Optical fiber sensors have become a widely-used tool to perform life-long monitoring of large structures. Different set-ups of sensors can be used to obtain information at different scopes. In this paper, the application of a portable Brillouin optical time domain analysis sensor applied to reinforced concrete beams is presented. The sensor is made up of a single-mode optical fiber applied to the structure that enables the measurement of tensile and compressive axial strain along the beams. The fiber is embedded into a concrete casting and fixed along the reinforcement bars so that a complete correlation can be obtained regarding strain and displacements in linear and non-linear flexural response. The use of four sensing fibers positioned along the beam's length at different vertical positions makes it possible to read the strain variation within the cross-section. In accordance with Bernoulli’s hypothesis, this allows curvature diagrams to be obtained across the structure. The measured curvature is used to set up the moment–curvature relationship, which highlights the possibility of the sensor monitoring structures continuously in space and time.

The present paper aims to increase knowlodge of the methods of resistance estimating of concrete in situ by means of non-destructive tests used to integrate the quantitative results from cylindrical specimens (core). The results of experimental investigations carried out on concrete conglomerate samples of a school building are shown. The experimental campaign then will be presented like a case study, conducted on a series of concrete beams and pillars of an existing building. The distructive tests on cores were conducted at the Civil Structures Laboratory of the Engineering Department of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli". The expression obtained through the calibration procedure of the values of non-destructive tests with those provided by the core drills allowed to estimate the average values of the compressive strength of the concrete. It is highlighted how this result was achieved with a very limited core number provided that they are extracted in selected points and that there was a proportionality link with the resistances obtained from non distructive tests.

The calculation of the collapse load of spherical domes is addressed using a semi-analytical approach under the hypotheses of small displacements and perfect plasticity. The procedure is based on the numerical approximation of the self-stress that represents the projection of the balance equilibrium null space on a finite dimensional manifold. The so obtained self-equilibrated stress span is superimposed to a finite element linear elastic solution to the prescribed loads yielding to the statically admissible set accordingly to Melan’s theorem. The compatibility of the stress with the constitutive law of the material has been enforced using linearized limit domain in terms of generalized stress, namely axial force and bending moment along the local spherical curvilinear coordinates. The procedure has been tested with reference to numerical and experimental data from the literature confirming the accuracy of the proposed method. The comparison with the literature confirms that the buckling load is much greater than the plastic collapse loads both calculated through the proposed procedure and reported in the quoted literature.

Safety assessment of structures can be obtained employing limit design to overcome uncertainties concerning actual response due to inelastic constitutive behavior and more generally to non-linear structural response and loads’ random variability. The limit analysis is used for evaluating the safety of the structures directly starting from load level without any knowledge of the load history. In the paper, the lower bound calculation is proposed where a new strain-based approach is used that allowed describing the residual stress and displacement in terms of permanent strain. The strategy used the permanent strain as the effective parameters of the procedure so that it was possible to assess the ductility requirements for the complete load program developed till collapse or shakedown. The procedure is compared to experimental results obtained on aluminum beams in shakedown.

The paper describes the Field Boundary Element Method applied to the fracture analysis of a 2D rectangular plate made of Functionally Graded Material to calculate Mode I Stress Intensity Factor. The object of the Field Boundary Element Method is the transversely isotropic plane plate. Its material presents an exponential variation of the elasticity tensor depending on a scalar function of position, i.e., the elastic tensor results from multiplying a scalar function by a constant taken as a reference. Several examples using a parametric representation of the structural response show the suitability of the method that constitutes a sight of Stress Intensity Factor evaluation of Functionally Graded Materials plane plates even in the case of more complex geometries.

This work describes a new transducer prototype for continuous monitoring both in the structural and geotechnical fields. The transducer is synthetically constituted by a wire of optical fiber embedded between two fiber tapes (fiberglass or carbon fiber) and glued by a matrix of polyester resin. The fiber optical wire ends have been connected to a control unit whose detection system is based on Brillouin optical time-domain frequency analysis. Three laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the sensor's reliability and accuracy. In each experiment, the transducer was applied to a sample of inclinometer casing sets in different configurations and with different constraint conditions. The experimental data collected were compared with theoretical models and with data obtained from the use of different measuring instruments to perform validation and calibration of the transducer at the same time. Several diagrams allow comparing the transducer and highlighting its suitability for monitoring and maintenance of structures. The characteristic of the transducer suggests its use as a mixed system for reinforcing and monitoring, especially in lifetime maintenance of critical infrastructures such as transportation and service networks, and historical heritage.

Biomechanics is a branch of biophysics that deals with mechanics applied to biology. The biomechanics of the cornea plays a significant role in managing patients with glaucoma. While evidence suggests a higher risk of glaucoma in patients with thin and stiffer corneas, it also affects the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP). We reviewed the pertinent literature to help the understanding of corneal biomechanics and how it can help optimize clinical and surgical treatments and a better approach to diagnosing and managing patients with glaucoma.

Introduction Recent evidence from relatively small randomized controlled trials would seem to support a useful role of ranolazine for the prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The present study is aimed at providing information about the possible beneficial anti-arrhythmic properties of ranolazine. In particular, the meta-analysis carried out in this study focuses on the application of ranolazine to prophylaxis and treatment of atrial fibrillation.Methods Both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non randomized observational studies concerning the effects of ranolazine on AF were included in the meta-analysis. In each of the considered studies, a comparison was made between a group of patients taking ranolazine and a second group treated instead with another antiarrhythmic therapy , or assigned to placebo. Efficacy outcomes were the risk of new- onset AF, the probability of conversion to sinus rhythm of patients with recent occurrence(≤ 48 h)of AF and the time to conversion to sinus rhythm. Safety endpoints were death, adverse events, QTc prolongation and hypotension.Results Ten studies ( 8 RCTs and 2 nonrandomized observational studies) were gathered on the whole. Ranolazine was effective in preventing the occurrence of AF when compared to controls (RR= 0.60; 95% CI: 0.43–0.83; p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis showed a more pronounced preventive effect of ranolazine against AF in the postoperative setting of coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) surgery (RR= 0.39; 95% CI: 0.18-0.83; p=0.02) when compared to non- postoperative AF (RR= 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63-0.92; p=0.04). Ranolazine enhanced the chances of successful cardioversion when added to intravenous amiodarone compared to amiodarone alone (RR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.05–1.33; p = 0.004) and significantly decreased the time to cardioversion(SMD= −10.35 h; 95% CI: −18.13 hours to − 2.57 hours; p < 0.001). Overall risks of death, adverse events, and QTc prolongation were shown to be similar in the comparison between patients treated with ranolazine and controls. Conclusions Ranolazine given orally at appropriate doses showed the property to significantly quicken the conversion of AF to sinus rhythm when combined with the iv amiodarone, compared to iv amiodarone alone . Furthermore, in patients in sinus rhythm, ranolazine proved to reduce the frequency of new onset AF as well as of its recurrences, especially in patients undergone CABG surgery, known to be at high risk of developing postoperative AF. In addition, ranolazine use seems to be safe and associated with relatively few adverse events.

The increasing availability of longitudinal data (repeated numerical observations of same units at different times) requires the development of flexible techniques to automatically detect common errors in such data. Besides obvious and easily identifiable cases, such as missing or out-of-range data, large longitudinal dataset often present problems not easily traceable by the techniques used for generic datasets. In particular, elusive and baffling problems are i) inversion of one or more values from one unit to another; ii) anomalous jumps in the series of values, iii) errors in the timing of the values due to a recalculation operated by the data providers to compensate previous errors. This work proposes a statistical-mathematical approach based on a system of indicators that is able to capture the complexity of the described problems by working at the formal level, regardless of the specific meaning of the data. The proposed approach identifies suspect erroneous data and is applicable in a variety of contexts. We implement this approach in a relevant database of European Higher Education institutions (ETER) by analyzing Total academic staff, that is one of the most important variables, used in empirical analysis as proxy of size and also considered by policy makers at European level.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of breast (females), prostate, testicular and thyroid cancer in the Italian National Priority Contaminated Sites (NPCSs), served by cancer registries, where the presence of endocrine disruptors (EDs), reported to be linked to these tumors, was documented. Evidence of carcinogenicity of EDs present in NPCs was assessed based on evaluation by international scientific institutions/committees. Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs) were computed for each NPCS and cancer site with reference to the time window 1996-2005. Excess incidence of one or more cancer site at study was found in twelve out of fourteen NPCSs. Significantly increased SIRs were found for breast cancer in eight NPCSs, for prostate cancer in six, for thyroid cancer (both gender) in four and for testicular cancer in two. Non significantly increased SIRs were found in five NPCSs for testicular cancer and in two for thyroid cancer (males). Even if increased incidence of one or more cancer sites at study were found in several NPCSs, the ecological study design and the multifactorial etiology of the considered tumors do not allow reaching conclusions in terms of causal links with environmental contamination. In light of the observation of some excesses in SIRs, continuing epidemiological surveillance is warranted.

This paper presents a new methodology that provides the analysis of surface texture changes in areas adjacent to the volcano and its impact product of volcanic activity. To do this, algorithms from digital image processing such as the co-occurrence matrix and the wavelet transform are used. These methods are working on images taken by the Landsat satellite platform sensor 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM + sensor, and implemented with the purpose of evaluating superficial changes that can warn of surface movements of the volcano. The results were evaluated by similarity metrics for grayscale images, and validated in two different scenarios that have the same type of eruption, but differ, essentially, in climate and vegetation. Finally, the proposed algorithm is presented, setting the parameters and constraints for implementation and use.

At research-intensive universities in the United States, eligible faculty must generally excel in research, teaching and service in order to receive tenure. To meet these high standards, junior faculty should begin planning for a strong tenure case from their first day on the job. Here, we provide practical information, commentary and advice on how biomedical faculty at research-intensive institutions can prepare strategically for a successful tenure review.

In this study, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) photogrammetry was used to monitor the ground displacement on the slope below a coal waste-rock stockyard, and to investigate the role of rainfall on this displacement. The study area is a mountainous region in Korea, where coal mining continues, and coal waste-rock is stored on the slopes of the mountain. In this area, ma-terial removal work was undertaken to reduce the steepness of the slope and driving forces in order to prevent disasters, but the strategy requires continuous monitoring to confirm the stabilization of the slope. For slope monitoring, a total of six UAV photogrammetry campaigns were conducted between April 2019 and August 2020. As a result of data processing, an orthoimage and DSM (Digital Surface Model) were generated. The ground displacement was estimated through four ways: slope extraction, displacement area evaluation, horizontal displacement, and vertical displacement analysis. During the study period, the maximum vertical displacement was 3.3 m and the maxi-mum horizontal displacement was 3.5 m. The horizontal displacement was effectively evaluated through the measurement of the movement of the drainage system using orthoimages that captured with a periodic survey. The effects of rainfall on ground displacement were also investigated. A very clear linear relationship between rainfall intensity higher than 20mm/d and ground displacement was identified. Accumulated amount of rainfall also showed good correlation with slope movement, but the frequency of rainfall intensity below 20 mm/d showed relatively low correlation with ground dis-placements.

Introduction In sacubitril-valsartan (sacub/v), the effects of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) exerted by valsartan are strengthened by the addition of sacubitril, an inhibitor of neutral endopeptidases. PARADIGM - HF study proved this association to be superior to enalapril in reducing both all-cause death and cardiovascular mortality, as well as heart failure (HF) hospitalizations in patients with cardiac insufficiency and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction( HFREF) belonging to NYHA class II-IV. To test whether even in our experience sacub/v is associated with favorable outcomes concerning mortality and morbidity, an outpatient small population of HFREF patients was retrospectively studied, of whom one third was treated with sacub/v instead of conventional therapy with ACE -inhibitors or ARBs. Methods A retrospective cohort study was carried out to assess the effects of sacub/v in addition to beta-blocker and mineral receptor antagonist (MRA) in a group of HFREF patients in NYHA classes II-III compared with conventional therapy (comprising ACE inhibitor or ARB added to beta-blocker plus a MRA) administered in a second group of HFREF patients with comparable clinical features retrospectively enrolled as controls. In the two groups, the therapeutic regimen was established in accordance with the preferences of the treating physician. Additionally, in both groups, evidence-based drug therapy was supplemented by the adjunct of a loop diuretic, usually furosemide, at variable doses. The primary outcomes of interest were all-cause death and HF hospitalizations. Safety outcomes were symptomatic hypotension, angioedema, hyperkalemia and worsening renal function. Results Mortality at six months was 6.8% in patients under therapy with sacub/v versus 34% in those treated with conventional therapy (odds ratio[OR] = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.04-0.49). Moreover, HF hospitalizations in the observation period considered were 4.5% in sacub/v group versus 59% in the conventional therapy group (OR = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01–0.14). Safety outcomes included in our study (angioedema, hyperkalemia, hypotension and worsening renal function) showed a comparable profile in the two groups, with evidence of good tolerability of sacub/v , except for the side - effect " hypotension" (PAS < 100 mm Hg) , found in 15.9% of patients under sacub/v versus 5.7% reported in controls (OR = 3.14; 95% CI: 0.94–10.55). Conclusions In our experience, sacub/v has yielded a strong protection against both all-cause death and HF hospitalizations at six months , in the absence of significant noxious side effects. Nevertheless, considering the retrospective character of the study and the relatively exiguous sample size, further post marketing observational studies would be desirable . In particular, studies aiming at exploring safety of the new pharmacologic principle, namely mainly focusing on hypotension and angioedema, are warranted, in order to validate further this very efficacious molecule for therapy of chronic HF, especially stable HFREF in NYHA classes II-III.

The growing interest in the use of energy storage systems to improve the performance of tramways has prompted the development of control techniques and optimal storage devices, displacement, and sizing to obtain the maximum profit and reduce the total installation cost. Recently, the rapid diffusion of renewable energy generation from photovoltaic panels has also created a large interest in coupling renewable energy and storage units. This study analyzed the integration of a photovoltaic power plant, supercapacitor energy storage system, and railway power system. Random optimization was used to verify the feasibility of this integration in a real tramway electric system operating in the city of Naples, and the benefits and total cost of this integration were evaluated.

Machine learning has become an increasingly ubiquitous technology, as big data continues to inform and influence everyday life and decision-making. Currently in healthcare, as well as in most other industries, the two most prevalent machine learning paradigms are supervised learning and transfer learning. Both practices rely on large-scale, manually annotated datasets to train increasingly complex models. However, the requirement of data to be manually labeled leaves an excess of unused, unlabeled data available in both public and private data repositories. Self-supervised learning (SSL) is a growing area of machine learning that has the ability to take advantage of unlabeled data. Contrary to other machine learning paradigms, SSL algorithms create artificial supervisory signals from unlabeled data and pretrain algorithms on these signals. The aim of this review is two-fold: firstly, we provide a formal definition of SSL, divide SSL algorithms into their four unique subsets, and review the state-of-the-art published in each of those subsets between the years of 2014-2020. Second, this work surveys recent SSL algorithms published in healthcare, in order to provide medical experts with a clearer picture of how they can integrate SSL into their research, with the objective of leveraging unlabeled data.

Orchids are among the plants most threatened by anthropic impact and environmental changes. Therefore, all known orchid species are protected in several countries by regional, national and international legislation. Several studies cast doubts on the effectiveness of legislation to ensure protection of wild orchids. We assessed the vitality of four orchid populations in a coastal area in Northern Italy, by monitoring vegetative and reproductive traits of orchid populations growing both in protected sites comprised in the Natura 2000 network and in non-protected sites. We also monitored the level of environmental threat to orchid vitality. Early flowering deceptive species (Ophrys sphegodes and Anacamptis morio) exhibited high vegetative vitality and experienced similar levels of environmental threat in protected and non-protected areas. However, their reproductive success was strongly jeopardized probably by failed pollination that impeded fruit set. Late-flowering, partially or totally rewarding species (Anacamptis pyramidalis and Anacamptis coriophora) were more strongly impacted by spring mowing, ungulate herbivory and alien species. Only for A. coriophora were herbivory and alien species invasion lower at protected vs. non-protected sites which ensured higher population vitality at protected sites. We conclude that environmental protection is ineffective for preserving orchids without targeted actions against specific environmental threats.

Fear extinction requires coordinated neural activity within the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Any behavior has a transcriptomic signature that is modified by environmental experiences, and specific genes are involved in functional plasticity and synaptic wiring during fear extinction. Here, we investigated the effects of optogenetic manipulations of prelimbic (PrL) pyramidal neurons on amygdala gene expression to analyze the specific transcriptional pathways involved in adaptive and maladaptive fear extinction. To this aim, transgenic mice were (or not) fear-conditioned and during the extinction phase they received optogenetic (or sham) stimulations over PrL pyramidal neurons. At the end of behavioral testing, electrophysiological (neural cellular excitability and Excitatory Post-Synaptic Currents) and morphological (spinogenesis) correlates were evaluated in the PrL pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, transcriptomic cell-specific RNA-analyses (differential gene expression profiling and functional enrichment analyses) were performed in amygdala pyramidal neurons. Our results show that the optogenetic activation of PrL pyramidal neurons in fear-conditioned mice induces fear extinction deficits, reflected in an increase of cellular excitability, excitatory neurotransmission, and spinogenesis of PrL pyramidal neurons, and in strong modifications of the transcriptome of amygdala pyramidal neurons. Understanding the electrophysiological, morphological and transcriptomic architecture of fear extinction may facilitate the comprehension of fear-related disorders.

Construction work is physically demanding. The tasks involved in this professional occupation physically exhaust workers and put them at high risk of injury. This work aims to analyze muscle fatigue in civil construction workers, with and without physical activity historical practice. For this purpose, the muscle activity of the Biceps Femoris, Trapezius Transversalis, Erector Spinae Longissimus, was evaluated using surface electromyography. Eleven male civil construction workers aged 26 to 52 years (38.00 ± 9.60), of whom 7 were untrained (N =7) and 4 were trained (N=4) participated in this study. Each subject completed two assessments at two different times. At the first assessment moment, a questionnaire was completed, and the maximum repetition of the deadlift exercise was assessed. At the second assessment, the subjects were assessed while performing the deadlift in four different situations: 50%RM at rest, 80%RM at rest, 80%RM at fatigue, and 50%RM at fatigue. The trained construction workers have higher levels of muscle activity, and there are no significant differences in muscle activation between the fatigued and non-fatigued sets. There appears to be a strong influence of physical exercise on muscle activity and fatigue in civil construction workers.

Immediate load of full-arch rehabilitations over implants, specially over 4 implants are very well documented in the literature. More recently, the use of computed surgical guides to help the planning and the execution of these treatments, in many situations without the need of raising a flap, and diminishing the appearance of hematomas, bleeding and with less trauma to the patient has gained preference among implantologists. The objective of this case report is to show a clinical case of an immediate load full-arch fixed rehabilitation over 4 implants produced by 3D printing manufacturing technology, and placed with a computed surgical guide, in the same appointment, and the 24 months follow-up. The patient returned after 3 months to replace the immediate temporary fixed prosthesis for a new one, with metallic bar, better teeth and more delicate. Soft and hard tissue around the implants seemed to be stable, without signs of inflammation, either on the 3 or the 24 months follow-up. 3D printing of implants by direct metal laser sintering is a technology that seems to be promising for oral implantology, with solid studies showing reliable results, as seen in this single case. More clinical studies are necessary to testify its efficacy.

Wikipedia, as "social machine", is a privileged place to observe the collective construction of concepts without central control. Based on Dahlberg's theory of concept, and anchored in the pragmatism of Hjørland - in which the concepts are socially negotiated meanings - the evolution of the concept of Semantic Web (SW) was analyzed in the English version of Wikipedia. An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study was designed and we identified 26 different definitions (between 7-12-2001 and 12/31/2017) of which 8 are of particular relevance for their duration, with the latter being the two recorded at the end of the analyzed period. According to them, SW: "is a extension of the web"and "is a Web of Data"; the latter, used as a complementary definition, links to Berners-Lee's publications. In Wikipedia, the evolution of the SW concept appears to be based on the search for the use of non-technical vocabulary and the control of authority carried out by the debate. As a space for collective bargaining of meanings, the Wikipedia study may bring relevant contributions to a community's understanding of a particular concept and how it evolves over time.

Advanced cutaneous melanoma is considered the most aggressive type of skin cancer with variable rates of treatment response. Nowadays, there are available some classes of immunotherapy and target therapy for its treatment. Immunotherapy can inhibit tumor growth and its recurrence by triggering host's immune system, while targeted therapy acts inhibiting specific molecules or signaling pathways. However, melanoma response to these treatments are highly heterogenous, and frequently become resistant. Epigenome (DNA/histone modification) contribute to cancer initiation and progression. Epigenetic alterations are divided into four levels of gene expression regulation: DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNAs regulation. The deregulation of lysine methyltransferase enzymes is associated with tumor initiation, invasion, development of metastases, changes in immune microenvironment and drug resistance. The study of lysine histone methyltransferase (KMT) inhibitors is important to cancer epigenetic mechanisms understanding and to biological processes. In addition to immunotherapy and target therapy, the research and development of KMT inhibitors is ongoing. Many studies are exploring the therapeutic implications and possible side effects of these compounds, besides their adjuvant potential to the approved current therapies. Importantly, as with any drug development, safety, efficacy, and specificity are crucial considerations when developing KMT inhibitors for clinical applications.

An alleged association of chronic use of thiazide diuretics with an increased risk of bone fragility fractures has been highlighted by a relatively recent prospective cohort study (Am J Med. 2016 Dec; 129(12):1299-1306). However, the concept that thiazides exert a beneficial effect on osteoporosis is still a predominant view. This effect would be mediated by the decrease in renal clearance of calcium ions, a pharmacological feature recognized for a long time now to this class of drugs , as opposed to the increase in calcium urinary excretion attributed instead to loop diuretics, i.e. furosemide and similar drugs . The purpose of this retrospective study is to attempt to clarify whether regular use of thiazide diuretics as antihypertensive therapeutics is associated with a significantly increased risk of osteoporotic fractures in female patients, aged over 70 years.

Like other organisms, fungi produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are involved in various biological processes, including intercellular communication and the transport of molecules between cells. These EVs can be applied in fungal pathogenesis, virulence, and interactions with other organisms, including host cells, in the case of fungal infections. While some types of mycoses are relatively common and easily treatable, certain neglected mycoses pose significant public health challenges, such as sporotrichosis, chromoblastomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis. These infectious diseases can cause significant morbidity and disability, leading to a reduced quality of life for the patients. So, research about the virulence factor is essential to understand how fungi escape the immune system. In this context, this manuscript reviews the study of fungi EVs, their cargo, their obtaining, and their role during the infectious process, which is extremely important for understanding this neglected mycosis.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects attention and behavioral control, characterized by constant presence of inattention and hyperactivity. This article describes a study that used a database with results from tests of voluntary and automatic attentional orientation activity in a complex network of ADHD patients, in order to understand the characteristics of the elements and attentional variability of patients. Centrality metrics and the Louvain method were applied to obtain the network communities. The most important elements of the network were identified and differences in reaction times of the activities were observed in the identified communities. The study provides useful information to understand of deficit hyperactivity disorder spectrum in patients with ADHD.

Advanced-Differential Interferometric SAR (A-DInSAR) has been used to monitor surface deformations in open pit mines and tailings dams. In this paper, ground deformations have been detected on the area of the tailings Dam-I at the Córrego do Feijão Mine (Brumadinho, Brazil) before its catastrophic failure occurred on 25 January 2019. Two techniques optimized for different scattering models, SBAS (Small BAseline Subset) and PSI (Persistent Scatterer Interferometry), were used to perform the analysis based on 26 Sentinel-1B images in IW mode, acquired on descending orbits from 03 March 2018 to 22 January 2019. A WorldDEM DSM product was used to remove the topographic phase component. The results provided by both techniques showed a synoptic and informative view of the deformation process affecting the study area, with a detection of persistent trend of deformations on the top, middle and bottom sectors of the dam face until its collapse, as well as the expected natural settlements on the tailings. It is worth noting the detection of an acceleration in the displacement time-series for a short period near the failure. The maximum accumulated displacements detected along the downstream slope face were -39 mm (SBAS) and -48 mm (PSI). It is reasonable to consider that Sentinel-1 would provide decision makers complementary motion information to the in-situ monitoring system for risk assessment and for a better understanding of on-going instability phenomena affecting the tailings dam.

Technological advances in DBS hardware and software represent a significant growth area in functional neurosurgery. These advancements have the potential to significantly enhance treatment outcomes and expand the scope of neurological disorders that can be effectively addressed through DBS interventions. The introduction of directional DBS marks a new phase in neuromodulation, offering extended benefits for patients with Parkinson's disease, more efficient optimization of clinical outcomes, and targeted treatment of refractory symptoms through data-driven approaches. Implementing a multimodal programming strategy, incorporating novel current fractionation technology and image-guided tools for lead localization and brain sensing, further reduces reliance on traditional trial-and-error programming methods, paving the way for a more predictive application of this therapy. These advancements are expected to drive the development of sophisticated closed-loop stimulation systems capable of integrating continuous data streams for improved patient care.

Unmanned aerial vehicles serving as air base stations (UAV-BSs) are used in telecommunications, when the network is overloaded or unavailable, providing access to users on the ground. Due to its dynamics of providing access to networks in different altitudes, the electromagnetic signal of UAVs suffers losses along the path, thus facing several problems related to transmission, such as: attenuation, fading and distortion. In this work is proposed a 3D positioning strategy for UAVs, taking into account height, coverage radius and flight energy efficiency. Results show that the proposed algorithm is able to position the UAVs in suboptimal locations, providing network access for mobile users, maximizing the number of connected devices in the UAV-BS and saving energy, thus obtaining better performance than the approaches conventional.

The following guide is aimed at aiding in the curation of herbarium collections in Melastomataceae, with an emphasis on the New World species. It contains a summary of the taxonomic realignments at the tribal and generic level within Neotropical taxa of Melastomataceae, as well as some general comments for other groups. A table with a generic linear sequence is also provided, as well as tables with new and synonymized New World genera since 2005 and all currently accepted species. Lastly, a table with the synonyms of over 1000 accepted Neotropical species that have been impacted by these generic realignments is also provided.

Consumption of high amounts of ethanol is a risk factor for development of cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension. The hypertensive state induced by ethanol is a complex multi-factorial event, and oxidative stress is a pathophysiological hallmark of vascular dysfunction associated with ethanol consumption. Increasing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the vasculature triggers important processes underlying vascular injury, including accumulation of intracellular Ca2+ ions, reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), endothelial dysfunction, and loss of the anticontractile effect of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). The enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase plays a central role in vascular ROS generation in response to ethanol. Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an upstream mechanism which contributes to NADPH oxidase stimulation, overproduction of ROS and vascular dysfunction. This review discusses the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction induced by ethanol, detailing the contribution of ROS to these processes. Data examining the association between neuroendocrine changes and vascular oxidative stress induced by ethanol are also reviewed and discussed. These issues are of paramount interest to public health as ethanol contributes to blood pressure elevation in the general population, and it is linked to cardiovascular conditions and diseases.

The first hyperpolarizability of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) suspended in water was determined using the hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) technique. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of the HRS technique to characterize GQDs. Two commercial GQDs (Acqua-Cyan and Acqua-Green) with different compositions were studied. The HRS experiments were performed with an excitation laser at 1064 nm. The measured hyperpolarizabilities were (1.0±0.1) × 10^(-27) esu and (0.9±0.1) × 10^(-27) esu for Acqua-Cyan and Acqua-Green, respectively. The results were used to estimate the hyperpolarizability per nanosheet obtained by assuming that each GQDs has five nanosheets with 0.3 nm thickness. The two-level model, used to calculate the static hyperpolarizability per nanosheet, provides the values of (2.4±0.1) × 10^(-28) esu (Acqua-Cyan) and (0.5±0.1) × 10^(-28) esu (Aqua-Green). The origin of the nonlinearity is discussed on the basis of polarized resolved HRS experiments, and an electric quadrupolar behavior with a strong dependence on surface effects is found. The nontoxic characteristics and order of magnitude indicate that these GQDs may be useful for biological microscopy imaging.

Soybean, maize and bean are crops of great economic importance, but in the last years suffered with infestations of the caterpillar Helicoverpa armigera, being the main problem the resistance of this pest to most pesticides. Avermectin emamectin benzoate was recently released to control this pest. Other avermectins, like abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin and ivermectin are used in large scale because they potent acaricidal, anthelmintic, and insecticidal activities. Thus, a simple and fast method for the determination of avermectins in these crops based on a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction procedure and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis was developed and validated. For extraction, water followed by acetonitrile:isopropanol and a partition step with salts was stablished. With the clean-up step using activated EMR-Lipid, limits of detection of 1.2 μg kg-1 for abamectin, doramectin, emamectin benzoate and ivermectin, and of 2.4 μg kg-1 for eprinomectin were achieved. Accuracy and precision evaluated at low levels presented satisfactory results. The method was successfully applied in commercial samples and is a good alternative for routine analysis.

Cochlear implantation (CI) allows rehabilitation for patients with severe to profound hearing impairment. Although the use of a robotic assistant provides technical assistance to the surgeon, the assessment of the impact of its use on auditory outcomes remains uncertain. We aim to com-pare the hearing results of patients who underwent bilateral cochlear implantation, one side was performed with manual insertion and the other side with robot-assisted insertion. The electrode array intrascalar positioning and the surgery duration were also studied. This retrospective intra-individual study involved 10 patients who underwent bilateral cochlear implantation. The study included 2 infants and 8 adults. The unique composition of this cohort enabled us to utilize each patient as their own control. Regarding speech disyllabic recognition, pure tone average, ECAP, ratio of array translocation, basilar membrane rupture, percentage of translocated electrodes there was no difference between manual and robot-assisted CI groups. This study is the first to compare intra-individual hearing performance after cochlear implantation either manually or robot-assisted. The number of patients and the time delay between manual and robotic implantation may have led to a lack of power, but there was no apparent difference in hearing performance between manual and robotic implantation.

In this work, we have studied the propagation of ultrasonic waves of lysozyme solutions characterized by different degrees of aggregation and networking. The experimental investigation has been performed by means of the Transient Grating (TG) spectroscopy as a function of temperature; this technique enables to measure the ultrasonic acoustic proprieties over a wide time window, ranging from nanoseconds to milliseconds. The fitting of the measured TG signal allows the extraction of several dynamic properties, here we focused on the speed and the damping rate of sound. The temperature variation induces in the lysozyme solutions a series of processes: protein folding-unfolding, aggregation and sol-gel transition. Our TG investigation shows how these self-assembling phenomena modulate the sound propagation, affecting both the velocity and the damping rate of the ultrasonic waves. In particular, the damping of ultrasonic acoustic waves proves to be a dynamic property very sensitive to the protein conformational rearrangements and aggregation processes.

Abstract: We present a technological analysis of the architectonic complex associated with a firing structure (locally named fogón) on top of the Pirámide Mayor, the largest pyramid in Caral. This Archaic Period society flourished between ca 2,700 and 2,000 cal B.C. and was located near the Pacific Ocean on the north-central coast of present-day Peru. All approaches employed in this study demonstrated that the corridor with antechamber and duct on top of Pirámide Mayor of Caral was a sophisticated ventilation system capable of providing between 3,000 and 18,000 liters of air per minute for combustion in the attached fogón. The analysis indicates that ventilating the fogón must have been a major consideration in deciding a) the construction of the pyramid, b) locating the structure at the edge of a natural alluvial terrace, and c) orientating the pyramid towards the then contemporary prevailing winds. Results from the analysis of this fogón support practical decisions made by the builders and challenge the assumption that religion or politics were the only considerations in American pyramid building. It also indicates that a complex device, capable to delivering the considerable airflows reported in this study was within the reach of an archaic society in ancient Peru. The application of this structure to the production of a remarkably high thermal output and its implications on the knowledge of ancient Americans will be discussed in a following companion article.

GDF5 gene is involved in the development of skeletal elements, synovial joint formation, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Several polymorphisms are present within the gene and two of them, rs143384 and 143383, have been reported as correlated with osteoarticular disease or muscle flexibility. The aim of this research is to verify if the worldwide distribution among human populations of rs143384 polymorphism has been shaped by selective pressure, or if it’s the result of random genetic drift events. Ninety-four individuals of both sexes, 18-28 years old, from Sardinia were analyzed. We observed the following genotype frequencies: 28.72% of homozygotes AA, 13.83% of homozygotes GG, and 57.45% of heterozygotes AG. Allele frequencies were 0.574 for allele A and 0.426 for alle G. Relationships between populations were verified by Multidimensional Scaling (MDS). Our data show: i) a clear heterogeneity within the African populations; ii) a strong differentiation between Africans and the other populations: iii) the Sardinian population is placed withing the European cluster. To reveal possible traces of selective pressure, Population Branch Statistic (PBS) was calculated; both SNPs rs143384 and 143383 have low PBS values, suggesting that there are no signals of selective pressure in those areas of the gene.

In this article we propose an application of humanitarian logistics theory to build a supportive framework for economic reactivation and pandemic management based on province vulnerability against COVID-19. The main research question is: which factors are related to COVID-19 mortality between Peruvian provinces? We conduct a spatial regression analysis to explore which factors determines the differences in COVID-19 cumulative mortality rates for 189 Peruvian provinces up to December 2020. The most vulnerable provinces are characterized by having low outcomes of long-run poverty and high population density. Low poverty means a high economic activity that leads to more deaths of COVID-19. There is a lack of supply of a set of relief goods defined as Pandemic Response and Recovery Supportive Goods and Services (PRRSGS). These goods must be delivered in order to mitigate the risk associated to COVID-19. A supportive framework for economic reactivation can be built based on regression results and a delivery strategy can be discussed according to the spatial patterns that we found for mortality rates.

The effect of the different dental implants positioning region on the stress performance of the implant-supported prosthesis is not yet clear. This study evaluated the dental treatment with six dental implants in three different models and three different occlusal loading conditions, in terms of the biomechanical response of implants, prosthetic screw and maxilla, using three-dimensional finite element analysis. The finite element models were modelled containing external hexagon implants, as well as a Cobalt-Chromium superstructure. Three types of loads were applied: in the area of ​​the central incisors, first premolar and in the second molars. For the finite element simulations, the von-Mises stress peaks in the implant and in the surrounding cortical bone were analyzed. All recorded results reported higher values ​​for the implant-supported prosthesis in group C compared to the groups A and B. The highest stress values, ​​regardless the evaluated model, was in the prosthesis in group C and in screws, the smallest were in group A.

Self-assembling peptide P11-4 is amphiphilic and pH-triggered with demonstrated effectivity repairing early carious lesions in enamel. However, P11-4 effects on dentin biomineralization and repair remain unexplored. Thus, cytocompatibility and effectiveness of P11-4 inducing mineralization and migration of odontoblast-like cells (MDPC-23) were investigated. MDPC-23 were seeded in contact with P11-4(0.5µg/ml and 1µg/ml), Dentin Matrix Protein 1 (DMP1 0.5µg/ml and 1 µg/ml) or Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2 100µg/ml) solutions. Cytotoxicity was verified using MTT (n=6/group). Mineralization was tested using Alizarin Red (n=4/group). Cell migration was assessed by light microscopy (n=2/group). MTT and Alizarin Red data were compared using Krus-kal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney (α=0.05). P11-4 (0.5µg/ml and 1µg/ml) and DMP1 (0.5µg/ml and 1µg/ml) presented the highest cytocompatibility; Ca(OH)2 presented the lowest. DMP1 1µg/ml exhibited the highest mineralization ability, with no difference to P11-4 1µg/ml. Ca(OH)2 presented lower values than DMP1 1µg/ml (p<0.05), but similar to P11-4 1µg/ml. P11-4 and DMP1 at 0.5 µg/ml showed induced less mineralization than P11-4 and DMP1 at 1µg/ml (p<0.05), with no difference to Ca(OH)2. All materials stimulated cell migration, however, lower concentrations of DMP1 and P11-4 provided better results. P11-4 is cytocompatible, induces mineralization and MDPC-23 migration like DMP1. P11-4 could be an alternative for dentin mineralization and tooth repair.

Maintaining the judiciary's power requires a high level of budgetary expenditure, but the specifics of this relationship have yet to be fully explored. Although several studies have analyzed the impact of spending in the judiciary through productivity and performance-related measures, none have employed machine learning techniques. This study examines the productivity of the judiciary based on spending and other variables using machine learning techniques, including clustering and neural networks. The final neural network model supports the results of Pearson's parametric correlation test, which found no significant correlation between expenditure and productivity. This study's findings demonstrate the importance of understanding that increased public budgetary expenditure alone is insufficient for improving the judiciary's efficiency. Instead, other administrative and technical measures are necessary to meet the demands of the Brazilian judiciary and improve service delivery rates. These findings offer important theoretical and managerial contributions to the field.

Laurencia seaweed species synthesize a broad range of secondary metabolites mainly terpenes, such as the elatol exhibiting ecological roles, such as defense against fouling and herbivores. Recently, an intricate cellular machinery was evidenced concerning terpenes biosynthetic pathways, storage inside corps en cerise - CC and regulated exocytosis in these species. But for seaweeds in general, the proteins involved in transmembrane transport of secondary metabolites remains unknown. Assays with Rhodamine-123 and cyclosporine A (CSA) revealed the presence of ABC transporters in CC membrane of Laurencia dendroidea. In vivo incubation assays with CSA resulted in CC morphological changes, reduced intracellular elatol concentrations and increased biofouling cover on the seaweed surface. Cultivation assays in the presence of a marine pathogenic bacteria induced the expression of ABC proteins belonging to the subfamilies ABCB, ABCD, ABCF and ABCG. The later subfamily is known to associated in the transport terpenes in plants. Our results shed new light on the role of ABC proteins in key mechanisms of the defensive system in seaweeds against fouling and herbivory.

Background: Idiopathic Toe Walking (ITW) is the persistence of a forefoot strike pattern at initial contact while walking beyond the age of three years, in the absence of other justifiable causes. This review aims to consolidate the current knowledge on the subject and to highlight recent advancements in literature. Methods: We conducted an electronic search in the following databases up to June 2023: Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCO, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and PubMed. The PICO framework was employed to define search terms. Results: Despite considerable methodological heterogeneity among studies, we found a stronger inclination toward investigating etiological and prognostic factors. There is a trend for a higher prevalence in boys with a positive family history. Novel classifications have been proposed to improve differential diagnosis. Among conservative treatment options, there is stronger evidence for gait improvement with the use of serial casting followed by orthoses. Severe cases may benefit from surgical Zone III gastrocsoleus lengthening. Conclusion: Further studies with standardized methodologies are required to clarify questions about the etiology, classification, and treatment of this condition. Nonetheless, there is a higher level of evidence supporting conservative treatments with serial casting and orthoses, as well as gastrocsoleus Zone III surgical lengthening for severe cases in the second decade of life.

The 2030 global agenda of the United Nations emphasizes peace, human rights, gender equality, partnership, and women's empowerment. It balances the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The SDG framework was designed to be integrated and indivisible, making the interconnections of 17 Goals and 169 Sustainable Development Goals Targets (SDTs) more complex that need extensive and intensive investigative research. Recent studies have increased on the interrelationships of SDGs, but none of these have focused on integrating Climate Change (CC), Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), also known as CSI Nexus. This study aims to investigate and identify the 169 SDTs linked to CC, SFM, and ICT and assesses the significance of the relationships between these variables. The alignment of SDTs to CSI Nexus was identified through clustering and mapping techniques. The result argued that 56 SDTs are directly connected within CC+SFM+ICT, 16 within CC+SFM, one within SFM+ICT, and 51 within ICT+CC. Our result suggests that CC is significantly associated with SFM; however, ICT has no significant association with CC and SFM. It further asserts that the ICT and SFM have minimal influence on the SDG 2030 framework. The proposed CSI Nexus and SDTs Integration Framework was a science-informed guide for priority-setting, policy coherence, and decision-making supporting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This study does not include interactions, network analysis and visualization, simulations, and modeling between SDG targets.

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare inherited metabolic disease attributed to the mutation of the gene CYP27A1, resulting in sterol 27-hydroxylase deficiency characterized by deposition of cholestanol and cholesterol in several tissues, like the central nervous system and tendons. Furthermore, cataracts, gallstones, diarrhea and premature atherosclerosis have been reported. Nonetheless, clinical development is extremely heterogeneous in CTX. We report here two cases of CTX genetic alteration in the absence of cholestanol elevation in plasma and tendons but with prominent xanthomas. We propose that CTX may not be characteized by increased plasma cholestanol concentration due to alteration in the sterol 27-hydroxylase gene, but is a more complex pathology that may result from additional genetic alterations that require further analyses.

This study aimed to verify the effects of an acute increase in blood pressure (BP) and/or renal sympathetic nerve activity (rSNA) on the renal excretion of sodium and water and its potential effect on the regulation of NHE3 activity. Uninephectomized anesthetized male Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups: 1) Sham, the rats had their BP and rSNA recorded, and urine was collected for 2 h; 2) bicuculline (Bic) paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), rat BP, and rSNA were recorded, and urine was collected for 1 h at baseline conditions and 1 h after bicuculline injection into the PVN; 3) RNS + Bicuculine injection into the PVN, BP, and rSNA were recorded, and urine was collected 1h after RNS and 1 h after bicuculline injection into the PVN. Renal nerve stimulation (RNS) decreased sodium and water excretion independent of changes in BP. However, after Bic in the PVN during RNS stimulation, BP and rSNA increased up to 30% and 60%, respectively, increasing diuresis (5-fold) and natriuresis (2.3-fold), accompanied by a significant reduction in the NHE3 activity independent of GFR changes. In conclusion, an acute increase in BP overcomes such effects, generating diuresis, natriuresis, and NHE3 activity inhibition.

An increase in Spodoptera species was reported in Bt soybean fields expressing Cry1Ac insecticidal proteins in Brazil, requiring additional management with chemical insecticides. Here, we evaluated the dose effects of flubendiamide and thiodicarb on Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker, 1858), Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782), Spodoptera albula (Walker, 1857) and Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) that survived on MON 87751 × MON 87708 × MON 87701 × MON 89788, expressing Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2 and Cry1Ac; MON 87701 × MON 89788 soybean, expressing Cry1Ac; and non-Bt soybean. On unsprayed Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2/Cry1Ac soybean, only S. frugiperda showed ~60% mortality after 10 d, whereas S. cosmioides, S. eridania and S. albula showed >81% mortality. Surviving larvae of all species on this Bt soybean showed &gt;80% mortality when exposed to the field label dose of flubendiamide (70 mL/ha) or thiodicarb (400 g/ha) or at 50% of these doses. In contrast, all four species had <25% and <19% mortality on Cry1Ac and non-Bt soybean, respectively. Surviving S. cosmioides, S. eridania and S. albula on these soybean types presented >83% mortality post-exposure to both dose levels of flubendiamide and thiodicarb. Some S. frugiperda larvae surviving on Cry1Ac and non-Bt soybean sprayed with a 50% dose of either insecticide developed into adults. However, L1 larvae developing on Cry1Ac soybean leaves sprayed with flubendiamide and L2 larvae on this soybean sprayed with thiodicarb had a prolonged immature stage, and females lower fecundity, which are likely to impact its population growth on soybean.

In this work we developed two new polyfunctional hybrid systems, in which the presence of Fc redox "antennas" on peptide scaffolds allows a modulation of their electronic properties. Specifically, we synthesized two helical hexapeptides containing four Aib (α-amionoisobutyric acid) and two L-Dap (2,3-diamino propionic acid) residues. L-Dap side chains were then functionalized with Fc moieties. The structures of the two 310 helical peptides, namely Z-Aib-L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-NH-iPr and Z-Aib-L-Dap(Fc)-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib-NH-iPr, were investigated by X-ray diffraction, 2D-NMR, CD and IR spectroscopies. Due to the helical conformation, in Z-Aib-L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-NH-iPr the Fc groups are located on the same face of the helix, in Z-Aib-L-Dap(Fc)-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib-NH-iPr on opposite faces. Surprisingly, two bands were found in DPV for Z-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib-NH-iPr, indicating electrostatic interaction between the Fc groups despite their longer reciprocal distance with respect to that in Z-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-NH-iPr. CD experiments at different concentrations evidenced aggregation for Z-Aib- L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-L-Dap(Fc)-Aib-Aib-NH-iPr even at high dilution, thus suggesting that the Fc-Fc electrostatic interaction could be of intermolecular nature.

Advanced paternal age increases the risk of transmitting de novo germline mutations, particularly missense mutations activating the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathway, exemplified by the FGFR3 mutation linked to achondroplasia (ACH). This risk is attributed to the expansion of spermatogonial stem cells carrying the mutation, forming sub-clonal clusters in the ageing testis, thereby increasing the frequency of mutant sperm and the number of affected offspring from older fathers. While prior studies proposed a correlation between sub-clonal cluster expansion in the testis and elevated mutant sperm production in older donors, limited data exist on the universality of this phenomenon. Our study addresses this gap by examining the testis expansion patterns, as well as increases of mutations in sperm for two FGFR3 variants: c.1138G>A (p.G380R) and c.1948A>G (p.K650E)- associated with ACH or thanatophoric dysplasia (TDII), respectively. Unlike the ACH mutation, which showed sub-clonal expansion events in an aged testis and a significant increase of mutant sperm with the donor’s age, the TDII mutation formed sub-clonal clusters, but exhibited reduced transmission into sperm and no significant age-related increase. The mechanism behind this divergence remains unclear, suggesting potential pleiotropic effects of aberrant RTK signaling in the male germline, possibly hindering differentiation requiring meiosis. This study provides further insights into transmission risks of micro-mosaics associated with advanced paternal age in the male germline.

The purpose of the present study was to compare heart rate (HR), blood lactate and training load between different CrossFit® workouts, with equalized total volume in men and women. The study included 23 individuals (13 men and 10 women) experienced in CrossFit® training, who performed two workouts with different training types (as many reps as possible - AMRAP and for time) but equalized volume. Measurements of lactate, HR and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were performed. The results showed that there was no HR interaction between workout time and sex (p = 0.822; η2 = 0.006] and between workout type and sex (p = 0.064, η2 = 0.803). HR significantly differed during each workout type (p <0.001, η2 = 0.621), but not between the two workout types (p = 0.552, η2 = 0.017). Lactate showed no difference between the workout types (p = 0.474, η2 = 0.768), although the training load was higher (p = 0.033, η2 = 0.199) in women when they performed AMRAP. Altogether, HR was not significantly different between training types or sex, while RPE, lactate and training load showed small differences depending on the group (women or men) or workout type (AMRAP or 'for time').

Understanding the interplay among organophosphorus flame-retardants (OPFRs), microplastics, and freshwater organisms is crucial for unravelling the dynamics within freshwater environments and foreseeing the potential impacts of organic pollutants and plastic contamination. For that purpose, the present research assessed the exposure impact of 10 mg L–1 flame-retardant alumin-ium diethylphosphinate (ALPI), 10 μg mg–1liver microplastics polyurethane (PU), and the combina-tion of ALPI and PU on the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina. The exposure of G. tigrina to both ALPI and PU revealed a sequential effect, i.e., a decrease in locomotor activity, while other molecular biomarkers (oxidative stress biomarkers and metabolic response) remained unaffected. Despite this fact, it was possible to observe that the range (min-max) of responses of exposed or-ganisms were altered, in the particular case of electron transport system, cholinesterase activity, glutathione S-transferase, catalase and levels of total glutathione and proteins, showing that the energetic costs for detoxification and antioxidant capacity might be causing less energy allocated for the planarian activity. By examining the physiological, behavioural, and ecological responses of planarians to these pollutants, insights can be gained into broader ecosystem-level effects and inform strategies for mitigating environmental risks associated with OPFRs and microplastic pol-lution in freshwater environments.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was particularly invasive in Italy during the period between March and late April 2020 then decreased in both in the number of infections and in the seriousness of the illness throughout the summer of 2020. In this discussion, we measure the severity of the disease by the ratio of Intensive Care Units (ICU) spaces occupied by COVID-19 patients and the number of Active Cases (AC) each month from April to October 2020. We also use the ratio of the number of Deaths (D) to the number of Active Cases. What clearly emerges, from rigorous statistical analysis, is a progressive decrease in both ratios until August, indicating progressive mitigation of the disease. This is particularly evident when comparing March-April with July-August; during the summer period the two ratios became roughly 18 times lower. We test such sharp decreases against possible bias in counting active cases and we confirm their statistical significance. We then interpret such evidence in terms of the well-known seasonality of the human immune system and the virus-inactivating effect of stronger UV rays in the summer. Both ratios, however, increased again in October as ICU/AC began to increase in September 2020. These ratios and the exponential growth of infections in October indicate that the virus - if not contained by strict measures - will lead to unsustainable challenges for the Italian health system in the winter of 2020-2021 .

Abstract: The Inconel 625 is a nickel-based alloy has been widely used in the high-temperature application. The Inconel 625 exhibits unstable plastic flow at elevated temperature characterized by serrated yielding, known as Portevin-Le Chatelier effect. The aim of this work is to evaluate the mechanical properties at high temperatures of the Inconel 625. The tensile tests were performed in the temperature range of room temperature until 1000 °C and strain rate of 2x10^-4 to 2x10^-3 s^-1. The creep tests were performed in the temperature range of 600-700 °C, in the stress range of 500-600 MPa in a constant load mode. The surface fracture was observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Serrated stress-strain behavior was observed in the curves obtained at 200 to 700 °C, which was associated with the dynamic strain aging effect. The yield strength and the elongation values show an anomalous behavior as a function of the test temperature. An intergranular cracking was observed specimen tensile tested at 500 °C that can be attributed to the decohesion of the carbides along the grain boundaries. The fracture surface of the specimen tensile tested at 700 °C showed the predominance of transgranular cracking with tear dimples with a parabolic shape.

Polymeric drag reducers have been developed over many years due to the great number of practical applications. In all of them, the molecular stability is an essential requirement. Usually, polymers break down under turbulent flows, which causes a decrease in their efficiency as drag reducers. Besides that, some specific applications, in agro and biomedical fields, impose a specific requirement that must be fulfilled, which is the use of non-toxic materials. A suitable stable material that is elected to accomplish this necessity is the mucilage of aloe vera, which is a bio-polymer that can be used as an alternative to the synthetic ones. Here, we investigate the role played by the aging of aloe vera on its capacity to reduce drag. The results obtained by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance indicate that the compositions of young and mature leaves of aloe vera are different and such a difference plays an important role on their efficiency as drag reducers. Tests were performed to analyse the drag reduction in a rotating apparatus and in a pipeline system and the efficiencies of leaves of different ages were compared to their composition. The main conclusion of these experiments is that the young mucilage samples, which are richer in complex polysaccharides and exhibit lower acid contents, are more efficient drag reducers.

Pressure fluctuations beneath hydraulic jumps downstream of Ogee spillways potentially damage stilling basin beds. This paper deals with the extreme pressures underneath free hydraulic jumps along a smooth stilling basin. The experiments were conducted in a laboratory flume. From the probability distribution of measured instantaneous pressures, the pressures with different non-exceedance probabilities (P*a%) could be determined. It was verified that the maximum pressure fluctuations, as well as the negative pressures, are located at the positions closest to the spillway toe. The minimum pressure fluctuations are located at the downstream of hydraulic jumps. It was possible to assess the cumulative curves of P*a% related to the characteristic points along the basin, and different Froude numbers. To benchmark, the results, the dimensionless forms of mean pressures, standard deviations, and pressures with different non-exceedance probabilities were assessed. It was found that an existing methodology can be used to interpret the present data, and pressure distribution in similar conditions, by using a new third-order polynomial relationship for the standard deviation (σ*X) with the determination coefficient (R2) equal to 0.717. It was verified that the new optimized adjustment gives more accurate results for the estimation of the maximum extreme pressures than the minimum extreme pressures.

A new set of alkoxy alcohols were synthesised by reaction of eugenol oxirane with aliphatic and aromatic alcohols. These eugenol derivatives were evaluated against their effect upon the viability of the insect cell line Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperda).The most promising compounds, 4-(3-(tert-butoxy)-2-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenol and 4-(2-((4-fluorobenzyl)oxy)-3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenol were submitted to in silico assays to predict possible targets. Thought an Inverted Virtual Screening approach, 23 common pesticide targets were screened and the top 2 targets predicted were further evaluated through molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations. In addition, these to eugenol derivatives were subjected to encapsulation and release assays using liposome-based nanosystems of egg phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (7:3), with encapsulation efficiencies higher than 90% and release profiles well described by both Korsmeyer-Peppas and Weibull models.

The eugenol derivative, ethyl 4-(2-methoxy-4-(oxiran-2-ylmethyl)phenoxy)butanoate 1, with promising insecticidal capability was encapsulated in liposomal formulations of egg-phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (Egg-PC:Ch) 70:30 and of 100% dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG). Compound-loaded Egg-PC:Ch liposomes exhibit small hydrodynamic diameters (below 100 nm), high encapsulation efficiency (88.8% ± 2.7%), higher stability and a more efficient compound release, being chosen for assays in Sf9 insect cells. Compound 1 elicited a loss of cell viability up to 80% after 72h of incubation. Relevantly, encapsulation maintained the toxicity of compound 1 towards insect cells, while it lowered toxicity towards human cells, thus showing the selectivity of the system. Structure based inverted virtual screening was used to predict the most likely targets and molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations were used to demonstrate that this molecule can form a stable complex with insect odorant binding proteins and/or acetylcholinesterase.

Pathogen fitness landscapes change when transmission cycles establish in non-native environments or spill over into new vectors and hosts. The introduction of Leishmania infantum in the Americas into the Neotropics during European colonization represents a unique case study to investigate mechanisms of ecological adaptation of this important parasite. Defining the evolutionary trajectories that drive L. infantum fitness in this new environment are of great public health importance as they will allow unique insight into pathways of host/pathogen co-evolution and their consequences for region-specific changes in disease manifestation. This review summarizes current knowledge on L. infantum genetic and phenotypic diversity in the Americas and its possible role in the unique epidemiology of VL in the New World. We highlight the importance of appreciating adaptive molecular mechanisms in L. infantum to understand the parasites’ successful establishment on the continent.

Suicide is a public health problem influenced by a variety of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Recognizing the warning signs at each stage is crucial for prevention and helping those at risk. In this context, body awareness, especially interoceptive body awareness, emerges as a potentially relevant and underexplored factor. In this study, binary logistic regression and linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between interoceptive body awareness and suicidal orientation in Colombian university students. In addition, the bootstrap technique was used to resample and estimate the distribution of the data. The results support the idea that greater interoceptive awareness may protect against suicidal orientation by improving emotional regulation. An inverse relationship was found between interoceptive awareness and suicidal ideation. These findings are consistent with previous literature on the importance of body awareness for emotional well-being. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore this relationship in depth.

To date, uncertainty remains about how long the protective immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 persists and reports of suspected reinfection began to be described in recovered patients months after the first episode. Viral evolution may favor reinfections, and the recently described spike mutations, particularly in the receptor binding domain (RBD) in SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in the UK, South Africa, and most recently in Brazil, have raised concern on their potential impact in infectivity, immune escape and reinfection. We report a case of reinfection from distinct SARS-CoV-2 lineages presenting the E484K mutation in Brazil, a variant associated with escape from neutralizing antibodies.

The Covid-19 started in China and took over the world, becoming a pandemic. Especially in Latin America, the coronavirus arrived on the continent in mid-February 2020. The South American continent is going through a delicate political, economic and social moment, which is reflected in the fragility of our health systems and science and to reduce the rates of contagion and not overburden health services, including hospitals. Nevertheless, several studies are being carried out in Brazil and worldwide, with the objective sought to understand the characteristics, and even, the cure of people infected by the coronavirus. Therefore, we must consider science-based strategies to combat the pandemic and promote a health system that takes care of the population that needs it.

The description of the genus Leishmania as causative agents of leishmaniasis occurred during this modern age. But evolutionary studies suggest that the origin of Leishmania can be traced back to the Mesozoic era. Subsequently, during its evolutionary process, it sustained a worldwide dispersion predating the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent. It is assumed that this parasite evolved from monoxenic Trypanosomatidae. Phylogenetic studies locate the dixenous Leishmania in a well-supported clade, recently named subfamily Leishmaniinae, which includes also monoxenous trypanosomatids. Virus-Like Particles were reported in many species of this family. So far, several Leishmania species have been reported as infected by Leishmania RNA Virus (LRV) and Leishbunyavirus (LBV). Since the first descriptions of LRV decades ago, differences in its genomic structure have been highlighted, leading to the designation of a LRV1 in L. (Viannia) species and a LRV2 in other L. (Leishmania) species. There are strong indications of virus infecting Leishmania spp. ability to enhance parasitic survival both in human and experimental infections, through highly complex and specialized mechanisms. Phylogenetic analyzes of these viruses have shown that their genomic differences correlate with the infected parasite species, suggesting a coevolutionary process. Herein, we will present unpublished results regarding the relationship Leishmania – endosymbiotic Leishmania viruses and will explore what has been described in the literature, and what is known about this association that could contribute to discussions about the worldwide dispersion of Leishmania.

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.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

In neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), the use of new radiopharmaceuticals has improved the accuracy of diagnosis and staging, refined surveillance approaches, and introduced specific and personalized radiation therapies. Nuclear medicine has therefore acquired a crucial role in the management of NENs patients by improving their risk stratification and personalized therapies. Artificial intelligence (AI) and radiomics can enable physicians to further improve the overall efficiency and accuracy of the use of these tools in both di-agnostic and therapeutic settings by improving the prediction of tumor grade, differential diagnosis from other malignancies, assessment of tumor behavior and aggressiveness, and prediction of treatment response. This systematic review aims to describe the state-of-the-art on AI and radiomics applications in molecular imaging of NENs.

Background: The t (2; 5) chromosomal rearrangement and resulting nucleophosmin (NPM1) -ALK fusion was first observed in 1994 in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a T-cell lymphoma responsive to cyclophosphamide, abriblastine, vincristine and prednisone in approximately 80% of cases; refractory cases usually respond favorably to brentuximab-vedotin. These treatments are regarded as a bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Nowadays, transplant procedures and monitoring of chemotherapy patients proceed very slowly because the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has heavily clogged the hospitals in all countries. Results: A 40-year-old Caucasian woman was first seen at our clinical center in June 2020. She had ALCL ALK +, a history of failure to two previous therapeutic lines and was in complete remission after 12 courses of Brentuximab, still pending allo-SCT after two failed donor selection. Facing of a new therapeutic failure, we requested the Italian drug regulatory agency, and obtained the authorization, to administer 250 mg twice a day of Crizotinib, a drug incomprehensibly not registered for ALCL ALK +. Conclusions: The response to Crizotinib was optimal, since no adverse event occurred, and CT-PET persisted negative; this drug has proved to be a valid bridge to allo-SCT

Background: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a simple and low-cost method that allows assessment of functional capacity in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the prognostic role of 6MWT in HF remains uncertain. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the 6MWT as a predictor of mid-term adverse outcomes in patients with HF with mid-range and reduced ejection fraction. Methods: Prospective single-center cohort study that included patients with HF with an ejection fraction under 50% at a specialized outpatient HF service. Patients underwent the 6MWT on admission and were compared according to the distance walked: Group I walked ≥350 meters and group II <350 meters. The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause or hospitalization for HF decompensation in one-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes were the components of the primary outcome in an isolated analysis. Results: Sixty patients were included, 43.3% male, with a mean age of 61.1 ± 12.9 years and ejection fraction 34.3 ± 10.1%. 52 patients (86.7%) were on guideline-directed triple therapy for HF. The average distance walked in the 6MWT was 395.1 ± 98.8 meters, with 40 patients (66.7%) in group I and 20 (33.3%) in group II. The primary outcome in groups I and II were, respectively, 15,0% and 35,0% (p=0.05). One-year mortality was 5.0% vs 15.0% (p=0.18) and the hospitalization rate was 10.0% vs 20.0% (p=0.28). Conclusions: There was no association of distance <350 meters in the 6MWT with the primary outcome in patients with HF. Despite the higher occurrence of outcomes in group II, the difference was not statistically significant in this analysis. On a selective basis, the 6MWT may be a useful tool for prognostic stratification in HF, if combined with other methods.

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

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

This paper is focused on typical rural settlements in the Stara Planina Mountain area in Serbia. They are distinguished by their authenticity, identity and character, and they have still not been destroyed by inappropriate development as is the case in some other mountain areas in Serbia, where the effects of urbanization, globalization and homogenization are obvious. Consequently, there is a need to prevent these effects in mountain areas where there is a threat of disbalance between development and the inherited natural and cultural values. The paper starts from several important concepts that relate contemporary approaches to cultural heritage preservation, place morphology and planning future development. The concept definitions from recent documents from related fields are used. These concepts are then applied to the area of Stara Planina Mountain and its rural settlements. The necessity for an integrative approach to planning this area with significant natural and anthropogenic potential is pointed out, including its integration into international programs of sustainable development.

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) represents a rare subset of pancreatic cancer. Functional tumors caused hormonal changes and clinical syndromes, while non-functional ones are often diagnosed late. Surgical management need a multidisciplinary planning, involving enucleation, distal pancreatectomy with or without spleen preserving, cen-tral pancreatectomy, pancreaticoduodectomy or total pancreatectomy. Minimally invasive ap-proach increased in the last decade compared to the open technique. The aim of this study is to analyze current diagnostic and surgical trends for pNETs, to identify better interventions and their outcomes. Methods: The study adhered to PRISMA guidelines, conducting a systematic review of literature from May 2008 to March 2022 across multiple databases. Several combinations of keywords was used ("NET", "pancreatic", "surgery", "laparoscopic", "minimally invasive", "robotic”, “enuclea-tion”,“parenchima sparing”) and relevant article references was manually checked. Manuscript quality was evaluated. Results: The study screened 3867 manuscripts, twelve studies were selected, primarily from Ita-ly, the United States, and China. A total of 7767 surgical treated patients was collected from 160 included centers. The mean age was 56,3 y.o. Enucleations (EN) and distal pancreatectomy (DP) was the most common performed surgery and represents 43.4% and 38.6% of the total interven-tions, respectively. Pancreatic fistula, post operative bleeding, re-operation and follow up was recorded and analyzed. Conclusions: Enucleation show better postoperative outcomes and lower mortality rates com-pared to pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP), despite similar risks of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). DP was preferred over enucleation for pancreas body-tail, while laparoscopic enucleation is better for head pNETs.

Promoting green development has become an important way to optimize the ecological and economic structure and promote sustainable development. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important economic corridor in China, and it remains to be examined whether the implementation of environmental regulations has enhanced the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of cities. This paper calculates the green total factor productivity of 107 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt by using the super-efficient SBM model and the GML index with Chinese city panel data from 2007-2019 and measures the intensity of environmental regulations through textual analysis. The bidirectional fixed-effects model constructed in this paper suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and GTFP, which is confirmed by a series of robustness tests. Green technology innovation and advanced industrial structure play a mechanism role in this. In regions with lower levels of green technology and industrial structure, the inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green total factor productivity is more significant. In addition, the phenomenon of GTFP rising and then falling because of environmental regulation is more obvious in cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and outside the urban agglomerations. Therefore, when formulating environmental regulation policies, it is necessary to balance the relationship between economic development and environmental protection and harmonize the environment and economic development of the entire Yangtze River Basin.

The aim of this systematic review was to describe clinical and genetic features of syndromes showing oligodontia as a sign. The review was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 checklist guidelines, and the search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs, Web of science, Livivo and EMBASE and supplemented by a gray literature search on Google Scholar and ProQuest, applying key terms relevant to the research questions. The systematic review identified 49 types of syndromes in 91 studies, and the most common was hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, which was reported in 24 patients in 22 studies. Other commonest syndromes that reported oligodontia included Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, Witkop’s syndrome, Ellis-van Creveld syndrome, blepharocheilodontic syndrome and oculo-facio-cardio-dental syndrome. The X-linked mode of inheritance was the most reported (n=14 studies), followed by the autosomal dominant (n=11 studies). The review describes the main syndromes that may have oligodontia as a clinical sign and reinforce the need of oro-dental-facial examining for adequate diagnosis and treatment of the affected patients. Molecular analysis in order to better understand the occurrence of oligodontia is imperative.

Super-high (x400) magnification dermoscopy (D400) is a new non-invasive imaging technique that has been shown to add information for the differential diagnosis of melanocytic lesions in a pilot study. Our study aimed to confirm if D400 can add details for the discrimination of clinically atypical nevus and melanoma. This is a retrospective observational, multicentric study enrolling patients who received an x20 (D20) and x400 (D400) magnification dermoscopic examination of pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopic images were retrospectively evaluated by three observers for the presence/absence of nine D20 and twenty D400 dermoscopic features defined in the previous pilot study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to find predictors of benign and malignant behaviors. At D20 atypical pigment network, blue-whitish veil, atypical vascular pattern, regression, and homogenous pattern were more frequent in melanoma than in nevi (p&lt;0.001). At D400 melanoma showed more frequently than benign lesions melanocytes with an irregular arrangement and irregular in shape and size (p&lt;0.001). Network with edged papillae was more frequent in benign lesions than melanomas (p&lt;0.001). Our study confirms that D400 can identify melanocytes with an irregular arrangement and irregular in shape and size in melanomas, adding information to the conventional D20 examination.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are diseases that occur when blood-producing cells in the bone marrow are damaged; such damage can affect one or more types of blood cells. Common types of MDS are refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts and refractory anemia with excess blasts (MDS-RS and MDS-EB, respectively). This work analyzed the proteomics of the medullary plasma of 10 patients with MDS-RS and MDS-EB compared to healthy control people. Overexpressed proteins that may be potential candidates for biological markers for the evaluation, study, and diagnosis of these diseases have been identified. These samples were subjected to immunodepleting, concentrated, and digested for further analysis by mass spectrometry. The ratios between selected groups and healthy people were calculated. Seven overexpressed proteins in both syndromes were identified as potential biomarker candidates: vitronectin (VTN), (2) fibrinogen (FGA), (3) pregnancy zone protein (PZP), (4) kininogen (KNG1), (5) immunoglobulin lambda chain (IGLL1), (6) complement factor C4b, and (7) hemopexin (HPX). A modified affinity chromatographic column with lectin frutalin (FTL) was used for non-depleted samples. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) was expressed in the samples from both syndromes. Surprisingly, IgM from patients with syndromes was over retained on the frutalin (FTL) column when compared with the control group. We further hypothesized that over retention of this protein by the FTL is due to the presence of α-galactosidic residues in the IgM of MDS-RS and MDS-EB patients. Differential recognition of proteins on non-depleted samples from the use of FTL appears to be a powerful tool for proteomic analysis.

The wetlands in northeastern Bangladesh are home to some of the most prolific and valuable ecosystems on the planet, offering a wide range of benefits to both the local and wider communities. A limited number of research on this topic have been carried out in various wetlands in coastal hilsa, but none have been located in the northeastern region of Bangladesh. Thus, the goal of this study was to better understand the most commercially relevant species (anadromous hilsa) in northeastern Bangladesh as well as to assess the wetland ecosystem services more thoroughly with the contribution of their fish genetic resources. In addition to laboratory studies, fieldwork was done in the fishing settlements along the Surma River, Hakaluki Haor, and Tanguar Haor. The study classified 77 fish species into 21 subcategories of ecosystem services, of which 56% were not threatened, 17% were vulnerable, and 10% were highly endangered. The species Hilsa was found to be the most economically significant, accounting for 1% of the GDP overall. The study determined if the hilsa stock of the examined wetlands maintains a single or several subpopulations in comparison to other parts of the country when they migrate from saline water to northeastern Bangladesh (freshwater). But when compared to other groups, the FST score was between 0.000 to 0.017, indicating that the populations are identical and that there is genetic material sharing between them. Additionally, these statistics imply that the Sylhet haor and adjacent river systems contain a single stock of Hilsa fish. Nevertheless, a number of stresses and risks, including overexploitation, illicit and destructive fishing, siltation, and natural disasters like flash floods, have been linked to changes in the supply of hilsa and other ecosystem services. This study also emphasizes the necessity of policy attention and research to address the concerns.

In this paper, we introduce a specialized, fully automated experimental arrangement designed for assessing the effectiveness of augmented and virtual reality technologies in healthcare setting and explore its design principles focusing on depth sensor characterization. The main goal of this project is to establish a robust benchtop platform for the quantitative evaluation of extended reality technologies in a controlled environment, emphasizing the practical assessment of augmented reality head-mounted devices. We outline a design concept and considerations for an experimental configuration aimed at creating a realistic testing environment. This apparatus comprises an observation platform mounted on a three-degree-of-freedom motorized system and a test phantom stage. Focusing on real-case scenarios, we utilized a range of sensors, including readily available range-sensing cameras and commercial augmented reality headsets, such as the Intel RealSense L515 LiDAR camera, mounted on the motion control system. The setup enabled automated data collection and facilitates controlled assessments and validation of various facets of augmented reality technologies, including object, hand, and head tracking, as well as static and dynamic image registration. This paper describes the system architecture, the process of automated data collection, and presents several evaluation studies conducted with this setup, providing insights into the quality and temporal noise associated with static or moving objects or observers in augmented reality applications.

To conduct high-precision and high-resolution numerical simulation of complex flow structures in turbomachinery, a high-order finite volume weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for the large eddy simulation (LES) is improved and embedded into the three-dimensional viscous unsteady CFD solver NUAA-Turbo. Firstly, the spectral characteristics and unsteady convergence of the improved WENO scheme are studied. Compared with the classical WENO scheme, the improved WENO scheme has better dissipation and dispersion characteristics and faster convergence speed. Then, the coefficient CW of the Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity (WALE) model is calibrated by decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence (DHIT) test case. Finally, the scheme is applied to conduct high-precision LES calculations of turbulent boundary layer flow, supersonic compression corner flow, and low-pressure turbine cascade separation flow. The numerical simulation results show that this WENO scheme has excellent shock wave capture ability and turbulence resolution and can capture more flow field details with less mesh size, greatly reducing the computational cost and laying a foundation for large-scale engineering application of LES.

To secure logic circuits against the illegal copying the insertion of the so-called key bit inputs using XOR/XNOR gates has been proposed in . The inserted gates modify (lock) the behavior of the original circuit and only the correct choice of the secret key bits guarantees the equivalent behaviour of the locked circuit to the original circuit. To break this kind of security, i.e. to find the secret key bits, there was a SAT solver based attack proposed in . The aim of this work is to experimentally verify this attack on several locked circuits with various number of primary inputs and outputs and with various number of gates. Except for the random placement of the key gates we evaluate also the positioning with chaining elimination. The obtained and presented results show that we were able to unlock 10 of 11 circuits within few minutes on a common PC.

Intermetallic compounds are increasingly being expected to utilize in tribological environments, but to date the works are hindered by insufficient ductility at low and medium temperature. This paper presents a novel multiphase intermetallic alloy with the chemical composition of Mo-40Ni-13Si (at.%). Microstructure characterization reveals that a certain amount of ductile Mo phases formed during the solidification process of ternary Mo-Ni-Si alloy melt, which is undoubtedly beneficial to the ductility improvement of intermetallic alloy. Tribological properties of the designed alloy, including wear resistance, friction coefficient and metallic tribological compatibility, were evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results suggested that the multiphase alloy possesses an excellent property for room-temperature wear applications, which is attributed to the unique microstructural features and thereby good combination in hardness and ductility. The corresponding wear mechanism is also reported by observing the worn surface, subsurface and wear debris of alloy, which to be found is soft abrasive wear.

With the integrated development of the Internet, wireless sensor technology, cloud computing, and mobile Internet, there has been a lot of attention given to research about and applications of the Internet of Things. A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one of the important information technologies in the Internet of Things; it integrates multi-technology to detect and gather information in a network environment by mutual cooperation, using a variety of methods to process and analyze data, implement awareness, and perform tests. This paper mainly researches the localization algorithm of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network. Firstly, a multi-granularity region partition is proposed to divide the location region. In the range-based method, the RSSI (Received Signal Strength indicator, RSSI) is used to estimate distance. The optimal RSSI value is computed by the Gaussian fitting method. Furthermore, a Voronoi diagram is characterized by the use of dividing region. Rach anchor node is regarded as the center of each region; the whole position region is divided into several regions and the sub-region of neighboring nodes is combined into triangles while the unknown node is locked in the ultimate area. Secondly, the multi-granularity regional division and Lagrange multiplier method are used to calculate the final coordinates. Because nodes are influenced by many factors in the practical application, two kinds of positioning methods are designed: the unknown node is in the positioning unit or not. When the unknown node is on the side of the positioning unit, we use the method of vector similarity. Moreover, we use the centroid algorithm to calculate the ultimate coordinates of unknown node. When the unknown node is not on the side of the positioning unit, we establish a Lagrange equation containing the constraint condition to calculate the first coordinates. Furthermore, we use the Taylor expansion formula to correct the coordinates of the unknown node. In addition, this localization method has been validated by establishing the real environment.

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of brain activity. Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology formed by the EEG signal has become one of the hotspots at present. How to extract the feature signal of EEG is the most basic research of BCI technology. In this paper, A new method of recognizing fatigue, conscious, concentrated state of human brain is proposed by the combination of discrete wavelet transform and the neural network based on EEG signal. First of all, the law signal is preprocessed by the wavelet denoising method because the law EEG signal contains a large number of high frequency noise, which is decomposed into multi-layer high frequency signal and low frequency signal. thus, δ wave, θ wave, α wave, β wave are obtained by the wavelet transform. And then, frequency band energy of the different wave is regards as the feature signal of EEG. In the experiment, the feature signal is classified by radial basic function (RBF) and annealed chaotic competitive learning network (ACCLN). RBF and ACCLN networks are trained with 500 sets of sample data and are tested by 100 sets of samples in different mental states. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of RBF network under three conditions are 88.75%, 88.25%, 88.5%, respectively, and the correct rate of ACCLN network is 97%, 98%, 98%, respectively.

Early discharge after childbirth has led to a rise in neonatal readmission, becoming a major concern in recent decades. Our research aimed to identify the risk factors and incidence of neonatal readmission, as well as explore preventive measures. Our study at the Clinical Hospital of Pediatrics in Ploiești, Romania included 108 neonates admitted during the neonatal period. This accounted for 2.06% of all admissions (5226). The most prevalent cases were malnutrition (25%), fever (20.3%) and bronchiolitis (17.5%). Diarrhea and infectious gastroenteritis were also observed (14.8%), along with acute rhinoconjunctivitis (9.2%) and late onset sepsis (3.7%). No deaths were recorded. The most significant characteristics identified were number of children (p&lt;0.001) and age at maternity discharge (p&lt;0.001). By following the prevention rules, malnutrition, feeding errors, and infections can be avoided. This includes practicing proper hand hygiene for both mothers and medical staff, as well as educating and demonstrating to mothers the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition, all newborns discharged from the maternity ward should benefit from follow-up at 7-10 days of life. Our results confirm the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team and endorse promoting breastfeeding. Implementing quality control measures and regularly evaluating the surveillance program will help improve its effectiveness.

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

Two interesting compounds such as quaternary ammonium lignin(QAL) and 2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (P507) were synthesized as ionic liquids(QP-ILs) for the extraction of metal ions. The extraction behavior of Co(II) and Ni(II) from chloride solution was compared between QP-ILs and P507. The results showed that the extraction rates of Co(II) and Ni(II) in the two solutions varied with the extraction conditions, but QP-ILs has stronger extractability for cobalt than P507, while Ni is on the contrary. Under the same conditions, the Co/Ni separation performance(βCo/Ni) in QP-ILs is superior to that in p507. At pH4.0, 55℃, concentration of 20%, extraction time of 10 minutes, the βCo/Ni of QP-ILs reached to 2703, while that of P507 was only 164. In conclusion, QP-ILs was more efficient than P507 for separating Co from mixed solutions.

Brain aging causes a wide variety of changes at molecular and cellular levels, leading to the decline of cognitive functions and increased vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders. The research aimed at understanding the aging of the brain has made much progress in recent decades. Technological innovations such as single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), proteomic analyses, and spatial transcriptomic analyses have facilitated the research on the dynamic changes occurring within neurons, glia, and other cells along with their impacts on intercellular communication during aging. In this review, we introduce recent trends of how neurons and glia change during aging and discuss the impact of the brain microenvironment such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Museums are called to respond to contemporary challenges and contribute to the formation of more progressive societies. One of the major challenges of our time is climate change and museums could construct cocreated narratives around climate and implement targeted actions for the audiences through their sensorial and affective experiences. More specifically, Geology and Palaeontology museums are repositories of knowledge on geoheritage and geoconservation, recognized for their scientific, pedagogical, cultural and recreational values. The educational potential of geological and paleontological exhibits could be used in informal education activities regarding the climate emergency. Taking the above into consideration, this study focuses on both the creation and evaluation of an educational program for the Natural History Museum of Arsakeio Campus at Psychicko.

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

Multimodal remote sensing data classification can enhance the model’s ability to distinguish land features through multimodal data fusion. In this context, how to help models understand the relationship between multimodal data and target tasks is the focus of researchers. Inspired by human feedback learning mechanisms, causal reasoning mechanisms, and knowledge induction mechanisms, this paper integrates causal learning, reinforcement learning, and meta learning into a unified remote sensing data classification framework and proposed the causal meta-reinforcement learning (CMRL). First, based on feedback learning mechanisms, we have overcome the limitations of traditional implicit optimization of fusion features and customized a reinforcement learning environment for multimodal remote sensing data classification tasks. Through feedback interactive learning between agents and the environment, we help them understand the complex relationships between multimodal data and labels, thereby achieving full mining of multimodal complementary information. Second, based on the causal inference mechanism we designed causal distribution prediction action, classification reward, and causal intervention reward, capturing pure causal factors in multimodal data and cutting off false statistical associations between non-causal factors and class labels. Finally, based on the knowledge induction mechanism, we designed a bi-layer optimization mechanism based on meta-learning. By constructing a meta training task and meta validation task simulation model in the generalization scenario of unseen data, we helped the model induce cross-task shared knowledge, thereby improving its generalization ability for unseen multimodal data. The experimental results on multiple sets of multimodal datasets show that the proposed method achieved state-of-the-art performance in multimodal remote sensing data classification tasks.

Moso bamboo is famous for fast growing and biomass accumulation, as well as high annual output for timber and bamboo shoots. These high outputs require high nutrient inputs to maintain and improve stand productivity. Soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important micronutrients for plant growth and productivity. Due to high variability of soils, analysing spatial patterns of soil N, P and K stocks is necessary for scientific nutrient management in Moso bamboo forests. In this study, soils were sampled from 138 locations across Yong’an City and ordinary kriging was applied for spatial interpolation of soil N, P and K stocks. Soil N stock showed a strong spatial dependence while soil N and P stocks presented a moderate spatial dependence, indicating soil N was mainly controlled by intrinsic factors while soil N and P stocks were controlled by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Different spatial patterns were observed for soil N, P and K stocks across the whole study area, indicating that fertilizations with different ratios of N:P:K should be applied for different sites to maintain and improve stand productivity. The total soil N, P and K stocks within 0-60 cm were 0.624, 0.020 and 0.583 Tg, respectively.

With the increasing concern of environment, the energy-efficiency scheduling of manufacturing industry is becoming urgent and popular. In turning processes, both spindle speed and processing time can affect the final energy consumption and thus the spindle speed and scheduling scheme need to be optimized simultaneously. Since the turning workshop can be regarded as the flexible flow shop, this paper formulates a mixed integer linear programming model for energy-efficient scheduling of flexible flow shop. Accordingly, a new decoding method is developed by considering of the optimization of spindle speed and scheduling scheme simultaneously, and an estimation of distribution algorithm adopting the new decoding method is proposed to solve large-size problems. The parameters of this algorithm are determined by statistical technique with a simplified practical case. In order to validate the proposed method, a case from practical factories is studied, in which the makespan can be shortened by 25.22%, and the consumed energy can be saved by 5.48%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed mathematical model and algorithm.

Lignocellulosic biomass, an abundant and renewable resource, serves as a crucial raw material for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and various value-added products. This paper aims to develop and optimize a mild alkaline treatment of sawdust assisted by ultrasound, along with enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated material. The sonochemical pretreatment with alkali emerged as the optimal approach to enhance the susceptibility of cellulose to subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, thereby increasing the yield of reducing sugars. A comparative study was performed using various ultrasonic applicators (horn and bath) and conventional assisted alkaline pretreatment. The ultrasonic assisted pretreatment revealed a higher delignification as 68% (horn) and 57% (bath) comparing with conventional pretreatment. Processes were optimized using a statistical analysis based on a 23 factorial design. The ratio between sawdust and alkanine solution (RSL = 0.5–1.5 g/100 mL), US amplitude (A = 20–60%), and working temperature (t = 30–50 °C) were selected as process factors. The optimal operating conditions to maximize the reducing sugar yield (138.15 mg GE /gsubstrate) were found as following: solid/liquid ratio RSL,opt = 1.25 g/100 mL, US amplitude Aopt = 60%, and and pretreatment temperature topt = 50 °C. The overall outcomes clearly confirmed the intensification of delignification by ultrasound assisted alkaline pretreatment

At 12:28 UTC (8:28 PM, local time) on 15 January 2023, a shallow, moderate earthquake with a magnitude (Mw) of 4.7 and a depth of one (1) kilometer shook the northern part of Leyte Island in the central part of the Philippines. The ground shaking was felt at PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) VI, (very strong) equivalent to Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) VI in areas along the strike of the Leyte segment of the Philippine Fault. Even though this earthquake is classified as moderate in size, significant geologic, structural, and socio-economic impacts were documented. Most of the earthquake impacts that include surface rupture, liquefaction, and mass movements are limited near the epicentral area. The earthquake produced an 8-km-long surface rupture, the first documented rupture generated by a magnitude &lt;6 along the Philippine Fault, and is unusual in other surface rupturing earthquakes worldwide. It injured 18 persons and damaged 434 residential buildings and 26 public infrastructures which amounts to about 500 thousand US dollars. Structural damages were caused by surface rupture and/or poor engineering construction practices. Analysis of the seismic waveform and recorded peak ground acceleration (PGA) suggests that the subsurface geology influenced the ground motion amplification in an area near the epicenter. Based on the hypocenter, focal mechanism solution, aftershock distribution, and actual field observation, the causative fault for this event is the northern end of the Philippine Fault – Leyte segment. Moderate in size, this earthquake emphasizes the need and importance of documenting moderate-sized earthquakes as a tool and guide for medium and long-term earthquake risk assessment and resiliency.

Background: The bacterium Capnocytophaga spp. is a part of the oral microbiome of dogs, which has zoonotic potential. This study aimed to assess factors that influence the prevalence of Capnocytophaga cynodegmi and Capnocytophaga canimorsus in Wrocaw’s dog population. Methods: Molecular detection (PCR) involved 105 swabs, examining parameters such as oral cavity condition, underlying health issues, recent antibiotics, age, medications, material collection, and dog chews. Results: The study highlighted significant associations between the presence of Capnocytophaga cynodegmi and oral cavity condition, material collection method, and use of dog’s chews. Conclusions: Correlations obtained in this study between the oral health of Wroclaw's dog population and the presence of Capnocytophaga cynodegmi suggest its significance in the oral microbiome of dogs. Limitations, including the small sample size, highlight the need for more research to comprehensively understand additional factors that affect the prevalence of Capnocytophaga spp. in dogs

A simple design of an ultrathin six-band polarization-insensitive terahertz perfect metamaterial absorber (PMMA) composed of a metal cross-cave-patch resonator (CCPR) placed over a ground plane was proposed and investigated numerically. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the average absorption peaks are up to 95% at six resonance frequencies with high quality-factors (>65). In addition, the absorption properties can be kept stability for both normal incident transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) waves. The physical mechanism behind the observed high level absorption is illustrated by the electric and power loss density distributions. The different absorption mainly originates from the higher order multipolar and multipolar plasmon resonance of the structure, which are sharp different to the most previous studies of the PMMAs. Furthermore, the resonance absorption of the PMMA can be tunable by varying the geometric parameters of the unit cell.

A simple design of an ultrathin six-band polarization-insensitive terahertz perfect metamaterial absorber (PMMA) composed of a metal cross-cave-patch resonator (CCPR) placed over a ground plane was proposed and investigated numerically. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the average absorption peaks are up to 95% at six resonance frequencies with high quality-factors (>65). In addition, the absorption properties can be kept stability for both normal incident transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) waves. The physical mechanism behind the observed high level absorption is illustrated by the electric and power loss density distributions. The different absorption mainly originates from the higher order multipolar and multipolar plasmon resonance of the structure, which are sharp different to the most previous studies of the PMMAs. Furthermore, the resonance absorption of the PMMA can be tunable by varying the geometric parameters of the unit cell.