While lidar-based forest inventory methods have been widely demonstrated, prediction of tree diameters with lidar is not well understood. The performance metrics typically used in studies for prediction of diameters can be difficult to interpret and may not support comparative inferences between sampling designs or study areas. We evaluate a variety of lidar and k nearest neighbor (k-NN) strategies for prediction of tree diameter distributions using two indices which are easier to interpret and compare. The indices are based on the coefficient of determination (R²), and root mean square deviation (RMSD). These indices facilitate comparisons with alternative (non-lidar) inventory strategies, and with other project areas. We evaluate k nearest neighbors (k-NN) dbh density (relative frequency by dbh class) prediction strategies with lidar for 190 training plots distribute across the 800 km² Savannah River Site in South Carolina, USA. We evaluate the performance of k-NN with respect to distance metrics, number of neighbors, predictor sets, and response sets. Amongst the examined strategies we found Mahalanobis distance with k = 3 neighbors performed best according to a number of criteria.

Stream chemistry effectively integrates watershed ecosystem processes on both spatial and temporal scales. Streams of coastal areas integrate a more homogeneous, flat topography wherein there can be interactions between the stream and the body of water into which it drains, especially where tidal fluxes occur. The present study assessed water quality of Thompson Bayou, which comes to the campus of the University of West Florida in a wetland after flowing through 4 km of commercial and private property with associated impacts on water quality. Sampling was carried out for one year at eight discrete sites along Thompson Bayou from the UWF campus to the Escambia River. We used a portable field meter to measure temperature, pH, dissolved O2 (DO), and specific conductivity (SC). Except for temperature, all variables exhibited a spatial pattern of significant variation with distance, with consistent increases in DO and SC as the stream approached the river. These variables also exhibited a temporal pattern of significant seasonal variation, including—and especially—temperature. Data suggest that spatial and temporal patterns of water quality of Thompson Bayou are determined by (1) processing of water by the wetland, (2) interactions of the stream channel with upland forest stands, and (3) the tidal hydrology of the Escambia River.

Reconstructing the Tree of Life remains a central goal in biology. Early methods, relying on small numbers of morphological or genetic characters, often yielded conflicting evolutionary histories, undermining confidence in the results. Investigations based on phylogenomics, which use hundreds to thousands of loci for phylogenetic inquiry, have provided a clearer picture of life's history, but certain branches remain problematic. To resolve difficult nodes on the Tree of Life, two recent studies tested the utility of synteny, the conserved collinearity of orthologous genetic loci in two or more organisms, for phylogenetics. Synteny exhibits compelling phylogenomic potential while also raising new challenges. We identify and discuss specific opportunities and challenges that bear on the value of synteny data and other rare genomic changes for phylogenomic studies. Synteny-based analyses of highly contiguous genome assemblies mark a new chapter in the phylogenomic era and the quest to reconstruct the Tree of Life.

Air pollution has created a lot of problems in the developed and developing countries. To avoid or reduce these problems, constant monitoring of the air should be ensured. The conventional techniques is costly because it requires a lot of money and time consuming. Biomonitoring has been the alternative method. Moss, lichens and plants are biomonitors available to entrap air pollutants. The aim of this paper is to discuss one of the ways of monitoring air pollution – Moss bag technique. To do this, types, choice, preparation, handling of bags after preparation of moss were discussed. From the literatures consulted, it was discovered that there were differences in the techniques used by the researchers. In all, the use of mosses with emphasis on the employment of moss bag have proved to be a powerful tool in airborne particulate and toxic elements. To conclude, developing countries should focus more on this technique because it will reduce cost of air monitoring.

The group III two-component hybrid histidine kinase MoHik1p in the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is known to be a sensor for external osmotic stress and essential for the fungicidal activity of the phenylpyrrole fludioxonil. The mode of action of fludioxonil has not yet been completely clarified but rather assumed to hyperactivate the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway. To date, not much is known about the detailed molecular mechanism of how osmotic stress is detected or fungicidal activity is initiated within the HOG pathway. The molecular mechanism of signaling was studied using a mutant strain in which the HisKA signaling domain was modified by an amino acid change of histidine H736 to alanine A736. We found that MoHik1pH736A is as resistant to fludioxonil but not as sensitive to osmotic stress as the null mutant ∆Mohik1. H736 is required for fludioxonil action but is not essential for sensing sorbitol stress. Consequently, this report provides evidence of the difference in the molecular mechanism of fludioxonil action and the perception of osmotic stress. This is an excellent basis to understand the successful phenylpyrrole-fungicides’ mode of action better and will give new ideas to decipher cellular signaling mechanisms.

This paper examines the importance of choice of cooking fuels in wellbeing, analysing relationships between the proportion of population with primary reliance on different types of fuels for cooking (predictor variable), and key wellbeing indices (outcome variables) - Personal Health, Social Life, Civic Engagement, Life Evaluation, Negative Experience. By combining two global datasets from Gallup and WHO, the study adds to current evidence by taking a global perspective. Controlling for demographic factors such as income per capita, age, education level, employment, etc., regression modelling of these relationships show that clean cooking fuels are influential in all of the key wellbeing indices with the exception of the Life Evaluation Index. Among the key wellbeing indices, Personal Health and Negative Experience Indices are the most strongly influenced by choice of clean cooking fuels. By adding access to electricity as an additional predictor variable, the analysis highlights the potential for integrating eCooking into national electrification plans as part of sustainable energy transitions, given that health outcomes (Personal health and Negative experience indices) appear to be as closely linked to choice of cooking fuels as to access to electricity.

The accurate quantification of $\frac{F{e}^{3+}}{\Sigma Fe}$ ratios for Mössbauer spectroscopic room temperature measurements involves many steps and, when shown in a composite Mössbaur data table, does not allow enough space for more Mössbauer parameters to be presented in the composite table. So a simple formula is derived, (presented as a short communication) which users will find helpful when they have to determine corrected $\frac{F{e}^{3+}}{\Sigma Fe}$ ratios in their room temperature Mössbauer experiments.

Background: Articles published in scholarly journals form part of the scientific evidence base. It is the responsibility of the scientific community to maintain its integrity. In 2011 the BMJ commissioned a feature article to draw attention to an article that had appeared in another journal- The Lancet 13 years previously. The Lancet had already retracted the article. These actions exemplify the best traditions of scientific record-keeping. Objective: This submission examines whether the main claims summary made in the BMJ were factual. Method: We examine what was published in the Lancet against what was published in the BMJ and verify against the findings in the GMC hearings transcripts and verdict of the UK High Court. Results: The 6 points highlighted in BMJ had errors and need to be corrected. Conclusions: There are significant differences between what was reported in the Lancet paper and what was alleged to be there by the BMJ. This article aims only to point to errors in the BMJ article, to set the record straight. It does not show there was a causal association between MMR vaccination and autism.

Biochemical signaling is the key mechanism to coordinate a living organism in all aspects of its life. It is still enigmatic how exactly cells and organisms deal with environmental signals and irritations precisely because of the limited number of signaling proteins and a multitude of transitions inside and outside the cell. Many components of signaling pathways are functionally pleiotropic, which means they have several functions. A single stimulus often activates multiple effectors, a distinct effector can be activated by numerous stimuli and signals triggered by different stimuli are often transduced via shared network components. This very compact and concise review sheds light on the most important molecular mechanisms of cellular signaling in fungi.

The ability to replicate scientific experiments is a cornerstone of the scientific method. Sharing ideas, workflows, data, and protocols facilitates testing the generalizability of results, increases the speed that science progresses, and enhances quality control of published work. Fields of science such as medicine, the social sciences, and the physical sciences have embraced practices designed to increase replicability. Granting agencies, for example, may require data management plans and journals may require data and code availability statements along with the deposition of data and code in publicly available repositories. While many tools commonly used in replicable workflows such as distributed version control systems (e.g. “git”) or scripted programming languages for data cleaning and analysis may have a steep learning curve, their adoption can increase individual efficiency and facilitate collaborations both within entomology and across disciplines. The open science movement is developing within the discipline of entomology, but practitioners of these concepts or those desiring to work more collaboratively across disciplines may be unsure where or how to embrace these initiatives. This article is meant to introduce some of the tools entomologists can incorporate into their workflows to increase the replicability and openness of their work. We describe these tools and others, recommend additional resources for learning more about these tools, and discuss the benefits to both individuals and the scientific community and potential drawbacks associated with implementing a replicable workflow.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the most common form of leukemia in adults and accounts for approximately 15% of all leukemia cases. The etiology of this disease is based on the presence of the oncogenic Bcr/Abl fusion protein, which has dysregulated tyrosine kinase activity. This pathological condition is the result of a chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 leading to the formation of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph). Clinical establishment of targeted therapy with Abl kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has been observed in the treatment of CML. Therapy resistance in patients with CML is due to genetic alterations in the cells of CML, specifically affecting the Bcr/Abl oncoprotein. Acquired resistance of CML patients to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has also been associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study aimed to examine the role of hypoxic conditions in the development of chemoresistance to certain AKIs in CML. The findings of our study indicate that exposure to hypoxic conditions leads to a substantial increase in chemoresistance to crizotinib, while only resulting in a slight increase in chemoresistance to imatinib. It is worth noting that both drugs effectively block Bcr/Abl function. Furthermore, it was observed that the inclusion of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib resulted in an augmentation of chemoresistance to crizotinib in the context of hypoxia. Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1a (HIF1a) and silencing of JAK2 confirmed that the two proteins cooperate in mediating chemoresistance to crizotinib in CML cell lines. It is noteworthy that the compound 2-methoxy estradiol (2ME2), which is a metabolite of estradiol lacking estrogenic activity, has shown efficacy in reinstating the sensitivity of CML cells to crizotinib in the presence of hypoxic circumstances. Additionally, when used in conjunction with a JAK2 inhibitor, 2ME2 exhibited activity in restoring crizotinib sensitivity in CML cells. The findings of our study underscore the significance of selectively targeting elements of the HIF1α pathway in order to achieve total eradication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells.

Accurate determination of the concentration of alcohols and their metabolites is important in forensics and in several life science areas. A new method has been developed to quantify alcohols and their oxidative products using a headspace gas chromatography- mass spectrometer and isotope-labelled internal standards. This work demonstrates the application of this method, specifically in quantifying the concentration of oxidative products of alcohol and other minor alcohols found in hand sanitizers, which have become an essential household item since the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from the major component, the minor alcohols found in hand sanitizers include methanol, isopropanol, and n-propanol. In ethanol-based hand sanitizers, a significant amount of acetaldehyde was observed as an oxidation product, while in isopropanol-based hand sanitizers, acetone was observed. The concentration of acetaldehyde in ethanol-based hand sanitizers significantly increased with storage time and temperature, whereas no such increase of acetone concentration was observed in isopropanol-based hand sanitizers with storage time and temperature.

The national study analyzes sea level rise (SLR) impacts based on 36 different SLR and storm surge scenarios across 5.7 million geographic locations and 3 time periods. Taking an approach based on engineering design guidelines and current cost estimates, the study details projected cost impacts for states, counties, and cities. These impacts are presented from multiple perspectives including total cost, cost per-capita, and cost per-square mile. The purpose of the study is to identify specific locations where infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The study finds that Sea Level Rise (SLR) and minimal storm surge is a $400 billion threat to the United States by 2040 that includes a need for at least 50,000 miles of protective barriers. The research is limited in its scope to protecting coastal infrastructure with sea walls. Additional methods exist and may be appropriate in individual situations. The study is original in that it is a national effort to identify infrastructure that is vulnerable as well as the cost associated with protecting this infrastructure.

After reviewing foundational literature by Snyder, I will demonstrate how hope theory has been used in psychological interventions and psychiatry, how hope influences learning and medical outcomes, and how hope can be applied to difficult life circumstances. Using this literature review, hope theory will be interrogated. I will argue that hope theory has developed its way through the years to garner many strengths, however a few weaknesses do exist and will be described. I will conclude with recommendations for using hope theory in practice, including the medical field, psychological interventions and counseling, and student development.

A multiscale (micro-macro) approach is proposed for the establishment of the full thermal and induced stress fields in cracked composites that are subjected to heat flow. Both the temperature and stresses distributions are determined by the solution of a boundary value problem with one-way coupling. In the micro level and for combined thermomechanical loading, a micromechanical analysis is employed to determine the effective moduli, coefficients of thermal expansion and thermal conductivities of the undamaged composite. In the macro level, the representative cell method is employed according to which the periodic damaged composite region is reduced, in conjunction with the discrete Fourier transform, to a finite domain problem. As a result, a boundary value problem is obtained in the Fourier transform domain which is appropriately discretized and solved. The inverse transform and an iterative procedure provide the full thermal and stress fields. The proposed method is verified by comparisons with exact solutions. Applications are given for the determination of the thermal and stress fields in cracked fiber-reinforced polymeric composite, cracked porous ceramic material and cracked periodically layered ceramic composite caused by the application of heat flow. The presented formulation admits however the application of a combined mechanical and heat flux on cracked composites.

The energies of spin singlet and triplet bound electron pairs are reckoned for electrons interacting through the Coulomb interaction, while sitting on neigbouring lattice sites. It is concluded that triplet pairs are unlikely to be observed due to screening. The interplay of inter-electron couplings of different spatial range is investigated. High-pressure induced superconductivity is analysed and qualitative agreement is achieved with observed results by working out the dependence of the critical temperature on the microscopic parameters, characterising the electron motion. This approach can be applied to other kinds of inter-electron interactions.

A procedure, dedicated to superconductivity, is extended to study the properties of interacting electrons in normal metals in the thermodynamic limit. Each independent-electron band is shown to split into two correlated-electron bands. Excellent agreement is achieved with Bethe's wave-function for the one-dimensional Hubbard model. The groundstate energy, reckoned for the two-dimensional Hubbard Hamiltonian, is found to be lower than values, obtained thanks to the numerical methods. This analysis applies for any spatial dimension and temperature.

Diversification is an important strategy for managing risk in agricultural systems. Risk analysis can help to support farmers’ diversification strategies, but existing analytical methods are complicated and little used. The minimum regret model helps to fill this gap. It provides a simple, transparent calculation procedure that can be executed with existing spreadsheet software. Regret is an important heuristic in the behavioural sciences and regret-based models are used in finance. The article presents the model with a numerical example. It also presents a framework to compare minimum regret portfolios with two limit cases (maximum utility and minimax regret). A case study illustrates the use of the model and the comparative framework.

This paper presents an experimental scenario aimed at bridging the gap between the cities we have and the cities we need, not only in the 21^st century but also beyond, using the integrated tools of development control and holistic land development model to achieve a planner-led vision of city sustainability. Due to scathing criticisms against the development control system, the paper contends that planners as development approving officers and public interest specialists are better positioned than allied professionals to increase city sustainability through a holistic development process that benefits from the concept of strong sustainability posited by ecological economists. The paper adopts a seven-stage, 56-cell land development matrix (model) to simulate the development of the typical high-rise residential condominium in Ontario, supported with secondary data and the author’s ground experience as a planner and realtor with condominium customer service experience across Toronto and Mississauga cities between 2008 and 2017. Findings reveal that planners can seize the opportunity of being leaders of the development team to synergize the risks and value creation in land development that are key drivers of strong sustainability. The paper suggests some policy implications for averting disasters like fire hazards and terror attacks in high-rise residential buildings.

The dynamic interplay of signaling networks in most major cellular processes is characterized by the orchestration of reversible protein phosphorylation. Consequently, analytic methods like quantitative phospho-peptidomics has been pushed forward from a highly specialized edge-technique to a powerful and versatile platform for comprehensively analyzing the phosphorylation profile of living organisms. Despite enormous progress in instrumentation and bioinformatics, a major problem remains a high number of missing values caused by the experimental procedure due to either a random phospho-peptide enrichment selectivity or borderline signal intensities, which both cause the exclusion for fragmentation using the commonly applied data dependent acquisition (DDA) mode. Consequently, an incomplete dataset reduces confidence in the subsequent statistical bioinformatic processing. Here, we successfully applied data independent acquisition (DIA) by using the filamentous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae as model organism and could prove that while maintaining data quality (such as phosphosite and peptide sequence confidence), the data completeness increases dramatically. Since the method presented here reduces the LC-MS/MS analysis from 3 h to 1 h and increases the number of phoshosites identified up to 10-fold in contrast to published studies in fungi, we pushed the phospho-proteomic technique beyond its current limits and could provide a sophisticated resource for investigation of signaling processes in filamentous fungi.

Different external stimuli are perceived by multiple sensor histidine kinases and transmitted by phosphorylation via the phosphotransfer protein Ypd1p in the multistep phosphorelay system of the high osmolarity glycerol signaling pathway of filamentous fungi. How the signal propagation takes place is still not known in detail, since multiple sensor histidine kinase genes in most filamentous fungi are coded in the genome, whereas only one gene for Ypd1 exists. That raises the hypothesis that various Ypd1 isoforms are produced from a single gene sequence, perhaps by alternative splicing, facilitating a higher variability in signal transduction. We found that the mRNA of MoYPD1 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is subjected to an increased structural variation and amplified putative isoforms on a cDNA level. We then generated mutant strains overexpressing these isoforms, purified the products and present here one previously unknown MoYpd1 isoform on a proteome level. Alternative splicing was found to be a valid molecular mechanism to increase the signal diversity in eukaryotic multistep phosphorelay systems.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) triggers alterations in the maternal gut microbiome. Alongside metabolic shifts, microbial products may impact clinical factors and influence pregnancy outcomes. Here, we performed two separate analyses to integrate the maternal microbiome-metabolomic differences from a subset of the “Choosing Healthy Options in Carbohydrate Energy” (CHOICE) study. Women diagnosed with GDM were randomized to a diet higher in complex carbohydrates (CHOICE, n=18, 60% complex carbohydrate/25% fat/15% protein) or a conventional GDM diet (CONV, n=16, 40% carbohydrate/45% fat/15% protein). All meals were provided, diets were eucaloric, and fiber content was similar. CHOICE diet was associated with increases in TMAO, lysophosphotidylcholines, indoxyl sulfate, and several triglyceride (TG) species, while CONV diet was associated with higher plasma hippuric acid, aspartic acid, betaine, glutamic acid, indole propionic acid, and indoleacetic acid, suggesting that differences in lipid metabolism and tryptophan utilization pathways are linked to specific maternal diets. We also identified two latent metabolic groups not associated with either diet treatment: one metabolome associated with higher fasting glucose, and the other associated with higher fasting TGs after 7 weeks on either diet. Our study underscores the importance of utilizing dietary approaches to optimize maternal-fetal health outcomes in GDM treatment.

Maternal obesity and over/undernutrition can have a long-lasting impact on offspring health during critical periods in the first 1000 days of life. Children born to mothers with obesity have reduced immune responses to stimuli which increase susceptibility to infections. Recently, maternal western-style diets (WSD), high in fat and simple sugars, have been associated with skewing neonatal immune cell development, and recent evidence suggests that dysregulation of innate immunity in early life has long-term consequences on metabolic diseases and behavioral disorders in later life. Several factors contribute to abnormal innate immune tolerance or trained immunity, including changes in gut microbiota, metabolites, and epigenetic modifications. Critical knowledge gaps remain regarding the mechanisms whereby these factors impact fetal and postnatal immune cell development, especially in precursor stem cells in bone marrow and fetal liver. Components of the maternal microbiota that are transferred from mothers consuming a WSD to their offspring are understudied and identifying cause and effect on neonatal innate and adaptive immune development needs to be refined. Tools including single-cell RNA-sequencing, epigenetic analysis, and spatial location of specific immune cells in liver and bone marrow are critical for understanding immune system programming. Considering the vital role of immune function plays in offspring health, it will be important to understand how maternal diets can control developmental programming of innate and adaptive immunity.

We consider an alternative hypothesis of crater formation -- through an electric discharge machining (EDM) of the celestial bodies' surfaces. The source of the energy and the current itself may lie in the plasma infalling on a celestial body (from an extremely strong solar outburst or a nearby supernova). This mechanism may have been even more important than impact cratering in the early Solar System, with potential implications to the history of the dynamics of the System itself and solar activity in particular. In this light, the conclusion that shocked and metamorphosed minerals found within crater sites are evidence of hypervelocity impacts might be reconsidered. There are ambiguities that remain among sources of mineralogical formations. This study is ongoing with details of investigations supporting a new approach to crater formation not yet exhausted. Apart from mineralogical analysis and theoretical considerations regarding the large scale crater formation, we present a description of experimental studies of EDM acting at low pressures. Experimental results are made with crude setups and could easily be replicated on a larger scale with valuable research potential, as there is a well understood relation between the crater size and the energy needed for its production.

After conducting a detailed survey among the villagers of Pallissery and Karukutty, it was observed that in most of the villages the native people have to travel long distances for their basic health needs. Also most of the villagers lack knowledge regarding live health updates. At times, these problems have even resulted in death of many people including pregnant women and children. The objective of our research is to propose an integrated and easy to use Medical Kiosk that can be installed at various locations in rural areas. The Kiosk will provide an integrated environment for all medical related activities and would perform numerous functions like sending notifications regarding medical camps, mobile medical help, important dates for vaccinations, child care, insurance policies and provide other live medical updates to the villagers. It would also support the basic facilities for measurement of body parameters like height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, and heartbeat and also facilitate live consultation facilities with specialized doctors through video and voice chats.

Fibrosis is a prevalent and detrimental condition associated with various diseases with a high impact on global morbidity and mortality rates. Despite its diverse causes and affected organs, common underlying mechanisms drive the development and progression of the disease. These mechanisms include an exaggerated inflammatory response, excessive activation of fibroblasts, and abnormal tissue remodeling following severe or repetitive tissue injury. Although significant advancements have been achieved to enhance our understanding of fibrosis, there is still a gap between identifying potential antifibrotic targets and successfully translating them into effective clinical interventions. Novel approaches that target specific cellular and molecular processes involved in fibrosis hold promise for reducing the pathological consequences of the disease. Understanding the pathogenesis and clinical implications of fibrotic diseases is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies and improving patient outcomes. In this review, we introduce the concept of fibrosis, discuss the mechanisms by which it arises, and explore existing and emerging therapeutic approaches in development.

Citron watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) is an underexploited and under-researched crop species with potential to contribute to crop diversification in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. The species is commonly cultivated in the drier parts of Southern Africa, mainly by smallholder farmers who maintain a wide range of landraces. Understanding the molecular and morpho-physiological basis for drought adaptation of Citron watermelon in these dry environments can aid in screening local germplasm, identification of suitable traits for crop improvement and improving food system resilience among smallholder farmers by adding to crop diversification. This paper reviews literature on drought adaptation of C. lanatus spp. (C3 xerophytes), using the systematic review approach. The review discusses; (i) the potential role of citron watermelon in adding to crop diversification, (ii) alternative food uses and potential by-products that can be processed from citron watermelon and (iii) the role of Sub-Saharan farmers as key actors in conserving citron watermelon germplasm and biodiversity. Finally, the review provides a summary of significant findings and identifies critical knowledge gaps for further research.

Widely used estimates of food-insecure populations are likely to be biased upwards, lacking adjustment for global increases in sedentary behavior in recent decades. We first construct a household model to account for sedentary choices during leisure and work time decisions. The model rationalizes increasing sedentary behavior from the household by accounting for increasing returns to cognitive human capital vs physical capital, alongside increased productivity of more sedentary activities both at work and at home. The household model then informs an empirical model that makes use of our unique international pseudo-panel data on sitting time, which serves as a proxy for sedentarism. We econometrically estimate a transfer function linking sedentarism to widely available covariates, which then are used to make out-of-sample predictions and can be applied to a large set of countries. The estimated sedentary time can be used to adjust the physical activity level reflected in the minimum dietary energy requirement used to determine a cutoff for food insecurity.

High level of noise is a disturbance to the human environment. Noise in industries is also an occupational hazard because of its attendant effects on workers’ health. Noise presents health and social problems in industrial operations, and the source is related to the machineries used in the industries. One of the unique features of the noise associated with wood machinery is the level of exposure and duration. Equipment used in a factory can be extremely loud. They can produce noise at decibels high enough to cause environmental health and safety concerns. The mechanically driven transport and handling equipment, cutting, milling, shaping and dust extractor installations in the wood industry generate noise. The sources of noise pollution have increased due to non-compliance with basic safety practices. The increased use of locally fabricated machine in the industry has increased the level of noise and vibration. The effects of industrial noise pollution as discussed include: increase in blood pressure; increased stress; fatigue; vertigo; headaches; sleep disturbance; annoyance; speech problems; dysgraphia, which means reading/learning impairment; aggression; anxiety and withdrawal. As presented in this paper, noise control techniques include; sound insulation, sound absorption, vibration damping and Vibration isolation.

This review provides a snapshot of chronic bacterial infections through the lens of Burkholderia pseudomallei; detailing its ability to establish multi-nucleated giant cells (MNGC) within the host, leading to the formation of pyogranulomatous lesions. We explore the role of MNGC in melioidosis disease progression and pathology by comparing the similarities and differences of melioidosis to tuberculosis, outlining the concerted events in pathogenesis that lead to MNGC formation, discussing the factors that influence MNGC formation and how they fit into clinical findings reported in chronic cases. Finally, we speculate about future models and techniques that can be used to delineate the mechanisms of MNGC formation and function.

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy across the world. The new era in lung cancer treatments, especially this past decade, has yielded novel categories of targeted therapy for specific mutations and adjuvant therapy, both of which have led to improved survival rates. In the present study, we review the changes and development of treatments, with a special focus on adjuvant therapy using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) administered to non-small-cell lung carcinoma patients who had a complete resection of the tumor harboring a mutated epidermal growth factor receptor. The clinical trials are dating from the past (chemotherapy trials), present (TKIs) and future (ongoing trials).

Phylogenomics has enriched our understanding that the Tree of Life can have network-like or reticulate structures among some taxa and genes. Non-vertical modes of evolution—such as hybridization/introgression and horizontal gene transfer—deviate from a strictly bifurcating tree model, causing non-treelike patterns. Here, we present a brief overview of a phylogenomic workflow for inferring organismal histories and compare methods for detecting reticulate evolution. We discuss how the timing of coalescent events can help disentangle introgression from incomplete lineage sorting and how horizontal gene transfer events can help determine the relative timing of speciation events. In doing so, we identify pitfalls of certain methods and discuss how to extend their utility across the Tree of Life. Workflows, methods, and future directions discussed herein underscore the need to embrace reticulate evolutionary patterns for understanding the timing and rates of evolutionary events, providing a clearer understanding of life’s history.

Machine learning has become an increasingly ubiquitous technology, as big data continues to inform and influence everyday life and decision-making. Currently in healthcare, as well as in most other industries, the two most prevalent machine learning paradigms are supervised learning and transfer learning. Both practices rely on large-scale, manually annotated datasets to train increasingly complex models. However, the requirement of data to be manually labeled leaves an excess of unused, unlabeled data available in both public and private data repositories. Self-supervised learning (SSL) is a growing area of machine learning that has the ability to take advantage of unlabeled data. Contrary to other machine learning paradigms, SSL algorithms create artificial supervisory signals from unlabeled data and pretrain algorithms on these signals. The aim of this review is two-fold: firstly, we provide a formal definition of SSL, divide SSL algorithms into their four unique subsets, and review the state-of-the-art published in each of those subsets between the years of 2014-2020. Second, this work surveys recent SSL algorithms published in healthcare, in order to provide medical experts with a clearer picture of how they can integrate SSL into their research, with the objective of leveraging unlabeled data.

Introduction: The aim is to investigate the possibility of altering the delusional perceptions of psychotic patients by exposing them to a cognitively flexible virtual environment. A flexible vir-tual reality (VR) environment could challenge and enhance the ability to adapt to changing situa-tions and generate novel solutions to core psychotic symptoms. Materials and methods: A systematic review was conducted using different combinations of keywords in different databases. This study was conducted using the PRISMA statement. Results: There is a growing literature on the use of VR to manipulate and normalise perceptual distortions in psychosis. Over the last decade, the number of published studies on VR in mental health has increased 14-fold. Conclusions: A cognitive flexibility virtual environment can alter delusional perception by ex-posing the person to different scenarios that require them to question their assumptions, test their hypotheses, and revise their beliefs. Commonly used biosensors measure heart rate, skin con-ductance and body temperature in relation to different emotional states. Recently, there has been a major shift towards the use of neuroimaging techniques to better understand the pathophysiology of mental disorders. This is where the new wave of biosensor-integrated virtual reality (VR) sys-tems comes in.

Understanding of the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer has led to development of therapeutic strategies targeting androgen receptor (AR). These androgen-receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI) include androgen synthesis inhibitor- abiraterone and androgen receptor antagonists- enzalutamide, apalutamide, and darolutamide. Although these medications provide significant improvement in survival among men with prostate cancer, drug resistance develops in nearly all patients with time. This could be through androgen-dependent or androgen-independent mechanisms. Even weaker signals and non-canonical steroid ligands can activate AR in the presence of truncated AR-splice variants, AR overexpression, or activating mutations in AR. AR splice variant, AR-V7 is the most studied among these and is not targeted by available ARSIs. Non-androgen receptor dependent resistance mechanisms are mediated by activation of an alternative signaling pathway when AR is inhibited. DNA repair pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, BRAF-MAPK and Wnt signaling pathway and activation by glucocorticoid receptors can restore downstream signaling in prostate cancer by alternative proteins. Multiple clinical trials are underway exploring therapeutic strategies to overcome these resistance mechanisms.

Coronaviruses are a large family of diverse enveloped RNA viruses found in numerous animal species. They are well-known for their ability to cross species barriers and have been transmitted from bats or intermediate hosts to humans on several occasions. Four of the seven human coronaviruses (hCoVs) are responsible for approximately 20% of common colds (hCoV-229E, -NL63, -OC43, -HKU1). Two others (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV) cause severe and frequently lethal respiratory syndromes but have only spread to very limited extents in human populations. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2, while exhibiting intermediate pathogenicity, has a profound impact on public health due to its enormous spread. In this review, we discuss which initial features of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and subsequent adaptations to the new human host may have helped this pathogen to cause the COVID-19 pandemic. Our focus is on host forces driving changes in the Spike protein and their consequences for virus infectivity, pathogenicity, immune evasion and resistance to preventive or therapeutic agents. In addition, we discuss the significance and perspectives of broad-spectrum therapeutics and vaccines.

Contemporary advanced models for aspect-targeted opinion word extraction (ATOWE), which predominantly utilize BERT-based encoders at a word level, have shown limited advancements when integrated with graph convolutional networks (GCNs) for syntactic tree assimilation. Recognizing the prowess of BERT subwords in encapsulating rare or context-poor words, this study pivots from syntactic trees to BERT subwords, omitting GCNs from the structural framework. Our approach, named Aspect-Enhanced Wordpiece Extraction Model (AEWEM), focuses on refining aspect representation during encoding. We propose an input format of paired sentence-aspect, diverging from traditional single-sentence inputs. AEWEM demonstrates superior performance on benchmark datasets, establishing a robust foundation for future explorations in this domain.

Pharmaceutical poisoning is a significant global public health concern, causing approximately 190,000 deaths yearly. This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the available literature on pharmaceutical poisoning and compare patterns between high-income countries (HICs) and low-middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic search was performed across the following databases: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL. Studies included were from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2020, in English, with full text available. Seventy-nine articles were included in the study; 21 were from LMICs and 58 were from HICs. The toxic exposure was largely intentional (77%) in LMICs and accidental (68%) in HICs. Drugs acting on the nervous system were responsible for 95% of toxicities worldwide with analgesics accounting for the largest subtherapeutic group in both LMICs (40%) and HICs (58%). Notable statistics were that HICs accounted for 99% of opioid overdoses, and LMICs accounted for 19% of anti-epileptic-induced toxicities. Overall, the medical outcomes of poisonings were generally worse in LMICs. The review provides possible interventions to target specific geographic locations, based on the trends identified, to reduce the burden worldwide. Many gaps within the literature were recognised, calling for more robust analytical research.

Actively combating post-harvest food spoilage and waste can dramatically increase the efficiency of food utilization worldwide. In climacteric fruits, chemical treatments such as 1-MCP are an effective way of reducing post-harvest spoilage and waste by inhibiting the fruit’s ability to perceive ethylene. 1-MCP treatment is increasingly being used to explore the complex nature of ripening physiology at a fundamental level, however, differences in application and quantitation methods create difficulties in comparing conclusions across studies. Here we report an effective and reproducible method for 1-MCP application and quantitation for small-medium sized research applications. By use of surrogate alkene standards 1-butene and cis-2-butene, the highly volatile and elusive 1-MCP molecule can be identified and quantified by gas chromatography and subsequent standard curves may be developed. It is hoped that the methodology outlined here can help standardize consistent 1-MCP application for post-harvest research without excessive investment in specialized equipment.

We study spherically symmetric spacetimes in Einstein-aether theory in three different coordinate systems, the isotropic, Painlev\`e-Gullstrand, and Schwarzschild coordinates, and present both time-dependent and time-independent exact vacuum solutions. In particular, in the isotropic coordinates we find a class of exact static solutions characterized bya single parameter $c_{14}$ in closed forms, which satisfies all the current observational constraints of the theory, and reduces to the Schwarzschild vacuum black hole solution in the decoupling limit ($c_{14} = 0$). However, as long as $c_{14} \not= 0$, a marginally trapped throat with a finite non-zero radius always exists, and in one side of it the spacetime is asymptotically flat, while in the other side the spacetime becomes singular within a finite proper distance from the throat, although the geometric area is infinitely large at the singularity. Moreover, the singularity is a strong and spacetime curvature singularity, at which both of the Ricci and Kretschmann scalars become infinitely large.

Public participation is significant for the success of any urban planning project. However, most members of the general public are not planning professionals and may not understand the technical details of a 2D paper-based plan, which might hamper their participation. One way to expand the participation of citizens is to present plans in well-designed, user-friendly and interactive platforms that allow participation regardless of the technical skills of the participants. This paper investigates the impacts of the combined use of 3D visualization and E-participation on public participation in Kisumu, Kenya. A 3D City model, created with CityEngine2016, was exported into a web-based geo-portal and used as a Planning Support System in two stakeholder workshops in order to evaluate its usability. For e-participation, 300 questionnaires given out to planning practitioners. Five indicators were developed for evaluating the usability of the 3D model while the usability of e-participation was evaluated using communication, collaboration and learning as indicators. Results showed that effectiveness and efficiency varies within different professional groups while the questionnaires showed strong preference for e-participation methods, especially SMSs/USSDs and emails. The study concludes that the use of 3D visualization and E-participation has the potential for improving the quality and quantity of public participation and recommends further research on the subject.

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is common among postmenopausal women and is frequently treated with Letrozole. Letrozole inhibits aromatase from synthesizing estrogen from androgens. Decreased estrogen slows the growth of tumors and can be an effective treatment. Letrozole resistance is increasingly being observed, which poses a unique problem for patients. We reanalyzed transcriptomic data comparing individuals who responded to Letrozole therapy (responders) to those who were resistant to treatment (non-responders). We identified SOX11 and S100A9 as two genes that significantly differed between these patients; with “PLK1 signaling events” being the most significant signaling pathway. We also identified PRDX4 and E2F8 as the top transcriptional biomarkers for ER+ treatment resistance. Many of the other significant gene products play a known role in ER+ breast cancer or other types of cancer, which partially validate our results. Several of the gene products we identified do not have a characterized role in ER+ breast cancer. Our analysis identified a set of genes that warrant further research to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Letrozole resistance in this patient population, as well as novel high-performing biomarkers. We anticipate that these findings could contribute to improved therapeutic outcomes in human patients.

Mount Hamiding Protected Forest is located in North Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province, the Wallace zone has an important role in providing protection functions, life support systems and regulating water management, preventing floods, preventing seawater intrusion, and controlling soil fertility. The protected forest area in the Wallace Zone is globally renowned for its endemic characteristics of flora and fauna. The condition of the protected forest of Mount Hamiding HMPF is currently experiencing anthropogenic damage as a result of forest encroachment, illegal logging, shifting cultivation, grazing and poaching to meet social needs. Anthropogenic damage has been in the spotlight for decades and has become a global issue. This study aims to determine damage to protected forests, changes in land cover, and mitigation of protected forest areas. This research uses quantitative and descriptive qualitative methods. Determination of research locations by purposive sampling. Parameters measured in this study were damage to protected forests, changes in land cover and area mitigation strategies. To identify forest damage, snowball sampling was carried out, and land cover changes through land cover data processing were obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. Then using Imagery 7 ETM+ and 8 OLI to calculate changes in forested land to non-forested from 2006 -2021, analysis of land cover change using supervised classification, developing a strategy based on identity verification of forest damage and analysis of land cover change. The results showed that damage to protected forests was caused by anthropogenic disturbances in the form of forest encroachment, shifting cultivation, illegal logging, grazing and hunting of wild animals. Changes in land cover experienced the greatest damage in 2006-2021 amounting to 1,796.54 ha (16.17%). Strategic efforts are carried out using forest engineering, namely the agroforestry system and social engineering through community empowerment, namely training and outreach.

Road traffic accidents are associated with different factors, such as non-signalized road networks, inexperienced drivers, lack of communication skills, distraction, and visual or cognitive impairment of road users, which have led to this increase in traffic accidents. Understanding these factors in alignment with road user communication skills can provide solutions that can reduce traffic fatalities. Road users’ communication is predominantly formal in nature, but informal means of communication also exist but are not given proper attention during the driving training and licence testing processes. Therefore, this study investigated communication skills between drivers as a factor contributing to traffic accidents in South African cities. Consequently, 16 traffic scenarios of communication between drivers were simulated using PTV Vissim and Blender software, and a semistructured interview questionnaire was used to collect data from South African road users. The questionnaire was further used to evaluate the confidence level of road users concerning informal communication. The data were analysed via regression analysis to establish the relationship between traffic accidents and miscommunication between drivers. The information gathered and analysed from this study helps to understand the informal communication types between drivers and establish where communication loss exists, which ultimately leads to a traffic accident. The results also show that misinterpretation of communication signals can present the possibility of traffic safety risk.

Transition from basic to higher education is regarded as a ‘juggle of many balls’ because students ought to balance between theoretical and clinical requirements, including social life. As a result, a significant number of undergraduate first-year nursing students succumb to these challenges due to lack of coping mechanisms emanating from poor resilience. As a result, the aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence resilience among undergraduate first-year nursing students at a South African university. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research design was followed. Data was collected using an adapted self-administered online questionnaire. Principal component analysis extraction method and Varimax rotation were used to analyse data. A total of 123 participants completed the questionnaire. The eigenvalues showed that the first factor explained 23.9% of the variance, the second factor 11.2%, a third factor 7.5% while the fourth factor explained 5.9% of the variance. The fifth until the eight factor had eigenvalues greater than 1 but less than 2. This study showed that resilience can be dependent on various factors such as lecture support, parental support, academic achievement, peer and mentor support, optimism about the future and being self-determined.

To improve accessibility, this article describes a static, four-legged, walker that can be constructed from materials and fasteners commonly available from hardware stores coupled by open-source 3-D printed joints. The designs are described in detail, shared under an open-source license, and fabricated with a low-cost open-source desktop 3-D printer and hand tools. The resulting device is loaded to failure to determine the maximum load that the design can safely support in both vertical and horizontal failure modes. The experimental results showed the average vertical failure load capacity was 3680±694.3N, equivalent to 375.3±70.8kg of applied weight with the fractured location at the wood dowel handlebars. The average horizontal load capacity was 315.6±49.4N, equivalent to 32.2±5.1kg. The maximum weight capacity of a user of 187.1±29.3kg was obtained, which indicates the open-source walker design can withstand the weight requirements of all genders with a 95% confidence interval that includes a safety factor of 1.8 when considering the lowest deviation weight capacity. The design has a cost at the bottom of the range of commercial walkers and reduces the mass compared to a commercial walker by 0.5kg (19% reduction). It can be concluded that this open-source walker design can aid accessibility in low-resource settings.

Increasingly measured data in the context of smart cities can be used to develop new and innovative business models to increase efficiency and the value of life. A time-series classification algorithm can support to automatize many different processes such as forecasting services. In order to ensure data security and privacy, Federated Learning trains a global model collaboratively on multiple clients. Having different data-distributions and data-quantities across participating clients, neural networks suffer from slow convergence and overfitting. Based on different data-distributions, data-quantities and number of clients, we develop and evaluate different data-clustering strategies to update global model weights in comparison to the state of the art. We use public time-series data, generate various synthetic datasets and train a Relational-Regularized Autoencoder for classification purposes. Our results show an improvement of model performance concerning generalization.

A new picture of the Josephson effect is devised. The radio-frequency (RF) signal, observed in a Josephson junction, is shown to stem from bound electrons, tunneling periodically through the insulating film. This holds also for the microwave mediated tunneling. The Josephson effect is found to be conditioned by the same prerequisite worked out previously for persistent currents, thermal equilibrium and occurence of superconductivity. The observed negative resistance behaviour is shown to originate from the interplay between the normal and superconducting currents.

Verteporfin, a free base benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid ring A, is a photosensitizing drug for photodynamic therapy (PDT) used in the treatment of the wet form of macular degeneration and activated by red light of 689 nm. Here, we present the first direct study of its photofragmentation channels in the gas-phase, conducted using a laser interfaced mass spectrometer across a broad photoexcitation range from 250-790 nm. The photofragmentation channels are compared with the collision-induced dissociation (CID) products revealing similar dissociation pathways characterized by the loss of the carboxyl and ester groups. Complementary solution-phase photolysis experiments indicate that photobleaching occurs in verteporfin in acetonitrile; a notable conclusion, as photoinduced activity in Verteporfin was not thought to occur in homogenous solvent conditions. These results provide unique new information on the thermal break-down products and photoproducts of this light-triggered drug.

Functional mobility assessments (i.e., Timed Up and Go) are commonly used clinical tools for mobility and fall risk screening in the aging population. In this work, we proposed a new Mixed Reality (MR)-based assessment that utilized a Microsoft HoloLens^TM headset to automatically lead and track the performance of functional mobility tests, and subsequently evaluated its validity in comparison with reference inertial sensors. Twenty-two healthy adults (10 older, 12 young) participated in this study. An automated functional mobility assessment app was developed based on the HoloLens platform. Mobility performance was recorded with the headset built-in sensor and validated with reference inertial sensor (Opal, APDM) taped on the headset and lower back. Results indicate vertical kinematic measures by HoloLens was in good agreement with the reference sensor (Normalized RMSE ~ 10%). Additionally, the HoloLens-based test completion time was in perfect agreement with clinical standard stopwatch measure. Overall, our preliminary investigation indicates that it is possible to use an MR headset to automatically guide users to complete common mobility tests with good measurement accuracy, thus it has great potential to provide objective and efficient sensor-based mobility assessment.

A classical model is presented for persistent currents in superconductors. Their existence is argued to be warranted because their decay would violate the second law of thermodynamics. This conclusion is achieved by analyzing comparatively Ohm's law and the Joule effect in normal metals and superconducting materials. Whereas Ohm's law applies in identical terms in both cases, the Joule effect is shown to cause the temperature of a superconducting sample to \textit{decrease}. An experiment is proposed to check the validity of this work in superconductors of both types I and II.

While referral-level medicine is important in the veterinary curriculum, students also need a solid base knowledge of clinically relevant routine surgery and diagnostic skills. Veterinary hospitals must maintain a steady caseload that provides wellness cases and commonly encountered conditions. Shelter Medicine programs can create the opportunities to meet these challenges. Students can gain quantifiable surgical experience in spay/neuter with measured growth in surgical efficiency and competency while providing needed community service for animal shelters. Students can directly interact with shelter animals by performing examinations, diagnostic testing, and development of treatment protocols and recommendations for commonly encountered problems. Furthermore, students can obtain a working knowledge of biosecurity on a population level to minimize risk of infectious diseases spreading to healthy populations.

Preterm infants often experience frequent intermittent hypoxia (IH) episodes which is associated with neuroinflammation. We tested the hypotheses that early caffeine and/or non-steroidal in-flammatory drugs (NSAIDs) confer superior therapeutic benefits for protection against IH-induced neuroinflammation than late treatment. Newborn rats were exposed to IH or hy-peroxia (50% O2) from birth (P0) to P14. For early treatment, the pups were administered: 1) dai-ly caffeine citrate (Cafcit, 20 mg/kg IP loading on P0, followed by 5 mg/kg from P1-P14); 2) ke-torolac topical ocular solution in both eyes from P0 to P14; 3) ibuprofen (Neoprofen, 10 mg/kg loading dose on P0 followed by 5 mg/kg/day on P1 and P2); 4) caffeine+ketorolac co-treatment; 5) caffeine+ibuprofen co-treatment; or 6) equivalent volume saline. On P14, animals were placed in room air (RA) with no further treatment. For late treatment, pups received similar treatments from P15-P21 (caffeine and/or ketorolac), or P15-P17 (ibuprofen). RA control were similarly treated. At P21, whole brains were assessed for histopathology, apoptosis, mye-lination, and biomarkers of inflammation. IH caused significant inflammation, reduced mye-lination, and apoptosis in preterm rat brains, an effect that was improved predominantly with combined caffeine/NSAID early treatment. Early caffeine/NSAID co-treatment confers syner-gistic neuroprotection against IH-induced damage.

The rapid growth of the elderly population is a major global demographic and social issue. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of pension plans and social se-curity programmes for this population in developing countries which has severe consequences for their quality of life and planetary health (PH) wellbeing. In this article, we aimed to better understand the pension systems in Ghana, Pakistan, and Myanmar, by reviewing the official government materials (such as pension reports) and published literature. We observed several policy implementation gaps and inequity in pension schemes for older people, specifically for informal and private sector workers. Considering the size of formal versus informal economies and the level of development index of each country, we suggest a wide variety of options in pension policies, financing, designing cash benefits and pension payments to cover all older citizens. This article addresses an unmet need of the elderly people, their wider environmental and economic sustainability to ensure social justice and resource utilization. The governments of developing countries should embrace and establish unique, inclusive, and friendly policies encompassing the informal sector to warrant older adults’ functional and planetary wellbeing with dignity and honor.

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) are infected and transmitted among ovine and caprine species. This disease is a severe problem for small ruminant production, not only for animals’ wellbeing but also for the herd’s efficiency. The main aim of this research was to quantify the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for SRLV infection in the north region of Portugal. Collected samples from a total of 150 herds, of which 129 (86.0%; 95% CI: 80.67% - 91.33%) had at least one seropositive animal. Out of 2607 individual blood samples, 1074 (41.2%) were positive for SRLV. The risk factors associated with SRLV infection were: specie (caprine), age (> 2 years old), herd size (> 100 animals), production system (intensive), production aptitude (milk), type of activity (professional), participation in livestock competitions (yes), buy replacement young ewe (yes) and rearing (natural). This knowledge empowers the implementation of effective preventive measures. Overall, biosecurity measures should be promoted and implemented to aim reducing viral transmission, with the main goal of reducing the prevalence of this disease. Completely, we understand that government authorities should promote and audit voluntary control and eradication programs in small ruminant herds in the region studied.

In the current study, we assessed the effects of conventional and Ultra High Dose Rate (UHDR) irradiation on behavioral and cognitive performance one month following exposure and assessed whether these effects were associated with alterations in the number of immune cells in the hippocampus using flow cytometry. Conventional- and UHDR-irradiated mice showed impaired novel object recognition. During fear learning, conventional- and UHDR-irradiated mice moved less during the inter-stimulus-interval (ISI) and UHDR-irradiated mice also moved less during the baseline period (prior to the first tone). In irradiated mice, reduced activity levels were also seen in the home cage; conventional- and UHDR-irradiated mice moved less during the light period and UHDR-irradiated mice moved less during the dark period. Following behavioral and cognitive testing, infiltrating immune cells in the hippocampus were analyzed by flow cytometry. The percent Ly6G+ CD45+ cells in the hippocampus was lower in conventional- and UHDR-irradiated than sham-irradiated mice, suggesting that neutrophils might be particularly sensitive to radiation. The percent of Ly6G+ CD45+ cells in the hippocampus was positively correlated with the time spent exploring the novel object in the object recognition test, suggesting that the reduced percent Ly6G+ CD45+ cells in the hippocampus might mediate some of the detrimental radiation-induced cognitive effects.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulatory technique that delivers low levels of a constant current via scalp electrodes to specifically targeted areas of the brain. The effects of tDCS on whole-body exercise performance has been of interest in recent literature. The purpose of the current investigation was to investigate if tDCS, administered via Halo Sport, influences time trial performance in trained cyclists, and if changes in exercise performance are associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation and/or muscle oxygenation (SmO2). Methods: Twelve recreationally trained cyclists volunteered to participate in two 10-kilometer time trials following 20 minutes of tDCS or a sham condition. Results: T-tests showed there was no significant difference in performance (time to completion) or physiological measures (BLa-, HR, SmO2, PFC oxygenation) between the Halo and sham conditions. Conclusions: These results indicate that the application of tDCS via Halo Sport does not induce changes in exercise performance or related physiological parameters during a 10-kilometer cycling time trial.

In the mid-1950s, Bert L. Vallee and his colleague Marvin Margoshes discovered a molecule known today as metallothionein (MT). Meanwhile MTs have been shown to be common in many biological organisms. Despite their prevalence, however, it remains unclear to date what exactly MTs do and how they contribute to the biological function of an organism or organ. Honoring Dr. Vallee’s sometimes innovative approach to research, this contribution sets out to show how philosophy of science can help us gain a clearer picture of biochemical research. We shall look into both the discovery of as well as recent research on Dr. Vallee’s beloved family of MT proteins to illustrate (i) how exploratory and upward-looking research play important roles in biochemical discoveries although they do not fit the paradigmatic approach of decomposition and struc-ture-function mapping. Besides, we shall suggest (ii) that while other biochemical molecules ex-hibit a clearly identifiable function, other research hypotheses might be worthy of pursuit in the case of MTs.

Heat-stressed lactating dairy cattle exhibit unique metabolic symptoms; many of which are undoubtedly involved in heat-induced subfertility. Because of its known systemic effects, we hypothesized that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) participates in the regulation of insulin and progesterone during heat stress. Multiparous lactating Holstein cows (n=6) were studied during four experimental periods: 1) thermoneutral (TN; d 1-5), 2) TN + hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp (d 6-10), 3) heat stress (HS; d 16-20), and 4) HS + euglycemic clamp (d 21-25). Blood samples were collected once daily via coccygeal venipuncture into heparinized evacuated tubes. Analysis of GABA concentrations from all four treatment periods yielded no differences. In direct comparison to TN concentrations, plasma GABA tended to be decreased during HS (16.57±2.64 vs 13.87±2.28 ng/ml, respectively, P = 0.06). Both milk production and plasma insulin were moderately correlated with plasma GABA (r=0.35, P<0.01; r = -0.32, P<0.01). Plasma progesterone was correlated with plasma GABA concentrations during TN but not HS. These results are the first to indicate that peripheral GABA could be involved in regulating aspects of production and reproduction during heat stress. More research is needed to determine its precise role(s).

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the most common form of leukemia in adults and accounts for approximately 15% of all leukemia cases. The etiology of this disease is based on the presence of the oncogenic Bcr/Abl fusion protein, which has dysregulated tyrosine kinase activity. This pathological condition is the result of a chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 leading to the formation of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph). Clinical establishment of targeted therapy with Abl kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has been observed in the treatment of CML. Therapy resistance in patients with CML is due to genetic alterations in the cells of CML, specifically affecting the Bcr/Abl oncoprotein. Acquired resistance of CML patients to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (AKIs) has also been associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study aimed to examine the role of hypoxic conditions in the development of chemoresistance to certain AKIs in CML. The findings of our study indicate that exposure to hypoxic conditions leads to a substantial increase in chemoresistance to crizotinib, while only resulting in a slight increase in chemoresistance to imatinib. It is worth noting that both drugs effectively block Bcr/Abl function. Furthermore, it was observed that the inclusion of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib resulted in an augmentation of chemoresistance to crizotinib in the context of hypoxia. Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) and silencing of JAK2 confirmed that the two proteins cooperate in mediating chemoresistance to crizotinib in CML cell lines. It is noteworthy that the compound 2-methoxy estradiol (2ME2), which is a metabolite of estradiol lacking estrogenic activity, has shown efficacy in reinstating the sensitivity of CML cells to crizotinib in the presence of hypoxic circumstances. Additionally, when used in conjunction with a JAK2 inhibitor, 2ME2 exhibited activity in restoring crizotinib sensitivity in CML cells. The findings of our study underscore the significance of selectively targeting elements of the HIF1α pathway in order to achieve total eradication of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells.

Objectives of this study were to investigate effects of repeated superstimulation on the success of ovum-pick up and in vitro production of embryos (OPU-IVP) and donor health and evaluate the efficiency of a modified SOF sequential medium in producing viable embryos. Over 1 y, six cross-bred beef heifers and three beef cows were subjected to superstimulations and OPU-IVP. Oocytes recovered were used for in vitro embryo production and the resulting embryos were transferred as fresh or frozen-thawed. Number of follicles, oocytes recovered, cleavage and blastocyst rates substantially varied among individuals. However, repeated trials did not significantly affect the efficiency of OPU-IVP. The pregnancy rates (PR) 22 to 30 d after embryo transfer for in vitro-derived fresh embryos was similar to that of fresh in vivo embryos, whereas transfer of in vitro-derived frozen embryos reduced PR compared to frozen-thawed in vivo embryos. All recipient heifers diagnosed pregnant delivered a viable calf, suggesting developmental competence of the embryos. Repeated OPU-IVP had no apparent deleterious effects, as all donors had viable calves after ET. We concluded that multiple OPU-IVP cycles can be effectively performed for a prolonged interval to maximize embryo production from elite donors without compromising their reproductive health.

We study the connection between the phase and the amplitude of the wave function and the conditions under which this relationship exists. For this we use model of particle in a box. We have shown that the amplitude can be calculated from the phase and vice versa if the log Analytical uncertainty relations are satisfied.

Background: The use of technology in paediatrics is increasing, and new health technology will change the way in which paediatric care is delivered in the future. This review is part of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Paediatrics 2040 project, which is developing a credible vision for the future of paediatrics in the UK. Aims: To summarise the impact of health technology on the delivery of paediatric care over the last ten years. To learn from existing technology use and make recommendations for future implementation. Methods: A search strategy was developed and two databases (Cochrane Library and PubMed) were systematically searched in August 2019 for relevant publications in English. Searches were limited to papers published between January 2009 and August 2019 (with further rapid review of papers published between September 2019 and November 2020). We included papers that studied young people up to the age of 24 or on those providing care for this population. A thematic synthesis of the data from the included studies was undertaken using seven domains of paediatric care. Results: 128 studies were included, grouped by domain of care. Most included studies were defined as digital (n=55) or communication (n=37). Studies looked at the different types of health technology used within different domains of care, including secondary and tertiary care (n=39), public health and prevention (n=29), and community (n=20). Studies were assessed on delivery of care outcomes using positive, negative, mixed and no effect. The most common outcomes reported were adherence and satisfaction. Discussion: This review highlights the growing importance of technology in delivering paediatric care. Six themes emerged: the importance of clear guidelines, continuity of care, confidentiality and privacy, digital poverty, using a personalised approach, and using technology to supplement rather than replace. In future, technology development should involve the end user throughout the design process.

Decades of illegal hunting (poaching) have adversely affected wildlife populations and thereby limited sustainable wildlife conservation in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. Despite intervention efforts to address the problem, illegal hunting of wildlife has persisted. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand the persistence of illegal hunting by investigating drivers of poaching and intervention measures using mixed-methods approach. Stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 346 respondents through structured questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to collect data through nine (9) focus group discussions and three (3) in-depth interviews with experts. The study revealed that persistent illegal hunting was mainly driven by people’s critical needs for survival and sustaining livelihoods and not by inadequate law enforcement as presumed by resource managers. Although law enforcement was the most prevalent intervention measure, it did not deter local illegal hunters because the main motivations for poaching were not effectively addressed. The key implication of findings is that where illegal harvesting of natural resources in protected areas by local resource users is driven by people’s critical needs for survival and livelihoods which are ineffectively addressed, illegal harvesting may persist even with increased law enforcement. The study provides empirical evidence, novel conceptual knowledge and understanding on how prevalent drivers of poaching and other factors may have influenced persistent illegal hunting in the Luangwa Valley.

The capacitor-mismatch among diverse defects caused by the manufacturing process variations significantly affects the linearity of capacitor-array used to implement the capacitive digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) in the successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Accordingly, the linearity of the SAR ADC is limited by that of capacitor-array, resulting in serious yield loss. This paper proposes an efficient foreground self-calibration technique to enhance the linearity of the SAR ADCs by mitigating the capacitor-mismatch based on the split ADC architecture along with variable capacitors. In this work, two ADC channels (i.e., ADC1 and ADC2) for the split ADC architecture include their capacitive DACs (CDACs) whose binary-weighted capacitor-arrays consist of variable capacitors. A charge-sharing SAR ADC is used for each ADC channel. In the normal operation mode, their digital outputs are averaged to be the final ADC output, as in a conventional split ADC. In the calibration mode, every single binary-weighted capacitor for the two ADCs is sequentially calibrated by making parallel or/and antiparallel connection among two or thee capacitors from the two channels. For instance, because the capacitors of the CDACs ideally exhibit the binary-weighted relation as Cn=2×Cn−1, variable capacitor Cn of ADC1 can be updated to be closest to the sum of Cn−1 of ADC1 and Cn−1 of ADC2 for the calibration. For the process, the two capacitor-arrays of the two ADCs can be reconfigured to be connected to each other, so that Cn of ADC1 can be connected with two of Cn−1 of ADC1 and ADC2 in antiparallel. The two voltages at the top and the bottom plates of the CDAC are compared by a comparator of ADC1, and the comparison results are used to update Cn. This process is iterated, until Cn is in agreement with the sum of two of Cn−1. Finally, all the capacitors can be calibrated in this way to have the binary-weighted relation. The simulation results based on the proposed work with a split SAR ADC model verified that the proposed technique can be practically used, by showing that the total-harmonic-distortion and the signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio were enhanced by 21.8-dB and 6.4-dB, respectively.

The thermal properties of a building envelope are key indicators of the energy performance of the building. Therefore, methods are needed to determine quantities like U-values or heat capacitance in a fast, reliable way and with as little impact on the use of the building as possible. In this paper a technique is proposed that relies on a simplified electrical analogical model of building envelope components which can cover their dynamic thermal behavior. The parameters of this model are optimized to produce the best fit between simulated and measured outside surface temperatures. As the temperatures can be measured remotely with an infrared camera this approach requires significantly less installation effort and intrusion in the building than other methods. At the same time, a single measurement provides data for a large range of locations on a facade or a roof. The paper describes the method and a first experimental implementation of it. The experiment indicates that this method has the potential to produce results which have an accuracy that is comparable to standardized reference methods.

The importance of agricultural programs in reducing poverty, improving livelihoods, and increasing productivity cannot be overstated. Poverty and unemployment remain the most pressing developmental concerns in rural communities of Africa in general and South Africa in particular. The study was derived from the contribution of the agricultural development programs and sought to discover how the Fortune 40 initiative impacted rural livelihoods of youth in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. Primary data using cross-sectional research design was collected from beneficiaries of the Fortune 40 program, through use of a questionnaire. An ordered probit model was used to analyse the impact of Fortune 40 initiative to rural livelihoods. Empirical results revealed that age of beneficiaries, household size, type of farming, credit access and land size were the factors with the likelihood to influence the impact of the Fortune 40 program. Therefore, it can be concluded that the land size for production should increase or expanded to enhance production of vegetables; provision of credit facilities for youths in agriculture through micro-finance and rural commercial banks is essential; also, youth, such as agricultural graduates looking for practical experience and on-farm training, should be considered in the program.

An array of Ag nanowires has been prepared from a facile, templated approach on Cu(BTC) (1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) metal organic framework (MOF) micropillars. The Ag-deposited scaffolding material may be used to prepare electronic or optoelectronic devices for various applications.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease which results in thickening of the vessel wall and narrowing of the lumen. It is a leading cause of death worldwide. Preventive treatment is taken into prioritized consideration since currently no effective approaches to cure atherosclerosis are available. These treatments mainly focus on lowering blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL-C, by statins. Even so, lowering lipid levels is not sufficient to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in all patients. Recently, atherosclerosis has increasingly been recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease involving the immune system, initiating new therapeutic approaches which could alleviate or prevent atherosclerosis by modulating inflammation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising option to relieve inflammation and balance immune responses in inflammatory diseases. Several studies including our group also reported that MSCs may be a new therapeutic option for atherosclerosis. This review summarizes the updated state of our knowledge in the administration of MSCs to alleviate atherosclerosis and discusses some of the key unresolved challenges that need to be solved in future studies.

This case study examined changes in body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR), aerobic capacity, and daily physical activity in a patient who had ulcerative colitis who underwent ileal pouch‒anal anastomosis (IPAA) surgery. Body composition, RMR, and VO2 peak were assessed prior to, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after IPAA surgery. Daily physical activity data was extracted from a wrist-worn activity tracker preoperatively and 16 months postoperatively. At baseline, total body mass was 95.3 kg; body fat, 11.6 %; lean body mass, 81.1 kg; RMR, 2,416 kcal/d; and V̇O2peak, 42.7 mL/kg/min. All values decreased from baseline at 4 weeks postoperatively, body mass was 85.2 kg (-10.5%); body fat, 10.9% (-6.0%); lean body mass, 73.1 kg (-9.9%); RMR 2,210 kcal/d (-8.5%) and V̇O2peak, 25.5 mL/kg/min (-40.3%). At 16 weeks postoperatively, most parameters were near their baseline levels (within 1%-7%); exceptions were V̇O2peak, which was 20.4% below baseline, and RMR, which increased to nearly 20% above baseline. After the patient had an IPAA surgery, his total and lean body masses, RMR, and aerobic capacity were markedly decreased. Daily physical activity decreased postoperatively and likely contributed to the decreased aerobic capacity, which may take longer to recover compared to body composition and RMR parameters.

This article investigated the Automatic Generation Control(AGC) of multi-area multi-source interconnected systems with hydropower plants, thermal power plants, and wind energy. Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy controller integrated with the cascaded proportional-integral-derivative with filter (PIDF-PIDF) is a new cascaded controller (ANF-PIDF-PIDF) that has been presented as a secondary controller for applied hybrid power systems. The recent Skill Optimization Algorithm (SOA) is employed to optimize PIDF- PIDF controller parameter gains and the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy controller's inputs and output scaling factors. SOA is used to update the controller parameters with integral square error (ISE) employed as the objective function. A 1% step load disturbance was considered simultaneously in all three areas. The controller's performance is evaluated and compared with and without considering the effects of wind energy sources and non-linearity for ANF-PIDF-PIDF, PIDF-PIDF, and PIDF and it was determined that the ANF-PIDF-PIDF was the most efficient. The dynamic system performance is also compared with parallel high voltage direct current (HVDC) tie-lines. The investigation clearly shows that incorporating HVDC tie-line with multi-area, multi-source provides better dynamic performance in maximum amplitude, oscillation, and settling time. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is done and the optimum controller gains does not need to be reset to uncertain values in system loading conditions. All simulation results were evaluated using MATLAB 2016b.

The persistent issue of bacterial and fungal colonization of artificial implantable materials and decreasing efficacy of conventional systemic antibiotics used to treat implant-associated infections has led to the development of a wide range of antifouling and antibacterial strategies. This article reviews one such strategy where inherently biologically active renewable resources, i.e. secondary plant metabolites (SPMs) and their naturally occurring combinations (i.e. essential oils) are used for surface functionalization and synthesis of polymer thin films. With a distinct mode of antibacterial activity, broad spectrum of action and diversity of available chemistries, secondary plant metabolites present an attractive alternative to conventional antibiotics. However, their conversion from liquid to solid phase without significant loss of activity is not trivial. Using select examples, this article shows how plasma techniques provide a sufficiently flexible and chemically reactive environment to enable the synthesis of biologically-active polymer-coatings from volatile renewable resources.

Increased levels of insecticide resistance in major malaria vectors such as Anopheles funestus threaten the effectiveness of insecticide-based control programmes. Understanding the landscape features impacting the spread of resistance makers is necessary to design suitable resistance management strategies. Here we examined the influence of the highest mountain in West Africa (Mount Cameroon; 4,100 meters elevation) on the spread of metabolic and target-site resistance alleles in An. funestus populations. Vector composition varied across the four localities surveyed along the altitudinal cline with major vectors exhibiting high parity rate (80.5%). Plasmodium infection rates ranged from 0.79% (An. melas) to 4.67% (An. funestus). High frequencies of GSTe2R (67% - 81%) and RdlR (49% - 90%) resistance alleles were observed in An. funestus throughout the study area, with GSTe2R frequency increasing with altitude whereas the opposite is observed for RdlR. Patterns of genetic diversity and population structure analyses revealed high levels of polymorphisms with 12 and 16 haplotypes respectively for GSTe2 and Rdl. However, the reduced diversity patterns of resistance allele carriers revealed signatures of positive selection on the two genes across the study area irrespective of the altitude. Despite slight variations associated with the altitude, the spread of resistance alleles suggest that control strategies could be implemented against malaria vectors across mountainous landscapes.

The aims of the study are: a) Describe the reactogenicity of WHO-approved two mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) and two non-RNA vaccines (Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinovac) among lactating mother and baby pairs; and b) compare and contrast the reactogenicity between mRNA and non-mRNA vaccines. A cross-sectional, self-reported survey was conducted amongst 1784 lactating women who received COVID-19 vaccinations. The most common maternal adverse reaction was a local reaction at the injection site; the largest minority of respondents, 43.7% (780/1784), reported experiencing worse symptoms when receiving the second dose compared to the first dose. There were no major reported adverse effects or behavioural changes in the breastfed infants. Among the respondents who received non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations, a majority reported no change in lactation but those who did more commonly reported an increase in milk supply, decrease in milk supply and pain in the breast. The more commonly reported lactation changes (fluctuations in breastmilk supply and pain in the breast) for the non-mRNA vaccines were similar to that of respondents who received mRNA vaccines. Our study, with a large cohort and wide geographical and racial mix, further augments earlier reported findings that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for breastfeeding mothers and her children.

Nonionizing millimeter-waves (MMW) interact with cells in a variety of ways. Here the inhibited cell division effect was investigated using 85-105 GHz MMW irradiation within the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) non-thermal 20 mW/cm2 safety standards. Irradiation using a power density of about 1.0 mW/cm2 , SAR over 5-6 hours on 50 cells/μl samples of Saccharomyces cerevisiae model organism resulted in 62% growth rate reduction compared to the control (sham). The effect was specific for 85-105 GHz range, and was energy and cell density dependent. Irradiation of wild type and Δrad52 (DNA damage repair gene) deleted cells presented no differences of colony growth profiles indicating non-thermal MMW treatment does not cause permanent genetic alterations. Dose versus response relations studied using a standard horn antenna (~1.0 mW/cm2) and compared to that of a compact waveguide (17.17 mW/cm2) for increased power delivery resulted in complete termination of cell division via non-thermal processes supported by temperature rise measurements. We have shown that non-thermal MMW radiation has potential for future use in treatment of yeast related diseases and other targeted biomedical outcomes.

Evaluation of agronomic practices, genetic diversity and population structure of Moringa oleifera (Lam.) is crucial to its sustainable utilization to ensure food and nutritional security. Four agronomic practices of field preparation and soil analysis, regeneration, weeding and pruning, as well as harvesting, were adopted. Genetic diversity and population structure of 20 populations were evaluated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primer pairs (E-ACC/M-CAC and E-ACA/M-CAG). The effects of agronomic practices on leaf quantity production were evaluated using standard procedures. The physico-chemical and morphological data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while genetic diversity, population structure, dendrogram reconstruction, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were analyzed from the AFLP genetic data. Significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) of agronomic practices on the quantity of leaf production were recorded across the accessions. The two primer pairs generated a total of 80 alleles with a mean major allele frequency of 0.0250. Gene diversity and polymorphic information content (PIC) values were high with a mean of 0.98 and 0.974, respectively. The Gst value of 0.0490 indicated that 5 % of the total genetic divergence was among the population while 95 % within the population. Dendrogram reconstruction with genetic distance ranging from 0.87 to 0.96 segregated the accessions into eleven clusters while PCA generated six cluster groups. Field preparation and physico-chemical soil properties, regeneration, weeding and pruning, and stand development, as well as harvesting, influenced the leaf yield and genetic diversity observed in this study. The genetic data revealed that some accessions were clustered along eco-geographical lines while others grouped disparately. Identified potential parent genotypes with valuable and desirable genetic traits can be exploited for commercial, breeding and conservation purposes to ensure sustainable utilization of the species in Nigeria.

Dissemination of resistant pathogens via food supply chains is a notable public health danger from farm to fork. The proposed work analysed the distribution of E. coli among various sources of animal-based food supply chain. Overall, 500 samples were heaped up from livestock, poultry sectors, environment, fisheries, and dairy. Standard microbiological procedures were used to isolate and identify E. coli. Further, isolates were confirmed by using MALDI-TOF and virulence associated genes (VAGs). The phenotypic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by molecular identification of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through PCR using specific primers. Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) were subjected to PCR based O typing using specific primers against different O types. Overall results revealed that 154 (30.5%) samples were confirmed as E. coli, in which77 (50%) isolates were MDR E. coli. Among these, total 52 (67.53%) isolates showed array of VAGs in which 21 (40.38%) were confirmed as STEC based on stx1 and stx2. Furthermore, 12/52 (23.07%) isolates were detected as Non-O157 STEC co-harboring mcr-1 and blaNMD-1. Overall, O26 STEC was found to be the most prevalent among different non-O157 types. Herein, results proposed that detection of such STEC MDR E. coli causing serious public health consequences in developing countries.

The ubiquitous nature of polymers have led to a widespread demand for sustainable polymers in numerous industrial applications. However, lack of well laid out guidelines, product development pathways and certifications have resulted in a lot of commotions and confusions within the polymer value chain. Herein, a meticulous review is conducted on the topic of polymer sustainability shedding light on the standards, product declarations, biobased-biomass concepts, product carbon footprint etc. It is critical that companies significantly contribute on such sustainability efforts in lieu of market readiness and competitive advantages. Any discussion within the sustainability horizon references a couple of terms/ abbreviations/concepts. In this article, such key terminologies and concepts related to polymer sustainability are reviewed with a holistic outlook on the widespread approaches within the polymer sustainability horizon.

By taking advantage of a stability criterion established recently, the critical temperature T_c is reckoned with help of the microscopic parameters, characterising the normal and superconducting electrons, namely the independent-electron band structure and a repulsive two-electron force. The emphasis is laid on the sharp T_c dependence upon electron concentration and inter-electron coupling, which might offer a practical route toward higher T_c values and help to understand why high-T_c compounds exhibit such remarkable properties.

Purpose: To assess clinical outcomes of corneal cross-linking (CXL) intervention in a population diagnosed with progressive keratoconus. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients who underwent standard CXL or accelerated CXL for progressive keratoconus at a major teaching hospital in south Israel between January 2015 and December 2019. Patient medical files were reviewed to extract demographic, clinical, and tomographic data from outpatient clinic reports before treatment and one year post-operatively. Results: This study included 166 patients (representing 198 eyes), out of which 98 patients (123 eyes) were ethnically Bedouin, and 68 patients (75 eyes) were ethnically Jewish. Overall, 126 patients (144 eyes) had a follow-up of at least 12 months (16.84±5.76). The mean patient age was 20.62 ± 7.1 years old. There were significant baseline differences between the two ethnical groups in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; p < 0.001), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA; p < 0.001), mean keratometry (p = 0.028), and corneal thickness (p < 0.001). Significant changes in BCVA, UCVA, and pachymetry parameters within each group were found after 12 months. Negative binomial regression analysis showed a maximal keratometry below 55D (RR=1.247, p < 0.001) and a standard CXL procedure (RR=1.147, p = 0.041) are significantly related to the stability of KC after 12 months. However, the effect size of the origin of patients is negligible (RR=1.047, p = 0.47). Conclusions: In this study, the Bedouin population suffered from more progressive keratoconus when compared to the Jewish population. CXL was significantly effective in improving BCVA and UCVA in both groups after 12 months of follow-up.

Abstract: Medication overuse headaches is a frequent phenomenon observed in individuals suf-fering from chronic headaches. It arises due to the excessive consumption of pain-relief medica-tions, resulting in the escalation and continuous persistence of headache symptoms. Nevertheless, the prevalence and distinctive characteristics of medication overuse headaches in the pediatric population have not been comprehensively explored. The primary objective of this research is to delineate the features of medication overuse headaches in children, particularly emphasizing the investigation of its epidemiology and the diagnostic patterns for headaches. We conducted a ret-rospective study by and analyzed the medical records of children and adolescents who were evaluated at outpatient pediatric headache clinic at the Bnai Zion medical center for headache during the period spanning 2007 to 2017. Our study encompassed a cohort of 1008 patients expe-riencing headaches. Among these participants, 268 individuals (26.6%) were diagnosed with mi-graine, 250 (24.8%) exhibited tension-type headaches (TTH), and 490 (48.6%) were classified as having undifferentiated headaches. Out of the whole group, 65 had chronic headaches: 35 (54%) with migraine, 20 (30%) with tension-type headaches (TTH), and 10 (15%) with undifferentiated headache of childhood, with the majority (73%) being female.In summary, medication overuse headaches are a prevalent issue among children grappling with chronic headaches. Intriguingly, they appear to be more pronounced within the tension-type headache (TTH) group compared to migraine sufferers, and exhibit a higher prevalence among females. This study underscores the significance of early detection and careful management of medication overuse headaches in pedi-atric cases, shedding light on its distinct characteristics in the realm of childhood headache disor-ders. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying factors contributing to the ob-served gender disparity and the distinct prevalence rates among different headache subtypes.

Background In 2016, Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recommended cessation of type 2 oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and OPV using countries switched from trivalent to bivalent OPV (bOPV) with addition of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in the routine immunization schedule. The current GPEI strategy 2022-2026 includes bOPV cessation plan and switching to IPV standalone or the combination vaccine schedules in future. The focus of our study was to evaluate immunogenicity of monovalent OPV type 1 (mOPV1) with IPV and IPV only schedules. Methods This was a three-arm, multi-center randomized controlled trial conducted in 2016-2017 in India. Participants, at birth, were randomly assigned to bOPV-IPV (Arm A) or mOPV1-IPV (Arm B) or IPV (Arm C) schedules. Serum specimens collected at birth, 14-, 18- and 22- weeks age were analyzed with standard microneutralization assay for all three poliovirus serotypes. Results Results of 598 participants were analyzed. The type 1 cumulative seroconversion rates four weeks after completion of the schedule at 18 weeks were 99.5% (97.0-99.9), 100.0% (97.9-100.0) 96.0% (92.0-98.1) in Arms A (4bOPV+IPV), B (4mOPV1+IPV) and C (3IPV) respectively. Type 2 and type 3 seroconversion at 18 weeks were 80.0% (73.7-85.1), 76.9% (70.3-82.4), 93.2% (88.5-96.1) and 100.0% (98.0-100.0), 81.9% (75.6-86.8), 99.4% (96.9-99.9) respectively in the three arms. Conclusions This study shows high efficacy of different polio vaccines for serotype 1 in all three schedules. Type 1 seroconversion rate of mOPV1 is non-inferior to bOPV. All the vaccines provide high type specific immunogenicity. The program can adopt the use of different vaccines or schedules depending on epidemiology from time-to-time.

The social- and self-directed behaviours of two golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) was investigated while having residence in the tropical house of Aalborg Zoo, Denmark. The behaviour of the female had been distinct from the male since 2018. Despite several diagnostic examinations and medicinal treatments, the cause of the aberrant and apparently stereotypical behavioural patterns remained undetermined, which initiated this study. The pair were recorded throughout a predetermined observation period and these recordings were analysed to illuminate the behaviours of the individuals. The results showed that there were differences in the type, frequency, and durations of both social- and self-directed behaviours between the sick female and the healthy male. The female expressed both social- and self-directed behaviours more frequently and for longer durations, while the male were more socially reserved and did not engage in social behaviours as frequently. Furthermore, subsequent necropsy of the female revealed uro-genital disease.

Testicular heat stress is a well described phenomenon that occurs in mammals that possess a scrotum. Different models to induce testicular hyperthermia, such as surgical cryptorchidism, hot water bath, scrotal insulation or increased environmental temperature have all shown that spermatocytes and spermatids are unambiguously affected by high temperature, resulting in poor sperm production weeks later. Furthermore, a body of evidence suggest the involvement of oxidative stress is either a major or contributory pathway, which gives rise to the potential to overcome this condition. Whilst experimental models conclusively show the deleterious effect of testicular heat on sperm quality, the physiological relevance of the work is still debated. Herein we summarise a cohort of studies that report the effect of “season” on sperm quality. The data show season can affect sperm production, motility and morphology depending on where the work was performed. In countries where temperatures drop below zero, there is evidence showing summer conditions tend to improve semen quality. However, in sub-tropical countries, some studies show a decrease in summer, whilst others show no change. Herein we offer a reasonable explanation for this apparent controversy and present a range of antioxidant supplements that may offer some protection against testicular hyperthermia.

The properties of the current-induced Hall effect are analysed, for which the static magnetic field, supplied by an external source in the traditional experiment, is created by the current itself. The special experimental setup, needed for its observation, is described. It is shown how, combined with the skin effect, it could give access to the concentration of conduction electrons in superconductors. Besides this experiment might permit to dodge shortcomings, ensueing from the Meissner effect and limiting severely the sensitivity of the conventional Hall voltage measurement.

Scientists observe, discover, justify and eventually share their findings with the scientific community. Dissemination is an integral aspect of scientific discovery since discoveries which go unnoticed have no or little impact on science. Today, peer-review is part of this process of scientific dissemination as it contributes proactively to the quality of a scientific article. As the numbers of scientific journals and scientific articles published therein are increasing steady, processes such as the single-blind or double-blind peer review are facing a near collapse situation. In fact, these traditional forms of reviewing have reached their limits and, because of this, are also increasingly considered as unfair, sloppy, superficial and even biased. In this manuscript we propose forms of Post Publication Public Peer Review (P4R) as valuable alternatives to the traditional blind peer review system. We describe how the journal Sci has explored such an approach and provide first empirical evidence of the benefits and also challenges such a P4R approach is facing.

Background: The fascial system provides an environment that enables all body systems to operate in an integrated manner and is capable of modifying its tensional state in response to the stress applied to it. Recent in vitro, animal and cadaveric studies have shown that “myofascial force transfer” (MFT) has the potential to play a major role in musculoskeletal function and dysfunction.Objective: Human evidence for the existence of invivo MFT is scarce. This scoping review attempts to gather and analyse the available evidence of the in-vivo human MFT studies in order to sustain and facilitate further research and evidence based practice in this field.Methods: A search of most major databases was conducted with relevant keywords that yielded 238 articles as of August 2020. A qualitative analysis of the studies was conducted after rating it with Oxford’s Center for Evidence –based Medicine (CEBM) scale.Result: Nineteen studies ranging from randomized controlled trials to case studies covering 540 patients were included in this review. The analysed studies were highly heterogeneous and of lower methodological quality meddling with the quantitative analysis. Ten studies are confirming a ‘most likely’ existence of MFT, eight studies confirming it as ‘likely’ and one study couldn’t confirm any MFT existence in this review.Conclusion: Findings from in vivo human studies supports the animal and cadaveric studies claiming the existence of MFT which need to be corroborated by the future high quality studies. Forthcoming studies on MFT may give answers and solutions to many of the human musculoskeletal mysteries or dysfunctions.

Growing concerns about the greenhouse effect, global warming, and adverse climate changes primarily stemming from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in traditional Portland cement (OPC) used in civil engineering construction, have prompted a shift toward eco-friendly alternatives like geopolymer cement (GPC). Over the last few decades, significant advancements have been made in developing environmentally sustainable pavement construction materials such as GPC to mitigate global CO2 emissions. The success of geopolymer cement (GPC) as an eco-friendly alternative to OPC has garnered attention for its potential to lower carbon emissions and enhance durability. This is attributed to the sustainable production method of GPC, where industrial cementitious waste materials (such as fly ash (FA), metakaolin (MK), mine tailings (MT), slag, etc.) are combined with an eco-friendly alkaline activator and water through the geopolymerization process. Numerous studies on geopolymer concrete indicate that, like OPC, GPC exhibits comparable mechanical properties, including strength, fire resistance, chemical resistance, and durability. This review explores the properties and applications of GPC as a sustainable material in pavement construction, exploring key studies and advancements in geopolymer technology, particularly its suitability for pavement applications. The assessment covers the mechanical properties, long-term performance, and environmental impact of geopolymer-based pavements, providing a comprehensive overview to inform policymakers, engineers, and researchers about the viability of geopolymer-based materials as a sustainable solution for modern pavement construction.

In this paper we consider type II bivariate generalized power series Poisson distribution as a compound Poisson distribution with bivariate generalized power series compounding distribution. We obtain some properties, p.m.f. and conditional distributions. In addition we also give a brief discussion about the multivariate extension of this case. Then we introduce type II bivariate generalized power series Poisson process and consider a bivariate risk model with type II bivariate generalized power series Poisson model as the counting process. For this model we derive distribution of the time to ruin and bounds for the probability of ruin. We obtain partial integro-differential equation for the ruin probabilities and express its bivariate transform through two univariate boundary transforms,where one of the initial capitals is fi xed at zero.

Microbiomes, comprised of diverse microbial species and viruses, play pivotal roles in human health, environmental processes, and biotechnological applications and interact with themselves, their environment, and hosts via metabolites and signaling molecules. Our understanding of microbiomes is still limited and hampered by their complexity. A concept improving this understanding is systems biology, which focuses on the holistic description of biological systems utilizing experimental and computational methods. An important set of such experimental methods are metaomics methods which analyze microbiomes and output lists of molecular features. These lists of data are integrated, interpreted, and compiled into computational microbiome models, to predict, optimize, and control microbiome behavior. There exists a gap in understanding between microbiologists and modelers/bioinformaticians, stemming from a lack of interdisciplinary knowledge. This knowledge gap hinders the establishment of computational models in microbiome analysis. This review aims to bridge this gap and is tailored for microbiologists, researchers new to microbiome modeling, and bioinformaticians. To achieve this goal, it provides an interdisciplinary overview of microbiome modeling, starting with fundamental knowledge of microbiomes, metagenomics methods, and modeling formalisms. Furthermore, the review explains model building, examples of microbiome model applications for prediction, optimization, and control. It concludes with guidelines, software, and repositories for modeling. Each section provides entry-level information, serving as a valuable resource for comprehending and navigating the complex landscape of microbiome research and modeling.

Age estimation in dental radiographs Orthopantomography (OPG) is a medical imaging technique that physicians and pathologists utilise for disease identification and legal matters. For example, for estimating post-mortem interval, detecting child abuse, drug trafficking, and identifying an unknown body. Recent development in automated image processing models improved the age estimation's limited precision to an approximate range of +/- one year. While this estimation is often accepted as accurate measurement, age estimation should be as precise as possible in most serious matters, such as homicide. Current age estimation techniques are highly dependent on manual and time-consuming image processing. Age estimation is often a time-sensitive matter in which the image processing time is vital. Recent development in Machine learning-based data processing methods has decreased the imaging time processing; however, the accuracy of these techniques remains to be further improved. We proposed an ensemble method of image classifiers and transfer learning techniques to enhance the accuracy of age estimation using OPGs from one year to a couple of months (1-3-6). This hybrid model is based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) and K nearest neighbours (KNN). The hybrid (HCNN-KNN) model was used to investigate 1,922 panoramic dental radiographs of patients aged 15 to 23. These OPGs were obtained from the various teaching institutes and private dental clinics in Malaysia. To minimise the chance of overfitting in our model, we used the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm and eliminated the features with high correlation. To further enhance the performance of our hybrid model, we performed systematic image pre-processing. We applied a series of classifications to train our model. We have successfully demonstrated that combining these innovative approaches has improved the classification and segmentation and thus the age-estimation outcome of the model. Our findings suggest that our innovative model, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, successfully estimated the age in classified studies of one year old, six months, three months and one-month-old cases with accuracies of 99.98, 99.96, 99.87, and 98.78 respectively.

The availability of current land cover and land use (LCLU) information for monitoring the status of land resources has considerable value in ensuring sustainable land use planning. Similarly, the need to provide updated information on the extent of LCLU change in West Africa has become apparent, given the increasing demand for land resources driven by the rapid population growth in the sub-region. SERVIR West Africa, a regional consortium jointly supported by USAID and NASA to foster the use of geospatial and earth observation data and science for decision-making on critical environmental and food security challenges, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is building technical capacity in the sub-region to develop and implement harmonized regional land cover classification system for LULC change monitoring in West Africa, based on the Land Cover Meta Language (LCML-ISO 19144-2). This article focuses on the process, potential opportunities, outputs of this collaboration, exemplary use cases, and recommendations for the next steps.

African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) is a multi-purpose economic tree with genetic potentials in sub-Saharan Africa. Its cultivation and production is declining with increased aging and genetically threatened throughout its natural ranges. Research efforts are needed to change the present scenario to sustainable cultivation and utilization, hence this present study. This study was aimed at evaluating genetic diversity and geographical spread relationships of twenty landraces collected from different ecological zones of Nigeria using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Ten SSR markers were screened and five primers (PbL02, PbL03, PbL04, PbL05 and PbL09) were selected based on clear amplification products and reproducible scorable bands. The SSR primers detected a total of 55 alleles ranged from 10 to 14 alleles with a mean of 11. The percentage polymorphisms were high and ranged from 68.75 % in PbL04 to 84.21 % in PbL05 with a mean of 74.16 %. The polymorphic information content (PIC) was in the range of 0.31 in PbL02 to 0.37 in PbL09. The genetic diversity and heterozygosity values ranged from 0.39 to 0.50 and 0.00 to 0.68 while the average genetic distance for all pair wise comparisons was 0.31.The first five Principal Component (PC) accounted for 70.20 % of the total variation out of which PC1 (31.50%) and PC2 (19.20%) extracted 49.70% molecular similarity. The dendrogram resulted in separation of the 19 landraces into three major clusters based on unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average. Cluster I comprised of five landraces: ABNo130 and BENo023; OYNo11, KANo125 and NiNo262 while cluster II had only one (BANo116). Cluster III was diverse comprising 13 landraces: ZANo188, KNNo162, KENo220, GMNo076 and EbNo260, ADNo64, EdNo164, KANo137, KENo217, KwNo270, NiNo241, OsNo206 and PLNo120. The homogeneity of alleles among the studied landraces suggested suspicion of loss of genetic intra-specific variation among the landraces of P. biglobosa which calls for concerted efforts toward better cultivation, conservation, management, utilization and genetic improvement of the species in Nigeria.

The current paper aims to study the impact properties of additively manufactured Maraging steel (1.2709) using laser powder bed fusion (PBF-L) processing. The specimens were manufactured using 3Dsystems ProX 300 equipment under constant specific power input, or Andrew Number. The interactions between the build strategy and parameters, such as Hatch spacing and Scan speed was, and the impact strength and fracture were investigated. The Impact energy anisotropy was also investigated parallel and perpendicular to the build direction. Instrumented impact testing was performed, and the fractography supported that the fusion zone geometry dictated the fracture behaviour. The influence from gaseous elements such as Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen was found insignificant at the levels found in the printed material.

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a major food and cash crop in Burkina Faso. Due to growing demand for raw oilseeds, there is an increasing interest in groundnut production from traditional rain-fed areas to irrigated environments. However, despite implementation of many initiatives in the past to increase groundnut productivity and production, the groundnut industry still struggles to prosper, due to several constraints including minimal development research and fluctuating markets. Yield penalty due to drought and biotic stresses continue to be a major drawback for groundnut production. This review traces progress in the groundnut breeding that started in Burkina Faso before the country’s political independence in 1960 through to present times. Up to the 1980s, groundnut improvement was led by international research institutions such as IRHO (Institute of Oils and Oleaginous Research) and ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). However, international breeding initiatives were not sufficient to establish a robust domestic groundnut breeding programme. This review also provides essential information about opportunities and challenges of groundnut research in Burkina Faso, emphasising the need for institutional attention to genetic improvement of the crop.

Sport nutrition knowledge has been shown to influence dietary habits of athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine relationships between sport nutrition knowledge and body composition and examine potential predictors of body weight goal in collegiate athletes. Participants included National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III women (n=42, height: 169.9 ± 6.9 cm; body mass: 67.1 ± 8.6 kg; fat-free mass: 51.3 ± 6.6 kg; body fat %: 24.2 ± 5.3%) and men (n=25, height: 180.8 ± 7.2 cm; body mass: 89.2 ± 20.5 kg; fat-free mass: 75.9 ± 12.2 kg; body fat %: 13.5 ± 8.9%) athletes. Body composition was assessed via air displacement plethysmography. Athletes completed a validated questionnaire designed to assess sport nutrition knowledge and were asked questions about their perceived dietary energy and macronutrient requirements, as well as their body weight goal (i.e. lose, maintain, gain weight). Athletes answered 47.98 ± 11.29 % of questions correctly on the nutrition questionnaire with no differences observed between sexes (men: 49.52 ± 11.76% vs. women: 47.03 ± 11.04%; p=0.40). An inverse relationship between sport nutrition knowledge scores and body fat percentage (r = -0.330; p=0.008), and fat mass (r = -.268; p=0.032) was observed for all athletes. Fat mass (β = 0.224), BF % (β = 0.217), and BMI (β = 0.421) were all significant (p&lt;0.05) predictors of body weight goal in women. All athletes significantly (p&lt;0.001) underestimated daily energy (-1,360 ± 610.2 kcal/d), carbohydrate (-301.6 ± 149.2 g/d), and fat (-41.4 ± 34.5 g/d) requirements. Division III collegiate athletes have a low level of sport nutrition knowledge, which was associated with a higher BF %. Women athletes with a higher body weight, BF % and BMI were more likely to select weight loss as a body weight goal. Athletes also significantly underestimated their energy and carbohydrate requirements based upon the demands of their sport, independent of sex.

The study investigated the impact of traditional medicine on life expectancy in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative research approach. Purposive or judgmental sampling was used to elucidate the data set used for the study. Cross-sectional data were gathered with the help of a well-designed questionnaire from a total of three hundred and fifty-seven (357) respondents who were available for the survey. The data set collected was analysed using descriptive and linear regression using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). From the results, 53%, 87%, and 56% were male, below 50 years old, and in the low-income class, respectively, suggesting that the bulk of the respondents under investigation were male, young, and had rather modest incomes. Also, 53% were married, and all had one form of formal education. 67% of respondents acknowledge using traditional medicine; however, the majority of respondents preferred Orthodox medical care over alternative kinds of care. Traditional medicine (TM) and factors that contribute to the advancement of traditional medicine (FITM) have a negative impact on life expectancy, according to the regression analysis. On the other hand, TM has no statistically significant impact on life expectancy, despite FITM having a statistically significant effect at the 5% level. All available data, however, indicates that TM and FITM have an impact on life expectancy, either directly or indirectly. Based on the results, this study concluded that traditional medicine has the potential to significantly increase life expectancy in Nasarawa State and throughout Nigeria. The study recommends that traditional health professionals, stakeholders, and concerned government agencies should put efforts in place to improve and promote modern traditional medicine among the people, especially its effectiveness and medicinal quality, increase its accessibility to people, and efficiently regulate its prices to increase its affordability for low-income earners

Citron watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) is an extremely drought-tolerant cucurbit crop widely grown in sub-Saharan Africa in arid and semi-arid environments characterized by drought. The species is a C3 xerophyte used for multiple purposes, including intercropping with maize and has a deep taproot system. The deep taproot system plays a key role in the species’ adaptation to dry conditions. Understanding root system development of this crop could be useful in identifying traits for breeding water-use efficient and drought-tolerant varieties. This study compared root system architecture of citron watermelon accessions under water-stress conditions. Nine selected and drought-tolerant citron watermelon accessions were grown under non-stress (NS) and water stress (WS) conditions using the root rhizotron procedure in a glasshouse. The following root system architecture (RSA) traits were measured, namely: root system width (RSW), root system depth (RSD), convex hull area (CHA), total root length (TRL), root branch count (RBC), total root volume (TRV), leaf area (LA), leaf number (LN), first seminal root length (FSRL), seminal root angle (SRA), root dry mass (RDM), shoot dry mass (SDM), root–shoot mass ratio (RSM), root mass ratio (RMR), shoot mass ratio (SMR) and root tissue density (RTD). The data collected on RSA traits were subjected to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation and principal component analyses. ANOVA revealed a significant (p &lt; 0.05) accession × water stress interaction effect for studied RSA traits. Under WS, RDM exhibited significant and positive correlations with RSM (r = 0.65), RMR (r = 0.66), RSD (r = 0.66), TRL (r = 0.60), RBC (r = 0.72), FSRL (r = 0.73) and LN (r = 0.70). Principal component analysis revealed high loading scores for the following RSA traits: RSW (0.89), RSD (0.97), TRL (0.99), TRV (0.90), TRL (0.99), RMR (0.96) and RDM (0.76). In conclusion, the study has shown that the identified RSA traits could be useful in crop improvement programmes for citron watermelon genotypes with enhanced drought adaptation for improved yield performance under drought-prone environments.

Air quality has been a major concern throughout the world, Nigeria inclusive. The monitoring of air quality involves indoor and outdoor air quality. In this study, our concern was on indoor air quality. The aim of this study was to assess the air quality of residential homes (17), classrooms (3), hospitals (2), offices (5), Shops (2), and laboratories (5) in Akure, Nigeria in terms of formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compound (TVOC), Particulate matter (PM_1.0; PM_2.5, and PM₁₀). A Multifunction Air Detector was used for the assessment using the manufacturers’ procedures and the locations were identified using a Mini GPS. The results revealed as follows: HCHO (0.001-0.030 mg/m³), TVOC (0.003-362 mg/m³), PM_1.0 (004-014 µg/m³), PM_2.5 (006-020 µg/m³), and PM₁₀ (006-022 µg/m³). The results obtained were below the 24 h pollution recommended standards (0.1 mg/m³- HCHO; TVOC; 10-20 μ/m³ PM) of EPA and WHO. Statistically, there were correlations within the pollutants and weather. The Indoor air quality (IAQ) depicted the areas as ‘good,’ and toxicity potential (TP) were below unity. Although the locations looked safe, it is recommended that constant monitoring of the indoors should be ensured and proper ventilation should be provided.

The flexitarian diet, which emphasizes a reduction in meat consumption, has been identified as a crucial factor in transitioning to sustainable food systems that can help combat climate change and improve food and nutritional security, particularly in areas where food choices are abundant. Despite Brazil being a major meat producer, meat consumption among Brazilians has been decreasing in recent years, with a growing portion of the population adopting meat-free and meat-reduced dietary models. In this study, we conducted the first non-industry funded scientific investigation of Brazilian flexitarians, with the goal of characterizing their socio-economic and demographic characteristics, motivations for adopting flexitarianism, frequency of animal-based meat consumption, and main substitutes consumed. Data was collected from 1029 self-identified flexitarians in Brazil. Our findings indicate that the flexitarian food model is primarily adopted by women and is motivated by concerns about the environmental impact of meat consumption, personal health, and animal welfare. Flexitarians were found to have a consumption profile that can be divided into three groups: low (consuming meat 36 times a week), medium (consuming meat 7 times a week), and high (consuming meat 4 times a week). The flexitarian meals pattern is characterized by lower consumption of beef (less than 2 times per week) and higher consumption of chicken (3 times per week) and is supplemented by plant-based protein sources and eggs as the main meat substitutes.