Background: The infant mortality rate (IMR) is an important reflection of the well-being of infants and the overall health of the population. This study aims to examine the macroeconomic (ME), sociodemographic (SD), and health status and resources (HSR) effects on IMR, as well as how they may interact with each other. Methods: A retrospective time-series study using yearly data for Oman from 1980 to 2022. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to develop the exploratory model of the determinants of IMR. Results: The model indicates that HSR determinants directly but negatively affect IMR (= -0.617, p<0.001). SD directly and positively affects IMR (= 0.447, p<0.001). ME only indirectly affects IMR (=-0.854, p<0.001). ME determinants also exert some direct influences on both HSR (= 0.722, p<0.001) and SD (= -0.916, p<0.001) determinants. Conclusions: These findings indicate that an integrated policy that addresses socioeconomic and health-related factors and the overall ME environment is necessary for the health and well-being of the children and the population overall in Oman.

Despite marked advancements, life expectancy (LE) growth in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has remained stagnant compared to other developed nations. This study aims to investigate the significant correlation between macroeconomic (ME), sociodemographic (SD), and health status-resources (HSR) factors and LE to formulate an explanatory model for Saudi Arabia and the UAE – a previously unexplored area. Utilizing an ecological, retrospective, time-series study design, we delved into secondary data on SD, ME, HSR, and LE of the UAE population spanning three decades (1980-2020). We employed the partial least squares-structural equation modeling for statistical analysis. Our analysis revealed significant direct impacts of HSR on LE for Saudi Arabia (Beta=0.958, p<0.001) and the UAE (Beta=0.716, p<0.001). Furthermore, we discerned a notable indirect influence of ME on LE, mediated through SD and HSR for Saudi Arabia (Beta=0.507, p<0.001) and UAE (Beta=0.509, p<0.001), along with a considerable indirect effect of SD on LE through HSR (Saudi Arabia: Beta=0.529, p<0.001; UAE: Beta=0.711, p<0.001). This study underscores the mediating role of a nexus of ME-SD-HSR factors on LE in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Consequently, these findings signal an imperative need for holistically policy interventions addressing ME, SD, and HSR factors, aiming to alter health behaviors and improve LE projections for Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the long run.

Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) are a group of illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. These diseases represent a significant global burden of infectious diseases, including morbidity and mortality. This systematic review delves into the multifaceted factors contributing to the spread of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Following PRISMA guidelines, a thorough analysis of peer-reviewed articles from May 1990 to Jan 2023 was conducted, highlighting the interplay of population, environmental, disease, and mosquito factors in disease transmission and prevalence. The review incorporated 31 studies that revealed a complex relationship between various risk factors and the presence of MBDs. Significant associations were observed with age, certain occupations, environmental conditions such as rainfall and temperature, sanitation practices, specific pathogen variants, clinical symptoms, and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Conversely, gender, socioeconomic status, educational status, and certain sanitation-related factors showed inconsistent association with the spread of MBDs. The review underscores the need for targeted interventions, including vector control, improved sanitation, and educational campaigns to mitigate the spread of MBDs in the MENA region. This review could guide research studies to address data gaps and assist in developing effective surveillance programs in the MENA region. This work emphasizes the need for region-specific public health strategies and further research to understand and curb the burden of these diseases effectively.

Background: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is among the most common anxiety disorders worldwide with data largely emerging from the Euro-American and Pacific Rim populations. In contrast, there is a dearth of studies among the populations of Arabian Gulf countries including Oman. This study has two interrelated aims: (i) to explore the prevalence of SAD among Omani adults, and (ii) to tease out the links between sociodemographic factors and SAD in Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional study via an online survey was conducted among 1019 adult Omani nationals residing in Oman. The presence of SAD was assessed using the Arabic version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). Result: Nearly half the participants (45.9%, n=468) endorsed themselves as having features of SAD as defined by LSAS. In the multivariate logistic analysis, participants below 40 years of age were 1.6 times (OR=1.568, p=0.026) more likely to have SAD than those who were 40 and older. Women were 1.3 times (OR=1.348, p=0.038) more likely to endorse SAD than men. Participants who had secondary or undergraduate education were respectively 1.5 times (OR=1.45, p=0.014) and 2.5 times (OR=2.509, p<.001) to have SAD than who were postgraduates. Conclusion: The present data suggest that 45.9% of the participants reached the cut-off for case-ness in LSAS, which is high compared to reports from other populations. As online survey respondents tend to belong to similar demographics, the current results need not be representative of the Omani adult population, which calls for studies that adopt more inclusive survey methods.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest to view the diagnosis of Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) through the lens of the biopsychosocial model. However, other than a few epidemiological surveys, there is a dearth of studies from emerging economies that have examined FH using the biological, psychological and socio-environmental facets of the aforementioned model. AIM. The three aims of the current study were as follows: (i) to examine the psychosocial status among patients with genetically confirmed FH, (ii) to compare the intellectual capacity and cognitive outcomes with a reference group, and (iii) to examine the relationship between health literacy and cognitive functioning. METHOD: Consecutive FH patients referred to the lipid clinic at a tertiary care center for an expert opinion were recruited into this study, conducted from September 2019 to March 2020. Information regarding psychosocial functioning, health literacy, quality of life, and affective ranges were surveyed. Indices of current reasoning ability (attention and concentration, memory, and executive functioning) were compared with an age-matched reference group. The current hypothesis also explored the impact of FH on health literacy and cognition. RESULT: A total of 70 participants out of 106 (response rate: 66.0%) initially agreed to participate. However, 18 out of 70 dropped out of the study, yielding a final total of 52 FH patients. With 27 (51.9%) males and 25 (48.1%) females, the mean participant age stood at 37.2 years (SD=9.2), ranging from 21 to 52 years of age. In the psychosocial data, thirty-two percent (n=17) of them had anxiety (HADS≥ 8), and twenty-five percent (n=13) had depressive symptoms (HADS≥ 8). The performance of the FH patients was significantly impaired compared to the control group on the indices of current reasoning ability and all domains of cognitive functioning. In univariate analysis conducted to compare cognitive functioning with health literacy status, only indices of attention and concentration emerged as being significant. CONCLUSION: To date, there are only a few studies employing the biopsychosocial paradigm to investigate the FH population. The current study indicates that the FH population is marked by an impediment in almost all of the core features that are characteristically assessed by the biopsychosocial approach.

Background: Reminiscence studies and life reviews have a number of proven advantages. Future generations gain by learning from elders' life experiences, as do older adults themselves who share their memories. Despite Oman's sizable geriatric population, research on older individuals' life experiences is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to explore the life experiences of older Omani individuals across their many life stages, from childhood to the present. Methods: This was a qualitative study design. A total of 13 Omani older adults (9 females and 4 males) with an average age of 68 years were recruited for this study. Socio-demographic and life review information was gathered according to a set of semi-structured guiding questions. The responses were then captured on audio recordings, which underwent transcription and translation. Thematic analysis techniques were applied to the extracted data. Results: Three main themes were evident in the study’s findings: Childhood memories, Friendships, and Relationships, as well as the elders’ past. Additionally, older adults passed on a number of gems of wisdom to be shared with the younger generations. Conclusion: This study aided in revealing the resiliency, social connections, and life reflections of Omani older adults. Based on these findings, future studies might explore particular aspects of older experiences and pinpoint solutions to improve their quality of life and well-being.

Background: The link between nocturia and aging male symptoms (AMS) has not been scientifically established. This study aimed to measure the degree of severity of AMS that impact on the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in adult males living with nocturia, and to determine the predictive values of nocturnal factors on AMS. Methods: It is an extended analysis of new data collected by using the Hong Kong Traditional AMS (HK-AMS) scale and Cantonese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in a recently published cross-sectional population-based survey. Results: Of the 781 respondents that have completed the set of questionnaires, 68% and 61% of men living with nocturia reported clinically significant (at moderate-to-severe levels) somato-vegetative and sexual AMS, whereas the prevalence and severity were increased with advancing nighttime voiding frequency. The nocturia-specific QoL (NQoL) score and nocturnal frequency were found to be significant predictive factors for composite, somato-vegetative and sexual AMS, in addition to age, global OSQI score, and certain metabolic diseases. Conclusions: Current findings suggested the inclusion of nocturia when measuring the male-specific HRQoL related to aging.

Background: Most prevalence surveys on nocturia have focused on older populations. This study aimed to measure the nocturia prevalence across the full spectrum of male adults living in Hong Kong, where severity and associated quality-of-life (QoL) were also explored. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted in men aged 18 or above using the ICIQ-NQoL Questionnaire. Results: With 1,239 respondents at age ranged 18-99, the overall nocturia prevalence were found to be 63.0% (ranged 41.6-84.6% at different age groups) and 31.2% (ranged 13.0-56.3% at different age groups), for ≥1 and ≥2 bedtime voiding episodes, respectively. The chance of nocturia was dramatically increased at age 60 or above while both prevalence and voiding frequency were increased with advancing age. About 83% of the nocturia men experienced 1-2 voiding episodes per night, but many of them had self-rated their QoL poor or very poor and indicated moderate-to-high bothersome. Younger men at age 18-39 were found to have high prevalence as 41.6% and almost 30% of them rated poor or very poor QoL. Conclusions: Nocturia was not only affecting the older populations but also caused significant bothersome and negative impacts on QoL in younger males.

Lipoxygenases are non-heme iron-containing enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in the production of lipid hydroperoxides, which are precursors of inflammatory lipid mediators. The enzymes are widely distributed in humans, other eukaryotes, and cyanobacteria. Lipoxygenases hold promise as therapeutic targets for several human diseases, including cancer and inflammation-related disorders. Inhibitors of lipoxygenase have potential applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food. Bioactive peptides are short amino acid sequences embedded within parent proteins, which can be released by enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, and gastrointestinal digestion. A wide variety of bioactivities have been documented for protein hydrolysates and peptides derived from different biological sources. Recent findings indicate that protein hydrolysates and peptides derived from both edible and non-edible bioresources can act as lipoxygenase inhibitors. In this review, we explore current knowledge on the production of anti-lipoxygenase protein hydrolysates and peptides from millet grains, chia seeds, insects, milk proteins, fish feed, velvet antler blood, fish scales, and feather keratins. We delve into the anti-lipoxygenase activities and modes of action of these protein hydrolysates and peptides, while also highlighting the strengths and shortcomings of previous research. Additionally, we propose potential research directions and areas of improvement that can propel the discovery of anti-lipoxygenase peptides in the near future.

The paper considers the possibility of rotating a small moon by 180 degrees from a dynamic point of view using two rocket engines mounted on the surface of the moon. A thrust control law for the engines which allows to turn the moon over and then stabilize it relative to a new equilibrium position by parrying a gravity gradient torque is proposed. The dynamic aspects of such an experiment are discussed using the example of the Mars satellite Deimos.

This study was conducted to improve the white index (WI) by preparing thermally expandable microspheres (TEMs) for wallpaper. The thermal properties, foam expansion ratio and WI were studied depending on the particle size of colloidal silica in the preparation of TEMs. As a result, the TEMs with small particles of colloidal silica showed the best results for whiteness and yellowing. Additionally, TGA results indicated that it was highly possible that colloidal silica with small particle sizes was physically or chemically attached to the surface of the TEMs that led to an improvement in whiteness at high temperatures.

The moon always use the same side to face toward the earth, but there is a dead angle in the mainstream theory of explaining this phenomenon. That is, it cannot explain why the moon doesn't rotate around the axis which is a straight line to connect the mass centers of the earth and moon. Because the numerous meteorite impact craters on the lunar surface indicate that the moon is completely possible to obtain external momentums and rotate around this axis. This paper proposes a plain explanation, that is, the universal gravitation between the earth and moon as well as the earth's magnetic field have formed a trinity restraint mechanism on the moon. According to this explanation, the moon's rotation can be locked, and the mechanism of lunar libration has been revealed out, which can also confirm mutually with the natural phenomenon that the moon has sought a balance in the swing. In addition, with the help of all kinds of detection data from the Apollo moon landings and other circumlunar spacecraft, as well as the studies and analysis of lunar soil samples, the conclusion is that as far as a whole for the moon, it belongs to paramagnetic substances, and its relative permeability is between 1.008 and 1.03. Although the magnetic flux density of the earth on the lunar orbit has been dropped below 0.0008125 nT or lower due to the impact of the solar wind, but it can be used as a reason to lock the moon without rotating around the axis which is a straight line to connect the mass centers of the earth and moon. If another main reason to cause the existence of this fact cannot be found, even if the magnetic flux density of the geomagnetism in lunar orbit is very small, it also should not be artificially ignored. In this regard, we can artificially change the intensity of the earth's magnetic field, and carefully observe the lunar libration and in the distance between the earth and the moon, to verify the arguments in this paper.

Depressive disorder in childhood and adolescence is a highly prevalent mood disorder that tends to recur throughout life. Untreated mood disorders can adversely impact a patient's quality of life and cause socioeconomic loss. Thus, an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial. However, until now, diagnoses and treatments are conducted according to clinical symptoms. Objective and biological validation are lacking. This may result in a poor outcome for patients with depressive disorder. Research has been conducted to identify the biomarkers that are related to depressive disorder. Cumulative evidence has revealed that certain immunologic biomarkers in-cluding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cytokines, gastrointestinal biomarkers, hormones, oxidative stress, and certain hypothalamus-pituitary axis biomarkers are associated with depressive disorder. This article reviews the biomarkers related to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric depressive disorders. To date, clinical biomarker tests are not yet available for diagnosis or for the prediction of treatment prognosis. However, cytokines such as Interleukin-2, interfer-on-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and BDNF have shown significant results in previous studies of pediatric depressive disorder. These biomarkers have the potential to be used for diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and group screening for those at high risk.

Studying the two famous old problems that why the moon can move around the Sun and why the orbit of the Moon around the Earth cannot be broken off by the Sun under the condition that calculating with F=GMm/R^2, the attractive force of the Sun on the Moon is almost 2.2 times that of the Earth. We found that the planet and moon are unified as one single gravitational unit which results in that the Sun cannot have the force of F=GMm/R^2 on the moon. The moon is moved by the gravitational unit orbiting around the Sun. It could indicate that the gravitational field of the moon is limited inside the unit and the gravitational fields of both the planet and moon is unified as one single field interacting with the Sun. The findings are further clarified by reestablishing Newton’s repulsive gravity.

Space missions have always assumed that the risk of spacecraft malfunction far outweighs the risk of human system failure. This assumption breaks down for longer duration exploration missions and exposes vulnerabilities in space medical system. Space agencies can no longer buy down the majority of human system risk through the crew member selection process and emergency re-supply or evacuation. No mature medical solutions exist to close the risk gap. With recent advances in biotechnology, there is promise in augmenting a space pharmacy with a biologically-based space foundry for on-demand manufacturing of high-value medical products. Here we review the challenges and opportunities of molecular pharming, the production of pharmaceuticals in plants, as the basis of a space medical foundry to close the risk gap in current space medical systems. Plants have long been considered an important life support object in space and can now also be viewed as programmable factories in space. Advances in molecular pharming-based space foundries will have widespread application in promoting simple and accessible pharmaceutical manufacturing on Earth.

After axonal injury, chromatolysis (fragmentation of Nissl substance) occurs in both intrinsic neurons (whose processes are within the CNS) and extrinsic neurons (whose axons extend outside the CNS). Electron microscopy shows that chromatolysis involves fission of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. In intrinsic neurons (which do not regenerate axons) or in extrinsic neurons denied axon regeneration, chromatolysis is often accompanied by degranulation (loss of ribosomes from rough endoplasmic reticulum), disaggregation of polyribosomes and degradation of monoribosomes into dust-like particles. Ribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum may also be degraded in autophagic vacuoles by Ribophagy and Reticulophagy, respectively. In other words, chromatolysis is disruption of parts of the protein synthesis infrastructure. Whereas some neurons may show transient or no chromatolysis, severely injured neurons can remain chromatolytic and never again synthesise normal levels of protein; some may atrophy or die. What molecule(s) cause fragmentation or degranulation of rough endoplasmic reticulum, disaggregation of polyribosomes and degradation of monoribosomes? Ribonucleases can modify (and perhaps fragment) rough endoplasmic reticulum; various endoribonucleases can degrade mRNA causing polyribosomes to unchain and disperse; they can disassemble monoribosomes; Ribonuclease 5 can control rRNA synthesis and degrade tRNA; Ribonuclease T2 can degrade ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum and RNA within autophagic vacuoles; and Ribonuclease IRE1α acts as a stress sensor within the endoplasmic reticulum. Regeneration might be improved after axonal injury by protecting the protein synthesis machinery from catabolism; targeting ribonucleases could be a profitable strategy.

Viral infections leading to inflammation have been implicated in several common diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D). Of note, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) has been reported to be associated with AD. We sought to identify the transcriptomic changes due to HSV-1 infection and anti-viral drug (acyclovir, ACV) treatment of HSV-1 infection in dissoci-ated cells from human cerebral organoids (dcOrgs) versus stem cell-derived pancreatic islets (sc-islets) to gain potential biological insights into the relevance of HSV-1-induced inflammation in AD and T1D. We observed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HSV-1-infected sc-islets were enriched for genes associated with several autoimmune diseases, most significantly T1D but also rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, whereas DEGs in HSV-1-infected dcOrgs were exclusively enriched for genes associated with AD. ACV treatment of sc-islets did not rescue transcript expression of autoimmune disease-associated genes. Finally, we identified gene ontology categories that were enriched for DEGs that were in common across, or unique to, viral treatment of dcOrgs and sc-islets, such as categories involved in the transferase complex, mitochondrial and autophagy function. Collectively, this studies pro-vide insight to the molecular effects of inflammation in AD and T1D.

This study investigates the effects of home-based Kakao health care breathing exercises and stretching on respiratory function and fatigue in COVID-19 cured patients. A total of 35 participants performed four movements of home-based breathing exercise and five respiratory muscle stretching exercises four times a week for four weeks. Respiratory function was measured using FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and PEF. Fatigue was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Data analysis was performed using Independent Samples and Paired Samples T-tests in SPSS 24, with a significance level set at p &lt; 0.05. After four weeks of Home based Kakao health care Breathing Exercise, there were significant increases in respiratory FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and PEF function values observed in the training group (T.G.) after the exercise intervention (p &lt; 0.05). Such an increase was observed when comparing these values with the pre-exercise measurements. In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference in respiratory function outcomes before and after exercise in the control group (C.G.) (p &gt; 0.05). The FSS scores were statistically significant within the training group (T.G.). (p &gt;0.05). The 4-week Kakao health care Breathing Exercise was found to be capable of improving some respiratory functions in COVID-19-recovered patients, but it showed no significant improvement in fatigue levels.

A simple bounded stochastic motion is employed for modelling equity price dynamics under shocks, where the prices are constrained to lie between two positive bounds. While the stochastic process has an inaccessible boundary, the other boundary is quasi-bounded, implying that the boundary can be breached if the probability leakage condition is met. The quasi-boundedness of the process at the boundary can thus provide an indicator of possible risk of equities under price shocks. Empirical calibration of model parameters of the proposed process for equities can be performed easily due to the availability of an analytically tractable probability density function which generates fat-tailed distributions consistent with empirical observations. The volatility and mean-reversion of the S&P500 dynamics calibrated by the process is positively and negatively co-integrated respectively with the VIX index representing the level of market distress. The process captures the high likelihood of Hertz’s default about two months earlier, using only information until that point, and before the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Empirical calibration of the process for GameStop’s stock price shows that the short squeeze of the stock occurred when the condition for breaching an upper boundary was met on 14 January 2021, i.e., about two weeks before major short sellers closed out their positions with significant losses. The trading volume of the stock was positively co-integrated with the probability leakage ratio.

Wild-caught shrimp and prawns are the single most numerous group of animals directly killed for human food consumption on the planet. Recent scientific developments have led to greater understanding of the probability that at least some species of shrimp are sentient beings and, should that be the case, policies that could improve shrimp welfare. We begin with an overview of global shrimp fisheries and their characteristics. The world's shrimp fisheries can be understood as a spectrum between large, industrial trawlers in developed and developing countries (e.g. Western Europe, the Americas, Russia) and small-scale fisheries for subsistence in developing countries (e.g. South-East Asia, East Africa). Each has different implications for animal welfare, particularly in light of human wellbeing challenges associated with shrimp fisheries. Secondly, we turn to the emerging science of shrimp welfare and examine recent developments in government and industry policy. In large-scale trawl fisheries, animal welfare can be improved by installing electrical stunning equipment; continuing existing work on bycatch reduction; and optimising on-board processes to reduce the stress endured by shrimp during capture and slaughter. In small-scale fisheries, improving government capacity and supply chain practices may bring benefits for communities in the short-term while opening up opportunities for more specific shrimp welfare policies in the long-term. Thirdly, we provide a new dataset of the estimated numbers of individual shrimp caught by country and species. Drawing on this data, we provide a description of the shrimp fishing industry in the world's top 25 countries by estimated catch of individual shrimp. By our estimates, the wild-catch shrimp industry catches 37.4 trillion individual shrimp (36.3 trillion sergestids, 781 billion carideans, and 287 billion penaeids). Finally, we explore the ethical implications of the probability that shrimp and prawns are capable of feeling pain and the welfare policies that could be adopted.

As a radiant light source within the dynamic range of most spacecraft payloads, the moon pro-vides an excellent reference for on-orbit radiometric calibration. This research hinges on the pre-cise simulation of lunar spectral irradiances and the Earth-based Moon observation geometry. The paper leverages the Hapke model to simulate the temporal changes in lunar spectral irradi-ances, utilizing datasets obtained from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). The re-search also details the transformation process from the lunar geographic coordinate system to the instantaneous projection coordinate system, thereby delineating the necessary observational geometry. The insights offered by this study have the potential to enhance future in-orbit space-craft calibration procedures, thereby boosting the fidelity of data gathered from satellite obser-vations.

Resection of malignant lesions in the oral and maxillofacial area causes functional and morphological defects. To recover from these defects, reconstruction surgery is needed such as a primary closure or a flap. There are advantages and disadvantages to the method of using the primary closure and the flap, and the choice of procedure is entirely up to a surgeon. The purpose of this study is to evaluate availability of primary closure in patients. For 10 years from January 2010 to May 2020, patients who recovered using flaps after removing malignant lesions from the oral cavity and those who closed the lesion using primary closure were investigated. The investigation was conducted by searching the database of the hospital. There were 85 patients who removed malignant lesions in the oral and maxillofacial area, and among them 16 patients closed the soft tissue defects using primary closure. Operation time, histologic types, stages, wound status, and period of hospitalization according to the patients' medical records were investigated retrospectively. Between the staging and the primary closure, statistically significant differences were observed between stage I and stage II patients in 13 patients using the primary closure. (P=0.046). Statistically significant differences were identified between operation time and primary closure, with an average of 4.02 hours (P=0.015). The average period of hospitality for patients who underwent primary closure was 13.4 days, compared to 26.7 days for those who underwent flap surgery. This difference was statistically significant (P=0.0003). This study evaluated the use of primary closure in patients who underwent resection of malignant lesions in the oral and maxillofacial area. Although the majority of patients underwent reconstruction with flaps, our results showed that primary closure can be a viable option for certain patients with early-stage lesions. Therefore, oral and maxillofacial surgeons should carefully consider various evaluation criteria and select appropriate reconstruction methods to optimize functional and aesthetic outcomes for each patient.

Immune escape is observed with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (Pango lineage B.1.1.529), the predominant circulating strain worldwide. Booster dose was shown to restore immunity against Omicron infection, however, real world data comparing mRNA (BNT162b2; Comirnaty) and inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac; Sinovac) homologous and heterologous boosting is lacking. A retrospective study was performed to compare the rate and outcome of COVID-19 in healthcare workers (HCWs) with various vaccination regime during a territory-wide Omicron outbreak in Hong Kong. During the study period 1 Feb – 31 Mar 2022, 3167 HCWs were recruited, 871 HCWs reported 746 and 183 episodes of significant household and non-household close contact. 737 HCWs acquired COVID-19 which were all clinically mild. Time dependent Cox regression showed that, comparing with 2-dose vaccination, 3-dose vaccination reduced infection risk by 31.7% and 89.3% in household contact and non-household close contact respectively. Using 2-dose BNT162b2 as reference, 2-dose CoronaVac recipient had significantly higher risk of being infected (HR 1.69 P<0.0001). Three-dose BNT162b2 (HR 0.4778 P<0.0001) and 2-dose CoronaVac + BNT162b2 booster (HR 0.4862 P=0.0157) were associated with lower risk of infection. Three-dose CoronaVac and 2-dose BNT162b2 + CoronaVac booster were not significantly different from 2-dose BNT162b2. The mean time to achieve negative RT-PCR or E gene cycle threshold 31 or above was not affected by age, number of vaccine dose taken, vaccine type and timing of the last dose. In summary, we have demonstrated lower risk of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs given BNT162b2 as booster after 2 doses of BNT162b2 or CoronaVac.

Histologically poor differentiation is associated with lymph node metastasis. Thus, pathological evaluation of biopsy specimens is crucial when treating stomach cancers. Deep learning of WSIs is challenging because the images are enormous. Given the computing limitations, patch-level supervised learning methods have been proposed. However, valuable information is lost when dividing WSIs into smaller patches. Another drawback is the need for pixel-level annotation by a pathologist. It is acceptable to differentiate, i.e., grade, gastric cancer at the holistic tissue level (i.e., under low magnification). We developed a weakly supervised learning technique for tissue-level gastric adenocarcinoma histological differentiation (well-to-moderately or poorly differentiated) and applied global reasoning to tissue-level features. The tissue-level AUROCs of the histological differentiation classifiers were 0.953, 0.969, and 0.943, respectively when data from five hospitals were subjected to threefold cross-validation. Comparison of the Grad-CAM heatmaps of the trained classifier and the pathologists’ annotations confirmed that our weakly supervised model exhibited performed well.

This research aims to understand the Cambodian green economy transition and analyze its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The research showed that Cambodia has been significantly transitioning its green economy since 2009 as evidenced by the National Green Growth Roadmap. Cambodia also established the National Council for Green Growth in 2012 and upgraded it to the National Council for Sustainable Development in 2015 in alignment with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations. The members of the Council are from all the government’s ministries and relevant inter-ministerial councils/committees, which are significant for policymaking. All governors of the capital and provincial administrations are also its members, which are significant for supporting and implementing the works at the subnational levels. Under the structure of the Council’s Secretariat, Department of Green Economy is playing an important role in promoting green economic development in Cambodia by looking at national policies and strategic plans, undertaking projects, and mobilizing resources. Through coordination between this Department and UNIDO, Cambodia in 2022 became a Member of the United Nations Partnership for Action on Green Economy. The findings showed that Cambodia is transitioning its green economy at the right time, especially the new government’s Pentagonal Strategy strongly supported this green economy transition with a clear and strong political commitment. The national inter-ministerial council for sustainable development is also very significant for cross sectoral policy-making and implementing levels, inclusively for promoting green economic development.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) a highly malignant neoplasm, is classified as one of the most severe and devastating types of cancer. PDAC is a notable malignancy that exhibits a discouraging prognosis and a rising occurrence. The interplay between diabetes and pancreatic cancer exhibits a reciprocal causation. The identified metabolic disorder has been observed to possess noteworthy consequences on health outcomes, resulting in elevated rates of morbidity. The principal mechanisms involve the suppression of the immune system, the activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), and the onset of systemic metabolic disease caused by dysfunction of the islets. From this point forward, it is important to recognize that pancreatic cancer-related diabetes (PCRD) has the ability to increase the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer. This highlights the complex relationship that exists between these two physiological states. Therefore, we investigate into the complex domain of PSCs, elucidating their intricate signaling pathways and the profound influence of chemokines on their behavior and final outcome. In order to surmount the obstacle of drug resistance and eliminate PDAC, researchers have undertaken extensive efforts to explore and cultivate novel natural compounds of the next generation. Additional investigation is necessary in order to comprehensively comprehend the effect of PCRD-mediated apoptosis on the progression and onset of PDAC through the utilization of natural compound. This study aims to examine the potential anticancer properties of natural compound in individuals with diabetes who are undergoing chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. It is anticipated that these compounds will exhibit increased potency and possess enhanced pharmacological benefits. According to our research findings, it is indicated that naturally derived chemical compounds hold potential in the development of PDAC therapies that are both safe and efficacious.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common and incurable leukemia subtype. Despite extensive research into the disease's intricate molecular mechanisms, AML have not yet identified effective treatments or expanded diagnostic or prognostic markers. The morphological, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, biomolecular, and clinical characteristics of AML patients are extensive and complex. Leukemia stem cells (LSC) consist of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and cancer cells transformed by the complex, finely-tuned interaction that causes the complexity of AML. Microenvironmental regulation of LSC dormancy, its diagnostic and therapeutic implications for identifying and targeting LSCs due to their significance in the pathogenesis of AML were discussed in this review. It is essential to perceive the relationship between the niche for LSCs and HSC, which together cause the progression of AML. Notably, methylation is a well-known epigenetic change that is significant in AML, and our data also reveals that microRNAs are a unique factor for LSC. Furthermore, multiple-targeted approaches to reduce the risk of epigenetic factors, such as the administration of natural compounds for the elimination of local LSC, may prevent potentially fatal relapses. Furthermore, the survival analysis of overlapping genes revealed that specific targets had significant effects on the survival and prognosis of patients. We predicted that the multiple-targeted effects of herbal products on epigenetic modification are governed by different mechanisms in AML and prevent potentially fatal relapses. Thus, these strategies can facilitate the incorporation of herbal medicine and natural compounds into the advanced drug discovery and development processes enabled achievable by Network Pharmacology research.

In this paper, we perform the neural cryptanalysis and comprehensively analyze five block ciphers, Data Encryption Standard (DES), Simplified DES (SDES), Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Simplified AES (SAES), and SPECK. The vulnerability of the block ciphers is investigated in three different attacks, such as Encryption Emulation (EE), Plaintext Recovery (PR), Key Recovery (KR), and Ciphertext Classification (CC) attacks. For the plaintexts, randomly generated block-sized bit arrays and texts are used. The block ciphers apply different numbers of round functions in the encryption of the block-sized bit arrays, and they are investigated by using the deep learning models trained with different numbers of data in EE, PR, and KR attacks. Moreover, the block ciphers use two different text encryption methods, Word-based Text Encryption (WTE) and Sentence-based Text Encryption (STE), to encrypt the texts in various operation modes, and they are analyzed with deep learning models in EE, PR, and CC attacks. As a result, the block ciphers can be vulnerable to deep learning-based EE and PR attacks using a large amount of train data, and STE can improve the strength of the block ciphers, unlike WTE, which shows almost the same classification accuracy as the plaintexts, especially in CC attack. Additionally, when the keys that are the same as the plaintexts are used in encryption, the block ciphers can be perfectly broken in KR attack. Moreover, especially in KR attack, the RNN-based deep learning model shows higher average Bit Accuracy Probability (BAPavg) than the fully connected-based deep learning model, which is used more often in previous works of neural cryptanalysis. Furthermore, although the transformer-based deep learning model is a state-of-the-art model in Natural Language Processing (NLP), the RNN-based deep learning model is more suitable for CC attack and shows higher classification accuracy.

Amid the deepening imbalance in the supply and demand of allogeneic organs, xenotransplanta-tion can be a practical alternative because it makes an unlimited supply of organs possible. How-ever, to perform xenotransplantation on patients, the source animals to be used must be free from infectious agents. This requires breeding of animals using assisted reproductive techniques, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer, embryo transfer, and cesarean-section, without colostrum de-rived in designated pathogen-free (DPF) facilities. Most infectious agents can be removed from animals produced by these methods, but several viruses known to pass through the placenta are not easy to remove, even with these methods. Therefore, in this review, we look at the characteris-tics of several viruses known to cross the placenta and determine how they can be detected. This review is intended to help maintain DPF facilities by preventing animals infected with the virus from entering DPF facilities and to help select pigs suitable for xenotransplantation.

Buildings can generate heats which are mostly generated from the machinery using inside the buildings, and these heats generally released to the atmosphere. Buildings can also block the wind flow by their canopies and trap the heat by using low albedo materials. These causes pointedly contribute to urban heat island and greenhouse effects. Likewise, urban development and building construction in Cambodia are growing rapidly. The construction has been recognized as a key development sector while thousands of buildings are being built and have been operated in the main cities. However, those buildings mostly have not been considered to incorporate sustainability concepts while the major final energy consumers in the country are buildings. The buildings’ energy consumption is also projected to increase more than double until 2040. Hence, sustainable building promotion in Cambodia is necessary, and sustainable building criteria are completely required. This research aims to find out significant sustainable building criteria for Cambodia and focused on planning and design criteria because having proper planning and design is a smart start leading to achieving building sustainability in all stages. This research used the Delphi methods to validate the relevant sustainable building criteria available in the literature and then select the significant ones for Cambodia based on the Delphi consensus. The results showed that ninety-nine consensus planning and design criteria were found to be significant for sustainable buildings in Cambodia.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a persistent, inflammatory disease that affects individuals with psoriasis, arthritis, and enthesitis. Research has demonstrated that inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-23 (IL-23), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) play a pivotal role in both the onset and progression of PsA. These cytokines are generated by activated immune cells and stimulate the attraction of inflammatory cells to the synovium and joint tissues, resulting in the deterioration of cartilage and bone. The blocking of these cytokines has become a successful treatment strategy for PsA, as biological drugs that inhibit TNF-α, IL-23, and IL-17 have demonstrated notable clinical benefits. The association between PsA and other types of inflammatory cytokines or chemokines, excluding TNF-α, IL-23, and IL-17, has been extensively investigated in numerous studies. These findings may provide a chance for the discovery of novel therapeutic agents targeting other molecules, distinct from the currently approved biologics and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the role of inflammatory cytokines in PsA pathogenesis and clinical implications of targeting these cytokines for PsA treatment.

Background: This study delves into the examination of racial and ethnic disparities in the distribution of the Monkeypox (MPOX) virus vaccine within the United States, offering a critical healthcare perspective on an emerging public health concern. It particularly focuses on the demographic patterns associated with MPOX transmission and the allocation of vaccines. Methods: A comprehensive analysis was conducted, drawing on a wide array of data sources to understand the vaccine distribution and demographic trends in the United States. The study scrutinized three main aspects: MPOX cases by race and ethnicity, vaccine administration across different racial and gender categories, and the potential disparities therein. Results: The findings reveal significant disparities in the distribution of vaccine doses, with males, particularly gay, bisexual, and other Men who have sex with men (MSM), receiving the majority of doses. Moreover, substantial variations in MPOX cases are observed among different racial and ethnic groups, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive public health strategies. Conclusions: The study underscores the urgent need for targeted public health interventions to address disparities and safeguard the well-being of those at higher risk, particularly MSM. It highlights the importance of equity in vaccine distribution and culturally sensitive approaches, and serves as a foundation for shaping effective public health policies and strategies to mitigate the spread of MPOX. This research advances our understanding of healthcare disparities in the context of an emerging viral infection, providing valuable insights for future public health initiatives.

In this review, we explore a broad-based view of technologies for supporting human activities on the Moon. Primarily, we assess the state of life support systems technology beginning with physicochemical processes, waste processing, bioregenerative methods, food production systems and the robotics and advanced biological technologies that support the latter. We observe that the Moon possesses in-situ resources but that these resources are of limited value in CELSS – indeed, CELSS technology is most mature in recycling water and oxygen, the two resources that are abundant on the Moon. This places a premium on developing CELSS that recycles other elements that are rarified on the Moon including C and N in particular but also other elements such as P, S and K which might be challenging to extract from local resources. Although we focus on closed loop ecological life support systems, we also consider related technologies that involve the application of biological organisms to bioregenerative medical technologies and bioregenerative approaches to industrial activity on the Moon as potential future developments.

In the near future, the next generation of space travel will be revealed and people are going to live on multiple planets. As a result, because having enough oxygen for human survival is mandatory, in this research article, we are going to find out an appropriate method for producing oxygen on another planet by considering the accessible resources and their limitations.

Tribological testing of moving shaft/sealing pairs in complex environments is at the frontline of research. Machines working in abrasive conditions are subject to different wear effects. It is valid not only on the Earth but especially valid for rovers and future robots used in Mars and Moon missions. The aim of our joint research with the European Space Agency is to study the abrasion phenomena of moving machine elements on Mars and the Moon, by using artificial soil samples (“simulants”). This review detail the available simulant sources and recommend a selection of the most suitable ones for tribological testing. Moreover, the potential mating structural materials subjected to abrasive space applications are reviewed. The tribological tests are exploring the features of the rotary shaft/seal relationship that is subject to dry friction and intense abrasion. By using the simulants, measurements are performed under laboratory conditions with both a sample test and a real shaft/seal connection. Parameters of the selection criteria have been defined and classification of the simulant sources were made. It was found that simulant particle size distribution and chemical substance content is detailed enough only for a limited type of available artificial Moon and Mars soil samples. 4 simulants have been identified and applied later in the tribological testing. For the shaft materials, based on a detailed case study of polymers, steel and aluminium alloys, a high-strength aluminium alloy with a hard anodized surface and a stainless steel were selected for further abrasion tests.

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration has officially classified flight crew (FC) consisting of commercial pilots, cabin crew or flight attendants as “radiation workers” since 1994 due to the potential for cosmic ionizing radiation (CIR) exposure at cruising altitudes originating from solar activity and galactic sources. Several epidemiological studies have documented elevated incidence and mortality for several cancers in FC, but it has not yet been possible to establish whether this is attributable to CIR. CIR and its constituents are known to cause a myriad of DNA lesions, which can lead to carcinogenesis unless DNA repair mechanisms remove them. But critical knowledge gaps exist with regard to CIR dosimetry, the role of other genotoxic exposures among FC, and possible biological mechanisms underlying higher cancer rates observed in FC exist. This review summarizes our understanding of the role of DNA damage and repair responses relevant to CIR exposure in FC. We aim to stimulate new research directions and provide information that will be useful for guiding regulatory, public health, and medical decision-making to protect and mitigate risks for those who travel by air.

From 2008 to 2024, the Newborn Screening Translational Research Network (NBSTRN), part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Hunter Kelly Newborn Screening Program, served as a robust infrastructure to facilitate groundbreaking research in newborn screening (NBS), rare disease, and genomics. Over fifteen years, NBSTRN developed into a significant international network, supporting innovative research on novel technologies to screen, diagnose, treat, manage, and understand the natural history of more than 280 rare diseases. A key component of these efforts has been the development of resources and expertise for the newborn screening community in ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI). This paper presents findings from a survey conducted by the NBSTRN team with input from one of theNBSTRN's expert workgroups, the Bioethics and Legal Workgroup. With responses from 88 members of the NBS community including researchers and state NBS programs, the survey found that individuals rely on internal and collegial ELSI resources and highlighted a substantial demand for structured, accessible training and resources. The survey’s insights emphasize the importance of privacy and informed consent in NBS research, and suggested a need for improved collaborative tools and educational programs focused on ELSI for the NBS community. The survey results may inform future efforts in ELSI and NBS research including the development of expanded ELSI tools that leverage digital platforms and consultative services.

Both drones and laser scanners digitally take the as-built context of an object into the computer and the data taken is transmitted to a Building Information Modeling (BIM) world to create ac-curate 3D models. Although the laser scanner is the leading method of the Scan-to-BIM proce-dure, many professionals indicate drawbacks of the technology and point out the drone is an al-ternative that can improve the shortcomings, leading to the UAV-to-BIM process. Korean con-struction industry plans to implement the drone technology for scrutinizing as-built construc-tion quality by 2025. However, the drone is not popular in the construction projects. Korean universities where Construction Engineering and Management program have been implement-ed are requested to develop a drone curriculum for construction professionals. Since the majori-ty of the professionals are not familiar with drone operation, in order for the schools to be suc-cessful in developing the curriculum, it is very necessary to perform a preliminary experimental study for identifying the essential education contents that are appropriate to drone beginners. The main objective of this paper is to perform the study for the drone beginners and recognize the recommendations and the framework of drone curriculum that will be beneficial for the schools to develop a comprehensive curriculum later on.

A drone performs comparable function to a laser scanner in the construction quality monitoring, following Scan-to-BIM process. Both technologies digitally capture the as-is environment into the computer and the data captured is transferred to a BIM world to create accurate as-built models. Although the laser scanner is the dominant method of the Scan-to-BIM process, a number of digital professionals point drawbacks of the method and present the drone is an alternative that can improve the drawbacks thereby leading to UAV-to-BIM process in parallel with the Scan-to-BIM. Korean construction industry plans to utilize the two technologies for monitoring construction operation quality in major public projects by 2025. While contractors need competent engineers to be competitive in the projects, the two technology applications are not so popular to the construction projects in Korea and very few experts skillful and knowledgeable of the technologies are available. Korean universities are requested to develop the curriculum of the technologies for the contractors. To be successful in progressing the curriculum, it is very essential to implement a preliminary study with the technologies minimizing the potential failure in operating the curriculum later on. This study performs empirical research on the technologies and identify valuable lessons beneficial to develop the UAV-to-BIM curriculum for the construction engineers.

The R&D and propagation of sustainable appropriate technology requires the provision of stable funding. Crowdfunding is a form of funding whereby small sums of investments or contributions are collected from among the general public and used to finance the development of goods or services. This method has been in use widely in arts and culture fields, and presents a useful alternative means for funding appropriate technology projects. The aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing the backers who participate in appropriate technology projects through crowdfunding platforms, analyzing the relationships between these factors, and thereby establishing the usefulness of crowdfunding as a viable new alternative. The analysis results indicate that key factors influencing user intention to crowdfund appropriate technology projects include social influence, effort expectancy, and perceived trust. In contrast to the findings of previous studies, performance expectancy was not found to have a significant effect. This reflects the fact that, compared to the crowdfunding conducted for other purposes, crowdfunding for appropriate technology is closer in nature to donations. These findings indicate that for funding to be successful, aggressive online exposure using the SNS of backers should be pursued from the early stages of funding.

Introduction: Treating elbow fracture-dislocation is a challenge, especially in the situation of basal-coronoid trans-ulnar fracture. The study ams to explain whether or not the minimal invasive surgery (MIS) would be feasible in elbow dislocation with coronoid fracture. Materials & Methods: At Taipei Veterans General Hospital, patients who had elbow dislocations with coronoid process fractures underwent single one surgeon’s MIS techniques which included the fluoroscopy-guided ulnar anteromedial (FGUAM) approach in the stage of reducing coronoid process. When there is a proximal ulnar fracture, the posterior incision should be necessary, followed by the incision over the lateral or medial elbow in treating radial fractures or ligament injuries. Results: The Flow Diagram about approach recommendation was established in base of defining MIS as not to do cross-plane dissection. Anteriorly rigid fixation for the coronoid process was also emphasized. Conclusions: MIS can be achieved by multiple limited surgical incisions. However, if there is an unstable ulnar metaphysis or ligament avulsion fracture, the posterior approach has to be extended and the so-called MIS fails to be established.

After Frankland first synthesized organotin compounds for the first time in 1849, their broad range of applications, including in industry and agriculture, resulted in a substantial increase in demand for organotin (IV) compounds after the 1940s. Because of the broad range of coordination numbers and molecular geometry that could result in numerous features, the structural diversity of organotin (IV) compounds is of great interest. Organotin (IV) dithiocarbamate has recently received attention as a therapeutic agent among organotin (IV) compounds. The hybrid complex individual properties of organotin (IV) and the dithiocarbamate moieties form a synergy of action stimulating increased biological activity. Organotin (IV) components have been shown in cytotoxicity studies to play a crucial role in cytotoxicity. Ligands serve to target and react to molecules while preventing unwanted changes in biomolecules. Organotin (IV) dithiocarbamate compounds have also been discovered to exhibit a broad range of cellular, biochemical, and molecular effects, with their toxicity largely determined by their structure. This review discusses the potential cytotoxicity effect of organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate, as well as its synthesis, elemental and spectroscopy analysis.

There are two major proposed forms of dark energy: the cosmological constant and the quintessence scalar field. However, the former has the cosmological constant problem and the latter does not have observational evidence to support the theory. In this paper, we propose a dark energy paradigm to solve the cosmological constant problem and to predict lepton masses as evidence. The dark energy paradigm is a unified dark sector that is based on Planck's dimensional analysis, Lambda CDM, energy conservation, and force equilibrium. We find that dark energy can vary from the cosmological constant to the Planck scale. We find that the predicted values of lepton masses based on the dark energy paradigm agree with the observed values to 1% (or within error ranges).

In situ aircraft observations in typhoons have been scarce. This paper documents and analyses the aircraft and dropsonde data collected in Super Typhoon Saola (2023) over the northern part of the South China Sea. The wind and turbulence structures of the typhoon are investigated. The turbulence intensities are quantified in terms of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and eddy dissipate rate (EDR), and these data are compared with other available estimates of turbulence intensities, such as those based on weather radars, meteorological satellites, and numerical weather predic-tion (NWP) models. It is found that the TKE and EDR are closely correlated, and they are con-sistent with the weather radar/satellite observations as well as NWP-based outputs. Furthermore, the boundary layer inflow, vertical wind profiles, and atmospheric stability are analysed based on the dropsonde observations. The analysed results would advance the understanding of typhoon structures and offer references for the validation of remote sensing observations and NWP models.

This paper addresses a mode-dependent state-feedback H∞ control for descriptor hybrid systems, considering both the absence and presence of actuator saturation. Firstly, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the stochastic admissibility criterion with H∞ performance ? of the closed-loop system is proposed. Given the proposed non-convex condition, the author reformulates it into linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Then, to extend the result to the systems with actuator saturation, the actuator saturated control input is expressed as a linear combination of given state-feedback control input and a virtual control input that remains under the saturation level. To verify this expression, the set invariant condition is also suggested by using the singular mode-dependent Lyapunov function candidate. Therefore, the LMI conditions for the existence of the mode-dependent state-feedback H∞ control and the ellipsoidal shape of invariant set are successfully derived. Two numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in optimizing H∞ performance $\gamma$ and identifying the largest invariant set.

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic, triggered by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in over 160 million infections and 3.5 million fatalities worldwide. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 presence in the highly vascularized penile tissue and the established correlation between COVID-19 and subsequent erectile dysfunction (ED) has emerged. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a popular procedure for prostate cancer because of its reliability and swift recovery rate. However, the ED prevalence post-surgery is believed to be comparable to open surgery, and postoperative ED significantly affects the patient's quality of life. Our study aimed to explore the effect of COVID-19 on ED recovery in patients undergoing bilateral nerve preservation during RARP. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective study on 85 patients who underwent bilateral nerve-sparing RARP (nsRARP) at our institution between December 2017 and May 2021. Chart reviews and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire facilitated the analysis. Our objective was to contrast ED recovery after surgery between SARS-CoV-2–infected and non-infected patients using preoperative IIEF-5 scores and scores at 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery. We defined successful ED recovery as an IIEF-5 score of 17 or higher and successful sexual intercourse. We also compared ED recovery rates between the two groups, regardless of the timing of COVID-19 diagnosis. IBM's SPSS version 18.0 assisted in the statistical analysis, with Fisher's exact test and chi-square test used for comparing categorical variables. Independent t-tests determined mean differences between baseline and postoperative IIEF-5 scores. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results From December 2017 to May 2021, our institution executed 213 RARP cases, with 185 of these involving nerve preservation. Among these patients, 133 had an IIEF-5 score of 17 or higher during preoperative EF assessment. We included 85 patients with consistent IIEF-5 records before surgery and at 6, 12, and 24 months post-surgery in this study. Of these, 44 and 41 patients comprised the COVID-19–positive and COVID-19–negative groups, respectively. The COVID-19–positive group had a higher proportion of diabetes mellitus (DM) patients (24 (54.55%) vs. 7 (17.07%), p<0.001). There was no significant difference in preoperative IIEF-5 scores or scores up to 6 months after surgery between the two groups. However, the IIEF-5 scores of the COVID-19–positive group were statistically lower after 12 and 24 months post-surgery. Additionally, the COVID-19–negative group showed a more considerable score increase between 6 and 12 months post-surgery, and the EF recovery rate was lower in the COVID-19–positive group starting from the 12th month after surgery. Within the COVID-19–positive group, no statistically significant difference in IIEF-5 scores was found between single infection and multiple reinfection groups. Conclusions Principal component analysis revealed the impact of COVID-19 on ED recovery in patients who underwent nsRARP. The most substantial changes in IIEF-5 scores occurred between 6 and 12 months. From 12 months onwards, the COVID-19–positive group had significantly lower scores, and fewer patients had IIEF-5 scores above 17. However, the number of COVID-19 diagnoses did not significantly affect the IIEF-5 scores.

Hybrid carbon-silicon, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-boron clathrates are new classes of Type I carbon-based clathrates that have been identified by first-principles computational methods by substituting atoms on the carbon clathrate framework with Si, N, and/or B atoms. The hybrid framework is further stabilized by embedding appropriate guest atoms within the cavities of the cage structure. Series of hybrid carbon-silicon, carbon-boron, carbon-nitrogen, and carbon-silicon-nitrogen clathrates have been shown to exhibit small positive values of the energy of formation, indicating that they may be metastable compounds and amenable to fabrication. In this overview article, the energy of formation, elastic properties, and electronic properties of selected hybrid carbon-based clathrates are summarized. Theoretical calculations that explore the potential applications of hybrid carbon-based clathrates as energy storage materials, electronic materials, or hard materials are presented. The computational results identify compositions of hybrid carbon-silicon and carbon-nitrogen clathrates that may be considered candidate materials for use as either electrode materials for Li-ion batteries or as hydrogen storage materials. Prior processing routes for fabricating selected hybrid carbon-based clathrates are highlighted and difficulties encountered are discussed.

Bus services play a significant role as the main public transportation, especially in urban areas throughout the years. Since bus services compete greatly with other types of public transportation, such as e-hailing service and private vehicles, they have recently attracted scholars to conduct many relevant studies. However, most past research studies in the Asian region were not focused on engineering, social science, and Internet of Things (IOT). This present study concentrated on the service quality of bus services in Asia by using systematic literature review of articles. This study conducted a review based on previous studies, specifically on the service quality of performance. Several previous studies were selected by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRIMSA) approach. SCOPUS and Science Direct were chosen as the main journal database. By using this method, 41 articles were selected for further analysis. This study was merely focused on three primary themes, such as study approach, stakeholder, and service quality attributes. Advanced analysis on these primary themes was used to formulate another 18 sub-themes. All themes and sub-themes which reflected the significant impacts of service quality towards bus services were discussed in detail. This study had addressed several qualities of bus services of bus performance towards improvement of urban transportation polices. Lastly, several recommendations that could provide necessary knowledge and information for future research were presented.

Cancer develops from abnormal cell growth in the body, causing significant mortalities every year. To date, potent therapeutic approaches have been developed to eradicate tumor cells, but intolerable toxicity and drug resistance can occur in treated patients, limiting the efficiency of existing treatment strategies. Therefore, searching for novel genes critical for cancer progression and therapeutic response is urgently needed for successful cancer therapy. Recent advances in bioinformatic and proteomic techniques have allowed the identification of a novel category of peptides encoded by non-canonical open reading frames (ncORFs) from historically non-coding genomic regions. Surprisingly, many of the ncORFs express functional microproteins that play a vital role in human cancers. In this review, we provide a comprehensive description of different ncORF types with coding capacity and technological methods in discovering ncORFs among human genomes. We also summarize the diagnostic and prognostic value of these ncORF as well as their carcinogenic role in cancer progression and underestimated potential as therapeutic targets.

Microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, exhibit altered gene expression in response to various neurological conditions. This study investigates the relationship between West Nile Virus infection, and microglial senescence, focusing on the role of LGALS3BP, a protein implicated in both antiviral responses and aging. Us-ing spatial transcriptomics, RNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we characterized changes in microglial gene signatures in adult and aged mice following recovery from WNV encephalitis. Additionally, we analyzed Lgals3bp expression and generated Lgals3bp-deficient mice to assess the impact on neuroinflammation and microglial phe-notypes. Our results show that WNV-activated microglia share transcriptional signa-tures with aged microglia, including upregulation of genes involved in interferon re-sponse and inflammation. Lgals3bp was broadly expressed in the CNS and robustly up-regulated during WNV infection and aging. Lgals3bp-deficient mice exhibited reduced neuroinflammation, increased homeostatic microglial numbers, and altered T cell popu-lations without differences in virologic control or survival. This data indicates that LGALS3BP has a role in regulating neuroinflammation and microglial activation and suggest that targeting LGALS3BP might provide a potential route for mitigating neu-roinflammation-related cognitive decline in aging and post-viral infections.

In this paper, we introduce the partially degenerate Changhee-Genocchi polynomials and numbers and investigated some identities of these polynomials. Furthermore, we investigate some explicit identities and properties of the partially degenerate Changhee-Genocchi arising from the nonlinear dierential equations.

In this paper, we investigate a new $q$-analogue of the higher order degenerate Changhee polynomials and numbers, which are called the Witt-type formula for the $q$-analogue of degenerate Changhee polynomials of order $r$. We can derive some new interesting identities related to the degenerate $(h,q)$-Changhee polynomials and numbers.

Kim-Kim ([9]) studied some properties of the degenerate gamma and degenerate Laplace transformation and obtained their properties. In this paper, we define modified degenerate gamma and modified degenerate Laplace Transformation and investigate some properties and formulas related to them.

Impact characterization of linear resonant actuator (LRA) is studied experimentally by newly developed drop tester, which can control various experimental uncertainty such as rotational moment, air resistance, secondary impact and so on. The feasibility of this test apparatus was verified by comparison with free fall test. By utilizing a high-speed camera and measuring the vibrational displacement of spring material, the impact behavior was captured and the damping ratio of the system was defined. Based on the above processes, the finite element model was established and the experimental and analytical results were successfully correlated. Finally, the damage of the system from impact loading can be expected by developed model and as a result, this research can improve the impact reliability of LRA.

Solar radiation is closely related to the energy buildings consume for cooling, heating, and lighting purposes. Glazing is the only material of the building envelope that transmits solar radiation and needs to be appropriately designed to reduce energy cㅈonsumption. Currently, smart glass technology is being actively investigated and developed for effective solar radiation control. Among the various types of smart glass, electrochromic glazing is one of the most promising technologies, as it can adjust transmittance on its own, has a wider transmittance range in both the clear and darkened states, and consumes less electricity. Considering the importance of solar radiation adjustment in electrochromic glazing technology, this study attempted to develop an optimal control method for electrochromic glazing. Toward this goal, the solar radiation incident on vertical surfaces and outdoor temperature conditions were controlled in three regions with different climatic characteristics, and the annual cooling, heating, and lighting loads, discomfort glare, and interior illumination were analyzed. This approach enabled the optimal conditions with respect to visual comfort to be determined. Subsequently, the EDPI (Energy and daylight performance index) was used to optimize control conditions for each region, thereby producing integrated evaluations from results with different units and properties. The proposed control method will be utilized to develop a control algorithm and a control system to reduce building energy consumption.

Recent evidence suggests the existence of shared neural resources for rhythm processing in language and music. Such overlaps could be the basis of the facilitating effect of regular musical rhythm on spoken word processing previously reported for typical children and adults, as well as adults with Parkinson’s disease and children with developmental language disorders. The present study builds upon these previous findings by examining whether musical rhythmic priming also influences visual word processing, and the extent to which such cross-modal priming effect of rhythm is related to individual differences in musical aptitude and reading skills. EEG was recorded while participants listened to a rhythmic tone prime, followed by a visual target word with a stress pattern that either matched or mismatched the rhythmic structure of the auditory prime. Participants were also administered standardized assessments of musical aptitude and reading achievement. ERPs elicited by target words with a mismatching stress pattern showed an increased fronto-central negativity. Additionally, the size of the negative effect correlated with individual differences in musical rhythm aptitude and reading comprehension skills. Results support the existence of shared neurocognitive resources for linguistic and musical rhythm processing, and have important implications for the use of rhythm-based activities for reading interventions.

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rising in the West, but little is known in Asia. This study elucidated changes in the incidence and HPV-positive portion of OPSCC in Hong Kong. Data from population-based cancer registry were used to analyze the incidence of OPSCC in associate with other head and neck cancers. Archived tumour tissues were tested for HPV. From 1986 to 2020, there was a marked decrease in the incidence of nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, but a persistent increase in OPSCC from 36 cases in 1986 to 116 cases in 2020. The average positive rate for high-risk HPV was 36.1% (112/310) among OPSCC diagnosed in 2010-2020. The HPV positive rate in recent years was significantly higher than earlier cases (tonsil SCC: 64.7% (55/85) in 2016-2020 vs. 40.4% (19/47) in 2010-2015, P = 0.007). Patients with HPV-positive tonsil cancers were significantly younger than those negative (mean [SD]: 58.9 [9.9] vs. 64.3 [13.3] years, P = 0.006), but no significant difference between genders. A persistent increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer over the last few decades was observed in Hong Kong, which can be explained by the remarkable increase in HPV-positive tonsil cancers.

Proteins in the crowded environment of human cells have often been studied regarding nonspecific interactions, misfolding, and aggregation, which may cause cellular malfunction and disease. Specifically, proteins with high abundance are more susceptible to these issues due to the law of mass action. Therefore, the surfaces of highly abundant cytoplasmic (HAC) proteins directly exposed to the environment can exhibit specific physicochemical, structural, and geometrical characteristics that reduce nonspecific interactions and adapt to the environment. However, the quantitative relationships between the overall surface descriptors still need clarification. Here, we used machine learning to identify HAC proteins using hydrophobicity, charge, roughness, secondary structures, and B-factor from the protein surfaces and quantify the contribution of each descriptor. First, several supervised learning algorithms were compared to solve binary classification problems for the surfaces of HAC and extracellular proteins. Then, logistic regression was adopted for the feature importance analysis of descriptors considering model performance (80.2% accuracy and 87.6% AUC) and interpretability. The HAC proteins showed positive correlations with negatively and positively charged areas but negative correlations with hydrophobicity, B-factor, beta structure proportion, roughness, and disordered regions proportion. Finally, the details of each descriptor could be explained concerning adaptative surface strategies of HAC proteins to regulate nonspecific interactions, protein folding, flexibility, stability, and adsorption. This study presented a novel approach using various surface descriptors to identify HAC proteins and provided quantitative design rules for the surfaces well-suited to human cellular crowded environments.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has the potential for sustainable development, enhancing business efficiency, reducing costs, and strengthening data security. Despite its potential, adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is low due to the need for significant changes in technology infrastructure and the challenge of interoperability. A cross-sectional survey was done with 226 Hong Kong SMEs. The PLS-SEM results highlighted favorable transformation conditions as the most critical factor for SMEs considering the adoption of BCT. These conditions address both internal and external readiness for adopting the disruptive strategy. Other contributing factors to BCT adoption include trust in BCT developers, perceived usefulness and ease of use, government support, and perceived security. The research results contributed to the literature on disruptive technology acceptance, adoption, transformation conditions, technology readiness, and SMEs’ technology adoption. Government-supported policies and initiatives can promote BCT adoption, including educational programs, case studies, and resources for readiness. Financial support and regulatory frameworks can further encourage adoption. BCT developers can demonstrate the value of their systems, effectively communicate potential ROI and cost savings, and provide user-friendly interfaces to increase SMEs’ intention to adopt BCT.

On October 18, 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping presented the blueprint for building a modernized socialist nation through the realization of the Xiao Kang (Every nation enjoys a peaceful and affluent life, it is meaningless to eliminate the poor) social construction at the 19th Congress of China. Subsequent to the 2008 financial crisis, the world has moved on to the new economic status of the New Normal. China has also entered the era of “Xinchang Thai,” which is moving from the high-growth to the moderate-growth phase. Therefore, the government of China emphasizes privatization, liberalization, and deregulation. China is also influenced by government policies due to the nature of socialism. This study confirms China’s current stage of economic development based on Barro’s theory. Thus, we use a quantile regression model and examine the correlation between economic growth and functional classification of government expenditure during Xi Jinping's term of office. Furthermore, we selected Korea as a comparative country as the two countries have common features.

Background: We aimed to 1) Understand the level of knowledge about sex trafficking of minors among school personnel and the determinants of such knowledge; 2) Test the effectiveness of short educational videos in increasing awareness about sex trafficking of minors among school personnel. Methods: We employed an online survey to gather responses from 741 teachers and school counselors living in the US. The McNemar test was used to test for differences in awareness before and after exposure to the videos. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of awareness based on the respondents’ characteristics. Results: Predictors of knowledge about sex trafficking were years of experience, level of education and being a female. Exposure to the educational videos improved the respondents’ level of awareness about this crime and prompted respondents to seek additional educational material. There is a need to develop training initiatives for school personnel on sex trafficking and response protocols to support victims of this crime. Conclusion: School personnel have a high level of awareness of risk factors for sexual abuse but less awareness of what constitutes sex trafficking in children. Exposure to short educational videos can increase such awareness.

Community-based case managers in health have been compared to glue which holds the dynamic needs of clients to a disjointed range of health and social services. However, case manager roles are difficult to understand due to poorly defined roles, confusing terminology, and low visibility in New Zealand. This review aims to map the landscape of case management work to advance workforce planning by clarifying the jobs, roles, and relationships of case managers in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Our scoping and mapping review includes peer-reviewed articles, grey literature sources, and interview data from 15 case managers. Data was charted iteratively until convergent patterns emerged and distinctive roles identified. A rich and diverse body of literature describing and evaluating case management work in NZ (n=148) is uncovered with at least 38 different job titles recorded. 18 distinctive roles are further analysed with sufficient data to explore the research question. Social ecology maps highlight diverse interprofessional and intersectoral relationships. Significant innovation and adaptations are evident in this field, particularly in the last five years. Case managers also known as health navigators, play a pivotal but often undervalued role in NZ health care, through their interprofessional and intersectoral relationships. Their work is often unrecognised which impedes workforce development and the promotion of person-centred and integrated health care.

The superharmonic imaging of tissue has the potential for high spatial and contrast resolutions, compared to the fundamental and second harmonic imaging. For this technique, the spectral bandwidth of an ultrasound transducer is divided for transmission of ultrasound and reception of its superharmonics (i.e., higher than the second harmonic). Due to the spectral division for the transmission and reception, transmitted ultrasound energy is not sufficient to induce superharmonics in media without using contrast agents, and it is difficult that a transducer has a -6-dB fractional bandwidth of higher than 100%. For the superharmonic imaging of tissue, thus, multi-frequency array transducers are the best choice if available; transmit and receive elements are separate and have different center frequencies. However, the construction of a multi-frequency transducer for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is particularly demanding because of its small size of less than 1 mm. Here, we report a recently developed dual-element focused IVUS transducer for the third harmonic imaging of tissue, which consists of a 35-MHz element for ultrasound transmission and a 105-MHz element for third harmonic reception. For high quality third harmonic imaging, both elements were fabricated to have the same focus at 2.5 mm. The results of tissue mimicking phantom tests demonstrated that the third harmonic images produced by the developed transducer had higher spatial resolution and deeper imaging depth than the fundamental images.

Hong Kong was under the direct hit of Severe Typhoon Koinu (2314) on 8 and 9 October 2023, necessitating the issuance of the Increasing Gale or Storm Signal, No. 9. Koinu was a very challenging case for TC forecasting and warning services due to its compact size and erratic movement over the northern part of the South China Sea. This paper reviews the difficulties and challenges on the forecasting aspect of the severe typhoon. The predicted tropical cyclone track and intensity from both conventional models and emerging artificial intelligence models are examined, as well as local wind and rainfall forecast. Experience in this case study showed that while deterministic global models only performed moderately and were not able to adequately support early warning, a regional model and AI models could more effectively support decision making for operational tropical cyclone warning service.

The aim of this study is to investigate transient dynamic flow characteristics of the fluid flow through 5-way electric coolant valve (PCCV : Penta-Control Coolant Valve). To achieve this goal, the present paper attempts the three-dimensional dynamic simulation of the fluid flow through the valve using a commercial CFD solver with moving mesh technique to consider flow inertia and dynamic flow in the opening and closing stages of the ball valve rotating motion. Firstly, dynamic flow characteristics and the thermal mixing inside the PCCV ball valve during the opening and closing stage was analyzed. It is found that the discrepancies between dynamic and steady state simulation is remarkable when fluxes with different levels of enthalpy and momentum flow into the PCCV leads to strong flow interference and flow inertia, while the discrepancies are relatively small at low rotation speed and weak flow interference. Then, the effect of dynamic flow characteristics of the valve on dynamic thermal mixing characteristics at two different ball valve rotational speeds and rotational directions were investigated. It was found that the dynamic flow and thermal mixing characteristics inside the PCCV are greatly affected by the rotation speed, rotation direction, and degree of flow interference between fluxes. It is helpful for the design of the better coolant control strategies and the improvement of the FCEV thermal management system.

In this study, the microbial community during the barley yeast fermentation of stevia leaves and its correlation with antioxidant, antiobesity, and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as metabolites, were investigated using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Stevia was fermented using commercial TSB media (TSB 1, TSB 2, and TSB 3) and sucrose (Sucrose 1, Sucrose 3, and Sucrose 3) for 1, 3, and 5 days, respectively. Stevia ferments showed higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging capacity compared to samples incubated with sucrose for 5 days, and all six ferments inhibited nitric oxide production in a concentration-dependent manner in LPS-induced mouse macrophages. Furthermore, UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis identified 23 related substances, including 10 terpenoids, including rubusoside, steviolbioside, and rebadioside derivatives; dulcoside A; and phlomisoside II, which are indicators of stevia, as well as five flavonoids, four phenolic acids, and four fatty acids. We also identified the microbial community during fermentation via the next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene for fungi. The results showed that TSB 1 and Sucrose 1 ferments were dominated by the pathogens Enterococcus hirae (58.93%) and Cronobacter sakazakii (80.92%), while samples fermented for more than 3 days were pathogen-free and dominated by lactic acid bacteria such as Pediococcus stilesii (73.37%). Microbial community analysis using the ITS region showed that Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, classified as a yeast rather than a mold, dominated the stevia fermentation regardless of the fermentation duration. In particular, the microbial community of the fermentation with a sugar solution was dominated by S. fibuligera by more than 99% throughout the fermentation periods of 1, 3, and 5 days. Finally, to apply the stevia ferments topically to human skin, skin irritation tests were performed on 30 volunteers. The results showed that the highly concentrated extracts (1 mg/mL) of all six stevia ferments were hypoallergenic. Taken together, these findings suggest that brewer's yeast fermented from stevia leaves with a sugar solution offers promise as a natural ingredient for use in functional foods and cosmetics.

Clinical and histological similarities between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis have driven repeated investigations looking for a mycobacterial cause of sarcoidosis. Over 50 years ago “anonymous mycobacteria” were suggested to have a role in the etiology of sarcoidosis. Both tuberculosis and sarcoidosis have a predilection for lung involvement though each can be found in any area of the body. A key histopathologic feature of both sarcoidosis and tuberculosis is the granuloma – while the tuberculous caseating granuloma has an area of caseous necrosis with a cheesy consistency; the non-caseating granuloma of sarcoidosis does not have this feature. This article reviews and reiterates the complicity of the infectious agent, Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) as a cause of sarcoidosis. MAP is involved in a parallel story as the putative cause of Crohn’s disease, another disease featuring noncaseating granulomas. MAP is a zoonotic agent infecting ruminant animals and is found in dairy products and in environmental contamination of water and air. Despite increasing evidence tying MAP to several human diseases, there is a continued resistance to embracing its pleiotropic roles. "Who Moved My Cheese" is a simple yet powerful book that explores the ways in which individuals react to change. Extending the metaphor, the “non-cheesy” granuloma of sarcoidosis actually contains the difficult-to-detect “cheese”, MAP; MAP did not move, it was there all along.

In recent years, integration of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased dramatically due to their lower carbon emissions and reduced fossil fuel dependency. However, charging EVs could have significant impacts on the electrical grid. One promising method for mitigating these impacts is the use of renewable energy systems. Renewable energy systems can also be useful for charging EVs where there is no local grid. This paper proposes a new strategy for designing a renewable energy charging station consisting of wind turbines, a photovoltaic system, and an energy storage system to avoid the use of diesel generators in remote communities. The objective function is considered to be the minimization of the total net present cost, including energy production, components setup, and financial viability. The proposed approach, using stochastic modeling, can also guarantee profitable operation of EVs and reasonable effects on renewable energy sizing, narrowing the gap between real-life daily operation patterns and the design stage. The proposed strategy should enhance the efficiency of conventional EV charging stations. The key point of this study is the efficient use of excess electricity. The infrastructure of the charging station is optimized and modeled.

Although the dockless bike-sharing system, which can be regarded as a typical example of the resource-sharing system, has been increasingly popular for years with people especially in China, the imbalanced distribution of shared bikes gradually becomes a major problem for both bike-sharing companies and their customers. To solve the imbalance problem, we aim to investigate the long-term performance of a system under the influence of some key factors (with an emphasis on the unequal demand between different nodes), which can guide us to discover the causes of the problem and offer several valuable suggestions to the operators. According to the fundamental principle of a dockless bike-sharing system, we propose a model reduction method to reduce the complexity of the theoretical network models, which are developed based on the Markovian queueing theory with the consideration of higher-demand nodes and lower-demand nodes. The theoretical network models provide us with steady-state probabilities of having a certain number of bikes at one node, which are used as an important part of the optimization model for solving the imbalance problem by carrying out an operator-based relocation strategy. The objective of the optimization model is to maximize the total profit and determine the optimal relocation frequency. It is found that most of the shared bikes are possible to gather at one low-demand node eventually in the long run under the influence of the different arrival rates at different nodes, but the decrease of the number of bikes at the high-demand nodes is more sensitive to the unequal demands and may cause a great loss for operators, which should be payed attention to especially when solving the relocation problems.

The negative impact of the modern-day lifestyle on the environment is aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic through the increased use of single-use plastics from food takeaways to medical supplies. Similarly, the closure of food outlets and disrupted supply chains have also resulted in significant food wastage. As the pandemic rages on, the aggravation of increased waste becomes an increasingly urgent problem that threatens the biodiversity, ecosystems, and human health worldwide through pollution. While there are existing methods to deal with the organic and plastic waste, many of the solutions also cause additional problems. Increasingly proposed as a natural solution to man-made unnatural problems, there are insect solutions for dealing with the artificial and organic waste products towards a circular economy, making the use of natural insect solutions commercially sustainable. This review discusses the findings and how some of these insects, particularly the Hermetia illucens, Tenebrio molitor, and Zophobas morio, can play an increasing important role in food and plastics, with a focus on the latter.

Floor mats are commonly used to improve the impact sound performance of existing homes, but the actual reduction does not consistently appear depending on the test-bed conditions used to determine it. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of the environmental conditions of the test-bed on the impact sound reduction performance of different floor mats. The Korean Industrial Standard, KS F 2865, specifies the measurement method in the test room and sets the thickness range of the available target floor structure from bare slab 120 mm to 210 mm. The evaluation method is ∆?, which is the difference in standardized impact sound levels before and after the installation of the floor finishing material. In this study, a total of eight types of floor mats were tested in four different test-beds according to KS F 2865. The impact sources used were tapping, bang machines and a rubber ball to consider both light-weight and heavy-weight impact sounds. The results were derived as impact sound reduction performance for each frequency band and a single number quantity. The results showed that light impact sound had a similar minimum reduction characteristic of at least 38 dB, regardless of the floor structure on which the mat was installed. However, the heavy-weight impact sound showed different tendencies depending on the floor mat and the characteristics of the floor structure of the test-bed when a bang machine and a rubber ball were used. In particular, the reduction by the bang machine showed less than half the tendency of the reduction by the rubber ball, and the tendency of the heavy-weight impact sound to be reduced depending on the floor mat was maintained, but the reduction differed depending on the test bed. The reduction was larger in the box-type test room than in the real-life type test room, and among the box-type test rooms, the one with a thicker bare slab showed a relatively larger reduction. In addition, the reliability of the measurement results was discussed through the correlation analysis between the single number quantities depending on the thickness of the bare slab of the test-beds.

Penile augmentation using filler injections is a growing trend; however, the foreign body reaction can cause complications such as ulcer and necrosis of the penis, which can requires reconstruction. The existing method of reconstruction of the penis focused on filling the deficit. We report a case involving a scrotal flap and autologous augmentation using a de-epithelialization technique for a soft tissue defect caused by delayed infection after a penile filler injection. The defect was reconstructed and an augmentation effect was achieved. The patient was a 41-year-old man who received an injection of Aquafilling® (Biomedica, Prague, Czech Republic) 7 years previously and developed a delayed infection. After debridement, the penile defect spanned the entire shaft, and the circumference of the penis was 7.5 cm. Using a bilateral scrotal flap technique, the inferior margins of both flaps were rolled inward after de-epithelialization to achieve autologous augmentation. No infection or flap necrosis occurred during the 3-month follow-up period after surgery. Additionally, the penis circumference was expanded to 12 cm, and the patient indicated that he was very satisfied with the result. This surgical technique can be widely applied as treatment for penile defects.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted health care worldwide. As the pandemic has been prolonged, quarantine restrictions have been lightened gradu-ally, which can influence outcomes of pediatric patients with chronic disease such as epi-lepsy by increase of susceptibility of the COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to determine impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on seizure control and identify potential risk factors that might worsen seizure attacks during the pandemic in children with epilepsy. We performed a retrospective chart review of 48 pediatric patients with epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2016 to July 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, 25% of pediatric patients experienced sei-zure worsening, showing an increase in seizure frequency or duration or both. Factors associated with worsening seizures during pandemic were: diagnosis of epi-lepsy less than one year, comorbid conditions with cerebral palsy or having a tracheosto-my or a PEG, and infection with other viruses (respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus A, influenza virus B) rather than COVID-19 infection. Our finding highlights the need to proactively monitor and regularly follow up (es-pecially short period of time) patients after they are diagnosed with epilepsy. It is also important to properly manage those who are susceptible to serious illness and keep sea-sonal viral infections under surveillance to manage exacerbated seizure in children with epilepsy. Furthermore, pediatric physicians should not overlook surveillance of seasonal respiratory viruses since quarantine restrictions are getting eased.

Taxanes, particularly docetaxel (DTX), has been widely used for combination therapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). For locally advanced unresectable HNSCC, DTX combined with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil as a revolutionary treatment revealed an advantage in improvement of patient outcome. In addition. DTX plus immune check inhibitors (ICIs) showed low toxicity and increased response of patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC (R/M HNSCC). Accumulating data indicate that taxanes not only function as antimitotics but also impair diverse oncogenic signalings including angiogenesis, inflammatory response, ROS production, and apoptosis induction. However, despite an initial response, development of resistance remains a major obstacle to treatment response. Taxane resistance could result from intrinsic mechanisms such as enhanced DNA/RNA damage repair, increased drug efflux, and apoptosis inhibition, and extrinsic effects such as angiogenesis and interactions between tumor cells and immune cells. This review provides an overview of taxanes therapy applied in different stages of HNSCC and describe the mechanisms of taxane resistance in HNSCC. Through a detailed understanding the mechanisms of resistance may help developing the potential therapeutic methods and the effective combination strategies to overcome drug resistance.

We examine the global legal entity identifier (LEI) system for the identification of participants in financial markets. Semi-structured interviews with data professionals reveal the many ways in which the LEI can improve both business process efficiency and counterparty and credit risk management. Larger social benefits, including monitoring of systemic financial risk, are achievable if it becomes the accepted universal standard for legal entity identification. Our interviews also review the substantial co-ordination and investment barriers to LEI adoption. To address these, a clear regulatory-led road map is needed for its future development with widespread application in regulatory reporting.

Accurate evaluation of thermo-fluid dynamic characteristics in tank are critically important for designing liquid hydrogen tank of small-scale hydrogen liquefier to minimize heat in-leak into the liquid and ullage. Due to the huge cost, most future liquid hydrogen storage tank designs will have to rely on predictive computational models for storage tank pressurization and heat-leak minimization. Thus, reliable on predictive numerical models to aid design process of tank design have been required. Therefore, in this study, in order to improve the storage efficiency of the small-scale hydrogen liquefier, a three-dimensional CFD model that can predict the boil-off rate and the thermo-fluid characteristics due to heat penetration has been developed. The prediction performance and accuracy of the CFD model is validated on the basis of the comparisons between its results and previous experimental data and a good agreement is obtained. To evaluate insulation performance of polyurethane foam according to thickness, the pressure change and thermo-fluid characteristics in a partially liquid hydrogen tank, subject to fixed ambient temperature and wind velocity, has been investigated numerically. Three different insulation thickness were considered to investigate not only interfacial characteristics between liquid and ullage but thermo-fluid dynamics in hydrogen storage tank for various heat-leak situation. The results indicate that as the insulation thickness becomes thinner and more heat penetration exists, natural convection by buoyancy develops stronger, so strong vortices are created near the interfacial zone by upward flow driven by buoyancy. In particular, as the amount of heat in-leak increased, wider and stronger heat accumulation was found in the top dished head area of the ullage area. In addition, it was confirmed that the CFD model developed in this study could well describe the phenomenon in which the temperature of the tank wall and the insulation mat increased at a faster rate due to faster heat transfer from the vapor and interface. In the future, the numerical model developed in this study will be used for optimizing insulation system of storage tank for small-scale hydrogen which is cost-effective and highly efficient.

In South Korea, landslides are caused by localized heavy rainfall and typhoons, which often occur in the summer season at natural slopes in mountainous areas and artificial slopes in urban surroundings. Flow-type landslides frequently occur in mountainous areas. To evaluate flow-type landslides, it is essential to identify the physical characteristics of soil, giving focus to the soil on the top layers of various types of slope. This study conducts a survey and an analysis of the characteristics of landslides that occurred in the study area with different geological conditions of granite and gneiss. The characteristics of soil in the area and its surroundings that have or have not undergone landslides for every geological condition is also evaluated. Based on these characteristics and a statistics method, it extracts the triggering factors, permeability coefficients (k), and shearing strength with cohesion (c) and internal friction angel (φ) of soils that are highly related to landslides around weathered soil layers. As a result, the permeability coefficients show significant relevance with void ratio (e), the effective size of grains (D10), and uniformity coefficient (cu), while the shearing strength with the proportion of fine-grained soil (Fines), uniformity coefficient (cu), degree of saturation (S), dry weight density (rd), and void ratio (e). By obtaining this result, the study uses the regression analysis to suggest models to estimate the permeability coefficients and shearing strength. For the gneiss area, the statistics-based estimation model (SEM) is proposed as k_gn = (1.488 × 10^-02 × e) + (1.076 × D₁₀) + (-1.629 × 10^-04 × c_u) - (1.893 × 10^-02) for permeability coefficients; cgn = (-0.712 × Fines) + (-0.131 × c_u) + 15.335 for cohesion; and φgn = (27.01 × r_d) + (-12.594 × e) + 6.018 for internal frictional angle of soils. For the granite area, the statistics-based estimation model (SEM) is proposed as kgr = (8.281 × 10^-03 × e) + (0.639 × D₁₀) + (-2.766 × 10^-05 × c_u) - (9.907 × 10^-03) for permeability coefficients; c_gr = (-0.689 × Fines) + (-0.0744 × S) + 18.59 for cohesion; and φ_gr = (33.640 × r_d) + (-0.875 × e) - 9.685 for internal frictional angle of soils. The use of statistics-based estimation models (SEMs) for landslide-triggering factors that trigger landslides will support the simple calculation of permeability coefficient and shearing strength (cohesion and internal frictional angle), only requiring information about the physical properties of soil at the natural slopes that have different geological features such as gneiss and granite areas.

With increasing air and sea temperatures, the thermodynamic environments over the oceans become more favourable for the development of intense tropical cyclones (TCs) with rapid intensification (RI). In fact, the number of TCs undergoing RI is rising (Zhao, et al., 2018; Bhatia, et al., 2019; Song, et al., 2020; Hong & Wu, 2021; Liu, et al., 2022). RI over coastal sea areas before landfalling is particularly impactful and threatening to coastal lives and properties. There have been studies showing that offshore areas within 400 km of the coastline have experienced a significant increase in RI events with the count tripling from 1980 to 2020 (Li et al., 2023). The south China coastal region consists of highly densely populated cities especially the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. Intense TCs maintaining its strength or RI of TCs close to the coastal region presents substantial forecasting challenges. This study investigates the effect of sea surface and subsurface temperature and salinity on the intensification of five TCs, namely Super Typhoons Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018, Typhoon Talim, Super Typhoon Saola and Severe Typhoon Koinu in 2023, which significantly affected the south China coastal region and triggered high TC warning signals in Hong Kong. The analysis utilized the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) TC track and intensity data, along with the sea temperature and salinity profiles generated using the China Ocean ReAnalysis version 2 (CORA2) of the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS) of China. While high sea surface temperature (SST) of 30°C or above, low surface sea surface salinity (SSS) of 34 psu or below, and strong salinity stratification of at least 0.8 psu per 100 m depth may offer useful hints for predicting RI, they are part of a broader set of contributing factors. This study represents the initial documentation of sub-surface salinity's impact on intense TCs over the South China Sea (SCS) in recent years and will encourage further research to refine forecasting RI of TCs before making landfall near PRD taking into account the effect of freshwater from the Pearl River.

Individual users' payment behaviors have changed. The diffusion of mobile devices makes people suitable for proximity mobile payment (PMP) services without the need for traditional payment. Existing mobile payment literature mainly focuses on users' adoption and continuous usage behavior, nevertheless, switching behavior on payment received little attention, especially focusing on why users switch from traditional payment to PMP. Thus, the objective of the current research is to investigate factors influencing users’ traditional payment - PMP switching to comprehend how these factors shape users’ switching intentions. We developed a traditional payment - PMP transition model based on the push-pull-mooring framework derived from migration theory. This research adopted a structural equation modeling analysis on 311 valid data. The findings indicate that a push factor drives users away from traditional payment in terms of dissatisfaction. The pull factors, including perceived substitutability and perceived usefulness, attract users to PMP. Furthermore, in terms of perceived technical compatibility, a positive mooring factor facilitates users' switching to PMP. The negative mooring factor, in terms of perceived risk, hinder users' switching intention. However, another pull factor - perceived ease of use, failed to influence switching intention significantly. This study found some distinctions between mobile payment switching and mobile payment adoption. These findings provide pivotal insights for mobile payment service providers.

Considering the isotropic release process of nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), defining the active region of NEM memory switches is one of the most challenging process technologies for the implementation of monolithic-three-dimensional (M3D) CMOS-NEM hybrid circuits. In this paper, we propose a novel encapsulation method of NEM memory switches. It uses alumina (Al2O3) passivation layers which are fully compatible with CMOS baseline process. The Al2O3 bottom passivation layer can protect intermetal dielectric (IMD) and metal interconnection layers from vapor hydrogen fluoride (HF) etch process. Thus, the controllable formation of the cavity for the mechanical movement of NEM memory switches can be achieved without causing any damage to CMOS baseline circuits as well as metal interconnection lines. As a result, NEM memory switches can be located in any places and metal layers of an M3D CMOS-NEM hybrid chip, which makes circuit design easier and more volume-efficient. The feasibility of our proposed method is verified based on experimental results.

Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) genes are essential negative regulators that modulate cytokine signaling and play key roles in numerous biological processes, including immune responses. In this study, we cloned the complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences of two SOCS genes, designated as LvSOCS6 and LvSOCS7, from the white-leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. LvSOCS6 encoded a polypeptide of 463 amino acids (aa), spanning 1,392 base pairs (bp), while LvSOCS7 encodes a significantly larger polypeptide of 955 aa, encompassing 2,868 bp. Both LvSOCS proteins exhibited conserved domains associated with SOCS, including a centralized Src homology 2 (SH2) domain and a C-terminal SOCS box. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the deduced aa sequences of LvSOCS6 and LvSOCS7 cluster within the invertebrate type I SOCS family, indicating their evolutionary relatedness. Tissue distribution analysis demonstrated ubiquitous expression of both LvSOCS genes across all examined tissues, with LvSOCS6 showing heightened expression in the gills and LvSOCS7 exhibiting a remarkable preference for the gills and stomach. Notably, mRNA expression patterns of LvSOCS genes following LPS and poly (I:C) stimulations exhibit significant upregulations, while PGN stimulation yields incongruous results across the experimented tissues. Interestingly, concurrent with the diminished expression of LvSOCS6 and LvSOCS7, there is a significant elevation in mRNA expression levels of LvSTAT, a vital component of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway. These findings shed light on the potential involvement of the newly discovered type I SOCS genes in regulating the JAK/STAT pathway and assuming pivotal roles in orchestrating the innate immune responses in L. vannamei defense mechanisms.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing L-isoleucine (L-Ile) on milk protein synthesis, using an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial (MAC-T) cell line. In this case, the cells were treated with 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 mM of supplemental Isoleucine (Ile), and the most efficient time for protein synthesis for each amino acid was determined by measuring the cell, medium and total protein at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Confirmatory tests showed that 48h incubation time and 0.6 mM dosage of L-Ile are considered as the optimal time and dosage. The mechanism of milk protein synthesis was elucidated through proteomics analysis to clarify the metabolic pathway. When the L-Ile was supplemented, extracellular protein (medium protein) reached a peak at 48h, whereas in the case of the intracellular cell protein, it was shown to have reached to its peak at 24h in all L-Ile dosage treatments. In total, it is noted that there were 63 upregulated and 52 downregulated proteins. The results of the protein pathway analysis showed that the L-Ile group stimulated insulin/IGF pathway-mitogen activated protein kinase kinase/MAP kinase cascade, insulin/IGF pathway-protein kinase B signaling cascade, p53 pathway, de novo purine biosynthesis, Wnt signaling pathway, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and ATP synthesis which are pathways involved and related to protein and energy metabolism. Together, these results demonstrate that L-Ile supplementation was effective in stimulating β-casein synthesis by stimulating genes and pathways which are significantly related to protein and energy metabolism.

With the rise of the Internet of Things (IOT), mobile devices and Location-Based Social Network (LBSN), an abundant amount of trajectory data has made research on location prediction more popular. The check-in data shared through LBSN hides information related to life patterns, obtaining this information is helpful for location prediction. However, the trajectory data recorded by mobile devices is different from check-in data that has semantic information. In order to obtain the user’s semantic, relevant studies match the stay point to the nearest Point of Interest (POI), but location error may lead to wrong semantic matching. Therefore, we propose A Self-Attention for Next Location Prediction based on Semantic Mining to predict the next location. When calculating the semantic feature of a stay point, the first step is to search for the k nearest POI, then use the reciprocal of the distance from the stay point to the k nearest POI and the number of categories as weights. Finally, we use the probability to express semantic without losing other important semantic information. Furthermore, this research combined with sequential pattern mining can bring richer semantic features. In order to better perceive the trajectory, temporal features learn periodicity of time series by sine function. In terms of location features, we build a directed weighted graph and regard the frequency of users visiting locations as the weight, so the location features are rich in contextual information. We then adopt the Self-Attention model to capture long-term dependencies in long trajectory sequences. Experiments in Geolife show that the semantic matching of this study improved by 45.78% in TOP@1 compared with the closest distance search for POI. Compared with the baseline, the model proposed in this study improved by 2.5% in TOP@1.

Silicon-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) conversion system has recently gained attention with its ability to provide cost-efficient and superior photoresponsive behavior in regard to other various semiconductor photoelectrodes. Carbon-based co-catalysts have always shared the spotlight for being rendered as alternative metal-free electrocatalysts intended for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In particular, a representative carbon-derived material, reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) has attracted much attention as a non-metal catalyst for efficient and durable HER. Herein, we have deposited rGO on silicon nanowire (SiNW) structure which shows the highest reduction in the overpotential for HER up to date. This could be attributed to the synergistic effects of rGO and SiNW with unique anisotropic morphology, facile tuning capabilities, and scalable fabrication methods. Combined with nanostructured photocathode, rGO deposited SiNW showed better applied bias photon to current conversion efficiency of 3.16%, which is 158 times higher than that of bare planar Si system. In regard to this development we believe that rGO-SiNW photoelectrodes would pave the way for state-of-the-art highly efficient non-metal catalysts for energy conversion technologies.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a substantial global health challenge due to its high incidence and limited therapeutic options. In recent years, the Janus Kinase (JAK) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway has emerged as a critical signaling cascade in HCC pathogenesis. The review commences with an overview of the JAK/STAT pathway, delving into the dynamic interplay between the JAK/STAT pathway and its numerous upstream activators, such as cytokines and growth factors enriched in pathogenic livers afflicted with chronic inflammation and cirrhosis. This paper also elucidates how the persistent activation of JAK/STAT signaling leads to diverse oncogenic processes during hepatocarcinogenesis, including uncontrolled cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, and immune escape. In the context of therapeutic implications, this review summarizes recent advancements in targeting the JAK/STAT pathway for HCC treatment. Preclinical and clinical studies investigating inhibitors and modulators of JAK/STAT signaling are discussed, highlighting their potential in suppressing the deadly disease. The insights presented herein underscore the necessity for continued research into targeting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway as a promising avenue for HCC therapy.

The article focuses on the integrated environmental accounting model called 'eValue', developed for protected areas and applied in the research programme coordinated by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and aimed at implementing an environmental accounting system for Italian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). eValue adopts a cost-benefit analysis approach. Financial accounting based on costs and revenues is integrated with environmental accounting, which reflects environmental costs and environmental revenues, i.e. environmental benefits. The environ-mental costs assess the impacts related to human activities in the MPA expressed by calculating the carbon footprint and the environmental benefits of the marine ecosystem services calculated by applying monetary valuation techniques. The values thus estimated flow into the annual flow account, where the value produced (or consumed) by the MPA is estimated by difference. The eValue model was applied to the Porto Cesareo MPA (Italy). eValue showed that the annual benefit-cost ratio reaches a value of 3.4. Furthermore, the ratio of net benefit to public funding is 3.7, completely covering the amount of public transfers and thus summarizing the MPA overall value for money.

This comprehensive review explores the advancements in Orthognathic and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, focusing on the integration of 3D Printing and Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP). Traditional surgical methods, while effective, come with inherent risks and complications, and can lead to variability in outcomes due to the reliance on the surgeon's skill and experience. The shift towards patient-centric care necessitates personalized surgical methods, which can be achieved through advanced technology. The amalgamation of 3D printing and VSP revolutionizes surgical planning and implementation by providing tactile 3D models for visualization and planning, and accurately designed surgical guides for execution. This convergence of digital planning and physical modeling facilitates a more predictable, personalized, and precise surgical process. However, the adoption of these technologies presents challenges, including the need for extensive software training and the steep learning curve associated with computer-aided design programs. Despite these challenges, the integration of 3D printing and VSP paves the way for advanced patient care in orthognathic and oral maxillofacial surgery.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) can be diagnosed pathologically, and cryptogenic OP (COP) and secondary OP (SOP) have been classified by cause and underlying context. Because it is clinically difficult to differentiate between COP and SOP, this study investigated characteristics that could distinguish between COP and SOP. The medical records of patients who underwent lung biopsy from 2016 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Eighty-five patients had pathologically proven OP, including 16 diagnosed with COP and 69 diagnosed with SOP. The most common cause of SOP was infectious pneumonia, observed in 57 (82.6%) of the 69 patients. Median time from symptom onset to hospital admission is shorter (P=0.006) and fever was more common (P=0.021) in the SOP. Some laboratory results differed significantly between the two groups. Lymphocyte in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were higher in the COP (P=0.012). Radiologic findings showed that effusion was more common in the SOP (P=0.043). There were no between-group differences in steroid use, 30 day and in-hospital mortality rates, and rates of OP outcomes and recurrences. Infection is the main cause of SOP. Symptom onset is more rapid in patients with SOP. Pleural effusion was more common in the SOP but there were no differences in clinical course.

Objective: The main purpose of the study is to investigate the combined effects of polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) sequences on the regenerative processes in atrophied animal muscles. Methods: Thirty male New Zealand rabbits, aged 12 weeks, were divided into five groups: normal saline, PDRN, ESWT, PDRN injection before ESWT, and PDRN injection after ESWT. Following 2 weeks of cast immobilization, the respective treatments were administered to the atrophied calf muscles. Radial ESWT was performed twice weekly. The evaluation included measurements of calf circumference, tibial nerve compound muscle action potential (CMAP), and gastrocnemius (GCM) muscle thickness after 2 weeks of treatment. Histological and immunohistochemical staining, as well as Western blot analysis, were conducted 2 weeks post-treatment. Staining intensity and extent were assessed using semi-quantitative scores. Results: Groups 4 and 5 demonstrated significantly greater calf muscle circumference, GCM muscle thickness, tibial nerve CMAP, and GCM muscle fiber cross-sectional area (types I, II, and total) than in the remaining three groups (p < 0.05), while they did not did not differ significantly in these parameters. Groups 2 and 3 showed the higher values for all the observations compared to group 1 (p < 0.05). Group 4 had the greatest ratio of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) in the gastrocnemius muscle fibers than in the other four groups (p < 0.05). Western blot analysis revealed significantly higher expression of angiogenesis cytokines in groups 4 and 5 than in the remaining (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of ESWT and PDRN injection demonstrated superior regenerative efficacy for atrophied calf muscle tissue in rabbit models than these techniques alone or saline. Particularly, administering ESWT after PDRN injection yielded the most favorable outcomes in specific parameters.

The ground consists of many layers of soil with different properties. The propagation speed and path of seismic waves are affected by different soil layers. It is necessary to understand that layered soil exhibits different dynamic behaviors and responses under the action of seismic waves. This study utilized weathered soil and silica sand as materials to create multi-layered soil conditions with varying degrees of compaction. By conducting 1 g shaking table test on multi-layered soil, the interaction and influence between different soil layers under different earthquake conditions were observed. The approach of numerical analysis aims to validate the experimental results and provide an in-depth understanding of the dynamic behaviors of multi-layered soil grounds during seismic events. The results of this study show that the amplification effect of seismic waves is related to the number of soil layers and the degree of compaction of the soil layers. This indicates that the multi-layered soil ground and the behavior of the soil layers play an important role in the propagation and impact of seismic waves, and this amplification effect is of great significance in actual seismic disaster risk assessment and design.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a tumor cell subpopulation that drives tumor progression and metastasis, leading to poor overall survival of patients. In colorectal cancer (CRC), hyper-activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by mutation of both Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and K-Ras increases the size of the CSC population. We previously showed that the CPD0857 inactivates Wnt/β-catenin signaling by promoting ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of β-catenin and Ras proteins, thereby decreasing proliferation and increasing apoptosis of CRC lines. CPD0857 also decreased growth and invasiveness of CRC cells harboring mutant K-Ras resistant to EGFR mAb therapy. Here, we show that CPD0857 treatment decreases proliferation and increases neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). CDP0857 effectively reduced expression of CSC markers and suppressed self-renewal capacity. CPD0857 treatment also inhibited proliferation and expression of CSC markers in D-K-Ras MT cells carrying K-Ras, APC and PI3K mutations, indicating inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling. Moreover, CPD0857-treated xenograft mice showed regression of tumor growth and decreased numbers of CSCs in tumors. We conclude that CPD0857 could serve as the basis of a drug development strategy targeting CSCs activated through Wnt/β-catenin-Ras MAPK-PI3K/AKT signaling in CRCs.

The binary metal oxide mesoporous interfacial layers (bi-MO meso IF layer) templated by a graft copolymer is synthesized between a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and nanocrystalline TiO2 (nc-TiO2). Amphiphilic graft copolymers, Poly(epichlorohydrin)-graft-poly(styrene), PECH-g-PS, was used as a structure-directing agent, and the fabricated bi-MO meso IF layer exhibits good interconnectivity and high porosity. Even if the amount of ZnO in bi-MO meso IF layer increased, it was confirmed that the morphology and porosity of bi-MO meso IF layer was well maintained. In addtion, bi-MO meso IF layer coated onto FTO substrates show higher transmittance compared with a pristine FTO substrate and dense-TiO2/FTO, due to the reduced surface roughness of FTO. The overall conversion efficiency (η) of a solid state photovoltaic cells, dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) fabricated with nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 used as a photoanode reaches 5.0% at 100 mW cm-2, which is higher than that of DSSC with a nc-TiO2 layer/dense-TiO2 layer (4.2%), resulting from enhanced light harvesting, good interconnectivity, and reduced interfacial resistance. The cell efficiency of the device did not change after 15 days, indicating that the bi-MO meso IF layer with solid-state electrolyte has improved electrode/electrolyte interface and electrochemical stability. Additionally, commercial scattering layer/nc-TiO2 layer/bi-MO meso IF layer TZ1 photoanode fabricated solid state photovoltaic cells (DSSC) achieved an overall conversion efficiency (η) of 6.4% at 100 mW cm-2.

Pig behavior is an integral part of health and welfare management, as pigs usually reflect their inner emotions through behavior change. The livestock environment plays a key role in pigs' health and wellbeing. A poor farm environment increases the toxic GHGs, which might deteriorate pigs' health and welfare. In this study a computer-vision-based automatic monitoring and tracking model was proposed to detect short-term pigs' physical activities in a compromised environment. The ventilators of the livestock barn were closed for an hour, three times in a day (07:00-08:00, 13:00-14:00, and 20:00-21:00) to create a compromised environment, which increases the GHGs level significantly. The corresponding pig activities were observed before, during, and after an hour of the treatment. Two widely used object detection models (YOLOv4 and Fast-er R-CNN) were trained and compared their performances in terms of pig localization and posture detection. The YOLOv4, which outperformed the Faster R-CNN model, coupled with a Deep-SORT tracking algorithm to detect and track the pig activities. The results showed that the pigs became more inactive with the increase in GHG concentration, reducing their standing and walking activities. Moreover, the pigs also shortened their sternal-lying posture increasing the lateral lying posture duration at higher GHG concentration. The high detection accuracy (mAP: 98.67%) and tracking accuracy (MOTA: 93.86% and MOTP: 82.41%) signify the models’ efficacy in monitoring and tracking pigs' physical activities non-invasively.

The goal of newborn screening is to improve health outcomes by identifying and treating affected newborns. This manuscript provides an overview of a data tool to facilitate the longitudinal collection of health information on newborns diagnosed with a condition through NBS. The Newborn Screening Translational Research Network (NBSTRN) developed the Longitudinal Pediatric Data Resource (LPDR) to capture, store, analyze, visualize, and share genomic and phenotypic data over the lifespan of NBS identified newborns to facilitate understanding of genetic disease, and to assess the impact of early identification and treatment. NBSTRN developed a consensus-based process using clinical care experts to create, maintain, and evolve question and answer sets organized into common data elements (CDEs). The LPDR contains 24,172 core and disease-specific CDEs for 118 rare genetic diseases, and the CDEs are being made available through the NIH CDE Repository. The number of CDEs for each condition average of 2,200 with a range from 69 to 7,944. The LPDR is used by state NBS programs, clinical researchers, and community-based organizations. Case level, de-identified data sets are available for secondary research and data mining. The development of the LPDR for longitudinal data gathering, sharing, and analysis supports research and facilitates the translation of new discoveries into clinical practice.

Recharge is a crucial section of water balance for both surface and subsurface models in water resource assessment. However, quantifying its spatiotemporal distribution at a regional scale poses a significant challenge. Empirical and numerical modeling are the most commonly used methods at the watershed scales. However, integrated model inherently contain a vast number of unknowns and uncertainties, which can limit their accuracy and reliability. In this work, we have proposed integrated SWAT-MODFLOW and Transient Water Table Fluctuation Method (TWTFM) to evaluate the spatiotemporal distribution of groundwater recharge in Anyang wa-tershed, South Korea. Since TWTFM also uses SWAT model percolation output data, calibration was performed for individual models and coupled model. The coupled model was calibrated using daily streamflow and hydraulic head. SWAT-MODFLOW model performed well during the simulation of streamflow compared SWAT model. The study output showed that the study watershed had significant groundwater recharge variations during the simulated period. A sig-nificant amount of recharge happens in the wet season. It contributes about 34% of the average annual precipitation of the region. The direct flow components (surface and lateral) showed sig-nificant contributions when the water balance components were evaluated in the region. TWTFM showed a glimpse to estimate recharge, which requires representative monitoring wells in the study region. Comprehensively, the SWAT-MODFLOW model estimated groundwater recharge with reasonable accuracy in the region.

This study examines the impact of executives implicated in fraud on firms' investment decisions using AAERs in the US, aiming to address the underexplored aspect of rationalization within the fraud triangle. Executives implicated in fraud often display abnormal attitudes to justify accounting irregularities, prompting an investigation into how abnormal investment decisions are used for rationalizing fraud, given their critical role in a firm's long-term sustainability. Analysis of AAERs spanning from 1981 to 2013 reveals that implicated executives, particularly CEOs and CFOs, tend to make abnormal investment decisions, and that collusive fraud exacerbates this behavior. Notably, such executives lean towards overinvestment, particularly in R&amp;D expenditures, to hide or justify fraud; the duration of fraud amplifies its impact on investment decisions. By shedding light on the rationalization aspect of the fraud triangle, this research contributes valuable insights for investors, regulators, and academia emphasizing the significance of public disclosure of fraud to enhance transparency in capital markets and the importance of ethics-focused education in accounting to prevent corporate fraud.

Central Asian countries are the core area of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, as part of the former Soviet Union, we know very little about the urbanization processes in these countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Here, were used land-cover type data, vegetation index data, and grided population data to quantify the urban expansion, urban population changes, and urban environment changes across cities in Central Asia from 2000 to 2020, and took Xinjiang, China as a reference. We found that the urbanization in the study area was uneven. Specifically, the urban expansion in Xinjiang, China and Kazakhstan was faster than in the other countries in the study area. Due to rapid urban expansion, the urban population density in Xinjiang, China decreased from 2000 to 2020, but rapid urban population growth was maintained. Consequently, the pressure of the urban population growth in Xinjiang, China was less than that in the other countries of Central Asia. On average, more than 35% of the urban built-up areas underwent significant greening in Xinjiang, China and more than 3.63 million residents directly benefited from the increase in urban greenness. Although the urban greenness in Xinjiang increased significantly, the overall greenness was still lower than in most cities in Central Asia. In the future, the cities in Xinjiang, China should continue to promote the construction of urban ecological civilization and strengthen their role as a link in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hong Kong was under strike from Super Typhoon Saola (2309), necessitating the issuance of the highest tropical cyclone warning signal. Saola skirted past the south-southwest of Hong Kong, bringing hurricane force winds and significant storm surge. Saola had its closest approach to Hong Kong on 1 September 2023, posing a unique challenge in forecasting and early warning for the commencement date of the new school term, where higher impact to traffic and public safety was anticipated. This paper covers the challenges on the forecasting aspect of the super typhoon. The predicted tropical cyclone track, intensity and wind structure are reviewed. Experience in this case showed that while there was not a perfect numerical weather prediction model in terms of the forecast track, intensity and wind structure of Saola, multi-model approach provided very use-ful and crucial information for operational weather warning services.

Circadian rhythm disruptions are a hallmark feature of mood disorders. Patients experiencing acute depressive episodes report noticeable changes in their sleep-wake cycles. This research explains the association between depression and various circadian rhythm metrics, explicitly focusing on adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorders. Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant physiological and psychological changes, making it imperative to understand how mood disorders manifest during this phase. However, there have been minimal specific studies in pediatric populations to determine whether circadian rhythm changes differ between adolescents with first- and multiple-recurrent depressive episodes. Our study involved a group of 61 adolescents aged between 13 and 18. We performed a cross-sectional study of a clinical popu-lation of patients presenting to a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic diagnosed with depression. Participants were asked to complete self-report evaluations using several tools: The Korean ver-sion of the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (K-BRIAN), the Korean Translation of Composite Scale to Measure Morningness-Eveningness (KtCS), and the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Tools such as the Children's Depression In-ventory (CDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and K-Mood Disorder Questionnaire (K-MDQ) were employed for the assessment of clinical characteristics of depression. Based on the frequency of their depressive episodes, participants were bifurcated into two distinct groups: those experi-encing their first episode (n=22, mean age: 15.09±1.44 years) and those with recurrent episodes (n=39, mean age: 15.95±1.26 years). At first, the two groups' data revealed no significant differences regarding mood or circadian rhythm metrics (CDI: first-episode 26.18±10.54 and recurrent episode 25.90±10.59, STAI-S: first-episode 56.91±12.12 and recurrent episode 57.49±11.93, STAI-T: first-episode 60.36±11.63 and recurrent episode 59.09±12.10, SPAQ-total: first-episode 6.59±4.86 and recurrent episode 6.77±5.23, KtCS: first-episode 30.32±5.83 and recurrent episode 28.13±7.36). However, we observed significant correlations between circadian rhythm disruptions and depression scales (CDI with SPAQ-weight (r=0.26), KtCS (r=-0.48), K-BRIAN-sleep (r=0.58), K-BRIAN-activity (r=0.64), K-BRIAN-social (r=0.71) and K-BRIAN-eating (r=0.40)). These correlations were especially pronounced in the recurrent episode group, suggesting that with the progression and chronicity of depression, the relationship between circadian rhythms and depression becomes more intertwined and evident. In conclusion, especially in adolescents, as the severity and chronicity of depression increase, the interplay between circadian rhythms and mood disorders becomes more pronounced, warranting further research and clinical attention.

As medical care aiming to maintain the quality of life for elderly patients is increases, implant treatment for elderly patients is increasing worldwide. Therefore, we aimed to investigate implant stability and the reliability of different measuring devices according to implant placement site and duration in patients aged over 65 years. The study evaluated 60 implants in 60 patients aged ≥ 65 years. The implant placement sites were divided into six evenly distributed sections (n=10) i.e., maxillary right- posterior, A; maxillary anterior, B; maxillary left-posterior, C; mandibular right-posterior, D; mandibular anterior, E; mandibular left-posterior, F. Participants visited the hospital seven times: preoperatively, 1V; implant surgery, 2V; stitch removal, 3V; 1-month follow-up, 4V; 2-months follow-up, 5V; before final-restoration delivery, 6V; and after final-restoration delivery, 7V. The implant stability was evaluated with the Osstell Mentor (ISQ), Periotest M (PTV), and Anycheck (IST). The mean values of ISQ, PTV, and IST were analyzed (α=.05). ISQ, PTV, and IST results of 5V and 6V were significantly higher than those of 2V (P<.05). The lowest ISQ results occurred in E location at 5V and 6V (P<.05). In all mandibular locations, IST results of 7V were significantly higher than those of 2V, 3V, 4V, and 5V (P<.05). ISQ results were negatively correlated with PTV and positively correlated with IST, and PTV was negatively correlated with IST. By considering various factors that affect implant stability, the appropriate implant load application time was determined. This could help increase the implant success rate in elderly patients. And as a diagnostic device for implant stability for evaluation of osseointegration in elderly patients, Anycheck was also able to prove its relative reliability compared to Osstell ISQ Mentor and Periotest M.