Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) support the harvesting, curating, storage, and sharing of data along with providing access to development, analytic, and visualization tools that enable the building of innovative applications to address broad or specific challenges. SDIs can be especially powerful in bringing together data and tools supporting a particular theme – and this paper discusses and demonstrates the value of an SDI focused on Health. Many potential benefits of a Health SDI are proposed, and the case of supporting emergency response efforts is developed in detail. Leveraging a Health SDI, a Health Risk Index was created that provides emergency response personnel (both Emergency Operations Managers and Emergency Medical Responders) key insights into the unique health risks the impacted population faces due to the disaster. In order to establish the Health Risk Index, datasets from multiple national and global sources representing health data and social data that influences health outcomes – typically called social determinants of health – are harvested, merged, and republished to support further efforts at advancing the Health Risk Index. Visualizations of the Health Risk Index at the global, national, and sub-national levels down to the address level are presented along with demonstrations of its use.

The article concerns a relatively small but important fragment of John Paul II's pastoral activity, namely his pilgrimages to Poland: the nature of these pilgrimages, their historical background and teaching - especially to the extent that went beyond the immediate and Polish context. The text is the result not only of reading papal statements, but also of personal observation of the political and social atmosphere. The first two parts contain a concise description of the Pope's eight pilgrimages to Poland (before and after the political transformation). The third highlights out the main universal themes raised by the Pope: the dignity of the person, truth and freedom. During consecutive pilgrimages to Poland, he deepened and expanded the themes of his teaching. This collection of his sermons and speeches to Poles constitutes a comprehensive (devoid of redundant repetitions and omissions) treatment of important social, philosophical and theological issues. John Paul II, when speaking to Poles and about Poles, did not lose his universal perspective; he appealed both to Christians and to all people of good will. Papal pilgrimages to Poland are a significant part of modern Polish history, and their message is a valuable intellectual and spiritual gift.

Many corporations and governments aspire to become Net Zero Carbon Dioxide by 2030-2050. Achieving this goal requires understanding where energy is produced and consumed, the magnitude of CO₂ generation, and the Carbon Cycle. Many prior proposed solutions focus on reducing future CO₂ emissions from continued use of fossil fuels. Examination of these technologies exposes their limitations and shows that none offer a complete solution. For example, bioethanol is shown to be both carbon and energy inefficient. Direct Air Capture technologies are needed to reduce CO₂ already in the air. The most natural form of Direct Air Capture involves letting nature do the work of creating biomass via photosynthesis. However, it is necessary to break the Carbon Cycle by permanently sequestering that biomass carbon in “landfills” modified to discourage decomposition to CO₂ and methane. Tree leaves and biomass grown on-purpose, such as high yield switchgrass, are proposed as good biomass sources for this purpose. Left unsequestered, leaves decompose with a short Carbon Cycle time constant releasing CO₂ back to the atmosphere. While in any given year, leaves represent a small fraction of a tree’s above ground biomass, leaves can represent a substantial fraction of the total biomass generated by a tree when integrated over a tree’s lifetime. Understanding the chemistry of the distinct phases landfills undergo is the key to minimizing or eliminating decomposition. First, the compact cross-linked structure of cellulose and keeping water out will make it difficult for initial depolymerization to release sugars. Air ingress should be minimized to minimize Phase I aerobic decomposition. pH manipulation can discourage acid formation during Phase II. Lignocellulose is low in nutrients needed for anaerobic decomposition. Inhibitors can be added if needed. The goal is to move quickly to the dormant phase where decomposition stops. The cost for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) for growing and sequestering high yield switchgrass is estimated to be lower than CCS for steam reforming of methane hydrogen plants (SRM) and supercritical or combined cycle coal power plants. Thus, sequestration of biomass is a natural, carbon efficient, and low-cost method of Direct Capture. Biomass sequestration can provide CO₂ removal on giga tonnes per year scale and can be implemented in the needed timeframe (2030-2050).

(1) Background: As part of the Scottish Governments five-year recovery plan to address the backlog in NHS care following the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacies in Scotland are planned to provide a Hospital Discharge Medicines Supply and Medicines Reconciliation Service. We aimed to qualitatively explore patients’ experience of this new service; (2) Method: Adult patients (≥18yrs age) who consented to participate in the Community Pharmacy Hospital Dis-charge and Medicines Reconciliation Service were invited for interview within 21 days of dis-charge from hospital. Qualitative, one-to-one, semi-structured, patient interviews were conducted by telephone and audio-recorded using Microsoft Teams®. The interview audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and underwent thematic analysis; (3) Results: 12 patients were inter-viewed, evenly split by sex and with a median age of 62 years (range; 36 to 88 years). Analysis generated main five themes; Patient Engagement, Stakeholder Communication, Practical Factors, Human Factors, and Comparative Experiences. Many of these were interdependent; (4) Con-clusions: Patients appreciated that the service ensured a quicker discharge from hospital. Good stakeholder communication, practical factors (including choice, location, and the realities of ob-taining their medication from the community pharmacy), and a pre-existing and trusted rela-tionship in their usual community pharmacy were the key factors that regulated the patient ex-perience. In the main, patients were positive about the introduction of this new service. However, a lack of previous relationship or trust with a community pharmacy, and previous experiences with medication supply problems were factors which had the potential to negatively impact on patient experiences.

This paper discusses the tectonics of the St. Peter and St. Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) in the Equato-rial Atlantic Ocean, based on the joint-system geometry which show a North-South shorten-ing/transpressional uplift tectonism, is active leading to exhumation of the sub-oceanic mantle. These islets are the summits of a sigmoidal submarine ridge formed by mantle ultramafic rocks. The ridge is crossed by the principal transform deformation zone of the northern transform fault of the St. Paul Multifault System. The South flank ridge exposes serpentinized mantle perido-tites, while the North flank exposes strongly deformed/fractured ultramylonites, recording duc-tile and brittle deformation at lithospheric conditions. The SPSPA show multiple joint systems cutting mylonitic foliation of the exposed rocks, forming three main families: high-angle paral-lel joints of tectonic origin, serpentinization-related joints with random direction and load-release low-angle parallel joints. The tectonic joints show an average direction of N31°E and N28°W, forming a conjugate system with a N1ºW compression axes, coherent with a trans-pressive stress field. Accordingly, the earthquakes focal mechanism close to the islets also shows N-S compression. The previously reported active uplift with an average rate of 1.5 mm/year and the directions of the joint system here reported agreeing with a present-day active N-S compres-sive field at a high angle with the direction of the transform fault.

A small proportion of health care users are recognised to use a significantly higher proportion of health system resources, largely due to systemic, inequitable access and disproportionate health burdens. These high-resource health system users are routinely characterised as older, with multiple comorbidities, and reduced access to adequate health care. Geographic trends also emerge, with more rural and isolated regions demonstrating higher rates of high-resource use than others. Despite known geographical discrepancies in health care access and outcomes, health policy and research initiatives remain focused on urban population centers. To alleviate mounting health system pressure from high-resource users, their characteristics must be better understood within the context in which it arises. To examine this, a scoping review was conducted to provide an overview of characteristics of high-resource users in rural and remote communities in Canada and Australia. In total, 21 papers were included in the review. Using qualitative thematic coding, primary findings characterised rural high-resource users as those of an older age; with increased comorbid conditions and condition severity; lower socioeconomic status; and elevated risk behaviours.

Cancer is amenable to low-cost treatments, given that it has a significant metabolic component, which can be effected through diet and lifestyle change at minimal cost. The Warburg hypothesis states that cancer cells have altered cell metabolism towards anaerobic glycolysis. Given this metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, it is possible to target cancers metabolically by depriving them of glucose. In addition to dietary and lifestyle modifications which work on tumors metabolically, there are a panoply of nutritional supplements and repurposed drugs associated with cancer prevention, and better treatment outcomes. These interventions and their evidentiary basis are covered in the latter half of this review to guide future cancer treatment.

The primary goal of this research is to examine the α-amylase inhibitory effect of phytoconstituents found in the roots of the Cyclea peltata plant. The extract will also be used to investigate the effect of root extract on α-amylase inhibition assay. The roots were gathered, processed, and extracted in petroleum ether before being kept at 4ºC. The extract was exposed to a preliminary phytochemical examination. The extract was employed in the α-amylase inhibition experiment at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 µg/ml with acarbose as a control. Molecular docking analysis was performed on the phytoconstituents cycleapeltine, cycleadrine, cycleacurine, cycleanorine, cycleahomine chloride, and acarbose on human pancreatic alpha-amylase 1B2Y. A preliminary phytochemical study revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, and terpenoids. The tests came back negative for flavonoids, steroids, and tannin. The root extract inhibited α-amylase at 69.42 ± 0.74 % at 1000 µg/ml and acarbose at 94.63 ± 0.57 %. The IC50 value was calculated and found to be 484.08 µg/ml for the extract and 42.47 µg/ml. The docking studies, revealed that cycleacurine (-4.751 Kcal/mol) has a comparable anti-diabetic effect to Acarbose (-6.713 Kcal/mol). Furthermore, the function groups –OH and –NH found in phytoconstituents interacted with the active site of 1B2Y similarly to acarbose. This provides evidence that the function groups –OH and –NH present in the phytoconstituents might inhibit alpha amylase.

Recent technological advancements in conservation genetics and genomics have resulted in diverse tools for aiding conservation of species. The precision and resolution of high throughput sequencing technologies provide valuable insights to aid conservation decisions, but these technologies are often financially unfeasible or unavailable in resource constrained countries. Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers, when combined with sensitive automated detection systems, provide a simple, cheap means to investigate genetic diversity and discriminate closely related species. Here we apply this technology to assess genetic diversity and taxonomic delimitation in the Encephalartos eugene-maraisii species complex, a highly threatened, taxonomically dubious group of cycads in South Africa. Silica dried cycad leaflets were extracted using the Oktopure robot employing Sbeadex chemistry and amplified with fluorescently tagged ISSR primers. Band presence was scored with an ABI 3130 genetic sequencer under three different fluorescence cut-off values. Phenetic analyses were performed in NTSYS software while Bayesian analysis was performed in STRUCTURE, and haplotype network analysis, AMOVA and Tajima’s D statistic was computed with PopART. Our analyses support taxonomic singularity of E. dyerianus, E. dolomiticus and E. eugene-maraisii. Relationships between E. nubimontanus and E. cupidus remain uncertain. E. middelburgensis samples showed no clustering but had poor amplification success. This study demonstrated the suitability of automated ISSR fingerprinting as a method for plant conservation studies, especially in resource-constrained countries.

The present study shows a methodology for analyzing and designing a cylindrical packed-bed reactor considering stationary and dynamic models. The design comprises the reactor's stationary and dynamic governing differential equations for mass and heat transfer under multi-dimensional approaches. The results included simulation of concentration, temperature, and reaction rate profiles via the 1-D and 2-D differential equations solution with FlexPDE software. The analysis was complemented with a scaled 3-D dynamic model implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics. Both FlexPDE and COMSOL Multiphysics relied on the finite element technique to solve the governing differential equations. The simulated concentration and temperature profiles from both FlexPDE and COMSOL models were compared to experimental data gathered from literature (specifically from a Fischer-Tropsch process to produce low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons in a configuration of cylindrical packed-bed reactors). Simulated concentration and temperature profiles from the 2-dimensional dynamic model and the COMSOL model were in good agreement with the trend observed in experimental data. Finally, the predicted reaction rate profiles from the COMSOL model and the 2-dimensional dynamic model followed the temperature trend, thus reflecting the temperature dependence of the reaction.

The objective was to conduct a scoping review and produce a publicly available database characterizing the design and reporting elements of the literature on dietary added sugars and select health outcomes. Relevant studies published from 1990 – 2021 were identified to create a database containing information on study and population characteristics, reported added sugars source and concentrations, diet energy balance, total energy intake, and outcome measures related to body composition, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus. There were 245 publications identified, 22% of which describe interventions and 78% describe observational studies. Publications pertaining to added sugars have risen dramatically since 2010, led by studies primarily assessing body composition (36%) or cardiovascular health (32%), including adults (65%), measuring liquid-only sources of added sugars (56%). Over 65% of studies reported total energy intake, 61% controlled for total energy intake in the design and analysis, and fewer than 5% of studies reported the energy balance of subjects. There has been a significant increase in research on added sugars since 2010, with substantial heterogeneity across all facets of methodology – study designs, exposures and outcomes of interest, terminology, and reporting of dietary intake data – thus limiting the ability to synthesize evidence in this scope of literature. This evidence map highlights gaps and important areas for improvement to strengthen the state of research to better inform future policies and dietary recommendations on added sugars.

Vigorous early-season growth rate allows crops to compete more effectively against weeds and to conserve soil moisture in arid areas. Many crop species, including common bean, show genetic variation in growth rate between varieties. Despite this, the genetic basis of the early-season growth-related traits has not been well resolved in the species, in part due to historic phenotyping challenges. Using a range of UAV- and ground-based methods, we evaluated early-season growth vigor of two populations. These growth data were then used to find QTLs associated with several growth parameters. Our results suggest that early-season growth rate is the result of complex interactions between several genetic and environmental factors and highlight the need for the high-precision phenotyping provided by UAVs. The QTLs identified in this study are the first in common bean to be identified remotely using UAV technology and will be useful for developing crop varieties that compete with weeds more effectively. Ultimately, this will reduce crop losses and mitigate the need for herbicides and manual labor for weed control.

Inspired by the forward and the reverse channels from the image-size characterization problem in network information theory, we introduce a functional inequality which unifies both the Brascamp-Lieb inequality and Barthe's inequality, which is a reverse form of the Brascamp-Lieb inequality. For Polish spaces, we prove its equivalent entropic formulation using the Legendre-Fenchel duality theory. Capitalizing on the entropic formulation, we elaborate on a "doubling trick" used by Lieb and Geng-Nair to prove the Gaussian optimality in this inequality for the case of Gaussian reference measures.

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

Background: In hepatocytes and alcohol-metabolizing cultured cells, Golgi undergoes ethanol (EtOH)-induced disorganization. Periniclear and organized Golgi is important in liver homeostasis, but how the Golgi remains intact is unknown. Work from our laboratories showed that EtOH-altered cellular function could be reversed after alcohol removal; we wanted to determine whether this recovery would apply to Golgi. Methods: We used alcohol-metabolizing HepG2 (VA-13) cells (cultured with or without EtOH for 72 h) and rat hepatocytes (control and EtOH-fed (Lieber-DeCarli diet). For recovery, EtOH was removed and replenished with control medium (48 hours for VA-13 cells) or control diet (10 days for rats). Results: EtOH-induced Golgi disassembly was associated with de-dimerization of the largest Golgi matrix protein giantin, along with impaired transport of selected hepatic proteins. After recovery from EtOH, Golgi regained their compact structure, and alterations in giantin and protein transport were restored. In VA-13 cells, when we knocked down giantin, Rab6a GTPase or non-muscle Myosin IIB, minimal changes were observed in control conditions, but post-EtOH recovery was impaired. Conclusions: These data provide a link between Golgi organization and plasma membrane protein expression and identify several proteins whose expression is important to maintain Golgi structure during the recovery phase after EtOH administration.

Sterilisation and preservation of vesicle formulations are an important consideration for their viable manufacture for industry applications, particular those intended for medicinal use. Here we undertake an initial investigation of the stability of hybrid lipid – block copolymer vesicles to common sterilisation and preservation processes, with particular interest in how the block copolymer component might tune vesicle stability. We investigate two sizes of polybutadiene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) polymers (PBd12-PEO11 and PBd22-PEO14) mixed with the phospholipid POPC considering the encapsulation stability of a fluorescent cargo and the colloidal stability of vesicle size distributions. We find that autoclaving and lyophilisation cause complete loss of encapsulation stability under the conditions studied here. Filtering through 200 nm pores appears to be viable for sterilisation for all vesicle compositions with comparatively low release of encapsulated cargo, even for vesicle size distributions which extend beyond the 200 nm filter pore size. Freeze-thaw of vesicles also shows promise for preservation of hybrid vesicles with high block copolymer content. We discuss the process stability of hybrid vesicles in terms of the complex mechanical interplay between bending resistance, stretching elasticity and lysis strain of these membranes and propose strategies for future work to further enhance the process stability of these vesicle formulations.

Preventing muscle wasting in certain chronic diseases including cancer is an ongoing challenge. Studies have shown that polyphenols derived from fruits and vegetables show promise in reducing muscle loss in cellular and animal models of muscle wasting. We hypothesized that polyphenols derived from plum (Prunus domestica) could have anabolic and anti-catabolic benefits on skeletal muscle. The effects of a polyphenol-enriched plum extract (PE60) were evaluated in vitro on C2C12 and Colon-26 cancer cells. Treatment of myocytes with plum extract increased the cell size by ~3-fold (p<0.05) and stimulated myoblast differentiation by ~2-fold (p<0.05). Plum extract induced total protein synthesis by ~50% (p<0.05), reduced serum deprivation- induced total protein degradation by ~30% (P<0.05), and increased expression of IGF-1 by ~2-fold (p<0.05). Plum extract also reduced TNFα-induced NFkB activation by 80% (p<0.05) in A549/NFkB-luc cells. In addition, plum extract inhibited growth of Colon-26 cancer cells, and attenuated cytotoxicity in C2C12 myoblasts induced by soluble factors released from Colon-26 cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that plum extract may have pluripotent health benefits on muscle based on its demonstrated ability to promote myogenesis, stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and inhibit protein degradation. It also appears to protect muscle cell from tumor-induced cytotoxicity.

We are encouraged to look beyond ɅCDM as there are no satisfactory explanations for either dark energy or dark matter. A data centred phenomenological approach supports an explanation where dark energy is Holographic Dark Information Energy, HDIE. HDIE explains many effects attributed separately to Ʌ and CDM. HDIE mimics Ʌ with sufficient energy and an equation of state parameter, w= -1.03±0.05 at redshifts z<1.35 to account for accelerating expansion. HDIE is clumped around galaxies at densities that distort space-time, explaining many CDM attributed effects. The present ratio of HDIE/baryons ~2.15, required for the observed expansion history, is equivalent to a dark matter fraction ~68%, consistent with many galaxies. The HDIE/baryon model is based largely on proven physics, provides a common explanation for dark energy and dark matter, and solves the cosmological coincidence problem. At earlier times, z > ~1.35, HDIE was phantom, w = -1.82±0.08, enabling the model to be falsified. HDIE fits Planck dark energy wo-wa plots at least as well as Ʌ, and is consistent with other results that suggest dark energy was phantom at earlier times. A new w-parameterisation is proposed, as the usual CPL parameterisation is biased and unsuitable for distinguishing between HDIE/baryon and ɅCDM models.

Fermented foods have long been known to have immunomodulatory capabilities and fermentates derived from the lactic acid bacteria of dairy products can modulate the immune system. We have used skimmed milk powder to generate novel fermentates using Lb. helveticus strains SC234 and SC232 and we demonstrate here that these fermentates can enhance key immune mechanisms that are critical to the immune response to viruses. We show that our novel fermentates SC234 and SC232 can positively impact on cytokine and chemokine secretion, nitric oxide (NO) production, cell surface marker expression, and phagocytosis in macrophage models. We demonstrate that fermentates SC234 and SC232 increase the secretion of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-27, and IL-10, promote an M1 proinflammatory phenotype for viral immunity via NO induction, decreases chemokine expression of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP), increasing cell surface marker expression, and enhance phagocytosis in comparison to their starting material. These data suggest that these novel fermentates have potential as novel functional food ingredients for the treatment, management and control of viral infection.

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is often prodromal to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thus there should be detectable in vivo functional signatures shared between RBD and PD that aid in disease classification. To assess common in-vivo phenotypes, resting state data was collected on a 3T clinical MRI platform and a novel functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) approach, which combined independent component analysis (ICA) and graph theory, was used to evaluate deficits in interconnectivity among 15 PD, 14 RBD and 13 control participants. Whole brain and network-level analyses revealed the largest deficits in network connectivity in PD compared with controls, with less severe differences between RBD and controls. Importantly, the network-level analysis demonstrated decreased network interconnectivity, with the greatest aberrant networks in PD, and a subset in RBD. Additionally, a disease classification algorithm predicted PD cases by being trained on RBD cases with 0.87 sensitivity and 0.68 specificity. The functional alterations in cortical networks in RBD extended beyond the brainstem. These findings demonstrate progressive reductions in connectivity between brain networks, with less severe deficits in RBD than PD. Moreover, RBD phenotypes can be used to predict PD status in a cross-sectional sample, which suggests RBD is an intermediate phenotype.

The COVID-19 outbreak has focused attention on the use of social distancing as the primary defence against community infection, yet forcing social animals to maintain that physical distance has presented significant challenges for health authorities and law enforcement. Anecdotal media reports suggest widespread dissatisfaction with social distancing as a policy, yet there is little prior work aimed at measuring community acceptance of social distancing. In this paper, we propose a new approach to measuring attitudes towards social distancing by using social media and sentiment analysis. Over a 4 month period, we found 82.5% of tweets were in favour of social distancing. The results indicate a widespread acceptance of social distancing in the community. We conclude by examining options for estimating the optimal (minimal) social distance required at scale, and the implications for securing widespread community support and acceptance of public health messaging.

Parental labour migration, either one or both parents, has been associated with various challenges among left-behind children (LBC). However, there is a limited understanding of the LBC’s own views and experiences of social and mental wellbeing and how the new daily life circumstances they encounter following their parents’ migration impact them. This study aimed to understand the influence of parental migration and its aftermath on the social and mental wellbeing of children and adolescents (referred to as LBC) in two rural districts in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative design, data were collected through individual in-depth interviews with LBC (n=24) aged 14 to 18 years, recruited using the snowball sampling technique. Data were thematically analysed, guided by a qualitative data analysis framework. The findings showed that parental migration negatively impacted the social wellbeing of LBC. This impact was reflected in negative labelling from friends and changes in familial roles which influenced their social interactions and activities with peers. Parental migration also caused challenges to the mental wellbeing of LBC. These manifested in the LBC experiencing fractured emotional bonds, leading to negative emotions, including stress, anxiety, sadness, depression, frustration, loss of motivation, and self-imposed isolation, which were associated with their parents’ migration and abrupt disruptions in parent-child communication. The transition to new life situations with caregivers after parental migration and the dynamics within the caregivers’ households were additional factors that detrimentally affected their mental well-being. Unmet basic needs and educational needs due to financial hardships faced by mothers and caregivers, further exacerbated mental health challenges for the children. The findings indicate the importance and improvement of policies and interventions in Indonesia (e.g., counselling services, non-cash food assistance, family hope program, direct cash assistance) that cover and address the diverse needs of mothers or caregivers and the LBC.

Zephyranthes citrina Baker is a bulbous herb, commonly known as yellow rain lily belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae. It is a native of tropical and subtropical America but nowadays it is cultivated as a popular ornamental herb in several parts of the world including India. This herb represents one of the richest sources of phytochemicals, especially alkaloids and possesses great potential for pharmaceutical applications. It shows remarkable antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, anti-Alzheimer, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and dye removal activities. This review is an effort to give a detailed study of the literature on the biological activities of Zephyranthes citrina. This review concludes that Zephyranthes citrina has a great potential to treat various diseases and could be used as a source for novel healthcare products in the near future, which requires further experimentation.

Recently, historians have discussed the relevance of the nineteenth-century mathematical discipline of projective geometry for early modern classical logic in relation to possible solutions to semantic problems facing it. In this paper I consider Hegel’s Science of Logic as an attempt to provide a projective geometrical alternative to the implicit Euclidean underpinnings of Aristotle’s syllogistic logic. While this proceeds via Hegel’s acceptance of the role of the three means of Pythagorean music theory in Plato’s cosmology, the relevance of this can be separated from any fanciful “music of the spheres” approach by the fact that common mathematical structures underpin both music theory and projective geometry, as suggested in the name of projective geometry’s principal invariant, the “harmonic cross-ratio”. Here I demonstrate this common structure in terms of the phenomenon of “inverse foreshortening”. As with recent suggestions concerning the relevance of projective geometry for logic, Hegel’s modifications of Aristotle respond to semantic problems of his logic.

Dioscorea praehensilis Berth is one of the wild yam species resistance to many yam disease (yam anthracnose disease and yam mosaic virus) grow in Ghana especially in the cocoa grown regions of the country. It is a crucial crop that has been known to contribute to poverty reduction and food gap. Genetic diversity in this yam species has been discovered to be eroding and neglected. In this study we evaluated the genetic diversity among 43 D. praehensilis collected from Ghana using simple sequence repeat (SSR). Using 11 SSR marker, a total of 99 number of alleles were generated with an average of 8.48 alleles per locus. The mean gene diversity was 0.81, mean polymorphism information content was 0.82 while mean Shannon information index was 1.94. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed a contribution of 40.16% of the first three coordinate axes and grouped the 43 morphotypes into 2 groups while hierarchical cluster through UPGMA revealed the presence of 3 main clusters. Molecular variance (AMOVA) alongside the Fst revealed low genetic diversity and differentiation among accessions and population. Result of this study assess the genetic diversity and will facilitate the use D. praehensilis as sources of resistance gene into yam breeding program.

This study assessed the relationship between body posture displacements and cardiopulmonary function test (CPET) and skill related physical fitness tests. One hundred male (60%) and female collegiate athletes (22.2 ± 4yrs) with a normal body mass index (BMI up to 24.9) were assessed via the PostureScreen Mobile app to quantify postural displacements as head, thorax and pelvis rotations and translations. CPET and physical performance tests including the agility T-test, the vertical jump test, the stork static balance test (SSBT) and the dynamic Y-balance test (YBT) were performed. Spearman correlation (r) and p-values are reported. Postural parameters were found to have moderate-to-high associations with CPET and the agility test, moderate correlations with the vertical jump test and the SSBT (head and pelvic postures only), and weak correlations with the YBT. As postural parameters were more asymmetric, both CPET and performance skills scores were worse. For examples: 1) a medium positive correlation was found between cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) and vertical jump test (r = 0.54; p-value &lt; 0.001) and SSBT (r = 0.57; p-value &lt; 0.001), while a strong negative correlation was found between CVA and agility test (r = -0.86; p-value &lt; 0.001). 2) A strong positive correlation was found between CVA and oxygen uptake efficiency slope, load watts VO2 at VT, VO2 / kg, load watts at respiratory compensation point (RCP), (r = 0.65 and r = 0.71; p &lt; 0.001). Conversely, a significant negative correlation was found between CVA and VE / VO2 at VT (r = -0.61; p &lt; 0.001). Postural rotations and translations of the head, thorax and pelvis were statistically correlated with physical performance skills and CPET in young collegiate athletes. There were moderate-to-high associations with cardiopulmonary functions and agility tests, moderate correlations with the vertical jump test, and weak correlations with the YBT. Postural alignment may be important for optimal physical performance and optimal cardiopulmonary function. Further research is necessary to elucidate reasons for these correlations as found in our sample of young and healthy athletes.

The study of complex systems deals with emergent behaviour that arises as a result of nonlinear spatio-temporal interactions between a large number of components both within the system, as well as between the system and its environment. There is a strong case to be made that neural systems as well as their emergent behaviour and disorders, can be studied within the framework of complexity science. In particular, the field of neuroimaging has begun to apply both theoretical and experimental procedures originating in complexity science – usually in parallel with traditional methodologies. Here, we demonstrate that the use of such traditional models may distort the outcomes of neuroimaging experiments – hence affecting their interpretability and raising questions about their reliability.Therefore, we argue in favor of adopting a complex systems-based methodology in the study of neuroimaging, alongside appropriate experimental paradigms, and with minimal influences from non-complex systems approaches. Our exposition includes a review of the fundamental mathematical concepts, combined with practical examples and a compilation of results from the literature.

Pandemics, and other risk-related contexts, require dynamic changes in behavior as situations develop. Human behavior is influenced by both explicit (cognitive) and implicit (intuitive) factors. In this study, we used psychological distance as a lens to understand what influences our decision-making with regards to risk in the context of COVID-19. The study was based on the rationale that our relational needs are more concrete to us than the risk of the virus. First, we explored the impact of social-psychological distance on participants’ risk perceptions and behavioral willingness. As hypothesized, we found that close social relationships of agents promoted willingness to engage in risky behavior. In the second phase, we tested an intervention designed to increase the concreteness of information about virus transmission as a mechanism to mitigate the bias of social influence. We found that the concreteness intervention resulted in significantly reduced willingness to engage in risky behavior. As such, communications aimed at changing the behavior of citizens during times of increased risk or danger, should consider conceptually concrete messaging when communicating complex risk, and hence may provide a valuable tool in promoting health-related behavior.

The national study analyzes sea level rise (SLR) impacts based on 36 different SLR and storm surge scenarios across 5.7 million geographic locations and 3 time periods. Taking an approach based on engineering design guidelines and current cost estimates, the study details projected cost impacts for states, counties, and cities. These impacts are presented from multiple perspectives including total cost, cost per-capita, and cost per-square mile. The purpose of the study is to identify specific locations where infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The study finds that Sea Level Rise (SLR) and minimal storm surge is a $400 billion threat to the United States by 2040 that includes a need for at least 50,000 miles of protective barriers. The research is limited in its scope to protecting coastal infrastructure with sea walls. Additional methods exist and may be appropriate in individual situations. The study is original in that it is a national effort to identify infrastructure that is vulnerable as well as the cost associated with protecting this infrastructure.

Herein we report the expansion of the chemical space available from the chitin, accessible via the biogenic N-platforms 3A5AF, M4A2C and di-HAF. The biologically active heteroaromatics furo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-one and furo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-amine can be selectively accessed from 3A5AF and M4A2C, respectively. The chiral pool synthon di-HAF is a viable substrate for the Achmatowicz rearrangement, providing streamlined access to 2-aminosugars possessing a versatile hydroxymethyl group at C5.

We propose a probabilistic graphical model for discriminative substrate characterization, to support geological and biological habitat mapping in aquatic environments. The model, called a fully connected conditional random field (CRF), is demonstrated using multispectral and monospectral acoustic backscatter from heterogeneous seafloors in Patricia Bay, British Columbia, and Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. Unlike previously proposed discriminative machine learning algorithms, the CRF model considers both the relative backscatter magnitudes of different substrates and their relative proximities. The model therefore combines the statistical flexibility of a machine learning algorithm with an inherently spatial treatment of the substrate. The CRF model predicts substrates such that nearby locations with similar backscattering characteristics are likely to be in the same substrate class. The degree of proximity and allowable backscatter similarity are controlled by parameters that are learned from the data. CRF model results were evaluated against a popular generative model known as a Gaussian Mixture model that doesn't include spatial dependencies, only covariance between substrate backscattering response over different frequencies. Both models are used in conjunction with sparse bed observations/samples in a supervised classification. A detailed accuracy assessment, including a leave-one-out cross-validation analysis, was performed using both models. Using multispectral backscatter, the GMM model trained on 50% of the bed observations resulted in a 75% and 89% average accuracies in Patricia Bay and Bedford Basin, respectively. The same metrics for the CRF model were 78% and 95%. Further, the CRF model resulted in a 91% mean cross-validation accuracy across four substrate classes at Patricia Bay, and a 99.5% mean accuracy across three substrate classes at Bedford Basin, which suggest that the CRF model generalizes extremely well to new data. This analysis also showed that the CRF model was much less sensitive to the specific number and locations of bed observations than the generative model, owing to its ability to incorporate spatial autocorrelation in substrates. The CRF approach therefore may prove to be a powerful `spatially aware' alternative to other discriminative classifiers.

The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of drought such as intensity, cumulative curves and trends, based on SPEI (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index) at 8 stations in Korea from 1981 to 2010. The traditional SPEI is based on Thornthwaite equation for estimating evapotranspiration; SPEI_th. However, a standard of agricultural water management in Korea suggests FAO Penman-Monteith equation; SPEI_pm. In this study, we analyzed the intensity and trends of drought using SPEI_th and SPEI_pm, respectively, and analyzed the relationship between them. Both of central and southern region, the SPEIs were below -1.0 (moderated drought) for the periods May-August in the representative drought year such as 1988, 2001, and 2008-09. The frequency of drought was higher in southern region than central region. In addition, SPEI_pm showed slightly more intensive drought rather than SPEI_th except for Chuncheon and Gwangju. In 5 stations except for Cheoncheon, Gwangju and Jinju, the cumulative probability that SPEI_pm is below -1.5 was significantly increased from 1981-1995 to 1996-2010. As the results of drought trends, the increasing trend of SPEIs was shown on fall season, and the cumulative probability that SPEI_pm is below -1.5 was also significantly increased.

Background: Significant national and global costs were incurred from recent emerging infectious disease outbreaks, notably H1N1 highly pathogenic influenza, Zika and Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARS), both in the medical sphere and within the socioeconomic context around it. With forecasts expecting an increase in direct and indirect burden of novel infectious disease events, costs of future outbreak events are likely to be exacerbated. In this scope, it is critical for countries to identify this trend and work towards minimizing costs while continuing to improve prevention, treatment and mitigation. Objectives: The impacts of the West Africa Ebola crisis have largely focused on the response to the outbreak abroad. The aim of this paper was to determine the direct and indirect domestic costs of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) introduction into the United States (U.S.), compare the economic consequences of the epidemic with other disease outbreaks and identify the primary drivers of such costs to leverage more global health preparation to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disease threats more effectively. Methods: I conducted a literature review of 1) EVD cases documented by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), 2) scientific articles identifying the costs of Ebola for the U.S. and countries around the world and 3) grey literature on treatments and public reactions. Extrapolating data from these sources, I then performed a cost-analysis of direct costs (preparation, treatment and contact tracing) and indirect costs (loss of productivity owing to disease, death, and risk avoidance behaviors) of the disease. Findings: The country spent between $300-$700 million in direct costs. Additionally, roughly $200-$340 million were forgone as results of loss of productivity from to disease, death or social risk avoidance behaviors. The cost-per-case for the United States was vastly higher than for any other country. Conclusions: High direct costs suggest that either the United States took disproportionate preparative measures to mitigate a potential American outbreak or were unprepared for a potential outbreak of this magnitude. The significant risk avoidance behavior estimates hint that forces having the ability to shape social attitudes and norms – namely traditional and online media – played a significant role in driving social behavior towards fear of exposure to others. The findings reinforce that outbreaks occurring in a single part of the world can have dramatic economic effects globally, even in areas with existing public health capacity and other preventive measures, highlighting the need for change in global health systems to shift from a passive responder and incorporate other societal actors to effectively reduce the ever-increasing costs of disease threats.

Recently, a paper was written to establish semi-structured complex numbers ℍ (a new number set invented to enable division by zero) as a useful mathematical tool providing novel results from its application in engineering and science. Whilst the paper was a milestone, the application of this number set to quantum and classical physics had not been fully explored. Consequently, the aim of this research was to use semi-structured complex numbers to develop a new mathematical model for the mass of an object and in course unite classical and quantum physics in a simple yet effective manner. As its major contributions this paper: (1) develops a new mathematical model for the mass of an object called the wave-mass function using De Broglie’s mass and frequency relation and semi-structured complex numbers; (2) uses the new wave-mass function to determine what happens to an object traveling at the speed of light; (3) derives a relation between Schrödinger’s wave function and the new wave-mass function; (4) derives a relation between Einstein’s Field Equation and the new wave-mass function; (5) uses the wave-mass function to combine Einstein’s Field Equation with Schrödinger’s wave function to form a new quantum gravity equation. These results and their applications provide a firm foundation to advance the number set ℍ as a useful mathematical tool.

In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, a need has arisen to prevent and treat two related conditions, Covid vaccine injury and long Covid, both of which have a significant vascular component. Therefore, the management of these conditions require the development of strategies to prevent or dissolve blood clots and restore circulatory health. This review summarizes the evidence on strategies that can be applied to treat both long and vaccine injuries based on similar mechanisms of action.

The rest-breaking agent, hydrogen cyanamide (HC), can substitute insufficient chill unit accumulation in Vitis vinifera and induce uniform bud-break; however, due to its toxicity it is being banned. In South Africa, red seedless grapes, including V. vinifera Crimson Seedless (CS), are the largest table grape export group; therefore, replacing HC in V. vinifera CS is crucial. This study aimed to confirm the molecular triggers induced by HC and assess the bud-break-enhancing abilities of commercial plant biostimulants. Forced bud-break assay experiments using V. vinifera CS single-node cuttings and a small-scale field trial were performed. Results demonstrated that increased chill unit accumulation (CUA), reduced HC efficacy. Bud-break started between 10 and 20 days after treatment, irrespective of final CUA. The small-scale field trial found that HC3 % resulted in a slightly delayed bud-break rate, whilst biostimulants were similar to the negative control. The treatment of dormant grapevine compound buds with nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hypoxia trigger dormancy-release to a certain extent, supporting the molecular models proposed for HC action. NO, H2O2, and hypoxia, in combination with PBs, may potentially replace HC; however, this needs to be confirmed in future experiments.

Blockchain technology has become one of the most popular technologies for maintaining digital transactions. From the foundation of Bitcoin to the now predominant smart contract, blockchain technology promises to induce a shift in thought about digital transactions in many fields, such as energy, healthcare, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, financial services and the supply chain. Despite blockchain technology offers many cryptography advantages such as immutability, digital signature and hashing; it has suffered from several critical cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. In this paper, we build upon the previous studies on vulnerabilities and investigates over 60 real cybersecurity incidents that have been happening on the blockchain networks between 2009 and 2019. We categorise those incidents against the key cybersecurity vulnerabilities in blockchain technologies; and have developed a taxonomy that captures five types of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities based on five main players in blockchain. The outcome of this research prompted concerns and research direction in developing countermeasures to alleviate these risks.

Antibiotic resistance is a pressing global and planetary health challenge. Links between climate change, antibiotic use and the emergence of antibiotic resistance have been well documented, but less attention has been given to the impact(s) of earth systems on specific bacterial livestock diseases at a more granular level. Understanding the precise impacts of climate change on livestock health – and in turn the use of antibiotics to address that ill-health – is important in providing an evidence base to tackle such impacts and to develop practical, implementable and locally acceptable solutions within and beyond current antibiotic stewardship programmes. In this paper, we set out the case for better integration of earth scientists and their specific disciplinary skill set (specifically, problem-solving with incomplete/fragmentary data; the ability to work across four dimensions and at the interface between the present and deep/geological time) into planetary health research. We then discuss a methodology that makes use of risk mapping, a common methodology in earth science but less frequently used in health science, to map disease risk against changing climatic conditions at a granular level. This will enable predictions of future disease risk and risk impacts based on predicted future climate conditions, and thus provide an evidence base for planetary health activists to influence policy and develop mitigations. Our case study – of climate conditions’ impact on livestock health in Karnataka, India – clearly evidences the benefit of integrating earth scientists into planetary health research.

Faraday's Law of induction is often stated as "a change in magnetic flux causes an EMF"; or, more cautiously, "a change in magnetic flux is associated with an EMF"; It is as well that the more cautious form exists, because the first "causes" form can be shown to be incompatible with the usual expression for EMF. This is not, however, to deny the causality as reasonably inferred from experimental observation ­ it is the equation for Faraday's Law of induction which does not represent the claimed cause-and-effect relationship. Here we investigate a selection of different approaches, trying to see how an explicitly causal mathematical equation, which attempts to encapsulate the "a change in magnetic flux causes ..." idea, might arise.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) have gained significant attention due to their ability to modify the surface morphology of materials at the micro-nanoscale and show great promise for surface functionalization application. In this study, we specifically investigate the formation of LIPSS in silicon substrates and explore their impact on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) applications. This study reveals a stepwise progression of LIPSS formation in silicon, involving three distinct stages of LIPSS: 1) integrated Low-Spatial-Frequency LIPSS (LSFL) and High-Spatial-Frequency LIPSS (HSFL), 2) principally LSFL and 3) LSFL at the edge of the irradiated spot, elucidating the complex interplay between laser fluence, pulse number, and resulting surface morphology. Furthermore, from an application standpoint, these high-quality multi-scale periodic patterns lead to the next step of texturing the entire silicon surface with homogeneous LIPSS for SERS application. The potential of LIPSS-fabricated silicon substrates for enhancing SERS performance is investigated using thiophenol as a test molecule. The results indicate that the Au-coated combination of LSFL and HSFL substrate showcased the highest enhancement factor (EF) of 1.38 × 10^6. This pronounced enhancement is attributed to the synergistic effects of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) and Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs), intricately linked to HSFL and LSFL characteristics. These findings contribute to understanding LIPSS formation in silicon and their applications in surface functionalization and SERS, paving the way for sensing platforms.

Particles and photons appear to be total opposites; the former has rest mass which requires space to exist; the latter has kinetic energy which requires time to occur (oscillate). But they do share certain properties (e.g., quantization) that remain invariant when one is transformed (swapped) for the other. This gauge invariance is developed in some detail.The symmetry between particle and photon turns out to be one of inversion. It is the equalities of special relativity that support this inversion and the accompanying invariances: mass transformed to energy; space transformed to time. The great advantage of these symmetries (inversions) is that they provide guidance for an object little understood (the photon) based upon an object well understood (the particle). On this basis, progress can be made in the understanding of some long-standing issues: wave-particle duality, time’s arrow, the constant speed of light and nonlocality.

The density functional theory was used to explore the structural, electronic, dynamical, and thermoelectric properties of a VIrSi Half-Heulser (HH) alloy. The minimum lattice constant of 5.69 ( ̊A) was obtained for VIrSi alloy. Besides, the band structure and the projected density of states for this HH alloy were calculated, and the gap between the valence and conduction bands was noted to be 0.2 eV. Also, the quasi-harmonic approximation was used to predict the dynamical stability of the VIrSi HH alloy. At 300 K, the Seebeck Coefficient of 370 and -270 μV.K−1., respectively, was achieved for the p and n-type doping. From the power factor result, the highest peak of 18 X 1011W/cm.K2 is obtained in the n-type doping. The Figure of Merit (ZT) result revealed that VIrSi alloy possesses a high ZT at room temperature, which would make VIrSi alloy applicable for thermoelectric performance.

Background: Mounting evidence supports the role of the endocannabinoid system in neurophysiology, includ-ing blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Recent work has demonstrated that activation of endocannabinoid re-ceptors can mitigate insults to the BBB during neurological disorders, like traumatic brain injury, cortical spreading depression and stroke. As alterations to the BBB are associated with worsening clinical outcomes in these conditions, studies herein sought to examine the impact of endocannabinoid depletion on BBB integrity. Methods: Barrier integrity was investigated in vitro via bEnd.3 cell monolayers to assess endocannabinoid syn-thesis, barrier function, calcium influx, junctional protein expression, and proteome-wide changes. Results: In-hibition of 2-AG synthesis using DAGLα inhibition and siRNA inhibition of DAGLα led to loss of barrier in-tegrity via altered expression of VE-cadherin, which could be partially rescued by exogenous application of 2-AG. Moreover, the deleterious effects of DAGLα inhibition on BBB integrity showed both calcium and PKC (protein kinase C)-dependency. Conclusions: These data indicate that disruption of 2-AG homeostasis in brain endothelial cells, in the absence of insult, is sufficient to disrupt BBB integrity thus supporting the role of the endocannabinoid system in neurovascular disorders.

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate five glacierized river basins that are global in coverage and vary in climate. The river basins included the Narayani (Nepal), Vakhsh (Central Asia), Rhone (Switzerland), Mendoza (Central Andes, Argentina), and Central Dry Andes (Chile) with a total area of 85,000 km2. A modified SWAT snow algorithm was applied in order to consider spatial variation of associated snow melt /accumulation by elevation band across each subbasin. In the previous studies, melt rates varied as a function of elevation resulting from an air temperature gradient while the snow parameters were constant throughout the entire basin. A major improvement of the new snow algorithm is separating the glaciers from seasonal snow based on their characteristics. Two SWAT snow algorithms were evaluated in simulation of monthly runoff from glaciered watershed: 1) the snow parameters are lumped (i.e. constant throughout the entire basin) and 2) the snow parameters are spatially variable based on elevation band-subbasin (i.e. modified snow algorithm). Applying the distributed SWAT snow algorithm improved the model performance in simulation of monthly runoff with snow-glacial regime, so that mean RSR decreased to 0.49 from 0.55 and NSE increased to 0.75 from 0.69. Improvement of model performance was negligible in simulation of monthly runoff from the basins with monsoon runoff regime.

Extensive genome structure variation, such as copy number variations (CNVs) and presence/absence variations, is the basis for the remarkable maize genetic diversity; however, the effect of CNVs on maize herbivory defense remains largely underexplored. Here, we report that the naturally occurring duplication of the maize 9-lipoxygenase gene, ZmLOX5, leads to increased resistance of maize to herbivory by fall armyworms (FAW). Previously, we showed that ZmLOX5-derived oxylipins are required for defense against chewing insect herbivores and identified several inbred lines, including Yu796, that contained duplicated CNVs of ZmLOX5, referred to as Yu796-2×LOX5. To test whether introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus into the herbivore-susceptible B73 background that contains a single ZmLOX5 gene is a feasible approach to increase resistance, we generated a series of near-isogenic lines that contained either 2, 1 or 0 copies of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in the B73 background by six back crosses (BC6). Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) confirmed the successful introgression of the Yu796-2×LOX5 locus in B73. The resulting B73-2×LOX5 inbred line displayed increased resistance against FAW associated with increased expression of ZmLOX5, increased wound-induced production of its primary oxylipin product, the α-ketol, 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-12(Z),15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9,10-KODA), and the downstream defense hormones regulated by this molecule, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (12-OPDA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Surprisingly, wound-induced JA-Ile production was not increased in B73-2×LOX5, resulting from the increased JA catabolism. Furthermore, B73-2×LOX5 displayed enhanced drought tolerance likely due to increased ABA and 12-OPDA content. Taken together, this study revealed that the duplicated CNV of ZmLOX5 quantitively contributes to maize antiherbivore defense and presents proof-of-concept evidence that the introgression of naturally occurring duplicated CNVs of a defensive gene into the productive, but susceptible, crop varieties is a feasible breeding approach for enhancing plant resistance to herbivory and tolerance to abiotic stress.

In the light of almost a century of struggle to make (common) sense of Quantum Mechanics and to reconcile it with General Relativity, it is proposed to (for some time) forget about quantizing gravity or striving for one Theory of Everything or “Weltformel”, which would describe the whole of reality without any joints or suture marks. Instead of one single monolithic formalism, a three-legged compound approach is argued for. Quantum Mechanics, Relativity and Thermodynamics are proposed as the main pillars of reality, each with its well-defined realm, specific features, and clearly marked interfaces between the three of them. Not only classical reality, which is rather directly accessible to us, is then comprehensively modelled by their encompassing combination. Quantum phenomena are understood as undoubtedly lying at the bottom of classical physics and at the same time, they become “fully real” only when embedded in classical frames between preparation and measurement in time. It is then where thermodynamics steps in and provides the mediating glue. The aim of this short contribution is not to deliver novel quantitative results but rather to propose a comprehensive research program and to coarsely lay out a very roughly coherent self-referential sketch starting from the beginning of the one universe, which we inhabit.

The development of microelectronics is always driven by reducing transistor size and increasing integration, from the initial micron-scale to the current few nanometers. The photolithography technique for manufacturing the transistor needs to reduce the wavelength of the optical wave, from ultraviolet, deep, to the existing extreme ultraviolet light. One approach toward decreasing the working wavelength is using lithography based on beyond extreme ultraviolet radiation (BEUV) with a wavelength around 7 nm. The BEUV lithography relies on advanced reflective optics such as periodic multilayer film X-ray mirrors (PMMs). PMMs are artificial Bragg crystals having alternate layers of “light” and “heavy” materials. The periodicity of such a structure is relatively half of the working wavelength. Since a BEUV lithographical system contains at least 10 mirrors, optics’ reflectivity becomes a crucial point. The increasing of a single mirror's reflectivity by 10% will increase the system’s overall throughput by 6 times. In this work, the properties and development status of PMMs, particularly for BEUV lithography, were reviewed to gain a better understanding of their advantages and limitations. Emphasis was given to materials, design concepts, structure, deposition method, and optical characteristics of these coatings.

Incident solar radiation (insolation) passing through the forest canopy to the ground surface is either absorbed or scattered. This phenomenon, known as radiation attenuation, is measured using the extinction coefficient (K). The amount of radiation at the ground surface of a given site is effectively controlled by the canopy’s surface and structure, determining its suitability for plant species.Menhinick’s and Simpson biodiversity indexes were selected as spatially explicit response variables for the regression equation using canopy structure metrics as predictors. Independent variables include modeled area solar radiation, LiDAR derived canopy height, effective leaf area index data derived from multi-spectral imagery, and canopy strata metrics derived from LiDAR point-cloud data. The results support the hypothesis that, 1.) canopy surface and strata variability may be associated with understory species diversity due to habitat partitioning and radiation attenuation, and that, 2.) such a model can predict both this relationship and biodiversity clustering.The study data yielded significant correlations between predictor and response variables and was used to produce a multiple-linear model comprising canopy relief, texture of heights, and vegetation density to predict understory plant diversity. When analyzed for spatial autocorrelation, the predicted biodiversity data exhibited non-random spatial continuity.

This paper argues that popular misrepresentation of the nature of AI has important consequences concerning how it should be regulated. Viewing AI as something that exists in itself, rather than as a set of cognitive technologies whose characteristics – physical, cognitive, and systemic – are quite different from ours (and at times from each other) leads to inefficient approaches to regulation. It limits our ability to anticipate the consequences of its foreseeable developments and social diffusion. It undermines attempts to protect ourselves from the social and political dangers it presents. After a short introduction, section 2 retraces rapidly the history of the idea that intelligence is essentially a quality, one that AI shares with human intelligence and that this resemblance trumps the differences that exist between artificial and natural cognitive systems. Section 3 reviews two approaches to the dangers of AI that reflect the illusion that AI exists in itself. Section 4 turns to the proper understanding of regulations and what is their main goal and purpose. Section 5 analyses three central characteristics of artificial cognitive systems which section six compares with corresponding characteristics of natural cognitive systems. Finally, section 7 draws some conclusions regarding how we should regulate artificial intelligence.

Soil-borne Trichoderma spp. have been extensively studied for their biocontrol activities against pathogens and growth promotion ability with plants. However, the beneficial effect of Trichoderma on inducing resistance against insect herbivores has been considered only recently. Among diverse Trichoderma species, consistent with previous reports, we showed that root colonization by T. virens triggered induced systemic resistance (ISR) to leaf-infecting fungal pathogens. Whether T. virens induces ISR to insect pests has not been tested before. In this study, we investigated whether T. virens affects jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and defense against fall armyworm (FAW) and western corn rootworm (WCR). Unexpectedly, the results showed that T. virens colonization of maize seedlings grown in autoclaved soil suppressed wound-induced production of JA, resulting in reduced resistance to FAW. Similarly, the bacterial endophyte Pseudomonas chlororaphis 30-84 suppressed systemic resistance to FAW due to reduced JA. Further comparative analyses of the systemic effects of these endophytes when applied into sterile or non-sterile field soil showed that both T. virens and P. chlororaphis 30-84 triggered ISR against hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola in both soil conditions, but only suppressed resistance to FAW in sterile soil. In contrast to the effect on FAW defense, T. virens colonization of maize roots suppressed WCR larvae survival and weight gain. This is the first report suggesting the potential role of T. virens as a biocontrol agent against WCR.

(1) Background: In the year of 2020 Covid-19 was declared epidemic by WHO. From that time millions of people were affected and died by this disease. The main detection process for this epidemic is RT-PCR test or reverse polymerase transcription chain reaction test. One of the reason of spreading of this disease so much is lack of efficiency in RT-PCR test. Sampling error and low viral load were two main reasons for what the testing process faced such problems. Lung infection is a very common symptom for covid-19 patients, so, CT scan and chest X-ray imaging technique can be applied to detect patient at a very early stage of infection. Which will be very effective and also can be a better option to RT-PCR test; (2) Methods: We searched data in Scopus for articles published between 2020 and 2023. The initial set of articles was 189, from which 21 articles will eventually be selected by exclusion criteria; (3) Results: A total of thirteen (61.90%) articles were found working on detecting Covid-19 by extracting the X-ray and CT scan data individually. Three (14.28%) of those articles focused on a hybrid model of CT scan and X-ray Image Data. Another four articles made a comparison between Covid-19, pneumonia and a normal person to identify a Covid-19 patient. Where others have worked on unsupervised learning methods or SVM to detect Covid-19.; (4) Conclusions: We have conducted a systematic review of the studies that have been published up to this time, with the purpose to present a summary of the evidence about the detection of COVID-19. In this article, we have summarized and critically reviewed literatures which worked on development or application or both of different AI or ML technique from chest CT and X-ray images to find a solution to detect covid-19.

A number of studies have shown that assimilation of satellite derived soil moisture using the ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) can improve soil moisture estimates, particularly for the surface zone. However, the EnKF is computationally expensive since an ensemble of model integrations have to be propagated forward in time. Here, assimilating satellite soil moisture data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, we compare the EnKF with the computationally cheaper ensemble Optimal Interpolation (EnOI) method over the contiguous United States (CONUS). The background error-covariance in the EnOI is sampled in two ways: i) by using the stochastic spread from an ensemble open-loop run, and ii) sampling from the model spinup climatology. Our results indicate that the EnKF is only marginally superior to one version of the EnOI. Furthermore the assimilation of SMAP data using the EnKF and EnOI is found to improve the surface zone correlation with in-situ observations at a 95% significance level. The EnKF assimilation of SMAP data is also found to improve root-zone correlation with independent in-situ data at the same significance level; however this improvement is dependent on which in-situ network we are validating against. We evaluate how the quality of the atmospheric forcing affects the analysis results by prescribing the land surface data assimilation system with either observation corrected or model derived precipitation. Surface zone correlation skill increases for the analysis using both the corrected and model derived precipitation, but only the latter shows an improvement at the 95% significance level. The study also suggest that the EnOI can be used for bias-correction of the atmospheric fields where post-processed data are not available. Finally, we assimilate three different Level-2 satellite derived soil moisture products from ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI), SMAP and SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) using the EnOI, and then compare the relative performance of the three resulting analyses against in-situ soil moisture observations. In this comparison, we find that all three analyses offer improvements over an open-loop run when comparing to in-situ observations. The assimilation of SMAP data is found to perform marginally better than the assimilation of SMOS data, while assimilation of the ESA CCI data shows the smallest improvement of the three analysis products.

Background: Previous investigations have found a correlation between abnormal curvatures and a variety of patient complaints such as cervical pain and disability. However, no study has shown that loss of the cervical curve is a direct result of exposure to a motor vehicle collision (MVC). This investigation presents a retrospective consecutive case series of patients with both a pre-injury cervical lateral radiograph (CLR) and a post-injury CLR after exposure to a MVC. Computer analysis of digitized vertebral body corners on CLRs was performed to investigate the possible alterations in the geometric alignment of the sagittal cervical curve. Methods: Three spine clinic records were reviewed, over a 2-year period, looking for patients where both an initial lateral cervical x-ray and an examination were performed prior to the patient being exposed to a MVC; afterwards an additional exam and radiographic analysis were required. A total of 41 patients met the inclusion criteria. Examination records of pain intensity on numerical pain rating scores (NPRS) and neck disability index (NDI), if available, were analyzed. The CLRs were digitized and modeled in the sagittal plane using curve fitting and the least squares error approach. Radiographic variables included total cervical curve (ARA C2-C7), Chamberlain’s line to horizontal (skull flexion), horizontal translation of C2 relative to C7, segmental translations (retrolisthesis and anterolisthesis), and circular modelling radii. Results: There were 15 males and 26 females with an age range of 8-65 years. Most participants were drivers (28) involved in rear end impacts (30). The pre-injury NPRS was 2.7 while the post injury was 5.0; p &lt; 0.001. The NDI was available on 24 /41 (58.5%) patients and was found to increase following exposure to the MVC: 15.7% to 32.8%, p &lt; 0.001. An altered cervical curvature was identified following exposure to MVC, characterized by an increase in radius of curvature and an approximate 8° reduction of lordosis from C2-C7; p &lt; 0.001. The mid cervical spine (C3-C5) showed the greatest curve reduction with localized mild kyphosis at these levels on average. Several participants developed segmental translations that approached the instability value of translation &gt; 3.5mm. Conclusions: Abnormalities of cervical lordosis occurred following exposure to a MVC. The average loss of cervical curvature was 8° from C2-C7, with mild flexion of the mid cervical segments. Snap through type or dynamic buckling during the MVC may explain our findings. The primary contribution of this study to the motor vehicle collision literature is that altered cervical lordosis may result from MVC exposures and the consequences of an altered cervical alignment, in turn, may lead to future pain, disability and decreased health-related quality of life.

Abstract: (1) Background: Minimally-invasive sacroiliac joint (SIJ) fusion is the preferred surgical intervention to treat chronically severe pain associated with SIJ degeneration and dysfunction. (2) Methods: This paper details the ten-step surgical procedure associated with the postero-inferior approach using the PsiF™DNA Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System. (3) Results: The posterior surgical approach with an inferior operative trajectory (postero-inferior) utilizes easily identifiable landmarks to provide the safest, most direct access to the articular joint space for transfixing device placement. Implanting the device through the subchondral bone, provides maximum fixation and stabilization of the joint by utilizing an optimal amount of cortical bone-implant interface. Approaching the joint from the inferior trajectory also places the implant perpendicular to the S1 endplate at a “pivot point” near the sacral axis of rotation, which addresses the most significant motion of the joint. (4) Conclusions: Further observational data from real-world clinical use are encouraged to further validate this procedure as the surgical preference for minimally-invasive SIJ fusion.

We present a very computationally light and fast approximation algorithm and then verify it with genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. We show that our algorithm is on par with GA and SA in terms of output produced while having a tightly bounded time complexity. Our algorithm works best when there is a strong positive correlation between the reliability of a component and its cost. We present two algorithms with the same essence. One of them is system cost bounded and the other is target reliability bounded. Our proposed algorithm works on a subsystem level redundancy instead of component level redundancy.

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.

This study assessed the relationship between head posture displacements and biomechanical parameters in three different tasks. One hundred male and female students (20 ± 3yrs) were assessed via the PostureScreen Mobile app to quantify postural displacements of head rotations and translations including: 1) the cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) (°), 2) anterior head translation (AHT) (cm), 3) lateral head translation in the coronal plane (cm), and 4) lateral head side bending (°). Biomechanical parameters during gait and jumping were measured using the G-Walk sensor. The assessed gait spatiotemporal parameters were cadence (steps / min), speed (m / s), symmetry index, % left and right stride length (% height), and right and left propulsion index. The pelvic movement parameters were: 1) tilt symmetry index, 2) tilt left and right range, 3) obliquity symmetry index, 4) obliquity left and right range, 5) rotation symmetry index, and 6) rotation left and right range. The jump parameters measured were: 1) flight height (cm), 2) take off force (kN), 3) impact Force (kN), 4) take off speed (m / s), 5) peak speed (m / s), 6) average speed concentric phase (m / s), 7) maximum concentric power (kW), 8) average concentric power (kW) during the counter movement jump (CMJ), and 9) CMJ with arms thrust (CMJAT). At a significance-level of p ≤ 0.001, moderate to high correlations (0.4 &lt; r &lt; 0.8) were found between CVA, AHT, lateral translation head and all the gait and jump parameters. Weak correlations (0.2 &lt; r &lt;  0.4) were ascertained for lateral head bending and all the gait and jump parameters except for gait symmetry index and pelvic symmetry index, where moderate correlations were identified (0.4 &lt; r &lt; 0.6). The findings indicate moderate to high correlations between specific head posture displacements, such as CVA, lateral head translation and AHT with the various gait and jump parameters. These findings highlight the importance of considering head posture in the assessment and optimization of movement patterns during gait and jumping. Our findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge and may have implications for clinical practice and sports performance training. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and establish causality in these relationships, which could potentially lead to the development of targeted interventions for improving movement patterns and preventing injuries.

Chemically modified forms of tetraiodothyroacetic acid (tetrac), an L-thyroxine derivative, have been shown to exert their anticancer activity at plasma membrane integrin αvβ3 of tumor cells. Via a specific hormone receptor on the integrin, tetrac-based therapeutic agents modulate expression of genes relevant to cancer cell proliferation, survival and energy metabolism. P-bi-TAT, a novel bivalent tetrac-containing synthetic compound has anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo against Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and other types of human cancers. In the current study, microarray analysis was carried out on a primary culture of human GBM cells exposed to P-bi-TAT (10-6 tetrac equivalent) for 24 h. P-bi-TAT significantly affected expression of a large panel of genes implicated in cancer cell stemness, growth, survival, and angiogenesis. Recent interest elsewhere in ATP synthase as a target in GBM cells caused us to focus attention on expression of genes involved in energy metabolism. Significantly downregulated transcripts included multiple energy metabolism-related genes: electron transport chain genes ATP5A1 (ATP synthase 1), ATP51, ATP5G2, COX6B1 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 6B1), NDUFA8 (NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] FA8), NDUFV2I and other NDUF genes. The NDUF and ATP genes are also relevant to control of oxidative phosphorylation and transcription. Qualitatively similar actions of P-bi-TAT on expression of energy metabolism-linked genes were also detected in established human GBM and pancreatic cancer cell lines. In conclusion, acting at αvβ3 integrin, P-bi-TAT caused downregulation in human cancer cells of expression of a large number of genes involved in electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. These observations suggest that cell surface thyroid hormone receptors on αvβ3 regulate expression of genes relevant to tumor cell stemness and energy metabolism.

Stellar heated gas and dust makes a significant entropic/information energy contribution to the universe. At temperatures ~10⁷ the ~10⁸⁶ bits are equivalent to ~10⁷⁰J, equivalent to the energy equivalence of the universe’s ~10⁵³ kg ordinary baryon matter. A survey of stellar mass density measurements shows this dark energy contribution has a constant energy density that effectively mimics a cosmological constant over the redshift range z<1.35. The measurable difference between this information energy and a true cosmological constant is small, with a maximum difference of <2% in Hubble parameter at z~2. As information energy is significant and co-located with hot baryons it produces gravitational effects that resemble dark matter. Information energy is shown to be consistent with the dark matter effects observed in clusters of colliding galaxies (e.g. Bullet Cluster), with dark matter location specified by baryon location and strongest in regions of highest luminosity / temperature. The dark matter fraction measured in galaxy surveys more closely fits an information energy explanation than the fraction expected in the standard ɅCDM model. Information energy provides a solution to the cosmological coincidence problem and also would allow the cosmological constant to take the preferred zero value.

In line with Pomeau’s conjecture about the relevance of directed percolation (DP) to turbulence onset/decay in wall-bounded flows, we propose a minimal stochastic model dedicated to the interpretation of the spatially intermittent regimes observed in channel flow before its return to laminar flow. Numerical simulations show that a regime with bands obliquely drifting in two stream-wise symmetrical directions bifurcates into an asymmetrical regime, before ultimately decaying to laminar flow. The model is expressed in terms of a probabilistic cellular automaton evolving von Neumann neighbourhoods with probabilities educed from a close examination of simulation results. It implements band propagation and the two main local processes: longitudinal splitting involving bands with the same orientation, and transversal splitting giving birth to a daughter band with orientation opposite to that of its mother. The ultimate decay stage observed to display one-dimensional DP properties in a two-dimensional geometry is interpreted as resulting from the irrelevance of lateral spreading in the single-orientation regime. The model also reproduces the bifurcation restoring the symmetry upon variation of the probability attached to transversal splitting, which opens the way to a study of the critical properties of that bifurcation, in analogy with thermodynamic phase transitions.

The aims of this study are to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of Cambodian household’s rice production and trying to determine its main influencing factors using the stochastic frontier production function. The study utilized primary data collected from 301 rice farmers in three selected districts of Battambang by structured questionnaires. The empirical results indicated the level of household rice output varied according to differences in the efficiency of production processes. The mean TE is 0.34 which means that famers produce 34% of rice at best practice at the current level of production inputs and technology, indicates that rice output has the potential of being increased further by 66% at the same level of inputs if farmers had been technically efficient. Furthermore, between 2013-2015 TE of household’s rice production recorded -14.3% decline rate due to highly affected of drought during dry season of 2015. Moreover, evidence reveals that land, fertilizer, and pesticide are the major influencing input factors of household’s rice production, while disaster, education of household head, family size and other crops’ cultivated area are core influencing factors decreasing TE. Conversely, the main influencing factors increasing TE are irrigated area, number of plot area and sex of household head.

The aims of this study are to measure the technical efficiency (TE) of Cambodian household’s rice production and trying to determine its main influencing factors using the stochastic frontier production function. The study utilized primary data collected from 301 rice farmers in three selected districts of Battambang by structured questionnaires. The empirical results indicated the level of household rice output varied according to differences in the efficiency of the production processes. The mean TE is 0.34 which means that famers produce 34% of rice at best practice at the current level of production inputs and technology, indicates that rice output has the potential of being increased further by 66% at the same level of inputs if farmers had been technically efficient. Furthermore, between 2013-2015, TE of household’s rice production recorded -14.3% decline rate due to highly affected of drought during dry season of 2015. Moreover, evidence reveals that land, fertilizer, and pesticide are the major influencing input factors of household’s rice production, while disaster, education of household head, family size and other crops’ cultivated area are core influencing factors decreasing TE. Conversely, the main influencing factors increasing TE are irrigated area, number of plot area and sex of household head.

The present study aims to measure the technical efficiency and establish core factors effecting rice production in Cambodia. Four-years dataset generated from the central government document “Profile on Economics and Social” of entire 25 provinces between 2012-2015 and the stochastic production frontier model (SFA) was applied. The results indicated that the level of output (quantity) of Cambodian rice production varied according to the different level of capital investment in agricultural machineries, total rice actual harvested area, and technically fertilizers application within provinces. Furthermore, evidence revealed the overall mean efficiency of rice production is 78.4% implies that there is still room to further improve technical efficiency by given the same level of inputs and technology. More importantly, the findings revealed that irrigation, production technique and amount of agricultural supporting staffs are being as the most important influencing factors of rice production’s technical efficiency in Cambodia. In conclusion, present study strongly recommends the development of irrigation systems and good water management practices to be considered and bring into more effective actions by the central government as well as related agencies for improving rice production in Cambodia in addition to capital investment and improving technical skills of supporting staffs and rural farmers.

Floodplains are critically important ecosystems that provide a whole suite of ecosystem services including nutrient and carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, water storage, and critical wildlife habitat to name a few. However, human modification of rivers and floodplains through channelization, artificial levee construction, reduction in active floodplain area, and water management can significantly reduce the ecosystem function of river-floodplain systems. In this study, we evaluated the changes in nutrient loading of the Kissimmee River floodplain during the restoration of the river-floodplain system. In addition to time-series loading analysis, we also evaluated soil nutrient concentrations across the lower portion of the Kissimmee River floodplain. During the 44-year nutrient loading time-series, the floodplain remained a nutrient exporter with changes in nutrient loading generally corresponding to both water quality (i.e. point source reductions) and hydrologic restoration activities in the watershed and Kissimmee River floodplain. During the study period, inputs of total phosphorus and total nitrogen loads from upstream either significantly increased or remained the same. In addition to external sources of nutrients, internal sources of nutrients from floodplain soils can also contribute to the total nutrient export from the system. These internal sources could be organic via the decomposition of organic matter or geologic from the original excavation of the canal and/or restoration backfilling. Soil nutrient concentrations vary between vegetative communities and landscape position and could be a significant source of phosphorus to the downstream system which is plagued by eutrophic conditions. Therefore, as floodplain function in the Kissimmee River continues to be restored and managed, additional effort may be needed to address nutrient inputs and internal legacy nutrients.

Price markups and firm Tobin’s Q ratios are widely believed to have been increasing in the past several decades. Various models for the calculation of price markups have been developed, but each have methodological drawbacks and some results are poorly reflective of the near past wider macroeconomic experience. This paper defines an approach for the definition and measurement of markup pricing using the measure of Economic Rent and The Capital Asset Pricing Model. The results show limited markup pricing for The UK’s FTSE 100 companies (2018-2023), but that that certain Real Estate, Technology/Media and Financial Services/Equity Investment firms have enjoyed higher price markup levels. An analysis of the business models of these firms is used to qualitatively propose explanations for such markups. Finally, this work offers a formal proof that that expected price markup is equal to Tobin’s Q and finds that the empiric market level of markup is near equivalent to the market Tobin’s Q; differences between the markup and Tobin’s Q at the level of the firm are equally assessed.

Cotton is the most ubiquitous and profitable fiber with diverse industrial and domestic applications. Grown in over 100 countries, it has a global market value of about $40 billion and employs over 350 million people from fields to textile mills, contributing about 7% of total labor-force recruitment in developing economies. Cotton has an indeterminate growth habit and an extensive tap root system affected by soil physicochemical and environmental conditions. There is a consensus among experts that conventional cotton cultivation still has a long way to attain sustainability, which is essential if cotton will maintain its competitive edge over other natural and synthetic fibers like hemp, polyesters, and rayon. Despite several efforts already committed to growing cotton sustainably, sustainability has eluded cotton cultivation globally because of the intense farm inputs (freshwater, pesticides, and heavy-duty equipment) needs, especially in developing economies. Some of the technological advancements towards achieving the goal of sustainable cotton cultivation include the development of new varieties, improved irrigation and mulching and precision agriculture techniques, application of remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) combined with image processing, and the introduction of autonomous and multi-purpose robotic platforms for growing and harvesting cotton. This review attempts to evaluate the successes already achieved by stakeholders in moving cotton towards sustainable production and identify areas where efforts are still needed to reach sustainable production and improved profitability goals for cotton with projections for future research directions.

Background: Post-operative delirium in elderly with hip fracture is associated with various adverse clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological processes underpinning delirium have remained elusive. The aim of this study is to explore the associations between delirium and its features and immune-inflammatory and blood gas biomarkers.Methods: In this prospective study we examined 65 patients who underwent a hip fracture surgery and assessed the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU), Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), and Delirium Rating Scale Revised-98 (DRS-R-98) before and during 4 days after the surgery. Complete Blood Count (CBC) and venous blood gas markers were obtained at the same time points.Results: Delirium was observed in 19 patients and was accompanied by significantly increased pO2, number of white blood cells, neutrophil percentage, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and lower mean platelet volume (MPV) (after adjusting for age, central nervous system (CNS) disease, blood loss during surgery, sleep disorders, and body mass index. The severity of delirium was associated with lowered number of platelets and MPV. Psychomotor disorders were associated with lower bicarbonate levels. The requirement of physical restraint of the patients was predicted by increased percentages of neutrophils and lymphocytes. Prior CNS disease was together with these biomarkers a significant predictor of delirium and severity of delirium. Conclusion: Delirium and psychomotor disorders following hip fracture and surgery may be caused by immune-inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways probably attributable to an aseptic inflammatory process. Oxygen administration may aggravate these pathways.

Mapping drought from space using, e.g., surface soil moisture (SSM), has become viable in the last decade. However, state of the art SSM retrieval products suffer from very poor coverage over northern latitudes. In this study, we propose an innovative drought indicator with a wider spatial and temporal coverage than that obtained from satellite SSM retrievals. We evaluate passive microwave brightness temperature observations from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite as a surrogate drought metric, and introduce a Standardized Brightness Temperature Index (STBI). The STBI is validated against drought indices from a land surface data assimilation system (LDAS-Monde), two satellite dervied SSM indices and a standardized precipitation index. Finally, we evaluate the STBI against the before mentioned drought indices in a case study of the 2018 Nordic drought. The STBI is found to be superior to the drought index created from satellite derived SSM in both spatial and temporal coverage over the Nordic region. Our results indicate that when compared to drought indices from precipitation data and a land data assimilation system, the STBI is able to capture the 2018 drought onset, severity and extent. Thus, the STBI index could provide additional information for drought monitoring in regions where the SSM retrieval problem is difficult.

Psychiatric disorders share the same pattern of longitudinal evolution and have courses that tend to be chronic and recurrent. These aspects of chronicity and longitudinal evolution of psychiatric disorders are currently studied under the neuroprogression framework. Interestingly, considering the plasticity of the brain, it is necessary to emphasize the bidirectional nature of neuroprogression. We review evidence highlighting alterations of the brain associated with the longitudinal evolution of psychiatric disorders from the framework of neuroplastic adaptation to pathology. This new framework highlights that substantial plasticity and remodelling may occur beyond the classic neuroprogressive framework, which is characterized only by loss of grey matter volume, decreased brain connectivity, and chronic inflammation. We also integrate the brain economy concept in the neuroplastic adaptation to pathology framework, emphasizing that to preserve its economy, i.e., function, the brain learns how to cope with the disease by adapting its architecture. This approach can disentangle both the specific pathophysiology of psychiatric symptoms and the adaptation to pathology, thus offering a new framework for both diagnosis and treatment.

The licensing of new reactors implies the use of verified and validated neutronics codes. Numerical validation can rely on sensitivity and uncertainty studies but they require repeated execution of time-consuming neutron flux and depletion calculations. The computational costs can be shortened by using perturbation theories. However, Depletion Perturbation Theory is restricted to single integral values such as a nuclide density. Relying on reduced basis approaches, which reconstruct the whole nuclide densities at once, is one way to get around this restriction. Furthermore, the adjoint-based reduced-order model uses the direct and adjoint equations for the projection. For diffusion or transport calculations, Exact-to-Precision Generalized Perturbation Theory has been developed. Still, no models for depletion calculations are readily available. Therefore, this paper describes a novel adjoint-based reduced order model for the Bateman equation. It uses a range-finding algorithm to create the basis and the Depletion Perturbation Theory for the reconstruction of the nuclide densities at first order. Our paper shows that for several perturbed cases, the depletion reduced-order model successfully reconstructs the nuclide densities. As a result, this serves as a proof of concept for our adjoint-based reduced order model which can perform sensitivity and uncertainty burn-up analysis in a shorter time.

The ribonuclease H (RNase H) active site of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is the only viral enzyme not targeted by approved antiretroviral drugs. Using a fluorescence-based in vitro assay, we screened 65,239 compounds at a final concentration of 10 µM to identify inhibitors of RT RNase H activity. We identified 41 compounds that exhibited 50% inhibitory concentration (i.e., IC50) values &lt; 1.0 µM. Two of these compounds, 2-(4-methyl-3-(piperidin-1-ylsulfonyl)phenyl)benzo[d]isothiazol-3(2H)-one (1) and ethyl 2-(2-(3-oxobenzo[d]isothiazol-2(3H)-yl)thiazol-4-yl)acetate (2), which both share the same benzisothiazolone pharmacophore, demonstrate robust antiviral activity (50% effective concentrations of 1.68 ± 0.94 µM and 2.68 ± 0.54, respectively) in the absence of cellular toxicity. A limited structure-activity relationship analysis identified two additional benzisothiazolone analogs, 2-methylbenzo[d]isothiazol-3(2H)-one (3) and N,N-diethyl-3-(3-oxobenzo[d]isothiazol-2(3H)-yl)benzenesulfonamide (4), which also resulted in inhibition of RT RNase H activity and virus replication. Compounds 1, 2 and 4, but not 3, inhibited the DNA polymerase activity of RT (IC50 values ~ 1 to 6 µM). In conclusion, benzisothiazolone derivatives represent a new class of multifunctional RT inhibitors that warrants further assessment for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.

Climate change is one of the most concerning global issues and has the potential to influence every aspect of human life. Like different components of society, it can impose significant adverse impacts on pavement infrastructure. Although several research efforts have focused on studying the effects of climate change on natural and built systems, its impact on pavement performance has not been studied extensively. Due to the weather effect the lifetime of pavement is getting lower on the other hand maintenance cost is getting higher and higher. The data has been collected from LTTP website and as a site The State of Texas has been considered. The primary objective of this project is to quantify the effect of temperature as well as precipitation changes on pavement response and performance prediction using the ARIMA model and develop a logistic regression model to analyze the forecast data.

We presented unusual case of double left ventricular false aneurysm complicating late presentation AMI successfully treated with the combination of urgent surgical drainage of tamponade, staged PCI of non-culprit lesion, preventive implantation of ICD-DR, guideline directed heart failure medical therapy and delayed but effective reconstructive operation.

Keywords: olfactory rehabilitation; chronic pain; fMRI;

Many insights into human disease have been built on experimental results in Drosophila, and research in fruit flies is often justified on the basis of its predictive value for questions related to human health. Additionally, there is now a growing recognition of the value of Drosophila for the study of rare human genetic diseases, either as a means of validating the causative nature of a candidate genetic variant found in patients, or as a means of obtaining functional information about a novel disease-linked gene when there is little known about it. For these reasons, funders in the US, Europe, and Canada have launched targeted programs to link human geneticists working on discovering new rare disease loci with researchers who work on the counterpart genes in Drosophila and other model organisms. Several of these initiatives are described here, as are a number of output publications that validate this new approach.

Revealing the spatial distribution mechanism of the coupling effect between soil water and salt is essential for managing saline-alkali farmland. This study utilized the multifractal method to analyze soil water and salt under varying water content levels in arid saline-alkali farmland. Soil samples were collected on the second (S1), fifth (S2), eighth (S3), eleventh (S4), and fourteenth (S5) days after a rainfall event. The findings showed that a significant decrease in soil water content, contrasting with an increase in soil salt content throughout the soil layers post-rainfall. As water content decreased, the spatial variability of soil water initially increased from S1-3 and then decreased, while the spatial variability of soil salt decreased. The spatial distribution between soil water and salt exhibited a high correlation at S3-4 (with relative water content of soil ranging from 0.52 to 0.75) due to their coupling effect. However, soil salt was unevenly leached by rainfall at high water content levels (S1-2) and precipitated at low water content levels (S5), resulting in low spatial variability correlations between soil water and salt. This study elucidated the coupling process of soil water and salt, identifying their spatiotemporal distribution mechanism in dryland agricultural areas.

We consider the role information energy can play as a source of dark energy. Firstly, we note that, if stars and structure had not formed in the universe, elemental bits of information describing the attributes of particles would have exhibited properties similar to the cosmological constant. The Landauer equivalent energy of such elemental bits would be defined identical in form and value to the characteristic energy of the cosmological constant. But, with the formation of stars and structure, stellar heated gas and dust now provides the dominant contribution to information energy with the characteristics of a dynamic, transitional, dark energy. At low redshift, z<~1.35, this dark energy emulates the cosmological constant with a near constant energy density, w=−1.03±0.05, and an energy total similar to the mc² of the universe's ∼10⁵³ kg of baryons. At earlier times, z>~1.35, information energy was phantom, differing from the cosmological constant, Λ, by a CPL parameter difference of ∆w_o=−0.03±0.05 and ∆w_a=−0.79±0.08, values sufficient to account for the H₀ Tension. Information dark energy agrees with most phenomena as well as Λ, while exhibiting characteristics that resolve many tensions and problems of ΛCDM: the cosmological constant problem; the cosmological coincidence problem; the H₀ and σ₈ tensions. As this proposed dark energy source is not usually considered, we identify the expected signature in H(a) that will enable the role of information dark energy to be falsified by experimental observation.

Hydrogels have gained significant attention as vehicles for transdermal delivery systems. These polymeric-structured substances have been implemented in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Many factors are employed in their preparation. Light, pH, temperature and specific molecules ligands are commonly used in the production of hydrogels. The Transdermal delivery system (TDD) is a widely used route, used to deliver actives/drugs via the skin. Hydrogels as a TDD have been shown to be efficient in enhancing the efficacy in delivering the actives and drugs. The aim of this review is to discuss the hydrogels application in both dermatological therapeutic and cosmetic applications, covering the types, and properties of hydrogel polymer networks. Furthermore, this review presents one of the most extensively used polymers (Hyaluronic acid HA) in this field and discusses the properties, preparation methods and applications of HA hydrogel patches as a delivery system, including methods of loading the actives and the releasing of these actives from them.

Adaptation to the impacts of human induced global heating is inevitable. For a socially just and ecological sustainable adjustment to these new circumstances, we need to draw from diverse knowledge systems while, simultaneously, foster a social-ecological transformation. We approach these concerns through the concept of community-based adaptation (CBA) and discuss remedies. Synergies with feminist knowledge systems and indigenous ways of living show the transdisciplinary essence of CBA. By abstracting from its origin and overlapping disciplines, revealing the social metabolism as a common problem, CBA is prone to achieve more equitable and sustainable adjustments. Transdisciplinarity itself and the current related CBA literature point beyond mere adjustments and call for a redesign of the social metabolism, thereby shifting from adaptation to global heating towards adaptation with nature by focusing on social provisioning. An engagement with transformative adaptation and heterodox economics further shows the potential of CBA to serve as an instrument in support of a social-ecological transformation by addressing root causes of vulnerability and by fostering epistemic justice. Reflecting these points back on the epistemological and ontological assumptions of CBA, the viewpoint proposes critical realism as a guiding philosophy of science to move forward.

More than 20 years after the discovery of the first anelloviruses (AVs), they still remain a mysterious group of viruses. To date, there is no clear understanding of their impact on the host organism, although information is emerging about their participation in various pathologies. However, it is well known that AVs are an important component of the human virome. In the current study we assessed the abundance of AVs in viromes from four nasal and pharyngeal samples from children with respiratory symptoms using a metagenomic approach. It is worth noting that three patients had known respiratory viruses and one did not have any. Regarding AVs, they were detected in all samples, namely Torque teno mini virus (TTMV). The greatest abundance and diversity of AVs (Torque teno virus (TTV), TTMV and Torque teno midi virus (TTMDV)) were shown in a diseased patient with an absence of respiratory viruses, which may indicate the potential involvement of AVs in the maintenance of respiratory symptoms. An activated immune system to combat the main pathogens, against the background of which the number of AVs decreases, is discussed as a possible reason for the reduced diversity of anellome in other patients. We also compared the results of the metagenomic approach and qPCR for major respiratory viruses, which were in agreement. In addition, metagenomic sequencing made it possible to obtain additional data on viral genomes in order to establish their taxonomic identification and characterize individual viral profiles in patients from the Siberian part of Russia.

Sepsis is a devastating disease that carries an enormous toll in terms of human suffering and lives lost. Over 100 novel pharmacologic agents which targeted specific molecules or pathways have failed to improve the outcome of sepsis. Preliminary data suggests that the combination of Hydrocortisone, Ascorbic Acid and Thiamine (HAT therapy) may reduce organ failure and mortality in patients with sepsis and septic shock. HAT therapy is based on the concept that a combination of readily available, safe and cheap agents which target multiple components of the host’s response to an infectious agent will synergistically restore the dysregulated immune response and thereby prevent organ failure and death. This paper reviews the rationale for HAT therapy with a focus on vitamin C.

Electrospun ultrathin fibers based on binary compositions of polylactide (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with different ratios of polymer components from 0/100 to 100/0 wt. % were studied. Using a combination of thermal (DSC) and relaxation (EPR) measurements, the effect of biopolymers content on the characteristics of the crystal structure of PLA and PCL and the diffusive rotational mobility of the stable TEMPO radical in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL compositions was shown. It was revealed that after PLA and PCL blending, significant changes in the degree of crystallinity of PLA, PCL segmental mobility, sorption capacity of the radical as well as activation energy of rotational diffusion in the amorphous regions of PLA/PCL composition are observed. The characteristic region of biopolymers’ composition from 50/50 to 30/70 % PLA/PCL blends ratio was found, where the inversion transition of PLA from dispersive medium to dispersive phase where an inversion transition is assumed when the continuous medium of the PLA transforms into a discrete phase. The performed studies made it possible for the first time to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the effect of the system component ratio on the structural and dynamic characteristics of the PLA/PCL film material at the molecular level.

Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to ascertain critical care nurses’ understanding and experiences of patient advocacy in adult critical care settings. The specific objectives were to identify how critical care nurses define patient advocacy, to explore the understanding and experiences of critical care nurses regarding patient advocacy, to explore critical care nurses’ role in patient advocacy, and to ascertain the barriers to encouraging advocacy in the critical care setting. Research design: Systematic literature search of CINAHL and Medline databases, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, as well as grey literature search, was conducted. Search dates were restricted from January 2005 to 2015 in both CINAHL and Medline. Findings: 62 studies were identified, of which 6 qualitative research papers were included. Nurses gave varied definitions of patient advocacy, which were categorized into three themes: communication, protection, and doing. Nurses perceive advocacy as truly listening to patients and their families. Conclusion: For critical care nurses to be effective advocates, there must be support, collaboration, and improved working relationship between professional groups. Moreover, nurses must be empowered to be able to give power to patients and family.

With the global increase of photovoltaic (PV) modules deployment in recent years, the need to explore and realize their reported failure mechanisms has become crucial. Despite PV modules being considered reliable devices, failures and extreme degradations often occur. Some degradations and failures can be minor and cause no critical harm if within the expected range. Others, may start mildly and then deteriorate faster to become catastrophic, especially in harsh environments. This paper conducts a state-of-the-art literature review to scan PV failures, types, and their root cause based on PV’s constructed components (from protective glass to junction-box). It outlines the hazardous consequences beyond PV module failures, describing what harm they can bring to the PV system. As we delve into the literature, it becomes clear that every component is vulnerable to certain types of failures; some can deteriorate within themselves, and others infect further PV components resulting in emerging more severe failures. In the end, the review briefly summarises PV failure detection techniques, emphasising electrical characterization techniques, and disclosing the need to engage more electrical parameters. Most importantly, this review can prepare the stage for the PV research community to identify the most prevalent degradation processes. This, in turn, encourages researchers to investigate them throughout modelling and experimental studies to forecast them at the early onset in order to protect the PV systems from hazardous malfunctions.

Fermented foods and ingredients, including fermentates derived from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in dairy products, can modulate the immune system. Here we describe the use of reconstituted skimmed milk powder to generate novel fermentates from Lactobacillus helveticus strains SC232, SC234, SC212, and SC210, and from Lacticaseibacillus casei strains SC209 and SC229, and demonstrate using in vitro assays that these fermentates can differentially modulate cytokine secretion by bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) when activated with either the viral ligand, loxoribine, or an inflammatory stimulus, lipopolysaccharide. Specifically, we demonstrate that SC232 and SC234 increase cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12p40, IL-23, IL-27 and IL-10, and decreased IL-1β in primary bone marrow derived dendritic cell (BMDCs) stimulated with a viral ligand. In contrast exposure of these cells to SC212 and SC210 resulted in increased IL-10, IL-1β, IL-23, and decreased IL-12p40 following activation of the cells with the inflammatory stimulus LPS. Interestingly SC209 and SC229 had little or no effect on cytokine secretion by BMDCs. Overall, our data demonstrates that these novel fermentates have specific effects and can differentially enhance key immune mechanisms that are critical to viral immune responses, or can suppress responses involved in chronic inflammatory conditions, such as Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease (CD).

A spatial turn is increasingly being recognised across education, the humanities and social sciences to critique Western Cartesian assumptions treating space as either empty or a diametric opposition bringing dualistic splits between reason/emotion, and mind/body. Bacon’s vision of human subjugation of nature as a tool for human progress is examined as a diametric spatial projection, where humans are above and apart from nature, in a mirror image inverted symmetry of above/below hierarchy and side-by-side assumed separation as diametric space. Building on an interdisciplinary synthesis between an aspect of the structural anthropology of Lévi-Strauss, De Beauvoir’s othering and Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological systems in psychology, allied with a Heideggerian critique of being as needing a mode of ‘being alongside the world’, a shift in experiential and conceptual space is proposed in this conceptual review article for education. This shift is towards a framework of concentric spatial systems of sustainability. Concentric relational spaces of assumed connection and relative openness and away from diametric spaces of splitting and closure have been developed recently for sustainability concerns regarding inclusion in education. This article goes further to interrogate systems of concentric relational space for belonging with and encountering the natural world for environmental sustainability.

Acoustic energy mapping provides the functionality to obtain characteristics of acoustic sources, such as: presence, localization, type and trajectory of sound sources. Several beamforming-based techniques can be used for this purpose, however, they rely on the difference of arrival times of the signal at each capture node (or microphone), so it is of major importance to have synchronized multi-channel recordings. A Wireless Acoustic Sensor Network (WASN) can be very practical to install when used for mapping the acoustic energy of a given acoustic environment. However, they are known for having low synchronization between the recordings from each node. The objective of this paper is to characterize the impact of current popular synchronization methodologies as part of the WASN to capture reliable data to be used for acoustic energy mapping. The two evaluated synchronization protocols are: Network Time Protocol (NTP) y Precision Time Protocol (PTP). Additionally, three different audio capture methodologies were proposed for the WASN to capture the acoustic signal: two of them, recording the data locally and one sending the data through a local wireless network. As a real-life evaluation scenario, a WASN was built using nodes conformed by a Raspberry Pi 4B+ with a single MEMS microphone. Experimental results demonstrate that the most reliable methodology is using the PTP synchronization protocol and audio recording locally.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) landscapes are valued for their biodiversity, water retention, fire mitigation, aesthetics, and recreation opportunities. Across North America, some aspen populations are experiencing population declines as they face uninhibited ungulate browsing, drought, fire suppression, insects, disease, and inappropriate management. Increased human development and recreational use within aspen landscapes can serve as additive stressors, though there is a dearth of literature examining these elements. At a popular recreational area in Utah, USA, identifying the cause of apparent decline within a larger aspen community is complicated by development upstream and recreation-related activities. We sought to: 1) assess the overall condition of the aspen at the site, 2) understand key variables that influence aspen conditions, and 3) elucidate how aspen fitness varies across the site. We collected data from forty-five plots using established aspen sampling methods, including ungulate presence, tree characteristics, soil chemistry, and environmental descriptors. Results suggest that a combination of higher levels of browsing and elevated soil sodium may be causing premature mortality and limiting aspen recruitment in a portion of the study area. These findings will inform future management at this site, as well as similar recreational forest settings experiencing compound stressors.

The pulp and paper industry is one of the biggest industry sectors worldwide, whose market growth is expected to reach 370.12 billion USD by 2028. However, as a water-intensive process, the pulp and paper production generate huge volumes of contaminated effluents, some of which contain dissolved high-value chemical compounds, such as lignin, hemicellulose, or carboxylic acids. These compounds can be recovered using membrane operations. Thus, membrane operations represent a method to valorize effluents and byproducts from this industry sector and narrow the gap between biorefinery models and the pulp and paper production as an integrated biorefinery. The present review reviews the state-of-the-art-research and the state-of-the-art applications of membrane operations in the pulp and paper industry.

Recent literature has seen a rapid expansion in the reference to front-end forensics as an indication of the untapped value of forensic science. While some of these contributions have centered on development of forensic intelligence from a single area of investigation, others call for a more fundamental change in the relationship between crime laboratories and policing, particularly relating early laboratory analysis with big datasets to provide leads to investigators. We highlight several recently implemented tactical strategies of crime laboratories that contribute to the body of forensic intelligence. Beyond the scientific gains from these tactical applications, the corresponding details on associated efficiencies, costs, time savings, and quality improvements offer insights towards patterns of success for the community of crime laboratories. Further details expand an interpretation of what constitutes success with an eye on the contributions of the crime laboratory towards public health, safety, and protection of the innocent in addition to societal gains from conviction of the guilty. The economic interpretation of the value provided by the forensic laboratory assists in the cost-benefit review of strategic and tactical decisions and supports the justification for laboratory public funding with measures of the return on investment from public support of the forensic laboratory

The ability of S. aureus to infect humans and cause a wide range of infections so efficiently is a consequence of the many variant virulence factors that it can produce. Superantigens (SAgs) make up a group of them and include staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE). The main objective of this study was to detect enterotoxin gene cluster (EGC) in S. aureus isolates that caused infections in Paraguayan children in the year 2017, through an observational and cross-sectional study. The detection of the EGC including the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu genes, was carried out by end-point PCR. 181 S. aureus isolates were collected, most of them caused skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI, n=140, 77%) and came from children under 6 years 50% (n=90). At least one SE gene was detected in 96% (174/181) of isolates and 24% (44/181) carried the entire EGC. An association between methicillin resistance and seg, sei, seo, and seu gene carriage (p ≤0.05) was observed. A high prevalence of EGC was detected in S. aureus isolates collected from infected children attending the main health care centers in Paraguay, its importance is due to the potential of these toxins to aggravate staphylococcal infections.

In this paper, an icosahedral non – body centered model to simulate the periodic structure of homogeneous particulate composites, by predicting the particle arrangement, is presented. This model has yielded three different variations which correspond at three different deterministic particle configurations. In addition, the concept of boundary interphase between matrix and inclusions was taken into account. Thus, the influence of particle vicinity was examined in parallel with the interphase concept on the thermomechanical properties of the overall material. Next, by the use of this model the authors derived a closed – form expression to estimate the thermal conductivity of this type of composites. To test the validity of the model, the theoretical values arising from the proposed formula were compared with other theoretical predictions obtained from several accurate formulae found in the literature and an adequate accordance was observed.

This paper analyses the application of deep learning techniques for predicting wave overtopping events in port environments using sea state and weather forecasts as inputs. The study was conducted in the outer port of Punta Langosteira, A Coruña, Spain. A video recording infrastructure was installed to monitor overtopping events from 2015 to 2022, identifying 3709 overtopping events. The data collected was merged with actual and predicted data for the sea state and weather conditions during the overtopping events, creating three datasets. We used these datasets to create several machine learning models to predict whether an overtopping event would occur based on sea state and weather conditions. The final models achieved a high accuracy level during the training and testing stages: 0.81, 0.73, and 0.84 average accuracy during training and 0.67, 0.48, and 0.86 average accuracy during testing, respectively. The results of this study have significant implications for port safety and efficiency, as wave overtopping events can cause disruptions and potential damage. Using deep learning techniques for overtopping prediction can help port managers take preventative measures and optimize operations, ultimately improving safety and helping to minimize the economic impact that overtopping events have on the port's activities.

“De-[Constructing] Growth” is offered as a deeper and more useful conceptualization that avoids the negative connotations of, and resistance to, “degrowth” by decoupling profit from unsustainable consumption, production, and inequality.

The study aimed to identify different molds that grow on various food surfaces. As a result, we conducted a case study for the detection of mold on food surfaces based on the “you only look once (YOLO) v5” principle. In this context, a dataset of 2050 food images with mold growing on their surfaces was created. The dataset was trained using the pre-trained YOLOv5 algorithm. In comparison to YOLOv3 and YOLOv4, this current YOLOv5 model had better precision, recall, and average precision (AP), which were 98.10%, 100%, and 99.60%, respectively. The YOLOv5 algorithm was used for the first time in this study to detect mold on food surfaces. In conclusion, the proposed model successfully recognizes any kind of mold present on the food surface. Using YOLOv5, we are currently conducting research to identify the specific species of the detected mold.

Microarray patches (MAPs) have the potential to be a safer, more acceptable, easier to use, and more cost-effective means for the administration of vaccines than injection by needle and syringe. Here, we report findings from a randomized, partially double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase I trial using the Vaxxas high-density MAP (HD-MAP) to deliver a measles rubella (MR) vaccine. Healthy adults (N = 63, age 18–50 years) were randomly assigned 1:1:1:1 to four groups: uncoated (placebo) HD-MAPs, low-dose MR HD-MAPs (~3,100 median cell-culture infectious dose [CCID50] measles, ~4,300 CCID50 rubella); high dose MR-HD-MAPs (~9,300 CCID50 measles, ~12,900 CCID50 rubella); or a sub-cutaneous (SC) injection of an approved MR vaccine, MR-Vac (≥1,000 CCID50 per virus). The MR vaccines were stable and remained viable on HD-MAPs when stored at 2–8°C for at least 24 months. When MR HD-MAPs stored at 2–8°C for 24 months were transferred to 40°C for 3 days in a controlled temperature excursion, loss of potency was minimal, and MR HD-MAPs still met World Health Organisation (WHO) specifications. MR HD-MAP vaccination was safe and well-tolerated; any systemic or local adverse events (AEs) were mild or moderate. Similar levels of binding and neutralizing antibodies to measles and rubella were induced by low-dose and high-dose MR HD-MAPs and MR-Vac. The neutralizing antibody seroconversion rates at day 28 after vaccination for the low-dose HD-MAP, high-dose HD-MAP and MR-Vac groups were 37.5%, 18.8% and 35.7% respectively for measles and 37.5%, 25.0% and 35.7% respectively for rubella. Most participants were seropositive for measles and rubella antibodies at baseline, which appeared to negatively impact the number of participants that seroconverted to vaccines delivered by either route. The data reported here suggest HD-MAPs could be a valuable means for delivering MR-vaccine to hard-to-reach populations and support further development. Clinical trial registry number: ACTRN12621000820808.

Directed energy deposition (DED) parameters were determined for near-β alloy Ti-55511 by employing statistical design of experiments (DOE) methods. Parameters resulting in fully dense freeform deposits were identified using two sequential DOEs. Single laser tracks were printed with several laser power, traverse rate, and powder feed rate settings in an initial DOE to identify promising build parameters. Capture efficiency and effective deposition rate were used to characterize and rank the single track deposits. The best parameters were then used to print solid cube with various X-Y and Z-overlaps (different hatch spacing, HS, and layer thickness, ZS) in a second DOE. Suitable deposition parameters were selected based on cube density and microstructure and were used to fabricate larger tensile samples for mechanical testing. Multiple parameter sets were found to provide dense Ti-55511 deposits with acceptable mechanical properties and parametric models showed statistical significance.

Net CO2 emissions and sequestration from European forests are the result of removal and growth of flora. To arrive at aggregated measurements of these processes at a country's level, local observations of increments and harvest rates are up-scaled to national forest areas. Each country releases these statistics through their individual National Forest Inventory using their particular definitions and methodologies. In addition, five international processes deal with the harmonization and comparability of such forest datasets in Europe, namely the IPCC, SOEF, FAOSTAT, HPFFRE, FRA (definitions follow in the article). In this study, we retrieved living biomass dynamics from each of these sources for 27 European Union member states. To demonstrate the reproducibility of our method, we release an open source python package that allows for automated data retrieval and analysis, as new data becomes available. The comparison of the published values shows discrepancies in the magnitude of forest biomass changes for several countries. In some cases, the direction of these changes also differ between sources. The scarcity of the data provided, along with the low spatial resolution, forbids the creation or calibration of a pan-European forest dynamics model, which could ultimately be used to simulate future scenarios and support policy decisions. To attain these goals, an improvement in forest data availability and harmonization is needed.

Measurements of complex magnetic permeability, μ(f,H)=μ′(f,H)-iμ″(f,H) and dielectric permittivity ε(f,H)=ε′(f,H)-iε″(f,H), in the frequency range, f of (0.4-7) GHz, and polarizing field, H of (0–135) kA/m, were performed, for a kerosene-based ferrofluid with magnetite nanoparticles. Based on these measurements, the phenomenon of ferromagnetic resonance was highlighted and some microwave propagation parameters of the ferrofluid were determined: the attenuation constant, α(f,H), and the reflection coefficient, R(f,H), at the air-material interface. Knowing these parameters we proposed a theoretical model establishing for the first time a new equation that allows the calculation of the overall reflection coefficient, Rw(f,H), of a ferrofluid with thickness d, deposited on a totally reflective support, following multiple internal reflections of the electromagnetic wave in the material. The results show that by increasing both, H, and d, the parameter, Rw(f,H) presents a minimum that decreases from 0.90 (for d=2mm) to 0.64 (for d=10 mm), at frequency f=5 GHz, which indicates an increase in the absorption of the electromagnetic wave by the ferrofluid. The obtained results are useful in the study of some materials that could be used as electromagnetic absorbers in the microwave range, by the determination of the overall reflection coefficient, Rw(f,H), controlled both by the thickness, d , of the absorber and by the external applied field, H.

Brushless Synchronous Machines (BSM) are replacing conventional synchronous machines with static excitation in generation facilities due to the absence of sparking and lower maintenance. However, this excitation system makes challenging measuring electric parameters in the rotor. This fact highly difficult the detection of ground faults, which are the most common type of electrical fault in electric machines. In this paper, a ground fault detection method for BSM is proposed. It is based on an inductive AC/DC rotating current sensor installed in the shaft. In case of a ground fault in the rotating parts of the BSM, a fault current will flow through the rotor’s sensor, inducing voltage in its stator. Analyzing the frequency components of the induced voltage the detection of a ground fault in the rotating elements is possible. The ground faults detection method proposed covers the whole rotor and discern between DC and AC sides. To corroborate the detection method, experimental tests have been performed using a prototype of this sensor connected to laboratory synchronous machines achieving satisfactory results.