PVC-based materials are bad in terms of biodegradability. To enhance the ecological property of such materials, the fabrication of PVC-based composites using biofillers with acceptable performance characteristics could be considered. In this work, plant-filled PVC-based composite materials were obtained and study their optical, structural, thermal, and mechanical properties depending on the nature of the filler (spruce flour, birch flour, and rice husk) were studied. Increasing the proportion of plant filler somewhat reduces the strength characteristics and reduces the flexibility of the samples. But samples with plant filler allows them to be used at low temperatures without changing the operating characteristics. Some of the fillers affected the thermal stability of composites by increasing their thermal decomposition resistance. So, results have shown that plant-filled polymer composites based on PVC can be used on an equal basis with unfilled PVC plastic compound for some applications such as construction.

Mulberry is an economically significant crop for the sericulture industry worldwide. Stresses such as drought exposure have a significant influence on plant survival. Metabolome directly reflects plant physiological status; thus, a way to assess this impact is to perform a global metabolomic analysis. This study investigated the effect of drought stress on mulberry Yu-711 metabolic balance using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based on an untargeted metabolomic approach. For this objective, Yu-711 leaves were subjected to two weeks of drought stress treatment and control without drought stress. Multivariate and univariate statistical analyses highlighted numerous differentially-accumulated metabolic elements as a function of time and treatment. Drought stress led to a more differentiated metabolites response than the control. We found that the levels of total lipids and galactolipids, and phospholipids (PC, PA, PE) were significantly altered, producing 48% of the total differentially expressed metabolites. Fatty acyls were the most abundant lipids expressed and decreased considerably by 73.6%. Prenol lipids class of lipids increased in drought leaves. Other classes of metabolites, including polyphenols( flavonoids and cinnamic acid), organic acid (amino acids), carbohydrates, benzenoids, and organoheterocyclic, all had a dynamic trend in response to the drought stress. However, their levels under drought stress generally decreased significantly compared to the control. These results provide an overview of the metabolic profile of the mulberry plant through differentially-accumulated compounds and provide a better understanding of global plant metabolic changes in defense mechanisms.

Scaffolds used for tissue/ bone defect repair must possess versatile properties suitable for each specific application. The issue of antibiotic resistance poses a significant challenge in bone tissue engineering especially when dealing with microbial infections. The most effective approach to address this challenge is to promote the integration of tissue before bacteria can adhere to it, hence preventing the proliferation of certain bacterial strains on the implant. The utilization of 3D printing and or the use of various composite polymers in scaffolds to create antibacterial scaffolds that possess both adequate mechanical strength and exceptional biocompatibility is an attractive approach for addressing the challenges associated with microbial infections in tissue. Herein, a new phage functionalized scaffold was created through surface charge modification of the composite scaffold with polyethyleimine (PEI). Afterwards, the PEI polymerized Scaffolds were incubated with phage lysate for approximately 2h prior to rinsing with ethanol. The morphological and physiochemical properties of formed scaffold were assessed through Raman spectrophotometry while the antibacterial assays were done through growth inhibition zones/ cell viability assays. The polymerized phage composite SF20_PEI.AR9 possessed the highest antimicrobial effect with clear inhibition zones of about 78.30 mm. This could be attributed to the lytic effect of phages on the bacterial cells. Moreover, the enhanced phage effect on the scaffolds was also associated to the improved surface charge on the scaffold, 78,3±7,6 mm which ultimately promoted phage scaffold interface integration hence the high antibacterial activity. The PEI polymerization approach could serve as a model for future development of phage scaffolds.

: The crystallization conditions from the solution play an important role in determining the mor-phology, phase composition, and photovoltaic properties of perovskite films. Post-processing of the obtained films can have a crucial role in increasing the grain size of perovskite and enhancing its crystallinity. It has been shown that the formation of crystal nuclei can be utilized to accelerate crystallization. In this case, crystallization occurs through the growth of seed crystals created in the solution, enabling the formation of relatively large crystals. For the deposition of CH3NH3PbI3 hybrid halide perovskite films from a solution of the perovskite in dimethylformamide the spin coating technique was employed. Pre-crystallization was achieved by annealing the films at a temperature of 100 or 110 °C. The dissolution process involved adding a drop of dimethylformamide onto the substrate surface and allowing it to partially dissolve the perovskite film. Subsequently, residual solvent was removed through spin coating. The mor-phological analysis of the perovskite film surface after recrystallization at temperatures ranging from 80 to 130 °C was performed. The infrared transmission spectra of the obtained perovskite films were investigated, and their light absorption characteristics were studied through transmission spectra. The perovskite structure in the obtained films was confirmed by the peaks observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns.

To obtain a given structure in 3D building-up modes, it is necessary to use optimal surfacing modes that determine the amount of heat input in local areas. For this purpose, aluminum bronze was surfacing onto a deformed base and the structure and its characteristics in the surfacing and heat-affected zones were studied by the EBSD method. The heterogeneity of the formation of the structure in each selected zone is established, which indicates the heterogeneity of heat input in local areas of the material in one mode of surfacing. For typical cases of crystallization, a molecular dynamics simulation of crystallization processes with different heat input to the base with characteristics specified based on experimental data was carried out. It has been established that the amount of heat input determines the degree of melting and the inherited defectiveness of growing crystals. The formation of misorientation boundaries and crystallization centers of new grains is determined by the conditions of joint growth of grains with given crystallographic parameters of the computational model. Numerical calculations agree with the experimentally observed results.

Influenced by the quasi-stationary Mei-yu front and the development of mesoscale low vortices on the Mei-yu front, a torrential rain event occurred in Suzhou on July 6, 2020. The 24-hour rainfall recorded by the automatic station exceeded 200 millimeters, with the highest hourly intensity surpassing 70 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. This heavy precipitation process was characterized by suddenness, extremity, long duration, high precipitation efficiency, and backward propagation. Using various data sources such as the European ERA5 reanalysis data, ground-based automatic stations, sounding, Doppler weather radar, and wind profile radar, this paper analyzed in detail the circulation characteristics and radar echo structures of this torrential rain event, and further studied the triggering, feature evolution, and maintenance mechanisms of the heavy precipitation.The results show: (1) The continuously strengthening low-level jet stream propagates downward forming an ultra-low-level jet stream. Heavy precipitation is located on the left front side of the jet exit area, where strong convergence and lifting in the boundary layer overlap with the ascending branch of the secondary circulation above the shear line, resulting in heavy precipitation. (2) A supercell storm with intense precipitation produced this heavy rainfall event, characterized by a low centroid of strong echo; echo-free vault, bounded weak echo region, and other supercell structural features. During this event, the high reflectivity factor areas corresponded to high KDP value areas, indicating a large amount of liquid water content. Vertically, the KDP column can track the rainwater mixing ratio well, and its location corresponds to the vicinity of the short-term heavy precipitation occurrence. The high KDP value area mainly consists of numerous precipitation particles, and the vertical vortex wind field structure causes rapid growth of precipitation particles through continuous rolling. Furthermore, it can be found through correlation coefficients (CC) that there are always high-value areas for CC since they correspond to areas of intense precipitation. (3) Continuous triggering of mesoscale convective cloud clusters on the east-west ground convergence line leads to new development and forms a "train effect." Strong frontogenesis in both horizontal and vertical directions triggers and sustains this heavy precipitation event. The significant increase in liquid water and water vapor density has indicative significance for the occurrence of heavy precipitation.

This article discusses the results of fluid inclusions study in barite collected at the Jan Mayen vent field area (Troll Wall and Perle & Bruce) and Loki’s Castle vent field of the Mohns Ridge segment of the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge. Three mafic-hosted volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits were examined within the active vent fields that adequately correspond to geological settings of ultraslow-spreading ridges and PT-conditions. Hydrothermal sediments were investigated to determine the temperature and salinity of the fluids responsible for barite precipitation. The hydrothermal origin of the barite was confirmed by its morphology. Fluid inclusions are two-phase and homogenized into the liquid phase on heating at temperatures below 287ºC. The salt concentration in fluids trapped in inclusions is 2.6–4.4 wt.% NaCl eq. The crystallization temperatures varied from 276ºС to 119ºС and from 307ºС to 223ºС for the Jan Mayen and Loki’s Castle vent fields, respectively. The data obtained allowed us to confirm evidence of fluid phase separation in the hydrothermal systems and to expand our knowledge of the temperature and salinity of mineral fluids previously known from recent direct measurements during the cruises within the G.O. Sars research vessel. The fluid inclusions data obtained from barites emphasize the fluid features characteristic of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, the similarities and differences for the studied hydrothermal sites, and allow comparisons with similar products from other active hydrothermal systems.

Abstract: The establishment of a circular economy in the mining sector, taking advantage of innovations in the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reserves, [ ], their [ ], transportation [ ] and subsequent processing [ ] are significant concerns. The issues surrounding the employment of technology targeted at enhancing environmental safety to increase the productivity of the reproduction process of the natural gas and oil resource base are equally important. The paper discusses the use of green seismic technology of survey to determine the oil and gas potential of the subsoil. A methodological toolkit is proposed for carrying out technical and economic calculations to determine indicators of the environmental and economic efficiency of using innovative resource-saving technology for geological survey in areas densely planted with forests. The purpose of the work is to establish the viability of employing resource-saving technology known as Green Seismic to search for promising hydrocarbon objects in forested areas and determine the expected environmental and economic benefits of geological exploration using the suggested enhanced methodology for their evaluation. The tasks set to achieve the goal were solved using methods of geological and economic assessment of the hydrocarbon raw material potential of territories and water areas, environmental assessment of the negative influence of anthropogenic environmental impact on the natural environment, economic and statistical methods of performing technical and economic calculations to determine performance indicators for the implementation of innovative projects in the field of geological exploration. The novelty of the results obtained lies in the proposed improved algorithm for conducting an environmental and economic assessment of geological exploration for hydrocarbon raw materials, a conceptual description of the Green Seismic technology, systematization of technical, economic, and environmental risks, justification of new regional directions for geological exploration using resource-saving seismic exploration technology.

Evaporating liquid sessile drop deposited on horizontal surface is an important object of applications (printing technologies, electronics, sensorics, medical diagnostics, hydrophobic coatings, etc.) and theoretical investigations (microfluidics, self-assembly of nanoparticle, crystallization of the solute, etc.). The arsenal of formulas for calculating the slow evaporation of an axisymmetric drop of capillary dimensions deposited on a flat solid surface is reviewed. Such characteristics as vapor density, evaporation flux density, total evaporation rate are considered. Exact solutions obtained in the framework of the Maxwellian model, in which the evaporation process of the drop is limited by vapor diffusion from the drop surface to the surrounding air, are presented. The summary covers both well-known results obtained during the last decades and new results published by us in the last few years, but practically unknown to the wide scientific community. The newest formulas, not yet published in refereed publications, concerning exact solutions for a number of specific contact angles are also presented. In addition, new approximate solutions are presented for the first time (total evaporation rate and mass loss per unit surface area per unit time in the whole range of contact angles ), which can be used in modeling without requiring significant computational resources.

This paper deals with wh-in situ elements (i.e. wh-elements that stay in the argument position) in islands such as adverbial clauses, conditionals, relative clauses, complement clauses, etc. extracted from corpora of Italian and Spanish. I will show that there are two types of wh-in situ embedded inside an island in these languages. One type is a real genuine question. Another type is an echo question. There are several approaches that convincingly account for the insensitivity of echo questions to islands. The genuine question type is still a puzzle for semantic and syntactic approaches. It turns out that wh-in situ questions with a genuine question interpretation are only possible inside islands that are not marked for sentence type and do not contain any operator that could block the question interpretation of the wh-in situ. This way question alternatives can be passed higher up the clause until they meet a question operator in the matrix clause that interprets them. Consequently, the question is well-formed and interpreted without any problem. Real islands contain semantic operators or quantifiers that interpret question alternatives triggered by wh-in situ until they reach the question morpheme to be interpreted as question alternatives. The result is that the derivation crashes.

Our hypothesis that controlled ozone applications interfere into the redox balance of the biological organism (first published in 1998 with a preclinical trial on protecting the liver from CCl4 intoxication), has been verified over the last 2 decades in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced mitochondrial pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, aging processes, diabetes-2 and in prevention of intoxications. Low-dose ozone acts as a redox bioregulator: The restoration of the disturbed redox balance is comprehensible in a number of preclinical and clinical studies by a remarkable increase of the antioxidant repair markers, here mainly shown as glutathione increase and a reduction in oxidative stress markers, mainly malondialdehyde. The mechanism of action is shown, relevant data are displayed, evaluated and comprehensively discussed: The repair side of the equilibrium increases by 21% up to 140% compared to the non-ozone treated groups and depending on the indication; the stress markers are simultaneously reduced, the redox system regains its balance.

SHANK3 encodes scaffold protein involved in postsynaptic receptor density in glutamatergic synapses, including those in the parvalbumin (PV)+inhibitory neurons – the key players in generation of sensory gamma oscillations, such as 40-Hz auditory steady-state response(ASSR). Here we describe a clinical and neurophysiological phenotype of a 15-years old girl (SH01) with microduplication of 16389 bp in 22q13.33, affecting the SHANK3 gene in comparison to typically developing children (n=32). EEG were recorded during the binaurally presentation of 40-Hz clicks’ trains lasting for 500 ms with inter-trial intervals 500-800 ms. SH01 was diagnosed with mild mental retardation and learning disabilities(F70.88) and had problems with reading and writing, as well as smaller vocabulary than TD peers. Her clinical phenotype generally resembled the phenotype of previously described patients with 22q13.33 microduplication. SH01 had mild autistic symptoms but below the threshold for ASD diagnosis. No seizures or MRI abnormalities were reported. While SH01 had relatively preserved auditory event-related potential(ERP) with slightly attenuated P1, her 40-Hz ASSR was totally absent significantly deviating from TD’s ASSR. Absence of 40-Hz ASSR in patient with microduplication, affected SHANK3 gene, indicates deficient temporal resolution of the auditory system, that might underlie language problems, and represent neurophysiological biomarker of SHANK3 abnormalities.

The best form of prevention against human infection through bacteria, viruses and other parasites is ozone disinfection of wastewater and drinking water as a highly effective, well-known method. As a therapeutic measure, various preclinical studies showed promising results, which are being revisited and reconsidered in times of pandemics and led to interesting results in recent clinical trials and reports, as presented by the example of protective measures against covid-19 in particularly vulnerable clinical personnel. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, repeated ozone treatments have led to new findings in the "immunomodulation" through ozone. The more effective immune response is discussed as the response of innate immune memory and opens interesting aspects for complementary treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Considering the ever-increasing role of rare-earth elements (REE) in the modern hi-tech field, their effective use has a tremendous significance, although the production process is inevitably linked to the large volumes of industrial ammonia effluents and heavy metal wastes. In the process of metallurgical separation of metals, the emission of large volumes of noxious gases and radioactive substances is inevitable. Lean technogenic raw material processing is sensible under the condition of the development of non-waste technology. The lack of competent regulations governing the disposal of waste containing REE has an impact on adjacent territories, accumulating in water bodies and, as a result, in the human body. Such an impact cannot pass without a trace, however, the ambiguity of opinions in the scientific community regarding the toxic effects of REE on living organisms determines the relevance of a more detailed study of this issue. The paper presents experimental and theoretical results of studies of ion flotation in the aqueous solutions containing ytterbium cations and a surfactant as a collector - sodium dodecyl sulphate (NaDS).

In this work, a general framework for the analysis of governance of artificial intelligence is presented. A dashboard is presented for this analysis from the perspective of political theory. The dashboard allows eventual comparisons between democratic and non democratic regimes, useful for countries in the global south and western countries. The dashboard allows us to assess the key features that determine the governance model for artificial intelligence at the national level, for local governments and for other participant actors. The dashboard allows us to appraise aims of AI strategy and aims left aside in alternative strategies. The work shows the theoretical framework could be of use to advance case studies globally, and comparative endeavors. Applying the theoretical dashboard, the case study on China has been undertaken. These are the main points the study tackles in the final discussion, conclusion and further recommendations: 1) the complex reality of AI command and control 2) uncertainties about future society and the polity against AI development and 3) particular cultural values enshrined in countries' AI development.

Abstract In order to solve the problem that it is difficult to obtain the accurate trigger signal moment when using the time difference of UAV flight acoustic signals collected by acoustic sensors arranged in advance to locate the position of UAVs when they cannot be tracked by radar and are difficult to be observed by the human eye, an acoustic source localisation method with improved empirical modal decomposition (REMD) under an adaptive frequency window is proposed. Firstly, the collected UAV flight signals are smoothed and filtered, then the robust empirical modal decomposition (REMD) is used for IMF modal decomposition and spectral analysis of the collected signals, and a panning frequency window with variable bandwidth is introduced for corresponding frequency locking and extracting the IMFs; the GWO optimisation is used and the sliding metrics are set to determine the position of the panning frequency window automatically; finally, the extracted Finally, the extracted IMF components are reconstructed according to the criterion, and the trigger signal moments in the reconstructed IMF components are resolved and recorded, and the algorithm is used to calculate the difference between the reception moments of different sensors; for the traditional sound source localisation algorithms with a small detection range, which are prone to fall into the no-solution or false-solution, i.e., unable to achieve the localisation, a weighted least-squares-based Chan-Taylor algorithm is proposed for the localisation computation, and a weighted least-squares algorithm is proposed for the localisation computation, through the Inputting the sensor delay parameter and solving the linear equation system to get the target position information; finally, this paper verifies the robustness and performance of the design method with simulated and actual signals. The results show that the maximum positioning error is no more than 5% in an area with a side length of 15m in the measurement area. With the improved accuracy of time delay estimation, the positioning simulation results meet the positioning requirements even though the positioning error is further expanded when the measurement area is further expanded.

In nowadays conditions, insurance provides the opportunity for market system of economic management to work in any state. To provide economic security of the person it is needed to create a mechanism of protection against internal and external threats in modern Russia. That’s why the role of citizens insurance policy is increasing as the most effective risk management institute and achieving safety of health and private property of citizens. The goal of this research is to study Russian citizens’ attitudes towards insurance policy and investment using the conception of personal economic security. The preparatory study stage was focused on theoretical understanding of economic security problems taking insurance field as an example. Empirical research consisted of four stages. There were 1793 people taking part in this research. Results of this study can be proposed in the program of improving the functioning of the insurance market in the Russian Federation in The framework of the strategy of development of the insurance market - 2020. The obtained results can be used in Politics and Economics in the development of a set of measures related to lawmaking, control of financial institutions, promotion of financial literacy of the population, preparation of courses for universities and trainings for participants of the insurance market. The typologies of policyholders which were given can be the basis to create insurance programs for the citizens.

The work focused on the development of high-temperature electrical insulation coatings for film photovoltaics. The idea was into replacing the electroconductive metal dispersed phase in siloxane high-temperature coating to ceramic particles with phonon thermal conductivity. The slurry of industrial composition based on polysiloxane lacquer and thermally conductive paste containing zinc oxide was centrifuged to obtain a thin, optically transparent coating with the destruction temperature of over 600 °C. Topology, electrical properties, and thermal conductivity of the resulting film were investigated. The mathematical model of thermal processes in films in the course of heating was figured out. Quantitatively the relation of thermal conductivities of a control sample and a sample with a heat-conducting filler was established. The effectiveness of using this technology is shown.

Our results demonstrated that SWT stimulates osteoblastogenesis and increase the cell number of osteoblasts, suggesting positive regulatory effects on osteoblast differentiation. However, the effect of SWT on bone formation need further examination, since the expression of alp gene is downregulated. On the other hand, SWT appears to negatively regulate osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption, as number of osteoclasts and the expression of critical bone resorptive genes are all downregulated. Collectively, SWT might change the equilibrium of bone remodeling and increase the bone mass. Our data provided supportive evidences that this medicine formulation can be applied to treat osteoporosis or bone destructive diseases.

A novel approach to the remote-control system for the compact multi-crystal energy-dispersive spectrometer for x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) applications has been developed. This new approach is based on asynchronous communication between software components and on reactive design principles. In this paper, we identify the challenges we have faced, our solution to them as well as the implementation and future development prospects. The main motivation of this work was the development of a new holistic communication protocol that can be implemented to control various hardware components.

Statistical analysis of mechanical properties of thin-walled samples (~500 microns) obtained by selective laser melting from AlSi10Mg material and subjected to heat treatment for 1 hour at temperatures from 260 °C to 440 °C (step of aging temperature change 30 °C) has shown that the maximum strain hardening in the stretching diagram section from yield strength to tensile strength is achieved at the heat treatment temperature equal to 290 °C. At carrying out of correlation analysis statistically significant positive correlation between deformation corresponding to yield strength and the sum of heights of the largest protrusions and depths of the largest depressions of the surface roughness profile within the basic length of the sample (Rz) and the full height of the surface roughness profile (Rmax) was established. It was found that the reason for the correlation is the presence of cohesive states between the extreme values of the surface roughness profile that persist along the entire length of the specimen.

In this paper, we study the semilinear pseudo-parabolic equations $\displaystyle u_{t} - \triangle_{\mathbb{B}}u - \triangle_{\mathbb{B}}u_{t} = \left|u\right|^{p-1}u$ on a manifold with conical singularity, where $\triangle _{\mathbb{B}}$ is Fuchsian type Laplace operator investigated with totally characteristic degeneracy on the boundary $x_{1} = 0$. Firstly, we discuss the invariant sets and the vacuum isolating behavior of solutions with the help of a family of potential wells. Then, we derive a threshold result of existence and nonexistence of global weak solution: for the low initial energy $J(u_{0})<d$, the solution is global in time with $I(u_{0}) >0$ or $\displaystyle\Vert \nabla_{\mathbb{B}}u_{0}\Vert_{L_{2}^{\frac{n}{2}}(\mathbb{B})} = 0$ and blows up in finite time with $I(u_{0}) < 0$; for the critical initial energy $J(u_{0}) = d$, the solution is global in time with $I(u_{0}) \geq0$ and blows up in finite time with $I(u_{0}) < 0$. The decay estimate of the energy functional for the global solution and the estimates of the lifespan of local solution are also given.

Cardiotonic steroids (CTS) are a group of steroid compounds derived from certain plants and animals. CTS are selective inhibitors of Na,K-ATPase, so for a long time they were widely used for medical purposes to treat heart failure and some other diseases. However, over time, doctors gradually began to refuse this group of drugs due to their narrow therapeutic range and a number of serious side effects. However, in parallel with the rise and fall of interest in CTS as a drug, interest in them as a single class of high-affinity Na,K-ATPase inhibitors has only increased. Numerous data on the effect of CTS on signaling cascades and cell viability made impelling a search for a rationale for the existence of such a subtle biological regulator. A large number of studies devoted to the potential use of CTS in the treatment of neurodegenerative, oncological, immune and other diseases "revitalized" the already "written off" group of the drugs. If initially the role of exogenous (mainly plant origin) CTS was studied, then by the 90s of the XX century the study of the role of endogenous CTS and their regulatory effects became a popular trend in biology and physiology. The role of endogenous CTS was studied in details in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases [1]. A large number of researchers have unanimously stated that endogenous CTS are very complex regulators of the development of pathological processes; however, the exact cause-and-effect relationship that would unambiguously explain the processes of synthesis, utilization, and the role of endogenous CTS has not yet been established. The effects of CTS in the frame of various regulatory schemes have been described, but the predominant number of studies was devoted to arterial hypertension, heart and renal failure, cancer [2–4], aging [5,6], and neuroinflammation. The effects of both endo- and exogenous CTS on blood cells and have been studied to a much lesser extent.

A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the proteinaceous aggregates formed by the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) that is deposited inside the brain as amyloid plaques. The accumulation of aggregated Aβ may initiate or enhance pathologic processes in AD. According to the amyloid hypothesis any agent that has the capability to inhibit Aβ aggregation and/or destroy amyloid plaques represents a potential disease modifying drug. In 2023, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (lecanemab) against the Aβ soluble protofibrils was approved by US FDA for AD therapy thus providing compelling support to the amyloid hypothesis. To acquire a deeper insight on the in vivo Aβ aggregation, various animal models, including aged herbivores and carnivores, non-human primates, transgenic rodents, fish and worms are widely exploited. This review is based on the recent data obtained using transgenic animal AD models and presents experimental verification of the critical role in Aβ aggregation seeding of the interactions between zinc ions, Aβ with the isomerized Asp7 (isoD7- Aβ) and the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

The product of ozonolysis, Glycero-(9,10-trioxolane)-trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, [OTOA]), was incorporated into polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) blend films in the amount of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% w/w. The morphological, mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of the biodegradable blend after the OTOA addition were studied. According to DSC and XRD data, the crystallinity degree of PLA/PCL+OTOA films tended to decrease with increase in OTOA content that could be explained by its plasticizing effect. Morphological analysis showed that the structure of the films with the OTOA concentration above 20% drastically changed. Specifically, the interface between the PLA/PCL matrix and OTOA was formed, thereby forming a capsule with the embedded antibacterial agent. The moisture permeability of the resulting PLA/PCL+OTOA films decreased due to the formation of uniformly distributed hydrophobic amorphous zones that prevents water penetration. This architecture affects the tensile characteristics of the films: strength decreases to 5.6 MPa, elastic modulus E by 40%. The behavior of film elasticity is associated with the redistribution of amorphous regions in the matrix. Additionally, PLA/PCL+OTOA films with 20, 30 and 40% of OTOA showed good antibacterial properties on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Raoultella terrigena (Klebsiella terrigena) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Developed PLA/PCL+OTOA films could be used as packaging materials and wound dressings. By variation of the OTOA content, it is possible to tailor the physical-chemical and antibacterial properties of the developed films for various applications.

The key links of face recognition are digital image preprocessing, facial feature extraction and pattern recognition, this article aimed at the current problem of slow speed and low recognition accuracy of face recognition , from the above three key links, on the basic of analyzing the therories of Fractional Differential Masks Operator (FDMO), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), design a kind of FDMO+PVA+SVM coupling algorithm that applies to face recognition to improve the speed and accuracy of it. To realize FDMO+PCA+SVM coupling algorithm, first, we should apply FDMO to face image processing binary marginalization, the purpose is getting face contour; Then, we apply PCA to get the feature of face image which is disposed by binary marainalization. At last, we can apply One-Against All of the SVM classifier and LibSVM software package to realize face recognition. Beside, the article with nine different coupling algorithm design four groups of experimental reaults on the ORL face database verified by comparative analysic FDMO+PCA+SVM coupling algorithm in the superiority of face recognition accuracy and speed.

This study investigates the effects of Zinc (4wt.%) and severe plastic deformation on the mechanical properties of AZ61 magnesium alloy through the stir-casting process. The severe plastic deformation (equal channel angular pressing (ECAP)) has been done followed by T4 heat treatment. The microstructural examinations revealed that the addition of 4wt.%Zn enhances the uniform distribution of β-phase, contributing to a more uniformly corroded surface in corrosive environments. Additionally, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) significantly reduces the grain size of as-cast alloys after undergoing ECAP. The attained mechanical properties demonstrate that after a single ECAP pass, AZ61 + 4wt.%Zn alloy exhibits optimal yield strength (YS), ultimate compression strength (UCS), and hardness. This research highlights the promising potential of AZ61 + 4wt.%Zn alloy for enhanced mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties, offering valuable insights for applications in diverse engineering fields.

Plant cells' ability to withstand abiotic stress is strongly linked to modifications in their mechanical characteristics. Nevertheless, the lack of a workable method for consistently tracking plant cell mechanical properties severely restricts our comprehension of the mechanical alterations in plant cells under stress. With Polyethylene Glycol (PEG6000), we created a drought-like environment, and we used the Double Resonator Piezoelectric Cytometry (DRPC) method to dynamically and non-invasively track changes in the stress (ΔS) created and viscoelasticity (storage modulus G' and loss modulus G") of protoplasts and suspension cells of rice during drought stress. The findings demonstrate that, rice suspension cells and protoplasts react mechanically differently to 5%–15% PEG6000 stress, implying distinct resistance mechanisms. However, neither of them can withstand 25% PEG6000 stress, they respond mechanically similarly to 25% PEG6000 stress. The results of DRPC are further corroborated by the morphological alterations of rice cells and protoplasts observed under an optical microscope. To sum up, the DRPC technique functions as a precise cellular mechanical sensor and offers novel research tools for the evaluation of plant cell adversity and differentiating between the mechanical reactions of cells and protoplasts under abiotic stress.

. In this work, two types of nanoporous alumina membranes were prepared using different acids and were tested. Structural features of the samples were investigated by scanning electron spectroscopy and further by different types of fractal dimension estimation methods. Transmission and scattering of accelerated He+ ions were studied in experiments on ion irradiation of dielectric channels based on porous alumina. Ion accelerator was used as a source of the He+ beam with an energy of 1.7 MeV. A scattering of ions was studied by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Helium transition through nanoporous alumina at various angles between the normal to the sample and the beam direction were observed. It is shown that the porous structure of anodic aluminum oxide is excellent as a dielectric matrix of nanocapillaries. Owing to the small angle scattering, it allows the transportation of the accelerated charged particles through the dielectric capillaries, and, as a result, localization of high energy ion irradiation effects. Additionally, according to the transmission UV-Vis spectra the energy gaps of samples obtained were calculated.

Epidemiological studies on micronutrient consumption have reported protective associations in the incidence and/or progression of various cancer types. Supplementation with some of these micronutrients has been analyzed, showing chemoprotection, low toxicity, antiproliferation, and the ability to modify epigenetic signatures in various cancer models. The following review inves-tigates the reported effects of micronutrient intake or supplementation in breast cancer progres-sion. A PubMed search was conducted with the keywords “micronutrients breast cancer progres-sion,” and the results were analyzed. The selected micronutrients were: Vitamins (A, C, D, and E), Folic Acid, metals (Cu, Fe, Se, and Zn), fatty acids, polyphenols, and iodine. The majority of in vitro models showed antiproliferative, cell cycle arrest, and antimetastatic effects for almost all the micronutrients analyzed, but these effects do not reflect animal or human studies. Only one clinical trial with Vitamin D and one pilot study with molecular iodine showed favorable overall survival and disease-free interval.

Malnutrition is one of major factors of bone and cartilage disorders. Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) processing waste is a cheap and highly promising source of bioactive substances, including collagen-derived peptides and amino acids, for bone and cartilage structure stabilization. Addition of these substances to a functional drink is one of the ways to achieve their fast intestinal absorption. Collagen hydrolysate was obtained via enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrafiltration, freeze-drying, and grinding to powder. The lyophilized hydrolysate was a light gray powder with high protein content (>90%), including collagen (about 85% of total protein) and a complete set of essential and non-essential amino acids. The hydrolysate was applicable as a protein food supply or a structure-forming food component due to presence of collagen fiber fragments. An isotonic fitness drink (osmolality 298.1 ± 2.1 mOsm/L) containing the hydrolysate and vitamin C as a cofactor in collagen biosynthesis was prepared. Addition of the hydrolysate did not adversely affect its organoleptic parameters. Production of such functional foods and drinks is one of the beneficial ways of fish processing waste utilization.

This paper aims to develop a hierarchical risk assessment model using the newly-developed evidential reasoning (ER) rule, which constitutes a generic conjunctive probabilistic reasoning process. In this paper, we first provide a brief introduction to the basics of the ER rule and emphasize the strengths for representing and aggregating uncertain information from multiple experts and sources. Further, we discuss the key steps of developing the hierarchical risk assessment framework systematically, including (1) formulation of risk assessment hierarchy, (2) representation of both qualitative and quantitative information, (3) elicitation of attribute weights and information reliabilities, (4) aggregation of assessment information using the ER rule and (5) quantification and ranking of risks using utility-based transformation. The proposed hierarchical risk assessment framework can potentially be implemented to various complex and uncertain systems. A case study on the fire/explosion risk assessment of marine vessels demonstrates the applicability of the proposed risk assessment model.

Hafnium is a metal with rare properties, such as a low superconducting transition temperature slightly above 100 mK, which makes it attractive for a lot of applications, especially for design and fabrication of microcalorimeters with high energy resolution. In this paper we describe the results of fabrication and experimental investigation of superconducting properties of hafnium thin films in a dilution refrigerator. The considered Hf films, whose thickness is in the range from 60 to 115 nm, are deposited on substrates by electron beam evaporation. The combinations with thin layers of normal metals to decrease the critical temperature of superconducting hafnium films by proximity effect, are also considered. The critical temperature of the studied films varies from 56 to 302 mK. Also, significant increase of the critical temperature of some films over time was observed and investigated.

Open science, accessibility and knowledge sharing, especially of articles and monographs stemming from a publicly funded research, seem to be quite a positive direction in the development of science and have received almost unanimous approval from a scientific community. However, when it comes to data sharing, the data obtained by qualitative methodology deserve special attention and treatment. Although FAIR principles provide ways to anonymise the data and interlocoutors (as explained in Celjak et al 2020) individuals coming from smaller communities or even communities of practice can sometimes be easily regcognized by members of the same communitiy, especially if the data refers to audio files! The researcher is obliged to thoroughly describe the ways in which the data will be managed and used, and if it will state that the data will be managed in line with FAIR principles, this will inevitably impact the narratives collected. The prerogative to make all the data open will inevitably lead to autocesorship i.e. in creating a kind of FAIRy Tales for the future, interlocutors will share with researchers. Having all that in mind I argue for a more vigilant approach when embracing the idea that all the data should be made FAIR. Not all the data should be made FAIR because this could, in the end, compromise the research process itself. Some data must remain in the space of trust created between main actors in the research process. These data should be treated with CARE principles.

The demographic history of anatomically modern humans (AMH) involves multiple migration events, population extinctions and genetic adaptations. As genome-wide data from complete genome sequencing becomes increasingly abundant and available even from extinct hominins, new insights of the evolutionary history of our species are discovered. It is currently known that AMH introgressed with archaic hominins once they left the African continent. Current out of African human genomes carry fragments of archaic origin. This review focuses on the fitness consequences of archaic interbreeding in current human populations. We discuss new insights and challenges that researchers face when interpreting the potential impact of introgression on fitness and testing hypotheses about the role of selection within the context of health and disease.

The aim of study was to investigate epidemiology aspects of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during COVID-19 pandemic. The study comprised depersonalized residents of Tomsk and Tomsk Region (n = 1714). Invitations to take online survey were sent to 50,000 residents by target SMS with response rate of 1.2% (n = 727, Cohort 1). Cohort 2 comprised retrospective patients (n = 987) who underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI (CMR) in 2019-2022. Referrals, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, gender, age, past COVID-19, MRI study protocols, and MRI data were analyzed. 29% of respondents in cohort 1 received MRI examination within past two years; 26% of respondents considered MRI the most informative imaging modality for detecting COVID-19 pneumonia; 12% of respondents reported MRI unavailable. Proportion of CMR among MRI studies increased during COVID-19 pandemic, and maximum incidence of cardiac diseases detected by MRI was in 2021. Incidence of myocardial fibrosis increased from ~67% in 2019 to ~84% in 2022. The rate of outpatient MRI studies significantly increased in 2020, but returned to pre-pandemic level in 2021. COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for MRI and CMR. Patients with history of COVID-19 had persistent and newly occurring symptoms of myocardial damage suggesting chronic cardiac involvement requiring continuous follow-up.

In this work model of mirror elements equilibrium of the micromechanical components is developed, the behavior analysis of the mirror element of micromechanical mirrors in case changing of control voltages of electrostatic actuators is carried out, an expression for determining the maximum value of deflection voltage at which the snap-down effect will take the following form is obtained in case of the influence of the coefficient of the electrostatic rigidity of electrostatic actuators. The developed equilibrium model of mirror elements and the obtained results of modeling can be used at design of micromechanical mirrors with internal suspensions.

Earth observation satellites can capture images of specific areas in Earth's orbit based on user requirements. Despite the high demand for satellite imagery, satellites remain a scarce resource. When there are many observation tasks that are large and dense, they may interfere with each other due to satellite mobility. To address this issue, a multi-satellite scheduling algorithm based on a task merging mechanism has been proposed. This paper proposes a two-stage approach to the problem: task merging phase and merging task scheduling phase. The task merging phase introduces two methods based on Mean Shift and Complete Graph to generate the merging task set. In the merging task scheduling phase, a multi-satellite scheduling algorithm based on merging tasks is employed to solve the problem. Finally, certain measurement experiments suggest the effectiveness of the algorithm.

The sexual reproduction of ascomycetes is controlled by the mating-type(MAT) locus. (Pseudo)homothallic reproduction has been hypothesized based on genetic data from Hirsutella sinensis (Genotype #1 of Ophiocordyceps sinensis). In this study, the differential occurrence of the mating-type genes in the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs, which constitute the genetic control of O. sinensis reproduction, was analyzed in 237 strains and 5 genomes of H. sinensis. The mating-type genes were differentially transcribed in H. sinensis Strain L0106, and the MAT1-2-1 transcript in H. sinensis Strain 1229 was alternatively spliced, with an unspliced intron I containing stop codons; these findings constitute O. sinensis reproduction controls at the transcriptional and coupled transcriptional-translational levels. The occurrence of the mating-type genes and a-/α-pheromone receptor genes differed among the 5 H. sinensis genomes. The differential occurrence and transcription of these genes are inconsistent with self-fertilization under (pseudo)homothallism but suggest self-sterility of H. sinensis, which therefore needs a mating partner to achieve sexual outcrossing under heterothallism or hybridization. Consistent occurrence and transcription of the mating-type genes of both the MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs have been reported in natural and cultivated Cordyceps sinensis, but these findings are insufficient to determine the reproduction mode(s) because of the co-occurrence of >90 fungal species and multiple genomically independent genotypes of O. sinensis. The mutant MAT1-1-1 and α-pheromone receptor transcripts in natural C. sinensis result in the N-terminus or middle-truncated proteins, with changes in hydrophobicity and secondary structures of the proteins, suggesting heterogeneous fungal source(s) of the proteins and hybridization reproduction.

We propose a notion of a ternary skew-symmetric covariant tensor of 3rd order, consider it as a 3-dimensional matrix and study a ten-dimensional complex space of these tensors. We split this space into a direct sum of two five-dimensional subspaces and in each subspace there is an irreducible representation of the rotation group SO(3)↪SO(5). We find two independent SO(3)-invariants of ternary skew-symmetric tensors, where one of them is the Hermitian metric and the other is the quadratic form. We find the stabilizer of this quadratic form and its invariant properties. Making use of these invariant properties we define a SO(3)-irreducible geometric structure on a five-dimensional complex Hermitian manifold. We study a connection on a five-dimensional complex Hermitian manifold with a SO(3)-irreducible geometric structure, find its curvature and torsion. The structures proposed in this paper and their study are motivated by a ternary generalization of the Pauli’s principle proposed by R. Kerner.

In the context of the economic and political uncertainty associated with the 2019-nCoV pandemic, it is necessary to determine the socio-psychological factors involved in the transformation of the behavior of insurance consumers under the influence of a biogenic threat. This study measures financial anxiety and its impact on the insurance behavior of Russian citizens. The correlation, comparative, and regression analyses of the financial anxiety of Russian citizens cover three stages of observation: before the start of the 2019 nCoV pandemic (“FA up to 19 nCoV; N = 766), during the period of quarantine measures announced in Russia in March 2020 (“FA 19-nCoV-1”; N = 856), and after the relaxation of quarantine measures at the end of April 2020 (“FA 19-nCoV-2”; N = 963).Psychological analysis data were obtained from the online survey “Financial anxiety (in the context of insurance)”. The questionnaire is psychometrically reliable and easy to use. It includes five measurement scales: MR1—Physical manifestations of financial incentive anxiety, MR2—With money shortages and financial uncertainty, MR3—The value of insurance coverage, MP4—Financial Confidence, and MR5—Perception of insurance and investment risks. It was found that Russian citizens consider it important to have insurance coverage for a “rainy day”, and they showed confidence in the insurance market during the biogenic crisis. However, unfortunately, during the 19-nCoV-1 and 19-nCoV-2 periods, Russian citizens did not feel financially secure, unlike in the period before 19-nCoV. Women showed high scores for physical manifestations of financial anxiety and low financial confidence in the future, in contrast to men, regardless of the observation period.

In the context of economic and political uncertainty associated with the 2019-nCoV pandemic, it is necessary to determine the socio-psychological factors in the transformation of the behavior of insurance consumers under the influence of the biogenic threat. This study is devoted to measuring financial anxiety and its impact on the insurance behavior of Russian citizens. Correlation, comparative and regression analyzes of financial anxiety of Russian citizens cover three stages of observation: before the start of the 2019 nCoV pandemic (“FA up to 19 nCoV; N = 766), during the period of quarantine measures announced in Russia in March 2020 (“ FA 19- nCoV-1 "; N = 856) and after the relaxation of quarantine measures at the end of April 2020 (" FA 19-nCoV-2 "; N = 963). Psychological analysis data were obtained from the online survey "Financial anxiety (in the context of insurance)". The questionnaire is psychometrically reliable and easy to use, including 5 measurement scales: MR1. Physical manifestations of financial incentive anxiety, MR2. With money shortages and financial uncertainty, MR3. The value of insurance coverage, MP4. Financial Confidence, MR5. Perception of insurance and investment risks. Russian citizens considered it important to have insurance coverage on a “rainy day” and showed confidence in the insurance market during the biogenic crisis. But, unfortunately, Russian citizens during the 19-nCoV-1 and 19-nCoV-2 periods did not feel financially secure in the future, unlike the period before 19-nCoV. ”Women showed high scores for physical manifestations of financial anxiety and low financial confidence in the future, in contrast to men, regardless of the observation period.

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) responsibility fulfillment increasingly affects enterprise valuation. Although researchers debate about the precise effects, the prevailing view suggests a linear relationship between ESG performance and enterprise value. This study introduces a novel ESG responsibility performance metric through the Regulated Intermediary Model to delve into this relationship within the Chinese context. Our findings reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between ESG performance and enterprise value, with financing constraints having a significant moderating effect. These findings remain robust after employing instrumental variables to mitigate potential endogeneity. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that this inverted U-shaped relationship is particularly pronounced in non-polluting and non-state-owned enterprises. Moreover, a comparison between equity and debt financing mechanisms underscores that improved ESG performance is associated with lower cost of equity financing, thereby enhancing enterprise value. Financial institutions are encouraged to leverage innovative financial instruments to diversify enterprise financing channels and alleviate financing constraints of enterprises that fulfill their ESG responsibilities.

Humification is a promising strategy to reduce the amount of animal waste generated in agriculture. This makes it possible to accumulate products with artificially obtained humic substances (HS) as analogues of natural HS, usually extracted from fossil sources (coal, peat). The review examines the main characteristics of various biological and physical-chemical methods (composting, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonation, acid or alkaline hydrolysis, subcritical water ex-traction) used to form HS in animal waste humification products. A comparative analysis of the humification rates and yields of HS in these processes, the characteristics of artificial HS in products (humification index, polymerization index, degree of aromaticity, etc.) is carried out in connection with the use of certain methods of humification and types of animal waste. The main factors (ad-ditives, process conditions, waste pretreatment, etc.) that can increase the efficiency of humification and the properties of HS resources artificially obtained by various methods are highlighted. A generalizing analysis of the content of chemical elements in artificial HS obtained from various animal husbandry wastes in comparison with natural HS was carried out. Based on the results of the chemical composition analysis, the main trends and preferences regarding the most useful ap-plications of humification products as complex biomimetics are discussed.

Transketolase (TKT) is an essential thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme of the non-oxidative branch of pentose phosphate pathway, with the glucose-6P flux through the pathway regulated in various medically important conditions. Here, we characterize the brain TKT regulation by acylation in rats with perturbed thiamine-dependent metabolism, known to occur in neurodegenerative diseases. The perturbations are modelled by administration of oxythiamine inhibiting ThDP-dependent enzymes in vivo, or by reduced thiamine availability in the presence of metformin and amprolium, inhibiting intracellular thiamine transporters. Compared to control rats, chronic administration of oxythiamine does not significantly change the modification level of the two detected TKT acetylation sites (K6 and K102), but doubles malonylation of TKT K499, concomitantly decreasing 1.7-fold the level of demalonylase sirtuin 5. The inhibitors of thiamine transporters do not change average levels of TKT acylation or sirtuin 5. TKT structures indicate that the acylated residues are distant from the active sites. The acylations-perturbed electrostatic interactions may be involved in conformational shifts and/or formation of TKT complexes with other proteins or nucleic acids. Acetylation of K102 may affect the active site entrance/exit and subunit interactions. Correlation analysis reveals that the action of oxythiamine is characterized by significant negative correlations of K499 malonylation or K6 acetylation with TKT activity, not observed upon the action of the inhibitors of thiamine transport. However, the transport inhibitors induce significant negative correlations between the TKT activity and K102 acetylation or TKT expression, absent in the oxythiamine group. Thus, perturbations in the ThDP-dependent catalysis or thiamine transport manifest in the insult-specific patterns of the brain TKT malonylation and acetylations.

The article describes synthesis of aminoorgano-functionalized silica as a perspective material for catalysis application. The amino groups have electron donor properties valuable for metal chemical state of palladium. So presence of electron donor groups is important for increasing of catalysts stability. The research is devoted to investigation of silica amino-modified support influence on activity and stability of palladium species in 4-nitroaniline hydrogenation process. A series of catalysts with different supports such as SiO2, SiO2-C3H6-NH2 (amino-functionalized silica), γ-Al2O3 and activated carbon were studied. The catalytic activity was studied in the hydrogenation of 4-nitroaniline to 1,4-phenylenediamine. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and pulse chemisorption of hydrogen. The 5 wt. % Pd/SiO2-C3H6-NH2 catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity for 4-nitroaniline hydrogenation with 100% conversion and 99% selectivity with respect to 1,4-phenylenediamine.

In this study we analyzed the concentration of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes and the circulating monocyte subsets in coronary atherosclerosis. 257 patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CA) and 68 patients without stenotic atherosclerosis in the coronary, carotid and lower extremity arteries (control group) were enrolled. Monocyte subpopulations (classical CD14++CD16-, intermediate CD14++CD16+, non-classical CD14+CD16+) were analyzed by direct immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Lp(a) and PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes in serum were detected by ELISA. The concentration of Lp(a) was higher in CA group compared to controls (23.0 (9.1;73.3) mg/dL versus 10.7 (4.7;25.0) mg/dL, p&lt;0.05). No correlations between the level of Lp(a) and the concentration of PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes, nor between the level of Lp(a) or PCSK9 and the total number of monocytes were observed in both groups. A slight positive correlation between the concentration of PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes and the absolute level of monocytes was obtained (r=0.20, p=0.002) in patients with atherosclerosis predominantly due to intermediate monocyte subsets (r=0.33, p=0.04). According to regression analysis both PCSK9-Lp(a) complex concentration and BMI were related to the absolute number of blood monocytes in patients with atherosclerosis. Further studies are required to determine the pathogenetic contribution of PCSK9-Lp(a) complexes to the development of atherosclerosis.

With the development of organizational biology and forced from the EU Cosmetic Regulation (EU/1223/2009) with the complete ban of animal testing for cosmetic purposes, 3D skin models have been widely developed due to their similar physiological structure and metabolic function to native human tissue. 3D skin models for in vitro cosmetic evaluation are still promising alternative methods for evaluating phototoxicity, corrosivity and irritation. These models have been used for early screening and later validation of toxicity and efficacy evaluation by many well-known cosmetic companies. 3D skin models have become an important tool in cosmetic evaluation research. This article reviews the development of 3D skin models and their application in cosmetic evaluation. An outlook on the current application and future technological development directions in the cosmetic field is also presented.

In 2020 the world experienced the threat of the COVID-19 epidemic, as seniors and chronic disease patients typically try to reduce their exercise and social activities to avoid increasing the risk of infection, which could lead to increased loneliness and even many diseases. This research combining golf croquet games with AIoT companion robots constructs a home-based intelligent exercise system thus uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), deduces users’ intention to use this system based on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and adds the needs of love and belonging, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, and self-actualization in Maslow’s needs theory to conduct system needs analysis. The analysis results show that participants have a high level of acceptance of this system, believing that it is easy to learn and operate, can increase interaction with others, also found that this system can improve self-confirmation, satisfying the third for knowledge, feeling happy, and self-actualization needs are easier to fulfill. In the future, we shall collect and record the seniors in the process of use, so as to find out their health problems as soon as possible, expand their daily life through this exercise, and achieve the goal of happy living and health care.

Natural fibres are the preferred options for garment, technical and medical textiles, nonwovens and composites. Their sustainability is a considerable advantage. Though, the nature of silk production and processing involves a large amount of waste. The present review explores the current issues of recycling silk waste into nonwovens for medical and air filtration purposes. The article proposes to obtain nonwovens from short fibres using electrospinning of fibroin solutions in volatile solvents. Longer fibres are proposed to be processed into needle punched nonwoven materials with a selection of an effective antistatic treatment.

Background: People with Down syndrome (DS) have a trisomy of chromosome 21 and marked deficits in verbal memory but relatively preserved visuospatial perception. Verbal memories are related to semantic knowledge. Little is known about the organization of semantic knowledge in people with DS, which was the aim of this study. Aims: The extent of false memory in people with DS was examined. Possible differences in the number of false memories induced by nominal and verbal themes were examined. Methods and Procedures: In the study phase, ten word lists with semantically related associates were presented. In the recognition phase, participants made judgments on whether each word had been represented previously as semantically related lures, old words, and semantically unrelated new words. Outcomes and Results: Differences in the processing of nominal and verbal theme-related lures were observed among people with DS. When processing nominal theme-related lures, people with DS showed delayed false positives. When processing verbal theme-related lures, people with DS showed no differences compared to controls. Similar patterns have been observed in people with DS when processing nominal theme-related associates and verbal theme-related associates. People with DS have delayed recognition of associates. When processing unrelated words, they showed significantly higher false positives than controls for both nominal and verbal eliciting themes. Further analyses of the themes revealed differences in false positives across syntactic categories among groups. Conclusions and Implications: People with DS showed a delayed recognition of associates and deviance in recognizing unrelated words in the nominal and verbal theme categories. People with DS were delayed in terms of nouns, but deviated with verbs in associated and unrelated words. Additionally, people with DS showed distinct patterns in processing five nominal lures and three verbal lures, suggesting that they formed false memories differently based on distinct syntactic categories. Thus, it was concluded that people with DS develop a deviant semantic structure. Category-based interventions for people with DS should be implemented in order to improve their semantic knowledge through lexical connections.

Mixture of abramis brama (freshwater bream), carassius carassius (crucian carp), and sander lucioperca (pike perch) scales was used for the preparation of fish scale powder containing about 26.5 wt. % of removed when heating components preferably of organic nature, and 63.5 wt. % of mineral components. Fish scale powder enriched with inorganic components was prepared from washed, dried, and ground fish scale mixture using vibration sieving. Inorganic powders consisting of hydroxyapatite and magnesium whitlockite were obtained via heat treatment of this fish scale powder at 800-1000 oC. Particles of these inorganic powders consisted of sintered grains with dimensions less than 100 nm after heat treatment at 800 oC, less than 200 nm after heat treatment at 900 oC, and 100-500 nm after heat treatment at 1000 oC. Fish scale powder enriched with inorganic components as well as heat-treated inorganic powders consisting of hydroxyapatite and magnesium whitlockite can be recommended for the production of different materials such as ceramics or composites.

A comprehensive presentation of a variety of biologically sounding properties of genomes is present; chloroplast genomes are used as a biological matter. Triplet frequency composition is the general issue standing behind the properties. Besides, the new alignment-free error-tolerant method of sequences comparison highly efficient for in/del mismatches is present, for transposons search. Triplet frequency dictionaries determined for a genome, or for a part of that latter were studied through various clustering techniques. The interplay between triplet composition and function reveals on tRNA genes unambiguously shows the prevalence of the function encoded in tRNA gene over the phylogeny: the genes gather into the clusters comprising the genes encoding the same amino acid; more exactly, few gene families exhibit fine cluster pattern corresponding the synonymous codons of amino acid. Previously reported symmetry in chloroplast genomes is shown for a set of gymnosperm: that is mirror symmetry, rotational symmetry, and the second Chargaff's parity rule asymmetry. A family of transposons was found in gymnosperm chloroplast genomes. This family is revealed through the novel comparison method based on convolution calculation, for a set of DNA sequences.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are used in catalysis due to their high specific surface area and porous structure. The dispersed active sites and limited reaction space render MOFs have the potential for highly selective electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR). Meanwhile, formic acid (HCOOH) is attracting attention as a liquid product with high economic benefits. This review summarizes the MOFs and their derivatives applied for ECO2RR into HCOOH products. The preparation methods of MOFs as electrocatalysts and their unique advantages are discussed. A series of MOFs, and MOFs derivatives obtained by electrochemical reduction or carbonization processes are highlighted, including metal nanomaterials, carbon-based nanocomposites, single-atom catalysts, and bimetallic nanocomposites. Depending on the MOFs building units (metal ions and organic linkers) and the reaction conditions of derivatization, MOFs-based catalysts exhibit rich diversity and controllable modulation of catalytic performance. Finally, the challenges encountered at this stage and the future research directions of MOFs-based catalysts are proposed.

The Review examines studies aimed at the organization of energy (non-mechanical) control of high-speed flow/flight using spatially multi-component plasma structures and combined energy deposition. The Review covers selected works on experimental obtaining and numerical modeling multi-component plasma structures and use of sets of actuators based on the plasma of such a spatially type for the purposes of control of shock wave/bow shock wave – energy source interaction, as well as control of shock wave – boundary layer interaction. A series of works on repetitive multiple laser pulse plasma structures is also analyzed from the point of view of examining shock wave/bow shock wave boundary layer interaction. Self-sustained theoretical models for laser dual-pulse, multi-mode laser pulses and self-sustained glow discharge are also considered. Separate sections are devoted to high-speed flow control using combined physical phenomena and numerical prediction of flow control possibilities using thermal longitudinally layered plasma structures. The wide possibilities for organization and applying spatially multi-component structured plasma for the purposes of high-speed flow control are demonstrated.

An inclusive curriculum with a socio-cultural approach must include content on sustainability. This study raised the following problem: What is the presence of contents related to sustainability in the curricula of 24 degrees of Pedagogy of the Spanish state.? Through an explicit study, subjects directly related to sustainability were identified and analyzed through the qualitative data analysis program Atlas-ti. The categories of analysis used were those present in the Sustainability Thesaurus [4] to which the professional category was incorporated. The results showed, on the one hand, the low presence in these grades of subjects whose name indicates a direct link with sustainability and, on the other hand, On the other hand, the presence of professional competencies was detected, which were not subsequently specified in the corresponding learning outcomes or in the training content.

Chinese texts often feature a substantial volume of normative content, and their analysis has increasingly become a focal point in recent semantic analysis endeavors. Enhancing the effectiveness of text classification and clustering is pivotal in unveiling the intricate semantics within extensive textual data. Empirical research within the realm of computational social science has underscored the need for improved explanatory power when it comes to general text clustering methods applied to normative texts. This study introduces an innovative hierarchical clustering method that incorporates part-of-speech (POS) features and pioneers a novel semantic network model. It achieves this by amalgamating a POS-based feature weight calculation method with hierarchical clustering techniques. To assess its efficacy, the method is rigorously evaluated across three diverse text datasets, encompassing normative reports, news articles, and social media content. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrate the superior performance of the POS-HC method, surpassing the traditional TF and TF-IDF feature extraction methods in terms of clustering accuracy, and surpassing some existing clustering methods. Furthermore, its classification effectiveness exhibits notable advantages, particularly in the semantic classification of normative texts.

The tetracyclic pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole olivacine and four of its oxygenated derivatives have been synthesized by a late-stage palladium-catalyzed Heck-type cyclization of the pyrrole ring as key step. In a test for inhibition of the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 9-methoxyolivacine showed the most significant inhibiting activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with an MIC₉₀ value of 1.5 μM.

Keywords: liquid alloys, microstratification, dispersed particles, spontaneous dispersion, criteria for true (entropic) spontaneous dispersion, mechanisms of quasi-spontaneous dispersion, methods and results for assessing size of dispersed particles.

Global warming may increase the potential evapotranspiration (Etp), thereby affecting the amount of clean water resources available in a region. In this study, the systematic biases in temperature outputs of 24 global climate models (GCMs) under 3 emission scenarios are corrected by using 8 bias correction methods. The trend of Etp in Yangzi River Delta in the 21st century is projected by using 4 Etp calculation formulas. The uncertainty of the projections is estimated and decomposed by using multi-way analysis of variance. The influence of uncertainty on the projected change signal is quantified by using the signal-to-noise ratio. The results show that, relative to the reference period (1971~2000), the annual mean daily Etp in Yangzi River Delta will increase by 0.14~0.17mm/d during the period 2021~2050 and by 0.21~0.41mm/d during the period 2061~2090, respectively. During 2021~2050, the uncertainty of Etp increase projections is dominantly contributed by the main effects of GCM (63%) and Etp calculation formula (24%). During 2061~2090, it is mainly contributed by the main effect of GCM (36%), followed by the main effects of emission scenario (34%) and Etp calculation formula (18%). The increase projections of Etp are generally reliable and robust during the two projection periods.

Biomimetics, which are similar to natural compounds that play an important role in the metabolism, manifestation of functional activity and reproduction of various fungi, have a pronounced attrac-tion in the current search for new effective antifungals. Actual trends in the development of this area of research indicate that unnatural amino acids can be used as such biomimetics, including those containing halogen atoms; compounds similar to nitrogenous bases embedded in the nucleic acids synthesized by fungi; peptides imitating fungal analogues; molecules similar to natural sub-strates of numerous fungal enzymes and Quorum Sensing signaling molecules of fungi and yeast; etc. Most part of the review is devoted to the analysis of semi-synthetic and synthetic antifungal peptides and their targets of action. This review is aimed at combining and systematizing the cur-rent scientific information accumulating in this area of research, developing various antifungals with an assessment of the effectiveness of the created biomimetics and the possibility of combining them with other antimicrobial substances to reduce cell resistance and improve antifungal effects.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

Pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs) as the third most widely used pesticides, following organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides, which are of significant importance in the analysis and detection of vegetables. However, the current pretreatment technology for PYRs confronts challenges of difficult separation and low enrichment efficiency, resulting in a cumbersome and time-consuming pretreatment process with poor selectivity. Here, a simple and efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) strategy was developed to simultaneously purify and enrich five PYRs in vegetables, with the magnetic covalent organic framework nanomaterial COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 as an adsorbent. The COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 was prepared by a simple solvothermal conditions method, using Fe3O4 as magnetic core, benzidine and 3,3,5,5-tetraaldehyde biphenyl as two building units. COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 could effectively capture the targeted PYRs by virtue of its abundant π-electron system and hydroxyl groups. The impact of various experimental parameters on extraction efficiency was investigated to optimize the MSPE conditions, including adsorbent amount, extraction time, elution solvent type and elution time. Subsequently, method validation was conducted under the optimal conditions in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Within the range of 5.00–100 μg·kg-1 (1.00–100 μg·kg-1 for bifenthrin and 2.5–100 μg·kg-1 for fenpropathrin), the five PYRs exhibited a strong linear relationship, with determination coefficients ranging from 0.9990 to 0.9997. The limits of detection (LODs) were 0.3–1.5 μg·kg-1, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.9–4.5 μg·kg-1. The recoveries were 80.2–116.7% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 7.0%. Finally, COF-SiO2@Fe3O4, NH2-SiO2@Fe3O4 and Fe3O4 were compared as MSPE adsorbents for PYRs. The results indicated that COF-SiO2@Fe3O4 was an efficient and rapid selective adsorbent for PYRs. This method holds promising prospects for the determination of PYRs in real samples.

In order to solve the problem of feature extraction of underwater acoustic signals in complex ocean environment, a new method for feature extraction from ship radiated noise is presented based on empirical mode decomposition theory and permutation entropy. It analyzes the separability for permutation entropies of the intrinsic mode functions of three types of ship radiated noise signals, and discusses the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy. In this study, ship radiated noise signals measured from three types of ships are decomposed into a set of intrinsic mode functions with empirical mode decomposition method. Then, the permutation entropies of all intrinsic mode functions are calculated with appropriate parameters. The permutation entropies are obviously different in the intrinsic mode functions with the highest energy, thus, the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy is regarded as a new characteristic parameter to extract the feature of ship radiated noise. After that, the characteristic parameters, namely, the energy difference between high and low frequency, permutation entropy, and multi-scale permutation entropy, are compared with the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy. It is discovered that the four characteristic parameters are at the same level for similar ships, however, there are differences in the parameters for different types of ships. The results demonstrate that the permutation entropy of the intrinsic mode function with the highest energy is better in separability as the characteristic parameter than the other three parameters by comparing their fluctuation ranges and the average values of the four characteristic parameters. Hence, the feature of ship radiated noise can be extracted efficiently with the method.

Waste from fish cutting (heads, swim bladders, fins, skin, bones) is a high-value technological raw material for obtaining substances and products based on them with a wide range of properties. The possibility of using waste from cutting fish of the Gadidae family: the Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) and the Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), processed in the coastal zone, is scientifically substantiated. In this work, a technology has been developed for processing accumulated waste from fish cutting in order to obtain fish gelatin, which is characterized by high protein content (more than 80.0%) and a full set of essential and nonessential amino acids. We studied the quality of fish gelatin obtained from wastes from cutting the fish of the Gadidae family. The possibility of using fish gelatin as a component of fish products is shown; the dose of its introduction into the fish products is substantiated. The data obtained made it possible to recommend the use of fish processing waste products as a gelling component and a source of amino acids in multicomponent food systems.

Nuclear pollution is an urgent environmental issue as a consequence of rapid industrialization and nuclear accidents in the past. Remediation of nuclear polluted sites using microbial vital activity (bioremediation) is a promising approach to recover contaminated areas in an environmentally friendly and cost-saving way. At the same time, the number of known bacterial and archaeal species able to withstand extremely high doses of ionizing radiation is steadily growing every year, together with growing knowledge about mechanisms of radioresistance. This opens up new opportunities for developing new biotechnological solutions. However, these data are often not systemized and it can be difficult to access. Here, we present the Determinants of Radioresistance Database, or DetR DB (http://extremebiolab.com/detr-db/), gathering a comprehensive catalog of radioresistant microbes and their molecular and genetic determinants of enhanced ionizing radiation tolerance. The database provides search tools including taxonomy, common gene name, and BLAST. DetR DB will be a useful tool for research community by facilitating the extraction of the necessary information to help further analysis of radiation-resistant mechanisms.

Background: This study aimed to identify the association between occupational stress and depression-well-being by proposing a comprehensive and flexible job burden-capital model with its corresponding hypotheses. Methods: For this research, 1618 valid samples were gathered from the electronic manufacturing service industry in Hunan Province, China; self-rated questionnaires were administered to participants for data collection after obtaining their written consent. The proposed model was fitted and tested through structural equation model analysis. Results: Single-factor correlation analysis results indicated that coefficients between all items and dimensions had statistical significance. The final model demonstrated satisfactory global goodness of fit (CMIN/DF=5.37, AGFI=0.915, NNFI=0.945, IFI=0.952, RMSEA=0.052). Both the measurement and structural models showed acceptable path loadings. Job burden and capital were directly associated with depression and well-being or indirectly related to them through personality. Multi-group structural equation model analyses indicated general applicability of the proposed model to basic features of such a population. Gender, marriage and education led to differences in the relation between occupational stress and health outcomes. Conclusions: The job burden-capital model of occupational stress-depression and well-being was found to be more systematic and comprehensive than previous models.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for approximately 85%-90% of all thyroid cancers. BRAFV600E mutation is a highly specific target for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and may have a reciprocal causative relationship with iodide-metabolizing genes. Here, we performed a review of studies published in the past 10 years to determine the relationship between iodine intake and BRAFV600E mutation in patients with PTC. We searched the MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases for studies published from 2009 to 2019; seven partially matched the selection criteria and were suitable for review, and five passed all selection criteria. We divided the patients into three groups by iodine intake: low (urinary iodine concentration [UIC] &lt;100 μg/L), adequate (UIC 100–200 μg/L), and high iodine intake groups (UIC ≥200 μg/L). Between-group analysis revealed no significant differences in the odds ratio of the prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation between the high and adequate/low iodine intake groups and between the adequate and low iodine intake groups. To further analyzed the results of studies, they exhibited U-shaped curves in the relation of deficient and excessive dietary iodine intake in BRAFV600E mutation. The results might suggest that iodine intake slightly influences the prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation in patients with PTC despite the heterogeneity of studies. Further research should explore potential mechanisms underlying the associations between iodine intake and BRAF mutation in PTC. The systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021279462).

Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for the global carbon cycle, and hyperspectral remote sensing has proven a promising method for fast SOM content estimation. However, soil physical properties significantly affect the sensitivity of satellite hyperspectral imaging to SOM, leading to poor generalization ability of the estimation model. This study aims to improve the spatiotemporal transferability of the SOM prediction model by alleviating the coupling effect of soil physical properties on the spectra. Based on satellite hyperspectral images and soil physical variables, including soil moisture (SM), soil surface roughness (root mean squared height, RMSH), and soil bulk weight (SBW), a soil spectral correction strategy was established based on the information unmixing method. Two important grain-producing areas in Northeast China were selected as study areas to verify the performance and transferability of the spectral correction model and SOM content prediction model. The results showed that soil spectral corrections based on fourth-order polynomials and the XG-Boost algorithm had excellent accuracy and generalization ability, with residual predictive deviations (RPD) exceeding 1.4 in almost all bands. In addition, when the soil spectral correction strategy was adopted, the accuracy of the SOM prediction model and the generalization ability after model migration were significantly improved. The SOM prediction accuracy based on the XG-Boost corrected spectrum was the highest, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.76, root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.74 g/kg, and RPD of 1.68. The prediction accuracy, R2, RMSE, and RPD of the model after migration were 0.72, 6.71 g/kg, and 1.53, respectively. Compared with the direct migration prediction of the model, adopting the soil spectral correction strategy based on fourth-order polynomials and XG-Boost reduced the RMSE of the SOM prediction results by 57.90% and 60.27%, respectively. The performance comparison highlighted the advantages of considering soil physical properties in regional-scale SOM prediction.

In recent decades, as eutrophication in inland and coastal waters (ICWs) has increased due to anthropogenic activities and global warming, so has the need for timely monitoring. Compared with traditional sampling and laboratory analysis methods, satellite remote sensing technology can provide macro-scale, low-cost, and near real-time water quality monitoring services. The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), integrated onboard the Communication Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) from the Republic of Korea, was the first geostationary ocean color observation satellite and was operational from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2021. Over ten years, GOCI has observed oceans, coastal waters, and inland waters within its 2,500 km×2,500 km target area centered on the Korean Peninsula. The most attractive feature of GOCI, compared with other commonly used watercolor sensors, was its high temporal resolution (1h, eight times daily from 0 UTC to 7 UTC), providing the opportunity to monitor the quality of ICWs, where optical properties can change rapidly throughout the day. This systematic review aims to comprehensively review GOCI features and applications in ICWs, analyzing progress in atmospheric correction algorithms and water quality monitoring. Analyzing 123 articles from the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) through a bibliometric quantitative approach, we examined GOCI’s strength and performance with different processing methods. These articles reveal that GOCI played an essential role in monitoring the ecological health of ICWs in its observation area in East Asia. GOCI has led the way to a new era of geostationary ocean satellites, providing new technical means for monitoring water quality in oceans, coastal zones, and inland lakes. We also discuss the challenges encountered by geostationary satellites in monitoring water quality and provide suggestions for improvements.

Multi-rotor drones, a kind of unmanned equipment which is widely used in military, commercial consumption and other fields, has been developed very rapidly in recent years. However, their short flight time has hindered the expansion of their application range. This can be addressed by utilizing hydrogen fuel cells, which exhibit high energy density, strong adaptability to ambient temperature, and no pollution emissions, as the power source. Accordingly, the application of hydrogen fuel cells as the power source in multi-rotor drones is a promising technology that has attracted significant research attention. This paper summarizes the development process of hydrogen fuel cell mul-ti-rotor drones and analyzes the key obstacles that need to be addressed for the further development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones, including structural lightweight, hydrogen storage methods, energy management strategies. Additionally, prospects for the future development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones are presented.

The heavy metal lead (Pb) can irreversibly damage the human nervous system. To help understand Pb-induced damage, we applied a genetically encoded Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based Pb biosensor Met-lead 1.44 M1 to two living systems to monitor the concentration of Pb: induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes as a semi-tissue platform, and Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies as an in vivo animal model. Different FRET imaging modalities were used to obtain FRET signals, which represented the presence of Pb in the tested samples in different spatial dimensions. Using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, the relationship between beating activity (20–24 beats per minute, bpm) determined from the fluctuation of fluorescent signals and the concentrations of Pb represented by the FRET emission ratio values of Met-lead 1.44 M1 was revealed from simultaneous measurements. Pb (50 μM) affected the beating activity of cardiomyocytes, whereas two drugs that stop the entry of Pb differentially affected this beating activity: verapamil (2 μM) did not reverse the cessation of beating, whereas 2-APB (50 μM) partially restored this activity (16 bpm). The results clearly demonstrate a potential of this biosensor system as an anti-Pb drug screening application. In the Drosophila model, Pb was detected within the adult brain or larval central nervous system (Cha-gal4>UAS-Met-lead 1.44 M1) using fast epifluorescence and high-resolution two-photon 3D FRET ratio image systems. The tissue-specific expression of Pb biosensors provides an excellent opportunity to explore the possible Pb-specific populations within living organisms. We believe that this integrated Pb biosensor system can be applied to the prevention of Pb poisoning and advanced research on Pb neurotoxicology.

Achieving the dual development of rural revitalization and urbanization is an important strategic goal of China’s current modernization. Rural population and settlements are the main components of the countryside in traditional agricultural areas, and play an important role in the development of the countryside itself in terms of urban and rural land use and in the formation of urban and rural development patterns. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal changes in rural populations and settlements at the township level, as well as the degree and type of coupled development. A framework for urban–rural development relationships based on different types of coupled development is proposed, and a model of urban–rural forces is constructed to derive the spatial pattern of urban–rural development at the township level that may be formed in the future. Our study shows that the rural population and settlements in the study area are characterized by significant spatial and temporal dynamics, indicating that traditional rural areas are in a process of rapid development and change. The results of the township-level coupling measurements present four types of development in terms of the spatial pattern of urban–rural development: A-type is most likely to produce new cities or satellite towns in the Jixi–Harbin–Qiqihar area in the future; B-type is the fastest dying area in the future, located in the Harbin and Qitaihe clusters, with a tendency to merge into Harbin; C-type is the area to be focused on in the future to attract population and strictly control the growth of the rural settlement area to avoid it turning into B-type; D-type may develop regional township centers in the future in the combined area of Jiamusi City, Suihua City and Mudanjiang City. The results of the study provide experience in realizing rural revitalization according to local conditions. The new spatial pattern of urban–rural development provides an important reference for formulating land use policies, optimizing urban–rural land allocation and realizing integrated urban–rural development strategies.

The modern paradigm of studying the processes of carcinogenesis and vital activity of tumor tissues implies increased attention to constituents of tumor microenvironment (TME) and their interactions. These interactions between the cells in TME can be mediated via protein junctions of different types. Connexins (Cnxs) are one of the major contributors to intercellular communication. They form gap junctions responsible for the transfer of ions, metabolites, peptides, miRNA, etc. between neighboring tumor cells as well as between tumor and stromal cells. Cnx hemichannels mediate purinergic signaling and bidirectional molecular transport with the extracellular environment. Additionally, Cnxs were reported to localize in tumor-derived exosomes and facilitate the release of their cargo. A large body of evidence implies that the role of connexins in cancer is multifaceted. Pro- or anti-tumorigenic properties of connexins are determined by their abundance, localization and functionality as well as channel assembly and non-channel functions. In this review we have summarized the data on the Cnxs contribution in TME and to the cancer initiation and progression.

The aim of this research is to apply artificial intelligence (AI) methods, specifically artificial immune systems (AIS), in order to design an optimal control strategy for a multivariable control plant. Two specific industrial control approaches are investigated: I-PD (Integral-Proportional Derivative) and PI-D (Proportional-Integral Derivative) control. The study results in a novel solution to the control synthesis problem for the industrial system. In particular, the research addresses the synthesis of I-P control for a two-loop system in the technological process of a distillation column. This synthesis is accomplished using the AIS algorithm, making it the first application of this technique to this specific context. Methodological approaches are proposed to enhance the performance of industrial multivariable control systems through effective utilization of optimization algorithms by establishing modified quality criteria. The problem of synthesis of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) control system is solved, taking into account the interconnections due to the decoupling procedure.

High-content fluorescence microscopy combines the efficiency of high-throughput techniques with the ability to extract quantitative information from biological systems. The planarian community has developed sensitive and robust assays for whole animals, yet cell based assays, despite their practical aspects, have not been explored to the same extent. Here we describe a modular collection of detailed protocols adapted for fixed planarian cells that enable multiplexed measurements of biomarkers in microwell plates. Methods include the detection of RNA transcripts by RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization combined with tyramide signal amplification using hapten-labeled riboprobes. In addition, immunocytochemical protocols for quantifying proliferating cells by the detection of phosphorylated histone H3 as well as 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation into the nuclear genome are described. The assays are compatible with planarians of virtually any size, as the tissue is disaggregated into a single cell suspension before fixation and staining. By sharing many reagents with established planarian whole mount staining protocols, preparation of samples for high-content microscopy adoption requires little additional investment. Recommendations for successful experimental workflows and common sources of errors are discussed.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease which results in the destruction of the tooth’ s supporting tissues and the alveolar bone resorption. The complement becomes a major link between infection and inflammatory pathology including periodontitis. Gingipians as important virulence factors of P. gingivalis have the activity of C5 convertase, could cleave C5 into fully functional C5a to activate C5aR. The above process could be blocked by the C5aR antagonist (PMX-53) to suppress local periodontal inflammation, and then achieves the purpose of treatment of periodontitis. Nanoparticles incorporated within gelatin are promising carrier system for drug delivery in recent years. This study aimed to investigate whether gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 prevents alveolar bone resorption in miniature swines model of periodontitis. Four miniature swines were placed ligatures around the maxillary and mandibular fourth premolar and first molar on both sides for seven weeks to induce periodontitis. Then, animals were assigned randomly to four groups: minocycline-treated group, gelatin with PMX53-treated group, gelatin-treated group and a sham control group. They were treated with 1ml related drugs respectively, into gingival sulcusl for 4 times at one-week intervals. We showed that local treatments with gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 could inhibit alveolar bone loss of periodontitis. Our study revealed that gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 prevented alveolar bone resorption miniature swines model of periodontitis. In addition, provided proof-of-concept for local targeting of gelatin nanoparticles loaded with PMX-53 as a powerful candidate for the treatment of periodontitis.

We aimed to investigate the ability of children aged 5–14 years old (preschoolers, primary schoolers, and preteens) to assess and anticipate time intervals. 287 Russian children aged 5–14 years old and 26 adults of control group participated in our study. The neuropsychological assessment, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and a battery of time-related tests were applied. All groups of children overestimated the event’s duration, although the accuracy of the second estimations increased among the participants aged 6–8 years after a prompt was offered. A zone of proximal development for time anticipation task was detected for children aged 9-11 years, when the prompt could significantly improve the accuracy of time perception. The participants overestimated the duration of both upcoming and past events, with the degree of overestimation being found to be negatively correlated with age. Further, a higher degree of accuracy in terms of time estimation was found to be correlated with higher scores on the attention and memory tests, and accuracy of time anticipation was associated with scores of praxis test.

Pigmented corn is a gramineae food of great biological, cultural and nutritional importance for many Latin American countries, with more than 250 breeds in the American continent. It confers a large number of health benefits due to its diverse and abundant bioactive compounds. In this narrative review we decided to organize the information on the nutrients, bioactive compounds and phytochemicals present in pigmented corn, as well as their effects on human health. Phenolic compounds and anthocyanins are some of the most studied and representative compounds in these grasses, with a wide range of health properties, mainly the reduction of prooxidant molecules. Carotenoids are a group of molecules belonging to the terpenic compounds, present in a large number of pigmented corn breeds, mainly the yellow ones, whose biological activity incorporates a wide spectrum. Bioactive peptides can be found in abundance in corn, having very diverse biological effects that include analgesic, opioid, antihypertensive, etc. activity. Other compounds with biological activity found in pigmented corn are resistant starches, some fatty acids, phytosterols, policosanols, phospholipids, ferulic acid and phlobaphenes, as well as a great variety of vitamins, elements, and fibers. This review aims to disseminate and integrate the existing knowledge on compounds with biological activity in pigmented corn, in order to promote their research, interest and use by scientists, nutrition professionals, physicians, industries and the general population.

The hospital indoor environment plays a significant role in shaping the microbial exposures that humans encounter. Resistance to antibiotics is one of the mechanisms employed by bacteria to develop resilience against stress in indoor environments. The extensive usage of antibiotics has been a key factor in driving changes in the ecological function of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their acquisition by pathogenic bacteria. By integrating the 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing and high throughput-qPCR approaches with water and air dust samples across seven departments at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, China, this study yielded intriguing findings regarding the department-specific variation, transmission, and correlation of bacteria, ARGs and MGEs within the hospital indoor environment. One notable observation was that the seasonal variation played a vital role in shaping the bacterial composition in the overall hospital indoor environment across seven studied departments. Nevertheless, a similar significant seasonal impact was only observed in the blood test room and emergency departments, rather than in the other five departments. Another intriguing finding was the correlation between ARGs and MGEs abundance. This correlation was evident in the overall hospital indoor environment, which was conversely not found in the emergency, pneumology and gynecology departments. Additionally, while there was no significant relationship that occurred between bacterial communities and ARGs/MGEs within the hospital, the gynecology department demonstrated a close link between bacterial communities and the presence of ARGs/MGEs. Notably, the gynecology department also stood out as an important source of bacteria and ARGs/MGEs for other departments. This study underscores the need for careful surveillance and monitoring of antibiotic resistance, particularly in Legionella spp. in man-made water systems. The findings also show the importance of monitoring and understanding the genetic elements such as Tp614 involved in gene transfer and recombination, as well as their impact on antimicrobial treatment efficacy.

As the most serious of the many worse new pathological changes caused by diabetes, there are many risk factors for the occurrence and development of DR. It mainly includes hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and so on. Among them, hyperglycemia is the most critical cause, which plays a key role in the pathological changes of DR.High-sucrose diets(HSDs) lead to elevated blood glucose levels in vivo, which, through oxidative stress, inflammation, the production of AGEs and VEGF, causes plenty of pathological damages to the retina and ultimately bring about loss of vision. The existing therapies for DR primarily target the terminal stage of the disease, when irreversible visual impairment has appeared. Therefore, early prevention is particularly critical. Early prevention of DR-related vision loss requires adjustments to dietary habits, mainly by reducing sugar intake. This article primarily discusses the risk factors, pathophysiological processes, and molecular mechanisms associated with the development of DR caused by HSDs. It aims to raise awareness of the crucial role of diet in the occurrence and progression of DR, promote timely changes in dietary habits, prevent vision loss, and improve the quality of life. The aim is to make people aware of the importance of diet in the occurrence and progression of DR. According to the dietary modification strategies we give, patients can change their poor eating habits timely, avoid the retinopathy that can be avoided theoretically, and obtain a excellent outcome.

We compared two approaches to non-invasive proximal sensing of the early changes in fresh-cut lettuce leaf quality: hyperspectral imaging and imaging PAM-fluorometry of chlorophyll contained in the leaves. The assessments made by the imaging techniques were confronted with the quality assessments made by traditional biochemical assays: relative water content and foliar pigment (chlorophyll and carotenoid) composition. The hyperspectral imaging-based approach provided the highest sensitivity to the decline of fresh-cut lettuce leaf quality taking place within 24 h from cutting. Using of the imaging PAM was complicated by (i) weak correlation of the spatial distribution pattern of the Qy parameter with the actual physiological condition of the plant object and (ii) its high degree of heterogeneity. Accordingly, the imaging PAM-based approach was sensitive only to the manifestations of leaf quality degradation only at advanced stages of the process. Sealing the leaves in the polyethylene bags slowed down the leaf quality degradation at the initial stages (&lt; 3 days) but promoted its rate at more advanced stages, likely due to build-up of ethylene in the bags. An approach was developed to the processing of hyperspectral data for non-invasive monitoring of the lettuce leaves with a potential for implementation in greenhouses and packinghouses.

Wearable technology has been proposed as a potential tool to change the way of human life, such as the smart bracelet and the Google Glass. In the wearable technology, the inertial sensor has great significance in tracking the object movements. The paper focused on detecting the movements of user’s finger based on the inertial sensor to give the control signals. Firstly, the attitude matrix, which represented the transformation relation of carrier coordinate system and the navigation coordinate system, was obtained. Secondly, the attitude matrix was expressed based on the quaternions. Thirdly, the finger gesture was processed by the attitude matrix to get the attitude angle. Finally, the robot was controlled by attitude angle to make the moving action. The experimental results showed the detection of the finger movement is effective.

We consider boundary value problems for a nonlinear mass transfer model, which generalizes the classical Boussinesq approximation, under inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions for the velocity and the substance’s concentration. It is assumed that the leading coefficients of viscosity and diffusion and the buoyancy force in the model equations depend on concentration. We develop mathematical apparatus of studying inhomogeneous boundary value problems under consideration. It is based on using of a weak solution of the boundary value problem and construction of liftings of the inhomogeneous boundary data. They remove the inhomogeneity of the data and reduce original problems to equivalent homogeneous boundary value problems. Based on this apparatus we will prove the theorem of the global existence of a weak solution to boundary value problem under study and establish important properties of the solution. In particular, we will prove the validity of the maximum principle for the substance’s concentration. We will also establish sufficient conditions for the problem data, ensuring the local uniqueness of weak solutions.

Hypoxia, associated with abnormal vessel growth, is a characteristic feature of many solid tumors that increases their metastatic potential and resistance to radiotherapy. Carbon ion radiation therapy, alone or in combination with other treatments, is one of the most promising treatments for hypoxic tumors because the oxygen enhancement ratio decreases with increasing particle LET. Nevertheless, the current clinical practice does not yet fully benefit from using carbon ions for tackling hypoxia. Here we give an overview of the existing experimental and clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of C-ion radiotherapy in overcoming hypoxia-induced radioresistance, followed by a discussion of the strategies proposed to enhance it, including different approaches to maximize the LET in the tumors.

In this paper we propose the notion of a transposed Poisson superalgebra. We prove that a transposed Poisson superalgebra can be constructed by means of a commutative associative superalgebra and an even degree derivation of this algebra. Making use of this we construct two examples of transposed Poisson superalgebra. One of them is the graded differential algebra of differential forms on a smooth finite dimensional manifold, where we use the Lie derivative as an even degree derivation. The second example is the commutative superalgebra of basic fields of the quantum Yang-Mills theory, where we use the BRST-supersymmetry as an even degree derivation to define a graded Lie bracket. We prove several identities, which hold in a transposed Poisson superalgebra.

Mild impacts to the head, particularly when repetitive in nature, are increasingly recognized to have a range of significant negative implications for brain health. Much of the ongoing research in the field is focused on the neurological consequences of these injuries, and the relationship between head impacts and long-term neurodegenerative conditions such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s disease. However, our understanding of the complex relationship between applied mechanical force at impact, brain pathophysiology, and neurological function, remains incomplete. Past research has shown that mild head impacts, even below the threshold that results in cranial fracture, induce changes in cranial bone structure and morphology. These structural and physiological changes likely have implications for the transmission of mechanical force into the underlying brain parenchyma. Here, we review this evidence in the context of the current understanding of bone mechanosensitivity and the consequences of traumatic brain injuries or concussions. We postulate that heterogeneity of the calvarium including differing bone thickness due to prior impacts, age, or individual variability, may be a modulator of outcomes following subsequent head impacts. We advocate for greater consideration of cranial responses to head injury in both experimental and computer modeling of impact biomechanics, and raise the hypothesis that calvarial bone thickness represents a novel biomarker of brain injury vulnerability after head trauma.

In this paper, the authors identified key elements important for circularity: (1) Background: The primary goal of circularity is to eliminate waste and to prove the constant use of resources. In the paper, we classify studies according to circular approaches. The authors identified main elements and classified them into categories important for circularity, starting with the managing and reducing waste and the recovery of resources; and ending with the circularity of material, and general circularity-related topics and presented scientific works dedicated to each of the above-mentioned categories. The authors analyzed several core elements from the first category aiming to investigate and connect different waste streams and provided a regression model; (2) Methods: The authors used a dynamic regression model to identify relationships among variables and selected the ones, which has an impact on the increase of biowaste. The research was delivered for the 27 European Union countries during the period between 2020 and 2019; (3) Conclusions: The authors indicated that the recycling rate of wasted electrical equipment in the previous year has an impact on the increase of recycling biowaste next year. This is explained as non-metallic spare parts of electronic equipment are used as biowaste for fuel production. And the separation process of the composites of electric equipment takes some time, on average the effect is evident in one year period.

As a system becomes more complex, at first, its description and analysis becomes more complicated. However, a further increase in the system’s complexity often makes this analysis simpler. A classical example is Central Limit Theorem: when we have a few independent sources of uncertainty, the resulting uncertainty is very difficult to describe, but as the number of such sources increases, the resulting distribution get close to an easy-to-analyze normal one – and indeed, normal distributions are ubiquitous. We show that such limit theorems make analysis of complex systems easier – i.e., lead to blessing of dimensionality phenomenon – for all the aspects of these systems: the corresponding transformation, the system’s uncertainty, and the desired result of the system’s analysis.

In higher eukaryotes, enhancers determine the activation of developmental gene transcription in specific cell types and stages of embryogenesis. Enhancers transform the signals produced by various transcription factors within a given cell, activating the transcription of the targeted genes. Often, developmental genes can be associated with dozens of enhancers, some of which are located at large distances from the promoters that they regulate. Currently, the mechanisms that underly the specific distance interactions between enhancers and promoters remain unknown. This review describes the properties and activities of enhancers and discusses the mechanisms of distance interactions and potential proteins involved in this process.

The combined ecological, geophysical, climatic, and social factors of the Northeast of Russia influence the organism from the early childhood being too intense for the functional systems. The purpose of the research is to study the emotional characteristics of adolescents of different ethnic groups in the northeast of Russia. Presented in the paper are results of the study that covered 826 adolescents (445 females and 381 males) at the age of 15–17, different by ethnic origin. We used standard methods of psycho-diagnostics. Our study has showed that the formation of the adolescents’ emotional sphere in the North is undoubtedly influenced not only by the climatic and socio-economic environmental factors but also by ethnic features. There are intergroup differences in the aggressiveness profile of older adolescents living in the remote settlement vs. the regional center. It is shown that high school students in the remote settlement of Evensk, compared to their peers in Magadan, regardless of gender and ethnicity, are characterized by more pronounced hostile and auto-aggressive reactions. In adolescents of the Aboriginal population, as compared with their age mate Caucasians, the indicators of impairment in the field of Neuro Psychic Adaptation, Situational and Personal Anxiety, and Social Frustration are significantly more pronounced.

Based on rapeseed plantation biodiesel production system requires transportation of goods, like raw materials, machines and tools, and products between various conversion stages of agricultural as well as industrial subsystems. Each transportation step requires consumption of some energy. This consumption, decreases the net amount of energy delivered out of the biofuel production system, and consequently decreases energetic efficiency of the system. The present work deals with computer modelling of the influence of energy consumed on those transport routes on the energetic efficiency of production system. The effects caused by variation of several parameters like fuel consumption and load capacity of transportation means, size of plantation, distribution and sizes of individual fields, distances between fields, as well as plantation yield, and finally the distance between plantation and the industrial facility are studied using the numerical model developed

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are often considered biomarkers of skin fibrosis. At the early stages of the pathological process, an elevation of their enzymatic activity causes significant changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix. MMPs secreted by immune cells facilitate their migration to the site of damage. Then, the immune cells eliminate the affected cells and biomolecules. Moreover, bidirectional changes in the activity of proteolytic enzymes, including MMPs, accompany wound healing. This study aimed to assess changes in the expression of Mmp2, Mmp3, and Mmp9 after treating the mice with laser therapy using the experimental model of bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis. Using immunohistochemistry, we characterized the histological features of scarred skin. We also analyzed changes in the expression of MMPs using real-time polymerase chain reaction before and after the irradiation with laser. We showed that treatment of the mice with CO2 laser partially normalized the histological features of scarred skin. We also noticed a decrease in the expression of Mmp2, Mmp3 (both p &lt; 0.05), and Mmp9 (p = 0.065) during scar healing. The obtained results suggest that normalization of skin homeostasis requires a control of MMPs activities via induction of their genes.

Learning programming is a complex and challenging task for many students. It in-volves both understanding theoretical concepts and acquiring practical skills. Hence, analyzing learners’ data from online learning environments alone fails to capture the full breadth of stu-dents’ actions if part of their learning process takes place elsewhere. Moreover, existing studies on learning analytics applied to programming education have mainly relied on frequency analysis to classify students according to their approach to programming or to predict academic achieve-ment. However, frequency analysis provides limited insights into the individual time-related characteristics of the learning process. The current study examines students’ strategies when learning programming, combining data from the learning management system and from an au-tomated assessment tool. To gain an in-depth understanding of students’ learning process as well as of the types of learners, we used learning analytics methods that account for the temporal order of learning actions. Our results show that students have special preferences for specific learning resources when learning programming, namely slides that support search, and copy and paste. We also found that videos are relatively less consumed by students, especially while working on programming assignments. Lastly, students resort to course forums to seek help only when they struggle.

Investigation of oomycete diversity in rice paddies of Fars Province in Iran led to the identification of two new Pythium sensu lato (s.l.) species as Globisporangium izadpanahii sp. nov. and Pythium banihashemianum sp. nov. The identification was based on morphological and physiological features as well as the phylogenetic analysis of nuclear (ITS and βtub) and mitochondrial (cox1 and cox2) loci using Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood. A major characteristic of G. izadpanahii was the production of globose hyphal swellings; this species did not produce vesicles and zoospores. The present paper describes formally these two new species and defines their phylogenetic relationships with other congeneric species. According to multiple gene genealogy analysis, G. izadpanahii grouped with other species of Globisporangium in the former clade G of Pythium s.l. and was closely related to both G. nagaii and the recently described G. coniferarum. The second species, designated P. banihashemianum, grouped with other species of Pythium sensu stricto in the former clade B of Pythium s.l. and according to the phylogenetic analysis shared an ancestor with P. plurisporium. In pathogenicity tests on rice seedlings, P. banihashemianum isolates were highly pathogenic causing severe root and crown rot, while G. izadpanahii isolates were not pathogenic.

Morphological features and composition of ISSR DNA fragments were studied in species of the genus Tulipa L. A comparative analysis of the data obtained was carried out and an attempt was made to clarify the species belonging of plants. Plants obtained from various sources were studied. It was found that representatives of the genus Tulipa L. from the two subgenera Tulipa and Eriostemones are well separated not only morphologically, but also by the composition of ISSR fragments. At the intra- and interspecific level, the results for morphological traits and molecular data differed. Interspecific and intraspecific differences were more clearly traced in the complex analysis of morphological features and ISSR PCR data. All samples obtained in the form of bulbs and renewed vegetatively had an identical set of ISSR fragments. Plants grown from seeds were characterized by a significant variety of molecular markers and had both species-specific and in-dividual genetic variability. It was found that the samples obtained and registered as the Tulipa urumiensis Stapf are the yellow-flowered form of the Tulipa tarda Stapf, and a sample received as the Tulipa turkestanika Regel is the Tulipa bifloriformis Vved. Thus, a comprehensive study of both the data of fragmentary DNA analysis and morphological features, provided a sufficient number of DNA samples, makes it possible to clarify the species of tulip plants, and also allows us to assess the genetic diversity of the genus Tulipa.

In the following work, the assessment of the strength properties of the critical area of the rotor stage of the turbine jet engine was undertaken. This is the place of fixing the blade in the rotor disc. An important aspect of this issue are characteristic geometrical dimensions and operating factors e.g., change in rotor speed. In this paper, the assessment of the strength properties of the existing trapezoidal blade-disc connection was undertaken using parametric analysis considering FSI. Virtual models of the compressor rotor stage were developed, including parametric blade-disc connections and discrete models for FEM and CFD analyses. In the parametric analysis of the blade-disc connection, one-way fluid-structure coupling was used. The parametric analysis was aimed at assessing selected geometric parameters in terms of their impact on the maximum reduced stresses in the blade root. It was examined how the adopted value of the friction coefficient influences the maximum reduced stresses in the rotor stage of the compressor.

The importance of rare earth elements as the basis in the development of new technologies or the improvement of the used ones, made of a necessity its recovery, besides that from raw materials, from waste materials. In this recovery, Hydrometallurgy and its derivative Solvometallurgy, play a key role due to its operational characteristics, which are emphasized with the use of ionic liquids. The manuscript reviewed the most recent advances (2023 and 2024 years) about the use of ionic liquids in the unit operations (leaching and separation technologies) aimed to the recovery of these valuable and strategic metals. Moreover, a comprehensive review about the use of these chemicals in the development of advanced materials containing some of these rare earth elements is presented.

This paper systematically examines Chinese academic discourse that concurrently addresses Indonesia and Timor-Leste, analysing 137 articles from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and indexed by the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI). The analysis reveals significant publication trends, particularly during periods of heightened geopolitical and economic engagement, such as the global expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It identifies predominant themes such as economic cooperation, security concerns, and historical-cultural dynamics. The findings highlight China’s strategic interests and leadership aspirations in Southeast Asia， providing insights into how Chinese scholars perceive and articulate China’s strategic interests and diplomatic efforts in the region involving Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

Mechanical ventilation (MV), used in patients with acute lung injury (ALI), induces diaphragmatic myofiber atrophy and contractile inactivity, termed ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase- (PI3K-) is crucial in modulating fibrogenesis during the reparative phase of ALI; however, the mechanisms regulating the interactions among MV, myofiber fibrosis, and PI3K- remain unclear. We hypothesized MV with or without bleomycin treatment would increase diaphragm muscle fibrosis through the PI3K- pathway. Five days after receiving a single bolus of 0.075 units bleomycin intratracheally, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 6 or 10 mL/kg MV for 8 h after receiving 5 mg/kg of AS605240 intraperitoneally. In wild-type mice, bleomycin exposure followed by MV 10 mL/kg prompted significant increases in disruptions of diaphragmatic myofibrillar organization, transforming growth factor-1, oxidative loads, Masson’s trichrome staining, extracellular collagen levels, positive staining of -smooth muscle actin, PI3K- expression, and myonuclear apoptosis (P &lt; 0.05). Decreased diaphragm contractility and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor- coactivator-1 levels were also observed (P &lt; 0.05). MV-augmented bleomycin-induced diaphragm fibrosis and myonuclear apoptosis were attenuated in PI3K-γ-deficient mice and through AS605240-induced inhibition of PI3K- activity (P &lt; 0.05). MV-augmented diaphragm fibrosis after bleomycin-induced ALI is partially mediated through PI3K-γ. Therapy targeting PI3K-γ may ameliorate MV-associated diaphragm fibrosis.