Key features of glycogen metabolism in excitable tissues are not well-explained by current concepts. Glycogen stores in brain and skeletal muscle are generally considered to function as local glucose reserves, to be utilized during transient mismatches between glucose supply and demand; however, quantitative measures show that blood glucose supply is likely never rate-limiting for energy metabolism in either brain or muscle under physiological conditions. These tissues nevertheless do normally utilize glycogen during intervals of increased energy demand, despite the availability of free glucose, and despite the ATP cost of cycling glucose through glycogen polymer. This seemingly wasteful shunt can be explained by considering the effect of glycogenolysis on the amount of energy derived from ATP (ΔG’ATP). ΔG’ATP is diminished by elevations in Pi, such as occur at sites of rapid ATP hydrolysis and net phosphocreatine consumption. Glycogen utilization counters this effect by sequestering Pi in glycolytic metabolites (glycogen_n + Pi → glycogen_n-1 + glucose-1-phosphate → phosphorylated glycolytic intermediates), and thereby maintains the amount of energy obtained from ATP at sites of rapid ATP consumption. This thermodynamic effect may be particularly important in the narrow, spatially constricted astrocyte processes that ensheath neuronal synapses. This effect can also explain the co-localization of glycogen and cytosolic phosphocreatine in brain astrocytes, glycolytic super-compensation in brain when glycogen is not available, and aspects of exercise physiology in muscle glycogen phosphorylase deficiency (McArdle’s disease).

This study investigated the relationship between wrist flexion and the dynamics of the swing of a croquet mallet. Twenty seven subjects participated in a study which used 3D motion capture equipment and high speed and high-definition video to determine if there is a correlation between the lateral twist of a croquet player’s swing and the flexion of the wrist during that swing. The study found a significant correlation between the amount of flexion of the wrist from the start of the stroke to the top of the backswing and the twist of the mallet head at the top of the backswing (r=0.330, p<0.01). The methodology and findings are relevant to all sports where minimising wrist flexion is favourable for improving consistency of stroke making. Additionally, reducing wrist motion in stroke-making may reduce the incidence of wrist pain and injury in croquet, further supporting recommendations to reduce the amount of wrist flexion during the croquet swing.

Urban form is associated with both socio-economic and urban physical properties. This study explores the differences among urban forms in the Seoul Metropolitan Region with a comparison between census-based socioeconomic variables and landscape metrics computed from remotely sensed data. To accomplish this, factor analysis and multi-dimensional scaling were used with the selected variables and metrics. When all of the measures are considered together, four types of cities and towns emerged: 1) exurban-fragmented high growth, 2) exurban-fragmented low growth, 3) compact-extensive urban core and 4) sub-urban compact-high growth. The results indicate that the fusion of knowledge of the physical urban layout and that of socio-economic characteristics is beneficial for a better understanding of urban spatial patterns. However, there remain challenges in delineating each urbanized area and with indicator selection for comparing urban form across cities and towns.

The purpose of this article is to disclose the strenuous efforts of Laszlo Hudec in China and Antonin Raymond in Japan and India to create a modern architectural stance by heralding an incipient space syntax. In the turn of the 19th Century, for dynastic, politic and economic reasons, Eastern Asia had very little modern Architecture. It is a surprising fact that, out of happenstance, two European architects Antonin Raymond and Laszlo Hudec, had to intervene to remedy this situation, to the point of becoming 20th Century icons in Japan and China. Their fruitful careers spanned over thirty years and included locations, like Tamil Nadu or the Philippines. The Oriental territories were not an easy ground for the bold architectural achievements that they produced. Despite of faraway strangeness and uncountable personal losses, in revolutions and wars, which eventually forced them both to leave for the United States of America and never to return, they were successful in the manner of establishing a broad avenue for Modern Asian Architecture which is still recognisable today thanks to their systematic approach. However, theirs is an endangered heritage and the intention of this article is to be a just remembrance of in which way such actions could be performed, how they predated by many years a syntactic approach to architectural composition and why their legacy should be preserved.

‘Inner mitochondrial membrane peptidase 2 like’ (IMMP2L) is a nuclear encoded mitochondrial peptidase that has been conserved through evolutionary history as has its target enzyme ‘mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase 2’ (GPD2). IMMP2L is known to cleave the mitochondrial transit peptide from GPD2 and another nuclear encoded mitochondrial respiratory related protein cytochrome C1 (CYC1). However, it is not known whether IMMP2L peptidase activates or alters the activity or respiratory related functions of GPD2 or CYC1. Previous investigations found compelling evidence of behavioural change in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse and in this study EchoMRI analysis found that many organs of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse were smaller and that the KO mouse had significantly less lean mass and overall body weight compared with wildtype littermates (p&lt;0.05). Moreover, all of the organs analysed from the Immp2lKD-/- KO had lower relative levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS). The kidneys of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed the greatest decrease in mitoROS levels that were over 50% less compared with wildtype litter mates. Mitochondrial respiration was also lower in the kidney of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse compared with other tissues when using succinate as the respiratory substrate, whereas respiration was similar to wildtype when glutamate was used as substrate. When glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) was used as the substrate for Gpd2 we observed ~20% and ~7% respective decreases in respiration in female and male Immp2lKD-/- KO mice over time. Together these findings suggest that the respiratory related functions of mGpd2 and Cyc1 have been compromised to different degrees in different tissues in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Structural analyses using AlphaFold2-Multimer further predicted that the interaction between Cyc1 and mitochondrial encoded cytochrome b (Cyb) in Complex III had been altered as had the homodimeric structure of the mGpd2 enzyme within the inner mitochondrial membrane of the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. mGpd2 functions as an integral component of the glycerol phosphate shuttle (GPS) which positively regulates both mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. Interestingly, we found that nonmitochondrial respiration (NMR) was also dramatically lowered in the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse. Primary mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell lines derived from the Immp2lKD-/- KO mouse displayed a ~27% decrease in total respiration comprised of a ~50% decrease in NMR and a ~12% decrease in total mitochondrial respiration where the latter was consistent with the decreases in substrate specific mitochondrial respiration reported here. This study is the first to report the role of Immp2l in enhancing Gpd2 structure and function, mitochondrial respiration, nonmitochondrial respiration, organ size and homeostasis.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, particularly Machine Learning algorithms, becomes increasingly ubiquitous, our abilities to understand and interpret AI and machine learning algorithms are becoming increasingly desirable. Visualization has been used as a common tool to view and understand complex machine learning processes. In this paper, we will focus on developing a general framework for the visualization of machine learning models as a scalar valued multi-dimensional function to help users understand how the models behave over different viewing spaces. We first give a formal definition of the visualization problem. Interpolation-based morphing and subspace sampling techniques are applied to generate various renderings through projections and cross-sections of the model space as 3D surfaces or heatmap images. This method will be applied to two real-world datasets and applications: the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using a human brain networks dataset and a real-world benchmark dataset for predicting home credit default risks. The visualizations show that different machine learning algorithms can behave quite differently under different conditions.

Since certain Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members, like M. bovis, are endemic in specific South African wildlife reserves and zoos, cases of clinically important nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in wildlife may be neglected. Additionally, due to the inability of tests to differentiate between host responses to MTBC and NTM, the diagnosis of MTBC may be confounded by the presence of NTMs. This may hinder control efforts. These constraints highlight the need for enhanced rapid detection and differentiation methods for MTBC and NTM, especially in high MTBC burden areas. We evaluated the use of the GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra, the Hain CMdirect V1.0, and novel amplicon sequencing PCRs targeting the mycobacterial rpoB and ku gene targets, directly on antemortem respiratory samples from known MTBC-infected and NTM culture-positive African elephants (n=26 animals) and rhinoceros (n=23 animals). Our findings suggest that the Ultra is the most sensitive diagnostic test for MTBC DNA detection directly in raw antemortem respiratory specimens and that the rpoB PCR is ideal for Mycobacterium genus DNA detection and species identification through amplicon sequencing.

Coupling the Maxwell tensor to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor is shown to lead to a geometricized theory of electrodynamics. While this geometricized theory leads directly to the classical Maxwell equations, it also extends their physical interpretation by giving charge density, mass density and the four-velocity that describes their motions geometric definitions. Assuming the existence of a conserved energy-momentum tensor, all solutions to the geometricized theory of electrodynamics developed here are shown to be consistent with the emergence of gravity obeying the General Relativity field equation augmented by a term that mimics the properties of dark matter and/or dark energy. Finally, due to the symmetries of the theory, the properties and phenomenology of antimatter emerge in solutions.

Sense element engagement theory explains how neural networks produce cortical prosthetic vision. A major prediction of the theory can be tested by developing a device which is expected to enable perception of continuous forms in altered visual geometries. The research reported here completes several essential steps in developing this device: (1) replication of simulations that are consistent with the theory using the NEST simulator, which can also be used for full-scale network emulation by a neuromorphic computer; (2) testing whether results consistent with the theory survive increasing the scale and duration of simulations; (3) establishing a method that uses numbers of spikes produced by network neurons to report the number of phosphenes produced by cortical stimulation; and (4) simulating essential functions of the prosthetic device. NEST simulations replicated early results and increasing their scale and duration produced results consistent with the theory. A decision function created using multinomial logistic regression correctly classified the expected number of phosphenes for 2080 spike number distributions for each of three sets of data, half of which arise from simulations expected to yield continuous visual forms on an altered visual geometry. A process for modulating electrical stimulation amplitude based on intermittent population recordings that is predicted to produce continuous visual forms was successfully simulated. The classification function developed using logistic regression will be used to tune this process as the scale of simulations is further increased.

The Kummer surface was constructed in 1864. It corresponds to the desingularisation of the quotient of a 4-torus by 16 complex double points. Kummer surface is kwown to play a role in some models of quantum gravity. Following our recent model of the DNA genetic code based on the irreducible characters of the finite group G5:=(240,105)≅Z5⋊2O (with 2O the binary octahedral group), we now find that groups G6:=(288,69)≅Z6⋊2O and G7:=(336,118)≅Z7⋊2O can be used as models of the symmetries in hexamer and heptamer proteins playing a vital role for some biological functions. Groups G6 and G7 are found to involve the Kummer surface in the structure of their character table. An analogy between quantum gravity and DNA/RNA packings is suggested.

Using four field equations, a recently proposed theory that covers the phenomenology of classical physics at the level of the Maxwell and Einstein Field Equations (M&EFEs) but then goes further by unifying electromagnetic and gravitational phenomena in a fundamentally new way is reviewed. Predictions of the field equations are shown to be consistent with those of the M&EFEs through specific solutions; a particle-like solution representing a point charge, and two radiative solutions representing electromagnetic and gravitational waves. A unique feature of the full set of field equations is that charge and mass are treated as dynamic fields instead of being introduced as external parameters as is done with the classical M&EFEs, a feature that enables a procedure for quantizing the mass, charge and angular momentum of particle-like solutions. Finally, antimatter is naturally accommodated by the theory and definite predictions regarding the interactions of matter and antimatter with gravitational fields are made.

A single qubit may be represented on the Bloch sphere or similarly on the 3-sphere S3. Our goal is to dress this correspondence by converting the language of universal quantum computing (UQC) to that of 3-manifolds. A magic state and the Pauli group acting on it define a model of UQC as a positive operator-valued measure (POVM) that one recognizes to be a 3-manifold M3. More precisely, the d-dimensional POVMs defined from subgroups of finite index of the modular group PSL(2, Z) correspond to d-fold M3- coverings over the trefoil knot. In this paper, one also investigates quantum information on a few ‘universal’ knots and links such as the figure-of-eight knot, the Whitehead link and Borromean rings, making use of the catalog of platonic manifolds available on the software SnapPy. Further connections between POVMs based UQC and M3’s obtained from Dehn fillings are explored.

A single qubit may be represented on the Bloch sphere or similarly on the $3$-sphere $S^3$. Our goal is to dress this correspondence by converting the language of universal quantum computing (uqc) to that of $3$-manifolds. A magic state and the Pauli group acting on it define a model of uqc as a POVM that one recognizes to be a $3$-manifold $M^3$. E. g., the $d$-dimensional POVMs defined from subgroups of finite index of the modular group $PSL(2,\mathbb{Z})$ correspond to $d$-fold $M^3$- coverings over the trefoil knot. In this paper, one also investigates quantum information on a few \lq universal' knots and links such as the figure-of-eight knot, the Whitehead link and Borromean rings, making use of the catalog of platonic manifolds available on SnapPy. Further connections between POVMs based uqc and $M^3$'s obtained from Dehn fillings are explored.

We consider partition functions, in the form of state sums, and associated probabilistic measures for aperiodic substrates described by model sets and their associated tiling spaces. We propose model set tiling spaces as microscopic models for small scales in the context of quantum gravity. Model sets possess special self-similarity properties that allow us to consider implications on large and observable scales from the underlying (non-ergodic) dynamics. In particular we consider the implication of the underlying aperiodic substrate for the well known problem of time in quantum gravity, and propose a correspondence between small and large scales, the so-called ergodic correspondence, that addresses the emergence of matter properties and spacetime structure. In the process we find a possible bound in the mass spectrum of fundamental particles.

Many corporations have now revised their value statements to showcase their commitment to sustainable development and green business due to the pressing issues of climate and environmental damage. Despite the importance of value statements that can direct companies to achieve sustainable goals, what kind of values can be perceived as organizational orientations to sustainability remains unknown. This study explores how the general public views the inclusion of sustainable components in value statements from the listed companies in Hong Kong by using Q-sort methodology (n = 30). Analyzing the final sample of 40 value statements extracted from 27 listed companies, we identified three factors related to sustainability, namely, Empowering business process management, Empowering customer-centric excellence, and Empowering sustainable progress. This study provides an additional component to the traditional triple bottom line by suggesting that internal operation of a company is an emerging idea to understand corporate sustainability.

A popular account of the mixing patterns for the three generations of quarks and leptons is through the characters $\kappa$ of a finite group $G$. Here we introduce a $d$-dimensional Hilbert space with $d=cc(G)$, the number of conjugacy classes of $G$. Groups under consideration should follow two rules, (a) the character table contains both two- and three-dimensional representations with at least one of them faithful and (b) there are minimal informationally complete measurements under the action of a $d$-dimensional Pauli group over the characters of these representations. Groups with small $d$ that satisfy these rules coincide in a large part with viable ones derived so far for reproducing simultaneously the CKM (quark) and PNMS (lepton) mixing matrices. Groups leading to physical $CP$ violation are singled out.

The authors previously found a model of universal quantum computation by making use of the coset structure of subgroups of a free group $G$ with relations. A valid subgroup $H$ of index $d$ in $G$ leads to a \lq magic' state $\left|\psi\right\rangle$ in $d$-dimensional Hilbert space that encodes a minimal informationally complete quantum measurement (or MIC), possibly carrying a finite \lq contextual' geometry. In the present work, we choose $G$ as the fundamental group $\pi_1(V)$ of an exotic $4$-manifold $V$, more precisely a \lq small exotic' (space-time) $R^4$ (that is homeomorphic and isometric, but not diffeomorphic to the Euclidean $\mathbb{R}^4$). Our selected example, due to to S. Akbulut and R.~E. Gompf, has two remarkable properties: (a) it shows the occurence of standard contextual geometries such as the Fano plane (at index $7$), Mermin's pentagram (at index $10$), the two-qubit commutation picture $GQ(2,2)$ (at index $15$) as well as the combinatorial Grassmannian Gr$(2,8)$ (at index $28$) , (b) it allows the interpretation of MICs measurements as arising from such exotic (space-time) $R^4$'s. Our new picture relating a topological quantum computing and exotic space-time is also intended to become an approach of \lq quantum gravity'.

As its capital, Jakarta plays a critical role in boosting Indonesia’s economic growth and setting the precedent for broader change outside of the city. One crucial avenue of inquiry to better understand, and prepare for, the future of a country so heavily impacted by disastrous weather events is understanding the effects of climate change through data. This study investigates meteorological data collected from 1996 to 2021 and compares the application of the SARIMA and the Holt-Winters methods to predict the future influence of climatic parameters on Jakarta’s weather. The performance of the SARIMA method is proven to provide better results than the Holt-Winter models and both methods showed the best performances when forecasting the humidity data. The results of the forecast are able to demonstrate the characteristic of the climate in Jakarta, with dry season ranging from May to October and wet season ranging from November to April.

The interaction of matter when separated by a distance is a fundamental question, whether such interactions occur through instantaneous action at a distance or retarded interaction (principle of locality)? While the mainstream consensus favors the principle of locality, instantaneous action at a distance offers certain advantages. Previously, instantaneous action at a distance has been viewed as an appearance or representation from specific gauge choices of electromagnetic potentials (retarded). In this paper, we propose a novel approach that combines Weber’s electrodynamics with the concept of vacuum polarization to explore a new possible connection between the two viewpoints: instantaneous action at a distance and the locality principle. This new approach aligns with the observation of locality in signal/energy propagation while retaining the notion of instantaneous action at a distance.

The lab-on-a-chip concept, enabled by microfluidic technology, promises the integration of multi-ple discrete laboratory techniques into a miniaturised system. Research into microfluidics has generally focused on the development of individual elements of the total system (often with rela-tively limited functionality), without full consideration for integration into a complete fully opti-mised and miniaturised system. Typically, the operation of many of the reported lab-on-a-chip devices is dependent on the support of a laboratory framework. In this paper, a demonstrator platform for routine laboratory analysis is designed and built, which fully integrates a number of technologies into a single device with multiple domains such as fluidics, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, and photonics. This facilitates the delivery of breakthroughs in research, by incorpo-rating all physical requirements into a single device. To highlight this proposed approach, this demonstrator microsystem acts as a fully integrated biochemical assay reaction system. The re-sulting design determines enzyme kinetics in an automated process and combines reservoirs, three-dimensional fluidic channels, optical sensing, and electronics in a low-cost, low-power and portable package.

Poultry litter was converted to biochar by torrefaction and to hydrochar by hydrothermal carbonisation. Many parameters were measured for the resulting chars, to investigate the effect of production method and production temperature. SEM showed the presence of large quantities of crystalline material on the surface of the biochars. The elemental composition of some crystals was determined as 35% K and 31% Cl. This was confirmed as sylvite (KCl) crystals, which explains the high levels of water extractable potassium in the biochar and may also be important in germination inhibition. Biochars almost totally inhibited germination, whilst hydrochars decreased germination. Although germination occurred on hydrochar, root growth was severely inhibited. Consequently, germination index may be better to determine total phytotoxicity as it measures both effects and could be used as a bioassay for chars used as soil amendments. Washing removed germination inhibition in a low temperature char (3500C), possibly by removing KCl, however root toxicity remained. There were very low levels of heavy metals, suggesting they are not the source of toxicity. In biochars, pore mean size decreased with temperature from 3500C to 6000C, due to changes in pore size distribution. Mean pore size was measured directly using SEM. The merits of this method are discussed. Low temperature biochars seem best suited for fuel as they have high calorific value, high hydrophobicity, low ash content and high yield. Higher temperatures are better for soil amendment and sequestration applications with a smaller mean pore size, higher surface area, and higher pH.

Medical education is facing great challenges and uncertainties amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical Education Institutions are required to build a task force team for crisis management. These should be committed to supporting a sudden online education transition, academic support, and psychological well-being of students, staff members, health care professionals, paramedics, and faculty administration. As the situation evolves, the task force has to monitor the challenges and provide appropriate plans, guidance, and solutions. Leaders in medical education have a crucial role in response to the pandemic crisis in securing a successful educational process while ensuring the mental and psychological well-being of the stakeholders. Herein, we provide tips that can provide a guide for medical education leaders to coordinate crisis management.

Cranberries are rich in bioactive constituents reported to influence a variety of health benefits, ranging from improved immune function and decreased infections to reduced cardiovascular disease and more recently cancer inhibition. A review of cranberry research targeting cancer revealed positive effects of cranberries or cranberry derived constituents against 17 different cancers utilizing a variety of in vitro techniques; whereas, in vivo studies supported the inhibitory action of cranberries toward cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, bladder, prostate, glioblastoma and lymphoma. Mechanisms of cranberry-linked cancer inhibition include cellular death induction via apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy; reduction of cellular proliferation; alterations in reactive oxygen species; and modification of cytokine and signal transduction pathways. Given the emerging positive preclinical effects of cranberries, future clinical directions targeting cancer or premalignancy will be considered

It is shown how the secondary structure of proteins, musical forms and verses of poems are approximately ruled by universal laws relying on graph coverings. In this direction, one explores the group structure of a variant of the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein and the group structure of apolipoprotein-H, passing from the primary code with amino acids to the secondary structures organizing the foldings. Then one look at the musical forms employed in the classical and contemporary periods. Finally, one investigates in much detail the group structure of a small poem in prose by Charles Baudelaire and that of the Bateau Ivre by Arthur Rimbaud.

Every protein consists of a linear sequence over an alphabet of $20$ letters/amino acids. The sequence unfolds in the $3$-dimensional space through secondary (local foldings), tertiary (bonds) and quaternary (disjoint multiple) structures. The mere existence of the genetic code for the $20$ letters of the linear chain could be predicted with the (informationally complete) irreducible characters of the finite group $G_n:=\mathbb{Z}_n \rtimes 2O$ (with $n=5$ or $7$ and $2O$ the binary octahedral group) in our previous two papers. It turns out that some quaternary structures of protein complexes display $n$-fold symmetries. We propose an approach of secondary structures based on free group theory. Our results are compared to other approaches of predicting secondary structures of proteins in terms of $\alpha$ helices, $\beta$ sheets and coils, or more refined techniques. It is shown that the secondary structure of proteins shows similarities to the structure of some hyperbolic $3$-manifolds. The hyperbolic $3$-manifold of smallest volume --Gieseking manifold--, some other $3$ manifolds and the oriented hypercartographic group are singled out as tentative models of such secondary structures. For the quaternary structure, there are links to the Kummer surface.

Cannabis has long been used for its medicinal and psychoactive properties. With the relatively new adoption of formal medicinal cannabis regulations worldwide, the study of cannabinoids, both endogenous and exogenous, has similarly flourished in more recent decades. In particular, research investigating the role of cannabinoids in regeneration and neurodevelopment has yielded promising results in vertebrate models. However, regeneration-competent vertebrates are few, whereas a myriad of invertebrate species have been established as superb models for regeneration. As such, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the endocannabinoid system, with a focus on current advances in the area of endocannabinoid system contributions to invertebrate neurodevelopment and regeneration.

Taking a DNA-sequence, a word with letters/bases A, T, G and C, as the relation between the generators of an infinite group $\pi$, one can discriminate two important families: (i) the cardinality structure for conjugacy classes of subgroups of $\pi$ is that of a free group on $1$ to $4$ bases and the DNA word, viewed as a substitution sequence, is aperiodic. (ii) The cardinality structure for conjugacy classes of subgroups of $\pi$ is not that of a free group, the sequence is generally not aperiodic and topological properties of $\pi$ have to be determined differently. The two cases rely on DNA conformations such as A-DNA, B-DNA, Z-DNA, G-quadruplexes, etc. We found a few salient results: Z-DNA, when involved in transcription, replication and regulation in a healthy situation implies (i). The sequence of telomeric repeats comprising $3$ distinct bases, most of the time, satisfies (i). For $2$-base sequences in the free case (i) or non free case (ii), the topology of $\pi$ may be found in terms of the $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$ character variety of $\pi$ and the attached algebraic surfaces. The linking of two unknotted curves --the Hopf link-- may occur in the topology of $\pi$ in cases of biological importance, in telomeres, G-quadruplexes, hairpins and junctions, a feature we already found in the context of models of topological quantum computing. For $3$- and $4$ base sequences, other knotting configurations are noticed and a building block of the topology is the $4$-punctured sphere. Our methods have the potential to discriminate potential diseases associated to the sequences.

Our recent work has focused on the application of infinite group theory and related algebraic geometric tools in the context of transcription factors and microRNAs. We were able to differentiate between “healthy" nucleotide sequences and disrupted sequences that may be associated with various diseases. In this paper, we extend our efforts to the study of messenger RNA metabolism, showcasing the power of our approach. We investigate (i) mRNA translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, (ii) polyadenylation in eukaryotes, which is crucial for nuclear export, translation, stability, and splicing of mRNA, (iii) miRNAs involved in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, and (iv) the identification of disrupted sequences that could lead to potential illnesses. To achieve this, we employ (a) infinite (finitely generated) groups fp, with generators representing the r+1 distinct nucleotides and a relation between them [e.g., the consensus sequence in the mRNA translation (i), the poly(A) tail in item (ii), and the miRNA seed in item (iii)], (b) aperiodicity theory, which connects “healthy groups" fp to free groups Fr of rank r and their profinite completion F^r, and (c) the representation theory of groups fp over the space-time-spin group SL2(C), highlighting the role of surfaces with isolated singularities in the character variety. Our approach could potentially contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying various diseases and help develop new diagnostic or therapeutic strategies.

Hydraulic relationships are important for water resource management, hazard prediction, and modelling. Since Leopold first identified power law expressions that could relate streamflow to top-width, depth, and velocity, hydrologists have been estimating ‘At-a-station Hydraulic Geometries’ (AHG) to describe average flow hydraulics. As the amount of data, data sources, and application needs increase, the ability to apply, integrate and compare disparate and often noisy data is critical for applications ranging from reach to continental scales. However, even with quality data, the standard practice of solving each AHG relationship independently can lead to solutions that fail to conserve mass. The challenge addressed here is how to extend the physical properties of the AHG relations, while improving the way they are hydrologically addressed and fit. We present a framework for minimizing error while ensuring mass conservation at reach - or hydrologic Feature - scale geometries’(FHG) that complies with current state-of-the-practice conceptual and logical models. Through this framework, FHG relations are fit for the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Rating Curve database, the USGS HYDRoacoustic dataset in support of the Surface Water Oceanographic Topography satellite mission (HYDRoSWOT), and the hydraulic property tables produced as part of the NOAA/Oakridge Continental Flood Inundation Mapping framework. The paper describes and demonstrates the accuracy, interoperability, and application of these relationships to flood modelling and presents this framework in an R package.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed the world and human society in various ways. Infection-related figures are key indicators of the direct impact of the pandemic. In addition to the virus, many vulnerable populations (e.g. patients with complex health conditions) have suffered direct or indirect health impacts, such as delayed treatment or diagnosis of cancer and severe mental illness due to stay-at-home restrictions, or financial issues. Studying these kinds of impacts can provide the community with insights and understanding of how the pandemic has affected patients with health conditions and help inform decision-makers design policies that support various vulnerable populations. This paper surveys analytical work conducted on how COVID-19 has impacted patients with complex health conditions. We categorise vulnerable populations into three specific cohorts: patients with chronic disease, patients with cancer and patients with end-of-life care. We then investigate how each of these cohorts has been impacted by the pandemic. We also identify each cohort from an analytics perspective by leveraging various data collection strategies and analytical methods. The goals of this paper are to provide evidence on how to improve the quality of life for vulnerable populations and to inform a national response strategy for future pandemics, which seems inevitable in a highly globalised economy.

We introduce a number of techniques in quantitative convergent-beam electron diffraction under development by our group and discuss the basis for measuring interatomic electrostatic potentials (and therefore also electron densities), localised at sub-nanometre scales, with sufficient accuracy and precision to map chemical bonds in and around nanostructures in nanostructured materials. This has never before been possible as experimental measurements of bonding in quantum crystallography have hitherto always been restricted to homogeneous single-phased crystals.

Transcription factors (TFs) are proteins that recognize specific DNA fragments in order to decode the genome and ensure its optimal functioning. TFs work at the local and global scales by specifying cell type, cell growth and death, cell migration, organization and timely tasks. We investigate the structure of DNA-binding motifs with the theory of finitely generated groups. The DNA ‘word’ in the binding domain -the motif- may be seen as the generator of a finitely generated group Fdna on four letters, the bases A, T, G and C. It is shown that, most of the time, the DNA-binding motifs have subgroup structure close to free groups of rank three or less, a property that we call ‘syntactical freedom’. Such a property is associated to the aperiodicity of the motif when it is seen as a substitution sequence. Examples are provided for the major families of TFs such as leucine zipper factors, zinc finger factors, homeo-domain factors, etc. We also discuss the exceptions to the existence of such a DNA syntactical rule and their functional role. This includes the TATA box in the promoter region of some genes, the single nucleotide markers (SNP) and the motifs of some genes of ubiquitous role in transcription and regulation.

It is shown that the representation theory of some finitely presented groups thanks to their $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ character variety is related to algebraic surfaces. We make use of the Enriques-Kodaira classification of algebraic surfaces and the related topological tools to make such surfaces explicit. We study the connection of $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ character varieties to topological quantum computing (TQC) as an alternative to the concept of anyons. The Hopf link $H$, whose character variety is a Del Pezzo surface $f_H$ (the trace of the commutator), is the kernel of our view of TQC. Qutrit and two-qubit magic state computing, derived from the trefoil knot in our previous work, may be seen as TQC from the Hopf link. The character variety of some two-generator Bianchi groups as well as that of the fundamental group for the singular fibers $\tilde{E}_6$ and $\tilde{D}_4$ contain $f_H$. A surface birationally equivalent to a $K_3$ surface is another compound of their character varieties.

The Study proposes possible solution to enhance Password Authentication using Association Technique based on the Ecological theory of memory and data at the Presbyterian university College Ghana. The study used a deductive research approach and employed two empirical Studies using the non-probability sampling technique where few respondents were selected in categories out of the populace by means of openness in other to get similar categories of respondents with different age groups and education background. The two Empirical study also used a quasi-experimental approach which structure incorporate observation, experimental treatment and timing. The First empirical study carried out an investigation to identify existing Password authentication Technique used by End Users, as well as their behavior in password utilization through a self-completed questionnaires which was analyzed using SPSS version 21 . The Second empirical study was an experiment to compared three kinds of password constructions that is own set, modified dictionary, and association against one another to see which of them would be best meet the ecological theory of memory and data which aims at creating a secured password that is easy to recall. The computation and evaluation of password construction was done using My1login Password meter whiles Levenshtein Distance String Edit Software was also used to compute the memorability of all given password. Across-tabulation was then employed out of the experiment using SPSS version 21. The result from the analysis revealed that the majority of the respondents do have weak passwords and also have few passwords which they even end up sharing with families and friends and reuse it. This confirms statements made by researchers that human being is the weakest connection in information system securities. To maintain Confidentiality, Availability and Integrity of data, the study therefore recommended the use of the Association Password technique which makes it easier to develop a much secured password that is difficult to crack but easy remember.

INTRODUCTION There have been several advances in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection which have resulted in major reductions in the morbidity and mortality from liver-associated disease. These are not widely available in the Caribbean, due in part, to lack of knowledge of the epidemiology of infections with HCV. As efforts are made to eliminate HCV from the region, these and other existing barriers such as lack of an established database on HCV must be addressed. This review seeks to identify gaps in the knowledge of HCV in the Caribbean with respect to seroprevalence, genotype distribution and general epidemiologic characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS The literature for the period January 1, 2005, to October 2022, was reviewed to gather country specific data on HCV across the Caribbean. References were identified through indexed journals accessed through established databases. The usage pattern of HCV drugs was determined from data obtained from Pharmacists and Infectious Diseases Specialists across the region. RESULTS The prevalence of HCV in the Caribbean was 1.5%; the region should therefore be considered an area of moderate prevalence. Notably, data from specific countries were limited. The prevalence of HCV among intravenous drug users (21.9-58.8%); persons living with HIV/AIDS (0.8 to 58.5%); prisoners (32.8-64%) and men who have sex with men (MSM) (0.8-6.9%) was generally higher than in the general population (0.8-2.3%). Genotype 1 (83% was most prevalent followed by genotypes 2 (7.2%) and 3(2.1%), respectively. Drugs currently being used for treatment of HCV infections across the Caribbean include Epclusa (Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir), and Harvoni (Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir). Some of these drugs, are only available in the private sector and are sourced externally whenever needed. CONCLUSION There is a paucity of current data on the seroprevalence of HCV in the Caribbean and well-designed prospective studies are indicated to drive the implementation of treatment and control programs for HCV in the region. Barriers which need to be first overcome include unavailability and high cost of drugs used to treat HCV infections, injecting drug use and limited access to medical care and laboratory testing.

We find that the degeneracies and many peculiarities of the DNA genetic code may be described thanks to two closely related (fivefold symmetric) finite groups. The first group has signature $G=\mathbb{Z}_5 \rtimes H$ where $H=\mathbb{Z}_2 . S_4\cong 2O$ is isomorphic to the binary octahedral group $2O$ and $S_4$ is the symmetric group on four letters/bases. The second group has signature $G=\mathbb{Z}_5 \rtimes GL(2,3)$ and points out a threefold symmetry of base pairings. For those groups, the representations for the $22$ conjugacy classes of $G$ are in one-to-one correspondence with the multiplets encoding the proteinogenic amino acids. Additionally, most of the $22$ characters of $G$ attached to those representations are informationally complete. The biological meaning of these coincidences is discussed.

Background: Disability and caste are two different forms of oppression, however Dalits and people with disabilities commonly face similar types of marginalities. Dalit women with disabilities may experience double discrimination because of the intersectionality of disability and caste. This study examines whether the disability and caste identity of women together affects and compounds the utilization of maternal healthcare services. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire among a total of 354 Dalit and non-Dalit women, with and without a disability aged between 15 – 49 years. Maternal healthcare service utilization was assessed by Ante-Natal Care (ANC), health facility (HF) delivery, and Post-Natal Care (PNC) during the last pregnancy. Logistic regression was performed to detect the predictors of service utilization and identify whether disability and caste were associated with service utilization. First, disability and caste were fitted separately in models. Secondly, the intersectionality of disability and caste was tested by the inclusion of disability*caste interaction term. Finally, the confounding effect of socio-demographic factors was investigated. Results: Out of surveyed women, 73% had 4+ ANC visits, 65% had HF delivery and 29% had a PNC visit during their last pregnancy. Women with a disability had lower odds of HF delivery (OR 0.50, CI 0.30 – 0.84) and PNC (OR 0.47, CI 0.25 – 0.88) than women without a disability. Adjustment for women’s age and household wealth explained associations in HF delivery by women with disabilities. There was no association between caste and service utilization. Disability overrode caste and there was no other evidence of effect modification by women’s caste status in the utilization. However, a weak interaction effect in the utilization of ANC services was found in the caste group by their education (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05 – 0.74). Conclusions: Disabled women – whether Dalit or non-Dalit - had lower rates of utilizing all maternal healthcare services than non-disabled women. However, Dalit women with disabilities were more likely to receive PNC than non-Dalit women with disabilities. Increasing equity in maternal healthcare service utilization requires that traditional approaches to service development and program intervention to be re-examined and more nuanced interventions considered to ensure improved access and outcome among all vulnerable groups.

Ante-mortem bovine tuberculosis (bTB) tests for buffaloes include the single comparative intradermal tuberculin test (SCITT), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) release assay (IGRA) and IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 release assay (IPRA). Although parallel test interpretation increases detection of Mycobacterium bovis-infected buffaloes, these algorithms may not be suitable for screening buffaloes in historically bTB-free herds. In this study, the specificities of three assays were determined using M. bovis unexposed herds, and a high specificity diagnostic algorithm developed. Serial test interpretation using the IGRA and IPRA showed significantly greater specificity (98.3%) than individual tests or parallel testing (73%). When the SCITT was added, the algorithm had a 100% specificity. Since the cytokine assays had imperfect specificity, potential cross-reactivity with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) was investigated. No association was found between NTM presence (in oronasal swab cultures) and positive cytokine assay results. As a proof-of-principle, serial testing was applied to high-value buffaloes (n=153) in a historically bTB-free herd. Buffaloes positive on a single test (n=28) were regarded as test negative. Four buffaloes were positive on IGRA and IPRA, and M. bovis infection was confirmed following culling. These results demonstrate the value of using IGRA and IPRA in series to screen buffalo herds with no previous history of M. bovis infection.

The development of the chicken value chain in The Gambia has immense potentials to lead to the modernisation of agriculture and creating employment for young people and women. Chicken can be raised throughout the year in most parts of The Gambia. With increasing populations, environmental degradation and loss of rangelands, chicken is easier to producer than other livestock, such as cattle and small ruminants. The development of the chicken value chain in The Gambia is also mainly constrained at commercialisation. Commercial farmers in The Gambia are not able to compete with cheap import. Critical inputs such as day-old chicks and feed are imported. Most farms are operating below 40% capacity and only less than 4% utilisation of the available processing capacity. At full capacity and with some needed investments along the value chain, The Gambia has the capacity to meet the demand for chicken and eggs. 88% of the value chain actors believe that the imposition of tariffs on chicken imports will lead to the upward transformation of the chicken value chain being able to employ at least 10% of the Gambian population.

Herein, we report on a giant thermoelectric figure of merit of a non-degenerate fluorine-doped single-walled carbon nanotube (FSWCNT) using a tractable analytical approach and the phonon lattice Boltzmann model (LBM). We investigate the influence of the doping concentration, and the overlapping integrals on the ZT. The ZT and the temperature range of operation can be tuned using the doping (impurity) concentration and the overlapping integrals, respectively. The lattice thermal conductivity obtained using the phonon LBM was calculated to be 107.2 W/mK which yielded a ZT greater than 20. Interestingly, the ZT obtained is higher than what has been reported in superlattices, (ZT~1.4) and superlattice nanowire, (ZT~ 4) at 300 K, making FSWCNT a potential candidate for thermoelectric applications.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) serve prominent roles in melanocyte lineage physiology, with an impact at all stages of development, as well as on mature melanocyte functions. GPCR ligands are present in the skin and regulate melanocyte homeostasis, including pigmentation. The role of GPCRs in the regulation of pigmentation and, consequently, protection against external aggression, such as ultraviolet radiation, has long been established. However, evidence of new functions of GPCRs directly in melanomagenesis has been highlighted in recent years. GPCRs are coupled, through their intracellular domains, to heterotrimeric G proteins, which induce cellular signaling through various pathways. Such signaling modulates essential cellular processes of melanomagenesis, such as proliferation and migration. GPCR-associated signaling in melanoma can be activated by the binding of paracrine factors to their receptors or directly by activating mutations. In this review, we present melanoma-associated alterations of GPCRs and their downstream signaling and discuss the various preclinical models used to evaluate new therapeutic approaches against GPCR activity in melanoma. Recent striking advances in our understanding of the structure, function, and regulation of GPCRs will undoubtedly broaden treatment options in melanoma in the future.

Mass insect rearing can have a range of applications, for example in biological control of insects. Since the performance of released biological control agents determines efficacy, the competitive fitness of insects post release is a key variable. Here, we tested whether inoculation with a gut symbiont, Enterobacter cloacae, and gnotobiotic rearing of larvae could improve insect growth and male competitive fitness of a transgenic diamondback moth, which has shown variation in fitness when reared in different insectaries. All larvae were readily infected with the focal symbiont. Under gnotobiotic rearing pupal weights were reduced and there was a marginal reduction in larval survival. However, gnotobiotic rearing substantially improved the fitness of transgenic males. In addition, in gnotobiotic conditions, inoculation with the gut symbiont increased pupal weights and male fitness, increasing the proportion of transgenic progeny from 20 to 30% relative to symbiont-free insects. Gnotobiotic conditions may improve the fitness of transgenic males by excluding microbial contaminants, while symbiont inoculation could further improve fitness by providing additional protection against infections, or by normalizing insect physiology. The simple innovation of incorporating antibiotic into diet, and inoculating insects with symbiotic bacteria that are resistant to that antibiotic, could provide a readily transferable tool for other insect rearing systems.

Inadequate data linking geology and health in Developing Countries contributes immensely to the challenges to identify sources and causes of many of the emerging diseases. Deficiencies and toxicities of trace elements generally impact human and animal health. The review of the geology of Ghana suggests the presence of oxides and sulphide minerals that are released into the natural environment during the geological process of weathering which introduce both essential and, potentially harmful elements. Of great concern is the fact that majority of the Ghanaian population eat locally cultivated food and expect to be nourished from the diet. Furthermore, archived reports on Ghana rural drinking water indicates most of the aquifers are enriched in As and F while deficient in Mg. Medical geology, the emerging discipline that attempts to address the environmental health issues emanating from geological processes is known in developed nations but not much of its activities are recognized in Ghana. This review has identified the concentrations of a number of elements in different geological settings and have linked these concentrations with health issues. There is therefore a need for medical geologists to work together with other disciplines to devise preventive as well as mitigative techniques in addressing many geology related health issues in Ghana.

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly advancing despite public health measures. Pharmaceutical prophylaxis is an established approach to potentially control infectious diseases and is one solution to the urgent public health challenge posed by COVID-19. Screening and development of new vaccines and antivirals is expensive and time consuming while the repositioning of available drugs should receive priority attention as well as international government and agency support. Here we propose an old drug chloroquine (CQ) to be urgently repositioned as an ideal antiviral prophylactic against COVID-19. CQ has ability to block viral attachment and entry to host cells. Its proven clinical efficacy against a variety of viruses including COVID-19 and its current deployment in COVID-19 therapeutic trials strengthens its potential candidacy as a prophylactic. Furthermore, CQ has a long safety record, is inexpensive and widely available. Here we reviewed CQ's antiviral mechanisms, its laboratory efficacy activity against COVID-19, as well as CQ's pharmacokinetics in its established use against malaria and autoimmune diseases to recommend safe and potentially efficacious dose regimens for protection against COVID-19: a pre-exposure prophylaxis of 250-500mg daily and post-exposure prophylaxis at 8mg/kg/day for 3 days. We recommend further urgent research on CQ for COVID-19 prevention and urge that the above regimens be investigated in parallel with mass deployment by relevant agencies in attempts to contain the pandemic without unnecessary regulatory delays as benefits far outweigh risks or costs.

Regulators require financial institutions to estimate counterparty default risks from liquid CDS quotes for the valuation and risk management of OTC derivatives. However, the vast majority of counterparties do not have liquid CDS quotes and need proxy CDS rates. Existing methods cannot account for counterparty-specific default risks; we propose to construct proxy CDS rates by associating to illiquid counterparty liquid CDS Proxy based on Machine Learning Techniques. After testing 156 classifiers from 8 most popular classifier families, we found that some classifiers achieve highly satisfactory accuracy rates. Furthermore, we have rank-ordered the performances and investigated performance variations amongst and within the 8 classifier families. This paper is, to the best of our knowledge, the first systematic study of CDS Proxy construction by Machine Learning techniques, and the first systematic classifier comparison study based entirely on financial market data. Its findings both confirm and contrast existing classifier performance literature. Given the typically highly correlated nature of financial data, we investigated the impact of correlation on classifier performance. The techniques used in this paper should be of interest for financial institutions seeking a CDS Proxy method, and can serve for proxy construction for other financial variables. Some directions for future research are indicated.

Analysis of the hourly Canadian Prairie data for the past 60 years has transformed our quantitative understanding of land-atmosphere-cloud coupling. The key reason is that trained observers made hourly estimates of opaque cloud fraction that obscures the sun, moon or stars, following the same protocol for 60 years at all stations. These 24 daily estimates of opaque cloud data are of sufficient quality that they can be calibrated against Baseline Surface Radiation Network data to give the climatology of the daily short-wave, longwave and total cloud forcing (SWCF, LWCF and CF). This key radiative forcing has not been available previously for climate datasets. Net cloud radiative forcing reverses sign from negative in the warm season to positive in the cold season, when reflective snow reduces the negative SWCF below the positive LWCF. This in turn leads to a large climate discontinuity with snow cover, with a systematic cooling of 10°C or more with snow cover. In addition, snow cover transforms the coupling between cloud cover and the diurnal range of temperature. In the warm season, maximum temperature increases with decreasing cloud, while minimum temperature barely changes; while in the cold season with snow cover, maximum temperature decreases with decreasing cloud and minimum temperature decreases even more. In the warm season, the diurnal ranges of temperature, relative humidity, equivalent potential temperature and the pressure height of the lifting condensation level are all tightly coupled to opaque cloud cover. Given over 600 station-years of hourly data, we are able to extract, perhaps for the first time, the coupling between cloud forcing and the warm season imbalance of the diurnal cycle; which changes monotonically from a warming and drying under clear skies to a cooling and moistening under cloudy skies with precipitation. Because we have the daily cloud radiative forci, which is large, we are able to show that the memory of water storage anomalies, from precipitation and the snowpack, goes back many months. The spring climatology shows the memory of snowfall back through the entire winter, and the memory in summer goes back to the months of snowmelt. Lagged precipitation anomalies modify the thermodynamic coupling of the diurnal cycle to the cloud forcing, and shift the diurnal cycle of mixing ratio which has a double peak. The seasonal extraction of the surface total water storage is a large damping of the interannual variability of precipitation anomalies in the growing season. The large land-use change from summer fallow to intensive cropping, which peaked in the early 1990s, has led to a coupled climate response that has cooled and moistened the growing season, lowering cloud-base, increasing equivalent potential temperature, and increasing precipitation. We show a simplified energy balance of the Prairies during the growing season and its dependence on reflective cloud.

Seasonal oscillations in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the Earth’s atmosphere stronger in northern latitudes are assumed to show that terrestrial photosynthesis exceeds respiration in summer reducing the pCO2, but increasing in winter when respiration exceeds photosynthesis. We disagree, proposing that variations in the temperature of the surface mixing zone of seawater also regulate the atmospheric pCO2, thermodynamically. We show that carbonate (CO32-) concentrations will therefore increase in summer with CaCO3 (calcite or aragonite) becoming less soluble, so calcium and carbonate ions are predicted to aggregate more while CO2 concentration falls in warmer seawater, thermodynamically favoring lower atmospheric pCO2. In winter, these physical processes are reversed, redissolving suspended calcite thus increasing carbonate alkalinity; carbonate concentration lessens as bicarbonate and soluble CO2 increase, raising the pCO2 in air. Our numerical computation shows that thermal fluctuations in equilibria favor absorption from air of more than one mole of CO2 per square meter in summer, coinciding with calcite formation maximizing in warmer water, potentially augmenting limestone reefs if there is a trend for increasing temperature . Another assumption we challenge is that upwelling from deeper water is the sole cause of increases in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity in surface waters, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Instead, calcite dissolution is favored as water temperature falls near the surface. It is well established that the seasonal summer decline in atmospheric CO2 coincides in fertile seawater with higher rates of biotic calcification and acidity, allowing increased CO2 capture by photosynthesis. However, its reversal in winter is proposed to be also a result of the cyclic dissolution of calcite as temperature falls, facilitated by biogenic respiration now exceeding photosynthesis; this can mutually provide the CO2 needed to convert carbonate ion alkalinity from calcite dissolution with bicarbonate increasing. Physical reasons why this oscillation is more obvious in the northern hemisphere include greater seasonal variations in water temperature (ca. 7.1 oC) being almost twice that in the cooler southern hemisphere (ca. 4.7 oC) and the greater depth of the surface mixing zone of seawater in the southern oceans. Evidence from 13CO2 fluxes between surface seawater and air is also assessed to test this hypothesis but questions remain regarding the regional rates of inorganic precipitation and dissolution of CaCO3 in the mixing zone. In summary, rapid biogenic calcification is favored by summer photosynthesis, but slower abiogenic calcification is more likely in warmer water.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and effects of current smoking on adverse outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature (PubMed) for studies published until April 25. Studies were included into the analysis if they satisfied all of the following criteria: 1. To present hospitalized patients with COVID-19. 2. To classify patients into less and more severe disease, irrespective of the severity definition (defined as “adverse ourtcome”). 3. To present data on the smoking status, separately for each severity classification. We identified 18 (from a total of 1398) relevant studies. Pooled current smoking prevalence was compared with the gender-adjusted, population-based expected prevalence by calculating Prevalence Odds Ratio (POR). The association between current, compared to non-current and former, smoking and adverse outcome was examined by calculating Odds Ratio (OR). All analyses were performed using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Among 6515 patients, 440 of whom were current smokers, the pooled prevalence of current smoking was 6.8% (95%CI: 4.8-9.1%) and the POR was 0.21 (95%CI: 0.16-0.26, P < 0.001). In Chinese studies only, the POR was 0.22 (95%CI: 0.17-0.27, P < 0.001). Current smokers were more likely to have an adverse outcome compared to non-current smokers (OR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.06-2.20, P = 0.022). However, they were less likely to have an adverse outcome compared to former smokers (OR: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.27-0.74, P = 0.003). Conclusion: An unexpectedly low prevalence of current smoking was observed among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Hospitalized current smokers had higher odds compared to non-current smokers but lower odds compared to former smokers for an adverse outcome. The possibility that nicotine may have a protective effect in COVID-19 which may be masked by smoking-related toxicity and by the abrupt cessation of nicotine intake when smokers are hospitalized should be explored.

Over the past 30 years, the use of field spectroscopy has risen in importance in remote sensing studies for the characterization of the surface reflectance of materials in situ within a broad range of applications. Potential uses range from measurements of individual targets of interest (e.g. vegetation, soils, validation targets etc.), to characterizing the contributions of different materials within larger spatially-mixed areas as would be representative of the spatial resolution captured by a sensor pixel (UAV to satellite scale). As such, it is essential that a complete and rigorous assessment of both the data-acquisition procedures, and the suitability of the derived data product be carried out. The measured energy from solar-reflected range spectroradiometers is influenced by the viewing and illumination geometries and the illumination conditions which vary due to changes in solar position and atmospheric conditions. By applying corrections, the estimated absolute reflectance (Rabs) of targets can be calculated. This property is independent of illumination intensity or conditions and is the metric commonly suggested to be used to compare spectra even when data are collected by different sensors or acquired under different conditions. By standardizing the process of estimated Rabs, as is provided in the described toolkit, consistency and repeatability in processing are ensured and the otherwise labor intensive and error-prone processing steps are streamlined. The resultant end data product (Rabs) represents our best current effort to generate consistent and comparable ground spectra which have been corrected for viewing and illumination geometries as well as other factors such as the individual characteristics of the reference panel used during acquisition.

The common dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a nutrient dense food produced globally as a major pulse crop for direct human consumption, and is an important source of protein and micronutrients for hundreds of millions of people across Latin America, the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa. Beans require large amounts of heat energy and time to cook, deterring consumers worldwide from purchasing beans. In regions where consumers rely on expensive fuelwood for food preparation, the yellow bean is often marketed as fast cooking. A Yellow Bean Panel (YBP) was assembled to explore the cooking time and health benefits of the five major seed types within the yellow bean market class (Amarillo, Canary, Manteca, Mayocoba, Njano) over two field seasons. This study shows how the Manteca yellow bean possess a fast cooking phenotype, which could serve a genetic resource for introducing fast cooking properties into a new generation of dry beans with cooking times < 20 minutes when pre-soaked and < 80 minutes unsoaked. Nutritional evaluation revealed fast cooking yellow beans have high iron retention (>80%) after boiling. An in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell culture bioassay revealed a strong negative association between cooking time and iron bioavailability in the YBP (r values > -0.73). When either pre-soaked or left unsoaked the highest iron bioavailability scores were measured in the fast cooking Manteca genotypes providing evidence that this yellow market class is worthy of germplasm enhancement through the added benefit of improved iron quality after cooking.

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.

Diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) may be confounded by immunological cross-reactivity to Mycobacterium bovis antigens when animals are sensitised by certain nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate NTM species diversity in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) respiratory secretions and tissue samples, using a combination of novel molecular tools. Oronasal swabs were collected opportunistically from 120 immobilised buffaloes in historically bTB-free herds. In addition, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF; n=10) and tissue samples (n=19) were obtained during post-mortem examination. Mycobacterial species were identified directly from oronasal swab samples using the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra qPCR (14/120 positive) and GenoType CMdirect (104/120 positive). In addition, all samples underwent mycobacterial culture, and PCRs targeting hsp65 and rpoB were performed. Overall, 55 NTM species were identified in 36 mycobacterial culture-positive swab samples with presence of esat-6 or cfp-10 detected in 20 of 36 isolates. The predominant species were M. avium complex and M. komanii. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were also isolated from 6 of 10 culture-positive BALF and 4 of 19 culture-positive tissue samples. Our findings demonstrate that there is a high diversity of NTMs present in buffaloes, and further investigation should determine their role in confounding bTB diagnosis in this species.

While many practitioners and experts understand the risks associated with low urban tree diversity, they often lack the ability to rectify issues they encounter on their own. The current system of tree production and procurement is complex – shaped by market pressures, nursery and site constraints, local governance, and differing professional objectives among those who grow, specify, and plant trees. To understand this complexity as well as constraints to- and opportunities for increasing urban tree diversity, we conducted a series of focus groups comprised of nursery growers, landscape architects, and urban foresters. Our results highlight a significant list of considerations and constraints to diversity (both shared among green industries and some specific to growers or purchasers). More importantly, in discussing our findings we outline actionable strategies for increasing urban tree diversity.

Emerging infectious disease threats are becoming more frequent due to various social, political and geographical pressures including increased human-animal contact, global trade, transportation and changing climate conditions. As a result, the threat that emerging agents can be spread by blood contact or transfusion of blood products also becomes increasingly problematic. Blood transfusion is essential in treating patients with anemia, blood loss, and other medical conditions. However, these lifesaving components can become a vector for spreading diseases, particularly to vulnerable populations. New methods have been implemented on a global basis for prevention of transfusion transmission via plasma, platelet, and whole blood products. Implementing proactive pathogen reduction methods can significantly reduce the likelihood of disease transmission via blood transfusion, even for newly emerging agents whose transmissibility and susceptibility are still being evaluated as they emerge. In this review, we consider the Mirasol PRT system for blood safety which is based on a photochemical method involving Riboflavin and UV light. We provide examples of how emerging threats such as Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, Hepatitis E, monkeypox and other agents have been evaluated in real time regarding effectiveness of this method for reducing the likelihood of disease transmission via transfusion. Keywords: transfusion; blood; pathogen reduction; emerging infectious diseases.

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.

Background: The most frequent non-pigmented malignancy of the ocular surface is ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN), which has a frequency of 0.03 to 1.9 per 100,000 people per year. It can be diagnosed histologically as anything from mild dysplasia to aggressive squamous cell carcinoma that affects both the conjunctiva and the cornea. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution of ocular surface squamous neoplasia at a teaching hospital in South Western Uganda.Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed all records of patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia from the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)/ Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) pathology laboratory in South Western Uganda, from January 2015- October 2021.Results: Of the 1,133 cases of ocular neoplasia seen during this time, OSSN composed of 26.7% (n=303). OSSN occurred mainly in females (59.1%). The most common OSSN was invasive squamous cell carcinoma (60.4%). The age range was 15-106 years while the mean was 39.99 years. The commonest affected age group was 30-44years (41.3%).Conclusion: The burden of OSSN is high. It primarily affects young adults and is frequently found in women. Squamous cell carcinoma makes up the majority of the disease.

This study set out to determine the effect of Tertiary Education Tax Fund (TETFUND) on management in Nigerian tertiary education. Specifically, the study sought to determine whether ETF fund allocations to Nigerian Tertiary Institutions significantly affect the enrollment ratio to Nigerian Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria. The hypothesis was formulated in line with the objectives of the study. Survey and Time series research design were adopted. Data were obtained from National Bureau of Statistics by use of financial ratios and tested using regression analysis with aid of SPSS statistical package version 20.0. Based on the analysis, the study found that ETF fund allocations to Nigerian Tertiary Institutions have no correlation with the enrollment ratio of Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. Based on the findings, the study recommends that to the intervention agency to achieve meaningful on its constituents fund allocations should commensurate with enrolment ratio of tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

In Africa, 80% of households in urban areas are food insecure and is coupled with a dramatically changing urban food culture towards increased consumption of sugary and fatty foods. Consequently, incidences of obesity and undernourishment in many African cities are becoming escalating. Urban and peri-urban forestry emerges as a complementary measure to contribute towards elimination of urban hunger and improved nutritional security. However, there is scanty knowledge about the composition, diversity and socioeconomic contributions of urban food trees in African cities and this hinders policy discussions integrating urban forestry into the food security discourse. This paper examines the diversity and composition of the urban forest and food trees of Accra and sheds light on perceptions of urbanites regarding food tree cultivation and availability in the city. Using a mixed methods approach, about 105 respondents in six neighbourhoods of Accra were interviewed while over 200 100-m2 plots were surveyed across five land use types. Twenty-two out of the 70 woody species in Accra are edible. The food tree abundance in the city is about half of the total number of trees enumerated. The species richness and abundance of the edible trees and all trees in the city were significantly different among land use types (p<0.0001) and neighbourhood types (p<0.0001). The diversity of food bearing tree species was much higher in the poorer neighbourhoods than in the wealthier neighbourhoods. Respondents in wealthier neighbourhoods indicated that tree and fruit tree cover of the city was generally low and showed greater interests in cultivating fruit trees and expanding urban forest cover than poorer neighbourhoods. These findings demonstrate the need for urban food policy reforms that integrate urban grown tree foods in the urban food system/culture.

The case for demand-driven research and development has received important considerations among governments, donors and programme implementing partners in development planning and implementation. Addressing demand is believed to be a bottom-top approach for designing and responding to development priorities and is good for achieving development outcomes. In this paper, we discuss the concept and application of demand driven research for development (DDRD) in Africa. We use evidence of six projects implemented under the BiomassWeb Project in Africa. We focus on parameters on level of engagement of stakeholders - whose demand is being articulated, the processes for demand articulation, capacity building and implementation processes, innovativeness of the project, reporting and sustainability of the project. We find that the nature of the institutions involved in articulation and implementation of demand-driven research and development projects and their partnerships influence the impact and reporting of demand-driven projects.

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.

In this paper, experiences of the last 20 years with the PERALS-technique are described. PERALS stands for Photo Electron Rejecting Alpha Liquid Scintillation. This LSC-technique was developed by Jack McDowell in the 70ies and is a powerful technique for the analyses of many natural alpha nuclides. The principle is based on a selective extraction of the radionuclide from the water phase by means of a complexing or ion pair reagent. The extractant contains also a suitable cocktail for the scintillation counting. Therefore, the extract can be analysed directly after the extraction step. After removing quenchers, such as oxygen, and the proper setting of a pulse shape discriminator, alpha pulses can be counted with a photomultiplier. The paper describes the development of robust analysis schemes for the determination of traces of polonium, radon, radium, strontium, thorium, uranium and other actinides in water samples (groundwater, rain water, river water, drinking water, mineral water, sea water).

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.

Microbial populations involved in forming the distinctive precipitates of the S, Fe, Mn, and Ca cycles in the San Diego River watershed reflect an interplay between mineralogy of the rocks in the watershed, sparse rainfall, ground- and surface-water anoxia, and runoff of high sulfate, treated imported water. In the less developed headwaters, Temescal Creek tributary emerges from pyrite-bearing metamorphic rocks, and thus exhibits both an oxidized Fe and reduced S cycle. In the middle reaches, the river moves through developed land where treated, imported high sulfate Colorado River water enters from urban runoff. Mast Park surrounded by caliche-bearing sedimentary rocks is a site where marl is precipitating. Cobbles in riffles in the river are coated black with Mn oxide. When the river encounters deep-seated volcanic bedrock, it wells up to precipitate both Fe and Mn oxides at Old Mission Dam. Then, directly flowing through caliche-laced sedimentary rocks, Birchcreek tributary precipitates tufa. Further downstream, at a site that periodically receives full sunlight, a sulfuretum sets up during the summer when the river is deoxygenated. Such a rich geochemistry results in activity of iron and manganese oxidizing bacteria, sulfur oxidizers and reducers, and cyanobacteria precipitating calcareous marl and tufa.

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.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies that are used to treat over one in three cancer patients. While they have changed the natural history of disease, prolonging life and preserving quality of life, they are highly active in less than 40% of patients, even in the most responsive malignancies such as melanoma, and cause significant autoimmune side effects. Licenced biomarkers include tumour Programmed Death Ligand 1 expression by immunohistochemistry, microsatellite instability, and Tumour Mutational Burden, none of which are particularly sensitive or specific. Emerging tumour and immune tissue biomarkers such as novel immunohistochemistry scores, tumour, stromal and immune cell gene expression profiling, and liquid biomarkers such as systemic inflammatory markers, kynurenine/tryptophan ratio, circulating immune cells, cytokines and DNA are discussed in this review. We also examine the influence of the faecal microbiome on treatment outcome and its use as a biomarker of response and toxicity.

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.

Undisturbed ground temperature (UGT), thermal conductivity (TC) and heat capacity (HC) are essential parameters for the design of borehole heat exchanger (BHE) and borehole thermal energy storage systems. However, field methods to assess the thermal state and properties of the sub-surface are costly and time consuming. Moreover, HC is often not evaluated but arbitrarily selected from literature considering the geological materials intercepted by boreholes. Therefore, this work aims at proposing a field heat tracing method to infer the thermal diffusivity (TD) and HC with assumption of natural transient heat conduction in the subsurface. Empirical equations were developed to reproduce a UGT profile measured along a BHE. Experimental coefficients are found with a non-linear least square solver optimization and used to calculate the damping depth and TD. Subsequently, the TD is used to evaluate HC considering TC obtained from a thermal response test (TRT). Results from this proposed heat tracing method were verified and validated against a set of TRT results and oscillatory TRT analysis using a field dual probe concept to infer HC. The example here described highlights the advantages and novelty of this fast and simple field method relying only on a single UGT profile measured before a TRT.

Keywords: olfactory rehabilitation; chronic pain; fMRI;

This study presents a critical literature review on the models of users' adoption of blockchain applications in supply chains. This review pertaining to blockchain technology adoption by supply chain stakeholders is significant as it is a pre-requisite for the technical sustainability of blockchain technology in supply chains. Through a critical literature review, the previous studies related to technology adoption models were analyzed to explore practices brought about by blockchain applications for supply chain management. This study examined the suitability of the existing models (e.g., the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, task technology fit (TTF), unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT)) of technology adoption for blockchain applications in supply chains and came up with a new unified model, namely, TOE-TTF-UTAUT. This review provides implications for a more appropriate research design using mixed methods. When adopting the TOE-TTF-UTAUT model in a study, two phases of research using mixed methods can be performed. The first phase is an exploratory sequential design in which a qualitative approach to explore the TOE and supply chain task constructs is followed by a quantitative approach using a survey and quantitative analyses to investigate the factors affecting blockchain adoption in supply chains. The second phase adopts explanatory sequential design in which the quantitative findings from the first phase are reviewed for follow-up by qualitative interviews to obtain explanations.

Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal for biological systems. Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 is a model strain for heavy metal resistance and bioremediation. The aim of this study was to determine the role of the c-di-GMP pathway in the C. metallidurans CH34 response to cadmium in both planktonic and biofilm cells. Increasing cadmium concentrations correlates with an inhibition of biofilm formation and EPS production in C. metallidurans cells. Planktonic and biofilm cells showed similar tolerance to cadmium. During exposure to cadmium an acute decrease of c-di-GMP levels in planktonic and biofilm cells was observed. Transcription analysis by RT-qPCR showed that cadmium induced in planktonic cells and strongly induced in biofilm cells the expression of the urf2 gene and the mercuric reductase encoding merA gene, which belong to the Tn501/Tn21 mer operon. After exposure to cadmium the cadA gene involved in cadmium resistance was equally upregulated in both lifestyles. Bioinformatic analysis and null mutant complementation assays indicated that the protein encoded by the urf2 gene is a functional phosphodiesterase involved in the c-di-GMP metabolism. We propose to rename the urf2 gene as mrp gene for metal regulated phosphodiesterase. An increase of the second messenger c-di-GMP content by the heterologous expression of the constitutively active diguanylate cyclase PleD* correlated with an increase in biofilm formation and cadmium susceptibility. These results indicate that the response to cadmium in C. metallidurans CH34 involves a decrease in c-di-GMP content that inhibits the biofilm lifestyle.

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.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) remains a challenging endemic pathogen of cattle in many parts of the globe. Spatial clustering of Mycoacterium bovis molecular types in cattle suggests that local factors are the primary drivers of spread. Northern Ireland’s agricultural landscape is comprised of highly fragmented farms, distributed across spatially discontinuous land parcels, and these highly fragmented farming structures are thought to facilitate localised spread. We conducted a matched case control study to quantify the risks of bTB breakdown with farm area, farm fragmentation, fragment dispersal, and contact with neighbouring herds. Whilst our results show small but significant increases in breakdown risk associated with each of farm fragmentation, farm area, fragment dispersal, and contact with neighbouring herds, these relationships were strongly confounded with the number of contiguous neighbours with bTB. Our key finding was that every infected neighbour led to an increase in the odds of breakdown by 40% to 50%, and that highly fragmented farms were almost twice as likely to have a bTB positive neighbour compared to non-fragmented farms. Our results suggest that after controlling for herd size, herd type, spatial and temporal factors, farm fragmentation increasingly exposes herds to infection originating from first order spatial neighbours. Given NI’s particularly fragmented landscape, and reliance on short-term leases, our data supports the hypothesis that between-herd contiguous spread is a particularly important component of NI’s bTB disease system.

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.

Myopathies are characterized by a diverse clinical picture affecting the skeletal muscle which includes weakness, fatigue and pain. Acquired myopathies are given importance because treatment is readily available however, some inherited myopathies can be treated as well. These myopathies can be grouped by etiology into infectious myopathies, autoimmune myopathies, granulomatous myopathies, metabolic myopathies, skeletal muscle channelopathies and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Infectious myopathies are caused by microbiological agents. Autoimmune myopathies result from immunologic disorders causing inflammatory changes in the muscle. Granulomatous myopathy is associated with non-caseating granulomatous inflammation. Metabolic myopathies are caused by abnormal metabolic processes in the myocytes. Drug-induced myopathies are acute or subacute onset of muscle weakness after intake of a certain medications even at therapeutic doses. Critical illness myopathy stem from sepsis syndrome with failure to wean from respirator. Rhabdomyolysis is an acute myopathy, which is an urgent complex condition that involves rapid dissolution of damaged skeletal muscle. Skeletal channel myopathies are due to dysfunctions in the ion channels of the muscle. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic condition characterized by mutations in the dystrophin gene, resulting in pathologic muscle wasting. Therapies abound in myopathies as these are targeted in Infectious, Granulomatous and Autoimmune Myositides. Included in treatable myopathies are certain metabolic myopathies, rhabdomyolysis, periodic paralysis, critical illness myopathy and drug-induced myopathies. Symptomatic therapies are applied in channelopathies of muscle and dystrophinopathies can be potentially treated nowadays. Complementary rehabilitation practices are part of the management regimen.

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.

BACKGROUND: Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumour that develops from the immature cells of the retina. It is the most frequent type of paediatric intraocular cancer and is curable. Clinical and histological findings after enucleation of the affected eye dictate not only the patient's secondary care but also their prognosis. We assessed the clinical and histopathologic predictors of survival among children with retinoblastoma from two tertiary health facilities in Uganda. METHODS: This retrospective research utilized archived formalin fixed & paraffin embedded blocks of eye specimens enucleated between 2014 to 2016 at Mbarara University, pathology department and Ruharo Eye Centre. The specimens were then processed and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The confirmation of retinoblastoma was made to include histologic stage and features of the tumor. Biographic data of the patients and the clinical features such as leukocoria, proptosis, phthisis, staphyloma, buphthalmos were retrieved from the records.RESULTS: Males (55.1%) dominated the study population (N=78). The median age was 31 months. The commonest clinical sign was leukocoria (69.2%) and the most abundant histopathological stage was stage 1 (41%). Optic nerve invasion 39.5%, choroidal invasion 29.5%, scleral invasion 7.7% and orbital extension 16.7% were seen. Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes were seen in 24.6%. Necrosis was a prominent feature (71.2%). The two-year survival was estimated to be 62%. Leukocoria (RR 1.1), female gender (RR 1.4), intralaminar optic nerve invasion (RR 7.6) and a lack of orbital extension (RR- 7) were significant predictors of survival.CONCLUSION: Leukocoria and proptosis are noticeable clinical signs of retinoblastoma. Most patients present while in stage one although stage four presentation is also common. Leukocoria, optic nerve invasion, orbital extension, and gender are significant factors predictive of survival in patients with retinoblastoma.

In this perspective review, we describe a brief background on the status quo of diabetes mellitus related therapies and glycemic control among patients in rural communities of sub Saharan Africa. We specifically talk about insulin therapy and the challenges of access to insulin and oral hypoglycemic therapies among the diabetic patients living in sub-Saharan Africa. We crown up our discussion with suggestions on solutions and opportunities for future research to tackle this health challenge in these impoverished communities. Our ideas have been informed by the following inquiries: What is the current situation with diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa? How well controlled are blood sugar levels among diabetes individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa? What is insulin therapy, and for which patient populations is it recommended? What proportions of diabetic patients are on insulin therapy and oral hypoglycemic drugs in Sub-Saharan Africa? Which is the most common therapy given to diabetic patients in the rural communities of sub Saharan Africa between insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs? Who determines the choice of therapy between insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs? How often is hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia encountered among people on insulin therapy? Is monitoring glucagon levels important for treating diabetic individuals receiving insulin? Is it normal practice to check the glucagon levels of diabetes patients in sub-Saharan African rural communities? What insulin therapy research has been done in the rural communities of sub Saharan Africa and what research gaps exist in this field? Addressing these research gaps is critical for improving insulin therapy in rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa and reducing the burden of diabetes in these populations.

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.

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.

Forensic genetic genealogy, a technique leveraging new DNA capabilities and public genetic databases to identify suspects, raises specific considerations in a law enforcement context. Use of this technique requires consideration of its scientific and technical limitations, including the composition of current online datasets, and consideration of its scientific validity. Additionally, forensic genetic genealogy needs to be considered in the relevant legal context to determine the best way in which to make use of its potential to generate investigative leads while minimising its impact on individual privacy. This article presents these issues from an Australian perspective, with the observations and conclusions likely to be applicable to other jurisdictions.

This paper analyzes the collection of George Viau (1855-1939) from a computational perspective. Indeed, this dental surgeon, close to the Impressionists, collected several hundred works of art in the first half of the 20th century: the auctions of his collection, in 1907, 1930 and after his death, in 1942, 1943 and 1948, accounted for 642 artworks and, during the Occupation, the 1942 sale produced a total of more than 46 million francs. Thanks to statistics, econometrics, network analysis and cartography, it is possible to understand the salient features of the collection and its place in the world of Parisian auctions.

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.

Background: The practice of self-medication is common worldwide and is an important component of medical self-care. However, the practice can be dangerous and is linked to various risks for the patients and the entire community. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with self-medication among Bangladeshi adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and June 2021 among Bangladeshi adults (aged &gt;19 years) using convenient sampling. A total of 1320 data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with self-medication practice (SMP). Results: Overall, 41% of adults in our survey reported SMP. The most common illnesses that prompted SMP were common cold/flu (66.4%), gastric problems (65%), and headache (64.4%). The most frequent reasons for SMP were to get better services (30.59%), perceive SMP without side effects (23.28%), and save time with effectiveness (14.56%). Potential risk factors included 10 years (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.04 - 3.50) and &gt;12 years of schooling (AOR = 5.03; 95% CI: 2.27 - 11.15), being a businessman (AOR = 4.64; 95% CI: 1.74 - 12.37), having ≤6 family members (AOR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.40 - 3.24), being a member of a social group (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.10 - 2.12), a health status check after every six months (AOR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.08 - 2.13), and current ill-health (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.06 - 1.87). Protective factors identified included ≤30 years of age (AOR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17 - 0.93), and practice of modern (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.22- 0.69) and herbal (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.21- 0.97) healing types. Conclusion: More than one-third of the study participants reported practicing self-medication. Increasing the community’s awareness of the extreme consequences of SMP and not just the average experience might sway individuals away from SMP, and implementing strict jurisdiction could be a way to minimize the SMP.

The paper presents a method to assess the effect of electrolyte additives on the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The method applies to any chemically unreactive additive, including suspensions and gels. The approach is thermodynamically based and it leads to the definition of a region of admissible concentrations –the battery’s admissible range– where the battery can undergo an indefinite number of charge/discharge cycles without suffering permanent damage. An experimental procedure to determine this range is presented. The obtained results provide a way to assess the potential of electrolyte additives to improve the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The same results also provide a means to determine the additive concentration that produces the maximum energy capacity increase of the battery. The paper closes with an example of application of the proposed approach to a practical case.

Biodiversity has become an issue of global anxiety over the past decades due to its rapid decline worldwide. Bangladesh as one of the most densely populated countries in the world is no more exception. The country, although, was once very rich in biodiversity, during the last few decades as a consequence of the rapid reduction in forest area, urbanisation, habitat modification, unsustainable natural resources use and collection and overall climate change it has decreased alarmingly. Of late, the government, as a signatory of various regional and international conservation treaties, has taken various initiatives to improve country’s dwindling biodiversity. This paper reviews the present situation of biodiversity in Bangladesh, management trends and major causes of biodiversity loss. A separate statutory body is fundamental to ensure conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits arisen from biodiversity in the country.

A testable hypothesis with quantitative predictions is put forward, proposing that strong acids produced on land are a major cause of increasing atmospheric pCO2. Our modelling analysis of reactions by dissolved inorganic carbon shows that increasing atmospheric CO2 could be caused thermodynamically by falling land surface pH values. This hypothesis challenges the imbalance assumed between the global uptake of CO2 by photosynthesis and emissions of CO2 from all sources, including the combustion of fossil fuels. Strong acids generated by oxygen from reduced nitrogen and sulphur emits CO2 almost stoichiometrically from dissolved bicarbonate in the pH range of most global soils from pH 6.5 to above 8. Each general decrease of aqueous pH value of 0.01 units from acidification of surface water potentially increases the pCO2 in the atmosphere by about 7 ppmv. Contrary to prevailing assumptions that CO2 emissions from combusting fossil fuels can remain in the atmosphere for more than a millennium, such emissions may be partly nullified by global greening from enhanced rates of photosynthesis as well as oceanic absorption. The surface pH value of the ocean has been shown to decrease as atmospheric pCO2 rises. Therefore, our qualitative estimates of increasing atmospheric CO2 driven by irreversible acidification on land are critical and need broad scale validation. To the extent that significant acidification of the land is occurring, through export of alkaline produce, the use of artificial nitrogen fertilisation and possible other causes, the prevailing methods of reducing CO2 emissions will fail. However, these acidifying processes on land have not been considered by previous biogeochemical reviews. Despite counter measures, including carbon capture and geological storage, the increasing Keeling curve for pCO2 may continue to rise because zero carbon policies do not address such a major cause. This hypothesis can be tested by in situ experiments in neutral soils and water, designed to compare CO2 emissions under the acidifying conditions described in this article with those when corrective counter measures are applied.

To improve efficacy and safety of sunscreen emulsions, UV‐filter skin permeation could be kept as low as possible by reducing UV‐filter content or changing emulsion composition. In this work, different lipid phase ratio (12, 14 and 16% w/w) were assessed for their ability to affect the technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions in which bemotrizinol (BMTZ), a broad spectrum sunscreen agent, was incorporated free or loaded into nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLC) to reduce its release from the vehicle and, hence, its skin permeation. The following technological properties were evaluated in vitro by suitable methodologies: spreadability, viscosity, pH, occlusion factor, BMTZ release, sun protection factor (SPF). Sensory attributes were assessed by trained panelists in three different phases: before/during pick‐up, rub‐in, after application. Raising the lipid phase ratio led to an increase of viscosity and to a corresponding drop of spreadability while the incorporation of BMTZ‐loaded NLC determined a decrease of occlusion factor and an increase of SPF. No BMTZ release was observed from all emulsions. Sensory attributes were mainly affected by lipid phase ratio. These results suggest that lipid phase ratio and BMTZ incorporation into NLC could contribute to determine technological and sensory properties of O/W emulsions.

Precise monitoring of individual crop growth and health status is crucial for precision agriculture practices. However, traditional manual inspection methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often lack the spatial resolution required for detailed analysis. This research addresses the need for efficient and high-resolution crop monitoring by leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery and advanced computational techniques. The primary objective was to develop a methodology for precise identification, extraction, and monitoring of individual corn crops throughout their growth cycle. This was achieved by integrating UAV-derived data with image processing, computational geometry, and machine learning techniques. UAV imagery was ac-quired bi-weekly at altitudes of 40m and 70m, capturing the entire growth cycle of a corn crop from planting to harvest. A time-series Canopy Height Model (CHM) was generated by analyzing the differences between the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and the Digital Surface Model (DSM) derived from the UAV data. Local spatial analysis and image processing techniques were em-ployed to determine the local maximum height of each crop. Subsequently, a Voronoi data model was developed to delineate individual crop canopies, successfully identifying 13,000 out of 13,050 corn crops in the study area. For enhanced accuracy in canopy size delineation, vegetation indices were incorporated into the Voronoi model segmentation, refining the initial canopy area esti-mates by eliminating interference from soil and shadows. The proposed methodology enables precise estimation and monitoring of crop canopy size, height, biomass reduction, lodging, and stunted growth over time, providing valuable insights for precision agriculture practices. This work contributes to the scientific community by demonstrating the potential of integrating UAV technology, computational geometry, and machine learning for accurate and efficient crop mon-itoring at the individual plant level.

Environmental isolates, genetically manipulated organisms, plants, animals and their products and economical methods are being expertly explored to biosynthesize poly-3-hydroxybutyrate plastics of comparable properties to petroplastics. This study assessed a hypothesized feasibility of utilizing a proliferative pleustophytic greenery, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach) in Lake Victoria, Uganda as a potential carbon source for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis. The poly-3-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium) was isolated from municipal sewage sludge and harnessed for batch fermentation of acid-catalysed water hyacinth biomass. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate formed in the cytoplasm of the bacterial cells was extracted by chloroform extraction method, and thereof confirmed and quantified by UV spectroscopy. Batch fermentation was carried out in 100ml of the culture media in a 250ml fermenter for different times (48, 96, 144 and 192 hours) to determine the best incubation time for maximum yield. An all-out net yield of 61.3% was realized after 96 hours of fermentation. Utilization of this ecological plague for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis is a promising strategy for regulating the weed population along the length of Nile River and the Victorian basin.

In this study, we address the formidable challenge of solving large-scale Max-Cut problems (MCP). We introduce a rapid computational procedure utilizing a hybrid 1-flip/r-flip local search heuristic. This innovative strategy significantly reduces the computational time required for MCP problems while consistently generating solutions of exceptional quality. The paper presents substantial computational insights, showcasing the effectiveness of our approach on very-large-scale Max-Cut instances with varying densities. Our proposed heuristic is rigorously evaluated by comparing its performance against a quantum annealing solver, leveraging a multi-start Tabu Search framework. The results underscore the potency of this unique combination as an efficient and effective solution for large-scale QUBO problems. Notably, our hybrid heuristic consistently delivers high-quality solutions within the stringent CPU time limits of 600 seconds, demonstrating its efficacy across Max-Cut instances ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 variables. This research contributes to advancing the state-of-the-art in large-scale QUBO problem-solving, offering a powerful and time-efficient approach with broad applicability.

This paper proposes two max-pooling engines, named the RTB-MAXP engine and the CMB-MAXP engine, with a scalable window size parameter for FPGA-based convolutional neural network (CNN) implementation. The max-pooling operation for the CNN can be decomposed into two stages, i.e., a horizontal axis max-pooling operation and a vertical axis max-pooling operation. These two one-dimensional max-pooling operations are performed by tracking the rank of the values within the window in the RTB-MAXP engine and cascading the maximum operations of the values in CMB-MAXP engine. Both the RBM-MAXP engine and the CMB-MAXP engine were implemented using VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and verified by simulations. They have been employed for and tested in our CNN accelerator targeting at the CNN model YOLOv4-CSP-S-Leaky for object detection.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

This study presents the synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of nitrogen-doped vanadium oxide (N-V2O3/C) as a cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), using a hydrothermal method. Compared to undoped V2O3/C, N-V2O3/C exhibits enhanced electrical conductivity, capacity, and electrochemical kinetics, attributed to the incorporation of pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen. Initial charge-discharge cycles indicate phase transitions to amorphous vanadium oxides, enhancing conductivity. N-V2O3/C shows a high specific capacity of 168.4 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1 and remarkable reversibility, highlighted by the transient existence of intermediate species during cycling. Optimal electrochemical performance is achieved with a vanadium to nitrogen molar ratio of 2:3, indicating the significant impact of nitrogen doping concentration on the material’s efficiency. This work underscores the potential of N-V2O3/C as a superior cathode material for AZIBs.

Using density functional theory (DFT), the density of states of NH4V3O8 (NVO) was analyzed pre and post-oxygen defects (Od) formation. The findings revealed a reduced bandgap in NVO after Od introduction, emphasizing the role of Od in enhancing conductivity of the material, thus improving its electrochemical attributes. Through the water bath method, both NVO and its oxygen-deficient counterpart, (NH4)2V10O25⸱8H2O (NVOd), were synthesized as potential cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Experimental outcomes resonated with DFT predictions, highlighting the beneficial role of oxygen defects in boosting electrical conductivity. Notably, the refined material displayed a remarkable capacity of 479.3 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, underscoring its promise for advanced energy storage solutions.

Ribosome profiling and mass spectroscopy have identified canonical and noncanonical translation initiation codons (TICs) that are upstream of the main translation initiation site and used to translate oncogenic proteins. Here, we use a Kozak Similarity Score algorithm to find that nearly all of these TICs have flanking nucleotides closely matching the Kozak sequence. Remarkably, the nucleotides flanking alternative noncanonical TICs are frequently closer to the Kozak sequence than the nucleotides flanking TICs used to translate the gene’s main protein. Of note, the 5’ untranslated region (5‘UTR) of cancer-associated genes with an upstream TIC tend to be significantly longer than the same region in genes not associated with cancer. The presence of a longer than typical 5’UTR increases the likelihood of ribosome binding to upstream noncanonical TICs, and may be a distinguishing feature of a number of genes overexpressed in cancer. Noncanonical TICs that are located in the 5’UTR, although thought disadvantageous and suppressed by evolution, may translate oncogenic proteins because of their flanking nucleotides