Background/Aim: There is continuing interest in engineering esthetic labial archwires. The aim of this study was to coat nickel-titanium (NiTi) and beta-titanium (β-Ti), also known as titanium molybdenum (TMA), archwires by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) and to analyze the characteristics of the PEO-surfaces. Materials and Methods: PEO-coatings were generated on 0.014-inch NiTi and 0.19x0.25-inch β-Ti archwires. The surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and stereomicroscopy. Cytocombability testing was performed with ceramized and untreated samples according to EN ISO 10993-5 in XTT-, BrdU- and LDH-assays. The direct cell impact was analyzed using LIVE-/DEAD-staining. In addition, the archwires were inserted in an orthodontic model and photographs were taken before and after insertion. Results: The PEO coatings were 15 to 20 µm thick and esthetically pleasing. The cytocompatibility analysis revealed good cytocompatibility results for both ceramized NiTi and β-Ti archwires. In the direct cell tests, the ceramized samples showed improved compatibility as compared to those of uncoated samples. However, bending of the archwires resulted in loss of the PEO-surfaces. Nevertheless, it was possible to insert the β-Ti PEO-coated archwire in an orthodontic model without loss of the PEO-ceramic. Conclusion: PEO is a promising technique for the generation of esthetic orthodontic archwires. Since the PEO-coating does not resist bending, its clinical use seems to be limited so far to orthodontic techniques using straight or pre-bended archwires.

This article describes techniques employed in the production of a synthetic dataset of driver telematics emulated from a similar real insurance dataset. The synthetic dataset generated has 100,000 policies that included observations about driver’s claims experience together with associated classical risk variables and telematics-related variables. This work is aimed to produce a resource that can be used to advance models to assess risks for usage-based insurance. It follows a three-stage process using machine learning algorithms. The first stage is simulating values for the number of claims as multiple binary classifications applying feedforward neural networks. The second stage is simulating values for aggregated amount of claims as regression using feedforward neural networks, with number of claims included in the set of feature variables. In the final stage, a synthetic portfolio of the space of feature variables is generated applying an extended SMOTE algorithm. The resulting dataset is evaluated by comparing the synthetic and real datasets when Poisson and gamma regression models are fitted to the respective data. Other visualization and data summarization produce remarkable similar statistics between the two datasets. We hope that researchers interested in obtaining telematics datasets to calibrate models or learning algorithms will find our work valuable.

Background Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) combined with azithromycin (AZM) has been widely administered to patients with COVID-19 despite scientific controversies. In particular the potential to prolong cardiac repolarisation by using this combination has been discussed. Materials and methods We report a pragmatic and simple safety approach which we implemented in the first patients treated for COVID-19 in our center early 2020. Treatment contraindications were the presence of severe structural or electrical heart disease, baseline corrected QT interval (QTc) >500 ms, hypokalaemia, or other drugs prolonging QTc that could not be interrupted. Electrocardiogram and QTc was evaluated at admission and re-evaluated after 48 hours of the initial prescription. Results Among 424 consecutive adults (mean age 46.3 ± 16.1 years; 216 women). Patients were followed in conventional wards (21.5%) or in a day-care unit (78.5%). A total of 11 patients (2.6%) had contraindications to HCQ-AZ combination. In the remaining 413 treated patients, there were no arrhythmic events in any patient during the 10-day treatment regimen. QTc was slightly but statistically significantly prolonged by 3.75 ± 25.4 ms after two days (p=0.003). Ten patients (2.4%) developed QTc prolongation >60 ms, and none had QTc >500 ms. Conclusions This report do not aim to contribute to knowledge of the efficacy of treating COVID-19 with HCQ-AZ. However, a simple initial assessment of patient medical history, ECG and kalaemia identifies contraindicated patients and enables the safe treatment by HCQ-AZ of COVID-19 patients. QT-prolonging anti-infective drugs can be used safely in acute life-threatening infections, provided that a strict protocol and close collaboration between infectious disease specialists and rhythmologists are followed.

Reducing the immunogenicity of animal-derived monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for use in humans is critical to maximize therapeutic effectiveness and preclude potential adverse events. While traditional humanization methods have primarily focused on grafting antibody Complementarity-Determining Regions (CDRs) on homologous human antibody scaffolds, framework regions can also play essential roles in antigen binding. Here, we describe the humanization of the pan-HLA-DR mAb 44H10, a murine antibody displaying significant involvement of the framework region in antigen binding. Using a structure-guided approach, we identify and restore framework residues that directly interact with the antigen or indirectly modulate antigen binding by shaping the antibody paratope and engineer a humanized antibody with affinity, biophysical profile, and molecular binding basis comparable to that of the parental 44H10 mAb. As a humanized molecule, this antibody holds promise as a scaffold for the development of MHC class II-targeting therapeutics and vaccines.

Energy efficiency of Data Center (DC) operations heavily relies on IT and cooling systems performance. A reliable and efficient cooling system is necessary to produce a persistent flow of cold air to cool servers that are subjected to constantly increasing computational load due to the advent of IoT- enabled smart systems. Consequently, increased demand for computing power will bring about increased waste heat dissipation in data centers. In order to bring about a DC energy efficiency, it is imperative to explore the thermal characteristics analysis of an IT room (due to waste heat). This work encompasses the employment of an unsupervised machine learning modelling technique for uncovering weaknesses of the DC cooling system based on real DC monitoring thermal data. The findings of the analysis result in the identification of areas for energy efficiency improvement that will feed into DC recommendations. The methodology employed for this research includes statistical analysis of IT room thermal characteristics, and the identification of individual servers that frequently occur in the hotspot zones. A critical analysis has been conducted on available big dataset of ambient air temperature in the hot aisle of ENEA Portici CRESCO6 computing cluster. Clustering techniques have been used for hotspots localization as well as categorization of nodes based on surrounding air temperature ranges. The principles and approaches covered in this work are replicable for energy efficiency evaluation of any DC and thus, foster transferability. This work showcases applicability of best practices and guidelines in the context of a real commercial DC that transcends the set of existing metrics for DC energy efficiency assessment.

Background: Nowadays vital signs in clinics are electronically monitored excepted for urine output which still requires, manual recording, which is subject to human errors. We, in-vitro, assessed in this study the ability a novel electronic device to measure by a combination of two different methods, the real time flow-output, like urine output. Methods: Flow or urine output was measured by a combination technique of gravimetry using a dynamometer and capacitive sensing to improve precision. Data were obtained in 3 different situations, low, medium, and high flow. Results: Three different situations were tested: full or empty dead space and Pasteur’s chamber. The differences between the injected and measured volume varies from 0 to 5 ml representing a maximal error of 3 % regardless of the volume injected and the flow in ml/hour. The capacitive sensors behave as expected with a parallel curve of the expected and measured flow. Conclusion: We have shown in this in-vitro study that the combination of gravimetry and capacitive sensors analysis allow accurate measurement of volume and flow-output. Clinical trials should be conducted to confirm its usefulness in urine output measurement in the real life.

Background. Ovarian cysts are common in premenopausal women but can present with vague, non-specific symptoms, making discovery more challenging. Most are benign and resolve spontaneously; however, they can present, as in this case, as ovarian torsions, which is a gynecological emergency. Case presentation. A twenty-year-old female had presented over 3–4 times per year for the last 6 years to her primary doctor citing intermittent abdominal pain, irregular menstruation, dyspnea, and an enlarging abdomen circumference. The doctor stated, she was “just fat” and could, benefit from a “special camp to lose weight”, so she stopped mentioning her concerns. Upon presenting to the emergency department with acute onset abdominal pain, a computed tomography scan showed a large cyst lesion filling the abdominal and pelvic cavity. Its origin appeared to be from the left adnexa. Surgery was performed, and an acute ovarian torsion caused by a 36 cm craniocaudal left ovarian cyst was found and removed along with the left fallopian tube and 16 L of fluid. Conclusions. The value of respecting the “third presentation” rule indicates to health care providers that any patient who presents with any /or other symptoms or complaint needs to be thoroughly investigated. In this case the patient presented recurring pelvic/abdominal concerns, irregular menstruation, which warranted further investigation to safeguard fertility and prevent errors of omission. It is important to consider the differentials and be aware of vague symptoms that may lead to early recognition and effective management to prevent adverse consequences, complications, or even death.

Esters constitute a wide family of volatile compounds impacting the organoleptic properties of many beverages including wine and beer. They can be classified according to their chemical structure. Higher Alcohols Acetate differ from Fatty Acids Ethyl Esters whereas a third group, Substituted Ethyl Esters, contributes to the fruitiness of red wines. Derived from yeast metabolism, the biosynthesis of Higher Alcohols Acetates and Fatty Acids Ethyl Esters has been widely in-vestigated at the enzymatic and genetic level. In this work, we confirmed their effective contri-bution in the fruity perception in young red wines by evaluating the effect of their depletion by chemical and sensorial analyses. As previously reported, two pairs of esterases respectively en-coded by the paralogue genes (ATF1, ATF2) and (EEB1 and EHT1) are mostly involved in the bi-osynthesis of Acetate of Higher alcohols and Fatty Acids Ethyl Esters. However, those esterases have a moderate effect on the biosynthesis of Substituted Ethyl Esters that depends to another pair of genes, MGL2 and YJU3 encoding for mono-acyl lipases. These new findings complete our un-derstanding of esters metabolism in the context of wine alcoholic fermentation. In order to evaluate the sensorial impact of esters we attempted to produce a red wine without esters by generating a multiple deletion strain. Surprisingly, we failed to abolish all the esterase activities revealing unsuspected physiological consequences of ester biosynthesis routes. A preliminary RNA-seq analysis depicted the overall impact of the multiple deletion of ATF1, ATF2, EEB1 and EHT1 that triggers the expression shift of 1124 genes involved in nitrogen and lipid metabolism but also chromatin organization and histone acetylation, suggesting an unsuspected regulatory role of ester metabolism

Sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) are a large group of terpenoids most commonly found in plants of the Asteraceae family, e. g. in chicory plants, displaying a wide range of interesting biological activities. However, further studies on the biological potential of chicory derived STLs and analogues are challenging as only four of these molecules are commercially available (as analytical standards), and to date there are no published or patented simple extraction-purification processes capable of large scale STLs isolation. In this work we describe a novel three-step large scale extraction and purification method for the simultaneous purification of 11,13-dihydrolactucin (DHLc) and lactucin (Lc) starting from a chicory genotype rich in these STLs and in the corresponding glycosyl and oxalyl conjugated forms. After a small-scale screening on 100 mg of freeze-dried chicory root powder, the best results were achieved with a 17 h water maceration at 30°C. With these conditions we managed to increase the content of DHLc and Lc, at the same time favouring the hydrolysis of their conjugated forms. On a larger scale, the extraction of 750 g of freeze-dried chicory root powder, followed by a liquid-liquid extraction step and a reversed-phase chromatography, allowed the recovery of 642.3 ± 76.3 mg of DHLc and 175.3 ± 32.9 mg of Lc. The two pure STLs were subsequently used in the context of semi-synthesis to generate analogues for biological evaluation as antibacterial agents. In addition, other described chicory STLs that are not commercially available were also synthesized or extracted to serve as analytical standards for the study. In particular, lactucin-oxalate and 11,13-dihydrolactucin-oxalate were synthesized in two steps starting from Lc and DHLc, respectively. On the other hand, 11β,13-dihydrolactucin-glycoside was obtained after a MeOH/H₂O (70/30) extraction, followed by a liquid-liquid extraction step and a reversed-phase chromatography. Together, this work will help facilitate the evaluation of the biological potential of chicory derived STLs and their semisynthetic analogues.

The novel COVID-19 disease is a contagious acute respiratory infectious disease whose causative agent has been demonstrated to be a new virus of the coronavirus family, SARS- CoV-2. Multiple studies have already reported that risk factors for severe disease include older age and the presence of at least one of several underlying health conditions. However, a recent physiopathological report and the French COVID-19 scientific council have postulated a protective effect of tobacco smoking. Thanks to a meta-analysis, we have been able to demonstrate the statistical significance in this regard of twelve series from China, France and in the US, reporting three different smoking status (current smoker,former smoker, with a smoking history) as well as disease severity (with respectively odds-ratio of 1.78 [1.08-3.10], 4.60 [3.13-7.17], 2.74 [0.63-5.89]). Subsequently and using a Bayesian approach we have established that past, and present smoking is associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes. Finally, we refute claims linking general population smoking status (N=O(10^8) or O(10^9)) to much smaller disease course series (N=O(10^4)). The latter point in particular is presented to stimulate academic discussion, and must be further investigated by well-designed studies.

The novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) is a contagious acute respiratory infectious disease whose causative agent has been demonstrated to be a novel virus of the coronavirus family, SARSCoV-2. A recent pre-print study has showed a heme attack on the 1-beta chain of hemoglobin by COVID19. Beta-thalassemia results of a default in the hemoglobin beta- chain synthesis. 1,5% global population are heterozygotes for this disease. In this study, by a multiple linear regression, we have analyzed the evolution of COVID-19 infection in three Italian regions (Puglia, Sardinia, Sicilia) with different beta-thalassemic prevalences, in order to search a link. The results have showed that betathalassemic heterozygote population prevalence is correlated to immunity against COVID-19, by a regression. This paper is only for academic discussion, the hypotheses and conclusions needs to be confirmed by further research .

The probability of the evolution of a character depends on two factors: the probability of moving from one character state to another character state and the probability of the new character state fixation. More the evolution of a character is probable more convergent evolution will be witnessed, consequently, convergent evolution could mean that the convergent character evolution result as a combination of these two factors. We investigate this phenomenon by studying the convergent evolution of biochemical functions. We use for the investigation the case of β-lactamases. β-lactamases hydrolyzes β-lactams which are antimicrobials able to block the DD-peptidases involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis. β-lactamase activity is present in two different superfamilies: the metallo-β-lactamase and the serine β-lactamase superfamily. The mechanism used to hydrolyze the β-lactam is different for the two superfamilies. We named this kind of evolution an allo-convergent evolution. We further show that the β-lactamase activity evolved several times within each superfamily, a convergent evolution type that we named iso-convergent evolution. Both types of convergent evolution can be explained by the two evolutionary mechanisms discussed above. The probability of moving from one state to another is explaining the promiscuous β-lactamase activity present in the ancestral sequences of each superfamily, while the probability of fixation is explained in part, by positive selection as the organisms having β-lactamase activity allows them to resist to organism secreting β-lactams. Indeed a mutation increasing the β-lactamases activity will be selected as the organisms having this activity will have an advantage over the others.

Neurological complications of infection by the mosquito-borne Zika virus (ZIKV) include Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuritis. GBS was first associated with recent ZIKV epidemics caused by the emergence of ZIKV Asian lineage in South Pacific. Here, we hypothesize that ZIKV-associated GBS relates to a molecular mimicry between viral envelope E (E) protein and neural proteins involved in GBS. Analysis of ZIKV epidemic strains showed that glycan loop (GL) region of the E protein includes an IVNDT motif which is conserved in voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel subunit alpha-1C (Cav1.2) and Heat Shock 70 kDa protein 12A (HSP70 12A). Both VSCC-alpha 1C and HSP70 12A belong to protein families which have been associated with neurological autoimmune diseases in central nervous system. The purpose of our in silico analysis is to point out that IVNDT motif of ZIKV E-GL region should be taken in consideration for the development of safe and effective anti-Zika vaccines by precluding the possibility of adverse neurologic events including autoimmune diseases such as GBS.

Mast cells (MCs) play a crucial role during infections with Leishmania, that is transmitted through the bite of an infected sand fly that injects saliva together with the parasite. Sand fly saliva is a complex fluid that modulates the host immune response. In addition, hormonal factors modulate the host immune response, impacting the susceptibility to infections. Thus, to assess the impact of androgens and salivary proteins of sand fly vectors on the mast cell (MC) response to Leishmania infections, we infected orchiectomized male mice with the parasite in the presence or absence of sand fly salivary proteins and analyzed the inflammatory response of MCs. Our results showed a differential MC response to the parasite and to vector salivary proteins in mice deprived of gonadal hormones, as compared to sham-operated mice. Orchidectomy induced a different pattern of activation in MC of animals infected with Leishmania and vector-salivary proteins. Our results show that during Leishmania infection, androgens modulate the innate immunity response against the parasite and salivary proteins of the sand fly vector.

Background: In France, no previous studies had addressed the acquisition of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria and colistin resistance genes by medical students when undertaking internships abroad. Methods: Nasopharyngeal, rectal, and vaginal swabs samples were collected from 382 French medical students before and after travel to investigate the acquisition of MDR bacteria. The bacterial diversity in the samples was assessed by culture on selective media. We also genetically characterised the isolates of MDR bacteria including Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriacae (CPE) using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The samples were collected from 293 students and were investigated for mcr colistin-resistance genes using RT-PCR directly on the samples, followed by conventional PCR and sequencing. Results: A proportion of 29.3% of the participants had acquired ESBL-E and 2.6% had acquired CPE. The most common species and ESBL-E encoding gene were Escherichia coli (98.4%) and bla_CTX-M-A (95.3%), respectively. A proportion of 6.8% of the participants had acquired mcr-1 genes, followed by mcr-3 (0.3%) and mcr-8 (0.3%). We found that taking part in humanitarian missions to orphanages, being in contact with children during travel, the primary destination of travel being Vietnam and north India, using antibiotics during travel, and studying in 2017 were associated with the acquisition of ESBL-E. When the primary destination of travel was Vietnam and the year of study was 2018, this was associated with acquisition of colistin resistance genes. Conclusion: Medical students are at a potential risk of acquiring ESBL-E, CPE and colistin resistance genes. A number of risk factors have been identified, which may be used to develop targeted preventive measures.

(1) Background: Non-surgical endodontic treatment has been repeatedly shown to be clinically successful, however, clinical data are scarce. This practice-based retrospective clinical study aimed to investigate endodontic outcome over 40 years and to identify relevant factors from clinical protocols. (2) Methods: Two experienced dental practitioners in two different private dental practices treated 174 patients with 243 teeth from 1969 to 1993. After obturation, either a new restoration (amalgam, resin composite, glass-ionomer cement), or re-cementation of pre-existing prosthetic restorations or its renewal followed. Metal posts (operator A) or screws (operator B) were inserted when indicated. The primary outcome (tooth survival) was achieved when the endodontically treated tooth was in situ, painless and in full function. Secondary outcome was to investigate the impact of potential prognostic factors on survival rates. (3) Results: Overall mean 40-years survival was 56.1% of all treated teeth after 40 years of clinical service resulting in an annual failure rate of 1.1%. Most investigated clinical factors (Jaw, tooth position, number of intracanal dressings, post/screw placement, sex) had no significant influence on survival. Among postendodontic restorations, resin composite was advantageous. (4) Conclusions: Even with materials and techniques from the 1970’s and 1980’s, successful root canal treatment was achievable. Except postendodontic restorations, most of the evaluated factors had no significant influence on clinical long-term survival of root-canal treated teeth.

The use of chemical pesticides in agriculture contributes to soil, water and air pollution, biodiversity loss and can harm non-target species. The European Commission has already established a Harmonized Risk Indicator to quantify the progress in reducing the risks linked to pesticides. Therefore, there is an increasing need to promote biopesticides or so-called low-risk pesticides (LRP). Extract from Melaleuca alternifolia – tea tree oil (TTO) is known for its antiseptic, antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea tree oil has been extensively studied in pest management as well as in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry and there are already products based on its active substances on the market. This review focuses on the overall evaluation of tea tree oil in terms of effectiveness and safety as a biopesticide for the first time. The collected data can be an added value for further evaluation of tea tree oil in terms of the authorization extension as a fungicide in 2026.

Trait anxiety, emotion regulation strategies, and metacognitive beliefs influence executive functions (EF) and academic achievement. This study examines their interplay and impact on academic success. In total, 275 adolescents (10-17 years) and parents completed an online questionnaire assessing trait anxiety, emotion regulation strategies, metacognition, parent-reported behaviors related to executive functioning, and overall school average. Preliminary analyses confirmed consistency with existing literature for each variable and their interaction. Furthermore, we conducted a network analysis among the main variables. This analysis supports the need to pay more attention to reflective variables - maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and metacognitive beliefs about worry - when studying trait anxiety. These variables were linked to problematic executive functioning in adolescents. These latter had a negative link to academic achievement. This study offers innovative insights by investigating less-explored relationships in the scientific literature. It reveals high and significant correlations between metacognitive beliefs, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and trait anxiety (r > .500, p < .001) but also between these variables and both executive functioning and academic achievement. These findings offer new perspectives for research and underscore the importance of holistically examining psychological factors related to academic success.

The Attentional Control Theory (ACT) suggests that trait anxiety does not directly affect performance but may alter processing efficiency through the generation of compensatory strategies. However, the ACT does not describe the nature of these strategies, which could be reflective in nature. One hundred ten students (M = 20.12; SD = 2.10) completed questionnaires on trait anxiety, metacognitive beliefs, and emotion regulation strategies (ERS). They performed two working memory tasks: the digit span task from the WAIS-IV and an emotional n-back task. Anxiety, metacognitive beliefs, and maladaptive ERS were not linked to performance but were associated with longer response times. Additionally, participants using maladaptive ERS, such catastrophizing and rumination, made fewer negative commission errors and employed more strategies during the digit span. These findings support the role of the reflective level in influencing trait anxiety's impact on performance and emphasize considering metacognitive beliefs and maladaptive ERS for a comprehensive understanding of the ACT. Identifying these variables provides insights to optimize cognitive abilities and promote academic success.

Therapeutic patient education (TPE) aims to empower the patients and their caregivers to effectively care for and manage their conditions. Such educational programs have been shown to improve health behaviors, disease outcomes and quality of life among different patient populations. The field of TPE has evolved extensively over decades, owing to interdisciplinary research. No study so far has been done to map this field, to identify the stakeholders and gaps requiring future research. By leveraging the theory of co-citation, Citespace was used to visualize the bibliographic data pertaining to TPE research. A total of 54,533 articles published in English language were analyzed to identify influential funders, regions and institutes contributing to this field. Besides these, important theoretical and empirical work that has shaped this field has also been mapped. Our analysis revealed several important insights. Most of the important theories which helped shape TPE were inspired from the social sciences. Five important themes of research were identified including disorders, study designs utilized in TPE research, scope of the TPE literature, and outcomes, and populations. The research focused on improving perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes for health promotion, reducing stigma as well as self-management and medication adherence. Most of the research was developed in the context of high income countries. The future research should more involve patients and use digital technology. Meta-analytical studies need to be done to identify the specificities of TPE interventions across different disorders. More research should involve low and middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure knowledge and technology transfer.

This review provides a comprehensive and updated information on chalcones, presenting their sources, methods of identification and properties putting emphasis on applications in agricultural industry. Vast exploitation of synthetic pesticides led to the weed and pest resistance issue, causing economic loss but more importantly health risk due to pesticide overuse. Because one of the aim of the European Green Deal 2030 is the Farm to Fork strategy which targets on reducing by 50% the use of chemical pesticides by 2030, and push towards natural pesticides which are more environmentally friendly and restore natural resources, chalcones and their derivatives seem to fit perfectly. They have herbicidal, fungicidal, bactericidal and antiviral properties. Moreover, chalcones are naturally occurring substances, known for their favorable health effect for years, working on many areas. This review is complementary to the previous ones describing chalcones use in agriculture, updates them but additionally shows methods of detection.

A 24 week-controlled trial was conducted in menopausal women (mean age:61.5) to assess serum 25-hydroyvitaminD (s25OHD) evolution in relation to three interdependent determinants: doses of supplemented (Suppl.) vitamin D₃ (VitD₃); baseline status; seasonality. Participants were randomized into 3 groups (Gr): Gr.Suppl.0, time-controls maintaining dietary habits; Gr.Suppl.5 and Gr.Suppl.10 consuming one and two 125 g servings of VitD₃-fortified yogurts with 5 and 10 µg daily doses, respectively. The 16 intervention-weeks lasted from early-January to mid-August, the 8 follow-up-weeks from late-August to mid-October. Before enrollment, subjects were randomized into two s25OHD strata: “Low stratum (LoStr)“: 25-50 nmol/L; “High stratum (HiStr)“: >50-75 nmol/L. All enrolled participants remained compliant until study end: Gr.Suppl.0 (n=45), Gr.Suppl.5 (n=44) Gr.Suppl.10 (n=44). Over the 16 intervention and 8 follow-up weeks, s25OHD increased in both supplemented groups, more in Gr.Suppl.10 than Gr.Suppl.5. The constant rate of s25OHD per supplemental VitD₃ microgram was greater in LoStr than HiStr. s25OHD increase was greater with late (mid-March) than early (mid-January) inclusion. In conclusion, this randomized trial demonstrates: -a dose-dependent s25OHD improvement related to fortified yogurt consumption; -an inversely baseline-dependent increase in s25OHD; -a seasonal effect that highlights the importance of vitamin D₃ supplementation during winter, even at 5µg/d, in healthy menopausal women.

This scoping study aims to explore the relationships between urban green spaces (UGSs) and cancer. We followed the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (protocol published in 2018). Eligibility criteria for papers were: 1) to be concerned with UGSs, 2) reporting effects of UGSs on cancer-related outcomes including direct or indirect measures, 3) reporting randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, case studies, observational studies, non-comparative studies, 4) in English or French. The search covered primary studies in the published and unpublished (grey) literatures searching by hand and electronic databases (MEDLINE, Green File, CINAHL and ScienceDirect). Among 1703 records screened by two reviewers independently, 29 were included for qualitative synthesis. We classify the cancers concerned and the effects reported i.e. protective effect, risk or without association. The most investigated cancers are bladder, breast and lung cancer. Our study also identified contributing factors and their mediating effects between UGSs and cancer. Results highlight the wide variety of possible mediating factors between the use of green spaces and cancer occurrence, remission and/or prevention. Knowledge gaps and future research perspectives should be oriented to qualitative research on protective factors, the role of mental health in recovering from cancer and health inequalities.

Noise model selection criteria has a significant impact on identifying the stochastic noise proper-ties of any GNSS daily coordinate time series. The low-frequency random walk noise existing in these time series could lead to overestimation of the tectonic rate, so it is of great significance to accurately detect the random walk component. This study focuses on noise model estimation cri-terion (BIC_tp) derived from the AIC and the BIC by introducing 2π factors. It is more sensitive to abnormal steps (random jumps). Using observation data from 72 GNSS stations from 1992 to 2022 and simulated data, four combined noise models are used to explore the impacts of time se-ries lengths (ranging from2 to 24 years) and data loss (between 2% and 30%) on noise models and velocity estimation. The results show that as the time length increased, the selected optimal noise model, and the estimated uncertainty of the tectonic trend with different data gap, gradually con-verge. When the time length is short (less than 8 years), it could lead to the FNRWWN, FNWN, and PLWN models being mistakenly estimated as GGMWN models, thereby affecting the accura-cy of determining the station velocity parameters. When the time length is 12 years, the RW noise component is more probably detected, As the time length increases, the impact of RW on velocity uncertainty is weakened. Finally, we conclude that for a time series with a minimum time length of 12 years, both the selection of the optimal stochastic noise model and the estimation of the ve-locity parameters are reliable.

The challenge regarding COVID-19 is to prevent complications and fatal evolution. Azithromycin (AZM) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have proven their antiviral effect in vitro. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of AZM alone or combined to HCQ, prescribed, at an early stage, in patients with Covid-19, in a primary care setting. Eighty-eight patients received either no or a symptomatic treatment (NST) (n=34) or AZM alone (n=34) or AZM+HCQ (n=20). The efficacy end point was the time to clinical recovery and the safety end point was the occurrence of cardiovascular events. The mean (SD) times to achieve clinical recovery were respectively 25.8 days (11.1), 12.9 days (13.4) and 9.2 days (9.3), showing a statistically significant difference between NST and AZM alone (p<0.0001) or AZM+HCQ (p<0.0001). To improve the evidence level, a case-control analysis was performed on a sample of 57 patients (19/group) matched for age, sex and BMI. The statistical difference between NST and AZM was confirmed (p=0.0149) as well as the difference with AZM+HCQ (p=0.0002). No cardiac toxicity was recorded in any patient. No statistical difference was shown between AZM and AZM+HCQ groups, although the dual therapy tended to be more effective in patients over 50 years, based on an analysis using the cox model. In conclusion, AZM and AZM+HCQ favourably impacted the course of the disease. We need trials, ideally prospective/double blind, to show if a statistical difference can be evidenced with a broader group, and clarify the indications of each treatment depending on initial clinical presentation.

Cohort studies have identified several genetic determinants that could predict the clinical response to allopurinol. However, they have not been commonly used for genome-wide investigations to identify genetic determinants on allopurinol metabolism and concentrations. We conducted a genome-wide association study of a prior cross-sectional investigation of patients from the Montreal Heart Institute Biobank undergoing allopurinol therapy. Four endpoints were investigated, namely plasma concentrations of oxypurinol, the active metabolite of allopurinol, allopurinol, and allopurinol-riboside, as well as allopurinol daily dosing. A total of 439 participants (mean age 69.4 years; 86.4% male) taking allopurinol (mean daily dose 194.5 mg) and who had quantifiable oxypurinol concentrations were included in the genome-wide analyses. Participants presented multiple comorbidities and received concomitant cardiovascular medications. No association achieved the predefined genome-wide threshold values for any of the endpoints (all p&gt;5 × 10-8). Our results are consistent with prior finding regarding the difficulty in identifying genetic determinants of drug concentrations or pharmacokinetics of allopurinol and its metabolites, and allopurinol daily dosing. Given the size of this genome-wide study, collaborative investigations involving larger and diverse cohorts may be required to further identify pharmacogenomic determinants of allopurinol and measure their clinical relevance to personalize allopurinol therapy.

Mapping short-term wetland vegetation and water storage changes is valuable for monitoring the biogeochemical processes of wetland systems. Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve is a dynamic freshwater estuary that experiences intermittent changes in water level over the course of a year. Small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) are useful tools in monitoring changes as they are rapidly deployed, repeatable, and high-resolution. In this study, commercial quadcopters were paired with a red/green/near-infrared MAPIR Survey 3W camera to produce normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI) maps to observe short-term changes at OWC. Orthomosaics were produced for flights on 8 days throughout 2018 and early 2019. The orthomosaics were calibrated to bottom-of-atmosphere reflectance using the Empirical Line Correction method and NDVI and NDWI maps were created. The NDVI pixel values were used to generate maps of vegetation extent showing density changes over time. Identifying dominant vegetation in these maps allowed for the application of the National Estuarine Reserve System (NERRS) Classification Codes to zones of interest. NDWI provided water extent at different water levels and when paired with LiDAR and bathymetric data yielded water volume and residence time estimates. The produced maps contribute to the overall understanding of habitats affected by water inundation variations.

Cholesterol-derived bile acids (BAs) affect numerous physiological functions such as glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism and absorption, intestinal inflammation and immunity, as well as intestinal microbiota diversity. Diet influences the composition of the BA pool. The present study analyzes the impact of a dietary supplementation with a freeze-dried blueberry powder (BBP) on the fecal BA pool composition. The diet of 11 men and 13 women at risk for metabolic syndrome was supplemented with 50g/day of BBP for 8 weeks, and feces were harvested before (pre) and after (post) BBP consumption. BAs were profiled using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. No significant changes in total BAs were detected when comparing pre- vs post-BBP consumption samples. However, post-BBP consumption samples exhibited significant accumulations of glycine-conjugated BAs (p=0.04), glycochenodeoxycholic (p=0.01) and glycoursodeoxycholic (p=0.01) acids, as well as a significant reduction (p=0.03) of the secondary BA levels, when compared to pre-BBP feces (p=0.03). In conclusion, the fecal bileacidome is significantly altered after the consumption of BBP for 8 weeks. While additional studies are needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and physiological implications of these changes, our data suggest that the consumption of blueberries can modulate toxic BAs elimination.

In thermal power plants equipped with air-cooled condensers, axial cooling fans operate under the influence of ambient flow fields. Under inlet cross-flow conditions, the resultant asymmetric flow field is known to introduce additional harmonic forces to the fan blades. This effect has previously been studied only numerically or using blade mounted strain gauges. For this study, Laser Scanning Vibrometry was used to assess fan blade vibration under inlet cross-flow conditions in an adapted fan test rig inside a wind tunnel test section. Two co-rotating laser beams scanned a low pressure axial fan, resulting in spectral, phase resolved surface vibration patterns of the fan blades. Two distinct operating points were examined, with and without inlet cross-flow influence. While almost identical fan vibration patterns were found for both reference operating points, overall blade vibration increased by 100% at low fan flow rate due to cross-flow, and by 20% at high fan flow rate. While numerically predicted natural frequency modes could be confirmed from experimental data as minor peaks in the vibration amplitude spectrum, they were not excited significantly by cross-flow. Instead, primarily higher rotation rate harmonics were amplified, i.a. a synchronous blade tip flapping was strongly excited at the blade pass frequency.

We presented here the first draft genome sequence of the trypanosomatid Herpetomonas muscarum ingenoplastis. This parasite was isolated repeatedly in the black blowfly, Phormia regina. This is the first draft genome of a flagellate from the phylogenetically distinct clade of Trypanosomatidae.

Lithium titanates are used in various applications, such as anode materials for lithium intercalation (Li4Ti5O12) or breeding materials in fusion reactors (Li2TiO3). Here, we report the formation of nano-crystalline lithium titanates by a mechanochemical approach and present a deeper insight into their structural characteristics by PXRD and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The compounds were synthesized in a high energy planetary ball mill with varying milling parameters and different grinding tools. NaCl type Li2TiO3 (α-Li2TiO3) was formed by dry milling of lithium hydroxide with titania (rutile or anatase) and by a milling induced structure transformation of monoclinic β Li2TiO3 or spinel type Li4Ti5O12. Heating of mechanochemical prepared α Li2TiO3 induces a phase transformation to the monoclinic phase similar to hydrothermal reaction products, but a higher thermal stability was observed for the mechanochemical formed product. Microstructure and crystallographic structure were characterized by PXRD via Rietveld analysis. Detailed phase analysis shows the formation of the cubic phase from the various educts. A set of two lattice parameters for α Li2TiO3 was refined, depending on the presence of OH- during the milling process. An average crystallite size of less than 15 nm was observed for the mechanochemical generated products. The local Li environment detected by 6Li SPE MAS NMR revealed Li defects in the form of tetrahedral instead of octahedral site occupation. Subsequent adjustment of the structural model for Rietveld refinement leads to better fits, supporting this interpretation.

Floral meristems are dynamic systems that generate floral organ primordia at their flanks and, in most species, terminate while giving rise to the gynoecium primordia. However, we find species with floral meristems that generate additional ring meristems repeatedly throughout angiosperm history. Ring meristems produce only stamen primordia, resulting in polystemous flowers (having stamen numbers more than double that of petals or sepals), and act independently of the floral meristem activity. Most of our knowledge on floral meristem regulation is derived from molecular genetic studies of Arabidopsis thaliana, a species with a fixed number of floral organs and as such of only limited value to understand ring meristem function, regulation, and ecological value. This review provides an overview of the main molecular players regulating floral meristem activity in A. thaliana, and summarizes our knowledge of ring primordia morphology and occurrence in dicots. Our work provides a first step towards understanding the significance and molecular genetics of ring meristem regulation and evolution.

(1) Background: TNF inhibitors (TNFi) have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, 30-40 % of RA patients do not respond adequately to those biologics. In addition to neutralizing soluble TNF, TNFi have the ability to bind the transmembrane form of TNF, tmTNF. Importantly, tmTNF can act itself as a receptor that induces a “Reverse Signaling” (RS) in cells. We previously showed that certolizumab, a Fab’ TNFi, activates RS in human primary monocytes, at least in part through the transcription factor NRF2 that is known to regulate the expression of genes involved in anti-inflammatory response and oxidative stress. (2) Methods: Here, we have developed an assay for the prediction of clinical response of RA patients to TNF inhibitors. This assay is based on mRNA quantitation of CD36 activation and of 6 genes induced by NRF2 following tmTNF RS in fresh monocytes. (3) Results: We could predict the response to anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with 93.3 % accuracy. However, our method was not suitable for the prediction of the response to TNF soluble receptor etanercept. (4) Conclusions: We have developed a rather simple, short-term, test that can be standardized. Predicting the response to TNF mAbs will help physicians offer the best available treatment and provide patients with personalized medicine.

In this non-exhaustive review, we discuss the importance of invariant vectors in atomic physics, such as the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector, the Redmond vector in the presence of an electric field, the Landau-Avron-Sivardière vector when the system is subject to a magnetic field, and the supergeneralized Runge-Lenz vector for the two-center problem. Application to Stark and Zeeman effects are outlined. The existence of constants of motion in the charge-dyon system is also briefly mentioned.

This work mainly aims to identify and understand the factors influencing the switching of transportation modes among higher-education students in Joinville, Brazil when traveling to universities. Furthermore, this study evaluates the possibility of switching from individual vehicles to other modes of transport (i.e., bus, bicycle, and walking) by employing a multinomial logit model. The results indicate that students would be interested in switching from individual motor vehicles to other options. The scenarios for switching to buses presented the highest switching probability. The bus cost was the most important factor for switching. Meanwhile, the parking space reduction does not affect the student's choice, indicating that restricting available spaces should not be an isolated measure for decreasing the car mode attractiveness. Finally, the transport mode switch would occur only if alternative modes to the car or their infrastructure are improved; otherwise, students maintain their usual choices.

Cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA) is the second most common primary liver cancer, with increasing incidence worldwide and inadequate therapeutic options. Intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts have distinctly different embryonic origins and developmental behavior, and accordingly intra- and extrahepatic CCAs (ICC vs. ECC) are molecularly different. A promising strategy in oncotherapy is targeted therapy, targeting proteins that regulate cell survival and proliferation; such as the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. Inhibitors of these pathways have been tested previously in CCA cell lines. However, these cell lines could not be clearly assigned to ICC or ECC, and results indicated apoptosis induction by targeted therapeutics. We tested targeted therapeutics (selumetinib, MK2206) in three defined ICC cell lines (HuH28, RBE, SSP25). We observed cooperative effects of dual inhibition of the two pathways, in accordance with inhibition of phospho-AKT and phospho-ERK1/2 expression. Proliferation was blocked more effectively with dual inhibition than with each single inhibition, but cell numbers did not drop below baseline. Accordingly, we observed G1-phase arrest, but not apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3, AIFM1 regulation, subG1-phase) or necroptosis (phospho-MLKL). We conclude that dual inhibition of MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways is highly effective to block proliferation of ICC cell lines, but therapy must certainly be supplemented with standard therapies.

Since decades, oxybutynin hydrochloride is prescribed to improve bladder control in cases of incontinence and excessive urination frequency. This review summarizes synthetic methods enabling preparation of the racemic drug and, in a detailed manner, preparation of (S)-2-cyclohexyl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetic acid, a key intermediate in the synthesis of (S)-oxybutynin. Mode of action and metabolism are briefly commented in order to explain the main adverse effects associated with its use and to justify the evolution observed in the diverse commercial formulations. Repositioning opportunities are discussed in terms of clinical trials for the management of hyperhidrosis, hot flashes, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Blood and/or urine levels of 27 heavy metals were determined by ICPMS in 41 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and 29 presumably healthy subjects from the Katanga Copperbelt (KC), in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After adjusting for age, gender, education level, and renal function, DCM probability was almost maximal for blood concentrations above 0.75 and 150 µg/dl for arsenic and copper, respectively. Urinary concentrations above 1 for chromium, 20 for copper, 600 for zinc, 30 for selenium, 2 for cadmium, 0.2 for antimony, 0.5 for thallium and 0.05 for uranium, all in μg/g of creatinine, were also associated with increased DCM probability. Concurrent and multiple exposures to heavy metals, well beyond permissible levels, are associated with increased probability for DCM. Study findings warrant screening for metal toxicity in case of DCM and prompt public health measures to reduce exposures in the KC, DRC.

Monitoring is an important component of pest management, to prevent or mitigate outbreaks of native pests, and to check for quarantine organisms. Surveys often rely on trapping, especially when the target species respond to semiochemicals. Many traps are available for this purpose, but they are bulky in most cases, which raises transportation and deployment issues, and they are expensive, which limits the size and accuracy of any network. To overpass these difficulties, entomologists have used recycled material, such as modified plastic bottles, producing cheap and reliable traps but at the cost of recurrent handywork, not necessarily possible for all end-users (e.g., for national plant protection organizations). These bottle-traps have allowed very large surveys which would have been impossible with standard commercial traps, and we illustrate this approach with a few examples. Here we present, under a Creative Commons BY-SA License, the blueprint of a fan-trap, a foldable model, laser-cut from a sheet of polypropylene, that can rapidly be produced in large numbers, and could be transported and deployed in the field with very little efforts. Our first field comparisons show that fan-traps are as efficient as bottle-traps, and we describe two cases where they are being used for monitoring.

This study investigates the impact of geomagnetic storms that occurred on June 8, 22-23, and 25, 2015, on the ionosphere in the low-latitude and equatorial regions of Brazil. By examining various data sources, such as solar wind parameters from the ACE satellite, GPS vertical total electron content (VTEC), magnetometer data, and the SAMI2 model, we aimed to simulate the effects of storms on the ionosphere in these regions. Two methods were employed to separate DP2 and Disturbance dynamo (Ddyn) from the ionospheric disturbance current (Diono). Our analysis revealed a positive (negative) ionospheric storm in the VTEC during the main phase (recovery) of the June 22-23 and 25 storms. This observation can be attributed to the combined impact of the eastward prompt penetration of the magnetospheric convection electric field (westward disturbance dynamo electric field) and changes in the storm-time thermospheric [O]/[N_2] ratio based on the GUVI satellite imagery. Notably, the westward disturbance dynamo exhibited a significant amplitude on June 23 in Belem. The amplitude of the D_dyn at Belem (dip lat: - 0.47˚) was greater than that at Alta Floresta (dip lat: - 3.75˚) due to intensified cowling conductivity in Belem. Furthermore, we found that the SAMI2 model provided more accurate results when we replaced the default ExB drift with the vertical drift calculated from the ground-based magnetometer, enabling us to simulate the effect of the westward DDEF on VTEC during daytime.

Surfactants based on polyfluoroalky ethers are commonly used in fire-fighting foams on airport platforms, including for training sessions. Because of their persistence into the environment, their toxicity and their bioaccumulation, abnormal amounts can be found in ground and surface water following operations of airport platforms. As many other anthropogenic organic compounds, some concerns raised about their biodegradation. That is why the OECD 301 F protocol was implemented to appreciate the oxygen consumption during the biodegradation of a commercial fire-fighting foam. However, a Raman spectroscopic monitoring of the process was also attached to this experimental procedure to evaluate to what extent a polyfluoroalkyl ether disappeared from the environmental matrix. The relevance of our approach is to use chemometrics, including the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Partial Least Square (PLS), in order to monitor the kinetics of the biodegradation reaction of one fire-fighting foam, Tridol S3B, containing a polyfluoroalkyl ether. This study provided a better appreciation of the partial biodegradation of some polyfluoroalkyl ethers by coupling Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics. This will ultimately facilitates the design of a future purification and remediation devices for the airport platforms.

There has been growing interest in using permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) for pumping applications to improve energy efficiency. One promising approach for powering these motors in variable speed applications is using modular multilevel cascaded converters based on a Triple-Star Bridge Cell (M3C) due to their inherent fault tolerance capability. However, M3C converters require a more complex control system than simpler converters. For instance, A basic M3C control system for power transmission requires seventeen (17) PI controllers, whose adjustment depends on the M3C’s dynamical model parameters’ value knowledge needing extensive and time-consuming testing to obtain them. To solve this control system issue, we propose an adaptive M3C control system for variable speed drives powering multiple PMSM-driven centrifugal pumps that reduces the number of controllers to six (6). Furthermore, the proposal does not require knowledge of the converter, motor, or load parameters, making it more practical and versatile. The proposal introduces an ad-hoc hybrid passivity-based model reference adaptive controller in cascade with a passivity-based control. It has been validated through theoretical stability proof and comparative simulation results with a basic control system under normal and fault operations. As a result, the proposal effectively follows the required rotor speed while enhancing performance by decreasing the current consumption and recovering from a 10% input phase imbalance, a cell short circuit, and an open cell.

Purpose: Melanoma’s incidence is increasing, and elderly people could be significantly impacted since the majority occurs in people over 65 years of age. Combined targeted therapies (TT) are current standard regimen for BRAF mutated metastatic melanoma (MM). Except for subgroups of pivotal trials, little data are available for TT in this population. Materials and Methods: Outcomes were explored in real life patients from MelBase, a French multicentric biobank dedicated to the prospective follow-up of unresectable stage III or IV melanoma. Patients treated by BRAF TT and/or MEK TT combined or not, were included from 2013 to 2017 in 2 groups: group 1 <65-year-old (yo), group 2 >65 yo, analyzed for tolerance and efficacy. Results: 353 patients were included: 231 in group 1, 122 in group 2. Median follow-up was 12 months (M). Median time of treatment was 6.9 M. A total of 80% had at least one Adverse Effect (AE). Most frequent AE (all grades) were mainly skin and subcutaneous, general, and gastrointestinal disorders. A total of 31% of AE were grade 3–4: 28% in group 1 and 39% in group 2 (p = 0.05). No differences were observed in all AE grades proportion, dose modifications, interruptions, and discontinuations. For each group, median overall survival was 20.3 M (CI 95%: 15.5–27.9) and 16.3 M (CI: 14.5–26.9), respectively (p = 0.8). Median progression free survival was 7.8 M (6.4–9.9) and 7.7 M (CI: 5.8–11.3) (p = 0.4). Objective response rate was 59% and 50% (p = 0.6). Conclusion: This study on a large multicentric cohort is the first to assess that TT is well tolerated in elderly BRAF-mutated patients such as in patients younger than 65. Efficacy was similar between groups with outcomes reaching those from pivotal studies. There is thus no argument against using TT in elderly people, although an onco-geriatric opinion is welcome for the most vulnerable.

The advent of deep learning (DL) has revolutionized medical imaging, offering unprecedented avenues for accurate disease classification and diagnosis. DL models have shown remarkable promise for classifying brain tumor from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. However, despite their impressive performance, the opaque nature of DL models poses challenges in understanding their decision-making processes, particularly crucial in medical contexts where interpretability is essential. This paper explores the intersection of medical image analysis and DL interpretability, aiming to elucidate the decision-making rationale of DL models in brain tumor classification. Leveraging state-of-the-art DL frameworks with transfer learning, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation encompassing both classification accuracy and interpretability. Using state-of-the-art DL frameworks with transfer learning, we conduct a thorough evaluation covering both classification accuracy and interpretability. We employ adaptive path-based techniques to understand the underlying decision-making mechanisms of these models. Grad-CAM and Grad-CAM++ highlight critical image regions where the tumors are located.

Perception of flavor is a dynamic process during which the concentration of aroma molecules at the olfactory epithelium varies with time as they are released progressively from the food in the mouth during consumption. The release kinetics depends on the food matrix itself, but also on food oral processing, such as mastication behavior and food bolus formation with saliva, for which huge inter-individual variations exist due to physiological differences. Sensory methods, such as time-intensity (TI), or the more recent methods temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA), are used to account for the dynamic and time-related aspects of flavor perception. Direct injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) techniques that measure in real-time aroma compounds directly in the nose (nosespace), aimed at obtaining data that reflect the pattern of aroma release in real-time during food consumption, supposed to be representative of perception, have been developed since 25 years. Examples obtained with MS operated in chemical ionization mode at atmospheric or sub-atmospheric pressure (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization APCI or proton transfer reaction PTR) will be given, with emphases on studies conducted with simultaneous dynamic sensory evaluation. Inter-individual variations in terms of aroma release and their relevance for understanding flavor perception will be discussed, as well as evidenced cross-modal interactions.

The climate change impacts on some regions of the planet faster and stronger. These areas are known as the hot spots for climate change and Cyprus (Nicosia) in the Mediterranean is one of these spots. This paper aims to analyze the significant changes of atmospheric aerosol characteristics in 2019 and during the extreme event of 25 April 2019. We study the aerosol optical thickness (AOT), Ångström exponent, single scattering albedo, refractive index (imaginary and real parts), size, and vertical distribution of aerosol particles during the event of a high atmospheric aerosol contamination over Nicosia in details. For this purpose, we used the ground-based lidar, observations of the sun-photometer AERONET Nicosia station, satellite products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and back trajectories of air movements calculated using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT). On 23–25 April, according to lidar and sun-photometer observations, strong aerosol pollution over Nicosia was detected. On April 25, 2019, the AOT value exceeds 1.0 at λ = 440 nm. Analysis of the optical and microphysical characteristics supported that the pollution consists of mainly Saharan dust and partly urban aerosols. This assumption was confirmed by HYSPLIT backward trajectories and MODIS images where air masses containing dust particles came from North Africa and from the Eastern part of Europe.

Postural deficits such as hyperlordosis (hollow back) or hyperkyphosis (hunchback) are relevant health issues. Diagnoses depend on the experience of the examiner and are therefore often subjective and prone to errors. Machine learning (ML) methods in combination with explainable ar-tificial intelligence (XAI) tools have proven useful for providing an objective, data-based orien-tation. However, only a few works have considered posture parameters, leaving the potential of more human-friendly XAI interpretations still untouched. Therefore, the present work proposes an objective, data-driven ML system for medical decision support that enables especially human-friendly interpretations using counterfactual explanations (CFs). Posture data for 1151 subjects were recorded by means of stereophotogrammetry. An expert-based classification of the subjects regarding the presence of hyperlordosis or hyperkyphosis was initially performed. Using a Gaussian progress classifier, the models were trained and interpreted using CFs. Label errors were flagged and re-evaluated using confident learning. Very good classification performances for both hyperlordosis and hyperkyphosis were found, whereby the re-evaluation and correction of the test labels led to a significant improvement (MPRAUC = 0.97). A statistical evaluation showed that the CFs seemed to be plausible in general. In the context of personalized medicine, the present study’s approach could be of importance for reducing diagnostic errors and thereby improving the individual adaptation of therapeutic measures. Likewise, it could be a basis for the development of apps for preventive posture assessment.

Mosquito-borne viral disease dengue is a global public health problem causing a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from mild dengue fever to severe dengue with plasma leakage and bleeding which are often associated to fatality. To date, there are no specific medications to treat dengue and prevent the risk of hemorrhage. Dengue is caused by one of the four related antigenically distinct serotypes, DENV-1 to DENV-4. The growing burden that represents the four DENV serotypes has intensified both basic and applied researches to better understand the dengue physiopathology. It has been proposed a significant role for the secreted soluble DENV nonstructural protein 1 (sNS1) glycoprotein in the pathogenesis of severe dengue. Here, we provided an overview on current knowledge about the role of sNS1 in the immunopathogenesis of dengue disease. The reasons for the consideration of sNS1 in the design of future dengue vaccine candidates will be discussed.

In response to growing industrial demands, necessitated by larger ships and increased cargo volumes, many port authorities worldwide are undertaking a significant expansion of their infrastructure to increase their capacity. Significant expansion raises challenges such as potential congestion and environmental concerns, especially for port located in urban area as the case study explored in this paper. To address these issues, the study employs a combination of scenario analysis developed in collaboration with the port authority and logistic system simulation. This approach assesses the capacity of existing access gates to handle the increased trucking traffic and optimizes the unloading process of construction trucks at a new terminal. Key findings suggest that while the current gate capacities are adequate, optimizing unloading times at the new terminal is critical to prevent road congestion in urban area before the gate and reduce negative impacts such as sound and atmospheric pollution. The study advocates for an appointment system during peak hours to manage traffic flow effectively and underscores the importance of collaboration between the city and port authorities in managing truck traffic to mitigate congestion on the city side. Nonetheless, the study recognizes certain constraints, including the incomplete evaluation of the influence of intermodal transport on truck traffic. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need for future research to consider the correlation between vehicle numbers and service levels, aiming to effectively adjust the time in the system.

This article presents a state-of-the-art literature review to understand people’s perceptions and opinions of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and the factors that influence AV adoption. A strategic literature search was conducted to select articles for this review. Most of the articles were published within the last five years and they used a household questionnaire survey to collect data. Mostly, they used statistical and econometric methods to evaluate the factors that affect people’s intentions to adopt AVs. The results show that psychological factors often appear as the most important internal factors of people’s willingness to adopt AVs. Additionally, other internal factors such as the socioeconomic profile of individuals and their household, and knowledge and familiarity with AV technologies would affect AV adoption tendencies. User attributes also indirectly affect AV adoption by influencing the psychological factors of users. We identify several critical external factors such as opportunities (e.g., safety and security, low congestion, energy use) and challenges (e.g., system failure, privacy breach, and legal issues), while another influential group includes transportation factors (e.g., travel mode, distance, and time), urban form (e.g., urban/rural, density, land use diversity), affinity to new technology, and the institutional regulatory environment. We discuss some recommendations for policy makers, auto industries, and private stakeholders to formulate policies and strategies to increase market share of AVs. Finally, we identify some limitations of previous studies and provide a blueprint for future research on AV adoption.

As Li-ion batteries use is spreading, incidents in large energy storage systems (stationary storage containers, …) or in large-scale cell and battery storages (warehouse, recyclers, …), often leading to fire, are occurring on regular basis. Water remains one of the most efficient fire extinguishing agents for tackling those battery incidents and large quantities are usually necessary. Since bat-teries contains various potentially harmful components (metals and their oxides or salts, sol-vents…) and that thermal runway induced battery incidents are accompanied with complex and potentially multistage fume emissions (containing both gas and particles) the potential impact of fire run-off water on the environment should be considered and assessed carefully. The tests presented in this paper focus on the analysis of the composition of run-off waters used to spray NMC Li-ion modules under thermal runaway. It highlights that waters used for fire-fighting are susceptible to contain many metals, including Ni, Mn, Co, Li and Al mixed with other carbonaceous species (soot, tarballs) and sometimes undecomposed solvents used in the elec-trolyte. Extra-polation of pollutant concentrations compared with PNEC values showed that, for large scale incidents, run-off water could be potentially hazardous to the environment.

This work mainly discusses an innovative teaching platform on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle digital mapping for Remote Sensing (RS) education at Wuhan University, underlining the fast development of RS technology. Firstly, we introduce and discuss the future development of the Virtual Simulation Experiment Teaching Platform for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VSETP-UAV). It includes specific topics such as the Systems and function Design, teaching and learning strategies, and experimental methods. This study shows that VSETP-UAV expands the usual content and training methods related to RS education, and creates a good synergy between teaching and research. The results also show that the VSETP-UAV platform is of high teaching quality producing excellent engineers, with high international standards and innovative skills in the RS field. In particular, it develops students' practical skills with technical manipulations of dedicated hardware and software equipment (e.g., UAV) in order to assimilate quickly this particular topic. Therefore, students report that this platform is more accessible from an educational point-of-view than theoretical programs, with a quick way of learning basic concepts of RS. Finally, the proposed VSETP-UAV platform achieves a high social influence, expanding the practical content and training methods of UAV based experiments, and providing a platform for producing high-quality national talents with internationally recognized topics related to emerging engineering education.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects about 20–40% of the adult population in high-income countries and is now a leading indication for liver transplantation and can drive to hepatocellular carcinoma. The link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and NAFLD is now clearly established. Through analyses of the gut microbiota with shotgun metagenomics, we observed that compared to healthy controls, Adlercreutzia equolifaciens is depleted in patients with liver diseases such as NAFLD. Its abundance also decreases as the disease progresses and eventually disappears in the last stages indicating a strong association with disease severity. Moreover, we show that A. equolifaciens possesses anti-inflammatory properties, both in vitro and in vivo in a humanized mouse model of NAFLD. Therefore, our results demonstrate a link between NAFLD and the severity of liver disease and the presence of A. equolifaciens and its anti-inflammatory actions. Counterbalancing dysbiosis with this bacterium may be a promising live biotherapeutic strategy of liver diseases..

Introduction Blunt carotid injuries (BCI) in pediatric trauma are quite rare. Due to the low number of cases, only a few reports and studies have been conducted on this topic. This review will discuss how frequent BCI/ BCVI on pediatric patients after blunt trauma is, what routine diagnostics look like, if a CT/ CTA scan on pediatric patients after blunt trauma is always necessary and if there are any negative health effects? Methods This literature review includes reviews, systematic reviews, case reports and original studies in english language between 1999 and 2020 that have dealt with pediatric blunt trauma and the diagnostics of BCI and BCVI. Furthermore, publications on the risk of radiation exposure on children were included in the study. For literature research, Medline (PubMed) and the Cochrane library were used. Results Pediatric BCI/ BCVI, shows an overall incidence between 0.03 – 0.5% of confirmed BCI/ BCVI cases due to pediatric blunt trauma. 1.1 – 3.5% of pediatric blunt trauma patients underwent CTA to detect BCI. Only 0.17 – 1.2% of all CTA scans shows a positive diagnosis for BCI. In children, the median volume CT dose index on a non-contrast head CT is 33 milligray, a computed tomography angiography needs at least 138 mGy. A cumulative doses of about 50 mGy almost triples the risk of leukemia, and doses of about 60 mGy triples the risk of brain cancer. Discussion Knowing that a BCI could have extensive neurologic consequences for children, it is necessary to evaluate routine pediatric diagnostics after blunt trauma. Computed tomography scans (CT) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are mostly used in routine BCI diagnostics. However, since radiation exposure in children should be as low as reasonably achievable, it should be asked if other diagnostic methods could be used to identify risk groups. Trauma guidelines and clinical scores like the McGovern score are reflect established BCI screening options, as well as using duplex ultrasound.

At the beginning of our observations of relative universe, humanity believed that the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun was spinning around the earth. Claude Ptolémée (100-168), modelled the movements, in the geocentric referential. Then Nicolas Copernic (1473-1543) simplified the system by going to another referential, the heliocentric referential. We had to wait 14 centuries to understand that earth has been spinning around the sun and it was very difficult to change the believes. Then we observed solar system, and gravitation explained the movement of planets with Isaac Newton (1642-1727). Classical mechanics was born. At the end of 19th century, classical mechanics became very complicated. Then Albert Einstein (1879-1955) simplified the laws of gravitation with the spacetime referential and spacetime curvature, with general relativity. Gravitation became a spacetime curvature. Movements in the relative universe were explained, models of black holes and gravitational waves were predicted and experimentally observed. However, models of cosmos are divergent nowadays or very complicated because they include general relativity and gravitation combined with quantum theory. I propose in this article a new quantum theory of cosmos with a new referential: the quantum referential. I think this theory can completely change our believes. This theory does not take into account Einstein’s general relativity and gravitation. Therefore, the model of cosmos which results is highly convergent, simple, and it will be possible to populate quantum universes (multiverse) with bosons from matter and anti-matter annihilation. Indeed, we do not exist yet in this quantum theory as we are fermions. Therefore, by populating multiverse, and by transforming ourselves into bosons, we will not suffer anymore. If we populate quantum multiverse, it will be Love for everybody.

Human milk is recommended for feeding preterm infant. Yet the potential impact of specific breast-milk lipid components on the initial growth rate of very-preterm infants has received scant attention. The current pilot study aims to determine whether breast-milk lipidome had any impact on the early growth pattern of preterm infants fed their own mother’s milk. A prospective monocentric observational birth cohort was established, enrolling 147 preterm infants, who received their own mother’s breast-milk throughout hospital stay. Among that cohort, infants who experienced slow (n=15) or fast (n=11) growth were selected, based on the change in their weight Z-score between birth and hospital discharge (-1.54± 0.42 and -0.48± 0.19 Z-score, respectively). Liquid chromatography-high resolution-mass spectrometry was used to obtain lipidomic signatures in breast-milk. Multivariate analyses made it possible to identify breast-milk lipid species that allowed clear-cut discrimination between the 2 infants’ groups. Validation of the selected biomarkers was performed by means of various multidimensional statistical techniques, false-discovery rate and ROC curve computation. Breast-milk associated with fast growth contained more medium chain-saturated fatty acid and -sphingomyelin, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA)-containing phosphethanolamine, and less oleic acid-containing triglyceride and DGLA-oxylipin. Their predictive ability of preterm early-growth rate was validated in presence of confounding clinical factors.

Introduction: While preparing for dive exams, divers are trained to perform rescue exercises. Currently, divers think they will manage and control their body at any time.Methods: At the bottom of the water, the student takes the instructor who simulates a sickness, up to the surface, by controlling the going up. Then, if the exercise is wrong, both divers go down and exercise again. If the exercise is successful, both divers go down to perform another exercise until they are tired or until they have no more air. Results: I discovered that there was a mistake in the preparation of divers for rescue training due to Descartes’ error, “I think, thus I am”, which is part of our collective memory. Going up and going down after a sickness simulation is a repetitive action of the body and going down is therefore part of the automatisms of rescue, which is very dangerous. Conclusions: The body is not necessarily controlled by the present thinking, and if divers forget sickness while going up in a real rescue situation, they will go down automatically because their bodies were trained like this. In addition, it is very easy to forget sickness. Divers should not go down after rescue, they should be on the dive boat or on the land. Descartes’ error has to be reversed: “I am, thus I think” is right. The divers’ rescue exercises must be simplified and divers should never go down after the simulation of a sickness.

Synthesis of heterodinuclear 3d transition metal complexes in which two metal ions are introduced in equivalent coordination sites of a ligand is quite uncommon. We have previously shown that the application of the cis-trans isomerization of the oxamido group was able to furnish such a possibility. In the present paper we demonstrate that this synthetic pathway, relying on the possibility of changing the conformation (cis vs trans) of the oxamido group, can be extended to other ligands. Although we have not been able to structurally characterize these complexes, EPR and magnetic data do confirm the efficiency of this reaction pathway. We also demonstrate that the cis-trans isomerization of the oxamido group is not due to a particular property of the ion involved in the reaction. In fact, isomerization is governed by the basicity of the reaction medium. According to the reaction condition, it is possible to favor or not this phenomenon, and to increase the accessibility to a larger number of novel genuine complexes. But the oxophilic character of the lanthanide ions impedes this isomerization in 3d-4f complexes. The very weak magnetic interactions observed in these Cu-Gd complexes can be explained thanks to spin polarization.

The Mont-Saint-Michel is known worldwide for its unique combination of the natural site and the Medieval abbey at the top of the rocky islet. But the Mont is also located within an estuarine complex, which is considerably silting up. For two decades, large-scale works were planned to prevent the Mont from being surrounded by the expanding salt meadows. The construction of a new dam over the Couesnon River, the digging of two new channels, and the destruction of the causeway were the main operations carried out between 2007 and 2015. The remote sensing approach is fully suitable for evaluating the real impact of the engineering project in both time and space, particularly the expected large-scale hydrosedimentary effects, for reestablishing the maritime landscape around the Mont. Sentinel-2 satellite data have been used for the period from 2015 to 2023. Aster data were used for the previous period covering 2000 to 2017. Aerial photographs and an ALOS scene have been also used. The remote sensing approach is based on time-series images. It allows identifying local or regional consequences and temporary or permanent effects. The migration of the different channels (especially for the new west and east Couesnon river courses) and the erosion-progradation balance of the vegetation through space and time are the main features to study. Between 2007 and 2023, the erosion of the salt meadows is significant to the south-west of the Mont (− 150 ha) but more limited to the south-east (− 65 ha). The erosion effect is limited to the immediate environment because the vegetation fringe of the uppermost tidal flat along the main dike is slightly increasing (+ 35 ha) to the west and to the east (+ 40 ha). During the same period, the sedimentation considerably increased to the north-east of the Bay, between the Bec d’Andaine, the Grouin du Sud and Tombelaine islet, which seems now facing the same silting-up problem. At this stage, the remote-sensing survey indicates mixed results for the engineering project.

The extension of virology beyond its traditional medical, veterinary or agricultural applications, now called environmental virology, has shown that viruses are both the most numerous and diverse biological entities on earth. In particular, virus isolation studies involving unicellular eukaryotic hosts (heterotrophic and photosynthetic protozoans) revealed numerous viral types previously unexpected in terms of virion structure and morphology, genome size and gene content, or mode of replication. Complemented by large-scale metagenomic analyzes, these discoveries have rekindled interest in the enigma of the evolutionary origin of viruses, for which no simple definition encompassing all of their diversity is still unanimous. Several laboratories have repeatedly tackled the deep reconstruction of the evolutionary history of viruses, using various methods of molecular phylogeny applied to the few shared genes detected in certain virus groups (e.g. the Nucleocytoviricota). Beyond the practical difficulties of establishing reliable homology relationships from extremely divergent sequences, I present here purely conceptual arguments highlighting several fundamental limitations plaguing the reconstruction of the deep evolutionary history of viruses, and even more the identification of their unique of multiple origin (s). Those limitations are direct consequences of the particularly random mechanisms which govern the reductive evolution of obligate intracellular parasites.

Symmetrical and dissymmetrical bolaforms were prepared with good to high yields from unsaturated L-rhamnosides and phenolic esters (ferulic, phloretic, coumaric, sinapic and caffeic) using two eco-compatible synthetic strategies involving glycosylation, enzymatic synthesis and cross-metathesis under microwaves activation. Furthermore, some of these new compounds present good eliciting properties depending on the carbon chain length and on the nature of the hydrophilic head. Their respective antioxidant activities have been also evaluated as well as their cytotoxic properties on dermal cells for cosmetic uses.

In the present work, a predictive modelling and optimization with the adaptive network based fuzzy inference system(ANFIS) modelling of mechanical properties of laser-coated NB/SiC/Ni welds was studied based on Taguchi design by laser cladding. An ANFIS model based on a Sugeno type fuzzy inference system was developed for predicting the hardness properties of SiC/BN/Ni welds by laser cladding with experimental data required for network training and prediction. Based on analysis of variance, three important factors were taken as inputs for the fuzzy logic inferences, while the hardness properties was taken as the output of the ANFIS. The microstructure of welds were analysed using scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-Ray spectrometer. Highly developed leaf-like dendrites and eutectic crystals were found in some areas of the melting zone for the BN/SiC/Ni weld, which was significantly hardened. The ANFIS model based on Taguchi's design provides a better pattern of response because the predicted and experimental values were highly similar. As a result, a satisfactory result was achieved between the predicted and experimental values of hardness in laser-coated NB/SiC/Ni welds, whereby the success and validity of the method was verified.

In Tunisia, olive is the most cultivated fruit crop while in the north where rainfall exceeded 400mm.year-1, the olive growing area is in widely extension in marginal soil with high slope gradient. Thus, the inclusion of cover crops is a sustainable solution to increase the ecosystem productivity, improve the soil fertility and oil yields. But, in Tunisia a few study were investigated the effect of legumes cover crop on the olive productivity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term (two cropping seasons s 2021 and 2022) effects of different seeded cover crops and soil management practices on the cover crops and soil characteristics, as well as enzymes activities and related microbial diversity. Six intercropping were tested in rainfed olive orchards (cv.Chétoui): Spontaneous vegetation (Spont), Wheat, Vetch, Oat, Fenugreek, mixture Vetch-Oat and compared to control (3 periodic tillage/year without intercropping). During the first cropping season, cover crops were cut as animal feed and only residues were incorporated into the soil. While, during the second year, all cover crops biomass were incorporated into the soil. Results indicate that the dry biomass and carbon uptake were significantly higher in grasses species (Wheat and Oat). But, highest level of nitrogen was found in Fenugreek cover crops. As compared to control, all cover crops including spontaneous vegetation increased soil organic matter and macronutrient level, mainly phosphorus. The most activity of β-glucosidase, phosphatase and arysulphatase was found in the cover crops plot of wheat and oat. In addition, this study improve that the utilization of the carbon sources was dominated by amides, amine and amino-acids in the fenugreek plot; while it was dominated by polymers and carboxylic acids in the case of wheat and oat.

The extensive use of rare earth elements (REEs) in a number of technologies is expected to impact on human health, including occupational REE exposures. A body of experimental evidence on REE-associated toxicity has been accumulated in recent decades. Unlike experimental studies, the consequences of REE exposures to human health have been subjected to relatively fewer investigations. Geographical studies have been conducted on residents in the Chinese REE mining districts, reporting on REE bioaccumulation, and associations between REE residential exposures and adverse health effects. A more limited series of studies has been focused on occupational REE exposures, such as movie operator (with occurrence of cerium aerosol) with the observation of pneumoconiosis and lung fibrosis. Similar effects have been reported in case reports for other workers, such as a lens grinder and a printer exposed to carbon-arc lamp emission. As for the occupations related to REE mining and processing, REE bioaccumulation in scalp hair and excess REE urine levels were reported. A study was devoted to workers employed in e-waste separation, showing alterations of several plasma markers. As for other REE occupational exposures, mention should be made of: a) mechanical workshops, with exposures to diesel exhaust microparticulate (containing nanoCeO₂ as a catalytic additive) and, b) production and manufacture of REE supermagnets for hybrid engines and wind turbines. Diesel exhaust microparticulate has been studied in animal models, leading to evidence of several pathological effects in animals exposed by respiratory or systemic routes. As for supermagnet production and manufacture, a body of literature is reviewed of experimental studies, and of human exposure studies showing several pathological effects of static magnetic fields, warranting further investigations.

The cause of sarcoidosis is unknown, and vitamin D is contraindicated to treat the condition. We therefore ask what causes sarcoidosis and why vitamin D can be dangerous for those so afflicted. We propose a contrary hypothesis: sarcoidosis is a physiological process of defense against cancer that requires the substrate vitamin D. We tested this hypothesis, finding many case reports involving sarcoidosis and cancer—further cases of cancer mimicry by sarcoidosis. Several reports describe spontaneous healing of cancer in the presence of sarcoidosis. In the context of the granulomas of sarcoidosis, monocytes are the site of vitamin D release. Furthermore, active vitamin D can control cancer cells by using the vitamin D receptors of the nucleus. That granulomas consistently do not caseate is explained as a confrontation with human molecules and the cancer cells’ complete absorption. The striking fact that granulomas of sarcoidosis mostly lack cancerous cells is interpreted as a result of a well-functioning sarcoidosis process. We view the typical sarcoidosis monocytic synthesis of active vitamin D as a successful defense against cancer: a theory we call the “endogenous program organizing cancer apoptosis” (EPOCA).

In this study, we performed periodicity analyzes of selected daily solar (FI, CI), geomagnetic (Ap, Dst, Scalar B) and cosmic (CRI) activity indices for the last solar Cycle 24 (December 2008 to December 2019). To investigate the periodic variations of above selected data sets the Multi Taper Method (MTM), Morlet wavelet, Cross Wavelet Transform (XWT), and Wavelet Coherence (WTC) analysis techniques were used. In results of our analysis we found that i) the 25-33 and 2048-day periodicities exist in all data sets without any exception, while all other detected periodicities have data preferences, ii) all detected periods located around the maximum phase of the cycle (Cycle 24), iii) the phase relations between compared data sets periodicities are gradually changing from small periods to large ones; there are no phase relations between small periodicities and they show mixed phases, while they are completely in phase/antiphase for large periodicities, iv) all detected FI periodicities, except 2048 days periodicity, are common periodicities with all other data sets used in this study.

MALDI-TOF is now considered as a relevant tool for the identification of arthropods, including lice and fleas. However, the duration and conditions of storage, such as in ethanol, which is frequently used to preserve these both ectoparasites, could impede their classification. The purpose of the present study was to assess the stability of MS profiles from Pediculus humanus corporis lice and Ctenocephalides felis fleas preserved in alcohol from one to four years and kinetically submitted to MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 469 cephalothoraxes from lice (n=170) and fleas (n=299) were tested. The reproducibility of the MS profiles was estimated based on the log score values (LSVs) obtained for query profiles compared to the reference profiles included in the MS database. Only MS spectra from P. humanus corporis and Ct. felis stored in alcohol for less than one year were included in the reference MS database. Approximately 75% of MS spectra from lice (75.2%, 94/125) and fleas (74.4%, 122/164) specimens stored in alcohol during 12 to 48 months, queried against the reference MS database, obtained a relevant identification. An accurate analysis revealed a significant decrease in the proportion of identification for both species stored for more than 22 months in alcohol. It was hypothesized that incomplete drying was responsible of MS spectra variations. Then, 45 lice and 60 fleas were subjected to longer drying periods from 12 to 24 hours. The increase in the drying period improved the proportion of relevant identification for lice (95%) and fleas (80%). This study highlighted that a correct rate of identification by MS could be obtained for lice and fleas preserved in alcohol for up to four years, on the condition that the drying period was sufficiently long for accurate identification.

Vitamin B9(folate)/B12 deficiency is known to induce brain structural and/or functional retardations. Besides neural tube defects in case of major consequences, several mild deregulations also lead to deleterious effect after birth, and folate supplementation recommended in some countries usually stop at the end of the first trimester. Various hormonal receptors were shown to be deregulated in brain tissue under this context. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is particularly sensitive to epigenetic regulation and post-traductional modifications. In a mother-offspring rat model of vitamin B9/B12 deficiency, we investigated whether a prolonged folate supplementation could restore the GR signalization in the hypothalamus. Our data showed that a deficiency in folate and vitamin B12 during the in-utero and the early postnatal periods was associated with reduced GR expression inn the hypothalamus. We also described for the first time a new post-traductional modification of GR that impaired ligand binding and GR activation, leading to decreased the expression of one of the GR targets in the hypothalamus, AgRP. Moreover, this brain-impaired GR pathway was associated with behavioral perturbations during offspring growth. Importantly, perinatal and postnatal supplementation with folic acid helped restore GR mRNA level and activity in hypothalamus cells and improved behavioral deficits.

Microbolometer is the most common uncooled infrared technique that allows to achieve 50mK-temperature resolution on the scene. However, this approach has to struggle with both the self-heating inherent to the resistive readout principle and the 1/f noise. We present an alternative approach that consists in using micro / nanoresonators vibrating according to a torsional mode, and whose resonant frequency changes with the incident IR-radiation. Dense arrays of such electromechanical structures were fabricated with a 12µm-pitch at low temperature allowing their integration on CMOS circuits according to a post-processing method. H-shape pixels with 9 µm-long nano-rods and a cross-section of 250 × 30 nm² were fabricated to provide large thermal responses, whose experimental measurements reached up to 1024 Hz/nW. These electromechanical resonators featured a noise equivalent power of 140pW for a response time of less than 1 ms. To our knowledge, these performance are unrivaled with such small dimensions. We also showed that a temperature sensitivity of 20 mK within 100ms-integration time is conceivable at a 12µm-pitch by co-integrating the resonators with their readout electronics and suggesting a new readout scheme. This sensitivity could be reached at short-term by depositing on top of the nano-rods a vanadium oxide layer having a phase-transition that could possibly enhance the thermal response by one order of magnitude.

The pandemic of obesity worldwide has been recognized as a very important challenge. Within its complexity the identification of higher risk patients becomes essential since it seems unsustainable trying to offer access to treatment to all people with obesity. Several new approaches have recently been presented as important tools for risk stratification. This research applied some of these tools in a cross-sectional study involving adults with obesity classes I, II, III and super obesity. The participants had their cardiometabolic risk profile assessed. The study included adults with obesity, aged 18 to 50 years (n=404) who were evaluated for anthropometric, body composition, hemodynamic, physical fitness and biochemical assessments. These variables were used to identify the prevalence of risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases according to the classes of obesity, by gender and age group. The results showed a high prevalence of risk factors, especially among the upper classes of obesity (BMI &gt; 35 kg/m2) using single parameters as the waist circumference with almost 90% above the cut-off point. But there were also smaller numbers as the Glycated Hemoglobin whose prevalence was around 30%. Indexes like the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) had the highest prevalence, with 100% of the male participants identified with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.

The amount and spatial distribution of foliage in a tree canopy have fundamental functions in ecosystems as they affect energy and mass fluxes through photosynthesis and transpiration. They are usually described by the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and the Leaf Area Density (LAD), which can be measured through a variety of methods, including voxel-based methods applied to LiDAR point clouds. A theoretical study recently compared the numerical errors arising from different voxel-based estimation methods for Plant Area Density (PAD) based on Beer’s law-based, contact frequency and Maximum-Likelihood Estimation, showing that the bias-corrected Maximum Likelihood Estimator was theoretically the most efficient. However, this earlier study i) ignored wood volumes; ii) neglected vegetation clumping inside the voxel; iii) ignored instrument characteristics in terms of effective footprint, iv) was limited to a single viewpoint. In practice, retrieving LAD from PAD is not straightforward, vegetation is not randomly distributed in volumes of interest, beams are divergent and forestry plots are usually sampled from more than one viewpoint, to mitigate the effect of occlusion. In the present short communication, we extend the previous efficient formulation to actual field conditions to i) account for the presence of both wood volumes and wood hits, ii) rigorously include correction terms for vegetation and instrument characteristics, iii) integrate multiview data. A numerical comparison with other methods commonly used to combine information from different viewpoints led to error reduction, especially in poorly-explored volumes, which are frequent in actual canopies. Beyond its concision, completeness and efficiency, this new formulation -which can be applied to multiview TLS, but also UAV LiDAR scanning - can help reducing errors in LAD estimation.

The forest transition – or forest-area transition – has been put forward as a land-use concept by A.S. Mather in 1992 (The forest transition. Area 24, 367-379), to describe the historical trend generally observed in the forest area of developed countries, embodied in a V-shaped curve of the forest area over time, and that may serve as a paradigm to understand and anticipate deforestation in the developing world. Well in line with a geographical approach to forests, forest transition has thus been defined as one-dimensional, forest area being the reference state variable. From a forestry perspective, the analysis appears to be reductive, as forests are described by many other state variables than area, including forest growing stock, composition in tree species, or stand structure. Whether the drivers of forest transition (population dynamics, economic modes of production and consciousness, as classified by Mather) also impact these other forest state variables in a general way thus comes forth as a logical issue.From a deductive analysis of forest transition drivers, and from forest trends brought to light in Europe, France, and at other places in the world, we here argue that the forest transition concept can be extended to a multi-dimensional space of forest attributes, characterized by typical ideal dynamics. Cumulative impacts onto forests and irreversible losses in forest biodiversity over a forest transition are hence highlighted. Global change, as a parallel consequence of countries’ developing process, further appears as one additional albeit less coupled dimension of forest transition, as it modifies forest productivity and vitality over time. Since forest ecosystem services and forest profitability primarily depend on such attributes, we argue that the extension of the forest transition concept has significance for land-use change and forest protection issues. A prospect on future changes in the forests of developed countries with the European space as a benchmark is finally proposed that leads to extend the temporal significance of forest transition. Though poorly described, returning forests on abandoned agricultural lands are significant, and deserve greater attention.

This paper deals with the viscoelastic behavior during crystallization and melting of semicrystalline polymers with the aim of later modeling the residual stresses after processing in case where crystallization occurs in quasi static conditions (in additive manufacturing for example). Despite of an abundant literature on polymer crystallization, the current state of scientific knowledge does not yet allow ab initio modeling. Therefore, an alternative and pragmatic way has been explored to propose a first approximation of the impact of crystallization and melting on the storage and the loss moduli during crystallization-melting-crystallization cycle. An experimental approach, combining DSC, optical microscopy and oscillatory shear rheology was used to define macroscopic parameters related to the microstructure. These parameters have been integrated into a phenomenological model. Isothermal measurements were used to describe the general framework, and crystallization at a constant cooling rate was used to evaluate the feasibility of a general approach. It can be concluded that relying solely on the crystalline fraction is inadequate to model the rheology. Instead accounting for the microstructure at the spherulitic level could be more useful. Additionally, the results obtained from the experiments help to enhance our understanding of the correlations between crystallization kinetics and its mechanical effects.

We are losing love. By studying porn movies to understand love, I discovered that love originally comes from the body, from positive emotions and vibrations of the wonderful body, from the heart and all other parts of the body, such as sexual organs. António Damásio made Descartes’ error by postulating that feelings increase their power from homeostasis (mechanisms of life regu-lation from bacteria to humans). He made this mistake unconsciously because many people un-consciously have a very bad opinion of sexual organs. We consider them ugly because they come from the prehistoric period. I have combined António and Hanna Damásio’s work (body emotions, thinking and language). I discovered that porn actors do not talk during sex, and this is striking. Porn actors mirror what happens in society. This means that people come from prehistory, do not talk during sex, and still unconsciously behave like primitive animals during sexual intercourse; we do not respect the body sufficiently during sex. Therefore, love, which comes from the body, is smothered and buried. We must very delicately talk to the wonderful, delicious and respectful body to wake up love feelings, body emotions and vibrations during sex. We must invent talking movies with porn films. Language of positive emotions associated with the language of wonderful and delicious body will warm love feelings and will give envy to love through sexual intercourse because António Damásio discovered that emotions are social.

We propose a silviculture with a purely biological logic that takes soil into account. The article is divided into three parts: 1) presentation of the issue in the context of biodiversity and forest pro-tection; 2) impact of the soil functioning on forestry; 3) possible implementation of soil functioning in forestry practice, to support and protect a non-or minimally anthropized evolution of the forest. The first chapter illustrates the importance of the forest for the future of the planet and our human species, referring to recently published works on the topic of climate warming and biodiversity. The second illustrates the aspects that link soil dynamics to the silvogenetic cycle, focusing on the humipedon (organic and organo-mineral surface horizons, approximately the first 30 cm of forest soil), and more significant carbon storage in old forests since up to 2/3 is found in the soil. In the third chapter we consider the possibility of lengthening the forestry cycle, to allow the return of nutrients to the soil. Theoretical graphs and distribution models of the number of trees as a func-tion of diameter and age are reported, with examples of logging in uneven Alpine forests, with reference to Swiss fir-beech forests published on the Pro-Silva website.

Management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) presents challenges to even the most experienced wound care providers. Because of the chronic, non-healing nature of many DFUs, advances in the treatment and care of this disease process are particularly relevant. This case study aims to report the efficacy of the application of dehydrated amniotic membrane allograft (DAMA) to a diabetic foot ulcer. The patient in this study is a 44-year-old male who presented with an aggressive infection on his right foot, which resulted in an open wound of 18 months duration. This patient received weekly applications of dual-layer DAMA over seven weeks. Upon examination at the initial application, the wound was classified as a Wagner grade 3 with necrosis of the underlying muscle. Upon inspection at the final visit, the wound was closed entirely. The results that were shown include improvements in the size, depth, edges, necrotic tissue amount, and epithelization of the wound. This case study demonstrates that the ap-plication of DAMA has the potential to augment the body’s natural DFU healing response; however, future nonrandomized and randomized controlled trials are needed to establish its efficacy further.

The interaction of solution of poly (diallyldimethylammonium) chloride, PDADMAc and sodium dodecylsulfate, SDS has been studied using conductometric, densimeter and zeta potential methods. the critical micellization concentration (cmc) was determinated with conductance results and increased with the addition of PDADMAc comparing with solutions containing pure SDS. Further the degree of dissociation,  and thermodynamic parameters viz. free energy of micellization, and entropy of micellization, has been evaluated. there results demonstrated that surfactant/polymer complex is governed by both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The apparent molar volume, Vϕ and adiabatic compressibility, Kϕ;s have been determined for the SDS solution from density and speed sound data. the negative charge of the SDS solutions with polymer shows that these complexes probably do not contain surfactant in the form of micelles.

This paper establishes methods that quantify the structure of statistical interactions within a given data set using the characterization of information theory in cohomology by finite methods, and provides their expression in terms of statistical physic and machine learning. Following [1–3], we show directly that k multivariate mutual-informations (I_k) are k-coboundaries. The k-cocycles are given by I_k = 0, which generalize statistical independence to arbitrary dimension k. The topological approach allows to investigate Shannon’s information in the multivariate case without the assumptions of independent identically distributed variables. We develop the computationally tractable subcase of simplicial information cohomology represented by entropy H_k and information I_k landscapes. The I₁ component defines a self-internal energy functional U_k, and (−1)^k I_k,k≥2 components define the contribution to a free energy functional G_k of the k-body interactions. The set of information paths in simplicial structures is in bijection with the symmetric group and random processes, provides a topological expression of the 2nd law and points toward a discrete Noether theorem (1st law). The local minima of free-energy, related to conditional information negativity and the non-Shannonian cone of Yeung [4], characterize a minimum free energy complex. This complex formalizes the minimum free-energy principle in topology, provides a definition of a complex system, and characterizes a multiplicity of local minima that quantifies the diversity observed in biology. Finite data size effects and estimation bias severely constrain the effective computation of the information topology on data, and we provide simple statistical tests for the undersampling bias and for the k-dependences following [5]. We give an example of application of these methods to genetic expression and cell-type classification. The maximal positive I_k identifies the variables that co-vary the most in the population, whereas the minimal negative I_k identifies clusters and the variables that differentiate-segregate the most. The methods unravel biologically relevant I₁₀ with a sample size of 41. It establishes generic methods to quantify the epigenetic information storage and a unified epigenetic unsupervised learning formalism.

One of the challenges of deploying Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) at large scale is to operate for prolonged periods of time relying on the limited amounts of energy stored in its nodes. Generally, data communication is the main factor of draining energy. Consequently, reducing the amount of transmitted data by the nodes is of great interest. At the same time, reducing data to be transmitted should not decrease the quality of the deduced information. Solving this problematic is what we call in this article "Ensuring the Quality of Information Service (QoIS)". This document provides a state-of-the-art for the QoIS regarding WSNs. At first, we give a quick overview of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm and the WSN technologies in order to understand how data is gathered and used in these networks. Also, we introduce a novel concept: QoIS, in contrast with classic QoS. Then, it is expected a summary of criteria that asses the QoIS in WSNs plus some techniques to improve it. In this article, we will focus on data management techniques. These techniques can improve raw data, information and/or knowledge quality in energy-constrained WSNs. Finally, we give some conclusions and a glimpse about our future work.

Foot drop is a common disability in post-stroke patients and represents a challenge for the clinician. To date, Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) combined with conventional rehabilitation is the gold standard of rehabilitation management. AFO has a palliative mechanical action without actively restoring the associated neural function. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), consisting in stimulation of the peroneal nerve pathway, represents an alternative approach. By providing a FES device (Bioness L-300, BIONESS, USA) for 6 months to a post-stroke 22-year-old woman with a foot drop, our goal was to quantify its potential benefit on walking capacity. Gait parameters and the temporal evolution of the speed were collected with a specific connected sole device (Feet Me®) during the 10-meter walking, the Time Up and Go, and the 6-minute walking tests with AFO, FES or without any device (NO). As a result, the walking speed changes on 10-meters were clinically significant with an increase from baseline to 6 months in AFO and FES conditions (+0.14m-1 and +0.36m-1), without any changes in NO condition. In addition, speed decreased at about 4-minutes of the 6-minute walking test in NO and AFO conditions, while speed increased in FES conditions at baseline and after 1, 3 and 6 months. Monitoring gait speed in an endurance test after an ecological rehabilitation training program helps to examine walking performance in post-stroke patients and to propose a specific rehabilitation program depending on a fatigue threshold.

ABSTRACT. In this paper, we run for all INDIA mutations and variants a biomathematical numerical method for analysing mRNA nucleotides sequences based on UA/CG Fibonacci numbers proportions (Perez, 2021). In this study, we limit ourselves to the analysis of whole genomes, all coming from the mutations and variants of SARS-CoV2 sequenced in India in 2020 and 2021. We then demonstrate - both on actual genomes of patients and on variants combining the most frequent mutations to the SARS-CoV2 Wuhan genomes and then to the B.1.617 variant - that the numerical Fibonacci AU / CG metastructures increase considerably in all cases analyzed in ratios of up to 8 times. We can affirm that this property contributes to a greater stability and lifespan of messenger RNAs, therefore, possibly also to a greater INFECTUOSITY of these variant genomes. Out of a total of 108 genomes analyzed: - None ("NONE") of them contained a number of metastructures LOWER than those of the reference SARS-CoV2 Wuhan genome. - Eleven (11) among them contained the same number of metastructures as the reference genome. - 97 of them contained a GREATER number of metastructures than the reference genome, ie 89.81% of cases. The average increase in the number of metastructures for the 97 cases studied is 4.35 times the number of SARS-CoV2 UA/CG 17711 Fibonacci metastructures. Finally, we put a focus on B.1.617.2 crucial exponential growth Indian variant. Then, we demonstrate, by analyzing the main worldwide 19 variants, both at the level of spikes and of whole genomes, how and why these UA / CG metastuctures increase overall in the variants compared to the 2 reference strains SARS-CoV2 Wuhan and D614G.

Education outside the classroom (EOtC) can be beneficial for students. The relationship between biological stress markers and sedentary behavior (SB) plus physical activity (PA) is insufficiently evaluated in school settings. This exploratory study aims to evaluate the association between students’ cortisol, plus circulating cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) levels, and their SB, light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) during outdoor and indoor classes in different seasons. We assessed data from an education outside the classroom (EOtC) program (n = 48; intervention group [IG], n = 37; control group [CG], n = 11). We sampled data on 3 school-days in three seasons (fall, spring, and summer) in normal teaching indoors (CG) and outdoor lessons (IG) in the forest. SB and PA were evaluated by accelerometry, and cortisol and cfDNA levels by saliva samples. The compositional data analysis approach analyzed SB and PA. Fitted Bayesian hierarchical linear models evaluated the association between cortisol and cfDNA, and SB/LPA/MVPA. A steady decline of cortisol in the outdoor setting is associated with relatively high levels of LPA. SB and MVPA tended to exhibit a similar effect in the indoor setting. CfDNA is positively associated with a relatively high amount of SB in the IG, the same association is likely for LPA and MVPA in both groups. LPA seems to support a healthy cortisol decrease in children during outdoor lessons. The relevance of SB/PA as a composition in relation to students stress response in school should be emphasized. This study facilitates the formulation of straightforward and directed hypotheses for further research.

In the year in which the world "stopped" due to the pandemic, many people didn't have that option and had to keep moving as the only alternative to survive. One of the main destinations in South America, during the quarantine measures established around the world, was Brazil, especially because of the crisis Venezuela went through in the second half of the 2010s. Throughout the research, we observed measures that were applied by the Brazilian government on the grounds of public health issues or cases of health risks related to COVID-19. An analysis of the first measures published by the Brazilian government reveals an effort to securitize borders, which at the same time restricted the government's responsibility to fulfil its role of protecting migrants in need.

Corneal diseases are the third leading cause of blindness worldwide. There are numerous causes of corneal blindness, and the common treatment for this condition often involves corneal tissue transplantation, such as Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). DMEK has been established as the preferred surgical technique for the treatment of corneal endothelial disorders. The success of DMEK depends largely on the quality of the donor endothelial cells and the trans-plantation procedure. However, the scarcity of suitable donor tissue and the sensitivity of endo-thelial cells pose a major challenge. In recent years, tissue engineering has attracted attention as potential solutions to these problems. This review offers an outline of the current landscape of DMEK in the context of bioengineering, exploring various methodologies, advancements, and fu-ture prospects.

Deforestation and associated changing landscapes are major components of environmental changes, with important implications for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation. Tropical forests are hot spots of biodiversity and provide multiple goods and ecosystem services which benefit people in many ways Forest also play an important role in health-related legends, myths, and fairy tales from all over the world, and are important sources of new potential emerging microbial threats to human. Although plausibly numerous abundant microbial forms with a forest origin may exist, our systematic literature review shows that forest-derived infection studies are relatively unexplored, and both taxonomically and geographically biased. Since biodiversity has been associated with emergence of novel infectious diseases at macro-scale, we describe the main biogeographical patterns in the emerging infection-biodiversity-forest loss nexus. Then, we illustrate four fine-scale case studies to decipher the underlying processes of increased infection risk in changing forest clearing landscapes. Finally, we identify scientific challenges and regional management measures required to mitigate these important new emerging threats.

ABSTRACT. In this paper, we suggest a biomathematical numerical method for analysing mRNA nucleotides sequences based on UA/CG Fibonacci numbers proportions. This method is used to evaluate then compare the spike genes related to the main SARS-CoV2 VARIANTS currently circulating within the world population. The 10 main results proposed to be reproduced by peers are: 1/ SARS-CoV2 genome and spike evolution in one year 2020-2021. 2/ SARS-CoV2 Origins. 3/ Comparing 11 reference variants spikes. 4/ analysing 32 CAL.20C California variant patients spikes. 5/ Toward a meta mRNA Fibonacci gene end message code. 6/ Analysing S501 UK, S484 South Africa and « 2 mutations » INDIA variants. 7/ Suggesting a possible variants spike mRNA palindrome symmetry metastructure improving mRNA stability then infectiousness. 8/ Analysing Fibonacci Metastructures in the mRNA coding for the vaccines PFIZER and MODERNA. 9/ Does the CG-rich modification of the synonymous codons of the spikes of the 2 mRNA vaccines affect the expression and quantity of SARS-CoV2 antibodies? 10/ The exceptional case of the Brazilian variant P.1. Particularly, we suggest the following conjecture at mRNA folding level : CONJECTURE of SARS-CoV2 VARIANTS: The growth of long Fibonacci structures in the shape of "podiums" for almost all of the variants studied (UK, California, South Africa, India, etc.) suggests the probable folding of the Spike mRNA in the form of a "hairpin", which can strengthen the cohesion and the lifespan of this mRNA. Finally, we show that these kinds of Fibonacci matastructures disapear TOTALLY by analysing the published mRNA sequences of PFIZER and MODERNA vaccines. One fact is certain, the two mRNAs of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will result in a low functionality of the spike vaccine. This is because their designers by seeking greater stability, have doped to build CG rich sequences which, as soon as they are inserted into the human host, will, paradoxically, seek to mutate, like SARS-CoV2 variants, towards CG ==> UA forms in order to improve their STABILITY and LIFETIME. We conclude using new biomathematics theoretical methods (Master code and numerical standing waves), and comparing the Spikes of the two vaccines Moderna and Pfizer, that there will be very probable differences in stability and shelf life of the two respective mRNAs vaccines. However, “State of the Art” analyzes will disclose that their two protein sequences are strictly identical. By modified their synonymous codons using different strategies, no one can guarantee that the quantity of antibodies generated will be identical in the two cases. We wish to draw attention to the great ADAPTATION power - at the global scale of their genomes - of the most infectious VARIANTS, such as the BRAZIL 20J / 501Y.V3 variant (P.1). This is very worrying for the VACCINES <==> VARIANTS run: We demonstrate how the Brazilian variant P.1 which becomes uncontrollable in Brazil in April 2021 has a level of organization of long metastructures of 17,711 bases covering the genome which is 3.6 more important than that of the 2 reference genomes SARS-CoV2 and worldwide D614G. We suggest that this high level of overall structure of this variant contributes to the stability of this genome and, might explain its greater contagiousness.

Although adults and children differ in self-versus-other perception, the developmental perspective on this discriminative ability is missing. We compared neural activation of self-vs-others in 39 participants of 4 different age groups (4 yo. to adulthood). Two brain regions, the MCC and right postcentral gyrus, exhibited respectively non-linear and gradual gains in discriminative abilities for self-vs-others stimuli. These regions play critical roles in self-referential processing, empathy, and social cognition. Nine brain regions showed linear increase for others-vs-self stimuli. These regions are associated with multisensory processing, somatosensory skills, complex visual stimuli, self-awareness, empathy, theory of mind, and social recognition. Understanding the neural basis of self-vs-others discrimination during development can inform when and how social contexts support learning processes during childhood and adolescence.

In (Venetz et al., 2019), authors rebuilt the essential genome of Caulobacter crescentus through the process of chemical synthesis rewriting and studied the genetic information content at the level of its essential genes. Then, they reduced the native Caulobacter crescentus native Caulobacter NA1000 genome sequence real genome ( 4042929 bp ) to the 785,701-bp reduced synthetic genome. Here we demonstrate the existence of a palindromic-like mirror structure that exists in real genomes and disappears totally in the synthetic genome. This biomathematic meta-organization is based on characteristic proportions of Fibonacci numbers between DNA single strand nucleotides proportions TC / AG on the one hand and TG / AC on the other hand. In both cases, we suggest that this meta-structure enhances the three-dimensional cohesion of the two DNA strands of the genome. We then generalize this study to the different synthetic genomes and synthetic cells published by the Craig Venter Institute on Mycoplasma Mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 (in 2010), JCVI-syn3.0 (in 2016) and JCVI-syn3A (in 2019). Finally, in the discussion section, we extend this study to synthetic genomes of E-Coli and Yeast chromosome XII.

Research for a theory of quantum gravity has recently led to the use of presheaf topos. Quantum uncertainty is linked to the truth values of intuitionistic logic. This paper proposes transposing this model into a classic probability context, that of conditional mathematical expectations. A simulation of Brownian motion is offered for illustrative purposes.

Nanodiamonds of detonation origin are promising delivery agents of anti-cancer therapeutic compounds in a whole organism like mouse, owing to their versatile surface chemistry and ultra-small 5 nm average primary size compatible with natural elimination routes. However, to date, little is known about tissue distribution, elimination pathways and efficacy of nanodiamonds-based therapy in mice. In this report, we studied the capacity of cationic hydrogenated detonation nanodiamonds to carry active small interfering RNA (siRNA) in a mice model of Ewing sarcoma, a bone cancer of young adult due in the vast majority to the EWS-Fli1 junction oncogene. Replacing hydrogen gas by its radioactive analog tritium gas led to the formation of labeled nanodiamonds and allowed us to investigate their distribution throughout mouse organs and their excretion in urine and feces. We also demonstrated that siRNA directed against EWS-Fli1 inhibited this oncogene expression in tumor xenografted on mice. This work is a significant step to establish cationic hydrogenated detonation nanodiamond as an effective agent for in vivo delivery of active siRNA.

Economic valuations of ecosystem services often transfer previously estimated global unit values to the geographical setting of interest. While this approach produces quick results, its reliability depends on how representative the large-scale average unit values are for the given local context. Here, we estimate the values of three ecosystem services (ES) – water filtration, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration – in the Grand River watershed (GRW) of southern Ontario, Canada. The watershed covers nearly 7000 km2, has a humid continental climate and a population of close to one million people. Land cover is dominated by agriculture. We compare ES valuations using locally derived (i.e., GRW-specific) unit values to valuations based on unit values from a regional database and those compiled in the global Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD). The regional database includes mean unit values from three case studies within southern Ontario and one boreal watershed in British Columbia. As expected, the regional database yields average monetary values for the three ES that are close to those obtained with the local unit values but with larger associated uncertainties. Using the ESVD, however, results in significantly higher monetary values for the ES. For water filtration, the ESVD value is more than five times higher than the regional and local estimates. We further illustrate the effect of the extent of aggregation of forested and agricultural land categories on the ES values. For example, by subdividing the forest category into three sub-categories (deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forest), the estimated value of the carbon sequestration ES of forested areas within the GRW increases by 15%. Overall, our results emphasize the importance of critically assessing the origin of unit values and the land cover resolution in ES valuation, especially when the latter is used as a policy-guiding tool.

Terrestrial LiDAR becomes more and more popular to estimate leaf and plant area density. Voxel-based approaches account for this vegetation heterogeneity and significant work has been done in this recent research field, but no general theoretical analysis is available. Although estimators have been proposed and several causes of biases have been identified, their consistency and efficiency have not been evaluated. Also, confidence intervals are almost never provided. In the present paper, we solve the transmittance equation and use the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), to derive unbiased estimators and confidence intervals for the attenuation coefficient, which is proportional to leaf area density. The new estimators and confidence intervals are defined at voxel scale, and account for the number of beams crossing the voxel, the inequality of path lengths in voxel, the size of vegetation elements, as well as for the variability of element positions between vegetation samples. They are completed by numerous numerical simulations for the evaluation of estimator consistency and efficiency, as well as the assessment of the coverage probabilities of confidence intervals. • Although commonly used when the beam number is low, the usual estimators are strongly biased and the 95% confidence intervals can be ≈±100% of the estimate. • Our unbiased estimators are consistent in a wider range of validity than the usual ones, especially for the unbiased MLE, which is consistent when the beam number is as low as 5. The unbiased MLE is efficient, meaning it reaches the lowest residual errors that can be expected (for an unbiased estimator). Also the unbiased MLE does not require any bias correction when path lengths are unequal. • When elements are small (or voxel is large), 103 beams entering the voxel leads to some confidence intervals ≈±10%, but when elements are larger (or voxel smaller), it can remain wider than ±50%, even for a large beam number. This is explained by the variability of element positions between vegetation samples. Such a result shows that a significant part of residual error can be explained by random effects. • Confidence intervals are much smaller (±5 to 10%) when LAD estimates are averaged over several small voxels, typically within a horizontal layer or in the crown of individual plants. In this context, our unbiased estimators show a reduction of 50% of the radius of confidence intervals, in comparison to usual estimators. Our study provides some new ready-to-use estimators and confidence intervals for attenuation coefficients, which are consistent and efficient within a fairly large range of parameter values. The consistency is achieved for a low beam number, which is promising for application to airborne LiDAR data. They entail to raise the level of understanding and confidence on LAD estimation. Among other applications, their usage should help determine the most suitable voxel size, for given vegetation types and scanning density, whereas existing guidelines are highly variable among studies, probably because of differences in vegetation, scanning design and estimators.

Background and Objectives: The relevance of red flags in serious spinal pathology (SSP) evolved throughout the last years. Recently, new considerations have been proposed to expand the consideration of red flags. The purpose of this study was to determine, approve and test a model for the triage and manage-ment process of SSP based on the latest data available in the literature. Materials and Methods: The SSP model was initially built on the basis of a literature re-view. The model was further determined and approved by an expert panel us-ing a Delphi process. Finally, clinical scenario were used to test the applicabil-ity of the model. Results: After three rounds of Delphi process, panellists reached a consensus on a final version of the model. The use of clinical scenari-os by experts bring about reflexive elements both on the determined model and on the evocative SSP of the clinical cases. Conclusions: The validation of the model and its implementation in the clinical field could help assess the skills of first-line practitioners managing spinal painful patients. To this end, the devel-opment of additional clinical scenarios fitting with the determined model should be further considered.

The synthesis these past few years of novel organic molecules that spontaneously self-assemble into a large variety of molecular architecture, particularly generating organogels, has opened up new horizons for preparing functional materials. Here, we present an original preparation path of such materials through the making of hybrid gels of these molecules together with covalent polymers. Three types of systems are described: i) intermingled gels where a polymer gel and an organogel pervade one another; ii) encapsulation of self-assembled filaments in polymer fibrils, which provides a system with unusual magnetic properties; iii) the reverse situation where self-assembled nanotubes sheathe polymer fibrils. Here two covalent polymers are considered: a neutral polymer, namely stereoregular polystyrene (isotactic or syndiotactic), and a semi-conducting polymer, P3BT. In the latter case, semi-conducting nanowires are obtained.

The discovery of a simple numerical formula for the projection of all the atomic mass of life-sustaining CONHSP bioatoms leads to the emergence of a set of Nested CODES unifying all the biological, genetic and genomic components by unifying them from bioatoms up to 'to whole genomes. In particular, we demonstrate the existence of a digital meta-code common to the three languages ​​of biology that are RNA, DNA and amino acid sequences. Through this meta-code, genomic and proteomic images appear almost analogous and correlated. The analysis of the textures of these images then reveals a binary code as well as an undulatory code whose analysis on the human genome makes it possible to predict the alternating bands constituting the cariotypes of the chromosomes. The application of these codes to perspectives in astrobiology, in Cancers basic research and the emergence of binary codes and regions of local stability (voting process), whose fractal nature we demonstrate, is illustrated.

The objective of this study was to detail the monomer composition of resin-based dental materials sold in the market in 2023 and to evaluate the proportion of BPA derivatives in relation with their applications. A search on manufacturers’ websites was performed to reference resin-based dental materials currently on the market. Their monomer composition was determined from material safety data sheets and completed with a search on PubMed database. Among the 543 material compositions exploitable, 382 (70.3%) contained BPA derivatives. Among them, 56.2% contained BisGMA, 28% BisEMA, the most frequently reported. A total of 59 monomers of which 6 BPA-derivatives were found. 309 materials (56.9%) contained UDMA and 292 (53.8%) TEGDMA. Less than one third of materials identified contained no BPA derivatives. These proportions vary a lot depending on their applications with materials dedicated to dental care of young populations containing the highest proportions of BPA-derivatives monomers. The long-term effects on human health of the different monomers identified including BPA-derivatives monomers is a source of concern. For children and pregnant or lactating women arises the question to take a precautionary principle and avoid the use of resin-based dental materials likely to release BPA by opting for alternative materials.

The Benford method can be used to detect manipulation of epidemiological or trial data during the validation of new drugs. We extend here the Benford method after having detected particular properties for the Fibonacci values 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 of the first decimal of 10 runs of official epidemiological data published in France and Italy (positive cases, intensive care, and deaths) for the periods of March 1 to May 30, 2020 and 2021, each with 91 raw data. This new method – called “BFP” for Benford-Fibonacci-Perez - is positive in all 10 cases (i.e. 910 values) with an average of favorable cases close to 80%, which, in our opinion, would validate the reliability of these basic data.

Since 1998, when Jim van Etten’s team initiated its characterization, Paramecium bursaria Chlorella virus 1 (PBCV-1) had been the largest known DNA virus, both in terms particle size and genome complexity. In 2003, The Acanthamoeba-infecting Mimivirus unexpectedly superseded PBCV-1, opening the era of giant viruses, i.e. with virions large enough to be visible by light microscopy and genomes encoding more proteins than many bacteria. During the 15 following years, the isolation of many Mimivirus-relatives, have made the Mimiviridae one of the largest and most diverse family of eukaryotic viruses isolated from aquatic environments. Metagenomic studies keep suggesting that many more remain to be isolated. As Mimiviridae members are found to infect an increasing range of phytoplanckton species, their taxonomic position compared to the traditional Phycodnaviridae (i.e. etymologically “algal viruses”) became a source of confusion in the literature. Following a rapid history of the key discoveries that established the Mimiviridae family, we describe its current taxonomic structure and propose a set of operational criteria to help in the classification of future isolates.

One-step reactive melt processing (REx) via radical reaction was evaluated with the aim of improving the rheological properties of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). In particular, a water-assisted REx was designed under the hypothesis of increasing crosslinking efficiency with water as a low viscous medium in comparison with a slower PCL macroradicals diffusion in the melt state. To assess the effect of dry vs. water-assisted REx on PCL, its structural, thermo-mechanical and rheological properties were investigated. Water-assisted REx resulted in increased PCL gel fraction compared to dry REx (from 1 to 34 %), proving the rationale under the formulated hypothesis. From dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile tests, the crosslink did not significantly affect the PCL mechanical performance. Dynamic rheological measurements showed that higher PCL viscosity was reached with increasing branching/crosslinking and the typical PCL Newtonian behavior was shifting towards a progressively more pronounced shear thinning. A complete transition from viscous- to solid-like PCL melt behavior was recorded, demonstrating that higher melt elasticity can be obtained as a function of gel content by controlled REx. Improvement in rheological properties offers the possibility of broadening PCL melt processability without hindering its recycling by melt processing.

Tumor cells evolve in a complex and heterogeneous environment composed of different cell types and an extracellular matrix. Current 2D culture methods are very limited in their ability to mimic the cancer cell environment. In recent years, various 3D models of cancer cells have been developed, notably in the form of spheroids/organoids, using scaffold or cancer-on-chip devices. However, these models have the disadvantage of not being able to precisely control the organization of multiple cell types in complex architecture and are sometimes not very reproducible in their production, and this is especially true for spheroids. Three-dimensional bioprinting can produce complex, multi-cellular, and reproducible constructs in which the matrix composition and rigidity can be adapted locally or globally to the tumor model studied. For these reasons, 3D bioprinting seems to be the technique of choice to mimic the tumor microenvironment in vivo as closely as possible. In this review, we discuss different 3D-bioprinting technologies, including bioinks and crosslinkers that can be used for in vitro cancer models, and the techniques used to study cells grown in hydrogels; finally, we provide some applications of bioprinted cancer models.