon monoxide over-equilibria have been found computationally in kinetic dependencies of methane reforming catalytic reactions (steam and dry reforming) using conditions of the conservatively perturbed equilibrium (CPE) phenomenon, i.e. at the initial equilibrium concentration of hydrogen or carbon monoxide.  The influence of pressure, temperature, flow rate and composition of the initial mixture on the position of the CPE point (the extremum point) was investigated in a wide domain of parameters. It is demonstrated that the CPE phenomenon significantly increases the product concentration (H2 and CO) at the reactor length which is significantly less than the reactor length required to reach the equilibrium. The CPE-point was interpreted as the “turning point” in kinetic behavior.  Recommendations on the temperature and pressure regimes are different from the traditional ones related to the Le Chatelier’s law. Obtained results provide valuable information on optimal reaction conditions for complex reversible chemical transformations, offering potential applications in chemical engineering processes.

Non-enzymatic thiol addition into α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl system is associated with several biological effects. In vivo, the reactions can form small-molecule thiol (e.g., glutathione) or protein thiol adducts. The reaction of two synthetic (4’-methyl- and 4’-methoxy substituted) cyclic chalcone analogs with glutathione and N-acetylcysteine was studied by HPLC-UV method. The selected compounds displayed in vitro cancer cell cytotoxicity (IC50) of different orders of magnitude. The structure of the formed adducts was confirmed by HPLC-MS. The incubations were performed under three different pH conditions (pH 3.5/3.8, 6.3/6.7, and 8.0/7.4). The chalcones intrinsically reacted with both thiols under all incubation conditions. The initial rates and compositions of the final mixtures depended on the substitution and the pH. The frontier molecular orbitals and the Fukui function were carried out to investigate the effects on open-chain and seven-membered cyclic analogs. Furthermore, machine learning protocols were used to provide more insights into physicochemical properties and to support the different thiol-reactivity. HPLC analysis indicated diastereoselectivity of the reactions. The observed reactivities do not directly relate to the different in vitro cancer cell cytotoxicity of the compounds.

Amid global energy challenges, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is gaining traction for green hydrogen production. While catalyst research is ongoing, recognizing electrolyte effects remains crucial for sustainable hydrogen production via renewable-powered water electrolysis. This review delves into the intricate effects of electrolytes on the kinetics of HER. It examines key factors, including pH, cations, anions, impurities, and electrolyte concentration. It is discussed that electrolyte pH alters catalyst-electrolyte interactions and proton concentrations, thereby influencing factors such as hydrogen binding energy, water adsorption, and the overall reaction kinetics. Moreover, it is briefed that electrolyte cations, such as Li+, can impact HER positively or negatively, offering opportunities for improvement based on the metal substrate. Interestingly, there is a potential that HER can be tuned using Li+ ions to modify M-H bond energy, demonstrating flexibility beyond pH levels and counter ions. Varied adsorption energies of metal cations on metal electrodes are also found to influence HER kinetics. The effects of electrolyte anions and impurities are also discussed, emphasizing both positive and negative impacts on HER kinetics. Moreover, it is pointed out that the electrolyte engineering approach enhances the HER kinetics of both metal and carbon-based electrodes without permanent catalyst surface modifications. This review underscores the importance of electrolyte composition, highlighting both challenges and potential solutions in advancing HER research for sustainable energy production.

As the global energy crisis continues, efficient hydrogen production is one of the hottest topics these days. In this sense, establishing catalytic trends for hydrogen production is essential for choosing proper H2 generation technology and catalytic material. Volcano plots for hydrogen evolution in acidic media are well-known, while volcano plot in alkaline media was constructed ten years ago using theoretically calculated hydrogen binding energies. Here we show for the first time that the volcano-type relationships are largely maintained in a wide range of pH values, from acidic to neutral and alkaline solutions, using theoretically calculated hydrogen binding energies on clean metallic surfaces and experimentally measured hydrogen evolution overpotentials. If metallic surfaces are exposed to high anodic potentials, hydrogen evolution can be boosted or significantly impeded, depending on the metal and the electrolyte in which the reaction occurs. Such effects are discussed here and can be used to properly tailor catalytic materials for hydrogen production via different water electrolysis technologies.

The multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens belonging to the Candida haemulonii complex and the phylogenetically related species Candida auris are well-known for causing infections that are difficult to treat due to their multidrug-resistance profile. C. auris is even more worrisome due to its ability to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings. These emerging yeasts produce a wide range of virulence factors that facilitate the development of the infectious process. In recent years, the aggregative phenotype has been receiving attention, as it is mainly associated with defects in cellular division and its possible involvement in helping the fungus to escape from host immune responses. In this study, we initially investigated the aggregation ability of 18 clinical isolates belonging to the C. haemulonii species complex and C. auris. Subsequently, we evaluated the effects of physicochemical factors on the fungal aggregation competence. The results demonstrated that cell aggregation was a typically time-dependent event, in which almost all studied fungal isolates exhibited high aggregation after 2 h of incubation at 37°C. The aggregation was not impacted by pH, temperature, -mercaptoethanol (a protein-denaturing agent) and EDTA (a chelator agent). Conversely, proteinase K, trypsin and sodium dodecyl sulfate significantly diminished the aggregation. Collectively, our results demonstrated that the aggregation ability in these opportunistic yeast pathogens is time-dependent, and surface proteins and hydrophobic interactions seem to mediate cell aggregation, since the presence of proteases and anionic detergent affected the aggregation ability. However, further studies are necessary to better elucidate this phenomenon.

A problem of efficacy of crystal growth methods for crystallization from solution or melt has been investigated. Axial vibrational control (AVC) technique was considered as a perspective method to manage both heat-mass transfer and chemical component composition of the melts in the case of crystallization of complex chemical compounds. Numerical modeling and the search for generalized dependencies made it possible to predict the AVC parameters that provide optimal heat and mass transfer modes for creating flat liquid-solid interfaces, as well as the component composition of dissociated melts of various chemical compounds – Ge, NaNO3, CdTe.

The resistance of Candida spp to fluconazole is a serious problem; Therefore, it must be investigated to expand the understanding of the phenomenon with a view to its clinical applicability. The aim was to evaluate the expression of ERG3, ERG11, CDR1, and SNQ2 genes involving computational analysis. Relative expression was quantified by RT-qPCR. Metrics were obtained by molecular docking and through Fisher's discriminant functions, a predictive classification against susceptibility to fluconazole was performed. The expression of ERG3, CDR1, and SNQ2 genes was higher in resistant strains than in dose-dependent sensitive strains. The gene with the highest expression in strains exposed to fluconazole was CDR1 and, in both resistant and dose-dependent sensitive strains exposed to fluconazole, the ERG11 gene had lower expression. The molecular docking model generated lower median fluconazole-ERG11 contacts than the median fluconazole-ERG3, -CDR1, and -SNQ2 contacts. The predicted classification through the multivariate model for fluconazole sensitivity obtained an accuracy of 73.5%. Resistant strains had a significant expression of CDR1, SNQ2 and ERG3 genes, compared to a comparatively low expression of ERG11. Molecular analysis identified a low affinity between fluconazole and its drug target, which may explain a lower intrinsic susceptibility of the fungus.

(1) E-governance is defined as the application of electronic means in the interaction between government and citizens and government and business, as well as in internal government operations to simplify and improve democratic, governmental, and business aspects of governance. Thus, e-governance is built from a paradigmatic dimension such as e-democracy (relationship between government and citizens) and an operational one such as e-government. The objective was to design and validate an instrument to measure e-governance based on three factors: a) e-administration, b) e-services, and c) e-democracy; (2) Methods: Based on the level of importance given to each factor (sample of 2042 Latin American citizens), as well as the relationships between them, an analysis of the importance of each factor is carried out; (3) Results: After the confirmatory analysis, the definitive instrument with which e-governance can be measured by other researchers and future research is obtained, considering the three selection factors, namely: e-administration, e-services and e-democracy; (4) Conclusions: This research contributes to political science through the design and validation of an instrument consisting of 39 items that can be used to measure e-governance according to the dimensions proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Laser irradiation of metals is widely used in research and applications. In this work, we study how the material geometry affects electron-phonon coupling in nano-sized gold samples: an ultrathin layer, nano-rod, and two types of gold nanoparticles: cubic and octahedral. We use the combined tight-binding molecular dynamics Boltzmann collision integral method implemented within XTANT-3 code to evaluate the coupling parameter in irradiation targets at high electronic temperatures (up to Te~20,000 K). Our results show that the electron-phonon coupling in all objects with the same fcc atomic structure (bulk, layer, rod, cubic and octahedral nanoparticles) is nearly identical at electronic temperatures above Te~7000 K, independently of geometry and dimensionality. At low electronic temperatures, reducing dimensionality reduces the coupling parameter. Additionally, nano-objects under ultrafast energy deposition experience nonthermal damage due to expansion caused by electronic pressure, in contrast to bulk metal. Nano-object ultrafast expansion leads to ablation/emission of atoms, and disorder inside of the remaining parts. These nonthermal atomic expansion and melting are significantly faster than electron-phonon coupling, forming a dominant effect in nano-sized gold.

This review summarizes the use of CRISPR system in yeasts, identifying advantages and disadvantages of its applications. 39 articles were evaluated including 12 articles that discussed the advantages of new CRISPR systems that improved the initial system, and another 27 were evaluated, among these: three were applications in Cryptococcus neoformans, four in candida sp., three in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, nine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, four in Yarrowia lipolytica, and four in industrially important yeasts such as Pichia pastoris and Saccharomyces pastorianus. It was concluded that the CRISPR system is one of the most versatile genetic editing systems available nowadays. It can be applied in different organisms for several effects including gene knock-outs, performing point mutations, gene expression, or even applying multiple edition operations in several genes. However, we recognize that numerous studies lack a control group of the mutated strains, which leaves many questions unanswered. For instance, the extent and precision of this techniques, it also represents a risk to biosecurity standards. Therefore, this review shows the compilation of CRISPR system information, which could be used to generate different alternatives in the industry and clinical fields.

Helicobacter pylori, a gram-negative bacteria usually found in stomach and first part of small intestine, is known to cause infections and ulcers and may have association with cancer. Normally, the treatment options include combinations of antibiotics with proton pump inhibitors and antiinflammatory drugs. However, all of them have high systemic exposure, and hence, unfavourable side effects, whereas their exposure in stomach mucus, the predominant location of the bacteria, is very limited. We have attempted to develop a predominantly gut-restricted formulations of antibiotic + adjuvant combinations as a basis for potentially more safe and efficacious treatment of gastrointestinal tract infections. We have considered E. coli (as a model of H. pylori) and Lactobacilli to study the antibacterial activity of nanogel with combined drugs (classical antibiotics and individual components of essential oils). It has been shown that levofloxacin (LF) in combination with zephirol demonstrates synergy effect against E. coli (cell viability has decreased by about 50%) and weakens the effect against Lactobacilli. A number of other combinations of antibiotic + adjuvant is also shown to be effective. Using FTIR and UV spectroscopy, it has been proved that chitosan nanogels with the drug are well adsorbed on the mucosal model, thereby increasing the bioavailability of drugs. Using ABTS assay, the antioxidant properties of flavonoids and other drugs are shown, which is potentially necessary to minimize the harmful effects of toxins and radicals produced by pathogens. Thus, chitosan nanogels loaded with a combination of drugs can be considered as a new strategy for the treatment of infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and applicable to difficult-to-treat bacteria.

Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is one of the main pests of soybean. Egg parasitoids such as Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) can be highly effective in attacking E. heros eggs, preventing the establishment at levels of economic damage. This study evaluated two re-lease methods of T. podisi in soybean. The treatments compared results from release of T. podisi adults fed with honey in cardboard capsules and the release of pupae in bulk. Four aerial releas-es per area were carried out via drone (7,500 females/ha) distributed at 10 points. The population density of E. heros, productivity and reproductive aspects of soybean were evaluated. Total pop-ulation of E. heros was lower in adult release treatment and male population was lower with pupae release. Thousand grain weight had higher values in fed adults treatments compared to release of pupae and control. Number of damage grains was lower in both release treatments compared with the control area. Therefore, the use of biological control with inundative release of T. podisi, regardless of the release method, is recommended within IPM programs, supporting production parameters and benefiting the sustainability of the agroecosystem.

The application of transformations of the state equations of continuous linear and bilinear systems to the canonical form of controllability allows one to simplify the computation of Gramians of these systems. In the paper we developed the method and obtain algorithms for computation of the controllability and observability Gramians of continuous linear and bilinear stationary systems with many inputs and one output, based on the method of spectral expansion of the Gramians and the iterative method for computing the bilinear systems Gramians. An important feature of the concept is the idea of separability of the Gramians expansion: sep333arate computation of the scalar and matrix parts of the spectral Gramian expansion reduces the sub-Gramian matrices computation to calculation of numerical sequences of their elements. For the continuous linear systems with one output the method and the algorithm of the spectral decomposition of the controllability Gramian are developed in the form of Xiao matrices. Analytical expressions for the diagonal elements of the Gramian matrices are obtained, making use of which the rest elements can be calculated. For continuous linear systems with many outputs the spectral decompositions of the Gramians in the form of generalized Xiao matrices are obtained, which allows to significantly reduce the number of calculations. The obtained results are generalized for continuous bilinear systems with one output. Iterative spectral algorithms for computation of elements of Gramians of these systems are proposed. Examples are given that illustrate theoretical results.

Due to the fact that negative energies have no existence in physical reality, the advanced mechanics of purely positive energies should describe gravitational interactions and collisions in monistic terms of extended kinetic energies and their local stresses. Such non-Newtonian mechanics of continuous inertial densities reinforces the Cartesian concept of matter-extension in the metric formalism of Einstein-Grossmann with a supplemental (dark, aether) fraction of bi-vertex mass-energy distributions. Local accelerations or decelerations of mono-vertex material densities in a multi-vertex distribution of complete kinetic energy arise under its constant integral due to nonlocal organization of continuous densities. Such integral conservation of the distributed mass-energy occurs instantaneously throughout the whole continuum of correlated densities and metric stresses despite the time-varying contributions of complementary mono-vertex and bi-vertex fractions. Under the nonlocal organization of purely kinetic (positive) mass-energy, geodesic self-heating and self-cooling of the pulsating space-matter conserve the integral energy in the two-fraction virial theorem for the averaged motion of visible mono-vertexes in the presence of invisible bi-vertex (interference, dark) mass-energy. Metric stresses of such material space are subordinate to nonlocal self-government of continuously distributed kinetic energy, including the relativistic rest-energy of General Relativity. These mutually consistent or correlated stresses in inertial space-time-energy create timelessly coordinated self-accelerations, observed for dense material volumes as distant gravitational pulls. In order to falsify/verify the nonlocal self-organization of adaptive kinetic energy, the monistic mechanics of self-consistent inertial densities and metric stresses can suggest moderate field changes in the temporal redshift, cycles of geodetic falls and takeoffs in pulsating kinetic organizations, and the calculated acceleration of the expanding Metagalaxy in its current phase of geodesic self-cooling.

Biological diversity (BD) explored by the biological systematics is a complexly organized natural phenomenon and can be partitioned in several aspects defined with references to various causal factors structuring biota. These BD aspects are studied by particular research programs based on specific taxonomic theories (TT). They provide in total a framework for comprehending the structure of the biological systematics and its multi-aspect relations to other fields of biology. General principles of individualizing BD aspects and construing TT as quasi-axiomatics are briefly considered. It stressed that each TT is characterized by a specific combination of interrelated ontological and epistemological premises most adequate to the BD aspect a TT deals with. The following contemporary research programs in systematics are recognized and characterized in brief: phenetic, rational (with several subprograms), numerical, typological (with several subprograms), biosystematic, biomorphic, phylogenetic (with several subprograms), evo-devo. From a scientific pluralism perspective, all these research programs related to particular naturally defined BD aspects are of the same biological and scientific significance and no one of them can pretend to take a privileged position. They elaborate “locally” natural classifications that can be united by a kind of generalized faceted classification.

It is well-known that surface plasmon wave propagates along a straight line, but this common sense was broken by the artificial curved light – plasmon Airy beam. In this paper, we introduce a new class of curved surface plasmon wave - the photonic hook plasmon. It propagates along wavelength scaled curved trajectory with radius less than surface plasmon polariton wavelength, and can exist despite the strong energy dissipation at the metal surface.

A class $\mathfrak{M}$ $$ of coarse spaces is called a variety if $\mathfrak{M}$ $$ is closed under formation of subspaces, coarse images and products. We classify the varieties of coarse spaces and, in particular, show that if a variety $\mathfrak{M}$ $$ contains an unbounded metric space then $\mathfrak{M}$ is the variety of all coarse spaces.

A class $\mathfrak{M}$ $$ of coarse spaces is called a variety if $\mathfrak{M}$ $$ is closed under formation of subspaces, coarse images and products. We classify the varieties of coarse spaces and, in particular, show that if a variety $\mathfrak{M}$ $$ contains an unbounded metric space then $\mathfrak{M}$ is the variety of all coarse spaces.

Background: Coffee is the second most popular drink in the worldwide, and it has different components with antioxidant and antitumor properties. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between coffee consumption and the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer in the main consuming countries. Methods: An observational study was performed. Dataset of coffee consumption was obtained from WorldAtlas, and incidence and mortality rates from GLOBOCAN database. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated. All statistical analysis were performed using STATA software. Results: A total of 25 countries were included in the study. There was a significant linear correlation between coffee consumption kg per person per year and an estimated age-adjusted incidence (r=0.5984, p=0.0016) and mortality (r=0.5877, p=0.0020). Conclusion: Coffee consumption could potentially have beneficial effects on incidence and mortality by stomach cancer.

This paper presents machine learning methods for approximate solutions of reaction-diffusion equations with multivalued interaction functions. This approach addresses the challenge of finding all possible solutions for such equations, which often lack uniqueness. The proposed method utilizes physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to approximate generalized solutions.

New possibilities of Gramian computation by using canonical transformations into diagonal, controllable and observable canonical forms are shown. With the help of such a technique the Gramian matrices can be represented in the form of products of Hadamard matrices of multipliers and matrices of the transformed right-hand side of Lyapunov equations. It is shown that the multiplier matrices are invariant under various canonical transformations of linear continuous systems. The modal Lyapunov equations for continuous SISO LTI systems in diagonal form are obtained and their new solutions based on Hadamard decomposition are proposed. New algorithms for element-by-element computation of Gramian matrices for stable continuous MIMO LTI systems are developed. For continuous SISO LTI systems given by equations of state in controllable and observable canonical forms, new algorithms for the computation of controllability Gramians and their traces in the form of Hadamard products in the form of Xiao matrices are developed. The application of transformations to the canonical forms of controllability and observability allowed to simplify the formulas of spectral decompositions in the form of Xiao matrices. In the paper new spectral decompositions in the form of Hadamard’s products for solutions of Sylvester algebraic and differential equations of MIMO LTI systems, including spectral decompositions of finite and infinite cross-Gramians of continuous MIMO LTI systems. Recommendations on the use of the obtained results are given.

Formation of the excited doublet (D) and quartet (Q) states of free radicals under their photoexcitation is discussed. Relative positions of D and Q states are compared to the positions of photoexcited states of organic molecules (Jablonsky diagram). A number of representative cases of the detected by emission or absorption excited is presented. A special case of the population lowest Q-state in some radicals of is discoursed. Spin-statistical factor in the reactions of Q and D is debated.

Biological systematics, exploring the structure of taxonomic diversity (TD), needs a proper conceptualization that would (a) make it complying with certain universal criteria of scientificity and (b) take into account specificity of its studied object. This article outlines a possible conceptual framework for this natural science discipline based on the ideas of contemporary conceptualism. One of the most fundamental of them includes a concept of cognitive situation shaped by three interrelated basic components—ontic, epistemic, and subjective. Its core position is taken by a taxonomic theory (TT) being a conceptual construct resulted from a “summative” effect of all three components and designed for studying TD. The general TT is shown to be composed by a hierarchically arranged array of partial TTs of various levels of generality, and this construct serves as a conceptual justification of taxonomic pluralism. Several kinds of partial TTs are suggested to recognise, viz., ontology- and epistemology-oriented, aspect- and object-based, etc. The aspect-based TTs are of special importance as the conceptual foundations of particular research programs in systematics. The object-based partial TTs are shown to be implemented by concepts of species and homology. A large-scale relation between taxonomic theory and nomenclature is briefly considered.

This paper is concerned with variational methods for open quantum systems with Markovian dynamics governed by Hudson-Parthasarathy quantum stochastic differential equations. These QSDEs are driven by quantum Wiener processes of the external bosonic fields and are specified by the system Hamiltonian and system-field coupling operators. We consider the system response to perturbations in these operators and introduce a transverse Hamiltonian which encodes the propagation of the perturbations through the unitary system-field evolution. This approach provides an infinitesimal perturbation analysis tool which can be used for the development of optimality conditions in quantum control and filtering problems. Such settings employ, as performance criteria, quadratic (or more complicated) cost functionals of the system and field variables to be minimised over the energy and coupling parameters of system interconnections. We demonstrate an application of the transverse Hamiltonian variational approach to a mean square optimal coherent quantum filtering problem for a measurement-free field-mediated cascade connection of a quantum system with a quantum observer.

This paper combines a literature survey and data analysis. The literature on the Subtropical Front (STF) in the Southern Ocean is reviewed with a two-pronged emphasis on the double-front structure of the STF, hence the existence of a subtropical frontal zone (STFZ), and the circumpolar continuity of the STFZ. The data analysis is based on the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) sections. The STFZ is detected along each section independently from other sections, while moving circum-polarly downstream (eastward). The literature survey and data analysis confirm the circumpolar continuity of the STFZ extending from the Brazil Current across the South Atlantic, South Indian, and South Pacific up to Chile, being bound by the North and South STF. The circumpolar continuity of the STFZ is partly interrupted by South Africa and Tasmania, where the North STF ceases, while the South STF continues eastward. The South Atlantic STFZ is the southern boundary of the well-defined Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) thermostad, which cools eastward from 15°C to 11°C between the Brazil Current and Greenwich Meridian. In the southeast Pacific, the STFZ is the southern boundary of the 17-to-19°C thermostad (South Pacific Eastern STMW). The STFZ’s vertical extent is at maximum in the South Atlantic (>1000 m), decreasing eastward to 300 m in the southeast Pacific off Chile. A special attention is given to the South Pacific and the STFZ’s role in the ecology of Chilean jack mackerel Trachurus murphyi that spawn at the STFZ and migrate along the STFZ from Chile up to New Zealand.

A relationship between the functional Schr\"odinger representation and the precanonical quantization of a nonlinear scalar field theory is extended to arbitrary curved space-times. The canonical functional derivative Schr\"odinger equation is derived from the manifestly covariant precanonical Schr\"odinger equation in a singular limiting case when the ultraviolet parameter $\varkappa$ introduced by precanonical quantization is identified with the invariant delta-function at equal spatial points. In the same limiting case, the Schr\"odinger wave functional is expressed as the trace of the multidimensional product integral of Clifford-algebra-valued precanonical wave functions restricted to a certain field configuration. Thus the standard QFT in curved space-time in functional Schr\"odinger representation emerges from the precanonical formulation of quantum fields as a singular limiting case.

Magnetic nanoparticles are met across many biological species ranging from magnetosensitive bacteria, fishes, bees, bats, rats, birds, to humans. They can be both of biogenetic origin and due to environmental contamination, being either in paramagnetic or ferromagnetic state. The energy of such naturally occurring single-domain magnetic nanoparticles can reach up to 10-20 room k_BT in the magnetic field of the Earth, which naturally led to supposition that they can serve as sensory elements in various animals. This work explores within a stochastic modeling framework a fascinating hypothesis of magnetosensitive ion channels with magnetic nanoparticles serving as sensory elements, especially, how realistic it is given a highly dissipative viscoelastic interior of living cells and typical sizes of nanoparticles possibly involved.

OBJETIVES: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of collapse of the health system created great difficulties. We will demonstrate that Intermediate Respiratory Care Units (IRCU) provide adequate management of patients with non-invasive respiratory support, which is particularly important in patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. METHODS: A prospective observational study of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU of a tertiary hospital. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, pharmacological, respiratory support, laboratory and blood gas variables were collected. The overall cost of the unit was subsequently analyzed. RESULTS: 991 patients were admitted, 56 to the IRCU (of the 81 a critical care unit). Mean age was 65 years (SD 12.8), Barthel Index 75 (SD 8.3), Charlson 3.1 (SD 2.2), HTN 27%, COPD 89% and obesity 24%. Significant relationship (p <0.05) with higher mortality of the following: fever greater than or equal to 39oC [OR 5.6; 95% CI (1.2-2.7); p = 0.020], protocolized pharmacological treatment [OR 0.3; 95% CI (0.1-0.9); p = 0.023] and IOI [OR 3.7; 95% CI (1.1-12.3); p = 0.025]. NIMV showed less of a negative impact [OR 1.8; 95% CI (0.4-8.4); p = 0.423] than IOI. The total cost of the IRCUs amounted to €66,233. The cost per day of stay in the IRCU was €164 per patient. The total cost avoided was €214,865. CONCLUSION: The pandemic has highlighted the importance of IRCUs in facilitating the management of a high patient volume. The treatment carried out in IRCUs is effective and efficient, reducing both admissions to and stays in the ICU.

Urbanization has impacted biodiversity and ecosystems at a global scale. At the same time, it has been recognized as a driver of the gap between humans and nature. The lack of direct contact with nature can deteriorate several aspects of human wellbeing, and change knowledge and attitudes of people towards the environment. However, this phenomenon is still poorly understood in Megacities outside developed countries. Here, we explore the relationship between ecological knowledge and self-reported wellbeing in an important urban park in Santiago, Chile. We conducted semi-structured surveys to park users to explore their notions, preferences, ecological knowledge of plants and birds and self-reported wellbeing. Citizens associated urban parks mainly with “nature”, and particularly with the presence of trees and plants. Trees were recognized as the most relevant elements of urban parks, in turn, birds were ranked as the less relevant. Regarding ecological knowledge, respondents correctly identified an average of 2.01 plants and 2.44 birds out of a total of 10 for each taxon, and exotic species were more likely to be recognized. Park users also reported high scores for self-reported wellbeing. Interestingly, variance of self-reported wellbeing scores tended to increase at low levels of ecological knowledge of trees, but no significant relationship was detected with knowledge of birds, nor native species. These results suggest that parks can positively contribute to bring people closer to nature. Ecological knowledge was related to self-reported wellbeing. Improving ecological knowledge can be critical to restore the relationship between humans and nature in megacities.

Background: Recurrent approximation of retention parameters in reversed-phase HPLC is effective for revealing anomalies difficult to detect otherwise, namely, the reversible hydration of analytes. This was demonstrated previously for restricted sets of analytes with acetonitrile–water eluents. Expanding the number of analytes and eluents seems to be a topical problem. Two kinds of derivatives of aromatic carbonyl compounds were characterized: unsubstituted hydrazones and oximes. Methods: If analyte demonstrates no anomalies in dependences of retention times vs. concentration of organic modifier, the recurrent approximations of these dependences are linear. To explain the features of recurrent approximations, the numerical experiments were proposed and considered. The artificial shifting of one, two, or more points allows modeling the different kinds of deviations of approximations from linearity. Results: It was shown that hydrazones are the class of analytes having no anomalies of retention parameters. On the contrary, several anomalies were detected for oximes. Downward deviations of points in the plots of recurrent approximations of retention times are the signs of reversible hydration. This effect for methanol–water eluents was detected for the first time. Some of oximes underwent hydrolysis. Conclusion: Recurrent approximation of retention times allows detecting chemical transformations of analytes during RP HPLC analysis.

We reviewed various physical and biological manifestations of an unprecedented large-scale water temperature anomaly that emerged in the Northeast Pacific in late 2013. The anomaly dubbed “The Blob” persisted through 2014-2016, with some signs of its persistence through 2017-2018 and a possible reemergence in 2019. The tentative timeline of The Blob’s successive appearances around the Northeast Pacific is suggestive of its advection by currents around the Gulf of Alaska, along the Aleutians, into the Bering Sea, and eventually to the Bering Strait. During the initial phase of The Blob’s development in 2013-2014, advection along the Polar Front might have played a certain role. The extreme persistence and magnitude of The Blob resulted in numerous and sometimes dramatic ecosystem responses in the eastern Bering Sea. The multi-year duration of The Blob might have preconditioned the Bering Sea for the record low seasonal sea ice extent during the winter of 2017-2018 and disappearance of the cold pool in 2016 and 2018 that profoundly affected zooplankton, invertebrates, fishes, sea birds, and marine mammals. Comparison of time-series of population responses across trophic levels suggests that The Blob lowered primary production during spring, increasing small copepod production and jellyfish, and reducing energy transfer efficiently to higher trophic levels. While the Bering Sea’s water temperature, seasonal sea ice, and cold pool seem to return to the long-term mean state in 2022, it remains to be seen if the Bering Sea ecosystem will completely recover. The two most likely alternative scenarios envision either irreversible changes or hysteresis recovery.

Renewable energy technologies (RET) are critical to the sustainable development of modern societies. Hong Kong has set up a RET theme park so as to fulfill the needs of and impart knowledge on RET through entertainment and educational activities. Such understanding aids in formulating appropriate future park designs and neuromarketing strategies to maximize the attractiveness of the park. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate potential visitors’ preferences with regard to cartoon characters in the RET theme park, especially for student groups to meet the “edutainment” theme of the park. A total of 400 people have participated in this study. Findings indicate that Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck show a high degree of likeness of presence in the RET theme park.

The Subtropical Front (STF) plays a key role in the ecology of Chilean jack mackerel Trachurus murphyi. Nonetheless, there are few remote sensing studies of the STF in the open Southeast Pacific Ocean, and almost all of them have been conducted by satellite oceanographers in Russia and Ukraine to support respective large-scale fisheries of jack mackerel in this region. We reviewed these studies that documented long-term seasonal and interannual variability of the STF from sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH) data. We also mapped the STF from satellite sea surface salinity (SSS) data of the SMOS mission (2012-2019). The Subtropical Front consists of two fronts -- North and South STF about 500 km apart -- that border the Subtropical Frontal Zone (STFZ) in-between. The STF is density-compensated, with spatially divergent manifestations in temperature and salinity. In the temperature field, the STF extends in the WNW to ESE direction in the Southeast Pacific. In the salinity field, the STFZ appears as a broad frontal zone, extending zonally between 30-35°S across the entire South Pacific. Three major types of satellite data – SST, SSH, and SSS – can be used to locate the STF. The SSH data is most advantageous with regard to the jack mackerel fisheries owing to the all-weather capability of satellite altimetry and the radical improvement of the spatial resolution of SSH data in the near future. Despite the dearth of dedicated in situ studies of the South Pacific STFZ, there is a broad consensus regarding the STFZ being the principal spawning and nursing ground of T. murphyi as well as a major migration corridor between Chile and New Zealand.

During the last decades, the production systems have developed different strategies to increase their competitiveness in the global market. In a manufacturing and services systems, Lean Manufacturing has been consolidated through the correct implementation of its tools. The present paper presents a case study developed in a Food Packer company where a Simulation Model was considered as an alternative to reduce the waste time generated by the poor distribution of operations and transportation areas for a product within the factory. As a matter of fact, the company has detected problems on the layout distribution that prevents to fulfill the market demand. In addition, the principal aim was to create a simulation model to test different hypothetical scenarios and alternative designs for the layout distribution without modifying its facilities. Moreover, the implemented methodology was based on classical models of simulation projects and a compendium of the manufacturing systems optimization by simulation process used during the last ten years. Also, a mathematic model supported by the Promodel ® simulation software was developed considering the company characteristics; along with the model development, it was possible to compare the production system performance from the percentage of used locations, the percentage of resources utilization, the number of finished products, and the level of Work in Process (WIP). Finally, the verification and validation stages were performed before running the scenarios in the real production area. The results generated by the implementation of the project represent an increase of 68% in the production capacity and a reduction of 5% in the WIP. In addition, both outcomes are associated with the resources management, which were reassigned to other production areas.

Progress in macrophage research is crucial for numerous applications in medicine, including cancer and infectious diseases. However, the existing methods to manipulate living macrophages are labor intense and inconvenient. Here we show that macrophage membranes can be reconstituted after storage for months at 4C, with their CD206 receptor selectivity and specificity being similar to that in the living cells. Then, we have developed a mannose ligand, specific to CD206, linked with PEG as IR spectroscopy marker to detect binding with the macrophage receptor. PEG was selected due to its unique adsorption band of C-O-C group at IR spectra, which does not overlap with other biomolecule’s spectroscopic feature. Next, competitive binding assay versus the PEG-bound ligand, has enabled selection of other higher-affinity ligands specific to CD206. Further, those higher-affinity ligands were used to differentiate activated macrophages in patient’s bronchoalveolar (BAL) or nasopharyngeal (NPL) lavage. CD206- control cells (HEK293T) showed only non-specific binding. Therefore, biochips based on reconstituted macrophage membranes as well as PEG-trimannoside as an IR spectroscopic marker, can be used to develop new methods facilitating macrophage research and macrophage-focused drug discovery.

Virus diseases of strawberry present several complex problems. More than 25 viruses have been described in the genus Fragaria thus far. Here, we describe a novel rhabdovirus, tentatively named strawberry virus 1 (StrV-1), that infects F. ananassa and F. vesca plants. Genomic sequences of three distinct StrV-1 genotypes co-infecting a single F. ananassa host were obtained using combined Illumina and Ion Proton high-throughput sequencing. StrV-1 was transmitted to herbaceous plants via Aphis fabae and A. ruborum, further mechanically transmitted to Nicotiana occidentalis 37B and sub-transferred to N. benthamiana, N. benthamiana DCL2/4i, N. occidentalis 37B and Physalis floridana plants. Irregular chlorotic sectors on leaf blades and the multiplication of calyx leaves seem to be the diagnostic symptoms for StrV-1 on indexed F. vesca clones. StrV-1 was detected in asymptomatic grafted plants and in 49 out of 159 field strawberry samples via RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. The bacilliform shape of the virions, which have a cytoplasm-limited distribution, their size, and phylogenetic relationships support the assignment of StrV-1 to a distinct species of the genus Cytorhabdovirus. Acyrthosiphon malvae, A. fabae and A. ruborum were shown to transmit StrV-1 under experimental conditions.

The orchid genus Brachystele Schltr. comprises 20 species distributed from Mexico to Argentina; 10 are found in Brazil. Anatomical studies of Orchidoideae Lindl. have been scarce, and the anatomy and histochemistry of Brachystele are still largely unknown. We characterized the vegetative organs of B. guayanensis (Lindl.) Schltr. using standard anatomical and histochemical microtechniques. Brachystele guayanensis was observed to display the anatomical characters commonly found in the vegetative organs of representatives of the Orchidaceae and Orchidoideae (including a uniseriate epidermis, thin cuticle, amphistomatic leaves, anomocytic, diacytic and tetracytic stomata, a homogeneous mesophyll, collateral vascular bundles, rhizomes with pericyclic fibers, roots with velamen, uniseriate exodermis, endodermis and pericycle). Histochemical tests confirmed the presence of lignin, proteins, and alkaloids, the lipidic nature of the cuticle, starch grains stored in spiranthosomes in the roots, and the composition of the raphides. Alkaloids were observed in great abundance, especially in the roots, and may have potentially useful medicinal activities, as has been observed in groups phylogenetically related to Brachystele.

A simulation is performed to analyze the forces that arise in a conducting DNA-like double helix in the field of a microwave electromagnetic wave under half-wave resonance conditions. The helix is comprised of twenty-and-a-half turns and has geometric parameters proportional to the size of an actual DNA molecule. The forces acting on the strands of a double helix, both in the central region and at the edges of the helix, are investigated. It has been demonstrated that the afore-mentioned forces induce a change in the shape of the helix, specifically mutual repulsion of the strands, as well as their stretching and twisting in the field of electromagnetic waves. As opposed to a pair of parallel straight conductors, there is a radial repulsion of strands in all regions of a double DNA-like helix, including the center and the edges. This unique interaction of currents in a double DNA-like helix can be attributed to its pitch angle, a characteristic that has been estab-lished through empirical evidence. Consequently, exposure to an electromagnetic wave under half-wave resonance can damage the double helix. Conversely, the impact of electromagnetic waves has the potential to introduce novel avenues for controlling the shape of the double helix. These nonlinear effects must be considered for both actual DNA molecules and double DNA-like helices that serve as components of metamaterials and metasurfaces.

A canine population’s immune resistance to canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and infectious hepatitis virus (CAV-1) was evaluated. In this study, a total of 112 sera were analyzed. Animals were considered as vaccinated if, in the last two years, they had re-ceived at least one dose of a vaccine that provides joint protection against CDV, CPV, and CAV-1. Animals that had never received any dose of these vaccines were designated as non-vaccinated. CDV, CPV, and CAV-1 antibodies were detected via a modified solid-phase enzyme-linked im-munosorbent assay (ELISA), which detects IgG antibody levels in sera and provides semi-quantitative results in less than 30 min. In total, 41.1% of the dogs had been vaccinated, and 58.9% of dogs were designated as non-vaccinated. Overall, 90.2%, 92.0%, and 78.6% of the tested dogs had positive results for the presence of IgG antibodies against CPV, CDV, and CAV-1, re-spectively. CPV antibodies were present in 93.5% (43/46) of the vaccinated and 87.9% (58/66) of the non-vaccinated dogs, while CDV antibodies were present in 95.5% (63/66) of the vaccinated and 87.0% (40/46) of the non-vaccinated dogs. Finally, CAV-1 antibodies were present in 84.8% (56/66) of the vaccinated and of 69.6% (32/46) the non-vaccinated dogs.

The procedures used to create modern cars require extensive thought in various relevant scientific domains. Arguably, the most challenging obstacle facing the automobile sector is managing production facilities by integrating software production lines and CI/CD. All this is determined by market demands, the engine of a vehicle, and the complexity of assembling the entire car and installing its corresponding embedded software. As a result, concerns about various types of global change have grown, as well as the lack of the ability to use fossil fuels, creating a substantial impact on the purchase and sale of modern automobiles. The research foundation is reflected in covering strategies for the deployment and administration of software, as well as opportunities for business improvement in particular production processes. This article strives to provide a summary of a scientific investigation of original equipment manufacturers, market segmentation, and the effects of global market changes on automotive manufacturing by examining the correlation between certain changes in the purchase of a specific brand and the powertrain of a vehicle. The research tries to examine numerous datasets from the United States of America and Washington State, on the basis of which we may estimate possible future changes in the automotive industry’s sales.

Violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) is a widespread, underreported and inadequately prevented problem. Only a few companies have efficient systems for assessing the extent of the phenomenon. In 2005, the health surveillance service of a public health company introduced a system that monitored violence experienced by HCWs by means of three items from the Violent Incident Form (VIF), integrated with departmental in-depth analyses using the participatory ergonomics group technique. In 2005, the annual rate of physical assaults was 8.2%, that of threats 12.0%, while the harassment rate was 19.6%. Over the past twenty years of observation (2005-2024), the percentage of workers who reported experiencing a physical attack in the previous year at their periodic medical examination, has fluctuated between 5.8% and 11.1%, except for the years 2020 and 2021 when, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate was 3.9% and 3.2%, respectively. During the same pandemic period, the annual threat rate that ranged from 9.4% to 20.1%, dropped to 7.7%, while the prevalence of harassment, that was between 13.5 and 19.6, fell to 7.2%. HCWs believe that (i) limiting visitor access (ii) a better balance of the demand for services and (iii) a better attitude towards HCWs were the causes of the reduced rate of violence during the pandemic. Recording the violence experienced during health surveillance is an economical, reliable and sustainable risk assessment method.

Premenstrual syndrome is characterized by pain and symptoms affecting the women´s quality of life. We aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an oral fixed dose combination containing naproxen 220 mg + paracetamol 300 mg + pamabrom 25 mg tablet (Analgen Fem®) during the routine clinical practice. A prospective, open-label, multicenter, observational post-marketing study was conducted from December 2017 to December 2019 including 270 women older than 18 years. Primary endpoint was the proportion of adverse events, meanwhile the pain intensity, premenstrual syndrome symptoms, and patient proportion with a pain score reduction by at least 50% were secondary endpoints. The mean age of population was 28.9 ± 8.8 years. Among the 270 women, 8 (3%) experienced 10 adverse events. These were headache (5/8), gastritis (2/8) dyspepsia (1/8), diarrhea (1/8) and nausea (1/8). The investigator discontinued the study medication in 3/8 patients because of adverse events. The median of differences between the pain intensity at baseline and at last observation (-4.5, 95%CI; -5, -4) demonstrated that naproxen 220 mg + paracetamol 300 mg + pamabrom 25 mg fixed dose combination reduced pain intensity (p<0.001). In addition, the proportion of patients with pain reduction by at least 50% at the end of the treatment was 70.7%. The study demonstrated that this drug represents a safe and tolerated treatment, reducing pain intensity and premenstrual symptoms.

The objective of this work was to analyze the potential of Rhizophora mangle as a bioindicator of seven heavy metals, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr, and Cd, in the mangrove sediments of the Navachiste lagoon complex (NAV). The concentration of trace metals (TM) in sediments and tis-sues (leaf, stembark, and root of R. mangle) were determined by digestion with nitric acid (HNO3), whereas the metal absorbance was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with an air-acetylene flame. The enrichment factor, the bioavailable fraction, the seasonal varia-tion of heavy metal concentrations and their correlation with those determined in R. mangle tissues were assessed. Metal concentrations found in sediments were as following: Fe>Mn>Zn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Cd, and for tissues: Mn>Fe>Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni>Cd, and regarding the roots, the findings were as following: Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni>Cd. The highest trace metal concentra-tions were correlated with silt, clay, and organic matter in sediments with basic pH. The highest salinities were found adjacent to R. mangle trees. Of all the trace metals analyzed, there was only a positive linear regression between the bioavailability of Mn in the sediment with the concen-tration of Mn in leaf tissue consistently throughout the year. The Cu bioavailability in the sedi-ment showed similar positive linear regressions except for winter, where it did not show this pattern. These results suggest that the concentrations of Mn and Cu in the R. mangle leaf could be a potential bioindicator of environmental exposure to anthropogenic sources of contamination by these trace metals in sediments

Child and adolescent sexual abuse (CSA) is an international public health problem. Despite the importance of the CSA, there is no consensus definition, and the lack of consensus is related to difficulties in conducting prevalence studies, as well as research in other areas. To establish a consensual definition, legal aspects such as the age of sexual consent and the difference in age or power between victim and aggressor, aspects related to sexual freedom and sexual indemnity must be considered. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to analyze the age of sexual consent in the legal systems of Spanish-speaking countries and to examine whether the Romeo and Juliet clause is established. To achieve the proposed aims, we employed the legal interpretation method, and we analyzed the current Criminal Codes of the 21 Spanish-speaking countries. From the results, it is found that the age of sexual consent varies between countries, establishing valid sexual consent between 13 and 18 years. In addition, only six countries have the Romeo and Juliet clause that protects sexual freedom in adolescents. Finally, we discussed the lack of consensus on the age of sexual consent and the limitations presented by the Romeo and Juliet clause.

Recently the polyvalent bacteriophage FP01, isolated from wastewater in Valparaiso, Chile, was described to have lytic activity across species against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovars. Due to it polyvalent nature the bacteriophage FP01 could have potential application in food and agri-industry. Also, fundamental aspects of polyvalent bacteriophage biology are not well known. In this study we sequenced and describe the complete genome of the polyvalent phage FP01 (MH745368) using the nanopore technology. The bacteriophage FP01 genome has a 44,900 bp, double-stranded DNA with an average G+C content of 49.41% and 90 coding sequences (CDSs). We found that the phage FP01 critically depends on host factors for replication and transcription. Also, it has a critical lysogenic repressor pseudogene. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the phage FP01 is closely related to phages lambda and P22. These results suggest that the phage FP01 could be a lytic variant of a lysogenic phage or acquired genes from lysogenic phages during host infection.

The major auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), is associated with a plethora of growth and developmental processes including embryo development, expansion growth, cambial activity, and the induction of lateral root growth. Accumulation of the auxin precursor indole-3-acetamide (IAM) induces stress related processes by stimulating abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. How IAM signaling is controlled is, at present, unclear. Here, we characterize an ami1/rooty double mutant, that we initially generated to study the metabolic and phenotypic consequences of a genetic blockade of the indole glucosinolate and IAM pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our mass spectrometric analyses of the mutant revealed that the combination of the two mutations is not sufficient to fully prevent the conversion of IAM to IAA. The detected strong accumulation of IAM was, however, recognized to substantially impair seed development. We further show by genome-wide expression studies that the double mutant is broadly affected in its translational capacity, and that a small number of cell proliferation and plant growth regulating transcriptional circuits are repressed by the high IAM content in the seed. In accordance with the previously described growth reduction in response to elevated IAM levels, our data support the hypothesis that IAM is a growth repressing counterpart to IAA.

The spectra of the plasma emitted from the studied samples consist of several dozens of narrow bands superimposed on each other. Tables of spectral lines were used to interpret the spectra. It turned out that the largest number of bands corresponds to the radiation of positively charged ions and atoms of elements that make up the crystal lattices of minerals that make up the studied rocks. Thus, the spectra of the plasma emitted from quartz corresponded to the radiation of atoms and positively charged silicon ions, the charge of which varied from 1 to 4, as well as atoms and positively charged oxygen ions, the charge of which varied from 1 to 3. Positively charged ions and atoms of Si, O, K, Ca, Al and Na, which are part of the crystal lattices of quartz and feldspar, flew out of granites. Positively charged ions and Ca, C and O atoms flew out of the calcite.

Current hypotheses implicate insulin resistance of the brain as a pathogenic factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, major depression, and traumatic brain injury. A variety of genetic, developmental, and metabolic abnormalities that lead to disturbances in the insulin receptor signal transduction may underlie insulin resistance. Insulin receptor substrate proteins are generally considered to be the node in the insulin signaling system that is critically involved in the development of insulin insensitivity during metabolic stress, hyperinsulinemia, and inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that lower activation of the insulin receptor (IR) is another common, while less discussed, mechanism of insulin resistance in the brain. This review aims to discuss causes behind the diminished activation of IR in neurons, with a focus on the functional relationship between mitochondria and IR during early insulin signaling and the related roles of oxidative stress, mitochondrial hypometabolism, and glutamate excitotoxicity in the development of IR insensitivity to insulin.

Current hypotheses implicate insulin resistance of the brain as a pathogenic factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, major depression, and traumatic brain injury. A variety of genetic, developmental, and metabolic abnormalities that lead to disturbances in the insulin receptor signal transduction may underlie insulin resistance. Insulin receptor substrate proteins are generally considered to be the node in the insulin signaling system that is critically involved in the development of insulin insensitivity during metabolic stress, hyperinsulinemia, and inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that lower activation of the insulin receptor (IR) is another common, while less discussed, mechanism of insulin resistance in the brain. This review aims to discuss causes behind the diminished activation of IR in neurons, with a focus on the functional relationship between mitochondria and IR during early insulin signaling and the related roles of oxidative stress, mitochondrial hypometabolism, and glutamate excitotoxicity in the development of IR insensitivity to insulin.

Most popular statistical models in epidemic evolution focus on the dynamics of average relevant quantities and overlooks the role of small fluctuations on the model parameters. Models for Covid-19 are no exception. In this paper we show that the role of time-correlated fluctuations, far from being negligible, can in fact determine the spreading of an epidemic and, most importantly, the resurgence of the exponential diffusion in the presence of time-limited episodes in promiscuity behaviours.

The concept of targeted drug delivery can be described in terms of the drug’s ability to mimic the other biological objects’ property to localize to target cells or tissues. For example, drug delivery systems based on red blood cells or mimicking some of their useful features, such as long circulation in stealth mode, have been known for decades. On the contrary, therapeutic strategies based on macrophages have gained very limited attention until recently. Here we review two biomimetic strategies associated with macrophages, that can be used to develop new therapeutic modalities: First, the mimicry of certain types of macrophages (i.e., the use of macrophages, including tumor-associated, or macrophage-like particles as a carrier for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents); and Second, the mimicry of ligands, naturally absorbed by macrophages (i.e., the use of therapeutic agents specifically targeted at macrophages). We discuss potential applications of biomimetic systems involving macrophages for the new advancements in treatment of infections, inflammatory diseases, and cancer.

As Solar Photovoltaics in buildings reaches maturity, grid integration and economic yield are topics of greater interest. The traditional design of photovoltaic installations has considered the optimal orientation of photovoltaic modules to be that which yields the maximum annual energy production. The influence of the consumption patterns and the hourly-variable electricity prices implies that this traditional optimal design might not be the most profitable. Using a full-year dataset for a residential installation, alternative installations using canopies and modules attached to the façades are simulated. Simulating the energy balances for different annual consumptions, it is found that the canopy and façade installations offer better self-consumption of the PV produced energy, reflected in a 9% higher self-consumption degree using modules on façades and a 5% using canopies. The economic evaluation under the new electricity tariffs in Spain shows a better profit for PV self-consumption, reducing by more than 2 years the time of return on investment. The analysis of different alternatives for an industrial PV has allowed us to identify several benefits for these orientations, such as an increase in annual energy production of up to 59% over the optimal-producing orientation, that are confirmed after several months of operation.

Light alloys machining is a widely implemented process that have usually used in presence of cutting fluids to reduce the wear impact and increase tool life. However, current environmental protection policies require their elimination in order to improve process sustainability. This fact forces to work under aggressive cutting conditions, producing adhesion wear that affects the integrity of the part surface. This study describes cutting tool wear mechanisms in machining of UNS A92024 samples under dry cutting conditions. EDS analysis showed the different composition of the adhered layers, while roughness was also positively affected by the change of the cutting geometry produced in the tool.

Leishmaniases are zoonotic vector-borne diseases caused by a wide variety of Leishmania species with complex transmission cycles involving different reservoirs, potential new hosts and vectors. Similarly, to other eukaryotes, Leishmania use released extracellular vesicles (LEVs) to play important initial interactions that are crucial to modulate the subsequent systemic immune response on the establishment of infection in humans and other important hosts like dogs. Recent studies in endemic areas of Brazil concluded that canine infections were predominantly due to L. amazonensis and not restricted to L. infantum (syn. Leishmania chagasi). Under these premises, the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis needs to be improved, including the identification of current etiological agent, the clinical differential diagnosis and the histopathologic features. In this way, the dual aim of that study is to register collected observations for the diagnosis of natural canine infections and to insert in vitro results in the field of LEVs that still research gaps to be filled to understand the mechanisms and biological aspects involving the parasite-host interactions. Therefore, the future studies of Parasitology research for both of these fields are very important for the interventions for the prevention, control, elimination and eradication worldwide.

The article examines church architecture in modern Russia. The historical processes of the development of church architecture are analyzed and systematized not only from the point of view of formal stylistic but also global significance. For this purpose, for the first time, a wide range of sources containing information on the sacred component of church art and on the monuments of temple architecture was studied. At the same time, many fragments of sources were first translated into English. The article uses historical and retrospective research methods that allowed to study the theoretical legacy of the modern period in the history of Russia and at the same time to generalize the place of Russian church architecture in the general context of European architectural development.

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the most important reaction in electrochemistry. This is not only because it is the simplest way to produce high purity hydrogen and the fact that it is the side reaction in many other technologies. HER actually shaped current electrochemistry because it was in focus of active research for so many years (and it still is). The number of catalysts investigated for HER is immense, and it is impossible to overview them all. In fact, it seems that the complexity of the field overcomes the complexity of HER. The aim of this review is to point out some of the latest developments in HER catalysis, current directions and some of the missing links between a single crystal, nanosized supported catalysts and, recently emerging, single atom catalysts for HER

Fluorescent labels, especially FRET probes, are promising tools for studying a number of bio-chemical processes. In this paper, we promoted 2 important applications of FRET probes (MUTMAC-R6G and FITC-R6G): i) the formation of micelles from surfactants of various natures and polymers (chitosan – fatty acid), as well as ii) monitoring of enzymatic activity with improved parameters (increased analytical signal and improved selectivity due to shift to the long-wavelength region). The formation of micelles is accompanied by the convergence of fluorophores in the hydrophobic micelle core by a distance closer than in the buffer solution, thus r/R0 (where R0 – Foerster radius) is chosen as an analytical signal of micelle formation, including critical micelle concentration (CMC) and critical pre-micelle concentration (CPMC). The CMC values calculated using FRET probes are in a good agreement with literature data. At the same time, the r/R0 function provides valuable information about the nature and mechanism of micelle formation. With the second analytical application of FRET probes, we considered the optimization of techniques for studying enzymatic activity. The enzyme catalyses the reaction with the release of a fluorescent product, the signal from which may not be enough for detection, or it may be quenched, for example, in the reverse micelles (AOT-octane). Here we have proposed a solution – a FRET probe containing a rhodamine 6G (R6G) acceptor, which allows us to monitor the enzymatic reaction selectively (in the red region, 550-600 nm), and obtain a significantly higher fluorescence yield (potentially from 10 to 250 times). Thus, we have demonstrated a high potential for the FRET probes application as indicators of micelle formation as well as for the study of the enzyme catalytic activity. In the future, the method developed has prospects for application in the visualization of the enzyme functioning in cells due to the shift of the fluorescence signal to the long-wavelength region with an increase in the signal selectivity to suppress autofluorescence.

On February 24, 2022 Russia started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which created an unprecedented number of refugees. To estimate the influence of this humanitarian disaster on the COVID-19 pandemic dynamics, the averaged daily numbers of cases and reproduction numbers in Ukraine, the UK, Poland, Germany, the Republic of Moldova, and in the whole world were calculated for the period February-April 2022. The registered numbers of cases were compared with ones calculated with the use of the generalized SIR-model and corresponding parameter identification procedure for the previous epidemic waves in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, and the world. Since before February 24, 2022 the estimation of the number of infectious persons per capita in Ukraine 3.6 times exceeded the global figure, the increase of the number the new cases and the pandemic duration was expected. In March 2022 the increase of the averaged number of new cases in the UK, Germany, and worldwide was visible. A simple formula to estimate the effective reproduction number based on the smoothed accumulated numbers of cases is proposed. The results of calculations agree with the figures presented by John Hopkins University and demonstrate a short-term growth of the reproduction number in the UK, Poland, Germany, Moldova, and worldwide in March 2022.

The classification of vessel types in SAR imagery is of crucial importance for maritime applications. However, the ability to use real SAR imagery for deep learning classification is limited, due to the general lack of such data and/or the labor-intensive nature of labeling them. Simulating SAR images can overcome these limitations, allowing the generation of an infinite number of datasets. In this contribution, we present a synthetic SAR imagery dataset with ship wakes, which comprises 46080 images for ten different real vessel models. The variety of simulation parameters includes 16 ship heading directions, 6 ship velocities, 8 wind directions, 2 wind velocities, and 3 incidence angles. In addition, we extensively investigate classification performance for noise-free, noisy, and denoised ship wake scenes. We utilize the standard AlexNet architecture and employ training from scratch. To achieve the best classification performance, we conduct Bayesian optimization to determine hyperparameters. Results demonstrate that the classification of vessel types based on their SAR signatures is highly efficient, with maximum accuracies of 96.16%, 92.7%, and 93.59%, when training using noise-free, noisy, and denoised datasets respectively. Thus, we conclude that the best strategy in practical applications should be to train convolutional neural networks on denoised SAR datasets. The results show that the versatility of the SAR simulator can open up new horizons in the application of machine learning to a variety of SAR platforms.

Abstract: This work is part of the interest of solving the problems of water contamination with last generation pollutants, for which a novel and in an aqueous medium FeBTC material incorporated with magnetite nanoparticles was proposed. That material was synthesized by in situ solvothermal method, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were added during the Fe-BTC MOF synthesis and used in the drug’s adsorption. The materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, and N2-physisorption at 77 K. Fe3O4-FeBTC material showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 357.1 mg g−1 for diclofenac sodium, 70.9 mg g−1 for naproxen sodium, and 122.9 mg g−1 for Ibuprofen. A pseudo-second-order kinetic model can describe the adsorption process, and the thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption of the three drugs was a feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic process. The incorporation of magnetite nanoparticles in the FeBTC considerably increased the adsorption capacity of pristine FeBTC. Also, hybridization of the FeBTC with magnetite nanoparticles reinforced the most vulnerable part of the MOF, increasing its thermal and aqueous media stability. The electrostatic interaction, H-bonding, and interactions in the open-metal sites played a vital role in drug adsorption. The competition of sites in the multicomponent mixture's adsorption showed selective adsorption at diclofenac sodium and naproxen sodium.

Chitosan and its derivatives as a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer that has been well-established in biotechnology and medicine as the nanogels and nanofilms forming material, has a number of practical applications in the field of the supply of medicines, food colloids, agrotechnology, as well. In this paper, the focus of attention is directed to the study of the physico-chemical principles of the formation of gels and nano-particles using fluorescence spectroscopy methods. We have obtained chitosan (Chit5) and pegylated chitosan (Chit5-PEG) particles with an average size of 170 or 400 nm, respectively by counterflow extrusion method. The paper presents three based fluorescent probes sensitive to the formation of chitosan particles: congo red, malachite green as well as covalently attached pyrene-label. Dyes fluoresce about an order of magnitude brighter in the composition of chitosan nanogel particles or in mscrogels. With these fluorescence probes, the pH- and temperature-dependent behavior of polymers was studied, and the influence of the genipin -based crosslinking agent on the gel formation parameters, such as kinetics and concentration dependence of the nanoparticles formation accompanied by sharply increases in the fluorescence intensity of dyes was evaluated. A sensitive approach for tracking gelation and including of small drug molecules and protein by FRET using a pyrene-tryptophan donor-acceptor pair is proposed using tryptophan or ovalbumin as fluorophores-donors. Upon nanogel formation FRET effect is observed manifested in sharp increase if the fluorescence intensity of the pyrene (acceptor). Thus, the application of the fluorescent probes with FRET function for monitoring the gelation and nanoparticles formation as well as drug encapsulation in chitosan-based parts, which have broad prospects in biomedical practice and food industry.

Myocardial hypertrophy is the most common condition that accompanies heart changings in children. Transcriptional pathways regulating gene expression playing a critical role both in cardiac embryogenesis and in the pathogenesis of congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, neonatal posthypoxic myocardial hypertrophy and congenital heart diseases. This paper describes the state of cardiac gene expression and potential pharmacological modulators at different transcriptional levels. An experimental model of perinatal cardiac hypoxia showed downregulated expression of genes responsible for cardiac muscle integrity and overexpressed genes associated with energy metabolism and apoptosis, which may provide a basis for a therapeutic approach. Current evidence suggests that RNA drugs, theaflavin, neuraminidase, proton pump and histone deacetylase inhibitors are promising pharmacological agents in progressive cardiac hypertrophy. The different points of application of the above drugs makes combined use possible, potentiating the effects of inhibition in specific signaling pathways. The special role of N-acetyl cysteine in both the inhibition of several signaling pathways and the reduction of oxidative stress was emphasized.

Due to the accumulation of pesticides in the environment, the development of efficient strategies for their removal is of utmost importance. Activated carbons are currently seen as excellent candidates for adsorptive pesticide removal based on several beneficial properties, like a large surface area, developed porosity, and low price. However, a deep link between materials' properties and performance is still elusive. Here we focus on the kinetics of three organophosphate pesticides removal, aliphatic dimethoate and malathion and aromatic chlorpyrifos, using a series of carefully prepared activated carbon fibers. Used adsorbents have a wide range of specific surface areas, pore size distributions, and elemental content, allowing the establishment of the link between physicochemical properties and their performance as adsorbents. We use data analysis tools to link these properties and discuss their different roles in the removal of three structurally different yet extremely dangerous pesticides. The obtained results can guide the synthesis of novel adsorbents or rationally select adsorbents for specific target pollutants based on the physicochemical properties of adsorbents and the chemical structure of pollutants.

A gas-hydrate method of CO₂ gas storage is one of the modern technology for reducing it emissions into the atmosphere. The breakup of gas bubbles by a shock wave is an actual area of scientific and technological research. However, it is little known that such research began in the late 1950s in the USSR. The article presents the main discoveries related to the destruction of gas bubbles in a liquid under the influence of a shock wave, made more than 60 years ago. Looking back: study the past to understand the present.

This review will serve as an entry point for international researchers who would like to tap into the vast scientific potential of Chinese-language literature on oceanic fronts. We focused on observational studies in descriptive physical oceanography of marine fronts. A thorough bibliographic search netted 93 papers published in 1982-2023, with a sharp increase of the total number of papers after 2010. This trend continued unabated through the early 2020s. Regionally, the overwhelming majority of papers is focused on the China Seas, particularly the East China Seas (Bohai, Huanghai, and Donghai, especially the Yangtze River Plume) and northern South China Sea (Guangdong Shelf). Elsewhere, a number of papers were dedicated to the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic. Thematically, papers on remote sensing of ocean fronts dominate, with special attention to the development of new advanced front-detection algorithms applied to satellite data on sea surface temperature and chlorophyll. Numerous papers on marine fronts in the China Seas present important results that have to be considered by international researchers. Overall, this review emphasizes the significant contributions made by Chinese oceanographers, particularly to the frontal oceanography of the China Seas.

Despite great technical capabilities, the theory of non-contact temperature measurement is usually not fully applicable to the use of measuring instruments in practice. While black body calibrations are in practice well established and easy to accomplish, this calibration protocol is never fully applicable to measurements of real objects under real conditions. Currently, the best approximation to real world radiation thermometry is grey body radiation thermometry, which is supported by most measuring instruments to date. Nevertheless, the metrological requirements necessitate traceability, therefore real body radiation thermometry is required for temperature measurements of real bodies. This article documents the current state of temperature calculation algorithms for radiation-thermometers and the creation of a traceable model for radiation thermometry of real bodies that uses a digital twin model of the system of measurement to compensate for the loss of data, caused by spectral integration, which occurs when thermal radiation is absorbed on the active surface of the sensor. To solve this problem, a hybrid model with variable scalar inputs is proposed, in which the scalar input parameters are calculated to correspond to the system of measurement. The method for calculating the effective parameters is proposed and verified with the theoretical model of non-contact thermometry. The sum of effective instrumental parameters is presented for different temperatures to show that the rule of radiation thermometry of grey bodies, according to which the sum of instrumental emissivity and instrumental reflectivity equals to 1, does not hold in radiation thermometry for real bodies. Using the derived models of radiation thermometry, the uncertainty of radiation thermometry due to the uncertainty of spectral emissivity is analysed by simulated measurements along the temperature ranges of various radiation thermometers, enabling traceable non-contact temperature measurements with known measurement uncertainty under any known conditions.

During the last decade, new unusual physical phenomena have been discovered in studying the optics of dielectric mesoscale particles of an arbitrary three-dimensional shape with the Mie size parameter near 10 (q ~ 10). The paper provides a brief overview of these phenomena from optics to terahertz, plasmonic and acoustic ranges. The different particle configurations (isolated, regular or Janus) are discussed, and the possible applications of such mesoscale structures are briefly reviewed herein in relation to the field enhancement, nanoparticle manipulation and super-resolution imaging. The number of interesting applications indicates to a new promising scientific direction emerged in optics, terahertz and acoustic ranges, and plasmonics. In this paper we present the authors' view of these problems.

Microscopes based on dielectric mesoscale particles, using the effect of a photonic jet or terajet in the terahertz range, are a promising tool for overcoming the diffraction limit. However, the image they generate has limited contrast, which limits the application of this method. In this letter, we demonstrate that it is possible to increase the contrast of an image based on dielectric mesoscale particles that provide the formation of photonic hooks. In this case, the illumination of the object is carried out by an oblique incidence of subwavelength terajet, which significantly (more than 2 times) increases the contrast of the image.

Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines involved in the immune response that act on innate and adaptive immunity. These proteins are natural cell-signaling glycoproteins expressed in response to viral infections, tumors, and biological inducers and constitute the first line of defense of vertebrates against infectious agents. They have been marketed for more than 30 years with considerable impact on the global therapeutic protein market thanks to their diversity in terms of biological activities. They have been used as single agents or with combination treatment regimens, demonstrating promising clinical results, resulting in 22 different formulations approved by regulatory agencies. The 163 clinical trials with currently active IFNs reinforce their importance as therapeutics for human health. However, their application has presented difficulties due to the molecules’ size, sensitivity to degradation, and rapid elimination from the bloodstream. For some years now, work has been underway to obtain new drug delivery systems to provide adequate therapeutic concentrations for these cytokines, decrease their toxicity and prolong their half-life in the circulation. Although different research groups have presented various formulations that encapsulate IFNs, to date, there is no formulation approved for use in humans. The current review exhibits an updated summary of all encapsulation forms presented in the scientific literature for these cytokines IFNα, IFNß, and IFNγ, from the year 1996 to the year 2021, considering parameters such as: encapsulating matrix, route of administration, and encapsulation.

Leishmania parasites are a group of kinetoplastid pathogens that cause a variety of clinical forms while maintaining cell communication by secreting extracellular vesicles. Emerging technologies have been adapted for the studies of Leishmania-host-cell interactions to enable broad scale analysis of parasite extracellular vesicles. Leishmania extracellular vesicles (LEVS) are naturally released spheroidal nanoparticles of polydispersed suspensions surrounded by a lipid layer of membrane. Although LEVs have increasingly gained in importance, much is still unexplained, including bioavailability and function in the complex molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. Considering the importance of LEVs in the parasite-host interaction and in the parasite-parasite relationships emerged during evolution, the current review aims at giving an overview of Leishmania summarizing knowledge and formulating guidelines for LEVs research. In the end, we report, direct methods for specific isolation of LEVs from promastigotes and amastigotes culture supernatant suitable for a range of different downstream applications increasing the compatibility and reproducibility to establish optimal and comparable isolation conditions and full LEVs characterization, and crucial immunomodulatory events triggered by this important group of parasites.

Various environmental, food security and population health problems seem to be related to intensive agriculture production worldwide. This type of food production system impacted the loss of biodiversity and natural habitats; high usage rates of agrochemicals and natural resources had affected soil composition, human health, and nutritional plant quality in rural areas. Intercropping agroecological systems that respect agrobiodiversity could significantly benefit ecosystems, human health, and food security by modifying the nutritional profile and the content of some health-promoting bioactive compounds of the species cultivated in this system. Research on intercropping strategies focuses on the benefits they can offer to ecosystems and less on nutrient plant composition, leaving information scattered when this theme should be more studied due to the critical impact it could provide for human nutrition. Therefore, this review aims to collect viable details on the investigation status of nutrients and bioactive compounds profile in intercropping systems by verifying different regions of the world with unique mixed crops using plant species, along with the criteria for combining them, as well as the nutrients and bioactive compounds analyzed to show what intercropping systems can contribute to food availability and quality.

Fibrosis is a condition characterized by thickening or/and scarring of various tissues. Fibrosis may develop in almost all tissues and organs, and it may be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. It provokes excessive scarring that excels the usual wound healing response to trauma in numerous organs. Currently, very little can be done to prevent tissue fibrosis, and it is almost impossible to reverse it. Therefore, fibrosis is frequently associated with premature aging. In turn, aging is associated with more frequent incidences of fibrosis. Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs are among the few treatments that may be efficient in preventing fibrosis. Numerous publications suggest that cannabinoids and extracts of Cannabis sativa have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrogenic properties. In this review, we describe the types and mechanisms of fibrosis in various tissues and discuss various strategies for prevention and dealing with tissue fibrosis. We further introduce cannabinoids and their potential for the prevention and treatment of fibrosis, and therefore for extending healthy lifespan.

The paper covers the development of formulations and technology for low energy building materials based on the alkaline alumino-silicate binder and appropriate for special purposes. The microstructure of the binder was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The identification of the phase compositions was done by means of X-ray diffraction. By leach rate measurement and chemical analysis of pore liquid, the linkage of the alkali metal ions in water-insoluble composites was researched. The dependence of structure formation on mix design and curing conditions was investigated. Specific examples of manufacture and application of binder-based glues and adhesives have been considered, incl. ones for low-temperature insulating composite materials, heat insulation perlite-based materials, heat insulation of industrial boilers, and the fire resistant heat insulating system. The advantages of the binder-based temperature insulating composites compared to traditionally used ones are shown.

Thermobarometric calculations for mineral inclusions in diamonds provide a systematic comparison of PTXFO2 conditions for different cratons worldwide, using a database of 4440 mineral EPMA analyses. Beneath all cratons, the cold branch of the mantle geotherm (35-32 mWm−2) relates to the sub-Ca garnets and rarely omphacitic diamond inclusions, referring to major continental growth events in Archean. High-temperature plume-related geotherms are common in Proterozoic kimberlites such as Premier, Mesozoic – Roberts Victor etc. and are common in Slave and Siberian cratons. In mobile belts: Limpopo, Magondi, Ural Ural, Khapchan belts and in the marginal parts of cratons like Kimberly Australia pyroxenitic and eclogitic pyroxenes and garnets prevail. The pyropes in the mobile belts are more Fe- and Ca-rich, in central parts of cratons, the peridotitic associations with sub- Ca pyropes prevail. The accretionary complexes like Khapchan and Magondi belts a thick eclogite-pyroxenite lens is highly diamondiferous. Comparison by minerals shows that the PT estimates for clinopyroxenes and orthopyroxene from peridotites and eclogites are representing mainly the middle part of the sub-lithospheric mantle while garnets gives more high-pressure estimates. refer to eclogites and reflect the processes of the differentiation during migration of partial melts. This produces the trends of joint decreasing Mg’ and pressures. The PT for the chromites reflect conditions just above the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and mainly were formed due to interaction with the hydrous plume protokimberlite melts. Archean diamond inclusions from Wawa province Canada are represented by Ca-enrich pyropes giving low-temperature conditions. Inclusions from younger kimberlites in Superior and Slave (and Siberian and East European ) cratons show complex high-temperature geotherms due to plumes influence. Peridotite garnets beneath the Amazonian craton indicate complex layering in the lithosphere base and a pyroxene layer in the middle part of SCLM. Diamond inclusions from the Kimberley craton of Australia show the greatest variations in the temperatures and composition.

A novel approach to the remote-control system for the compact multi-crystal energy-dispersive spectrometer for x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) applications has been developed. This new approach is based on asynchronous communication between software components and on reactive design principles. In this paper, we identify the challenges we have faced, our solution to them as well as the implementation and future development prospects. The main motivation of this work was the development of a new holistic communication protocol that can be implemented to control various hardware components.

Using the sustainable livelihoods analytical framework, adaptability of cattle raising to multiple stressors (e.g. climate change and market conditions) in the dry tropics of Chiapas, Mexico was evaluated. Three case studies located in the Frailesca region of Chiapas were analyzed: (I) peasant cattle raising in a rural village in the Frailesca Valley; (II) peasant cattle raising in a rural village in a natural protected area in the Frailesca Highlands; and (III) holistic cattle raising by farmers with private land ownership in the Frailesca Valley. Adaptability was evaluated using an index on a scale of one to a hundred; average values were: case I = 20.9 ± 1.4; case II = 32.1 ± 1.8; and case III = 63.6 ± 3.5. In order to increase farms adaptability and reduce the vulnerability of cattle raising families, there is a need to modify public policy to take into account the conditions of the most vulnerable farmers (cases I and II). Given the economic, environmental, and social context of Mexico´s dry tropics, establishing ecological or organic cattle raising and silvopastoral systems may reduce the vulnerability of farm families and increase their level of adaptability of their farms to multiple stressors.

The partial discharge (PD) event in high voltage insulation releases energy, exerts mechanical pressure, and generates elastic waves. Detecting and locating these PD events through short-duration acoustic pulses is well-established, particularly in gas-insulated systems and oil-insulated transformers. However, its full potential remains untapped in solid insulation systems, where the propagation capability of acoustic pulse and the acoustic reflections pose fundamental challenges to the Acoustic Emission (AE) detection technique. This study investigates the influence of reflections and multiple paths on the propagating acoustic pulse in polymeric insulating materials using a finite element method (FEM) in COMSOL. It was observed that the reflections from the boundary influence the propagating pulse's shape, peak magnitude, and arrival time. An analytical MATLAB model further quantifies the impact of multiple propagation paths on the shape, magnitude, and arrival time of the pulse travelling in a cylinder. Additionally, a Perfect Matched Layer (PML) was implemented in the COMSOL model to eliminate reflections from the boundary, and it revealed that the acoustic pulse magnitude decreases with distance following the inverse square law. In essence, the models aid in measuring how reflections contribute to the observed signals, facilitating the precise identification of the source of the PD event in the tested system.

In this work model of mirror elements equilibrium of the micromechanical components is developed, the behavior analysis of the mirror element of micromechanical mirrors in case changing of control voltages of electrostatic actuators is carried out, an expression for determining the maximum value of deflection voltage at which the snap-down effect will take the following form is obtained in case of the influence of the coefficient of the electrostatic rigidity of electrostatic actuators. The developed equilibrium model of mirror elements and the obtained results of modeling can be used at design of micromechanical mirrors with internal suspensions.

Background/Objectives: An age-associated increase in serum levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is considered to be one of the factors leading to the development of male hy-pogonadism. Aim of the study: to study the relationship between the concentration of sex hor-mone-binding globulin in the blood serum and the age of the man, the level of total and free testosterone. A single-center retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The results of laboratory tests of 162 male patients aged from 18 to 56 years (median - 34 years) were analyzed. Methods: The level of total testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was deter-mined by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The level of free testosterone was determined by the calculation method according to Vermeullen. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Sta-tistics v23. Results: Correlation analysis did not reveal a significant relationship between age and SHBG levels, as well as between age and total testosterone levels. Serum SHBG concentration showed a significant (p

As a result of this work, a previously unreported benzoxazine monomer based on 3,3'-dichloro-4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane was obtained, characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and its thermal and rheological properties were studied. A comparison between the properties of benzoxazines based on diamines (3,3'-dichloro-4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane and 4,4’-diaminodimethylmethane). The effect of the reaction medium on the structure of the oligomeric fraction and the overall yield of the main product was studied. The synthesized monomers can be used as thermo- and fire-resistant binders for polymer composite materials, as well as hardeners for epoxy resins.

This study scrutinizes the complexities of designing and exploring the potential energy surface (PES) of systems containing more than twenty atoms with planar tetracoordinate carbons (ptCs). To tackle this issue, we utilized an established design rule to design a Naphtho [1,2-b:4,3-b′:5,6-b′′:8,7-b′′′]tetrathiophene derivative computationally. This process began with substituting S atoms with CH– units, then replacing three sequential protons with two Si2+ units in the resultant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon polyanion. Despite not representing the global minimum, the newly designed Si8C22 system with four ptCs provided valuable insights into strategic design and PES exploration. Our results underscore the importance of employing adequate methodologies to confirm the stability of newly designed molecular structures containing planar hypercoordinate carbons.

The requirements for efficient replacement of fossil fuel, combined with the growing energy crisis, put hydrogen production into focus. Efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts are needed for H2 production, and novel strategies for their discovery must be developed. Here we utilized Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations to demonstrate that hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can be boosted via hydrogen spillover to the support when the catalyst surface is largely covered by adsorbed hydrogen under operating conditions. Based on the insights from KMC, we synthesized a series of reduced graphene oxide-supported catalysts and compared their activities towards HER in alkaline media with that of corresponding pure metals. For Ag, Au, and Zn, the support effect is negative, but for Pt, Pd, Fe, Co, and Ni, the presence of the support enhances HER activity. The HER volcano, constructed using calculated hydrogen binding energies and measured HER activities, shows a positive shift of the strong binding branch. This work demonstrates the possibilities of metal|support interface engineering for producing effective HER catalysts and provides general guidelines for choosing novel catalyst-support combinations for electrocatalytic hydrogen production.

The Work Ability Index (WAI) is the most widely used questionnaire for the self-assessment of working ability. Because of its different applications, shorter versions, and widespread use in healthcare activities, it is worthwhile assessing its characteristics. The WAI was distributed online among the workers of a healthcare company; the results were compared with data contained in the workers' personal health records and with absence registers. 340 out of 575 workers (59.1%) participated; 6.5% of them reported poor work ability. Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the one-factor version best described the characteristics of the WAI. The scores of the complete WAI, the shorter form without the list of diseases, and the minimal one-item version (WAS) had equal distribution and were significantly correlated. The WAI score was inversely related to age and significantly lower in women than in men, but it was higher in night workers than in colleagues due to the probable effect of selective factors. The WAI score was also correlated with absenteeism, but no differences were found between males and females in the average number of absences, suggesting that cultural or emotional factors influence the self-rating of the WAI. Workers tended to overreport illnesses in the online survey compared to data collected during occupational health checks. Musculoskeletal disorders were the most frequently reported illnesses (53%). Psychiatric illnesses affected 21% of workers and had the greatest impact on work ability. Multilevel ergonomic and human factor intervention seems to be needed to recover the working capacity of healthcare workers.