The figures of merit of luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) thermometry for Er3+ in 40 different crystals and glasses have been calculated and compared. For calculations, the relevant data has been collected from the literature while the missing data were derived from available absorption and emission spectra. The calculated parameters include Judd-Ofelt parameters, refractive indexes, Slater integrals, spin-orbit coupling parameters, reduced matrix elements (RMEs), energy differences between emitting levels used for LIR, absolute and relative sensitivities. We found a slight variation of RMEs between hosts as a result of variations in values of Slater integrals and spin-orbit coupling parameters, and we calculated their average values over 40 hosts. The calculations showed that crystals perform better than glasses in Er3+ based thermometry, and we identified hosts that have large values of both absolute and relative sensitivity.

The paper proposed a modification of the GeoSER(D) model previously developed by us by detailing the age structure of the population, personal schedule on weekdays and working days, and individual health characteristics of the agents, this made it possible to build a more realistic model of the functioning of the city and its residents. The developed model made it possible to simulate the spread of 3 types of the strain of the COVID-19 virus, and to analyze the adequacy of this model in the case of unhindered spread of the virus among city residents. The paper showed that SARS COV 2 spreads mainly from contacts in workplaces and transport, and schoolchildren and preschool children are the consequence, not the initiator of the epidemic. Fluctuations in the dynamics of various indicators of the spread of SARS COV 2 associated with the difference in the daily schedule on weekdays and weekends. It has been shown that people's daily schedules strongly influence the spread of SARS COV 2. For the more contagious "rapid" strains of SARS COV 2 (omicron), immunocompetent people become a significant source of infection. For the less contagious "slow strains" (alpha) of SARS COV 2, the most active source of infection is immunocompromised individuals (pregnant women). The more contagious – "fast" strain of the SARS COV 2 virus (omicron) spreads faster in public transport. For less contagious – "slow" strains of the virus (alpha), the greatest infection occurs due to work and educational contacts.

This study addresses the motivations behind Generation Z's attendance at conferences and aims to contribute to a better understanding of their conference participation behavior. The study identified six latent factors that influence conference attendance motivation: Green and Digital Conference Experience, Educational and professional opportunities, Conference costs, Destination and conference stimuli, Stimulating factors, and Conference accessibility. These factors align with Generation Z's unique characteristics and preferences, such as their environmental consciousness, reliance on digital technologies, desire for continuous learning, career advancement, and experiences. The study also found that destination characteristics and educational and professional opportunities are significant motivators for Generation Z's conference attendance across different cultural contexts. Additionally, Generation Z's strong interest in sustainability and financial challenges highlights the need for eco-friendly practices and affordable registration fees to make conferences more appealing and accessible. The study further explores the impact of socio-demographic characteristics, revealing the gender and past conference attendance differences in motivation. Finally, the study discusses the implications for the conference industry and suggests areas for future research to enhance the understanding of conference attendance motivation among Generation Z.

The present paper reports an exact approach quantifying the electromagnetic contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment occurring in isolated system comprised of non-composite particle carrying elementary electric charge. Essential averaging procedure and regularization of the electromagnetic field potentials necessary when quantifying the electromagnetic self-interactions and when deriving equations of motion without singularities and obeying the conservation laws are thoroughly discussed. The study shows that the dynamics of the considered system is associated to unique classical transcendental equations of motion satisfied by the particle's velocity and the electromagnetic contribution to the anomalous $g$-factor known from the quantum electrodynamics. The equations of motion lead to an exact analytical expression for the anomalous $g$-factor that provides more accurate result than that calculated with the aid of quantum electrodynamics. It matches the experimentally measured value reported in the literature to a one part per trillion. We obtain a_e=0.00115965218000(65) thus reveling the potential of non-perturbative, non-probability methods in predicting the electron's anomalous g-factor.

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are one of the most toxic compounds. Degradation of CWAs using decontamination agents is one of the few ways to protect human health against the harmful effects of CWAs. A ferrate Fe(VI) based potential chemical warfare agent decontaminant was studied for degradation of persistent nitrogen mustard (tris(2-chloroethyl)amine, HN3). By optimizing the reaction conditions, the complete degradation of HN3 was achieved in 4 minutes. The degradation products contained mostly reduced Fe species which confirmed the environmental friendliness of the proposed decontamination solution.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) encroachment in subalpine and alpine ecosystems is increasing due to climate change and reduced land management. This review examines bilberry traits, environmental responses, and ecosystem impacts. As a stress-tolerant chamaephyte, bilberry thrives in acidic, nutrient-poor soils across various habitats. It propagates effectively through rhizomes and demonstrates a phalanx growth form. Bilberry's growth and distribution are influenced by elevation, soil structure, pH, water availability, and nitrogen content. Mycorrhizal associations play a crucial role in nutrient uptake. The species modifies microclimate, facilitates litter accumulation, and influences soil microbial communities, affecting nutrient turnover and biodiversity. Bilberry shows moderate tolerance to herbivory and frost, with the ability to recover through rapid emergence of new ramets. However, severe or repeated disturbances can significantly impact its abundance and reproductive success. Climate warming and atmospheric nitrogen deposition have accelerated bilberry growth in treeline ecotones. Management of bilberry encroachment requires a nuanced approach, considering its resilience, historical land-use changes, and environmental factors. The goal should be to limit, not eliminate, bilberry as it's a natural part of subalpine communities. Long-term comparative monitoring and experimental manipulation are necessary for effective management strategies.

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the behavior of tourists and their intention to travel after certain natural disasters or social unrest. The aim of the research was to establish the influence of psychological profiles of tourists on their decision to choose a tourist destination, using three psychographic techniques BFI-10 (Big Five Inventory), AIO (Activities, Interests, Opinions), and VALS 2 (Values and lifestyle), and a freely determined six-level scale of risk and tourist attractiveness of the imagined destinations. By analyzing the results through structural modeling-path analysis, it was determined that almost all psychographic orientations derived from lifestyles negatively perceive destinations with a high degree of risk and attractiveness, while with the VALS 2 technique, only members of the action orientation tend to accept the risk and challenge of visiting high-risk destinations. The results of the research have a degree of innovation in the application of the combination of the mentioned models, as well as in the theoretical and applied aspects in supplementing the building and strategic planning of the future business.

Background/Objectives: Women's reproductive and overall well-being are intricately associated to vitamin D levels. In Morocco, vitamin D deficiency is a major issue for premenopausal women, yet little data exists on their dietary intake of this nutrient. This study explores vitamin D dietary intake, socio-demographic determinants, and its correlation with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D3] in premenopausal Moroccan women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 355 women aged 18-49 in Meknes, Morocco, using validated questionnaires to assess dietary intake and sun exposure. Potential covariates such as physical activity and BMI were also assessed . Serum 25(OH)D was measured via chemiluminescence immunoassay. Chi-square tests and Spearman correlation were used to identify socio-demographic factors influencing vitamin D intake. Linear and multivariate regression analysis determined the main predictors of serum 25(OH)D levels. Results :The median (interquartile range) vitamin D dietary intake was 2.8 (2.7) µg/day , with less than 20% of women meeting the recommended 5 µg/day. Major dietary sources were fish (48%), dairy (24.3%), and meat (9.4%), with fortified foods contributing only for 7%. Lower intake was linked to younger age (p=0.004) and rural living (p=0.024). While no significant association was found between dietary intake and serum 25(OH)D ((β(SE): 0.155(0.094), p=0.340 ) , sun exposure positively predicted serum levels(β(SE): 0.343 (0.128), p=0.008) , and BMI negatively affected them (β(SE): -1.128 (0.337), p=0.001). Conclusions: Our findings highlight insufficient vitamin D intake among premenopausal Moroccan women, especially younger and rural women. Nutritional interventions are needed to address this deficiency, promoting better dietary habits, sun exposure, and healthy weight.

Three-temperature heating systems consist of a heat engine and a heat pump, enabling thus maximum usage of the primary thermal source for the heating of buildings. This analysis has revealed obvious advantages and disadvantages that the combining of thermodynamic systems has in future development, also with respect to environmental and economic issues. It appears that the combination of a Stirling engine or a similar heat drive with a heat pump is especially suitable. In order to analyze the effectiveness of such a system, a comprehensive calculation procedure is used: its basis lies in accounting for all types of energy and their relationship to the original natural resource. The present paper aims to point out that the combination of Stirling engine and a heat pump is a useful solution thanks to the most favorable resultant economic impact if compared to the usage of a diesel, four-stroke gas, or, most commonly used, electric drive.

To stabilize the Earth’s climate a large-scale transition is needed to non-carbon emitting renewable energy technologies like wind and solar energy. Although these renewable energy sources are now lower-cost than fossil fuels, their inherent intermittency make them unable to supply a constant load without storage. To address these challenges rechargeable electric batteries are currently the most promising option; however, their high capital costs limit current deployment velocities. To both reduce the cost as well as improve performance 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution. This literature review provides the state-of-the-art enhancements of battery properties with 3D printing including efficiency, mechanical stability, energy and power density, customizability and sizing, production process efficiency, material conservation and environmental sustainability as well as the progress in solid-state batteries. The principles, advantages, limitations, and recent advancements associated with the most common types of 3D printing are reviewed focusing on their contributions to the battery field. 3D printing batteries offer design flexibility, material flexibility, reduces pack weight, minimizes material waste, increases the range of applications and has the potential to reduce costs. As 3D printing technologies become more accessible, the prospect of cost-effective production for customized batteries is extremely promising.

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) is the key technology promised to be applied in next-generation networks in the near future. In this study, we propose a multi-points cooperative relaying (MPCR) NOMA model instead of just using a relay as the previous studies. Based on the channel state information (CSI), the base station (BS) selects a closest user equipment (UE) and sends a superposed signal to this UE as a first relay node. We have assumed that there are N UEs in the network and Nth UE, which is farthest from BS, has the poorest quality signal transmitted from the BS compared other UEs. Nth UE received the forwarded signal from N-1 relaying nodes that are UEs with better signal quality. At the ith relaying node, it detect its own symbol by using successive interference cancellation (SIC) and will forward the composite signal to the next closest user, namely i+1th UE, and include an excess power which will use for energy harvesting (EH) intention at the next UE. By these, the farthest UE in network can be significantly improved. In addition, closed-form expressions of outage probability for users over both the Rayleigh and Nakagami-m fading channels are also presented. Analysis and simulation results performed by Matlab software which are presented accurately and clearly show that the effectiveness of our proposed model and this model consistents with the multi-access wireless network in future.

The rapid growth of Earth's global geospatial data necessitates an efficient system for organizing the data, facilitating data fusion from diverse sources, and promoting interoperability. Mapping the spheroidal surface of the planet presents significant challenges, as it involves balancing distortion and splitting the surface into multiple partitions. The distortion decreases as the number of partitions increases, but at the same time the complexity of data processing increases, since each partition represents a separate data set and is defined in its own local coordinate system. In this paper, we propose the dual orthogonal equidistant cylindrical projection method to mitigate distortion and reduce the number of partitions. Additionally, we use the rotation of projection cylinders to effectively minimize average angular and areal distortions of the Earth’s landmass and reduce the interruption of continental plates caused by partition edges. By incorporating auxiliary latitudes and proposing an approximate authalic latitude, we further enhance the mapping of the ellipsoid onto the sphere, simplifying calculations. Experimental results demonstrate a substantial reduction in distortion and interruption of continental plates. With only two partitions, an average landmass angular distortion of less than 3.56 degrees and an average normalized surface distortion of less than 1.07 were achieved.

The synthesis of enantiomeric forms of D-amino acids can be achieved by a two-step "hydantoinase process" based on the sequential catalysis of substrates by specific enzymes, D-carbamoylase and D-hydantoinase. In addition to our previously studied D-hydantoinase, we describe here the structural features of D-carbamoylase from Pseudomonas, the encoded gene of which was chemically synthesized and cloned into Escherichia coli. A significant fraction of the overexpressed recombinant protein forms insoluble inclusion bodies, which are partially converted to a soluble state upon treatment with N-lauroylsarcosine or upon incubation of the cells at low temperatures. Analysis of the substrate specificity of the purified His-tag protein showed that D-carbamoylase exhibits the highest activity toward N-carbamoyl-D-alanine and N-carbamoyl-D-tryptophan. Molecular docking analysis revealed the location of the substrate binding site in the three-dimensional structure of D-carbamoylase. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the binding pocket of the enzyme in complex with N-carbamoyl-D-tryptophan is stabilized within 100 ns. The free energy of binding indicated a possible role of residues Arg176 and Asn173 in the formation of hydrogen bonds between the enzyme and N-carbamoyl-D-tryptophan. The properties of the studied D-carbamoylase and D-hydantoinase support further development of a combined biotechnological process for the production of new drugs and peptide hormones.

The variability of the material properties of steel from different suppliers causes problems in achieving the required surface quality after turning. Therefore, the manufacturer needs to be able to estimate the resulting quality before starting production, especially if it is an expensive, small-batch production from stainless steel. Predictive models will make it possible to estimate the surface roughness from the mechanical properties of steel in the Mill Test Certificate (MTC) and thus support decision-making about the supplier selection or the acceptance of a material supply. Multivariate second-order polynomial model and feedforward back-propagation Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model were used to enhance the methodological robustness in formulating the decision if the predicted surface roughness is outside the required range, even before accepting the delivery. Both models can accurately predict surface roughness, while the ANN model is more accurate than the polynomial model; however, the predictive model is sensitive to the accuracy of the input data, and the model’s prediction is valid only under precisely defined conditions. The prediction model is used in a step-by-step decision-making procedure, which enables the trained staff to make a quick decision.

The contribution deals with the joining of various types of materials by technology of thermal drilling. In various branches of industries, also in the automotive industry must be joining operations, service, repairing, substitution or protection workpieces, components with various types of materials. Equally, the important role as joint, is also used material, and a product preparation by assembly and disassembly operations. By utilization of new friction hybrid joining technologies we can shortage the production time, provide automation in operations, increase the quality of joints, spare of economical expenses and also we can protect the environment. In this paper authors have investigated the effect of friction drilling on the tested material, aluminium alloy AlMgSi, which was used for material testing. The created joints were evaluated visually and by microscopy methods. The errors of tested joining were documented and described, too. This contribution was made with cooperation of Technical University of Kosice and with U. S. Steel Kosice, s.r.o.

Contemporary architects and the construction industry are trying to cope with increasing requirements concerning energy efficiency and environmental impact. One of the available options is the active utilization of energy gains from the environment, specifically solar energy gains. These gains can be utilized by, for example, solar walls and facades. The solar façade concept has been under development for more than a century. However, it hasn’t achieved widespread use for various reasons. Rather recently the concept was enhanced by the application of transparent insulation materials that have the potential to increase the efficiency of such façades. The presented study evaluates the environmental efficiency of 10 solar façade assemblies in the mild climate of the Czech Republic, Central Europe. The evaluated façade assemblies combine the principles of a solar wall with transparent insulation based on honeycomb and polycarbonate panels. The study applies Life-Cycle Assessment methodology to the calculation of environmental impacts related to the life cycle of the evaluated assemblies. The results indicate that even though there are several limiting factors, façade assemblies with transparent insulation have lower environmental impacts compared to a reference assembly with standard thermal insulation. The highest achieved difference is approx. 84% (in favour of the assembly with transparent insulation) during a modelled 50-year façade assembly service life.

This publication aims to create 4K UHD video sequences with a specific focus on smart cities and transport. The created database will be accessible to all experts in the field and can be further used for research purposes. All reference video sequences will be transcoded into different quality settings. The resolution, compression standard, and bitrate will be changed. The work will aim to find out the best combination of video parameters from the measured values. Thanks to the overall evaluation, we will ensure for each single video sequence the quality with the best experience for the providers that will offer the service. The database will also be available with its objective and subjective ratings, with dynamicity information characterized by spatial and temporal information. After, It will be possible to compare the results of the subjective evaluation of a selected sample of our respondents with the work of other researchers who can evaluate with a different sample of evaluators.

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are an integral part in studying the properties of the Galaxy and its interstellar medium. For the current work, we explore the relation between the observed radio luminosities of SNRs and the physical properties of those SNRs. The physical properties of 54 SNRs are derived from their observed X-ray spectra. Then the observed radio emission is compared to predicted radio emission using the analytic model of . We find the model can be improved significantly by including an interstellar medium density dependence in the efficiency of particle acceleration and magnetic field amplification.

The application of smartphone-based color evaluation of passive sampling devices for gases has only been sparsely reported. The present review aims to compile available publications with respect to the configuration of the passive samplers, conditions of smartphone photographing, analytical procedure for color detection and quantification (including calibration processes), and their application to different target gases. The performance of the methods - whenever available - is presented regarding the analytical specifications selectivity, sensitivity, and limit of detection in comparison with other color evaluation methods of passive samplers. Practical aspects like requirements of instrumentation and ease of use will be outlined in view of the potential employment in education and citizen science projects. In one section of the review the inconsistent terminology of passive and diffusive sampling is discussed in order to clarify the distinction of information obtained from the uptake of the passive samplers between gas-phase concentration and the accumulated deposition flux of gaseous analytes. Colorimetric gas sensors are included in the review when applied in passive sampling configurations and evaluation is performed with smartphone-based color evaluation. Differences in the analytical procedures employed after the passive sampling step and prior to the detection of the colored compounds are also presented.

Improper sitting positions are known as the primary reason for back pain and the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among individuals who spend prolonged time working with computer screens, keyboards, and mice. At the same time, it is well understood that automated technological tools can play an important role in the process of unhealthy habit alteration, so plenty of research efforts are focused on research and technology development (RTD) activities that aim to provide support to the prevention of back pain or the development of MSD. Here, we report on creating a new resource in support of RTD activities aiming at the automated detection of improper sitting positions. It consists of multimodal multisensory recordings of 100 persons made with a video recorder, camera, and wrist-attached sensors that capture physiological signals (PPG, EDA, Skin temperature), as well as motion sensors (three-axis accelerometer). Our multimodal multisensory dataset (MMD-MSD) opens new opportunities for modeling the body stance (sitting posture and movements), physiological state (stress level, attention, emotional arousal, valence), and performance (success rate on the Stroop test) of people working with a computer. Finally, we demonstrate two use cases: improper neck posture detection from pictures and cognitive load detection from physiological signals.

This study checked whether vitamin D (Vit-D) supplementation improves the efficacy of resistance training (RT) in terms of increasing muscle strength and lean body mass (LBM) and influencing cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) in Vit-D insufficient middle-aged healthy men. Participants (n = 28) were quasi‐randomly assigned to one of the two groups, which, in a double‐blind manner, supplemented their diet daily with either Vit‐D (8000 IU; VD) or placebo (PLC) during participation in a 12‐week supervised RT program. During the intervention, serum Vit‐D concentrations increased 2.6‐fold (p < 0.001) in the VD group, while no changes occurred in the PLC group. Muscle strength gains (p < 0.001) as measured in seven exercises performed on RT equipment and increases (p < 0.001) in LBM were similar in the two groups. Total fat mass, percent total fat, and percent android fat decreased (p < 0.05) to a similar extent in both groups, but there was no change in VO2max in either group. In conclusion, in healthy Vit‐D insufficient middle-aged men engaged in resistance training, Vit‐D supplementation increases serum 25(OH)D levels but does not enhance gains in muscle strength and LBM or decreases in fat mass and fat percentage and does not affect cardiorespiratory fitness.

Ship detection from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is crucial for various fields in real-world applications. Numerous deep learning-based detectors have been investigated for SAR ship detection, which require a substantial amount of labeled data for training. However, SAR data annotation is time-consuming and demands specialized expertise, resulting in that deep learning-based SAR ship detectors struggle due to a lack of annotations. With limited labeled data, semi-supervised learning is a popular approach for boosting detection performance by excavating valuable information from unlabeled data. In this paper, a semi-supervised SAR ship detection network is proposed, termed as Multi-Teacher Dempster-Shafer Evidence Fusion Net-work (MTDSEFN). The MTDSEFN is an enhanced framework based on the basic teacher-student skeleton frame, comprising two branches: the Teacher Group (TG) and the Agency Teacher (AT). The TG utilizes multiple teachers to generate pseudo-labels for different augmentation versions of unlabeled samples, which are then refined to obtain high-quality pseudo-labels by using Dempster-Shafer (D-S) fusion. The AT not only serves to deliver weights of its own teacher to the TG at the end of each epoch, but also updates its own weights after each iteration, enabling the model to effectively learn rich information from unlabeled data. The combination of TG and AT guarantees both reliable pseudo-label generation and learning comprehensive diversity information from numerous unlabeled samples. Extensive experiments were performed on two public SAR ship datasets, and the results demonstrated the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach.

D-dimer testing in combination with clinical assessment is commonly used to diagnose suspected DVT and pulmonary embolism. However, as D-dimer levels are physiologically higher in elderly patients, this test loses clinical specificity in the setting of geriatric patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the changes in D-dimer levels with age and the specificity of the D-dimer test in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. 1617 elderly patients consecutively admitted to the Geriatric Emergency Care Department of the INRCA-IRCCS hospital between January 2013 and February 2014 and for whom D-dimer results were available were included. The D-dimer immunoturbidimetric assay was performed on a cs-2100i Sysmex Siemens using a conventional cut-off level of 500 µg/L. The median D-dimer level was 1200 [550-2990] µg/L FEU, and the percentage of patients with D-dimer levels below the conventional cut-off was only 22.1%. As expected, there was a significant age-related increase in D-dimer, even when sex was considered, and a significant decrease in the specificity of D-dimer assay with age. The most established use of D-dimer testing is in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Our study confirms the need for an age-adjusted cut-off for D-dimer testing in geriatric patients.

The present paper reports exact results for the muon self-energy and anomalous g-factor. A unique to the muon cut-off terms that remove the radial singularity in the system and regularize the corresponding electrodynamics are presented. Equations of motion and a transcendental equation satisfied by the muon anomalous g-factor are derived, with solution a_m=0.001165920162(198). The obtained value matches the latest experimental one found in the literature to about 0.43 ppb ruling out a possible tension between theory and experiment.

The nuclear hormone family of receptors regulates gene expression. The androgen receptor (AR) shuttles upon ligand binding and homodimerization from the cytosol into the nucleus to activate gene expression. Thyroid hormone receptors(TR), retinoic acid receptors (RAR), and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) are present in the nucleus bound to chromatin as a heterodimer with the retinoid X receptors (RXR) and repress gene expression. Ligand binding leads to transcription activation. The hormonal ligands for these receptors play crucial roles to ensure the proper conduct of very many tissues and exert effects on prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Androgens support PCa proliferation and deprivation alone or with chemotherapy is the standard therapy for PCa. RAR activation and 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) stimulation of TR support the growth of PCa cells. Ligand stimulation of VDR drives growth arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis of PCa cells. Often these receptors are explored as separate avenues to find treatments for PCa and other cancers. However, there is accumulating evidence to support receptor interactions and crosstalk of regulatory events whereby a better understanding might lead to new combinatorial treatments.

The contribution deals with the selection of progressive methods and technologies to improve the management of production processes in the industrial area. The first chapter of the contribution summarises the theoretical starting points for the management of production processes and their progressive concepts. Chapter 2 deals with the analysis of the current state of play in the use of methods and technologies in production management and summarise its problem areas. Chapter 3 presents the design of a system for selecting the appropriate method and technology to improve the management of the production process. The system presented is designed from data collection blocks, a benchmark for the performance of industrial enterprises' production processes, and data mining to gain knowledge of the impact of the methods and technologies used on the performance of production processes. The last block of the system allows the presentation of the obtained results, which sets out the recommendation for the choice of progressive method and technology. The system is partially verified in the last chapter of the contribution.

The purpose of this investigation was to prepare a water-soluble complex by encapsulation of propolis extract with the carrier 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and to examine the influence of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion (GID) on the content of the main polyphenolic groups when administered as aqueous suspension. The research was conducted on two continental samples of propolis from Croatia and a mixture of selected polyphenol standards. By applying UAE followed by a lyophilization procedure, it was possible to obtain a powder with a high content of polyphenols. The content of total phenols (TPs), total flavonols/flavones (TFFs) and total flavanones/dihydroflavonols (TFDs) in the fractions of oral and gastric phase and small intestinal phase performed with two models: centrifugation and dialysis through a semi-permeable membrane, was determined by three UV/Vis spectrophotometric methods: Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminium complexation and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method. The obtained results for both propolis complexes showed stability in the polyphenol content and high bioaccessibility during all three phases of digestion. The bioaccessibility of TPs, TFFs and TFDs under in vitro conditions after dialysis through a semipermeable membrane was lower compared to the intestinal phase model with centrifugation.

For very first time, we report the synthesis of 8-(2-methoxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-(1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)quinoline 1. This was achieved in several steps, including usage of Suzuki reaction for functionalization of 2-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)quinoline moiety. The new compound exhibits blue fluorescence. Its structure was confirmed with 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy, IR-spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry and X-ray analysis.

The present paper deals with research of maintenance strategy and maintenance process improvement procedure to increase the efficiency and quality of the production system. It includes the design of maintenance performance indicators relevant to today's manufacturing systems to track improvements in the sustainable development of the manufacturing system. Describes the basic principles of maintenance strategy with linkages to the manufacturing system and selecting the right strategy for the organization. The paper emphasizes maintenance management auditing and quality implementation in maintenance. Further, there is the process of changing the maintenance strategy described. This process includes reassessing the criticality of machines and equipment and their design units, then resource and capacity planning and input for maintenance management. It is described the impact of changing the maintenance management organization and maintenance capacity in the light of the change of strategy and the evaluation of maintenance choice alternatives, together with an analysis of the optimization procedure. The paper concludes by presenting the achieved impact of maintenance strategy change on the production efficiency and production quality of the selected enterprise.

This research aims to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, specifically Artificial Immune Systems (AIS), to design an optimal control strategy for a multivariable control plant. Two specific industrial control approaches are investigated: I-PD (Integral-Proportional Derivative) and PI-D (Proportional-Integral Derivative) control. The motivation for using these variations of PID controllers is that they are functionally implemented in modern industrial controllers, where they provide precise process control. The research results in a novel solution to the control synthesis problem for the industrial system. In particular, the research deals with the synthesis of I-P control for a two-loop system in the technological process of a distillation column. This synthesis is carried out using the AIS algorithm, which is the first application of this technique in this specific context. Methodological approaches are proposed to improve the performance of industrial multivariable control systems by effectively using optimization algorithms and establishing modified quality criteria. The numerical performance index ISE justifies the effectiveness of the AIS-based controllers in comparison with conventional PID controllers (ISE₁ = 1.865, ISE₂ = 1.56). The problem of synthesis of the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) control system is solved, considering the interconnections due to the decoupling procedure.

Managers are often faced with the task of improving the management of the production 17process in order to maintain the sustainability of production efficiency in a highly competitive en-18vironment. The submitted contribution deals with the design of a system that will support them in 19the selection of progressive methods and technologies in order to improve the management of pro-20duction processes. Managers often follow new trends in this issue, but it is not easy to work on the 21knowledge that proven progressive technologies can bring them higher efficiency. The presented system is based on the use of knowledge of existing solutions of manufacturers of automotive components, where companies solve similar problems in production management. The mix of methods and technologies used in the management of production processes brings companies different results in the achieved efficiency. The proposed system for supporting the selection of the production management method and technology is designed from blocks of data collection, benchmarking of the performance of production processes of industrial enterprises, and further from data mining technology to obtain knowledge about the effect on efficiency from already implemented technologies. The last blocks help to examine the differences in the implementation of the same methods and technologies and allow to present the obtained results to the manager in the form of recommendations for choosing a suitable progressive method and technology.

This is a single tertiary center in southwest Romania, population-based, study. We retrospectively compared data obtained in two periods: January 2008 - December 2013 and January 2018 - De-cember 2023, respectively. The global incidence of transposition of great arteries (TGA) - the ter-minated cases added to the ones resulting in live-born pregnancies, remained almost constant. The live-born incidence of TGA decreased (0.34% to 0.013%). The prenatal detection rate increased slightly (71.42% to 87.5%). The median gestational age at the diagnosis decreased, from 29.3 ges-tational weeks (mean 25.4) to 13.4 weeks (mean 17.2). The proportion of terminated pregnancies significantly increased (14.28% to 75%, p = 0.019).

Electrochemical methods are used for the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewater, either independently or in conjunction with biological methods. This conjunction is used for pretreatment or posttreatment of biologically treated wastewater. In our work, we focused on the combination of these processes, where pre-electrolysis was used to produce dissolved iron before the activation process. Electrolysis was also directly introduced into the activation using either iron or carbon electrodes. The surface of one iron electrode was 32.2 cm2, the applied voltage was 21 V, and the supplied current was 270 mA. The surface of one carbon electrode was 7.54 cm2, the supplied current was 82.5 mA, and the applied voltage was 21 V. From laboratory research on the treatment of synthetic municipal wastewater using a combination of electrolysis and activation processes, it resulted that the use of iron electrodes increased the efficiency of phosphorus removal compared to its precipitation with iron salts. The electrolysis had a positive effect on the sedimentation properties of sludge and the destruction of filamentous microorganisms. Electrolysis negatively affected the respiration rates of activated sludge and the efficiency of denitrification. However, it did not have a negative impact on the nitrification activity of the sludge.

The expression of the oncogene zinc-finger protein 217 (ZNF217) has been reported to play a central role in cancer development, resistance, and recurrence. Therefore, targeting ZNF217 has been proposed as a possible strategy to fight cancer, making necessary to discover novel com-pounds. The present work aims to characterize the chemopreventive properties of cucurbitacin D , a compound with a broad range of anticancer effectsin relation to the ZNF217 expression. Different cucurbitacins were isolated from the Vietnamese plant Elaeocarpus hainanensis. The purified compounds were tested on nucleophosmin-mutated acute myeloid leukemia and other hematology cancer to study their effects on viability, apoptosis, cell cycle and on the expression of ZNF217. Cucurbitacin D reduced the number of acute myeloid leukemia cells by increasing apoptosis and blocking cell cycle progression. It also significantly decreased ZNF217 expression but only in the OCI-AML3 Nucleophosmin-mutated cell line, but not in other hematologic cancers. The reduction in ZNF217 expression contributed significantly to the blocking of cell cycle progression but not to apoptosis as established by the silencing of the same gene. The obtained results suggest Cucurbitacin D as a promising molecule to target the mutated Nu-cleophosmin or its pathway in acute myeloid leukemia cells, although further studies are needed for in depth investigatiion of its specificity.

Over the last decades, in addition to the improvement of pathophysiological knowledge regarding the role and mechanisms of action of Vitamin D, there has been a progressive advancement in analytical technologies for its determination, as well as in methodological standardization. A significant number of scientific works, meta-analyses, and guidelines have been published on the importance of Vitamin D and the need for supplementation in deficient individuals. However, it appears necessary to clarify the fundamental elements related to the determination of Vitamin D (both at the strictly analytical and post-analytical levels) and the scientific evidence related to the efficacy/safety of supplementation. Additionally, given the important interrelations between Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), the analytical issues and clinical utility of these biomarkers will be discussed.

Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between poor vitamin D status and respiratory infections and diarrhea among young children. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and diarrhea are among the two most important causes of death in under-5 children. In this analysis, we examine the extent to which vitamin-D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) predicts these outcomes using data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily folic acid and/ or vitamin B12 supplementation for six months in 6 to 30 months old children conducted in Delhi, India. Of the 960 subjects who had vitamin-D concentrations measured, 331(34.5%) were vitamin-D deficient. We found, after controlling for relevant potential confounders (age, sex, breastfeeding status, wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia status at base line and season), the risk of ALRI was significantly higher among vitamin-D deficient (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.55) compared to vitamin-D-replete children in the six months follow-up period. Vitamin-D status was not significantly associated with episodes of diarrhea and clinical pneumonia. The extent of causal relationship of vitamin-D status and ALRI needs to be explored in further studies.

Neuropathic pain (NeP) is a complex and debilitating condition that impacts millions of people globally. Although various treatment options exist, their effectiveness is often limited, and they can be accompanied by significant side effects. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) as a potential therapeutic approach to alleviate different types of neuropathic pain. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive examination of NMDAR antagonists, specifically ketamine, memantine, methadone, amantadine, carbamazepine, valproic acid, phenytoin, dextromethorphan, riluzole, and levorphanol, in the management of NeP. By analyzing and summarizing current preclinical and clinical studies, this review seeks to evaluate the efficacy of these pharmacologic agents in providing adequate relief for NeP.

Efficient traffic systems control in large cities with complex traffic management of signalized intersections is a challenging task, particularly when dealing with high traffic volumes. The city of Zagreb faces this challenge, as all administrative and governmental institutions are located in the old city centre, and routes for escorted vehicles have a significant impact on the traffic network. This paper addresses the issue of the impact of unconditional priority for escorted vehicles on the energy efficiency of the urban traffic network in the city of Zagreb. The traffic network model is developed by using the PTV Vissim microsimulation software. The evaluation was conducted with node (delay, queue length, number of stops) and network evaluation parameters (CO2 emission, NOx emission, PM10 emission, and fuel consumption). The results show that unconditional priority has minimal impact on energy consumption and exhaust emission in the observed scenario. This is a significant result considering all actions that have to be done to manage the passage of the escorted vehicles through the traffic network.

Low temperatures in the autumn induce enhanced expression/relative accumulation of several cold-inducible transcripts/proteins with protective functions from Late-embryogenesis-abundant (LEA) superfamily including dehydrins. Several studies dealing with plants grown under controlled conditions revealed a correlation (significant quantitative relationship) between dehydrin transcript/protein relative accumulation and plant frost tolerance. However, to apply these results in breeding, field experiments are necessary. The aim of the review is to provide a summary of the studies dealing with the relationships between plant acquired frost tolerance and COR/LEA transcripts/proteins relative accumulation in cereals grown in controlled and in the field conditions. The impacts of cold acclimation and vernalization processes on the ability of winter-type Triticeae to accumulate COR/LEA proteins are discussed. The factors determining dehydrin relative accumulation under controlled cold acclimation treatments versus field trials during winter seasons are discussed. In conclusion, it can be stated that dehydrins could be used as suitable indicators of winter surival in field-grown winter cereals but only in plant prior to the fullfilment of vernalization requirement.

The prolonged static sitting at the workplace is considered as one of the main risks for development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and adverse health effects. Factors such as poor posture and extended sitting are perceived to be a reason for conditions such as lumbar hyperlordosis and lower back pain (LBP), even though the scientific explanation of this relationship is still unclear and raises disputes in the scientific community. This publication proposes the low back pain assessment (LBPA) dataset collected through experiment with 100 participants and consisting of photogrammetric images with intentionally placed body markers, calculated postural angles and tags correct and incorrect posture assessed by habilitated rehabilitator, as well as questionnaire-based self-reports regarding the occurrence of LBP and similar symptoms among the participants. Machine learning models trained with this data are employed for recognizing incorrect body postures. Two scenarios have been elaborated for modeling purposes: scenario 1, based on natural body posture tagged as correct and incorrect, and scenario 2, based on incorrect body postures, corrected additionally by the rehabilitator. The achieved accuracies of respectively 75.3% and 85% for both scenarios reveal the potential for future research in enhancing awareness and actively managing posture-related issues that elevate the likelihood of developing lower back pain symptoms.

Although vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), there are few data on the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) and atherogenic indices predictive of CVD. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of vitamin D status with lipid profile and atherogenic indices in adult women in Morocco. Three hundred healthy women, aged 18 to 50 years, from Meknes were included. Fasting 25(OH) D and lipid concentrations were determined using a one-step electrochemiluminescence-based immunoassay and an enzymatic method, respectively. Atherogenic indices (Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), non-HDL cholesterol (Non-HDL-C), Atherogenic coefficient (AC), Castelli risk indices I and II (CRI-I and II), and CHOLIndex (CI)) were calculated using conventional lipid parameters. Logistic regression models and operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were used to assess the relationship of the variables and estimate the threshold of 25(OH) D levels associated with high atherogenic indices. 25(OH) D below 20 ng/ml was significantly associated with an enhanced risk of hypertriglyceridemia and elevated values of AIP, AC, Non-HDL-C, and CRI-I with an OR (95% CI) of 4.904 (1.856-12.959); 3.637(2.149-6.158); 3.589(1.673-7.700); 2.074(1.215-3.540), and 2.481(1.481-4.123), respectively. According to ROC analysis, the likelihood of hypertriglyceridemia and high values of AIP, AC, Non-HDL-C, and CRI-I were associated with 25(OH)D thresholds ≤15.15 ng/ml, ≤ 17.5 ng/ml, ≤ 19.8 ng/ml, ≤ 20.1 ng/ml and ≤ 19.5 ng/ml, respectively, all p &lt; 0.01. Based on atherogenic indices, this study indicates that vitamin D below 20 ng/ml may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in adult women. Additional health efforts are needed to raise awareness among women and healthcare providers in preventing and controlling cardiovascular risk factors.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is essentially featured by self-tissue destruction by means of the adaptive immune responses that evade immune regulation. Vitamin D carries out an immunomodulatory role that appears to promote immune tolerance. The aim of this study is to elaborate a narrative review about the relationship between vitamin D status and HT and the role of vitamin D supplementation to reduce HT risk by modulating the immune system. There is an extensive literature confirming that vitamin D levels are significantly lower in HT patients compared to healthy people. On the other hand, after the supplementation with cholecalciferol in patients with HT and vitamin D deficiency, thyroid autoantibody titer decreased significantly, However, there are no conclusive results on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the thyroid function. The confirmation of the beneficial effects of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of autoimmune thyroid diseases require additional randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with longer follow-up.

This paper aims to demonstrate that, beyond the small world of Riemann-Liouville and Caputo derivatives, there is a vast and rich world with many derivatives suitable for specific problems and various theoretical frameworks to develop, corresponding to the different paths taken. Notions of time and scale sequences are introduced and general associated basic derivatives, namely right/stretching and left/shrinking, are defined. A general framework for fractional derivative definitions is reviewed and applied to get both known and new fractional order derivatives. Several fractional derivatives are considered, mainly: Liouville, Hadamard, Euler, bilinear, tempered, q-derivative, and Hahn.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) develops when the immunotolerant environment of the liver is compromised due to excessive alcohol consumption. ALD progression involves variations in the expression of multiple genes, resulting in liver inflammation and the development of a leaky gut. Molecular mechanism involved for ALD progression is still unclear, and due to that there are currently no FDA-approved drugs available for its treatment. In this study, the protective effects of Graphene oxide nanoparticles (GO) was investigated against ethanol-induced damage in the gut-liver axis in in vitro. GO was synthesized using a modified Hummer's method and characterization was done. Given the general concerns regarding nanoparticle toxicity, assessment of cell viability, lipid accumulation, DNA damage, cell death, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were conducted using various techniques. Furthermore, gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines was done using RT-qPCR. The findings revealed that GOs promoted cell viability even against ethanol treatment. Additionally, lipid accumulation significantly decreased when cells were treated with GO alongside ethanol compared to ethanol treatment alone, with similar trends observed for other assays. Gene expression analysis indicated that GO treatment reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines while enhancing the expression of antioxidant genes. Moreover, GO treatment led to improvements in gut permeability and a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines in colon cells damaged by ethanol. These findings suggest that GO holds promise as a drug carrier, exhibiting no observed toxic effects. By shedding light on the protective effects of GO against ethanol-induced damage, this study contributes to the burgeoning field of nanoparticle-mediated therapy for ALD.

Phytochemicals have a long and successful history in drug discovery. With recent advancements in analytical techniques and methodologies, discovering bioactive leads from natural compounds has become easier. Computational techniques like molecular docking, QSAR modelling and machine learning, and network pharmacology are among the most promising new tools that allow researchers to make predictions concerning natural products' potential targets, thereby guiding experimental validation efforts. Additionally, approaches like LC-MS or LC-NMR speed up compound identification by streamlining analytical processes. Integrating structural and computational biology aids in lead identification, thus providing invaluable information to understand how phytochemicals interact with potential targets in the body. Emerging computational approach is machine learning involving QSAR modelling and deep neural networks that interrelate phytochemical properties with diverse physiological activities such as antimicrobial or anticancer effects.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are highly prevalent conditions, each significantly contributing to the global burden of morbidity and mortality. CVD and CKD share a great number of common risk factor, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking among others. Their relationship extends beyond these factors, encompassing intricate interplay between the two systems. Within this complex network of pathophysiological processes, vitamin D has emerged as a potential linchpin, exerting influence over diverse physiological pathways implicated in both CKD and CVD. In recent years, scientific exploration has unveiled a close connection between these two prevalent conditions and vitamin D, a crucial hormone traditionally recognized for its role in bone health. This article aims to provide an extensive review of vitamin D's multifaceted and expanding actions concerning its involvement in CKD and CVD.

The effects of four cycles of recurrent selection on simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker allele frequencies and population structure were examined in the Maksimir 3 Synthetic (M3S) maize population (Zea mays L.). Genotyping of 32 plants from each cycle of selection at 38 SSR loci revealed that the mean number of alleles per locus and the mean expected heterozygosity were preserved over cycles of selection, indicating maintenance of sufficient genetic variability in the population needed for future genetic gain. Waples test of selective neutrality revealed that genetic drift was the main force in changing allele frequencies in the population. The proportion of selectively nonneutral loci in single cycles of selection varied between 16% and 37%. Some nonneutral loci shared the same genomic locations with previously published QTLs controlling important agronomic traits. Between 5% and 29% of loci were found to be in significant Hardy-Weinberg (HW) disequilibrium with the majority showing an excess of homozygosity. Excess of homozygosity at several loci was highly consistent across cycle populations suggesting positive assortative mating as the possible cause of the observed HW disequilibrium. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) tests revealed that the M3S population was essentially in linkage equilibrium. The proportion of pairs of loci in significant LD varied across cycles of selection between 0.1% and 1.8% probably due to the effects of genetic drift and epistatic selection.

Short-range Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes operating at 2.4 GHz need to provide ubiquitous wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with energy-efficient, wide-range output power (POUT) and fully integrated on a single chip for wireless body area networks (WBANs) and wireless personal area networks (WPANs) using low-power Bluetooth (BLE) and Zigbee standards. The proposed fully integrated transmitter (TX) utilizes a digitally controllable current-mode class-D (CMCD) power amplifier (PA) with a second harmonic distortion (HD2) suppression to reduce VCO pulling in an integrated system while meeting harmonic limit regulations. The CMCD PA is divided into 7-bit slices that can be reconfigured between differential and single-ended topologies. Duty cycle distortion compensation is performed for HD2 suppression, and an HD2 rejection filter and a modified C-L-C low-pass filter (LPF) reduce HD2 further. Implemented in a 28 nm CMOS process, the TX achieves a wide POUT range of from 12.1 to -31 dBm and provides a maximum efficiency of 39.8% while consuming 41.1 mW at 12.1 dBm POUT. The calibrated HD2 level is -82.2 dBc at 9.93 dBm POUT, resulting in a transmitter figure of merit (TX_FoM) of -97.52 dB. Higher order harmonic levels remain below -41.2 dBm even at 12.1 dBm POUT, meeting regulatory requirements.

Aseptic implant loosening after total joint replacement is partially influenced by material-specific factors when cobalt-chromium alloys are used, including osteolysis induced by wear- and corrosion products, and stress shielding. Here, we aim to characterize a hybrid material consisting of alumina-toughened zirconia ceramics (ATZ) and additively manufactured Ti-35Nb-6Ta (TiNbTa), joined by a glass solder. The structure of the joint, static and fatigue shear strength, the influence of accelerated aging, and the cytotoxicity using an elution assay with human osteoblasts is characterized. Furthermore, the biomechanical properties of functional demonstrators of a femoral component for total knee replacements are evaluated. TiNbTa-ATZ specimens showed a homogenous joint with statistical distributed micro-pores and a slight accumulation of Al-rich compounds at the glass solder-TiNbTa interface. The static shear strength was 26.4 ± 4.2 MPa (Ti-ATZ reference: 38.2 ± 14.4 MPa, p = 0.117), all specimens survived 107 cycles of shear loading to 10 MPa, and aging did not reduce the strength. TiNbTa-ATZ did not impair the proliferation and metabolic activity of human osteoblasts. Functional demonstrators of TiNbTa-ATZ provided a maximum bearable extension-flexion moment of 40.7 ± 2.2 Nm. Biomechanical and biological properties of TiNbTa-ATZ demonstrate potential application for endoprosthetic implants.

Article explores participant specific study of muscle inherehit dynamics hidden inside the diognostic electromyography (D-EMG) signals during load pull exercises, aiming to uncover underlying patterns and nonlinear behaviors. Employing a multi-step analytical framework, the study first evaluates signal stationarity through Quantile-Quantile (Q-Q) plot and surrogate data analyses, revealing insights into signal stability. Subsequent use of phase space reconstruction techniques exposes intrinsic dynamics within the EMG signals, visualized through Poincar´e maps, elucidating attractor geometry and system dynamics. Histogram analysis further dissects the Poincar´e maps, offering insights into signal behavior relative to physiological processes. Additionally, the study quantifies the largest Lyapunov exponent from the Poincar´e maps, providing a measure of dynamical complexity within the muscle EMG signals during load pull exercises. By integrating these methods, this research sheds light on the nuanced interplay between EMG signals and muscle activity during dynamic exercises, offering valuable insights for rehabilitation strategies.

OPMDs (Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders) are a group of disorders affecting the oral mucosa that are characterized by aberrant cell proliferation and a higher risk of malignant transformation. Vitamin D (VitD) and its receptor (VDR) have been extensively studied for their potential contributions to the prevention and therapeutic management of a range of diseases and neoplastic conditions, including oral cancer. Observational studies suggest correlations between VitD deficiency and higher cancer risk, worse prognosis, and increased mortality rates. Interestingly, emerging data also reveals a link between VitD insufficiency and the onset or progression of OPMDs. Understanding the role of the VitD-VDR axis not only in established oral tumors but also in OPMDs might thus enable early detection and prevention of malignant transformation. With this article, we want to provide an overview of current knowledge about OPMDs and VitD, and investigate their potential association and ramifications for clinical management of OPMDs.

In the present work we revise and extend the Characteristic Crystallographic Element (CCE) norm, an algorithm used to simultaneously detect radial and orientational similarity of computer-generated structures with respect to specific reference crystals and local symmetries. Based on the identification of point group symmetry elements, the CCE descriptor is able to gauge local structure with high precision and finely distinguish between competing morphologies. As test cases we use computer-generated monomeric and polymer systems of spherical particles interacting with the hard-sphere and square-well attractive potentials. We demonstrate that the CCE norm is able to detect and differentiate, between others, among: hexagonal close packed (HCP), face centered cubic (FCC), hexagonal (HEX) and body centered cubic (BCC) crystals as well as non-crystallographic fivefold (FIV) local symmetry in bulk 3-D systems; triangular (TRI), square (SQU) and honeycomb (HON) crystals, as well as pentagonal (PEN) local symmetry in thin films of one-layer thickness (2-D systems). The descriptor is general and can be applied to identify the symmetry elements of any point group for arbitrary atomic or particulate system in two or three dimensions, in the bulk or under confinement.

A homogenization of billets from Al-Cu-Li-Mg-Sc-Zr alloys should be accomplished at high annealing temperatures exceeding 500 °C. This type of aluminum alloy is susceptible to the depletion of surface layers from Li. Therefore, choosing a suitable homogenization temperature and duration is a crucial step in assuring a homogeneous distribution of alloying elements and optimal exploitation of the potential of the alloy. In-situ heating in an electron microscope was performed on a twin-roll cast Al-Cu-Li-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy to understand the peculiarities of the homogenization process. Four types of primary phase particles rich in Cu, Li, Mg, and Fe were identified in the as-cast material. They appear as coarse particles at the boundaries of eutectic cells. Their partial dissolution occurs at temperatures above 450 °C. They are almost fully dissolved at 550 °C, except for complex phases containing Fe and Cu. Small dimensions of eutectic cells in the range of 10 µm assure a homogeneous distribution of main alloying elements within the matrix after 20 min of annealing. Direct comparison with the same material prepared by mold-casting indicates that such short annealing times result in the dissolution of main primary phase particles but do not assure a homogeneous distribution of alloying elements in the whole volume of the specimen.

The paper deals with the design of a systematic procedure for implementing strategy changes into internal business processes for a project-oriented production type of organization. In the first part of the contribution, a summary of the theoretical starting points for the field of strategic management and change management is presented. In the second part, the contribution deals with the analysis of the current situation in the area of the impact of the change of strategy on the management of business processes. In the last part, the proposal of the procedure for implementing strategy changes into internal business processes and the verification results are presented. The proposed procedure includes steps where the selection and verification of key performance indicators at individual levels of management plus the quantification of the impact of the change in strategy on the processes takes place. The management can thus monitor and evaluate the chosen processes in accordance with the fulfilment of the chosen strategy of the company. The last chapter presents the verification of the proposal for the systematic introduction of changes into the processes.

Strategic management sets the direction of a company for several years ahead. Managers and business owners who create strategy must anticipate and have the ability to see systemically—the paper deals with creating a logistics strategy for a company operating in the industrial sector. The first section summarises the theoretical background for strategy and logistics and current trends affecting logistics processes. The second chapter analyses the current state of the art in logistics strategy development and summarizes its problem areas. The central part of the paper is the proposal of a methodology for logistics strategy development in the industrial area by a progressive approach. The methodology is divided into 5 phases - preparatory, analytical, formulation, implementation, and evaluation and control phases. The methodology is partially validated. The created variants of the logistics strategy include the introduction of such elements that will lead to the gradual development of the Industry 4.0 trend in the given company. This is mainly the first variant called "automation," which includes the introduction of an automatic tractor for material import, the introduction of an automatic system for transport and storage of work in progress, and the introduction of a new logistics information system that will make greater use of already established barcodes (transparency, data in real-time).

Wireless Powered Communication Networks (WPCN), which has attracted much attention of researchers, also been recently recommended in 5^th generation (5G) wireless networks. With the help of the WPCN, the reliability and battery life of wireless low-power devices can be improved. In this paper, we investigate throughput and ergodic capacity in WPCN-assisted amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying system, considering two transmission modes including delay-tolerant and delay-limited. As important achievement, we propose symmetric energy harvesting protocol, namely time power switching relaying (TPSR) in order to find maximal throughput. In particular, both time switching and power switching coefficients in this schemes are considered. Unlike most of the previous works, we further focus on impact of outdated channel state information (CSI) in this WPCN. In order to evaluate information processing efficiency, the performance can be substantially improved by optimally harvesting time and power coefficients of the received signal at relay node for energy and information extraction, and by deploying several scenarios. By deploying Monte Carlo simulation, it is confirmed that the system performance is more sensitive to CSI estimation error, noise variance, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resulting in other reasonable computations of TPSR need be deployed to obtain QoS requirement.

Heavy metal pollution is an increasing global concern. Among heavy metals, mercury (Hg) is especially dangerous because of its massive release into the environment and high toxicity, especially for aquatic organisms. The molecular response mechanisms of algae to Hg exposure are mostly unknown. Here, we combine physiological, biochemical, and transcriptomic analysis to provide, for the first time, a comprehensive view on the pathways activated in Chromera velia in response to toxic levels of Hg. Production of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion, two reactive oxygen species (ROS), showed opposite patterns in response to Hg²⁺ while reactive nitrogen species (RNS) levels did not change. A deep RNA sequencing analysis generated a total of 307,738,790 high-quality reads assembled in 122,874 transcripts, representing 89,853 unigenes successfully annotated in databases. Detailed analysis of the differently expressed genes corroborate the biochemical results observed in ROS production and suggests novel putative molecular mechanisms in the algal response to Hg²⁺. Moreover, we indicated that important transcription factor (TF) families associated with stress responses differentially expressed in C. velia cultures under Hg stress. Our study presents the first in-depth transcriptomic analysis of C. velia, focusing on the expression of genes involved in different detoxification defense systems in response to heavy metal stress.

The risk classification of barrier lake is the key to conducting emergency treatment in a scientific manner. Such difficulties are faced as short time for risk evaluation, complex evaluation indicators, difficulty in obtaining information quickly and quantifying index weights. Based on this, this paper constructs a quantitative risk classification model for barrier lakes based on D-AHP. On the basis of studies on nearly 100 cases of barrier lakes, an 8-factor evaluation index system and quantitative classification are proposed. The methods of rapid calculation of reservoir capacity curve of barrier lake and intelligent identification of particles on the surface of barrier body were developed, which realized the rapid acquisition of 8-factor evaluation index information in emergency environment. The D-AHP method dealt with inconsistent weight assignment to evaluation factors by experts, which helped achieve weight quantification of 8 factors. The risk assessment on15 barrier lakes such as Tangjiashan barrier lake show that the conclusion drawn with risk classification method proposed in this paper is basically consistent with that of the traditional table-lookup method. However, the table-lookup method ignores cumulative loss’s impacts on the risk level of barrier lakes, and considers the extremely severe loss of barrier lakes as a sufficient condition for the evaluation level to be grade I, and thus a deviation in the evaluation. The risk classification method proposed in this paper is more reasonable and reliable.

In recent years, an interest in multimedia services has grown expeditiously where the main part is comprised of video. Firms as well as subscribers require higher resolutions, framerates and sampling precision which results to higher amount of data need for processing, storing and transmitting. Therefore, a big challenge arises for researchers to develop new compression standards which should reduce the huge amount of data and keep quality at the same level. This paper examines compression performance of the latest and currently most used video codecs, namely H.266/VVC, AV1, H265/HEVC and H.264/AVC. The test set consists of seven sequences with various content at 8K, Ultra HD and Full HD resolution and encoded to bitrates from 1 to 15 Mbps for Full HD and Ultra HD resolutions and from 5 to 50 Mbps for 8K resolution, respectively. Codec performance was measured using PSNR, SSIM and VMAF objective quality metrics. In terms of the Bjøntegaard-Delta (BD) model, the results showed that H.266/VVC outperforms all other codecs, namely H.264/AVC,H.265/HEVC and AV1, respectively. Averaged bitrate savings were approximately 78\% for H.266/VVC, 63\% for AV1 and 53\% for H.265/HEVC relative to H.264/AVC, 59\% for H.266/VVC, 22\% for AV1 compared to H.264/AVC and 46\% for H.266/VVC relative to AV1, all for 8K resolution. The results also showed that the performance varies depending on resolution – with higher resolution, the efficiency of newly developed codecs such as H.266/VVC and AV1 is greater, which confirmed the fact that the H.266/VVC and AV1 codecs have been primarily developed for videos at high resolutions as 8K and/or UHD.

This study develops a hybrid machine learning (ML) algorithm integrated with IoT technology to improve the accuracy and efficiency of soil monitoring and tomato crop disease prediction in Anakapalle, a south Indian station. An IoT device collected one-minute and critical soil parameters—humidity, temperature, pH values, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—essential for assessing soil health and optimizing crop growth. Kendall's correlations were computed to rank these parameters for utilization in hybrid ML techniques. Various ML algorithms including K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Logistic Regression (LR) were evaluated. A novel hybrid algorithm, 'Bayesian Optimization with KNN', was introduced to combine multiple ML techniques and enhance predictive performance. The hybrid algorithm demonstrated superior results with 95% accuracy, precision, and recall, and an F1 score of 94%, while individual ML algorithms achieved varying results: KNN (80% accuracy), SVM (82%), DT (77%), RF (80%), and LR (81%) with differing precision, recall, and F1 scores. This hybrid ML approach proved highly effective in predicting tomato crop diseases in natural environments, underscoring the synergistic benefits of IoT and advanced ML techniques in optimizing agricultural practices.

D-type cyclins encode G1/S cell cycle checkpoint proteins, that play a crucial role in defining cell cycle exit and progression. Precise control of cell cycle exit is vital during embryonic development, with defects in the pathways regulating intracellular D-type cyclins resulting in abnormal initiation of stem cell differentiation in a variety of different organ systems. Furthermore, stabilisation of D-type cyclins is observed in a wide range of disorders characterised by cellular over-proliferation, including cancers and overgrowth disorders. In this review, we will summarise and compare the roles played by each D-type cyclin during development and provide examples of how their intracellular dysregulation can be an underlying cause of disease.

Vitamin D and iron deficiencies are the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies among women of reproductive age (WRA) in Morocco. Recent studies suggest that Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) may reduce iron bioavailability necessary for erythropoiesis, potentially leading to iron deficiency (ID) and anemia. This study investigates the association between vitamin D status, iron levels, and anemia risk among Moroccan WRA aged 18-49 years. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 463 participants. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, blood count parameters, iron, ferritin, C-reactive protein, and creatinine were measured. Lifestyle factors, including dietary intake, sun exposure, and physical activity, were evaluated using validated questionnaires, and anthropometric data were collected. Linear and logistic regression models assessed the relationships between variables, while Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated the predictive accuracy of VDD for ID and anemia. VDD (25(OH)D &lt; 20 ng/ml) was significantly associated with lower levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells, and ferritin (all p &lt; 0.01), suggesting a role of vitamin D in erythropoiesis and iron storage. Multivariate logistic regression showed that VDD increased the risk of anemia (OR: 7.17, 95% CI: 3.19-19.28, p &lt; 0.001), ID (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.32-3.77, p = 0.007), and IDA (OR: 4.10, 95% CI: 1.73-12.08, p = 0.004). Dietary iron intake was inadequate among all participants, with minimal protective effect against anemia and ID (β(SE): -0.08(0.03), p = 0.030 and β(SE): -0.05(0.02), p=0.037 respectively). ROC analysis demonstrated moderate discriminative power for VDD in diagnosing IDA and anemia (AUC: 0.643 and 0.603) but reduced accuracy for ID (AUC: 0.575). This study identifies VDD as a significant risk factor for impaired iron status and anemia among Moroccan WRA, underscoring the need for targeted nutritional interventions and further research to explore effective prevention strategies.

The most recent National Research Council Nutrient Requirements for Sheep and Goats was published in 2007, one of the most consequential nutrient requirement recommendations for sheep and goats in the world. It is pertinent to continue the refinement and discussion of nutrient utilization and requirements for the purposes of enhancing the efficiency of production systems, maximizing resource economy, and minimizing the carbon footprint, among others. Progress has been made in the estimation of energy and protein requirements in sheep and goats, mainly utilizing empirical feeding experimentation, comparative slaughter technique and minimum endogenous loss method. In sheep, newer estimates of energy and protein requirements for maintenance and growth and partial efficiencies had been reported since 2007. There were suggestions that energy and protein requirements could have been affected by breed, wool growth, gender and size; with these reported values being similar or lower than the recommended values in international feeding systems such as NRC, ARC, INRA and AFRC. In goats, energy and protein requirements for growing goats were reported to be either higher or lower than the established recommendations, depending upon meat or dairy breeds. Effect of gender on energy requirement appeared to be related to the stage of growth or degree of maturity. Newer data also suggested that the guidelines of the major feeding systems for the entire growth phase may not be adequate for non-pregnant and non-lactating pubertal females. In multiparous pregnant goats, energy and protein requirements for maintenance did not appear to be affected by days of pregnancy, but efficiencies of metabolizable energy and metabolizable protein utilization for pregnancy were. There were suggestions that that metabolizable protein synthesis in the rumen can be predicted from energy intake using combined equations that encompass both sheep and goats, but more data on goats were called for to account for specific differences in nutrition. In addition to sulfur, there has been progress made on the estimation of maintenance and growth requirements of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in goats, with suggestions on the consideration of gender and breed differences. Species, level of Intake, genotype, mature size, age, gender, body composition, use of tissue energy, activity, season, and acclimatization continue to be important considerations for the estimation of nutrient requirements in sheep and goats, with emerging factors such as climate change, heat stress, parasitism and secondary plant compounds. Model equations and partial efficiencies used by NRC to predict energy and protein requirements for maintenance, growth, lactation, and fiber have been highlighted and discussed for the purpose of a more focus discussion and refinement for the future. Potential and limitation of both traditional and emerging methodologies in determining the nutrient requirements in sheep and goats were discussed. To justify the research investment, emerging methodologies such as nutrigenomics will have to be linked more directly to the improvement of production efficiency via more precise prediction of nutrient requirement.

Abstract: NFinFET transistors with fin channel length 90nm and a planar MOSFET transistor with channel length 180nm and 90nm are presented with characteristic curves at various gate biases. A finalized algorithm with kink effects is effectively responsible for addressing the field effect transistors. The algorithm includes the modified conventional current-voltage formula and a nonlinear heat-associated kink solution which is simplified as a Gaussian form. Three parameters in modified model includes kN (related with channel width, channel length, and gate oxide capacitor, and proportional to the mobility of carriers)Vth(Threshold Voltage), and (the inverse of Early Voltage). Those parameters are determined to minimize the discrepancies between the measured data and the fitting values, but leave kinks located at around (VGS－Vth), which are deliberately eliminated by the Gaussian form because of the agitation of thermal kink effects. The whole fitting is made to be as close as the as-measured IDS-VDS. In the mean time, those determined parameters are physically meaningful after the analysis has been done.

Background: Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) is a neuropsychological tool used in clinical practice to measure executive function in clinical and non-clinical populations, in individuals aged 8-89 years, and consists of nine subtests that can be administered either as a single system or separately. Aims: In the present study, were established norms for the Verbal Fluency Test as well as the Design Fluency Test of the D-KEFS in a Greek population aged 20 to 49 years, since there is no previous study conducted in Greece for these age clusters. Methods: The study sample consisted of 100 healthy adults (44.4% male and 55.6% female), aged 20 to 49 years (M=32.81 SD=11.04) with education from 12 to 18 years (M=14.73, SD= .91). First, Spearman and Pearson tests explored the associations of gender, age and education with D-KEFS subtests’ performance. Afterwards, we calculated normative data using raw scores and transformed to percentile scores. Results: The present study is the first attempt to calculate norms for the two fluency subtests of the D-KEFS in Greek adult population stratified by age and educational level. Conclusion: Future research will promote the use of D-KEFS, in order to introduce a widely used tool which measures all basic executive functions subtypes for Greek adult population. Given that the majority of neuropsychological tools are adapted for older adult population, the current study aims at filling the gap in neuropsychological assessment of young adults as well as those who have co existing neurological or psychiatric disorders.

It is a well-established fact that inadequate Vitamin D (Vit-D) levels have negative effects on the development and progression of malignant diseases, mainly cancer. The purpose of this paper was to elucidate the effects of Vit-D intake and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) levels on cancer incidence and mortality, the current evidence in this field, and the biases of this evidence using the meta-meta-analysis method. Meta-analyses focusing on Vit-D intake, serum 25(OH)D levels, and cancer risk/mortality were identified. A structured computer literature search was performed in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus electronic databases using predetermined keyword combinations. Primary and secondary meta-meta-analyses were carried out, combining odds ratios (ORs), risk ratios (RRs), and hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes reported in selected meta-analyses. A total of 35 eligible meta-analyses assessing the association between Vit-D and cancer incidence and/or mortality were included in this study. In the pooled analysis, higher Vit-D intake and serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with lower cancer risk (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.90-0.96, p < 0.001; OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.72-0.89, p < 0.001, respectively) and cancer-related mortality (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.86-0.93, p < 0.001; RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58-0.78, p < 0.001, respectively). When meta-analyses whose primary reports included only randomized controlled trials were pooled, there was no significant association between Vit-D intake and cancer risk (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.97-1.01, p = 0.320). In subgroup analysis, Vit-D consumption was associated with a significant decrease in colorectal and lung cancer incidence (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83-0.96, p = 0.002; OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.83-0.94, p < 0.001, respectively). Taken together, both Vit-D intake and higher 25(OH)D levels may provide remarkable benefits in terms of cancer incidence and mortality, however, careful evaluation according to cancer types is critically important and recommended.

Background/Objectives: The global burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing at an alarming rate. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in MASLD patients, therefore, the therapeutic interventions for MASLD should improve coronary risk factors such as obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia, in addition to improving liver function. The evidence on effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) which have beneficial pharmacological properties for MASLD, especially the long-term effects, on the progression of MASLD in Asian population is very limited. Methods: The retrospective longitudinal study was performed by using the medical records at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Kohnodai Hospital, Japan. We picked up patients with type 2 diabetes who had taken SGLT2is for at least 3 years or longer between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2018. We collected the data on metabolic parameters, including blood tests and anthropometric parameters, and compared the data before and after the initiation of SGLT2is treatment. Results: During the observation period, 324 patients had taken SGLT2is for 3 years. The 3-year-SGLT2is treatment significantly reduced body weight, hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride and non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and significantly increased HDL-C. Furthermore, this treatment significantly improved liver function and the markers for hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis. Conclusions: Considering that the development of CVD determines the prognosis of MASLD patients, the long-term SGLT2is treatment may be an ideal therapy for MASLD patients.

We recently demonstrated the effectiveness of long-term treatment with rifaximin and the probiotic VSL#3 at improving urogenital and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with both chronic inflammatory prostatitis (IIIa prostatitis) and diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), relative to patients with IBS-D alone. Because low-grade inflammation of the intestine and prostate may be one of the reasons for co-developing both IIIa prostatitis and IBS-D, we designed the present study to once again evaluate the efficacy of combined rifaximin and VSL#3 treatment in patients affected by IIIa prostatitis plus IBS-D, but we also measured seminal plasma pro-inflammatory (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines before and after treatment. We consecutively enrolled 124 patients with IIIa prostatitis and IBS-D (diagnosed using the Rome III criteria). Patients were randomized into two groups: group A (n=64) was treated with rifaximin (seven days per month for three months) followed by VSL#3, and group B (n=60) was treated with a placebo. At the beginning of the study and after three months of treatment, all patients completed NIH-CPSI and IBS-SSS questionnaires to score the severity of their urogenital and gastrointestinal symptoms, and we measured seminal plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 using ELISA. We defined patients who improved following the treatment as those with a ≥6-point reduction in their NIH-CPSI score or ≥50-point reduction in their IBS-SSS score. By the end of the intervention, 68.7% and 62.5% of patients from group A reported improved NIH-CPSI and IBS-SSS scores, respectively, compared to only 3.3% and 5% of the placebo group. Group A patients also had significantly lower mean seminal plasma levels of IL-6 (11.3 vs 32.4 pg/mL) and significantly higher mean levels of IL-10 (7.9 vs 4.4 pg/mL) relative to baseline, whereas levels of IL-6 and Il-10 did not change in the placebo group. The co-occurrence of two clinical phenotypes (IBS-D plus IIIa prostatitis) result in increased intestinal inflammation and altered immune activation, both of which can be balanced by treatment with rifaximin and VSL#3.

According to our previous investigation the total methanol extract from Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther demonstrates a significant inhibitory effect on HSV-1. To clarify what causes this inhibitory activity on HSV-1, a metabolic profile of the plant was performed. Three main fractions: non-polar substances, polar metabolites and phenolic compounds were obtained and GC-MS analysis was carried out. Since it is well known that phenolic compounds show a significant anti-herpes effect and that viral DNA polymerase (DNApol) appears to play a key role in HSV virus replication, we present a docking and quantum-chemical analysis of the binding of these compounds to viral DNApol amino acids. Fourteen different phenolic acids found by GS/MS analyses, were used in molecular docking simulations. According to the interaction energies of all fourteen ligands in the DNApol pockets based on docking results, DFT calculations were performed on the five optimally interacting with the receptor acids. It was found that hydroxybenzoic acids from phenolic fraction of Graptopetalum paraguayense E. Walther show a good binding affinity to the amino acids from the active site of the HSV DNApol, but significantly lower than that of acyclovir. The mode of action on virus replication of acyclovir (by DNApol) is different from that of the plant phenolic acids one, probably.

Study Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, a marker of Vitamin D status, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), expressed as increased scores of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), in a group of prospectively enrolled patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with OSA, divided into two groups, those with EDS (ESS>10) and those without EDS (ESS

Surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) belong to the collectin subfamily of C-type oligomeric lectins. They are pattern-recognition molecules (PRM), able to recognise pathogen- or dan-ger-associated molecular patterns (PAMP, DAMP) in the presence of Ca2+ cations. That property enables opsonisation or agglutination of non-self or altered/abnormal self-cells, and contributes to their clearance. Like other collectins, SP-A and SP-D are characterised by the presence of four distinct domains: a cysteine-rich domain (at N-terminus), a collagen-like region, an α-helical neck domain and a globular carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) (at C-terminus). Pulmonary sur-factant is a lipoprotein complex, preventing alveolar collapse by reducing surface tension at the air-liquid interface. SP-A and SP-D, produced by type II alveolar epithelial cells, and Clara cells, are not only pattern-recognition molecules but also contribute to the surfactant structure and homeo-stasis. Moreover, they are expressed in a variety of extrapulmonary sites where they are involved in local immunity. The term “cancer” includes a variety of diseases: tumours start from uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in any tissue which may further spread to other sites of the body. Many cancers are incurable, difficult to diagnose and often fatal. This short review summarises anti- and pro-tumourigenic associations of SP-A and SP-D as well as perspectives of their usefulness in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Background/Objectives: Vitamin D’s effect on risk health outcomes is often evaluated using prospective cohort studies. Risk ratios (RRs; e.g., hazard ratios or odds ratios) are determined for incidence for participants with baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations below or above specified values. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations vary over time, thereby diluting the effect of 25(OH)D for long follow-up periods. Inverse relationships between RR and follow-up period have been reported for all-cause mortality rate and cancer incidence rates. Here I evaluate the effect for neurological outcomes. Methods: I analyzed how follow-up period affected results from 10 cohort studies of all-cause dementia, 6 studies of Alzheimer’s disease, and 9 for cognitive impairment with respect to vitamin D deficiency. Results: For all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive impairment, respectively, the linear regression fits are RR = 2.9 – 0.14 × years, r = 0.73, p = 0.02; RR = 2.9 – 0.14 × years, r = 0.69, p = 0.13; and RR = 1.8 – 0.066 × years, r = 0.72, p = 0.03. The regression fit to RR for the shortest follow-up period for each outcome is considered the best estimate of vitamin D deficiency’s effect on risk. Those values are approximately twice that found by averaging all RRs without considering the effect of follow-up period. Conclusions: Vitamin D’s effect on risk of neurological conditions should be determined with relatively short follow-up periods after repeated 25(OH)D measurements as warranted during follow-up.

Relationships of the three bryophyte lineages (liverworts, mosses, and hornworts) to vascular plants is a pivotal question in the study of origin and evolution of land plants. In recent decades, this question has been subject to intense phylogenetic analyses using morphological characters, multigene DNA sequences, and genome structural characters. A tentative consensus reached ten years ago suggested that bryophytes are a paraphyletic group, with liverworts being sister to all other land plants and hornworts being sister to vascular plants. However, several more recent nuclear phylogenomic studies have concluded that bryophytes represent a monophyletic group that is sister to vascular plants. A discussion is presented here on strengths and weaknesses of different types of characters (morphological traits, nucleotide sequences, and genome structural arrangements), and their suitability for resolving deep phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, several criteria for credible phylogenetic reconstruction are proposed. Strong statistical support for reconstructed relationships should be derived from high quality, independent characters selected for suitability to the particular question being addressed. The relationships inferred in a study should be congruent with those from as many other lines of phylogenetic evidence as possible. Any incongruities should be explicable by well-understood biological mechanisms. It is concluded that the relationships of the three bryophyte lineages to vascular plants should currently be viewed as unresolved. This is a difficult phylogenetic problem; the land plants underwent a rapid radiation a long time ago. Yet, further exploration of analytical methods and careful choice of characters should lead to eventual elucidation of diversification patterns among early land plants.

Background: This study was designed to adapt the Delis-Kaplan Executive System (D-KEFS) version of the Color-Word Interference (CWIT) and Trail making Tests (TMT) in Greek adult population from 20 to 49 years old, since it is of research as well as clinical importance to detect executive functions’ impairment in young adults with neurological or/and psychiatric conditions. Aims: Norms for the Greek adult population have been calculated to be available for neuropsychologists and health professionals who work in relevant settings. Methods: The study sample consisted of 101 healthy adults (41% male and 60% female), aged 20 to 49 years (M=32.16, SD=11.57) with education from 12 to 19 years of schooling (M=14.51, SD= .89). Pearson correlation test as well as chi square test were conducted to examine potential associations between gender, age, education, and participants’ performance. Afterwards, we calculated normative data using raw scores and transformed them to percentile scores. Finally, Greek norms were compared to the original raw scores, which were transformed in scaled scores by Delis et al. (2001). Results: The findings showed that age was the only variable which affected CWIT, whereas level of education as well as age were predictive factors for most TMT conditions, except for the visual scanning test (Condition 1). Gender did not affect both tests. Finally, D-KEFS norms for CWIT and TMT are available for Greek adult population to help clinicians detect executive functions’ deficits and therefore adjust tailored therapeutic strategies. Additionally, it is of great importance to use these tests for research purposes. Conclusion: Given that executive functions are assumed as high- level skills, which are highly related to everyday functionality, adapted tests contribute not only to assess the progression of any existing neurological as well as psychiatric disorders, but they can also be used to evaluate patients’ ability to live independently, as well as their access to work.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), has emerged as an attractive state-of-the-art tool for precisely fabricating functional materials with complex geometries, championing several advancements in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and therapeutics. However, this technology has an untapped potential for biotechnological applications, such as sensor and biosensor development. By exploring these avenues, the scope of 3D printing technology can be expanded and pave the way for groundbreaking innovations in the biotechnology field. Indeed, new printing materials and printers would offer new possibilities for seamlessly incorporating biological functionalities within the growing 3D scaffolds. Herein, we review the extrusion-based 3D printing modalities emphasizing biosensor applications. We highlighted the application of natural, synthetic, and composite biomaterials as 3D-printed soft hydrogels. Emphasis was placed on the approach by which the sensing molecules were introduced during the fabrication process. Finally, the future perspective was provided.

The solved research problem is oriented to the implementation of advanced methods of component design and their sophisticated use in the ever-advancing additive manufacturing. Based on the stated objectives, the research was divided into several parts. Initially, the methods and principles of design in additive manufacturing were evaluated and investigated, from which the intent was subsequently defined and the DfAM method in the component design and development process was determined. The given design method, namely topology optimization (TO), was applied to multiple development and production cycles of additive manufacturing parts to validate the research conclusions. In this paper, the procedure for a specific part or component assembly is shown. By evaluating the developed design procedure using the TO method included in the design process, the conclusions are positive in terms of both time savings and properties of the designed part such as strength and weight parameters. The given findings need to be further developed by implementing on specific product lines for increasing the efficiency of the developed design methodology.

This study deals with two different aspects of the high-strength low-alloyed 1100 MC steel. The first is associated with the remarkable heterogeneity in the surface state produced during sheet rolling with respect to the sheet width. The variable-thickness surface layer exhibits a microstructure different from that of the deeper bulk. Variation of the thickness of the thermally softened near-surface region strongly affects Barkhausen noise, as well. This technique can be considered a reliable tool for monitoring the aforementioned heterogeneity. It can also be reported that the opposite sides of the sheet are different with respect to the surface state, heterogeneity distribution, and corresponding Barkhausen noise. These aspects indicate the different conditions during hot rolling followed by rapid quenching on the upper and lower rollers. The second aspect is related to the remarkable asymmetry of Barkhausen noise emission with respect to two consecutive bursts. This asymmetry is due to the presence of remnant magnetisation in the sheet produced during manufacturing. The remnant magnetisation is coupled to the magnetic field produced by the excitation coil of the Barkhausen noise sensor and strongly contributes to the aforementioned asymmetry. As soon as sufficient removal of this remnant magnetisation is carried out in the vanishing magnetic field (demagnetisation), the aforementioned remarkable asymmetry is fully lost.

Clinching is a manufacturing method of mechanical joining two or more materials without the use of heat or additional components. This process relies on high plastic deformation to create a secure bond. Clinching technology is widely used for joining various grades and thickness of materials. Especially in the automotive industry, clinching is an alternative to spot resistance welding. However, the load-bearing capacity of clinched joints is comparatively lower when compared to resistance spot welded joints. This research aimed to enhance the load-carrying capacity of clinched joints. Experimental tests were conducted on clinched joints with locally modified microstructures to optimize their placement within the joint. The microstructure distribution in the clinched joint region was analysed using light and scanning electron microscopy, as well as microhardness measurements. Two material grades, micro-alloyed steels HX420LAD+Z and dual-phase ferritic-martensitic steels HCT600X+Z, were tested. Each grade underwent five groups of ten samples, subject to identical experimental conditions of local heating by resistance spot welding (RSW) and clinching. The application of RSW to the clinched joint area resulted in increase of load-bearing capacity for both joined types of materials.

This work addresses the problem of automatic head pose estimation and its application in 3D gaze estimation using low quality RGB--D sensors without any subject cooperation or manual intervention. The previous works on 3D head pose estimation using RGB--D sensors require either an offline step for supervised learning or 3D head model construction which may require manual intervention or subject cooperation for complete head model reconstruction. In this paper, we propose a 3D pose estimator based on low quality depth data, which is not limited by any of the aforementioned steps. Instead, the proposed technique relies on modeling the subject's face in 3--D rather than the complete head, which in turn, relaxes all of the constraints with the previous works. The proposed method is robust, highly accurate and fully automatic. Moreover, it does not need any offline step. Unlike some of the previous works, the method only uses depth data for pose estimation. The experimental results on the Biwi head pose database confirm the efficiency of our algorithm in handling large pose variations and partial occlusion. We also evaluate the performance of our algorithm on IDIAP database for 3D head pose and eye gaze estimation.

Vitamin D has important anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties and plays a central role in host immune response. Due to the crucial role of the kidneys in the metabolism of vitamin D, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), are prone to vitamin D deficiency. The resultant reduction in the production of calcitriol, the activated form of vitamin D in patients with CKD is responsible for exacerbating the existing renal impairment and periodontal inflammation. Recent evidence suggests a bidirectional, causal relationship between periodontitis and renal functional status. Both conditions have shared pathophysiologic mechanisms including oxidative stress, increases in the systemic inflammatory burden and impaired host response. This review explores the association between vitamin D, CKD and periodontitis. The review summarises the current evidence base for the classical and non-classical vitamin D metabolic pathways, the biological mechanisms linking vitamin D deficiency, CKD and periodontitis, as well as the bidirectional relationship between the two chronic inflammatory conditions. Finally, the paper explores the impact of vitamin D deficiency on CKD, periodontitis, and related co-morbidities.

In India, the divorce rate is rising year after year. Divorces are thought to have increased by more than a factor of two during the past two decades. India has great cultural diversity, and each of its states has something unique to offer. The divorce rate in India, which differs from state to state, is among the most frequently discussed subjects. More than 30% of marriages end in divorce in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore. Divorce applications have nearly tripled in the past few years in cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Lucknow. In India, the divorce rate has increased, especially in small cities. Hence, the reasons behind divorce in India were explored in this article. In order to analyze the causes of divorce, the current study aimed to combine the critical components of TOPSIS and COPRAS methodologies in a fuzzy environment. Additionally, it is shown that a comparison study may pinpoint the characteristics that influence divorces the most.

The Asian clam Corbicula fluminea is a native aquatic species in Eastern Asia and Africa but has become one of the most ecologically and economically harmful invasive species in aquatic ecosystems in Europe, North America, South America. Due to their natural characteristics as a hermaphroditic species with high fecundity and dispersal capacity, Asian clams are extremely difficult to eradicate once they have infiltrated a waterbody. This is an emerging issue for states in the Northeastern United States as Asian clams expand their range farther North due to climate change. There has been extensive research conducted to develop chemical treatments to reactively control invasive mollusc populations and proactively prevent their further spread. However, treatments are mostly targeted toward biofouling bivalves in industrial settings. A comprehensive review of Asian clam chemical treatments used in open water systems was performed to evaluate molluscicides and identify toxicity ranges of emerging treatments that maximize Asian clam mortality and minimize negative impact to water quality and non-target species. The potential chemical applications in Asian clam control and management are summarized in this report to assist resource managers and practitioners on invasive Asian clam management.

Background and Objectives. To examine trends in the links between induced abortion and subsequent mental health problems for U.S. women approaching completed fertility. Materials and Methods. Panel data on a nationally-representative cohort of 3,842 ever-pregnant women assessed at mean ages of 15, 22, 28 and 37 years from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were examined for pregnancy outcome-related mental health disorders, with extensive adjustment for confounders including sociodemographic dif-ferences, mental health history, and unwanted pregnancies. Outcomes were defined using pub-lished diagnostic criteria or validated index for depression, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide ideation (affective problems); alcohol abuse, drug abuse, opioid abuse, and cannabis abuse (substance abuse problems); and summary counts of affective problems, substance abuse problems and total disorders. Results were adjusted for abortion under-reporting using cross-wave analysis. Results. The relative risk of mental health disorder with exposure to induced abortion followed an inverted “V” pattern as women aged to midlife, increasing from Wave III (age 22; IRR 1.41) to Wave IV (age 28; IRR 1.67), then dropping sharply by Wave V (age 37; IRR 1.20). The population at-tributable fraction of mental health disorder due to abortion dropped from 18.1% at Wave IV to 8.0% at Wave V. Unlike previous Waves, at Wave V mental health risk was more strongly reduced by exposure to childbirth (IRR 0.70, 95% CI .63, .78, p < .001). Reduced relative metrics at Wave V were not due to reduced prevalence of mental health disorders for ever-aborting women, which increased from Wave IV to Wave V by 1.7%, but increased much more, by 20.5%, for never-aborting women. Conclusion. At midlife approaching completed fertility, differential negative psychological out-comes for ever-aborting U.S. women remained elevated but reduced from younger ages.

Contrasting results have suggested that the prevalence and intensity of post abortion emotional distress (PAD) either diminishes rapidly or persists over time. Few studies have followed women for longer than five years. This study examines retrospective population data on 226 ever aborting U.S. women aged 41-45, at an average of 20 years following the abortion, with extensive measures of PAD. Most post abortive women (55.2%) experienced little or no distress from their abortion(s) and 74.6% were confident it had been the right decision, but 44.8% reported moderate (20.7%) to high (24.1%) distress related to their abortion(s), including 37.7% who reported negative emotions; 31.2% “frequent feelings of loss, grief or sadness;” 24.6% “frequent thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks;” 23.2% for whom thoughts and feelings about their abortion “negatively interfered with life, work, or relationships.” Time since the abortion (mean 20 years, range 0-31 years) was not correlated with PAD (r = -.02, p .71). For the minority of women who experienced it, PAD did not diminish but persisted for decades. An estimated 7.5 million U.S. women currently experience persistent high PAD. Further research to specify risk factors and possible interventions for postabortion distress would be of value for this group of women.

The occurrence of ovarian dysfunction is often due to the imbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the (in)effectiveness of the antioxidative defense mechanisms. Primary sources of ROS are the respiratory electron transfer and the activity of NADPH oxidases (NOX), while Superoxide dismutases (SOD) are the main key reg-ulators that control the levels of ROS and reactive nitrogen species intra- and extracel-lularly. Because of their central role, SODs are the subject of research on human ovarian dysfunction, but the sample acquisition is low. The high degree of cellular and molecular similarity between Drosophila melanogaster ovaries and human ovaries provides this model organism with the best conditions for analyzing the role of ROS during ovarian function. In this study, we clarify the localization of the ROS producing enzyme dNox within ovaries of Drosophila melanogaster and by a tissue specific knockdown, we show that dNox derived ROS are involved in the chorion hardening process. Furthermore, we analyze the dSod3 localization and show that reduced activity of dSod3 impacts egg laying behavior, but not the chorion hardening process.

Due to rapid urbanization, the quantity of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has increased, and with it the amount of waste generated by them. Sustainable management of this waste can lead to the creation of energy-rich biogas through the fermentation process. This review presents recent advances in the anaerobic digestion process resulting in greater biogas production. Disintegration techniques for enhancing waste activated sludge fermentation can be generally partitioned into biological, physical and chemical, each of which are covered in this review. These disintegration techniques were compared mainly in terms of their biogas yield. It was found that ultrasonic and microwave disintegration provides the highest biogas yield (>500%); however, they are also the most energy demanding (>10,000 kJ kg-1 total solids).

Vitamin D deficiencies are very common in pregnant women, raising concerns about adverse health outcomes in children. This issue has hardly been studied in multiple pregnancies, the prevalence of which has been steadily increasing. Therefore, our study investigated the relationship between newborns’ anthropometric parameters and the concentration of 25(OH)D in maternal blood of women with twin pregnancies and umbilical cord blood. The study included 50 women who gave birth after the 36th week of twin gestation. 25(OH)D was determined in maternal blood collected during the antenatal period and in the umbilical cord blood of 100 newborns. Anthropometric parameters of the newborns (birth weight, length, head and chest circumference) were obtained from hospital records. Data on nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy were collected from the patients during an interview conducted by a dietitian. No relationship between maternal and neonatal cord blood vitamin D concentrations and any of the anthropometric parameters of the newborns was found. However, only 6% of the mothers and 13% of the newborns had vitamin D deficiency (≤20 ng/mL). The type of pregnancy and maternal height were the main factors associated with neonatal size. Newborns from dichorionic pregnancies were on average 202 g heavier (p

It is unclear whether military shoes (combat boots and sports shoes) attenuate loading rate or affect force transfer during walking. Therefore, this study compared ground reaction forces (GRF) related to impact and force transfer between combat boots, military sports shoes and running shoes. Ten army recruits walked over a walkway with two force plates embedded. GRF were measured when walking barefoot (for data normalization) and with combat boots, military sports shoes and running shoes. Loading rate, first and second peak forces and push-off rate of force were computed along with temporal analysis of waveforms. Reduced loading rate was observed for the running shoe compared to the combat boot (p = 0.02 and d = 0.98) and to the military sports shoe (p = 0.04 and d = 0.92). The running shoe elicited a smaller second peak force than the combat boot (p < 0.01 and d = 0.83). Walking with military shoes and combat boots led to larger force transfer then running shoes potentially due to harder material used in midsole composition (i.e. styrene-butadiene rubber). These results could lead to a potentially larger risk of injuries while long duration walking in military shoes and boots compared to traditional running shoes.

The presented work offers a novel process scheme for valorizing historical Pb-Zn slag, which involves crushing, grinding, and then using separation techniques to concentrate valuable components (nonferrous metals). This methodology could have a significant impact on the global beneficiation of metallurgical slags since, in theory, it is significantly more simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective than standard pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical procedures. According to previous physicochemical and mineralogical studies, Pb-Zn slag from "Topilnica" Veles is a valuable secondary raw material. This inhomogeneous technogenic resource contains substantial amounts of nonferrous metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ag). However, laboratory tests have indicated that the Pb-Zn slag contains a very uneven valuable metals amounts, ranging from several g/ton to several tens of g/ton. The main issue is that traditional metallurgical procedures for releasing beneficial elements are not commercially viable since the valuable elements are "trapped" within amorphous aluminosilicates or intergrowths of alloy grains and glassy phases. Gravity concentration (Wilfley 13 shaking table) and magnetic separation (Davis separator and disk separator) were used to obtain the final concentrate following comminution and grindability testing. The gravity concentration proved more effective. This streamlined approach of valorizing Pb-Zn slag can reduce the need for hazardous chemicals used in hydrometallurgical refinement operations, as well as the extremely high temperatures required for pyrometallurgical processing. This is the first investigation into the feasibility of this novel approach, which includes direct investigations of the Pb-Zn slag feed using these alternative technologies. After extracting the valuable metals, the amorphous aluminosilicate part of the Pb-Zn slag can be reapplied as an alternative raw material in the building sector, adding to the circularity of the suggested approach..

In atomic GdFe$_2$ films capped by 4$d$ and 5$d$ transition metals, we show that skyrmions with diameters smaller than 12 nm can emerge. The Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction (DMI), exchange energy, and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy were investigated based on density functional theory. Since DMI and MCA are caused by spin--orbit coupling (SOC), they are increased with 5$d$ capping layers which exhibit strong SOC strength. We discover a skyrmion phase by using atomistic spin dynamic simulations at small magnetic fields of $\sim$1 T. In addition, a ground state that a spin spiral phase is remained even at zero magnetic field for both films with 4$d$ and 5$d$ capping layers.

Background: given the various clinical manifestations that characterize coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the scientific community is constantly searching for biomarkers with prognostic value. Surfactant protein A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) play a crucial role in ensuring proper alveolar function and an alteration of their serum levels have been reported in several pulmonary diseases characterized by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Consid-ering that such clinical manifestations can also occur during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we wondered if these collectins could act as prognostic markers. Methods: in this regard, serum levels of SP-A and SP-D were measured by enzyme immunoassay in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=51) at admission (T0) and after 7 days (T1) and compared with healthy donors (n=11). Results: SP-D increased in COVID-19 patients com-pared to healthy controls during the early phases of infection, while a significant reduction was observed at T1. Stratifying SARS-CoV-2 patients according to disease severity, increased serum SP-D levels were observed in severe compared to mild patients. Conclusions: In the light of these results SP-D, but not SP-A, seems to be an eligible marker of COVID-19 pneumonia and the early detection of SP-D serum levels could be crucial for a preventive clinical management.

Background/Objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) is a non-invasive marker of atherosclerosis. Low omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake and vitamin D deficiency are potential cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with CKD. The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary intake and status of omega-3 PUFA and vitamin D in pre-dialysis and hemodialysis patients and to examine the link of dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA) and fish consumption with blood pressure and C-IMT in CKD patients. Methods: All 77 selected patients (36 pre-dialysis, 41 on hemodialysis) underwent standardized clinical, nutritional, and laboratory assessments. Repeated 24-hour recalls were performed to assess dietary intake. The fatty acid profile was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Results: Inadequate vitamin D intake and vitamin D status were found in 95% of patients. PUFAs profiles did not differ between hemodialysis and pre-dialysis participants. Dietary intake of ALA was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p=0.007), C-IMT (p=0.002), serum CRP (p=0.044), iPTH (p=0.01) and 25(OH)D3 (p=0.006). ALA intake of more than 0.23 g/daily was associated with lower SBP (p=0.001), serum 25(OH)D3 (p=0.004), and C-IMT (p=0.002). Conclusions: This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between dietary ALA intake and C-IMT in CKD. The results of this study could emphasize the significant role of the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and inadequate omega-3 PUFA intake and status considering CVD health in CKD patients.

Metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease that affects more than a quarter of the global population, and is increasing worldwide, due to the pandemic of obesity. Insulin resistance is closely associated with the development and progression of MASLD. Hepatic entry of increased fatty acids (FA) released from adipose tissue, increase in FA synthesis and reduced FA oxidation in the liver, and hepatic overproduction of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins may induce the development of MASLD. Since insulin resistance also induces atherosclerosis, the leading cause for death in MASLD patients is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Considering that the development of CVD determines the prognosis of MASLD patients, the ideal therapeutic interventions for MASLD should reduce body weight, improve coronary risk factors, in addition to an improvement in liver functiom. Lifestyle modification such as diet and exercise and surgical interventions such as bariatric surgery and intragastric balloons have shown to improve MASLD by reducing body weight. Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) have been shown to improve coronary risk factors and to suppress the occurrence of CVD. Both SGLT2i and GLP-1 have been reported to improve liver enzymes, hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. We recently reported that the selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) modulator, pemafibrate, improved liver function. PPARα agonists have multiple anti-atherogenic properties. Here, we consider the pathophysiology of MASLD and the mechanisms of action of such drugs, and consider whether such drugs and the combination therapy of such drugs could be the ideal treatments for MASLD.

The purpose of this review is to elucidate the actual threat of the most prevalent mycotoxins in agricultural commodities and human/animal food/feed for appearance of foodborne ailments and diseases. The underestimated hazard of joint mycotoxin uptake of animals or humans is critically discussed with regards to synergistic or additive interaction between some target mycotoxins. The real toxicity of target mycotoxin combinations as it happens in practice is evaluated and possible lower limit values or control measures are suggested in such cases. Some critical points in adequate risk assessment, hygiene control and regulation of mycotoxns are discussed. The efficiency of current mycotoxin regulations and control measures is evaluated in regards to human/animal health hazard. The risk assessment in the case of multiple mycotoxin exposure of humans/animals via the food/feed or agricultural commodities is evaluated and some suggestions are proposed in such cases. Appropriate control measures and food safety issues throughout the food supply chain are proposed in order to prevent target foodborne diseases. Some preventive measures and possible veterinary hygiene control or risk assessment are proposed in some practical cases of foodborne diseases for preventing mycotoxin contamination of animal products designed for human consumption and to avoid possible public health issues.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) has significant applications in various sectors, such as the medical and food industries. However, its production relies heavily on phospholipase D (PLD), a crucial tool that is hindered by issues like poor stability and irrecoverability. Immobilization presents itself as an effective solution to overcome these limitations. In this study, magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) modified with amino (-NH₂) were synthesized and utilized for PLD immobilization. The activity of the immobilized PLD (MGO-PLD) reached 3062 U/g_MGO, with a specific activity of 33.9 U/mg_PLD, virtually identical to that of the free PLD. MGO-PLD was utilized to synthesize PS efficiently in a biphasic system. Under optimal conditions, PS yield reached 18.66 g/L, with a conversion rate of 92.8% and a productivity of 3.11 g/L/h. Notably, MGO-PLD retained an impressive PS conversion rate of 77.4% even after seven repetitive usages. Moreover, MGO-PLD displayed enhanced thermal and pH resistance properties compared to free PLD, alongside an augmented storage stability. Post a 8-week preservation at 4°C, its residual activity was able to maintain at 76.3%. This study provides a sustainable and highly efficient pathway for biocatalytic synthesis of PS.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

Vitamin D, unlike the micronutrients, vitamins A, E and K, is largely obtained, not from food, but by the action of solar UV light on its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol, in skin. With the decline in UV light intensity in winter, most skin production of vitamin D occurs in summer. Because no defined storage organ or tissue has been found for vitamin D, it has been assumed that adequate vitamin D status in winter can only be maintained by oral supplementation. Skeletal muscle cells have now been shown to incorporate the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) from blood into the cell cytoplasm where it binds to cytoplasmic actin. This intracellular DBP provides an array of specific binding sites for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) which diffuses into the cell from the extracellular fluid. When intracellular DBP undergoes proteolytic breakdown, the bound 25(OH)D is then released and diffuses back into blood. This uptake and release of 25(OH)D by muscle, accounts for the very long half-life of this metabolite in the circulation. As 25(OH)D concentration in blood declines in winter, its cycling in and out of muscle cells appears to be upregulated. Parathyroid hormone is the most likely factor enhancing the repeated cycling of 25(OH)D between skeletal muscle and blood. This mechanism appears to have evolved to maintain adequate vitamin D status in winter.

Vitamin D, unlike the micronutrients, vitamins A, E and K, is largely obtained, not from food, but by the action of solar UV light on its precursor, 7-dehydrocholesterol, in skin. With the decline in UV light intensity in winter, most skin production of vitamin D occurs in summer. Because no defined storage organ or tissue has been found for vitamin D, it has been assumed that adequate vitamin D status in winter can only be maintained by oral supplementation. Skeletal muscle cells have now been shown to incorporate the vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) from blood into the cell cytoplasm where it binds to cytoplasmic actin. This intracellular DBP provides an array of specific binding sites for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) which diffuses into the cell from the extracellular fluid. When intracellular DBP undergoes proteolytic breakdown, the bound 25(OH)D is then released and diffuses back into blood. This uptake and release of 25(OH)D by muscle, accounts for the very long half-life of this metabolite in the circulation. As 25(OH)D concentration in blood declines in winter, its cycling in and out of muscle cells appears to be upregulated. Parathyroid hormone is the most likely factor enhancing the repeated cycling of 25(OH)D between skeletal muscle and blood. This mechanism appears to have evolved to maintain adequate vitamin D status in winter.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have ushered in a technological revolution with their remarkable impact on diverse sectors of our daily lives. These versatile devices known for their outstanding display and lighting capabilities, have become indispensable components in various industries including smartphones, tablets, televisions, and automotive applications. This paper delves into the development of a group of twisted donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) derivatives incorporating bicarbazole and benzophenone structures for potential use as blue emitters in OLEDs. The synthesized compounds, namely DB14, DB23 and DB29, were designed with various alkyl side chains to enhance their film forming properties as for blue emitters. Characterization and evaluation of these derivatives included photophysical, electrochemical, thermal, and electroluminescent analysis. Some of the OLED devices incorporating these emitters demonstrated promising performance with maximum current efficiency (CEmax) of 2.6 cd/A and external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 5.3%. Notably, the DB23 emitter exhibited the highest EQE among all devices. The study also emphasizes the influence of host-guest energy transfer, optimal doping concentrations, and molecular structures on device performance. This research not only contributes to the understanding of advanced OLED materials but also provides insights into designing efficient blue emitters for future display and lighting applications, thereby advancing the field of organic electronics.

Majority of the studied MADS box members are linked with flowering and fruit traits. However, higher volumes of studies on the type II of their two types so far suggest that florigenic effect of the gene members could just be tip of the iceberg. In current study we used a systematic approach to have general overview on the MADS box members their cross-trait and multifactor associations as well as their pleiotropic potentials based on local reference database curated for MADS box members. While doing so, we screened for the co-occurrence of the terms of interest within the title or abstract of each reference with threshold of 3 hits. Analysis results showed that our approach can retrieve multi-faceted information on the subject of study (MADS box gene members in current case) which could otherwise have been skewed depending on the authors’ expertise and/or volume of literature reference base. Overall, our study discusses on the roles of MADS box members in association with plant organs and traits-linked factors among plant species. Our assessment showed that plants with majority of the MADS box member studies include tomato, apple, rice etc., after Arabidopsis. Furthermore, based on the degree of their multi-trait associations, FLC, SVP, SOC1, etc. are suggested to have relatively higher pleiotropic potential among others in plant growth, development and flowering process. The approach devised in this study is expected applicable for having basic understanding on any study subject of interest regardless of depth prior knowledge.