Increasing quality of life (QoL) is both an end in itself and a means to optimize the impact of treatment in HIV-infected persons. Possibly due to cultural and social influences, the predictors of QoL vary across studies, which highlights the importance of studying specific populations. In the present study, we wanted to determine the sociodemographic (age, sex, schooling) and psychosocial correlates (meaning in life, social support, positive and negative affect) of QoL in HIV-infected patients living in Mozambique, a country with high prevalence of HIV, but also with well-structured strategies to fight the disease. To that end, we made correlational analyses followed by regression models, and we examined potential mediation processes among predictors. All correlates were relevant except sex. Meaning in life was the strongest predictor, while social support was the weakest. Schooling was both directly and indirectly related with QoL - in the latter case, it was mediated by meaning in life, social support and positive affect. Our findings suggest that investments in education may be highly rewarding to Mozambicans, and that satisfying needs of self-actualization and purpose may be more urgent than improving social connections.

Eelgrass meadows have attracted a lot of attention not only for their ability to maintain marine ecosystems as feeding grounds for marine organisms, but also for their potential to store atmos-pheric and dissolved CO2 as blue carbon. This study comprehensively evaluated the bacterial and chemical composition data obtained from eelgrass sediments of different scales along the coast of Japan to investigate the sediment effect on the acclimatization of eelgrass. Regardless eelgrass habitat, approximately 1% Anaerolineales, Babeliales, Cytophagales, and Phycisphaerales were present in the bottom sediment. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were present at 3.69 % in eelgrass sediment compared to 1.70 % in bare sediment. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were present at 2.81% and 1.10% in the eelgrass and bare sediment, respectively. Bacterial composition analysis and linear discriminant analysis revealed that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria detoxified H2S in the eelgrass meadows and that the larger-scale eelgrass meadows had a higher diversity of sul-fur-oxidizing bacteria. Our result indicated that one of the following systems detoxifies the H2S in eelgrass meadows microbial oxidation by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, oxidation by O2 perme-ated by the physical diffusion of benthos. This study indicated the issues of maintaining sustain-able conservation of the eelgrass bed.

The macro-litter (plastic) sea bottom pollution of 14 city harbors and marinas in North Africa and in the western Baltic Sea was investigated using a new simple mobile underwater camera system. The study was complemented by a harbor manager survey and 3D-hydrodynamic transport simulations. The average pollution in German marinas was 0.1 particles/m² sea floor (0.04–1.75). The pollution in North African marinas on average was 7 times higher (0.7 particles/m²) and exceeded 3 particles/m² in city center harbors. The resulting >100,000 litter particles per harbor indicate the existence of a problem. With 73%-74%, plastic particles are dominating. Existing legal and management frameworks explain the lack of plastic bottles and bags on sea floors in Germany and are one reason for the lower pollution levels. Items that indicate the role of untreated sewage water were not found. Harbor festivals seem not to be quantitatively relevant for open sea bottom pollution. Our method tends to underestimate the pollution level. Model simulations indicate that storms can cause litter reallocations and sediment cleanings. However, marina sea floor monitoring is recommendable, because it addresses pollution hot-spots, is cost-effective and takes place close to emission sources. Further, the effectiveness of land-based pollution reduction measures can easily be assessed.

Decapod assemblages in Zostera marina beds from two bays adjacent to unvegetated habitats were investigated to assess their influence on decapod assemblages. Thirty-eight decapod species belonging to 4 taxa were collected using a small beam trawl at four habitat types from two different locations off the coast of Namhae Island, southern Korea. Dominant decapod taxon at all habitats was the caridean shrimps, with Eualus leptognathus, Heptacarpus pandaloides, Latreutes anoplonyx, La. laminirostris and Palaemon macrodactylus being the most abundant caridean species. Crabs were characterized by the highest biomass, but moderate species richness and abundance. Penaeoids and sergestoids shrimps only accounted for <1% of the total decapod abundance. The number of species, their abundance, and the diversity of decapod assemblages varied greatly by habitat type, season, and diel patterns. Species number and abundance peaked in seagrass beds of southern exposed bays during the autumn, and were lowest in unvegetated habitats during the summer months. Diel decapod species and catch rates were higher at night. Dense seagrass vegetation and nighttime supported greater decapod species richness and higher mean densities, but not diversity. Multivariate analyses revealed that habitat type and season significantly affected the structure of decapod assemblages, but diel patterns had a minor influence. Among decapod species, Pa. macrodactylus and Pugettia quadridens characterized the decapod assemblages in seagrass beds at the northern semi-closed bay, while Telmessus acutidens, Crangon affinis, Cr. hakodatei, Charybdis japonica and Portunus sanguinolentus were significantly associated with both vegetated and unvegetated habitats at the southern exposed bay, with the former two species more abundant during winter and spring.

Abstract: Pasteurella spp. is a gram-negative bacterium that is part of the oral and upper respira-tory tract microbiota of many animals such as canids and felines. In humans it can produce pa-thology primarily associated with animal bites or scratches. In addition, members of this genus, and especially Pasteurella multocida, may also be involved in systemic infections, mainly in im-munocompromised patients in close contact with pets. The aim of this study is to analyse the prevalence and clinical characteristics of infections caused by Pasteurella spp. as well as the sensitivity profile of these isolates obtained in the Microbiology laboratory of the Hospital Can Misses (Ibiza, Ibiza and Formentera Health Area, ASEF) in the period from January 2013 to December 2018. The group of islands of Ibiza and Formentera is known as the Pitiusas Islands. Retrospective descriptive study in which all Pasteurella spp. isolates were analysed in the Microbiology Laboratory of Hospital Can Misses from 1 January 2013 to 31 De-cember 2018. Bacterial identification was performed by Vitek 2 automated biochemical test panel (bioMérieux, Spain) and antimicrobial susceptibility by E-test or antibiotic discs in Mueller-Hinton blood agar, interpreted based on European Committee on An-timicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) standards, 2022 version. Medical records were systematically reviewed by collecting demographic data of infected patients, comorbidities, epidemiological data and clinical features of the infection. A total of 22 isolates of Pasterurella spp. were obtained from 22 different patients, 62.8% female, from three different species: 18 P. multocida, 2 P. canis and 2 P. pneumo-tropica. Most isolates came from soft tissue infection samples: 7 wound exudates and 5 abscess material. The antibiotics tested with the highest sensitivity profile were gen-tamicin and cefepime (100% sensitivity). The species most commonly isolated in our environment is P. multocida. Close contact with companion animals, especially cats and dogs, is the main risk factor for Pasteurella spp. infections, although in many cases such contact cannot be established. So Pasteurella spp. infection should be considered a zoonosis in possible emergency, especially in rural areas such as Pitiusas Islands.

Panama possesses multiple wetlands designated as protected areas and zones of internationally recognized importance, one amongst them, the Bahía de Panamá wetland Ramsar site, which represents approximately 21% of the national mangrove surface coverage. Due to the major ecological and economic relevance of mangrove ecosystems and their vulnerability to the effects of a changing climate it is considered necessary to perform in situ studies that evaluate the changes in sensitive meteorological parameters. This research was carried out with the objective of measuring air temperature and relative humidity values in a section of the Panama Bay wetland for the 2017-2018 period. This section, neighboring urban development projects, houses since the year 2015 the first tower for determining eddy covariance and measuring micrometeorological parameters in mangrove forests in Panama. We determined monthly and yearly mean values for the studied variables and determined the correlation between them with the use of Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results show that both parameters still remain at tolerable levels for this type of ecosystems, with both years having very similar annual mean temperatures (27.47 ± 0.32°C for 2017 and 27.48 ± 0.67°C for 2018) and the annual mean relative humidity for 2018, being 85.35%.

Sentiment analysis to characterize properties of Bitcoin prices and their forecasting is here developed thanks to the capability of the Fuzzy transform to capture stylized facts and mutual connections between time series having different nature. Six years of daily Bitcoin Prices and Google Trends are analyzed in order to establish new perspectives in the management of their dynamics.

The North-Marchean Apennines (central Italy) host an extraordinary geological and geomor-phological heritage, significant for its richness, diversity, rarity, scientific interest, aesthetic ap-peal, naturalistic, cultural, and educational values. The area, which covers 600 square kilometres and includes numerous spectacular geosites, embraces 18 municipalities in the provinces of Pesaro-Urbino and Ancona. These municipalities are distributed along the ridge that includes the peaks of Mts. Strega, Catria, Acuto, Petrano, Tenetra and Nerone and covers the parallel ridge of Mts. Paganuccio-Pietralata, together with the spectacular Furlo Gorge. It is a real geological museum outdoors, which, with its continuous stratigraphic succession of 200 million years, its geosites, and a vast system of karstic caves, is distinctive for geologists all over the world. This study aims to analyse the environmental heritage of the North-Marchean Apennines through the integrated study and description of the geo-environmental aspects of 7 geosites, se-lected from a list of 44, presented here and localized. These 7 geosites were chosen as being par-ticularly significant from a scientific, naturalistic as well as aesthetic, and cultural point of view. The richness of its geological and geomorphological heritage and the great wealth of its naturalistic, historical, and cultural aspects make it an area with high educational, tourist and recreational potential.

Spent batteries recycling is an important way to obtain low-cost graphite. Nevertheless, the obtaining of crystalline graphite with a rather low density of defects is required for many applications. In the present work, high-quality graphites have been obtained from different kinds of spent batteries. Black masses from spent alkaline batteries (batteries black masses, BBM), and lithium-ion batteries from smartphones (smartphone black masses, SBM) and electric and/or hybrid vehicles (lithium-ion black masses, LBM) were used as starting materials. A hydrometallurgical process was then used to obtain recycled graphites by acidic leaching. Different leaching conditions were used depending on the type of the initial black mass. The final solids were characterized by a wide set of complementary techniques.

Live streaming conferences increase the participation of a diverse audience, help defray travel costs and overcome problems related to travel restrictions. In this article, we lay out tips for implementing live-streaming in scientific meetings. We also cover legal, ethical, and technical aspects implicated with live-streaming scientific talks. To write this article, we leveraged knowledge from our experience in organizing the symposium “Deciphering the Denisovans,” presented at the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropology (AAPA) in Cleveland, OH, in 2019, as well as literature on the topic.

The aim of this document is to present how the interpretation of the RVM (Recovery Voltage Measurement) test can be improved through the use of a Debye equivalent circuit. As it is described in the literature the interpretation of the RVM test requires expertise and if the transformer presents a high interfacial polarization it is not possible to diagnose it in detail. Debye model is proposed in this work for enhancing RVM interpretation. This model is based on an electrical circuit that includes basic R-L-C components, that allows two interesting features: on one hand, isolation physical effects can be separately represented and, on the other, the values of the R-C components can be calculated from the RVM response (L components are not used in this work as long as no magnetic field effects are taken into account). Thus, the different isolation effects that are indistinguishable merged in the RVM transient response can be split into different R-C branches, each one corresponding with a single (not merged) isolation effect. Finally, several case studies are presented, in which it is correlated a dielectric oil treatment carried out and the equivalent circuit changes.

Thalassemia treatment still relies on supportive care, including mainly blood transfusion and iron chelation therapy. Iron chelation therapy is considered the main responsible factor for the marked improvement in survival of thalassemic patients. Hemosiderosis should be prevented with appropriate chelation therapy from early childhood, timely dose adjustment according to changing body weight, as well as close monitoring of organ iron overload. Three iron chelators are currently available and the choice of appropriate chelator or their combination in pediatric population is individualized, depending on iron overload in target organs, patient age, adverse events and compliance issues, due to the limitations in their administration.

The development of multidrug resistance by pathogenic bacteria and yeast is a significant medical problem that needs to be addressed. One possible answer could be the combined use of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles, which have different mechanisms of antimicrobial action. Nanoparticles can be combined with antifungal agents in the same way. Biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using environmentally friendly technology using extracts of biologically active plants are an effective nanomaterial that needs to be comprehensively investigated for implementation into medical practice. In this study, the synergistic effects arising from their combined use with antibiotics and fungicides against various bacteria and yeasts, included in the ESKAPE list, were studied. Effective concentrations of substances were established, recommendations for the studied pathogenic species were presented and the effect of destruction of the bacterial membrane was illustrated. The most significant synergistic effect was manifested in pathogenic candida and brewer's yeast.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, anxiety, hyperactivity, and restricted interest for specific subjects. In addition to the genetic factors, multiple environmental factors have been related to the development of ASD. Animal models can serve as crucial tools for understanding the complexity of ASD and identifying potential therapeutic strategies. In this study, a chemical model of ASD has been developed in zebrafish by exposing embryos to valproic acid (VPA) from 4 to 48 hours post-fertilization. After the exposure, embryos were transferred to fish water and the effects on behavior and neurotransmitters profile were analyzed at both larval and adult stages. Larvae from VPA-treated embryos showed hyperactivity and decreased visual and vibrational escape responses, as well as an altered neurotransmitters profile, with increased glutamate and decreased acetylcholine and norepinephrine levels. Adults from VPA-treated embryos exhibited impaired social behavior characterized by larger shoal sizes and a decreased interest for their conspecifics. Neurotransmitter analysis revealed a significant decrease in dopamine and GABA levels in the brain. These results support the interest of this model in the study of ASD.

The main objective of this work is the design and implementation of self-adaptive capabilities in wireless sensors by applying control engineering and model-based design methodologies. It has been addressed the problem related to the changes in the flow of data packets through the network connection and the excess energy consumption that this causes in these devices. To design the solution, a systemic characterization of the scheduling and execution process of embedded tasks on the device has been carried out. This means defining cause-effect relationships in the system and its modelling theoretically and/or experimentally. In turn, these models facilitate the design of control strategies to improve the dynamic behavior of the system. As a solution, a self-adaptation strategy based on feedforward control algorithm has been designed and developed, which has been applied to improve the dynamic behavior and resource consumption. The developed solution has been satisfactorily evaluated experimentally.

The genus Amphichorda has been recently re-erected as an independent linage from Beauveria, circumscribed within Cordycipitaceae. However, its phylogenetic relationships with other members of this family remain obscure. In our on-going efforts to expand the knowledge on the diversity of culturable ascomycetes from the Mediterranean Sea, we isolated several specimens of Amphichorda. Preliminary sequence analyses revealed great phylogenetic distance with accepted Amphichorda species and a close relation to Onychophora coprophila. Onychophora is a monotypic genus of enteroblastic conidiogenous cells, presumably related to Acremonium (Bionectriaceae); while Amphichorda exhibits holoblastic conidiogenesis. Here, we examine representative strains of Amphichorda species to resolve the taxonomy of the genus and the above-mentioned fungi combining morphological, ultrastructure and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, tef1, BenA). The results revealed Amphichorda as a member of the Bionectriaceae, where its asexual morphs represent a transition between enteroblastic and holoblastic conidiogenesis for this group of fungi. We also describe and illustrate Amphichorda littoralis sp. nov., and propose the new combination Amphichorda coprophila. In addition, we stablish key phenotypic features to distinguish Amphichorda species and demonstrate the higher salt tolerance degree of A. littoralis, consistent with its marine origin. This work provides a comprehensive framework for future studies in the genus.

Nowadays, mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have experimented a remarkable development of studies among childhood and adolescent interventions. For this reason, dispositional mindfulness (DM) measures for children and adolescents have been developed to determine the effectiveness of MBI at this age stage. However, little is known about how key elements of DM (f. e., cognitive de/fusion or experiential avoidance that both conform psychological inflexibility) are involved in the mechanisms of the children and adolescents’ mental health outcomes. This research examined the mediating effect of cognitive fusion between DM and anxiety and other negative emotional states in a sample of 318 Spanish primary-school students (aged between 8 and 16 years, M=11.24, SD=2.19, 50.8% males). Participants completed the AFQ-Y, which is a measure of psychological inflexibility that encompasses cognitive defusion and experiential avoidance; CAMM (DM for children and adolescents), PANAS-N (positive and negative affect measure for children, the Spanish version of PANASC), and STAIC (an anxiety measure for children). The study accomplished ethical standards. As MBI relevant literature has suggested, cognitive defusion was a significant mediator between DM and symptoms of both negative emotions and anxiety in children and adolescents. However, experiential avoidance did not show any significant mediating relationship. Probably, it is needed improvement of the assessment of experiential avoidance. MBI programs for children and adolescents may include more activities for reducing the effects of the cognitive defusion on their emotional distress.

Nowadays, probiotics has been proposed for substituting antibiotics in animal feed, since the European Union (EU) banned the latter compounds in 2006 to avoid their serious side effects on human health. Therefore, this work aimed to produce a probiotic product by fed-fermentation of whey with kefir grains for use in animal feed. The whey was fermented with a combination of kefir grains AGK1 and the free biomass present in whole milk fermented milk used to activate these kefir grains. The probiotic culture obtained was characterized with high levels of biomass, total viability and antibacterial activity. Some probiotic properties of the probiotic culture were investigated in vitro, including its survival at low pH values, under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, after freezing in skim milk at − 20 ºC, and in the commercial feed during storage at room temperature. The viable cells of lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeasts exhibited higher tolerance to acidic pH and simulated gastrointestinal conditions when the cells were protected with skim milk and piglet feed, compared with washed cells. The results indicated the feasibility of producing a probiotic product at a low cost with a potential application in animal feed.

We present the first evidence of lethal interspecific aggressive behavior against Burmeister’s porpoise Phocoena spinipinnis, in a non-predatory context, and the first indications of such behavior in a cetacean from Chilean waters. Two cases, both adult males, are described. Analysis of the fresh tooth rakes, specifically the inter-rake distance, points to common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus as aggressor. Interdental distances measured on skulls allowed us to exclude Orcinus orca, Globicephala melas, Lagenorhynchus obscurus and Pseudorca crassidens. Evidence of severe blunt trauma, including extensive subdermal hematomas, rupture of pleura and extrusion of lung parenchyma, underscores the level of violent aggression. The reason is unknown but Tursiops truncatus is well-documented to occasionally harass and kill harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the Northern Hemisphere. Considering the scarce information available on the biology and behavioral ecology of Burmeister’s porpoises in Chile and elsewhere, we recommend more systematic field research. Also, as to help formulate effective management measures that can mitigate the main threat for this species in Chile (as in Peru), i.e. fisheries interactions. In Chile, P. spinipinnis is classified as Data Deficient (D.S. N°06-2017), so its real conservation status is unknown.

This paper explores as a case study the development of e-cigarette use and smoking within small friendship group (n=8) in Glasgow, Scotland. Interviewed twice at six months apart these 16/17 year olds reported substantial change in their use of and attitudes towards e-cigarettes and tobacco. At time 1 vaping generated much excitement and interest, with 6/8 having their own vape device. At time 2 only two young people still vaped, with the others no longer professing any interest in continued vaping. The two regular smokers, who had been smoking before they first vaped, now only vaped privately and to reduce their tobacco intake. This small case study illustrates plasticity in the use of electronic cigarettes; just as young people can initiate using these devices so too can they more away from their use- with such changes in actual use occurring within a relatively short period of time. These findings demonstrate more than anything else the volatility in young peoples’ substance use behaviour. If we are to better understand these behaviours we require both quantitative and qualitative research studies that are capable of both monitoring changes in individual and group behaviour over time but which are also able to elucidate the nuance of individual behaviour differentiating between long term, frequent, consistent use and more episodic, experimental and infrequent use by young people.

Evaluating mutation testing behavior can help decide whether refactoring successfully maintains the expected initial test results. Moreover, manually performing this analytical work is both time-consuming and prone to errors. This paper extends an approach to assess test code behavior and proposes a tool called MeteoR. This tool comprises an IDE plugin to detect issues that may arise during test code refactoring, reducing the effort required to perform evaluations. A preliminary assessment was conducted to validate the tool and ensure the proposed test code refactoring approach is adequate. By analyzing not only the mutation score but also the generated mutants in the pre- and post-refactoring process, results show that the approach is capable of checking whether the behavior of the mutants remains unchanged throughout the refactoring process. This proposal represents one more step toward the practice of test code refactoring. It can improve overall software quality, allowing developers and testers to safely refactor the test code in a scalable and automated way.

The aim of this study is to describe the cognitive and speech results obtained after growth hormone (GH) treatment and neurorehabilitation in a man that suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). 17 months after the accident, the patient was treated with growth hormone (GH), together with neurostimulation and speech therapy. At admission, the left vocal cord revealed paralyzed, in the paramedian position, a situation compatible with a recurrent nerve injury. Clinical and rehabilitation assessments revealed a prompt improvement in speech and cognitive functions, and following completion of treatment, endoscopic examination showed recovery of vocal cord mobility. These results, together with previous results from our group, indicate that GH treatment is safe and effective for helping neurorehabilitation in chronic speech impairment due to central laryngeal paralysis, as well as impaired cognitive functions.

Profiling technologies, such as proteomics, allow the simultaneous measurement and comparison of thousands of plant components without prior knowledge of their identity. The combination of these non-targeted methods facilitates a more comprehensive approach than targeted methods and thus provides additional opportunities to identify genotypic changes resulting from genetic modification, including new allergens or toxins. The purpose of this study was to investigate unintended changes in GM Bt maize grown in South Africa. In the present study, we used bi-dimensional gel electrophoresis based on fluorescence staining, coupled with mass spectrometry in order to compare the proteome of the field-grown transgenic hybrid (MON810) and its near-isogenic counterpart. Proteomic data showed that energy metabolism and redox homeostasis were unequally modulated in GM Bt and non-GM maize variety samples. In addition, a potential allergenic protein – pathogenesis related protein -1 has been identified in our sample set. These finding highlight the suitability of unbiased profiling approaches to complement current GMO risk assessment practices worldwide.

In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the different sexual systems and sex determining mechanisms in bivalves, with a focus on the various epigenetic and genetic factors that may be involved. The final section of the review provides recent discoveries on sex-specific mitochondrial genes in bivalves possessing the unconventional system of doubly uniparental inheritance of mitochondria (which is found in several members of the orders Mytiloida, Unionoida, Veneroida and Nuculanoida). The genes involved in this developmental pathway could represent the first sex determination system in animals in which mitochondrially-encoded genes are directly involved.

In this work, the manufacture of thin walls with sharp corners has been optimized by adjusting the limits of a 3-axis cartesian kinematics through data recorded and analyzed off-line, such as axis speed, acceleration and the positioning of the X and Y axes. The study was carried out with two powder materials (SS316L and IN718) using the directed energy deposition process with laser. 1 mm thick walls were obtained with only one bead per layer and straight/sharp corners at 90º. After adjusting the in-position parameter G502 for positioning precision on the FAGOR 8070 CNC system, it has been possible to obtain walls with minimal accumulation of material in the corner, and with practically constant layer thickness and height, with a radii of internal curvature between 0.11 and 0.24 mm for two different precision configuration. The best results have been obtained by identifying the correct balance between the decrease in programmed speed and the precision in the positioning to reach the point defined as wall corner, with speed reductions of 29% for a programmed speed of 20 mm/s and 61% for a speed of 40 mm/s. The walls show minimal defects such as residual porosities, and the microstructure is adequate.

Beta adrenoblockers is a large class of drugs mainly used to manage abnormal heart rhythms. Over the last couples of decades, the anticancer effects of these compounds has been extensively studied. There is much evidence about their activity in non-small cell lung, pancreatic, breast, colorectal, prostate and ovarian cancer. However, the mechanism of beta blockers anticancer activity is still not known, and more detailed studies are needed. The aim of our study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of beta adrenoblockers in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines A549 and H1299. In order to find the relationship with their selectivity to beta adrenoreceptors, in our study we used selective (atenolol, betaxolol, esmolol, metoprolol) and non-selective (pindolol, propranolol and timolol) beta blockers. The effect on cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay and the activity on cell ability to form colonies was tested by clonogenic assay. The type of cell death was evaluated by cell double staining with Hoechst 33342 and Propidium iodide. The most active adrenoblockers against both tested cancer cell lines were propranolol and betaxolol. They completely inhibited lung cancer cell colony formation at 90% of EC50 (half maximal effective concentration) value. Most tested compounds induced cell death through apoptosis and necrosis. In A549 cell lines apoptosis was mainly induced while in H1299 cell line compounds induced both apoptosis and necrosis. There was no correlation established between beta adrenoblocker anticancer activity and their selectivity to beta adrenoreceptors.

Plastic pollution of the ocean is currently one of the most serious environmental threat. Analysis of observations in the Arctic ocean shows that microplastic particles have been found in Arctic snow cover, sea ice, water and sediments. Possible pathways and deposition locations of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean can be assessed based on 3D numerical modeling of thermohaline structure and water circulation, sea ice conditions and drift. The problem is that in addition to transport by currents, a number of other processes affect the state of microplastics. These include mechanical fragmentation, freezing into sea ice and release back into the water, biofouling, adsorption of contaminants and other factors. In this study, based on scenario calculations for a 5-year period, we analyzed the possible spread of microplastics brought by Siberian rivers to the Kara Sea shelf. The Lagrangian particle model used daily 3D numerical simulation data to simulate microplastic transport by ocean currents and by sea ice drift. The results of a series of scenario calculations show how the distribution of particles and their subsequent deposition depend on their type (density), size, processes of freezing into the ice and biofouling.

One of the main challenges of the globalization became the increased destabilization and frequent economic crises. In general, managing an economic crisis is a particularly difficult task for any economy (developed or developing, and regardless the size). In the context of globalization, the process faces additional challenges. On the one hand, the world economy witnessed a shift from traditional purely economic instruments to more financial mechanisms of economic development. Indeed, the liberalization of the economy since the 1990s complicated the traditional trends of the world market development, resulting in significant fluctuation of the growth rates between different countries and regions. To respond to this evolution, governments and international organizations changed well-established strategies. For example, financial sector found itself given expanded role in economic development, with, different financial mechanisms used as key variables to evaluate an economic growth. On the other hand, the increased role of financial sector in a globilised world, increased financial relations among individual states and thus, interdependences. This “financial globalization” causes important fluctuations in the system and, as a result, causes instability in socio-economic development. Thus, an economic crisis of any important economy soon becomes a global issue (financial crisis of 2008, economic crisis of 2020).The recent global economic crisis due to the Covid-19 world pandemic, appeared to be unique for several reasons. First, it highlighted the transnational and origin-specific nature of the crisis. Second, it appeared to be the first case when non-economic factors caused a major economic crisis. As a result, this crisis turned out to be particularly difficult to predict and to manage. In this case, the main strategy of the global post-crisis rehabilitation became the restoration of the economy's predictability and ensuring its ability to obey the classical principles. According to the Organic Law on "Economic Freedom" of the European Union (2011), any factor which increases the equilibrium amount of output is reflected in the economic rehabilitation plan. Such exogenous factors are primarily fiscal mechanisms, i.e. - Reduction of taxes and increase of state expenditures. This crisis caused important structural problems with their effects on public expenditures (especially health expenditures, to the public expenditures, economic growth, price stability and budget balance) in both, developed and developing countries. Nearly every state declared an increase in public debt, inflation, and unemployment rates, while an important decrease was shown in growth rates and capital outflows. As the crisis due to the world pandemic was radically different from previous economic crises, it was difficult to manage it efficiently at the initial stage. It was complicated to forecast the scenarios of the unknown crisis with non-standard nature which was more linked to epidemiologic factors than objective economic law. The dynamics of crisis resolution depended on correct forecasting and effective implementation of global, but especially country-based reforms. More importantly, this crisis showed the important role of individual states to manage the global crisis. The traditional function of a government to ensure country’s socio-economic growth and security, increases in an extraordinary environment, such as sharp economic fluctuations and crises. In such contexts, the centralized management functions are sharply activated. The global pandemic processes have updated the economic essence of the state. The large scale of the latest economic crisis due to the world pandemic has determined the need for mutually coordinated development of anti-crisis plans of different countries. In today's dynamic landscape, modern global systems are redefining the standards and priorities of national economic policies. The economic status of countries is changing significantly as a result of their participation in these systems. As a result of these changes, today's global economy is marked by the proliferation of regionalism and the emergence of spatial economic frameworks. Thus, classical economic concepts are evolving, giving rise to a new model known as economic nationalism. This paradigm shift is generating new risks, which are increasing in severity and scope. The overriding objective of economic policy is now to ensure and predict stable development. Reflections are underway to meet the challenges of economic equilibrium and its social and institutional sustainability.In addition to the decentralization of the unified governance system, the global economy is characterized by the activation of centralized governance elements within individual countries. This requires the development of new norms for global cooperation and the careful balancing of national integration and development factors. The question of government's influence on the economy and the delegation of its powers becomes relevant once again. Effective coordination of public administration is based on the principle of decentralized government, which is a key element of a democratic model of society and facilitates the transfer of management tools to the public. The key objectives of this research are focused on the optimal distribution of state functions and the study of hierarchical principles of territorial organization within the country, fiscal mechanisms for the distribution of powers, as well as the particularities of the structuring of the spatial economy and its budgetary provisioning mechanisms.The example of the last two economic crisis showed that contemporary anti-crisis strategies should reflect several considerations. First, it becomes impossible to develop a single unified model of crisis management. Even in the context of important economic and financial globalization, the current decentralization and new spatial economic processes make it necessary to find a balance between the local priorities and global interests. Second, the role of non-economic crisis-causing factors increases compared to economic determinants. That is why international and country-based reforms should aim at not only economic rehabilitation, but also on the social, cultural and environmental restorations. Third, it becomes difficult to correctly predict the consequences of the crisis and thus, the effects of the anti-crisis strategy. Consequently, the success of the post-crisis rehabilitation of the countries' economies depends significantly not only on the effective realization of their own plan, but also, in general, on the specificities of the global economy and on the ability of the world markets to overcome the negative consequences of a crisis. In this context, the development of complex post-crisis platforms and state post-crisis strategies is the priority. The most effective component in the anti-crisis strategy is the monetary instruments of economic management. As for the determinant of successful functioning of economy, the priority should be given to the regulation of exchange rate, interest rate and inflationary processes. A state anti-crisis programs should reflect the crisis prevention strategy, which, on its turn, should differentiate the economic functions of the state and crisis management mechanisms according to the specific trends of given processes. It should aim at gaining stable development of the economy. Additionally, an anti-crisis plan should reflect the role of the society in the development process and its mental changes under crisis conditions. The state should be responsible for establishing and monitoring anti-crisis management mechanisms, financial recovery of the country and formation of correct relations. It is especially important to ensure economic security, to stabilize the development process and standard of living, to support the private sector and small entrepreneurship, to increase economic freedom, to ensure effective distribution of labor and capital, and others. All strategies of the anti-crisis platform should be focused on social results, as it should contribute to a fair distribution of income and to poverty reduction.

Dynamic tribochemical processes for dicationic ionic liquid containing a germinal imidazolium cation head groups bridged by a poly(ethylene glycol) and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion were studied using time-resolved Mechanically Stimulated Gas Emission Mass-Spectrometry (MSGE-MS). In comparison with similar monocationic imidazolium ionic liquids with short alkylic or long polyether side chains the dicationic ionic liquid had lower coefficient of friction on Ti6Al4V alloy and smoother behaviour. The analysis of volatile decomposition products suggested multiple tribochemical reactions in which both anionic and cationic moieties are involved. Tribochemical degradation of cations was mainly through detachment of the side and bridging chains from the imidazolium head groups. Absence of volatile products containing nitrogen implies that imidazole group remained unchanged. Hydrogen and water desorption were attributed to the reactions of hydrogen fluoride being a product of anion degradation with titanium and titanium oxide.

A valorization process of spent coffee grounds (SCG) was studied. Thus, a two-stage process, a stage of extraction of the polyphenols and a stage of obtaining activated carbon (AC) by a carbonization process, was performed. The extraction was carried out with a hydro-alcoholic solution in a pressure reactor, modifying time and temperature. To optimize the extraction of polyphenols, a two-level factorial design with three replications at the central values was used. The best results were obtained by performing the extraction at 80 °C during 30 min, using a mixture of EtOH:H2O 1:1 (v/v) as extraction solution. Caffeine and chlorogenic acid were the most abundant compounds in the analyzed extracts, ranging from 0.09 to 4.8 mg∙g^-1 and 0.06 to 9.7 mg∙g^-1, respectively. The precursor obtained in the extraction stage were transformed into AC. An experimental design was realized in order to analyze the influence of different variables in the AC obtained process (reaction time and amount of potassium hydroxide used). Actived carbons with BET specific surface (SBET) comprised between 1600 m^2∙g^-1 and 2330 m²∙g^-1 had a microporous surface. Under the optimum conditions, the obtained AC presented a maximum adsorption capacity of methylene blue (qm) between 411 mg∙g^-1 and 813 mg∙g^-1.

Nisin, an antibacterial compound produced by Lactococcus lactis strains, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to be used as a safe food additive to control the growth of undesirable pathogenic bacteria. Nisin is commonly described as a pH-dependent primary metabolite, since its production depends on growth and culture pH evolution. However, the relationship between bacteriocin synthesis and the consumption of the limiting nutrient has not been described until now. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a competitive four-dimensional Lotka Volterra-like equation to describe the relationships between culture pH, limiting nutrient (total nitrogen: TN) consumption and production of biomass (X) and nisin (BT) in four series of batch fermentation with L. lactis CECT 539 in diluted whey (DW)-based media. The developed four-dimensional LV-like equation (with a unique set of parameters) could not be used to describe all cultures belonging to each fermentation series. However, the four-dimensional LV-like equation described accurately each individual culture, providing a good description of the relationships between pH, TN, X and BT, higher values for R2 and F-ratios, lower values (&lt; 10%) for the mean relative percentage deviation modulus, with bias and accuracy factor values approximately equal to one.

Chronic venous disease (CVD) occurs in a substantial proportion of the world's population. If the onset of CVD looks like a cosmetic defect, then over time, it can develop into serious problems that require surgical intervention. The aim of the work is to use deep learning (DL) methods for automatic classification of the stage of CVD for self-diagnosis of a patient by using the image of the patient’s legs. The required for DL algorithms images of legs with CVD were obtained by using Internet Data Mining. For images preprocessing, the binary classification problem “legs - no legs” was solved based on Resnet50 with accuracy 0.998. The application of this filter made it possible to collect a data set of 11,118 good quality leg images with various stages of CVD. For classification of various stages of CVD according to CEAP classification, the multi classification problem was set and resolved by using two neural networks with completely different architecture - Resnet50 and DeiT. The model based on DeiT without any tuning shows better results than the model based on Resnet50 (precision = 0.770 (DeiT) and 0.615 (Resnet50)). To demonstrate the results of the work, a telegram bot was developed, in which fully functioning DL algorithms are implemented. This bot allows evaluating the condition of the patient's legs with a fairly good accuracy for the CVD classification.

This paper examines whether classical extensional mereology is adequate for formalizing the whole-parts relation in quantum chemical systems. Although other philosophers have argued that classical extensional and summative mereology does not adequately formalize whole-parts relation within organic wholes and social wholes, such critiques often assume that summative mereology is appropriate for formalizing the whole-parts relation in inorganic wholes such as atoms and molecules. However, my discussion of atoms and molecules as they are conceptualized in quantum chemistry will establish that standard mereology cannot adequately fulfill this task, since the properties and behavior of such wholes are context-dependent and cannot simply be reduced to the summative properties of their parts. To the extent that philosophers of chemistry have called for the development of an alternative mereology for quantum chemical systems, this paper ends by proposing behavioral mereology as a promising step in that direction. According to behavioral mereology, considerations of what constitutes a part of a whole is dependent upon the observable behavior displayed by these entities. Thus, relationality and context-dependence are stipulated from the outset and this makes behavioral mereology particularly well-suited as a mereology of quantum chemical wholes. The question of which mereology is appropriate for formalizing the whole-parts relation in quantum chemical systems is relevant to contemporary philosophy of chemistry, since this issue is related to the more general question of the reducibility of chemical wholes to their parts and of the reducibility of chemistry to physics, which have been of central importance within the philosophy of chemistry for several decades. More generally, this paper puts contemporary discussions of mereology within the philosophy of chemistry into a broader historical and philosophical context. In doing so, this paper also bridges the gap between formal mereology, conceived as a branch of formal ontology, and ‘applied’ mereology, conceived as a branch of philosophy of science.

We investigated the liquid water path and global solar irradiance at ground (Q) according to the ICON model, CLOUDNET measurements in Lindenberg, Munich, Jülich, and BSRN observations in Lindenberg. The liquid water path is underestimated, while global irradiance is overestimated. The lower liquid water path is due to liquid water content underestimation practically in all atmosphere layers and lower frequency of liquid clouds occurrence compare to observations. The latter is partly associated with a reduced model’ sensitivity to the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). An increase in CCN from 250 cm-3 (typical background value for the region of interest) to 1700 cm-3 (characteristic of polluted continental clouds) leads to an increase in grid-scale liquid water path by 40% and a decrease in Q under overcast conditions by 12%. However, we also showed that liquid water path is not a key factor of Q overestimation. The main factor is an inaccurate description of the cloud spatial structure, where the correct prediction of the direct to global irradiance ratio as a spatial characteristic of clouds plays the most important role compared to standard cloud fraction.

N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) is an endocannabinoid-like compound first encountered within lipid fractions of specific foods and has intrigued researchers since the 1950s due to its therapeutic effects. This study aims to explore the therapeutic promise held by PEA as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent. Therapeutic impact of PEA reverberates across diverse physiological systems, as the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, vascular network, digestive and respiratory system. Additionally, it was effective in pain management, reduction of inflammation and immune responses. These attributes have fostered collaborations targeting conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral ischemia, neuroinflammation, general inflammation, pain, coagulopathy, steatohepatitis, and acute lung injury. PEA operates both independently and in synergy with other compounds, like paracetamol, luteolin, and oxymetazoline. This efficacy stems from its interactions with pivotal targets including PPARα, PPAR-δ, PPAR-γ, CB1, CB2, GPR55, and TRPV1. Additionally, PEA exerts a direct influence on the inflammatory cascade, orchestrating precise adjustments in immune responses. Numerous animal studies have elucidated the inherent potential of PEA. Nevertheless, the imperative of reinforcing clinical investigation is evident. This review notably underscores the pivotal necessity for methodologically rigorous clinical trials to definitively establish the translational efficacy of PEA in ameliorating diverse inflammatory pathologies within the human milieu.

Quantification of erythrocytes and leukocytes is an essential aspect of hemogram diagno- 23 sis in Veterinary Medicine. Flow cytometry analysis, laser scattering, and impedance detection are 24 standard laboratory techniques, verified by manual microscopy counting. Although single-cell scat- 25 tering is already used as a standard technology for differentiating cell counts in flow cytometry, it 26 requires capillary cell separation. The current study investigates the scattering characteristics of 27 whole blood to identify correlations with erythrocytes and leukocytes counts. The scattering infor- 28 mation present in blood samples can be classified into three types: i) geometrical scattering, which 29 occurs when non-absorbed light is reflected and scattered, ii) Mie scattering, which happens when 30 light is scattered by particles of a similar size to the wavelength, and iii) Rayleigh scattering, which occurs when light is scattered by particles that are smaller than the incident light wavelength. In 32 this study, we investigate the scattering correction coefficients of dog blood absorption spectra in 33 the visible-near infrared range, to establish direct correlations with erythrocytes and leukocytes 34 counts, using multivariate linear regression. Our findings demonstrate the possibility of using the 35 scattering properties of dog blood, which is a step towards the existence of a portable and miniatur- 36 ized hemogram diagnosis in Veterinary Clinics worldwide.

Keywords: Ecosystem services; Cultural Ecosystem Services; marine/maritime spatial planning; mapping, assessment, tools, methods, PPGIS

Various crystallite size estimation methods were used to analyze X-ray diffractograms of spherical cerium dioxide and donut-like titanium dioxide anatase nanoparticles aiming to evaluate their reliability and limitations. The microstructural parameters were estimated from Scherrer, Monshi, Williamson-Hall, and their variants: i) uniform deformation model, ii) uniform strain deformation model, and iii) uniform deformation energy density model, and also size-strain plot, and Halder-Wagner method. For that, and improved systematic Matlab code was developed to estimate the crystallite sizes and strain, and the linear regression analysis was used to compare all the models based on the coefficient of determination, where the Halder Wagner method gave the highest value (close to 1). Therefore, being the best candidate to fit the X-ray Diffraction data of metal-oxide nanoparticles. Advanced Rietveld was introduced for comparison purposes. Refined microstructural parameters were obtained from a nanostructured 40.5 nm Lanthanum hexaboride nanoparticles and correlated with the above estimation methods and transmission electron microscopy images. In addition, electron density modelling was also studied for final refined nanostructures, and μ-Raman spectra were recorded for each material estimating the mean crystallite size and comparing by means of a phonon confinement model.

Nutrition and calorie intake are associated with subtle changes of thyroid function tests in subjects with intact Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid axis. Iodine deficiency and extreme fluctuations in calorie intake, such as those occurring during periods of starvation or overfeeding could lead to alterations of thyroid hormones. The dietary macronutrient composition could also influence the thyroid function. Recently, Low-Glycemic Load (LGL) diets are very popular and effective in the treatment and/or prevention of several medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and epilepsy. In this review, we report the available data from the literature regarding the association between LGL diets and thyroid function or dysfunction. Unfortunately, there are only a few studies in this field, with inconsistent findings.

Silver in different forms is used for medical purposes from ancient times. It is not yet well known, which form of silver is more biocompatible and less toxic. Here we considered silver nanoparticles and silver citrate. Also, the relationships of neurotoxicity of silver compaunds with ageing factor is not yet described. To assess the role of nanoform in neurotoxicity of silver and role of ageing a long-term experiment was conducted. We had four control groups of intact mice and four experimental groups which were exposed to silver nanoparticles and silver citrate for two months. Four groups of mice were introduced into the experiment since the age of five months to assess ageing factors. It was shown that the nanoform does play a certain role in neurotoxicity of silver. Silver citrate seems to be a more preferable silver compound. Ageing can be regarded as a positive factor that neutralizes toxic action of silver compounds. It may be due to the development of physiological/cognitive functions with the age as well as adaptation to unnatural content in the individual cages that is definitely stressful for mice.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of a predictive model for detecting extracapsular extension on pathology (pECE+) on biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS) within 4 years after robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Methods: Retrospective data analysis from a single center between 2015 to 2022. Variables under consideration included prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, patient age, prostate volume, MRI semantic features and Gleason score (GS). We also assessed the influence of pECE+ and positive surgical margins on BCRFS. using the Kaplan-Meier survival function and Cox regression model were assessed. Additionally, we analyzed the MRI features on BCR (biochemical recurrence) in low/intermediate risk patients. Results: 177 participants with a follow-up exceeding 6 months post-RARP were included. The 1-year, 2-year, and 4-year risks of BCR after curative prostatectomy were 5%, 13%, and 21%, respectively. The survival analysis showed that adverse MRI features as macroscopic ECE on MRI (mECE+), capsular disruption, high tumor capsular contact length (TCCL), GS≥8, positive surgical margins (PSM), and pECE+ on pathology were risk factors for BCR. In low/intermediate-risk patients (pECE- and GS &lt;(4+4)) the presence of adverse MRI features, has been shown to increase the risk of BCR. Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of incorporating predictive MRI features for detecting extracapsular extension pre-surgery in influencing early outcomes and clinical decision-making; mECE+, TCCL, capsular disruption, and GS≥8 based on pre-surgical biopsy were independent prognostic factors for early BCR. The presence of adverse features on MRI can assist in identifying low/intermediate-risk patients who would benefit from closer monitoring.

For this research we are selected three indicators of wheat: yield (t/ha), producer price (USD/t) and share of the harvested area under wheat in relation to the total land area of country (%). The mentioned indicators were analyzed for the period 2006-2021 in thirty-two European countries. The purpose of the research is to determine which of the mentioned indicators achieve average annual growth/decrease rates, what is the correlation between them, how European countries are grouped with their similarities and differences. The research examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mentioned indicators in a two time phases: Phase I, before the pandemic (2006-2019); Phase II, during the pandemic (2020-2021). The methodological approach to the research topic involved the application of descriptive statistics, as the method of principal components analysis (abbr. PCA) with graphics. A positive correlation exists only between the yield of wheat and the share of the harvested area under wheat in the total area of the land (0.291). PCA method showed that countries are grouped differently depending on the observed indicator and the analyzed time phase.

Salmorejo is a homogenate based on tomato, olive oil and breadcrumbs commercialized as a “fresh-like” cold puree in Spain and other European countries. Salmorejo is thermolabile and requires pasteurising upon High Temperature, Short Time (HTST) conditions to inhibit microbes and enzymes. Due to its penetration, dielectric heating by radiofrequency (RF) might improve pasteurisation results of conventional heating (CH) in viscous products. The objective was to validate the pasteurisation temperature (70-100 °C, at 5 ºC intervals) for salmorejo processed by radiofrequency (operating at 27.12 MHz for 9.08 s) or conventional continuous heating. Salmorejo was prone to thermal damage upon HTST conditions. Main heat-induced changes include: orangeness, flavour homogenisation, loss of freshness, thickening, loss of vitamin C and lipid oxidation. A ‘fresh-like’ good quality salmorejo can be obtained using either conventional or radiofrequency pasteurisers. Both CH and RF equivalent treatments allowed a strong reduction of total and sporulated mesophilic microorganisms, and an adequate inhibition of the pectinmethylesterase, peroxidase and, to a lesser extent, polyphenoloxidase, but did not inhibit the polygalacturonase enzyme. Pasteurisation at 80 °C for 9.8 s (RF) or 10.9 s (CH) provided a good equilibrium in levels of microbiological and enzymatic inhibition and thermal damage to the product. Increasing this temperature does not improve enzyme inactivation levels and salmorejo may become overheated.

The assessment of soil contamination in the vicinity of integrated siderurgical plants is of outmost importance for agroecosystems and human health, and sensitive techniques should be employed for accurate assessment of chemical elements (metals, potential toxic elements, rare earths, radioelements) in soil and further evaluation of potential ecological and safety risk. In this paper a total of 45 major, minor and trace elements (Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr) were quantified in soils located around a large siderurgical works (Galati, SE Romania) using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in combination with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The statistical analysis results and vertical distribution patterns for three depths (0-5 cm, 5-20 cm, 20-30 cm) indicate inputs of toxic elements in the sites close to the ironmaking and steelmaking facilities and industrial wastes dumping site. For selected elements, a comparison with historical, legislated and world reported concentration values in soil was performed and depth migration, contamination and toxic risk indices were assessed. The distribution of major, rock forming elements was closer to the Upper Continental Crust (UCC), and to the Dobrogea loess, finding confirmed by the ternary diagram of the incompatible trace elements Sc, La and Th, as well as by the La to Th rate. At the same time, the La/Th vs. Sc and Th/Sc vs. Zr/Sc bi-plots suggested a felsic origin and a weak recycling of soils mineral components.

The growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Humanity is unavoidable, and therefore, “AI literacy” is extremely important. In the field of education – AI in education (AIED) – this technology is having a huge impact on the educational community and on the education system itself. The present study seeks to assess the level of AI literacy of teachers at Portalegre Polytechnic University (PPU), aiming to identify gaps, find the main opportunities for innovation and development and seek the degree of relationship between the dimensions of AI literacy, as well as identifying the predictive variables in this matter. As a measuring instrument, a validated questionnaire based on three dimensions (AI Literacy, AI Self-Efficacy and AI Self-Management) was applied to a sample of 75 teachers in the various schools of PPU. This revealed an average level of AI literacy (3.28), highlighting that 62.4% of responses are at levels 3 and 4 (based on a Likert scale from 1 to 5). The results also demonstrate that the first dimension is highly significant for the total dimensions, i.e., for AI Literacy, and no factor characterizing the sample is a predictor, but finding a below-average result in the Learning factor indicates a pressing need to focus on developing these skills.

Inorganic pollutants in Colombian cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) agrosystems cause problems in the production, quality, and exportation of this raw material. There has been an increased interest in bioprospecting studies of different fungal species focused on the biosorption of heavy metals. Furthermore, fungi constitute a valuable, profitable, ecological, and efficient natural soil resource that could be considered in the integrated management of cadmium mitigation. In this study, we report a new species of Talaromyces, isolated from cocoa soil from San Vicente de Chucurí-Colombia. The characterization of the culture was performed on six different standardized media and was distinguished by characteristic colony morphology: biverticillate and monoverticillate penicilli, acerose phialides, and slightly globose smooth-walled conidia. Culture was featured by bright yellow mycelium in young culture on CYA and CYAS medium. Colonies grew faster on Malt and Oat agar, attaining 36 and 32 mm diameter after seven days at 20 ºC. High acid production on CREA medium at 20-30 ºC was observed. Phylogenetic analysis was based on the ITS region and the RPB2, Calmodulin (CaM) and β-Tubulin genes that indicate that it is new to science and is named Talaromyces santanderensis sp. nov. This new species belongs to the Talaromyces section and is closely related to T. lentulus and related to T. soli, T. tumuli and T. pratensis (inside the T. pinophilus species complex) in the inferred phylogeny. Mycelia growth of the fungal strains was subjected to a range of 0-400 ppm Cd and incorporated into malt extract agar (MEA) in triplicates. Fungal radial growth was recorded every three days over a 13-days incubation period and In vitro cadmium tolerance tests showed a high tolerance index = 0,81 when the mycelium was exposed to 300 ppm of Cd. Results suggest T. santanderensis showed tolerance to Cd concentrations that exceed the permissible limits for contaminated soils, and it is promising for its use in bioremediation strategies to eliminate Cd from highly contaminated agricultural soils.

A novel gas-phase electrocatalytic system based on a low-temperature proton exchange membrane (Sterion) was developed for the gas phase electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to liquid fuels. This system achieved gas-phase electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 at low temperatures (below 90 ºC) over a Cu cathode by using water electrolysis-derived protons generated in-situ on an IrO2 anode. Three Cu-based cathodes with varying metal particle sizes were prepared by supporting this metal on an activated carbon at three loadings (50, 20, and 10 wt%; 50%Cu-AC, 20%Cu-AC, and 10%Cu-AC, respectively). The cathodes were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) whereas their performance towards the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 was subsequently studied. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) containing the cathode with the largest Cu particle size (50%Cu-AC, 40 nm) showed the highest CO2 electrocatalytic activity per mole of Cu, with methyl formate being the main product. This higher electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the lower Cu–CO bonding strength over large Cu particles. Different product distributions were obtained over 20%Cu-AC and 10%Cu-AC, with acetaldehyde and methanol being the main reaction products, respectively. The CO2 consumption rate increased with the applied current and the reaction temperature.

Background: Changes in body weight are associated with the regulation of DNA methylation (DNAm). In this study, we investigated the associations between maternal gestational weight gain-related DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition. Methods: Brazilian pregnant women from the Araraquara Cohort Study were followed up during pregnancy, delivery, and after hospital discharge. Women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI were allocated to two groups: adequate gestational weight gain (AGWG, n=45) and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG, n=30). Foetal and neonatal body composition was evaluated by ultrasound and plethysmography, respectively. DNAm was assessed in maternal blood using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip arrays. Linear regression models were used to explore the associations between DNAm and foetal and neonatal body composition. Results: Maternal weight, GWG, neonatal weight, and fat mass were higher in the EGWG group. Analysis of DNAm identified 46 differentially methyl-ated positions and 11 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the EGWG and AGWG groups. Nine human phenotypes were enriched for these 11 DMRs located in 13 genes (EMILIN1, HOXA5, CPT1B, CLDN9, ZFP57, BRCA1, POU5F1, ANKRD33, HLA-B, RANBP17, ZMYND11, DIP2C, TMEM232), highlighting the terms insulin resistance, and hyperglycaemia. Maternal DNAm was associated with foetal total thigh and arm tissues and subcutaneous thigh and arm fat, as well as with neonatal fat mass percentage and fat mass. Conclusion: The methylation pat-tern in the EGWG group indicated a risk for developing chronic diseases and involvement of ma-ternal DNAm in foetal lean and fat mass and in neonatal fat mass.

Conducting an accurate hydrological water balance at the regional and country-wide scales is paramount to assessing available water resources and adequately allocating them. One of the main components of these balances is the anthropogenic recharge of groundwater either intentionally, through managed aquifer recharge (MAR), or unintentionally, where infiltration from dams and dykes can play a significant role. In Spain, proper management of water resources is critical due to the arid to semiarid conditions prevalent in most of the territory and the relevance of water resources for maintaining a robust agricultural sector. Spanish Previous work has estimated country-wide recharge from MAR at 150-280 Mm3/year. Recently, water authorities have pointed out that, according to hydrological water balances, the total volume from "unintentional recharge" from water courses may exceed 500 Mm3/year. The present research aims to present a new inventory of transverse structures in Spain and use it to estimate country-wide unintentional recharge. The inventory, compiled by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, has more than 26,000 structures and includes construction characteristics, which allow for estimating the wet perimeter and the infiltration area. Structural data from the inventory was crossed through map algebra with thematic layers, such as lithology, permeability, the digital elevation model, the average groundwater levels, etc., in a GIS environment to arrive at the objective. Different analytical formulas to compute infiltration from small dams and dykes were also employed. The resulting volume of unintentional recharge from transverse structures in Spain is about 800 Mm3/year. This quantity can help close the hydrological balance at the national and river basin levels. Furthermore, this figure provides an order of magnitude for anthropogenic recharge at a national scale, which is difficult to obtain.

Breast cancer is a serious disease and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the U.S. New treatments for this aggressive disease are urgently needed. Repurposing FDA-approved drugs for cancer treatment is an alternative that saves time and lowers the costs needed for drug development. In this study, we investigated the effects of proguanil, an anti-malarial drug, in breast cancer cells. Proguanil exhibited a significant cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell lines including patient derived cell lines. Proguanil caused apoptosis through increased production of ROS and consequent decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial respiration, and ATP production rates. ROS generation by proguanil was up to 3-fold higher when compared to the control. Proguanil treatment increased the expression of Bax, p-H2AX, cleaved-caspase 9, cleaved PARP, and down-regulated bcl-2 and survivin in breast cancer cell lines. The enlargement of 4T1 breast tumors in female Balb/c mice was suppressed by 55% through daily oral administration of 20mg/kg of proguanil. Western blot analyses of proguanil- treated tumors showed increased levels of p-H2AX, Bax, c-PARP, and c-caspase3 compared to control. Proguanil proved to be an efficient in vitro and in-vivo inhibitor of breast cancer cells, hence should be considered further for clinical investigation against breast cancer.

The purpose of this paper is to compare various indicators of microbiological contamination in coastal areas near estuaries around the world. A major factor contributing to the presence of fecal coliforms is the geomorphology of the area, and, more particularly, whether the area concerned is an open or enclosed bay, the climate of the area, its tourism development, and, lastly, the urban, agricultural, livestock, or industrial activities carried out near river mouths. The aim was also to attempt to systematize the microbiological contamination of the above – mentioned estuaries around the world for broader applicability. The method used and the experimental apparatus for the isolation of bacteria was the membrane filtration method described in ISO 7704:1985. For the growth and enumeration of total coliforms and Escherichia coli the method described in ISO 9308-1 was used, while for enterococcus the one described in ISO 7899-2:2001. No statistically significant difference was found at many points in Greece and Spain, for either of the two patho-genic bacteria. In this work, the documentation of the microbiological contamination of river del-tas was achieved in similar areas (Greece and Spain) and could be applicable throughout the Mediterranean.

Enhancing the management and monitoring of oil and gas processes demands developing precise predictive analytics techniques. Over the past two years, oil and its prediction have advanced significantly using conventional and modern Machine Learning techniques. Several review articles detail the developments in predictive maintenance and technical and non-technical aspects of influencing the uptake of big data. The absence of references for machine learning techniques impacts the effective optimization of predictive analytics in the oil and gas sector. This review paper offers readers thorough information on the latest machine learning methods utilized in this industry's predictive analytical modelling. The review covers forms of Machine Learning techniques used in predictive analytic modelling from 2021 to 2023 (91 articles). It provides an overview of the details of the papers that were reviewed, comprising of the model’s categories, the data's temporality, field, and name, the dataset's type, predictive analytics (classification or clustering or prediction), the models' input and output parameters, performance metrics, optimal model, and benefits and its drawbacks. Additionally, suggestions for future research directions are provided to raise the potential of the associated knowledge and increase the accuracy of oil and gas predictive analytics models.

Understanding the evolution patterns in patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after therapy is relevant due to the dismal outcome still present in refractory or relapsed AML patients. We performed a retrospective, single-center study to evaluate the mutation profile in paired samples obtained at the time of diagnosis and at the onset of progressive or refractory disease in patients diagnosed with AML through a commercial next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. In total, 62 patients were analyzed. Of these, 28 patients received ICT, and 34 patients underwent low-intensity treatments. In LIT patients, there were emergent mutations at progressive disease in a 64% (22/34) of the patients. Emergent mutations in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway were observed in 35.9% (12/34) , corresponding to 54.5% of all patients with emergent mutations (12/22). These were found in 12/22 patients that received venetoclax in combination with hypomethylating agents. Six presented mutations in genes related to the RAS-MAPK pathway. Emerging mutations are frequently observed at progressive AML disease after therapy. In patients treated with LIT, mutations in RAS-MAPK signaling pathway might have a key role on the secondary clinical resistance, not only if they are present at diagnosis, becoming a potential target for the development of new drugs.

Decomposition of natural and synthetic polymeric materials (peat, humates, biochar, strongly swelling hydrogels and other soil conditioners) in a biologically- and chemically- active soil environment inevitably leads to their degradation and ability to improve the structure, water-retention, absorptive capacity and actual fertility of artificial soil constructions in urbanized ecosystems and agro landscapes (constructozems). Quantitative assessment of the biodegradation process using field and laboratory incubation experiments, as well as mathematical modeling, showed the possibility of significant (up to 30-50% per year) losses of organic matter of constructozems and a corresponding deterioration in their quality. Incubation experiments with the analysis of carbon dioxide emission for polymeric materials under given thermodynamic conditions allow to estimate the potential rates of their decomposition (half-life) and their dependence on the dose of inhibitors of microbial activity. Special nomographs provide an opportunity to determine the optimum depth of the arrangement of organic components in soil constructions to ensure their stable functioning during a fixed operating time in urban conditions. The results of the study are useful for geo-engineers and landscaping practitioners.

Trypanosome brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, harbours a highly ordered, subpellicular microtubule cytoskeleton that defines many aspects of morphology, motility and virulence. This array of microtubules is associated with a large number of proteins involved in its regulation. Employing proximity-dependent biotinylation assay (BioID) using the well characterized cytoskeleton-associated protein CAP5.5 as a probe we identified CAP50 (Tb927.11.2610). This protein colocalizes with the subpellicular cytoskeleton microtubules but not with the flagellum. Depletion by RNAi results in defects in cytokinesis, morphology and partial disorganization of microtubule arrays. Published proteomics data indicate a possible association of CAP50 with two other, yet uncharacterized, cytoskeletal proteins, CAP52 (Tb927.6.5070) and CAP42 (Tb927.4.1300), which were therefore included in our analysis. We show that their depletion causes phenotypes similar to those described for CAP50 and that they are essential for cellular integrity.

The study of paraneoplastic syndromes in humans has a long history, whereas for domestic animals – only since the beginning of the 21^th century. There are various forms of paraneoplastic syndromes; many classifications based on pathogenetic, organ-system principles are described. In accordance with the modern classification, paraneoplastic syndromes are divided into endocrinopathies, hematological paraneoplastic syndromes, gastrointestinal, renal, dermatological, neurological, ophthalmological. The purpose of this study was to develop a scientifically based algorithm for diagnosing ophthalmopathies against the background of paraneoplastic syndrome in dogs, including a multifactorial system of “hormonal-drug treatment” of paraneoplastic ophthalmopathies. The work used a comprehensive methodological approach, including the collection of anamnestic data, clinical examination of the animal, examination of the area of the pathological process, hematological studies, cytomorphological studies, visual diagnostic methods with complete oncological and ophthalmological examinations using the necessary equipment. Treatment for cancer included surgical removal of the tumor, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The choice of treatment protocol depended on the location of the disease, tumor phenotype (if present) and stage of the malignancy. The only chemotherapy was applied using complex protocols in the treatment of dog lymphomas. Treatment of melanoma in dogs was carried out using an integrated approach which combined methods of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The obtained results can be recommended for use in the diagnosis and treatment of paraneoplastic ophthalmopathies in dogs.

Anthropogenic activities have increased the amount of urban wastewater discharged into natural aquatic reservoirs confining in them a high amount of nutrients and organics contaminants. Several studies have reported that an alternative to reduce those contaminants is using consortiums of microalgae and endogenous bacteria. In this research, a genome-scale biochemical reaction network is reconstructed for the co-culture between the microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the bacterium Pesudomonas aeruginosa. Metabolic Pathway Analysis (MPA), is applied to understand the metabolic capabilities of the co-culture and to elucidate the best conditions in removing nutrients such as Phosphorus (inorganic phosphorous and phosphate) and Nitrogen (nitrates and ammonia). Theoretical yields for Phosphorus removal under photoheterotrophic conditions are calculated, determining their values as 0.042 mmol of PO₄/ g DW of C. vulgaris, 19.53 mmol of inorganic Phosphorus /g DW of C. vulgaris and 4.90 mmol of inorganic Phosphorus/ g DW of P. aeruginosa. Similarly, according to the genome-scale biochemical reaction network the theoretical yields for Nitrogen removal are 10.3 mmol of NH₃/g DW of P. aeruginosa and 7.19 mmol of NO₃ /g DW of C. vulgaris. Thus, this research proves the metabolic capacity of these microorganisms in removing nutrients and their theoretical yields are calculated.

The identification and quantitative determination of wool and fine animal fibers are of great interest in the textile field because of significant price differences between them and common adulterations in raw and processed textiles. Since animal fibers have remarkable similarities in their chemical and physical characteristics, specific identification methods have been studied and proposed following advances in analytical technologies. The identification methods of wool and fine animal fibers are reviewed in this paper and the results of relevant studies are listed and summarized, starting from classical microscopy methods which are still used today not only in Small to Medium Enterprises but also in large industries, research studies and quality control laboratories. Particular attention has been paid to image analysis, Nir spectroscopy and proteomics which constitute the most promising technologies of quality control in the manufacturing and trading of luxury textiles and can find application in forensic science and archeology.

Walls-like structured monoclinic WO3 thin films were obtained by spray deposition method for further integration in gas sensors. For sensing applications, it is very important to achieve a high surface-to-volume ratio surface together with a proper thin films structure. The present communication reports on the effect of the sprayed solution volume variation (as a thickness variation element) on the detailed Raman spectroscopy for WO3 thin films with different thicknesses grown from precursor solutions with two different concentrations. Detailed analysis of the two series of samples shows that the growing thickness strongly affects the films morphology while their crystalline structure is only slightly affected. The Raman analysis contribute to refining the structural features clarifications. It was observed that, for both concentrations, the increase in thickness seems to slightly affect the stoichiometry of material and, in association with surface morphology variations, provide new possibilities for fine tuning of films properties towards enhanced as sensing applications. Further studies are ongoing.

Previous studies have shown that immunization within the first hours/days after birth promotes the shift from the intrauterine Th2 immune response toward the Th1 immunity resulting in lower risk of developing allergic diseases. We are currently conducting a prospective cohort study among 307 participants divided into groups based on their TB and hepatitis B vaccination status (vaccinated at birth, within the first 12 months of life or unvaccinated) and also based on whether the participants had factors contributing to the development of allergic diseases. In each group we assessed the fact of primary diagnosis of atopic dermatitis at 12 and 18 months of age. It was demonstrated that atopic dermatitis (AD) was diagnosed from birth to 12 months of age much less frequently in those infants who had received the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine from day 3 to day 7 and hepatitis B vaccine within the first 24 hours of birth, including newborns with a high risk of developing allergic diseases. The probability of onset of AD at 12 and 18 months was also lower in timely vaccinated children, even though a burdened allergic anamnesis starts playing a more central role in development of AD at this age. Our findings testify to the fact that timely BCG-M and hepatitis B vaccination can produce a protective effect against the onset of AD, yet this effect diminishes with aging.

Plant-based proteins, like those derived from hemp and rapeseed can significantly contribute to a balanced diet and human daily nutritional requirements by providing essential nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. According to numerous recent research papers the consumption of plant-based proteins has been associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plant-based diets are often lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in fiber and phytonutrients, which can support overall health and well-being. Present research investigates the nutritional attributes, functional properties, and potential food applications of hemp and rapeseed protein for a potential use in new food product development, with a certain focus on identifying anti-nutritional factors and bioactive compounds. Through comprehensive analysis, anti-nutritional factors and bioactive compounds were elucidated, shedding light on their impact on protein quality and digestibility. The study also delves into the functional properties of hemp and rapeseed protein, unveiling their versatility in various food applications. Insights from this research contribute to a deeper understanding of the nutritional value and functional potential of hemp and rapeseed protein, paving the way for their further utilization in innovative food products with enhanced nutritional value and notable health benefits.

The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) Florian Goebel telescopes are a system of two Cherenkov telescopes located on the Canary island of La Palma (Spain), at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, and operating in stereo mode since 2009. Their low energy threshold (reaching 15 GeV) allows the study of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) in the very-high-energy gamma ray range with an impressive sensitivity up to the redshift limit of the existing IACT systems. MAGIC has collected many discoveries and comprehensive studies of different kinds of galaxies and their AGNs, also in a multi-wavelength context, expanding the knowledge of our Universe. Here we report the highlights which have been achieved by the MAGIC collaboration since the beginning of the operations.

The introduction of digitization has changed all spheres of business on a global level, including geospatial data. In the Republic of Serbia, the process on this topic should begin with the introduction of the terms ePlan and eSpace. The general goal of the paper implies the construction and implementation of the ePlan as a future part of the eSpace for digital management of geospatial data, by creating co-creating value. For this purpose, the authors conducted research in which representatives of local self-governments and holders of public authority participated, by means of structured online research. The focus was on the digitization of urban and planning documents and the establishment a central database of spatial and planning documents in electronic format, and its further distribution through the one system. In that way, easy access to digital plan data expands the user community, and enables communication with different stakeholder groups. Ac-cording to the results of the research, the authors point out that it is necessary to form a new model for managing geospatial data through a eSpace system. This is achieved by shifting the focus from urban and spatial planning to other databases and their registers that are related to geospatial data. The goal of the paper indicates that it is necessary to raise the awareness of society, to introduce the concept of value co-creation, because conditions are created for the implementation of all measures aimed at digitization and management of electronic services in sustainable project society, at all countries.

Starting from the importance of risk perception for taking certain preventive measures to protect people and their property from disasters, the subject of the research is to examine the factors influencing public perception of mythically-based human behavior in disaster conditions. Using the random sampling method, 250 adult respondents were surveyed in the city of Belgrade, using a specially created and adapted survey questionnaire. The results of the research show that there is no statistically significant influence of gender, age, educational and economic factors on the public perception of human behavior in disaster conditions. The results of the research can be used to improve strategies and campaigns based on risk assessment, aimed at improving the safety of people in disasters.

Age-related myelination decrease is considered one of the likely mechanisms of cognitive decline. The present study is based on the longitudinal assessment of global and regional myelination of the normal adult human brain using the fast macromolecular fraction (MPF) mapping. Additional markers were age-related changes in white matter (WM) hyperintensities on FLAIR-MRI and the levels of anti-myelin autoantibodies in serum. Eleven healthy subjects (33–60 years in the first study) were scanned twice, 7 years apart. An age-related decrease in MPF was found in global WM, GM, and mixed WM-GM, as well as in 48 out of 82 examined WM and GM regions. The greatest decrease in MPF was observed for the frontal WM (2-5%), genu of the corpus callosum (CC) (4.0%) and caudate nucleus (5.9%). The age-related decrease in MPF significantly correlated with an increase in the level of antibodies against myelin basic protein (MBP) in serum (r = 0.69 and r = 0.63 for global WM and mixed WM-GM, correspondingly). The volume of FLAIR hyperintensities increased with age but did not correlate with MPF changes and the levels of anti-myelin antibodies. MPF mapping showed high sensitivity to age-related changes in brain myelination, providing the feasibility of this method in clinics.

Nowadays, inquiries are one of the most important tasks to be executed in order to get valued information. When an inquiry is done to gather information about a human behavior there are some problems inherent to it. One of the main problems is how the information about many different persons can be processed to give good information about their environment. Most of the information gathered by these inquiries is used to analyze the behavior of the respondents. It can be used to estimate the success of a certain product on the market or just to validate the satisfaction of current costumers. The veracity of this information can be critical to model environments with some acceptable level of precision. Modelling environments through Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is highly common because ANN’s are excellent to model predictable environments using a set of data. ANN’s are good in deal with sets of data with some noise, but they are fundamentally surjective mathematical functions and they aren’t able to give different results for the same input. So if an ANN is trained using data where the same input has different images which can be the case of survey data, this can be a problem for the success of modelling the environment. Therefore is necessary to process the data in order to adjust and eliminate invalid data.

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

The aim of this work was to study the production of kefir-like beverage by fed-batch fermentation of red table grape juice at initial pHs of 3.99 (fermentation A) and 5.99 (fermentation B) with kefir grains during four repeated 24-h fed-batch subcultures. However, all kefir-like beverages (KLB) were characterized by low alcoholic grade (≤ 3.6%, v/v) and lactic and acetic acid concentrations. The beverages obtained from fermentation B had lower concentrations of sugars and higher microbial counts than the KLB obtained in fermentation A. In addition, the KLB from fermentation B were the most aromatic and had the highest contents in alcohols, esters, aldehydes and organic acids compared to the non-fermented juice and KLB from fermentation A. These results indicate the possibility of obtaining red table grapes KLB with their own distinctive aromatic characteristics and a high content in probiotic viable cells, contributing to the valorization of this fruit.

This article provides a comprehensive review of the intersection of 5G technology and Beyond, and Smart Grids, focusing on the potential of Vehicle-to-Fog as an industrial alternative for addressing energy efficiency challenges in data processing. This study aims to investigate relevant articles and patents to understand the collaborative potential between 5G and Smart Grids. It explores how to establish new regulatory standards within the architectural framework of 5G to facilitate decentralized data processing and remodel energy consumption patterns. The hypothesis suggests that decentralized 5G architecture and Smart Grids can be most effectively applied through vehicular fogging powered by solar energy. A combined quantitative and qualitative methodology guides the exploration of articles and patents. The study concludes by advocating for new standards that embrace decentralized 5G data processing, emphasizing the potential of Vehicle-to-Fog and the future deployment of 6G technology in Smart Grids. These advancements can significantly enhance energy efficiency in the context of 5G and pave the way for future innovations.

CC16 plays many protective roles within the lung; however, the complete biological functions, es-pecially regarding the pulmonary epithelium during infection, remain undefined. We have previ-ously shown that CC16 deficient (CC16-/-) mouse tracheal epithelial cells (MTECs) have enhanced Mp burden, compared to CC16 sufficient (WT) MTECs; therefore, in this study, we wanted to fur-ther define how the pulmonary epithelium responds to infection in the context of CC16 deficiency. Using mass spectrometry and quantitative proteomics to analyze proteins secreted apically from MTECs grown at an air-liquid interface, we investigated the protective effects that CC16 elicits within the pulmonary epithelium during Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) infection. When chal-lenged with Mp, WT MTECs have an overall reduction in apical protein secretion, whereas CC16-/- MTECs have increased apical protein secretion compared to their unchallenged controls. Fol-lowing Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) assessment, many of the proteins upregulated from CC16-/- MTECS (unchallenged and during Mp infection) were related to airway remodeling, which were not observed by WT MTECs. These findings sug-gest that CC16 is instrumental in providing protection within the pulmonary epithelium during respiratory infection with Mp, the major causative agent of community-acquired pneumoniae.

Total cloud cover (TCC) retrieval from ground-based optical imagery is a problem being tackled by a few generations of researchers. The number of human-designed algorithms for the estimation of TCC grows every year. However, there is not very much progress in terms of quality, mostly due to the lack of systematic approach to the design of the algorithms, to the assessment of their generalization ability, and to the assessment of the TCC retrieval quality. In this study, we discuss the optimization nature of data-driven schemes for TCC retrieval. In order to compare the algorithms, we propose the framework for the assessment of the algorithms characteristics. We present several new algorithms that are based on deep learning techniques: a model for outliers filtering, and a few models for TCC retrieval from all-sky imagery. For training and assessment of data-driven algorithms of this study, we present the Dataset of All-Sky Imagery over the Ocean (DASIO) containing over one million of all-sky optical images of visible sky dome taken in various regions of the World Ocean. The research campaigns contributed to DASIO collection took place in the Atlantic ocean, the Indian ocean the Red and Mediterranean seas, and also in the Arctic ocean. Optical imagery collected during these missions are accompanied by standard meteorological observations of cloudiness characteristics made by experienced observers. We assess the generalization ability of the presented models in several scenarios that differ in terms of the regions selected for the train and validation subsets. As a result, we demonstrate that our models based on convolutional neural networks deliver superior quality compared to all previously published schemes. As a key result, we demonstrate considerable drop of the ability to generalize the training data in case of strong covariate shift between training and validation subsets of imagery which may take place in case of region-aware subsampling.

In order to counter the impending shortage of skilled professionals in the aging societies of our time in many western countries such as Germany, solutions for business and society are urgently needed. Here, artificial intelligence (AI) can play an important role in mitigating the problem with the help of diverse applications. At the same time, it is important to consider both the needs of the respective employee1 and the company to ensure that the use of AI has a positive impact on the organization and finds social acceptance. In this article, we describe the newly developed OSQE model (Optimize, Secure, Qualify, Expand), which for the first time outlines an AI cycle against the shortage of skilled professionals in a holistic approach that focuses equally on people and companies. This can serve organizations as a guide for strategy development, decision-making for and implementation of AI-supported measures in an entire cycle of an employee's affiliation with a company. The model takes three driving forces into account: companies, professionals, and AI applications. In the model, the measures to be implemented are prioritized with ascending numbering based on what would be most urgent for a company to implement. All measures relate to areas of action that place people at the center and can be assigned to the classic cycle of belonging of an employee in the company. In this regard, the opportunities that AI offers to professionals and companies are highlighted.

We aimed to estimate for the first time the burden of fungal infections in Uruguay. Data on population characteristics and underlying conditions were extracted from the National Statistics Institute, the World Bank, national registries and published articles. When no data existed, risk populations were used to estimate frequencies extrapolating from the literature. Population structure: total 3,444,006; 73% adults; 35% women younger than 50 years. Size of populations at risk: HIV infected 12,000; acute myeloid leukemia 126; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 30; solid organ transplants 134; COPD 272,006 (19.7% of older than 40); asthma in adults 223,431 (prevalence 9%); cystic fibrosis in adults 48; tuberculosis 613 (incidence 26.2%), lung cancer 1,400 (ASR incidence 27.4). Annual incidence estimations per 100,000: 22.4 invasive aspergillosis, 16.4 candidaemia, 3.7 Candida peritonitis, 1.62 Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, 0.75 cryptococcosis, severe asthma with fungal sensitisation 217, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis 165, recurrent Candida vaginitis 6,323, oral candidiasis 74.5 and oesophageal candidiasis 25.7. Although some under and overestimations could have been made, we expect that at least 127,525 people suffer from serious fungal infections each year. Sporothrichosis, histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis and dermatophytosis are known to be frequent but no data are available to make accurate estimations. Given the magnitude of the burden of fungal infections in Uruguay, efforts should be made to improve surveillance, strengthen laboratory diagnosis and warrant access to first line antifungals.

Objectives The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of extra virgin olive oil (EVO) and fruity oil for the treatment of gingivitis. Materials and Methods. A sample of 75 patients with gingivitis induced by plaque bacteria, over 18 years of age, was divided into three groups: a study group A with extra virgin olive oil, a study group B with fruity oil and a control group C. In the two study groups, Evo oil was administered as a mouthwash in patients with gingival inflammation. The protocol included a daily application of the product for 30 days, with three recalls 15 days apart. Clinical parameters of plaque formation and gingivitis - plaque index (PI), bleeding index (BI) were assessed at each recall and scored on a specific periodontal chart. The control group re-ceived no mouthwash treatment to normal daily oral hygiene procedures, and the same clinical parameters as the study group were evaluated. Data were evaluated using SPSS 27.0 software for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chica-go, IL, USA). Then, the pre- and post-treatment values of the groups were compared using the t-student test, set-ting P < 0.05 as the significance level. Results Comparison with the three groups showed that extra virgin olive oil was an adjuvant in the treatment of gingival inflammation, improving PI and BI. In group A, mean plaque index had a 48% reduction and bleeding index 64% reduction, after 30 days. In group B, the mean plaque index had a 35% reduction and a bleeding index reduction of 43%, after 30 days. Conclusion The collected data showed significant improvements in the formation of bacterial plaque and gingi-vitis. the exact mechanism of such treatment is still to be elucidated. As a result of this, further studies with a different sample of patients to those used and a comparison with other products need to be addressed to verify and demonstrate the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect of the components of this natural product.

In some species of salmon, reproductive maturity triggers the development of massive pathology resulting from reproductive effort, leading to rapid post-reproductive death. Such reproductive death, which occurs in many semelparous organisms (with a single bout of reproduction), can be prevented by blocking reproductive maturation, and this can increase lifespan dramatically. Reproductive death is often viewed as distinct from senescence in iteroparous organisms (with multiple bouts of reproduction) such as humans. Here we review the evidence that reproductive death occurs in C. elegans and discuss what this means for its use as a model organism to study aging. Inhibiting insulin/IGF-1 signaling and germline removal suppresses reproductive death and greatly extends lifespan in C. elegans, but can also extend lifespan to a small extent in iteroparous organisms. We argue that mechanisms of senescence operative in reproductive death exist in a less catastrophic form in iteroparous organisms, particularly those involving costly resource reallocation, and exhibiting endocrine-regulated plasticity. Thus, mechanisms of senescence in semelparous organisms (including plants) and iteroparous ones form an etiological continuum. Therefore understanding mechanisms of reproductive death in C. elegans can teach us about some mechanisms of senescence that are operative in iteroparous organisms.

The adoption of health information technology (HIT) has increased considerably, contributing to better communication between physicians and patients and providing technological bases for learning and institutional improvement. This type of technology brings many challenges; therefore, understanding its adoption and assimilation is important to assess its potential for engendering desirable outcomes in health management. The assimilation of health information systems should be highlighted as their importance in health organisations is now recognised as a key facilitator assisting in providing better health outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to analyse HIT adoption based on models such as Technology, Organisation and Environment (TOE), which analyses at the organisational level, with other models, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which analyses at the individual level, and the assimilation of the adopted technologies.

The problems of modeling the human bladder and its stress-strain state under external static influence were considered. A method for identification of the anisotropic biomechanical characteristics of bladder tissue was proposed. A FEM model was created, which accepts into regard that the bladder is surrounded by fiber and affected by surrounding organs, and partially protected by pelvic bones. The model considered the presence of constant hydrostatic pressure on the walls of the bladder when it is full. It has been shown that isotropic mechanical characteristics of biological tissue can be used for studying the deformed state of a filled bladder if the filled bladder 300 ml is considered as initial non-deformed stage. This was shown by modeling and verification the effect of the external static force on the bladder. Numerical experiments were conducted based on the constructed model. To validate the results obtained, a series of natural experiments on the effect of external pressure on the bladder under ultrasound control was conducted. In the future, it is planned to use the constructed model to study rupture deformations of the bladder under the influence of static and dynamic loads.

The study also found that older age was a protective factor in prospective studies. The consistency of results across different study designs and sensitivity analyses further supported the robustness of the findings. It is important to note that the existing literature on revictimization in women facing intimate partner violence is limited and exhibits significant heterogeneity in terms of methodology and conceptual frameworks.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) comprises a group of heart and circulatory disorders, which are regarded as a global medical issue with high prevalence and mortality rates. Currently, vascular regenerative surgery represents the most employed therapeutic option to treat ischemic disorders, even though not all the patients are amenable to surgical revascularization. Therefore, more efficient therapeutic approaches are urgently required to promote neovascularization. Therapeutic angiogenesis represents an emerging strategy that aims at reconstructing the damaged vascular network by stimulating local angiogenesis and/or promoting de novo blood vessel formation according to a process known as vasculogenesis. Circulating endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs), in turn, represent truly endothelial precursors able to aggregate into bidimensional tube networks and to originate patent vessels. Accordingly, ECFCs provide the most rationale and promising cellular candidate for therapeutic purposes. The current review provides a brief outline on the origin and characterization of ECFCs and a summary of the progress in preclinical studies aiming at assessing their efficacy in a variety of ischemic disorders, including AMI, PAD, ischemic brain disease and retinopathy. We also describe how to enhance the vasoreparative potential of ECFCs by boosting specific pro-angiogenic signalling pathways either pharmacologically or through gene manipulation. Taken together, these observations suggest that ECFCs represent a useful strategy to treat ischemic diseases.

In recent decade water pollution by micropollutants is an increasing environmental concern. Since 2019, due to COVID-19 pandemic, increased stormwater pollution by chlorine based disinfectants has been determined. Research aimed to treat of chlorine contaminated stormwater after outdoors spaces disinfection are very limited. Runoff from disinfected areas and residual chlorine present in stormwater are transported to surface water bodies. Residual chlorine reacts with dissolved organic compounds in water and results the formation of environmentally toxic disinfection by-products. Studies present event low residual chlorine concentrations may pose a risk to aquatic flora and fauna. In this study the efficiency of different filter materials, including peat, wood chips, sawdust (column tests) and ceramzites Leca, Pollytag, Polski, Ceski (batch tests), in retaining residual chlorine were tested in laboratory scale batch and flow through experiment. The best efficiency to retain chlorine presented sawdust (96 %) and ceramzite Leca (76 %). The plants abilities to reduce pollution by chlorine was analyzed in raised garden bed. Research results will contribute to future studies aimed to retain various micropollutants in stormwater using remediation technologies.

Cobalamin is an essential nutrient required for the normal functioning of cells. Its deficiency can lead to various pathological states. Hydroxocobalamin (HOCbl) and cyanocobalamin (CNCbl) are the forms of vitamin B12 that are most commonly used for supplementation. There is substantial evidence indicating that cobalamins can both suppress and promote oxidative stress; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood. Here, it was shown that the oxidation of thiols catalyzed by HOCbl and CNCbl is accompanied by ROS production and induces, under certain conditions, oxidative stress and cell death. The form of vitamin B12 and the structure of thiol play a decisive role in these processes. It was found that the mechanisms and kinetics of thiol oxidation catalyzed by HOCbl and CNCbl differ substantially. It was discussed how these differences may explain different levels of ROS production and cytotoxicity induced by combinations of thiols with HOCbl and CNCbl. On the whole, the data obtained provide a new insight into the redox processes in which cobalamins are involved and might be helpful in developing new approaches to the treatment of some cobalamin-responsive disorders in which oxidative stress is an important component. In addition, these data may be useful for a better understanding of mechanisms underlying induction of different types of death of cancer cells and in a search for new targets for anticancer therapy.

Depression and cognitive impairment are recognized complications of COVID-19. This study aimed to assess cognitive performance in clinically diagnosed post-COVID depression (PCD) patients using neuropsychological testing. The study involved 71 post-COVID patients, with matched control groups: recovered COVID-19 individuals without complications (n=18) and individuals without prior COVID-19 history (n=19). A post-COVID depression group (PCD, n=25) was identified based on psychiatric diagnosis, a comparison group (noPCD, n=46) included participants with neurological COVID-19 complications, excluding clinical depression. The PCD patients showed significantly less scores in the MoCA test, decreased immediate memory recall in the Word Memory Test, decreased processing speed and higher accuracy in the Trail Making Test, and near to significant worse executive control and processing speed in the Stroop task compared to controls and the noPCD patients. The number of post-COVID symptoms negatively correlated with immediate word memory recall and processing speed among all post-COVID patients. In PCD patients, negative correlations between number of post-COVID symptoms and delayed recall, between time after recovery and immediate recall, and positive correlation between the number of acute symptoms and processing speed in the incongruent condition of the Stroop task were found. No differences between groups in Sniffin’s stick olfactory test was found. Overall, our study revealed cognitive impairment in PCD patients similar to those in major depressive disorder.

Recent advancements in mass spectrometry have significantly enhanced our understanding of complex lipid profiles, opening new avenues for oncological diagnostics. This review highlights the importance of lipidomics in the comprehension of certain metabolic pathways and its potential for the detection and characterization of various cancers, in particular melanoma. Through detailed case studies, we demonstrate how lipidomic analysis has led to significant breakthroughs in the identification and understanding of cancer types and its potential for detecting unique biomarkers that are instrumental in its diagnosis. Additionally, the review addresses the technical challenges and future perspectives of these methodologies, including their potential expansion and refinement for clinical applications. The discussion underscores the critical role of lipidomic profiling in advancing cancer diagnostics, proposing a new paradigm in how we approach this devastating disease, with particular emphasis on its application in comparative oncology.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate patterns and mechanisms driving seasonal and inter-annual variations of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the zooplankton crustacean commu-nity of Lake Maggiore (Italy), during the period 2009-2020. Different zooplankton taxa and groups revealed different ranges of d13C signatures, giving an insight into food sources and niche partition. In particular, cyclopoids had a restricted range with most negative d13C‰ values and increase in d13C fractionation with the establishment of water thermal vertical stratification, high-lighting the importance of vertical distribution as key factor for taxa coexistence in a vertically heterogenous environment. d13C of the zooplankton community and of Daphnia were positively related to water temperature (R2=0.58 p <0.0001 and R2=0.68 p <0.0001, respectively) and d13C Daphnia signature to chlorophyll-a (R2=0.32, p < 0.0001). Decomposition of time series data for zooplankton carbon and nitrogen signatures and environmental parameters identified increasing trends in water temperature, chlorophyll-a and water conductivity and decrease in nitrate, that matched changes in carbon isotopic signature trend in some zooplankton taxa (Bosmina, Daphnia and diaptomids). Overall, the observed patterns in zooplankton isotopic signatures were interpreted as integrations of climate warming effects in Lake Maggiore, affecting both food sources availability and environmental conditions.

Eight lesions were analyzed using some algorithms of Intelligence Artificial: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), melanoma (MEL), actinic keratosis (AK), benign keratosis (BKL), dermatofibromas (DF), melanocytic nevi (NV), and vascular lesions (VASC). This manuscript presents the possibility of using concatenated signatures (instead of images) obtained from different integral transforms, such as Fourier, Mellin, and Hilbert, to classify skin lesions. Eleven other Artificial Intelligence models were applied so that eight skin lesions could be classified by analyzing the particular signatures of each lesion. The database was randomly divided into 80%–20% for the training and test datasets images, respectively. The metrics that are being reported are accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision. Each case was repeated 30 times to avoid bias, according to the central limit theorem in this work, and the average and ±standard deviation were reported. Although all the results were very satisfactory, the best average mark for the eight lesions analyzed was obtained using the Subspace KNN model, where the metrics for the test were 99.98% accuracy, 99.96% sensitivity, 99.99% specificity, and 99.95% precision.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related death. PC incidence has con-tinued to increase by about 1% each year in both men and women. Although the 5‐year relative survival rate of PC has increased from 3% to 12%, it is still the lowest among cancers. Hence, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Challenges in PC-targeted therapeutic strate-gies stem from the high PC heterogeneity and from the poorly understood interplay between cancer cells and the surrounding microenvironment. Signaling pathways that drive PC cell growth have been the subject of intense scrutiny and interest has been attracted by necroptosis, a distinct type of programmed cell death. In this review, we provide a historical background on necroptosis and a detailed analysis of the ongoing debate on the role of necroptosis in PC malignant progression.

The IgM and IgT classes were previously identified and characterized in the Antarctic teleost Trematomus bernacchii, a species belonging to the Perciform suborder Notothenoidei. Herein we characterized the gene encoding the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) in the same species and compared it to pIgR of multiple teleost species belonging to five perciform sub-orders, including 11 Antarctic and one non-Antarctic (Cottoperca gobio) notothenioid species, the latter living in less cold periantarctic sea. Antarctic pIgR genes displayed particularly long in-trons marked by sites of transposable elements and transcription factors. Furthermore, analysis of T. bernacchii pIgR cDNA unveiled multiple amino acid substitutions unique to Antarctic species, all introducing adaptive features, including N-glycosylation sequons. Interestingly, C. gobio shared most features with the other perciforms rather than with the cold adapted relatives. T. bernacchii pIgR transcripts were predominantly expressed in mucosal tissues, as indicated by q-PCR and in situ hybridization analysis. These results suggest that in cold adapted species pIgR preserved its fundamental role in mucosal immune defense, although remarkable gene structure modifications occurred.

Nowadays, there has been a significant rise in the consumption of kefir, a functional beverage touted for its perceived health benefits. To offer a high-quality beverage to consumers, it is imper-ative to scrutinize and fine-tune the fermentation process. This study seeks to investigate the im-pact of fermentation time and the number of subcultures on the physicochemical, microbiological, and volatile composition, as well as the visual appearance of kefir beverages obtained from four consecutive 24- or 48-h batch subcultures. All fermented beverages exhibited low lactose, ethanol and acids levels, with counts of viable probiotic lactic acid bacteria and yeast exceeding 106 colony forming units/mL. The four kefir beverages from the 48-h batch subcultures notably showed the lowest total concentrations of volatile compounds likely due to overfermentation and overacidifi-cation of the beverages. This caused separation of the whey and curd, along with the formation of large gas bubbles, negatively affecting the visual appearance of the products. These findings em-phasize the importance of fine-tuning the fermentation process to ensure the production of high-quality kefir beverages that align with consumer preferences. The four beverages from the 24-h batch subcultures exhibited high microbiological and physicochemical stability during stor-age at 4 °C for 28 days.

The focus of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporation of phenolic compounds from blueberry juice into pear slices using a combination of ohmic heating (OH) and vacuum impregnation (VI), followed by air- or freeze-drying. The results showed that OH is a valuable technique to increase the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of blueberry juice. The optimal OH treatment is heating the juice at 50 °C for 20 min under an electric field of 13 V/cm. Furthermore, the combination of VI and OH showed the efficiency of enriching pear slices with bioactive compounds from blueberry juice. The best treatment is to immerse the slices for 90 min at 50 °C and an electric field of 7.8 V/cm. The presence of anthocyanin pigments from blueberry juice affects the color parameters of pear slices by increasing the a* parameter and decreasing the b* and L* parameters. However, both freeze-drying and air-drying (at temperatures of 40, 50, and 60 °C) negatively affected the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Notably, air-drying at 60 °C highest levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential for both impregnated and non-impregnated pear slices among the drying processes applied.

Research has provided substantial evidence on the role of parents’ well-being in the quality of parent-child relationship and children’s adjustment. Parents’ stress and parental couple conflict have been linked to children’s adverse developmental outcomes. However, little is known about the factors that affect parent’s wellbeing when coping with multiple with stressors such as those brought by the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. Our study intended to examine the predictors of parental well-being looking at the contextual factors of COVID-19 home confinement, i.e. the use of digital media and parents’ domestic workload, and family resilience. Also, age and number of children were controlled as potential variables impacting parents’ well-being. A three-step hierarchical regression analysis was applied. The results showed that family resilience was a very strong predictor of parents’ well-being after controlling for any other variable. Parental couple’s conflict over the use of technology predicted lower levels of family well-being, while notably parent child-conflict and domestic workload were not associated with parents’ well-being. Additionally, age of children did play a role: the higher the mean age of children in the family the better the parents’ well-being. The findings are discussed in the light of their implications for research and practice.

Distributions with bounded support show considerable sparsity over those with unbounded support, despite the fact that there are a number of real-world contexts where observations take values from a bounded range (proportions, percentages, and fractions are typical examples). For proportion modelling, a flexible family of two-parameter distribution functions associated with the exponential distribution is proposed here. Mathematical and statistical properties of the novel distribution are examined, including quantiles, mode, moments, hazard rate function, and its characterization. The parameter estimation procedure using the maximum likelihood method was carried out, and applications to environmental and engineering data were also considered. To this end, various statistical tests are used, along with some other information criterion indicators to determine how well the model fits the data. The proposed model is found to be the most efficient plan in most cases for the datasets considered.

Salmon aquaculture generates a substantial volume of waste material, offering potential for biomaterial production. This industry produces significant waste, which can be repurposed for various biological applications, particularly in biomaterial production for tissue engineering with pertinent applications in osteo-conduction, osteo-induction, and clinical/surgical bone regeneration and repair. The process involves a standardized pre-treatment stage aimed at minimizing biological waste content. Subsequently, the treatment stage, contingent on the chosen methodology, facilitates the removal of proteins, lipids, molecules, and other compounds, leaving the mineral phase as a valuable substrate. The selection of the optimal method, whether alkaline hydrolysis, calcination, or NaOH hydrolysis, for obtaining this substrate necessitates thorough examination through chemical, physical, and biological assessments, including Raman Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction. This study aims to identify the most efficient laboratory process for biofunctional nano-sized hydroxyapatite mineral production derived from Chilean salmon fish backbone waste.

Cork oak tree (Quercus suber L.) symbolises Montado landscape in Portugal and is a central element in the country's social and economic history. In recent decades, the loss of thousands of cork oaks has been reported, revealing the ongoing decline of these agro-forestry ecosystems. This emblematic tree of the Mediterranean Basin is host to the soil-born root pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi, an active cork oak decline driver. In this framework, the early diagnosis of trees infected by the oomycete by non-invasive methods should contribute to the sustainable management of cork oak ecosystems and motivated this work. Using leaf reflectance spectroscopy it was possible to distinguish plants inoculated with P. cinnamomi from non-inoculated plants in a long course assay and to argue about the factors contributing to this differentiation. Spectral acquisitions in the visible-near infrared (400–1100 nm) were performed at 63, 78, 91, 126 and 248 days after inoculation (DAI), on the abaxial and adaxial faces of the leaves, and the spectral data was arranged in a three-way array of samples × wavelengths × days. The separation of the two plant groups were attributed to variations in water content (4v (O−H)) and/or a shift in the red edge and to structural modifications in the epidermal layer and/or the mesophyll of the leaves observed in the visible range. These spectral signatures can assist in the field identification of cork oaks that are interacting with P. cinnamomi.

Climbing plants require an external support to grow vertically and enhance light acquisition. Climbers that find a suitable support have greater performance and fitness than those that remain prostrate. Support search is characterized by oscillatory movements (i.e., circumnutation), in which plants rotate around a central axis during their growth. Numerous studies have elucidated the mechanistic details of circumnutation, but how this phenomenon is controlled remains unclear. Here, we use supervised machine learning algorithms to generate models that learn to discriminate between the presence/absence of a support in the environment. Results indicate that there is a difference in the pattern of circumnutation, depending on the presence of a support, that can be learned and classified rather accurately. We also identify distinctive kinematic features that contribute to the classification tasks. Overall, machine learning approaches appear to be powerful tools for understanding the movement of plants.

The consequences of climate change and anthropogenic stressors, such as habitat loss and overexploitation, are threatening the subsistence of species and communities across the planet. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the impact of environmental perturbations on the diversity, structure and function of ecosystems. In this work, in silico simulations of biodiversity loss were carried out on the marine food web of Caleta Potter (25 de Mayo Island, Antarctica) where global warming has caused critical changes in the abundance and distribution of benthic and pelagic communities during the last 30 years. We performed species removal considering their degree and trophic level and including four different thresholds on the occurrence of secondary extinctions. We examined the impact of extinctions on connectance, modularity and stability of the food web. We found different responses of these properties depending on the extinction criteria used, e.g., large increase in modularity and rapid decrease in stability when most-connected and relatively high-trophic level species were removed. Additionally, we studied the complexity-stability relationship of the food web founding two regimes: 1) high sensitivity to small perturbations suggesting that Potter Cove would be locally unstable, and 2) high persistence to long-range perturbations suggesting global stability of this ecosystem.

In a 24-week-long experiment, 31 rats were assigned to one of 3 groups: a Control group receiving standard chow and water, a Fructose group receiving standard chow and a 20% fructose solution, or an STZ+lipids group that received a fat-enriched diet following a single 25 mg/kg streptozotocin injection at the onset of the diet. Both groups experienced significantly increased caloric intake but did not gain weight above the Control group level. Adipocytes in subcutaneous and visceral adipose depots of both groups had smaller size compared to control and higher density in tissue. Respirometric analyses unveiled a substantial increase in mitochondrial respiration across all adipose tissue types in both dietary intervention groups, with greater changes observed in the Fructose group. Correlation analyses demonstrated that in both experimental groups high tissue respiration is associated with better biochemical profile and closer to control adipose tissue morphology. Increased tissue respiration in adipose depots could be an important mechanism of resilience to excessive caloric intake.

After 40 years of the discovery of metallocene catalysts, there are still several aspects that remain unresolved, especially when the “conventional” alkylaluminum activators are not used. Herein, we systematically investigate the synthesis of PE via three different zirconocene catalysts, with different alkyl substituents, activated via different organoboron compounds. The polymerization behavior, as well as the properties of the materials, are evaluated. The results demonstrate that the highest catalytic activity is shown by Bis(cyclopentadienyl)dimethylzirconium activated by trityl tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate. Also finding that toluene is the optimum solvent for these systems and at these reaction conditions. Moreover, to validate our experimental results, a comprehensive mathematical model is developed on the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic principles. The concentration of ethylene transferred to the solvent phase (toluene) in a liquid-vapor equilibrium (LVE) system is estimated based on the Duhem’s theorem. Arrhenius expressions for the kinetic rate constants of a proposed kinetic mechanism are estimated by a kinetic model, in which the rate of polymerization is fitted by a least-square optimization procedure and the molecular weight averages by the method of moments. The simulations of the coordination polymerization suggest the presence of two types of active sites, principally at low temperatures, and the reactivation of the deactivated sites via a boron-based activator. However, the effect of the temperature on the reactivation step is no clear; a deeper understanding via designed experiments is required.

Finding a suitable support is a key process in the life history of climbing plants. Climbers that find a suitable support have greater performance and fitness than those that remain prostrate. Numerous studies on climbing plant behavior have elucidated the mechanistic details of support searching and attachment. Far fewer studies have addressed the ecological significance of support-searching behavior and the factors that affect it. Among these, the diameter of supports influences their suitability for twining plants. When support diameter increases beyond some point climbing plants are unable to maintain tensional forces and therefore lose attachment to the trellis. Here we further investigate this issue by putting pea plants in the situation to choose between supports of different diameters while their movement was recorded by means of a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The results indicate that the way climbing plants move can vary depending on whether they are presented with one or two potential supports. Furthermore, when presented with a choice between a thin and a thick support, the plants showed a distinct preference for the former than the latter. The present findings shed further light on how climbers make decisions as far as support search is concerned, and provide evidence that plants adopt one of several alternative plastic responses in a way that optimally corresponds to environmental scenarios.

This study evaluates the efficiency of biodegradable polyurethane foams as thermal insulation materials compared to conventional materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS). Key parameters analyzed include thermal conductivity, energy savings, CO2 emission reductions, and investment payback periods. Biodegradable polyurethane foams demonstrated a thermal conductivity of 0.022 W/(m·K), significantly lower than EPS's 0.035 W/(m·K), leading to higher energy savings. Calculations reveal an annual energy saving of 443,820 kWh for polyurethane foams, compared to 441,330 kWh for EPS. Financially, polyurethane foams save approximately €53,258.4 annually, while EPS saves €52,959.6. In terms of environmental impact, polyurethane foams reduce CO2 emissions by 88,764 kg annually, versus 88,266 kg for EPS. Despite the higher initial cost of polyurethane foams (€50/m² compared to €30/m² for EPS), the payback period is remarkably short at 0.094 years (1.13 months) compared to EPS's 0.057 years (0.68 months). These findings highlight biodegradable polyurethane foams as a superior option for thermal insulation, offering significant energy, financial, and environmental benefits.

The imperative to achieve carbon neutrality has driven significant advancements in the construction sector, particularly in the production and utilization of building materials. This paper explores innovative strategies and practices designed to reduce the carbon footprint of construction materials, with a focus on both the production processes and the application of sustainable materials. Key innovations include the development of low-carbon and carbon-negative materials, the integration of renewable energy sources in production, and the implementation of advanced recycling technologies. Case studies of successful projects demonstrate how these strategies can be applied in real-world scenarios, highlighting both the benefits and challenges encountered. The analysis also delves into the technical and economic aspects of these innovations, addressing the barriers to their widespread adoption and proposing solutions to overcome these challenges. Through a comprehensive examination of current practices and future trends, this paper aims to provide a roadmap for the construction industry to achieve carbon neutrality, contributing to broader climate change mitigation efforts and fostering a more sustainable built environment.